Stephen Draper and Martha Elitia Rothwell Barnhart. Courtesy of Heidi Draper.
Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 30 yrs old
Dated: March 22 / 17
Mailed from: Unknown port
Attached to: HMS Bacchante
Profession: Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Rank: Ordinary Seaman, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve
Addressed to: Dear Ethel
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 on the first page, opened it flat and wrote page 2 on the right side, then turned the paper sideways and wrote page across the width, and then finally closed the letter on the final page (beside page 1).
People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Ethel Isabel Nelson, 27 yrs old, Noah's wife of 6 yrs
Alice* Prosser - daughter of Ethel's sister Sadie and Cecil Prosser
Ethel Maud* - Noah's sister who married William Albert Rigler*
Percy* - Noah's brother who married Parthena Fisher
Mr Butts - Noah & Ethel's hired* man back in Saskatchewan
George* & Eliza** - cousin George Draper & Eliza Hamilton (Sask farmers)
JD* and Mildred aka Midge* - Noah and Ethel's children/calls babies
Places/things mentioned in this letter:
Bacchante - HMS Bacchante*
Regina - Saskatchewan city 10 miles east of Noah & Ethel's farm
Indian Head - Saskatchewan town east of Regina on main highway
Winnipeg - Manitoba city east of Regina, Gateway to the West
Word or Phrase Use:
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 22/17. |
| Dear Ethel;- Well we are still at sea but the mail closes at 6 P.M. so the censurer on board will be able to get through them all before they are sent back. it is very very hot here & I am thousands of miles from England. I am feeling fine & hope you are all the same I suppose Alice is all |
| right by this time. Say where are all the boys from around there are they in England or France, have not saw anyone from there yet. but there is one man on board here from Regina & one from Indian Head. & quite a number from the West of Winnipeg. There may be some mail waiting for us when we reach port I hope so any way. |
| Have you heard from the West lately & are you going out in the Spring. I have not heard from Ethel or Mr. Butts but the letter I had from Percy he said he was getting along all right. I suppose George & Eliza have gone home before this. how did she like it in Ontario for a change. |
| Well the war seems to be progressing very favorably for the allies & I hope it will soon be over but you can not tell how long it is going to last. eh. Well I guess J.D. & Mildred will be a lot bigger when I get back even if the war was to end at once. Well good bye for this time kiss the babies for me. Love to all. N.C. Draper |
History Notes
There is one History note for this letter of March 22, 1917
History Note 1 - George Draper and his siblings
You'll often see the names of Noah's cousins mentioned in these WW1 letters, and the previously posted Noah and Ethel's Courtship letters, as well as other siblings in the family of Stephen Draper and Martha Barnhart. Stephen is the brother of Noah's father, David Draper. David moved his family out west in 1903, as soon as Noah completed his schooling. Although Stephen lived on and continued the family farm/homestead in Ontario, his children bought farms in the west, and then spent many of their winters near family back in Ontario.
You can find posts on the history of these cousins through these links:
- History of Stewart Draper and Bertha Hamilton
- History of Edith Draper and Frank Kavanagh
- History of, and Letter from, George Draper and Eliza Hamilton
- History of George and Stewart's wives (Hamilton family)
These are the other children of Stephen Draper and Martha Barnhart:
- Charles Joel - History note of next week's WW1 Letter
- Almeda Roscilla - Post coming soon
- Lena Marie 1890-1900
- Ernest Emery 1892-1893
The links above discuss many relatives and friends in the lives of Noah and Ethel. For more information on a certain person, use the search box at the top of the page, or the category list on the right.
On a final note, I'd like to send a huge thank you to Heidi Draper for corroborating our family history and sharing a plethora of photographs, including many of the Barnhart family.
You'll often see the names of Noah's cousins mentioned in these WW1 letters, and the previously posted Noah and Ethel's Courtship letters, as well as other siblings in the family of Stephen Draper and Martha Barnhart. Stephen is the brother of Noah's father, David Draper. David moved his family out west in 1903, as soon as Noah completed his schooling. Although Stephen lived on and continued the family farm/homestead in Ontario, his children bought farms in the west, and then spent many of their winters near family back in Ontario.
You can find posts on the history of these cousins through these links:
- History of Stewart Draper and Bertha Hamilton
- History of Edith Draper and Frank Kavanagh
- History of, and Letter from, George Draper and Eliza Hamilton
- History of George and Stewart's wives (Hamilton family)
These are the other children of Stephen Draper and Martha Barnhart:
- Charles Joel - History note of next week's WW1 Letter
- Almeda Roscilla - Post coming soon
- Lena Marie 1890-1900
- Ernest Emery 1892-1893
The links above discuss many relatives and friends in the lives of Noah and Ethel. For more information on a certain person, use the search box at the top of the page, or the category list on the right.
On a final note, I'd like to send a huge thank you to Heidi Draper for corroborating our family history and sharing a plethora of photographs, including many of the Barnhart family.
