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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-11-05, Page 7Wednesday, November 5, 2014 • News Record 7 The Short and Forgotten Life of Albert Bolton David Yates Special to the Clinton News Record No cenotaph records his name. No family member grieved his death. There is no known photograph of Pri- vate Albert Sidney Bolton, a Canadian soldier who died of wounds received while fighting for King and Coun- try during the Great War. Bolton was a Home Child who was part of a nearly invisible underclass of child labourers employed on Huron County farms in early twentieth century Canada. Little is known of Bolton's early life in England other than that he was born at Stratford -on -Avon on June 22, 1893. The circumstances that led him to the Annie Macpherson Home in Lon- don, England for transporta- tion to Canada are unknown. At 16 years old, both parents were dead but he was a little old to have been left at the home as an orphan. Perhaps he volunteered to go to Can- ada in the hopes of a better life. He left Liverpool with four other Home Children on the 'Tunisian' in August 26, 1909 and arrived in Canada on Sep- tember 3, 1909. He was taken in at the Macpherson Home in Strat- ford, Ontario before being sent to work as farm labour in Huron County. According to the 1911 census, Bolton was working on Hugh and Ruth MacEwen's farm in Hay Township. In December 1915, when the 161st (Huron) battalion (Huron) was formed, Bolton became one of the battalion's first recruits. He enlisted in the Exeter Com- pany on December 30, 1915. On his attestation papers, Bolton listed his occupation as 'farm labourer' and was described as a 'well-devel- oped' man with dark hair and grey eyes. At just over 5' 8,' he was of medium height. He reported his religion as Presbyterian. He initially listed that he had no next of kin but later someone added Mr. Robert Munn, his last employer before enlisting as his next-of-kin. As a soldier, Bolton went to England with the 161st battalion in October 1916. In November, he was part of a draft of 100 men sent to replenish the ranks of the 58th (Central Ontario) bat- talion that had been deci- mated at the Battle of the Somme (Amongst Bolton's companions in the draft was Corporal Harry Miner who posthumously won the Victoria Cross in 1918). Although it is not known what actions Bolton fought in, the 58th battalion was engaged in almost every major Canadian battle from Vimy Ridge to the Hundred Days in 1918. He fought bravely and well for his adopted country. He was wounded at least once while serving in France. Bolton suffered a painful ankle injury after a bayonet attack in July 1918. He was also treated for typical trench maladies like boils, postules, scabies and bron- chitis after a gas attack. On one occasion, he was hospitalized after a soldier working next to him drove a pick axe through his right hand. He discharged in Jan- uary 1919 and awarded the Good Conduct Badge. With- out fanfare, Bolton returned to farm labour in Huron County but his health never recovered. The 1921 census has Bol- ton's occupation as 'labourer' on William and Anna Dougall's Hay Town- ship farm. His reported income for 1920 was a mea- gre $450.00 which averages out to only $1.20 per day. Unfortunately, the strain of hard physical labour was too much for Bolton. He was diagnosed with uremic poi- soning, or urine in the blood stream, the symptoms of which are acute weakness and fatigue accompanies by nausea and vomiting. It was a condition which he picked up living in the trenches and sub- jected to gas attacks. Health care and pensions for disabled veterans were not yet guaranteed. Bolton's painful condition only showed up after his war ser- vice and so was not seen as the government's responsi- bility. Without a family to care for him, Bolton, at 28 years old, was put on county charity and admitted to the House of Refuge south of Clinton in October 1921. As Bolton's kidneys failed him so did the country that he fought to defend. He lost his five year battle with ure- mia on December 9, 1926. He died single and alone. The official cause of death was uremic poisoning Building Community # . One StarataTim� NOMINATE SOMEONE TODAY! _Nominations will be accepted until November 30 Contact this newspaper or the Ontario Community Newspapers Association at www.ocna.org/juniorcitizen or 905.639.8720 ext. 221 caused by a 'war injury.' No one mourned his passing. Bolton's death did not even rate a mention in his town's paper. A brief obituary in 'The int. nnewsrecors .co Huron Signal' reported that 'war veteran' Albert Sidney Bolton, 'a home boy' with- out relatives was buried in the Clinton Cemetery. A plain red granite headstone marks his final resting place. It was fitting that Bolton was given a military funeral because the army was, per- haps, closest thing to a fam- ily he had known in Canada. n n g GARAGE SALE PRICES! EXETER Home furniture AND APPLIANCES 467 Tin Street; Exeter GOING BusiNtli Mon -Fri 10-6 i Sat 10-5 * Suit 12-5 ALL S LESfINkL HIME. ND RE Vv US.1LMISSUBJECTTO PRE am BUILDING FOR SALE OR LEASE * 519123510173 Coordinated by: oc f7 ] ONTARIO JUNIOR CITIZEN CIF THE 'YEAR AWARDS Sponsored by: ]3C MC �y..,di�.... r. rte.