Collinge, George Holmes

George Holmes Collinge was born on 21 April 1895 in Ackrington, Lancashire in England. His father Joseph Collinge, a journeyman plumber, was from Southport in Lancashire while his mother Georgina Holmes was from Londonderry, Ireland. The couple married in 1891 in Birkdale, Southport. The family settled in the Birkdale area in Southport where most of the children were born. George’s known siblings were Gertrude Boden (1892-1954), Herbert Shaw (1893-1954), Wilfred (1897-1956), May (1898-1980), Florence (1902-1980), and Georgina (1907-?).

According to a later census, George immigrated to Canada in 1909. The UK outgoing passenger list of the Empress of Ireland that departed from Liverpool on 8 October 1909 had a George Collings, age 14 and travelling by himself listed. By the time of the 1911 census he was living in the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan area and working as a farm labourer for the Nathaniel and Elizabeth Jones family.

George signed his first set of attestation papers on 28 December 1916 in Winnipeg, Manitoba with the 197th Battalion. Living in Lloydminster, his occupation was given as teamster and his father Joseph back in England as next of kin. Active militia was given as 22nd Saskatchewan Light Horse. He was discharged from service as medically unfit on 6 January 1917 in Winnipeg. On 1 September 1917, at Camp St Charles in Manitoba, George signed his second set of attestation papers. His address was given as Regimental Depot Lord Strathcona Horse (RC), his occupation as locomotive fireman, and his father Joseph in Birkdale as next of kin. He was discharged from service as medically unfit on 31 December 1917. His intended residence was given as Kenora, Ontario. On 1 April 1919, at the Tourist Hotel in Kenora, the towns of Kenora and Keewatin held a reception for all who had enlisted. On the list as published by the Kenora Miner and News on 2 April 1919, was GH Collings, misspelling the surname.

George settled in Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario, working for the CN Railway and eventually becoming an engineer. On 5 October 1926, in Winnipeg, he married Evelyn Winnifred St John. Born in Winnipeg on 23 September 1903, she was the daughter of William St John and Adelaide (Sadie) Bishop, the couple marrying in 1903 in Winnipeg. Sadly William died in 1915, with Sadie later marrying William Henry Smith in 1920. In 1927 Evelyn and George gave birth to daughter Iona Evelyn in Winnipeg. 1938 was not a good year for the Collinges. Evelyn passed away on 13 January 1938 in Sioux Lookout. According to his obituary, later that year George was involved in a train accident that resulted in a loss of a leg. In 1944 he became a stationary engineer at Kitchener and moving to Fort William (Thunder Bay) he first found work with Great Lakes Lumber and Shipping and the latterly with the Edible Oils Plant. At some point George remarried, with he and his wife Jessie giving birth to daughter Georgina.

Following a lengthy illness, George died on 29 February 1960 in Thunder Bay. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Jessie, and daughters Iona (Herbert) Peters of Edmonton and Georgina (Walter) Yarema of Thunder Bay. He was also survived by his five grandchildren and family back in England. He was predeceased by his first wife Evelyn, mother Georgina (1923), father Joseph (1939), and siblings Gertrude (1954) and Wilfred (1956), all in England. Jessie later died on 14 October 1983 in Thunder Bay. George and Jessie’s final resting place is unknown.

By Judy Thorburn

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George and Jessie’s obituaries provided by Thunder Bay Public Library.

 

 

 

 

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