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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  2 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
12110 LEMON, Victor1915IRL, ANT, Belfast May 1928 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
2830 LEMON, William James1908ENG, DEV, Plymouth Mar 1924 : Cedric CAN Marchmont Homes (now Barnardos)