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Thomas Henry Bottomley
Thomas Henry Bottomley was born 26th April 1889. He is the younger brother of Benjamin Bottomley. Benjamin is the father of Selwyn, Cyril (infant death) and Hubert Bottomley.
In 1911 Thomas Henry emigrated to Canada and became a fireman on the Trans Canadian Railway. He lived in Schreiber which is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the northern point of Lake Superior.
In October 1914, which was the start of the First World War, he signed up in the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force. His trade at that time was Locomotive Fireman.
On 11th April 1916 while serving in France he was granted leave and went to Halifax Yorkshire where he married Polly Smart, at the Weslyan Chapel, Rhodes Street, Halifax. Polly was 25 years old. Thomas was described as a Trooper in the Canadian Veterinary Corp.
Polly was living at 22 Gibbet Street, Halifax. Witnesses on the marriage certificate were Sam Smart and Edith Holt.
I am assuming that Sam Smart was related to Polly. Before Thomas emigrated, he and his siblings lived at Beech Hill Terrace, Halifax with their sister Eliza and her husband James Holt. It is possible that his sister Edith married a relation of James.
According to his military records Thomas was granted leave from 8th April to 15th April 1916 (he was married in Halifax Yorkshire on 11th April 1916) On 30th April 1916 he was admitted to hospital in France with Tonsillitis and rejoined his regiment on 6th May 1916.
Polly’s father, Rachub, was deceased at the time of the marriage but he was a Collier on the certificate.
Thomas left the military on 7th April 1919 and returned to civilian life in Canada.
Polly travelled to Canada in October 1919 with their son Jack who was 11 months old
Their daughter Polly, was born in Schreiber in 1921. Polly Senior seemed to use the name Olive after Polly Junior was born.
Thomas became ill on 15th May 1944 and died in Schreiber Ontario on 11th May 1945 and is buried in Schreiber Cemetery. He was by this time a Locomotive Engineer (Driver) on the Canadian Pacific Railway.
