David Lewis Bourquin (1884-1969) - T209er

[Tom Hufford]

I feel fairly certain that the T209er listed as Bourquise (or Bourquin) was, in fact, David Lewis Bourquin, born February 5, 1884 in Camden, NJ, died in January 1969 in Philadelphia, PA.

I don't have any idea where the Fulton uniform on the T209 card came from. There was a D.L. Bourquin listed on the Danville (Virginia League) reserve list in 1908. As to where "Bourquise" came from, I've always thought that someone perhaps wrote the name out longhand, had sloppy writing and the "n" in Bourquin was taken to be "se." While I have no definite proof (i.e. something that says this guy was in Wilmington or Rocky Mount in 1910), the info below is the best I've ever come up with as to who "D.L. Bourquin" was, and is the only info I've found anywhere that refers to anyone named Bourquin as a ballplayer:


The 1900 Camden, NJ census lists the following family at 637 Market Street:

Bourquin, Elizabeth - head - b. Dec. 1853 age 46 widow
Bourquin, Mary - daughter - b. July 1875 age 24 single; bookkeeper
Bourquin, David - son - b. Feb. 1884


The same family in the 1910 Camden, NJ census:

Bourquin, Elizabeth C. 57 widow
Bourquin, David L. 26 son -single; occupation: ball player - professional
Boyle, Mary E. 34 daughter - widow
Boyle, Marie 6 grand-daughter


And, in the 1930 Philadelphia census (3013 S. 17th Street)

Noll, Samuel W. - head - age 66 - builder-shipyard
Noll, Anna E. - wife - age 66
Bourquin, Rosetta - daughter - age 46; dressmaker - factory
Bourquin, David L. - son-in-law - age 46; salesman - plaster company

In his 1917 World War I draft registration record:

David Lewis Bourquin - b. February 5, 1884; registered at Camden, NJ
residence: 1004 Cooper - Camden, NJ
occupation: ran billiard room at 819 Broadway - Camden, NJ

The World War II draft registration record:

David L. Bourquin - b. February 5, 1884 Camden, NJ
residence: 3013 S. 17th St. - Philadelphia, PA
occupation: own business - Penn. Patching Plaster Co. - 1239 N. Front
St. - Philadelphia

David L. Bourquin b. Feb. 5, 1884 Camden, NJ
d. January 1969 Philadelphia, PA
(Social Security Death Index)
Rosetta Bourquin b. Nov. 5, 1883
d. March 1965 PA (SSDI)

David's father, David L. Bourquin Sr., committed suicide on July 30, 1884 in Camden, NJ. He swallowed poison, but his wife Elizabeth called the doctor, who pumped out his stomach and put him to bed. A few hours later, David Sr. got out, went to the bathroom, and shot himself. David Jr. was less than six months old. David Sr. had suffered from malaria.

Frederick Bourquin, grandfather of David the ballplayer, was a very prominent lithographer, was on the Camden City Council in the 1880s, and also served in the New Jersey state legislature.


Tom Hufford

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