Sidney Latimer

Sidney Latimer in uniform with Nell Shill in Montreal, about 1919.

Born: November 13, 1899, in Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Father:  George Richard Latimer

Mother: Mary Jane Latimer, formerly Tyndall

Married: No marriage found

Died: November 1, 1963, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Buried: Field of Honour, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada.

Nell Shill with Sidney Latimer during World War I.

Nell - "Here is Sidney Latimer.  We divided between the two.  We had only one [boy]. It was before he went away.  I don't think he was overseas.  Might have been a home guard boy."

Joyce - "What happened to Sidney?"

Nell - "Oh, I don't know"

That is the limit of what I knew about Nell Shill and Marie Glazin's friend, Sidney Latimer from a conversation Nell had with her daughter, Joyce, while looking at photos in an old album1.  But which photos was she referring to?

A Personnel Record of the First World War for Sidney Tyndall Latimer is available on Library and Archives Canada's website2.  He is described as being 5' 4" tall, with blue eyes, fair skin and dark brown hair, weighing no more than 108 lbs.  The tip off is his height.  This young man was clearly not as tall as the two women who were his friends, so I feel safe concluding that he is the Sidney Latimer to whom Nell was referring.

Sidney Latimer and Marie Glazin in Montreal about 1919 in the winter.

Sidney had stayed in Montreal through the early years of the war. From March 25, 1915, at the age of only 15, Sidney Latimer was connected to No. 5 Det C.O.C.  On June 22, 1918, he officially enlisted and was promoted to Corporal.  His occupation at the time was: clerk.

Written and underlined in red at the top of the "Casualty Form - Active Service": Perm Force Became C.E.F. 22-6-18 RO 795

For the duration of the war until his demobilization on August 18, 1919, Sidney served one year and 57 days in No. 4 Detachment C.O.C attaining the rank of Lance Corporal. 

The Canadian Ordnance Corps was an administrative branch which supported soldiers overseas3.  Sidney Latimer appears never to  have been sent overseas and never wounded or hospitalized.  

On the 25th page of his 26-page WWI Personnel Record, this note in red suggests that Sidney Latimer remained in the military after the war.  "P.F." suggests "Permanent Force".

The Latimer Family of Wicklow and Montreal

Sidney was the youngest of 11 children born to George Richard Latimer and Mary Jane Tyndall5 most recently of Arklow, County Wicklow in Northern Ireland4. Sidney's father died October 13, 1911 after suffering with a cancerous tumour of the throat for a year6.  A brother, William, had died 10 August 1909 of pulmonary tuberculosis7.  William was only 22 years old and unmarried.

Sidney T. Latimer (14) had arrived in Montreal on 17 September 1913, having traveled on the SS Victorian with his mother, Mary Jane Latimer (60) from Liverpool, England.  They were to join a married sister. Both Susan and Sarah Jane were married in Montreal by this time8.

On the 1921 Montreal Census, Sydney and his mother, Jane were living at 2635 Drolet.  He was then working as a bookkeeper9.  Curiously, his listing in Lovell's Montreal Directory for 1921-22 has him as "Latmar, Sydney clerk 2135 Drolet10.

Mary Jane Latimer, nee Tyndall, passed away in Montreal on July 2, 194111 and was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery12.

Sidney died in 1963.  The Montreal Gazette carried his death announcement13:

The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada) 05 Nov 1963, Tue Page 35

DEATHS: LATIMER, Sidney Pyndall. In Montreal, on November 1st, 1963, in his 64th year, beloved brother of Sophia (Mrs. O. Blicksteed), and Susan (Mrs. S. McKeever). Funeral private from the Chapel of Tees & Co. Inc., on Tuesday, at 9 a.m., to Field of Honour.


Sidney Latimer's Sisters in Montreal

Five of Sidney's sisters came to Montreal between 1909 and 1912.  They are organized below in order of their arrival to Canada.

Susan Latimer: 

Born: 23 Feb 1890, Ballybeg, Co. Wicklow
Arrived Canada:  SS Canada, May 1, 1909
Married:  Dominic McKeever, St. Patrick Church, Nov. 8, 1911
Died:  Feb 20, 1979, Montreal.
Buried:  Mount Royal Cemetery.

Alice Mary Latimer:

Born: 23 June 1888, Ballybeg, Co. Wicklow
Arrived Canada:  SS Canada, May 1, 1909
Married:  Joseph Major Chapman
Died:  May 1926

Sarah Jane Latimer:

Born:  17 January 1882, Westaston, Co. Wicklow
Arrived Canada: SS Corsican, 13 November 1909
Married:  Leonard Nichols, June 4th or 5th (not clear), 1911, St. Albans' Anglican, Montreal 
Died:  18 May 1922, Montreal
Buried:  Mount Royal Cemetery.

Sophia Latimer:

Born:  19 March 1885, Kilmacurragh, Co. Wicklow
Arrived Canada:  SS Laurentic, May 9, 1910
Married:  Oscar Blickstead, St. Michael Archangel, June 7, 1916
Died:  September 29, 1979, Ottawa
Buried:  Mount Royal Cemetery

Elizabeth Martha Latimer: 

Born:  20 December 1891, Ballybeg, Co. Wicklow
Arrived Canada:  SS Laurentic, October 4, 1912
Died:  11 February, 1914, Montreal
Buried:  Mount Royal Cemetery.

Other Latimer Children

Other children born to George Richard and Mary Jane Latimer are found among the birth records of Rathdrum and/or on the 1921 Census of Arklow. Their names are:

Catherine Frances Latimer - b. 27 October 1880, Kilmacurragh, Co. Wicklow

Georgina Latimer - b. 23 July 1883, Kilmacurragh, Co. Wicklow

William Richard Latimer - b. 10 November 1886, Ballybeg, Co. Wicklow 
who died young as mentioned.

George Fred - b - about 1894.  No birth record found but he appears on the 1901 census in Arklow, Co. Wicklow.

Annie Adelaide Latimer - b.9 October 1896, Redcross, Co. Wicklow

References

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