Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthJanuary 4, 1898
Place of BirthCantraywood, Croy, Inverness-shire
CountryScotland
Service Details
Regimental Number1652/265381
Battalion6th Battalion
ForceBritish Expeditionary Force
BranchSeaforth Highlanders
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Survived WarYes
Death Details

Gordon, Frank

Frank Gordon was born on 4 January 1898 in Cantraywood, Croy, Inverness-shire in Scotland. He was the son of Peter Gordon, a farm labourer, and Jane Phimister, a sewing maid. Listed as a great nephew, at the time of the 1901 Frank was living with crofters William and Ann Phimister in Cantraywood. For the 1911 census an age appropriate Francis Gordon was found listed as an inmate in a large Catholic boarding school in Glasgow.

According to a later Canadian Legion card, Frank enlisted with the 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders on 7 March 1914 at Forres, Scotland. His medal records indicated that he served in Europe. The legion card gave his discharge from service as on 2 February 1919 at Kinross, Scotland, rank of Private.

On 16 December 1921, in Glasgow, Frank married widow Margaret Barclay. Born in 1889 in Glasgow, Margaret was the daughter of Richard and Margaret (née Smith) Silcock. Marrying widower Laurence Barclay in 1909 in Glasgow, Laurence died of influenza/pneumonia in 1920. At the time of Frank and Margaret’s marriage Frank was working as a spirit salesman. The next year the couple immigrated to Canada, embarking from Glasgow aboard the Tunisian on 30th June. The passenger list stated that they were on their way to Deerwood, Manitoba where Frank’s father Peter was farming.

By 1925 and the birth of their son Frank Albert, the couple was living in Kenora, Ontario. Sadly, Frank Jr died of pneumonia caused by whooping cough in April of 1926 in Kenora. While in Kenora, Frank joined the Kenora Branch of the Canadian Legion, two membership cards found for him. A 1935 Voters list had the couple living in the Lincoln Block in downtown Kenora where Frank was working as a janitor. On 2 January 1926, Margaret died, she is interred in the Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora.

Frank did not stay in the Kenora, with his date of death and final resting place not confirmed.

By Judy Thorburn

Research notes: An age appropriate Frank Gordon died as a result of a fire on 1 January 1964 in the Calgary apartment building that he was living in. Working as a labourer for the Manning Egleston Company for 10 years, he had retired in 1950. His death record did not contain any information about his date and place of birth nor any next of kin. Frank Gordon is interred in Queen’s Park Cemetery in Calgary, his grave unmarked.


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