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Hello,

I am related to Lieutenant Thomas Alexander Blackwood from Saskatchewan, Canada. Born in 1909 (I think) and the son of Alexander Blackwood who was born in Scotland and became the Assistant District Attorney in Saskatchewan.

He was in the 1st Bn The Winnipeg Grenadiers and received the Military Cross in WW2 for action in Hong Kong. I found the following information on him.

http://www.hkvca.ca/cforcedata/indivreport/indivdetailed.php?regtno=X34

I am interested in finding out any information about him or his family. In particular I am trying to find out if he had any children

Thank You

1921 Canadian census which shows some siblings
Thomas Alexander Blackwood
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 12
Birth Year: abt 1909
Birth Place: Saskatchewan
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's name: Alexander Blackwood
Father Birth Place: Scotland
Mother's name: Ethel Margaret Blackwood
Mother Birth Place: Scotland
Racial or Tribal Origin: Scotch (Scotish)
Province or Territory: Saskatchewan
District: Regina
District Number: 225
Sub-district: Regina (City)
Sub-District Number: 24
City, Town or Village: Regina Sask
Section Number: 27 48 Cueneron St
Occupation: Scholar
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Alexander Blackwood 44
Ethel Margaret Blackwood 38
Thomas Alexander Blackwood 12
John C Blackwood 10
Ethel Jane Blackwood. 6

No image to see who is living with him

Thomas Alex . Blackwood
in the Saskatchewan, Canada, Residents Index (SRI), 1800-2012
Saskatchewan, Canada, Residents Index (SRI), 1800-2012 No Image
Text-only collection
Name: Thomas Alex . Blackwood
Residence Date: 1952
Residence Place: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Description: resided

This looks interesting


Name: Thomas Alexander Blackwood
Occupation: Civil Servant
Year: 1965
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Electoral District: Victoria
With a Mrs Noreen Blackwood

Must be the wrong Thomas - too young:

Thomas Alexander Blackwood
in the Web: CanadianHeadstones.com Index
Name: Thomas Alexander Blackwood
Gender: Male
Cemetery: Ross Bay
Burial Place: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Can
Notes: BLACKWOOD THOMAS ALEXANDER M.C. May 18 1919 - Mar 31 1998
NOREEN MARY May 28 1920 - Mar 18 2008


EDIT:
and yet he has the Miilitary Cross

There are just 2 Scottish birth records for a child named Thomas Alexander Blackwood
Neither could be this man.

The Scottish births were registered in 1884 and 1948.
__________________________________________________________________

Definitely the same couple at 1916 in Saskatchewen, yet there are no sons in the household:

Alexander Blackwood 40 Solicitor b Glasgow ( at 1921 he is a Barrister)
Ethel M Blackwood 30
Ethel J F Blackwood 1

Stated they emigrated in 1913
Both Alexander and Ethel stated that they were born in Glasgow which leads to their marriage

Alexander Blackwood and Ethel Margaret Fetherston married in Glasgow 1913.

I am fairly certain that Alexander was born in Kilmacolm or Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire
Father:Thomas
Mother: Jane White Crawford
At 1901 Alexander was a 25 yr old Law Student living with his mother in Dunoon.

Therefore, any child born prior to 1913, did not stem from this marriage.

Alexander could have been a widower because "Thomas Alexander" is a combination of his own name and his father's
and a 1st son would usually be named for his grandfather


Ethel stated that her father was Irish and mother Scottish

1901 Glasgow
William Fetherston 47 b Ireland ( Co Cork taken from 1881 & 1891 returns in Glasgow)
Margaret W Fetherston 43 B Scotland
Richard B Fetherston 21
**Ethel M Fetherston 18
Mabel A Fetherston 9

The 1921 census posted by Shirley says Thomas was born in Saskatchewan.

Which doesn't fit with parents emigrating in 1913.

Unless the census is wrong, and he was aged 2, instead of 12, which would then fit with the gravestone record I posted earlier.

But the image clearly says 12.

There's also no son John C Blackwood born in Scotland in 1911 - a couple of Johns, but no middle initial.

It does say Saskatchewen ArgyllGran for both boys but, the census is very clear and both boys are entered as scholars

Ethel J Blackwood
in the UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
Name: Ethel J Blackwood
Birth Date: abt 1915
Age: 1
Port of Departure: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Arrival Date: 21 Aug 1916
Port of Arrival: Glasgow, Scotland
Ship Name: Pretorian
Shipping line: Canadian Pacific Line
Official Number: 113969


Travelling with parents Alexander (solicitor) and Ethel.

UK address: 22 Southbrae Drive, Jordanhill, Glasgow

Country of intended future permanent residence: Scotland.

Wild thought -
could the boys have been adopted, after they returned to Canada, some time between 1916 and 1921 ??

Alexander (barrister) and Ethel - no children:

Ethel Blackwood
in the Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
Name: Ethel Blackwood
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Birth Year: abt 1883
Date of Arrival: 28 Sep 1913
Vessel: Canada
Port of Arrival: Quebec, Canada
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_Hong_Kong

Prior to 1997 Hong Kong was a British dependant territory and followed the British honours system -
Orders, decorations, and medals of Hong Kong

Recipients of Colonial Hong Kong Gallantry Awards
Orders, Decorations and Medals conferred on Hong Kong residents or in respect of Hong Kong service up to 30 June 1996:

Shows a Thomas Alexander Blackwood as a Military Cross recipient in 1945

More general information about Canadian forces in Hong Kong found by googling

Or were they returning to Alexander's children ?

Only one marriage for Ethel on SP. 1913 to Alexander Blackwood

Shirley - thanks. I'd missed his brother John C Blackwood. I would also love to know what happened to him.

Your second posting is dated 1952 which is the year that his father Alexander died. I found details of that on Google. His obituary is here:

http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/sasklr18&div=9&id=&page=

I think that Thomas Alexander Blackwood may have died in 1998 but no evidence other than the military posting on my original post. The Civil Service lead might be a god one though - I will pursue that

Ethel's last trip seems to be a flight from Prestwick- Montreal in Sep 1953.

As ever, she was travelling alone.
(attempting to find a travel doc that includes contact details for children)

death:
:Ethel Margaret Blackwood
Gender: Female
Birth Year: abt 1883
Death Age: 84
Death Date: 15 Jan 1967
Death Location: Victoria
Registration Number: 1967-09-001298
BCA Number: B13281
GSU Number: 2033857

Strangely, he is mentioned on a memorial wall in Hong Kong:

http://www.hkvca.ca/Memorial%20Wall/names.htm

I don't think he died there though

GlasgowLass - Alexander was the youngest child and that is definitely him born in Kilmalcolm - mother Jane White Crawford

I think that is probably be him on the inbound ship. I know they visited the UK several times and brought their children at some point. My Dad has a photo of Alexander and 2 young boys in the UK from the 1930's

ArgyllGran - that headstone in Vancouver Island is very interesting. The Hong Kong website says he died in 1998. I haven't come across any link to that part of Canada.

Alexander and Ethel married in Scotstoun and Yoker 1913.
Alexander seems to be on a 1911 census in the same area age 35.

manipulating the index, confirms that there is no one else named Blackwood in this household

Re the Vancouver Island couple.......

Thomas Alexander Blackwood and his wife Noreen are found on a voters list

1965:
490 St Charles Street, Victoria, BC
Thomas Alexander is a "Civil Servant"

1968
Same Address
Thomas Alexander Blackwood is "A National Parole Officer"

Still there at 1974.
Thomas Alexander is "Retired"

I'm siding with ArgyllGran.
The boys ages on the 1921 census must be an error.

I guess it should read:
Thomas Alexander Age 2
John C 10 months ?

That's really useful GlasgowLass.
He must have moved over to the West Coast of Canada at some point.
I suspect that the C in John C Blackwood might stand for Crawford (his Grandmothers maiden name as was common in Scotland). I can't find any later reference to him.
The children's ages are a big mystery.

Do you have this?


Alexander Blackwood
British Columbia Death Registrations
Name Alexander Blackwood
Event Type Death
Event Date 21 Dec 1952
Event Place Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Gender Male
Age 76
Marital Status Married
Birth Date 12 Jan 1876
Birth Year (Estimated) 1876
Birthplace Woodhall, Scotland
Father's Name Thomas Blackwood
Mother's Name Jane White Crawford
Spouse's Name Ethel Margaret Featherston

From this site:

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1538285