Charles Gandy Descendants in Canada

Descendants of Charles and Sarah Jane in Canada

Charles, 44 years old, and his eldest son John William (Bill), 13 years old, left Liverpool in England for Halifax, Canada in 1908, leaving wife Sarah Jane to look after the remaining four children (May died as an infant). Beatrice Minnie was then 17 years, Cordelia May 11 years, Charles Edward 9 years and Harry just 6 years old.

Charles and son Bill were in Canada when Isaac died in 1910. Charles returned to England in 1919, age 55 years, leaving son Bill then 24 years old, behind.

Another connection with Canada is through Charles and Sarah Jane’s youngest child, Harry, who married Bertha Jane Young. Bertha Jane is part of the Young family of Farnworth and in fact related to my mother’s side of the family, Abbott. Their eldest child, son Walter William born 1923, emigrated to Canada in 1953,  with his family – wife Harriet Elizabeth Boote and four children (Valerie, James Anthony, Vivienne and Stephen John) – following in 1955. A fifth child, Susan, was born in Canada in 1965.

Descendants of Charles and Sarah Jane through son John William and grandson Walter William still live on mainland British Columbia, across the water from Victoria, in the Langley and Chilliwack area. John William was the uncle of Walter William.

John William “Bill” Gandy 1897-1958

Bill settled in Langley on the mainland, across the water from Victoria. See map here.

Eldest son John William (Bill) stayed in Canada when father Charles returned to Widnes. Bill Gandy was a plumber and we earlier found him with father Charles staying with Ike’s widow Mary in Victoria in 1914. William was the only one of Charles’ and Sarah Jane’s children to settle in Canada.

Bill was drafted into the Canadian Overseas expeditionary Force in WWI:

Attestation Paper – William Gandy

Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force

William Gandy

Born Widnes, Lancs, England

Next of kin C. Gandy

Address of next of kin Willows Road? P.O Victoria, B.C.

DOB January 27th 1896

Occupation Steam-fitter

Not married

Willing to be vaccinated? Yes

Member of Active Militia? Yes

Previous service? No

Willing to be attested to serve in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force? Yes

Oath taken at Valeartur Sept 23rd 1914

The original document was sent to me by Val Reid in Chilliwack (my transcription). I have no information about whether William actually did see active service in WWI.

Bill married Florence Johnston in 1926 and they had two children, Marian born in 1928 and Charles David born in 1932. Bill worked at the Langley Memorial Hospital and built a house for his family across the road from the hospital. The house is still standing.

Uncle Bill, who was born in 1896, died suddenly on May 31st 1958 on the train in Banff, Alta on his way to visit relatives in England, age 63. His wife Florence, “Auntie Flo” was with Bill on the train and was “devastated” according to niece Val Reid. Possibly he was going to see brother  Charles Edward and sister Cordelia May in Farnworth. They never got to see their brother William again. He is buried in Murrayville Cemetery near Langley, together with his wife Florence (Auntie Flo) who passed on in 1981, 81 years old.

Daughter Marian married Douglas Grady and they have four children: Sharon b. 1946, David b. 1950, Rick b. 1952 and Susan b. 1960. At the moment I have no further information about Marian and family.

Charles David “Charlie” Gandy 1932 – 2017

Son Charles David lived in Langley and has helped me with the family tree. He also wrote the following about a visit to Widnes:

“My wife Jeanette and I with another couple Oddy and Lucy Christianson made a trip to Europe in Sept. 1972. We made a trip to Widnes and met my father’s sister May, Walter’s sister May and her husband Keith Dawson and numerous cousins and uncles etc. I remember that the boys went to the pub while the girls stayed home and had tea with Aunty May. We all had a good time.”

Charles David started a successful company, Gandy Installations, in Langley in 1957 and is seen below together with son Chuck and grandson Taylor.

Charles, Chuck and Taylor Gandy
Charles David, Chuck and Taylor Gandy. Photo Gandy Installations

Charles David’s wife Theresa Jeanette Brown (born 19 September 1937) died in 1991 and is buried in Langley cemetery. They have two daughters (Terry and Charlene) and one son Charles “Chuck”). It seems the name Charles was a family custom.

Obituary for Charlie Gandy 2017

“Charlie Gandy May 3, 1932 – March 21, 2017 It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our dad, Charlie Gandy. Our much loved dad passed away peacefully with his family by his side on March 21st, 2017, at the age of 84. Predeceased by his loving wife of 35 years Jeanette and his grandson Mathew. Left to mourn are his children Terri (Franco), Chuck (Mary), and Charlene (Drew), seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Also left to mourn is his loving companion Arlene Locke and her family.” Vancouver Sun.

Walter William Gandy 1923-2005

Charles and Sarah Jane’s youngest son Harry Gandy (1902- 1957) lived in Farnworth Village with his wife Bertha Jane (Young) and their children Walter (1923), Harry (1924), Margaret (1929) and May (1935). Son Walter and his family lived in Farnworth Village with his parents and were regular attendants at Farnworth Parish Church.

Harry never made it to Canada himself, but encouraged sons Walter and Harry to follow in Charles’ footsteps. Val Reid recalls

“My grandfather Harry Gandy told me that his father Charles returned to Widnes as his mother Sarah Jane would not go to Canada, and that is why my grandfather instilled in his two sons, my dad and his brother Harry, to leave England for a new life. My grandfather always read books and told me stories about America and Canada, he always wanted to go but just could not manage it, he was the kindest man to us all.”

In 1953 Walter left for Canada with his best friend Doug James and they stayed with Uncle Bill and Auntie Flo in Langley until they found work. Walter was a machinist fitter and found work at the local mill, while Doug, unmarried, was an electrician at the B.C. penitentiary. They found digs in Sapperton near New Westminster. Doug James later lived in Victoria.

By 1955 Walter had earned enough to buy tickets for his wife Harriet and their four children – Valerie (age 11), James Anthony (age 10), Vivienne (age 7), and Stephen John (age 2). They arrived in Canada in August 1955. Their fifth child Susan was born there in 1965.

Valerie’s story of emigrating to Canada:

“I was born 1944 in Whiston hospital and christened at Farnworth Church. We lived with Nana & Grandad Gandy at 112 Alder Avenue for a few months. Mum & Dad then moved to Runcorn where my mother’s family (Boote) had resided for years. At 5 years old I started school at Runcorn Parish School. In 1953 Dad emigrated to B.C. Canada with his best friend Douglas James. They had a place to stay with Uncle Bill and Florence in Langley. My Dad had a hard time but he worked every hour possible to send money back home to my mother and the four children. Dad and Doug walked to work to save money for the family to join him in Canada.

In 1955 the rest of us emigrated, taking just the bare necessities. My Nana Gandy came with us for 3 months. It was a long journey -we left from Liverpool on the Saxonia, then by train from Montreal to Port Coquitlam, B.C. Will never forget sitting in the dome car with my Nana and going through the Rockies in Banff, Alta. Their reflections on Lake Louise were so beautiful. I had never seen anything so beautiful in all my life. We stayed there till dinner time. I could never live anywhere without mountains around me.”

“We spent a lot of time with Uncle Bill and Auntie Flo when we arrived in Canada, they were very good to us. Their house across from the Langley Hospital is still there.  My dad told me Uncle Bill build that house, he was very handy. He used to work across the street at the Langley Memorial Hospital, where he was an engineer. Every time we pass their house on our way home from Vancouver I get kind of sad because I have such happy memories of them.”

Val Reid

I have had contact with two of Harry’s and Bertha’s descendants: Walter’s daughter Valerie Gandy Reid has provided much of the information about Charles’ family, and May Gandy Dawson (deceased) has helped with the Gandy tree. For details of further generations see the Gandy tree.

Valerie’s father Walter told her that when he was a young boy, his Grandad Gandy (Charles) smoked a cigar every day and walked to the local pub for a whiskey.

According to Valerie, her grandfather Harry Gandy died of a heart attack in 1957 on a train journey, as did his older brother William in 1958.

Harry’s wife Bertha returned to Widnes and died there in 1975, age 72. She is buried together with Charles, Sarah Jane and Cordelia May in Widnes cemetery.

 Harry Gandy 1924-1957

Harry Gandy, younger brother of Walter, was sponsored for emigration to Youngstown, Ohio in 1953 by Lillie Abbott and her husband Andrew Earnest Buckley, where they lived. Harry eventually moved to Huntington Beach, California. He married Ruth but they had no children. When Harry died in 1957 after suffering a heart attack in a movie theatre in Los Angeles, California, Ruth travelled to B.C. to visit Harry’s brother Walter and family.  During the week in B.C. they all went on a camping trip in Penticton and got rained out, according to Val Reid.