Month: August 1914

The Great War is declared. Above are the headlines in the London Evening Press on August 4th 1914. Britain declares war that night. And with Britain at war so was the British Commonwealth – and therefore – so was Canada. Knowing what we know now it is probably impossible for us to imagine the excitement this Great War would initially create in the young country of Canada. It is hard for us to understand how enthusiastic Robert Dixon and Gordon Murray Beaton would be to get involved as soon as possible. Maybe even their girlfriends Deborah and Isabella would be encouraging them to go. Afterall, it would be an adventure and their men would be back home in just a few months. This excitement about the Great War would continue for some time . To question it would probably be seen as unpatriotic. But the horrors of it all would soon be evident. The mood would change. And the lives of Deborah and Robert , Isabella and Gordon, would change forever. The Great War would cast a shadow they could never totally escape.

August 10, 1914. Britain, and as a result Canada, have been at war for less than a week. Robert Dixon and Deborah Ross are married in London Ontario at St Paul’s Cathedral Anglican Church.

Robert is 25 years old and is now working as a teamster. Now a teamster in London Ontario in 1914 meant someone who drove a team of horses – not a truck – and not a member of the Teamsters Union. Who exactly Robert is working for as a teamster we don’t know. And we see on the Marriage license that Deborah Ross is one year younger than Robert at age 24. Except of course we know that Deborah Ross was born thirty years ago in Ballinamallard, Ireland in 1884. Oh well – so – Deborah wasn’t totally forthright about her age – a woman has to do what a woman has to do – Deborah sensed that Robert would want to be the senior in the relationship – and she was quite ok with letting him think he was. And besides, the pretty young Deborah could easily pass for 24. Deborah’s sister Isabella is there to witness the wedding – but she isn’t going to contradict her big sister when it comes to her age.

Did Robert and Deborah move up the wedding because of the war ? This is a possibility – maybe Robert who had some military experience in England and had already joined the local militia in London Ontario was keen to join the army and defend England and the King. And if that was the case then it might have made sense to get married before he left – before they would be separated by the Great War. Also , if the couple were good financial planners, they might have known that by getting married that Deborah would receive a separation allowance. Though it seems unlikely the couple would have known this given the war had just begun. The wedding was probably planned well in advance of the war.