The Shields Family

Richard Jowsey Shields was born in Spennymoor, Durham in the month of October, 1875. Richard worked as a machine driller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the age of 23, Richard married Mary Elizabeth in 1898 and had three boys, John Alfred in 1899, Richard J in 1901, and Francis Rowland in 1903. They lived at 87 Beresford Rd, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He died at the age of 45 in Darlington, Yorkshire in 1921.

 

 

 

 

 

John Alfred Shields was born in January of 1899 and lived at 101 Salisbury Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England with his mother, father, and two brothers. 

During the war he was taken prisoner by the Germans and help captive for more than a year. As he lived on a diet of only sauerkraut, he said he couldn't even look at cabbage for the rest of his life. He was released when the war finished, but returned to serving his country during the second World War as a member of the National Guard.

He met Ethel Maughan before the war and later married her in 1922. They were married two years before their first daughter, Ethel was born and two years later had another daughter, Margaret Elizabeth, who went by the name of Peggy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the war was over, he became a mechanic and later worked his way up to owning his own garage which was taken off of him during the second World War. 

In 1962, his wife passed away from a heart condition and he lived with his youngest daughter, Peggy until she remarried and he went to live in a senior's home. He made many trips to Canada to visit his oldest daughter, Ethel until he was no longer able to travel. His last trip to Canada was in 1979 for his daughter's 25th wedding anniversary. He also died from a heart condition, in 1982.

 

 

 

Ethel Shields was born July 23rd, 1924 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. The first daughter of John A and Ethel Shields. At an early age, Ethel took ballet lessons and was very talented at it but when she contracted scarlet fever she was forced to stop taking lessons. She was admitted into the hospital and had to remain there over Christmas. She took piano lessons but was unable to continue them also.

After graduating from school she became a seamstress. When the war started she joined the Women's Land Army where she was stationed on various farms working with Italian prisoners of war.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1954, she left her family in England to move to Toronto, Canada and marry William Arthur Copas who was divorced with two young boys. When the boys were a little older she found a job as a seamstress in a factory, where she worked until 1962 when her daughter, Linda was born.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethel became a stay-at-home mom after the birth of her daughter, although she did a lot of babysitting for neighbors. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When she was able to afford it, she took trips back to visit her family in England. When her husband retired, they spent time doing family things and managed to take a trip to England together the summer before he passed.

After William A passed, she moved into a seperate apartment in the home of her daughter and son-in-law. She was always a very positive person, finding joy and contentment in the little things in life. 

She passed away in March, 1998 just a month after her granddaughter, Caitlin was born.