Thomas J. Francis


Thomas J. Francis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 6, 1831. He moved to Camden in 1850, where he lived for most of his life. Around 1853, he married his wife Catherine, and they had three children: a son, Edward, followed by daughters Frances and Kate.

On September 11, 1862, Thomas enlisted in the Union Army as a corporal with Company G, Tenth Pennsylvania Militia Regiment, which was organized to defend Pennsylvania against potential invasion by General Lee’s Confederate Army. After the Battle of Antietam on September 17, this threat diminished, and the regiment was disbanded. Corporal Francis was discharged on September 20, 1862.

Thomas worked as an ornamental painter. According to the 1867 and 1872 Camden City Directories, he lived at 533 South 5th Street. He briefly moved to Delaware in the 1870s but returned to Camden shortly before the 1880 Census. At that time, he was living at 508 Berkley Street with his wife Catherine and their daughters. Next door at 510 Berkley was grocer Charles H. Ellis Sr. and family, including Charles H. Ellis Jr., who later served 17 years as the Mayor of Camden. Ellis’s sons, Walter and Wilbur, also played significant roles in Camden’s civic affairs.

In 1866, Thomas became a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, a prominent fraternal organization. He was active in Red Men affairs, rising to local, state, and national office. In 1888, he was elected Great Incohonee, the highest office in the organization.

The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origins to secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution, including the Sons of Liberty and the Sons of St. Tammany. Members famously protested the tea tax imposed by England during the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. Following the American Revolution, these societies evolved into fraternities. In 1813, several groups united to form the Society of Red Men, which was renamed the Improved Order of Red Men in 1834. By the mid-1920s, the organization had grown significantly, with tribes in 46 states and territories and over half a million members.

By the 1900 Census, Thomas and Catherine were still living at 508 Berkley Street with their daughter Kate, while Frances lived elsewhere. Edward, a butcher, resided at 316 Berkley Street with his wife and daughters, near Camden police officers Ike Toy at 320 Berkley Street and Albert Keaser at 322 Berkley.

Thomas J. Francis passed away on May 25, 1903. After services at his home, he was buried at Evergreen Cemetery.


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  • Thomas J. Francis

    Thomas J. Francis

    Thomas J. Francis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 6, 1831. He moved to Camden in 1850, where he lived for most of his life. Around 1853, he married his wife Catherine, and they had three children: a son, Edward, followed by daughters Frances and Kate. On September 11, 1862, Thomas enlisted in the…

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