William Alexander Fraser
Each year during Remembrance Day services across the nation, local organizations, residents and dignitaries are called forward to lay wreaths at war memorials.
One such wreath represents an often-forgotten individual in our society whose sacrifice is no less important than the fallen soldier - their mothers. The Silver Cross Mother is so named for the medal they receive when losing a loved one in war.
The medal was the brainchild of William Alexander Fraser, an author who called Georgetown home at one point. His former residence, located at 115 Main St. S., now houses the Rangoli Indian restaurant and a branch of The Co-operators.
Local historian Mark Rowe told HaltonHillsToday “the horrors of the First World War and the difficulties that women, particularly on the homefront” faced inspired Fraser.
The Silver Cross medal, officially known as Memorial Cross.
“We never really talk about it. We’re praising all the boys overseas, as we should. But behind every great man… (is a great woman),” said Rowe, an archivist with the Esquesing Historical Society.
During the First World War, a debate raged about women’s mourning clothes. As is still customary today, wearing black was a symbol of loss. But as the mass slaughter of Canadian troops abroad made the attire more ubiquitous, people wondered if the display may erode support for the war.
Various solutions were offered. In a 1915 letter to a newspaper, the National Council of Women suggested that women should “wear a band of royal purple on the arm, to signify that the soldier they mourn died gloriously for his king and country.”
It's not known how much the debate influenced Fraser, but a year after the National Council of Women letter, he penned his own.
“I should like to suggest that Canada might pay a beautiful and deserved tribute to the mothers of slain Canadian soldiers, by having struck a medal named the Silver Cross,” he wrote to the Mail and Empire.
“The mothers are the heroines of the bitter home trenches. They suffer in silence with no reward but the sense that they have answered the call with their heart’s blood - their sons,” he wrote.
He presented a similarly impassioned plea in a letter to Prime Minister Robert Borden, who enthusiastically embraced the idea. On Dec. 1, 1919, the Silver Cross, formally known as the Memorial Cross, was born.
At the time, only mothers and widows were eligible to receive it. But several old-fashioned notions about who should get the medal have since been discarded. After Capt. Nichola Goddard was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2006 - the first female Canadian soldier to die in combat - her husband, Jason Beam, was awarded the Silver Cross. He's the first widowed husband to receive the medal. Eligibility was hence amended.
“The recipients can be any living individuals, regardless of gender or family relation to the member,” Lt. Col. Carl Gauthier, Director of Honours for the Canadian Armed Forces, said.
Armed Forces members can designate up to three loved ones to receive the medals. As the regulations have been loosened, friends can be included as well.
The importance of Fraser’s idea to the nation is reflected in monuments. The Silver Cross adorns the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa and is also featured nearby at the Peace Tower.
Each year, the Royal Canadian Legion chooses a National Silver Cross Mother to represent all mothers in Ottawa during Remembrance Day.
Mark Rowe says he makes a point of telling people about the illustrious history of humble 115 Main St. S. and its former occupant.
The building was originally built by famed paper magnate Joseph Barber. He leased it to the Bank of Hamilton in 1885.
Fraser was a world traveller, even meeting Rudyard Kipling in India. He went on to marry Jessie Barber, the daughter of Joseph. The pair lived at the home her father built with their five kids until 1914, when they moved to Toronto.
The prolific author wrote a book in 1907 called The Lone Furrow. In it, Fraser describes a church that caught fire. His home in downtown Georgetown was across the street from Knox Presbyterian Church, which caught fire in 1901. Many have speculated that he drew inspiration for the book from real events in Georgetown.
One such wreath represents an often-forgotten individual in our society whose sacrifice is no less important than the fallen soldier - their mothers. The Silver Cross Mother is so named for the medal they receive when losing a loved one in war.
The medal was the brainchild of William Alexander Fraser, an author who called Georgetown home at one point. His former residence, located at 115 Main St. S., now houses the Rangoli Indian restaurant and a branch of The Co-operators.
Local historian Mark Rowe told HaltonHillsToday “the horrors of the First World War and the difficulties that women, particularly on the homefront” faced inspired Fraser.
The Silver Cross medal, officially known as Memorial Cross.
“We never really talk about it. We’re praising all the boys overseas, as we should. But behind every great man… (is a great woman),” said Rowe, an archivist with the Esquesing Historical Society.
During the First World War, a debate raged about women’s mourning clothes. As is still customary today, wearing black was a symbol of loss. But as the mass slaughter of Canadian troops abroad made the attire more ubiquitous, people wondered if the display may erode support for the war.
Various solutions were offered. In a 1915 letter to a newspaper, the National Council of Women suggested that women should “wear a band of royal purple on the arm, to signify that the soldier they mourn died gloriously for his king and country.”
It's not known how much the debate influenced Fraser, but a year after the National Council of Women letter, he penned his own.
“I should like to suggest that Canada might pay a beautiful and deserved tribute to the mothers of slain Canadian soldiers, by having struck a medal named the Silver Cross,” he wrote to the Mail and Empire.
“The mothers are the heroines of the bitter home trenches. They suffer in silence with no reward but the sense that they have answered the call with their heart’s blood - their sons,” he wrote.
He presented a similarly impassioned plea in a letter to Prime Minister Robert Borden, who enthusiastically embraced the idea. On Dec. 1, 1919, the Silver Cross, formally known as the Memorial Cross, was born.
At the time, only mothers and widows were eligible to receive it. But several old-fashioned notions about who should get the medal have since been discarded. After Capt. Nichola Goddard was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2006 - the first female Canadian soldier to die in combat - her husband, Jason Beam, was awarded the Silver Cross. He's the first widowed husband to receive the medal. Eligibility was hence amended.
“The recipients can be any living individuals, regardless of gender or family relation to the member,” Lt. Col. Carl Gauthier, Director of Honours for the Canadian Armed Forces, said.
Armed Forces members can designate up to three loved ones to receive the medals. As the regulations have been loosened, friends can be included as well.
The importance of Fraser’s idea to the nation is reflected in monuments. The Silver Cross adorns the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa and is also featured nearby at the Peace Tower.
Each year, the Royal Canadian Legion chooses a National Silver Cross Mother to represent all mothers in Ottawa during Remembrance Day.
Mark Rowe says he makes a point of telling people about the illustrious history of humble 115 Main St. S. and its former occupant.
The building was originally built by famed paper magnate Joseph Barber. He leased it to the Bank of Hamilton in 1885.
Fraser was a world traveller, even meeting Rudyard Kipling in India. He went on to marry Jessie Barber, the daughter of Joseph. The pair lived at the home her father built with their five kids until 1914, when they moved to Toronto.
The prolific author wrote a book in 1907 called The Lone Furrow. In it, Fraser describes a church that caught fire. His home in downtown Georgetown was across the street from Knox Presbyterian Church, which caught fire in 1901. Many have speculated that he drew inspiration for the book from real events in Georgetown.