French War Bride Marie-Jeanne Mazeau

Canadian Expeditionary Force service file for Frederick John Everett Ball, Regimental no 33249

French War Bride Marie-Jeanne Mazeau married British-born Canadian Expeditionary Force soldier Frederick J E Ball in Rouen, France in 1917. Marie-Jeanne was born in September 1895 to Louis Mazeau and his wife Appoline Augustine Lebreton in Rouen, France.

Frederick was born in London, England in 1891 to Frederick Ball and his wife Henrietta Louis Claydon. He came to Canada with his family as a young man in April 1911, on the ship Victorian, headed to Winnipeg. He enlisted in September 1914, at Valcartier, Quebec and went overseas with the No. 3 Field Ambulance as part of the First Contingent in October 1914.

He served with the No 3 Field Ambulance from February 1915 to June 1916 and was later attached to the Canadian Section, 3rd Echelon, General Headquarters, in Rouen, France from June 1916 to February 1919, where he met his future wife. 

Frederick returned to Canada on the Adriatic in September 1919, with his French bride and the couple lived in Victoria for a few years. However, by 1925 Marie-Jeanne had remarried to John Diggle in Bellingham, Washington and the couple resided in North Vancouver where Marie-Jeanne had an avid interest in growing African Violets.

Her husband John Diggle died in 1978 and Marie-Jeanne died in 1987 at the age of 91.

(c) Annette Fulford, January 2025