Gillham, Edith (Thompson)

Edith Thompson was born on February 26, 1886 in Hindey, Lancashire, England. She married John Gillham, likely in England. She died on November 14, 1980 in Dellview Hospital in Vernon. She is buried in the Princeton Cemetery.

Edith and John Gillman came to Canada in 1909. In 1911, they were living in Princeton. The Princeton Star reported that they had moved into Princeton from Blakeburn in 1924. The 1931 Census shows that they were living in Princeton in 1931.

She was the leader of the “The Canadian Girls’ Modern Recreation Club” in 1928 and took seventeen Blakeburn girls on a fortnight’s camp at Tulameen Lake.

She was an avid whist player and her name appears regularly in the Princeton Star in connection with whist drives at the Odd Fellows Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall in Princeton. Several of these drives were fundraisers for the Princeton Football Club.

She was also actively involved with St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church. She began teaching Sunday School in January 1929 and was often part of church fundraising efforts. She was one of the organizers of the “Children’s Tableau” at the Church Guild theatre production and fundraiser in February 1929. In April, she was in charge of the “candy stall” at another church fundraiser. In October of that same year, she acted in the annual presentation of the St. Cuthbert’s Guide. She continued to be active in the church community through the 1930s. She donated to the Tuxis. (This was a boy’s program similar to the Scouting movement promoted by Canadian Protestant churches).

In July 1930, she was the captain of the Five Ladies Team – Open, competing for the John Bennett Trophy (First Aid). The team came in second place. She competed in the annual first aid competitions in subsequent years as well. With her husband, John, she served on the executive of the Princeton Center of the St. John Ambulance Association. By 1941, she was active both in the annual St. John Ambulance and Mine Rescue competition but also with the Princeton Branch of the Canadian Red Cross.

For the Princeton Coronation Celebration (May 12, 1937), she was nominated to the souvenir committee, the planning committee having agreed that each school-aged child in Princeton was to receive a souvenir of the Coronation. She also volunteered to be on the dance committee.

The couple left the area in March 1943, relocating to Telkwa, BC, where John Gillham had accepted the position of mine manager at Telcoal Company. In 1945, they were living in Michel, BC. Her husband retired in 1948.

They returned to Princeton in 1948.

See also: Gillham, John