Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1883-1965, predominant 1916-1918 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
83.5 cm of textual records
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Sidney Brook, 1871-1957, was born in Brighton, England. He came to Canada in 1891 and settled for several years near Morden, Manitoba. In 1907 he married Christena Isabelle McFadden, 1886-1966, of Manitou, Manitoba. They had seven children, Gordon S., 1908-?, Arnott, 1910-1917, Lorne V., [ca. 1912]- , Glen L., [ca. 1914 or 1915]- , Alice May (Carmichael), 1916- , Mabel (Lewis), 1920- , and Roy Eustace, 1924- . The Brooks moved to Alberta in 1910 and farmed at Craigmyle. Sidney served during the First World War and was wounded in France. The Brooks retired from farming in 1939 and moved into Craigmyle, where Sidney worked as the Alberta Treasury Branch agent for 15 years. In 1963 Isabelle moved into Calgary.
For further information see “An Honored Place”: Gender, Work, and the Brook Family on the Western Canadian Home Front During the First World War / Michelle L. Brandsma. - MA thesis: University of Saskatchewan, 2017.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Gift of Irene Brook, 2005
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The fonds consists of Sidney’s diaries and notebooks (1883-1954); correspondence between Isabelle and Sidney during their courtship and early married life (1906-1910); extensive correspondence between Sidney (serving overseas) and Isabelle (on the home front) during the First World War (1916-1918); letters to Sidney from his Brighton siblings, whom he re-meets during the war (1916-1918); letters from Isabelle’s family in Manitoba (1908-1952); letters to Sidney and Isabelle from their children (1932-1947), in particular from Alice and Mabel who trained as nurses at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (1938-1941); and Isabelle’s scrapbook of articles and memorabilia about Craigmyle (1935-1965).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
No restrictions on access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
The material is in English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Digital content is available: https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/Package/2R3BF1S3CWMIJ
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of records.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Brook, Sidney (Subject)
- Brook, Isabelle (Subject)
- Brook, Alice (Subject)
- Brook, Mabel (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Tuesday, January 30, 2018