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Envelope containing letter to mother
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Harry Jamieson Hart fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- textual records
- Date Range
- December 19, 1917
- Accession Number
- 2003-35
- Storage Location
- R6 S6 Sh4 B7 F8 9
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Harry Jamieson Hart fonds
- Creator
- Harry Jamieson Hart
- Description Level
- Item
- Accession Number
- 2003-35
- Storage Room
- Archives Storage Rm. 107
- Storage Location
- R6 S6 Sh4 B7 F8 9
- GMD
- textual records
- Date Range
- December 19, 1917
- Series
- Harry Jamieson Hart fonds- Letters While Stationed in France series
- Physical Description
- 1 envelope
- History / Biographical
- Harry Jamieson Hart served as a gunner in the Canadian Field Artillery (C.F.A.) during the First World War and later became a doctor in Aylmer, Ontario. Born in 1895 in Omemee, Ontario to Joseph and Eliza Hart, he enrolled in medical school at the University of Toronto in 1914. In 1915, he joined the 67th Battery of the C.F.A. (affiliated with the University of Toronto) and eventually served in France until the end of the war. He completed his medical degree in 1922 and soon after established a medical practice in Aylmer, eventually becoming medical officer of health for the County of Elgin. He married Mildred Summers in Summers Corners (Malahide Township) in 1925. They had three children, Grant, Olive and Edward. Dr. Hart died at the age of 50 in 1945 and is buried in Aylmer Cemetery.
- Custodial History
- These letters were originally in the possession of his wife Mildred. They were acquired by his daughter Olive Lundy of Etobicoke and upon her death and were donated to the Elgin County Archives by his son Dr. Edward Hart with assistance of Grandson Cameron Hart of Saskatoon. His eldest son Grant of Aylmer donated the photos and the diploma.
- Scope and Content
-
Fonds consists of correspondence from Harry Jamieson Hart to his mother and father while away at medical school in Toronto, subsequent military training camps, and letters from the front while serving overseas in England and France during the First World War. Some of these letters come with the original envelopes. Fonds also consists of diary entries of his initial trip to England and a few miscellaneous letters from other family members.
Most letters contain a substantial amount of information on Harry’s experiences in the Canadian military. They recount his training, trip overseas, stationing in England and service in France. Many contain references to previous letters received from his mom and family. He was particularly concerned about his father’s ailing health and eventual death in May 1917. There is also information on the weather, his health and his military involvement, although the latter is kept to a minimum due to censorship considerations and perhaps his desire to enjoy the diversion the letters provided. Letters were sent from his house in Toronto while at medical school, the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps (C.O.T.C) Niagara Military Camp, Petawawa Military Training Camp, the Ross Barracks in Shorncliffe, England and France.
- Name Access
- Hart, Harry Jamieson
- Subject Access
- First World War
Less detail