Born exactly 2 years and 4 days after his older brother, Clifton, little Aubrey Fish experienced several losses in his 7 years before he perished during the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917 at the Halifax Protestant Orphanage.
Clinton Alma Fish (middle name is listed as Almon on New Hampshire birth index), born November 20, 1885 in Gorham, New Hampshire, USA married Stella Miller, born January 15, 1886 in Hubbards, Nova Scotia, on January 6, 1908.
On October 17, 1908, their first child Clifton Edward FISH was born in Halifax. I cannot find a record of his birth but I have found several documents that give his date of birth as October 17 (sometimes 1909). In the 1910 United States Census for Conway, New Hampshire, USA (enumerated on the 9th and 10th of May 1910) I found Clinton and Stella FISH and their son, Clifton FISH age 1 year and 7 months, which would make him 2 years old in October.
On October 22, 1910 Aubrey Albert FYSHE was born in Fox Point, Nova Scotia. His father was listed as Clinton Alma FYSHE and mother as Stella Louise MILLER.
On April 14, 1913, Ellen Jean FYSHE was born to Clinton FYSHE and Stella MILLER in Hubbards.
Sadly, baby Ellen died on January 20, 1914 at only 9 months 6 days old in Hubbards due to complications from croup. In the death registry her last name is spelled FYSHE. Aubrey was only 3 years, 2 months and 30 days old.
A year and a half after losing his baby sister, Aubrey's mother died after a year long bout of tuberculosis on July 26, 1915 at age 29. Aubrey was only 4 years, 9 months and 5 days old.
I am unsure as to when Aubrey went to live in the Halifax Protestant Orphanage or where his brother Clifton was living on December 6, 1917 when Aubrey was killed at the age of 7 years, 1 month, 15 days old.
On Clinton's World War I draft card, dated November 24, 1918, his marital status was listed as widower and he listed his son, Clifton FISH, living in Hubbards as his next of kin. Clifton was only 10 years old at the time.
Clinton went on to serve in World War II as well. On his draft card from Rochester, Windsor, Vermont where it asked for "Name and address of person who will always know your address" his only living child, Clifton FISH of Berlin, New Hampshire was listed. I believe Clinton died in May of 1965 in Vermont but I have not yet verified this information.
Clifton died in June of 1973 in Coos County, New Hampshire and is buried in Stark Village Cemetery in Coos County beside his wife Carol J FYSH (1910-1988). The name on the headstone is engraved FYSH.
As you can see, there is much discrepancy in the spelling of the surname with spellings FISH, FYSH and FYSHE.
Aubrey FISH was not laid to rest in Saint John's Cemetery with the 24 other children laid to rest there from the Protestant Orphanage. The database says he is buried in Hubbards, Nova Scotia but no specific cemetery is listed.
Here is the information I started with in search of more information of Aubrey FISH:
Aubrey FISH was among the 26 children killed at the Halifax Protestant Orphange during the Halifax Explosion on December 6, 1917.
In the McAlpine's Halifax City Directory for 1918, 1535 victims of the Halifax Explosion were listed including an Aubrey FISH.
Aubrey was listed in the Halifax Explosion Death Registration Book:
Victim Number 282 on page 46
FISH, AUBREY Male, age 7, Protestant Orphanage Halifax, remains not found
In the online searchable database from the Nova Scotia Archives, which is constantly being updated, you will find Aubrey listed as fatality number 386.
From the same database the only family member listed was his father Clinton FISH.
Comments