Dr Ada was born in Canada and graduated from the Queens University Medical College in 1926. He served as an intern and resident at Kingston Hospital from 1926 to 1927. He then came to the United States and spent the next two years as a resident for private patients at St Luke's. In 1929 he was appointed to the attending surgical staff. Later he was an associate professor of clinical surgery at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.

Dr Ada had a special interest in thoracic surgery and was director of surgery at the Seton Hospital for Tuberculosis. He and Dr Lyle performed the first successful pneumonectomy at St Luke's. Because of his reputation as a thoracic surgeon he was a consultant to several hospitals in the greater New York area.

He was a member of the New York Surgical Society, the New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, the American College of Surgeons, and the Founders’ group of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.

Dr Ada was an energetic, ambitious, confident and very careful surgeon. Because of this enthusiasm and skill the rest of the surgeons enjoyed working with him.

Away from the operating room he was a vigorous and gregarious extrovert who loved competitive sports, especially golf and curling. The golf pro at Saint Andrew’s club was very fond of Alex and after a playing lesson would often smile and say that Dr Ada and given him lots of good advice!

His early and untimely death from leukaemia, soon after his retirement, was a tragic loss to his many friends and patients.

THE 1806 MARRIAGE OF WILLIAM ADA AND JANE MARY JEFFRESS


Much can be gleaned from an apparently normal marriage certificate if looked at in detail.

The following register in the records of St Paul Canterbury for 1806:


No 187 William Ada a Batchelor of this Parish and Jane Mary
Jeffress a Spinster of this Parish were
Married in this Church by Licence
This Second Day of March in the Year One Thousand eight Hundred
and Six By me Tho. Freeman Vicar

This Marriage was solemnized between Us William Ada
Jane Jeffress
In the Presence of Paul Jeferess
X the mark of Sarah Jeffreys



This marriage certificate was discovered by my fourth cousin Phil a couple of years ago - despite not being a descendant of this branch of the family - and I then realised that the church was a few minutes’ walk from my new home in Canterbury. As a copy of the marriage certificate was in the archives of Canterbury Cathedral, I booked a visit and told them what I was researching.
The Archives of Canterbury Cathedral are worth a visit, it is a beautiful library and the staff clearly love the work they do. Daniel had set up the microfilm for my arrival and upon showing me the certificate above made an observation:- married by Licence.
Daniel explained to me that in 1806 you would normally be married by Banns, an archaic but sound tradition whereby each of the three weeks before, the impending marriage would be announced in the parishes of each of the couple, as a way of discovering whether they already had some relationships they were keeping quiet about.
Marriage by Licence was something else - a way of avoiding the Banns. So this is interesting from a family research perspective, moreover the Licence itself can provide further information.

So here is the licence itself with comments following:




Licence to marry

Know all Men by these Presents that we William Ada of Saint Paul in the City of Canterbury Officer in the Excise
And John Doe of the same place Gentleman
Are held and firmly bound to the most Reverend father in God
Charles by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury primate of All England and Metropolitans
In two hundred pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain to be paid to the said
Lord Archbishop or his [certain] Attorney Executors, Administrators or [Assignees] for the true payment whereof.
We bind ourselves and each _ _ _ of us by himself for the whole and every part thereof and the [Heirs] [Coventers] and Administrators of [us] and each _ _ _ of us firmly by their [Presents] Sealed with our Seals Dated the first
Day of March in the Forty sixth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third
By the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand and Eight Hundred and six.


The Condition of this Obligation is such That if hereafter there shall not appear any lawful Let or Impediment by reason of any Pre Contract entered into before the twenty-fifth Day of March One Thousand and Seven Hundred and fifty four, Consanguinity, Affinity or by any other lawful Means whatsoever, but that the above bounden William Ada a Batchelor aged thirty years and Jane Mary Jeffreys a Spinster aged Twenty five years both of Saint Paul aforesaid _ _ _

may lawfully solemnize Marriage together together, and in the same afterwards laws fully remain and continue for Man and Wife according unto the laws in that behalf provided. And moreover if there be not at this present Time any Action Suit Quarrel or Demand moved or depending before any Judge Ecclesiastical or Temporal for or concerning any such lawful Impediment between the said Parties nor that either of them be of any other Parish or of [better Estate] or Degree than to the Judge at granting of the Licence [he suggested] and by William Ada _ _ _ [sivern to]

And lastly if the same Marriage shall be openly solemnized in the Church or Chapel in the licence specified between the Hours appointed in the [Constitutions Ecclesiastical] confirmed and according to the [Term] of the Book of Common Prayer now by Law established. And if the above bounden William Ada [do some harm leps] the said Arch his Commissary _ _ his Surrogates and others his Office [is] whatsoever [lop] Reason of the [Piritons] Then this Obligation to be void or else to remain in full force and Virtue.

Sealed and delivered
In the Presence of

[ signed ] William Ada




CANTERBURY DIOCESE

March 1st. 1806

Appeared Personally William Ada _ _ _ _ _
And made Oath that he is of the Parish of Saint Paul _ _ _
In the City and Diocese of Canterbury, Officer in the Excise
And a Batchelor of the age of thirty years
And intended to marry with Jane Mary Jeffreys
Of the Parish of Saint Paul aforesaid
A Spinster aged twenty five years
_ _ _ _ _ _
And that he knoweth of no lawful Let or Impediment by reason of any Precontract entered into before the 25th Day of March 1754, Consanguinity, Affinity or by any other llegal cause whatsoever, to hinder the said intended Marriage; and that he prays a License, to solemnize the said Marriage, in the Parish Church of Saint Paul _ _ _
Hath had her usual Place of Abode for the Space of four Weeks left past.

[signed] William Ada

The same Day the said _
William Ada __ __ __ was
Sworn before me.

[signed] Joshua Dix Surrogate


So what we can surmise from the above is that something is going on.
The Licence was granted by no less than the Archbishop of Canterbury. Given that the Parish Church of Saint Paul is about 200m from Canterbury Cathedral, that might make sense. The Archbishop did not issue the Licence himself, this was delegated to the Clerk of Precincts.
William Ada, who at the time held an important position as Hop Supervisor in the Canterbury Collection of Customs and Excise, was bound to pay a fine of £200 if the marriage turned out to be invalid in any way. This was a serious amount of money, possibly several times his annual salary. If William did not or could not pay, then the fine would be levied on his guarantor, who in this case was John Doe, a Gentleman. It is likely that John Doe was - even then - a fictional artifice, perhaps William could not or did not wish to involve anyone else.
And they got married only a week after the Licence was issued, which might indicate a shotgun wedding. The marriage was conducted by the Rev Thomas Freeman, the vicar of Saint Paul, and it was witnessed by Jane’s brother Paul and her mother (or sister) Sarah. Jane’s surname appears to have confused the 81-year-old vicar as each of the three have the surname spelt differently (Jeffress, Jeferes and Jeffreys).
So, shotgun wedding? Check the date of birth of the first child.
Jane Ada’s birth certificate is not archived anywhere, however on her gravestone in Brompton Cemetery it is engraved that she was born in April 1806, a month after their marriage.
So it all adds up.

Tim Richardson
June 2022

Subject: Ada family
Date: Tue 11 May 1999
From Lauren
Organisation: @ Home Network
To: bada@renc.igs.net

Hi George,

My name is Lauren (Ada) Maluk. My father was Harry V. Ada, born in Cape Vincent, N.Y..
My grandfather's name was William G. Ada. My father always told me that my great great grandfather was a sea captain from England. That's all I know. Since my father's death in 1998, I've decided to search for more information about my ancestors. Good luck to you. Hope we can help each other.

Lauren Ada Maluk

Subject: (no subject) Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 From: susandonm@cs.com To: bada@renc.igs.net Hello George and Beth, I want to thank you for getting in touch with mum (Shirley) and sharing all the wonderful work you've done with your family tree. I know she has very much enjoyed hearing from you. You've inspired me to work on my family tree and my husband dons. I have recently gotten started documenting events from memories and will start going after the more difficult information soon. Is it possible for you to send me an electronic file with the information you've gathered? As I complete our branch of the Ada’s I will send what I have, so you will have all the information concerning this branch of the family. Please sell say hello to the other Elizabeth Susan Elizabeth Ada for me. I would very much like to hear from her sometime. Does she have an email address? Best regards to you all, Susan Elizabeth Ada Mullen

Some Ada’s
( circa: 1901-02 )

Left to Right: Back
Anna Ada (William’s wife)
Frances Ada (William’s daughter)
William Ada (Lived in Ottawa, buried in Ottawa)
Mary Ada (my great aunt - was a milliner at Steacy’s in Kingston,never married)
Anne Corbetta (Lucy) Ada - my grandmother, married Edwin Joseph born in Wales (Aberystwyth)

Front L-R
Elizabeth (My great grandmother. Born in Gibraltar. Maiden name was Lynn) married to William who was first Ada to Canada.
Goerge Lynn Ada (on Elizabeth’s knee) my father

UNDATED AND UNSIGNED STORY OF THE ADA FAMILY

(Found in Tim Richardson’s extensive archives while sorting, May 2021)

6/640 Pacific Highway
Killara, 2071


The Ada family lived in Maiden Head just out of London
Joseph left school at 15 years and went over to Canada to his
Brother William who was Captain of the Steamer running on the St Larence River he left again at [19] yrs & returned to England to learn the Manchester trade.
He had several brothers & sisters two of them coming to live in Melbourne, Mabel & Blanche another one Mercy who had bad [trembling] .
There were two boys born at Snails Bay Maurice born [Mar] 16th 1881 & William Leslie born February 16th 1884 John Maurice Ada married [Ethel Nellie] Allen at Hunter Baillie Presbyterian Church Feb 6th 1907.
Leslie married Erica Maud Flower 22 June 1912 as far as I recollect Nellie Allen had a sister who married & went to live on the montains, & a brother Fred Allen who used to visit “Clewer” when Maurice was a little boy.
Alfred James [Merring ton] born December 7th 1894. Ernest North Croft Merring ton born August 27th 1876
Arthur May field Merring ton born February 17th 1878
—————-
Alref James Merring ton died April 6th 1909 at [Bri an Ching Pa Hon] district North China in his 35 year.
Alfred James Ada second son of Nellie & Maurice died April 9th 1915
Over please
————————————————————-
Mr & Mrs Jenkins came from England in a sailing ship which took 6 months & on the voyage they lost a baby owing to bad weather & they lost a cow from which to milk feed the baby. When arriving in Sydney they settled in Cleveland St City Frances Maria was one of their daughters She was a teacher in a Lady’s school until she married James Mayfield Merring ton in 1874. By the Rev W Beadley & J M Merring ton died on September 5th 1879. There were 3 boys born of [that] union - Alfred, Ernest and Arthur 4 months after his father’s death.
Frances Maria took a cottage in Cleveland St City & taught French & Music to people at home.
Some time later Mr Ada and Mrs [Lowter steen] arrived in Sydney, and asked Mrs M if she would take them as boarders. After some time Mrs [Lockerstein] returned to London & Mr Ada married Frances M on February 1st 1881.
Joseph Ada went into Farmers Ltd in the Manchester Dept. He had a difference with Director & left opening a shop in Newcastle, he didn’t like being away from home so much as they had gone to live in Snails Bay so sold the business & opened a shop in Glebe Pt Rd Gelebe being very [resource ful].
Joseph Ada’s father was an Excise Officer in London

Nancy Ethel Win child of Nellie & Maurice died January 16th 1917 aged 4 months 21 days at Abbots ford Sydney.
Alfred married Florrie S
Ernest “ “ Flora Livingston
Arthur “ “ Isabella [Trotter]

[ Two letters from the Arthur Maurice Richardson papers ]


LETTERS FROM CANADA

Sent to me this year from Grandpa's cousin in Canada. 1983

303 - 350 The Driveway S.,
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 3N1

My dear Doreen,

This is an attempt to keep a little bit in touch with the British side of the family. There are very few of father’s side left as we were not given to large families evidently. Father’s only sister Mary didn't Mary, and neither did her fiancé. The reason - one (Will O’Donnell) a most delightful man, but as he was Roman Catholic and as my dear grandparents were Anglican, aunts Mary did not have her parents sanction to marry him. Hard to realise in today's very [lap] world. Of the two sons only two grand sons were born: both now have died (they were my cousins). One, William Alexander Ada, became a very well-known thoracic surgeon in New York. His widow survives. He had one son, who is a senior officer in the American Navy. The other remaining son is editor or something in a nice small town newspaper. He has one son. As I am an only child there are not many of the clan left on this side of the water. There was a great uncle in Australia. He kept in touch with my father until he died, at 90 something. He had one son in the Aussie Flying Corps, who was decorated for bravery. He was a doctor! I thought that Thurston being a doctor might be interested. His name Ada (Sydney, Australia).
Knowing you were interested in Doctors’ [Wives Assn’s &] your [own] Doreen, I thought I would enclose a cut about our auxiliary of which I am an Hon. Pres. and Life member. We raised $1 million towards the new cardiac and cancer units and renovation of the older parts. This year we have been requested to raise $500,000 towards the million they need to install a permanent research doctor and students to study on-the-spot cases with him. At present they are brought in from the universities. I am useless now, but do phoning for the Ex. for certain meetings of our Volunteers Group (Sections of it). Hal having been a victim of cancer – as am I, you can sympathise with my interest in now having a marvellous special building with its Cat Scan and the latest in everything. Old ladies get verbose in old age - put this down to my venerable years (831/2).
Our two daughters are well, and our five dear grandchildren also. I am now the proud great grandmother of a lovely little boy, Oliver Brock Robson, two years old. A happy, healthy, good-looking little soul. One is really frightened for the future of our young. We are very nervous of Ronald Regan and those about him – we also do not care for our globetrotting P.M. This is very general in this country. Do you ever see Enid and Audrey Tomlinson? We took them to luncheon when we were in England last. We were staying at the Basil Street Hotel in Knightsbridge. 1963 I think. A card from Enid last year did not sound as though she were too well.

Forgive the scrawl - I’m full of arthritis among other afflictions. Have a good nurse’s aid with me now. Also sorry you got a card last year on which I had not put enough postage – age -

Very best to you and yours
Frances
Christmas 1983







The following 4-page handwritten letter undated but possibly 1984.

Whether she will ever get the facts to you I don't know but I thought you'd like to see this – DRB

303 - 350 The Driveway S.,
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 3N1

My dear Doreen and Thurston

After this very long lapse of communication on my part it will be difficult for you to believe how much I found your newsy letters and the snapshot - this past winter I took pneumonia, then a severe attack of arthritis your sons very reasonable request arrived when I could not hold a pen so even at this time the little resume of the Canadian connection is not quite ready to be typed. He could not decipher the scroll of the first part. There is so much of interest-I could tell him of the personalities of the family but I am trying to just get facts down.
N.B.*
I am looking forward with malice to [meeting] Tennyson or Browning in another environment and having the pleasure of my views of one of his poems, “Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be “ etc etc - Browning I think.

Following surgery for lower

N.B. I liked this bit, tho’ rather sad! DRB

bowel and rectal surgery I developed a fissure - the tissues so poor that after two fixings there is nothing further to be done except use painkillers or have an insert of some device which I am told I can control to lessen pain. Thurston you know all about these things. Unfortunate to have an excellent surgeon a specialist in my problems, who is also a personal friend of our daughter hope. My own decision is that at 84 I shall carry on as long as I can in my apartment where I have room to move about and an excellent nurses aid who has done a great deal of geriatric nursing and is willing with some outside help to stay with me. My very wonderfully kind family and my great grandson are the joy of my life. You know all about that pleasure. I resent the inactivity but try to not complain too much. Must in this shower trying to get some pictures of my family soon. I knew Nova Scotia & [H.B] well. Took our young to Sandy Cove N.S. our Bev lived in N.B. for 17 years

Love to all

Frances

As from
38 Campbell Street
Gainsborough
Lincs DN21 2BH
Jan 21st

Dear Tim,
You will be wondering why you have not heard from me to thank you for your Christmas greetings and other correspondence especially the photographs.
The reason is that since the 26th I have been in hospital, three different hospitals and five different wards! I have hardly known from day to day where I would be. Anyhow all mail has been delivered by a friend, [Jean/Leon], who also keeps an eye on me when I am at home
I have been well cared for and visited. I kept myself busy with writing (I am now up to date) reading & cross-word puzzles. I keep my brain going!
At 10:30pm on Boxing Day I had a fall & spent the night trying to get comfortable by sleeping on the floor, but to no effect - At 5:15 am as I could not get up I rang my friend [—-] who gets up to go to work at 5:15 & told him the siyuation. He was actually awake watching the Cricket in TV from New Zealand. He [& three others] came over, got me up and ordered the ambulance & in no time I was in Lincoln County Hospital. After a brain scan there [revealed] I had a [morner] (non-malignant) on the brain I was [sent] to the Hallamshire Royal at Sheffield where [thre] agreed not to do [anything] which would only make matters worse. Then taken again to Lincolnshire (diferent wards), now I am in the local hospital but move on again on Monday (Feb 13) to a local respite home for two weeks before I return to 38. The doctors hope that with the support equipment I shall be able to cope on my own.
The [main] [traller] is that the [Incram] makes me truly sleepy - that has been coming on for some time & this does not help. I have little pain but usually a loud sounding noise (like [igo again]) in my head - not painful but irritating.
Thank you so much for all the family information. I am glad
2
that our meeting has nonetheless so much satisfaction “don’t [ anles ]” - I have not taken it all in at the moment but will be doing so - The photo [gig dow] you all looking [sey] fit I thought [ se lady at last] was [not walki] myself [& day] and of [my] Ada [its] regards Uncle Arthur (Zeebriugge) I think my Cousin Dorothy told me he was actually buried in Maidenhead (family home) cemetery - She had been with a church group over the War Graves Commission place in Maidenhead [there] [Abto abed mends] me [kept] I would [imagine] that his medals would have been passed [on] to [his] [foassen] family - What an amazing thing the internet is - & all has [arisen] from George accidentally finding the son of one of my pupils on it!
I [believe] you may know from George that a branch of the Ada family is living in Red Deer [&] Sylvan Lake Albera - [nor ther] outside Edmonton - I had one lovely photograph of some [char naydrel] miniature donkeys (3ft high) which one of my cousins [breeds] & I hear often from her mother Sylvia Ada & My uncle [Will] Ada was a leading light in the Canadian (British) Legion & had a special Legion funeral service. I have a photograph of his head stone.
I am glad to know that your [Father’s] health has improved. Please give him my best wishes for further progress. I look forward to further contact with you if all goes well with one Great Grandmother should still be on my sideboard keeping watch! Please give my regards to your wife & daughter - I hope all is well with you all . Now I will get a little sleep. I have written five letters todayso that is not bad and entertained my friends from [Brrouth] It was a [lovely sunny] day after a cold one with a [fair play of Shas]
Goodbye for the present. Thanks again.
Kindest regards best wishes from
Gillian

Anne Masters
27038 TWP Rd 380
Red Deer County
Alberta, Canada
T4E 1A8

Dear Tim,
Very interested to receive your letter about your desire to research the "Ada" family.

I do have a picture of Queen Street taken in 1904 which I purchased from a store in Maidenhead when I was in England in 1996.
It does not include the actual shop, but has businesses close by e.g. Lloyds. If you are interested I will try and find someone to scan this framed picture.

Enclosing a copy of obituary for Arthur Ada which you may or may not have.

Looking forward to keeping in contact.

Distant relative from Canada
Anne Masters

My daughter, Karla, recently e-mailed you.

Maidenhead Advertiser Obituary for Arthur Ada, May 1 1918

A MAIDENHEAD HERO

Killed in the Zeebrugge Triumph
Public Honours for Stoker A. F. Ada

Great victories are not bought without a price, and Maidenhead has paid
its tragic toll for the thrilling Nelson-like triumph at Zeebrugge.
Mingled with last week's joy were the tears of bereavement at losing in
that memorable enterprise one of our best-known and best-loved younger
tradesmen - a man who belonged to a family that has for three
generations been respected for their zeal in the religious, social and
commercial life of the town. Mr Arthur Fletcher Ada, content to serve as
a humble stoker in the Navy when he saw the beacon-call of duty,has laid
down his life at the young age of 35, finding glory in the commonplace
and forfeiting by the cruel irony of fate, perhaps by months only, the
grand climacteris of domestic joy which most men reach. The public
honours done our latest local hero were commensurate with his personal
worth as with his unshrinking patriotism. He surely died doubly nobly;
for it was when his watch below was done he went aloft to do merciful
work in tending wounded mates, and while at that task he was struck by a
shell and died very soon after.
Arthur Fletcher Ada was the third son of the late Mr John Ada, of the
firm of Ada & Co., drapers, Queen-street, established many years ago. He
was educated at Maidenhead Modern School. As a young man he succeeded to
the business and worked at it in conjunction with his brother-in-law (Mr
Leach) as partner. His prowess as a swimmer was well known all around
this district, for he carried off many prizes in the swimming carnivals
in the old days. In religious circles he was prominent as financial
secretary to the Baptist Church in Marlow Road, and further as the
organist there for about 12 years. In recent times he took a big share
in forming the V.T.C., of which he became an active member.
He joined H.M. Navy in September 1916, and proceeded to his training at
Chatham and other naval stations. He became attached to H.M.S. Phoebe as
stoker. When he was home last, only a fortnight ago last Monday, he was
aware of some great naval move being imminent, but his friends little
thought they had seen him for the last time. The Destroyer on which he
was serving was covering the "Vindictive", and towards the end of the
engagement he had just left his watch below and had gone on deck to help
in rescuing the survivors of one other of our Destroyers which had gone
down. It was early on the morning of St. George's Day, April 23rd, when
our brave fellow townsman was doing this extra duty at rescuing that he
was struck by an enemy shell and expired almost immediately.
Petty-Officer Attridge was sent to apprise the family of the details of
Mr Ada's death, and he also brought with him the verbal sympathy of the
captain, officers and mess of the Destroyer, as well as three wreaths to
be placed over the remains, Mrs. Ada having desired that the body might
be sent home for burial.
The sympathy with deceased relatives and his betrothed, Miss Jessie
Bloomfield, is very deep and widespread, and was given expression to at
the funeral on Monday, and by shoals of letters received.

Memorial Service for Arthur Ada, April 1918

MEMORIAL SERVICE at the BAPTIST CHURCH

TOUCHING EULOGIUM BY THE PASTOR

In memory of the late Mr. Ada, who was organist at the Baptist Church,
Marlow-road, a memorial service was held on Sunday morning, when the
rough and wet weather was against a large attendance.

The service was conducted by the Pastor (the Rev. T. Wreford Way), who
in his opening prayer reflected the thought uppermost in the minds of
all present, beseeching Divine help to bear the "load of sorrow," and
that the present seasons of sadness might be sanctified to the nation's
welfare. The hymns included the late organist's favourites. Among them
were Bishop Walsham How's memorial hymn, "For all the saints who from
their labours rest," having that strikingly appropriate line for the sad
occasion - "Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest," In the second
prayer, Mr Way appealed that our arms, and those of the Allies, might be
upheld by God; that the cruel, ambitious Power which started strife and
had been the instrument of so many precious lives being taken might be
cast down, and it opportunities for war be taken away, and that the time
of great peace in the world might soon come. Hymn 456, written by a
Leeds solicitor named Rawson, was well-chosen to commemorate the late
hero-

Captain and Saviour of the host

Of Christian chivalry

We bless Thee for our comrade true,

Now summoned up to Thee.

In his special memorial address, the Rev. T. WREFORD WAY adopted as test
the words from Proverbs, "The memory of the just is blessed". He said
that one of their members had passed away after having been spared to
fill a useful position in life and to render many years of service in
that church. Many of those who were falling in this sad and devastating
war were the young men leaving behind fathers and mothers and betrothed
ones, and the grief of these was great, perhaps greatest for the
last-named. The loss to the nation could not be measured, for who could
say what good these might might have wrought had they lived? But war was
costly and this war was the costliest of them all. It was right that war
should be costly, in order to bring home to the nations the evil nature,
how alien it was in itself from the plans and wishes of God. But the
preacher could see no way how this nation could refuse the challenge of
Germany, or refuse to be true to its treaty obligations, and he prayed
that the German Power that was responsible for this devastating war
would be conquered and briought lw, rendered unable to stir up and
strike again. The glory of the recent naval engagement on the Belgian
Coast had for a large number lost its lustre because their loved ones
fell in battle, but there was in that engagement the touch of Nelson and
the historic dash of the Royal Navy. One of them, whose musical gifts
they of that Church valued highly, lost his life there. The Church had
lost its faithful organist: his mother had lost a good son, and his
betrothed had lost a devoted lover with whom there was all the promise
of a pattern husband and a happy future. They had all hoped at that
Church to see him back again, when the war was over, filling once more
the place he had filled so well for some eleven or twelve years; but
that hope was not to be realised - it was one of the many hopes doomed
to disappointment by this war. When he was at home on leave he enjoyed
the opportunity of filling his old position, and needless to say they
enjoyed having him there. They would now sorely miss him. He never
paraded his gifts, but was most modest and retiring; while at the organ
he sang as well as played, but he was now joining in a sweeter, nobler
song, singing his power to save.

To Mr. Ada, war was nothing but a horror, but his purpose was first of
all to fight for his Country and King. His parents were members of the
Congregation Church, in which in his youthful days he was brought up;
but on conviction he joined the Baptist Church at Cambridge, and,
returning to Maidenhead continued that membership here. It was painful
to think they would see him there no more. He took delight in the
service he rendered and could always be relied on to do his duty. He no
doubt valued any appreciation of his services, but never sought any
special recognition of these; but when the call came to join the naval
forces there came the opportunity to the Church to prove in a tangible
form their esteem and gratitude by the gift of a small momento of his
happy days at the organ and his splendid services so freely rendered.
They blessed God also for him as they remembered his straightforward and
honest life in business and before the world. This accounted for the
widespread interest manifested here since the news of his death came.
That he was killed in a naval engagement so heroically carried through
was a reason for that interest; but not the only one, nor with most of
them the chief reason. The chief reason was the character he had as a
Christian man, sincere, strong, pure-minded with no love for mere
worldly ends. Like so many who had fallen, he fell doing his duty. He
was on a Destroyer rescuing sailors from a companion Destroyer which had
been hit by the German batteries, and whilst so occupied was struck by a
shell and killed. His ship was saved, and he - with many others - was
brought to shore. Many of them were buried at Dover with militsry
honours, but the congregation at Maidenhead were glad his mother asked
to have her son's body sent home, where honour might be shown even to
the dust of one who was so highly esteemed; where others, looking at his
gravestone and recalling his useful life, might feel the call to make
theirs useful too. Thousands of our young men had fought great trials
not alone in the uncongenial atmosphere and surroundings in which they
had been placed by the war - so often the moral tone was low, the jokes
coarse, the language painful to the Christian heart. Mr Ada suffered
from these things very keenly, while his own life and speech bore
witness against it. Now this was all past; he would now hear no speech
that savoured of sin,but only the speech which told of the honour and
glory of the Lamb, the Redeemer, and sweeter music that he made the
organ render now greeted his newly-awaken senses. Though we were
surrounded with signs of Spring, the noises of battle still sounded, and
death was busy, and it seemed unfitting; they felt they would rather keep
their sons even out of heaven for a while than that they should be prematurely
taken away. But death was part of the price that had to be paid, so that this
and other nations might be saved from a worse state than death. Would that
the carnage might be speedily ended! The preacher then reminded the
congregation of the possible blessings that might flow from the bitterest cup.
The present was indeed a bitter cup for those more closely touched, but if after
the extreme bitterness they tasted the blessings they might be made through
grace more like their Lord and Master Jesus Christ, more able to fill their lives
with larger ministries. To them might be cited the lines of Tennyson, in his
"In Memoriam":-

Forgive my grief for one removed
Thy creature whom I find so fair
I trust he lives in Thee, and there
I find him worthier to be loved.

And in the same poet's words they might say to his betrothed:-

Something it is which thou has lost
Some pleasure from thine early years.
Break, thou deep vase of chilling tears
That grief hath shaken into frost!

And Tennyson's words may be hers:-

My Arthur, whom I shall not see
Till all my widow'd race be run
Dear as the mother to his son
More than my brothers are to me
I hold it true, whate'er befalls,
I feel it, when I sorrow most
Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

Sweet and soothing as these words were, the balm which had the greatest
power of healing was that from the store of the Great Physician. "He
healeth the broken heart abd bindeth up thy wounds." There was comfort,
too to be found in service - in helping others; by sharing their sorrow
we shared the cruse of comfort held out by the hands of Christ. We must
fill up the thinned tanks, and fulfil the daily duties that called on
us, working for others and meeting life's responsibilities; it was the
Saviour who called, saying "Work whilst it is called day, for the night
cometh when no man can work." So should we prepare ourselves for the
Master's welcoming words, "Well done, thou faithful servant; enter thou
into the joy of thy Lord."

The Funeral
took place on Monday afternoon, and was a public tribute to the quiet
esteem in which the deceased was held by all classes. Most of the
tradesmen's shops had black boards, and blinds were generally drawn.
Opposite the Baptist Church, the V.A.D. Red Cross flag was drooping at
half mast. A squad of the Maidenhead Volunteers, under Lieut. Voules,
formed the guard of honour. The coffin, which was covered with the Union
Jack and many lovely wreaths, was carried on the shoulders of
half-a-dozen local bluejackets under chief petty officer A. Emberley,
viz., petty officer, 1st class, Riches; leading seaman Carter (wounded
from East Africa); leading stoker Maybury; and an air mechanic Royal
Naval Air Arm, and an A.B. Both the latter were on leave and
volunteered to act as bearers. The undertakers were Messrs Partlo Bros.,
friends of the deceased.
On the rostrum were the Pastor (Rev. T. Wreford Way) and Rev. T.F.Lewis,
of the Congregational Church; and among the crowded congregation were
the Mayor (Mr C.W.Cox, J.P., C.C.), who also attended at the graveside,
and Ald. Truscott, J.P., and Councillor O.T. Chamberlain, J.P. The chief
mourners were: Mrs Ada (mother), Mr John E. Ada (brother), Mr F.W.Leach
and Mrs Leach (brother-in-law and sister), Mr Richardson (uncle), Miss
Ada (sister), Mr S. East (uncle), Mrs Sutton (cousin), Mr W. V.
Bloomfield and Mr A.G Bloomfield.
The PASTOR read the usual funeral lesson (1 Cor. xv.), and gave a
touching address. He said many of the brave men who had fallen in the
late battle had been claimed by their relations to be buried near their
homes, and for some, special honours were arranged, as for those buried
at Dover: but it was the desire of the late Mr. Ada's friends that the
funeral should be quietly conducted, and those who knew him knew that
such would also have been his own desire. War was utterly alien to him
as to many besides, but uncomplainingly he filled the place appointed
for him. Choosing the Navy, he for some time served in the Mediterranean
and since in the Dover Patrol, in which his valuable life was lost. All
would have felt a pride in that dangerous engagement off the Belgian
coast, but for that Church its glory was dimmed by their loss. Still
they knew such sacrifices must be made, and the nation never needed more
than it did that day to steel the heart to the stern call of this hour
of great trial. They were burying a sailor, but not a sailor only, but a
loved brother, a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he
was such intensified the loss, but assuaged their grief. They knew that
when he fell into the arms of death he also fell into the arms of Jesus.
Living as he had done among some who cared not for the things of God, he
did not strike his flag, but sought to live consistently with his
profession. They could thank God for his example that so "he being dead
yet speaketh". To him that afternoon they were saying "Farewell,
brother; you have been called to the life immortal far too soon. We want
you here, and some of us will say life will be a blank without you; yet
your Lord is also theirs, and that is well. Farewell! We know you do
fare well, for the word of the Lord cannot be broken. Farewell, till the
day break and the shadows flee away! For the day must break for all
whose hope is fixed on God; and over this now sorrow-stricken world we
yet may discern the rainbow of hope."
The concluding prayer was eloquently framed by the Rev. T.F.Lewis,
pastor of the church attended by the family. One passage in this
touching prayer was: "We bless Thee for his courage and the willingness
of his sacrifice, and for the service he has done that great national
cause which we believe Thou Thyself hast given us to uphold - the cause
of righteousness and truth and justice." The same minister pronounced
the benediction in a solemn manner.
To the strains of the "Dead March," played by Miss Singer (Wesleyan
Church) the coffin was bourne out to the funeral car by the naval men,
and the solemn procession proceeded to the cemetary amid every sign of
sincere mourning and respect from dense crowds of townspeople.
Wreaths and other floral tokens of sympathy were sent by the following:-
From his own Jess; mother, brothers and sisters; Mr and Mrs Bloomfield,
Rosa and Alfred; Lance-Corpl. Edmund Bloomfield; The Staff at 11, Queen
Street; The Marlow Road Baptist Choir and Church; Mrs Eadres, 36, Town
Wall Street, Dover; T.W.Naller and R. Coates, HMS Phoebe; from Messmates
of HMS Phoebe; from Frank Trevoe; Members of 1st Berks Volunteer
Regt,"C" Co., Maidenhead; Maidenhead Fire Brigade; Mr and Mrs H. Andrews
and Mrs Goodman; Mr and Mrs. J. W. Goldsmith and Winnie; Mr and Mrs
Reeves; Mr and Mrs Harold H Neve; Mr and Mrs Hunt; Mr and Mrs John
Tomlinson, and Frank.



To the Editor.
Sir, - May we take the opportunity afforded by your courtesy and in your
pages of expressing our sincere thanks for the messages of sympathy
received and the flowers that were sent.

Norma Smith’s research into the Ada family in Sydney

Subject: Ada Family
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 16:45:14 +1100
From “norma smith”
To: “Rhino Richardson”

Dear Tim,

I went into Sydney today to look at the Electoral Roll in the State Library and found some of your family. There were 50 approx. Adas on the Roll but 37 of them had very Arab sounding names. The best news is that Nancy Leith Ada was listed and she is living at Grafton which is a town on the mid north coast of NSW. There were eight other Adas living at Grafton also. All but two had Leith as the middle name and the other two at the same address or same street. There were three English names in Sydney and I found their telephone numbers in the Sydney directory.

Firstly Nancy. She would be approx. 80 years old, her address is Leith Farm, 97 Levenstrath Road, Levenstrath 2460. At the same address is Michael Leith Ada

At 120 Levenstrath Road there is a Stuart Leith Ada

At 5 Bawden Street Grafton 2460 there is Daniel Leith – Donald Leith and Warren Leith Ada.

At 5 Breimba Street Grafton 2460 there is Hugh Leith Ada and Toni Maree Ada and at 5 Breimba St, Grafton 2460 there is a Helen Shirley Ada.

The three Sydney Adas are

Louise Margaret Ada 142 Wigram Rd Forest Lodge 2037 phone 96605728

Linda Ada 7 Stanbrook Street Fairfield Heights 2165 phone 97257007

Caroline Ann Ada 10 Liverpool Lane Darlinghurst 2010 phone 93613264

The Ada family were living in Drummoyne up to the mid 1950s

On the electoral roll Joseph and John Morris was shown as being Drapers. William Leslie was an electrician. Alan Fletcher was a clerk and John Douglas was a pharmacist. Edna Francis was shown as a bookkeeper and the older females occupation shown as Home Duties.

Grafton and Levenstrath must be next to each other as they have the same postcode. I presumed Nancy Leith Urquart came from this area and looked at the CD records and found the death in Grafton of George Leith Urquart in 1942 and a marriage of Annie B Urquart in 1933 Grafton. As Nancy’s address is Leith Farm it seems that her family have lived in the area for a century or more and for some reason they all decided to leave Sydney and returned to the place when Nancy was born. Anyway that is how I see it. Nancy could possibly have the Death Cert of Joseph Ada as he was her husband's grandfather. She could have a lot of info if the family are still interested in their roots.
Anyway Tim I hope this will enable you to contact some of your relatives and also hoping that they are happy to make contact with Family in England.

All the best. Will keep in touch.

Regards regards Norma

Her address

0

[extract from an unidentified history of the Fletcher's of Dover] Ten months later John and Sofia took their first child to the church and christened her Catherine (a Catherine Marsh witnessed John and Sophia's wedding so it's possible she was somehow connected to the Fletchers or Hollands), the day after Catherine's second birthday a baby sister was born and her parents named her Sophia. I imagine she was a great comfort to her parents when the older child died five months later. A third daughter – Hannah - was born in 1812 and a fourth - Ann - was christened just after John and Sofia's seventh wedding anniversary. Poor John – he must have been wondering what to do with all those females! But in 1817 John and Sophia finally stood before the vicar of Saint Mary's and announced that their son's name was John. The subsequent arrival of Jane, William, Mary, and Joseph Ismay Fletcher completed the family. In March 1812 Sophia Fletcher, a few months shy of her 21st birthday, wed William Ada of Stonehouse at the church where she'd been christened. George informs me that William was actually born in Kent… The two of you know more about that than I do. Apparently William took his bride back to Stonehouse where they produced three children in short order - Sophia Fletcher, William and Elizabeth. Next was John (five years after Elizabeth so perhaps there is another child in there somewhere) then Hannah and Martha who were born in Arundel, Sussex. I'm curious to know what William Ada did for a living. Evidence suggests that Sophia Fletcher Ada remained close to her Dover family. Her daughter Sophia appears visiting at the Biggin Street household of her uncle William and maiden aunts and and Jane in 1851. And the girls Hannah and Martha were visiting the grandparents at 17 Hawkesbury Street, near the harbour, at the time of the 1861 census (which is how I uncovered their existence). I have not yet seen the 1871 census for Dover but I have hopes of more connections there. In 1842 Sophia's brother John (my own great great grandfather) opened an ironmongers shop on Biggin Street in Dover. His brother William contributed his tinsmithing skills - John was a coach builder by trade but changes in transportation obviously opened his eyes to new possibilities. I've been unable to locate business records but within a few years the shop appears to have been run by both brothers so I don't know who actually owned it. William lived over the shop until his death in 1861 when John took over the living quarters; their younger brother Joseph Ismay Fletcher appears not to have been involved in the business at all, preferring to concentrate on his tasks as alderman for the Pier Ward of Dover. Apart from Sophia, I found no marriage records for the Fletcher sisters. Research is ongoing. John Fletcher senior died 26 December 1869 and was buried in the churchyard of Saint Mary's; the widow Sophia joined him 15 months later. John's will was dated 47 years before his death and, oddly, never amended. He named as executors his cousin Thomas Ismay the younger, and John Browne, a searcher for his Majesty’s Customs. He left to his ‘beloved wife Sophia’ all his household furniture, plates, linen, China and books ‘for her absolute use and benefit’ as well as his estate for her enjoyment until death or remarriage; everything else was put into trust for his sons and daughters. The fact that the will was never re-drawn, despite the maturity of his children and the deaths of both executors, suggests that John Fletcher had little to dispose of and led a quiet private life. I don't believe there are descendants of our Fletcher - or Ismay – families in Dover today. My great grandfather William Fletcher, son of John Fletcher the Ironmonger, worked in the family business which was still located on Biggin Street in 1891, according to Pike’s Blue Book for Dover (although the April census shows number 30 as unoccupied). My great grandfather appears as a ‘master Ironmonger’ on the census records for 1891 but I don't know if the family business remained open and in a new location, or if William worked for someone else. My mother didn't know her grandfather William – she barely knew her father, who died as a result of his war work (fireman) in Dover. She didn't know that her family once had a thriving business (she recalls, from her girlhood, W&R Fletcher’s butcher shop at 10 Biggin Street but I haven't found a connection - William’s wife came from a butcher-ing family so there might be) and she met only a few of her Fletcher relations.

0

The Ada Family
Capt William Ada Your Great Grandfather
Born in London England ?
Came to Canada at age 16 years
Worked for R & O Navigation Company for 35 years *
He traveled [eptasiney] and was well read
He was 78 years old when he died in Kingston Ont
Left relations in England and Australia

Elizabeth Lynn Ada your Great Grandmother
Born in Gibraltar where her father was stationed with Army
[Sergent] and Mrs Lynn and family come to Kingston Ont
Her father was a sergent in Royal Garrison [actelley]
He also was a sergent in Police Force at Kingston ont
Mrs Ada passed away at age 94 years

John F Ada Your grandfather
Born in Kingston Ont Can – 1868
Came to Cape Vincent, N.Y. at age 16
Married Cora May Dennie** Feb 28 1884
Died at Watertown, N.Y. 1954 age 86 yrs

* Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company
** Denee

Subject: William ADA
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 23:00:35
From: R.W.O'Hara
To: bada@renc.igs.net

Dear George,

William Ada, Exciseman and William Ada Mariner

I have completed the searches for your ancestors William Ada, Exciseman and William Ada, Mariner.

William Ada, Exciseman.
CUST 116/1

This document holds the entry papers for Excisemen between 1820 - 1870, I was able to find William Ada's entry papers, a copy of which is enclosed. His papers show that his application was submitted on 14th June 1828, when he was 21 years of age and that he was born in Margate. This document also shows that he was posted at Dover 1st Division.

I then searched for the William Ada's postings in CUST 47, I searched CUST 47/568 (June 1828), CUST 47/569 (July/August 1828) and CUST 47/570 (August/September 1828) but unfortunately I was unable to find the records of his postings.

William Ada, Mariner
BT 114/1
This is an alphabetical listing of mariners where I had hoped to find William ada's ticket number and then trace his history as a mariner, unfortunately, however, I was unable to find an entry for him.

BT 127/1 to 3
This is an alphabetical listing of officers who have passed for Mate or Master and I was unable to trace William Ada in bt114. I continued my search for a Captain Ada. There are 3 volumes for surnames beginning with A and despite searches of the three volumes I was again unable to trace a William Ada.
I then searched Lloyds List of Captains in the Merchant Navy for the years 1850-1852 but was unable to find him here either, A search of BT 158 for marriages at sea was equally unproductive.

If William Ada was born in 1832, then he would have to go to sea probably between ages 14 to 16, so 1846 to 1848 and would have gained his seaman's ticket long before the discontinuing date of 1854. Then if he served as a Captain in the Merchant Navy, he is bound to have been ticketed as a Mate or a Master and should have appeared in BT 127. I am puzzled by the failure of this search to turn up anything about William Ada. These records are thought to be reasonably complete between the years 1825 and 1854. Further, he has failed to appear as either a mariner or an officer.

Although I thought it unlikely, I checked the army list of 1863 for a Captain Ada to see if he had been commissioned as a military officer. No ...

3

Myself

Was born in 1909 at Bognor Regis, Sussex. My mother died [three] weeks afterwards.
My father married again after two years & we lived at ELY in Cambridgeshire. May father was in office work much involved in church work and musical activities.
His second wife died 42 years & till his death he was cared for by a church friend. Our home was home to various people in some kind of trouble, also evacuees during the War.
I went to college in London [1927] & obtained a B.A. degree in English & Latin.
1931 I took up my first job in a poor mining town in Nottinghamshire. Was also District Commissioner for Girl Guides & belonged to the local church. Was in [here ted] did some work with the Salvation Army. Was engaged to be married but broke it off. Spent six years in that school then
1937 moved to Gainsborough. Taught in the High School for 33 years. Retirement gift in 1971 was ticket to Canada from all involved in the school.
Had to return to Ely to look after my father's housekeeper who now had Parkinson's disease.
1974 After her death I returned to Gainsborough. I live alone in a semi-detached house 6-roomed + garden.
I am reasonably well in myself but have trouble in ...