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Record #4127

Name :: : Charles Edwin TANNER (1884 - 1965)
Father: :
Mother: :

BMD and other details

Date of Birth: : 17 Feb 1884
Marriage (1): :
Marriage (2): :
Date of Death: : 13 Feb 1965

Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Middlesex, Stepney, London

Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Cranbrook

Sailing Information

Date of Arrival: : 20 Jul 1901
Country: : Canada
Ship: : Numidian
Placement Family: :

Homes / Agencys

Institution (GB): :
Agency: : Barnardos

NotesCharles Edwin Tanner was born in Stepney in the east end of the city of London, Middlesex County, England into a poverty stricken and miserable existence. He was born 17 February 1884, and his home, in the slums of London, was the living quarters for low income laborers as well as the destitute, the unemployed, and the homeless.

Charles' father, George Tanner, was a waterman and lighterman working the docks of London and was occasionally unemployed due to illness. One such illness is mentioned in the books of Charles Booth, which detail the assistance given to the poor of Stepney in the 1880's.

George and his wife, Ann Julia Lewis, had seven children of which Charles was number six. The children were, Mary (Polly), Ann, George, John, Alice, Charles, and Rosina.

Charles was not to know stability or ease for much of his life. What he experienced of these, he created for himself. When Charles was two years old and his younger sister Rosina was a few months old, their father died of pneumonia.

While working on a barge on the Thames river, George fell overboard into the icy cold waters of winter. He was fished out and continued working. After work, he went home, became ill, and died a few weeks before his fortieth birthday.

Ann was left alone to raise and care for seven children. She did what she could by working as a ?Trouser Finisher?. But jobs were scarce and pay was low and it was impossible to support herself and the children on what she could earn.

In 1886, two of the boys, George and John, were sent to the local workhouse where they attended Sutton Schools. The workhouse was the ?Stepney Union Workhouse?, commonly called the ?Children's Workhouse?, and this would be home to these children until they reached legal age.

Early in 1889, Charles was five years old and Ann was earning enough money that it was possible for her to request that John, now age nine, be removed from the school and be allowed to return home. John came home while George, age eleven, remained in the workhouse.

By the Fall of 1889 Ann's work had fallen off and she requested that John be returned to the workhouse and that Charles also be enrolled. George, John, Charles, and later Rosina were all placed in the custody of the Workhouse and remained there until they were old enough to be released on their own.

While incarcerated in the Union Workhouse, Charles was apprenticed as a carpenter from the ages of fourteen to seventeen. Then, in 1901, Charles was sent to Canada as one of Dr. Bernardo's infamous ?British Home Children?.

In 1889 Dr. Barnardo purchased a farm in Russell, Manitoba, and as part of his reform movement, he provided emmigration for hundreds of workhouse children to various parts of the world . A large portion of these children (ages 4 through 20) were sent to Dr. Barnardo's Russell, Manitoba facility.

As a general course, these "Home Children" were apprenticed to "employers" for a period of seven years. Many of the children found life to be much better in their new homes and with their new families. However, many employers took great advantage of these young children by entrapping them in little more than slave conditions. Research has shown that a major portion of these children escaped these conditions by running away to larger cities. Very few, if any, ever returned to England and their families.

On 18 July 1901 Charles boarded the SS Numidian in the port of Liverpool. He was part of a group of 330 children that were being transported to Canada for their "future and well-being". This group arrived at the port of Quebec 29 July 1901 and was split into smaller groups to be send to various locations: 239 to Toronto, 68 to Winnipeg, 20 to Russell, Manitoba and 3 to Peterborough.

Charles was sent to Manitoba, to the farm of Dr. Barnardo. Just how long he remained there is unclear, but once he was free from the indentured service he made his way to the British Columbia coast. Charles met up with a friend from England there and the two planned to head to Africa. At the last minute the friend decided to travel on to Alaska. Charles refused to go and remained on the coast. He may have spent some time in the Seattle, Washington area visiting with his brother Jack.

John William (Jack) emigrated from England and eventually settled in the Seattle, Washington area. Throughout the years, Jack visited his brothers in Baynes Lake, and Waldo, but otherwise was employed in the logging industry in Washington. At the time of his death, he was working as a waiter in one of the many hotels in Bellingham, Washington. Jack never married, and died in Washington during the early years of the Second World War. Two nieces, daughters of an older sister, living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, were contacted by the state of Washington, to see if they or anyone else in the family wanted to pay for his funeral. No one did, so Jack was given a paupers funeral by Washington State. Neither Charles nor George were told about the death of Jack, until well after the fact.

Upon leaving the Workhouse, George, the oldest of the boys, entered the military and served in Africa in the Boer war from 1899 to 1902. During the war he was wounded and recuperated in England. Eventually George left the hospital, left the army, left England, and headed for Canada. It is most likely that he had come to Canada with an officer he served with in Africa. At the time he left England, the Crown was giving land in Canada to many of the retiring officers that had served in the Boer War. Much of the land being given to these officers was in and around the area of Baynes Lake and Waldo. It was to this area that George Tanner emigrated.

Charles eventually ended up in the Waldo, Baynes lake area where his brother George was living. Dates for all this moving around are obscure but we do know that George?s first son was born in Baynes Lake in 1911. We also know that George and Charles were well established in Baynes Lake sometime earlier than 1910. Charles Edward Tanner, son of Charles states that his father often told the family that he had come to the area in 1907.

After Charles arrived in Baynes Lake he took up carpentry as a profession, and met and became fast friends with a fellow Londoner by the name of William Henry Fensom. Bill was from the same area of London as Charles, and this may have helped cement the relationship of the two.

Bill was also engaged to be married. His bride to be, Emily Elsie Fisher, was traveling from London to Baynes Lake where the wedding would take place. Emily was traveling with a companion and close friend, Florence Minnie Fensom, who was Bill?s sister. Florence was to be Emily?s maid of honor and after the wedding she would travel back to England. She was the maid of honor, but she never did make it back to England.

Emily and Florence arrived in Baynes Lake on 2 May 1910. Two months later on 2 July 1910, Bill and Emily were married, with Charles Tanner as best man and Florence Fensom as maid of honor. Also in attendance were George and Alice Tanner, and William Williamson and his wife. Bill Williamson was a family friend who lived in Waldo and worked as a Canada Custom agent and ran a small store at the Rexford border crossing just south of Waldo.

Once Florence was in Baynes Lake, and especially after she met Charlie Tanner, her trip back to London dissipated into the wind. On 8 October 1910, Charles and Florence were married in Baynes Lake. They remained together through the years raising a family of four boys and three girls.

Charles and Florence?s first child, Florence Edna, was born 1 September 1911 in Baynes Lake. Their second child, Lily Mae, was also born in Baynes Lake on 12 July 1913.

Charles and Florence then moved to Waldo and Charles Edward, their first son was born there on 5 July 1917. During his time in Waldo, Charles was practicing his carpentry trade and in 1914 built the original Waldo Church on Baker Lumber Co. property.

By 1920, Charles and family had returned to Baynes Lake where the remainder of their children were born. Walter Sidney was born 11 September 1920; John William was born 19 September 1923; and the twins, Lewis Edward (Bud) and Edith Louise (Lou) were born 30 June 1927.

Some time in 1922 a 20 year old American, born and raised in Great Falls, Montana, arrived in Baynes Lake and began working with Charles Tanner. He was Wallace Edward Thacker, born 16 November 1902, in Great Falls, Montana. At the time of his arrival, Charles oldest daughter, Edna was 11 years old. Wally hung around Baynes Lake and continued to work with Charlie. Seven years later on 28 December 1929, he married young Edna Tanner in Baynes Lake.

Wally and Edna had five children; James Edward, born 6 December 1930; Lawrence William, born 29 July 1933; Betty Doreen, born 25 September 1937; Wallis Audrey, born 16 September 1943; and Sidney Wallace, born 8 December 1954. The older four were born in Fernie, B.C., and Sid was born in Cranbrook. The three oldest attended school in Baynes Lake until they moved to Wardner B.C.

Charles and Florence?s second daughter, Lily Mae, married John Henry Hornseth on 31 May 1934 in Fernie, B.C. Henry and Lily had three children; Edgar Charles, born 12 December 1935 in Lillouet, B.C.; Arlene Joan (Red), born 29 November 1936 in Pioneer Mines, B.C.; and Evelyne Florence, Born 30 December 1937 in Vancouver, B.C.

Eventually Henry and Lily moved to Kandahar Saskatchewan, Henry?s home area, where they farmed. On 24 July 1940, Lily died from a brain aneurism and she was buried in a family plot located on the farm near Kandahar.

Henry then returned with the children to British Columbia where he operated a hotel located at Sirdar. His youngest, Evelyne Florence died 24 December 1947 while they lived in Sirdar.

Some time between 1929 and 1941, Charles and Florence and most of the family moved to Wardner where Charles worked for General Construction building culverts and bridges from Wardner to Cranbrook. He also undertook several other construction projects which included many homes. Charles was also an accomplished brick mason. His handiwork in brick masonry can be witnessed today in the bell tower of the United Church located at Baker Street and 12th Ave. in Cranbrook. Charles Attended the United Church and had built the bell tower for the church and congregation.

While in Wardner, Charles Edward, the first son of Charles and Florence, married Olga Gunvor (Gunda) Oberg on 5 October 1941. Gunda was born 10 January 1917, in Alvsbyn, Sweden, and had come to Canada with her family.

Charlie and Gunda had five children all born in Cranbrook; Charlotte Anne, born 23 December 1942; Donna May, born 6 November 1944; Gordon, born 6 May 1946; Doris Alma, born 21 June 1951; and Cindy Florence, Born 6 July 1958. Cindy Florence died 6 October 1958.

The next son, Walter Sidney, married Mildred Wanda Obray on 11 October 1947 in Wardner, B.C. Milly was born 16 April 1929 in Cardston, Alberta, and had moved to Wardner with her family.

Walt and Milly had eight children all born in Cranbrook; Daniel Franklin, born 1 August 1948; Stanley Warren, born 23 August 1949; Kenneth Sidney, born 19 May 1951; Alan Curtis, born 12 August 1956; Vicki Lawana, born 19 August 1958; Dale Walter, born 15 March 1961; Donald Edwin, born 2 September 1965; and John Raymond, born 3 January 1970.

Dale Walter was killed 14 November 1980 in a car accident just outside Golden, B.C.

John William, the third son of Charles and Florence, married Sonja Syrena Oberg, on25 August 1945, in Wardner, B.C. Syrena was born 17 July 1926 in Alvsbyn, Sweden. Syrena and Gunda were sisters that had married brothers.

John and Syrena had eight children all born in Cranbrook; Robert William, born 18 August 1946; Gerald Charles, born 12 December 1947; Jack Allen, born 24 June 1949; Lynda Jean, born 26 February 1951; David Bruce, born 28 May 1953; Sharon Yvonne, born 21 March 1957; Syrena Sonja, born 27 February 1962; and Jennifer Lynn, born 27 March 1965.

Lewis Edward (Bud) Tanner married Mary Anne Rogers on 14 September 1946 in Wardner, B.C. Mary was born 13 September 1925 in Cranbrook, B.C.

Bud and Mary had eight children all born in Cranbrook; Ronald Marshall, born 12 June 1947; Larry Edward, born 20 April 1948; William James, born 15 May 1949; Lois Marie, born 7 July 1952; Timothy Ernest, born 25 January 1954; Patrick Mike, born 24 January 1956; Carol Anne, born 1 December 1959; and Debby Darleen, born 2 April 1966.

Edith Louise and Bud, being twins, were married the same day in a double wedding ceremony. She married Thomas Albert Gardner Muir on 14 September 1946 in Wardner, B.C. Tom was born 10 November 1918 in Baynes Lake, B.C.

Tom and Lou had three children; Gloria Jean, born 20 July 1947; Frederick Albert, born 4 November 1949; and Cheryl Louise, born 20 June 1955.

I cannot recall the year that everyone moved into Cranbrook. I do recall that Dan and I attended kindergarten in the United Church on Main Street when we were 4 and 5 years old. That would make it 1953 at least that we were in Cranbrook. I believe Tom and Lou remained in Wardner for some time after that until they moved to Kimberley. John and Syrena were in Cranbrook also by 1953 and Charles and Florence eventually moved into a little house next to them. Charlie and Gunda farmed in Wardner for several years and Charlie also worked for CP Rail during this time. Bud and Mary stayed in Wardner for a few years then moved to Cranbrook also.

Charles and Florence remained in Cranbrook until their deaths. Charles died on 13 February 1965. Florence died on 8 June 1972.

Copyright Tanner Family History Site ({website}tannertribes.com)

ContributorsCreated : 2008-08-31 20:51:59 / From original database

Last Updated : 2009-02-18 10:22:26 /

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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

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ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links
3004	AARON, Alfred Robert	1899	ENG, LAN, West Derby, Liverpool	Mar 1911 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
3003	AARON, John Richard	1895	ENG, LAN, West Derby, Liverpool	Mar 1911 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
3007	ABBEY, Bertha	1890	ENG, DUR, Stockton on Tees	Jul 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3006	ABBEY, John	1887	ENG, DUR, Stockton on Tees	Oct 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3161	ABBEY, Thomas	1892	ENG, DUR, Stockton on Tees	Oct 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3020	ABBOT, Alice	1877	ENG, MDX, Islington	Oct 1893 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
3047	ABBOT, William	1878	ENG,	Apr 1895 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
3019	ABBOTT, Alfred	1869	ENG,	Aug 1887 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
23669	ABBOTT, Alice	1877	ENG,	Oct 1893 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
3022	ABBOTT, Bertie	1894	ENG, SFK, Ipswich	May 1909 : Corsican	CAN	Barnardos	sharonmx5 , patty_in_ms
3025	ABBOTT, David Henry	1891	ENG, ESS, Grays	Mar 1901 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3055	ABBOTT, Douglas Groves	1910	ENG, HAM, Hartley Wintney	Apr 1924 : Montclare	CAN	Barnardos
3858	ABBOTT, Emily Jane	1886	ENG, YKS, Guisborough	Jul 1903 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
8354	ABBOTT, Frederick Albert Prosper	1885	ENG, LND, Homerton	Apr 1895 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
3036	ABBOTT, George	1894	ENG, MDX, London	Jul 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3038	ABBOTT, Herman Henry	1882	ENG, MDX, Hoxton, London	Apr 1895 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
10624	ABBOTT, John	1913	ENG,	Apr 1929 : Duchess of York	CAN	Barnardos
3045	ABBOTT, Leslie	1883	ENG,	Mar 1893 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
3060	ABBOTT, Lilian	1903	ENG,	Jun 1912 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3026	ABBOTT, Mary	1888	ENG, ESS, Maldon	Oct 1902 : Colonian	CAN	Barnardos
3049	ABBOTT, Penelope	1901	ENG, KEN, Sidcup	Jun 1912 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
5046	ABBS, Bertie Cecil John	1914	ENG, LND, St. Pancras	Mar 1930 : Duchess of Richmond	CAN	Barnardos
3061	ABDALE, John George	1873	ENG, NBL, Newcastle Upon Tyne	Mar 1891 : Norwegian	CAN	Barnardos
3063	ABEL, Albert Edward G.	1901	ENG, ESS, West Ham	Aug 1910 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3066	ABEL, Charles	1891	ENG,	Mar 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
3065	ABEL, Florence	1902	ENG, ESS, West Ham	Aug 1910 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3067	ABEL, Frederick	1889	ENG,	Jul 1900 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3068	ABEL, George	1887	ENG,	Aug 1905 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
3069	ABEL, George	1897	ENG,	Mar 1907 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
3071	ABEL, John	1886	ENG,	Jun 1897 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links

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

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