mother. There are two reports of Maddocks injuries in the July 12, 1917 issue of the Milton Canadian Champion. By January 1920, we know that Maddocks was a Town of Milton Councillor, as there are two reports of his continuing illness in the January 15, 1920 of the Milton Canadian Champion. Maddocks died only day’s later (January 18, 1920) and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Milton. As his death was a result of an injury sustained in the war and he was deceased prior to August 31, 1921, his death was registered as a war death by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). There is a distinct list of soldiers who were not presented with a watch at the July 1, 1917 Dominion Day presentations, even though they died prior to that date. The only reason for them not to have received a watch would have been the criteria set by Town Council. Only the men of Milton were to receive a gold watch. The two lists deal with those known to be from Milton and those for which there is no proof they were Milton residents, all of whom died prior to the July 1917 presentations. Known to be from the Town of Milton: (11 men now shown as off-list OL)
Alfred Carbert Bastedo (Captain 1st Battalion)
Edward Donnelly (#57164 20th Battalion)
William Henry Tremblett (#405451 21st Battalion)
Victor Edward Tuxford (#11152 4 Infantry Battalion)
th
William Graham (#142530 21st Battalion)
James Hamilton (#142280 24th Battalion)
Frederick Walsh (#348333 12th Brigade CFA)
William Garvy Lees (#11160 4th Battalion)
John Clark Murray (#47905 15th Battalion)
Sydney Thomas Williams (#11188 4th Battalion)
Hugh Cameron Sinclair (#142298 24th Battalion)
Probably not from the Town of Milton: (7 men now shown as off-list OL)
James Stanley Adamson (#29411 16th Battalion)
William Charles Croft (#140051 20th Battalion)
Albert Edwards (#11128 4th Battalion)
Thomas Farries (#11146 4th Battalion)
Charles Edward Gowing (#47862 15th Battalion)
John Jarvie (#142533 21st Battalion)
William John Pollock (#475994 PPCLI)
Some of these men, such as Edward Donnelly appeared to qualify as a recipient of a watch based on their service and residence address but were not included in the 1917 list. The most logical reason for this appears to be that they were working in Milton (many at the Brick Plant, P. L. Robertson or the C.P.R.) but did not have the minimum residency qualification to be deemed a bona fide resident of the municipality. As what appears to be employment as a “rivet heater” it is unlikely he was away from Milton as a student. Note that Donelly appears later in this report as one of the men on the 1914 list of Second Contingent Soldiers (MRWWI page 99).
Milton’s Gold Watches – A Mystery from the Past, by Richard Laughton, April 2011
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