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WW1 Letters Home - Mar 18, 1917

4/24/2022

Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 30 yrs old
Dated: March 18 / 1917
Mailed from: H.M.S. Bacchante
Attached to: HMS Bacchante
Profession: Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Rank: Ordinary Seaman, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper
Relationship: Wife
Writing instrument: Fountain Pen with Black Ink
Writing Paper: 1 sheet 9" x 6" medium weight, smooth, linen-look, folded into a 4-page booklet form. Noah wrote this letter different than any other. He lay it flat and wrote across what is usually his last page, but this time started with it. Then he wrote page 2 on what is usually his first page, and then he flipped it over but instead of writing as if 2 pages, he wrote across the short width and down the page like foolscap.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Ethel Isabel Draper, 27 yrs old, Noah's wife of 6 yrs

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
Bay of Biscay**
whites - Royal Navy Uniform Dress 6 with Sennett Hat (image above)
sentry duty and search light
censor**

Word or Phrase Use:
altho - Noah often spells it this way. Common usage for the time?

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below

March, 18 / 1917.
H.M.S. Bacchante,

Mrs. N.C. Draper,
Keswick, Ont.
Dear Wife;-
Well Ethel we are out at
sea about 1500 miles from
England & will be a few
more before we touch port
I guess. we are getting in
a warm country now &
will soon be wearing
white suits & hats with
out jerseys. they are quite
smart but hard to
keep clean,
When we (corner missing)

we went(corner chunk missing)
& took on so(missing)
we passed through some
of the finest scenery. I
have seen on this side
of the water, I would like
to have some pictures
of it, but of course one
dare not bring a camera
near a port.
Well I dont know when
this will get posted
but am writing so as to
have it ready at any
time
Say I guess I will get
over getting sea sick

in time just missed a meal so(missing)
& that was while going across(missing)
bay of Biscay. they say there(missing)
a number of tides meet there(missing)
it is very seldom calm & so(missing)
times very rough.
Well I hope you are all well a(missing)
this leaves me I am feeling fine
& not worked to hard altho the
night work does not agree with
me haHa. We have 8 watches on
board & do 4 hour tricks all
(missing)ut 2 whitch they call dogwatches
(missing)om 4 P.M untill 6 and from 6 to 8
(missing)hat is to change it so you
(missing)not get the same watches every
(missing)ght. I am on a search light but
we have had no cause to use it
yet, when we have it means
fight, but still we have to be
at our places & ready at anytime
but I guess we will not be in
any danger for some time to
come anyway. Well ByeBye for now
N.C.D

History Notes

There are 2 History notes for this letter of March 18, 1917:

History Note 1 - Censorship of Letters

This letter is one of many that are missing parts due to the censor's hand. From now on, every letter will be scrutinized for dates or locations that could tip off the enemy. Some letters are missing a corner, like this one, but others are missing paragraphs which always makes me wonder what Noah said that made the censor rip it out, specially since one word in one corner means more words missing on the backside as well.

History Note 2 - Bay of Biscay

According to Noah's letter, he has crossed the Bay of Biscay and is about 1500 miles (approx 2400 km) from England. By my calculation, that puts him off the coast of Morocco, possibly near the Canary Islands.

Map showing Bay of Biscay. Wikimedia

WW1 Letters - Louie to Ethel Mar 9, 1917

4/10/2022

Fred Coventry & his children L-R: Sarah, David, Beatrice (on Fred's lap), James, 1920. Courtesy of Jim Hagen

Author of Letter: Sarah Louisa Draper Coventry aka Louie
Dated: Mar 4 or 9, 1917
Mailed from: Rutland, British Columbia
Profession: Farmer's wife
Rank: N/A
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper, Dear Ethel, Mildred & J.D.
Relationship: Louie is a sister of Noah Draper, author of the WW1 letters
Writing instrument: Pen, black ink
Writing Paper: 2 sheets,  8 1/4" x 10", lightweight textured writing paper. Louie has written on 3 of the 4 sides of paper.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Ethel Isabel Nelson, 26 yrs old, Noah's wife of 6 yrs
Mildred* - aka Midge, Noah & Ethel's daughter, 3 yrs old
JD* -  James David Draper, 10 months old, aka Jay in early months
Alice* - daughter of Sadie (Ethel's sister) & Cecil Prosser
Ethel's mother - Ida* Amelia Glover Nelson in Belhaven
Louie's mother - Sarah* Sophia Deverell Draper (visits from Sask)
** Louie and Fred Coventry, and their children: David, Sarah, and James
Fred's parents - David Coventry* and Eliza Grogan Stevenson Coventry
Siblings Ethel, Helen, & Eric Thompson - neighbours
Della Mahoney* - Ethel's close friend and neighbour
Millie & Ethel Morton* - friends and neighbours
** old Mrs Draper (Hannah Bennett*) & Edith Draper**
Aunt Jennie Terry - Mary Jane Draper who married Frank Terry*
Etta Terry* - Louie and Noah's cousin
Mrs Campbell - Fred Coventry's sister Margaret who married William Campbell*?

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
Keswick - where Ethel is staying with family
Rutland - where Louie and Fred Coventry live near Kelowna
Kelowna - city in the Okanagan region of British Columbia
the Coulee - Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan
Toronto - 45 miles south of Keswick, Ontario

Word or Phrase Use:
OK
C.S. - Christian Science? (Louie was an ardent member.)

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** See History Note below

Top left corner:

Monday. I was up in the bush for some wood it is lovely up there LC.

Rutland BC Mar 4th 1917

Mrs N.C. Draper,
Keswick, Ont.

Dear Ethel, Mildred & J.D.-
I received your letter on
Friday and was very glad to hear from you and
know you were all well. Sorry to hear Alice had been
so sick, hope she is OK before this. How is Sadie & Cecil
are they still at Mr Prossers. Give them my love.
I guess your Mother will have her hands full with
with her Grand children. Ask her for me how she would
like to have 17 like mother has.
How does Mildred like it down there I suppose
those boys will just work her How big is J.D. now
Well Ethel the children help me busy Sara is just
a little terror climbs all over today she learned to
climb on Davids stool Mother is used to her but
I am afraid she will make Mr & Mrs Coventry fairly
crazy when they get her. We expect them any time
now. They intend to stay up here now. I hope they take a
house in Kelowna.
We named the baby James Lloyd he was two months
old today and weights 14 1/2 lbs.
Mother is just going to bed so she said to rember
her to you and that she wanted to hear more about
the children when you write - x x x from her
I was glad to hear about our old neighbors. Where is

Ethel & Helen Thompson. It hardly seems possible that Eric
is old enough to be a soldier, but times certainly flies.
How is Mrs Herb Winch and family I often think of them
Has Della any children? Do you ever see anything
of Millie & Ethel Morton. If you see Milly tell her I
would like to hear from her. It seems such a little
while since we were at school.
How is old Mrs Draper. it seemed to bad she had
to fall. Poor Edith will be left alone where will
she be staying.
Have you been over to see Aunt Jennie Terry
she must be having it hard. But I hope Etta is
home before this. Where was she staying? and did
she have any of the children with her?
It is over two weeks since we heard from the
Coulee. They were all well and everything at your
place was O.K.
Did you ever get your broach & other things?
Mother & I wrote Noah a long letter tonight. Had a
card from him last week. We sent him a box
about three weeks ago. And intend sending one
this week. Do you send him parcels? I wonder
will he ever get them.
I was to a concert in the school last Friday went
with a neighbor and left Fred home with the
children Had a good time. And found everyone
asleep when I got home. Mother went down to

Kelowna on Tuesday and came back Saturday
I started to go after her but met her coming
with Mrs Campbell.
They have come back to there ranch I am
afraid they will find it pretty cold
Mr Hardy our storekeeper says there is no
use any one telling him this is a mild
climate as he lived 27 years in Toronto and
never felt the cold so much. But I guess
it has been a hard winter all over.
Have you got your Science and Health with you?
Did you tell your Mother and Father about it?
And what do you think of C.S.
Well Ethel it is after 12. so I guess I had
better go to bed.
Tell your people I send my regards.
Kiss the children for me.
Fred joins in love to all
Write soon to Louie & Mother.

History Notes

History Note 1 -  Louie Draper and Fred Coventry

Louie is Noah's sister, Sarah Louisa who married Fred Coventry while both families lived in Saskatchewan. At the time of this letter, Louie and Fred had 3 children and would go on to have one more:
- David Ross born 1913 in Grand Coulee, SK
- Sarah Elizabeth born 1915 in Kelowna, BC
- James Lloyd born 1917 in Rutland, BC
- Beatrice Letitia born 1918 in Kelowna, BC

It was a lengthy search to discover details of her adult life, but with the help of Ethel's 'treasure box' and other surprise blessings, I finally unravelled the mystery which is detailed through these links:
- the search for Louie and Fred
- update on Louie and Fred (looks like another update is needed too)

The image at the top of this post shows Fred Coventry in 1920 surrounded by his children.

History Note 2 - Edith Draper

Edith Draper was born in Belhaven, Ontario, in 1868. She is 2nd cousin once removed to Noah. I first posted about Edith Draper back in Noah and Ethel's 1911 Courtship Letters, after Ethel wrote to Noah "Saw Edith Draper this forenoon. She is the same old girl."
And now in this letter, Louie writes, "How is old Mrs Draper. it seemed to bad she had to fall. Poor Edith will be left alone where will she be staying."

Edith Alicia Sarah Jane Draper was the youngest of 13 children born to Luther Draper (1819 - 1904) and Hannah Bennett (1823 - 1917). Twelve years separated Edith from her next older sisters, twins Martha and Margaret, born in 1856, so Edith may have stayed home and single to care for her aging parents because she was the youngest daughter and felt obligated.

By the time Noah's sister Louie wrote this letter to Ethel on Mar 4, 1917, Edith was a 49 year old spinster still caring for her mother, Hannah Bennett, in Belhaven, Ontario.

However, on July 28th of 1917, Hannah Bennett Draper died and Edith was left alone for the first time in her life except for the numerous friends and relatives she'd included in her social circle throughout the years.

The Newmarket Era dated April 18, 1919, carried this article about her:
"Miss Draper had a very successful wood bee on Friday afternoon, when a number of the young men of the vicinity cut up nearly all her wood. Some of them brought their sisters along. They spent the evening most enjoyably, but could not finish all the fine repast provided by the hostess."

The 1921 Canada Census shows Edith living alone on her family's farm near Belhaven.

And then, on Nov 6, 1926, at the age of 58, Edith Draper married William Gordon Crowder, a widower who owned the Belhaven store, although it appears he lived in nearby Baldwin. (The newspaper clipping of her happy wedding shower is on the right.)

On Nov 19, 1926, the ERA reported that: "Mrs. William Crowder is moving from Belhaven to-day to her new home at Baldwin where she and her husband will be glad to see their many friends come to patronize their general store, at Baldwin."

The following week on Nov 26, Edith's family farm, which had been passed down from Luther Draper and Hannah Bennett, was up for Tender. The newspaper clipping (on the right) stated a brick house, wood frame barn, stable and shed, situated on 50 acres in North Gwillimbury.

The same Nov 26 issue of the ERA mentioned that Crowder's store at the north end of Belhaven looked abandoned since the owner and his new partner in life have moved to Baldwin, and are wished success in their new step in life.

Sadly, William Crowder died on Sep 28, 1938 after 12 yrs of what appeared to be a happy union according to local news snippets. William's obituary stated he and Edith had moved to Ravenshoe, just south of Belhaven, in 1931 where they bought and managed that store. After his death, Edith continued to run "Mrs. Crowder's store" as well as enjoying her always-present social life.

WW1 Letters - Percy to Ethel Jan 1, 1917

1/1/2017

From Noah & Ethel Draper's first Photograph Album, courtesy of the Norma Draper Photograph Collection.

Today's letter differs from the rest because it's a letter on the home front sent from Noah's brother to Noah's wife informing her of what's been going on back at the homestead in Saskatchewan while Noah's enlisted, and she's spending the winter with family in Ontario.

Author of Letter: Percy Roy Draper, 33 yrs old
Dated: Jan 1/17
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan
Attached to: N/A
Profession: Farmer
Rank: N/A
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper
Relationship: Sister-in-law
Writing instrument: Pencil
Writing Paper: 8" x 10" medium weight writing paper with a linen-look and feel. Percy has written straight across the first sheet and down to the bottom, left the backside blank, and then he's filled the second sheet, turned it over and finished halfway down the backside.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Noah's wife of 5 yrs, Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper (b 1890)
Will* - Will Rigler, husband of Noah's 35 yr old sister, Ethel Maud (b 1881)
Mr. Buts - 60 yr old John Butts is Noah & Ethel's lodger/hired man**

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Keswick - where Ethel is staying with family
- Regina - downtown Regina is 12 miles east of Grand Coulee
- The ERA - local newspaper printed in Newmarket, York County, Ontario
- dispecer - liquor dispenser/vendor (see **Prohibition & article below)
- stalk - he means animal stock as in cattle, horses, etc
- fire insurance**

Word or Phrase Use:
car - automobile since a street car didn't run from Grand Coulee to Regina
nearly strapped - out of money
Merry X Mas

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below

Grand Coulee
Jan 1/17

Mrs. N. C. Draper.
Dear Ethel & children
Received the Photos & think they
are fine. Have been waiting
for a letter from you ever since
I came home but have not had
one as yet. how are you all
any way we are all as usually
I think around here. We have
had some very cold weather
ever since I came home until
last Friday it is quite mild now
very little snow I was in to Regina
with the car this after noon the
roads are fine. Well I had a
letter from Noah that was wrote
the eighteenth of Dec said he had
had his first experence on salt
water 20 of them trying to row
a boat 50 ft long and could not
make it go at all some sailors
ah. Well Ethel the stalk is all
looking fine. I think the old man

2

is getting along pretty good now
he was away for several days selebrati...
just before I got home but was
back to work when I got home
Will had to do his chores while he
was away. I guess it wont
happen again now the doors
of the dispecers closed Saturday.
Mr Buts was telling Will he wished
I would hurry home that he was
going to quit but he has never
mentioned it since I came. I see
by the Era that yous have lots
of snow now. Hope you had
a merry X mas & a Happy new
Year. Say Ethel have you sent
Mr Buts any money yet he came
in the other .and said he was
nearly strapped. had been a little
reckles with what he had : But he
is to get twenty dollars a month
isnt he. he would have $40 coming
to him to night he said.

3

And your fire insurance I guess
Noah forgot about it I will enclose
there letter to you it should be looked
after at once. Well I must close
hope you can make this letter
out & dont forget to send
us a line.

I remain --- as be fore
Percy

History Notes

There are 2 History notes for this letter...

History Note 1 - Prohibition

Prohibition reached Saskatchewan in April 1915 when Premier Walter Scott and his liberal government halted the sale of liquor within its borders. Bars had to close by 7 pm with no liquids carried home. According to the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, Premier Scott blamed alcohol for domestic violence and high crime rates, and felt that it was unpatriotic and more dangerous than German submarines. The following year, in July 1916, bar and club licenses were abolished. Individuals and businesses were prosecuted for non-compliance, and Saskatchewan became the first Canadian province to ban the sale of alcohol in the private sector.

As you can see from Percy's letter, written on January 1st, 1917, it's months later and liquor is still available. I wonder if it's because they were allowed to stay open while disposing of their stock? I don't know if the vendor in question was the local hotel, or if Mr. Butts had been in Regina, which grew into one of the hottest red light districts on the prairies in the following decade, but someone in the area seemed to have alcohol on hand.

History Note 2 - Fire Insurance

In this letter, Percy mentions that Noah and Ethel have received a letter for fire insurance and that he's going to send it to her because "it should be looked after at once".

It's interesting to note that one of the my first posts on these letters was 1906 Percy's Policy which included the magnificent graphics of a life insurance document that is now 110 years old. Percy wasn't married at the time and although single adults of today are told they don't need to spend money on life insurance if they aren't married, Percy's beneficiary was his mother, Sarah Draper, who would receive $1000.00 upon his death, even while his father, David Draper, still lived.

Percy's admonition that Ethel see to the fire insurance at once was in direct contrast to Noah's response in WW1 Letters Home - Dec 19, 1916, when he says, "Well Ethel I dont know what money you mean for Percy to send down but if it was for that life insurance
I dont think I would pay it."

Noah doesn't know that Percy is talking about fire insurance rather than life insurance, but that makes it worse...Noah can't swim...he's in the navy and spends/will spend a majority of his time on the water...and he's heading into a war zone. Unless the policy is for someone else, why wouldn't Noah want Ethel to pay the premium on the life insurance?

1913: Postcard with RPO stamp

11/16/2014

Nov 1913, C.N.R. Bridge, Prince Albert, Sask, post card

The RPPC above is the front of a postcard Noah sent back to Ethel in November 1913. See the Genealogy Notes below for information on Noah's embossing imprint, as well as the special RPO marked stamp.

Author of Postcard: Noah Clement Draper (26 yrs old)
Dated: Nov 14, 1913
Addressed to: Mrs. N. C. Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask.
Mailed from: Prince Albert (Sask)
Relationship: spouse
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Black ink
Stamp: 1 cent Canada postmarked Regina & Prince Albert RPO

People/places/things mentioned in this letter:

- Mrs. N. C. Draper - Ethel Nelson Draper
- baby - Mildred Audrey (Midge) Draper born Sep 17, 1913
- Jack - unknown at this time

- Prince Albert, Sask - 405 km/252 miles north of Grand Coulee

*Cliche/Phrasing:
O.K.

* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing or use the search box in the header
** see Genealogy Notes below

Prince Albert
Nov. 14

Well we have got this
far all O.K. Met Jack
on the street this
morning he said
there is lots of game
up there so guess we
wont have to go home
with out any. there
is not much snow
here yet. Well Bye Bye.
Love to baby & you. N.C.D.

Mrs. N. C. Draper,
Grand Coulee,
Sask.

Genealogy Notes

Railway Post Office

We don't know how long Noah was gone on this particular hunting trip, but since it's November in Saskatchewan and he's talking about game, he would probably be after moose or White-tailed deer. The following map shows the most-travelled route a person of today would drive the 405 km/252 miles to get from Grand Coulee to Prince Albert.

This is an interactive map when clicked on the bottom to enlarge.

Noah's postcard has a 1 cent King George postage stamp and a cancellation stamp from the Regina & Prince Albert RPO, except I can't make out all the markings.

RPO stands for Railway Post Office - mobile post offices based on trains which enabled speedy delivery of mail until the 1960's. The trains didn't stop at each community on the line to pick up mail as it would have slowed them down. Instead, they left the mail bag hanging on a special post. As the train approached the hanging mail bag, the postal clerk would kick the sorted mail bag out the open door, while a long pole with a crook at the end snagged the new mail bag as the train zoomed past. This is shown in the video below...

Click to set custom HTML

Inside the mail car, the railway postal office looked like the sorting room in any urban centre. The following photograph shows three clerks in a Canadian Pacific Railway post office.

ca 1885-1900, Interior view of three railway of clerks aboard a Canadian railway post office. Courtesy of Collections Canada.

The following photo shows the restored railway post office of a Great Northern Railway mail car. The top boxes are open and the railway clerk would toss letters into them and then when they got to the location, they'd slide the door up like the ones on the left side and slide the letters into a mail bag.

An interior view of Great Northern Railway #42, a restored RPO on display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Following is an article from the July 1919 issue of Popular Science.

Popular Science, July 1919

If you have any information about the Regina & Prince Albert RPO or the markings on this cancellation stamp, please leave a comment below or contact me.

Mildred Audrey (Midge) Draper

9/12/2014

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Ethel Isabel Draper holding Mildred (Midge), late 1913, Adams, Saskatchewan

After being married on Jan 12, 1912, Noah Draper and Ethel Nelson welcomed little Mildred Audrey Draper into the world on Sept 17, 1913. Almost instantly she became known as Midge, although I've found reference to both names being used interchangeably by photos, family records, and documents.

Back in Belhaven, the Draper and Nelson families and neighbours celebrated Noah and Ethel's news. The Newmarket Era ran the following clipping on their usual Page 2 announcements:

The Newmarket Era (Newmarket, ON), October 3, 1913

Since Noah and Ethel lived at the C.N.R. siding of Adams, most people knew the area only from the closest larger community of Grand Coulee, which I'll recap in my next post.

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WW1 Letters Home - Mar 18, 1917

History Notes

WW1 Letters - Louie to Ethel Mar 9, 1917

History Notes

WW1 Letters - Percy to Ethel Jan 1, 1917

History Notes

1913: Postcard with RPO stamp

Genealogy Notes

Mildred Audrey (Midge) Draper

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WW1 Letters - Louie to Ethel Mar 9, 1917

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History Notes

1913: Postcard with RPO stamp

Genealogy Notes

Mildred Audrey (Midge) Draper

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