James Thompson

M, b. 22 March 1878, d. 7 March 1971
FatherDavid Thompson1 b. 1842, d. 21 Feb 1892
MotherAnnie J McCagherty1 b. 18 Oct 1855, d. 23 Oct 1928
ChartsMordy Descendants
Descendants of Mayflower passenger Francis Cooke
Descendants of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren
Birth*22 March 1878 James Thompson was born on 22 March 1878 at Foresters Falls, Renfrew County, Ontario. 
(with Parents) Census18814 April 1881 He appeared on the 1881 Census of Ross Twp, Renfrew County, Ontario in the household of his parents, David Thompson and Annie J McCagherty. 
(with Parents) Census189123 April 1891 James Thompson appeared on the 1891 Census of Ross Twp, Renfrew County, Ontario in the household of his parents, David Thompson and Annie J McCagherty. 
(with Brother) Census19015 April 1901 James Thompson appeared on the 1901 Census of Ross Twp, Renfrew County, Ontario in the household of his brother Josiah W Thompson.2 
Marriage*7 July 1909 James Thompson married Mary Mordy, daughter of William Mordy and Susan Wilcox, on 7 July 1909 at Ross Twp, Renfrew County, Ontario.1,3
Census1911*4 April 1911 James Thompson and Mary Mordy appeared on the 1911 Census of Cut Knife, Battleford, Saskatchewan, at NE-4-45-22W3, enumerated 4 April 1911. Their son William Mordy was listed as living with them.4 
Census1916*1916 James Thompson and Mary Mordy appeared on the 1916 Census of Township 45, Battleford, Saskatchewan, enumerated 1916. Their children William Mordy, David, Gilbert Melvin and Denzil Craig were listed as living with them.5 
Census1921*1 June 1921 James Thompson and Mary Mordy appeared on the 1921 Census of Cut Knife, Battleford, Saskatchewan, enumerated 1 June 1921. Their children William Mordy, David, Gilbert Melvin and Denzil Craig were listed as living with them.6 
Photo* James Thompson and Mary Mordy appeared in this photograph.
Voters*1935 James Thompson, farmer, appeared on the List of Voters of Tatsfield, Battleford, Saskatchewan dated 1935. Also enumerated at the same address were Mary Mordy, William Mordy Thompson, David Thompson and Gilbert Melvin Thompson. 
(Witness) Photo James Thompson and Mary Mordy, Joseph Mordy and Katherine A Crozier appeared in this photograph with Hannah Annie Mordy and Henry Edgar Elliott.
Death*7 March 1971 James Thompson died on 7 March 1971 at Wilkie, Saskatchewan, at age 92.3 
Note* He was born March 22nd 1879 at Forster's (sic) Falls, Ross Township, Renfrew, Ontario. When Jim was eleven his father and sister died of typhoid fever. During his teens he worked at logging camps during the winter months. In 1901 he ventured west and worked for a relative at Treherne, Manitoba.
In the fall of 1902 he moved to Yorkton where he often drove Dr. Patrick to see his patients. One time he tells of a cowboy coming 60 miles to get the doctor. At each ranch, they came to they would get new horses until they finally made the sixty miles. While at Yorkton there was a protest march of a Doukhobor colony. The Dukhobors took off their clothes and walked down the streets. Many were taken as prisoners. Jim helped guard the building that held the prisoners.
In 1903, Jim, Felix and Lex Murphy, Bud Stewart and Duncan Affleck, their horses and Jim's oxen drove from Yorkton to Battleford where they filed their homesteads in the Wardenville district. Jim homesteaded NE section 4. All the others who came with him helped him build a sod house which burned in a prairie fire one or two years later.
In the winters of 1904-05 he worked for Taylor's Livery Barn, Battleford, driving surveyors with the livery team for the Battleford-Lloydminster Railroad. Many times he went to Saskatoon with oxen to bring supplies for Prince's Store in Battleford and Bill Murphy's Store on NE 34. One time while taking supplies to Scully of the Wilbert district, he got lost in a blizzard. He left the load on the prarie somewhere around present day Wilbert and ended up many miles northwest and spent the night in a haystack. In the morning he let the oxen walk freely. At 4:00 the next afternoon he was glad to arrive at Bill Murphy's store (SW of 34-45-22). On one trip from Saskatoon he brought his brother Melvin who came to homestead NW of 32.
Sometime in 1906-08 typhoid fever spread through the country resulting in some deaths, including Susan and Jim Murphy. Jim took Lex Murphy, who had typhoid to Battleford. Lex was quarantined in a shack by the river. Jim stayed and nursed him until he was released from quarantine.
One day Fred Beckett and Jim took grain to Paynton. There had been a murder and the two men went to see the body. The doctor performed an autopsy and these two were the witnesses and guarded the scene for some time. In the winter of 1908 Jim went back East and was called back in the spring to Battleford to testify as a witness at the trial.
After Jim put in the crop in tha spring of 1909 he went back east and was married July 7th 1909 to Mary Mordy, daughter of Mr & Mrs William Mordy of Forster's Falls, Renfrew County. They came by train to Paynton bringing their furniture with them. Jim's brother Joe came in 1910 and brought them a cow. Joe rented some land and boarded with them. In the fall he took a homestead at Provost.
From 1907-10 early settlers were able to get supplies at Newby store. Indians would come Saturday night and camp there. On Sunday everyone would come and shop and all would have fun playing football and having horse races.
One time Mrs, Harvey Wismer and baby Florence had taken a horse and buggy to Paynton. She got lost on the way home at night and was very grateful to spend the night with the Thompsons.
Bill was born Jan 8th, 1910 at the McMurchy house in Paynton with Dr. McKay present. The rest of the children were born on the farm with Mrs. White as midwife. Dave was born July 10th 1911. Gilbert was born March 3 1913. Denzil was born May 15, 1916. Edith, the only girl, was born May 15th 1916. Emerson was born May 26th 1919. All the children took their schooling at Wardensville School.
About 1918 a flu epidemic swept the country and many died. All the Thompson family were very ill. George McLean, Lat and Fred Bingham and other neighbours came and left food outside the door and did the chores. James Beckett came and stayed one night when Jim was very ill.
Jim was an adept lumberjack and kept up his skill with the axe after moving west. In the early years he did much of the gardening. Jim liked dancing and playing cards (such as King Pedro) with the neighbours, He played on the football team. In his later years he took pleasure in smoking his pipe.
Mrs Thompson was truly a pioneer woman. In the easlier years she helped outdoors driving the binder, drill, and plough with five horses. In the first years of settlement there were not many women yet in the area, so she cooked at threshing time for batchelors too. Until the boys were old enough to take the job over, she did the milking, taking the cream to the train in Tatsfield with a two wheeled cart and pony. She also knitted socks and mittens for the family, sewed all their clothes and crocheted bedspreads. She kept ducks, geese, turkeys and chickens which she raised with a coal oil incubator. Mrs Thompson loved growing flowers and indoor plants. Their place was the scene of many happy times including Quilting bees and family gatherings on Christmas day when she cooked the traditional goose. Mrs Thompson was a member of the Ladies Aid. Their house was the voting poll for Division 6 for many years.
In 1959 they celebrated thier golden wedding at Wardenville school. They resided on the farm until Mrs Thompsons death in 1964. Jim lived there with his son Dave for five more years. He then lived in a Nursing home in Wilkie and died on March 7 1971 at the age of 91 years.

(Written by Mrs Eileen Hampson.)3 

Family

Mary Mordy b. 17 Sep 1878, d. 17 Jun 1964
Children

Citations

  1. [S2081] Marriage Notices, Pembroke Observer, Jul 1909.
  2. [S2078] Josiah W Thompson household, 1901 Census of Canada, Renfrew N, Ross & Cobden (Village), Schedule 1.
  3. [S3727] Wardenville Community Club, Time Marches On.
  4. [S169] James Thompson household, 1911 Census of Canada, Battleford, Cut Knife, Schedule 1.
  5. [S3800] James Thompson household, 1916 Census of Canada, Battleford District, Township 45, Schedule 1.
  6. [S4316] James Thompson household, 1921 Census of Canada, Battleford, Cut Knife, Schedule 1.