The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. More
Inventory prepared by Jackie Nadiger
University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(2005)
Finding aid encoded by Heather Beattie (2005)
Finding aid written in English.
Table of Contents
Biography of Strange, Davison, Thompson and Griffiths Families
Scope and Contents of the Collection
Biography of Strange, Davison, Thompson and Griffiths Families
These papers were created by families of Theodore Strange, Andrew Davison, 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.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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.
This collection is arranged into six series formed by Edith Thompson; arrangement by archives staff with respect for original order
No restrictions placed on access or use
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.
Donated by Theo Strange and Miss Edith Thompson
Detailed Description of the Collection
| Box | Folder | |
| 1 | 1 |
Christmas cards 1918-2003; predominant 1918-1933 54 cards in total; 5 "I'm doing my bit for my country" Christmas cards, 1918, from Pte. H.W. Davison, 11th Can. Res. Bttn., Seaford Sussex |
| 2 | Christmas cards undated | |
| 3 | Christmas cards undated | |
| 4 | Wedding/Anniversary cards 1906-2003 | |
| 5 | Funeral/Sympathy cards 1899-2003; predominant 1981-2003 | |
| 6 | Miscellaneous cards 1976-2002 |
| Box | Folder | |
| 2 | 1 | Nita Strange 1893-1909, [1919?] |
| 2 | Mary Davison 1902-1937, 1949 | |
| 3 | Llewie Davison 1902-1976; predominant 1902-1918 | |
| 4 | Bill Davison 1903, 1919-1936 | |
| 5 | Lizzie Davison 1903-1958 | |
| 6 | Letters to Bert Davison 1909-1955; predominant 1918-1937 | |
| 7 | Letters from Bert Davison 1918-1919, 1937 | |
| 8 | Mr. Davison, Mrs. Davison 1918-1933, 1893-1929 | |
| 9 | General correspondence 1881-1897, 1906-1920 | |
| 10 | General correspondence 1921-1931, 1989, 1992 | |
| 11 | Fragments undated |
| Box | Folder | |
| 3 | 1 | To Edith & Theo 1932-1975 |
| 2 | To Edith & Theo 1976-1977 | |
| 3 | To Edith & Theo 1981-1991 | |
| 4 | To Edith & Theo 1992-2003 | |
| 5 | To Edith & Theo undated |
| Box | Folder | |
| 4 | 1 | Canadian provinces: Ontario; Quebec 1908-1932 |
| 2 | Canadian provinces: Saskatchewan; Manitoba 1909-1918 | |
| 3 | Canadian provinces: Alberta; British Columbia; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island 1912-1923 | |
| 4 | Britain: Alnwick; Eastbourne; London; The Tower of London; Seaford 1914-1919 | |
| 5 | Britain: Alnmouth; Dublin; Edinburgh 1918 | |
| 6 | France: 2 booklets of French ruins | |
| 7 | Miscellaneous: Soldiers/camps; The King at the Front; Buckingham Palace and the King's state coach; people/portraits 1909-1919 | |
| 8 | Miscellaneous: American states; Valentines/Christmas greetings 1911-1932 | |
| 9 | Album of 76 postcards | |
| 10 | Pictoral letters |
| Box | Folder | |
| 5 | 1 | Mounted photographs of the Griffiths, Davison, Strange and Thompson family in Green Ridge; group photo of Green Ridge school, 1898; portrait of Robert Foulds |
| 2 | Mounted photographs of the Griffiths, Davison, Strange and Thompson families | |
| 3 | Album of 33 photographs |
| Box | Folder | |
| 6 | 1 | 165 negatives |
| 2 | Black & White photographs: photo of Mary Ann Griffiths and her grandchildren | |
| 3 | Black & White photographs: photos of Andrew Davison's second house, built in 1901 | |
| 4 | Bert's overseas photos: Photos of buildings destroyed by bombs in Annis and Lens in France just after WWI, taken by Bert Davison while stationed overseas 1918-1919 | |
| 5 | Black & White photos: hospital ward, patients, nurses and doctors ca. 1930 | |
| 6 | Colour photos, 1 slide 1960-2002 | |
| 7 | 1 album of 238 photos 1910-1932 |