Ernest John Thomas – by Lynne Thomas Cannon
Ernest John Thomas was apprenticed as a sailmaker to his
father’s employer, Lee & Co. at age thirteen. Ernest wanted to be able to continue to
attend school. But, as the only son, his
parents didn’t want him to live so far away from home. Apparently, would have had to go to school in
Wales where there was probably some family property. Ernest also always wanted to become a seaman,
but his parents forbade it. Ernest never
forgave them.
Instead, Ernest served an apprenticeship for six years in
his own hometown and then got a job in a shipyard in Strood, another town very
close to home. While living in England,
Ernest walked a great deal, all through the south of England. But, what he really wanted to do was to go to
Canada. Many people were going to Canada
at that time, looking for opportunities.
Ernest John Thomas mad his first trip to Canada on a White Star Liner
steamship when he was probably in his early twenties.
Ernest arrived in Montreal, Quebec and found plenty of work
available. First, he went to work in the
country raising flax. Then he worked on
another farm where he made friend with some fellows from Toronto. He moved to Toronto, Ontario and lived in
boarding houses. He worked in a piano
factory, a foundry and a bakery. He also
worked for a Mr. Turner in Peterborough in a tent factory.*
After some time in Canada, Ernest went to Chicago in answer
to an advertisement for sailmaker. He
worked there for a time and then went to Massachusetts, working in Boston, Fall
River and New Bedford. Ernest also went
to Philadelphia and New York. In New
Your City, Ernest worked on Fulton Street and lived in Brooklyn. He walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to work
and back every day.
 |
| San Francisco 1906 earthquake |
Ernest returned to England but he only stayed about two
months before sailing again for Canada.
This time he went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Alberta, and Vancouver, British
Columbia. During this trip he also went
to San Francisco. While in San Francisco
he went walking down by the ships alone one night. He met a sailor who took him aboard ship and
tried to drug him and shanghai him, but he escaped. He was in San Francisco right after the big
earthquake which was April 18th and 19th, 1906. He was conscripted into helping clean up
after the earthquake. Ernest returned to
England sometime shortly before his marriage to Edith Annie Hawks on May 12,
1910.
*J.J. Turner & Sons; Manufacturers; Peterborough, Ont. [Ontario] The following information is taken from the archives of the Peterborough Museum: “The J.J. Turner Company was established about 1870 in Port Hope, Ontario. It re-located to Peterborough in 1887. In 1914 the company was described as the largest maker of tents, sails and awnings in Canada. In 1908 it employed 68 workers in a 20,000 square foot factory in downtown Peterborough. It was at one time, among Peterborough's ten largest employers. The factory contained a blacksmiths shop, carpentry shop and other large scale workshops. J.J. Turner also had a nation-wide marketing and distribution network”. In a 1920 catalogue, Turner listed itself as a maker of “sails, tents, awnings, flags, and camp equipment. For at least part of its existence, the company was located at 140 King Street. The building still exists today and is known as the J.J. Turner Building. The company still existed in 1975 under the name Turner Company.
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