James Anderson, Chief of Police, Vancouver 1920-1924

[bbart]

Ack! My math is wrong!  However, he was born in Illinois well before James and Orpha got married, so I still think Robert is a son to Orpha, but not James.

[PeeCeeBee]

The birthdates for James and John Anderson, father, fit with what I have found in Scotland, except James was born 1867 (there were corrections on the Census record too!!!) Father John is correct as 1833. I agree that Robert was from another marriage or even under the name ENSLOW. Orpha's details fit with Orpha Ann nee ENSLOW...

[bbart]

Orpha Enslow was born in Illinois, but living with her mother in California where she married Robert F Stevenson.  They had son Robert Enslow Stevenson in California.  Not sure if Robert F died or vanished, but somehow they ended up meeting your James.  All the documents had slight things wrong, but the trail works, and Robert Enslow Stevenson's WW2 draft card names his mother as Mrs. James Anderson in Vancouver at 864 West 10th Ave, which matches her death reg address (actually one off,  death reg says 865 West 10th.)

If you put his full name in familysearch you'll find a few documents. If you need the WW2 draft (I found it at Anc), I can email it to you (pm your email, don't post it)

Orpha's death record to show matching address here:
http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/5c339f8d-d3ea-496c-ba36-3c47e797122b

[PeeCeeBee]

Thanks bbart... had come across the STEVENSON marriage previously and discounted, so was going back to it just now and was about to search for a birth for Robert under the STEVENSON name... many thanks. Will look at what you have suggested...

[sami]

Hi PeeCeeBee,

If you are still interested I am able to go to the Vancouver Public Library and check the Vancouver Sun files for an obituary for James Anderson in Dec, 1940. There may not be much information but it might be worth a look.

sami

[PeeCeeBee]

Hi sami
Thankyou, that would be great. It would at least help complete the story, which is not a long one, I think. The family of John ANDERSON in Australia simply had a copy of a paper that was presented by James ANDERSON as Police Chief and really didn't know the detail for this branch of the family. My contact actually has quite a likeness to James picture... although I am not sure if he sees it! He and his sister are travelling to Vancouver and wanted the detail, in the hope, I think, of perhaps meeting some cousins, but that won't happen. However he will be happy to walk in the same areas etc, as he has done in Scotland previously!

[sami]

I'll be down at the VPL on Saturday and have a look for the obituary. I was also wondering if there might have been a newspaper article on the incident of his fall on the stairs of the Commercial Hotel.

Will also check for an obituary for Ophra and will let you know if there is anything on either of them.

sami

[PeeCeeBee]

Thanks sami,
I appreciate all the help that you and bbart have given.
Regards
PCB

[bbart]

This is a free clipping from newspaper.com (from Vancouver Daily World 12 Jan 1924) and is about why Police Chief James Anderson resigned.
The last paragraph is quite interesting!

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3070824/police_chief_james_anderson_defends/

I hope the link works for you; if not, I downloaded the article. (I tried to attach it here, but I think it was too large a file, as it didn't work).

On a side note, I mentioned earlier that stepson Robert Enslow Stevenson listed his mother, Mrs. James Anderson of Vancouver on his WW2 draft paper.  I looked at his draft notice for WW1, and he listed his (real) father as living in Vancouver (no address given).  Maybe that contributed to the demise of the marriage of the Andersons.    I was unable to find any divorce for them, but records are pretty spotty back then.