While my peers were busy downsizing I was doing the opposite. Friesens delivered fifty boxes of the fourth edition of ‘For Elise’ on September 21, 2018. I just couldn’t face the future without books to give me an excuse to go places and introduce my great grandmother to more people. For this edition I found the courage to include three pages at the end of the book about the great grandfather I didn’t know I had before I started my research. Furthermore, I most certainly would not have chosen him. Records show, however, and DNA confirms that my grandfather, Edwy Vane’s father was the son of Percy Criddle. DNA also confirms that his acknowledged daughter, Beatrice Criddle was also his child. Descendants on both sides are connected through the DNA results. I have accepted that he is my great grandfather and have included an account of his life in this fourth printing.
He was not the educated gentleman he led his neighbours to believe. He was in fact, a bankrupt tradesman. His mother, who had supported him with her portrait paintings passed away in 1881. Facing the humiliation of bankruptcy he took his wife’s legacy of under £ 1500 left to her by her brother. Family letters told the truth about his life in England before arriving in Manitoba, Canada.
That amount of money was expected to be sufficient to establish him as a gentleman farmer in the new land. He chose poor land and with no experience, and too much pride to accept advice, he would not have survived without Elise and her hard working family. Especially Elise and her three sons who worked for no pay from their arrival in 1882 until after their mother’s death. By that time the oldest Criddle son, Norman, had a government job and could support the family.
Edwy and Harry moved away in 1906, Cecil in 1911, on advice from Mr. Tulk, “Make a start and build a life for yourself.”
Their lives have long since gone down in history, but thanks to my determination to publish For Elise, a record of their hard work is available. Although it is now out of print there are many copies available through local libraries in Manitoba and beyond.