Minnie was born in Brompton, Quebec, the fifth of 10 children born to Englishman Thomas Gardner and his wife Mary Philips, also of English heritage.
Sadly her mother died when Minnie was 14, less than a year after the birth of the youngest child.
Minnie and several of her siblings worked at the new papermill in Windsor, supervised by her future husband, John Thomson from Scotland.
They were married in 1867 when Minnie was 18 and John 29, moving to Saint John, New Brunswick where their daughter Mary was born, and then to Ontario where their son John was born. Both children died in 1878 from Scarlatina.
John went on to become very successful, having developed a new chemical process using soda to make paper from wood pulp. He and his brother James were honoured by a plaque erected in their memory in Newburgh, and written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Minnie and John had a beautiful home in Napanee, with a huge stuffed Canadian goose next to the fireplace - which fascinated their young great-nieces and nephews.
When Mary died she divided her money equally between all of her surviving nieces and nephews, allowing at least two of them (my grandmother and her sister) to purchase homes for the first time in their lives.
Sadly her mother died when Minnie was 14, less than a year after the birth of the youngest child.
Minnie and several of her siblings worked at the new papermill in Windsor, supervised by her future husband, John Thomson from Scotland.
They were married in 1867 when Minnie was 18 and John 29, moving to Saint John, New Brunswick where their daughter Mary was born, and then to Ontario where their son John was born. Both children died in 1878 from Scarlatina.
John went on to become very successful, having developed a new chemical process using soda to make paper from wood pulp. He and his brother James were honoured by a plaque erected in their memory in Newburgh, and written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Minnie and John had a beautiful home in Napanee, with a huge stuffed Canadian goose next to the fireplace - which fascinated their young great-nieces and nephews.
When Mary died she divided her money equally between all of her surviving nieces and nephews, allowing at least two of them (my grandmother and her sister) to purchase homes for the first time in their lives.
Minnie was born in Brompton, Quebec, the fifth of 10 children born to Englishman Thomas Gardner and his wife Mary Philips, also of English heritage.
Sadly her mother died when Minnie was 14, less than a year after the birth of the youngest child.
Minnie and several of her siblings worked at the new papermill in Windsor, supervised by her future husband, John Thomson from Scotland.
They were married in 1867 when Minnie was 18 and John 29, moving to Saint John, New Brunswick where their daughter Mary was born, and then to Ontario where their son John was born. Both children died in 1878 from Scarlatina.
John went on to become very successful, having developed a new chemical process using soda to make paper from wood pulp. He and his brother James were honoured by a plaque erected in their memory in Newburgh, and written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Minnie and John had a beautiful home in Napanee, with a huge stuffed Canadian goose next to the fireplace - which fascinated their young great-nieces and nephews.
When Mary died she divided her money equally between all of her surviving nieces and nephews, allowing at least two of them (my grandmother and her sister) to purchase homes for the first time in their lives.
Sadly her mother died when Minnie was 14, less than a year after the birth of the youngest child.
Minnie and several of her siblings worked at the new papermill in Windsor, supervised by her future husband, John Thomson from Scotland.
They were married in 1867 when Minnie was 18 and John 29, moving to Saint John, New Brunswick where their daughter Mary was born, and then to Ontario where their son John was born. Both children died in 1878 from Scarlatina.
John went on to become very successful, having developed a new chemical process using soda to make paper from wood pulp. He and his brother James were honoured by a plaque erected in their memory in Newburgh, and written up in the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Minnie and John had a beautiful home in Napanee, with a huge stuffed Canadian goose next to the fireplace - which fascinated their young great-nieces and nephews.
When Mary died she divided her money equally between all of her surviving nieces and nephews, allowing at least two of them (my grandmother and her sister) to purchase homes for the first time in their lives.
Inscription
JOHN THOMSON 1838 [1837] - 1920
His Wife
MARY GARDNER 1849 - 1929
MARY A. THOMSON 1869 - 1878
JOHN THOMSON 1872 - 1878
THOMSON
Family Members
Siblings
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