HELSTON HISTORY

 

PASCOE FAMILY

from

PORTHLEVEN to CANADA

by cousins

Kelly O`Connor(Canada) and Graham G Matthews (Cornwall)

At some time during the mid to late 1880's John Pascoe of Sithney, Cornwall arrived in the village of Porthleven where he married Mary Jane Williams of Porthleven.

Our Great-Great Grandmother Mary Williams Pascoe

Four children resulted from that union, the eldest being John Pascoe Jr. born in 1884 and followed by his brother Thomas William, born in 1889. Their siblings were a sister Thomasine and a younger brother Percy. Little is known of Thomasine, except that she never married and may possibly have died in early adulthood due to complications of diabetes.

Our Great Aunt, Thomasine, Sister to John, Tom, Percy..she was good looking, maybe 35? I'm guessing.

Young Percy however, became educated, graduating from the University of Exeter and eventually becoming a teacher. His finest accomplishment was to become Headmaster of King Edward Grammar School in Sheffield. Percy married but no children came of that union and he was known to retire in Sidmouth, Devon.

John Pascoe Jr. married as well, and his bride was Miss Alarina Cardell, whose father was a Porthleven merchant but for unknown reasons this bond did not suceed because in time, he chose to leave his young wife Alarina and only child Edna, emigrating to the U.S.A. whereby he settled in Superior, Wisconsin, becoming a fireman. During the final year of the Great War, John felt the call to duty and decided to enlist. He made the decision to journey north, crossing the border into Canada, his final destination being the midwestern city of Winnipeg. As a British Commonwealth citizen, John Pascoe Jr. was successful in joining the Royal Canadian Army in early 1918. He shipped overseas and during a stopover in England to visit his wife and child, posed for a family portrait which is now in the possession of his great-grandson, Graham Gavin Matthews of Helston.

Nine months after bidding farewell to Alarina and young Edna, John made the ultimate sacrifice for God and Country, having being killed in action November 1918.

This gallant native son of Porthleven is buried in Aulnoy war cemetary, France.

GREAT GRANNY ALARINA PASCOE, GREAT GRANDAD JOHN PASCOE (in 44th Battalion uniform) with my Grandmother EDNA (Graham G Matthews)

Thomas William Pascoe, John's brother, also spent his early years in Porthleven. The proud son of a fisherman, Tom became a fisherman and a fine sailor in his own right, in addition to toiling in the Cornish tin mines of the Helston area.

After the war began he also felt the call to duty and enlisted as a deckhand in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve where he became one of the ship's company upon the converted minesweeping trawler, S.S. John C. Meickle, alongside another Porthleven son, William Richards.

Thomas William Pascoe is on the left as you can figure out, given that he is a carbon copy of his brother John. William Richards is in middle, the one on right is Ed Jewell.

Tom's shipmate William was to drown at sea many years later in the sinking of the fishing boat ENERGETIC off the Cornish coast. Handsome young sailors they were !

Tom Pascoe himself was lucky indeed, the day he caught the eye of a young Porthleven girl named Annie Alfreda Dunstan and in due course of time they married. Freda, as she was affectionately known, was a daughter of Edward Dunstan, a prominent businessman in the village, being proprietor of the harbour front Commercial Hotel (now the Harbour Hotel). A few years into their marriage, Tom and Freda would also leave their beloved Cornwall behind and emigrate to North American shores.

There are many descendants of this particular branch of the Pascoe family, from old John Senior and Mary Jane, through their children and their children's children. In July of this year, 2003, sheer coincidence and fate brought two of these children together, after many years of not knowing the other existed, allowing both of them to gain further insight into their shared family history and commonallities. Porthleven historian Graham Gavin Matthews knew that his great-grandfather John Pascoe Jr. had a brother Thomas who'd also left England to settle in Canada and he became dedicated to locating his missing Canadian relatives, posting a worldwide plea for information on this very Helston History website of his creation via the internet. Nearly one full year elapsed with no results and the search was about to be abandoned as a lost cause. By sheer stroke of luck, Graham's website was viewed quite by accident in July 2003 by Mr. Kelly O'Connor of the hamlet of Maguire, Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Kelly was very interested in his family history but had little knowledge of his maternal Pascoe and Dunstan ancestors. He excitedly contacted Mr. Matthews .... the mystery had been resolved!

KELLY`S CANADIAN STORY

I am Kelly O'Connor, proud and eldest Grandson of Thomas William Pascoe and Annie Alfreda Dunstan Pascoe of Porthleven and London, Ontario, Canada and fourth cousin to Graham G Matthews.

This is my story............

While still living in Porthleven my grandparents were blessed with two daughters.

Phyliss was born in 1918 followed by her sister Peggy in 1920.

My Aunts, Peggy on left, Phyllis on right..appears to be on beach at Porthleven...must have been taken about 1924 as Peg says she was 3 and Phyl 6 when they came to Canada.

My Grandmother Freda with Peggy and Phyllis..even earlier Porthleven

By this time the Great War had ended and for their own reasons, Tom and Freda made what must have been a difficult decision, to make the long emigration voyage to Canada, with infant daughters in tow.

While Tom's elder brother John had died a few years earlier, perhaps stories from his time in North America had provided the hope for a better or at least different life there. We might wonder how he could reconcile this choice with his parents and siblings Thomasine and Percy, not knowing if they would ever see each other again. The beautiful young Freda, pride of her dear father's heart was in the same position of bidding farewell to old Edward and her mother (name unknown, but believed to have been a WILLOUGHBY) as well as her two sisters, Sophie and Hilda, and her five brothers, Stanley, George, Leonard, Percy and Walker. Their minds were made up however and my grandparents left for Canada, with hopes in their hearts, likely around the year 1924 or 1925.

My grandmother as a very young, likely mid teens girl. You can see the affluence in the dress and dog. Interestingly this photo was taken by Mr.Hawke of Helston

LIFE IN CANADA

Tom and Freda sailed from England to Montreal, Quebec, Canada with daughters Phyliss and Peggy.

Upon clearing immigration they then embarked by train to the west, arriving several hours later in Ottawa, the Capital of Canada. After a very brief amount of time the family then journeyed northwest, following the mighty Ottawa River to the sleepy village of Galetta, near the town of Arnprior. This was to be their home for the next 9 or 10 years and it was here that their third daughter was born. My mother, Hilda Percival, named after her aunt and uncles entered this world June 22, 1926,the first descendant of John and Mary Jane Pascoe to be born on Canadian soil.

GALETTA

Galetta, in 2004 is a small village of about 200 souls, nestled in a picturesque bend on the Mississippi River, and about 7 miles upstream of the Ottawa River. It is between the village and the Ottawa River that the Kingdon Mines were located. When Thomas Pascoe laboured in these mines, they held some of the richest lead and zinc deposits in North America. Thomas' grandson Kelly O'Connor visited this village where his mother was born, discovering in 2004 that the minesite is still accessible. During the Pascoe's stay in Galetta, Tom and Freda's only son, Edward ( Ted )was born, in 1928. Ted passed away October 12, 2002 in Campbellford, Ontario, Canada.

Galetta, Ontario, 1929, Phyllis, Edward, Thomas, Freda, Hilda and Peggy

Unfortunately world mineral prices dropped for a prolonged period during the early 30's and the mines were closed...the Pascoes and their now 4 children moved 600 km. to the southwestern Ontario village of Beachville, situated about 30 miles from London. It was here that Freda gave birth to the final members of her family, Mary was born in 1930 and Muriel followed in 1932.
Thomas Pascoe once again became employed at the task of mining. Limestone, used in the manufacture of Portland Cement was, and still is, open-pit mined around Beachville.
After a few years the family moved once again, this time just 10 miles away to the town of Woodstock.

THE SINGING PASCOE SISTERS

Annie Elfreda (Dunstan) Pascoe became a very talented pianist, having studied music
and piano from a very early age in Helston, Cornwall. She played enthusiastically during her homelife as well as in public until shortly before her death. Freda passed her love of and talent for music on to her family. Pascoe sisters, Phyllis, Peggy, Hilda and Muriel were well known for their talents in singing three and four part harmonies, either accompanied or accapella.

During the time the Pascoe family resided in Beachville and Woodstock, Phyllis (alto) Peggy (tenor) and Hilda (lead soprano) performed regularly at local events and venues as a trio. Phyllis's lifelong partner, Albert Warren was a very talented musician who along with writing and arranging musical scores, had his own "Big Band" orchestra and the girls were featured vocalists; Hilda began with the trio at the age of 12 ! The girls and the Albert (Jake) Warren Band usually performed as part of a troupe of entertainers managed by Mr. Bruce McMillan of Woodstock.

Sister Peggy during this time met a talented trumpet player named Eddie Whyte, whom she eventually married and occasionally sang with, playing the top big band venues of Toronto during the 40's and early 50's. Peggy never stopped singing until the day she died, life was full of song for her. Visiting her in the spring of 2004 she was still possessed of spontaneous interjections of humour, wit, song and showmanship. Peggy resided for her final years with her sister Phyllis's daughter Judy, friend, personal caregiver and niece, until she passed away in May 2004 at Burlington, Ontario at the age of 83. Born Cornwall 1921.

Much later in life, beginning in the late 50's, Phyllis, husband Albert, and daughter Judy became very active with the internationally recognized singing organization "Sweet Adelines". This was a relationship that would last the better part of two decades, Albert writing and arranging the music, mother and daughter performing as vocalists. Judy, as a teenager, also sang on local radio out of London, Ontario, Canada in 1957.

RECOLLECTIONS
(of Kelly O'Connor)

MUSIC

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of times spent during family visits with my aunts and grandparents.....frequently when my mother and her sisters got together, the music would simply "flow", they were amazing to listen to, singing their trademark 3 part harmony, usually swing tunes from the big band era...flawlessly accapella. Whenever the extended families came together at the Pascoe family home in London, where they moved from Woodstock, my Grandmother Annie Elfreda would sit down to the piano and my mother and aunts would commence to "sing up a storm". Usually, with some degree of coaxing, my Grand-dad Thomas would take up a position at the head of the piano and sing as well. As a child I recall he had a handsome voice as well but seldom ventured forth with song.

GRANDMA'S HOUSE

Visits with my Grandmother, Annie Elfreda Pascoe were always special.....much time was spent there from the age of 12 and onward. Grandma always made "black" tea, kept in a tin at the back of the stove, cookies, pastries and assorted sweets were always in abundance and I recall she had a fondness for "kippered herring". She liked to talk about her childhood in Helston and always told me that she was fortunate to be raised as a priveleged child as her father Edward Dunstan was a well known and successful gentleman and owner of the Commercial Hotel in Porthleven village (now the Harbour Hotel). The family employed servants and life was very good. She had many brothers but was particularly close to her two sisters, Sophie and Hilda with whom she corresponded until her death.

EDWARD DUNSTAN OUTSIDE THE COMMERCIAL HOTEL, PORTHLEVEN circa early 1900`s

STORIES MY GRANDFATHER TOLD ME

If he was shy to sing, nevertheless my Grandpa liked to talk. For anyone who expressed an interest or was willing to listen, he would regale his audience with tales of working in the Cornish tin mines, or being at sea, whether fishing or whilst serving in the RCNVR aboard minesweepers. Certain things stand out in my memory. When talking to me I was usually referred to as "boy". Many tales of adventure while serving on the converted trawler JOHN C. MEICKLE at the task of minesweeping during the Great War...my Grandfather suffered permanent unilateral hearing loss as a result of a mine being exploded too close to the vessel."Black lung disease" left him permanently short of breath as he basically lost a lung from years in the mines as well.

My favourite stories were those that revolved around the sea and fishing; many were the tales about being on the sea during "great" storms and gales. Grandpa would become very serious, animated and excited as the stories unfolded. He really seemed to favour the use of the word "great" in his very descriptive and detail-oriented memories. It was a "great" wave or a "great" large hook, a "great" fish, "great" gale, etc. But very exciting oration!

I recall many stories of the great storms off the Porthleven coastline, fantastic tales of ships and men. Grandpa many times held out his hand to me and showed the very large scar where 50 years before, a great trawl hook snagged his hand. He was possessed of an uncanny and intimate knowledge of watercraft, small fishing vessels, sailing schooners and large ships all.....my grandfather Thomas Pascoe demonstrated that knowledge in his making of model ships, all done by hand in intricate detail, working and sailing models all. He made a wooden schooner for me when I was about 8 years of age and I recall it being about 24 inches long with a mainmast of about 36 inches, a length of brass bar was fashioned for the ballasted keel, the hull was carved from solid wood, all masts and booms as well. The sails were of linen and I recall the intricately woven rigging from the freeboard amidships to the crowsnest was tarred twine. Unfortunately I was too young for such a gift and over the years this model fell victim to lack of care and much enjoyable use....now that my grandfather has long since passed on, I dearly wish I still had it now that I'm able to appreciate it's worth.

In my late teens I became a member of the Royal Canadian Navy and whenever possible, visited my grandpa when on leave. He was so proud of me and always exclaimed to my grandmother, "the boy is a Petty Officer, mother!" and he would have this huge grin on his face with the tip of his tongue stuck out from between his teeth. I insisted I was only a Leading Seaman, a "killick' but Grandpa would hear none of it. I guess the uniform I wore and the rank badges must have been similar to the petty officers of his day, but he was proud of me and the sight of me in uniform got the blood running and the doors of memories past opened forth with stories.

At one stage of my life painting pictures took a great deal of my leisure time as a hobby. I still have in my possession a head and shoulders portrait of my Grandpa that brought tears to the eyes of my mother and grandmother; they were so taken with the likeness. It hangs proudly in the living room of my home and will never leave the family. A picture was also painted of the famous Canadian racing schooner "BLUENOSE" which sailed out of Nova Scotia. I gave this to my grandfather as a gift in 1970. He just absolutely lit up when he saw it and it hung in his bedroom until the time of his death. One of my sons now owns it. Grandpa would look at that picture and there was a moistness to his eyes, a wistful quality that I always thought was part of some mental journey to an earlier time and place, perhaps back again off the waters of Porthleven, feeling the surge of "great" swells and the power of the sea beneath his vessel.

My painting I gave to Grandpa, the Canadian and Nova Scotian schooner Bluenose

CONCLUSION

Unfortunately and sadly, Thomas William Pascoe and Annie Elfreda Dunstan Pascoe never again returned to their beloved Cornwall. Once their children had become adults with families of their own, my grandfather had become to some degree reclusive and simply felt travel was beyond him. My grandmother had the resources to make the journey but never would travel alone. My mother Hilda at one time entertained thoughts of accompanying her but she wouldn't leave "Dad" and soon her own deteriorating health prevented such an event.

The Pascoes of Porthleven and Helston had 5 daughters and 1 son.....Phyllis, Peggy, Hilda, Edward, Mary and Muriel. All are deceased with the exception of Muriel who resides in London with her husband Kevin Toner and her sister Mary, widow of Orville Patterson of Windsor, Ontario. Tom and Annie Elfreda had 24 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren.

There are a total of 72 descendants of Thomas William and Annie Elfreda Pascoe, although several are now deceased, to date July 01, 2004

My own youngest son, Thomas William Patrick O'Connor, was named after his great grandfather.

A PASCOE family reunion is held annually near London, Ontario, Canada.

KELLY O'CONNOR AUTHOR

My grandparents, in London, Ontario during the late 60's to early 70's (daddy and mother, as they always addressed each other)

Grandparents with Peggy

LEFT TO RIGHT: THOMAS PASCOE, PEGGY, HILDA, FREDA(mother), PHYLLIS & MURIEL This photograph was sent to Graham`s family in Cornwall in 1957

PHYLLIS had a daughter JUDY who was a talented singer and used to peform a couple of songs every Sunday lunchtime on 980 CFPL RADIO & `TV LOCAL` with LLOYD WRIGHT AND THE RADIO RANGERS

JUDY aged 15

LLOYD WRIGHT & `THE RADIO RANGERS`

Copyright Graham G Matthews 2004