Month: March 2023

Private Corley Deferest Richardson

~ Nick Metcalfe ~ Leave a comment

This is part of a series of essays about the First World War casualties commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Vermont.

Corley Deferest Richardson was born on 16 March 1890 at Glen Sutton, Quebec, the third of the four sons of Wilber and Lydia Richardson.[1] His parents were both Canadian but were married in Richford, Vermont in 1881—the family lived at several places either side of the border and moved to East Richford in 1901. After leaving school Corley Richardson worked in the area as a labourer in a box factory, as a cook and as a mill hand.

He enlisted at Montreal on 8 September 1918 and joined the 1st Depot Battalion, 1st Quebec Regiment at Guy Street Barracks; he was allocated the number 3091376. After only three weeks in uniform, Richardson reported sick on 30 September complaining of dizziness and headaches. Admitted to the Khaki League Convalescent Hospital, he was diagnosed as suffering from influenza. His medical record states that on admission he ‘did not seem very ill’, but by 3 October he had a nasty cough and was suffering nose bleeds. On 6 October he was diagnosed with pneumonia and his record for 11 October states that he ‘had a very bad night and died at 7.00a.m.’ His remains were returned home and he was buried in East Richford Cemetery with his parents.

Private C. D. Richardson is commemorated on page 491 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance; that page is displayed on 17 and 18 October. He did not earn any medals for his brief war service. His memorial plaque and scroll were sent to his brother Walter in 1921. With no female relatives, a Memorial Cross was not issued.

The grave of the Richardson family in East Richford Cemetery.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission marker for Private Corley Richardson
The Canadian Book of Remembrance showing the entry for Private Corley Deferest Richardson

1. (Back) Wilber Benjamin Richardson (13 June 1857-1 June 1918) married Lydia Almyra Brown (21 February 1861-11 May 1911) at Richford, Vermont on 4 June 1881: Walter Herman (10 January 1882-NK); Charles Wallace (1884-24 August 1888); Percy Wilber (12 June 1897-8 March 1873).

Private Henry Alfred Peno

~ Nick Metcalfe ~ Leave a comment

This is part of a series of essays about the First World War casualties commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Vermont.

Henry Peno was born in Georgia, Vermont in 1885 the eldest of the nine children of Peter and Josephine Peno, both of whom had also been born in Vermont.[1] He worked as a labourer at a concrete company and later with the Central Vermont Railway engine shops at St. Albans. On 28 October 1907 he married Rena Martin in St. Albans. Their son, Roy, was born the following year and a daughter, Dorothy, was born in 1910.[2]

Peno travelled to Canada in December 1916. He returned home briefly in January 1917 (informing his wife that he was leaving her) and enlisted at Renfrew, Ontario on 11 January. He joined the 240th Overseas Battalion, which had been raised in the region in June 1916, and joined ‘A’ Company, being allocated the service number 1042779. The following month in Renfrew he married bigamously, causing some confusion amongst the pay staff after his enlistment![3]

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Private Emery John Larock (Larocque)

~ Nick Metcalfe ~ Leave a comment

This is part of a series of essays about the First World War casualties commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Vermont.

Emery J. Larock

Emery John Larocque was born on 20 February 1893 at Barton, Vermont. His father, Louis Larocque, was born in Massachusetts into a Québécois family and later lived in Acton Vale, Quebec, where he married Marie Huard, also born in the United States into a Québécois family. The couple returned to the United States in the late 1880s (having lost their three children in infancy) and farmed land near Barton, Orleans County, Vermont. The family later moved to Westmore and then to Brownington. Louis and Marie would go on to have another 13 children, all but one of which would survive childhood.[1]

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Private Carroll Alfred Conner

~ Nick Metcalfe ~ Leave a comment

This is part of a series of essays about the First World War casualties commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Vermont.

The grave of Private Carroll Alfred Conner

Carroll Alfred Conner was born on 4 October 1894 at Lac Mégantic, Quebec the youngest of the three children of Eben and Lucy Conner. His father was a United States citizen from Vermont, working at the time as a conductor with Canadian Pacific Railway; his mother was Canadian.[1]

At the time of his enlistment at Richmond, Quebec on 20 April 1917, Conner was unmarried and working as a cashier clerk. Found fit for service, he joined a cyclist platoon raised in the region. He was allocated the number 2134932.

Posted to England, Conner departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 3 May on board the SS Justica and arrived at Liverpool on 14 May, from where he journeyed to Chiseldon Camp, Wiltshire. There he joined the Canadian Reserve Cyclist Company, which was responsible for training men destined for the Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion. Only two days later, on 16 May he was admitted to Chiseldon Camp hospital and diagnosed as suffering from pneumonia. His condition worsened rapidly, and he died on 23 May 1917, aged 22, having served for a little over one month.

His remains were returned to Canada and repatriated to Vermont, where he was buried in East Main Street Cemetery, Newport. His grave is marked by a family headstone that also records the details of his parents’ lives. Beside it is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone, on the back of which is a bronze plate inscribed:

LANCE CORPL
CARROLL ALFRED CONNOR [sic]
CANADIAN RESERVE CYCLIST COY
E T PLATOON
DIED 23RD MAY
1917
AGED 22 YEARS

Private C. A. Conner is commemorated on the Sherbrooke War Memorial, Quebec and on page 219 of the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance; that page is displayed on 17 May. For his war service Conner was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20. His medal and memorial plaque and scroll were sent to his father and the Memorial Cross was sent to his mother.

The grave of Private Carroll Alfred Conner
The Conner family grave marker.
Sherbrooke War Memorial
The Canadian Book of Remembrance showing the entry for Private Carroll Alfred Conner

1. (Back) Eben Alfred Conner (21 December 1859-8 June 1919) married Lucy Ladeau (1858-28 September 1931) in c1879. Kathleen A. (later Sullivan) (1879-NK); George Calvin (14 April 1890-27 April 1942).