Fatal Accident at Steele Road - Update

I refer to my article re the above and enclose one or two items by way of a post-script.

I have also found out a lot more about my Great-grandfather, Walter’s father, Andrew Deas following publication of the article.

Andrew Deas did in fact emigrate to Canada leaving behind his family in Scotland on 1 May, 1909, leaving Glasgow on the SS Grampian and arriving in Canada on 9 May, 1909.  

He changed his name to Andrew Deas Mitchell, lied about his age and joined the 79th Cameron Highlanders of Canada (similar to the Territorial Army in the UK) on 1 February, 1916 and found himself being called up. 

He was sent to fight in the Great War, was wounded and ended up receiving a Canadian Service Pension.  My Grandmother (Andrew Deas’ daughter), Mary Geddes nee Deas, always maintained that her father had turned up at their house in Wardlaw Street, Edinburgh and that this was the first and only time she ever saw her father.  

His military records do show that his ship docked at Liverpool at the end of 1917 and that he had trained in Britain before going to the front so it is possible that he did travel north.

Unfortunately, this is the last time his “real” family ever saw him as you will see from the following.

My Great-grandfather, Andrew Deas, married Elizabeth Brunton on 20 July, 1910 who had arrived in Canada aboard the SS Hesperian on 16 July, 1910.  They had a daughter who died in 1996.   

It would appear that he was certainly planning a new life in Canada but not with the family he left behind! 

Andrew Deas Mitchell never divorced my Great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Deas nee Gordon who died on 6 February, 1946.  Her death certificate does not give her status as a divorced (which would have normally been the case) only that she was still married to Andrew Deas, Stone Mason.

As a result of my Great-grandfather’s adventures for want of a better word our family have relatives that they never knew existed. 

I may add that Andrew Deas Mitchells’ double life in Canada only fully came to light in recent years.

The grandson of Andrew Deas Mitchells’ Canadian marriage, who’s mother died in 1996 had retired from business and decided to study his family tree.  As a result of his investigations, he uncovered the story of his grandfather.  I think it came as a bit of a shock to him to find out that his mother was illegitimate and what his grandfather had actually been up to. 

We, in our family, were well aware that Andrew Deas had abandoned his family in Edinburgh but never knew to what extent.  Andrew Deas Mitchell died on 22 December, 1957 in Canada. 

Who would have thought that within my Great- great grandfather’s life as Station Agent/Master at Steele Road, working for the North British Railway at the turn of last century that there would be a storyline involving tragedy and bigamy that would grace any modern soap.

No doubt other people have such stories to tell.