Page 18 - Trans-Atlantic Passage

Trans-Atlantic Passage - Christina Louisa Pettard.

                                 Cunard’s Canadian Line Vessel the ‘Alaunia’.

To a degree the analysis of her Trans-Atlantic passages throws light on the person and we learn a lot about Christina, much that goes a long way to answer the many questions thrown up about her, but as always new question and mysteries are also unearthed.

Christina was 5 foot tall with a fair complexion having brown hair and grey eyes, remind you of any one?  At the age 39 she set sail from Southampton England for Quebec Canada on the 12 August 1935, her passage was recorded on the Cunard’s Canadian Line vessel ‘Alaunia’ which was built around 1926 specifically for the transatlantic Canada service, the ship was re-commissioned during the war as an armed merchant cruiser, finally scrapped at Blyth 1957.   On the passenger list Christina was listed as Christina L Pettard being single; born 1896 London England and giving her occupation as a Magazine Inserter with her passage self paid.

We are indebted to the Canadian immigration procedure for furnishing us with so much welcomed information not least her next of kin details; she quotes next of kin her father Alfred Pettard of 27 Flint Street, Walworth London. This information alone tales us much, for one, Christina is close to her father who in 1935 is still alive and living in the general area of our part of London. Along with other information that includes the amount of cash she was carrying and passport details, her final destination is given as; c/o Dr Sutcliffe, Appleby College Oakville, Ontario Canada. It would appear she did not travel alone the passenger list shows five woman in all travelling from England to Appleby College, and other then their destination not much in common comes to light when viewing their details, i.e. Linda Willis single age 52 a manageress, Winifred Violet Nicholson single age 37 a secretary, Ether Mary Sanders married age 47, Agnes R Buckingham single age 39 a nurse and just to repeat, Christina L Pettard single age 39 a magazine inserter.

At this moment in time I have no idea why this group of ladies would undertake a trip in 1935 of this magnitude to a College in Canada, the college in question is still going strong to this day and I hope somewhere within it’s depth of history is the answer to why?  The return passage with it arrival at Liverpool 1^st September 1935 shows the passenger incoming list confirming Christina’s UK address, 77 Blackfriars Road, London, her occupation is again quoted has Magazine Inserter. The Blackfriars address places her right within the parish of Southwark confirming that she had not moved far from her birth place. The passenger list also includes the names of Agnes Buckingham and Winifred Nicholson who appear to have shared the round trip with Christina.

Just over a year later Christina is once again off on her travels across the Atlantic this time from Southampton to New York. The date is Christmas Eve 24 December 1936 and again the final destination is Appleby College, Oakville Ontario Canada, you can’t help but wonder what it is about this college that is driving her to make such extensive trips, now two in a little over a year, this time she will spend both her birthday and Christmas day aboard the ship Normandie as it enters the Atlantic for America. The information given to the US immigration officials is much the same has that given previously to the Canadian officials; however her occupation is given as Phone Operator and not that of the previous voyage which was listed magazine inserter.   Details of next of kin are the same, being her father Alfred Pettard still living at 27 Flint Street,
Walworth London.  The passenger list also sights 2 others with the same final destination of Appleby College, one an Elizabeth Jane Sullivan, of whom we will be more interested in later, and Marguerite Wallior who we see is French born in Dieppe but resident England. Once again we are indebted to the immigration procedure, this time US for given us wonderful description of Christina’s features.

The final trip that we know about and I feel the last of her Atlantic crossings, what with the oncoming of WWII and all the perils of the Atlantic plus the lack of any other reference to Christina amongst passenger lists, leads one to believe this was the last of such adventures.  Her return trip from New York docking at Southampton on the 11^th September 1937 records her address still 77 Blackfriars London, but some how her occupation is now quoted has a wirestretcer what ever that is, I feel sure this is a missed quoted entry.  Of particular note, also completing the round trip is Elizabeth Sullivan who also gives her occupation as a phone operator; furthermore she gives her UK address as that of Christina’s, i.e.

77 Blackfriars Road.

Until we can track down the purpose of her two trips to Appleby College the above information is about the extent that one can extract from immigration details.  It does nevertheless throw considerable light on Christina around about the last few years before WWII, there does not seem to be any indication up until this time in her life that she had any connections with the theater.

For the time being we can feel assured that at least we know her whereabouts and those of her father Alfred during the late 1930’s, with two new addresses that may in time reveal more information through census. It’s also of interest that she must have had contact with her father quoting Alfred has next of kin, I had wondered whether this was the case due to what appeared to be some divide in her early childhood days.

For the time being this fair complexion 5 foot tall woman with brown hair and grey eyes will await new findings, with still almost 60 years remaining of her long life what other exploits did she embark on.