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My friend in Winnipeg, Canada, knows her father Fred Brooks was born in Birmingham, England 4 Feb 1891, and his family emigrated to Canada was he was 11 years old. She hasn't got a computer so I offered to see if I can find anything more for her.
Where do I start?

does she have her dads birth cert if so what were his parents names?
was he Fred or Frederick

What info does your friend want?

What does she know?

No mention of birth certificate, but he went to Canada with a sister, so she asks "was he a Barnardo boy?" His mother was widowed early and she eventually went to Canada with another of his sisters. He went first to Toronto. She thinks Brooks was originally spelt with an 'e' Brookes, but her father dropped the 'e' She thinks her father's father was called Henry because her mother wanted to name her son after his grandfather and father wouldn't allow it.

Start by looking on freebmd for a birth - then advise your friend to buy the cert, to get some firm facts about the parents.

Here you go - had some time on my hands.........these are the ones in Warks in the relevant time-scale.

Births Mar 1891 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BROOKES Fred King's N. 6c 496
BROOKES Fred W. Bromwich 6b 819
BROOKES Frederick W. Bromwich 6b 859
Brooks Frederick John Nuneaton 6d 481

sounds as if he may have been a Barnardos or another home child .take a look at this page where you can put their names in search . If he was a Barnardos child she may be able to get his file from Barnardos
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/home-children/001015-100.01-e.php

What was the mother's full name?

try the 1911 canadian census too

does she have the sisters names especially the one that travelled with him

wonder if this was him although cant see a sister in the same party (i may have missed it as theres 395 names listed)
Surname: BROOKS
Given Name: Frederick
Age: 11
Sex: M
Ship: New England
Year of Arrival: 1902
Departure Port: Liverpool
Departure Date: 17 July 1902
Arrival Port: Boston
Arrival Date: 25 July 1902
Party: Barnardo’sDestination: Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario
Comments: A large party of about 400 children. This list can be found on film #1404177 available through any Latter-day Saints(Mormon) Family History Centre, also on film #C-4715 at the Library and Archives CanadaSource: Library and Archives CanadaReference: RG 76 Vol. 51, File 2209, part 1, Documents from Immigration Branch, Central Registry FilesType of Record: Other Government of Canada recordsGroup of Children Traveling Together

Just trawling through and wondered if you knew who Fred married, we could pick up more info from a marriage. I found this one (obviously guess work), and you can see the info provided, so knowing his wifes name could really help.


Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924
about Fred Brooks
Name: Fred Brooks
Birth Place: England
Age: 23
Estimated birth year: abt 1891
Father Name: Wm Henry Brooks
Mother Name: Amelia Brooks
Spouse Name: Jenny Brown
Spouse's Age: 23
Spouse Estimated Birth Year: abt 1891
Spouse Birth Place: England
Spouse Father Name: John Edward
Spouse Mother Name: Jane Dufford
Marriage Date: 26 Mar 1914
Marriage Place: York
Marriage County: York
Family History Library Microfilm: MS932_293


Just so other searchers don't try and follow this one;

Canadian Soldiers of World War I, 1914-1918
about Frederick Brooks
Name: Frederick Brooks
Birth Date: 23 Jun 1891
Birth Location: Mexboro, England Foroalo
Relative: Jenny Brooks
Regiment Number: 58145



Dee x

The most useful URL is LAC's:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/index-e.html

From there you can access images of shipping lists, solder's attestations, censuses, etc.

Canadian census's were 1901, 1911 plus, for AB, SK, MB only: 1906, 1916. (For 1916 you need Ancestry).
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-911.009-e.html
Look up the census at AG/Ancestry first (even if you've no sub), then with the census location + page, at LAC to save the image.

As you know, in the UK each country handles its own BMDs. This model was exported to Canada, and each colony handled its own BMDs, and after confederation when the colonies got renamed as provinces, the model persisted with each province looking after its own BMDs. (This also applies to the colonies in the USA and Australia too, except their provinces are called states.)

So it's really useful to know when your mate's mob moved to MB, and where were they before that.

Searching Home Children immigration records in Canada at the link Shirley gave

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/home-children/001015-100.01-e.php

he was the only Brook* on that ship in 1902, there were 5 Brooks, a Brookes and a Brooker in 1902 alone.

I hope Dorothy lets us know who Fred's wife was!

http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php

Manitoba vital statistics searches - has no marriage for Frederick Brookes but two in the possible timeframe, 1918 and 1913. The search results on line don't give details like parents' names, but a certificate should, as long as he knew them.

Oh - there are also 2 'Fred Brooks' marriages around the right time, 1912 and 1922.

There's a Frederick Brooks on the 1911 census in Dauphin, Manitoba. He was born Feb.1891, England. Hard to read year of immigration but it looks like 1910. He was a domestic in the home of George & Susan Mulgan.

It definitely looks like 1810 when enlarged at automatedgenealogy Margaret.

Does Ancestry say he is a domestic? The image says farmer (chief occupation or trade), labourer (employment other than at chief occuapation or trade, if any). I think it would mean he was a farm labourer on the Mulgan (Mulgrew maybe?) farm.

The fate of so many home children.

findmypast has for Frederick Brookes travelling 1900-1911

BROOKES Frederick Geo 1891 M 1911 Bristol Canada Quebec

He could have just arrived? I do not subscribe for details there.

Also

BROOKES Fredk 1892 M 1907 Liverpool Canada Quebec


Maybe he had his birthdate wrong? Not uncommon

Births Dec 1890
Brooks Frederick George Birmingham 6d 14

That is the only Fred* Brook* birth in Birmingham or Aston 1890-1891.


If that is his birth and him travelling he fits with this person in 1901

Name: Frederick Brooks
Age: 10
Estimated birth year: abt 1891
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

Civil parish: Handsworth
County/Island: Staffordshire

John Brooks 43
Mary Brooks 35
John Brooks 17
Mary Brooks 12
Frederick Brooks 10
Nora Brooks 5 weeks