MSS 192, PC 182 (A.04-103)

Title: Strange, Thompson Family fonds

Dates: 1865-2003; predominant 1918-2003

Extent: 1.55 m of textual records. -- 1369 photographs

Biographical Sketch: These papers were created by families of Theodore Strange, Andrew Davison, Edith Thompson and Mary Ann Griffiths. Theodore Strange married Mary Ann Griffiths and together they had four children, Nita, Ella, Sims, and George. Strange worked in Winnipeg for a short while to earn money to buy land for a farm and relocated his family to Green Ridge in 1878. He died in October 1879 of pneumonia and complications from injuries received during the U.S. civil war. The following year Mrs. Strange married Andrew Davison of Green Ridge. They had five more children, Mary, Llewie, Lizzie, Bill and Bert. Andrew died in 1933 and Mary Ann in 1936; the farm was bequeathed to Bert and Bill Davison, neither of whom married. Upon their deaths, Theo Stancel Strange, the son of Sims Strange, inherited the farms. Lizzie married Thompson and had a daughter Edith Thompson. Edith lived on the farm most of her life.

Custodial History: Donated by Theo Strange and Miss Edith Thompson

Scope and Content: The collection consists of feet of greeting cards, postcards, photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, farm ledgers and account books, receipts, wills, legal documents, land deeds, historical municipality charts, family trees, and historical papers including official notice of John Thomas’ discharge from the U.S. military service in 1865, a letter from Buckingham palace wishing a safe return to a soldier sent overseas (presumably Pte. H. W. Davison). Included among the family photographs are Pte. Davison’s photos of the destruction in France at the end of WWI. The majority of correspondence is between Llewie Davison, Lizzie Davison, Nita Strange, Mary Davison, Bill Davison, Bert Davison, Edith Thompson, and Theo Stancel Strange.

Physical Description: Graphic materials include 3 albums (1 of 76 postcards, 1 of 33 photographs, 1 of 238 photographs), 1098 photographs, 1 slide, 165 negatives, 426 postcards, 330 greeting cards and one mounted family portrait located in oversize folder. Cartographic materials consist of 2 maps.

Arrangement note: This collection is arranged into six series formed by Edith Thompson; arrangement by archives staff with respect for original order

Accruals: Further accruals are not expected

Related Materials: The journal of Theodore Strange is held by the Provincial Archives of Manitoba. The journal contains Strange's account of his voyage from Thorold to Winnipeg. Miss Thompson has prepared and included a handwritten account of the journal.

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