Patrick Stanislaus Pettit : Short Biography

Patrick Stanislaus Pettit (1882-1957) was born in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Roscommon.  He was 5’8” tall with fair hair and brown eyes. 

On his paternal side, were the Pettits of Granard, Co. Longford who had been grocers there for generations.  His maternal grandfather was Carrick merchant Patrick Barrett Esq. (1814–1878). It looks like a match was made on this basis. 

The Pettits and the Barretts were both Old-English (Hiberno-Norman) families. In the12th century they were arch-enemies, fighting over territory in north-east Co. Mayo. The Barretts won, driving the Pettits eastwards.

His mother, Anne Barrett, was the only daughter of Carrick Merchant, Patrick Barrett Esq. to marry and bear children. Her mother, Anne Dillon, was also of a merchant family... a Dillon of Ballaghadereen. 

When his mother died young, his father remarried, and Paddy and his brothers and sister were sent to live with their maternal aunts and uncles in Carrick. 

Paddy started out as an apprentice engineer and was working in Mount St., Dublin in 1901, age 19. In 1911, age 28, he was residing with his Barrett-Pettit siblings in Carrick, assisting in the business as an accountant (aka clerk). Perhaps Engineering had not worked out for him. 

He emigrated to Canada in 1913 and worked as a store clerk before becoming active in WW1 with Canadian Expeditionary Forces & the British Army.  

On August 4, 1914, Britain entered the First World War (1914–1918) by declaring war on Germany. Canada, being a British dominion, declared war on Germany the following day. An independent Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was raised. Patrick S Pettit, volunteered for the CEF on October 24, 1914, at Regina, Saskatchewan.  

In his Attestation, Patrick stated he had never served in a Military Force before but that he already belonged to the Active Militia (the original name for the Canadian Army). He was 32 years 11 months old and stated his trade as a “clerk”. He gave his brother, John’s name as next of kin. Given his background, he was trained as an officer. He started out as part of the 28th Battalion and was discharged in December 1915 due to his appointment of 2nd Lieutenant to the New Army. 

On 1 July 1916, the Battle of the Somme began. It was shortly after this, on July 27 that 2nd Lieutenant Patrick S. Pettit entered France as part of the Royal Fusiliers. 39% of the Canadian force were casualties. Paddy was one of the lucky few to survive. His service records have been digitised here. 

British Prime Minister Lloyd George wrote, “The Canadians played a part of such distinction that thenceforward they were marked out as shock troops; for the remainder of the war they were brought along to head the assault in one great battle after another. Whenever the Germans found the Canadian Corps coming into the line they prepared for the worst.”

After the war, CEF was disbanded. He seems to have been stationed in England for a time in 1919. Patrick S. Pettit was made Captain of the Tank Corps, stationed at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada. By 26 May 1920 he was stationed at Fort Qu’appelle, Saskatchewan.

In the summer of 1920 a Patrick Pettit married in Carrick on Shannon in Ireland (tbc if same person). He married Margaret Palmer and had a son and daughter. 

He worked in Northern Saskatchewan with the Department of Fisheries, eventually becoming the Minister of Fisheries.

He died in Canada in 1957, age 72.