Another little lamb in Hamilton cemetery

 Another lamb stone for a child in Hamilton Cemetery, not too far from Wesley Charles Spike.  Minnie Lee was born in England to parents Gibblum Lee and Grace Alice Walker (1) on March 29, 1909 and baptized in Hollinwood Church in Oldham, County England on July 14 of the same year(2) 

Gibblum and Grace were married on 3 February 1903 at Hollinwood Church.  Gibblum was a carrier and Grace was a doubler (yarn winding).  Gibblum's father Thomas (deceased at the time) was a collier and Grace's father William Thomas was a gas stoker.  Thomas and Sarah Ann Hill were witnesses (3)  

Minnie appears with her parents, older brother William(5 years), and recently born brother Henry in the 1911 Census of England at 30 Lee Street in Oldham, the home of her uncle Arthur Gilfoy and Aunt Martha Ann.  There were 4 rooms in the house, with 4 adults and 6 children living there. Her older cousin Lilly was already working at the tender age of 13 as a reacher for weaving! (4)  Gibblum's occupation was a gas stoker. It was noted that Gibblum and Grace had two other children who passed away and unfortunately as you will soon see, Gibblum and Grace would experience the loss of several more children

On 14 Sept 1911, Minnie, her mother (28), and brother William Henry (5) arrived in Quebec City on board the Empress of Ireland.(5)  Baby Henry appears to have not survived to make the trip. Grace was going to meet her husband, a city labourer in Hamilton, who arrived in Canada ahead of her in April(6).  Not too long after their reunion, they conceived their 6th child, who sadly stillborn on 25 Jul 1912.  The family was living at 313 Birmingham Street in Hamilton.(7)  The family welcomed another daughter Grace Alice on 30 October 1916 while living at 179 Birmingham Street in Hamilton.  Gibblum was a foreman for City Works.(8)

From the 1921 census it appears that Gibblum and Grace and had a son George in 1918(9) and another son Thomas in 1921.  I didn't see a record for a child born in the 1916 timeframe but I suspect that there may have been a child who did not live.

Our Minnie died on the 17th January 1919 from respiratory issues and had lymphatic leukaemia, the 5th child to pass at a young an age in the Lee family.(10)

(1) Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 260

(2)Ancestry.com. Manchester, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

(3)Ancestry.com. Manchester, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

(4) The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911

(5)Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: T-4781

(6)Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: T-4740

(7)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 181

(8)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Series: Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1869-1913; Reel: 280; Record Group: Rg 80-2

(9)Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 62; Census Place: 62, Hamilton East, Ontario; Page Number: 29

(10)