0
0
b.1888 – d.1910
Early Life
Dorothy Betty Hardwick was born in Cheltenham on 17 February 1888, the second child of Walter Henry Hardwick and Sarah Mary West. They had married in December 1884 in Tewkesbury, Gloucs. Dorothy was baptised at St Peter’s Church, Cheltenham on 8 April 1888.
The family would grow to 7 children with the births as follows;
- Catherine Elizabeth Annie, 1885 Cheltenham, Gloucs
- Dorothy Betty, 1888 Cheltenham, Gloucs
- Marshall Gilbert, 1890 Tewkesbury, Gloucs
- Mary Maud Beatrice, 1893 Pontypridd, Glamorgan
- Sarah Florence M, 1897 Pontypridd, Glamorgan
- Clara, 1899 Marylebone
- Mary Ada, 1901 Marylebone
A Father’s Varied Life
The family moved frequently, presumably seeking work opportunities for Walter. Though it is not shown in the records, the move to Wales could have been part of the large migration from the West Country to work in the mining industry. Walter had been born in Cheltenham in 1848 and from the census records and child baptism records he had a variety of jobs.
| 1871 | Census | No Record Found |
| 1881 | Census | Manager |
| 1885 | Catherine’s Baptism | Dairyman |
| 1888 | Dorothy’s Baptism | Sea??? |
| 1891 | Census | Seaman |
| 1899 | Clara’s Baptism | Labourer |
| 1901 | Census | Bricklayer’s Labourer |
London Life
In 1897 the family moved to London, living at 11 St James Place (now Penzance Street), Notting Hill. Dorothy entered St Clement Road School where it stated that she had previously been to school in Wales. Between 1897 and 1905, the family are listed at 5 different addresses in London as shown in the children’s school admission records, though there are no more school records for Dorothy. In the 1901 census the family are living at 43 Lisson Street, Marylebone. Catherine had already left home and at 15 was working as a general cook and seems to be living in a boarding house in Paddington. In 1902 Sarah Florence died at just 6 years old and was buried in Hendon cemetery. By 1905 the family were living at 4 Milner Mews in Westminster.
A Move to Canada
Life was to change dramatically for the family in February 1907 when the whole family, excluding Catherine, boarded the SS Lake Erie in Liverpool bound for Canada. The ship docked at St Johns, Newfoundland on 12 March 1907. This was to be the start of a new life, a journey made by some 120,000 people from Great Britain and Ireland over 9 months in that year. They were encouraged by the prospect of better working opportunities. Walter and Sarah sought to enhance their employment prospects by knocking 9 and 7 years respectively off their ages. Walter was 58 when he emigrated. The family moved to Dufferin County, Ontario, a largely agricultural area in 1907 and it is likely Walter worked as an agricultural labourer.
Dorothy Returns Home
However, something went wrong for Dorothy. In June 1907 she was one of 4 deportees on the SS Lake Manitoba which sailed from Montreal to Liverpool. The most common reason for deportation was on medical grounds. It is unknown if she was denied entry on arrival or at a later stage but she stayed in Canada for barely 3 months. It was stated on the shipping records that she had an onward passage to London so maybe it was intended that she would reunite with her elder sister Catherine?
Fate of the Asylum
The ship docked in Liverpool on 3 July 1907 and Dorothy, along with 2 other of the deportees, was taken by representatives of the shipping line to the Liverpool Workhouse where all were admitted to the Asylum. Dorothy remained there until 6 September 1907 when she was moved to Middlesbrough Asylum.
On 16 March 1908 she was discharged as ‘not improved’ and transferred to Long Grove Asylum in Epsom.
Dorothy, now some 3,500 miles away from her family, died on 24 August 1910 of enteric fever (typhoid), a disease associated with poor hygiene or sanitation, though it easily spread from person to person contact.
Dorothy was buried at Horton Cemetery on 29 August, 1910 in grave reference 847b.
Family
Dorothy’s sister Catherine married Henry Dayton on 12 April 1910 in Paddington. She described her father as a ‘farmer’, probably something of an elevation from his true status. The couple then left Liverpool on the ‘Southwark’ bound for Portland, Maine. They too settled in Dufferin County, reuniting with the rest of the family.
Of her remaining family, Marshall and Catherine had families and stayed in Ontario. Mary Maud married and moved with her husband to Ohio in 1913. She was followed in 1918 by Clara and her husband. Sarah went to live near daughters in 1923. In 1928 Mary Maud had a daughter named Dorothy. Perhaps the sister left behind was not forgotten by her family.
