Frederick William Cyples was born on the 5th February 1903 at 42, Carlton Road, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent. He was the eldest of seven children having four brothers and two sisters.

By the age of 26 he had met and married Alice Williams, living in lodgings until they moved in to a cottage on Uttoxeter Road.

 

Their only child, Edna, was born in 1939 while F.W. and Alice were living in Kildare Street, Dresden.

 

On December 10th 1947, F.W. decided to take his family to the New World and boarded the Canadian Pacific Liner the "Empress of Canada". They sailed from the port of Liverpool and landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 16th of December.