By the time I was born there were only a few people alive that had any memory of my great-grandfather Thomas Mills. Even my own grandfather never met his father. So, he’s always been a bit of a mystery. I knew he was from Liverpool, England and that he died in the First World War. But that was about it. Over the years, though, I’ve been able to learn more about this man. I’m not sure if he is more or less of a mystery now, though.
His story begins in England. He was born on August 1, 1872 in Summer Seat in Liverpool – the son of Frederick and Alice Mills. You will not find a birth record for a Thomas Mills born in Summer Seat to Frederick and Alice, though. It turns out that Thomas was actually born Albert Edward Mills.
The family lived at 17 Summer Seat. There were other siblings, as well as Alice’s mother and brother, living in the household as recorded in the 1871 England Census. Albert appears in the 1881 England Census as a “9 year old scholar” (which is how school aged children were typically enumerated). By this time, the family lived at 85 Arkwright Street. And, mother Alice has died as Frederick the father is listed as a widow.
In 1890, Albert served briefly in Liverpool’s King’s Regiment. He disclosed this military service years later on his First World War attestation. (Again, you will not find any records of a Thomas Mills serving in the King’s Regiment; he is listed under his birthname Albert Mills.)
After being discharged from the British army, Albert left Liverpool for a new life in Nova Scotia. It’s unclear when or why he changed his name, but by the time he was living in Nova Scotia he most certainly went by Thomas. He appears as Thomas Mills in the 1901 Canada Census in Meagher’s Grant – where he is listed as 28 year old “helper” from England – living in the household of James Kerr. His future wife, Arabella, was also living in the Meagher’s Grant area at the time.
Thomas and Arabella were married on July 21, 1902 in Halifax. She was a widowed teacher and had a son (Colin Greenough) with her first husband. Colin’s father had died when he was only a year old so his stepfather Thomas was the only father he knew.
Thomas and Arabella raised their family on a farm in Gays River. He was also a cook in the lumberwood. They had six children in addition to Colin: Harland, Alice, Florence, Belle, Albert, and Alan.
In 1915, Thomas and Colin joined the war effort and enlisted with the 40th Battalion (Nova Scotia) Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was training at the Valcartier military base in Quebec when his youngest child Alan (my grandfather) was born in September of that year.
Thomas arrived in England aboard the S.S. Saxonia on October 28, 2015. He was eventually transferred to the 13th Battalion. On September 5, 1916, Thomas Edward Mills was killed in action in Courcelette, France. He is buried at the Courcelette British Cemetery.
My brother, sister, and I visited our great-grandfather’s grave marker at the Courcelette British Cemetery in 2004. Despite its name, the cemetery is dominated by Canadian soldiers who fell in the Battle of Courcelette. It’s a very well-kept cemetery in a peaceful rural setting. His name is also included on the war memorials in Gays River and Oyster Pond.
Thanks to the Internet, I have been able to connect with third cousins on the Mills side of the family (great grandsons of Thomas’ sister Elizabeth Mills) who still live in or near Liverpool. Ironically, one of these men was an officer for Canadian Pacific Steamships and had been to Halifax many times throughout his career but hadn’t known about the Nova Scotia connection with his family.
Canadian Virtual War Memorial for Private Thomas Edward Mills
