After some confusion we’ve managed to sort out, what we believe, is a profile for British Home Child James Salmon. It was not as easy of a task as I personally thought it would be, but each BHC is individual and always a challenge. We cannot confirm or deny a relation between James Salmon and Robert Salmon who were both processed through Fegan Homes and arrived on the same ship despite later confirmation that James did have a brother named Robert. We’d welcome conversation with anyone with more information or a connection to either of these dear boys.
Library and Archives of Canada
Item: James SALMON (93661)
Given Name(s): James
Surname: SALMON
Gender: M
Age: 15
Year of Arrival: 1921
Ship: MINNEDOSA
Date of Departure: 1921-04-20
Port of Departure: Liverpool
Date of Arrival: 1921-04-29
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Party: Fegan Homes
Destination: Toronto, Ontario
Children travelling together: Q21AD
Comments: General Correspondence File C-4726 File 2571
Type of Records: Passenger Lists
Microfilm Reel Number: T-14712
Reference: RG 76 C1a
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Database Item Number: 93661
Item: James SALMON (137769)
Given Name(s): James
Surname: SALMON
Gender: M
Age: 15
Year of Arrival: 1921
Ship: MINNEDOSA
Sent by: Fegan
Record Title: Records of the Fegan Distributing Home in Toronto
Page Number: 285; see also an addition to 285 at the end of the volume
Volume Number: 6
Family History Library Microfilm Reel Number: 2027622
Reference: Genealogy CS88 A2 F43 1995, microfilm #2
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Database Item Number: 137769
Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
Name: James Salmon
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Birth Year: abt 1906
Date of Arrival: 29 Apr 1921
Vessel: Minnedosa
Port of Arrival: Quebec, Canada
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Canada, Ocean Arrivals (Form 30A), 1919-1924
Name: James Salmon
Gender: Male
Estimated birth year: abt 1906
Age: 15
Date of Arrival: 30 Apr 1921
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Ship Name: Minnedosa
Notes: Fegan Homes confirmed as sending agency. Next of Kin was Sister, Alice Salmon is crossed out and Mrs. Bolten written in. Added is the address 32 Tenburry Road, Workhouse. See below for information on the Tenbury Workhouse.
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Tenbury/
1921 Canadian Census records place the family of Minnie Keffer (39) and Thomas John Hodsdon (35) spelled ‘Hodson’ on the record, on the East Half Lot of 10, Concession 4, in the township of Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada. Thomas John Hodsdon was from England and had arrived in Canada in 1908. In residence were their sons Frederic (4), and Enos (2) as well as Minnie’s sisters Anna Keffer (44) and Alice Keffer (40) as well as two boys listed as Lodgers, Sidney Maidment (17) and James Salmon (15). Sidney had arrived in Canada in 1920 from England, where as James had arrived in 1921.
*Note: On Ancestry there was a transcription error that had James noted as ‘James Maidment’. We added a correction there, but it goes to show us all that looking at the original records is a must.
The Department of Immigration: Juvenile Inspection Report Card for James Salmon confirms that he was in the household of Thomas John Hodsdon in Maple, Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada. He then went to work for Stuart Wight in Ravenshoe in Queensville, Ontario.
There’s a note from 1924 that ‘This boy went to the West in March 1924 to join his brothers in new farming near Winnipeg’.
Once again suggesting he had brothers that came to Canada and remained here.
U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960
Name: James Salmon
Gender: Male
Race/Nationality: Scottish (Scotish)
Age: 20
Birth Date: 18 Jun 1906
Birth Place: Glasgow
Birth Country: Scotland
Arrival Date: 10 Jun 1927
Port of Arrival: Buffalo, New York, USA
Departure Contact: Brother Robert Salmon
Record has photo? No
Record Type: Cards
Notes: This record suggests that James walked across one of the Bridges between Canada and the United States and made application to enter on grounds of entering the US Navy. His brother, Robert Salmon lived on Toronto Street but there is no further information.
James does confirm he arrived via Quebec on 13 Apr 1920 on the Menedosa ship. Like many BHC, he probably didn’t know the correct information about his beginnings to answer the questions being asked of him. We couldn’t locate any further American records suggesting he stayed on or enlisted.
