Arthur Herbert Cranstoun of Antigua
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Arthur Herbert “Artie” Cranstoun was good with animals and wanted to become a veterinarian and went to Canada in September 1920 to go to the University of Guelph. When his father Langford Selly died suddenly in October 1920 he returned to Antigua. His sister Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun had also been in Canada since May 29, 1918 going to business school and working, she lived at 674 Dundas St W in Toronto, Ontario. I learned for certain in April 2014 that Alice was in constant contact with Langford Duer Cranstoun, my grandfather, her brother and all three siblings returned to Antigua for their father’s funeral. William McIntosh told me he met my grandfather and grandmother at their house and they invited Alan and Pearl, who he also met. My grandfather remained in Antigua for two months and returned in December 1920. Arthur Herbert, let’s call him “Artie” was well respected by all who knew him and when I returned to Antigua in January 2013 I met Yvonne Hall MacMillan. The Hall and Cranstoun families were very close and when Henry John Hall was getting older he sent his son Robert Langford Hall, Langford from Langford Selly Cranstoun, to “Artie” to “Become a Man”, as he was the best marksman on Antigua and an excellent horseman, in fact he was a champion jockey and it was said he could take any horse and beat a thoroughbred. Artie was an acting magistrates clerk and a sub inspector of schools as well as the manager of the Diamond Estate.
Although he held the respect of all who knew him, few knew of his other life, in fact it was not until I was contacted by Gail Martineau did I actually begin to understand and find out more of the family history, unknown by many. In December 2012, I received an email from a posting I made on ancesty.ca entitled Cranstoun, Kelsick, Mercer, McIntosh from a woman who was interested in finding out about the Cranstoun’s. “I am Gail M. My mother is Lucille. I have an Uncle Arthur and had an Aunt Millicent. email me ....Antigua connection”. I responded, “I got your message from ancestry.ca about the Cranstoun’s in Antigua. How can I help you?” We corresponded back and forth. Her second email “Are
u from Antigua or have relatives there.” Her third
email dropped the bomb, “Mothers father name Arthur
Hebert Cranstoun. He was a vet and according to my older brother
he died when he was caring for an animal and a boil from the
animal burst and went into his eye or mouth. I am 53. My mom
died at 40 in a boat accident. She was mixed white father and
black mother. I know nothing about Antigua. I was born in St.kitts.
My older brother is doing the search. Mother was from PARham.
My grand mother worked on a plantation. Cranstoun are still
in Antigua. I have a cousin Handel there. My Aunt Millicent
Cranstoun died recently. She was mixed. O I am black or light
skin. I have an Uncle Arthur Cranstoun. Hope to hear from you. She told me she lived in New Jersey and would get back to me after she talked to her brother. I sent her an email saying we needed to talk and I asked her for her phone number. She responded. “Hi Steve, I spoke to my older brother who knows so
much more than I do. He told me that my mother had 2 sisters
and 1 brother. He also said my mothers father died when she
was 37 yrs old, but he left orders to have his kids go to Catholic
school. She was born in Pares village according to my brother.
My brother also told me something about Scotland and the Royals
fighting and someone sent over to St. Kitts and someone being
killed before leaving Scotland. He had such a long story, I
cannot remember everything. Does that sound familiar? If you
ever return to Antigua...my cousin Handel Cranston still lives
in Antigua. He is the son of my Uncle Arthur Cranstoun who now
lives in Tobago. My Uncle Arthur had a few kids....another is
Althea, another son called Archie who is a pilot. My Aunt Millicent
Cranstoun had one or 2 kids. She died last last year in Antigua.
Family of the Cranstoun is still in Antigua. Is any of that
info ring a bell for you? My phone # is ---. That is my cell #. I work 12 hr shift so the best time to reach me is after 8 pm at night. Looking forward to hear from you. I would love to see pictures. I have a family picture that I can email you....it has my mother in it. I cannot wait to hear your story.” This was unbelievable, I was in total shock! One must wonder how, two families who don’t know each other exists, have almost the same story on this man, which by the way isn't true, but keep reading as this gets even better! I had believed I had found everyone I could and my wife said, “Finally I have my husband back after a year’s work and now you find more family!” Little did she know this was just the beginning. I called Gail and we talked for almost two hours and I sent her an early copy of my book and received an email about 2:45 AM saying she found me on Facebook and it was the first time she’d ever seen her grandfather. She sent me her picture and told me she’d speak to me again in the morning as she couldn’t put the book down. When we were talking I related the story Myrna had told me about Mavis Ralph and when I mentioned the name Mavis Ralph she shouted, “Mavis is my cousin! Now do you believe I am who I say I am and I’m not making this up.” I chuckled and told her she sounded like me when I first contact people and told her when she had told me about Arthur I knew right then that she was the real deal as only family would know that information about him. So as I was to find out old Arthur Herbert “Artie” Cranstoun was an even bigger player than family rumour had him to be, he had many children, all with different mothers before he was married and even when he was married. So because Gail contacted me first we’ll start with her mother’s family. Mary Ann "Ethel" Charles
Mary Ann "Ethel" Charles was a servant at Diamond Estate where “Artie” was the Manager and she was from Pares Village, Antigua. They had Gail’s mother Maude Lucilla Hyacinth Charles, born August 29, 1929, at Parham, Antigua. Lucilla married John Martin Martineau and they had the following children. Curletta, Koriet “Margaret”, Cynthia Heather “Gail”, and Sheryl Agnes and a son named Dwight Kay. In 1970 Lucilla and her daughter Sheryl died in the M. V. Christina boating disaster on a trip between St. Kitts and Nevis. When everyone was in the water Lucilla grabbed her daughter and another girl and swam to safety. Unfortunately, the girl who lived was not her daughter and Lucilla died shortly thereafter. Before the accident she married Ivan Benjamin Connor who already had a son named Perry. Perry lives in St. Thomas, and Curletta lives in Antigua and is married to Hollis Henry and they have two daughters, Rox-Anne and Ann Marrie. Gail has a son born 1998, a daughter, who has a PhD, born 1979 and is married and has a child. Another daughter born 1983 and a son born 1988. Her sister Koriet born 1949 passed away in 2004. Edith Ambrose
“Artie” had another child with Edith Ambrose who was a servant at the Thomas Estate owned by the Cranstoun family her name was Millicent Mildred Ambrose born August 7, 1924 and died May 21, 2011. Millicent married Clarkston Milton Ralph and they had a daughter Eileen Mavis Ralph born 5 March 1942. Mavis married Francis Alexander Henry and they had three children Ralph Iton Carl Henry (RICH) born 1971, Dr. Lori-Ann Alicia Suzzette Henry (LASH) born 1972, she is a doctor in Jamaica and Rafig Alex Shridath Henry (RASH) born 1976. Now I mentioned I recounted a story told to me by Myrna Kelsick to Gail about Mavis Ralph when we first started talking and this is the story. Myrna, daughter of Florence Ethel “Florrie” Cranstoun-Bethel, was in church one day and this lady approached her telling her that she had a wonderful Hymm Book and asked if she have it. Myrna said no and the lady said they don’t make them anymore can I have it rebound for you. Myrna said yes and a few weeks later the Hymm Book was returned. The lady looked at Myrna and said, “You have no idea who I am, do you?” Myrna replied, “No I do not”. The lady told her her grandfather was Arthur Herbert Cranstoun, and that’s how Myrna found out about Mavis Ralph. I met Mavis and her husband Frank on my visit to Antigua in January 2013 and we had a wonderful chat about the family and I learned a lot of information. At the time I found it very interesting that, the illegitimate children of “Artie” all seemed to know each other but the legitimate family (white) knew nothing or didn't want to know of them. Frances Quildan
“Artie” had another child with Frances Quildan named Tamar Elenor "Hermita" Quildan and she lived in Trinidad and I have spoken to her as well. Now, Hermita was born in 1932, in Bethesda Village which makes alarm bells go off as “Artie” married Hyacinth Palmer in 1929. He also had two other children born the year he was married. Hermita’s daughter, Mystie, told me her mother knew all her sisters and her brother, Arthur Hurbert and she kept in touch with him. She told me her mother saw a picture of her father once so I sent her a couple more. I was told that her grandmother, Frances Quildan, told her three women came around, believed to have been “Artie’s” sister’s with adoption papers but Frances refused to give up custody of her daughter. I have tried to obtain more information from Mystie, as Frances is one of the few remaining people who has knowledge about the family but as often happens in the Caribbean, "Out of sight, out of mind". Melvina “Mel” Roberts “Artie” had yet another child with Melvina “Mel” Roberts named Lyda Roberts-Cranston born in 1929 and passing away on January 1, 1972. Melvina Roberts was cousin to Eva Martin. In the words of Frank Sinatra, 1929 was a very good year for “Artie”. In June 2015 I came across some people from Bethesda on Facebook and uncovered a book by Joy Lawrence called “Bethesda and Christian Hill our History & Culture” which I bought and read and I am glad I did. How do I explain this? In the book it mentions that my cousin Handel Cranstoun represented Antigua in an international track and field meet in Jamaica and his brother Archie was “the best footballer”, so I contacted Archie and he knew of the book and told me Handel and Joy were close friends. I had to chuckle, as here we went again, more information I uncovered and now I was getting the whole story, from the horses mouth, so-to-speak. As it turns out the story takes a rather interesting twist as we learn Joy Lawrence is also a part of the family! Archie and Handel’s father, Arthur, was a school teacher in Bethesda along with his sister Lyda. Now, the main teacher and the person who sparked my interest to buy the book was a woman named Vida Martin. The name Martin in Bethesda rang a bell for me because Melvina “Mel” Roberts and Eva Martin were cousins. Vida Martin adopted Lyda Roberts-Cranston and moved to Grays Hill. (more alarm bells). Archie told me there was a man named Roberts who would stop him every time he saw him and ask about his father Arthur. The reason for the second alarm bell was because Lyda’s grandmother Evelina “Effie” Cranstoun lived her final days at Grays Hill. So I wondered if she might have gotten to know her last grandchild, or if Lyda ever knew who she was. I called William McIntosh and told him this story and asked what he thought and he said he didn’t think “Effie” would have made any effort to get to know her as she was kind of stand offish. From my travels around Antigua with Russel Kelsick and Handel Cranston my betting is she did know who she was as the population was smaller then and everyone I’ve met who lives in Antigua seems to know everyone, in one way or another. I was to learn from Eric Henry, an older gentleman who lives in Bethesda, that he lived on one side of the Bethesda Methodist Church and the Cranstoun’s lived on the other side and when the fish came in his mother or Handel’s mother would come out and announce to one another that the fish were in. Then he told me when he went to the USA to become a lawyer, Handel and his wife lived in his house. Eric Henry was a policeman and he told me he asked Arthur, Handel’s father, to join the force, which he did. Arthur was also a member of the Antiguan Army. This painted a much brighter picture of Arthur for me than what I had learned about him via newspapers and I’m so happy I purchased the book and found these people because I really like Handel and Archie and I didn’t want them to think all I did was find dirt on people and write it down. As you will see later, I had spoken to their father twice and had some very interesting talks but this news is so much brighter and paints a much better picture of him, for me. Lyda Roberts-Cranston’s brother was a man named Walter Lawrence. The father of Joy Lawrence, the author of Bethesda and Christian Hill Our History & Culture, was Owen Lawrence who had two brothers named John and Richard. It turns out Joy’s uncle John Lawrence was the father of Walter Lawrence! Walter Lawrence and his wife Josephie owned a general grocery store in Bethesda. “They were famous for selling “dutty gal”, a sugar cake made of grated coconut, spice and brown sugar simmered to the desired consistency then place on a wooden counter to dry. They sold for one cent each. Village children in the 50’s relished finding a one cent piece, which they would clean and shine to ensure the shopkeeper would accept it for a piece of sugar cake.” - From the book Bethesda and Christian Hill Our History & Culture by Joy Lawrence. Eva Martin
Let us go back to 1924 when ”Artie” met Eva Martin from Bethesda, Antigua and had his first son, Arthur Hurbert Esedora Cranstoun, (note the slight spelling difference in Hurbert and Herbert) who was born December 12, 1924. His birth record, which I obtained from the Antigua National Archives says “Arthur”, Male, Illegit, born to Eva Martin of Blizards. Arthur was baptised in the Methodist Church and given his full name then. (This fact, makes the comment from Gail very puzzling about "Artie" leaving instructions for his children to be raised in the Catholic religion.) Arthur Hurbert Esedora Cranstoun was the only “illegitimate” child “Artie” gave his name too. Arthur died in July 2014 and was buried in Tobago. I did speak with Arthur, who lived in Tobago before he died, and the stories he told me! Arthur Hurbert Esedora Cranstoun - son of "Artie" Arthur Hurbert Esedora Cranstoun had a son named Handel who lived in Antigua. I made contact with Handel before I left for Antigua in January 2013, thanks to Gail Martineau, and he was waiting to meet me at the Halcyon Hotel when I arrived. So let’s start with Handel. I liked him from the first moment I met him and during the two weeks we spent together he went out of his way to show me Antigua all the while I was trying to explain our family to him.
On our first day together he took us to meet his friend’s mother who knew a lot about the island’s history. As it turned out the lady he took us to meet was Yvonne Hall MacMillan. Handel was as shocked as I was when I finally figured out exactly who she was and I explained to him, how close the two families were. We had such an interesting morning Yvonne asked us back for dinner on Friday where we met her husband and her son Sean, Handel’s friend and her brother Vernon. It was ironic that after all these years a Hall was still friends with a Cranstoun and the two had no idea that the family had been friends for years, until we met with Yvonne. Perhaps because Handel lost the u in Cranstoun, his name is Cranston, that no one clued in and Handel had no idea of the “legitimate” side of the family. After meeting with Yvonne, Handel asked where we wanted to go next. I told him I never found Diamond Estate on my last trip and his grandfather, “Artie” was the manager of that estate. He knew exactly where it was as he recalled going there for parties when he was a little boy. Our family story has so many twists and turns it is uncanny.
Handel took us to the Diamond Estate and we got permission to walk around. I called to Handel and asked him to walk around the estate with me, having been there as a child, it seemed that it did not mean anything to him until I asked if he felt anything inside about walking on the ground of his forefathers. He looked at me and said, “I’m begining to understand a little, my grandfather lived here.” The estate is now run by the government for growing crops as an experiment to see how they can improve the islands agriculture. As it turns out, I discovered it was the childhood home of Tubby Derrick! We then went to Cochranes and Thomas’ estates which were owned in the past by my geat grandfather. Then back to the hotel to talk and my wife and I learned more about Handel’s family. While we were sitting there a bartender walked by named Coulton and I told Handel he was my favourite bartender. Handel said he knew him, I chuckled and called Coulton over and asked him if he knew this guy. He smiled and looked at me and then said to Handel, “What are you doing with this guy?”. Handel told Coulton we were cousins and then Coulton asked, “How is Archie?”. I asked Handel who Archie was and he told me he was his brother who had been the accountant at the Halcyon for years! How weird was this? Last April when I went to Antigua for the first time and knowing basically nothing, I chose the Halcyon Hotel to stay at and now I find my cousin had worked there.
Handel then gave me the names of his siblings and their phone numbers, including his father’s number in Tobago. He was shocked that I knew about his father’s past but he never missed a beat telling us about his family. Handel’s mother was Monica Annabelle Thompson born April 14, 1925 and died April 3, 2006 at the age of 80. She married Arthur on August 1, 1945 at the Methodist Church in St. Kitts and they had the following children. Now remember the u was dropped from some of the children’s last name so it is not a spelling error. Amanda Hester who died as a child, Archie William Stanely (u was not dropped from his name), Eunice, Althea born March 11, 1949 and of course Handel Birtrum born January 29, 1954. Handel is married to Pauline Faustina Martin and they have a son and a daughter. Handel has another daughter, with Brenda Alicia Christopher, named Monica and she has a daughter. Handel has another son with Pauline Marsh, named Gervais who was in the US Navy and fought in Iraq and works for CNN. Althea Cranston was born March 11, 1949 and married Quartland Hadely and they have two sons, Deno Michael born November 2, 1972 and Jeremy born November 30, 1978. When I was speaking with Althea I mentioned some family names she mentioned she had been in the Carnival Queen contest in Carnival as a young woman and she remembered the name Kelsick doing something with her costume. I told her I knew who it was and he was family...Cyril George Kelsick designed costumes for Carnival, I knew this as Myrna had shown us pictures of his costumes before we left. How ironic is this? Althea said she remembered meeting Myrna’s son Kevin and her costume was put together in Cyril and Myrna’s house. I wonder if she was in one of the pictures Myrna showed us. Again another interaction with family who did not know they were family! Althea has a sister named Eunice Annabelle, born July 29, 1950, she married to Robert ---, born March 7, 1946, in January 1978. They have two sons named Devinchi and Germain. When I recounted the story of her sister Althea entering the Carnival Queen contest she said she also entered it and had work done by Cyril George Kelsick. So having received Handel’s father’s phone number I called him from the hotel and we chatted for a while and I told him I would call him when I returned to Canada. Arthur Hurbert Esedora Cranstoun had another son with Margaret “Nan” Brade who grew up on Montserrat and moved to England, he never took the name Cranstoun. Although a little difficult, I did track Phillip down in England and found out he has 18 children. Phillip told me there was the possibility that he has another brother who lives in Montserrat. Arthur Hurbert had another son with Edith Potter from Potter’s village in Antigua, named Joseph who lives in St. Thomas and was a pilot for Liat Airlines and retired as the head of the Port Authority of the Virgin Islands and is well known throughout the islands. Phillip Abbott also knew Joe from his days at Liat. I was later to learn Langford Selly Cranstoun owned a plantation known as "Potters" which he sold to purchase Cochranes and Thomas', so it appears old "Artie" Cranstoun made the rounds on his father's estates. Arthur Hurbert also had another daughter with Mary “Maisie” Gabriel named Jackie who moved to the USA and the family has lost contact with her. I found her through eunice but she has yet to ccontact me. Arthur moved to Tobago after a bit of a troubled life and married Cynthia Gloria Joefield from Tobago in 1973. They adopted a daughter named Chantelle Khadija who lives in Tobago. When I called Arthur on my return to Canada I asked him if he knew he had a brother and he said, “Yes, I saw him a few times but I was not allowed to speak to him.” I asked why and he told me it was the times. Children who were not of a legitimate marriage were not allowed to speak to the legitimate children of their father. As we were talking and I was explaining the family that I knew of I mentioned Mercer’s and he told me he bought his first bicycle from Arthur Edward Rawlings Mercer and he knew they also owned the Kennsington Hotel, so he knew of them but had no idea they were family. AE, as he was known, sold Hercules bicycles and that was the first one Arthur owned. He knew about Harper’s Drug Store but had no idea they were part of his family either. Arthur’s last son is Archie born November 1951 in Bethesda, Antigua, lives in the USA and I have made contact with and met him and we continue to talk today. An interesting story told to me by Handel. He worked in the Customs Office at the airport in the package department. One day this man came to Antigua and as he was going through customs the agent asked what his business in Antigua was and he said he was there to meet his brothers and mentioned their last name and the agent mentioned there was a Cranston working there. The man said he was looking for his brother Handel, shocked the agent took the man with him to meet Handel. Handel had no idea he had another brother so when the man told him he was his brother, Handel said he looked at him and told him to F_ _ _ Off and he walked away. The man said, "Wait you have a brother named Joe and a brother named Archie", Handel stopped dead in his tracks turned and looked at him and called his brother Archie and told him about this man at the airport claiming to be their brother and he knew about the family. Archie confirmed the man’s identity with Handel and all three were reunited. The man’s name...Phillip Brade. Legal Marriage Of Arthur Herbert “Artie” Cranstoun
"Artie" legally married Hyacinth Neville Marguerite “Cynthia” Palmer in February 1929 in Basseterre, St. Kitts and they had two children Langford Arthur Edwin Cranstoun born October 30, 1930 and “Cynthia” Hyacinth Neville Cranstoun, from Cynthia’s travel documents they may have been twins, family insist they were not twins. The 1932 marriage date is most interesting as you have seen "Artie" had two children Maude Lucillia Charles born August 29, 1929, Gail’s mother and Hermita Quildan, born August 28, 1932. “We congratulate Arthur H Cranstoun most heartily on his marriage in St. Kitts in February to Miss H. Palmer, and we wish for him and his wife much happiness in the years to come. Arthur Cranstoun has been a loyal son of the school, (Antigua Grammar School) and a most devoted son to his mother, and a faithful friend to many. And these are the characteristics that make a man a good husband. He is the Manager of the Diamond Estate in Antigua.” Whoever wrote that article didn't know old "Artie" at all. No one wants to speak ill of the dead and after everything I have learned about him I just can't think of anything nice to say about my grandfather's brother but I do know what's written above just ain't it. Will Of Arthur Herbert Cranstoun Arthur died intestate and Hyacinth had to swear out an affidavit in the court in 1932. In the Goods of Arthur Herbert Cranstoun (deceased) "I Hyacinth Cranstoun of Temple and Nevis Streets in the city of Saint John in the Island of Antigua, widow, make oath today that Arthur Herbert Cranstoun of the Diamond Estate in the Parish of Saint Peter in the Island of Antigua aforesaid, Planter, deceased, died on the 19th day of June, 1932, at the Holberton Hospital in the Parish of Saint John in the Island of Antigua, intestate. And that I am the lawful widow and relict of the said deceased and that I will administer according to the law all the estate which the law devolves to and vests as the personal representative of the said deceased. That I will exhibit a true and perfect inventory of the said Estate and include a just and true account thereof wherever required by law so to do. And that the whole of the said Estate amounts in value to the sum of 466 pounds and no more to the best of my knowledge, information and belief." Signed by Hyacinth M Cranstoun the 15 July, 1932 After Arthur died Hyacinth moved back to St. Kitts with the children, Langford Arthur and Cynthia, henceforth Sigrid’s (wife of Arthur’s son Langford) comment to me, that the Cranstoun family came from St. Kitts. I don't think she knew of her husband's family on Antigua. Cynthia moved the family across the street from....the Uddenberg’s (Sigrid's maiden name), where Langford Arthur’s future wife, Sigrid, lived and the Uddenberg’s also knew the Malone family! (This information was provided to me by Langford’s daughter) Now another twist of fate! Arthur Hurbert Esedora Cranstoun worked in the tax department in St. Kitts and so did Hyacinth Cranstoun. He knew who she was but because of the times he could never speak to her. “Cynthia” Hyacinth Neville Cranstoun, “Artie’s” legitimate daughter married Manely Smith and they had a son named Stephen, who lives on the west coast of Canada, Cynthia, a nurse, and Manely were later to divorce. You Can't Make This Stuff Up Very, very strange indeed. What follows is a series of events which occurred in 1959. Two brothers, who don’t know each other, who live in different parts of the world, are both charged and put on trial, both for using a knife on a woman. Langford Arthur Edwin Cranstoun was charged with murder in Canada and Arthur Hurbert Esedora Cranstoun was charged with assault with intent to kill in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. In my quest to learn about the family I did multiple searches and uncovered the events which follow in old newspapers from Canada and St. Kitts. The purpose was not to dig up family dirt, it happened, it's true, so let's just face the truth. “March 4, 1959 - The Virgin Islands Daily News - Wife Stabber Breaks Out Of Fort Christian" The St. Thomas Police are scouring the island and blocking every means of escape for the prisoner who broke out of his cell at Fort Christian Monday evening. He is Arthur Cranstoun who was being held in lieu of $1.000 bail for stabbing his wife, Monica, February 22. The charge was assault with intent to kill. The police, reconstructing the escape, said that he made his way to freedom by bending back a wire screen that covered a long narrow exercise area and squeezed through. From there he climbed to the roof of the Fort and dropped a short distance to a stairway that leads to the waterfront drive. Water escape routes, particularly, are being watched, since the police feel Cranstoun an Antiguan, might be trying to work his way back to that island. "May 20, 1959 - The Virgin Islands Daily News - Knifer Of Wife Gets 5 Years" Arthur Cranstoun was sentenced yesterday morning to five years in jail by Judge Walter A. Gordon in the District Court on a charge of mayhem. Three months ago Cranstoun stabbed his wife several times and was charged with assault with intent to kill. The charge was later reduced to the lesser charge of mayhem. He will serve his time in Richmond Penitentiary in St. Croix. After serving his 5 year term Arthur tried to re-enter St. Thomas and was deported as an undesireable. He snuck back into the country and had a child with Mary “Maisie” Gabriel for whatever reason they separated and in 1967 he attacked her with a machette and cut her hand off. Police had and questioned him but they released him and he left the country. Arthur Herbert Esedora Cranstoun died on June 23, 2014 on Tobago, he was 89 years old. Arthur never dened the storyand when I asked him about it all he said was he had a bit of a troubled life when he was younger. You know you just can’t make this stuff up unless you are a little bent. If I was writing a soap opera I would have won an emmy! Langford Arthur Edwin Cranstoun
“CRANSTOUN, Langford Arthur Edwin October 30, 1930 June 18th, 2007 Langford passed away peacefully in Royal Jubilee Hospital. Thank You to all of the staff at 2 West (RJH) and James Bay Lodge for caring for him. Langford was born in Antigua, West Indies and moved to Victoria in 1975 where he has resided for his last years. He enjoyed watching cricket in Beacon Hill Park, playing tennis and ping pong, watching hockey and playing scrabble. He is survived by his wife Sigrid and daughters Sheila (Kevin), Marlene (Hugh) and Cynthia. Also, stepchildren Roland, Nigel and Che and grandchildren Theo, Matt, Angelina and Ryan as well as his nephew Stephen his sisters son and his family. No service. A private family gathering will take place.” Arthur and Sigrid had three daughters, Cynthia is not married and has two children, Sheila married Kevin and they have two sons, and Marlene who is not married and obviously Sigrid Uddenberg had children prior to her marriage to Arthur: Roland, Che, Nigel and Paula. Sigrid had a daughter prior to her marriage to Davison which she gave up to adoption in England in the 1950’s. Charge Airman With
Slaying Of Nurse
"A charge of murder was laid yesterday against Arthur Langford Edward Cranstoun, an RCAF Station Clinton airman accused of the knife slaying of a pretty Westminister Hospital nurse, Ruth Buckley, 24. Cranstoun a native West Indian was remanded in custody to September 10, 1959 by County Magistrate F. G. McAlister The charge was read out and a warrant executed in the third floor room of the surgical building at the hospital where the accused is being treated for knife wounds. It is just a few hundred feet from the dim treed park in which Miss Buckley was attacked Thursday night and her throat savagley thrashed. Cranstoun’s condition is considered critical although hospital officials said, “he is holding his own”. He suffered a deep neck wound. During their investigation police intimated the slaying was the tragic climax to a romantic rendezvous which Cranstoun had arranged with Miss Buckley, a native of Fort William. After Miss Buckley appeared screaming at the door of hospital admitting office, her hand clutching a deep gash in her throat, attendants found Cranstoun lying face down on the grass near the scene unconscious and bleeding profusely. The nurse had dashed more than 300 yards from the tiny unlighted exercise yard for physiciatric patients where the stabbing took place to the admitting room. She collapsed on the threshold and gasped a name to a nurse on duty. Minutes later she died in the operating theatre at the surgical building. She and Cranstoun had become acquainted earlier this year when he was a patient for one month. Miss Buckley, a 1955 graduate of McKellar General Hospital in Port Arthur, came to Westminster Hospital in January. Late yesterday Earl Buckley, the victim’s father arrived in London with his son and his sister to claim his daughter’s body. He said he was notified of her death at 1:00 AM Wednesday, four hours after the stabbing. “I have been very fortunate” the grief stricken man said. “I’ve had a wonderful family. We’ve never had any trouble.” He saw Ruth last in July when she returned to Fort William for a friend’s wedding. she was at home for five days. The dead girl was one of four children. Another sister is a nurse. Two brothers are both teachers, one of them rode with his sisters body on the train back to Fort William. Mr. Buckley flew back last night to Lakehead to be with his wife who suffers from a heart condition. Inspector K. W. Grice of the Ontario Provinical Police Criminal Investigation Branch in Toronto said an autopsy on the woman revealed death was caused by a wound to the throat. Coroner Dr. Arthur Smith said Miss Buckley had been stabbed three times - in the arm, chest and the fatal wound to the throat. Cranstoun’s home is in Victoria, British Columbia, he has been in the air force for 10 months and was based at Clinton for the last eight months. He is unmarried and a native of St. Kitts, an island in the Windward Group. Dr. A. E. Ferguson hospital superintendant described the nurse as “a thoroughly nice person” said she was to have gone on duty at 11:00 PM. She lived in the hospital nurses’ residence less than 100 yards from the exercise yard." After the trial Langford Arthur lived, for a short time with a family member in Scarborough, Ontario after his trial and left, his whereabouts from 1959 - 1966 were unknown, until recently. In 2012 Pearl's daughter, told me that in the early 1960’s a coloured man came to the door and her mother went out to talk with him and he left, she believes, after seeing his picture, it was Langford visiting his cousin Pearl, my father never knew any of this and we only lived a few blocks away. I have to wonder, after hearing this if he paid a visit to his Uncle Duer, my grandfather. He left Ontario and went back to Victoria, BC and lived with his sister Cynthia for a period of time before returning to St. Kitts. His obituary says he moved to Victoria, BC in 1975. After contacting his children, I find that Arthur went home to St. Kitts where he married his wife Sigrid, a childhood friend, in 1966 shortly after she returned from England with four children (lastname Davison) from her earlier marriage and they in turn had three children. Controversy seemed to follow Langford as while in St. Kitts he had a car/bus accident and injured his daughter Sheila and someone on the bus was killed. His defence lawyer was Charles Francis Henville who I was to learn he was related to Langford Arhur's mother! He left St. Kitts for Victoria, BC, taking his daughter with him as she needed an operation on her leg and the rest of the family followed later in 1975. In 1986 Sigrid Uddenburg’s children from her first marriage removed her from her residence and they remained apart until his death, never divorcing. For whatever the reason, although Arthur was a Canadian citizen, the rest of the family did not acquire their Canadian citizenship until after the year 2000. Arthur Herbert Cranstoun Family Tree | Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun
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Arthur
Herbert “Artie” Cranstoun was born on November
24, 1894 at Cassada Gardens, Antigua. He was the second son
of Langford Selly Cranstoun and Evelina Gibbons Harper. One
could write an entire book on my grandfather’s brother
Arthur Herbert Cranstoun.
Langford
Arthur Edwin Cranstoun married Sigrid Uddenberg in 1966. There
were a couple of not so very nice stories about Langford Arthur.
Langford Arthur Edwin Cranstoun came to Canada and was a member
of the Royal Canadian Air Force and in 1959 in London, Ontario
he stood trial for murder which he got off of, on a technicality.
I actually found the article in the archives of the Toronto
Daily Star and The London Evening Free Press. When I read his
obituary, I searched the Victoria phone book and found Sigrid
and I called her to see if she was Arthur’s wife she confirmed
everything and hung up on me. I did not understand at the time
but I later learned they lived apart from 1985 and she wanted
nothing to do with him, they did not get divorced. Arthur died
in Victoria, British Columbia on June 18, 2007 and the following
is his obituary: 
