Philip Martins Christophers

Philip Martins Christophers Bio

Philip Martins Christopher (Sr.)
b- Dec 21, 1873, Lelant, Penzance Reg dist., Cornwall, England
Baptized Sept 9, 1874, Uny Lelant, Cornwall
d- Sept 9, 1946, in Edmonton AB
Buried in Edmonton Cemetery as Phillip Martin Christophers
Section OM, Block 0157, Plot 0008

married to Dorcas Jane Pearce
b- ca 1874, Lelant, Cornwall, England (age 42 in 1916)
d-
she immigrated in 1902
daughter of James Pearce (Sr.)

daughter- Winnifred Caron Christophers
b- ca 1904, in AB, (age 12 in 1916)

daughter- Emily Edith Christophers
b- ca 1906, in BC, (age 10 in 1916)

son, Phillip Martin Christophers (Jr.)
b- Dec 14, 1906, Greenwood, BC (shown age 9 in 1916)
d- Apr 23, 1982 Kelowna General Hospital, Kelowna, BC, age 75
He was an RCMP Officer, which is ironic, since his father probably hated the RCMP.

son- George May Christophers
b- June 14, 1908, in Deadwood, BC, (age 8 in 1916)
d- Apr 13, 1999, Kaydee, AB
married Fern Jeanette Scoffield

daughter- Edna Mary Christophers
b- ca 1911, in BC (age 5 in 1916)

Elizabeth Christophers
b- ca 1913, in AB, (age 3 in 1916)

Nicholas John Christophers
b- Feb 22, 1915 in Blairmore, AB, (age 1 in 1916)
d- Aug 23, 1979, Victoria BC
married to Lidia Josepha Hofliger

Reason for this page?
P. M. Christophers (Sr) (alt- Christopher) was kidnapped July 3, 1920, hauled out of his hotel room in Bienfait, driven out of Bienfait by a vigilante group of men, to Noonan ND, and released. He was threatened with tar and feathers, and worse, if he returned. He was an organizer for the OBU, the “One Big Union”

One source (link below) says there were 7 charged, another 5?

Newspaper articles show 5, with 2 being released right away. Aug 18, 1920, Magistrate MacEachern committed 3 men to trial, and discharged 2.
He released Thomas “Tom” Jones and Roy (Ray?) Thompson
3 committed for trial:
Sam Dryden
Amos Gough
James Clarke
Bail of $10,000 each was set, and sureties of $4,000 was required from them as well. The last 3 were acquitted in their trial.

Then another source (link below) says there were 7 men charged
This included Sam Dryden, George Hunter, Tom Jones, Amos Gough, James Clarke, Tom Munroe, and Ray Thompson.
here they say Jones, Thompson, Dryden and Gough were dismissed right away.
Hunter, Clarke and Munroe went to trial, but were acquitted for lack of evidence.
George Hunter was suspended from the SK Provincial Police Force, by the Superintendent, so he was the only one that got the blame, indirectly.
Samuel “Sam” Dryden was the President of the Great War Veteran's Association in Estevan at the time.

Now this fellow was kidnapped, threatened, and no one was guilty?
The Mine Owners had a lot of power back then. to keep the Unions out, they would do anything.

Bio

Philip Sr. son of Nicholas Christophers and Elizabeth Martins

His name appears as Phillip not Philip, also Martin not Martins, and Christophers, not Christopher.
but Philip Martins Christopher is in birth index in England, so I am going with that.

1881- he is with his Uncle James Pearce Jr. as a 7 year old scholar, in Una Lelant.

1891- he is a Tin Miner in Mennor and Trevarnack, Una Lelant, Cornwall, staying with his Uncle, James Pearce Jr..

Sr. immigrated to Canada in 1894

He was a former Cornwall Tin Miner, and a Socialist.

1911- Phillip is shown as Philip, same as his son. surname is Christopher here as well, shown as a Miner. family living in Nelson city at this time

1916- the family were on 5th ave in Blairmore AB, Sr. shown as a Coal Miner there.

1917- Philip Sr. became District Vice-President, UMW, District 18

1921- family still living in Blairmore AB.

from July 18, 1921- June 19, 1930, Sr. served as a member of Alberta Legislature, Dominion Labour Party, Rocky Mountain Electoral District.
External Link- View his Photo Here

One source says his name was R. J. Christopher, which is wrong for sure.

Samuel “Sam” Dryden
b- Oct 26, 1872, in England, age 50 in 1921, age 48 in 1916
d- Aug 24, 1941 in Vancouver, age 70
buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver BC
shown as a farmer, section 35, Twp 1, Rge 8, W2, near Estevan in 1916 and 1921
enlisted in WWI, rank Captain, Oct 1, 1916 in Winnipeg, MB
served in India and South Africa.
He was President of the Estevan Great War Veteran's Association in 1920
married to Mary Ann Dryden, nee Waugh
b- 1876, in England, age 45 in 1921, age 42 in 1916
d- Oct 9, 1937
buried in Estevan City Cemetery
they had 3 sons and 2 daughters by 1921

Amos Gough
b- Feb 26, 1890 in North Leigh, Witney Reg Dist, Oxfordshire, England
d- Oct 31, 1969, probably in Calgary AB
buried in Burnsland Cemetery, Military Section T, Block 2A, Calgary AB
1921- Employee of the Prairie Nurseries, Estevan. (Salesman)
1911- Shoeing and General Smith, age 21, in West End, Northleach, Gloucestershire, England
1940- he was living in Regina, shown as a War Veteran
enlisted in WWI, Nov 1914 in Quebec, single, Mother, Mary Gough his mother.
Reg #63970, 23rd Batt., Sergeant

Ernest Gough, b- Mar 4, 1884, North Leigh, Oxfordshire, England, age 28,
William Gough, b- 1887, age 26, and Amos Gough, b- 1891, age 24
all came on “SS Lake Manitoba”, from Liverpool England, April 27, 1913, via Quebec,
all heading to join their brother, Edward Gough (b- 1883), who was living in Estevan already.

Rest of the family appears to have stayed in England
another brother- Fredrick “Fred” Gough,
b- ca 1881, in North Leigh, Witney reg dist., Oxfordshire,
age 30 in 1911, Domestic coachman, in Scotton, Haresborough, Yorkshire, England
married to Catherine Gough, b- Liverpool, Lancashire, England, age 29 in 1911
He had 2 sons and 3 daughters.
brother Earnest Gough, b- Whitney, Oxfordshire, age 26 in 1911 was living with Fred in 1911, Bricklayer labourer.
sister- Lilley “Lily” Gough,
b- ca 1881, North Leigh, Oxfordshire, England, 5 mo old in 1881 census, age 10 in 1891
in 1881 census she is shown born in Handborough, Oxfordshire, England.
oldest brother- Frank Gough,
b- ca 1873, North Leigh, Oxfordshire, England, age 7 in 1881, age 18 in 1891
d- Sept 12, 1941, Banbury reg dist, Oxfordshire, England age 67
left his estate to widow, Emily Gough, shown as Lily in 1911 census, b- Witney, age 37, nee Gardiner
sister- Elizabeth Gough,
b- ca 1879, in North Leigh, Oxfordshire, England

mother- Mrs. E. Gough, Mary Gough, b- ca 1855, North Leigh, Oxfordshire, England, age 35 in 1891
She was a leather Glove maker.
In 1881 census she is shown as unmarried.
1881 Mother Mary, age 26 and Frank, Fred, Elizabeth and Lilley, were living in Long Handborough, Handborough Parish, Witney, Oxfordshire, England
The father is shown as “E. Gough” Father is a mystery here. was it John Gough? I just can not find a record of her marrying.

James Clarke
b-
There was a James Clark in 1921 in Estevan,
b- in England, age 32
he lived on Henry st as well.
occupation shown as a Carpenter.
married to Evelyn Thompson Clark, b- in England age 32
son- Arthur Clark, b- in England, age 11
I am not sure if this is the right fellow or not, but I would think he is.

Thomas Douglas “Tom” Munroe
b- Sept, 1870 in Shire, Lanark, Scotland
d- July 4, 1926
buried in Estevan City Cemetery
Immigrated in 1900 or 1902?
1911 shown as a coal miner
married Jane Muirhead
1911, 1916, spouse shown as Jessie Munroe,
b- Scotland, age 50 in 1916
son Thomas born in Scotland, and 3 daughters born in SK
1901 Scotland census shows another son John, age 7, surname shown as Munro

George Hunter
b-
d-
Corporal in the Saskatchewan Provincial Police

Thomas “Tom” Jones
b-
d-

Raymond “Ray” Thompson
b-
d-

last 3 are hard to trace with such common surnames
found a couple likely ones in Weyburn

Ext Links

Book Sources
On Strike: Six Key Labour Struggles in Canada 1919-1949

Bienfait: The Saskatchewan Miners' Struggle of '31

A Secret RCMP document from the time, They had infiltrated the OBU Union Organizing Groups.
http://journals.hil.unb.ca/index.php/RCMP/article/viewFile/9347/9402

©