Can you help trace family’s past?

12:47pm Thursday 6th September 2007

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A book shop manager and his family emigrated to Canada to start a new life at the turn of the 20th Century. His great-great nephew talks to CLAIRE BURKE about his bid to piece together the past.

WHEN John Moorey and his family sailed across the Atlantic in 1902 it was the beginning of a huge adventure.

The family upped sticks from their home town of Sevenoaks and moved to Canada to set up a farm on the prairies.

For John, a married father of five, it was a world away from his job as a book shop manager in Sevenoaks High Street.

But despite the initial hardships, the family prospered and soon settled into their new home in southern Alberta.

Now, more than 100 years on, his great-great nephew, journalist Martin Ward, is trying to discover more about the family.

John Moorey and his second wife, Ruth, were originally from Sussex.

"They were childhood sweethearts," said Mr Ward, 54, from Canterbury. "Both of their spouses from their first marriages died."

Ruth already had a daughter, Harriet, and John had a son, Hugh, and together they had Harold, Sidney and Ernest.

According to the census, they were living at 5 Camden Villas, Camden Road, Sevenoaks, in 1881, and moved to 2 Milton Villas, Vine Court Estate, by 1891. However, these properties are not there anymore.

In 1902, the family emigrated as part of a government scheme to populate the Canadian prairies.

John, who was 54 at the time, had lived in South Africa during the Boer War and decided they should leave England.

"He had started to see the storm clouds of the First World War gathering," said Mr Ward, who is married to Jayne, and father to Jonathan.

"He had seen the rough side of conflict and I don't think they wanted their sons to get involved in war."

When Mr Ward was in Canada two weeks ago he made a major breakthrough in his research.

"In among the old papers I found a business card," he said. "It said he was the representative of the Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser in Canada.

"He might have written articles about life on the prairie."

If these articles exist, they would be a vital source of information.

"I would love to be able to pinpoint where they lived in Sevenoaks and for the newspaper archives to be searched to see if they have any from John Moorey," said Mr Ward.

If anyone can help Mr Ward or has any information, email him at taxusbacata@dsl.pipex.com

• The answer to the History competition in the News Shopper, on August 8, was 1866.

Congratulations to Michelle Appleton, of Greenbay Road, Charlton. A copy of Stone House: The City of London Asylum is on its way to you.