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Thank you Sylvia for encouraging me to look at the photo again. It was several years since I last looked and it was filed with a picture of his gravestone in Vancouver so we had assumed that was where it was taken.

On taking the photo out of the file I discovered it had been taken in Todmorden and he was a member of the (presumably W Yorkshire) yeomanry. On googling the uniform he is wearing (mounted on a horse) it looks correct for the early 1900 period

Not sure I want to spend over £40 for the death certificate as he is a great uncle rather than a direct ancestor

Sylvia. Apologies for the delay in replying. I have not been on the site for a few days.

That is very interesting information. I am on holiday a t the moment but will dig out the photo of him in uniform and the grave inscription.

I had the notice in the Todmorden newspaper. His father had been a well known councillor in the town before he died so I had spent quite some time trailing through papers in Todmorden library

Joshua's name is also on his father's grave stone in Todmorden

According to Find-A-Grave, he was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, but there isn't much information on the gravestone, not even that he was in the RNWMP


Joshua West
Birth unknown
Death 26 May 1911
Burial
Mountain View Cemetery
Vancouver, Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Plot HORNE1/6/01/D/0006
Memorial ID 26325628 · View Source

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26325628/joshua-west



You could order his death certificate from BC Vital Statistics if you want to know the exact cause of death.

There was just a short obituary notice in the newspaper ............


DEATHS. WEST. On May 28th, at Vancouver, 8.C., Joshua West son of the late Thomas Wert, aged 33 years, after short illness.—Friends, please accept this the only intimation. LANCASTER
16 June 1911 - Todmorden & District News - Todmorden,

Unfortunately, the 1911 Census began on June 1 1911 ............... just a couple of weeks after he died.

lancashireann ..............

the RCMP is a nationwide force, members join in any province, but they have all gone to the RCMP Academy, Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan since 1885.

So he could have joined in Manitoba, but he would have gone to Regina for training, and then would be assigned to his first posting.



HOWEVER, just to keep the story straight .................he was not in RCMP (Mountie) uniform in a photo taken before 1920.

The RCMP was not formed until 1920 when the Royal Northwest Mounted Police (RNWMP), founded in 1873, was merged with the Dominion Police founded in 1868.

The RNWMP was originally called the Northwest Mounted Police, with Royal added around 1904. This was the force that had the red tunic, stetson etc ................. ie what we now call the Mountie uniform. They adopted that uniform around 1900. The force appears to have its centre in Winnipeg, but was responsible for policing all the prairie provinces


So Joshua would have been in the RNWMP and assigned to BC after training.


There are personnel records online for the NWMP from 1873-1904, and for the RCMP ................ but I can't find any for the RNWMP!

thanks Shirley. I have the info on the rest of the family as Arthur was my OH grandfather and his daughter Edith his mother, Hilda the youngest one of his aunts whom I knew quite well.

Before Joshua emigrated he was in partnership with 2 of his brothers as mill owners, the mill originally having belonged to his father who had died in 1900. I suspect he made the will before he left England. Did he fall out with his eldest brother or what I wonder.

I wonder if a lot of the money actually came from his share in the mill.

Thanks also Kathleen. It looks promising. If it is him he seems to have a bit of a wanderlust or did he join the Mounties in Manitoba and was transferred to Vancouver?

this looks like the daughter

Name: Hilda West
Registration Year: 1911
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Fylde
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8e
Page: 591

Name: Joshua West
Death Date: 26 May 1911
Death Place: Yorkshire, York, England
Probate Date: 20 Nov 1911
Registry: London, England

of 42 Stansfield Road Todmorden Yorkshire , died 26.5.1911 Vancouver Canada
effects £2487.11s to Arthur West cotton manufacturer

so he had made a lot of money

It may be if he joined the mounties he had to make a will .Maybe part of his money was from his ownership of some land

edit arthur was a brother

Name: Arthur West
Age in 1911: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1871
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Todmorden, Yorkshire, England
Civil Parish: Blackpool
Search Photos: Search for 'Blackpool' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 22 OxfoRoad Avenue Marton Blackpool
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 10
Estimated Marriage Year: 1901
Occupation: Cotton Cloth Manufacturer
Registration district: Fylde
Registration District Number: 477
Sub-registration district: Blackpool
ED, institution, or vessel: 43
Household schedule number: 47
Piece: 25445
Household Members:
Name Age
Arthur West 40
Ann West 38
Gladys West 9
Ellen Mildred West 6
Edith West 1
West 5/365
Ruth Nothard 16 servant -mothers help
Rachel Barnes 63 monthly nurse

note they have a daughter aged 5 days which is why they have a live in monthly nurse

lokks like he may have bought some land

same area he was in in 1906

Name: Joshua West
Application Date: 6 Jul 1904
Place: Manitoba, Canada
Homestead Number: 164452
Part: NE
Section: 6
Township: 37
Range: 28
Meridian: W1

edit interesting reading

Canadian Land Grants and Homesteading - Family History Alive
www.familyhistoryalive.com/Canadian-Land-Grants-and-Homesteading.html
The British and French governments enticed immigrants to settle in Canada by offering free Canadian land grants. Rigorous improvements to the land had to be

I think this coould be your man:-

Passenger Lists leaving UK 1890-1960 Transcription

Province Nova Scotia
First name(s) J
Last name West
Gender Male
Age 26
Birth year 1878
Marital status S
Occupation LAB
Departure year 1904
Departure day 16
Departure month 4
Departure port Liverpool
Destination port Halifax
Destination HALIFAX
Country Canada
Destination country Canada
Ship name Carthaginian
Ship master's first name H
Ship master's last name GUNSON
Shipping line ALLAN LINE
City LIVERPOOL
Ship destination port HALIFAX
Ship destination country CANADA
Ship square feet 12440
Ship registered tonnage 2856
Number of passengers 374
Record set Passenger Lists Leaving Uk 1890-1960
Category Travel & migration
Subcategory Passenger lists
Collections from Great Britain, England, Canada, Americas

He seems to be travelling with a C. Ashworth and on the 1901 census there is a Charles Ashworth a few streets away from where Joshua is living. Perhaps they were friends? Just a thought really.

Kath. x

We cross posted !!

yes that's the 1906 Canadian census

says he arrived 1904

thanks Shirley. That looks very likely. What year was that please? Was it a Canadian census for 1906

He died 26/5/1911 from probate record (London)

I assume he was in Canada before the English 1911 census was taken and I do not have access to records outside the UK

Looks a possibly
Joshua West
in the 1906 Canada Census of Manitoba Saskatchewan and Alberta

Name: Joshua West
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 29
Birthplace: England
Relation to Head of House: Railway Night Watchman (Watchman)
Immigration Year: 1904
Province: Manitoba
District: Brandon
Sub-District Description: Townships 7 and 8, ranges 24, 25 and 26 west
Sub-District: 05
Section: 15
Township: 7
Range: 25
Meridian: 1
Household Members:
Name Age
James Davis 32
Eva Ann Davis 23
David Davis 8
Ethel Davis 8
James Wm Edward Davis 1
Earnest Baldwin 25
Joshua West 29
John Mason 23


British Columbia, Canada, Death Index, 1872-1990 No Image
Text-only collection
Add Alternative Information
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Name: Joshua West
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1877
Death Age: 34
Death Date: 26 May 1911
Death Location: Vancouver
Registration Number: 1911-09-132617
BCA Number: B13099
GSU Number: 1927127

Have you found him on any 1911 census

Joshua was born in 1877 in Todmorden and died in Vancouver in 1911.

I have been trying to find anything about when (and why) he emigrated and anything about his death. He was still in Todmorden in 1901.

If I remember rightly my M-in-law had a photo of him in Mounties uniform.

I have all the information on the rest of the family.