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Martin Farndale
FAR00571
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He was an ironstone miner for a while before emigrating to Canada in 1905 after which he became a cattle farmer in Alberta
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Dates
are in red.
Hyperlinks
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Headlines
of Martin’s life are in brown.
References
and citations are in turquoise.
Context
and local history are in purple.
Geographical
context is in green.
Overview
See also the Farndales
of Tidkinhow
THE MARTIN
FARNDALE STORY.
Information
from the Trochu Tribune and Kneehill MD History.
Martin Farndale
was born in September 1881 in Kilton.
He emigrated to
Canada in 1905, and proceeded west to Alberta, settling in Trochu District. He
homesteaded SW ¼ -6-33-24, near Paulson School, and began raising cattle. He
was considered an excellent cattleman.
In 1929, Martin
married his cousin Ruth Farndale, who also came from Yorkshire.
Martin Farndale
had a keen interest in public affairs. He served as Councillor of Stauffer
Municipality for a number of years and was also active in school affairs,
serving as a trustee on the school board at Paulson. Martin was a staunch
Liberal.
Martin had a
keen sense of humour and delighted in telling yarns on himself. On one
occasion, Martin was caught in a raging blizzard late at night. He was
hopelessly lost as visibility was nil, and to keep from straying further he
followed the fence line. After walking some distance, Mr Farndale chanced on
some buildings. Hoping to arouse the occupants he yelled and hammered on the
door of the house before he discovered that it was his own home.
Martin Farndale
was a man true to his own convictions. He staunchly followed parliamentary
procedure. However, when serving as a councillor, if a mistake was made he was
not afraid to rectify the situation.
Martin Farndale
died in October 1943 at the age of 63. Ruth Farndale then returned to live in
Yorkshire in 1947.
Kilton
Thorpe
1881
Martin Farndale was born on 8 June 1881 at Kilton
Thorpe, the
son of Martin and Catherine Jane Farndale of Kilton Thorpe, (FAR00364)
farmer. He was baptised at Brotton
on 31 July 1881 (PR
and family knowledge). Martin Farndale’s birth was registered for Guisborough
District in the third quarter of 1881 (GRO Vol 9d page 464). Like his elder brother and sister he was baptised at Brotton
Parish Church where the entry in the Parish Register reads: "Martin,
son of Martin and Catherine Jane Farndale of Kilton
Thorpe, farmer, baptised 31 July 1881."
Tidkinhow
1891
The 1891 Census for Red Lion Howe, Stanghow
listed Martin Farndale, 46, farmer and ironstone miner; Catherine Farndale, 35;
John Farndale, 12; Elizabeth Farndale, 11; Martin Farndale, 9; George
Farndale, 8; Catherine J Farndale, 6; James Farndale, 5; Mary F Farndale;
William Farndale, 0.
1895
Like the rest, Martin went to school at Charltons until he was 11. He then went to Boosbeck Council school until he was 14. That
would be in 1895. He then helped on the farm, and worked as a miner until 1905 when
he went to Canada,
the first of many members of the family to do so
1901
The 1901 Census for Tidkinhow Farm,
Stanghow listed Martin Farndale, head, 55, farmer; Elizabeth L Farndale, 21; Martin
Farndale, 19, ironstone miner
underground;
Mary H Farndale, 12; William Farndale, 10; Grace A Farndale. 7; Dorothy A
Farndale, 6.
1902
Martin Farndale, Tidkinhow, about 1902
aged about 20
Alberta,
Canada
1905
Martin was the first
of the family to emigrate to Canada, and he arrived in Western Canada in 1904,
and he homesteaded on the Trochu land to farm at Paulson and raised cattle.
In 1905 there is a record of
Martin Farndale and Harry Farndale (aged 8) (must be FAR00688)
travelling to USA, aged 24.
Martin is remembered as not
quite as strong as the rest. He was a great favourite of his mother. When he
decided to go to Canada, he could not bring himself to tell his mother so he
simply left home and wrote to his sister Lynn from Liverpool:
"June 16th 1905
Friday morning
Dear Sister
Just a few more lines. I left Liverpool on Thursday night for Canada on SS
Tunisian. I have had a good night's sleep. I have booked second class
on board and is very comfortable. We are passing by the north of Ireland this [
]. The ship makes a call here to take on more passengers. This letter will be
sent on from here. I shall not be able to post any more letters till I land at
yond side. I am enjoying the trip well so far. I hope mother will not fret
if she get to know before I write. I will send a letter to her as soon as
we land. I am going to do best . I am going a long way up the country. I am
to Calgary in Alberta. It is chiefly cattle farming there. There is several
more young men on ship that are going out from there can catch. But I have not
meet any lady that is my way yet. You must try and cheer mother up. There is
nothing for her to trouble about. I am as safe here as riding on the railways
in England. I shall be about other 7 days on the water. I will send a few
letters off before I start my land journey. I have not time write more. I want
to up on deck. We are just about to land at Londonderry I believe.
I must leave hoping you are all well.
M Farndale."
From the passenger list for SS
Tunisian 1905
And five days later:
"Letter cannot be posted for England
till we land so you will know if you get this that I landed all right.
Wednesday June 21st 1905
Dear Sister
I shall soon get my sea trip over now. Land was sighted today Newfoundland
I believe. Every body is beginning to lighten up now. But it will be Saturday
morning before we land at Montreal.
I have enjoyed voyage up to now. I had one day sea sick. It was awful. I don't
want that any more. We have had few very cold days. It is always cold in this
part of the Ocean. We saw a great iceberg this morning. It was a great sight.
This is a great rock of ice. So you must know we were passing through a cold
front. This is a big vessel about two hundred yards long I should think. Every
body seem quite happy. There is a smoke room and a music room. And the best
of everything to eat. Third class seems to be rough quarters. But
they are in another part of the ship. There will be about eight hundred
passengers on board all together. Some men pulling long faces when the vessel
left Liverpool. I never thought anything about it. But I was like the rest. I
watched England till it disappeared out of sight. I hope mother will not
trouble about me. I will be all right. I thought it was my best thing to do.
I had nothing to start in business with in England. I shall be able to
get about £50 per year and board with the farmers out here. If I can stand
the climate. And I can settle. I shall be able to start farming for my self
in about two years.
Thursday
All letters are to be posted tonight on board so that they will get away as
soon as we land. They don't [ ] to a few hours when they land. So all has to be
ready.
First and Second class are having a Grand On Board tonight. We shall be quite
lively.
I now finish. Hoping you are all well. And remain your affectionate Bro.
M Farndale."
Martin was 24 years old. These are interesting letters, for they start a whole
branch of the Farndale family, still living north of Calgary.
Martin would go first to Calgary, where he took some land from the
Canadian Pacific Railway near Trochu.
He built a small wooden house, a shack, a began farming.
1908
Martin Farndale – photograph taken in
Calgary on 28 August 1908
1910
The boys of Tidkinhow in about 1910,
with Martin, now in Canada, inset.
John, James, Alfred, William, George and
inset Martin
The original house that
Martin built
Martin's shack taken when it was still standing in 1981 Martin and
Ruth’s house 10 miles west of Trochu
Martin homesteaded
on Trochu
town line, but in 1929 he bought a farm at Paulson and raised cattle. In 1929,
he married Ruth Farndale, his cousin, also from Yorkshire. They had no
children. He became well known on the Trochu
council and took a great deal of interest in education. He did much for the Trochu
community. Martin died, aged 62, in 1943, and is buried at Trochu.
His wife, Ruth, returned to England and lived for many years with her family.
He was remembered as an upright, intelligent man who was very interested in
people and very good with children. He helped his brothers, George, Jim and
Alfred, and his sisters, Kate and Grace, to settle in their turn near Trochu,
in Huxley. His work for the early days in Trochu
is still remembered (Family knowledge).
1920
Martin at sea on a journey
to and from England in about 1920
Martin at Tidkinhow in about 1920 Martin Farndale on a
visit to England from Canada, taken about 1920 when he was aged about 40
1927
In 1927 Martin travelled on
the Ausonia (Furness Line) from Quebec to London.
1928
In 1928, Martin, 40,
unaccompanied, a farmer, travelled from Liverpool to Halifax, Canada on the
Athenia.
1929
In 1929, Martin married his
cousin Ruth Farndale, also from Yorkshire, but they had no children.
He became well known on the Trochu Council and took a great interest in
education, doing a great deal for the community. He died in 1943 aged 63 and is
buried in Trochu. He visited England once. (Our Huxley Heritage).
In 1929 Ruth Farndale of Craggs Hall, 42, unaccompanied, travelled
from Liverpool to Montreal.
Martin Farndale, married Ruth Farndale, (FAR00619),
his first cousin, in Trochu,
Canada in 1929 (Family
knowledge and MR)
Ruth Farndale
Martin, early days in Canada
They lived near Trochu
in Alberta. They had no family.
There is more information about his life at Martin Farndale and at the Farndales
of Tidkinhow
1931
The Canadian Farndales at the Kinseys in
about 1931 (Martin, Jim, Kate, Grace, George, Alfred)
1940
Martin Farndale and Howard Holmes,
husband of Grace nee Farndale Holmes (FAR00659)
at the Holmes Ranch in Alberta in about 1940.
1943
Martin Farndale of Trochu,
Alberta Canada died in Calgary aged 62 years, on 11 September 1943. He is buried at Trochu,
Alberta, Canada (DC).
In a newspaper article: MARTIN
FARNDALE PASSES AWAY. The news, Saturday evening, of the passing of Mr. Martin
Farndale in the General Hospital, Calgary, came as a distinct shock to
many in the Trochu district, although he had been under medical care for
over a year. The late Mr Farndale, who was one of the district's real
old timers, was born in Guisborough, Yorkshire in 1881. Coming to calendar
in 1905 he came West to Alberta, and settled in Trochu district, taking up a
homestead on the town line, which he has farmed ever since. His marriage took
place in 1929. Always taking a keen interest in public affairs, he served as
Councillor of Stauffer municipality for a number of years and was active in
school affairs serving as a trustee. Highly respected by all who knew him his
passing is a severe loss to the district. Surviving are his wife, Ruth, at
home, two sisters, Mrs W Kinsey, of Trochu, and Mrs H Holmes, of Huxley. A
brother, George Farndale, of Three Hills, another brother, senator James
Farndale, of Nevada, also two brothers and three sisters in Yorkshire. Reverend
T H Chapman, Rural Dean, of Carbon, conducted the funeral services, which were
held in the United Church, Trochu, Tuesday afternoon, with burial taking place
in the Trochu cemetery. The pallbearers were Messrs G R Hogg, F Kinsey, E
Roach, M and J Sitala, O Bayes.
Card of
Thanks. We wish to thank all neighbours and friends for their kindness, also
for the lovely floral tributes sent during our recent bereavement. Mrs RUTH
FARNDALE.
Martin
Farndale’s grave at Huxley, taken in 1973
1974
Ruth Farndale, died at Northallerton
District, Yorkshire in early 1974 (DR).