Ivy Edie Stevenson Williamson

Reason for entry into Canada: War bride
Date of Entry: August 19, 1946
City of entry: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Name of ship: Lady Nelson
Country of origin: England
Name of individual: Ivy Williamson
 

Story: My mother’s name was Ivy Edie Stevenson and she was born on January 26th, 1927 to Charles and Caroline Stevenson. She was 1 of 13 children and they grew up in the small village of Withyham, Tunbridge Wells, England. She was 12 years old when WWII broke out and lived approximately 25 miles from the city of London. London was the focal point for the bombing and Withyham was in the flight path from Germany to London. Mum would recall standing at her back door and seeing the night sky line lit up from the bombing of the city, it would burn for days. My mother remembered watching the bombers flying overhead and the “dog fights” that took place. She spoke of the times the sirens would go off and they would have “black outs” where they would have to darken their windows and make sure no light was showing through. Her parents put a mattress on the floor under their kitchen table and the kids would sleep there until the siren would go off to let them know it was clear.

Mum left school at the age of 14 and began working at a local grocery store. In 1945 she began working at the local pub called The Dorset Arms in Withyham, and this is where she met a Soldier named Keats Williamson. He belonged to the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, 4th division. They soon began courting and on February 4, 1946 she married my father while he was on leave.

On February 15th Dad left the U.K. and returned home to civilian life while Mum began the process of moving to Canada as an English War Bride. Mum received word on August 2nd, 1946 that all arrangements had been completed for her passage to Canada. She was to leave her home, Withyham, on Aug 9th for London, and from there she would board the ship The Lady Nelson and begin a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to another country and a whole new way of life.

On August 19th 1946 she sailed into Halifax through Pier 21 to where Dad was waiting. Mum and Dad travelled by train to Cape Breton to his home town, a small village called St. Peters. Here they settled into a quiet life and began a family.

In the year 1961 Dad passed away of a heart attack at the age of 39, leaving Mum and 7 small children. The oldest was 13 and the youngest (myself) 20 months old. In 1965 Mum made her first trip back to Withyham, 19 years after she left and brought her 2 youngest children with her. In the 63 years she lived in Canada she only made 2 other trips back to her home of Withyham. She never remarried, and on Sept 1, 2009 Mum passed away, leaving behind her 7 children, 13 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. She was very proud of her English heritage and we are very proud of the legacy she left us all. She is buried in the United Church Cemetery in St. Peter`s, Nova Scotia, alongside her husband.

Susan Burke (daughter)