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Record #2830
Name :
: William James LEMON (1908 - 1993)


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: Aug 1908

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: Mar 1993
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Devon, Plymouth
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Ontario, Sioux Lookout
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 24 Mar 1924
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Cedric

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)
NotesWilliam James Lemon (sometimes spelt Lemmon), was born on either August 3, 8 or 14, 1908 in Plymouth England.

There is no trace of his existence until he was made a ward of The Scattered Homes of Plymouth in 1911 at the age of three.

As a young child, my father was placed in homes where he was treated as a member of the family. He attended school. There is no doubt he had a good childhood in foster care and was well educated. He loved to learn and was a happy child, remaining in care until he was fifteen years old.

In November 1923, William was sent to the Liverpool Sheltering Home to prepare him for a new life in Canada. His life changed dramatically. He was taught about farming, including milking cows, harvesting crops and baling hay. He worked so hard he was admitted to hospital for a hernia repair, a procedure that continued to trouble him as an older man.

He left Liverpool on board the SS Cedric, arriving in Canada in March 1924. From Halifax he went by railroad to the Marchmont Distributing Homes in Bellville, Onario. here a farmer picked him and took him home where my father stayed and worked.

I am searching for the names of either of his parents. My father's birth was not registered, and he never owned a birth certificate. At least not under the names and dates we were given.

My father, William James Lemon ( sometimes spelt Lemmon ), was told he was born August 3,8,or 14, 1908; in Plymouth, Devon, England. Not sure which is right. We cannot find his birth registration, and therefore there is no birth certificate.

There is no trace of his existance from birth until he was approx. 3 years old when he was made a ward of "The Scattered Homes of Plymouth" in 1911.

There is no signature of the person who placed him there.

There is a statement on his records that says: " lad says he is 3 years old".

He remained here until 1923. At this time he was sent to The Liverpool Sheltering Homes where they taught him all he would or should know about farming. He was to be sent to Canada where he would live with a farmer and his family, and also work on the farms.

He left Liverpool England on board the SS Cedric, arriving in Halifax in March 1924. From Halifax he went by railroad to The Marchmont Distribiting Homes in Bellville, Ontario. Here he was picked up by the farmer who was to be responsible for him.

My father?s memories of life on this southern Ontario farm were not pleasant. He complained about being treated as a slave, working long hours, eating in barns and being very cold. He didn?t speak much about those years but I found in his documents a letter he wrote asking for money to buy a warmer coat for winter. He didn?t receive any money but was told to be a better manager of what he had. His letter also mentioned not being able to go back to school. An avid learner, Dad loved to read and could quote almost everything he read. I hated getting into a game of trivia with him. He always won.

Dad pined for England and wrote back to the Sheltering Homes of Plymouth asking for information about his birth mother. No reply was found in his documents. He vowed he would make a better life for himself. When he reached the age of independence, he left farming and worked his way across Canada from coast to coast. After meeting my mother, he settled in Northern Ontario. They married and raised seven children while my father worked for the Canadian National Railway. 
ContributorsCreated : 2007-09-17 00:45:28 / From original database

Last Updated : 2012-05-16 15:46:13 /

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries        
Page: [1] 2 59 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
27034 ABBOTT, Franz Arnold1918ENG, DEV Oct 1928 : Beltana AUS Fairbridge Homes  
3131 ACKERS, Victor Roy1904ENG, DEV, Plymouth Sep 1915 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
20177 AGGETT, Sidney Francis George1883ENG, DEV, East Stonehouse Jun 1897 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
9920 BAMSEY, Laura1896ENG, DEV, St Thomas Jun 1906 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
11946 BOWDEN, Reginald1908ENG, DEV Mar 1920 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
10633 CARSLAKE, Jessie1908ENG, DEV, Axminster Sep 1922 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
9319 CLEAVE, Lily 1896ENG, DEV, Chudleigh Jul 1902 : New England CAN Barnardos  
26827 COOKSLEY, Charles John1923ENG, DEV, Tiverton May 1934 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
4253 COOMBE, Emily1888ENG, DEV, Plymouth Jun 1900 : Cambroman CAN Barnardos  
9965 COX, Beatrice Maud1888ENG, DEV Oct 1902 : Colonian CAN Barnardos  
8173 DAMERELL, Thomas1913ENG, DEV May 1930 : Aurania CAN Church of England  
20969 DAVEY, Gerald1923ENG, DEV, Tavistock Oct 1935 : Otranto AUS Fairbridge Homes  
17532 DAVEY, Gilbert1892ENG, DEV, Cullompton Oct 1902 : Colonian CAN Barnardos  
16213 DOWN, Daniel1899ENG, DEV, Widecombe May 1909 : Corsican CAN Barnardos  
3230 DOWN, Herbert1889ENG, DEV, Tavistock, Lifton Mar 1901 : Tunisian CAN Barnardos robins302002  
16214 DOWN, Thomas Percy1897ENG, DEV, Widecombe Aug 1908 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
8557 DUNNING, Cecilia1881ENG, DEV, Totnes Sep 1894 : Labrador CAN National Childrens Home  
5449 ELLIOTT, George Henry1928ENG, DEV, Plympton Oct 1935 : Otranto AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25964 EMMERSON, Howard John1917ENG, DEV, St Thomas Nov 1929 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
10168 EUSTACE, Piscilla 1888ENG, DEV, East Stonehouse May 1903 : Kensington CAN Barnardos  
18885 FORD, Maurice1886ENG, DEV, Plympton Sep 1899 : Arawa CAN Barnardos  
5784 GAGE, Alice Doreen1900ENG, DEV, St Thomas Jun 1904 : Carthaginian CAN Middlemore  
12102 GILLARD, Wilfred1917ENG, DEV, Okehampton May 1928 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
10292 GITSHAM, Charles Berry1887ENG, DEV, Exeter Jul 1898 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
27267 HARRIS, Irene Joan1923ENG, DEV, Exeter Jul 1935 : Moreton Bay AUS Fairbridge Homes  
8993 HELMER, Alfred Charles1884ENG, DEV, Devonport Aug 1896 : Scotsman CAN Barnardos  
4218 HOLMES, Eva1884ENG, DEV, Plymouth Jun 1896 : Corean CAN Middlemore  
15838 IRVINE, Arthur Wisdom1898ENG, DEV, Bideford Oct 1909 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
12370 JILLARD, Victor1904ENG, DEV, Devonport Sep 1914 : Corinthian CAN Barnardos  
8763 KEMBLE, Eli John1901ENG, DEV, St Thomas Jul 1911 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 59 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries