20th Century

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ leaves Dunedin Technical School in Dunedin, New Zealand with a First Class Marine BoT Certificate. Sources: 1

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ becomes an apprentice Improver at Rait and Gardiner at Royal Albert Dock, London, England. Sources: 1

George Allan ♂ and Mary Ann Smail Stirling ♀, with their children Amelia and Joseph, move from Argentina to Cochabamba, Bolivia in order to carry out missionary work for Australasian South American Mission among Quechua people. Sources: 1

George Allan ♂ and Mary Ann Smail Stirling ♀ return to Dunedin, New Zealand, with their children Amelia and Joseph, following eight years in South America on a mission for the Australasian South American Mission. Sources: 1

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ is appointed Assistant Superintendent Engineer at Blue Star Line. Sources: 1

Flora McDonald ♀ wins a Junior Sewing prize and sang a solo at the Waiwera school concert. Sources: 1

Newly-wed Edward ♀ and Jane ♂ Thomson honeymoon in Sussex, at the Bear Inn. Sources: 1

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ is appointed Superintendent Engineer at Union Cold Storage Co., 13-16, West Smithfield, Farringdon, England. Sources: 1

Albert Edward Howden ♂ enlists in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Sources: 1

Albert Edward Howden ♂ arrives in Liverpool, England. Sources: 1

Albert Edward Howden ♂ departs from Brocton, England. Sources: 1

Albert Edward Howden ♂ joins his battalion in Étaples, France. Sources: 1

Albert Edward Howden ♂ is admitted into a field hostpital in Étaples, France, sick. Sources: 1

Albert Edward Howden ♂ is detached from his unit and assigned to Divisional School. Sources: 1

S.S. Maunganui departs from Liverpool, England with Albert Edward Howden ♂ aboard. Sources: 1

S.S. Maunganui arrives in Port Chalmers, New Zealand with Albert Edward Howden ♂ aboard. Sources: 1

A social gathering is held in Dunedin, New Zealand to mark the departure of Mary Ann Smail Stirling ♀, her daughter Amelia and Miss Elder on missions on behalf of the Bolivian Indian Mission. Sources: 1

Albert Edward Howden ♂ is promoted to Lance Corporal. Sources: 1

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ is appointed Head Superintendent at Blue Star Line, responsible for the technical equipment, repairs surveys and classification of all Blue Star Line steamers and responsible for the design, layout, construction and equipment of all new steamers. Sources: 1

Sir Alfred Seale Haslam and E.N. Wells propose Edward Allan Thomson ♂ for membership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Sources: 2

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ becomes a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Sources: 1

One person dies and two more are severely scalded in an explosion in the stokehold of the S.S. Roman Star, off Ushant, France. Ordered by his employer, Blue Star Line, to attend to the ship at the earliest possible moment, Edward Allan Thomson ♂ charters a two-engined plane to fly from Croydon Air Port to Le Bourget for Paris and catches a night-train onward to Brest, where the ship has temporarily docked. Sources: 2

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ convinces the Port Authorities and crew that there is no evidence of bombs or detonators and the S.S. Roman Star departs from Brest, France. When the Pilot boards to guide them into Gravesend, he produces a copy of that morning's Daily Mail that confidently asserts that several men had been killed by bombs planted in the coal bunkers and that Detectives from Scotland Yard have met the vessel to investigate. However, the S.S. Roman Star arrives at Royal Albert Dock, London, England without further incident — or sign of the police. Sources: 1

A social gathering is held to mark the departure from New Zealand of Amelia Margarita Allan ♀ and Marion Neal on missions on behalf of the Bolivian Indian Mission. Sources: 1

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ embark on a round-the-world trip from Southampton aboard the R.M.S. Aquitania. Sources: 3

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ check into a room on the 5th floor of the Shelton Hotel, 525, Lexington Avenue, New York, United States of America for a two night stay. Sources: 1

S.S. California makes a stop at San Diego, United States of America. Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ go ashore for the day. Sources: 1

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ catch the 6pm train from Los Angeles, United States of America for Seattle, United States of America. Sources: 1

After dinner, Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ go to the Ice Arena in Seattle, United States of America to watch a hockey match between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada. Jane describes the game as “Wildly exciting. A terribly quick game”. Sources: 1

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ board the M.V. Aorangi in Vancouver, Canada after breakfast and set sail at noon. Sources: 1

M.V. Aorangi makes a stop in Suva, Fiji. Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ take a tour around Fiji. Sources: 1

S.S. Ulimaroa steams out of Auckland, New Zealand with Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ aboard. Sources: 1

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ take a sleeper train from Sydney, Australia to Melbourne, Australia, arriving just in time for lunch. Sources: 1

S.S. Orford steams out of from Melbourne, Australia, with Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ aboard. Sources: 1

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ take the train from Port Adelaide, Australia to Adelaide, Australia, where Mrs. Ericson drives them up Mount Lofty, Australia in her Austin 20 for “a lovely panoramic view over Adelaide town.” Sources: 1

S.S. Orford docks in Freemantle, Australia at 08.00. Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ catch the train to Perth, Australia, to visit Kings Park. They walk along an avenue of oaks, “each planted to commemorate a soldier lost in war. All well watered.” Sources: 1

S.S. Orford docks for the day in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ take a car to Kandy, Sri Lanka. En route they observe rice, rubber, tea and coconut plantations. On their way back, “tired of the everlasting outstretched palm” Jane notes seeing “a beautiful shining blue bird, a large brown butterfly, some huge bat-like creatures, crows and magpies.” Sources: 1

Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ pass Socotra, Yemen and Cape Guardafui, Somalia aboard S.S. Orford on its way into the Red Sea. Sources: 1

S.S. Orford stops at Naples, Italy. Edward Allan Thomson ♂ stays aboard, still recovering from flu. Jane Thomson ♀ goes ashort to climbs Mount Vesuvious by electric train. “We looked right down into the great old crater and in the middle of that was a small cone formed in the eruption of 1906. It was vomiting flame coloured smoke with explosions. There were spouts of steam and sulphur coming out from the sides of the crater.” Sources: 1

S.S. Orford docks at Gibraltar, United Kingdom and Jane and Edward Allan Thomson ♂ go ashore. “The rock face is immense and most imposing.”, observes Jane. “It is a beautifully clean town, with signs of the military occupation everywhere. We saw the no mans land lying between Spain and Gibraltar, the large zinc water catchments, the little Italian village just below them.” Sources: 1

Edward and Jane Thomson and their children William, Kate, Edith, Arthur and Joan, move into 38, Holly Park, Finchley, England. Sources: 2

George Malcolm Thomson ♂'s second term as a member of Legislative Council of New Zealand ends. Sources: 1

While cycling to work, William Allan Thomson ♂ is struck by a tram. Sources: 1

Edward and Jane Thomson arrive in London, England aboard the S.S. Avila Star. Edward having boarded at Tenerife, Spain and Jane having boarded at Lisbon, Portugal. Sources: 1

Edward Allan Thomson ♂ resigns from his membership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Sources: 1