Clarice (Levick) James (1900 - 1992)

Born 2 Nov 1900 in Eckington, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of William Henry Thomas James — married 25 Jul 1928 in Orillia, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died 1 Dec 1992 at age 92 in Coldwater, Medonte, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Christol James [send private message]

Biography

Clarice (Levick) James was a British Home Child and was one of many Children Transported to Canada.

Clarice (Levick) James lived in Canada.

Clarice was born in Eckington, Derbyshire, England in 1900.^[1] Her birth certificate shows she was the child of Amos Levick and Mary Ann Hiptenstall. Amos and Mary Ann had fifteen children. Clarice was the youngest of eight that survived to adulthood.

Siblings

Elizabeth Heptinstall Levick (1880-1961)

Henry Levick (1882-1952)

Harriett Levick (1883-1884)

Drucilla Levick (1884-1941)

Amos Levick (1886-1887)

Albert Levick (1888-1919)

Arthur Levick (1890-1892)

Esther Hannah Levick (1891-1971)

Nellie Levick (1893-1898)

Walter Levick (1895-1896)

'Polly' Mary Hilda Levick (1896-1945)

Ernest Levick (1898-1974)

Leonard Levick (1903-1903) Q1

Harold Levick (1903-1903) Q4

When Clarice was eight, her father, a Coal Miner died, leaving the family poor, and with few resources. According to the After Care report from the Barnardo's Home, Clarice and her brother Ernest were admitted on November 21st, 1910, they being the youngest of the children and still at home. The document goes on the say that their mother, Mary Ann was unable to care for herself, and "relatives were concerned for the welfare of the children and were anxious that they should not be admitted to a work house. Ernest and Clarice were weak due to lack of food and they were not well dressed. A Salvation Army Captain made application to Dr. Barnardo’s for the children’s admission to care and the mother signed the agreement."^[2]

Barnardo's After Care Report Extracts

At time of admission to Dr Barnardo's, 21 Nov 1910

• Clarice born 2 Nov 1900 in Eckington baptized Church of England
• Ernest born 2 May 1898 in Eckington baptized Church of England
• Parent's religion United Methodists
• Father, Abraham Amos Levick, coal minor, died from asthma 26 March 1909 at Eckington, age 52
• Mother, Mary Ann Levick, age 49, worked as a cleaning lady earning sixpence or less/week; received parish relief allowance of six shillings/week; had a drink problem

Relatives and ages given at time of admission

Brothers

• Henry, aged 25, a soldier in India [no profile found]
• Albert, aged 22, married and a collier, of Eckington [no profile found]

Sisters

• Elizabeth Bristol, aged 27, married to a coal miner, 3 children, of Eckington
• Drucilla Whitehead, aged 26, married to a journeyman painter, 2 children, of Eckington
• Esther, aged 19, domestic servant [no profile found]
• Mary, aged 15, domestic servant [no profile found]

Paternal step-grandfather

• Thomas Rounds, aged 69, a widower of Eckington [no profile found]

Paternal uncle

• Henry Levick, age about 63, in New Zealand

Paternal aunts

• Mary Talbot, age 68, in USA [no profile found]
• Elizabeth Peat, aged 54, married to a coal miner, of Dinnington [no profile found]
• Harriet Young, age 50, a widow from near Rotherham [no profile found]

Maternal Aunts

• Eleanor White, aged 45, married to a journeyman with 3 children, of Eckington [no profile found]
• Rose Bussey, aged 43, married to a miner, with a large family in Eckington [no profile found]
• Hannah Webb, aged 31, married to a police constable with 3 children from Bradford [no profile found]

Once Clarice and Ernest went into Barnardo's care they were separated. Ernest was sent to Leoplold House, in Stepney, London East. It is doubtful that he would have seen his sister, Clarice until they reunited in Canada many years later. See profile for Ernest Levick.

Clarice was first admitted to the Girl's Village Home in Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, where she remained for a month. Just before Christmas, in 1920, she was sent to Dame Margaret's Home in County Durham. She is found there on the 1911 Census. This is where she learned the skills needed for domestic service. In February of 1914 she returned to the Barkingside Home. The next three weeks would have been spent preparing for the voyage to Canada.

The 'Report' states, "Clarice sailed to Canada on the 12th March, 1914 on the SS Sicilian." She was one of 235 children aboard, most of which were part of the Barnardo Party. The girls were destined for Peterborough, Ontario, and the boys were headed for a Home in Toronto.^[3]

Canada

Clarice arrived at the port of St John, New Brunswick on the 29th March 1914 destined for the Hazelbrae Barnardo Home in Peterborough, Ontario. "She was placed with a Mrs Milligan in Tamworth, Ontario. In 1915 she was in good health, small for her age, a good little girl and kindly treated. In 1919 she was neat in appearance and treated as one of the family."^[4]

Clarice and Ernest appear together on the 1921 Canada Census in Carden Township, Victoria County in the household of the William Jarrett family. Both are listed as Servants.^[5] The neighbourhood was home to relatives of the Eastcott family. Ernest became close friends with one of them who was a cousin of William Henry Thomas James aka Harry. This connection was likely how Clarice met Harry. They were married in Orillia on 25 Jul 1928.^[6]

Family

Between 1928 and 1944, Clarice and Harry had 9 children. Sadly, three boys died as small children in the first 6 years of their marriage. The others survived to adults. As of 2023, three are still living. All their children married and had children their own, 23 grandchildren in all.

Clarice and Harry lived in various locations in Simcoe County, Ontario finally settling in Orillia in 1938-39. They both lived into their 90s and passed away in a Care Home in the village of Coldwater, not far from a daughter and family.^[7]

Research Notes

• Have certificates of birth and death
• Letter from Barnardo's concerning Clarice and Ernest ^[8]
• Siblings need profiles

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 28 Jan 2023), database entry for Levick, Clarice. GRO Reference: 1900 D Quarter in Chesterfield, Volume 07B Page 726.
2. ↑ Barnardo's, "Clarice and Ernest Levick," After Care report, 14 Dec 1987; original family copy; privately held by Christol James and other descendants of Clarice Levick James. 1987-present.
3. ↑ "Canada, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1865-1935," Library and Archives Canada, (database with images : accessed 26 Feb 2023]
4. ↑ Barnardo's, "Clarice and Ernest Levick," After Care report, 14 Dec 1987; original family copy; privately held by Christol James and other descendants of Clarice Levick James. 1987-present.
5. ↑ "Census of Canada, 1921," online database with images. Entry for Clarise Levick in the household of William Jarrett; Province: Ontario, District Name: Victoria, District Number: 135, Sub-District Name: Carden Township, Sub-District Number: 4, Family Number: 40, Reference: RG31 - Statistics Canada, Item Number: 3679641. Library and Archives Canada: Censuses (Scanned image : accessed 26 Feb 2023).
6. ↑ "Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1938," Marriage: William Henry Thomas James and Clarice Levick: . Database with images: (Ancestry.com : accessed 26 Feb 2023)
7. ↑ Personal knowledge of Christol James, granddaughter.
8. ↑ Barnardo's Aftercare Dept., Clarice and Ernest Levick, 14 December 1987, Privately held by Christol James, [granddaughter], British Columbia, Canada