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Record #3798
Name :
: Frederick W. PALMER (1887 - )
  aka : Fred W. Smith; Fred Smith


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 1887 (approx.)

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
:
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland
Abode (2) : Place of Death / Burial
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 23 Sep 1898
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Dominion

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Barnardos
NotesIn 1898, F. Palmer, 10, arrived at Quebec, Canada, along with a group of 86 boys and 122 girls distributed as follows: 10 to Russell, and 26 to Winnipeg, Manitoba; 118 to Peterborough, Ontario, and 54 to other Ontario locations.

In 1901, Fred Smith, 15, is shown as a domestic / plow boy for David Chalmers and family in Provencher, Manitoba, Canada. His date of birth is shown as May 15, 1885, and his immigration year as 1897.

In 1911, Fred Smith, 24, fireman on railroad, is shown residing as the head of the household in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. His date of birth is shown as May 1887 and his immigration year as 1899.

The Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, December 19, 1935, page 10, reported:

After having been known as Fred W. Smith since his boyhood days, a railway man at Vivian, Manitoba learned about a year ago that his name was not Smith at all, but Palmer. As a little child, Mr. Palmer had been placed in Dr. Barnardo's home in London, England. As such he came to Alberta, where he was placed with a farmer in Innisfail. He stayed there less than a year, ran away for cause and gradually drifted into Winnipeg, later to Lorette, in Manitoba, working at this latter place, a boy of twelve, and generally becoming known as Smith.

When the Grand Trunk commenced its operations in the Lorette district he entered its employ and later that of the Canadian Nationals railways. With the exception of one year he has worked for these two railway companies ever since.

Some time ago the Canadian National urge its employees to produce birth certificates. Palmer, who in the meantime had married and become the father of two daughters and one son, was now forced to probe into his past. He wrote to the Barnardo home for information regarding himself, and after a great deal of writing and investigating learned at last about a year ago not only his true name but also that he was three years younger than he had thought himself to be. He is 48 years old now.

He and his wife and children have assumed their true name and are now known by their real name. They have taken all necessary steps to legally effect this change. The birth certificates of all the children as well as the marriage certificate of one daughter have had to be changed and real estate transferred from Smith to Palmer.

One of the remarkable and pleasing incidents of Mr. Palmer's search for his own name in England has led to the discovery by him that his own mother and one sister, now married, are still alive in the Old Country. A lively correspondence has been the result. 
ContributorsCreated : 2008-05-07 15:09:53 / From original database

Last Updated : 2009-11-16 20:05:24 /

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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  23 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
5106 PALMER, Arthur1915ENG,    , Worle Aug 1926 : Montrose CAN Barnardos  
3248 PALMER, Edward1893ENG,     Mar 1901 : Dominion CAN Louisa Birt  
3798 PALMER, Frederick W.1887ENG,     Sep 1898 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
4329 PALMER, George1874ENG,     Apr 1886 : Sardinian CAN MacPherson Homes  
19872 PALMER, George1895ENG,     May 1907 : Empress of Britain CAN Fegan Homes for Boys  
21021 PALMER, George1888ENG,     Apr 1898 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
5901 PALMER, Isabella1896ENG,     May 1908 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
22164 PALMER, J. L.1887ENG,     Apr 1897 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
12172 PALMER, Jessie Harriet Louise1916ENG,     May 1928 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
18549 PALMER, John1895ENG,     Apr 1910 : Empress of Ireland CAN Fegan Homes for Boys  
18031 PALMER, John F1884ENG,     Mar 1901 : Tunisian CAN Barnardos  
16378 PALMER, John K ENG,     Sep 1894 : Laurentian CAN Barnardos  
15517 PALMER, Joseph Edward1914ENG,     Jun 1924 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
25483 PALMER, Leonard1898ENG,     May 1909 : Corsican CAN Barnardos  
22027 PALMER, Lewis D.1886ENG,     Apr 1897 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
13303 PALMER, Nathan1891ENG, SOM, Bedminster Jul 1905 : Lake Champlain CAN Bristol Emigration Society  
23155 PALMER, Reginald1896ENG,     Apr 1911 : Empress of Britain CAN Fegan Homes for Boys  
6986 PALMER, Sarah1859ENG,     Aug 1871 : Prussian CAN Maria Rye  
3420 PALMER, Sidney1902ENG,     Oct 1910 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
20876 PALMER, Sidney1916ENG, MDX, Edmonton Jan 1924 : Baradine AUS Fairbridge Homes  
22866 PALMER, Sidney1896ENG,     May 1907 : Empress of Britain CAN Fegan Homes for Boys  
11222 PALMER, Thomas 1891ENG,     May 1900 : Tunisian CAN MacPherson Homes  
26721 PALMER, William1899 Oct 1910 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos