Albert L. Cutten - Killed in the Halifax Explosion

Albert Little Cutten was born in 1880 in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.  His parents were John R. Cutten and Martha Teed (the granddaughter of both our loyalist ancestors, Daniel Teed and Alexander Peers). He was my 2nd cousin, twice removed and was youngest boy of 10 children. In his early years learned the machinist's trade on the railway.  

  

Hillis & Sons Stove Factory

Shortly after the Explosion

Albert Cutten had left his home at 1376 Barrington Street in Halifax early on the morning of December 6, 1917. The 36 year old machinist made his way to the cast iron stove factory of Hillis & Sons and began his day's work.  About the same time the Norwegian supply ship, the Imo set off into Halifax harbour bound for New York to pick up relief supplies headed for Belgium.  The port was busy with wartime shipping,   Convoys of ships loaded with war supplies of food, munitions and troops gathered in Bedford Basin ready for the voyage to Europe with heavily-armed warships as escorts. Neutral vessels anchored in the harbour, their crews forbidden to land for fear any might supply information to the enemy.

Just outside the mouth of the harbour, the French ship Mont Blanc, prepared to join a convoy.  She was loaded with 2,300 tons of wet and dry picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 10 tons of gun cotton and 35 tons of benzol: a highly explosive mixture.

Official Death Record for Albert L. Cutten

After a series of ill-conceived maneuvers, at 9:05 am the Imo struck the Mont Blanc resulting in a massive explosion that destroyed the Halifax Harbour front and much of the town.   Over 12,000 homes were levelled and a complete pane of glass would have been hard to find in the ruble. 

Coffins awaiting removal from Halifax Mortuary

At the Hillis & Sons stove factory 47 of the 53 workers were killed immediately, including our cousin Albert Cutten.  In total nearly 2,000 people died as a result of the explosion and a further 6,000 were injured - many blinded by flying glass.

Albert was buried in the Cemetery at Parrsboro.

Entry in the Book of Remembrance Halifax Explosion - Albert L. Cutten

Dr Edith Caroline Hudgell

Harley Street, London England - 1927

In researching the Bragg Family history, I've unearthed (so to speak) many interesting characters and among them I found Aunt Edith.  A pioneer in medicine and an influential Harley Street physician, she was noted for her probing and insightful papers on the pathology of the criminal mind.  Here's her story:

Dr. Edith Caroline Hudgell became a notable Doctor of Psychiatry and was at one time working at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (first English women to practice as a doctor) Hospital for Women in London.

She was born in River Philip, Nova Scotia Canada in 1891.  Her mother was Mary Jane Carter, daughter of Amy Ann Bragg and Theodore Harding Carter.  Her maternal grandparents were John and Jane Bragg, the originators of the Bragg Family of Nova Scotia.  Edith's father was a minister and the family travelled extensively with his missionary work.

On 29 August 1903 at the age of 11  Edith Hudgell travelled with her father Robert William Hudgell on the ship Philadelphia to Boston departing from Southampton England. The journey took 7 days.

At the age of 18 years and 8 months she applied to be a student of the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine for Women (University of London) in Brunswick Square London in the winter session 1910-11, at the time she was living at Leamington Park Acton London, with her parents. Her education was given as American schools: Kelland College, Leicester, Wandsworth Technical Institute, secondary School, Paddington County secondary school.

   Her qualifications gained were London Matriculation (School Leaving) and Oxford Senior Local (Third Class Honours) July 1909 and she was applying to the Royal Free to study for her London M.B.,B.S.

Appointments:

• 1917 House Physician, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter
• 1918 Medical Officer, No.5 Section, V.A.D. Hospital, Exeter
• 1919 Medical Officer, Home Office, Holloway Prison

Holloway Prison

Holloway Prison

 • 1920                 Acting Medical Officer, HM Prison, Holloway
 • 1921                 Medical Officer, HM Prison, Holloway
 • 1923-1933          Assistant Medical Officer Venereal Disease Dept, Royal Northern Hospital                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
 • 1936-1941          Harley Street London and Royal Northern Hospital
 • 1945-1959          Psychiatric Dept., St Georges Hospital, London SW1
 • 1959-1965          Duncanson House, Bromley Kent
 •  1965                        Retired from practice Harley Street London

John Bragg, of Collingwood  fondly remembers the regular visits Edith made to Nova Scotia to connect with her Canadian Family.  She passed away in 1974 in Swindon, Wiltshire, England - another fascinating leaf on the Bragg Family Tree.

Christmas at Windham Hill

The year is 1880 and my name is Lucy Jane Bragg Taylor. I live with my husband Andrew in Williamsdale, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.  I'm 35 years old, having just had a birthday on December 19th.  Andrew and I have been married for 7 years and this year, we are going to spend Christmas at my old family home at Windham Hill - about 14 kilometres from here.  We're taking the children, Rose, Elizabeth Ann and John Woodland who will enjoy playing with all their Bragg cousins.


My father, John Bragg is a farmer but he also acts as Justice of the Peace in River Philip.  He was appointed by Sir Charles Tupper, one of the Fathers of Confederation and a distant relative.  He presides over the monthly "sessions" that settle civil disputes and petty crimes.  Father came from Somerset, England and still has an English accent.  He was an apprentice blacksmith in his homeland and was taught to read and write by his Master in the dust on the shop's anvil.  When he was about 20, he found a job aboard a ship bound for Canada.  On arriving at Pugwash, he left the ship and followed the River Philip, through the woods and up to Windham Hill.  He cleared the land to make a large farm and his buildings were among the best in the area.  Father was a strong supporter of education, so when we were children, he hired a teacher who lived with us and gave us our lessons.   A few years after arriving here, my father met my mother who was visiting her sister - a neighbour of his.

My mother was born Jane Rogers in Lutes Mountain, near Moncton.  Her sister, Sarah had married Thomas Dobson Taylor who lived at Windham Hill.  Sarah is my Andrew's mother which makes us first cousins.  Mother and Father married in 1838 and went on to have 7 children, Lizzie, Amy Ann, Charlie, Robert, Willie and me.  


Lizzie died about 10 years ago from consumption, and her little boy followed her soon after.  


Amy married Harding Carter and they had six children but has lost three of them, John Bragg, aged 3; Ada Belle, aged 17 and Arthur, aged 23. 


 Charlie married Matilda Swallow Vincent, a widow with a daughter Eldora.  Matilda came from an old Loyalist family in Wentworth and they have 6 children.  Matilda is expecting next month and they are hoping for a boy who will be named John Thomas, after Father.  Charlie runs a general store in Collingwood Corner and also sells lumber.


Robert is not married but is seeing Angelina Ryan, so I'm sure there will be another family wedding soon.  


Willie is married to Mary Crossman and they live in Shepody, New Brunswick. 


 John is married to Cecelia King and they are planning to move to Duchess County in New York to open a bakery.  


So there will be a lot of us up on Windham Hill for Christmas.  Father and the boys will go out into the woodlot to pick the very best tree while Mother and us girls will pop popcorn to string.  There will be berries and crab apples and nuts to string, too.  We have dozens of little white candles to mount on the branches and we are making little snow balls from lamb's wool.

Tomorrow morning we will all pile into our sleighs for the trip to church.  The little church at Oxford Junction.  The church was built by my brother-in-law, Harding Carter in time for his wedding to Amy Ann 13 years ago. The lumber came from Father's woodlot.   


I can picture it now - lit by hundreds of candles and smelling of pine boughs.  There will be singing of carols and a spot of warm apple cider spiced with cinnamon before we start our trek home.


The children will play with their new toys from Father Christmas while we prepare the goose and trimmings for the family dinner later in the afternoon.  The table will be laid with Mother's best linens and overflowing with delicious delicacies.  Father will tell stories of his young life in Chaffacombe, Somerset and the boys spar over clever wordplay - a long running Bragg family trait.  The ladies will catch up on all the family news and we will all go to bed fat, happy and full of gratitude for the wonderful Christmas at Windham Hill.


(Author's note:  All the people and events in this story are real but I've used my imagination to fill out some of the details.  To all my family Bragg or otherwise - I hope your Christmas will be just as nice as the one I've imagined for our ancestors)