THOMAS and CHAMBERS Genealogy and Photos
Terry's Maternal Surnames (Direct Line)
THOMAS and YEOMENS / YOEMANS, CHAMBERS, OAKHILL, WARD, POLE, TYLER, SHARPE, BEEBIE
THOMAS and YEOMENS / YOEMANS, CHAMBERS, OAKHILL, WARD, POLE, TYLER, SHARPE, BEEBIE
FAMILY TREES & CHARTS
THOMAS & CHAMBERS Family Tree - Descendants of William CHAMBERS b1819,
whose daughter Charlotte CHAMBERS married Arthur Rhys THOMAS - 4 generation tree starting in England & Wales.
Download the THOMAS Pedigree Chart for Lillian Joyce Thomas (Terry's mother) in PDF format.
Also check out our blog for THOMAS-related stories.
THOMAS & CHAMBERS Family Tree - Descendants of William CHAMBERS b1819,
whose daughter Charlotte CHAMBERS married Arthur Rhys THOMAS - 4 generation tree starting in England & Wales.
Download the THOMAS Pedigree Chart for Lillian Joyce Thomas (Terry's mother) in PDF format.
Also check out our blog for THOMAS-related stories.
More photos and a fan chart have been added at the bottom of the page.
Ivor & Lily Thomas, probably with their firstborn Bill
Although Terry's mother's THOMAS line has not been traced back very far, it certainly includes some of the more interesting and unusual stories. Terry's mother was Lillian Joyce THOMAS, known as Joyce, the youngest daughter of two orphans from Wales and England who met and married in Shanghai, China and ended up on the west coast of Canada.
Joyce's father, Ivor John THOMAS, was born in Cardiff Wales in 1871. His parents were Arthur Rhys THOMAS (c1839-c1876) and Charlotte CHAMBERS (1845 Kent - 1876 Leicester). According to family stories, both died about 1876 of "galloping consumption" in Leicester England, but we have been unable to confirm Arthur's death. The Chambers family stories suggest that Arthur was no longer living with his family at the time of Charlotte's death because they had separated and Charlotte had moved back home to Leicester from Wales. Another factor was that Arthur was commercial traveler and was away from home a lot. We do know that Charlotte was buried in Leicester in 1876 in the Welford Road Cemetery, leaving her young sons Ivor John and Robert William THOMAS without parents. Her older daughter Rachel had previously died as an infant.
In the 1881 England census, I believe that the THOMAS brothers were living with their maternal grandparents (William CHAMBERS and Phoebe OAKHILL), although they were both recorded or indexed incorrectly as Joe J. Thomas and William Thomas (Robert's middle name was William). Due to poor handwriting on the census, Joe J could be read as Iva J. Their grandparents died in the mid 1880s. Family stories say the boys were cared for by their Aunt Sarah, who was probably their mother's sister Sarah Chambers who had married a James Joyce. But this didn't last long. Probably for financial reasons the family was no longer able to care for the boys. They may have entered an orphanage for a time but ultimately they were separated and sent as "home children" or "farm children" to Canada. We have been unable to trace their journey to Canada - Barnardo's has no record of them, so they were likely sent over by a different agency.
Again from family stories, we know that Ivor was put to work as a farm labourer on Maplewood Farm in Drummond County, Quebec. Once he was of age he was free to travel west across Canada, settling in Victoria BC where he became a gardener for a time for Sir Frank Barnard, 10th Lieutenant Governor of BC between 1914 to 1919, in Esquimalt (Sir Barnard's obituary was published in the Montreal Gazette in 1936). The ships from China caught his eye and he decided to seek his fortune in the Orient. He settled for a time in Shanghai where he met and married Lily YEOMENS and started a family. He worked for the Standard Oil Company for 25 years, both in Dairen Manchuria (later to become Dalian) near the Soviet border and in Shanghai, until his retirement. These were dangerous times, and his wife's health was not strong, so he sent Lily and children Gladys (age 15), Arthur (age 10) and Joyce (age 7 1/2 or 8) to Vancouver BC ahead of him in Sept 1926. After Ivor's retirement (or perhaps in 1927?) they also tried living in Seattle Washington in the USA before settling in Victoria BC.
As THOMAS is a very common surname in Wales and therefore difficult to research, we have been unable to trace this line back further with certainty. Family stories say that Arthur Rhys's father (and Ivor's grandfather) was named Robert. This is unproven.
Joyce's father, Ivor John THOMAS, was born in Cardiff Wales in 1871. His parents were Arthur Rhys THOMAS (c1839-c1876) and Charlotte CHAMBERS (1845 Kent - 1876 Leicester). According to family stories, both died about 1876 of "galloping consumption" in Leicester England, but we have been unable to confirm Arthur's death. The Chambers family stories suggest that Arthur was no longer living with his family at the time of Charlotte's death because they had separated and Charlotte had moved back home to Leicester from Wales. Another factor was that Arthur was commercial traveler and was away from home a lot. We do know that Charlotte was buried in Leicester in 1876 in the Welford Road Cemetery, leaving her young sons Ivor John and Robert William THOMAS without parents. Her older daughter Rachel had previously died as an infant.
In the 1881 England census, I believe that the THOMAS brothers were living with their maternal grandparents (William CHAMBERS and Phoebe OAKHILL), although they were both recorded or indexed incorrectly as Joe J. Thomas and William Thomas (Robert's middle name was William). Due to poor handwriting on the census, Joe J could be read as Iva J. Their grandparents died in the mid 1880s. Family stories say the boys were cared for by their Aunt Sarah, who was probably their mother's sister Sarah Chambers who had married a James Joyce. But this didn't last long. Probably for financial reasons the family was no longer able to care for the boys. They may have entered an orphanage for a time but ultimately they were separated and sent as "home children" or "farm children" to Canada. We have been unable to trace their journey to Canada - Barnardo's has no record of them, so they were likely sent over by a different agency.
Again from family stories, we know that Ivor was put to work as a farm labourer on Maplewood Farm in Drummond County, Quebec. Once he was of age he was free to travel west across Canada, settling in Victoria BC where he became a gardener for a time for Sir Frank Barnard, 10th Lieutenant Governor of BC between 1914 to 1919, in Esquimalt (Sir Barnard's obituary was published in the Montreal Gazette in 1936). The ships from China caught his eye and he decided to seek his fortune in the Orient. He settled for a time in Shanghai where he met and married Lily YEOMENS and started a family. He worked for the Standard Oil Company for 25 years, both in Dairen Manchuria (later to become Dalian) near the Soviet border and in Shanghai, until his retirement. These were dangerous times, and his wife's health was not strong, so he sent Lily and children Gladys (age 15), Arthur (age 10) and Joyce (age 7 1/2 or 8) to Vancouver BC ahead of him in Sept 1926. After Ivor's retirement (or perhaps in 1927?) they also tried living in Seattle Washington in the USA before settling in Victoria BC.
As THOMAS is a very common surname in Wales and therefore difficult to research, we have been unable to trace this line back further with certainty. Family stories say that Arthur Rhys's father (and Ivor's grandfather) was named Robert. This is unproven.
CHAMBERS
With the help of other family researchers, we know that William CHAMBERS and Phoebe OAKHILL (Ivor's maternal grandparents) lived and died in Leicester and had 4 children. Phoebe was the daughter of John OAKHILL and Henrietta WARD, the oldest of 5 children. Henrietta WARD was the daughter of William WARD and Charlotte POLE who were married in 1780 in Billeston, Leicester England.
For some reason, the female lines have been easier to trace back.
With the help of other family researchers, we know that William CHAMBERS and Phoebe OAKHILL (Ivor's maternal grandparents) lived and died in Leicester and had 4 children. Phoebe was the daughter of John OAKHILL and Henrietta WARD, the oldest of 5 children. Henrietta WARD was the daughter of William WARD and Charlotte POLE who were married in 1780 in Billeston, Leicester England.
For some reason, the female lines have been easier to trace back.
YEOMAN
(Spelling variations: Yeoman, Yoeman, Yeomen, Yoemen, Yeomans, Yoemans, Yeomens, Yoemens. etc. ...)
Joyce THOMAS's mother was known as Lily Mary YOEMANS or YEOMEN(S). She went by both Lily and Mary and was reportedly born in England and orphaned at the age of 3. Her exact date of birth and her birth surname are not known. An American couple by the name of Mr and Mary Yeomens adopted her and took her to Shanghai. They both died when Lily was about 9, leaving her orphaned for a second time. She was taken in by the French Franciscan nuns at St Josephs Convent. I remember Joyce saying once that her mother was ill prepared for her life outside the convent.
Nothing further is known about Lily's heritage.
(Spelling variations: Yeoman, Yoeman, Yeomen, Yoemen, Yeomans, Yoemans, Yeomens, Yoemens. etc. ...)
Joyce THOMAS's mother was known as Lily Mary YOEMANS or YEOMEN(S). She went by both Lily and Mary and was reportedly born in England and orphaned at the age of 3. Her exact date of birth and her birth surname are not known. An American couple by the name of Mr and Mary Yeomens adopted her and took her to Shanghai. They both died when Lily was about 9, leaving her orphaned for a second time. She was taken in by the French Franciscan nuns at St Josephs Convent. I remember Joyce saying once that her mother was ill prepared for her life outside the convent.
Nothing further is known about Lily's heritage.
Terry's MATERNAL Descent (tentative and very incomplete):
You can see from all the blanks in the following fan chart how difficult it has been to research Terry'a maternal THOMASand YEOMAN lines:
- Parents: Lillian "Joyce" THOMAS (1918 - 2006) married William Irvine "Bill" BOORMAN (1911 - 1966) in Victoria BC, Canada
- Grandparents: Ivor John THOMAS (1871 Wales - 1946 BC Canada) married Lily Mary YEOMANS? (adopted, c1880 England - 1954 BC Canada) in 1898 in Shanghai
- 1G Grandparents: maternal only: Arthur Rhys THOMAS (c1839 Wales - 1876?) married Charlotte CHAMBERS (1845 Kent England - 1876 Leicester England) in 1868 in Leicester England
- 2G Grandparents: William CHAMBERS (c1818 - 1887) married Phebe OAKHILL (1812--1886) in 1845 in Leicester England; perhaps Robert THOMAS?
- 3G Grandparents: John OAKHILL (c1790 Cheshire - 1864 Leicester) married Henrietta WARD (c1788 Leicester - 1858 Nottingham) in 1811 in Leicester England
- 4G Grandparents: William WARD (c1757 Leicestershire - 1804 Leicestershire) married Charlotte POLE (1758 Leicestershire - ?) in 1780 in Billesdon Leicester England
- 5G Grandparents: David WARD (1722-1804) married Ann TYLER (1722-1812); Charles POLE (1735- ) married Mary _____ (1735-? )
- 6G Grandparents: David WARD (1670- ?) married Elizabeth SHARPE (1676- ?);
- 7G Grandparents: Nicholas SHARPE (1640- ?) married Alice BEEBIE (1644-? )
You can see from all the blanks in the following fan chart how difficult it has been to research Terry'a maternal THOMASand YEOMAN lines:
6 generation fan chart for Terry's Mother, Lillian Joyce* THOMAS (click chart to enlarge)
THOMAS Photo Gallery
Click on a photo to see a larger version, then use the arrows to scroll back and forth through the photos.
DISCLAIMER: Research is ongoing; this page includes uncertainties and may contain errors.
