MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
John Albert Bossingham
Margaret Genevieve (McKiver) Bossingham
Margaret Genevieve (McKiver) Bossingham
Spring Coulee and District pages 224 - 225
John Albert Bossingham was born July 17 1892 to
John and Elizabeth (Laythorpe) Bossingham near
Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England. While Albert
was still a very small child the family moved to Boston,
Lincolnshire and it was there the rest of the
early years of his life were spent and where he first
attended school. When he was ten years old, Albert
went to live with his mother's sister Sarah and her
husband who was gamekeepers on a big estate for
some wealthy titled gentleman.
Albert was very fond of horses and whenever possible,
used to hang around the racing stables on the estate.
At age twelve being about the right size for a jockey,
he was put to work exercising these beautiful animals.
Here he was in his glory and day after day this was his
life for the next three years. Needless to say he
became an expert rider. This was a trait he never lost
and he always attracted attention by the style with which
he rode.
At about age 15 Albert went to work for a neighboring
farmer who owned enough land to be considered quite
well-to-do. It was here, under the farmer's supervision,
Albert learned so many of the things that aided him
so much in later life in Canada.
He learned how to run and repair machinery and how
to operate the various engines used to grind feed, thrash
grain and prepare silage for storage. He learned how to
care for the farm horses, who did so much of the work
and how to keep the harnesses in repair. On many a
rainy day this was what kept him occupied. He learned
all about the cattle and the sheep and how to doctor
them when necessary and when they were having trouble
giving birth. In later life in Spring Coulee he was often
called upon by neighbors who had cattle or horses in
difficulty. He also learned about the planting of grain
and the value of crop rotation. All his life Albert spoke
very kindly of this employer and was very grateful for
the interest this gentleman had taken in his welfare.
In the spring of 1912, when Albert was not quite twenty
years old, he wanted to come to Canada but, because
he was not yet of age he had to have his mother's
consent. Not wanting him to go so far away she
refused to sign the papers. Perhaps it was a good
thing as he might have been aboard the Titanic on that
ill-fated voyage. That ship did carry a fair number of
emigrants travelling steerage. Nearly all of them perished.
Early the next year Albert reminded his mother that
he would be 21 in July and could legally go then so she
gave in and signed the papers. In early May of that year
1913 he said good-bye to his mother and father and
six sisters, his aunts and uncles and boarded ship. The
sad part is he never saw any of them again as he never
went back. He landed at Halifax, Nova Scotia and was
soon aboard the train for the long trip across Canada to
Alberta.
It was late May when he stepped off the train in Spring
Coulee. Here he was met by Frank Allen of Bradshaw
Siding whom he had known in England. Frank and his
brother John had come to Canada about four years
before and having some money from their father's estate,
had purchased land at Bradshaw.
For the next eight years, Albert worked at various places
around the country. His first job was with the first Mr.
Bradshaw to settle in the district. I think his given name
was John. He spent a year with an old bachelor named
Fred Chris who had land that extended along the U.S.
border. This was down south of Del Bonita. He rode for
quite a long spell at the Mclntyre Ranch working with
the cattle and horses. He worked for the first Mr. Ririe
who lived in Magrath, the father of a large family of
boys who became Albert's friends. Mr. Ririe was quite
a sheep man and Albert herded sheep for him. He must
have owned or leased land up around Boundary Creek
because Albert spent one entire summer up there with Mr.
Ririe's sheep. It was there he first met the Simpson boys,
there were several, and where he first met the Jessops.
Having saved his wages, Albert even tried farming but
picked a poor time to do so as it was 1919, a year of
no rain and complete crop failure throughout a good
share of Alberta. This was on the land where the Jensen
Dam was built about twenty or twenty-five years later.
Having spent all his savings he had to give up and
seek employment where he could find it. He even spent
one summer working on the section for the CPR.
In the spring of 1922 Albert came to Spring Coulee to work
for John Coffee Thompson. He remained with the Thompson
family for eighteen years until 1940. John was a good
employer who treated him well. In fact he was treated in
many ways as a member of the family. The Thompson family
usually spent their winters in Pasadena, California leaving
Albert in charge.
In 1934 Albert started farming on land one mile south of
Spring Coulee. This land was adjacent to the Thompson
land. Albert used his horses, plows etc. in conjunction with
the Thompson outfits on the Thompson land and in return
the Thompson outfits helped Albert work his land. This was
in the dirty thirties and times were very hard. There was
little rain and wheat and stock prices seemed to have hit
rock bottom. No one seemed to have any money but
co-operation seemed to go a long way. By 1937 the rains
returned and times were somewhat better. War was
declared in 1939 and there was a demand for wheat to
feed the hungry people of Europe although the price
of grain remained low for years.
On November 8, 1928, Albert was united in marriage to
Margaret Genevieve McKiver also of Spring Coulee. They
were married in Lethbridge by Rev. John Claxton of Magrath.
Two daughters were born to them. Also Margaret's niece
came to make her home with them when she was 14 months
old and was good to them. I never saw him lift a hand
to one of them yet all three would have done anything
for him.
Albert suffered a stroke in the fall of 1953 from which
he never fully recovered. His health gradually failed
and he passed away in Magrath Hospital on January 23,
1959, at the age of 66, following a massive heart attack.
He is buried in the Magrath Cemetery. "Ab" or "Abbot" as
he was often called was a good community man and a
good neighbor. He was always willing to give a helping
hand. He was a good hand at organizing things and taking
charge in an emergency. He never seemed to spare himself.
Perhaps that is why he died so young. We missed him.
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Mary Tollestrup