What happened to Thomas MANDERSON?

In May 1903 he married Lillian CRUMP in Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia, Lillian was only 19 years of age, Thomas was six years her senior.[1]  The couple’s whereabouts after their marriage is not known.  It is quite possible that Thomas took his new bride back to his usual place of residence in Kalgoolie, Western Australia. [2]

Figure Photographer - 1 G.L. Massingham, Wedding Photo of Lillian Crump & Thomas Manderson, 1903, Scan of original image.

By February 1906 Lillian had returned to Eaglehawk, Victoria to have her first child, Thomas does not seem to have returned with her[3]  By March 1906 there is a “Missing Persons notice” the Western Australian Gazette.[4]

Western Australia, "MIssing Friends," Government gazette of Western Australia, 16 March 1906, online archives (https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/searchgazette/F5F32A6A4046D57348257C6100257B4A/$file/gg020.pdf  : accessed 26 Jan 2017), p. 898, col. 1

Three months later he has been located, in Goomalling, near Newcastle in Western Australia which was reported in both the Government Gazette and the in the MISSING FRIENDS Column of The Daily News  in Perth.[5]   {Note - Newcastle, Western Australia is now known as Toodyay, it was known as Newcastle between 1860 and 1910, the  town situated on the Avon River,}

A year later on the 17 May 1907 in Quebec, Canada Thomas joins the crew of the Empress of Britain, and works as a Trimmer until June 1907 where he disembarks in Liverpool, England.[6]   The records show that he worked on the Everton Grange earlier in the year as crew before joining the Empress of Britain.

Liverpool, England, Crew Lists 1861-1919;" Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, England; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, "Crew lists (fishing boats). 387 FIS : 1907,"Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed 24 Mar 2016), Entry for Thomas MANDERSON on the Empress of Britain - Cropped image

Eventually, Thomas winds up in California in 1910 where he is working as a labourer in a mine, He is living San Simeon, San Luis Obispo, California in the Cambria Precinct.[7] By 1920 he is in Big River, Mendocino, California in Road Street Winning West Lown Carpar.[8]

He eventually dies in 1938 Sonoma having worked as a farm labourer for 30 years.[9]

Further Research

We know where Thomas Manderson is on the

•          30 June 1906, he is in Goomalling, WA;
•          ?? date unknown he is on the Everton Grange
•          31 May 1907 he joins the crew of the  Empress of Britain in Quebec, Canada
•          17 June 1907, he is in Liverpool, England disembarking the Empress of Britain

How did he get to Quebec?  How and/or when did he leave WA?

Why?

Lillian CRUMP had four children. Her two eldest children Doris and Myrtle were born in Eaglehawk, Victoria; both were registered without a father.[10]  Her third child William BASSETT was born 1908 in Dundas, Tasmania with William BASSETT noted as the father in his military records.[11]  Her last child Gladys was born in 1912 in Eaglehawk, Victoria with William BASSETT listed as the father.  In 1912 Lillian and William BASSETT were living in Eaglehawk, Victoria as a married couple.[12] William BASSETT was Lillian’s long term partner in life.

Establishing where Thomas Manderson was living will help to confirm or eliminate him as the possible biological father of Doris & Myrtle, Lillian’s two eldest children. 

References

[1] Birth Certificate Doris Lillian Manderson, born 25 Feb 1906, Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria, 2600/1906

[2] Western Australia, "MIssing Friends," Government gazette of Western Australia, 16 March 1906, online archives (https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/searchgazette/F5F32A6A4046D57348257C6100257B4A/$file/gg020.pdf  : accessed 26 Jan 2017), p. 898, col. 1.

[3] Marriage Certificate of Thomas MANDERSON and Lillian CRUMP, married 7 May 1903. Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria, 2358/1903

[4] Marriage Certificate of  Lillian CRUMP and Thomas MANDERSON, married 7 May 1903 [Thomas listed his usual place of residence as Kalgoolie, Western Australia at the time of their marriage]

[5] Anon, ‘MISSING FRIENDS’, 30 June 1906, The Daily News, p. 5 (SECOND EDITION). Accessed 25 November 2016 at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82405063; Anon., ‘MISSING FRIENDS’, The Daily News,  30 June 1906, p. 6 (SECOND EDITION). Accessed 25 November 2016 at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82404925 [note the same article is repeated twice in the same edition of the Daily News it appears on both pages 5 & 6]

[6] "Liverpool, England, Crew Lists 1861-1919;" Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, England; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, "Crew lists (fishing boats). 387 FIS : 1907,"Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed 24 Mar 2016), Entry for Thomas MANDERSON on the Empress of Britain[The address given by Thomas MANDERSON in this document provides direct evidence that he came from Caldwell St., in Victoria, Australia and that he was born in 1877. It also mentions the previous ship that Thomas MANDERSON crewed for, the “Everton Grange”. ]

[7] "Liverpool, England, Crew Lists 1861-1919;" Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, England; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, "Crew lists (fishing boats). 387 FIS : 1907,"Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed 24 Mar 2016), Entry for Thomas MANDERSON on the Empress of Britain [The address given by Thomas MANDERSON in this document provides direct evidence that he came from Caldwell St., in Victoria, Australia and that he was born in 1877.]; 1910 U.S. census, San Luis Obispo, California, population schedule, San Luis Obispo, enumeration district (ED) 0044, sheet 5B, p. 101, dwelling Cambria Precinct, family 90, Tom Manderson; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.Ancestry.com : accessed 25 Mar 2016)

[8] 1920 U.S. census, Mendocino, California, population schedule, Big River Township (part), Big River Precinct 1, Big River Precinct 2, Caspar Precinct, enumeration district (ED) 111, sheet 18B, p. 7015 (image 26 of 27), dwelling 678, family 468, Thomas Manderson; digital images,  Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Mar 2016)

[9] Death Certificate for Thomas Manderson, died 10 Mar 1938, Sonoma County Clerk's Office, California, USA,  20331/1938 [ Note Thomas parents were listed as Thomas Manderson and Anna Young, being born Australia]

[10] Victorian Birth Certificates 1906/2600-Eaglehawk for Doris Lillian MANDERSON and 1907/10233 Eaglehawk for Myrtle May MANDERSON

[11] NAA: B883, VX21203 William BASSETT

[12] Australian Electoral Commission, Australia, Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980, vol. 1912: 4 (image 4 of 37), Lillian Bassett; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, "Division of Bendigo, Subdivision of Eaglehawk," Ancestry.com (Ancestry.com.au : accessed 21 Mar 2016); Victorian Birth Certificate 1912/19781 Eaglehawk Gladys Irene BASSETT