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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  24 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
3129 ACKERS, Edmund1907ENG,    , Plymouth Oct 1920 : Scandinavian CAN Barnardos  
3131 ACKERS, Victor Roy1904ENG, DEV, Plymouth Sep 1915 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
5296 BLACKMAN, Arthur1912ENG,    , Plymouth Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN British Immigration and Colonisation Association  
12608 BRENTON, Leslie Sidney Joseph1907ENG,    , Plymouth Mar 1920 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
5250 COLES, Charles 1912ENG,    , Plymouth Mar 1930 : Scythia CAN Salvation Army  
4253 COOMBE, Emily1888ENG, DEV, Plymouth Jun 1900 : Cambroman CAN Barnardos  
5287 DAVIES, Sidney1912ENG,    , Plymouth Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN British Immigration and Colonisation Association  
6450 DUCKHAM, Blanche1887ENG,    , Plymouth Jun 1901 : Tunisian CAN Barnardos cardinalcanary  
6165 HAMBLEY, Frances Maud1898ENG,    , Plymouth Mar 1913 : Corinthian CAN Barnardos  
5938 HANNAFORD, William Frederick1900ENG,    , Plymouth Sep 1907 : Dominion CAN Barnardos Selina  
5642 HARRY, Edwin 1890ENG,    , Plymouth May 1907 : Virginian CAN Waifs & Strays  
4218 HOLMES, Eva1884ENG, DEV, Plymouth Jun 1896 : Corean CAN Middlemore  
13651 JOLLEY, Elsie A1907ENG,    , Plymouth Sep 1921 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
10604 LAITY, Robert Percival1906ENG,    , Plymouth Oct 1920 : Scandinavian CAN Barnardos  
16205 LAMBLE, Sidney John1912ENG, DEV, Plymouth Jul 1927 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
2830 LEMON, William James1908ENG, DEV, Plymouth Mar 1924 : Cedric CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
16251 LOBB, Ronald1915ENG, DEV, Plymouth Apr 1930 : Montcalm CAN British Immigration and Colonisation Association  
5338 PENBERTHY, Stanley E1913ENG,    , Plymouth Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN British Immigration and Colonisation Association  
16468 PERRING, Wilfred1909ENG, DEV, Plymouth Sep 1921 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
11807 REVELL, Frederick Charles1896ENG, DEV, Plymouth Oct 1906 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
11509 TICKELL, Percival James Martin1908ENG, DEV, Plymouth Oct 1920 : Scandinavian CAN Barnardos  
12071 TONKIN, George F1911ENG,    , Plymouth Jan 1927 : Ballarat AUS Barnardos  
6360 TOWNER, Florence Emily1886ENG, DEV, Plymouth May 1903 : Kensington CAN Barnardos  
23189 WEEKS, William Thomas1898ENG, DEV, Plymouth Oct 1903 : Dominion CAN Barnardos