Challenges
Mapping the movements of Harry Colebourn was not without challenges. Because little research was done beyond what Colebourn himself recorded, the maps are only as good as the information available in the diaries.
Gaps in the Narrative
Colebourn was a conscientious journal keeper, but there are gaps in his narrative and some of these are considerable. February 21 – May 11, 1916 is one of the larger gaps. For these time periods the maps are necessarily incomplete.
Chronology of Day Trips
In the course of a day Colebourn often visits several places; however the order in which he visits them is not always clear. On Feb. 7, 1917 he writes “Visit T.L. at Marle & Auchel & Floringem”. We can map these places, but a time-lapse version of the map may not accurately reflect the chronology of the visits.
Illegible and Generic Place Names
Although Colebourn’s handwriting is usually very legible, there are occasions where the place name is not decipherable. Much of the 1915 Royal Exchange Diary was written in pencil which has smudged over the years.
Smudged diary entry from June 6, 1915.
There are also some place names that are either no longer in existence or may refer to an building or establishment. Estaminet falls into this latter category as do Old House on Popperinge Rd (May 4, 1915) and Billet at Grocery Store (May 7, 1915).
Specificity
In several instances Colebourn visits large urban areas such as Paris and London. Unless he mentions specific landmarks, such as the London Zoo, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where he is. Sometimes it is possible to determine which train stations he has used as rail travel to and from London is made via stations that serve specific regions of the country.
Despite these challenges there is enough information provided in the diaries to give a reasonably complete chronicle of Colebourn’s movements during 1914-1918.
The mapping portion of this project was made possible by the wealth of geographic information contained in the diaries. Geocoding of these places provides a means of integrating this collection with tools and resources that can extend the reach of the original artifacts. The resulting maps and visualizations enhance the user’s experience and understanding of the Colebourn Family Archive and provide an extra dimension to this chapter in Colebourn’s life and Canada’s history.