Maud Artus

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Police Officer at the Women’s Police Service

Birthplace Southwark Place of Death Saskatchewan Date of Birth: June 30, 1882

Biography

Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.

Name: Maud Artus
DoB: 30 June 1882
Place of birth: St Saviour Parish, Southwark, Surrey
Parents: Thomas & Elizabeth (nee King)
Parental Home: 42 Amelia Street, Southwark, Surrey
Siblings: Elizabeth (1868), Amy (1869), Arthur (1871), Ada Louise (1873) Herbert Thomas (1875), Ernest Frederick (1877), Ruben (1879) Albert (1884), Rosa May (1886)
Spouse: Robert Patterson Halliday (but see notes below)
Date of Wedding: Canadian records not available
Children : Elizabeth (1922), Mary (1923), Dorothy (1925)
Marital home(s) : Address in Saskatchewan, Canada
Employment: Palourmaid
1911 Census: Buckland House, Eastern Rd, Lymington, Hampshire
Date of death: 1968
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada

Gretna details
Name: Maud Artus
Clock No
Date joining: Not known
Date leaving: Not known
Addresses: Women’s Police Barracks No 2, Gretna
Rank on start: PC
Promotion: None found
Newspapers: None found
Career after: Domestic servant
1921 Census : In Canada

Addresses after Gretna:
1920 – 22 Chancery Lane, London
1920 – prior to emigrating to Canada – 11 New Street, Kennington, London

Additional information

Maud’s early life appears to have been fraught with difficulties. Soon after her birth her mother was sent to prison for conspiracy to cheat and cheating. The family had spells in the local workhouse which probably accounts for why no trace of Maud can be found on the 1891 census. By 1901, she has a position in domestic service in Hampshire. Her employer, John Mair, died in 1901 and the family appear to leave Lymington to travel. Maud has not yet been located on a 1911 census. In 1914 she left to start work in Canada but returned in 1916 due to her mother’s illness. At what stage, she started at Gretna is not known but her mother lived into the 1920’s. Whilst at Gretna, Maud was billeted in Barracks 2, Gretna. Early 1920, we find records showing Maud was betrothed to Frederick Charles Willey. However, the documents include ‘cancelled’ and dated 25 January 1920. No reason was given on the documents, but only a few months later we find Maud in July 1920, emigrating to Canada where she met and appears to have married Robert Patterson Halliday but unfortunately, we have not found a location or date for their wedding. However, the couple were blessed with three daughters. Robert died in 1936. The family were living in a homestead near Yorkton in Saskatchewan. In 1968 Maud passed away in the Yorkton district.