Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

BARBARA “MAY” SHAW

Barbara "May" Shaw was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on 11 October 1894 to Henry Draper Shaw (1863-1945) and Amy Barbara Carter (1870-1933). Her siblings were: Henry William (Harry) (1898), Leonard (1900-1975) and John Draper (Jack) (1911-1985). The Shaws originated in England, but apparently Henry and Amy lived in Manitoba for a while around the time that May was born and then went back to Stapleford, Nottingham, England where Henry and Leonard were born. They were enumerated in the 1901 census in St. Helen's parish, Stapleford census. In 1909, the family of five boarded SS ‘Dominion’ and landed in Quebec City, Quebec on 2 October 1909. They were destined for Beausejour, Manitoba and were found living there at the time of the 1911 census.

In 1916 they were enumerated at Camp Hughes, Springfield, Manitoba. May was working at Eatons. In the same year, it appeared that May and Harry also lived at 216 Kennedy St in Winnipeg as lodgers with George Terry Rogers (1869-1944) and his daughter, Bessie (1894-1975). At this time May gave her occupation as a saleswoman in a dry goods store.

Although it was impossible to absolutely prove that this May and Harry belonged to the family described above, their age, religion, birth place and immigration year matched almost perfectly. The only discrepancy was that May's birth place was given as England and it should have been Manitoba. Perhaps that was an understandable error as she was older than Harry and he was born in England, so the Rogers may have assumed that she was also born there.

By 1921, the Shaw family had moved to Penticton, British Columbia where they operated an orchard and May's occupation was given as fruit packer. May married Frank Bull in Penticton on 20 December 1922. Frank was born on 23 October 1884 in Collingbourne, England to Frank Bull and Amy Long. Frank and May had at least two children, Leslie Frank (1924-1944) and Margaret Amy (1933-2005). Frank died on 24 April 1968 in Penticton and May died on 5 October 1973 in Kelowna.

There were four signatures in the same area of the quilt that may have come from people in Winnipeg. Their placement suggested that they may have signed as a group. The names of Bessie (née Rogers) and Harry Vincent Clarke who were married in January of 1918 were written together and the names of May Shaw and Muriel Tully were written in a similar pattern nearby. As no other candidates could be found for the names of Muriel Tully and May Shaw, it was speculated that May, Bessie and Muriel who were all of similar ages, made the trip to Saskatoon with Harry Clarke sometime around 1918 and that they likely all signed at the same time. Women with these names were all living in the same area of Winnipeg around 1916. As May and Bessie shared living accommodations in 1916, it seemed highly probable that this May was the one that signed the quilt.

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