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Record #10161
Name :
: Thomas Anderson ALEXANDER (1888 - 1962)
  aka : Tom Alexander; Tom Edward


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 15 Mar 1888

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 8 Jul 1962
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Northumberland, Gosforth
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialUnited States of America, California, San Francisco, Laguna Honda Home, San Francisco
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 25 Jul 1902
Country
: Canada

Ship
: New England

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Barnardos
NotesA birth registration was found for Thomas Anderson Alexander: Year of Registration: 1888; Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun; District: Castle Ward; County: Northumberland; Volume: 10b; Page: 280. Parents: William Anderson Alexander and Mary Chisholm, married December 5, 1882, in Parish Church, Gosforth, Northumberland, England.

William Anderson Alexander died on December 8, 1896.

Thomas' mother had re-married Thomas' step-father, Edward Dinning. In early 1899, Edward Dinning had been sentenced to 6 months hard labour for ill-treating Thomas. The court had placed Thomas in the care of his widowed paternal aunt, Annie Lingwood. Unfortunately she was unable to support Thomas and the Court transferred custody to Barnardo's in March 1899.

In 1902, Thomas Alexander, 11, arrived at Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in a large group of 395 Barnardo children en route to Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

The next mention of Thomas (1907-10-16) was when he called in at the Barnardo Boys Home in Toronto. He had enlisted and was dressed in the uniform of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery.

On September 23, 1918, at Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Thomas Alexander, 33, enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces. He declared that he was residing at the Clarendon Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; that he ws born in New Castle, Northumberland, England; that his next of kin was his mother Mary Alexander-Dinney, who resided at 2 William Street, West Gate Hill, New Castle, Northumberland, England; that his date of birth was March 12, 1885; that he was a steam fitter; that he was not married; and that he had spent 4 years in the U.S.A. Navy from 1908-1912. He was described as 5 foot 7 inches in height; fair complexion; gray eyes; fair hair. He was a member of the Presbyterian faith.

His enlistment was very close to the end of the war and it is thought that he joined with the hope of being stationed in Britain, which would have permitted him to see his mother. This plan did not work out as Thomas was still in Montreal when Germany surrendered. He did not wait for his discharge and was, therefore, court marshalled (in absentia) for desertion.

The next information on Thomas is in the US Social Security application (#566-18-3587). In his application he is living at Madera #24, Westwood CA and is working for the Red River Lumber Company of Westwood CA. [NOTE : This Westwood is located in Lassen County, California] He signed the document as Tom Alexander. [EDITORS NOTE: Tim I. Purdy (historian for Lassen County) gave the following information: The Red River Lumber Company established operations and the town of Westwood in 1912. Westwood was strictly a company town. In 1944, the company was sold to the Fruit Growers Supply Company who received permission to destroy the Red River Lumber Company personnel records in 1945. Madera was the name of a company dormitory/apartment building and #24 was the room number.]

Thomas does not appear on the voter registration rolls for 1946.

Thomas Edward Alexander died July 8, 1962, at Laguna Honda Home, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. His death certificate shows that he had last worked as a seaman and he was unmarried. He is buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA. 
ContributorsCreated : 2009-11-03 21:02:19 / From original database

Last Updated : 2010-12-03 16:10:39 /

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