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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 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 418 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
14478 ABRAMS, Leopold1885ENG,     Apr 1895 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
12851 ADDISON, Gertrude1886ENG, LAN, Manchester May 1899 : Dominion CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
6912 ALLEN, Frederick1878ENG,    , Paddington Mar 1891 : Sarnia CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
12923 ALLEN, Harry1885ENG,     Apr 1897 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
15653 ALLMARK, John1879ENG,     Mar 1889 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos) allmarkc  
13004 ANDREWS, Thomas1887ENG,     Apr 1896 : Scotsman CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
26330 ANNIS, Florence1888ENG,     May 1902 : Dominion CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
12950 ARMSTRONG, Richard1887ENG,     Apr 1896 : Scotsman CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
5755 ASHBROOK, Marion1895ENG,    , Prestwich May 1906 : Tunisian CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
8640 ASHBY, Letitia Jane1909ENG, CHS, Birkenhead Jul 1925 : Athenia CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
8639 ASHBY, Rebecca Ida1911ENG, CHS, Birkenhead Jul 1925 : Athenia CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
22309 AYRES, Charles ENG,     Mar 1891 : Sarnia CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
22308 AYRES, Edward ENG,     Mar 1891 : Sarnia CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
16177 BAILEY, Samuel1882ENG,     Apr 1893 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
14442 BALDWIN, Walter1881ENG,     1895 : - Unknown - CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
5467 BAMBER, John William1899ENG,     Apr 1912 : Victorian CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
14437 BARKER, Samuel George1884ENG,     Apr 1895 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
12995 BARLOW, John Thomas1886ENG,     Apr 1896 : Scotsman CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
12953 BARLOW, Walter1886ENG,     Apr 1896 : Scotsman CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
19834 BARNWELL, Louisa1894ENG,     May 1908 : Corsican CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
19835 BARNWELL, Minnie1896ENG,     May 1908 : Corsican CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
12901 BARRETT, Mary1882ENG,     Apr 1897 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
9828 BARTLETT, Selina1881ENG,     Mar 1891 : Sarnia CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
13010 BATES, George1882ENG,     Apr 1896 : Scotsman CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
18406 BEALE, Alfred1895ENG,     Apr 1910 : Victorian CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
18409 BEALE, Alfred1894ENG,     Apr 1910 : Victorian CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
18414 BEALE, Lawrence1897ENG,     Apr 1910 : Victorian CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
8899 BEARDMORE, Arthur 1885ENG,     Apr 1895 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
14456 BEARDMORE, George1886ENG,     Apr 1895 : Vancouver CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
19786 BEAUMONT, Margaret1897ENG,     May 1911 : Tunisian CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 418 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