Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

HELEN (NELLIE) HAMILTON WATSON

Helen (Nellie) Hamilton Watson was born on 23 April 1896 in Glasgow, Scotland to John Hamilton and Sarah Elizabeth Watson (1867). By 1901 she was living with her mother's brother, Isaac Watson (1864-1959) and his wife Jane Ann Scott (1867-1937) in Pendleton, Lancashire, England. The circumstances that caused her to end up in the Watson household are unknown. As the first census record after her birth was 1901, there was no way of knowing if she lived with the Watsons from the time of her birth. One possibility was that her mother died when Helen was very young and her father felt unable to care for her by himself and so arranged for the Watsons to raise or possibly adopt her. At any rate, Helen was found living at 60 Fountain St, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England with the same couple in 1911. In 1901 and 1911, Helen was enumerated under the surname Hamilton and was identified as a niece.

According to census records, Isaac, Jane and Helen immigrated to Canada in 1911 or 1912 and from 1916 to 1921 were found living at 1423 Ave G, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. During that time, Helen was a clerk with Saskatchewan Government Telephones. By the time the family moved to Saskatoon, Helen was using the Watson surname and was listed in Saskatoon Henderson City Directories under that name. She was identified as a daughter to Isaac and Jane in 1916 and 1921 census records. Helen married Thomas William Ralph Bonsey on 16 January 1928 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Thomas was born in December of 1901 in Southampton, Hampshire, England to Thomas William Hudd Bonsey and Alice Lynch (1869-1957). On her marriage record, Helen gave her name as Helen Hamilton Watson and listed Isaac and Jane as her parents. Helen died on 14 February 1955 in Vancouver, British Columbia. On this record, the informant, her husband, listed her parents as John Hamilton and Sarah Watson.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Watson 2 Tree.