The Roy-Apted Family History – A Part of the History of Canada

The genealogy research undertaken to date reveals that our Roy-Apted ancestors migrated to Canada over the past 400 years. Among the early pioneers were the Roy and the Hogue branches of the family tree who arrived in the mid1600s. During the 1700s, the Smith branch of the Family tree came to Canada as well as the Mumford branch. During the 1800s, the McConnell and the Latta branches arrived. Finally, the Apted and Duff branches of the family tree settled here in the early 1900s, shortly after the turn of the century. Evidently, the Roy-Apted family tree has very deep roots in Canada.

There are a variety of online portals that tell the story of Canada and its history. For example, take a look at Canada: A People's History - Official Site, A Brief History of Canada - Menu - Sympatico, Canada History in Videos, and Canada History Timeline, As well, refer to the Portal Canada – Wikipedia and the Portal History of Canada – Wikipedia, from which the following excerpts are drawn.

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 Canada /ˈkænədə/ is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area. Canada's common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the longest in the world.

The land that is now Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom. This widening autonomy was highlighted by the Statute of Westminster of 1931 and culminated in the Canada Act of 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament.

Canada is a federation that is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. It is a bilingual nation with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. One of the world's highly developed countries, Canada has a diversified economy that is reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship. It is a member of the G7, G-20, NATO, OECD, WTO, Commonwealth, Francophonie, OAS, APEC, and UN.

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About Ralph Douglas Apted (1919-2016) and Catherine Boyd Duff (1923-1987)

Ralph Douglas Apted and Catherine Boyd Duff, c1944

Ralph Douglas Apted was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on March 30, 1919 and lived there his entire lifetime. He was the son of George William Apted and Edith Mary Walker. George was born in 1884 in Brighton, Sussex, England and emigrated to Canada in 1906. Edith was born in April 1885 in Ayrshire, Scotland and emigrated to Canada in 1906 (see Apted Ancestry – England and Scotland to Canada).

George and Edith were married on February 17, 1909 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As their family tree shows, they had three sons – Ronald Austin, Ralph Douglas and Ross. The 1940 List of Electors states that George Apted (stationary engineer) was still living there with his wife, his son Ronald (a Hydro layman) and his son Ralph (a mechanic).

George William Apted and Edith Mary Walker - Family Tree

Ralph Douglas Apted married Catherine Boyd Duff who was born on June 21, 1923 at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland (see Duff Ancestry – Scotland to Canada). Ralph and Catherine (Kay) had two sons. 

Catharine was the daughter of Peter Duff, a miner, (1901-) and Margaret Davies (1901-), both of Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Catherine had three brothers Alexander, Peter and the youngest, John (Jack). The Canadian Passenger List and Canadian Immigration Form dated April 25, 1928 states that Catherine Duff, who was 5 years old, arrived on the ship Antonia departing from Greenock, Scotland and arriving at Quebec, Canada. Accompanied by her mother Margaret (age 27) and brother Alexander (age 4), they were to meet her father, who was already settled in Toronto.

The 1957 Canada Elections Act Voters List states that Ralph Apted (manager) and his wife Catherine lived in the City of Toronto along with Catherine’s brother John Duff and his wife June. The 1972 and 1974 Voters Lists state that Ralph and Catherine had moved but still lived in Toronto. 

Ralph and Catherine 1968

In his spare time, Ralph enjoyed playing the piano. For his 90^th birthday, his family gave him a special gift. They provided him with the time at a local studio to showcase his talent by recording a music CD of his favourite piano songs. Kay is remembered for her cheerful attitude at home and while working in the food services department at a major grocery store in Toronto. She died almost instantly (from an irregular heart beat) at the age of 64 years on December 20, 1987 in Toronto. She was cremated.

On November 20, 2016, Ralph Douglas Apted passed away at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Ontario at the age of 97. His obituary notes that his passing was announced "with heavy hearts" and that "he will be sadly missed by all family members and many friends." His cremation was followed by a celebration of life!

Recap of the Roy-Apted Ancestry

The previous posts provide a lot of insight on the Roy-Apted ancestry. For each of the eight family lines, this genealogy research captures the family history data back to the time our ancestors made the journey to Canada and, in many cases, before that.

Here is a recap, with a focus on the first generation of non-living ancestors:

1.     Emile Roy and his ancestors from France;

2.     Angeline Hogue and her ancestors from France;

3.     Russell Smith and his ancestors from the United States and England;

4.     Margaret Mumford and her ancestors from England;

5.     Ralph Apted and his ancestors from England and Scotland;

6.     Catherine Duff and her ancestors from Scotland;

7.     Harold McConnell and his ancestors from Ireland

8.     Marjorie Latta and her ancestors from Ireland.

Much of the data that forms the foundation for this family genealogy is currently available in online family trees. More is being added as time goes by. The data includes family group sheets that provide a profile for the individual person, a timeline of key events in that person’s life, the names and lifespan of the parents and children, and the names and lifespan of the siblings. That data also includes many historical records for the Roy-Apted families to view, inspect and treasure now and in future generations.

What’s next? Expect to read short stories about key events that had an impact on the first generation of non-living ancestors.

Apted Ancestry – England and Scotland to Canada

Flag of England

The Apted family in Canada begins with George Apted (Junior) who was born about 1885 in Brighton, Sussex, England. He was the son of George Apted (Senior) (~1865-1914) and Elizabeth Ellen Prevett (1870-1925). According to the 1921 Canada Census, George Apted (Junior) moved to Canada from England in 1906. He married Edith Mary Walker on February 17, 1909 in the County of York, Division of Toronto. The Ontario Marriage Registration states that George was a farmer and that both George and Edith were 23 years old.

Edith Mary Walker was born in April 1885 in Ayrshire, Scotland, the daughter of Edwin John Walker (1853), aged 32, and Agnes Smithson (1853), aged 31. Edith is listed as 16 years old in the 1901 England Census when the family lived in Bristol, England. At that time, she worked as a boot machinist. In 1907, Edith moved to Canada.

The 1911 Canada Census states that George and Edith Apted lived in Toronto, Ontario. Two sons were born in Toronto: Ronald Austin Apted (March 26, 1913) and Ralph Douglas Apted (March 30, 1920). The 1921 Canada Census notes that the family comprising George (age 37), Edith (age 36), Ronald (age 7) and Ralph (age 2) lived in Toronto. The 1935 Canada Elections Act - List of Electors states that George Apted was living at that address with his wife and his son Ronald Apted. The 1940 List of Electors states that George Apted (stationary engineer) was still living there with his wife, his son Ronald (a Hydro layman) and his son Ralph (a mechanic).

Ralph Douglas Apted, 1968

Ralph Douglas Apted married Catherine Boyd Duff who was born in 1923 at Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland. They had two sons. The 1957 Voters List states that Ralph Apted (a manager) and his wife Catherine lived in the Electoral District of Danforth, Toronto. By 1972, the Voters List states that Ralph and Catherine lived in Scarborough, Toronto. Their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren can now explore their Apted ancestry back to both England (before 1906) and Scotland (before 1907).