Given the wealth of information provided in the more recent censuses of Canada and the USA one would expect the information to be accurate. Perhaps in most cases it is, but for recent immigrants there was perhaps a reluctance to provide true dates of birth. Perhaps immigrants did not want their precise origins to be revealed. Certainly it is true of the Whatmores and Watmores who emigrated from England to Canada in the years immediately before the 1911 cenus. Of the three families and one individual who  had arrived recently, I was only able to trace one family back in England. I will give details first of the elusive folks. If any one knows who they are please contact me at rhyswhatmore@btinternet.com

 At Victoria in the state of Alberta were: 

William Watmore, a farmer born June 1877, arrived in 1908, with his wife Lucy born August 1877 who arrived in 1906 and their children Robert W born September 1897 and Ivy W born October 1898, both of whom arrived in 1908. I wonder why the wife went to Canada first?

 At Nelson, Halton in the state of Ontario was: 

Alfred Watmore aged 41, born in January 1860, unmarried, who had arrived in 1908.

  At South Vancouver in the state of British Columbia were: 

Robert Watmore, a bookmaker born August 1845, arrived 1871 and his wife Alice born July 1854  who also had arrived in 1871.

 At Toronto North in the state of Ontario were: 

Percy Whatmore, a leather manufacturer, born in April 1876 who arrived in 1906, together with his wife Louise A born February 1878 who arrived in 1907, and their children Percy  born August 1897, Kenneth born January 1900 and Eric aged 3, all of whom had arrived in 1907.

Percy Senior turned out to be the Percy Whatmore who was born in 1873 at Darenth, Dartford, Kent.  He had lived at Sutton at Hope and had worked as a baker and a grocer prior to emigrating. Percy had married Alice Louise Hinkley in 1896 in the Medway Registration District. Their children shown in the GRO were Percival Sidney Whatmore born 1898 in the Dartford Registration District and  Kenneth Neri Whatmore born in 1900 in the Dartford Registration District.  Eric Whatmore, aged 3 would have been born in Canada.

Percy Whatmore Senior’s line can be traced back to a Phillip Whatmore who was born at Bolton in Lancashire about 1816. By 1848 he had migrated to North Wales since he married Maria Strange in that year in the Wrexham Registration District. In 1851 they were living at Cefn y Bedd just north of Wrexham. Phillip was working as a Paper Maker. By 1861 the family had moved to Dartford in Kent where Phillip continued to work as a Paper Maker.

Phillip and Maria had quite a large family: Margaret Ann 1841, Mary 1845, Elizabeth 1851, Phillip 1852, Hannah 1854, Maria 1857 and Oliver 1860.

Phillip Whatmore Junior, born 1852 near Wrexham continued in his father’s footsteps as a Paper Maker at Sutton at Hope near Dartford. He married Minnie Lester in 1871 in the St Olave Registration District (Southwark). Phillip Junior and Minnie were the parents of the Percy Whatmore who emigrated to Canada.