The Life of John Marquis Alberta Thompson - A Historical Inquiry and Legacy Memorial

Introduction

John Thompson was born on January 5th, 1891 in Chatham Township, Ontario. He was raised by his parents William Thompson and Martha Thompson in Dresden, Ontario. He was raised with six of his siblings, Roy, Maggie, Lucy Belle, Lavina, and Irene.

In 1917, during the First World War, he was drafted into service in the Canadian Expedition Force as a member of the 1st Depot Battalion, Western Ontario Regiment. The 1st Depot Battalion went on to serve as reinforcements to the 1st and 18th Battalions through the 4th Canadian Reserve Battalion and to the 160th, 161st and 2nd Pioneer Battalions through the 25th Canadian Reserve Battalion. 

Following his military service, he moved to Detroit, Michigan with his wife, Rachel Thompson, and his children, Alberta, and Milred. 

John Marquis Alberta Thompson passed away in 1957 in Michigan and is buried in Dresden Cemetery.

The purpose of this is to document the legacy of John Thompson, and the research processes undertaken in finding information about this individual. Below is a timeline that can be used to help navigate the life of John Thompson.

Research Processes

Starting Information

The initial intention of this research was to find out the military service of John Thompson. This quickly turned into an study across his entire life, not just his military service. Military service is only a small portion of the vast majority of First World War veterans lives. The research conducted was based on the knowledge of his name and his previous military service. All documents found following this are a product of cross examination of known facts from these two documents.

Attestation Papers, First World War - October 29, 1917.

The initial information provided was the name 'John Thompson' and that he lived in Dresden during the First World War. The first place to search is for military documents that contain his full name, age, and date of birth. All of which will be useful in identifying other documents. Library and Archives Canada has digitized First World War attestation papers.

From this document, we gather his full name, date of birth, his spouse at the time of his deployment, and his religion and civilian occupation. We also learn of his full name, John Marquis Alberta Thompson. His address given at R.R #5 in Dresden is the zoning code. RR represents 'residential rural.' It is currently not know where this plot of land currently is. We can gather from this address that he lived on the farm that his family worked on. Despite this, the next logical step is to find his marriage registry. 

Source: Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Canada; Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=264853

Particulars of Marriage - December 17, 1917.

The information discovered from his attestation papers made the confirmation of his marriage documents simple. Understanding that area around Dresden is a small farming community in Kent County makes it certain that this document belongs to John Marquis Alberta Thompson. Additional details about his parents, William Thompson, and Martha Jane Boswell are provided. Similarly with his wife, Rachel Smith. We also learn about the existence of his previous marriage.

Source: Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 421 https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/2525661:7921?tid=&pid=&queryId=fbeae5e970f0424a724efcb9b674d3b3&_phsrc=pWR10&_phstart=successSource

Additional Information.

In chronological order, all other documents relating to John Thompson are discovered through the information on the previous two documents.

1891 Canadian Census

The 1891 Census was found through his father. We also see an alternate spelling of his name, John Marcus Thompson. We also see his other family members at the time of the census.

• William Thompson (head/father), 33 
• Martha J Thompson (mother), 26
• Roy (brother), 7
• Maggie (sister), 5
• Lucy Belle (sister), 4
• Lavina (sister), 2
• John Marcus (himself), 3months.

Source: Year: 1891; Census Place: Chatham, Bothwell, Ontario, Canada; Roll: T-6324; Family No: 125 https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1891/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=1082795

1901 Canadian Census

It is a similar case for the 1901 Census. It appears that an error was made in the documenting of John Thompson's age and household name. His documented household members are as follows. Birthdays can be found on the census document

• 
  William Tompson (head/father), 43
• Martha Jane (mother), 36
• Roy (brother), 17
• Maggie (sister), 15
• Lucy Belle (sister), 14
• Lavina (sister), 11
• John (himself), 10 (his age appears to have been improperly documented)
• Irene (sister), 6

Note: His family members have been documented on Library and Archives Canada under the surname 'Tompson' as it appears on the document. It is very likely that this was a mistake by the enumerator.

Source: Year: 1901; Census Place: Chatham, Bothwell, Ontario; Page: 7; Family No: 65https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1901/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=3501819

Particulars of Marriage - November 23, 1910

Firstly, we learn of his first wife, Bertha Bissell.

This document confirms the existence of  his previous marriage stated in his 1917 documents. This document provides vital information about the experiences of African-Canadians in this period. The information gathered from this document also help us trace his whereabouts in this period. 

Note: Bissell's first name has been spelled as 'Birtha.' Future records have her written as stated. 

Source: Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 148 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3314506:7921

Absence in 1911 Canadian Census

We do not find John Thompson within the 1911 Census, and his father's household is significantly smaller on the census, suggesting that him and his siblings have moved elsewhere. All of his older sisters have married at this point. However, we do find his spouse, Bertha Thompson in the census. 

Source for William Thompson: Year: 1911; Census Place: 7 - Chatham, Kent East, Ontario; Page: 7; Family No: 78 https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1911/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=6851616

Source for Bertha Thompson: Year: 1911; Census Place: 7 - Chatham, Kent East, Ontario; Page: 3; Family No: 29 https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1911/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=7508229

The reasons behind this are entirely up to speculation, it is most likely that he was in transit, or was otherwise unavailable to complete the census. The fact that Bertha Thompson was still living in her father's household, instead of with her new husband does suggest that John Thompson was unavailable. 

It appears that his absence from his wife was relatively prolonged. Bertha Thompson crossed the US border into Detroit in 1912, without the presence of John Thompson. In 1914, she files for divorce on the grounds of desertion and non-support. Further documents reveal that Bertha Thompson remarries soon after her divorce.

Source for Bertha Thompson's border crossing: The National Archives at Washington, D.C; Washington, D.C.; Series Title: Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Individuals Entering through the Port of Detroit, Michigan, 1906-1954; NAI: 4527226; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004 https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/1083222:1070?ssrc=pt&tid=63354562&pid=262471729699

Source for Bertha Thompson's divorce in 1914: Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Michigan. Divorce records https://search.ancestry.ca/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=9092&h=6525206&ssrc=pt&tid=24614467&pid=5090062343&usePUB=true&_gl=1*8wubd9*_ga*MTU5OTI5MjYwMS4xNjgwNDE3MDIz*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*OTFiNWQxYjktNTRiYS00ZTc2LWExZDgtOGJmNmNkNDAzZDNjLjkuMS4xNjgwNTIwNTA1LjU4LjAuMA..

Source for Bertha Thompson's second marriage: Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 119; Film Description: 1914 Jackson - 1914 Monroe https://search.ancestry.ca/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=9093&h=5556400&ssrc=pt&tid=24614467&pid=1541997248&usePUB=true&_gl=1*1xdoyut*_ga*MTU5OTI5MjYwMS4xNjgwNDE3MDIz*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*OTFiNWQxYjktNTRiYS00ZTc2LWExZDgtOGJmNmNkNDAzZDNjLjUuMS4xNjgwNDkwMzYyLjU2LjAuMA..

While it may appear to suggest that John Thompson was intentionally absentee as a husband, the evidence for this is speculative at best. We do not have evidence if his absence was malicious or not.

1916 Border Crossing

On January 11, 1916, John Thompson crosses the US-Canada border into Detroit. We learn of his sister's full name, Margaret Maggie Thompson, whom he is travelling to visit. While he has traditionally worked as a farmer, his documents here have him stated as a laborer.

It demonstrates the level of mobility that individuals have during this period. Despite the fact that Dresden was a small community, there exists a level of mobility, in the physical sense, but also in an economic sense in his search for labour. 

A plausible explanation for this travel was an attempt to search for work within Detroit. Another is to assist his sister within Detroit. Regardless of the reason, he returns to Canada some time in 1916 - 1917, suggesting that he either planned to stay for some time, or that he was unsuccessful in finding work. 

Source: Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957 http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=detroitpl&h=22091&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Source: Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1956 http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=canadianbc&h=756581&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt

Attestation Papers, First World War - October 29, 1917.

It is extremely likely that he returned to Canada as he was drafted into military service. The passing of the Military Service Act in August 1917 made every British subject liable to military service. No documents recording his return to Canada were found. See above for additional information. This is the first paper in which he spells his full name as 'John Marquis Alberta Thompson' and would continue to do so for all remaining documents.

Particulars of Marriage - December 17, 1917.

This marriage likely occurred after he received his draft notice. It is commonplace for military draftees to be a specified amount of time before reporting for duty in London. This additional time is frequently used to arrange marriages, execute wills, or deal with business or estate estate affairs. See above for additional information.

Discharge Papers - December 14, 1919

His discharge papers can be found alongside his attestation papers. He was discharged from the Western Ontario Regiment in 1919 as a part of military demobilization. 

1921 Canadian Census

John Thompson is found within the 1921 Census. Now at the head of his family; members listed as follows.

• John Thompson (head/himself), 30
• Rachel Thompson (wife), 23
• Alberta Irene (daughter), 3
• Milred (daughter), 9 months

Source: Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 65; Census Place: Chatham (Township), Kent, Ontario; Page Number: 5 https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1921/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=1757287

1924 US Border Crossing

On March 11, 1924. John Thompson arrived at St. Clair on the SS Miller. His documents state that he intended to stay for two weeks, however he would appear in later US census documents. There is no evidence to support this existence of this discrepancy. It is most likely that he was attempting to move for the purposes of providing for his family.

Source: The National Archives at Washington, D.C; Washington, D.C.; Series Title: Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Individuals Entering through the Port of Detroit, Michigan, 1906-1954; NAI: 4527226; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004 https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/22101:1070?ssrc=pt&tid=24614467&pid=5090062343

1930 US Census

The move to the United States allowed for Thompson's family to experience upwards economic mobility. His stated occupation as a labourer working within the automotive sector is indicative of this. The extent of this improvement is shown in the census as the size of his household grows. 

• Residence: 6063 Whitewood Avenue (house no longer standing)
• John Thompson (himself), 38
• Rachel (wife), 31
• Alberta (daughter), 11
• Milred (daughter), 9
• Vivian Smith (sister in law), 24
• Hattie Smith (sister in law), 22
• Cornelia Hughley (lodger), 38
• Minnie Wright (lodger), 19

Despite the income that his in-laws and his lodgers provide for themselves, the ability to be able to afford a larger residence to accommodate additional individuals is a testament to the ability of many African-Canadians to climb the social economic ladder.

Source: Year: 1930; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 0512; FHL microfilm: 2340788 https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/12807114:6224?ssrc=pt&tid=24614467&pid=5090062343

1940 US Census

Thompson is in a similar situation during the 1940 census. He is no longer working but the rest of his family. It is not stated that he is retired, but other census entries of men of similar age also appear to not be working. It is unclear if this is a sign of early retirement. His household is as follows.

• John Thompson (head/himself), 49
• Rachel Thompson (wife), 42
• Milred (daughter), 19
• Alberta Seals (now married to Dewey Seals), 21
• Howard Seals (grandson)
• Sandy Phillips (lodger), 39
• Alice Phillips (lodger's wife), 26
• Paul Weir (lodger's son), 9.

Source: Year: 1940; Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: m-t0627-01868; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 84-953 https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/80793083:2442?ssrc=pt&tid=24614467&pid=5090062343

May 11, 1957

On May 11, 1957, John Marquis Alberta Thompson passed away in Detroit, Michigan at the age of 66. He was buried in Dresden Cemetery in Dresden, Ontario.

Source: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207548611/john-thompson: accessed 03 April 2023), memorial page for John Thompson (1891–1957), Find a Grave Memorial ID 207548611, citing Dresden Cemetery, Dresden, Chatham-Kent Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by FrankA. (contributor 47057719).

Ending Remarks

It is crucial to understand that these documents can only provide a small glimpse into one's life. One's legacy is more than just archived papers. John Thompson was a father, son, and brother to his family, and a soldier to his country, a member of his community.