A 17-Year-Old Recruit... (Military Monday)

Below is a copy of the attestation page of Stanley G. Crago's 1909 British Territorial Force enlistment papers, with a transcription following (his answers have been underlined in the transcription).

TERRITORIAL FORCE.
4 years' Service in the United Kingdom.
----------------------------
ATTESTATION OF

No. 451 Name Crago Stanley Geo. Corps Cornwall (soft) RGa
----------------------------Questions to be put to the Recruit before Enlistment
1. What is your Name? Stanley George Crago
2. In or near what Parish or Town were you born?
In the Parish of St Clements
near the Town of Truro
in the County of Cornwall
3. Are you a British Subject? Yes
4. What is your Age? 17 Years 9 Months
5. What is your Trade or Calling? Masons Labourer
6. In whose employ are you? Mr. Wm. Nicholls
7. Where do you now reside? [?] Baynards Court, Truro
8. Are you now an Apprentice? if so, please state particulars. No
9. Are you married? No
10. Do you now belong to the Army, the Marines, the Militia, the Militia Reserve, the Territorial Force, the Royal Navy, the Army Reserve (Regular or Special), or any Naval Reserve Force? If so, to what Corps? No
11. Have you ever served in the Army, the Marines, the Militia, the Militia Reserve, the Imperial Yeomanry, the Territorial Force, the Royal Navy, the Volunteers, the Army Reserve (Regular or Special), or any Naval Reserve Force? If so, please state Corps and cause of discharge. No
12. Do you belong, or have you belonged, to any Cadet Corps or Battalion? No
13. Have you ever been rejected as unfit for the Military or Naval Forces of the Crown? If so, on what grounds? No
14. Did you receive a Notice, and do you understand its meaning? Yes
15. Are you willing to be attested for the term of 4 years (provided His Majesty should so long require your services) for service in the Territorial Force of the County of Cornwall to serve in the Cornwall (soft) RGa? Yes
16. (a) Do you understand that during the first year of your original enlistment you will be required to attend the number of drills and fulfil the other conditions prescribed for a recruit of the arm or branch of the service which you have elected to join?
(b) That in addition to such preliminary training you will be liable to attend the number of drills and fulfil the other conditions relating to training prescribed for the arm or branch of the service which you have elected to join, and be liable to be trained for not less than 8, or more than 15 days altogether, in every year, or, If belonging to a mounted branch for not less than 8, or more than 18 days altogether, in every year, as may be prescribed, and may for that purpose be called out, once or oftener, in every year?
(c) That if you, without leave or reasonable excuse, fail to attend the number of drills required to fulfil the conditions relating to preliminary or annual training prescribed for your arm or branch of the service, you render yourself liable to a fine not exceeding £5?
(d) That when a proclamation has been issued, in case of imminent national danger or great emergency, calling out the first class Army Reserve you will become liable to be embodied?
(e) That, if your term of 4 years' service expires when a proclamation ordering Army Reserves to be called out on permanent service in in force, you may be required to prolong your service for a further period not exceeding 12 months?
(f) That you will be liable to serve in any place in the United Kingdom without further agree-ment, but not in any place outside the United Kingdom unless you voluntarily undertake to do so? Yes
A further period of preliminary training may be prescribed during the first year of original enlistment by an Order in Council, the number of days being specified, and the period of annual training in any year may be extended by an Order in Council, due notice thereof having been given, and provided that neither House of Parliament has dissented, but the whole period of annual training shall not exceed 90 days in any year.
Under the provisions of Section 99 of the Army Act, if a person knowingly makes a false answer to any question contained in the attestation paper, he renders himself liable to punishment.
----------------------------I, Stanley George Crago do solemnly declare that the above answers made by me to the above questions are true, and that I am willing to fulfil the engagements made.
Stanly G Crago SIGNATURE OF RECRUIT.
[?]. Fitz[?unreadable]
----------------------------
OATH TO BE TAKEN BY RECRUIT ON ATTESTATION.I, Stanley George Crago do make Oath, that I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to His Majesty King Edward the Seventh, His Heirs, and Successors, and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend His Majesty, His Heirs, and Successors, in Person, Crown,
and Dignity against all enemies, according to the conditions of my service.
----------------------------
CERTIFICATE OF MAGISTRATE OR ATTESTING OFFICER.I, Major C. Everett do hereby certify, that, in my presence, all the foregoing Questions were put to the Recruit, above named, that the Answers written opposite to them are those which he gave to me, and that he
has made and signed the Declaration, and taken the oath at Truro on this [?] day of July 1909.
C. Everett Mjr Signature of Justice of the Peace, Officer or other person authorised to attest Recruits.

The Curious Case of Crago (Mystery Monday)

Stanley Garfield Crago was my great-grandfather - my grandmother's second husband's father.  (Technically, it's a "step" relationship, but I'm ignoring technicalities.  He's family.  Period.).



1901 census of Truro, Cornwall, England

He was born in late 1892 in St. Clements parish, Truro, Cornwall, England¹, the son of John Crago and Elizabeth Trevarthan.² He arrived at Quebec on 22 November 1908 on the S.S. Champlain. He lived in Cobalt, Bucke tp., Temiskaming dist. (then Nipissing dist.), Ontario, Canada, before he crossed the border to Detroit on 5 May 1914.^{3 4} While he should have been in Canada for the 1911 census, we have so far been unable to locate him.

So far, so good, right?

Except there are a few "inconsistancies".

The only Stanley Crago/Crego found in the British birth indexes for 1891 is a Stanley George (note the middle name), born in Truro, in the October-December quarter.⁵ He was baptised 10 January 1892 at St. Paul's, Truro, the son of John Crago and Elizabeth Jane ?.⁶ According to a 1909 British Territorial Force attestation paper, Stanley George Crago, of St. Clements parish, Truro, then a mason's labourer, enlisted with the Cornwall R.G.A. on 15 July 1909. "Gunner Crago" was discharged 23 January 1911, on account of his "leaving the country."⁷

1909 British Territorial Force attestation

And he did leave the country, from Liverpool, landing at Quebec on the "Lake Champlain" on 20 November 1910 with $25.00 in his pocket and his destination listed as Cobalt, Ontario, to meet "a brother".⁸

He apparently returned to Britain on 6 June 1912, landing at Avonmouth, Bristol from Montreal, on the "S.S. Royal George".⁹ Sometime between then and May 1914, he returned to Canada, and from there, went to Detroit (presumably to find work, since he listed his current occupation as an auto mechanic). Between May 1914 (his arrival in Detroit) and January 1915, he returned to Canada, where he enlisted in Toronto, Ontario as George Cavanaugh!

I began this post as an introduction to an ongoing series for "Military Monday" (which I'll start next week). Instead, as I gathered documents, I found myself with a little puzzle instead!

Why did the middle name change from George to Garfield?
Why did he shave two years off of his emigration date (1910 to 1908), on two separate documents?
Why did he leave Cornwall? (Family lore whispers something about a scandal...)
Who was the brother who was supposedly already in Canada?
And the big question: why did he enlist in the C.E.F. under an assumed name?

Any thoughts?
Jenn
______________________________________________________
¹ John Crago household, 1901 census of England, Cornwall, Kenwyn, Truro (district 1), 17 Fairmantle St., pp. 14-15; digital image from Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed 30 January 2011).
² Stanley Cavangh-Harriet Dempsey entry, Ontario marriage registration 004510 (1918); microfilm MS 932, reel 446, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.
³ Stanley Crego entry, Detriot Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957 database; digital image from Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed 30 January 2011).
⁴ Stanley G. Crego entry, Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956 database; digital image from Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed 30 January 2011).
⁵ Stanley George Crago entry, Truro, v. 5c, p. 139; index information from FreeBMD, http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ (accessed 31 January 2011).
⁶ Stanley George Crago entry, England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 database, LDS microfilm 1596289; index from FamilySearch.org, http://www.familysearch.org/ (accessed 31 January 2011).
⁷ Stanley George Crago documents, including Attestation form, Medical Inspection Report, Discharge Certificate, and a Service Details record; British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 database, digital images from Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed 31 January 2011).
⁸ Stanley Cragoe entry, "S.S. Lake Champlain" passenger ship, p. 1, Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 database; digital image from Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed 31 January 2011).
⁹ Stanley Crago entry, "Royal George" passenger ship, p. 1, UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 database; digital image from Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed 31 January 2011).

Wordless Wednesday: Valcartier Picture Postcard, W. W. 1

"Valcartier Camp - Canada. 1st Royal Montreal Detraining."

Original in possession of F. Crago, as of 2010. Reverse of postcard is blank, except for pre-printed description.

See GeneaBloggers for more Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday: Valcartier Picture Postcard, W. W. I.

Valcartier Camp - Canada. The "Dry" Canteen.

Original in possession of F. Crago, as of 2010. Reverse of postcard is blank, except for pre-printed description.

See GeneaBloggers for more Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday: Valcartier Picture Post, W. W. 1

"Valcartier Camp - Canada. Arrival of Western Contingent."

Original in possession of F. Crago, as of 2010. Reverse of postcard is blank, except for pre-printed description.

See Geneabloggers for more Wordless Wednesday posts.

Wordless Wednesday: Valcartier Picture Postcard, W. W. 1

"Valcartier Camp - Canada. Grenadiers Off to the Ranges."

 Original in possession of F. Crago, as of 2010. Reverse of postcard is blank, except for pre-printed description.

Wordless Wednesday: Valcartier Picture Postcard, W.W.I

"Valcartier Camp - Canada. Cleaning the Dinner Dishes"

Original in possession of F. Crago, as of 2010.  Reverse of postcard is blank, except for pre-printed description.