First Mayor, Henry Yardley

Henry Yardley

• Born Dec 22, 1855 in Ecclesfield, Yorkshire, England
• Died Jan 2, 1936 in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Interesting enough, but I believe he was born Henry Yeardley, registered Oct-Dec 1855 in Wortley District, Yorkshire. Seems somewhere the e was dropped and became Yardley.

• He was Estevan's First Overseer (1899)
  • November 15, 1899 he was elected Overseer of the Village of Estevan after Village was incorporated.
    Succeeded in 1903 by Louie Alexander Duncan see article below
  • and then the First Mayor (1906-1907)

First Town Charter March 1, 1906, eleceted First Mayor shortly after that

Yardley was succeeded by J. C. Hastings as Mayor in 1908. Hastings is shown as a Justice in Estevan in 1913. Hastings Place in Estevan named after him.

Mr Henry Yardley was on the board of the Statute Labour District No. 140, before the RM of Estevan was formed.

He sold Farm Implements in Estevan for a living.

Yardley and Lee building on 4th st.

He married Fanny Kirk Robson, bet Oct-Dec 1878, marriage registered in Ecclesall Bierlow, Yorkshire, England, Vol. 9c, page 438

He came to Canada Oct 9, 1881

Ship Manifest, showing Henry Yardley, entering Quebec City, Quebec, on his way to Winnipeg, arriving Oct 9, 1881, on SS Circassian

His wife, Fanny Kirk Yardley, nee Robson and one daughter, Marian Francis Yardley, must have come over a short time after in 1881.

Henry's wife Fanny Yardley, age 50, and son Harold, age 7, shown as Returning Canadians, heading to Estevan, arriving Halifax NS, Dec 11, 1909, on SS Hesperian. Fanny shown living in Canada for 28 yrs, born in England, Harold shown born in Canada. 28 years, makes the 1881 arrival date shown above, seem accurate. Trip back to England to see relatives probably.

In 1896, his oldest daughter Mary Robson Yardley came to Canada to join them. He was living in England at the time of the 1881 census, (April 3) at Oaks Fold, Eddlesfield, Yorkshire, England, with his wife, and 2 oldest daughters, plus a female servant. Shown as a Coal Agent, and farmer of 16 acres.

In 1901 Canadian Census he was 45 years old, born Dec 22, 1855 in England. His religion was Church of England, Anglican, and his occupation was miner and farmer.

Edited From the Westview School History Book written in 1957-

At one point the Yardleys lived on 1st st., As The Yardley's were neighbours of the Gesell family, overlooking the valley on 1st St

Westview history book used to be online on estevan Library site, but for fiscal reasons I assume, it was removed.

With him in 1901, in Estevan, Assiniboia, NWT, was his wife Fanny Kirk Yardley (born Mar 11, 1859 Ecclesall, Yorkshire, England),4 daughters, and 3 sons. Oldest daughters were both born in Yorkshire, England:

• Mary Robson Yardley
  • (born May 16, 1879, Ecclesfield, Registration district of Wortley, Yorkshire, England)
• Marian Francis Yardley
  • (May 28, 1880, Ecclesfield, Registration district of Wortley, Yorkshire, England)

Next three children were all born in Manitoba:

• Thomas (Tom) Kirk Yardley (born July 21, 1885 in 1901 census), (MB registered date, July 25, 1885, in RM of Posen, MB),
  
• Annie Eliza (Lila) Yardley (born Mar 16, 1889, RM of Springfield, MB),
  
• William Henry Yardley (born Jan 21,1891, RM of Springfield, MB)
  

Next came:

• Gerald Athelstan Yardley
  • (born Feb 12, 1894 in Estevan) and last in this 1901 census,
    
• Olga Mary Victoria Yardley
  • (May 19, 1897, in Estevan) (May 18, 1897 in 1901 census) (May 19, 1897 in SK birth registry)
    
  • shown born in Assiniboia, NWT in census

Their last child

• Unordered List ItemHarold Edward Yardley
  • born Nov 26, 1901, after the Census, in Estevan

Note- they are also in the 1911 census on 2 pages, only changes Annie is now Lila. Henry is now shown as an Implement dealer, Thomas is 25, and a Store Keeper, Lila is a Milliner, at a shop, Marian is a dressmaker, at a shop, Olga is at school, William is an Office clerk, Gerald is a Bank clerk and Harold is at School.

Yardley Place in Estevan was named after him

In 1908 and 1912 Henry Yardley ran in the Saskatchewan General Election, as a Conservative, and finished 2nd to George Alexander Bell each time.

Now where did this family move to?

No burial record in Estevan area, Big family to just disappear. Well it turns out the family, ended up in BC but some like Thomas Kirk Yardley, ended up in Radville Saskatchewan. In 1921 he was the owner of the Dance Hall in Estevan. He lived at 419 Third St with his wife, 2 daughters and a son. In 1925 Thomas Kirk Yardley moved there from Estevan, married then, and with 4 children at that time. He like his dad, sold Farm implements. He bought a partnership in the International Harvester dealership in Radville. When crops failed, he bought a hardware business in Ladner BC in 1934, and moved there. He operated this until 1948 when he retired. Him and his wife lived in Whitehorse Yukon for 5 years. Returned to Langley where they both passed away. His wife passed away in 1976 and 5 children were still living in 1983.

Then I found most of the family in the BC Death Index

Henry Yardley

• died Jan 2, 1936 in Vancouver BC, age 80
  
• Buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver BC

Fanny Kirk Yardley

• died Nov 5, 1950 in Vancouver BC, age 90
  
• buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver BC

Thomas (Tom) Kirk Yardley \\

• died Feb 5, 1971, age 85, in Langley City, BC

William Henry Yardley \\

• died Aug 28, 1968, age 77, in Victoria BC
  
• He was Customs and Excise staff member at North Portal ca 1919
  
• Next he was in charge at Marienthal Port.
  
• One book says Thomas Kirk Yardley was a customs officer in 1928 at Marienthal, 9 miles south of Torquay but now I think it was William at this time.
• In 1957, William H. Yardley was Chief Customs and Excise Accountant on his brother Gerald's staff at Victoria, B.C.

No sign of Gerald A. Yardley in BC death registry, He could still be living?, or died after the cut off date for this record (1987). In 1957 he was a Collector of Customs and Excise in Victoria BC.

I did find Harold Edward Yardley buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver BC, He died Nov 16, 1989

But in the BC marriage registry Harold Edward Yardley married Mildred Alice Ridal Apr 21, 1927 in Vancouver BC.He died Nov 16, 1989

Olga Mary Yardley married Charles Casper Claman Nov 6, 1926 in Vancouver BC. She died Sept 22, 1976, age 79, in Vancouver BC

Annie Eliza (Lila) Yardley married Joseph Hunter Perry Feb 14, 1918 in Vancouver BC. She died May 9, 1982 in Delta BC

Now we know part of the family resided in BC as early as 1918.

Henry Yardley on Aug 28, 1888, Obtained a homestead on NE 1/4 Sec 30, Tsp 18, Rge 4, W1 in Manitoba.

Henry Yardley on Apr 26, 1892 Obtained a homestead on SW 1/4 Sec 36, Tsp 2, Rge 8, W2nd, in Assiniboia NWT (Saskatchewan)

His son Thomas Kirk Yardley on Aug 2, 1906, Obtained a homestead on SW 1/4 Sec 22, Tsp 2, Rge 8, W2nd, in Assiniboia NWT (Saskatchewan), LSD 3, 4 and 5

Over the years I have been in email touch with Mr Andrew Kilcoyne, In England, His grandfather's Uncle, was Henry Yardley.

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