ALFRED
R. TOMKIN
1888 Bio
Bio-Pen pictures
SURNAMES: FORBES, ROOTS,
Alfred R. Tomkin, druggist, was born in Witham, Essex County, England, June 7, 1826. He is a son of Dr. Thomas M. Tomkin, a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in London, England. During his life-time he practiced medicine, and instituted a private lunatic asylum, besides being much engaged in medical literature, writing for the Lancet and other medical journals. He died in 1858, and his son, Dr. Thomas M. Tomkin, Jr., succeeded him in his practice and in the management of the asylum. The mother of the gentleman of whom we write was a Miss Eleanor Royce, a native of Essex County, and married Dr. Tomkin early in the present century. She died in 1868.
The subject of this sketch attended the Merchant Tailors’ school, then in Suffolk Street, at London, for seven or eight years, passing the usual examinations. On the thirteenth of March, 1849, he embarked in the St. George, and bade farewell to friends and country, and turned his face toward the Golden West. He sailed around the Horn, and came direct from England to California, the trip occupying seven months, one of which was spent in Valparaiso. He reached San Francisco on October 13, and, storing his goods he had brought with him, like all new-comers at that time, started immediately for the mines. After digging a little gold at Mud Springs, he was taken sick, and returned to San Francisco, only to find that his goods had been destroyed by fire, leaving him absolutely without means. But he afterward received a remittance from England, and, relying upon his knowledge of medicine to aid him, he opened a drug store in Santa Clara in 1854. He remained there sixteen years, and then removed to San Jose, where he has since resided. In 1887 he was elected Coroner and Public Administrator of Santa Clara County, which office he still holds.
In 1858 he was united in marriage to Miss Martha F. Forbes, the eldest
daughter of James Alexander Forbes, who
came to this country from Edinburgh, Scotland, in an early day, and was
British Consul during the Mexican occupancy of California, before it
was ceded to the United States. Mrs. Tomkin died in 1875.
Dr. Tomkin has seven living children: Alfred
F., engaged in farming in this county; Charles H., a silk
manufacturer; Eleanor F., wife of Thomas Roots, a nurseryman of San
Jose; Thomas, a painter by trade; Anna M., who resides with her father;
Martha and Clara B., also living at home and attending school in San
Jose.
Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 374-375
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
DR.
ALFRED ROYCE TOMKIN
Bio 1922
Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: ROYCE, FORBES, CUNNINGHAM, MAYNARD, DASSELL, TURNER
For many years a leading and influential citizen of San Jose, his activity in business affairs and his co-operation in public interests kept Dr. Alfred Royce Tomkin in the - foremost rank' of those to whom the city owes its development. His life was characterized by upright, honorable principles, and it also exemplified the truth of the Emersonian philosophy that "The way to win a friend is to be one.". His genial kindly manner won him the regard and good will of all with whom he came in contact, and thus his death was uniformly mourned throughout San Jose and the surrounding district. Dr. Tomkin was born in Witham, Essex County, England, June 7, 1826, a son of Dr. Thomas M. Tomkin, a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in London, England. During his lifetime he practiced medicine, and instituted a private insane asylum, besides being much engaged in medical literature, writing for the Lancet and other medical journals. He passed away in 1858. The mother of our subject was a Miss Eleanor Royce, a native of Essex County. She passed away in 1868.
Alfred Royce Tomkin attended the Merchant Tailors' School, then in Suffolk Street, London, for seven or eight years, passing the usual examinations. On March 13, 1849, he embarked on the St. George, and sailed around the Horn to California, the trip occupying seven months, one of which was spent in Valparaiso. He reached San Francisco on October 13, and, storing the goods he had brought with him, like all newcomers at that time, started immediately for the mines. After digging a little gold at Mud Springs. he was taken sick, and returned to San Francisco, only to find that his goods had been destroyed by fire, leaving him absolutely without means. He later received a remittance from England and opened a drug store in Santa Clara in 1854. He remained there sixteen years, and then removed to San Jose, where he resided until his death. In 1887 he was elected coroner and public administrator of Santa Clara County and reelected to the office, which office he held at the time of his death, July 25, 1891, about the close of his second term.
In 1858 he was united in marriage to Miss
Martha F. Forbes, the eldest daughter of James Alexander Forbes, who
came to this country from Edinburgh, Scotland, in an early day, and was
British consul during the Mexican occupancy of California, before it
was ceded to the United States. Mrs. Tomkin passed away in 1875. They
were the parents of seven children: Alfred Forbes Tomkin of San Jose;
Charles Tomkin of San Francisco; Mrs. Eleanor Cunningham of Saratoga;
Thomas P. Tomkin of San Jose; Mrs. Anna M.
Maynard of San Jose; Mrs.
Martha Dassell, died at Morgan Hill in 1921; and Mrs. Clara B. Turner,
died in San Francisco. While Dr. Tomkin established a good business it
was not his success alone that won for him the respect 'and friendship
of his fellowmen, but his high character and his exemplification of
honorable, manly principles.
Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 986