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Harry Albert Thomson (1885 - 1960)

Harry Albert Thomson
Born in Ontario, Canadamap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
[children unknown]
Died at age 74 in Manitobamap [uncertain]
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Profile last modified | Created 21 Mar 2017
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Biography

Harry Albert Thomson is born on October 2, 1885, in Preston, Ontario [1][2]. His parents are Albert Wales Thomson (1855-1923) and Maud Gingrich (possibly “Gingerich”) (1862-1932). Preston is (today) part of the city of Cambridge, about 100 kilometres west of Toronto.

In the 1891 census records, Harry is five-years old, living with his parents and one sibling in Preston [3]. He is shown as 14-years-old in the 1901 census records [5]. He is actually 15-years old, but they have recorded his birth date incorrectly (1886). The family is now living in Galt which his a few kilometres south of Preston and Harry’s father is now a hotel keeper.

Sometime between the 1901 census and the 1911 census, the family moves to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Portage La Prairie is 85 kilometres west of Winnipeg. In the census record, Harry is shown as 21-years old (he is more like 26) and, although the writing is difficult to make out, he may be helping his father in the hotel business.

On October 1, 1913, Harry marries Gertrude Delena Murphy (1884-1962) in St Boniface (Winnipeg) [6]. From various sources – particularly the obituary for Gertrude – we are pretty certain they spend most of their lives living in Portage La Prairie. But oddly, while they can be found in the 1916 census records, they have not been found in the 1921 or 1926 census records. In the 1916 record, Harry and Gertrude are living in Portage La Prairie and Harry appears to have some job as a clerk [7]. We think (from Gertrude’s obituary) that they move to Calgary, Alberta in about 1945.

Harry dies on July 21, 1960 (?presumably in Calgary) and he is buried in the Hillside Cemetery in Portage La Prairie [8]. Gertrude dies in 1962 in Calgary, and she is buried with him.


Sources

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson shows Harry Thomson as the 2nd child of Albert Thomson and Maud Gingrick. It shows his spouse as Gertrude Murphy.

[2] "Canada, Ontario Births, 1869-1912," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMDJ-G5J : 2 March 2021), Harry Thompson, 02 Oct 1885; citing Birth, Preston, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,845,876. Harry Thompson (sic) is born on October 2nd 1885 in Preston, Ontario. His father is Albert N. Thompson (sic) who is painter. His mother is Maud Gingrich.

[3] 1891 census, Ontario, 123 Waterloo South, Preston, pg 52, family #271: Albert Thompson (34) ; Maud (30); Lorne (7); Harry (5); Rose Gingerich (26) [it then lists 2 domestics & a number of lodgers]. For Albert Thomson, it shows his mother born in Ontario & his father in England. It shows his religion as Presbyterian and his occupation as a hotel keeper. For his wife, Maud, it shows her mother born in Ontario and her father in Germany. For Rose Gingerich [?presumably a sister to Maud] it also shows a mother born in Ontario and a father in Germany. [for Maud & Rose, it is actually the other way around: their father was born in Ontario, their mother in Germany.]

[4] 1901 census, Ontario, 122 Waterloo South, Town of Galt, pg 12, family #124: Albert Thomson (45), born 12 Feb 1856, hotel keeper; Maude (38), born 10 Nov 1862; Sidney L. (16), born 16 June 1884; Harry A. (14), born 26 Sept 1886; Mary A. Baker (46), sister, born 7 June 1854; Albert H. (16), nephew, born in the United States 28 Jan 1885. The race shown for Albert, his children & his sister & nephew is “Scotch.” The race for Maud is German. In addition to the family the record shows 2 domestics and a number of lodgers. The religion shown for Albert, his children, his sister & his nephew is Presbyterian. Maude is Church of England. The nephew has some occupation (not legible); he worked 7 months of the past year and earned $70. Mary A. Baker is shown as “M” – ie, married. So presumably her husband, George Arthur Baker, is living somewhere else [in USA?].

[5] 1911 Census, Manitoba, 20 Portage La Prairie, district 48, pg 7. (The writing is so faint that this record would not have been found without the help of automatedgenealogy.com): Albert W. Thompson [the search engine at Library and Archives Canada pulls this name up as “Sampson”] (56), born Feb 1855, occupation is not really legible but with a bit of imagination it could be “hotel keeper.”; Maud (48), born May 1863, wife of Alberts, her “origin” is shown as German; Lorne (23), born June 1888; Harry (21), born Sept 1890; the census record then lists a large number of “domestics” in this household [to bottom of page]. Again, the occupations of the 2 sons are not really legible although in one case the word “hotel” can be seen. The religion of the family is Presbyterian. [The birth years for Maud, Lorne & Harry are off by several years suggesting that the census taker got his information from someone interviewed perhaps at the front desk of the hotel.]

[6] Manitoba vital statistics https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/ListView.php Harry Thomson married Gertrude Murphy on October 1, 1913 in St Boniface.

[7] 1916 census, Manitoba, Portage La Prairie, Ward 3, pg 17, family #180: Harry Thomson, (30), born in Ontario, religion is Anglican, racial origin Is “Scotch,” occupation appears to be “clerk;.” Gertrude (30), born in Ontario, religion is Catholic, racial origin is Irish. There is also one boarder in the house.

[8] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 04 April 2020), memorial page for Harry Albert Thomson (2 Oct 1885–21 Jul 1960), Find a Grave Memorial no. 185357352, citing Hillside Cemetery, Portage la Prairie, Portage la Prairie Census Division, Manitoba, Canada ; Maintained by Chad Kendell (contributor 47022398) .









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