Private Ernest Cornish

Ernest was the third son of Martha Jane Bale and John Cornish; he was born in Wiveliscombe Taunton in Devon on the 2nd of December in 1891. His parents had married in September 1880 at the Parish Church of Wiveliscombe. At the time of their marriage, Martha Jane was employed as a domestic servant and John was employed as a labourer.

According to the 1881 Census, 21-year-old Martha and 22-year-old John with their new-born son, William were living at Screedhay Farm in Milverton Somerset where John was employed as a farm labourer.

The 1891 Census reveals that Martha and John continued to live at Screedhay Farm with 3 children and their lodger Richard Thorne who was employed as an agricultural labourer.

Ernest was born on the 2nd of December 1891 and baptised on the 3rd of January 1892 according to the Parish Church records of Milverton in Somerset.

According to the 1901 Census, nine-year-old Ernest was attending his local school. The Cornish family occupied 4 rooms at Hernburrow. John Cornish was still employed as a carter on a farm while his 20-year-old brother William was employed as an ordinary farm labourer.

The 1911 Census reveals that Ernest’s parents Martha and John had been married for 31 years and that the couple had a total of 6 children who had all survived infancy. The Cornish family resided in 4 rooms North Heydon at Chipstable with John’s 61-year-old father who was a retired farm labourer and his 6-year-old grandson, William John Cornish. Nineteen-year-old Ernest was also employed as a farm labourer.

0n the 19th of April 1912, twenty-year-old Ernest departed from Plymouth England on the Sicilian, as a 3rd class passenger on a ship which belonged to the Allan Line for the port of Montreal, the passenger list describes his occupation as that of a farm hand.

0n the 10th of July 1915, twenty-three-year-old Ernest met and married twenty-three-year-old Alice Presswood in Halton, in the province of 0ntario. The marriage register describes Ernest as a farmer. Alice and her family had emigrated to Canada via the USA in 1913. Alice’s occupation according to the passenger list for the Franconia, a ship which had arrived in Portland Maine USA in 1913.

Ernest enlisted in the 24th battalion on the 15th of September 1915 in the Canadian 0verseas Expeditionary Force. He was 5ft and 41/2 inches tall, he had black hair, his complexion was described as dark, and he had brown eyes.

Ernest was posted to serve in France and was reported missing presumed to have been killed in the vicinity of Coucelette on the 19th of September 1916. Ernest has been remembered at the Vimy Memorial, Pas de Calais in France.

Alice remarried on the 15th of January 1919 in York 0ntario to Edward Webster Sharpe a labourer by occupation.