1. William BOND was born on 11 April 1843 in Kirkham, Lancashire, England and was baptised 18 April 1843 at St. Michael’s Church in Kirkham, Lancashire. William died of corrosive poisoning on 26 August 1893 in London, England at the age of fifty. On 6 August 1879 at the Wesleyan Chapel in Ryde, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, William married Jessie Harriet WILLIAMS by license. A second marriage ceremony took place on 1 October 1879 at St. Mary’s Church in Portsea, Hampshire after banns.
William’s Parentage
According to William Bond’s Royal Artillery Pay Book, his father’s name was Thomas Bond, he was born in Preston, Lancashire and he was 24 years old at the time of his enlistment on 17 October 1867. This would suggest that his birth was between October 1842 and October 1843. To be thorough, searching all births from the start of 1842 to the end of 1844 in either the Preston registration district or the nearby Fylde registration district we find four possible birth records for a William Bond. Only one of these birth registrations has a father named Thomas and the certified copy of birth in the Fylde registration district shows that William Bond’s father was Thomas Bond and his mother was Alice Bond, formerly Barns.
2. Jessie Harriet WILLIAMS was born 26 November 1857 in Ryde, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England and died 29 December 1941 at 4813 rue Boyer in Montreal, Québec, Canada at the age of eighty four. She was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Section G 2227-E in Montreal.
Jessie’s Parentage
Jessie William’s burial record at the Mount Royal Cemetery lists her birth place as “Isle of Night” which is probably “Isle of Wight” in England. Her death certificate shows her death date as 29 December 1941 and her birth date as 25 November 1863 . Her death notice in the Montreal Star shows her age to be seventy eight years which is consistent with these dates .
However, according to William Bond’s pay book, Jessie and William Bond married in Portsea, Hampshire on 1 October 1879 which would have made her not quite 16 years old at the time of her marriage had she been born in 1863. While this is possible, the marriage certificate issued shows that she was twenty two years old at the time of her marriage .
Searching England birth registrations for Jessie Harriet Williams from 1850 to 1865, we find only one registration and the birth certificate referenced by that registration shows Jessie Harriet Williams born 26 November 1857 in Ryde, Isle of Wight, Hampshire to parents George Williams and Harriet Storey .
Looking at the George Williams family on the Isle of Wight in the 1871 census, we find father George, a gardener, mother Harriett, daughter Jessie, aged thirteen, son Arthur S. and daughter Laura Jane . This family grouping is consistent with the information on Jessie and William’s marriage certificate where Jessie’s father is listed as George Williams, a gardener and witnesses to the marriage are shown to be George Williams and Laura Jane Williams.
The information for Jessie’s death certificate and burial notice were likely provided by Frank Hayes. Frank and Jessie lived together for some time and Frank was named as the sole heir in Jessie’s will . The bequest left to him was “in consideration of the care and friendship he has given me for many years.” The Quebec death index lists Frank Hayes born 1871, died 27 January 1944 making it apparent that he was fourteen years younger than Jessie born in 1857. The birth year that Frank provided for Jessie on her death certificate was possibly a mistake on his part or more likely the result of Jessie “adjusting” her age so Frank would not realize the extent of the age difference.
Children of William Bond and Jessie Harriet Williams
i. William George BOND was born on 4 October 1879 at 79 St. Johns Road in Ryde, IOW, Hampshire, England. He was baptized at St. James’s Church on 15 February 1880 in Delhi, Bengal Presidency, India. He died on 6 November 1880 of marasmus at the age of one in Delhi and was buried the same day.
ii. Laura Alice BOND, born on 14 August 1882 in Woolwich, Kent, England; married Eugene LAWRENCE, 24 Aug 1908, Seattle, King County, Washington, United States; died 10 May 1937 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States.
iii. Thomas Henry BOND was born 5 July 1884 at Lower Lobby, Plumstead Marsh in Woolwich, London, England. He died of influenza and bronco-pneumonia at the age of thirty four on 10 November 1918 at the Selkirk Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and was buried on 14 November 1918 at Brookside Cemetery, section 79, lot 540 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
iv. Frances Josephine BOND was born on 4 April 1887 in Slough Fort, Kent, England. Frances Josephine died on 7 March 1975 at the age of eighty seven in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and was buried on 19 March 1975 in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Garden of Christus Lot 53 B2, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. On 12 March 1907 she married James Leonard DOWNIE, son of Robert DOWNIE and Maud THOMPSON, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Sometime after 1911, she married Frederick Alfred MILLER, son of Hugh MILLER and Elizabeth Fans ALLAN, probably in Winnipeg.
v. John Arthur BOND was born on 3 November 1890 at 25 Maiden Lane in London, England. He was baptized on 5 May 1891 at Saint Peter’s Church, London Docks, London. He died on 8 February 1963 at the age of seventy two at 20 Brian Avenue in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. John was cremated on 11 February 1963 at St. James’ Crematorium in Toronto, Ontario and his ashes were scattered over the falls at Niagara Falls, Ontario by his family. John Arthur married Winifred BULMER, the daughter of Daniel BULMER and Eliza Mary Ann TAYLOR, on 12 June 1919 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
