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David Silas COLBY CALMA[1]

Male 1868 - 1942  (73 years)


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  • Name David Silas COLBY CALMA 
    Birth 19 Nov 1868  Mara, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Around the time of WW1 David's family changed their surname to CLAMA
      per below a family researcher believes the name change from Colby to Calma was apparently related to avoidance of conscription.
      ....................
      David Silas COLBY was born 19 Nov 1867. He married Elizabeth 'Emma' Henry on 18 Jul 1891. In the 1901 Canada Census their family had been enumerated with the surname of Colby, however, records appearing during the World War I time frame reflect that they had undergone a surname change to CALMA by that time. [Note: Canada entered World War I on 4 Aug 1914. This came automatically as a result of Britain declaring war on Germany].
      I am in agreement that the name change may have likely been related to avoidance of conscription (definition: the compulsory enlistment of people in military service), as conscript draft form (single-sided form showing Drafted Under Military Service Act, 1917 - Particulars of Recruit) for sons David Wilson and Harold George had rather listed Calma as their surname, including their mother Emma who had been listed as next-of-kin for both, a name change undertaken by their entire family. In addition, both David and Harold's draft form had listed them "not registered" on the Military Service Act letter and numberline of the form.
      The Military Service Act had been an Act passed on 29 Aug 1917 by the Canadian government to effort needed more soldiers (100,000). It had been invoked to reinforce the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France, as the war had been going badly, casualties had been enormous, and Canada's contribution in manpower had compared unfavourably with that of other countries, enlistment having been voluntary up until then. The Act had allowed for certain exemptions and many a man had made exemption, as well as there having been numerous evasions. The process of call-up began Jan 1918 in which an order-in-council was later signed on 20 Apr 1918 which changed some exemptions (the lifting of farmers' exemptions) in attempt to meet quota. Out of 401,882 men registered only 124,588 were added to the strength of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and of these, only 24,132 men made it to France by the war's end.
      David Wilson drafted on 11 Nov 1917 almost 2 1/2 months after the Act had been passed.Canadians who did not want to be conscripted usually left for the United States, but because David hadn't, perhaps the surname change had been determined to be a better option in that it would carry a lesser punishable consequence, if at all.
      Harold, on the other hand, didn't draft until 1 Jun 1918, which was after changes/removal of exemptions to the Act had been made. At that time he mis-stated his birth to have been 1 Jun 1899, three years younger than his actual birth date of 1 Jun 1896 (Per Birth Registration). By falsifying his birth date it does make it more evident that he had been attempting to avoid and/or delay being drafted, and it would give more creedence to the probability that David, who came before him, would have likely also tried to avoid conscription in some way(s), that appearing to have been by surname change.
      It is not known by me whether their surname change had been done legally, though generally to avoid conscription it was done through illegal means, and in doing so it was thought to have been a way to help make a person appear invisible to authorities. Had the surname change helped in this matter? It wouldn't appear to me that it had, with possible exception showing that it may have only somewhat delayed the inevitable for David only.
      .

    Gender Male 
    Death 1942 
    Burial Freeport Pioneer Cemetery, Cambridge, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID P167  Elder Family Tree
    Last Modified 3 Dec 2016 

    Father Silas COLBY,   b. 11 Apr 1833, Mara, 1654323, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Jun 1909, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 76 years) 
    Mother Mary Hill ELDER,   b. 1837, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 3 Oct 1901, Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 64 years) 
    Family ID F66  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Elizabeth Emma HENRY,   b. 14 Jul 1869   d. 1954 (Age 84 years) 
    Marriage 18 Jul 1891  Toronto, York, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Children 
    +1. David Wilson COLBY CALMA,   b. 25 Oct 1892, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1967, Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 74 years)
    +2. Harold George COLBY CALMA,   b. 1 Jun 1896, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 May 1934, Hamilton, Wentworth Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 37 years)
     3. Elizabeth Annie Mildred COLBY CALMA,   b. 6 Jul 1897, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 3 Aug 1976, Toronto, York, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 79 years)
     4. Lila Mary Alice COLBY CALMA,   b. 16 May 1901, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Jan 1988 (Age 86 years)
     5. Arthur Howard COLBY,   b. 28 Mar 1904, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Apr 1904, Lot 34, Con 7, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     6. George Albert COLBY,   b. 7 Nov 1894, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Sep 1895, Uxbridge Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
    Family ID F228  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 3 Dec 2016 

  • Sources 
    1. [S-2141420808] Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Trees.
      http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=11004824&pid=167

    2. [S-2141422507] Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007.Original data - Ontario, Canada. Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1922. MS932, 695 reels. Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Ontario, Canada. Division Registrar Vital Stati).
      Name: David Colby
      Event Type: Marriage
      Event Date: 18 Jul 1891
      Event Place: Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada
      Gender: Male
      Age: 23
      Birth Year (Estimated): 1868
      Father's Name: Silas Colby
      Mother's Name: Mary Colby
      Spouse's Name: Emma Henry
      Spouse's Gender: Female
      Spouse's Age: 22
      Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1869
      Spouse's Father's Name: Truman Henry
      Spouse's Mother's Name: Jane Henry
      Reference ID: 014547
      GS Film Number: 1870470
      Digital Folder Number: 004529221
      Image Number: 01155



      Citing this Record:
      "Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMVR-M8F : 10 April 2015), David Colby and Emma Henry, 18 Jul 1891; citing registration , Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,870,470.


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