People on board

FRIZZELL, Virginia Maude

Virginia Maude Frizzell, née Carter, was born in Teignmouth, Devon in 1893, daughter of Thomas William and Elizabeth Carter. Thomas Carter worked as a Saddler and the family lived on Fore St., Teignmouth. In the 1901 census Virginia had 2 older brothers and 2 older sisters.

Virginia married Robert Frizzell, of the 104th Canadian Forestry Corps, in St. James Church, West Teignmouth on 23rd April 1918.

Her husband, Robert, had been born in Dublin on 29th March 1896 as Robert John Patterson, son of John and Mary (née Frizzell) Patterson. John and Mary, both from Donegal, had married in Boston in 1891, where Robert’s father, John, had been a Stenographer.

In 1911 the Patterson family were living on Ballybough Road, Dublin. John and their 3 sons were listed as Church of Ireland and his wife Mary and their 2 daughters as Roman Catholic. John Patterson was employed as a Solicitor’s Clerk.

In March 1917 Robert Patterson, then living in Buffalo, New York, enlisted in Toronto in the Canadian Forestry Corps. He gave his surname as Frizzell (his mother’s maiden name) and his religion as Roman Catholic. He gave his trade as Stenographer and his date of birth as 1895.

He subsequently embarked for England in May 1917 joining the 104th Forestry Corps which was stationed at Starcross, Devon. It was one of a number of Canadian units involved in Scotland and Devon felling timber for shipment for military purposes in France. Robert had suffered poor eyesight (myopia) since childhood and he was employed as a stenographer in the Canadian Forestry Corps.

In April 1918 he married Virginia Carter in Teignmouth, Devon, again using the surname, Frizzell. In October 1918 they travelled to Dublin to visit his family and Virginia was returning on the RMS Leinster on 10th October. According to newspaper reports Robert was also to have been travelling but missed the boat. He later returned to his unit in England.

Virginia’s body was recovered and she was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin. The burial was arranged by the Patterson family.

Robert Frizzell (Patterson) returned to his unit in the Canadian Forestry Corps. He was discharged in May 1919 and left by ship from Liverpool in September 1919 giving his destination as Boston, Massachusetts.