Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hi to all, long time since I posted anything but yesterday we had our first day out courtesy of National Trust at Cliveden,in Taplow nr Maidenhead the home of the Astors. While walking around I visited their war memorial and graves for mainly Canadian forces and found amongst them a resting place for a soldier who was born in Liverpool.

His details are as follows.
A. Kneen 670064 who had belonged to the Canadian Forestry Corps, it states he was born in Liverpool and died on 2nd March 1919 age 46 years.

It appears that there was a hospital on the site of Cliveden and these soldiers had been sent there from the battlefields in world war 1, a volunteer told me that near each Armistice day a representative of the Canadian High Commission comes for a service and a piper plays.

If any of his family are still around just know he is in a beautiful spot and is not forgotten, I guess he must have emigrated and like many young men came back to do his bit. Cheers L.B

Hi L.B
What a caring post, thank you
I'm wonder how the surname in pronounced...like Knife??
There are a couple of young man who went to Canada in fmp@
around the birth year.
Perhaps a look up in GRU may be needed here to contact any family?

Tina

btw Lpool Echo Old Pals, well there's only one person who helps out now and he's one of our blokes.....

What a lovely thing to post, thank you. Unfortunately the CWGC site also only gives the briefest details, no more than you have, so presumably the family didn't respond to the notification, sadly.

At that age there may have been a wife and maybe children, but the marriage may have taken place in Canada, will we ever know I wonder?

Hi and thanks for your reply's I think the name Kneen is a Manx one, a number of them are in the 1881 census for Liverpool including an A.Kneen but he would have been a little older than the A I found unless it is him and he emigrated and gave a false age on joining up as a way of getting back at some point, we will never know. I wonder how many more young men were like this but at least as I said he is in a lovely place, well tended and peaceful. The very large Angel which looks over the area is reputed to have the face of Nancy Astor who was a renowned beauty. Cheers L.B

I agree about the Isle of Man connections with the name.

I would suspect that despite his birthplace being given as Isle of Man in both 1881 and 1891, A Kneen is likely to be Alfred E age 13 (mother Ann), living in Everton in 1881, in 1891 he is living in Seaforth Road, Litherland, age 19, an Assistant to a hair dresser - made me laugh as his occupation has written by it "No Hair".

He gets about a bit as it may be the same person (age 29) living in Wavertree, Garston in 1901, this time occupation General Labourer and with wife Rose, aged 24, both give their birthplaces as Liverpool.

Alfred married Rose Bierman at St Peters in 1899.

They must have thought they would make a better life for themselves in Canada.

Kneen is a unique Manx surname and is a variation of an old Gaelic name. Most Manx surnames started out with the prefix Mac or Mc and dropped the M over time but kept the C as a C, K or Q at the beginning of the surname. The name Mylchreest is an exception in that it retains the M but drops the C it's a variation of the surname MacGilchrist. Here is a link with more information on some Manx surnames including an explanation of the surname Kneen:-

http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook ... 05p020.htm


Blue

If you google Canadian Attestation Papers you can search the database of the papers that have ben scanned. An Alfred Kneen appears born 2 September 1877 in Liverpool. His next of kin is his wife Nellie. His address is 273 Church St Toronto. Could this be the man?

There is also a George bn 1884 Blundellsands his next of kin is his mother Elizabeth.


Hilary
Ed Officer

MaryA wrote:I agree about the Isle of Man connections with the name.

I would suspect that despite his birthplace being given as Isle of Man in both 1881 and 1891, A Kneen is likely to be Alfred E age 13 (mother Ann), living in Everton in 1881, in 1891 he is living in Seaforth Road, Litherland, age 19, an Assistant to a hair dresser - made me laugh as his occupation has written by it "No Hair".

He gets about a bit as it may be the same person (age 29) living in Wavertree, Garston in 1901, this time occupation General Labourer and with wife Rose, aged 24, both give their birthplaces as Liverpool.

Alfred married Rose Bierman at St Peters in 1899.

They must have thought they would make a better life for themselves in Canada.

Hiya Mary....very interesting for me....I live in Garston....does it give an address for Alfred and Rose in the 1901 census in Garston ?....if so I will ask around about the family name.....allan

garstonite wrote:Hiya Mary....very interesting for me....I live in Garston....)

However did I guess that

I felt that this man had moved about a lot, not putting down roots anywhere in particular, especially if he emigrated which is why I didn't go into very much detail, but 1901 he is living in 8 Railway Street, Garston, boarding with
William Howard, 27 a general goods worker on the railway born Cornwall Liskard, his wife Mary C 26, daughter Mary A 6, both born Edge Hill, son William G 5 born Wavertree and daughters Nellie 1 and Grace 7 months, born Garston.

Hi Allan
They were boarding with Howard family at 8 Railway St.

There's also an Edwd Kneen bn Lpool plumber at 50 St Mary's Rd.
Another Kneen family at 14 Russell Rd.
No Manx connections.

Tina