Ernest John Thomas + Edith Annie Hawks

Edith and Ernest – by Lynne Thomas Cannon

Even though Edith Annie Hawks and Ernest John Thomas lived right nest door to each other in two little neighboring towns, they didn’t meet until about 1901 in London.  Edith had an Uncle Hawks who was an undertaker in London.  One day when she stopped by his place of business, she found her sister Daisy there with her beau, John Beach, and another young man named Ernest John Thomas.  They were introduced and he asked if he could walk her home.  Following that beginning, they often went out walking and to church together.  After five weeks of courtship Ernest kissed Edith.  They kept company for two years.  Once, during this courtship they went together to the home of Rudyard Kipling in Sussex.  They expected to meet him but were unable to do so.  They also know Lloyd George before he was Prime Minister.  Edith had been in his home.  Edith and Ernest became engaged.  They were known as Annie and Ernie to their friends.

MONET: Charing Cross Bridge, London 1901

Ernest John Thomas was always talking about crossing the ocean, so Edith wrote him a letter telling him that he should go with no ties, the engagement was off.  He left for Canada.  She did not hear from him for three years.  Then, one Sunday when she was home for Easter, She went to church with her two sisters and their beaus.  The church was filled.  There were three seats together near the front.  On her way to her seat with her sisters, Edith saw Jack (as she called him) sitting with a girl – she blushed!  He didn’t see her.  After the services, she saw him waiting outside and he introduced her to the girl, his sister Mabel.  Edith and Ernest walked home together.  Ernest said, “On the way past my house, come in and wait while my father helps me out with my trunks, as I am sailing tomorrow for America.”  He had been in town for a month without her knowing.  Ernest said, “See you in the morning.”  He was planning on taking his three sisters to London in the morning to the Crystal Palace Resort.

Perhaps Ernest delayed his sailing for a few days or weeks.  But, within a month he had sailed for America.  Before he sailed, Edith and Ernest had become engaged again.  On the Monday following Easter Edith and Ernest went for a walk in the forest.  On Tuesday Ernest went to London and bought Edith a diamond ring, a watch, a bracelet, and a necklace – a matched set.

Ernest was gone for another three of four years.  But, this time when he returned, Edith and Ernest were married.  Ernest paid the twenty-five pounds for the special license so they would not have to wait three weeks to have their banns read in church.  They were married May 12, 1910 in Kingston on the Thames by a Justice of the Peace on a Friday morning.  Edith’s sister Lillian and her husband, Frederick Smith, were the witnesses.  Edith and Ernest spent Friday night at Lillian’s home in Teddington and Saturday morning they sailed for Canada.

The ship docked in Montreal and Edith and Ernest took a day’s train ride from there to Peterborough, Ontario where they rented a house with three rooms upstairs an three down.  Ernest arranged for some furnishings and the necessities to set up housekeeping for his new bride.  But, as the story goes, Edith hated Peterborough and would not stay.  After six weeks, Ernest did what he could with the furniture and moved his wife to Salt Lake City, saying, “I know a place you will love.”  Well, she didn’t love it, but Ernest couldn’t afford to move them again and that is how we all came to be residents of Salt Lake City.

Ernest had been in Salt Lake before and was immediately attracted to the place and had a feeling that it would be a good place to live.  Ernest got a job at a canvas factory working for Mr. Rippey.  It is believed that Ernest had worked for him before, while living with the Evans sisters, later a well-known singing trio.

Arriving in Salt Lake, Edith and Ernest first lived about a month with Mrs. Smith on Third East and Fifth South while waiting for their home to be finished.  Soon they moved into their home on Fifth South between Fourth and Fifth East.  They paid eighteen dollars a month in rent.  Both Bill and Owen were born at this residence.  In 1913 the family moved to 428 East Ninth South where Evelyn was born.  In 1917 they moved to 356 East Eight South where Kent was born.

AAA Tent and Awning Company in the early 1940's

Ernest eventually went into business with Lawrence Nink and formed AAA Tent and Awning Company.  The business was first located on State Street between Second and Third South.  Some years later there was a fire after which the business moved to Second South between State and Second East.  It was said that this fire was the best thing that ever happened in the business.  The fire destroyed the floor of the basement.  The insurance company deemed the machines a total loss.  Ernest bought the machines back from the insurance company as damaged merchandise, repaired them and bought new machines with the insurance money, essentially doubling the business.

The rest of the story is probably more well known by others in the family.  Many entertaining stories could be told about Ernest and Edith and the Thomas family and maybe this coming year would be a good time to start gathering those stories.