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- Baptized by John Muir, minister of Yester. Birth registered Aug. 12, 1904 by Robert Henderson, registrar.
James was born with a watering eye which plagued him all his life. Took piano lessons in Scotland from a very early age. Was given the brass inkwell as a gift from Lady Kinloch for playing in church. He, his mother Lizzie, his sister,
Ella and his uncle Tom Bertram sailed to Montreal from Glasgow aboard the Allan Royal Mail Steamer, "Corsican", on May 8, 1915. James and his uncle Tom performed aboard ship, James on piano and Tom on cello. His father, Andrew, had come earlier
to B.C. to establish a home for the family. He worked for the Agassiz Agricultural Experimental farm and then moved to an estate at Elk Lake on Vancouver Island. Andrew managed the estate. The family lived on the Island for a while. Then
Andrew got a job with the Vancouver Parks Board and they moved to Vancouver.
James was a quiet, reserved, cultured, intelligent, nice man and a good father. Not a sportsman.
Started work at a bank but quit. Then went to B.C.Electric. Took a leave-of-absence from the B.C. Electric and travelled as a concert pianist on the Orpheum circuit for 6-8 months but did not like it.
See contract between Allan Rogers, #4 Hill Court, Malba, Long Island and JMT, Oct. 2, 1926. JMT agreed to act as pianist for the vaudeville act known as "Allan Rogers" at $100 /week.
Returned to B.C. Electric and stayed. He met Iris whom he was asked to accompany on the piano while she sang at an afternoon soiree at J.D.A. Tripp's, his piano teacher.
Worked for 50 years for the B.C. Electric Co. (later B.C. Hydro) and retired as Cashier Dept. Mgr. Probably should have been an electrical engineer.
Belonged for years to the Vancouver Electric Club and acquired a life membership as an 'electron' Nov. 28, 1969.
Suffered since youth with corneal ulceration in one eye which was almost blind. Several attempts at corneal transplant failed. 6 weeks in bed in the dark was the treatment for a flare-up of the ulcer until around 1950. Also suffered from
recurrent inguinal hernias, each requiring surgery. Would not stop smoking cigarettes and died of heart failure.
Ashes buried with his parents and sister, Ella. Name engraved on side of parents' stone and quite illegiable - filled with moss. Therefore, when Iris died, a new stone with both their names was put in place. Iris' ashes were scattered.
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1904 - 1978 (73 years)
