Nevard History February 21

Today, February 21 marks the death of Margaret Montagu (Winstanley) Nevard. Or as most of her friends and neighbours knew her, Daisy Nevard. Wife of Arthur Nevard. Born December 26, 1873 at High Street, Shirley, Milbrook, which appears to be in Southampton, U.K.. Daughter of William Newnham Winstanley and Helen (Baker) Winstanley.
Note from Gifford Harrison: It occurs to me that Margaret Montagu Winstanley may have been born in the Southampton area, but her family probably moved to Lexden (Essex) some time after her birth. That way meeting Arthur Nevard would have simply been a local matter. I say this because Leslie Nevard in his research found school records from Lexden National School which in June 1902 mention a Miss Winstanley who is training as a teacher taking the place of a Miss Theobald who was ill. The note says she is the sister of the District Nurse "who Arthur Nevard married".
Arthur and Daisy named their homestead in Saskatchewan "Winstanley Grove" and we still refer to it by that name today.
At least one Anglican church service was held at Arthur and Daisy's farm house  in 1911. Tom Goff and Mary Lane were married there in November of 1911. Not long after this Arthur and Daisy went to live and work in Regina (as did Ernest).
In 1915 Arthur enlisted in the Forestry Corp of the Canadian Army and went to Scotland. He returned to the farm in the summer of 1919.
Arthur and Daisy adopted a son, Sherwood Eric Holmden in the spring of 1924. He was later known as "Bud" Nevard.
Daisy Nevard became seriously ill in 1927 and went to Winnipeg for treatment. There is no evidence of what the nature of the illness was.
There is no further mention of it until Feb. 6 , 1933 when she fell and injured her leg. She died of a stroke on Feb. 21.
The funeral was held at the Lipton town hall on February 25 and she was buried in Lipton cemetery.

Couple of photos from England

And a photo taken in Canada.

Forestry Battalion

Remembrance Day
As we approach November 11th  Arthur Nevard, my grandfather's brother   joined the CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) on August 14 of 1916. According to his attestation paper he was 41 years old. Rather ancient in comparison to the average recruit in that war. No doubt he wanted to do his part to defend the home land as reports of the effects of the war in the U.K. reached all the way out here to his little homestead in Sask. Arthur's original home in Lexden , Essex, U.K. that he had not seen since he left it in  1903 must have seemed a long way off. Now he was prepared to leave his recently established farm homestead, his wife and job in the city of Regina to do his part by joining the Canadian army.
Arthur was taken on the 235th Forestry Battalion and after some basic training at Camp Hughes he sailed on the S.S. Scandinavian Sept. 11, 1916 from Halifax harbour reaching Liverpool, England eleven days later . Many Canadians who might have been ineligible for front line duties were able to participate in the Forestry Battalion since it was well away from the front lines. The army needed timber for various purposes including re-inforcing the trenches. They also needed men to harvest it This would be the Forestry Battalion
It is interesting to read Arthur's military record details. Complete physical details including height , 5 foot 8 inches, complete xray pictures of his teeth. Arthur did his part and saw the end of the war, was discharged and sailed back to his home in Canada to resume his farming activities at Winstanley Grove for many more years to come.