Person:Alexander Thom (3)

Name and Relationships

Name: Alexander Kennedy Thom. Source is 1907 birth registration of Edith Sarah Thom, his second daughter. He was called Alex. In most of the documents, he is often listed as Alexander K. or A.K. Thom.

Parents: Archibald Thom and Sarah Gordon. Source is ...

Spouse: Ann Isabella McNiven. Source is their 1899 marriage registration.

Personal History

1871 - Birth: Alexander Kennedy Thom was born on February 16, 1871. Source is 1901 Census of Canada - CANNOT LOCATE A BIRTH REGISTRATION FOR ALEX. Find a Grave lists birth as February 10. 1871. Birth location is Grey County. Source is 1904 birth registration of Mary Josephine Thom. Edith Hewitt, his daughter, in article about her parents says that his birth location was Owen Sound. (NOTE: There is also an Alexander K Thom listed in the Sask Residents Index that was born in Yorkton Sask in 1871 - but this is the wrong person.)

1871 - Census: Alexander 1 month old was living with his parents Archibald Thom 30 and Sarah Thom 26 and 3 other children: Agnes 7, John 5, and William 3 in Osprey Township. Source is 1871 Census of Canada.

1881 - Census: In 1881, Alex Thom 10 was living with his mother Sarah Thom 36 and family in Osprey Township, Ontario. - CANNOT LOCATE ARCHIBALD THOM ALSO, RUTH IS MISSING, SHE WOULD BE A FEW MONTHS OLD. Source is 1881 Census of Canada.

1891 - Census: On April 6, 1891, Alex Thom 19 was living with his parents Archibald Thom 52, school teacher, and Sarah Thom 44 along with his 5 siblings: Agnes 27(spelled Agmes in this census), John (spelled Joker in this census) 25, William 23, Harry (spelled Hary in this census) 15 and Ruth 10 in Armour Township, Muskoka and Parry Sound. Source is 1891 Census of Canada.

1891 - Residence: At the end of that year, on December 30, 1891, Alex was living in Katrine, Ontario on Dec 13, 1891. Source is his brother John Thom's 1891 marriage registration.

1899 - Marriage: On April 19, 1899, Alex Thom (age ??) married Ann Isabella McNiven (age ??) in Morden, Manitoba. Source is 1899 Manitoba marriage registration.

1901 - Census: On April 4, 1901, Alex Thom 30, farmer, was living with his wife Annie 26 in Stanley Township, Lisgar Dist, Manitoba. Source is 1901 Census of Canada. Mary M Irwin Memoirs, unpublished, records that they were living in Morden, a small village in the township and located in the Pembina Valley, SW of Winnipeg and not far from the US border. Also, Harry (spelled Henery) Thom 25, unmarried, is living with them. He is listed as Alex's partner. Source is 1901 Census of Canada.

1903 - Residence: In 1903, Alex Thom and family moved to Quill Lake area in the spring of 1903 and settled on a farm at SW-32-35-16-W2 about two miles due south of the community of Quill Lake. Source is article written by Edith Hewitt about her parents. The farm is about 5 miles away from the George Thoburn farm. George Thoburn`s farm was about 3 miles WSW of Clair.

1904 - Birth of Child: On May 24, 1904, their first child, Mary Josephine Thom (Mamie) was born in Orillia TWP, Simcoe. Alex 33, a Lumber Salesman, listed his permanent residence as Quill Lake. Source is Mamie`s 1904 birth registration. NOTE: It appears that they came back to Ontario for the birth of their first child.

1906 - Census: On July 14, 1906, Alex Thom 35, was living with his wife Annie Thom 31, and their daughter, Mary J. 2 (born in Ontario) in Humbolt Dist Saskatchewan. They are listed on the same page right next to George Thoburn family, so they had to be living close together. Source is the 1906 Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta census.

1907 - Birth of Child: On June 2, 1907 their second daughter, Edith Sarah Thom, was born in Saskatchewan. Source is Edith`s 1907 birth registration. She was born at Quill Lake. Source is article written by Edith Hewitt about her parents.

1908 - Residence: In 1908, Alex Thom and family moved to Wadena. He opened a printing office in partnership with T. J. Oliver and started publishing a weekly newspaper The Wadena Herald. Source is article written by Edith Hewitt about her parents. P. 819

1909 - Death of Sister-in-Law: On November 1, 1909, Alex Thom`s sister-in-law, Barbara Thoburn, her husband, George Thoburn and her mother, Mary McNiven, were murdered. Alex and Annie Thom took the two children, Mary McLean Thoburn and George Thoburn, in to live with them. Source is Mary M Irwin Memoirs, Unpublished.

1910 - Foster Child: In March, 1910, Alex Thom's sister, Ruth Harper, came to Wadena and took Mary McLean Thoburn 2,(the daughter of her best friend, Barbara Thoburn) to live with her and her husband, John Harper in Sundridge, Ontario. Source is Mary M Irwin Memoirs, unpublished.

1911 - Census: In June, 1911, Alex Thom 40, was living with his wife Annie 36, and their 2 daughters: Mary (Mamie) 7 and Edith 4 on Railway Ave in Wadena. He was the publisher of the Wadena Herald. They were acting as foster parents (Annie is his aunt) for George Thoburn 6 after his parents were murdered in 1909. Alma Thom 18, a niece, was also living with them. Source is 1911 Census of Canada.

1911 - Birth of Child: In October 1911, their third daughter, Agnes Isabella Thom was born in Saskatchewan. Source is article written by Edith Hewitt about her parents.

1915 - Military: In November 1915, Alex Thom signed up for Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force (WW I). Source is Canadian military records.

1916 - Census: In 1916, Alex Thom 45, an editor and newspaper employee, was living with his wife Annie 41 and their 3 daughters: Mary Josephine 12, Edith Sarah (listed as Sarah Edith) 9 and Agnes Isabelle 4 on 2nd Street E, Wadena, Sask. George Thoburn 10 was listed as an adopted son. Source is 1916 Census of Prairie Provinces.

1917 - Military : On April 18, 1917, Captain and Quarter-Master Alex Thom embarked from Halifax, NS on the SS Grampian as one of the officers in the 214th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force bound for England. His next of kin was listed as Mrs Annie Isabelle (note spelling)Thom. Source is Nominal Roll of Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Men, 214th Battalion, Issued with Militia Orders. He disembarked the ship in England on April 29, 1917. The ship held 20 officers and 595 other ranks.

1921 - Census: In June, 1921, Alex Thom (listed as AK Thom) 51, Publisher, was living with his wife Annie 46, son George 14, apprentice (NOTE: listed as son with last name Thom), and daughters Edith 13 and Isabella 9 at 2nd St. East, Wadena, Saskatchewan. Source is 1921 Census of Canada.

19?? - Residence: Alex sold The Wadena Herald because of failing health and bought land about 15 miles from Archerwill near Stoney Lake and resumed farming. Source is article written by Wade Wirtz, page 960. Archerwill is about 35 miles due north of Wadena.

19?? - Retirement: Eventually, they sold their land and moved to Wadena to permanently retire there. Source is article written by Wade Wirtz, page 961.

1954 - Death and Burial: Alex Thom died on February 25, 1954. Source is article written by his daughter, Edith Hewitt, Page 819. He was buried in Wadena Cemetery, Saskatchewan. Source is his internment registration. Wadena Cemetery.

Grave Marker: THOM Father ALEXANDER K 1871-1954 Mother ANNE I 1874-1954 EVER REMEMBERED EVER LOVED. Wadena Cemetery, Wadena, Saskatchewan.