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_Title:_ History of Toronto and County of York, Ontario Volume 2 of 2
_Date of first publication:_ 1885
_Author:_ Charles Pelham Mulvany et al.
_Date first posted:_ Apr. 13, 2018
_Date last updated:_ July 28, 2020
Faded Page eBook #20180408
This eBook was produced by: Marcia Brooks, David T. Jones, Howard Ross &
the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at
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HISTORY
OF
TORONTO AND COUNTY OF YORK
ONTARIO:
CONTAINING AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA; A
HISTORY OF THE CITY OF TORONTO AND THE COUNTY OF YORK,
WITH THE TOWNSHIPS, TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES,
SCHOOLS; GENERAL AND LOCAL STATISTICS;
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, ETC., ETC.
=Illustrated.=
VOLUME II.
TORONTO:
C. BLACKETT ROBINSON, PUBLISHER.
1885.
CONTENTS.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.
PAGE.
City of Toronto 1
York (East), Township of 179
York (West), Township of 211
Etobicoke, Township of 245
Scarborough, Township of 269
Markham, Township of 285
Markham, Village of 315
Vaughan, Township of 329
Richmond Hill, Village of 375
King, Township of 379
Aurora, Village of 435
Whitchurch, Township of 447
Newmarket, Town of 469
East Gwillimbury, Township of 487
North Gwillimbury, Township of 501
Georgina, Township of 509
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
James B. Boustead 12
Thos. Bright 16
John Bugg 16
W. H. Clinkenbroomer 33
James Dobson 42
John William Drummond 43
Garrett F. Frankland 52
Andrew Heron 65
John G. Howard 70
Mr. Howard’s Tomb 82
John Jacques 86
Robt. Jaffray 87
Jas. Michie 113
Hon. David Reesor 135
George Percival Ridout 138
Joseph D. Ridout 138
William Smith, sen’r 148
William Smith, jun’r 148
John Smith 148
Residence of John Smith 150
S. Vernoy 166
John Joseph Vickers 167
Paul Kane 177
William Lea 195
George Leslie 196
Lakeview Park 226
John Heron 271
Geo. Taylor 277
F. G. Percy 321
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.
CITY OF TORONTO.
JAMES ACHESON was born in the County of Leitrim, Ireland, in 1810, being
the sixth in a family of ten children. His parents were Thomas Acheson
and Elizabeth Clark. In 1822 the family came to Canada and located on a
cleared farm of two hundred and fifty acres near Brockville, where the
mother died, aged ninety-four; in 1841 the father returned to Ireland,
where he died at the age of eighty-six. James Acheson spent his early
life on the farm, and was educated in the common schools. In 1827 he
went to Brockville to learn the trade of a tanner with Isaac Beacher; he
spent four years there. In 1831 he came to Toronto and began work with
the late Jesse Ketchum. In 1839 he started business for himself, east of
the Don, in a tannery owned by one John Smith; but in two years he gave
it up and went to Ireland for his health, where he remained eighteen
months. On his return he built a tannery on Yonge Street and ran it for
three years, at the end of which Mr. Ketchum gave him his business. He
carried that on for three years, and then removed to Charles Small’s
farm on the Kingston Road, where he built a tannery, which was soon
afterwards burned down. He then occupied a tannery which was built on
the present site of the Union Station. When that property was sold to
the Grand Trunk Railway he went to Acton, where he built a tannery in
partnership with Alexander McGlashan. On the latter’s death, at the
expiration of five years, Mr. Acheson retired and removed to Toronto,
where he now lives at 40 Maitland Street. In politics he is a Reformer.
In 1845 he married Mary, daughter of John Hamilton, by whom he had one
child, now dead.
WILLIAM CASE ADAMS, dentist, was born in the Methodist parsonage at
Lundy’s Lane, near Niagara, on the 18th October, 1823, and is the third
son of the Rev. Ezra Adams, U. E. Loyalist and Methodist minister, whose
first circuit, in 1814, extended from Rama, on Lake Simcoe, down Yonge
Street to York, and west to St. Catharines and Newark (now Niagara),
thence to Queenston and on to Long Point, taking six weeks for the trip.
Owing to the lack of postal communication, Mr. Adams carried letters for
such as wished, this being the only way then of conveying news to
friends at a distance. The early education of Dr. Adams was chiefly by
his mother, who was a school teacher previous to her marriage. After
spending some time studying he went to Victoria College, Cobourg, and
from thence to Highblue, Missouri, where he commenced the study of
medicine with Dr. Berryman. He returned to Canada and finally turned his
attention to dentistry, studying about a year with Dr. Harris and a year
with a Dr. Jones, when he settled in Toronto, on King Street, in 1854.
In 1870 he was elected one of the teachers in the Dental College and
Infirmary, which position he held until 1873. Dr. Adams is possessed of
considerable mechanical skill, and has invented an appliance for
removing roots and decayed stumps of teeth. With this instrument stumps
and roots can be removed from the mouth with ease when all other known
methods have failed. He was admitted a member of the American Dental
Convention at Saratoga, which society changed its name from the American
National Dental Convention in order to admit him and others from Canada.
He is also a member of the Masonic body and Royal Arcanum, and is a
member of the Methodist Church.
WILLIAM ADAMSON, wharfinger, was born in Heden, Yorkshire, England, in
1822, being the second son in a family of six children. In the following
year his father, Joseph Adamson, who was a doctor, came to Canada with
his family, and located in the township of Toronto, where he continued
the practice of his profession until his death in 1852. He purchased
four hundred acres of land in that township; those farms are now in the
possession of his sons James and Alfred, and his daughter, Mrs. Shyman.
During the Rebellion Dr. Adamson served as a surgeon in the First
Battalion of Incorporated Militia, under his brother, the Hon. Peter
Adamson, who was colonel of the regiment. The Hon. Peter J. Adamson,
R.J.S., was a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada until
the Union in 1841; he came to Canada in 1821. Before he came out he had
served for many years in the British army; he entered at the age of
fifteen and rose to the rank of Major in the 71st Highlanders and
Lieutenant-General in the Portuguese service. In 1853 the subject of
this sketch was married to Rachael, eldest daughter of Wm. Rutherford,
by whom he had five sons and two daughters living. He served during the
Rebellion in the First Battalion of Incorporated Militia as lieutenant
under his uncle. It was in 1854 that he began business as a wharfinger.
In religion Mr. Adamson is a member of the Church of England; in
politics he is a Conservative. From 1864 to the present time he has
represented St. David’s and St. Thomas’ Wards in the City Council.
MAJOR D. H. ALLAN is a native of Perth County, Ontario. His father, the
late Rev. Daniel Allan, of Goderich, was one of the pioneer Presbyterian
clergyman of Western Ontario. After several years of missionary service,
he was for about forty years pastor of the North Easthope Presbyterian
congregation. On retiring, which he did some nine years ago, he took up
his residence in Goderich, which he died on the 10th of December last,
at the advanced age of seventy-nine years. His son, the subject of our
present sketch, has been a resident of this city since 1866, and for two
years studied law in the office of Paterson, Harrison & Paterson. For
some reason or another he gave up the idea of following the legal
profession and engaged in business as real estate agent, in which line
he has been more than ordinarily successful. Major Allan joined the
Queen’s Own Rifles as a private at the time of the Fenian Raids of 1855,
and has kept up his connection with the regiment ever since; his
soldierly and earnest attention given to all matters that would add to
the reputation of the corps, receiving due reward in promotion as rapid
as it is was deserved. He now holds a first-class Military School
certificate and is Senior Major of his regiment
JEROME ALLEY, 519 Sherbourne Street, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in
1810. He came to Canada in 1830, and taking an official position under
Government served the State in various departments until 1874, when he
retired. Mr. Alley has six children living, three sons and three
daughters, viz., Henry R., Education Department; John A. M., accountant,
Federal Bank: Alfred R., insurance agent, Chicago; Celia; Emma; and
Kate, wife of Allan Harvey, Bank of British North America, London,
England.
JAMES ARMSTRONG was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, 1813, and came to
Canada in 1832. During the voyage he had a terrible experience of the
dreaded disease cholera, which broke out on the vessel, and out of three
hundred passengers thirty-one were committed to the deep. He was a
farmer in Ireland and for some short time followed that occupation here,
afterwards conducting a saw-mill in Bear Creek, which he continued some
years. During the Rebellion of ’37 our subject was in 101 Company,
commanded by Major Gurnett, and was on guard during the execution of
Lount and Matthews. After this affair was over Mr. Armstrong settled in
Toronto. In 1840 he married Ann Durnan, whose father had charge of the
lighthouse until 1854. Mr. Armstrong retired from business about six
years ago, selling his farm for some property. He has two sons in
Toronto. He is a member of the Conservative Party, and in religion
belongs to the Presbyterian Church.
THOMAS ARMSTRONG is a native of Fermanagh, Ireland, being the only son
of John Armstrong, merchant, who came to Toronto about 1825, and died in
1848. He was a member of the first Council of this city on receiving its
charter of incorporation, and represented the Ward of St. Andrew’s until
the time of his death; the Ward showing its appreciation of his success
and honouring his memory by electing his son as successor. Mr. Thomas
Armstrong in 1880 was appointed to a position in the Custom House.
G. W. BADGEROW, M.P.P., is a native of this county, born near Markham.
His father, a native of the State of New York, came to Canada in 1810.
Our subject received his professional education in this city, in the
same building as his office is now located (Ontario Hall). He was called
to the bar in 1871, and has since practised his profession in this city.
He is Past Grand Master of the United Workmen. He was elected a member
of the Provincial Parliament in 1879 and re-elected in 1883. He is a
member of the law firm of Badgerow & Galbraith.
ALLEN BAINES, M.D., CM., L.R.C.P., London, England, is a native of
Toronto, being the youngest son of the late Thomas Baines, one of the
pioneers of the brewing interest in this city, who was born in
Shropshire, England, and came to Canada in 1826, and for a number of
years was Crown Land Agent. He died in Toronto in 1866, at the age of
sixty-seven. Dr. Allen Baines was educated at Mr. Barron’s school,
Cobourg, and at the Upper Canada College, Toronto. He graduated M.B. in
1878 at Toronto University, and M.D., CM. in 1878 at Trinity College,
Toronto. He studied at St. Thomas Hospital, London, England, and while
there acquired, in 1879, L.R.C.P., London. He returned to this city and
commenced practice in 1882. He is at present physician in attendance at
the Home for Incurables, Toronto Dispensary, and Infants’ Home.
DR. JAMES BUCHANAN BALDWIN is the son of William Augustus, second son of
Dr. William Warren Baldwin. William Augustus Baldwin was twice married;
his first wife was Isabel Clarke Buchanan, daughter of James Buchanan,
British Consul, New York, by whom he had the following children: Phœbe,
now Mrs. Lefroy, living in Toronto; James Buchanan, living in Toronto;
W. Augustus, M.D.; Robert Russel; Æmilias, living in Muskoka; Isabel E.,
married to her third cousin, William Ross Baldwin, agent for the Duke of
Devonshire, and now living in Ireland. His first wife died in 1850. By
his second wife—Margaret Fry McLeod, daughter of Captain McLeod,
Drynoch, Isle of Skye, of the 93rd Highlanders—he had the following
children: Jane McLeod, now Mrs. Martin Graham, living in Rome, New York;
Bessie, now living in the old homestead; Anna Maria Martin, who died
1883; Lawrence, living in the old home; Margaret, Norman, Charles and
John. Dr. James Buchanan Baldwin was born in Toronto, July 14th, 1839.
In 1872 he married the second daughter of Hon. J. C. Morrison of the
Court of Appeal.
JOHN SPREAD BALDWIN, second son of Robert Baldwin, was married in 1822,
to Ann, daughter of Major-General Shaw, and widow of Dr. Scott of the
Royal Navy, by whom he had the following children: Harriet E., dead;
John, dead; Edmund, dead; Louisa Isabella, dead; John Maurice; Frederick
A., dead; and Arthur Henry. Edmund Baldwin was born in Toronto in 1826,
and married Miss Grasett, by whom he had two children, Dr. E. St. George
Baldwin, 51 Baldwin Street, and Rev. Henry Grasett.
The Hon. ROBERT BALDWIN was born in Toronto, May 12th, 1804, at the old
home on the corner of Front and Frederick Streets, and died December
9th, 1858. He had the following children: Maria, died 1865; William
Willcocks Baldwin, Osgoode Hall; Augusta B., wife of the Hon. John Ross;
Robert, 22 Carleton Street. William Willcocks Baldwin was born May 20th,
1830. Up till 1864 he was farming, but since that year he has held the
position of Distributor of Law Stamps at Osgoode Hall.
ROBERT BALDWIN, deceased, came with his family from the County of Cork,
Ireland (where the Baldwins, of Norman descent, had lived for
generations), in 1799, and settled on a farm in the Township of Clark.
He had the following children: William Warren; Eliza, afterwards Mrs.
John Morgan; Alice Anna Maria; John Spread, father of the late Canon
Baldwin, of the present Bishop of Huron and of the Rev. A. H. Baldwin,
of All Saints’ Church; Mary Warren. All his other surviving children
also came to Canada between 1817 and 1819: Captain Augustus Baldwin
(afterwards Admiral Baldwin); Captain Henry Baldwin; and Mrs. Sullivan,
the mother of the late Judge Sullivan. William Warren Baldwin was born
in the County of Cork, Ireland, in 1771, and graduated with the degree
of M.D. at Edinburgh, Scotland. After coming to Canada he began to
practise his profession and subsequently adopted that of law; and it
often happened that while attending to a case in one of the law courts
he would be called away to attend to the case of a sick person. In 1803
he married Phœbe Margaret, daughter of William Willcocks. At his death
in January, 1844, he left two sons, the Hon. Robert Baldwin and William
A. Baldwin.
JERROLD BALL, M.D., is a native of York County, having been born on his
father’s old farm, where he lived until he was fifteen years of age. He
attended the Public Schools and Grammar School in this city,
matriculating in Toronto University in 1870, and graduating as M.B. four
years later. He began the practice of medicine in 1875, which he has
since continued with success. In 1881 he married Miss Emily Moore, of
Toronto.
J. BALMER, Superintendent of the Necropolis, was born in County Down,
Ireland, on the 8th March, 1819. He joined Her Majesty’s 38th Regiment
of Foot in November, 1839. The Regiment until 1848 was stationed at
Gibraltar, Ionian Islands, and Jamaica, when it was sent to Canada, and
was stationed at Halifax for two years, then returned to England. Mr.
Balmer remained in Canada, and joined the Royal Canadian Rifles. He was
stationed at St. Johns, near Montreal. In 1856, when the Hudson Bay
Company applied to the British Government for troops to protect their
interests, which were threatened by the Indians, Mr. Balmer was one of
the hundred men who were sent by the Government, and who arrived at York
Factory on the shores of Hudson Bay in August, 1857. After remaining at
York Factory for two weeks, they went to Fort Garry where they remained
four years. In 1861 he returned to St. Johns, and completed his time,
receiving his discharge with Sergeant’s pension in January, 1865. In
1870 he came to Toronto, and in the following year became superintendent
of the Necropolis, which position he still holds. In 1851 Mr. Balmer was
married at St. Johns to a daughter of Robert Carey, of Sligo, Ireland.
He has three sons, two of whom are Methodist ministers. The elder,
Robert Henry, is stationed at St. William’s (1884), and the other,
William John, is an Undergraduate of Victoria University, Cobourg. His
third son, George Francis, is a student in Upper Canada College,
preparing for the University. His eldest daughter married Rev. J. B.
Avison, who was pastor of the Don Mills Church (Methodist). He died in
1882. Mrs. Avison was again married to Rev. James Liddy, Methodist
minister, in September, 1884. His second daughter Lina is married to G.
T. Pendrith, machinist, of Toronto.
WILLIAM BARCHARD, retired, was born in Ross, Yorkshire, England, in
1810. He was the fourth child of his father’s family. His parents were
Peter and Ross (Turner) Barchard. In 1829 he married Sarah Calvert, born
August 21st, 1810. He and his wife came to Canada in 1833, and on
Saturday, August 11th, landed at Toronto; the steamer “William IV.” was
burned to the water’s edge that night. He first located on a farm in
Vaughan Township, about three miles from Stone Hollow, where he worked
for fourteen months for Aaron Barker, who was married to his wife’s
sister, and who paid him at the rate of $100 a year. He then went to
work for a Dutchman named Baker, who was in the saw-mill business. In
1858 he began business for himself on the lot he now occupies, the whole
extent of his capital at that time being $700. With this sum he
purchased a lot of lumber, and making it into boxes sold them to the
city merchants; on this he realized such a profit as to form a
foundation for what is now a prosperous business. Mr. Barchard is a
Reformer, and a member of the Methodist Church. By his marriage he had
twelve children, of whom seven are now living. His eldest son, John
Barchard, was living in Cincinnati at the breaking out of the American
Civil War. He enlisted in the cavalry, and reached the rank of Captain,
but was never heard of after the Battle of Gettysburg. Another son,
George Edward, a brakeman, was killed at Nipissing by falling from a
car. There are now two sons at home, William D. Henry, and Isaac James.
JOHN BARRON was born in Cumberland, England, in 1827. In 1832 his
parents, John and Ann (Robson) Barron, came to Canada with their family,
consisting of one son and four daughters. The family settled in Little
York, and for ten years occupied a house in George Street, between Queen
and Duchess Streets, which is still standing. About 1842 the father, who
had been a farmer in England, took up fifty acres of land outside the
city, on the east side of Yonge Street, where he lived until his death
in 1862, aged sixty-nine years; his wife died in 1872. John Barron, our
subject, was educated in Toronto, and until he was twenty-five years of
age worked with his father on the farm. In the spring of 1852 he came to
the city and began the business in the Market Square, remaining there
for twenty-five years, when he removed to his present stand, 149 King
Street East. Mr. Barron married Hannah Bond Herron, whose father was
born in Toronto in 1807; she was the grand-niece of Captain Bond, who
received large grants of land from the Crown. Mr. Barron has two sons
and two daughters living in Toronto, John and William, Mary and Minnie.
He is a member of the Methodist Church.
CHARLES R. BELL, real estate and insurance agent, was born in Milton,
Cumberland, England, in 1820, being the only child of George and Mary
(Ruddick) Bell. In 1835, when nearly sixteen years of age, he enlisted
in the Cumberland Regiment, which, when formed, was known as the
“Cumberland Sharpshooters.” In 1837 our subject, being an acting
corporal, joined the regiment which was then stationed at Halifax. After
spending some time in cities in the Maritime Provinces, he came to
Toronto in the winter of 1837-38 and was made a staff-sergeant, and was
afterwards stationed at Amherstburg for two years. On its return to
England in 1840 Mr. Bell procured his discharge, and became a clerk in
the office of Gamble & Boulton, on the recommendation of the late Lord
Airey, remaining there ten years. In 1850 he became manager of Milton’s
mill on the Humber, and in 1860 went to Pennsylvania, where he remained
for two years engaged in railroad construction. On his return to Toronto
he became book-keeper at Hurd & Leigh’s, where he was until 1865, when
he became connected with the firm of Hewlett & Bell. He has been engaged
in his present business since 1878; and represents two insurance
companies, the Royal and the Liverpool. In 1842 he married a daughter of
James Kennedy, by whom he had five sons and one daughter. One son is
dead.
CHARLES T. BELL was born in Toronto in 1842, and is the son of Thomas
and Catharine (Kendrick) Bell. His father was born in Little York,
January 1st, 1803; his grandfather, Thomas Bell, senior, settling here
before 1800, and taking part in the war of 1812-14. His father was a
Justice of the Peace, and lived for some time in Newmarket. Our subject
is connected with the mail department of the postal service between
Toronto and Hamilton. His wife is a daughter of David Ross, of Queen
Street West.
ROBERT BELL, M.P.P., was born in Toronto, and is the eldest son of John
Bell, builder and contractor, who came to Canada from County Fermanagh,
Ireland, in 1823; married, in 1827, Annie Anderson, and died in 1855. In
1853 Robert married Matilda, seventh daughter of Joseph Clegg, C.E., of
County Monaghan, Ireland. In 1860 he was elected councilman for the Ward
of St. Andrew’s, and served in that capacity until 1867, when he became
an alderman until 1873. In 1872 he was elected to the Board of Water
Commissioners, and in 1874 was made chairman of that body until its
extinction in 1877. In 1875 he was first elected to represent West
Toronto in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and was re-elected in
1879.
THOMAS BERNEY, caretaker of the Riverdale Park, is a native of the North
of Ireland (Strabane), and came to Canada in 1850. He was variously
engaged up to 1854, after which he kept an hotel on Yonge Street for
about ten years. In 1880 he accepted the position as head caretaker of
this beautiful park.
THOMAS BEST was born near Darlington, in the County of Durham, England,
in 1821. He came to Canada in 1843, and engaged in the hotel business in
Toronto. He was connected with the Bay Horse Hotel from 1844 to 1872,
and has been living retired since the latter date at 33 Murray Street.
Mr. Best was married in 1849 to Elizabeth Tindale; the issue of the
marriage was five children. We may add that Mr. Best is one of the
oldest living hotel proprietors in the city.
DR. NORMAN BETHUNE is the son of the late Angus Bethune, who was born in
1793, at Carleton Island, in the River St. Lawrence, opposite Kingston;
his grandfather, the Rev. John Bethune, of Williamstown, Glengarry, was
chaplain to H. M. 84th Regiment, which was then stationed on that
island. The Rev. John Bethune had the following sons: Angus Norman, who
settled in Montreal, and was a merchant and Queen’s auctioneer; John,
who became Dean of the Church of England Cathedral at Montreal; James,
who lived at Cobourg; Alexander Neil, who became Bishop of Toronto; and
Donald a well-known steamboat proprietor. Angus Bethune was engaged in
the North-West and Hudson Bay Company’s service for fifty years. He came
to Toronto in 1840, and at his death left five sons, Norman being the
second. His wife was a daughter of Roderick Mackenzie. Dr. Norman
Bethune was born at Moose Factory, Hudson’s Bay. He came to Toronto in
1840, was educated at Upper Canada College, and in 1843 began his
medical studies. He graduated in the University of Edinburgh, Scotland,
in 1850, and in the following year began his practice in Toronto, which
he has since continued with the exception of nine years in which he
practised in Edinburgh. Dr. Bethune was for many years connected with
the Medical School attached to Trinity College, in the organization of
which he was largely interested.
JOSEPH BICKERSTAFF was born in the County of Armagh, Ireland, in 1832,
and came to Canada in 1851. He located in Toronto, and began business as
a grocer, which he continued for twenty years. In 1881 he received an
appointment in the Custom House, and has charge of the Queen’s
Warehouse. He is a member of the Orange Society, and the Church of
England. He is a Conservative in politics. Mr. Bickerstaff married
Elizabeth Moore, of the city; her father was Captain of a Company during
the Rebellion of 1837.
JOHN BISHOP, retired, was born in Islington, near London, England.
December 16th, 1799. His parents were John and Sarah Bishop. His father
was a butcher, and previous to his arrival in Canada conducted a large
business in London. He arrived in New York in 1816, from thence he
removed to Toronto, and erected a small cottage in which the family
lived for a short time, afterwards removing to a house on the west side
of Market Square, which he built along with others in 1819. He followed
his own trade successfully for a number of years, retiring from active
participation in the business in 1833, being succeeded by his son
William. In 1829 he built Bishop Buildings on Adelaide Street, a large
row of brick houses, which are still standing. He died December 25th,
1845, aged seventy-five years, leaving a family of five children, of
whom John was the second. William, the third son, succeeded to the
father’s business, continued the same until 1852, when he retired. Mr.
Bishop was a member of the old fire company in 1826. In politics he is a
Reformer. In 1831 he married Jane Julia Rubergall, who died in 1841; his
second wife was Christiana Ferrier, second daughter of the late R. C.
Ferrier, baker.
FRANCIS BLACKSTONE, professor of music, was born in Chelsea, Brompton,
England, in 1844, son of George Blackstone. His mother was a daughter of
John Sartoris, who painted the celebrated racehorse Eclipse. He came to
Toronto in 1871, where he has since lived, following the profession of
music teacher.
JOHN NETTERVILLE BLAKE, President of the Lake Simcoe Junction Railway,
and for several years President of the Toronto Brewing and Malting
Company, was born in Toronto in 1846. His father, the Rev. D. E. Blake,
was born in Wicklow, Ireland, in 1806, and came to Canada in 1832. He
was appointed by the Governor-General Rector of Adelaide, and settled in
that Township; subsequently he became Rector of Thornhill, County of
York, where he resided for many years. The subject of this sketch began
to study law in 1863, and was called to the bar in 1869. In 1873 he
originated the Lake Simcoe Junction Railway, and in 1880 became
President of the Toronto Brewing and Malting Company. He is largely
interested in the malting business. He is a Conservative, and a member
of the York Pioneers.
JOSEPH BLOOR, deceased, was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1789,
where he acquired his education and spent the earlier portion of his
life. He married Sarah Lees of the same place, and in 1819 came to
Canada and settled in the County of York with his family. He located in
Toronto, where he kept an hotel on King Street, and a few years later
purchased a tract of land in Yorkville, east of Yonge, and opened out
the great thoroughfare in the north of the city which bears his name. He
divided his land into lots and erected many private buildings, and also
engaged in the brewing business for a period of twenty years. He held a
magistrate’s commission; in politics was strongly Conservative; and
though in early life a member of the English Church, he subsequently
identified himself with the Methodist Church, of which he proved a
useful and earnest supporter, and contributed largely to the erection of
the Bloor Street place of worship belonging to that body. After his
death an appropriate slab was placed within the church to his memory by
the congregation. Mr. Bloor was a member of the old Fire Brigade of
York, and also of the St. George’s Society. At his death he left two
daughters, Sarah and Eliza, the latter married M. W. Browne, of
Hamilton.
JOHN BOND was born in Devonshire, England, in 1810, and came to Canada
with his father when quite a child. His father was a sergeant-major in
the British Army and served in the war of 1812-14, having fought at
Lundy’s Lane, Chippewa, Fort Erie and Queenston Heights. He received his
discharge at Kingston in 1817, and engaged afterwards in contracts for
the Government. He died in this city on July 4th, 1853. His son, whose
name appears at the head of this sketch, passed his early life in
Kingston, removing from thence to this city in 1834; and having
previously learned his trade of cabinet-maker, commenced business at 154
King Street East, which he conducted for thirty years, afterwards
retiring. Mr. Bond served with credit during the Rebellion of ’37, and
was sergeant in the corps commanded by Colonel Thomas. We ought not to
omit to mention that his father had charge of the cannon at the skirmish
of Montgomery’s tavern. Mr. Bond is a devoted adherent of the Roman
Catholic faith, and in politics has thrown in his lot with the Reform
Party. He married, in 1833, Catharine Gorman.
GEORGE BOSTWICK. The grandparents of our subject, John and Mary
(Lardner) Bostwick, were of English origin, having emigrated from
England to the United States previous to the American Revolution. They
took up their residence upon the present site of the city of Baltimore.
The grandmother was a niece of the Rev. Dionysius Lardner, LL.D., F.R.S.
(Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh). Baltimore was the birthplace
of a numerous progeny of descendants, of which Lardner, the father of
our subject (so named in honour of the illustrious divine) was born in
1774; his early life was passed in that city until 1808, when he came to
Niagara, where he married Sarah Bradshaw, and came to York two years
later. He was a participant in the battle of York during the War of
1812, and was also a prisoner at its capitulation. After peace was
declared he drew three hundred and fifty acres of land in the London
district, although he never cleared or improved it. In 1810 he purchased
one and one-fourth acres upon the south-east corner of King and Yonge
Streets, for which he paid three hundred and fifty dollars, which he
retained until his death. Upon this property he erected suitable
buildings and embarked in the manufacture of carriages, in which
business he was engaged for many years. In politics he was a Baldwin
Reformer, and sat in the old Council of York with Wm. Lyon Mackenzie,
when the city was first incorporated. His death occurred in 1834, at
which time he left a family of seven children—three sons and four
daughters. George, our subject, was the second eldest, born at York, on
the 22nd March, 1811. He received his early education at the primitive
schools of that day, and early acquired of his father the trade of
carriage making. Upon the death of the latter he succeeded him in
business, which he conducted for several years. In 1836 Mr. Bostwick
took up his residence on the west side of Yonge Street, on the northern
portion of what was then the city limits, and was elected a member of
the Council Board in the Village of Yorkville. In 1850 he was
commissioned magistrate by the late Hon. Robert Baldwin, in which
capacity he has ever since acted. During the crisis of ’37 he firmly
adhered to the principles of responsible government as advocated by the
Reform party, and has since lived to see those blessings shared in by
those who were then his strongest political enemies. In 1840 Mr.
Bostwick married a daughter of Robert Ferrier, from Aberdeenshire,
Scotland, by whom he had one son and four daughters. His son, George F.
Bostwick, represents the extensive manufacturing firm of Goldie &
McCulloch, safe manufacturers, of Galt, Ont., whose office and warerooms
are at No. 50 Church Street, Toronto. The second daughter married John
S. Mayfair, of the old-established wholesale dry-goods house of Bryce,
McMurrich & Co., Yonge Street; third, Mrs. J. H. Macdonald; fourth, Mrs.
David Denne, of Montreal; fifth, Jessie, resides at home. Lardner,
brother of our subject, was born at York, June 20th, 1815; educated at
Thomas Appleton’s district school at the old market place on King
Street; 1837, was a student with Dr. Morrison; 1842, he married Eliza
Kennedy; one year later moved to Chicago, where he was three years
engaged in the dry-goods business; then settled at Minneapolis, where he
studied law and was admitted to the Bar, and subsequently elected Judge
of the Surrogate Court.
[Illustration: JAS. B. BOUSTEAD.]
JAMES B. BOUSTEAD is the only son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Bell)
Boustead, and was born at Carlisle, Cumberland, England, in 1833. His
father was educated for an Episcopal clergyman, but after completing his
education, he emigrated to the County of York, Upper Canada, and settled
at Newtonbrook in the year 1832, where he died in January following,
leaving a son and daughter, of whom our subject was the youngest. After
completing his education, at the age of twenty-one he entered the
well-known dry-goods house of John Macdonald, remaining one year, then
for the five years following he had charge of a large milling business
at Hillsburg. In 1857 he returned to Toronto, and engaged in the
wholesale provision trade until 1874, when he became connected with the
fire and life insurance business, which he has conducted until the
present time. He now represents the “Citizens,” and “Union Scottish”
Companies, and is also an issuer of marriage licenses, and a magistrate
for the County of York. Mr. Boustead was elected to a seat in the City
Council Board as early as 1865, first representing St. David’s and later
St. James’ Wards; he filled the position for sixteen years, being one of
the most active members of that honourable body. During the long period
he sat in the Council he filled the position of chairman of some of its
most important committees, notably the Fire, Water, and Gas Committees,
and is entitled to the credit of reorganizing the Fire Department, and
establishing the Fire Alarm system; he also obtained for the city,
through his earnest exertions, the charter under which our present
water-works were built, and which resulted in obtaining pure water from
the lake. Mr. Boustead has taken a great interest in our educational
institutions, having been a member of the School Board for some years.
When the “Queen’s Own” was organized he was one of its first members,
and he received his commission of Lieutenant; he was present and took
part with his regiment at Ridgeway; he retired in 1867 with the rank of
Captain. Mr. Boustead has also been actively engaged in church work,
having been Superintendent of the Methodist Sabbath school in Yorkville
from 1866 to 1876, and of the Metropolitan Methodist Sabbath School from
1878 to the present time. His life has been an active and busy one, and
he has left his mark upon the city which he has made his home.
SAMUEL BOWMAN, retired, was born in the County Derry, Ireland, in 1812.
His father was John Bowman, a farmer, and his mother a daughter of
Joseph Thompson; they had seven children. The family came to Canada in
1832, landing at Quebec on June 4th. They remained at Quebec a few days
and then went to Montreal, where, four days after they arrived, the
father and one of the sons died. The family arrived at Toronto, August
9th, and took up their residence in a house on Yonge Street in which a
man had died of cholera that morning, but fortunately none of them were
infected. Samuel Bowman obtained work at teaming for a Mr.
Clinkinbroomer, with whom he remained six months; then he became a
porter in a store, helping a man named Ware, on the corner of King and
Yonge Streets. In 1838 he commenced carting, and continued that until
1850, when he sold out and retired. During the Mackenzie Rebellion Mr.
Bowman joined an independent company, and was present at the burning of
Montgomery’s tavern. Mr. Bowman has only one brother living now; he
resides at 142 Nelson Street.
WILLIAM BRIGGS was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England, 1818, and came to
Toronto in 1845. He is a builder and contractor, which business he
conducted from the time of his arrival in the city until recently, when
he retired from it, and is at present enjoying the ease and comfort he
has deservedly earned. Mr. Briggs was the first settler on the fifteen
acre lot where he resides (No. 9 Maitland Street). His wife was Mary
Machin, a native of Selby, Yorkshire, England; she died in 1850.
JOHN BRIGHT. The Bright family are of English origin. John, the subject
of this sketch is at the present time the eldest white male resident of
Toronto. He was born at Three Rivers, Quebec, 1793, fourth son of Louis
and Margaret (Brady) Bright, and came to York with his parents in 1802,
being nine years of age. His father served seven years in the 42nd
Regiment of His Majesty’s Infantry during the Revolutionary War, at the
close of which he came to Canada, having but three weeks to serve, when
he arrived on what is now called King Street. Here he rented a slab
shanty situated between York and Bay Streets (of a coloured man by the
name of Franklin), into which he moved his family and wrought for some
time as a stone-mason, but subsequently settled down to farming and
butchering. He died at the ripe age of ninety-nine years and ten months,
leaving six sons and six daughters. John attended the first school held
in the county, on the corner of King and George Streets, Mr. Elihu Pease
being the first teacher; at the age of thirteen was burned out and
learned the trade of shoemaker, of Mr. Wallace, serving six years, which
business he afterwards conducted for over forty years. He married in
1808, Nancy, third daughter of William Knott, a Revolutionary soldier
who came to Canada with the “Queen’s Rangers,” and afterwards settled
upon King Street, just east of the Mail buildings. Mr. Bright
participated in the War of 1812, was at the battles of York, Stony
Creek, Queenston Heights and Lundy’s Lane. In the latter engagement he
received three wounds—first, by a bullet on the top of his head, taking
off a portion of the scalp; second, through the sleeve of the right arm;
and third, a shot in the left side. He belonged to the Infantry Corps,
and at the battle of Queenston Heights he saw General Brock fall from
his little bay mare which he rode, it having been presented to him by
Adjutant Fitzgerald, or “Crazy Fitzgerald” as he was sometimes called.
He saw his body carried from the battle-field by orderlies into a barn
near by; was present at his death and burial. “We cried like good
fellows when he fell.” Mr. Bright was in the last charge made upon the
army at Queenston Heights, and saw many of the Americans leap over the
side of the mountain in their efforts to escape, while others stole away
amid the clouds of smoke that enveloped the place. After serving his
time Colonel Fitzgerald tried to induce the regiment to which he
belonged to re-enlist for three years by offering every able-bodied man
three guineas; but they, not having had a change of clothing for three
months, declined and returned home; after which he served twenty-seven
years as assistant messenger under his father, who was chief messenger
of the old Legislative Council of Upper and Lower Canada, while the
Government buildings were at Toronto, Kingston and Montreal. He was
present at the latter place when the buildings were burned. He also
served twenty-seven years as Crier of the General Sessions and County
Court, which office he still holds. During the Rebellion of 1837 he was
a volunteer, while his father was doing garrison duty at the Parliament
House. He and his brother Louis shouldered their muskets and joined the
loyal forces at Montgomery’s tavern. He retains his mental faculties in
a wonderful degree, and nothing affords him greater pleasure than to
have an old friend or neighbour call and recount bygone scenes of his
early life.
JAMES BRIGHT, 71 King Street East, blacksmith, and brother of the above,
is the youngest son of the same family, was born in York in 1807, corner
of Princess and Duke Streets. When fifteen years of age he learned the
trade of blacksmith with his brother Louis, whose shop then occupied the
north-east corner of King and York Streets, where the Shakespeare Hotel
now stands. They wrought together for five years. In 1832 he married
Amelia, daughter of Isaac Columbus, who was employed in the Garrison,
being edge-tool maker and silversmith. He made a sword for General
Brock, which he carried on the day of his death. Soon after Mr. Bright’s
marriage he moved east of the Don and took up his residence at 71 King
Street East, where he established himself in business as a blacksmith,
and where he has ever since resided. Having seven sons and two
daughters, the former having succeeded him in business.
JOHN BRIGHT, builder, was born in Toronto in 1842, his father being
James Bright. He learned the trade of a carpenter before he was of age
and worked at that until 1872, when he opened a grocery, flour and feed
store on King Street East. In 1875 he gave up store-keeping and returned
to his trade. In 1870 he married Emiline Louisa, daughter of Emerson
Coatsworth, City Commissioner. He is a Conservative and a member of the
English Church.
THOMAS BRIGHT, youngest son of John Bright, was born at Toronto 1837,
was seven years engaged in the grocery trade, subsequently succeeded his
father as Sheriff’s Officer and Crier of the Court of General Sessions,
which office he has held for the past twenty-two years, and which has
been filled by some member of the family since the establishment of the
first Court in York. Mr. Bright has been twice married, first to Mary,
daughter of Robert Hodgson, by whom he had four children, second to
Ellen Brady. In politics he has been a strong Conservative, and a member
of the Orange Society, and Church of England.
WILLIAM BRODIE, L.D.S., was born in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland,
and was the son of George Brodie, a farmer in that district, who came to
Canada in 1835, and settled on a farm in Whitchurch, where he died in
1882, at the advanced age of ninety years. During his residence in
Whitchurch he took a lively interest in municipal affairs, and was for
some time a member of the County Council. He was for a number of years
an elder of the Presbyterian Church. He married Jane Milne, of Banff,
only daughter of John Milne of that town, a vessel owner, who was lost
at sea; she died in 1865 at Whitchurch. Mr. Brodie, the subject of this
sketch, received his early education at Whitchurch, subsequently
teaching school there for three years. He afterwards studied his
profession, which he practised in Markham for two years, removing to
Toronto in 1865. He has from its commencement been connected with the
Toronto Natural History Society, and to his energy the institution may
be almost said to owe its existence. He married Miss Jane Anna
McPherson, eldest daughter of Alexander McPherson, farmer, of Scotch
birth, who, as a contractor, had assisted in the construction of the
Lachine Canal. He died at Whitby. Mr. Brodie’s residence is 325
Parliament Street.
[Illustration: THOMAS BRIGHT.]
[Illustration: J. BUGG.]
JOHN BUGG, deceased, the eldest of a family of seven children, born to
William and Elizabeth (Walker) Bugg, was born in Yorkshire, England,
February 6th, 1807. His early life was spent upon his father’s farm.
Before he reached his majority he learned the trade of carriage and
house building. Upon the death of his father he, being the eldest son,
inherited all the property. After paying all claims upon the estate, he
embarked for Canada, and arrived at Little York on June 19th, in the
spring of 1831. It being Sunday, he immediately wended his way to
church, and there found an old acquaintance in the resident pastor, who
introduced him to Mr. Cawthra, then employed in the erection of the
Ontario Parliament buildings, with whom he secured employment. After
remaining in York one year he returned to England and brought the family
back with him. After the completion of the Government work he began
building for himself, and subsequently embarked in the lumbering and
building business on a large scale, his yard being at the corner of
Teraulay and Albert Streets. He also dealt largely in real estate, and
purchased the McCauley estate, and opened Gerrard and Walton Streets. In
1837, during the Rebellion, the loyal forces were quartered at his
residence, as at those of many others who were strong Reformers and
advocated Responsible Government. Our subject took an active part in
municipal matters, and was elected to a seat in the Council Board for
St. Patrick’s Ward, when that Ward included the district at present
covered by St. John’s, St. Stephen’s and St. Patrick’s. When St.
Patrick’s Ward was subsequently divided he sat as alderman for St.
John’s Ward, his term of service being thirteen years, and on every
occasion but one he was returned at the head of the poll. As an alderman
he united a progressive spirit with a careful regard to economy, a
watchfulness over the city’s interests, and a firm adherence to his
principles. As an instance of his firmness of character, it may be
mentioned that for several years he formed one of a minority, composed
of four aldermen, who strenuously opposed a number of measures which
they considered detrimental to the city’s interests. In religion he was
a Primitive Methodist, and was elected a life member of the Conference
of that body. Soon after Confederation he was commissioned a Magistrate,
in which capacity he acted many years. His wife was a daughter of the
late John Purkiss, of Toronto. The fiftieth anniversary of their wedded
life was celebrated on the 30th October, 1883. At his death he left
three sons and two daughters: William, Charles, Joseph, Elizabeth and
Sarah, now Mrs. Robert Jaffray.
JAMES BUGG, farmer, and brother of the above, was fourteen years and six
months old when he landed in York in 1833. He worked about one year for
Mr. Northcott; the following spring he went to Thornhill and worked on a
farm for about ten years; then was engaged as manager on a farm in
Markham Township. In 1844 he married Rebecca, second daughter of Robert
Mason, by whom he has three daughters. In 1850 he was chosen councillor
for Markham Township, and in 1870 he received a Magistrate’s commission,
but did not qualify until ten years later. In politics he is a Reformer,
in religion a member of the Primitive Methodist Church. As a result of
many years of honest toil, he has a beautiful farm in the Township of
King, where he at present resides, and is one of the most substantial
citizens in his municipality.
ALEXANDER BURNS was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland, in
1837, and came to Canada in 1853. Previous to coming out he was for a
short time in the grocery business, and on his arrival in Toronto
continued the same business with his brother in a store at St. Lawrence
Market. In 1869 he commenced a soda-water business on the corner of
Young and Buchanan Streets, that part of the city being then all bush,
which extended without a single break along the front of Yonge and
College Avenue to Hayter Street. The trade conducted by Mr. Burns was
one of the largest of its kind in the city, and proved very successful.
He retired from business in 1881, since which time he has been living a
quiet and retired life on the fruits of his former industry. In 1868 he
married Miss Martha McDonald, by whom he has a family of three sons and
three daughters.
DAVID BURNS, deceased, was born in the County Derry, Ireland, in 1803.
He came to Canada in 1823, and engaged in the leather business at Little
York, which proved so successful that he retired about twenty years
before his death, which occurred in 1872. At the time of his death he
owned a considerable quantity of real estate. He left surviving him a
wife and three sons. The eldest, David Burns, is a civil engineer; the
second, Robert, is studying medicine; and the youngest, Stephen, is
engaged in the study of the law.
HORATIO C. BURRITT, M.D., C.M., was born at Smith’s Falls, Ontario, in
September, 1840. He is the eldest son of Dr. Walter H. Burritt, who was
born at Burritt’s Rapids, Ontario, in 1809; being the youngest son of
Colonel Daniel Burritt and grandson of Daniel Burritt, one of the
original United Empire Loyalists, who emigrated to Canada immediately
after the American Revolution, and settled on the Rideau River, where
the Village of Burritt’s Rapids now stands. The subject of our sketch
was educated at Smith’s Falls Grammar School, Bishop’s College,
Lennoxville, and McGill College, Montreal, from which latter institution
he received the degree of M.D., C.M., in May, 1863. He spent some
months, after graduating in Lincoln Hospital, Washington, D.C, as acting
assistant surgeon during the American Civil War. Shortly after returning
to Canada he settled in Morrisburgh, Ontario; in 1868 he removed to
Peterborough, where he had a very extensive and lucrative practice for
fourteen years; when he began to feel that if the incessant hard work,
with the exposure, etc., were continued much longer it would seriously
impair his health. To avoid such a calamity he disposed of his practice
to Dr. Halliday, of Grafton, and removed to Toronto. On his departure
from Peterborough he was presented with a most complimentary address and
a magnificent epergne, by many of his staunch friends. In 1880 he was
elected by the medical men of Newcastle and Trent Electoral Division, as
their representative for five years in the Ontario Medical Council.
During his two years’ residence in this city, he has acquired a
successful and extensive practice. Dr. Burritt married in 1864, Maria
Harriet, fourth daughter of James G. Rogers, Esq., of Grafton, Ontario.
EPHRAIM BUTT, third son of Samuel Butt, weaver, was born in Stonehouse,
Gloucester, England, on the 8th of March, 1822. His father, with his
family, came to Canada and settled in Toronto, in the year 1832. He has
been a resident of Toronto for fifty-two years. In 1844 he married
Sarah, youngest daughter of James Davey, of Hull, England, by whom he
had sixteen children. Of these only four survive, viz.: the eldest,
Samuel James; Mary (now Mrs. J. H. H. Mottram, Detroit, U. S.); George
(of Toronto); and the youngest, Henry John Wilkinson (of Detroit, U.
S.). For forty years he has successfully carried on the general business
of waggon-making, and for a number of years past of blacksmithing. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Butt have been devout members of the Wesleyan
Methodist denomination since 1842, and since the year 1854 the former
has been a class-leader. He is a brother of James Butt, whose first
wife, now deceased, was a sister of Mrs. Ephraim Butt.
JAMES BUTT, retired, was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1815. His
parents were Samuel and Anne (Smith) Butt. His mother’s brother Charles
was killed at the battle of Trafalgar, where he fought under Lord
Nelson. His father came to Little York (now Toronto) in 1832, with his
wife and seven children, of whom five are living and two are dead; he
was a gardener by occupation, and worked for Dr. Widmer until his death
in 1843. James Butt first worked for Mrs. Major Small, and then spent
three years in learning the blacksmith trade with James Bright, who
lived east of the Don. At the time of the Rebellion he was working for
Louis Bright, who had a blacksmith shop in Toronto, where they did some
work for the Government. In 1839 he commenced business for himself on
Shuter Street, and continued it until 1867, when he retired. In 1840 he
married Mary, daughter of James Davey, of Yorkshire, England, by whom he
had five children; three are dead, and two—Charles E., living in
Plainfield, New Jersey, and Richard II., living in Toronto—still
survive. His first wife died in 1870, and he afterwards married Jane,
daughter of John Purkiss, of Toronto. He has been connected with the
Methodist Church since 1835.
HON. CHIEF JUSTICE M. C. CAMERON, Toronto. Matthew Crooks Cameron, son
of John McAlpin Cameron, was born at Dundas, Ontario, on the 2nd day of
October, 1822. His father was a descendant of the Camerons of Fassifern,
Scotland, and emigrated from Inverness-shire to Upper Canada, in 1819,
settling at Dundas, where he engaged in the mercantile business;
subsequently discharged the duties of Deputy-Postmaster under Thomas
Allen Stayner, then the Imperial Postmaster-General for Canada, at
Hamilton, and also Deputy-Clerk of the Crown for the then Gore District.
Later he was student-at-law with Sir Allan MacNab, with whom he remained
until he was appointed to the first permanent clerkship of committees in
the Parliament of Upper Canada, from which office he went to the Canada
Company’s office in Toronto, where he held an important position for
many years. Coming to this part of the country as he did, when it was
yet undeveloped, sparsely settled, and engaging in active life, Mr.
Cameron became well and widely known. He died in Toronto in November,
1866, aged seventy-nine years. The name of our subject’s mother was
Nancy Foy, a native of Northumberland, England. The education of Matthew
Crooks Cameron was obtained first at a school at Hamilton, under a Mr.
Randall, and afterwards the District School in Toronto, which he
attended for a short time. In 1838 he entered Upper Canada College,
where he studied until 1840, when in consequence of an accident when out
shooting by which he lost a leg, he had to retire. Two years later he
entered the office of Messrs. Gamble & Boulton, of Toronto, as
student-at-law, where he remained until Hilary Term, 1849, when he was
called to the bar of the Province of Ontario (then Upper Canada). He
engaged in Toronto in the practice of his profession, first with Mr.
Boulton, his former master. This firm continued until the law
partnership of Messrs. Cayley & Cameron was formed, the senior member
being the Hon. William Cayley, an English barrister, and at one time
Inspector-General of the Province. In 1859 Dr. McMichael entered, the
firm then becoming Messrs. Cayley, Cameron & McMichael. Later Mr. Cayley
retired, and Mr. E. Fitzgerald became a partner in the business, and his
name added to the name and style of the firm, remaining so for several
years. On the retirement of Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Alfred Hoskin became a
partner, and it remained Cameron, McMichael & Hoskin until the senior
member’s elevation to the Bench in November, 1878. His appointment was
the recognition of true merit and legal ability. As a lawyer he was
eminent in every department of his profession, but particularly excelled
before a jury; possessing an excellent power of analyzing and arranging
facts, combined with an impressive manner of speaking, he delivered his
arguments with a logical force and clearness rarely surpassed. The same
qualities of mind may also be said to render his rulings and decisions
on the Bench equally clear and explicit. He was created a Queen’s
Counsel in 1863, and elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario in
1871. The first public office held by Chief Justice Cameron was that of
a Commissioner, with Colonel Coffin, appointed by the Government in
1852, to enquire into the causes of accidents, which had been of
frequent occurrence, on the Great Western Railway. From 1859, when he
represented St. James’s Ward in the City Council, he figured prominently
in public life. In 1861, and again a few years later, at the
solicitation of many citizens, he contested the Mayoralty
unsuccessfully. In 1861 he entered the arena of political life, and sat
for North Ontario, in the Canada Assembly, from the general election of
that year until the general election of 1863, when he was defeated. But
in July, 1864, he was re-elected for the same seat, which he continued
to hold until Confederation, when he was again unsuccessful. At the
general Provincial election in 1867 he was returned to the Ontario
Parliament from East Toronto, and re-elected in 1871 and 1875. He was a
member of the Executive Council in Ontario in the Sandfield-Macdonald
Administration, from July 20, 1867, until the resignation of the
Ministry, December 19, 1871, and with the exception of the last five
months of this period, when he was Commissioner of Crown Lands, he held
the offices of Provincial Secretary and Registrar. He was also leader,
and a very able one, too, of the Opposition, from the general election
in December, 1871, until appointed to the Judgeship in the Queen’s
Bench, in November, 1878, which position he held until appointed Chief
Justice of the Common Pleas in 1884. While in politics Judge Cameron was
a formidable opponent of the Reform Party, and aided in forming the
Liberal-Conservative Association of Toronto; became its first president,
and held that office until his elevation to the Bench. He was also
vice-president of the Liberal-Conservative Convention which was
assembled in Toronto, September 23rd, 1874. He was one of the promoters
and became a Director of the Dominion Telegraph Company, and also of the
Confederation Life and the Isolated Risk and Insurance Companies, all of
which proved successful enterprises, and have become permanent
institutions. In religious views Chief Justice Cameron adheres to the
Church of England, of which he is a member, and is also a member of the
Caledonian and St. Andrew’s Societies. On December 1st, 1851, he was
married in Toronto, to Miss Charlotte Ross, daughter of William Wedd,
Esq., of English birth, who immediately prior to his death resided in
Hamilton, Ontario. She died January 14th, 1868, leaving three sons and
three daughters, who are all still living in Toronto. The eldest son is
Dr. Irving Heward Cameron, a practising physician of this city.
THOMAS CAMPTON is a native of Leicestershire, England, where he was born
February 23rd, 1813. When eighteen years of age he joined the 68th
Regiment, British army, and by good conduct attained the rank of
sergeant. During his years of service, he spent some time at Gibraltar
and Jamaica; and from the latter station he removed with his regiment to
Canada. While here he obtained his discharge from the army, and at once
came to Toronto, where he established himself in the grocery business.
This was in 1842, and three years later he removed to Collingwood, then
a new settlement, where was born to him a son; the first white child
there. In 1850 he returned to Toronto, where he engaged in the meat
business, from which he retired in 1881, and has since lived in private
life.
FREDERICK CHASE CAPRÉOL. The name of this gentleman, one of the oldest
residents of Toronto, connected as it is with the organization, and
carrying out of the first railroad constructed in the Province,
certainly deserves a prominent place in our pages. Mr. Capréol was born
10th June, 1803, and is the second son of Thomas Capréol, Esq., of
Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. His pedigree on his father’s
side is derived from the ancient and ennobled foreign family of the De
Capréols, and on his mother’s side equally illustrious, as she was niece
to the late Sir Richard Chase, and a relative by marriage of the late
Marquis of Salisbury. Mr. Capréol first came to Canada in 1829 to assist
in arranging the affairs of the old North-West Fur Company, and having
fulfilled his part of the business returned to England in 1831. Two
years afterwards he again came to Canada, and shortly after his arrival
in New York, married a Miss Skyring, a lady who had been a
fellow-passenger with him across the Atlantic. He proceeded to Toronto
and determined to settle here, having purchased a large quantity of land
at Port Credit. The result of this purchase was a long and tedious
lawsuit, in which he was, however, successful. For some time he followed
mercantile pursuits, but these he gave up when he conceived the idea of
promoting the Northern Railway. It is a well-known fact that to Mr.
Capréol the Northern Railway owes its existence, as it was he who
projected it, and promoted the design, almost unaided, and at his own
expense forwarded the preliminary arrangements. No one can fully
estimate the benefits which the services of this gentleman in this
respect conferred on Toronto and the country north of it. After the
completion of the railway Mr. Capréol proceeded to Europe with his
family and travelled on the continent, and whilst in London had the
gratification of being presented with a handsome service of plate, given
to him on behalf of the citizens of Toronto as a mark of their
confidence, esteem and gratitude for the services which he had rendered
to their city. Mr. Capréol was also the founder of the first Water and
Gas Works in the city, and was once a member of the City Council. Mr.
Capréol’s name is also associated with a noble piece of gallantry, which
reflects not a little credit on his public spirit. In the month of July,
1843, a gentleman of the name of Thomas Kinnear, residing at Richmond
Hill, a much esteemed citizen, together with his housekeeper, were
brutally and barbarously murdered during the same day by two of his
servants, who after the cold-blooded deed escaped to the United States.
The city authorities would not take any action in the matter, and Mr.
Capréol, hearing of the whereabouts of the murderers, chartered a
steamboat, at twelve o’clock on Sunday night, and at a considerable
sacrifice of time and money proceeded to Lewiston, where he succeeded in
capturing the fugitives, and brought them to Toronto. They were tried,
found guilty, one of them suffered the extreme penalty of the law, and
the other, Grace Marks, was sentenced to the Penitentiary for life. A
full account of this tragedy will be found in Chapter IV., page 32, of
the History of the County of York, embodied in this work. Mr. Capréol on
his return from the continent obtained a charter incorporating the Huron
and Ontario Ship Canal Company, having for its object the building of a
canal between Lakes Huron and Ontario to connect and improve Canada’s
great water highway. His indomitable energy and pluck in endeavouring to
secure the completion of this great work is well known to most of our
citizens. Mr. Capréol has brought up a large family, three sons and
eight daughters. His eldest son, J. Lonsdale Capréol, is Clerk, of the
Executive Council of Ontario. His second son, Frederick Chase, is in the
Department of the Interior, Ottawa. His third son, Alfred Reginald, is
in the Imperial Bank. Of his daughters, only one is married, she is the
wife of F. O. Cross, Esq., Manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce at
Woodstock.
REV. JOHN CARRROLL, D.D., was born on Saltkill Island, Passamaquoddy
Bay, New Brunswick, on August 8th, 1809, being one of twin sons. He is
the son of Joseph and Mary (Ridout) Carroll. In 1809 the family left New
Brunswick, and after residing at Maford, Ten Mile Creek, Fairchild’s
Creek and Grand River, settled in York at the close of the War of 1812.
Their first habitation was a share of Artilleryman Elder’s hut on the
west shore of the bay, an edifice which fully eighty years ago tumbled
into the water. They next occupied a house at the corner of Duke and
George Streets. As Joseph Carroll was a saddler and harness maker by
trade he subsequently removed to the corner of Duchess and George
Streets, where he opened the regimental harness shop of the 10th
Regiment. John Carroll acquired an education at various York primary
schools, and received a classical training at a higher school. He then
commenced teaching, from which occupation he was called by the
authorities of the Methodist Church to become a circuit preacher. He
ultimately entered the regular ministry at the Conference of 1829, and
continued his duties until 1870, when he was superannuated. During an
active ministerial career of forty-two years, Dr. Carroll has been
stationed at the leading cities and towns in the Province, among those
being London, Hamilton, Ottawa, St. Catharines, Belleville, Prescott and
Cobourg. While at the latter place he taught for a year at Victoria
College, and attended classes in Greek, Hebrew and Philosophy. For
twenty-five years he had charge of districts over some of which he
travelled. In 1874 he received the degree of D.D. from the North
Carolina State University. Since his superannuation Dr. Carroll has
spent his time writing books, chiefly of a religious character. Among
them are “Case and His Contemporaries, a History of Methodism in
Canada,” “Life of Father Carson,” “Methodist Baptism,” “Exposition
Expounded, Defended and Supplemented.” He died at his residence in
Toronto after a brief illness, December 13th, 1884, and was buried at
St. Catharines.
ROBERT CARROLL, of Carroll & Dunspaugh. His father was born in the north
of Ireland, where he acquired the building business with his father, who
was a Government contractor for many years. He continued with him until
he emigrated to Canada in the year 1831, and followed the same line of
business in the City of Toronto until his death in the year 1868. His
wife, Mary McCallen, was born in the same place. She was the daughter of
a farmer, who was of Scotch descent, who now lives on Ontario Street,
aged seventy-seven years. On leaving the Old Country they had one
daughter, who died on the voyage out. While in York he had three sons,
James, Matthew and Robert. James died in Lockport, N. Y., to which place
his parents moved from Canada, they lived there for six years, during
which time three daughters were born, Mary Jane, Anne and Alvarina, the
latter died in Buffalo, whither her parents had moved, after ten months
trial of Pittsburgh, and where they resided over two years. They
returned to Toronto in 1845, and made it their home for life, where
another son was born, James W. (1845), who married Sarah Morrison,
sister of James Morrison, brassfounder, Adelaide Street West. He went to
Winnipeg, where he now resides with his wife and one son, having lost
three daughters in Toronto. Matthew married in Toronto and made his home
in New York, U. S., and died there in 1869, leaving a wife, son, and one
daughter, who now resides in Toronto. Mary Jane married J. Segsworth,
wholesale jeweller and importer, Wellington Street East, near Yonge, son
of John Segsworth, an old pioneer who emigrated from Yorkshire, England,
to Little York in the year 1831, and who carried on a successful
business as waggon-maker on Richmond Street West, from which he retired
on a competency, and died in the old homestead in 1871. Mary Jane is now
the mother of eleven children, ten of whom are now living with her and
her husband at 137 Church Street. Anne was married to Mr. D. J. Bradley,
from Yorkshire, England, engaged in the dry-goods line; she had seven
children, four of whom are now alive, one son and three daughters.
Robert, the subject of this sketch, was educated at the old Model
School, which stood on a site of the residence of the present
Lieutenant-Governor. He learned the building business with the firm of
Metcalf, Wilson & Forbes, during which time they had the contract for
St. James’ Cathedral, Trinity College, Normal School, and the old Post
Office, on the west side of Toronto Street. After his apprenticeship he
commenced business as builder and contractor. He married Catharine
Jamieson on 15th December, 1864, daughter of Wm. Jamieson, lumber
merchant, one of the old pioneers from Ayrshire, Scotland, who arrived
in Little York in 1831 and died in 1875, by whom he had six daughters.
Three are now alive: the eldest, Catharine Marion, Hamilton; second,
Mary Louise; the youngest, Elma Burns. Their mother died April 18th,
1883. He continued in the same business until he formed a partnership in
the year 1868 with his brother-in-law, W. M. Jamieson, in builders’
supplies. The latter was a prominent Mason and York Pioneer, having come
to Canada with his father when seven years old. He continued this
business until the death of W. M. Jamieson in 1877, after which time W.
F. Dunspaugh took his place (1879) in which he, W. F., continued until
he effected another partnership with Francy, on the Ohio River, U. S.,
for the manufacturing of sewer pipes, which firm is known as the Great
Western Fire Clay Company, Toronto, Jefferson County, Ohio, U. S. His
father, W. H. Dunspaugh, took his place in the old firm 1882, which now
stands Carroll & Dunspaugh, dealers in and importers of sewer pipe and
general builders’ supplies, 66 Adelaide Street West.
JOHN JOSEPH CASSIDY, M.D., was born in Toronto, of Irish parents, in
1843. He received his early education at a private school, and also at a
school taught by the Christian Brothers. At the age of eleven years he
was sent to St. Michael’s College, Toronto, where he remained six years,
afterwards spending three years at Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere, Province
of Quebec. In 1864 he matriculated in medicine in Toronto University,
graduating as M.B. in 1868, and as M.D. in 1869. At the examination for
M.B. he carried off the Star gold medal for Anatomy. He began the
practice of medicine in this city in 1868, and has now accumulated a
large and prosperous patronage. In 1868 he was appointed physician to
the House of Providence, Toronto, and he remained the sole medical
attendant of that institution for seven years. In 1869 he was appointed
a member of the visiting staff of the Toronto General Hospital, a
position which he maintained until 1884, when he was transferred to the
consulting staff. He is a member of the Provincial Board of Health of
Ontario, being the committee on “the heating and ventilation of
buildings,” and a member of the committee on “publication.” Dr. Cassidy
married, in 1878, Miss A. A. Messner, of Formosa, Bruce County, Ont. He
is a Catholic.
THE CAWTHRA FAMILY.—In the beginning of the present century Joseph
Cawthra came from England to America and settled on a grant of land
still in the possession of his descendants near Port Credit, where,
among the Indians, the name “Etobekous” was given him and his family,
from the number of elder trees on the shore; Etobicoke being the Indian
name for elder tree. Mr. Cawthra’s enterprise soon brought him to
Toronto, then called York, where he opened the first wholesale business
established there, and where for many years he was a prominent citizen,
and died at an advanced age in 1842. His widow survived him and died at
the age of eighty-six, in Toronto, in 1847. Their second son, John
Cawthra, served his country in the War of 1812; he was with General
Brock at the capture of Detroit, and at Queenston. He settled at
Newmarket, and represented the County of Simcoe in the Parliament of
Upper Canada as its first member, on its separation from the County of
York. He died at Newmarket in 1851, leaving three sons and one daughter.
William Cawthra, the youngest son of Joseph Cawthra, was for many years
a well-known citizen of Toronto. After his education, first in the early
school of Archdeacon Stuart, and afterwards at Montreal, he remained
with his father in business in Toronto, and though he took an active and
prominent part in the stirring political events of those early days, he
never entered Parliament, although often solicited by his party and
friends to do so. He married Sarah Ellen, daughter of the late J.
Crowther, who survives him. He died at Toronto in 1880, in the
seventy-ninth year of his age.
JAMES CHAMBERLIN, hotel-keeper, Toronto, was born in this city in 1847.
His father, Erial Chamberlin, was born in Albany in 1793, and at the
close of the War of 1812 removed to Canada and located on land about
fourteen miles out of Yonge Street, where he lived until his death. His
mother was Mary Fulton, who was born in Richmond Hill. Her father was
Colonel James Fulton, who fought in the War of 1812 and who died of
cholera at Little York. While the custodian of some valuable despatches
he was taken prisoner at Niagara by some Americans, but managed to get
away from them; he was followed to an hotel which was surrounded all
night by a guard, and in the morning was again taken prisoner, but again
effected his escape. Mr. Chamberlin’s maternal grandmother was a
Munshaw, the first family to settle upon a farm on Yonge Street. The
Munshaws came to Little York from Pennsylvania in an ox-cart by way of
Hamilton. Mr. Chamberlin has been in the hotel business for about four
years and is married to a daughter of William Funston, of this city. His
brother Charles, a builder, lives at 450 Parliament Street. When the
Munshaw family landed in Little York, one log building used for a
custom-house was all the signs of civilization to be seen.
COLONEL WILLIAM CHEWETT was born in London, England, 21st December,
1752. In early life he was educated with a view of entering the East
India Company’s service, and at the age of eighteen years passed his
examination and received an appointment as engineer and hydrographer,
with orders to sail for the East. Unfortunately he was attacked with
small-pox shortly before the departure of the vessel to which he was
appointed, and was left in England. On his recovery he decided upon
going to America, and sailed for Quebec in 1771. . . He very soon
received full employment from the Government in surveying, making charts
and maps of the rivers and country in the neighbourhood. When the
American Revolutionary War, which broke out in 1775, extended to Lake
Champlain and the vicinity of Quebec, Mr. Chewett served in the Quebec
Militia, and in the course of the siege, when off duty, assisted in the
engineers’ department. After the defeat of the Americans he was
appointed acting pay-master of works to the Engineers’, Quartermaster’s
and Naval Departments for the Ports of St. John, Isle aux Noix, and
their dependencies on Lake Champlain, in which office he remained until
1785. In 1786 he took charge of the District of Lunenburg, formerly
called the Eastern District of Upper Canada, and now comprising the
easternmost counties of Ontario, and there surveyed land and located the
disbanded troops and loyalists. It was while there engaged that he met
and afterwards married, in 1791, a Scottish lady (Isabella) the daughter
of Major Archibald Macdonnell, of the Long Sault, whose family left
Scotland on account of their active and rebellious support of the cause
of the Pretender. In 1792 he was employed, under Governor Simcoe at
Kingston, in reconstructing the map of the Province by dividing it into
new Districts and Counties, previous to its being separated into Upper
and Lower Canada. In 1796 he accompanied Governor Simcoe to Newark
(Niagara) which was the temporary seat of Government till removed to
Toronto, where he was employed in surveying and preparing buildings for
its reception. He also about this time (1779) commenced the erection of
a house for his own use, which he afterwards occupied until his death,
and which is still standing (1885) somewhat modified by an additional
storey. In 1802, upon the retirement of Mr. Surveyor-General Smith, he
was appointed Deputy Surveyor-General, conjointly with Mr. Ridout, who
afterwards received the appointment of Surveyor-General. During the
American War of 1812-14 he was in command of the 3rd Regiment of York
Militia and in the battle of York, 27th April, 1813, he was, in the
absence of Major General Sheaffe, in command of the forces; and when the
townspeople capitulated to the greatly superior numbers of the
Americans, he, with Major Allen, arranged the terms for the surrender of
the town. In the engagement, while riding with Captain Loring, of the
104th Regiment, he was severely injured by the explosion of the powder
magazine which caused so great a loss of life among the American troops.
After the war he continued to serve the Government until 1832, when he
was allowed to retire on full pay after a service in numerous
departments for upwards of fifty-eight years. Colonel Chewett died in
Toronto on 19th September, 1849, at the advanced age of ninety-seven
years.
JAMES GRANT CHEWETT, eldest son of Colonel Chewett, was born 9th
November, 1793, at Cornwall. In early life he was educated at the then
historical school, in that town, kept by the late Bishop Strachan; he
afterwards was engaged in the surveys which his father superintended,
and for thirty years he was employed by the Government in what was then
known as the Surveyor-General’s Department. He ultimately became Deputy
Surveyor-General of the Upper Province, and retired with a pension when
the seat of Government was removed to Kingston. During the War of 1812
he served in his father’s regiment, and actively assisted in blowing up
the powder magazine. In 1826 Mr. Chewett married, at Toronto, Martha
Smith, second daughter of Richard Robison, who was of Scottish descent
and born in L’Assomption, 1780, and afterwards settled at Napanee, where
he formed a business partnership with Mr. Cartwright. In 1832 Mr.
Chewett commenced on his property, at the corner of King and York
Streets, a block of buildings, afterwards known by his name, one of
which formed in those days a large and commodious hotel, kept by a Mr.
Keating under the name of the British Coffee House. In 1835, as one of
the City Fathers and Chairman of the Finance Committee, he arranged the
system of one and two dollar debentures redeemable in one year with
interest, and which then passed current in Canada as money. The few
still outstanding are greatly prized by the curious. After Mr. Chewett’s
retirement from public life he took an active part in the management of
the Bank of Upper Canada, of which he was many years the Vice-President.
From that establishment he passed to the Presidency of the Bank of
Toronto when that institution was organized, and remained in office
until his death, which occurred suddenly on 7th December, 1862. Mr.
Chewett’s kindliness of disposition and gentlemanly manners made him a
universal favourite. He was thoroughly acquainted with the country in
which he was born and brought up, and to the close of his life took an
active and intelligent interest in everything which transpired. Mr.
Chewett left issue two sons and a daughter; the eldest, Dr. William C.
Chewett, was born in Toronto, 16th August, 1828, was educated at the
Upper Canada College, and afterwards took the degree of Doctor of
Medicine at the University of Toronto in 1851, the first regular student
of that institution upon whom the degree had been conferred. Dr. Chewett
never practised his profession, but turned his attention to other
pursuits. He married, in 1857, Maria Susan, second daughter of Henry
Ranney, Esq., an English gentleman now deceased, who settled many years
ago in Ohio. Dr. Chewett, with his family, now owns the entire stock of
the Rossin House Hotel Company; the land on which the hotel stands being
in the family since the original grant from the Crown.
GEORGE CHEYNE is a native of Tyrone, Ireland, and came to Canada in
1830. On his arrival he bought one hundred acres of land in the County
of Peel, and at once proceeded to farm it, having in early life been
brought up to that occupation. He remained here about thirty years, and
after spending ten years in Orangeville he came to Toronto, where he has
since resided. He married in 1831 Miss Walker, daughter of Robert
Walker, of Toronto Township, by whom he had a family of six sons and
three daughters; three sons and three daughters are living. Mr. Cheyne
is a Conservative in politics, and in religion belongs to the Canada
Methodist Church.
ALEXANDER CHISHOLM, deceased, was born at Cromarty, on the Highlands of
Scotland. He came to Canada with his parents; his father settled at
Kingston, and served during the War of 1812, and subsequently died at
Owen Sound. Alexander settled at York in 1848, where he was married, by
the late Dean Grasett, to a daughter of Lawrence Burns. He soon
afterwards engaged in the grocery and dry-goods trade, for several
years. He was also manager for Isaac Gilmore and R. A. Hoskins, but
owing to failing health he retired from business. He was a member of
Holy Trinity Church for many years; at his death he left a family of one
son and three daughters: Catharine, married Philip Dwyer, of Troy, N.Y.;
Alicia, married William Keiting, of Portsmouth, England. The third
daughter married Walter Page, a grocer, of Yorkville.
JOHN C. CLAPP, M.D., M.C.P.S.O., was born in New York, U. S., and is the
son of James A. Clapp, a mechanic and farmer, who resided in Seneca
County, N.Y, Mr. Clapp, sen’r, was a native of Connecticut, and
descended from a family whose ancestry is traceable as far back as the
eleventh century. In the year 1017, one Osgod Clapp, a Danish noble,
settled in England, and was attached to the Court of Canute. For
services rendered in the council and war he became possessed of certain
lands at Salcombe, in Devonshire, which are still in the hands of the
family, and on which at the present time still stands, an old ancestral
pile. In 1830 Ebenezer Clapp, lineal descendant of Osgod Clapp, settled
in Massachusetts, U. S., and was for many years a printer of the
Hampshire (Mass.), _Gazette_, and was the progenitor of his race on this
side of the Atlantic. The subject of our sketch studied his profession
at Cincinnati, Ohio, and afterwards engaged in practice in Western New
York. He came to Toronto in 1861, and since his advent has obtained a
good share of patronage.
THOMAS CLARK, son of William Clark, of Wilton, near Pickering,
Yorkshire, England, was born in 1808, where he lived till the death of
his father in 1829; his mother having died some months before. The
following year he emigrated to Canada, and after living in what was then
known as Little York about two years, he leased and lived on a farm in
West York, where some two years later he married Eleanor, daughter of
Francis and Mary Linton, natives of Alliston, near Pickering, England.
In 1842 he bought and farmed lot 15, 2nd concession, East York; his wife
died in February, 1844, leaving three sons and four daughters. In 1847
he married Nancy, daughter of James and Mary Miller, of East York, by
whom he had two sons and four daughters. He continued to reside on his
farm till 1884, when he sold out and retired, and now lives at his
residence, 93 Bleeker Street, Toronto.
JOHN A. CLINDINNING, boat-builder, was born in Kingston, Ont., in 1826,
being the fifth in a family of six children. He was educated and brought
up in Toronto, having come here with his parents in 1830. In 1849 he
commenced keeping an hotel on what is now the Island, but what was then
only a peninsular; he continued the hotel business, as well as
boat-building, across the bay until the great storm of 1860, in which
the waters of the lake washed completely over the peninsular. He then
removed to the city, where he has been ever since. He has obtained the
reputation of building some of the finest pleasure boats ever floated on
Toronto Bay.
ROBERT W. CLINDINNING, printer, was born in the North of Ireland in
1815. His father was David Clindinning, born in the County Monaghan, and
a tailor by trade; his mother was a daughter of John Clark, farmer, of
the same county. In 1819 his parents with their three children, Matilda,
Robert and Emily, left Belfast, Ireland, and emigrated to Canada, where
they settled at Gananoque, in Leeds County. Mr. David Clindinning,
sen’r, worked at his trade for six years, at the end of which he removed
to Kingston, Ont., where he kept an hotel at the Market Square, called
the Hibernian Inn; while there his son John A. was born. In 1830 he
removed to Little York, where he opened an hotel on Church Street, one
door north of what is now the Public Library. He afterwards removed to
Rochester, N.Y., and subsequently to Kiantone, N.Y., where he died, May
26th, 1856. His wife died in Toronto, January 30th, 1855. His third son,
John A., was born in Kingston. Of his five children, the only living
ones are Robert Wilson and John A. Robert W. Clindinning was educated at
Kingston, and began to learn the trade of a printer on May 6th, 1831, in
the office of the _Courier_, a Conservative paper, published by George
Gurnett, who became Mayor of Toronto in 1837; he was six years there.
When that paper was discontinued he worked in the office of the
_Palladium_, a moderate Conservative journal, published by Charles
Fothergill; he was a year on that paper. Next he worked for a year on
the _Star_, published by J. F. Cootes, and then in the _Upper Canada
Gazette_, the Government office. From 1840 until 1843 he worked on the
_Church_, a weekly journal, published by Henry Rowsell, and edited by
Bishop Bethune, who was then Archdeacon; the _Church_ was removed to
Cobourg in 1843. It was in 1843 that the late Hon. George Brown came to
Toronto and unfurled the _Banner_; only three or four printers were
employed on that paper, and those who first set type in the office were
John McLean, foreman, James Lumsden and our subject. In the following
year the _Banner_ was merged into the _Globe_, which was published in an
office comprising two rooms, on the corner of Yonge and King Streets. It
was printed on a hand press. It was in the _Banner_ that the article
entitled “A Ministerial Crisis,” written by Mr. Peter Brown, Hon. George
Brown’s father, and which favoured the Baldwin Government, appeared; the
article changed the paper in a great measure. Mr. Clindinning worked on
the _Globe_ for three years, and then bought a printing office in New
York, which he sold to Robert R. Smiley, the founder of the Hamilton
_Spectator_. He spent another year on the _Globe_, after which he went
on the _British Colonist_, a moderate Conservative journal, published by
the late Hugh Scobie, on King Street. At Mr. Scobie’s death in 1853, the
paper was sold to Mr. Samuel Thompson, who continued it until 1860;
Sheppard & Morrison then took charge of it; it was Sheppard who wrote
the celebrated article “Whither are we Drifting?” In 1860 the copyright
was sold to the _Leader_, on which paper Mr. Clindinning worked from
1860 until 1878; since the latter year he has been working in Dudley &
Burns’ book room. Mr. Clindinning has seen much that was exciting in the
early days of Toronto. He witnessed the execution of a York farmer who
roasted his child, and that of Julia Murdock, the servant girl who
poisoned with arsenic her mistress, the wife of John Roddy, merchant; he
also saw the execution of Lount and Matthews, for participating in the
Mackenzie Rebellion. Mr. Clindinning has been a strong Reformer. One of
his sisters, Matilda, died of the cholera in 1834.
[Illustration: JOSEPH CLINKENBROOMER.]
NICHOLAS CLINKENBROOMER, deceased, was of German origin, being the son
of a wealthy gentleman. When a young man he had every advantage of a
good education, and on reaching his majority he had acquired three
languages, English, French and German. One evening when walking out in a
sea-port town in his native country, he was taken by a press-gang with
others, and hurried on board of an English ship of war and brought to
Quebec, where he fought under Major-General Wolfe upon the Plains of
Abraham, 1759; also participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, Boston,
June 17th, 1795; and served at Saratoga under General Burgoyne, June
17th, 1777, where the British forces were made prisoners of war to
Major-General Gates of the American army. After the close of the
Revolution, he had the choice of being returned to his native country or
of receiving a grant of land in Upper Canada. He accepted the latter,
and drew one hundred acres near Dundas, Ontario. He first took up his
residence at Newark (now Niagara), where he worked for William Jones, an
army tailor. One year later he engaged with the North-Western Fur
Company, as an Indian trader. In 1795 he settled in York, on the corner
of what is now Adelaide and Jarvis Streets, and began business on the
present site of the Post Office, being the first tailor in York. On
January 4th, 1799, there not being an English Church clergyman within
eighteen miles of the place, he was married by John Wilson, J.P., to
Sarah White, the witnesses being John Clarke and Hugh McPhee. He died at
York in 1807, leaving three sons, the eldest, Charles, born on Duchess
Street in 1790. When a mere boy he was bound out as an apprentice to
Jordan Post, the first silversmith and watch-maker of York. After
serving his apprenticeship he began business for himself on the south
side of King Street, near Church, which he continued until 1870. He
married Hannah, daughter of John Anderson, of Eglinton, by whom he left
eight children. In politics he was a strong Reformer, and subscribed for
the first copy of the _Leader_ issued in Toronto. The _Globe_ was a
welcome visitor at his residence until his death. Although repeatedly
solicited to accept municipal honours, he declined. Many of the old
families of York retain silverware and clocks made by his skilful hand,
and although nearly a century old they show but little the effects of
age. Charles Edward, 71 Major Street, eldest son of the above, was born
in Toronto in 1841, and married Martha, daughter of John Campbell.
Eliza, the fourth daughter, married John Alexander, a native of York, at
whose residence, Baldwin Street, her father passed the remaining years
of his life and died in 1881. Thomas, the youngest, married Sarah,
daughter of John Wright, of Parkdale. Joseph Clinkenbroomer, deceased,
the second son of Nicholas and Sarah Clinkenbroomer, was born at York in
1801. At the age of fourteen was bound out to James Ross, a tailor of
York, with whom he served seven years. The price he received for making
a suit of clothes was five dollars. He was twice married, first to
Theresa, eldest daughter of Jonathan Hale; second to Ann Finck. He died
May 24th, 1884, being the oldest native-born resident of York, except
one. Three sons, and one daughter survive him. William Henry, the
eldest, was born in Toronto, 1834. At the age of fourteen he went to the
Township of Vaughan and learned the trade of carpenter and joiner; when
twenty-two years of age he married Elizabeth, youngest daughter of
Donald Gilchrist, from the Island of Islay. In 1867, during the Fenian
Raids, he served six months on the frontier at Fort Erie, in the
Volunteer Corps, and under Major George D. Denison. Since that date he
has been engaged in contracting and building. In early life he acquired
the trade of blacksmith and is at present located at 667 Queen Street
West. In 1866 he married Ann, daughter of John Sweetman.
W. C. COOK was born in the parish of Houston, Norfolk, England, being
the son of one Warrener Cook. Our subject came to Canada in 1818, and
for one year followed boating on the Ottawa. He came to this city in
1830, and for some time was head wheelsman on a boat that traded between
Kingston and Toronto and other ports. He next settled in Kingston, and
opened a general store where he remained two years, subsequently
returning to Toronto and purchasing some property on King Street. This
was in 1830, and the price paid for sixty-six feet was $300. He also
owned three vessels which traded on the lakes. Mr. Cook has been twice
married, first to Maria, daughter of James Ellis, a woollen draper of
Nottinghamshire, England. His second wife was Eliza Cramp, who was a
native of Kent. He has one son and two daughters living. Mr. Cook is a
Reformer in politics, and in religion a member of the Wesleyan Methodist
Church. He is the eldest living ratepayer in St. David’s Ward, and has
paid taxes since 1834.
REUBEN COONS, real estate agent, was born in the Township of Matilda,
County of Dundas, in 1825, being the third son of Jacob and Rebecca
(Brady) Coons. Mr. Coons’ father and grandfather were U.E. Loyalists,
who served all through the American War of 1812. On his father’s side
his people came direct from Holland, his grandfather settled in the
Township of Matilda, County of Dundas, with his four sons. His father
was engaged in farming until 1829, when he removed with his family to
Prescott, where he died in 1882, aged ninety-five years. His grandfather
died on his farm in the Township of Matilda. Reuben Coons spent his
school-days in Prescott, under the instruction of the Rev. Reuben
Tupper, after which he began business as a clerk, with his uncle Samuel
Brady, who was in partnership with Mr. Horton, M.P. He kept a general
store in Prescott. He remained there four years, and then went to work
for a man named Alfred Jones. In 1836 he went to Kingston with his
brother Nicholas, who engaged in the dry-goods business; he was clerk
for him eight years. In June, 1844, he came to Toronto with his brother,
who opened a dry-goods store on King Street, opposite Toronto Street.
After three years he served Romain Bros., as clerk, for one year. He
then spent a year in Hamilton and Brantford, and afterwards returned to
Toronto, where he has been ever since. He worked for Peter Patterson;
after that he entered the employ of the Grand Trunk Railway Company, he
was there twelve years, furnishing supplies to the railroad men. After
that he went to William Burke, where he ran a planer four years, since
which time he has acted in the capacity of a general agent, renting
houses, etc. He is a member of the Queen Street Methodist Church, being
a steward and treasurer of the poor fund of that church. In politics he
is a Conservative. His first wife was Frances E., daughter of John
Murchison; and his second wife Anne, daughter of James Watson. He has
one daughter living.
WILLIAM CORNER, deceased, was born in Yamaska, Province of Quebec,
Canada, in 1831. He was the third son of Charles Corner. In 1852 he
became associated with the mechanical department of the Grand Trunk
Railway as car foreman, which position he held until his death in 1884,
being at that time the oldest employé on the road. In 1848 he married,
in Montreal, a daughter of Robert Finley; he left five sons and five
daughters. He belonged to the A.O.U.W., from which his family received
$2,000; he also belonged to the Royal Arcanum, from which his family
received $3,000. He joined the Freemasons twenty-five years previous to
his death, and continued a member of that fraternity. His son, John J.,
lives over the Don.
GEORGE GILLESPIE CRAWFORD, Doctor of Medicine, was born in 1809, on St.
Joseph’s Island, where his father, Louis Crawford, a U. E. Loyalist in
New York State, was in the employ of the Northern Land Company. His
father afterwards went to England, where he died. His mother was Jessie
Mitchell, daughter of Dr. Mitchell, of the 8th Regiment. Our subject
being young when his father died, he was taken care of by his uncle’s
partner, George Gillespie, who had him educated at Bothwell. He
afterwards took a course at Edinburgh University. He then became an
apprentice with Dr. Alexander Gillespie, with whom he served his time.
In 1829 he came to Canada and went to Penetanguishene, where he
succeeded his uncle, Dr. David Mitchell, as surgeon in the 8th King’s
Own Regiment. In 1830 he settled permanently in Toronto, and began a
business partnership with Newbigen & Co., as a sleeping partner. Dr.
Crawford has been twice married; first, to Marion Maitland in 1855; his
second wife was Elizabeth, widow of James Sams (one of the English
Cricketing Eleven) and daughter of Sergeant Hurley, Her Majesty’s 81st
Regiment. He has three daughters and two sons.
COLONEL F. W. CUMBERLAND, deceased, was born at London, England,
September 10th, 1820. After receiving a liberal education he served
several years apprenticeship as an architect, and later entered the
service of the Great Western Railway Company, London, England. He
subsequently filled a Government appointment in the Portsmouth
dockyards, until 1848. One year later he came to Toronto, received the
appointment of Engineer of the Home District, and had charge of the York
Roads from 1849. For a period of ten years, he followed his profession
of architect, during which time he designed St. James’ Cathedral, the
old Post Office, and the Normal School. In 1852 Mr. W. G. Storm became a
partner in his business, which continued for seven years, during which
time they designed the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall, and many
other public and private buildings. During the great Exhibition held in
London, England, he visited that city as one of the Canadian
representatives of our Government. In 1859 he received the appointment
of Chief Engineer of the Northern Railroad, the following year became
Managing Director, which position he held until his death, 1881. Under
his efficient management the road made great progress, and by many kind
and generous acts, he greatly endeared himself to the officials and
employés, and as a tribute to his memory, they erected, at Allendale,
after his death, a bronze monument. In 1861 he organized a regiment of
mechanics, called the 10th Royals, of which he received a commission as
Colonel. During the Fenian Raid in 1866. he largely assisted the staff
by superintending the transportation of the troops. In 1865, he received
the appointment of Provincial Aide-de-Camp, from which he retired in
1868, receiving the thanks of Lord Dufferin. At the time of his death he
was a member of the Masonic body, one of the Council of Trinity College,
Vice-President of the Canadian Institute, and member of the St. George’s
Society, of which he was President in 1855 and 1856. He was also
President of the Mechanics’ Institute. In politics he was a
Conservative, and represented the District of Algoma in the Ontario
Legislature for three years, and for one year occupied a seat in the
House of Commons, during which time he was considered a man of quick
perception, good judgment and a fluent speaker. He ever retained his
youthful spirit. At the time of his death he was President of the
Toronto Cricket Club. His esteemed wife, Wilmot Bramley, by whom he left
a family of five children, one son and four daughters, survived him at
the age of sixty-three. Barlow Cumberland was born at Portsmouth,
England, 1849; came to Toronto the same year, where he was educated at
the Grammar School, and subsequently at Cheltenham College, England;
afterwards took a degree of M. A., at Trinity College, Toronto, entered
Osgoode Hall and studied law, under Osier & Moss, until 1871, since
which time he has been General Passenger Agent for various railway and
steamship lines. He has also held a captaincy of the 10th Royals since
1874, and was elected President of the St. George’s Society in 1883.
PATRICK CUNNINGHAM (Old Fort) was born in Dublin, Ireland, 1842. He came
to Canada at the time the Trent affair was likely to lead to war between
Great Britain and the United States, with the 16th Foot, under the
command of Colonel Peacock, and remained in Montreal about two years. In
1863 he came to Toronto and assisted in establishing the first military
school in Canada. After handing it over to the 47th Regiment he did duty
in several cities of Western Canada, and also at the Thorold Instructive
Camp, all in connection with the service. In 1867 he gave up matters
military, and entered the Railway Company’s service for three years,
part of which time he acted as conductor. A knowledge of carpentering
gave him the opportunity of exercising his talents in that direction for
ten years, and even now he occasionally handles the tools of his trade.
Mr. Cunningham has been a member of the Queen’s Own for eleven years,
ten of which he has occupied the honourable position of Sergeant-Major.
EDWARD DACK, boot and shoemaker, 73 King Street West, was born in
Stradbally, Queen’s County, Ireland, in 1834. His father, Matthew Dack,
was a hardware merchant, and emigrated to Canada with his family in
1834. He began a boot and shoe business in Kingston, and afterwards
engaged in that line in Toronto, in the place now occupied by his son.
He died in 1842. Since then the business has been carried on by his son,
who does a large trade. In 1850 Edward Dack married Jane Nixon, by whom
he had four sons and three daughters. He has one son in business in
Toronto (E. Dack & Son), and one in the United States. Mr. Dack does not
take a very active part in politics; he votes for principle rather than
party. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in his
seventy-first year still continues hale and hearty.
W. DARLINGTON, deceased, is a native of Shropshire, England, where he
was born in 1814. He came out to Canada in 1849, and engaged in business
as felt and gravel roofer, which he continued to conduct until his
death, April 18th, 1881. He was the first to introduce the felt and
gravel roofing business in this country, and being a man of energy
ability, and steady habits, he amassed considerable property. His wife’s
maiden name was Frances Burton; she was from England also. Mr.
Darlington was a member of the Toronto Hunt and Gun Clubs, and, being a
splendid rider as well as a capital shot, added in no small degree to
the reputation enjoyed by the respective clubs. He was a Reformer in
politics, and a member for upwards of twenty years of the Richmond
Street Methodist Church. At his death he left one son, named W. H.
Darlington, who is engaged in job printing; he resides at 63½ Mutual
Street.
JOHN DAVIS is a native of Staffordshire, England, and came to Canada in
1880. Three years later he accepted his present position as caretaker of
the Toronto Medical School.
SAMUEL H. DEFRIES was born in Toronto, being the son of Robert Defries,
a native of Devonport, County of Devon, England, who came to Little
York, now Toronto, in 1829. The latter was for thirty-six years
Postmaster in the Legislative Assembly, and after Confederation occupied
the same position in the House of Commons, till his death in 1871. He
died at his residence on Old Mill Road, and was buried by the York
Pioneers, of which body he was a member. His wife was Susan, daughter of
George K. Fealstead, from Tyrone, Ireland, by whom he had a family of
six sons, viz.: Richard, Robert, George, Samuel, John and Mark; the last
named was shot at Ridgeway, during the Fenian Raid of 1866, being at
that time Corporal in No. 3 Company, Queen’s Own Rifles. The subject of
this sketch, Samuel H., at the age of fourteen went on a whaling voyage
in the ship _Navigator_, of Edgartown, Mass., U. S., which occupation he
followed seven years, then returned to Toronto, and has since been in
the employ of the Grand Trunk Railway Company. In 1859, be married
Sophia, daughter of George Ernest, of Toronto, by whom he has one child,
a daughter. The only other surviving member of the family of Robert
Defries is Richard, the eldest son.
JAMES ACLAND DE LA HOOKE, surgeon, is a native of Plymouth, Devonshire,
England. He was born in 1814, and studied his profession at the
Hunterian Theatre of Anatomy, King’s College, London University, and St.
George’s Hospital, of that city, and was granted his diploma by the
Royal College of Surgeons, England, in the year 1837. Two years after
this he came to Canada and settled in Weston, where he practised his
profession for many years. In 1870 he came to Toronto, where he now
resides, and still practises his profession. In 1872 he was appointed a
coroner for Toronto and County of York. Dr. De La Hook was in 1842
gazetted Surgeon to the first Huron Regiment of Militia, and has been
attached to various regiments in the Province. In 1879 be was promoted
to the rank of Surgeon Major, and he at present occupies the position of
Senior Surgeon Major in the Dominion. Dr. De La Hook has twice married,
first to Miss Sarah England, who died at Weston in 1846. His second
union was with Miss Maria Louisa Denison. He has three sons living,
James Acland, E. Dillon A., and T. D. Auley.
CHARLES LESLIE DENISON, Dufferin Street, was born in york in 1841, his
father being George Taylor Denison. He is the youngest child by his
father’s third wife. He has been engaged in farming nearly all his life,
and now owns property in Toronto. He has been a member of the York
Township Council. In 1859 he was commissioned a Cornet in the
Governor-General’s Body Guard and received a lieutenant’s commission in
1861, but is now on the retired list. In 1882 he married a daughter of
the late E. C. Fisher.
E. P. DENISON was born in Weston in 1835, his father being Thomas John
Denison, a farmer. He spent his early life in Weston, farming and
store-keeping. In 1878 he removed to Toronto. He is now, and has been
for twelve years, connected with the Governor-General’s Body Guard, in
which he holds the rank of Captain. In Nov., 1882, he married a daughter
of Major John Paul, of Weston.
CAPTAIN JAMES DICK is a native of Argyleshire, Scotland, and was born in
1826. At the age of sixteen he began life as a sailor before the mast in
the merchant service. He came to Canada in 1838, and took up his
residence in Toronto, and in 1839, in conjunction with his brother,
Thomas Dick, commenced sailing on the lakes, an occupation which they
successfully followed for many years. His connection with the different
lines of steamers which operated in the early days was large and varied,
and we ought not to omit to mention that Captain Dick, in company with
several other influential celebrities, ran the first steamer on the
north shore of Lake Superior. This was in 1858. The same combination has
the “Mail” contract from Collingwood to Fort Garry, and we may
incidentally notice that one letter and two newspapers occupied the bag
on the first trip, in 1858.
JAMES ISAAC DICKEY was born in Belfast, Ireland and came to Toronto in
1847. He sailed in company with his brother, the remainder of the family
coming the year after. Both parents have died since their arrival. James
was a machinist by trade, and for a year worked in this city for Mr.
Spencer, whose establishment was on Yonge Street. He subsequently
obtained a situation as Mechanical Superintendent at the Susquehanna
Depot of the New York and Erie Railway. In 1852 he returned to Toronto
and, in company with his brother and brother-in-law, purchased a lot on
Beverley Street, on which they built and established the Soho Foundry
and steam engine works. This business was conducted with success until
1876, when James and Nathaniel Dickey retired, leaving the business to
Mr. Neil, their brother-in-law, who conducted it as Neil & Son. At Mr.
Neil’s death, in 1879, the business was closed. Mr. Dickey took an
active interest in the formation of the 10th Royals Regiment.
JOHN DILL, painter, was born on Bay Street, Little York, in 1833. His
father was Alexander Dill and came to Canada from the North of Ireland
in 1827. In 1828 he married Jane, daughter of Robert McCormick, by whom
he had the following children: Sarah, married James Hughes, Toronto;
Margaret, married J. Ashfield, Toronto; William, lives in New Orleans,
La.; Mary Ann, married Alfred Booth, Toronto; Robert, lives in Toronto;
Jane, lives in Cleveland, O.; Elizabeth, a widow, lives in Toronto.
Alexander Dill worked in George Ketchum’s tannery, corner of Yonge and
Queen Streets, for twelve years; then he was employed in the Sheriff’s
Office and in the Police Office, until his death in 1851. He served in
the Rebellion of 1837-8. His father and mother came to Canada one year
after he came out. John Dill was six years in the employ of A. R.
Leonard, with whom he learned his trade. He afterwards started business
for himself and has continued it ever since. In 1853 he was married to
Sarah Ann, only daughter of William Hughes. In politics he is a strong
Conservative, and takes an active part in political matters. He sat at
the Council Board, during 1876-7-8, as a representative of St. Patrick’s
Ward. In religion he is a Presbyterian. Mr. Dill was connected with the
Masonic Society, with the Orange Body and with the Irish Protestant
Benevolent Association.
JOHN DIXON, carriage manufacturer, was born in Toronto, March 8th, 1837,
and is the youngest of a family of five children, born to William and
Elizabeth (Smith) Dixon, who came to Toronto from the State of New York
in 1833. His father, who was a bricklayer by trade, was born in
Lincolnshire, England; he was a Sergeant-Major during the Rebellion of
1837-8, and served in Toronto, Kingston, Malaga, Chippewa, and
participated in the cutting loose of the _Caroline_. He died at the age
of sixty-five years. Mr. Dixon’s mother is still living, at the advanced
age of ninety-one years. Of the five children three sons are living, two
daughters being dead. Mr. Dixon learned his trade in Toronto, and now
gives employment to about forty-five men. In 1862 he married Ellen,
eldest daughter of William Hampson, who came from England and settled in
Toronto some years ago. He was a builder and built Upper Canada College.
[Illustration: JAMES DOBSON.]
JAMES DOBSON, postmaster, Yorkville, is the eldest son of Matthew and
Ann Park Dobson, his birthplace being Mohill, County of Leitrim,
Ireland. He was born in 1810 and is now in his seventy-fifth year. His
ancestry is traceable to the persecuted Huguenots who took refuge in
England in the seventeenth century. His father served in the Leitrim
Militia, and was Quartermaster-Sergeant for nearly twenty years,
receiving his discharge and a pension at the close of the French war. He
came to Canada, and died here in his eighty-eighth year. When seventeen
years of age, the subject of this memoir was bound an apprentice to
Francis Irwin, Esq., architect and builder, of Carrick-on-Shannon, for
seven years, and on completing his term came to Canada. This was in
1834. He did not reach Toronto until some time in the following year,
having spent the winter in the older Province. He worked with the late
George H. White, of Yorkville, for a season, afterwards removing to New
York, where he remained till within a short time previous to the
Rebellion of 1837 breaking out. On his return he settled in Yorkville,
purchasing a house and lot a little south of the site of the Town Hall,
and worked there at his trade. The Rebellion having commenced, he took
up arms and joined a company of volunteers, under the captaincy of
Walter McKenzie, Esq., with John Hillyard Cameron, Esq., as Lieutenant.
Mr. Dobson, like others of his countrymen, took up arms in defence of
law and order, but when the affair was over and the passions and
prejudices of the moment had subsided, he was compelled to admit in a
great part, that something in the cause of the Rebels was not unmixed
with justice. Our subject carried on the building trade until his
marriage, in 1840, to Sarah Ann, daughter of the late Captain Moore, of
the Township of York, a veteran of 1812, who fought under General Brock,
and was wounded at the Battle of Queenston Heights. The issue of the
marriage was a family of eight children, two of whom died at an early
age; three sons and three daughters are yet living: William Egerton,
James Haines and Charles Albert; Sarah, Anne Eliza and Edith. During the
early portion of Mr. Dobson’s residence in Yorkville the population was
small but steadily increasing, and several brick manufactories were
accumulating in the neighbourhood. The moral and religious welfare of
this rising community was, however, not all that could be desired, there
being no schools and only a small frame church, built by the Primitive
Methodists, but afterwards sold to the Wesleyan Methodists. Mr. Dobson
gave up his house for religious services and Sabbath school while a
church was being built, and also took a deep and active interest in
getting a school and temperance hall established. We may add that the
present school-house and grounds are not inferior to any in the
Province. In the year 1852, when Yorkville became incorporated, Mr.
Dobson was one of the chief instruments in bringing about this desirable
accomplishment, going into the matter with an energy and interest that
could not fail to secure its object. At the first election the chosen
were John Sleigh, butcher; John Severn, brewer; James Wallis,
blacksmith; Thomas Atkinson, brickmaker, and James Dobson, builder, the
latter being chosen first reeve of the new municipality. He remained a
member of the Council seven years, and filled the chair on two
occasions. Mr. Dobson retired from the building business in 1851, having
got together a considerable amount of landed property. He opened a
general store and was at this time appointed postmaster of Yorkville. In
the year 1863 he was made a J.P. for the County of York; in 1868,
Commissioner of Affidavits in B.R.; in 1870 he was appointed agent for
marriage licenses, all of which positions he at present holds. He is an
office-bearer and trustee of the Bloor Street Methodist Church, Toronto.
In concluding our necessarily condensed record of Mr. Dobson’s life and
labours, we should say that both in public and private life he is
recognized by all as a man of strict integrity and unblemished
reputation. In connection with his public duties he is courteous,
considerate and obliging, while in private life his hand is ever ready
to relieve the needy, or he will give wholesome advice to those in
misfortune. In politics Mr. Dobson’s opinions are decidedly favourable
to the Liberal cause, his ideas having undergone a complete change after
the Rebellion of 1837. One other great motive in his life has been to
promote the temperance cause, and it has ever been his consuming desire
to see Prohibition the law throughout the land.
JOHN WILLIAM DRUMMOND, deceased, was born in Little York, September 2nd,
1817. His parents were John and Mary (Lloyd) Drummond, who came to
Canada from Chester, England, in 1811. His mother died when he was an
infant. After the death of his wife, John Drummond placed his children
in the care of friends and relatives, and embarked upon a whaling
expedition, from which he never returned. John William Drummond, was
apprenticed to Jacques & Hay, furniture manufacturers, and at the age of
twenty-one went to New York, where he remained two years. In 1840 he
returned to Toronto, and began the manufacture of furniture in
partnership with his brother-in-law, John Haigh, who was succeeded on
his death, in 1848, by James Thompson; in 1850 Mr. Thompson returned to
Montreal, and then business was discontinued. Mr. Drummond then engaged
in the lumbering business, Yonge Street, until July, 1868, when his
stock being destroyed by fire, he decided to retire. On April 22nd,
1847, he married Hester Ann, second daughter of John Doel, by whom he
had five daughters. Mr. Drummond was elected to represent St. James’
Ward in the City Council in 1865, but resigned the honour at the end of
a few months on account of ill-health. In 1877 he was commissioned a
Justice of the Peace. For many years he was one of the Board of
Directors of the House of Industry. He was a consistent member of the
Methodist Church up to his death, which occurred September 9th, 1881.
[Illustration: J. W. DRUMMOND.]
JOSEPH DUGGAN is a native of this city, and a York Pioneer, having been
born in 1832, and was a son of Thomas Duggan, a native of Ireland, who
came to Canada in 1827, and died in Toronto in 1854. Mr. Joseph Duggan
in 1851 commenced business at the corner of King and Princess Streets.
In 1872 he bought a farm on Kingston Road, on which he erected an hotel.
This he carried on for two years, afterwards renting it, and built the
beautiful homestead where he now resides, known as Woodbine Park. He
subsequently built the hotel on the race track, called the Woodbine Park
Club-house, which he occupied for four years; he then retired to the
homestead, which he has again rented, and is now living at 539 Church
Street, Toronto.
WILLIAM DUNCAN, deceased, was born in the County Donegal, Ireland, in
1780, and in 1825, came to Canada and located on lot 25, concession 3,
East York, where he took up four hundred acres of uncleared land, half
being in York, and half in Markham Townships. This he improved and
cultivated and resided upon until his death, which occurred in 1865. He
married Mary Fletcher, of Dublin, who died in 1813, leaving six
children. He married again, Mrs. Lackie being his second wife, and by
whom he had three children. The only living representative of the family
by the first marriage is William Duncan, born in 1812. He lived upon the
old homestead till 1867, when he retired from farming and removed to the
city, where he still resides. He married in 1852, Margaret McGuire, of
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who died in 1858.
JONATHAN DUNN, deceased, was born at Bridlington, Yorkshire, England, in
1798, being the youngest son in a family of five children; his parents
died when he was quite young. At the age of twenty-five he, in company
with his brother, arrived in York, and began business at St. Lawrence
Market as a butcher. When St. Patrick’s Market was completed he removed
to the latter place, where he continued the same business until a few
years previous to his death, which occurred in 1864. During the
Rebellion of 1837 he held a contract under the Government to furnish the
supplies to the garrison. In 1843 he was elected to represent St.
Patrick’s Ward in the City Council, which office he held until 1863,
when he retired from the deliberations of the council board. When
eighteen years of age, he was stricken with a severe illness caused by
over exertion; he then embraced religion, and ever after maintained his
Christian character. When the Queen Street Methodist Church was built,
he was one of the board of trustees, and was a very active member until
his death. As a member of the church he was ever true to her interests.
A distinguishing feature of his life was his integrity in public or in
private. As a man of business he fully maintained his character; his
word was unquestioned; his honesty gained for him the esteem and respect
of all, and at his death as an expression of sympathy and the respect in
which he was held, many places of business in the city were closed. Mr.
Dunn was twice married. His first wife was Anna Pickenny; she died soon
after his arrival in New York, leaving three children, one son and two
daughters; John Dunn, the eldest; Mrs. John Lee, Rochester, N.Y; Mrs.
James Wallis, dead. His second marriage was to Jane, eldest daughter of
John Wallis, who formerly kept the old Red Lion Hotel on Colborne
Street; by her he had five sons and four daughters, as follows: Mary
Jane, wife of William Wharin, 47 King Street West; William, dead; James
R., City Weigh-master; Mrs. W. L. Wilkinson; S. C. Dunn, farmer, in East
York; Wallis, a farmer in Toronto Township; Jonathan, living in Detroit;
Rosa, wife of W. C. Stratton, Inland Revenue Department; Lillie M., wife
of John Ritchie, 91 King Street West. James R. Dunn, third son of the
above, was born in Toronto in 1839, at the old home on the Denison
property, north side of Queen Street; received his early education in
Toronto. He succeeded his father in business. In 1864 when Mr. Jonathan
Dunn, sen’r, retired from the Council, he was chosen Alderman to
represent St. Patrick’s Ward, which office he held during 1864, 1865 and
1866. In 1874-’75 he represented St. Andrew’s Ward, at the expiration of
which time he received the appointment of City Weigh-master, which
office he now holds. He served as a volunteer in Colonel George T.
Denison’s Cavalry for three years. On December 15th, 1860, he married
Frances, youngest daughter of Adam Rolph, of London, England. Our
subject has been a Freemason for many years, and was Worthy Master of
Occident Lodge, 346, in 1883. He has been a member of the Odd-fellows
for twenty years, and is also a member of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen.
CHARLES DURAND, barrister. His ancestors were originally of French
extraction. In about 1690 the Durands were among the Huguenots who
settled in England and were made citizens by patent in Queen Anne’s
reign. His great-grandfather was Charles Durand; the name Charles having
been in the family for generations. His grandfather, Charles Durand, was
an officer in the British army, and was stationed on the Welsh border
where his son, the late Captain James Durand, the father of our subject,
was born in 1776. His father came to Canada about the year 1800, and
commenced business as a merchant in Montreal, where he remained several
years. He then opened a store, and bought a large farm at Long Point,
near Simcoe, Norfolk. In 1805 he bought and removed to a two-hundred
acre farm which he had purchased in the then Village, now City, of
Hamilton. His first wife, an English lady, was killed in 1805, while
descending the then dangerous mountain pass at Hamilton; by her he had
four children, viz.: Maria, born 1798, and still living near Hamilton;
James, Harriet and George, three of whom were born in England. In 1807
he married his second wife, a daughter of Hugh Morrison, a Revolutionary
soldier, who fought under Washington, by whom he had five children, as
follows:— Henry, born in 1808; Charles, born in 1811; Ferdinand, born
in 1813; Alonzo, born in 1814; Ellen, born in 1816; all of whom are
dead, excepting Charles. During the War of 1812-’14 his father commanded
a very large flank company of militia, and took an active part in the
Battle of Queenston Heights, where General Brock was killed. In 1815 he
removed to a point on the Bay of Quinté, and two years later returned to
a farm near Hamilton. From 1814 to 1822, he was a member of the Upper
Canada Legislature. In 1820 he bought a large farm, seven miles from
Brantford, and remained there until near the time of his death in 1833.
He was Registrar of the Counties of Halton and Wentworth for about
twenty years. His second wife died in 1828. Charles Durand, the subject
of this sketch, was born in 1811, in Hamilton, and received his early
education at Hamilton and Dundas. In 1829 he was articled to the late
Robert Berrie, a Scotch barrister, at Hamilton, and in February, 1835,
was admitted to practise as an attorney, and in February, 1836, was
admitted as a barrister. He practised his profession in Hamilton until
the end of 1837. After the troubles of 1837, he went to Buffalo, and
thence to Chicago, practising his profession in the latter city from
1839 until 1844, when he returned to Toronto, where he has ever since
resided. In April, 1837, he married Sarah, a daughter of Lardner
Bostwick, one of the pioneer settlers of Toronto, and one of its first
aldermen. She at her death, in 1855, left six daughters, four of whom
are married. In 1858 he married Mary Ann Bradshaw, a daughter of the
late James Bradshaw, of Hamilton, belonging to a large and numerous
family of U. E. Loyalists of the Niagara District, by whom he had six
children, two sons and four daughters, four of whom are living; two
daughters being dead. The subject of this sketch has been a practising
lawyer for over fifty years, and is still engaged in the practice of the
law at his advanced age. He has also been a contributor to the political
and literary periodicals in Canada since the year 1832, and owned and
edited a paper of his own from 1851 to 1854, extensively circulated and
devoted to temperance principles, literature and general news.
JOHN EAGLE, retired, was born in the suburbs of London, England, in
1820, and at the age of twenty-three came to Canada. He first settled in
Brant County, taking up 200 acres of land, on which he lived and
laboured nine years. At the end of this period it was taken from him by
the Government, who desired it for the Indian Reserve, he receiving no
compensation, after having devoted some of the best years of his life to
its cultivation. In 1853 be came to Weston and rented a small hotel,
where he did business for some years. He afterwards bought the place,
and erected near the site his large and commodious hotel, called the
Eagle House, where he lived until 1884, retiring then from business and
removing to this city. During his stay in Brant County Mr. Eagle
underwent all the hardships and dangers incident to pioneer life, being
frequently a mark for the Indian bullets, the latter looking upon the
settlers as interlopers. Mr. Eagle for several years did an extensive
business in Weston as brickmaker, farmer and hotel proprietor, besides
taking great interest in the construction of macadamized roads leading
into the city. Mr. Eagle has been twice married.
JAMES EDGAR, M.D., was born in Wentworth County in 1824; he entered the
ministry of the late Primitive Methodist Church in 1846, and continued
in service until 1880, when failing health compelled him to retire. He
is now engaged in medical practice in this city.
HUMPHREY ELLIOTT was born in the North of Ireland in 1831, where he
remained until 1839, being the second son of Thomas Elliott, deceased,
who first located at Ottawa on his arrival in Canada, where he stopped a
short time, coming to Kingston and Toronto in 1840. The subject of this
sketch learned the moulder’s trade, which he worked at until 1855, when
he engaged in boarding-house keeping. He located on the corner of
Richmond and Victoria Streets, where he continued up to 1876. He
afterwards retired and purchased some property on Wellesley Street,
where he erected two brick houses. He now owns Nos. 88, 90 and 92. In
1854 he married Miss Mary McArthur.
JOHN W. ELLIOTT is a lineal descendant of John Elliott, who composed one
of that now historical body, the “Pilgrim Fathers.” He was born in
Leicester, Mass., September 7th, 1822, and in early life learned the
dentistry profession, which he followed for many years in different
cities before his arrival in Canada. He established himself in Toronto
in 1858, where he has since remained, having gathered together a large
practice.
THOMAS WILLIAM ELLIOTT, coal, wood, flour and feed merchant, was born in
the Township of York in 1840. His father was Edward Elliott, who came to
Canada in 1834 from England, and took up land in the Township of York,
where he died at the age of sixty-seven years. His mother, Susannah
Smith, was a daughter of William Smith, who fought under General Brock,
and was killed at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Thomas W. Elliott
came to Toronto in 1867, and engaged in the coal, wood and feed
business, to which he still adheres. In 1868 he was married to Ellen,
fourth daughter of John Grey, a Scotchman, one of the oldest settlers in
York County. In politics he is a Reformer; in religion belongs to the
Methodist Church. Mr. Elliott is connected with the City Council; he was
elected alderman for St. Matthew’s Ward last year, and re-elected in
1885.
JOHN ELLIS, No. 1 Wood Lane, Yorkville, was born in Yorkshire, England,
at a place called White Cross, on the 28th of March, 1810. Mr. Ellis was
brought up on a farm. In 1831 he came to Canada with his wife, Rachael
Johnson Ellis, When he first came to Toronto he went to work for the
Hon. Wm. Allen; afterwards rented a farm in York Township, where he was
nine years engaged at farming, after which he returned to Yorkville,
purchased property and built eight houses. In 1872 he retired. He is a
Conservative and a member of the English Church. When he came to
Yorkville the old Red Lion Hotel was the only building in the village.
JOHN ELLIS, deceased, was born in Norwich, England, in 1795, and was an
engraver by trade. In 1828 he married Rhoda, daughter of George Charles
Bunting, by whom he had four children; two of them died in England. In
1836 he came to Canada, and, locating in Toronto, took up his residence
on King Street, near Simcoe Street. He was engaged in business until
1868. In politics he was a Conservative, and in religion a member of the
Church of England, He took a great interest in music, especially
classical. At his death he left two children, a son and a daughter.
REMELIUS ELMSLEY is of English extraction, his grandfather, John
Elmsley, having emigrated from Yorkshire in the year 1795. He received
his education in England, and was intended for the bar. His legal
knowledge, combined with administrative talents of a high order, secured
for him the position of Chief Justice of Upper Canada, which he filled
for about five years. He was in the Upper House of the Legislature, and
occupied the post of Speaker. He died in Montreal in 1805. He left a
family of one son and two daughters. Our subject’s father was born in
1801, and at the age of seventeen joined the Royal Navy, in which he
served for a number of years, retiring in 1827 on half-pay. He took up
his residence in Canada about this time, and after a useful life died in
1863. Mr. R. Elmsley is the youngest son of the family.
H. A. ENGELHARDT, Superintendent Mount Pleasant Cemetery, was born in
Milhauson, Prussia, in 1832. His father was Major Christopher
Engelhardt; his mother’s name was Damme; he was the only son. He
received his education in the University College, Berlin, where he
studied those subjects which would fit him for his profession of a civil
engineer. He completed his studies when nineteen years of age. According
to custom he spent two years in the sharp-shooters’ guard, located in
Berlin, and one year as volunteer; he served in Schleswig-Holstein. In
1851 he came to America and located at Baltimore, where he became a
landscape gardener; he spent a year assisting in the laying out of
Central Park, New York. He lived in North Carolina and Virginia until
1870, when he came to Canada, where he has since been engaged in laying
out public grounds and cemeteries, including Government works;
subsequently designing most of the recent cemeteries and public parks of
Ontario.
JOHN FARR, deceased, was born in Hertfordshire, England, 1782, and
settled in York, U. C, about the year 1815. He was by occupation a
brewer, and was the pioneer of that business in this city, which he
carried on for a number of years. His career was marked by that success
which never fails to attend perseverance, integrity and
straightforwardness of purpose, and in all business affairs he was
highly respected. His death occurred in 1874, in the ninety-second year
of his age. He married, in 1821, Mary Bishop, a native of London,
England, who died in 1882.
JAMES FARRELL, retired, was born in the County of Derry in 1808. His
parents were James and Margaret (Atkinson) Farrell; his mother died in
Ireland. In 1831 he came to Canada, without a trade and without money;
but nothing daunted he got a horse and cart and went as carter, which he
continued for fifteen years. He afterwards set up a grocery store in
Queen Street West. Then he kept the General Brock Hotel. About
twenty-five years ago he retired from business. Mr. Farrell served for
two years in the cavalry. For four years he represented St. John’s Ward
in the City Council. He has two daughters, but no sons; one daughter is
married to Charles Shields, of this city; and the other is married to
Dr. Ross, of Thunder Bay.
ARTHUR E. FISHER, music professor, was born in England in 1848, and came
to Canada in 1879, locating first in Montreal, where he was engaged as
organist of St. George’s Church nearly three years. He studied in Paris
under the principal violinist of the Conservatoire of Music, and at
Trinity College, London, under Henry Holmes. Mr. Fisher devotes himself
chiefly to voice tuition and the theory of music (harmony and
counterpoint), and has lately sent up a number of lady pupils to the
examination at the University of Trinity College for the degree of
music, the first instance of the kind in Canada. He is also the
originator of the St. Cecilia Madrigal Society.
EDWARD FISHER, organist and professor of music, 12 Wilton Crescent, was
born in the United States and came to Canada in 1875. He first located
in Ottawa, where he had charge of the musical department of the Ottawa
Ladies’ College. He studied the organ under Eugene Thayer, composition
with Julius Eichberg, and piano with J. B. Sharland. Mr. Fisher resided
in Burton during his studentship with these masters, holding during this
period various important positions in that city as organist and pianist.
He finished his education at Berlin, Prussia, under the organist, Haupt,
and the pianist and composer, Loeschhorn. Leaving Ottawa in 1879, he
removed to Toronto, having accepted the position as organist of St.
Andrew’s Church, and a few months later formed the “St. Andrew’s Choral
Society,” latterly known as the “Toronto Choral Society,” numbering now
about three hundred active members and four hundred honorary members.
Mr. Fisher is also musical director for the Ontario Ladies’ College at
Whitby, and for the past year conductor of the “Guelph Choral Union.”
ANDREW FLEMING was born in the County of Tyrone, Ireland, in 1819, and
in 1825 came to Canada with his father, John Fleming, who remained in
Quebec until 1830. He moved to Bytown (now Ottawa) afterwards. Andrew is
the eldest of the family living. After leaving school he joined the
volunteers during the Rebellion of 1837, and remained in the City Guards
for seven months afterwards. He subsequently joined the first troop of
incorporated dragoons, and remained with them until their disbandment.
In 1848 he received the appointment of Usher to the High Court of
Queen’s Bench, which position he still retains. He was tax collector for
St. John’s Ward, twelve years. In 1841 he married Miss Mary Ann Boddy,
daughter of Michael Boddy, by whom he had ten children, seven of whom
are still living. He attends the English Church.
JAMES FLEMING, seedsman and florist, Yonge Street, is a native of
Aberdeen, Scotland, and came to Canada in 1834. He located in Montreal
two years, and being a practical gardener and florist worked at his
trade. In 1836 he came to Toronto and commenced market gardening on
three acres of land west of Yonge and Elm Streets; his present place
being part of the original lot. In 1837 he erected a seed store and
greenhouses for the sale of plants and seeds which has proved very
prosperous as a business venture. In 1864 Mr. Fleming was commissioned a
Justice of the Peace for the City of Toronto, and in 1884 received the
same honour in connection with the county. In 1877 he was elected
alderman for St. John’s Ward, and has since been re-elected for three
years. Mr. Fleming is a director of the Horticultural Society and the
Industrial Association. In politics he is a Reformer, and in religion a
Presbyterian.
MCGREGOR FLIGHT, engineer and architectural draughtsman, City Engineers’
Office, is a native of Kingston-on-Thames, England, eldest son of Thomas
Flight, a retired captain of the Greensine Merchant Service. He came to
Toronto in 1870. Mr. Flight was articled with Mr. T. Harrington, marine
engineer and surveyor, London.
J. C. FORBES is the son of the late Duncan Forbes, builder. Mr. Forbes
is a portrait painter by profession, and commenced the practice of his
art in Toronto in 1866. In 1876 he exhibited at Philadelphia paintings
entitled, “The Wreck of the Hibernia,” and “Beware.” He has taken
portraits of Lord Dufferin, Sir John A. Macdonald, and many other
prominent politicians. His paintings of scenes in the Rocky Mountains
and in the forest are unexceptionally good. “The Grand Canyon of the
Arkansas,” “The Mount of the Holy Cross” and “Love Lilly” being
especially admired. He received a medal for a portrait of his father at
the International Exhibition, held in Buffalo, in 1871. He is a member
of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, also the Ontario Society of
Artists.
JAMES FOSTER, optician and electric instrument maker, 13 King Street
West, is the only child of Henry and Mary (Andrews) Foster. Henry Foster
was a bricklayer and stonemason by trade, and came to Canada from
Drumaulk, County Monaghan, Ireland, in 1828; he located in Toronto where
he acquired some property on Duchess Street. James Foster was born in
Toronto in 1830, and was only eighteen months old when his father died
at the age of thirty-six years; his mother died in 1877, aged
eighty-seven years. He afterwards received a good education, and when
sixteen years old commenced to learn the trade of mathematical
instrument maker. In 1864 he began business for himself on Adelaide
Street, where he also did considerable work for the Montreal Telegraph
Company, and for twenty years made all the instruments used by that
company west of Kingston, employing a considerable staff of workmen. In
1873, finding his former stand too small for his business, he leased the
building, No. 40 Colborne Street, and fitted it up to suit his business,
and having then sufficient room he began to manufacture surveying and
engineering instruments. He remained there until the fall of 1883, when
he removed to his present commodious stand, 13 King Street West, where
he now carries on the most extensive business in the optical and
surveying instrument line in the city, and manufactures most of the
meteorological and other instruments of precision, used in the Dominion,
and is kept actively employed by an ever growing demand for his skill
and instruments. Mr. Foster married Mary E. Jobbet, whose grandfather
was paymaster in the famous Queen’s Rangers.
THOMAS FOX was born in the City of London, England, in 1812, and at the
age of twenty he emigrated to Canada, and settled in York. He was for
some time engaged in the manufacture of brick, subsequently erecting
property on Curzon and Leslie Streets, and is now living retired. In
1834 he married Miss Mary Rose, of Devonshire, England, who died in
1854. He married a second time, Mary Rooney. By his former wife he had
nine children, and by his present wife two children.
[Illustration: G. F. FRANKLAND.]
GARRETT F. FRANKLAND, a representative of a Saxon house, and one of the
leading citizens of Toronto, was born in the Village of Barrowford,
Lancashire, England, in 1834, and settled in Toronto in 1854. In early
life he learned the trade of a butcher and grocer, in connection with
farming. On his arrival in Toronto, he started as a butcher for the St.
Lawrence Market. By energy and perseverance he gradually increased his
business, and in 1860 he began to export meat to the United States and
Great Britain. This business, which has now assumed such gigantic
proportions, Mr. Frankland was mainly instrumental in originating; the
particulars connected with its rise and progress, together with
statistical matter, will be found elsewhere in this volume and,
therefore, needs no repetition. We may also add that Mr. Frankland has
done this country the signal service of raising the price of cattle from
$25 to $30 a head. He was also the means of causing the Corporation of
Liverpool to expend over $200,000 for the accommodation of live stock
upon its arrival, thus relieving the suffering endured by the exposure
to the twelve hours’ quarantine imposed by the Imperial Government. As a
recognition of his valuable services, Mr. Frankland was the recipient,
in 1876, of a banquet and an illuminated address, presented at the
Walker House, here; also a clock, at the City Arms, and in 1879 of a
service of silver plate, at Liverpool. Mr. Frankland was married, July
8th, 1857, to Jane Nelson, of Antrim County, Ireland, by whom he had a
family of six children.
EDWARD GALLEY, 303 Parliament Street, is a native of the Isle of Wight,
and came to Toronto in 1852. In 1856 he married Mary Jane, daughter of
the late Richard Jewell, of Toronto. He was for twenty-four years
engaged in the contracting and building business, from which he retired
in 1879. During his business career he erected many of the wholesale
stores and buildings on Front, Wellington, Yonge and Bay Streets; also
the Grand Opera House, and five churches, including the Sherbourne and
Parliament Street Methodist Churches. In addition to public buildings,
he has erected upwards of fifty private residences; altogether he has
erected nearly one thousand buildings, upwards of forty of which he
owns. He employed at one time about five hundred hands. Mr. Galley has
been a member of the Public School Board since 1873, and was two years
chairman of that body. In 1878 he contested East Toronto for the
Dominion House of Commons. He was elected member of the Toronto City
Council for the Ward of St. Thomas in 1885. Amongst other offices held
by him may be mentioned a directorship in the Land Security Company, the
North American Life Assurance Company and others. In religion he is a
member of the Methodist Church.
THE GAMBLE FAMILY.—Nathaniel Allan Gamble, retired, 554 Church Street,
Toronto, is of Scotch extraction, and was born on lot 90, Yonge Street,
and is a grandson of Nathaniel Gamble, sen’r, who came from near the
Town of Bowmore, in the Island of Isla, Argyleshire, Scotland. He
settled in Canada in 1798, on lot 89, on the east side of Yonge Street;
he was married to a daughter of Samuel Chambers, by whom he had three
sons and two daughters, all of whom came with him. He was a
Presbyterian, and for a long time was trustee of glebe land belonging to
that Church, near Markham. He died in 1833, leaving a large quantity of
land in the Counties of York and Simcoe. Nathaniel Gamble, jun’r,
youngest son of the above, was born in 1764. Settled on lot 90, on Yonge
Street which he cleared and farmed until his death in 1836. Like his
father, he was an extensive landowner. He was identified with the
municipality in which he lived, and belonged to the Militia, in which he
held the rank of Captain. In 1803 he married Susannah, daughter of
Thomas Mercer, of York Mills. He belonged to the Church of England, and
was a Conservative in politics. He left the following children: Anne,
James, Susannah, Mary, Thomas, Nathaniel Allan, George and Sarah, all of
whom married and settled in the County of York, except Thomas. The
eldest son, James Gamble, inherited his grandfather’s farm, lot 89, and
lived on it until his death in 1854. He was a commissioner in the Court
of Request, before Division Courts were established; a magistrate, and
also held a commission in the Militia. Thomas Gamble, the second son of
Nathaniel Gamble, jun’r, settled in the Township of Tecumseth, County of
Simcoe, in 1838, where he cleared a large farm. He was a magistrate and
held a commission in the Militia as Captain. Nathaniel Allan Gamble, the
third son of Nathaniel Gamble, jun’r, was born in 1817. He inherited his
father’s farm, lot 90, on Yonge Street, where he lived until 1859. In
1856 he was commissioned a Justice of the Peace; he also served as
quartermaster in the 12th Battalion of Volunteers. When he left his
farm, he lived in Newmarket for some years, where he owned and managed a
brewery. In 1872 he moved to Toronto, and married a daughter of John
Sproule (who kept a store, near the market, on King Street, Toronto, for
many years before his death in 1849). George Gamble, the youngest son of
Nathaniel Gamble, jun’r, was also an extensive farmer for many years in
the Township of King, near Lloydtown. He also married a daughter of John
Sproule, of Toronto. He is now retired and living in Toronto.
JOSEPH GIBSON, ornamental plasterer, was born in Lincolnshire, England,
in 1823, being the only son of Joseph Gibson, shoemaker, and Martha
Clue, daughter of Thomas Clue. His mother died in 1831, and in 1833 he
came to Canada with his father, who took up a farm in East Gwillimbury,
and having cleared it, lived there until his death in 1864, aged
sixty-four years. After coming to Canada he was married to Mrs. Hannah
Philips, by whom he had a son and a daughter. When eleven years of age,
Joseph Gibson commenced to learn the plastering trade with his uncle,
John Gibson, who had come out in 1830. He remained with him until he was
twenty-three, when he married Anne, the eldest daughter of William
Smith, by whom he had three sons and one daughter. In 1850 Mr. Gibson
started business for himself. He is a Reformer, and a member of the
English Church.
COLONEL GIVINS, deceased, was born in the North of Ireland, about the
year 1784. He was a relative of the Duke of Abercorn, and came out to
Canada with Governor Hamilton, and afterwards joined Governor Simcoe at
Bermuda, to whom he was Aide-de-Camp. He returned again to England and
exchanged into the 5th Regiment, and again came out to Canada. He
married, soon after, a daughter of Commodore Andrews, who was lost on
the war-ship _Ontario_, which was lost on the lake, off Niagara, with
all on board. Colonel Givins received the appointment of Agent for the
Indian Department, which office he held until his death. He left a
family, as follows: Henry Hamilton; Caroline H., who married Colonel
Hillier, Aide-de-Camp to Sir P. Maitland; James (Judge Givins, of
London, Ont.); Cecil; Saltern (Canon Givins); Elizabeth; and George, for
twenty years Surgeon-Major on Her Majesty’s Medical Staff in India.
ARTHUR W. GODSON, contractor, was born in Warwickshire, England, in
1845, being the youngest son in a family of seven children. His father,
George Godson, came to Canada with his family in 1849 and died in 1866.
Arthur Godson was married in 1871. He has been employed upon the public
works of Toronto for the past fifteen years, having laid at least
two-thirds of the block paving in this city. In 1881 he completed the
contract for paving Yonge Street, and subsequently completed Beverley
Street, a portion of King Street, and others. He also constructed and
completed the Sub-way between Parkdale and the city.
JAMES GOODERHAM. The subject of this sketch, was the second son of the
late Wm. Gooderham, Esq., and was born in Norfolk, England, December
29th, 1825. At the age of seven years he accompanied the other members
of the family to Canada and settled in York, where he was educated. He
was always an earnest, thoughtful and conscientious youth, and his mind
was early imbued with serious thoughts of religion. It was when about
sixteen years old and during a short residence at the Village of
Thornhill, that he became converted, and the event left its impress upon
his character through all the subsequent years of his life. Sometime
afterward his leanings towards the ministry induced him to enter
Victoria College, with a view to prepare himself for the sacred calling
of a Methodist minister. In 1848 he was appointed junior preacher on the
Whitby circuit, and so earnest was he and diligent in the discharge of
his pastoral duties, so devoted in his self-sacrificing zeal, that
during that year between two and three hundred were added to the
membership of the church on his circuit by conversion. The following
year he was appointed to the Markham circuit, but the wasting labours of
his previous charge had so exhausted his physical powers that it soon
became evident it would be impossible for him to continue in the regular
work of the ministry. But though forced, by circumstances beyond his
control, to abandon his cherished calling, he never lost the spirit of a
minister of Christ. He loved to preach the Gospel, and amid the cares
and activities of secular life, found frequent opportunity to labour in
various ways for the salvation of sinners, and took a deep interest in
missionary work. He was often associated with leading ministers of his
Church at dedicatory services in various parts of the country, and it
was not an uncommon thing to see the announcement of Dr. Ryerson, or Dr.
Wood, or Dr. Rose, or some other distinguished divine to preach in the
morning, and James Gooderham, Esq., in the afternoon. On July 23, 1850,
Mr. Gooderham was married at Oshawa to Miss Gibbs, daughter of the late
Thomas Gibbs, Esq., and sister of the late Hon. T. N. Gibbs, of that
place; he afterwards engaged in business in Norval, with one of his
brothers; in 1859 removing to Meadowvale, and in 1863 to Streetsville,
where he engaged in merchandise and milling. At the latter place he also
managed the linen mills of Messrs. Gooderham & Worts, until they were
burned down. During his residence in Streetsville, which continued until
1877, he was a prominent and useful citizen, taking a deep interest in
the prosperity of the town and holding the office of Reeve for eight
years. In the last named year Mr. Gooderham removed to Toronto, where
his home henceforth remained, though he still retained his large
property and business interests at Streetsville. He was a Director of
the London and Ontario Loan Society from its inception, and
Vice-President of the Dominion Telegraph Company, both of which
corporations at his death presented to Mrs. Gooderham, handsomly
engrossed resolutions testifying to the respect in which he was held,
and lamenting his sudden loss. Mr. Gooderham was one of the first to
advocate the project of the Credit Valley Railway, and actively
supported the enterprise until its success was assured. He was a man of
remarkable business talents, pushing and energetic, but withal, quiet
and unassuming. He induced the residents of Streetsville and other
municipalities to grant large bonuses to the road. On May 10th, 1879, he
accompanied a party of prominent citizens from Toronto, to inspect the
road as far as completed. At Streetsville he made a short address,
justifying himself in the course he had pursued in connection with the
road, and pointing with pride and pleasure to the rapid completion, not
only of that branch, but of the whole line, and, as might have been
expected, was warmly congratulated on the result of his labours, even by
those who had strongly opposed him at the outset. A few hours after this
address of congratulation a collision occurred on the road which
resulted in Mr. Gooderham receiving fatal injuries. He survived long
enough to be brought home, retaining consciousness to the last; he died
the death of a sincere and exemplary Christian. He was buried in the
family vault in St. James’ Cemetery, his funeral being from the
Metropolitan Church, and one of the largest ever seen in the city. There
is no fitter eulogy on the life of any man than is expressed in the
words of Rev. Dr. Potts on this occasion: “Wise in counsel, prudent in
action, intuitively discerning and unflinching in performing the right,
there was in his character the true ideal of a man and a Christian.”
PATRICK GRAHAM, retired, was born in the County Tipperary, Ireland, in
1802, being the eldest in a family of four sons and four daughters, born
to John and Mary (Power) Graham. In 1832 he came to Canada and worked on
the Purdue farm, near Toronto, and for two years on the farm owned by
Captain W. Baldwin. He then bought two hundred acres of land in the
Township of Asphodel, County of Peterborough; but after clearing ten
acres and losing his first crop he became discouraged and sold the land.
Then he came to Toronto and became a clerk in the store of George
Cheeney, dry-goods merchant. At the end of two years he married Bridget
Madigan, and bought the property on the south-west corner of Wellington
and Scott Streets, the present site of the Great North-Western Telegraph
Company’s office, paying three hundred pounds for it, and a one and
a-half storey house which stood on it. There he and his wife kept a
private boarding-house until 1871, when the Montreal Telegraph Company
paid him $10,000 for the lot. Mr. Graham is a Conservative in politics.
By his marriage with Miss Madigan he has one son and two daughters
living.
CHRISTOPHER GRAY, Superintendent of the St. James’ Cemetery, was born at
Ross Head, Ireland, in 1826, and came to Canada in 1842. He was a
nurseryman and gardener in the Old Country, and his lifework has been
devoted to the care and culture of plants, shrubs and trees. He has been
connected with the cemetery sixteen years, and in charge of the same
thirteen years. Mr. Gray married, in 1857, Ellen Gamble, a native of
Ireland, who came to Canada same year as himself. They have four
children, three daughters and one son.
MAJOR JOHN GRAY, M.P.P., Parkdale, was born in Yorkville, 5th January,
1837, being the only surviving child of John and Jane Gray, who were
both born in the County of Meath, Ireland. His father was a nurseryman
and was killed at a railway crossing, January 13th, 1878. The subject of
this sketch was educated at home and at G. F. Needham’s Academy,
Rochester, New York. On his father’s death he succeeded him in business,
which he still carries on. In 1861 he was married to Catharine Angeline,
daughter of Joseph Calverley, of Orillia. Mr. Calverley was born in
Hull, England, and married Mary A. Stewart, of London, England. By his
marriage Major Gray has six children, viz.: William Thomas, John
Calverley, Frank Albert, Emma Louisa, Ida Marion and Caroline. In
religion he is a member of the Church of England. Major Gray is a
Liberal-Conservative and in the elections of February, 1883, for the
Ontario Legislature, was returned for West York, redeeming a
constituency which for twelve years had been Reform. He is a member of
the A.F. and A.M., C.O.O.F., also President of the Toronto Electoral
Division, and second Vice-president of the Toronto Horticultural
Society. Major Gray was enrolled in the Toronto Field Battery in 1856,
and in 1860 was appointed Drill Instructor. On March 8th, 1856, he was
commissioned First Lieutenant, and in October, 1869, was with a division
of the battery on board the gunboat _Prince Alfred_, which was cruising
from Sarnia to Amherstburg. In 1870 he was commissioned Captain; in 1875
Brevet Major, and in 1883 Major commanding the Toronto Field Battery. He
commanded the brigade of artillery in camp in 1882, 1883 and 1884. On
May 8th, 1877, he received a letter of thanks from the Major-General
commanding the Militia, for his offer to raise a battery for active
service in the East. On the incorporation of Parkdale in 1879, he was
elected reeve, and occupied that position for three years.
JOSEPH GRAY, 194 Beverley Street, was born in London in 1816, and came
to Canada in 1834. On his arrival in Toronto he entered the service of
J. D. & G. Ridout, as an assistant, and remained about six months,
removing afterwards to what is now known as Willow Dale, where he taught
school for ten years. He had received a good education at Madras House,
Hackney, London, which fitted him for almost any position; on giving up
teaching he returned to the city and was engaged as book-keeper and
clerk in the wholesale store of B. Thorne & Co. After some time spent in
this occupation, he entered the service of the Port Hope and Lindsay
Railroad, since called the Midland Railway, subsequently appointed as
Receiver by the Bank of Upper Canada. He engaged with the Nipissing
Railroad Company, as accountant, in November, 1873, and continued to act
in that capacity until the railway was sold in 1881. Mr. Gray is a
member of the St. George’s Society, and a follower of the Methodist
Church. He married in 1839, Rachael, daughter of Isaac Lamoreaux, who
was one of the early settlers in Scarboro’ Township. Mr. Lamoreaux was
ninety-nine years and ten months old when he died. Mr. Gray married
again, his second wife being Elizabeth, daughter of Adam Break, of
Markham. Mr. Gray received by presentation a handsome watch from Mr.
Gooderham, on the occasion of his retirement from the services of the
Toronto and Nipissing Railroad Company.
SAMUEL DAVID HAGEL, M.D., was born at Hagel’s Corners, in the County of
Oxford, Ontario, in 1842, on the farm owned and reclaimed from the
forest by his father, Samuel Hagel, who was also a born resident of that
district. The parents on both sides were of U.E. Loyalist descent. His
early education was received at the Common and Grammar schools of his
native county. He also taught school for nearly eight years in the same
county. In 1867 he matriculated in medicine at the University of
Toronto, graduating in 1873, receiving the University and State medals
for that year, and the scholarship for the previous year. On graduating
he immediately began practice in this city, where he has built up a
large and lucrative practice. Dr. Hagel organized and commanded a
company of volunteers in the 22nd Oxford Rifles, during the Fenian
troubles of 1866. He married in 1864, Miss Mary Ann Moyer, of Oxford
County, by whom he has three daughters, all living.
J. B. HALL, M.D., M.C.P.S., of Hahnemann Villa, 326 and 328 Jarvis
Street, is a native of Lincoln, England. He received his education at
the University of Oberlin, O.; Homœopathic Hospital College of
Cleveland, and the Missouri Homœopathic College of St. Louis, Mo. In
1862 he established practice in Cleveland, afterwards St. Paul, Minn.,
where he remained several years, and commenced practice in Toronto in
1880. Dr. Hall is an out-and-out exponent of the principles of
homœopathy.
WILLIAM HALL was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, 1800. His parents
were Charles and Mary (Carruthers) Hall. He crossed the Atlantic in 1824
and settled in the City of Boston, where he resided about seven years,
learning while there the trade of carpenter. He returned to Ireland in
1831, and after a stay of two years came back to Boston. In 1834 he
married Margaret, eldest daughter of Mitchell and Isabella (Armstrong)
Swords, and two months after this event he removed to Little York, where
he purchased a lot and built a home. He worked for the late Richard
Woodsworth for ten years; the latter had the order to build the scaffold
on which Lount and Matthews were to be hung, but Mr. Hall refused
decidedly to work at it. Mr. Hall is and always has been a staunch
Reformer in politics, and a Methodist in religion. He occupied a seat in
the Council as representative of St. John’s Ward in 1853, and was also
School Trustee for St. Patrick’s Ward. Mr. Hall is still living at his
home on Seaton Street, and has arrived at the good old age of
eighty-five years; he has one daughter and two sons; the former is a
widow and resides with him. Mark Hall, the eldest son, was born in 1837,
and is an architect by profession. He early learned the building
business with his father, who carried on that business for many years,
retiring in 1870.
SIDNEY HAMILTON is descended from a family of U. E. Loyalists. His
grandfather, Thomas Hamilton, after serving through the Revolutionary
War, settled in Nova Scotia with his family. The parents of our subject,
Thomas and Ann Hamilton, left Nova Scotia and settled at Port Dover,
Upper Canada, upon wild land, which they cleared and resided upon
several years; Thomas, a brother of our subject, being the first white
child born in that neighbourhood. While living at Port Dover a journey
of fifteen miles had frequently to be made to grind a grist of corn,
while flour was procured from Chippewa. In 1795 Mr. Hamilton removed to
York, and purchased two acres of land on the north-east corner of King
and George Streets, where he built a house, which became the family
residence for a number of years. During the War of 1812 he opened a
general store in the same house, and shortly afterwards built the
Hamilton Hotel and Ship Hotel on Market Street. During the early days of
senior Mr. Hamilton’s residence in York he purchased a small schooner,
and was engaged in carrying passengers to and from Niagara. He belonged
to the York volunteers, and participated in the defence of York. After
its capitulation the American soldiers discovered his red coat hanging
in his house, and were about to take him prisoner, when, through the
intercession of some of the American officers, he was liberated. He
afterwards became Coroner of the United Counties, and also served a
number of years as Deputy-Sheriff. He died at the age of sixty-five.
Sidney was the youngest of a family of ten children, born in York,
February 2nd, 1811. He attended the early schools of the place; after
the death of his father he began sailing on the lakes. The first vessel
he commanded was the schooner _Wood Duck_, after which he owned in
succession the _Commerce_, the _William Gamble_, the _Rose_, the
_Isabella_ and the _Alliance_. With the latter he was engaged in
transporting merchandise between Halifax and Chicago. In 1864, in
connection with his son Robert, he established another dock in Toronto,
known as Hamilton’s Wharf, and is now engaged in the same business at
the George Street Elevator. During the Rebellion of 1837 he belonged to
the old fire brigade, and was on duty at the Don Bridge. In politics he
has always been a pronounced Reformer, and in religion a member of the
Zion Congregational Church. In 1837 he married Ann Coulthard, by whom he
had eleven children (eight sons and three daughters), of whom four are
now living. Margaret married William Evans, of St. Catharines; Robert is
in business with his father; Elizabeth married John Adams, Assistant
Inspector for the Bank of Toronto; Henry, a barrister, is now practising
law at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
JOHN HARPER, retired builder and architect, is the son of Richard
Harper, an Englishman, who left Belfast, Ireland, in 1810, and crossing
the ocean settled in New York, where for seven years he manufactured
looms. Richard Harper’s wife was Jane, eldest daughter of James
Dalrymple, a Scotchman, by whom he had one son, John, and two daughters,
Elizabeth, the widow of William Somerset; and Catharine who is dead. In
1817 the family left New York, and crossing Lake Ontario in the schooner
_Mayflower_ (Captain Paterson), located at Little York, where Richard
Harper commenced his business, that of a builder. He died in 1834; his
wife died in 1836. John Harper was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1806,
and came to America with his parents. He learned the building trade with
his father, and continued at it from 1829 until 1856. He built the stone
barracks for the New Fort, St. Michael’s Cathedral, Trinity Church
(Trinity Square), the General Hospital, and the first Observatory in
Toronto, besides numerous private residences; he also laid the
foundation for the Lunatic Asylum. In 1856 Mr. Harper became an
architect, and superintended the erection of the Post Office, and the
Court Street Fire Hall and Police Station. In 1834 he built what is now
the Newsboys’ Home, but which was then intended for the Canada Company’s
Offices; he also built the first depot and machine shop for the Northern
Railway. Mr. Harper sat in the City Council during the first three years
of its incorporation, 1834-5-6; he was assessor for St. James’s Ward for
a number of years. He was offered the appointment of Justice of the
Peace, but considering that it would interfere with his business he
declined the honour. In politics he is a Reformer, and in religion, a
Methodist. Mr. Harper married the youngest daughter of Wm. Miles, of
Ireland, by whom he has now living three sons, William, John and George;
and one daughter married to J. P. Edwards. George R. Harper, architect,
is the youngest in a family of ten children, and was born in Toronto in
1843. He commenced the study of architecture in 1861, in the office of
the late Wm. Irving, with whom he remained for three years; then he went
to New York, and at the end of five years returned to Toronto, where he
has been ever since. He made the designs for the Police Court building,
and built Gurney’s foundry, besides other large buildings. He has been a
member of the City Council.
REVEREND ELMORE HARRIS, B.A., Pastor of Bloor Street Baptist Church, is
the second son of Alanson Harris, Esq., of English descent, of the firm
of A. Harris, Son & Co., manufacturers of mowers and reapers, Brantford,
Ontario, and a prominent citizen of that city. Mr. Harris, sen’r, was
born in Oxford County, Ontario, about 1820, and married, in 1840, Miss
Mary Morgan, of Beamsville, and formerly of Glamorganshire, Wales. The
Rev. Elmore Harris was born near Brantford. He received his early
education at the High School, Beamsville, and subsequently at St.
Catharines Collegiate Institute. In 1872 he entered on his University
course at Toronto, and graduated in 1877. In 1876 he took charge of the
Centre Street Baptist Church, in St. Thomas, Ontario, where he remained
until 1882. About this time he received a call from the congregation of
the Yorkville Baptist Church, and took charge of the same; but the
locality proving most inconvenient it was determined to erect a new
church, which was carried out at a cost of nearly $40,000. The new
church was built on Bloor Street West, corner of North. The average
attendance in 1882 was about one hundred, and has since increased to
five hundred. In 1877 the subject of this sketch married Miss Ruth
Shenston, youngest daughter of T. S. Shenston, Esq., Registrar of Brant
County, Ontario. They have two children, Burton and Helen Mary. _The new
church referred to is fully described on page 316, Vol. I._
SAMUEL RETALLACK HARRIS, a York Pioneer, and a well-known and
highly-respected citizen of Toronto, was born at Roseneaque, the parish
of St. Keverne, near Helston, Cornwall, England, in 1818. He was the
youngest son in a family of seven children, two boys and five girls,
born to John and Mary (Retallack) Harris. His father was a farmer, who
lived on his farm for about seventy-five years, and died in 1873,in the
ninety-fifth year of his age. There is now only one sister living at St.
Keverne. Mr. Harris left home when thirteen years of age to learn a
trade, and remained away about three years—until his mother’s death,
which took place in 1834—and the same year he took passage on a sailing
vessel bound for the New World. The time occupied in the voyage was five
weeks and three days, from the point of departure to the arrival in
Quebec, and the journey from that point to Toronto was accomplished in
two weeks. The mode of locomotion was in Durham boats, drawn by oxen,
and the route lay through the Rideau Canal. From Kingston they took the
steamer _William IV._, by which means the journey was completed. The
description given by Mr. Harris of the appearance of Toronto at that
time (1834) is worth recording. He says: “Well do I remember going from
the market up King Street to Yonge, jumping from one stone to another,
there being no sidewalks. From King up to Yonge Street was a better
sidewalk on the west side, laid down by our old and esteemed friend,
Jesse Ketchum, with tan bark. There were no brick buildings as now.
There was an old fence covered with hides drying for the tannery. In
this same year,” continues Mr. Harris, “William Lyon Mackenzie was
elected Mayor of Toronto, not by the people but by the Council.” Mr.
Harris did not remain long in Toronto on his first visit, but returned
to Kingston and entered the employ of John Collar, a boot and shoe
merchant, with whom he stayed four years, and it was during this period
that the Rebellion broke out. Mr. Harris became a volunteer in Captain
James Jackson’s Company and was under arms six months, but never saw
much active service; he was a Sergeant in his corps. In 1838 he once
more found his way to Toronto, and although work was plentiful there was
hardly any money in circulation, wages being chiefly paid in store
goods. In 1838 T. D. Harris first issued his twenty-five and fifty-cent
“shin-plasters,” which currency passed as good as gold in those days.
Mr. Harris also records the fact that not many improvements were made in
the city until 1840. “When you see the large brick buildings fast taking
the place of the old shanties on King Street; who would have thought,”
he exclaims, “that the Toronto of 1834 would be the Toronto of to-day?”
Mr. Harris was married in the year 1850, his wife being Ann, daughter of
Richard Hocken, of Montreal. The family were of English extraction, and
came to Canada in 1818. By his marriage he has four sons living, and one
daughter, Mrs. J. H. A. Taylor, living in Toronto. His youngest son
resides in the city, and is book-keeper to Messrs. Mason & Risch; the
other three sons are in the United States. Mr. Harris has taken an
active part in the affairs of mutual benefit societies and brotherhoods,
and was initiated in the City of Toronto Lodge of Oddfellows in 1844,
and is now the oldest initiated Oddfellow of good standing in the city.
He was elected Grand Master of the Order in 1870, and retired the
following year. Mr. Harris was presented with a gold watch and chain,
and his wife with a silver tea service by the brethren of Toronto. He is
now a member of the Ontario; the Dominion; the Alma and the Purple
Encampment (Hamilton Orders). On March 18th, 1862, he joined the Wilson
Lodge (No. 86) of Freemasons, and is still a member of good standing. He
was elected and held the office of Treasurer of that Lodge for ten
years, and at the end of five years’ service in that capacity he was
presented with a Mason’s gold ring, and on his retirement from the same,
received a testimonial taking the form of a gold-headed cane. Mr. Harris
filled the position of postmaster at Yorkville for one year in 1862;
which position he resigned. In religion he belongs to the Church of
England.
GEORGE HASKIN was born in Devonshire, England, in 1844, and in 1870 came
to Canada, locating in Toronto. He was traveller for O’Keefe, the
brewer, for seven years, and shortly after engaged in the hotel
business, at the corner of King and Princess Streets, known as the Red
Rose Hotel. This he continued till 1883, since which time he has been
engaged in erecting houses. In 1865 he married Miss Annie Palfree, a
native of Devonshire, also, by whom he has two sons.
G. M. HAWKE was born in Bath, Ontario, August 12th, 1826, being the
third son in a family of seven children. His father, Anthony Baudon
Hawke, came to Canada from Cornwall, England, at the close of the War of
1812, and settled in Prince Edward County. He was afterwards appointed
Chief Emigration Agent of Upper Canada, and came to live in Toronto; he
died in Whitby, October, 1865. At his death he left a family of two sons
and three daughters, viz.: Edward Henry, living in New York; George M.;
Louisa, married Judge Dartnell; Harriet, married Lyman English, of
Oshawa; Eliza, married Mr. Hawkins, of Colchester.
CHARLES HEATH was born in India, and was the only son in a family of
three children. His father was Brigadier-General Heath, who was born in
Lexington, Essex, England. He entered the British army when quite young,
and was killed in action at Madras, India. Mr. Heath came to Canada in
1836, and was followed by his mother shortly afterwards. He purchased
Deer Park. After he came here he was for some years in the Dragoons, and
was a volunteer during the Mackenzie Rebellion; he rose from the rank of
First Cornet to that of Major. In 1847 he was admitted to the bar.
ALEXANDER HENDERSON, J.P., is a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and
was born in the year 1824. He came to Canada in 1834, locating in Little
York, being at that time about ten years of age. He entered the general
business house of William Mathers, Queen Street West, then known as Lot
Street. In 1842 he commenced business for himself with such success that
he was enabled in 1857 to retire, and has since lived as a private
gentleman. Among the positions of public trust held by Mr. Henderson, it
may be mentioned that he was for ten years an Alderman, and filled for
five years the Chairmanship of Finance, and the Boards of Works and
Health. He was a Director of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, and
also occupied a similar position in connection with the Union Building
Society for upwards of twenty years. He was a Director of the House of
Industry, and has been a member of St. Andrew’s Society since 1836. Mr.
Henderson can remember many of the striking incidents that occurred
during the Rebellion, and was an eye-witness of the execution of Lount
and Matthews. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the City of
Toronto and County of York some years ago, which position he fills with
considerable ability. His residence is 50 Gerrard Street East.
[Illustration: ANDREW HERON.]
ANDREW HERON, at the present time the oldest native resident of the City
of Toronto, the third son of Samuel and Sarah (Ashbridge) Heron, was
born on November 30th, 1800, in a small log house erected by his father
on the north side of Duke Street, near the present residence of the Hon.
M. C. Cameron. His father was the youngest of a family of three sons,
born at Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 1770. He emigrated to New York City,
where he remained a short time, and then made his way to Niagara. In the
spring of 1792 he left Niagara, with an ox team and cart laden with
provisions and tools necessary in a new settlement, and journeyed around
the lake by way of Hamilton. On arriving at the Don River, he crossed
over in a rough scow, and proceeded to what is now known as Ashbridge’s
Bay, and took up two hundred acres of land, where he found Mrs.
Ashbridge and her sons, who had settled there a few months previous.
December 14th, 1794, he married Sarah Ashbridge, whose people were
English Quakers from Philadelphia. Being U. E. Loyalists, the mother and
sons drew land from the Crown. In 1796 Mr. Heron concluded to try his
fortune in mercantile life, and accordingly erected the log house on
Duke Street and a log store on King Street. His first stock of goods was
procured from Montreal. He continued in business for a few years, and
subsequently settled on a Government tract of land of two hundred acres,
on Yonge Street, about seven miles from the bay. It was located near
what was called Heron’s Hill, afterwards Hogg’s Hollow. The steady and
rapid influx of a thrifty class of emigrants and the clearing of their
lands, offered inducements for other enterprises. He erected a saw and
grist-mill, ashery and distillery, and opened a market for ashes which
he converted into potash. His business increased rapidly and was in a
thriving condition when in 1817 he died. Andrew Heron, the subject of
this sketch, resided with his father until 1811, when he was sent to
Niagara to live with his uncle Andrew, his father’s brother, who was a
merchant at the latter place. After attending school for a short period
he entered his uncle’s store as a clerk. In 1812, at the breaking out of
the war between the United States and Great Britain, he was attending
school at Niagara, in close proximity to Fort George. The same spirit
that provoked the two nations to draw the sword was shared by the youth
of that day, and many were the battles fought between juvenile rebels
and loyalists, who used stones to good advantage, the former being often
compelled to take refuge within the fort. When York was attacked, in
April, 1813, by the American fleet under Commodore Chauncey and General
Dearborn, Mr. Heron was upon Niagara Commons. He heard the roar of
cannon and the explosion of the powder magazine, and naturally felt very
anxious about the fate of his father and brother, who belonged to the
York Militia, which participated in the engagement. His brother John
fought at the battle of Lundy’s Lane, where he was shot. While he lay in
a ploughed field, the enemy passed over him, thinking him dead. He
afterwards rejoined the British forces, and, having served during the
war, received a pension until his death. Andrew was also at the Battle
of Queenston Heights. He saw the American prisoners as they were
escorted through Niagara on their way down the lake, and was present at
the funeral of General Brock, who had fallen at Queenston Heights, while
cheering on his men to the attack. He was at Niagara when the Americans
burned and sacked the town, and witnessed his uncle’s house and store
devoured by the flames. After the close of the war Mr. Heron was
summoned by the Government to Ancaster to give evidence against some
American sympathizers, who were tried and convicted before Chief Justice
Robinson. In 1819 Mr. Heron left Niagara and came to York, working upon
his uncle Ashbridge’s farm until 1822, when he returned to Niagara,
where he rented from his uncle Andrew a small row boat, which he began
plying between Niagara and the Youngstown ferry. “Sevenpence ha’penny”
was the fare charged for one passenger. The fresh arrival of immigrants
at that time rendering ferry business very profitable, the enterprising
young boatman was soon compelled to increase the facilities for transit.
He constructed a horse-boat—the horse being on deck attached to a
windlass, which transferred the power to a wheel at the stern. Mr. Heron
continued running the ferry until 1835. In 1829 he married Cynthia,
youngest daughter of Cornelius Beaugardis, an American lady of German
extraction, by whom he had four sons and one daughter, only one son now
surviving. In 1835 he placed the ferry business in charge of another
person, and opened a store at the Town of Niagara, which he conducted
until 1838, when, in consequence of the increasing travel, he embarked
in the steamboat business, by forming a joint partnership with Thomas
Lockhart and Thomas Dick. The first boat, called the _Experiment_, was
launched at Niagara and ran between York and Hamilton. She did not prove
to be a paying investment, and was sold upon Mr. Lockhart retiring from
the business, which was conducted by Mr. Heron and Captain Dick, who
soon after built the _City of Toronto_, a side-wheel boat built at
Niagara in 1840, afterwards called the _Algoma_.
JAMES HERSON, provision dealer, was born in the County of Tyrone,
Ireland, in 1831, and when only three months old was brought to Canada
by his parents, John and Mary Ann (MacDonald) Herson. He was the
youngest in a family of five sons and four daughters. His father located
in Little York, and being a carpenter carried on that trade; but only
for a few months however, for, before a year had elapsed, he died from
sunstroke; three of his sons also were carpenters. When he attained the
age of fifteen he entered the employ of Andrew Heron, who owned several
steamers. He ran on the old _City of Toronto_, the _Chief Justice
Robinson_, the _American_, the _Eclipse_, and the _Peerless_ (on which
he was steward), owned by Mr. Heron and Captain Dick; it ran between
Toronto and Niagara, and made two trips a day. Mr. Herson was on the
Rescue that ran on Lake Superior, between Collingwood and Fort William,
and had the honour of assorting the first mail that passed through
Canadian territory. After leaving the steamer _Rescue_, he went fur
trading among the Indians on the North Shore of Lake Superior, where he
lived four years, during that time undergoing great hardships and having
no nearer white neighbour than within a distance of eighty miles. He
subsequently left that part of the country and engaged in blockade
running until the close of the American War. This event over he went
into business as provision dealer in St. Lawrence Market of this city,
where he has since remained. He has two sisters living in Toronto and
one in Dresden, Ont. Mr. Herson married a daughter of George Lennon. Our
subject does not take much interest in municipal affairs, but has been a
member of the Separate School Board.
WILLIAM HEWITT, deceased, was born at Hazelend, Essex, England, July
21st, 1794. He came to Montreal in 1820, and remained one season, at the
end of which he returned home; four years later he came to York and
located on King Street, near the Market, where he was engaged as a
manufacturer for five years. During his residence in Toronto, Mr. and
Mrs. Hewitt (Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Richardson, whom he married
on January 28th, 1819), were two of nine members who organized the first
Baptist Church in York (now the Jarvis Street Baptist Church); three
years later he removed to the Credit, where he remained a short time and
then settled at Charlotteville, where he remained until the time of his
death on August 1st, 1883. He held the office of Clerk of Division Court
for forty-eight years, the duties of which office were punctually and
satisfactorily discharged by him. He was also a magistrate for many
years; in politics he was a Baldwin Reformer. Although nearly ninety
years of age his mental faculties were clear and his mind seemed
unimpaired up to the day of his death. For over sixty years he honoured
his profession as a Christian and then passed away one of Ontario’s
oldest Baptists, well versed in the history of the church, an original
thinker, highly intelligent, a true Christian and a gentleman. The high
esteem in which he was held was evinced by the attendance of a large
number of the oldest and most influential citizens at his funeral. He
was a much-loved parent of eleven children, ten of whom survived him:
Joseph R. (in Springfield, Mass.); William, 31 Magill Street; John, died
in 1855; Thomas, carriage manufacturer, Templeton, Mass.; Elizabeth,
Sarah, David and George, twins, Toronto, Ont.; Mary, living at Vittoria;
Ellen, married John Palmer, a builder, Chicago; Hannah, married Joseph
Pullan, Barrie, Ont.; William, passed his early life at Norfolk, Ont.,
until he was eighteen years of age; he came to Toronto in 1839, and
entered the service of the late Peter Paterson, hardware dealer, with
whom he served for eighteen years; he then engaged in business for
himself, on the corner of Yonge and Adelaide Streets, for twenty-two
years. For some time past he has been representing various manufacturing
firms throughout Ontario. In 1846 he married Mary, daughter of James
Skirrow, of the Township of Trafalgar, who was one of the earliest
settlers. There are at the present time twenty-two grand and eighteen
great-grandchildren, descendants of Mr. Wm. Hewitt, sen’r.
ROBERT JOHN HILL, retired, was born in Buckinghamshire, England,
September 10th, 1820, being the eldest of seven children. His parents,
James and Mary (Aris) Hill, came from England with their family in 1825,
and settled at Utica, N.Y. In 1829 they left there and came to Little
York by way of the Erie Canal, and across the lake from Lewiston in the
steamer _Canada_, commanded by Captain Hugh Richardson. For a while they
stayed at an hotel on Church Street, kept by a man named Secord; then
they moved into a small house on Adelaide Street. James Hill was a
carpenter and worked at that trade until 1834 when he died of the
cholera; his wife died in 1879. The subject of this sketch was educated
at the old central school of which Mr. Sprague, father of the late Chief
Justice, was the master. While still a boy he became apprenticed for six
years to John Esmond, that he might learn the tinsmith trade (Esmond’s
shop was on the north side of King, between Bay and York Streets). He
then worked for Mr. William Musson for four years, after which he was in
the employ of Hiram Piper for five or six years, and subsequently in
that of Henry Booth for five years. Mr. Hill became a member of the fire
brigade in 1839, before his apprenticeship had expired; at that time
Hiram Piper was Captain of the hook-and-ladder company, while William
Musson was Captain of Nos. 1 and 2 hand engines, which were very
primitive affairs. Mr. Hill was Captain of the hook-and-ladder company
for twelve years. He witnessed many of the events of the Rebellion of
1837-8. He was one of the guards placed over John Montgomery when the
latter was arrested and confined in the Parliament House. Mr. Hill has
been twice married; first to Jane, daughter of John Wardrobe, of
Cumberland, England; his second wife was Mrs. Salters, whose maiden name
was Armstrong. He has a son living in Woodstock. In politics Mr. Hill is
a Conservative. He is still in the Toronto Fire Brigade as engineer of
the steamer “James B. Boustead,” and his cry is “Ever ready.”
WILLIAM HILL was born in England in 1832. He came to Canada in 1851, and
the same year removed to the United States where he stayed four years.
In 1855 he again took up his residence in Toronto. He has held the
position of Inspector of Drains for the city the last five years. In
1853 he married Miss Jane Ripon who died in 1854, leaving one child. He
married again, his second wife being Miss Jane Smith, by whom he had
nine children, seven of whom are living.
WILLIAM HILL, jun’r, 71 Cumberland Street, was born on lot 5, concession
1, west of Yonge Street in 1816. His grandfather, Thomas Hill, and his
father, William Hill, emigrated from Somersetshire, England, in 1793,
and landed at St. John, New Brunswick, with Governor Simcoe. They
arrived at Little York in 1794 and pitched their tents on the west side
of the River Don, the place being then marked by three Indian wigwams.
In 1803 his grandfather removed from Little York to lot 15, concession
1, York Township, and afterwards located on lot 5, west of Yonge Street,
where his grandfather and father died. His father left at his death six
sons and six daughters. The subject of this sketch came to Toronto in
1839 and worked at his trade of carpenter. He married in 1836, Margaret
Cathcart, daughter of the late Alexander Cathcart, of York Township.
C. A. HIRSCHFELDER, U. S. Vice-Consul, _Mail_ buildings, 52 and 54 King
Street West, is a native of Toronto, being the son of J. M.
Hirschfelder, Professor of Oriental Languages, Toronto University. He
was appointed U. S. Vice-Consul on the retirement of Mr. D. Thurston.
Mr. Hirschfelder is a Canadian archæologist, which he has made a life
study, whose lectures and writings on this and kindred topics, together
with his collection of Canadian archæology, now in the Dominion Museum,
Ottawa, has given him a wide reputation. The collection is said to be
one of the finest in the world of Canadian archæology. Mr. Hirschfelder
is a member of many learned societies in Europe and America.
JOHN HIRST was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. He emigrated to
Canada in 1854, and located at Toronto, where he followed his trade of
painter, working for the Grand Trunk Railway Company. He remained at
this occupation until 1863, entering then into the hotel business,
taking charge of the St. Lawrence Hotel, on King Street. He then went to
the corner of Berkeley and King Streets, subsequently to Francis Street,
afterwards to the Schiller House. He remained at the latter place nine
years, and previous to retiring from business was for some time
proprietor of the Russell House, on Yonge Street. He retired in 1883,
having conducted the hotel business uninterruptedly for twenty-two
years. Mr. Hirst married in 1854, previous to leaving England, Miss
Sarah Graves Cherry, of Yorkshire, England, by whom he has six daughters
and one son living. He is largely interested in real estate, owning
fourteen houses in the city.
[Illustration: JOHN G. HOWARD.]
JOHN G. HOWARD, Esq., the well-known Ranger of High Park, to whose
munificent liberality the people of Toronto owe the magnificent stretch
of woodland at the western city limits which bears that name, is not
only one of the oldest residents in the city, but has also, perhaps,
from his own professional point of view, been more closely identified
with the city’s growth and improvement than any of his contemporaries.
As will be seen further on, Mr. Howard has had a hand in the
construction of nearly all the local public institutions and works that
are not of recent date, and in the pursuit of his profession he has been
brought into contact with the majority of the public men whose names
figure prominently in the early history of the city and county. The
writer has had an opportunity of examining Mr. Howard’s notes of his
impressions and experiences in York; and will, as occasion requires,
freely draw in the following sketch upon this fund of old time
reminiscences. Mr. Howard was born on the 27th of July, 1803, in a
village twenty-one miles north of the old City of London. At the age of
nine he was sent to a boarding-school in the town of Hertford, where he
remained five years. When fifteen years old he went to sea as a boy
before the mast, and served for two years; but was then compelled to
give up a sailor’s life owing to an incurable liability to
sea-sickness—a complaint to which he has ever since been a martyr when
crossing the ocean. The time he had spent at sea had not, however, been
lost, as he had devoted considerable time to the study of navigation and
practical geometry and marine surveying. These mathematical studies
probably determined his future career, for on abandoning a seafaring
life he turned his attention to land surveying, engineering and
architecture, and entered the office of his uncle, a contractor, living
at Kennington Cross. Subsequently he studied under Mr. John Grayson,
architect, Banner Street, St. Luke’s, London, and on leaving Mr.
Grayson, went on a professional tour through the County of Kent, where,
for a short time, he was employed by the architect in charge of the work
of rebuilding Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. He then entered the office
of the Cutbushes, contracting architects, Maidstone; but in 1824 he
returned to London and was employed by Mr. William Ford, architect, Mark
Lane, London, England, who the following year married Mr. Howard’s
sister. In 1827 Mr. Howard married Miss Jemima Frances Meikle. He
remained with Mr. Ford, who entrusted him with several important
undertakings, until 1831, when, the times being bad and building
operations being at a standstill, he began to look about for a more
profitable field of labour. Attracted by the glowing accounts given by
Mr. Cattermole, agent of the Canada Company, of the opportunities
offered by that country, he resolved to emigrate thither, intending to
settle at Goderich, where his wife had relatives. In the spring of 1832
he took passage for Quebec, but missed his vessel, and was compelled to
wait until June, when he embarked on the _Emperor Alexander_, which,
bound for the same port, sailed on the 27th. The voyage was an eventful
one. At the outset, Mr. and Mrs. Howard, who had gone ashore at
Gravesend to see some relatives, found themselves left behind, but their
vessel had only a few minutes’ start and they were able to catch her. On
the third day out, the _Emperor Alexander_ ran aground on the Spaniard
Bank, off Herne Bay, which involved a delay of ten hours. On the same
day Mr. Howard was all but knocked overboard by the boom suddenly
jibbing, and was only just saved in time by the captain. From this day
out his daily record during the voyage was one of sea-sickness and
wretchedness. On the 2nd of July, at Ryde, Isle of Wight, he was again
left behind by the ship, but as the captain was one of the derelict
party the mistake was speedily rectified. Two days later, another party,
including Mr. Howard, left the ship in a small boat to shoot, but a
breeze springing up they were horrified to find that the ship had
outsailed them and was five miles away. The breeze freshened, the boat
sprung a leak, and the terrified occupants gave themselves up for lost,
for the ship was now fifteen miles off and they were a hundred miles
from land. Fortunately, the gale abated, and the ship, observing their
signals, put about and took them aboard just at nightfall. Five days in
bed was the penalty the sportsmen had to pay for their venturesomeness.
But for all this another party underwent an exactly similar experience a
few days later, and were only rescued after eighteen hours’ exposure. On
the twenty-eighth day out, a mutiny occurred, but was promptly
suppressed. On the 10th of August the ship was all but run ashore on the
Bird Islands, owing to the drunken incapacity of the captain and first
mate, and on the 15th, during the absence of the captain ashore, a
mutiny on a small scale occurred among the steerage passengers. Finally
Quebec was reached on the 29th of August, after a passage of nine weeks
and three days. Cholera was at this time prevalent at Quebec, and while
attending the funeral of a child, who had died on board on the day on
which the voyage terminated, Mr. Howard contracted the disease in a mild
form. His description of the scene in the cholera burying ground is not
an attractive one. “We were obliged,” he says, “to wait several hours
for a priest. There was no less than seven or eight waggons with rough
deal coffins waiting in the hot sun for the said priest. The coffins
were nailed together, of unseasoned inch boards, the lids had shrunk and
warped, so that you could get your hand in, and the stench from them was
dreadful.” On the 4th Mr. Howard started by steamboat for Montreal,
where he arrived the next day. The journey from Montreal to York was
made by coach as far as Cornwall, and the rest of the way by
steamboat—the entire trip taking six days, making eleven weeks and
three days from London. On the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Howard at York an
incident occurred which completely changed their plans. “Going up Church
Street from the landing, I was very much astonished to see in a
huckster’s window a very handsome carving-knife and fork for sale of
which I had made my brother-in-law a present before they left England.
Going into the shop, judge of my surprise to find my wife’s sister, whom
I believed to be in Goderich.” Mr. Howard had agreed to take apartments
with a fellow-traveller, but as they could not be secured until the
spring, he and his wife had to content themselves for the winter with an
attic room and kitchen. And a very hard winter they put in. Before
taking possession of his new quarters, Mr. Howard went with his
brother-in-law to Hamilton, where he met a gentleman who informed him
that the Honourable Peter Robinson had requested that the first
architect who arrived at Hamilton should be sent to York. From this
gentleman Mr. Howard obtained a letter of introduction to Mr. Robinson,
but this letter was not delivered until the spring. From Hamilton Mr.
Howard started for Goderich, but did not succeed in getting any farther
than Paris. At this time there were only two houses in Paris, a tavern
and a large farm house, the latter belonging to a Mr. Capon. With this
gentleman Mr. Howard agreed to lay out the land for a village, taking a
town lot of five acres in part payment for his professional services.
But the food and lodging proved to be so bad that he was compelled to
throw up the contract and to return to Hamilton, and thence to York. On
the advice of a friend Mr. Howard delayed presenting his letter of
introduction to Mr. Robinson until he should be able to submit some
specimen of his abilities as a draughtsman. Accordingly, he set to work
in a cheerless attic, without any fire, and with only such light as was
afforded by a sky-light, which during the greater part of the time was
covered with snow. One can imagine what the sufferings of this heroic
couple during the long winter must have been. However, Mr. Howard worked
on bravely, and produced a series of designs for log houses, frame
buildings, brick buildings, churches, villas, hotels, and rows of
stores. With these he waited on Mr. Robinson about the middle of March;
but finding his expected patron engaged, he left the drawings and the
letter of introduction, and said he would call again in a week. At the
time appointed the luckless architect called once more, only to find
that the roll of drawings had not been opened. Then a scene occurred,
which Mr. Howard shall himself describe: “I told him (Mr. Robinson) that
I had been given to understand that a professional emigrant visiting
Canada would receive the kindest attention from the Government employés,
and that while drawing those plans I had sat in a garret for a month,
without any fire, and only lighted from a sky-light in the roof,
oftentimes covered with snow, and that my wife had read to me; but I
suppose he had read the story of the Boy and the Frogs—it was fun to
him, but death to us. He turned pale, and said: ‘I am very sorry, Mr.
Howard; but if you knew how I have been worried with business, you would
not blame me.’ ‘That is quite sufficient, sir, and I am sorry for what I
have said,’ and we shook hands. He then wrote a letter to Col. Rowen,
the Governor’s private secretary, asking him to lay the drawings on the
Governor’s drawing-room table, as His Excellency was going to have a
party that night.” This was done, and the result of the little stratagem
was that next morning Mr. Howard received a summons to the Government
House. He was most kindly received by Sir John Colborne, who
complimented him upon the drawings, and asked permission to enter them
in the competition which was shortly to take place for the position of
drawing-master at Upper Canada College, for which there were already six
applicants. Mr. Howard consented, although he had not prepared the
drawings with the care he would have bestowed upon them had he known
they were to be entered for a competition, and the result justified his
Excellency’s anticipations. Towards the latter end of March, Mr. Howard
received a notification that the appointment had been awarded to him,
and that he would be required to enter upon his new duties on the first
day of April, 1833. The salary attached to the position was one hundred
pounds sterling per annum, and the hours of attendance were three hours
a day for four days in the week. Mr. Howard was permitted to carry on
his professional work at the college in order to give his pupils an
opportunity of acquainting themselves with the details of this
particular branch of the art. In connection with his position at Upper
Canada College, Mr. Howard relates an incident which is worth
reproducing, as giving an insight into Sir John Colborne’s domestic
relations. “I had,” he says, “as pupils, three of his Excellency’s sons.
His Excellency was very kind, and used to come to my room to see the
boys at work. He said he wished me not to make any difference because
they were the Governor’s sons; but to chastise them the same as the
other boys, if necessary. The eldest son began to show his temper; but
his father said he need not show his temper, for he meant what he said.
I told his Excellency that I felt sure there would be no necessity for
anything of the kind, as they were young gentlemen, and would always be
treated as such by me.” But the drawing-mastership at Upper Canada
College was not the only benefit that accrued to the disheartened
architect from the exhibition of his designs at the Government House
reception. Several gentlemen who had seen them, among them Dr. Widmer,
Mr. James G. Chewett, and the Lord Bishop Stewart of Quebec, visited Mr.
Howard and gave him orders for designs for church buildings. The story
of the visit of the Bishop of Quebec is amusing: “His lordship called to
pay his respects to Mrs. Howard, who was busy washing in one corner of a
large kitchen. She took her hands out of the wash-tub, and the bishop
shook hands with her, remarking that her small hands had never been used
to that kind of work, and that if the ladies when they came to Canada
would unbend as she had done, and, when necessary, perform such work,
Canada would have a better name than she has now got.” The tide had now
turned, and the despairing emigrant found himself on the high road to
prosperity. Orders came in rapidly, and during the remainder of this
year Mr. Howard had his hands full. He built Dr. Widmer’s cottage on
Front Street, Thomas Mercer Jones’ villa on York and Front Streets,
Chewett’s Buildings, and the British Coffee House—the latter on the
part of the site now occupied by the Rossin House. He also erected the
two lodges at the Queen Street entrance to the College Avenue, one of
which was demolished in 1882. During the second year of Mr. Howard’s
residence in Canada, 1834, the year of the incorporation of the City of
Toronto, he was appointed by the Mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie, to the
position of City Surveyor, and in this capacity he laid down the first
sidewalks in the city, consisting of two twelve-inch planks placed side
by side longitudinally. He also gained the premium of £30 for laying out
the Market Block. Having practised as a land surveyor in England, Mr.
Howard was desirous of adding that business to his practice as an
architect, but found to his disgust that he could not do so without a
license, and such a license was only obtainable after serving six months
with a provincial land surveyor. Accordingly he made an arrangement with
Mr. James G. Chewett, head draughtsman in the Crown Lands Department,
under whom he was employed to make a survey of the harbour and
peninsula. Subsequently he passed his examination, gave £500 security to
the Government, and on the 26th of January, 1836, received his license
as a provincial land surveyor. In 1835 and 1836 Mr. Howard’s business
had increased rapidly, for he drew plans and specifications, and let the
contracts for twelve private dwelling houses and a number of stores,
besides the fire hall and bell tower on Church Street. The following
year he was in a position to build a private residence for
himself—Colborne Lodge, High Park—and this only four years after he
had despairingly worked in his fireless garret at the designs which were
to bring him name and fame. During this year, too, in addition to work
for private parties, he gained the premium of £45 for the approved plan
of the court-house and jail. This was the year of the Rebellion, and on
the celebrated Thursday, the 7th of December, we find Mr. Howard leading
the right wing of the scouting party sent up Yonge Street to reconnoitre
the rebels congregated at Montgomery’s tavern. With the close of the
year Mr. Howard retired upon his laurels, and removed, on the 23rd
December, from Chewett’s Buildings to his new residence at High Park. He
records the fact that on the morning of Christmas Day he shot a deer and
some quail in the rear portion of the Park, near Bloor Street. During
1838 Mr. Howard was engaged, as City Engineer, in superintending the
construction of various municipal works, and was also employed by the
Lieutenant-Governor, Sir George Arthur, to make alterations in and
additions to the Government House and to build a new ball-room. He also
received from Sir George his commission as Lieutenant in the Fourth
Regiment of West York Militia, in recognition of his services on the
occasion of the Montgomery’s tavern affair. After the fire of the
following year (1839), by which the church of St. James was destroyed,
Mr. Howard was called upon to report upon the condition of the ruins.
But the crowning triumph of his career was obtained in 1840, when he was
awarded the premium of £30 for the approved plan of the Provincial
Lunatic Asylum. This success doubtless had the effect of spreading his
reputation throughout the country, for during the next few years we find
him superintending the erection of the court-house and jail at
Peterborough and a new church at Chippewa; designing the alterations in
Niagara church; building a new court-house and jail at Brockville;
preparing plans for a jail and court-house for the Johnston district;
erecting a new bridge—his own patent—at Bronte; drawing plans, etc.,
for a new jail and court-house at Perth; building a stone church for the
Indians at Tyendinaga; drawing plans for houses for the Indians at Owen
Sound; receiving the first premium of £50 for the approved plan for
Queen’s College, Kingston; preparing the designs for Lennoxville
College, for a large school-house at Quebec, and for churches at
Lloydtown and Streetsville; building a church for the Indians on
Manitoulin Island; making designs and estimates for and building
churches and school-houses on Snake and Walpole Islands; building a
branch of the Commercial Bank of Toronto at Hamilton; drawing plans and
specifications for a new church at Newmarket; preparing several designs
for Brock’s Monument, to be erected on Queenston Heights; taking the
first prize and receiving instructions for the construction of a new
market-house at Kingston; building St. John’s Church at York Mills;
drawing plans and specifications for a new court-house at Belleville;
for houses for the Indians at Saugeen; designing and erecting a branch
bank at Hamilton and numerous private residences in various provincial
towns. The vast extent of the business carried on at this time by Mr.
Howard may be judged from the fact that the above operations were merely
those undertaken by him outside the city during a period of six years;
and that, compared with his undertakings at Toronto, all this was little
or nothing. Yet, with this immense mass of business on his hands, he was
in 1841 enabled to extend his sphere of operations, having received a
license to practise as notary public. He was also engaged to some extent
in arbitrations. Thus, in the year last named, he went to Kingston to
settle the Duffil-McLeod building contracts, and the following year
acted as arbitrator in settling the dispute between the Farmers’ Bank
and John Ritchey, builder. Among the public works undertaken by Mr.
Howard in Toronto at this period, and carried to a successful
completion, were the following: Erection of the spire of St. Paul’s
Church, Yorkville, 1841; swing bridge at the Humber; plans and
specifications for the waterworks, Toronto; laying out St. James’
Cemetery; plans for a theatre in rear of 103 and 105 King Street, 1842;
building a post-office on Wellington Street; constructing a main sewer
and macadamising York Street from King to Wellington Street; laying out
the grounds in front of Osgoode Hall; preparing designs for the
Commercial Bank building, 1843; designing a Masonic hall and arcade from
Wellington to Front Streets, 1844; designing and building the Bank of
British North America, on the corner of Yonge and Wellington Streets;
drawing plans and specifications of main sewers on King and Church
Streets, 1845. And all this, it should be borne in mind, was in addition
to Mr. Howard’s every-day duties as City Engineer—repairing streets,
constructing new drains and culverts, levelling for side paths, laying
out building lots, giving the levels for city buildings and settling
accounts. Truly the man was indefatigable. It may be noted here, before
passing on any further, that it was about this time, namely in 1842,
that the first white brick building in the city was erected, Mr. Howard
being the builder. The entry in his journal, date April the 1st, 1842,
is as follows: “Built two stores on King Street, Nos. 103 and 105, with
German silver sashes and plate glass. No. 103 was built with the first
white brick that was used in the city. I gave the brick-maker £60 for
twenty thousand. They were made from the clay on Yonge Street, off Mr.
Sheriff Jarvis’s lot at Rosedale, by a man named Craig, who had some
trouble in keeping the clay separate.” In 1846 Mr. Howard was engaged in
extensive surveys of the peninsula—the Island we call it now—and the
Harbour. It seems strange to hear of the Island being laid out in
streets, yet this was what was done. Mr. Howard laid out two hundred and
eighty-three acres in fifty-seven two-acre lots “on Trafalgar Street,
Marine Parade, on Fitzroy Street, going north from the lighthouse,
Vernon Street, at right angles to it, and Rodney and Duncan Streets.” It
will be noticed that the names of all these streets, with the exception
of the first two, are those of celebrated British admirals. Later on in
the year, Mr. Howard made an accurate survey of the sand ridges bounding
Toronto Harbour and Ashbridge’s Bay. But a more important work in this
connection was that which he undertook in consequence of a communication
from the Hon. F. Bonthillier, of the Crown Lands Department, requesting
him to make a survey and plan of Toronto Harbour, showing the best
method of constructing an esplanade and docking on the north side
thereof, and taking several lines of soundings running out from the
water’s edge at the ends of the different streets and wharves for a
distance of ten chains into the bay, and from such other points which
might be deemed necessary to perfect the undertaking. The work was
commenced on the 2nd of May and was completed on the 23rd of the same
month, one thousand six hundred and thirty-eight soundings in all having
been taken. In this year Mr. Howard, in addition to his usual amount of
private work within the city, prepared plans and specifications for a
large house, to cost £3,000, to be erected in Quebec, and for the
Toronto House of Industry, no charge being made in the latter case for
the work done. He also built for himself, on York Street, a white brick
front dwelling house, which he subsequently sold to the Rossin, which
became part of the Rossin House. During the following year Mr. Howard
made further surveys in connection with the harbour, viz.: of
Ashbridge’s Bay, and built two bridges; also of the eastern strip of
land (now the marsh) which divides it from Toronto Harbour; of the
northern side of the peninsula to the western point opposite the Queen’s
Wharf; and another survey of the same from Knott’s House to the
lighthouse, and from thence to the lake on the west side of the
lighthouse. He also made a survey of the River Don from the bridge on
King Street to the rear of the first concession of the Township of York.
Another triumph of his constructive art was achieved this year in the
erection, on Front Street, of a large brewery and malthouse, the
principal walls of which were built of stone in caissons sunk in six
feet of water. About this time Mr. Howard became interested in Lake
Huron copper mines, becoming president of a company formed for the
purpose of working a mine on Serpent River. He made a survey of the
Island of St. Joseph in this district, and located the town of Hilton.
Thorough business man as he was, Mr. Howard yet found leisure to
cultivate the fine arts. In the “Catalogue of the First Exhibition of
the Society of Artists and Amateurs of Toronto, 1834,” we find him
mentioned as a member of the committee; and on glancing through the
pages of the brochure, we came across his name again and again as the
exhibitor of no less than eighteen paintings and designs. Mrs. Howard,
too, appears to have shared her husband’s artistic tastes, for appended
to the catalogue is a copy of a letter to that lady from the Honorary
Secretary of the association, expressing a hope that she might be
induced to exhibit a few of her paintings or drawings. In 1847 Mr.
Howard was elected Vice-President and Treasurer of the newly formed
Toronto Society—the successor of the Society of Artists and
Amateurs—at whose first exhibition, in that year, he made over a score
of exhibits. During 1848 and the two following years Mr. Howard designed
a temporary Lunatic Asylum for use pending the completion of the
structure which exists at the present day, and the corner-stone of which
had been laid by Chief Justice Robinson on the 22nd of August, 1846. He
also designed St. George’s Church, John Street, and constructed the
spire of the old St. Andrew’s Church, on the corner of Church and
Adelaide Streets. He received the contract for measuring the locks of
the Welland Canal and estimating the extra cost, above contract price,
of the stone work in the new locks. He surveyed and laid down an extra
line of pipes for the waterworks, extending from the engine-house up
Peter Street to the Reservoir, and surveyed and drew a plan of part of
the city, showing the position of the mains, hydrants and service pipes,
for A. Furnes—all this, as before, in addition to work for private
parties and to his duties as City Engineer. In 1851 and 1852 our
indefatigable architect and surveyor was, among his other multifarious
duties, engaged in surveying the Garrison Common for the Ordnance
Department, the latter having agreed to grant the city two hundred and
seventy-eight acres to be converted into a park, provided the City
Corporation would agree to clear and fence it. As City Engineer Mr.
Howard made a plan of the proposed park and drew up the estimate of
cost, £450; but owing to the unwillingness of the eastern members of the
Council to agree to this outlay, the scheme fell through. With the
exception of the survey of the Government Creek, this was the last
public work Mr. Howard was destined to undertake for some time. For
twenty years he had laboured incessantly with a success such as it has
been given to few men to achieve. But now the wearied brain cried out
for rest, and Mr. Howard’s medical adviser ordered him off to Europe. On
the first of May, 1853, Mr. Howard, accompanied by his wife and a son of
Mr. Rowsell, the printer, sailed from New York on the Cunard steamship
_Arabia_ for Liverpool. No sooner had the steamer got to sea than he was
attacked by his old enemy, sea-sickness. There was a touch of humour in
the sufferer’s description of the manner in which he struggled with his
foe. He says: “Dr. Widmer had advised me to take gruel in case of
sea-sickness; but a gentleman on board recommended champagne. The wine
was the easiest to get on board, and we all took it. It turned like
pyroligneous acid on my stomach and made me much worse. A Scotch
gentleman—Mr. Mackenzie—a passenger, recommended a glass of water with
a teaspoonful of raw oat-meal in it three times a-day. This I took for
eight days until we arrived at Liverpool.” The party arrived in London
just seventeen days after leaving Toronto; rather a contrast to the
eleven weeks and three days from London to Little York twenty-one years
before. While in the English metropolis Mr. Howard was generally fêted
by the profession, dining with Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the
Parliament Houses at Westminster, and with the Skinners’ Company.
However, his physician soon ordered him away from the gaieties of
London, and after a brief stay in the Isle of Wight, he visited Paris,
and subsequently made a tour of some of the English counties. On the 7th
September he sailed for New York, and reached Toronto on the 26th of the
same month, his health having been greatly improved by his holiday. Soon
after his return, in October, Mr. Howard received instructions from the
City Council to survey and locate, in conjunction with the Honourable
Mr. Seymour, Engineer for the Northern Railway, the line of that road
along the Esplanade, and to take it up the Government Creek, following
the curves of the creek until the summit level should be gained. It will
be remembered that the manner in which this Esplanade contract was
subsequently let caused a great deal of dissatisfaction among the
citizens. In January, 1853, Mr. Howard was appointed Associate Judge, as
will be seen by the following letter:—
SHERIFF’S OFFICE:
UNITED COUNTIES YORK, ONTARIO AND PEEL,
_27th December, 1852_.
SIR,—I have the honour to inform you that your name is included
in the Commission of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery
to be holden at Toronto in and for the said United Counties, on
Thursday, the 6th day of January, 1853, on which day said
Commission will, be openly read.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your obedient servant,
W. B. JARVIS,
_Sheriff_.
John G. Howard, Esq.
Mr. Howard attended the Sessions for four years, and sat on the Bench
with Chief Justice Robinson, and Judges McLean and Richards. On the 30th
of May, 1855, the Hon. Geo. W. Allan, Mayor, and the members of the
Board of Works appointed a Mr. Kingsford, of Quebec, a great politician,
as City Surveyor in Mr. Howard’s place, after the latter had served the
city faithfully for eighteen years. However Mr. Kingsford was dismissed
at the end of the year. A majority of the aldermen and councilmen
promised to reinstate Mr. Howard as City Engineer in 1856, but he
declined on account of his health. On the 22nd of September, 1855, Mr.
Howard made arrangements with Marquis Rossin to act as consulting
architect and engineer, and to thoroughly inspect the whole of the works
as they progressed in the erection of the Rossin House, and to certify
all accounts as the works progressed. In March, 1856, he resigned his
situation as drawing-master at Upper Canada College, after twenty-three
years’ service. Since Mr. Howard’s retirement from city business, in
1857, he has amused himself by collecting works of art, which he has
since donated to the city of Toronto, and has erected a gallery for
their reception. There are one hundred and twenty-seven pictures, all
handsomely framed and glazed. He has also given to the Public Library a
very handsome donation in the shape of some hundreds of volumes, among
which are the following:—
61 Volumes Illustrated London News.
34 ” The Builder.
18 ” Canadian Illustrated News.
6 ” Ballou’s Pictorial.
2 ” Picturesque America.
4 ” Art Journal.
2 ” Illustrations of Piedmont and Italy.
2 ” Illustrations of Canadian Scenery.
2 ” Illustrations of American Scenery.
2 ” Illustrations of Switzerland.
2 ” Illustrations of Scotland.
2 ” Finderis’ Ports and Harbours of Great Britain.
2 ” Antiquities of Ireland.
2 ” History of Wales.
3 ” Claude’s Liber Veritatis, folio, (_a copy valued in London at
£50_).
3 ” Turner Gallery, folio.
3 ” Allibone’s Dictionary of Authors.
18 ” Graphic.
16 ” Illustrated Times.
34 ” Scientific American.
4 ” Weekly Globe.
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222
As Forest Ranger for High Park for the last ten years, Mr. Howard has
been kept busy in laying out roads, underbushing the land, drawing plans
and specifications, and superintending the erection of pavilions and
other necessary buildings, for which services he receives one dollar per
annum. These buildings were necessary for the convenience of pic-nic
parties visiting High Park. He has also made plans and specifications
for a platform and shelter for passengers visiting High Park by rail at
the eastern entrance of the park, and has paid one hundred dollars out
of his own pocket towards its erection in order to induce the
Corporation to maintain it. He also has plans and specifications
prepared for a canal and wharf or pier, six hundred feet long, into ten
feet water, in front of the said eastern entrance. Mr. Howard’s tomb, of
which we give a view, was erected in 1874 and in 1875, in memory of his
wife and in readiness for himself. The cairn is constructed with granite
boulders. Mrs. Howard was a Scotch lady, which accounts for the cairn.
Mr. Howard was a Masonic Knight Templar, therefore the double pedestal
terminating with the Maltese cross. The consecrated ground on which it
stands is enclosed with some of the old iron railing which surrounded
St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England, for one hundred and sixty years.
The vicissitudes of the railing were curious. After its removal from St.
Paul’s it was purchased by Mr. Robert Mountcastle, of St. John’s Wood,
London, of Mr. J. B. Hogarth, iron merchant, London, and shipped by him
in good condition, on board the steamship _Delta_, for Toronto, 14th
October, 1874. The _Delta_ went ashore five miles below Cape Chat light,
on 8th November. A portion of the railing was recovered from the wreck,
and sent to Montreal in a mutilated state by the salvage men. Mr. Howard
bought it and shipped it to Toronto, where it arrived 21st August, 1875.
After having been repaired by Messrs. W. Hamilton & Son, of the St.
Lawrence Foundry, it was finally fixed on the stone curb where it now
stands, on 18th November, 1875. The cost of erecting the tomb, including
vault and iron railing, amounted to $3,120. The marble pedestal came
from the Rutland quarries, Vermont, U. S., and weighs over ten tons.
Engraved on a brass plate—which is fixed round one of the gate-posts of
the old iron railing—is the following inscription: “Sacred to the
memory of John George Howard and Jemima Frances, his wife. John George,
born 27th July, 1803. Jemima Frances, born 18th August, 1802; died 1st
September, 1877, aged seventy-five years.” On the other gate-post is a
brass plate, bearing a characteristic inscription having reference to
the removal of the old iron railing from St. Paul’s Cathedral.
[Illustration: MR. HOWARD’S TOMB.]
ELIJAH HULL was born in Somersetshire, England, and came to Canada in
1855. He followed the vocation of a gardener, and has been seven years
engaged at the Horticultural Gardens. He is also sexton of St. Peter’s
Church, and resides at the corner of Parliament and Amelia Streets.
SIMON HUMPHREY, builder, is the youngest son of Smith and Sarah
(Greenwood) Humphrey, and was born in the Township of York, in 1821. His
parents came from Providence, Rhode Island, at the conclusion of the War
of 1812, and settled in Canada, locating on a farm of four hundred acres
in the 3rd concession of York Township. The family consisted at that
time of six sons and one daughter, all of whom were born in Providence.
Mr. Humphrey, sen’r, with the assistance of his sons, cleared the land,
and in connection with his farming worked at his trade of carpenter, and
in 1827 erected a saw mill on the River Don, which he operated until his
death, in 1832. Previous to his demise he had removed to Toronto, and,
renting a house on the corner of Wellington and Bay Streets, worked at
his trade, two of his sons occupying the farm. Simon, the subject of
this notice, when eight years of age commenced to attend a school at
Toronto, kept by Mr. S. E. Taylor, and afterwards learned the trade of
builder with his brother-in-law, Robert James; and on completing his
term of apprenticeship started business for himself, which he has ever
since continued.
ISAAC HUTCHINSON was born in York, February, 1824, being the son of
Isaac Hutchinson; his mother was a daughter of John Charlton, of
Cumberland, England. Mr. Hutchinson’s parents came to York in 1818, his
father opening a blacksmith’s shop on the corner of Duke and Ontario
Streets, and also purchased a fifth of an acre of land of what is now
120 Duke Street, which became the family residence, where our subject
was born, in 1824. The old stone building, erected in 1819, is still
standing, the walls of which are two feet thick, the stone being brought
from the lake shore, and is mentioned in Dr. Scadding’s “Toronto of
Old.” Mr. Hutchinson’s father carried on blacksmithing until 1832, when
he died, leaving three sons and three daughters. Our subject was the
youngest son, and the only one now living of the family. He began his
apprenticeship at the age of sixteen as a blacksmith, served three
years, and then five years as journeyman, after which he kept a grocery
store for five years on Yonge Street, near Adelaide. He then moved out
of Toronto for nine years, and on his return engaged in the coal and
wood business until 1880. He belongs to the Methodist Church. In
politics he is a Reformer. His wife was a daughter of John Barron, from
Cumberland, England, by whom he had seven sons and four daughters. In
1835 Mr. Hutchinson and his brother were engaged in burning charcoal for
blacksmithing, on the present site of Carleton Street.
PETER HUTTY, deceased, was born at Cottingham, near Hull, Yorkshire,
England, in 1819, being the only son of a family of four children, born
to Joseph and Mary (Smith) Hutty. His father died in Montreal soon after
they arrived, and his mother then came to York. He went on the farm of
his maternal grandfather, Wm. Smith, who had emigrated from Yorkshire,
England, and settled near Brampton. I. A. Smith was a son of his, who
kept the Yorkshire House here for many years. He remained with his
grandfather until he was seventeen years of age. In 1836 he came to
Toronto, and engaged in a business in St. Lawrence Market, where he
remained many years, carrying on a large business, and engaging in
Government contracts. In 1839 he married Margaret, second daughter of
John Gray, who was born in York in 1796. By his marriage he had a large
family of sons and daughters, most of them living at his death in 1882;
they were educated and brought up at the family residence, corner Yonge
and Cottingham Streets, which street he named after his native place.
For fourteen years Mr. Hutty held a seat in the Yorkville Council, two
or three of which he was reeve, during which he introduced, and carried
against much opposition, the erection of the Town Hall, the Public
School, and allowing the street railroad to cross Bloor Street, all of
which proved of great advantage to the people of Yorkville. He was a
Justice of the Peace for several years. In politics he was a
Conservative. Of a noble, generous disposition, he was respected by all
who knew him.
PATRICK HYNES is the youngest son of Patrick Hynes and Frances (Bergin)
Hynes, who settled with his family in York (now Toronto) in 1831, and
was born in the County Tipperary, Ireland, May 1st, 1830. His father was
a contractor and builder and carried on that business in Toronto until
his death in 1857. The subject of this sketch was educated at St.
Michael’s College, Clover Hill, Toronto, and in early life followed the
business of his father. The elaborate plaster work in Osgoode Hall is a
tribute to his skill and workmanship. In 1863 he was elected Alderman
for St. David’s Ward, which then comprised St. David’s and St. Thomas’
Wards of the present day. He represented that ward for ten consecutive
years, when he resigned to accept the position of one of a special
commission to value the city. In 1864 he was appointed an officer in the
Post-office Department of the Civil Service, which position he has since
held. He is the Captain of No. 6 Company of the reserved Militia (east
Toronto). Mr. Hynes has been twice married; in 1861 to Ellen Augusta,
daughter of Cornelius Spilling and Annie Skelly; and in 1870 to Kate
Jane, youngest daughter of William Kingsley and Ellen Minelian. By the
former wife he has had three, and by the latter six, children, viz.: by
the first, Michael Edward; Ellen Augusta; William Gilbert; by the
second, Katie Frances; Charles Patrick; Frank Kingsley; Florence; Aileen
and Mary Nora; all of whom still survive, except Ellen Augusta, who died
in her first year. In politics Mr. Hynes is a Conservative, and in
religion a Roman Catholic. He is a York Pioneer.
WILLIAM HYNES was born in Queen’s County, Ireland, in 1827. In 1831 he
came to Canada with his parents and family who settled in Toronto (then
Little York). William commenced to work at the age of ten years, and in
due time started business for himself as contractor, which he has since
continued. He married May Spilling, daughter of Cornelius Spilling, by
whom he had the following children, four daughters and three sons: May
Frances; Annie; Nellie and Lillie; P. William; John Francis and Alfred
William Bergin. Mr. Hynes resides at 157 Wilton Avenue.
JEREMIAH IREDALE was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1822. He came to
Toronto in 1832, with his father, who established himself in business as
a glazier and painter. After remaining with his father for some time he
entered the service of Ross, McLeod & Co., dry-goods merchants; A.
Lawrie & Co., and others. He afterwards worked for Hon. J. H. Dunn,
Receiver-General, and for Shaw, Turnbull & Co., dry-goods merchants. For
the past fifteen years he has been in the employ of J. Fleming, 356
Yonge Street, and is now engaged in the same place. Mr. Iredale was a
member of the old fire company, of which his brother John was captain.
SAMUEL IREDALE, retired, was born in Keswick, Cumberland, England, in
1807, his parents being James and Jane (Shaw) Iredale; his grandfather
was Jeremiah Iredale, of Manningham, England. In 1819 his father came to
Canada with his family and settled in Toronto, at the corner of Queen
and Bay Streets, in a building which his son John had built on the lot,
and which is still standing. By trade he was a plumber and glazier;
after he came out here he worked at tinsmithing, which business he
carried on until his death, December 18th, 1845. Ishmael Iredale came to
Canada in 1825, and learned the tin trade with his brother; he then went
to work for Hiram Piper, with whom he stayed for twenty-three years. He
then began tin business for himself on Yonge Street, near Trinity
Square, retiring about seven years ago. Mr. Iredale served in the fire
brigade for thirty-eight years; he is a Reformer and a member of the
Church of England. On July 9th he married Elizabeth Burns, fourth
daughter of Thomas Burns, who had come from Yorkshire, England; by her
he had four sons and five daughters; only two sons are now living, one
of whom keeps a tin shop on the corner of Queen and Bay Streets. He has
a sister living who is ninety-four years of age.
WILLIAM IREDALE, retired, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1826, being
the fourth son of William and Grace (Hollinrake) Iredale. In 1832 he
came to Canada with his parents. His father, who had been a plumber and
glazier in England, engaged in the tin business when he settled in
Toronto, and continued in that line until his death in 1865. The subject
of this sketch was engaged in the last manufacturing business, up to
March, 1879, then having lost an arm by being caught with a belt and
thrown round a shaft in his factory, on Sheppard Street, he retired; his
son now attends to the business. In 1849 he married Rachael, daughter of
William Daniel. Mr. Iredale was a member of the old fire brigade. In
religion he is a Methodist, and in politics a Reformer.
ALDERMAN JOHN IRWIN was born in Ireland, between Vetrinam and Leitrim,
in 1824, and is the eldest son of William and Martha Irwin. In 1850 he
sailed for New York, where he remained a short time, finally coming to
Canada and locating in Toronto for a short period. After spending four
years in Quebec he returned to Toronto, where he has since resided. For
fifteen years he was proprietor of the General Wolfe Hotel, on the
corner of Church and King Streets, and was also engaged in farming eight
years, ten miles out of the city. He was the first man to hitch a horse
to a steam fire engine, having had a contract to furnish the horses for
the fire engines for eighteen years. Mr. Irwin has been in the City
Council the last five years, and for the last eight years has been
living retired. He is a large property owner. In 1856 Mr. Irwin was
married to Jane Henry, daughter of John Henry, by whom he has had two
children.
[Illustration: JOHN JACQUES.]
JOHN JACQUES, Beverley Street, one of the founders of the manufacturing
firm of Jacques & Hay, was born in Cumberland, England, in the year
1804. His father, Thomas Jacques, was educated for the Church, but he
entertained conscientious scruples about signing the Thirty-nine
Articles of Faith, and being possessed of remarkable skill in
mathematics, he became a teacher in Carlisle, and after a successful
career retired to the country, where he died, leaving six children. The
subject of our memoir was then but six years old. He learned the
cabinet-making business in Wigton, but early in life went to London and
acquired a knowledge of his trade which served him so well in after
years. In 1831 he embarked for New York with his mother and sisters, and
after a short stay in that city moved to what was then York, the capital
of Upper Canada. His first employer failed and left him in debt. He was
next employed by the late Mr. Thomas Gilbert, who long resided on the
corner of Bay and Adelaide Streets, after which he entered the service
of a Mr. Maxwell, who, after a time, proposed that he should purchase
his business. While on the way home from the shop one night he met Mr.
Robert Hay, and proposed the partnership which was eventually accepted
and the business taken in hand. Subsequently they erected two stores
west of the _Telegram_ Office, which in course of time proved to be too
small for their large increase of business. They moved their shop to
Front Street, its present site, in 1847. The business gradually
increased until they not only supplied all Canada but built up a large
trade with England and other foreign countries. In 1854 and 1856 they
suffered loss by fire of over two hundred thousand dollars, almost all
they possessed. They soon, however, rebuilt their works upon a larger
scale, and the business grew to its present great dimensions. The
partnership continued from 1838 to 1872, when Mr. Jacques retired with
an ample fortune, which he has since considerably increased by judicious
investments. In politics he has always been a strong Reformer, in
religion a member of St. Andrew’s Church. He is a member of the St.
George’s Society, and a Director of the National Investment Company. He
has only one child, the wife of Mr. John Stewart, of Hamilton, President
of the Bank of Hamilton, and of the Hamilton and North-Western Railway.
Since 1872, Mr. Jacques has lived a quiet life, enjoying the fruits of
his toil.
[Illustration: ROBERT JAFFRAY.]
ROBERT JAFFRAY was the third son of William and Margaret (Heugh)
Jaffray; born at Bannockburn, Scotland, 1832, near which was his
father’s farm, where he passed his early life. When twelve years of age,
by the death of his father, he was thrown upon his own resources. After
attending school at Stirling until the age of fifteen he entered the
service, as an apprentice, of J. R. Dymock, grocer and wine merchant,
Edinburgh, Scotland, where he remained for five years, at the expiration
of which time he came to Canada, arriving in Toronto in the fall of
1852, where he joined his brother-in-law, Mr. J. B. Smith, grocer and
wine dealer, being employed as his manager. The establishment was
situated on the site now occupied by Jaffray & Ryan, corner of Yonge and
Louisa Streets, then the most northern establishment on Yonge Street.
Three years later he became a partner, the business being conducted
under the name of Smith & Jaffray. In 1858 a disastrous fire swept away
Mr. Smith’s lumber yard and sash and door factory, by which they
sustained a great loss. Mr. Smith then retired from the firm. With
industry, combined with perseverance, which will enable a man to
overcome difficulties that actually seem insurmountable (and these
excellent qualities Mr. Jaffray possessed in an eminent degree), he
began to work with renewed energy to repair their commercial interests,
and was ultimately rewarded. Under his efficient management prosperity
crowned his efforts with brilliant success. In 1883 he retired upon a
competency, and the business, which he laboured so long and faithfully
to establish, passed into the hands of the present firm of Mr. George
Jaffray & James Ryan. During the thirty years of Mr. Jaffray’s residence
in Toronto, besides managing his mercantile interests, he has been
identified with many public enterprises of great magnitude. His
indomitable energy, untiring industry, exemplary character; his devoted
attention to every minute detail in business, and abnegation of self in
his studious zeal for the interests of those whom he served caused his
services to be eagerly sought. Under the advice of the late Hon. George
Brown, he was appointed by the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie Director of the
Northern Railroad, in which capacity he served three years in looking
after their interests, the Government being large creditors of that
corporation. From information furnished by Mr. Jaffray, a Royal
Commission was issued by the Government to look into the affairs of the
company, which resulted in a satisfactory settlement of the then
existing claims. He was afterwards chosen a Director of the Midland
Railway, of which board he is at present an efficient member. In 1874 he
took an active part in organizing the Toronto House Building Society
(now the Land Security Company), of which he is Vice-President. He is
also Director of the Toronto Trust Company, Director of the _Globe_
Printing Company, Director of the Sovereign Insurance Company, Director
of the North America Life Insurance Company, Director of the Homewood
Retreat, or Private Asylum for Inebriates and Insane, at Guelph; and
Director of the Midland and North Shore Lumber Company. He is a member
of the Caledonian and St. Andrew’s Societies. In politics Mr. Jaffray
has identified himself with the Reform Party, and although solicited to
accept nomination for civic and parliamentary honours he has declined.
In 1860 he married Sarah, youngest daughter of John Bugg, by whom he has
two sons and two daughters. Immediately after the exciting political
campaign of 1879, one of the most bold and daring attempts on record was
made to kidnap several of the leading men of the Reform Party for the
purpose of extorting from them a large ransom. Among these were the late
Hon. George Brown, Hon. Oliver Mowat and the subject of this sketch.
Through a chain of circumstances the latter was drawn into the snare and
taken from his residence at night upon a pretended arrest, Mr. Jaffray
giving himself up to his captors on their producing a document
purporting to be signed by the Hon. Judge Wilson, acting for the
Minister of Justice at Ottawa, directing him to be immediately brought
to his residence for examination, relative to certain charges of a grave
character. Our subject went with his captors, having no suspicion of
foul play; but instead of being taken to Judge Wilson’s residence, he
was driven to a lonely spot on the east side of the Don and Danforth
Road where it was intended to imprison him in a cave on the bank, which
his captors had previously prepared for his reception. The cave was
discovered by two detectives while searching in the neighbourhood where
the outrage was committed. They found a cavity dug out of the hill on a
farm owned by Mr. Playter, which was capable of accommodating several
persons, under the peculiar circumstances in which they might have been
induced to abide in it. Mr. Jaffray, on alighting from the carriage, and
finding himself the victim of a nefarious plot against his personal
liberty, struggled with his captors and managed to free himself from
them, and awakened the inmates of a house a short distance away, when
his abductors made their escape. The officers of the law at once made
vigorous efforts to solve the mystery, and arrested two young men,
brothers, Thomas and Ross Deal, who were tried; the former was found
guilty of committing the outrage, and was sentenced by Judge Burton to
be confined in the County Jail, at hard labour, for a period of two
years, and to give bonds for his future good behaviour. His accomplice
was discharged. And thus ended one of the boldest plots to deprive
several citizens of their liberty ever recorded in the Province.
SILAS JAMES, Provincial Land Surveyor, was born in the Township of York
in 1834. His father was William James, who was born in the County of
Tyrone, Ireland, in 1801; his mother was born in the Township of York,
and was a daughter of Thomas Johnson, a U. E. Loyalist. They had ten
children, Silas being the fourth. William James was a Justice of the
Peace and a member of the District Council; in politics he was a
Reformer and in religion a Methodist; he died in 1874, his wife having
died many years previous (1855). Silas James came to Toronto in 1854 and
began a course of study with Dennison & Bolton, with whom he remained
four years. For the next five years he was in British Columbia engaged
in the milling and mining business, then he returned to Toronto. From
1867 till 1874 he was County Engineer; he also had charge of the York
Roads. From 1874 until 1880 he was a director of the Toronto House
Building Association; he is a member of the York Pioneer Society. In
1867 Mr. James married the fourth daughter of Richard Sully, of London,
Ont., formerly of Nottinghamshire, England.
THOMAS R. JOHNSTONE, flour and feed merchant, was born in Little York in
1829, on the present site of the Post-office, and is the seventh in a
family of nine children. His father, John Johnstone, came to Canada from
Scotland, about 1798, with his father’s family. His father carried on
the business of a butcher and drover until his death in 1834. He left a
family of four daughters and two sons, as follows: John, living in the
United States; Thomas R.; Almeria; Sarah, dead; Adeline; and Isabela,
married to T. W. Gosford, Aurora. Mr. Thomas R. Johnstone has been
engaged in the flour and feed business since 1882.
CAPTAIN JOHN KEMP, 6 Gerrard Street West, was born on the Canadian side
of the Niagara River, about three miles from the Town of Niagara, in
1802, and was the third son in a family of nine sons and four daughters.
His father, John Kemp, came from the State of New York in 1783, at the
close of the Revolutionary War; he died in 1834. Captain Kemp remained
on his father’s farm until 1826, when he came to Little York and
commenced sailing on the lakes. He first sailed as purser with Wm.
Brecket, who ran the packet between Kingston, Toronto and Niagara; he
afterwards bought an interest in the vessel. He navigated the lakes from
1826 until 1873, the last boat that he was on being the _Paragon_, a
sailing vessel. He married a daughter of George Laird, by whom he has
three daughters and two sons living.
JAMES KIDD, deceased, was born in Ireland about 1809, and came to Canada
in 1826, settling in Toronto, where he remained until his death in 1844.
He was a volunteer during the Rebellion of 1837; and the exposure to
which he was subjected, acting on a constitution not physically strong
brought on a complaint from which he never recovered. His wife was Miss
Catherine Oliver, a native of Ireland also, by whom he had eight
children, only three of whom are now living. Mrs. Kidd died in 1844, in
her eighty-third year. John Kidd, the second son of the above, was born
in Toronto. At an early age he commenced to learn the painting and
decorating trade, which he still continues to follow. He has been a city
tax collector for the last six years, his residence being at 63 Seaton
Street. In 1855 he married Miss Rebecca, daughter of Robert Stanley, an
early settler in Toronto. They have a family of seven children, four
sons and three daughters, all of whom are still living.
JOSIAH BROWN KING, Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ontario Independent
Order of Oddfellows, was born in Hamilton, Ont., July 4th, 1836, his
father being Eleazar King, and his mother Adeline Corrinne Brown. His
father’s people were Lower Canadian French. The early life of our
subject was spent in Niagara, where he learned the trade of carpenter
with his father. He afterwards worked at his trade in Brantford and
Toronto, and subsequently engaged in the hat, cap and fur business in
Brantford, Ont., which he carried on until his removal to Toronto in
1879, the Order requiring his whole time and attention. He was elected
to his present position in August, 1876. He is a Reformer and a member
of Bond Street Congregational Church. His wife was Miss Brockington, of
Plymouth, England.
DR. JOHN S. KING, Toronto, was born at Georgetown, County of Halton,
Ontario, on April 26th, 1843. His father was Stephen King, who was born
in Doontown, Wiltshire, England, in 1813, being the second son in a
family of six sons and two daughters born to James and Alice (Taylor)
King. Stephen King came to Canada in 1833, visited Toronto and was
joined, in 1835, by his father and his family, who located in the
Township of Bayham, County of Elgin. Subsequent to the Canadian
Rebellion he located in Toronto, and was one of the few who formed the
first class at the Congregational College, which was then located on
Yonge Street. The building (a frame one) stood, until last summer, where
Edward’s lumber yard now is. In 1839 Stephen King went to Hamilton, and
in 1842 married Margaret Hess, of German extraction. Her father, Samuel
Hess, came from Pennsylvania, during the War of 1812, and settled in the
Township of Barton, County of Wentworth. Stephen King and wife are both
still living with their son, the Doctor, in Toronto. Dr. John S. King
became a school-teacher when nineteen years of age, and rapidly rose,
soon becoming Principal of the Waterloo Central School; during the first
two years of its existence, he was President of the Waterloo County
Teachers’ Association. Meanwhile he had become a valuable and paid
contributor to various newspapers and periodicals. He gave up teaching
in 1869, and in 1872 became a member of the _Globe_ editorial staff, on
which he continued for three years; he was also for three years Canadian
correspondent of the _Chicago Tribune_, as well as a writer for several
other papers. While writing for the press he began the study of
medicine, and abandoned the press to enter that profession. In 1876 he
became a member of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons. He
subsequently received the degree of M.D. from the University of Victoria
College. In 1881, he was appointed medical officer of the Mercer
Reformatory. In addition to this he has a large and lucrative practice
in Toronto. In 1874 he became a member of the Knights of Pythias, in
which society he rapidly rose. In 1876 he entered the Grand Lodge, and
at the same session was elected Grand Chancellor of the Order of
Ontario; at the three following annual sessions he was re-elected to the
office. In 1877 he was elected a member of the Supreme Grand Lodge, and
is at this writing the Supreme Prelate, or third highest officer in that
society, numbering one hundred and sixty thousand members. He has
likewise held at various times official positions in the following
societies, viz., Freemasons, Oddfellows, A.O.U.W., Select Knights, Sons
of England and Royal Arcanum. He is now one of the Vice-presidents of
St. George’s Society.
SAMUEL LEE, a deceased York Pioneer, was the second son of William Lee,
of Blakefield, Ennescorthy, Wexford County, Ireland. He was born on the
25th December, 1795, and received his education in Dublin. He afterwards
entered the artillery service of the Honourable East India Company, and,
in the companionship of his brother, sailed for Madras in the year 1814.
His battery (No. 3) was in active service continuously for six years,
and during that period Samuel Lee visited the greater portion of the
vast Indian peninsula. While stationed at Dum Dum, he occupied the
Worshipful Master’s chair in lodge “Courage with Humanity,” A. F. and A.
M., and was also a Companion of the Honourable and Ancient Order of Red
Cross Knights. He returned to England in 1827, and thence to his home in
Ireland, from which he had been absent thirteen years. After a stay
there of six years, he set sail for Canada, bringing with him his two
sisters, arriving in New York July, 1833. Two years after his advent he
married Jane Taylor, by whom they had six children, of whom are still
living: P. T. Lee, Newmarket; Joseph R. Lee, Toronto; and Mrs. E. C.
Pomeroy, Le Clare, Iowa. For thirty years Samuel Lee was manager and
financier for John Richey, Esq., builder, and under his management many
of the older churches of the city were erected; as also the Provincial
Lunatic Asylum, Trinity College, Corn Exchange, Holy Trinity Church, St.
George’s Church, Court House, New Fort buildings, the Widmer Hospital,
the original Upper Canada College and Professor’s dwelling, the British
Coffee House and other public and private buildings. He was secretary
and treasurer of the _Leader_ up to the time of its demise. At the time
of the troubles of 1837, he was the first to answer Colonel McLean’s
call for volunteers to defend Toronto against William Lyon Mackenzie’s
irregulars. Mr. Lee died at his residence, Vanauley Street, on January
18th, 1882, after a short illness, in the eighty-seventh year of his
age.
THOMAS H. LEE, importer of watches and jewellery, is the fourth son of a
family of nine sons and eight daughters, born to Joseph Lee by his two
wives, Mary Clark and Maria Shanks. Joseph Lee was born in London,
England, in 1794, and was a ship architect. In 1832 he came to Canada
and settled in Little York, where, after having held several offices,
including that of Alderman, he died August 20th, 1861; his second wife,
who was born in London, England, in 1810, is still living. Joseph Lee’s
father was James Lee; he was an officer in the British army, and served
in the Battle of Waterloo. The subject of this sketch was born in
Montreal in 1832, and was educated at Toronto. In 1856 he began business
in the jewellery line with J. G. Joseph, in the Victoria Block, on King
Street. He is a Conservative in politics, and for twenty-seven years has
been connected with the Freemasons. He married a daughter of Thomas
Bell.
JOHN LEYS, barrister, etc., was born January 27th, 1834, at Pickering,
Ont., and is a son of the late Francis Leys, of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
He studied law with the late Angus Morrison, and in 1855 was admitted to
the bar. He was one of the projectors of the Narrow Gauge Railway, and
has always taken an active interest in railway matters. In politics he
is a Reformer. He twice contested the seat for East Toronto in the Local
Legislature, but was defeated, his opponent on each occasion being the
Hon. Alex. Morris. In 1865 Mr. Leys was married to Helen, only daughter
of the late William Arthurs.
WILLIAM LUMBERS, sen’r, was born at Peterborough, County of Northampton,
England, in 1816, being the only son of James Lumbers. His mother’s
maiden name was Maddison. Mr. Lumbers came to Quebec in 1837, then
travelled through Ontario with a Cornish regiment, in which he had
enlisted for a life term, but he only remained in it about four years
and eight months. He returned to England, with the regiment, in 1841,
and purchased his discharge. During the winter of 1837 the regiment was
on duty in Lower Canada, after which it came to Ontario on foot, one
thousand strong, commanded by Colonel Maitland, who later died at London
(Ont.). Mr. Lumbers participated in the Battle of Point DePlay, when
ninety-three men of his regiment defeated five hundred rebels, killing
eighty of the enemy. After he had procured his discharge he came to
Toronto in June, 1842, and engaged in different occupations, prominent
among which was an immense dairy, consisting of over four hundred cows,
from which he supplied almost the entire city with milk for a period of
ten years. During nearly forty years of his life he made the herbs and
roots of the fields and forest almost his constant study, until he
acquired considerable knowledge of their use and medicinal virtues. He
prepared from these simples invaluable compounds, which he gave
gratuitously to the poor, and all who applied for them, for years. The
demand becoming so great, he decided to bestow on all his fellow-men the
benefit of his years of study and experience. Consequently, in 1881,
taking to assist him his youngest son, Henry, he embarked in the
proprietary medicines business, which enables him to place within the
reach of all those invaluable preparations which cost him years of
labour and study to discover. His family consists of seven sons (all of
whom are engaged in different trades in Toronto, with the exception of
one who resides in Manitoba), and two daughters.
PATARICK MCBRINE was born in Ireland in 1820, and in 1838 emigrated to
Canada and settled in Toronto. He joined the first incorporated
Dragoons, then stationed in this city and commanded by Captain Magrath.
They were shortly afterwards ordered to Kingston, which was at that time
the seat of Government, and while there Mr. McBrine was appointed
mounted orderly to his Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Sydenham.
The troop was discharged at Kingston, from further service, in 1842, and
Mr. McBrine returned to Toronto, settling on Maitland Street, at that
time enjoying the suggestive title of Wood’s bush. Church Street was
then a deep ravine, difficult to cross from one bank to the other. Mr.
McBrine was employed in the Bank of Montreal for nearly thirty years,
and now receives a pension from that institution, having lived retired
since 1878. In 1865 he married Miss Catharine Guthrie, of Toronto, by
whom he had three sons and two daughters.
TIMOTHY MCCARTHY, 194 Sherbourne Street, was born near Killarney, County
Kerry, Ireland, in 1818, arrived in Quebec in May, 1841. After reaching
Kingston he went to Rochester, and returned to Toronto in May, 1842. He
was teacher of the Separate School, Richmond Street East, about three
years, and afterwards kept a grocery store on King Street East. In 1851,
on a strong letter of recommendation from the Hon. Robert Baldwin, he
was appointed by the Hon. Francis Hincks manifest clerk in the long
room, about 10th April, the duties of which he performed about six
weeks. He was then transferred to one of the wharves and appointed
landing waiter, receiving his commission from Lord Elgin. On his first
entrance into the Custom House there was only Collector, Mundell. He was
transferred to the port of Belleville in 1857. Surveyor Scott and Chief
Clerk Cameron, and two landing waiters then comprised his staff. He is
at present officiating under his fourth collector, the Hon. James
Patton, and will have been thirty-four years in that department on 10th
April next, and the oldest Custom House official in the port.
ALEXANDER MCCLELLAND, retired, is a native of Ireland, having been born
in County Tyrone in 1819. He came to Canada in 1844 and landed in
Toronto, where he first engaged in school teaching, following that
occupation for twenty-two years; after which he held the office of
receiver for the Street Railway Company, for several years. He next kept
a grocery, flour and feed store, etc., at 253 King Street East, from
which he retired in 1873. He held the office of city assessor for three
years. In 1844 he married Miss E. McClelland, by whom he has a family of
two sons and two daughters. The Rev. Thomas J. McClelland is pastor of
the First Reformed Presbyterian Church at Brooklyn, N.Y.; the Rev.
Alexander McClelland is located at Duncanville, Ont.
ANDREW TAYLOR MCCORD, jun’r, was born in Toronto on the 14th April,
1848. His father, Andrew Taylor McCord, was born in Cookstown, in the
North of Ireland, on the 12th July, 1808. He emigrated to Canada with
his father, Andrew McCord, who died in Toronto in the year 1851. Three
of Mr. McCord’s sisters are still alive, viz.: Mrs. Peter Freeland, Miss
McCord and Mrs. John Rains. He held the office of city treasurer for
forty-five years, having been appointed in 1834. He was four years
President of the Irish Protestant Benevolent Society, which society
chiefly owes its existence to Mr. McCord, who was one of the
originators. He was for thirty years one of the Vice-Presidents of the
Tract and Bible Society, and also acted as its Secretary for many years.
He was also connected with the Home for Incurables, House of Industry,
Newsboys’ Home, as a director or otherwise. Mr. McCord organized the
first Baptist church here; it was situated on March Street, now Lombard
Street. He was a Justice of the Peace, appointed to that position by the
Mowat administration; in politics he was a Reformer. For nearly thirty
years he lived at the north-east corner of Church and Gloucester
Streets, when he died September 5th, 1881, leaving a wife, six daughters
and one son. Mrs. McCord, the wife of our subject, is the daughter of
the late Andrew Taylor, of Dublin, Ireland, a large ship-owner. He ran
the first line of steamers between Dublin and Glasgow. She was born on
the 17th of March, 1814, and resides with her son, Mr. A. T. McCord,
jun’r, at the old family residence on the corner of Gloucester and
Church Streets.
S. EDWARD MCCULLY, M.D., Ontario Pulmonary Institute. The proprietor of
this institute was born in the County of Kent, Province of Ontario, in
the year 1841. Dr. McCully received his education in Toronto, and his
degree of M.D. from the University of Victoria College in the year 1862.
His grandfather went to Nova Scotia from Scotland in the year 1776, and
was a Baptist minister well-known from one end of that Province to the
other, being one of the founders of the now large Baptist body there. He
raised a large family, some of whom became farmers, some lawyers and one
a Liverpool lumber merchant. Among the more notable of the family was
the Honourable Jonathan McCully, who for a quarter of a century served
his country in the positions, at various times, of Attorney-General of
Nova Scotia and Solicitor-General;[1] also as one of the Confederation
Delegates from that Province to Quebec, and lastly to London, England.
When Confederation became a _fait accompli_, he was called to the Senate
of Canada, and lastly was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of his
Province, holding that position till his death. He was taken ill while
sitting on the Bench, and died shortly afterwards in harness. Dr.
McCully’s mother was born in Halifax, and had the honour, with her
father, to be the first to board the _Shannon_ as she swung up to the
dock at Halifax with the _Chesapeake_ in tow, and the old lady can yet
give a vivid account of the scene of blood and carnage that met her eye
on that memorable occasion. In the year 1834, the doctor’s father and
mother started from Cumberland, N.S., for Canada, and after an eventful
voyage, first to Boston and then to Buffalo, they arrived in the County
of Kent, where they hewed out a home from the then almost unbroken
forest, and where the old gentleman died, a few years ago, at the ripe
age of seventy-two. Many were the vicissitudes through which they passed
during the earlier stages of their pioneer life; among others an attack
by Indians set on by the U. E. Loyalists, when the mother of the subject
of this review upset a beehive just in front of the house, causing the
dusky warriors, amid howls of pain and terror, to beat a hasty retreat
before the foe. Dr. McCully is now practising as a specialist, and is
treating chronic, skin, blood and nervous diseases and deformities, as
well as throat and lung. He has a large and comfortable place on the
corner of Jarvis and Gerrard Streets, in this city, and is using
electricity in all its forms known to the medical profession. He takes
his patients into the house, now known all over Canada as the Ontario
Pulmonary and Electric Institute, and his is the only sanatorium of the
kind in Canada. He is of the advanced school of thought, using
inhalations in lung diseases and removing cancers, not only by the knife
but also by the plaster and solution by electricity. He has also
discovered recently an absolute cure for rupture without using knife or
truss.
[1] He was appointed Puisne Judge before Confederation, but at the call
of his party resigned his seat and again entered active political life.
JOHN MCGANN, hotel-keeper, Toronto, was born in Little York in 1829. His
father, Patrick McGann, was born in Sligo, Ireland, in 1782, and in 1816
came to Canada and located at Kingston, where he married Betsy Wair, by
whom he had the following children: Charles, dead; Thomas, dead; Edward,
a farmer in the Township of Scarboro’; and one daughter who died in
infancy. These children were all born in Little York, whither the
parents removed from Kingston in 1820. Patrick McGann engaged in
business on King Street, near Sherbourne, until 1832, when both he and
his wife died of cholera. After his father’s death John McGann was kept
at school by his aunt and uncle. In 1849 he commenced sailing on the
lakes between Kingston and Chicago, and continued at that until 1869
when he engaged in business as ship-broker. He afterwards opened an
hotel and still carries on that business. In politics Mr. McGann is a
strong Conservative.
THOMAS MCGAW (of McGaw & Winnett), proprietors of the Queen’s Hotel, was
born in the Township of Whitby, County of Ontario, in 1833. His father,
Thomas McGaw, was born in Cairn Ryan, Wigtonshire, Scotland, in 1792,
and came to Canada in 1832; he settled in the Township of Whitby where
he resided until his death in 1878; his wife is living in Toronto, and
is ninety years of age. He was a Baldwin Reformer; during the Rebellion
he was arrested but afterwards released. The subject of this sketch
lived on his father’s farm until the year 1850, when he went into a
country store, subsequently in 1859 to the United States, where he
remained until the Trent affair, when he returned to Toronto and joined
the Victoria Rifles. In 1862 he came to Toronto and engaged in business
at the Queen’s Hotel with the late Captain Dick, owner of the building.
It was at first intended for four private residences; it afterwards
became Knox College, then Sword’s Hotel, and lastly the Queen’s. Mr.
McGaw married a daughter of Captain William Gordon, who ran the old lake
steamer _Admiral_, and who died of cholera in 1847.
JOHN MCINTOSH, lumber merchant, was born January 30th, 1826, in Little
York. His father was John, son of John McIntosh, who was born in
Scotland in 1754, and came to Canada in 1801 with his wife, whose maiden
name was Ann Ferguson, and his children, Nancy, John, Jane, Robert and
Jean, all of whom are now dead. His grandfather remained at Quebec for
two years, and in 1803 located at Little York, where, on the corner of
Duke and Princess Streets, he worked at his trade, that of a blacksmith.
He purchased from the Hon. John McGill a lot on the corner of Yonge and
Queen Streets, containing one and a-half acres, for which he paid $400;
on this he built a house. After coming to Canada there were born to him
six children, viz.: Isabel, Eliza, William, Charles, Jean and David; of
these the only living ones are Isabel, now Mrs. Elliott, living at
Highland Creek; and David, living in Fulton, Calvin County, Missouri. He
died January 29th, 1830; his wife died in 1814. John McIntosh, the
father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Scotland in 1796.
After coming to Toronto with his parents he went to school to the late
Bishop Strachan. He and his brothers married and sailed the lakes for
many years. A short time after the war of 1812, he and his brother James
owned a vessel called the _Brothers_; Robert and William sailed with
them until they got a vessel of their own. In the fall of 1833, Charles
built the steamer _Cobourg_, which he ran between Toronto and Montreal;
he died of cholera in 1834, and was followed by his brother James one
week later. John served in the war of 1812, and was present at the
capitulation of Detroit. He was also in the militia at the time York was
taken by the Americans. He was a Baldwin Reformer, and was chairman of
the Reform Committee at the time when William Lyon Mackenzie went to
England to lay the grievances of the people before the British
Government. For eight years he represented the North Riding of York in
the Parliament of Upper Canada. He was twice married. In 1823 he was
married to Catharine, daughter of Rev. Alexander Stewart, the first
Baptist minister in Little York; she was born in Scotland, and came to
Canada in 1813 with her father; she died February 10th, 1832. By her Mr.
McIntosh had five children, viz.: Catharine, John, Ann Jane, James, and
another, who died in infancy. In the year 1833 he married a widow, named
Ellen Ferguson, by whom he had seven children: Isabel, Robert, Ellen,
Eliza, James, Charles and Margaret. In religion Mr. McIntosh was a
Protestant. His first wife was a Baptist. He died in Toronto on July
3rd, 1853. John McIntosh, whose father and grandfather bore the same
name, was born in Little York, January 30th, 1826. He was educated at
the primary schools and at Upper Canada College. In 1847 he began a
three years apprenticeship with Isaac White as builder. In 1849 he
entered mercantile life by opening an agricultural implement and
hardware store on Yonge Street, in partnership with Samuel Walton. He
continued this for five years, when he entered Patterson’s hardware
store. In 1869 he engaged in the lumber business, and has been at that
ever since. On August 18th, 1853, he married Isabella Walton, youngest
daughter of Matthew Walton, by whom he has five children living, viz.:
Anna, Isabella, Adele, Alice and Lillian; he lost six children by death.
In religion Mr. McIntosh is a Baptist, and in politics a Reformer.
ARCHIBALD MCKINLAY, 94 Gloucester Street, was born in the State of South
Carolina, in 1817, and is the son of John and Esther (Jackson) McKinlay.
In early life he had the advantage of a good education and was the
youngest son in a family of five children, none of whom except himself
came to Canada. He arrived here in 1856 and joined Mr. O. T. Bevan in a
general manufacturing business for four years, subsequently entering
largely into the lumber trade. In 1878 Mr. McKinlay purchased a farm in
the Township of West York, part of lot 27, concession 2, and is at
present engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1857 he bought the property
where he resides, his residence having been erected by Lavens Newsome.
He is a member of the English Church, and was for many years treasurer
of the Temperance Society of Yorkville. In politics he is a Reformer.
Mr. McKinlay is the only surviving member of his father’s family. He
married before he came to Canada, and has only one son; he is engaged in
the window shade manufacturing.
WILLIAM MCLAREN, D.D., Professor of Systematic Theology, Knox College;
residence, 73 St. George Street. Dr. McLaren is a native of Canada. He
was born in the Township of Torbolton, in the County of Carleton, and is
the fifth son of David McLaren, who was born at Drumlochey, Perthshire,
Scotland, in 1789. His mother, Elizabeth Barnet, was born at
Auchterarder, Perthshire, in 1788. His parents were married on 6th
January, 1817, and after residing some years in Glasgow, came to Canada
in 1822, and settled for a short time at Richmond, Ont. They then
removed to Torbolton, on the banks of the Ottawa, where William was
born. Subsequently Mr. David McLaren removed to Wakefield, Quebec, where
he died in 1869; his wife following him six years later. He was by
occupation a farmer, mill-owner and merchant, having been for a number
of years associated with two of his sons in the well-known lumbering
firm of James McLaren & Co., Wakefield and Ottawa. William McLaren
received his preliminary education in the Grammar School, Ottawa, and in
the Toronto Academy, an institution which, owing to changes in the
educational system of the Province, was subsequently closed. His college
training was secured in Knox College, which at that time gave both a
Theological and an Arts course. He also attended certain classes in the
University of Toronto, although it was not then on its present liberal
basis. On 1st June, 1853, he was ordained by the Presbytery of London,
in connection with the Presbyterian Church of Canada, and was inducted
into the charge of the church at Amherstburg, Ont. Here he entered upon
his responsible duties with zeal and earnestness, and met with an
encouraging measure of success. In 1857 he moved to Boston, Mass.,
having received a call from Knox Church, Beacon Street, now known as
Columbus Avenue Presbyterian Church. The congregation was then in
connection with the Presbytery of Montreal. This connection having been
found inconsistent, it was, on his advice, dissolved, and the
congregation was transferred to the Presbyterian Church in the United
States, and Mr. McLaren returned to Canada. After receiving various
invitations to important spheres of labour, Mr. McLaren accepted a call
to the John Street Presbyterian Church, Belleville, where he laboured
with success until 1870, when he was called to the pastorate of Knox
Church, Ottawa. During his residence in Ottawa he held, by appointment
of the General Assembly for the Session of 1872, the position of
Lecturer on Apologetics in the Presbyterian College, Montreal. In 1873
he was appointed, by the same body, to the chair of Systematic Theology
in Knox College, and as a professor has achieved success in his Alma
Mater. In 1883 the University of Queen’s College, Kingston, conferred on
Prof. McLaren the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Dr. McLaren has always
taken an active interest in the missionary operations and in the general
work of the Church, and was for sixteen years convener of its Foreign
Mission Committee. He is at present Moderator of the General Assembly,
that body having conferred on him the highest honour in its gift, by
electing him to that office in June, 1884. In 1854 Dr. McLaren married
Miss Marjory Laing, third daughter of James R. Laing, of Middrie Park,
Melbourne, Quebec. He has living one son, David, a Licentiate of the
Presbyterian Church, and one daughter, Elizabeth Barnet, now Mrs. Arthur
Mowat.
COLONEL NEIL MCLEAN, late of St. Andrews, in the County of Stormont,
Upper Canada, was born at Mingary, in the Island of Mull, in the year
1759. At an early age he served as ensign and lieutenant in the Royal
Highland Emigrants, or 84th Regiment. The regiment was disbanded after
the American Revolution, and Mr. McLean placed on half-pay on the 24th
of June, 1784. In 1796 he was made Captain in the Royal Canadian
Volunteers and served in Montreal, Quebec and York, until that corps was
disbanded. He was then appointed Sheriff of the Eastern District, and in
1812 he was again in active service as Colonel of the Stormont Militia
and Commandant of the District, taking part in the Battle of Chrysler’s
Farm. After the war he was appointed Legislative Councillor of Upper
Canada. He married the youngest daughter of John McDonell, of Leek, who,
with his two brothers, McDonells of Coulaquhi and Aberholder, emigrated
from Scotland with a number of their dependents and clansmen to the
British possessions in America. When the Rebellion broke out the
brothers remained true to their country, and leaving their property on
the Mohawk River made their way through the wilderness to Canada. John
McDonell, of Leek, died in Montreal and was buried under the parish
church. Colonel McLean had three sons and five daughters, the sons were
John, Archibald and Alexander. John, the eldest, was at one time Sheriff
of Frontenac, and subsequently Registrar of the Counties of Glengarry,
Stormont and Dundas; he served through the War of 1812. Alexander, the
third son, also served through the war, being severely wounded when
leading the attack at Ogdensburg. He was for some years member for
Stormont and Commandant of the Eastern District; he died at Cornwall in
1875, aged eighty-two years. Colonel McLean’s second son, Archibald, was
born at St. Andrews, on the 15th of April, 1791, and was educated in
Cornwall at the celebrated Dr. Strachan School. When sixteen years of
age he went to York and studied law with Mr. Firth, the then
Attorney-General. In 1812 he got a commission in the 3rd York Militia,
and was wounded at Queenston Heights while assisting Lieutenant-Colonel
McDonell (Aide-de-Camp to General Brock), who, when wounded, called to
him, “Archy, help me!” Owing to delay in extracting the ball, Mr.
McLean’s life was for a time despaired of, and for several months he
could not return to his duty. Mr. McLean was in York when it was taken
by the Americans. He carried the colours of the 3rd York Militia to a
place of safety, burying them in the woods behind Mr. McGill’s house,
the site where now stands the Metropolitan Church; he made good his
escape and reported himself at Kingston. After this he raised a company
for the incorporated military from among the Highlanders of Glengarry.
He commanded this company at Lundy’s Lane, where he was taken prisoner,
and was detained, part of the time in close confinement, until the end
of the war. After peace was proclaimed, declining a commission offered
him in the regular army, he resumed the study of the law under Dr.
Baldwin, father of the late Hon. Robert Baldwin, and was called to the
bar in 1815. He then established himself in Cornwall, where he continued
to reside until his appointment to the Bench, in 1837. He married Miss
Joan McPherson, a daughter of John McPherson, Esq., of Three Rivers. In
1817 Mr. McLean was retained by the North-West Company to take evidence
relating to the difficulties between the North-West Fur Company and the
Hudson’s Bay Company, which difficulties had led to the killing of
Governor Semple and his men. The long journey to the Red River had to be
made by canoe and the party suffered a good deal of hardship, the
scarcity of provisions compelling them to live for three weeks entirely
upon catfish. The object of this journey was, however, accomplished. In
1820 he was elected to the Parliament of Upper Canada from the County of
Stormont, and continued a member of the House until 1837, when he was
appointed to the Bench, having been twice Speaker of the House. In 1825
he went to England to press the claims for pensions of those who had
served during the War of 1812 and succeeded in having these claims
allowed. On being called to the Bench in 1837 he came with his family to
Toronto, arriving here about a month before the breaking out of the
Rebellion. A few days before that event, in conversation with some of
his brother judges, he expressed his fears that there would be trouble.
“Oh,” said one of them, “McLean, you are afraid.” “Yes,” he said, “I am
afraid we will be caught napping,” and sure enough there was not a
soldier in the town when Mackenzie assembled his force at Montgomery’s
Hill. When the bells rang out the alarm, he, with his eldest son, John,
took his horses, and going to the old fort, they got artillery harness,
and, lumbering up a twelve-pounder, drove to the City Hall, where the
loyal people were assembling. As they drove up, the word went through
the hall: “Here come the rebels,” and a hundred guns were levelled, when
fortunately they were recognized by Chief Justice Robinson, who told the
men who they were. In the attack on Montgomery’s Hill, Judge (Colonel)
McLean commanded the left wing. He was afterwards sent to Washington
with despatches to the British Minister, and when _en route_ would have
been taken as a hostage by the sympathizers (Mackenzie being then on
Navy Island), had it not been for the care of his warm personal friend,
though political adversary, Marshall S. Bidwell, who, with some of the
leading people of Rochester, kept watch to prevent any attempt to seize
him. His career on the Bench is one of the traditions of the Law
Society. His judgment in the celebrated Anderson case having excited
more popular feeling and gratitude than any judgment ever delivered in
Canada. On the retirement of Sir John Robinson, Judge McLean was
appointed Chief Justice of Upper Canada, and in 1863 he was made
President of the Court of Appeal. He died on the twenty-fourth day of
October, 1865, in his seventy-fifth year. At the request of the Law
Society, and the profession generally, his funeral was a public one. In
commenting on his death, the _Upper Canada Law Journal_ wrote as
follows: “The manner of the late President of the Court of Appeal upon
the Bench was dignified and courteous. Unsuspicious, and utterly devoid
of anything mean or petty in his own character, his conduct to others
was always what he expected from them. The profession generally, the
young student as well as the old practitioner, will long remember with
affection his courtesy and forbearance in Chambers and on the Bench;
others will think of him as an entertaining and agreeable companion and
a true friend; while others will call to mind the stately form of the
old Judge as he approached and entered St. Andrew’s Church, where he was
a constant and devout attendant, rain or sunshine, until his last
illness which terminated in death. Archibald McLean was a man of
remarkable and commanding presence; tall, straight and well-formed in
person, with a pleasant, handsome face, and a kind and courteous manner,
he looked and was every inch a man and a gentleman. He belonged to a
race, most of whom have now passed away, the giants of Canada’s early
history. He was one of those honest, brave, enduring, steadfast men,
sent by Providence to lay the foundation of a country’s greatness. The
funeral cortege proceeded to the Necropolis, where amidst the sorrow of
all who knew him were deposited the mortal remains of the Honourable
Archibald McLean; the brave soldier; the upright judge; and the
Christian gentleman.” Mrs. McLean, who survived him, came of Highland
descent, her grandfather being the man who accompanied Dr. Cameron
(brother of Locheil), his first cousin, to Scotland after the
forty-five. Dr. Cameron was taken and was the last man executed. Her
grandfather was pardoned and offered a commission, which he declined. He
emigrated to Canada and assisted in the defence of Quebec, being one of
the defenders of the Sault-aux-Matelot, when Montgomery was killed; one
of his sons was killed during the siege. He was offered payment for his
services and for his house, which was burned by a shell, but the old
Highlander replied, “I take nothing from the House of Hanover.” Mrs.
McLean died in the year 1870, leaving seven children surviving her, four
sons and three daughters; of the sons, John Neil, the eldest, died at
Prescott, Ontario, in 1875; Archibald George is a barrister in Toronto;
Thomas Alexander was an officer in the Queen’s Own at Ridgeway, and
subsequently raised and commanded the Toronto Garrison Battery. He is
now Registrar of the Calgary District, N. W. T., and the youngest, Neil,
is manager of the Branch Bank of Montreal, in Brockville, Ontario. The
family still hold the old homestead on Catharine Street, Toronto.
THE HONOURABLE WILLIAM MCMASTER, who to-day stands in the front rank of
Toronto’s prominent citizens, was born in the County of Tyrone, Ireland,
on the 24th December, 1811. After receiving a sound education at a
private school, he bade farewell to home, friends and country and set
sail from Londonderry in 1833, bound for New York, leaving for Toronto
in the same year, and entered upon his brilliant business career as a
clerk in the wholesale and retail house of Robert Cathcart. His business
tact and great ability were not long in making themselves known to his
employer, and in 1834 Mr. Cathcart gave him a partnership in the
business. This continued for ten years, when Mr. McMaster decided to
launch out into business for himself. He accordingly opened out a
wholesale dry goods house, and, by his industry, extended his business
so thoroughly that there were few merchants in Western Ontario who were
not his customers. The business increasing he found it necessary to move
to larger premises, which he built adjoining the Bank of Montreal. The
style of the firm was now William McMaster & Nephews. After a few years
it was again found necessary to increase their premises. They
accordingly erected the large and commodious warehouse on Front Street,
now occupied by A. R. McMaster & Brother, the firm which succeeded the
old one on the retirement of Mr. McMaster, who decided to turn his
attention to financial affairs. Since his retirement from the wholesale
dry-goods trade, Mr. McMaster has found a sphere in which his fine
abilities have produced as good fruit as they did in commercial life. He
was foremost among those who organized the Bank of Commerce, and is one
of the principal stockholders. On the incorporation of the Bank he was
elected its first President, and has held that position for more than
twenty years. He has also held other responsible positions. Among these
are Director of the Bank of Montreal; Director of the Ontario Bank;
President of the Freehold Loan and Savings Company; Vice-president of
the Confederation Life Association and Director of the Isolated Risk and
Farmers’ Insurance Company. For several years Mr. McMaster was Chairman
of the Canadian Board of the Great Western Railway, and was the only
member retained by the English Board upon the Canadian Board being
abolished. In politics Mr. McMaster is a Liberal, but took no active
part until 1862. In that year he was elected to represent, in the
Legislative Council, the Midland Division, comprising the counties of
South Simcoe and North York. Up to the year 1856 the members of the
Legislative Council had received their appointments from the Crown, but,
by a change made in the Constitution in that year, the elective system
was introduced, the members to hold office for eight years. Mr. McMaster
was at first reluctant to contest the seat, but, when pressed by his
friends, yielded, and going into the contest with his usual vigour and
energy was returned by a large majority. Before the term for which he
was elected had elapsed Confederation took place and the Legislative
Council passed away, to be succeeded by the Senate. By Royal
Proclamation in May, 1867, Mr. McMaster was one of the Senators called
to represent Ontario. In 1865 he was appointed a member of the Council
of Public Instruction, and until 1875 he continued to represent, at the
Board, the Baptist Church, of which he is a prominent member. In 1873
the Lieutenant-Governor nominated him a member of the Senate of Toronto
University. The Canadian Literary and Theological Institute, originally
at Woodstock, owes its existence to Mr. McMaster. He contributed $12,000
to the building fund, and constantly assisted the Institute by generous
donations. This valuable institution was afterwards removed to Toronto,
where a magnificent building, known as McMaster Hall, has been built,
Mr. McMaster contributing $60,000 toward its erection. The Jarvis Street
Baptist Church is another monument to the liberality of this great
friend of education and religion. The joint contribution of Mr. McMaster
and his wife to the building fund of this costly and handsome structure
is $60,000. Nor are these donations the extent of his generosity. The
Upper Canada Bible Society, a non-sectarian institution, of which he is
Treasurer, and the Superannuated Ministers’ Society of the Baptist
Church of Ontario, enjoy his support, both by donations and personal
services. Mr. McMaster has been twice married; in 1851 to Mary
Henderson, of New York City, who died in 1868, and in 1871 to Susan
Molton, widow of the late James Fraser, of Newburgh, N.Y.
ALBERT A. MACDONALD, M.B., 202 Simcoe Street, is the son of the late
Judge Archibald Macdonald, of Guelph, and grandson of the late Captain
Macdonald of the 25th Regiment. He was born at Cobourg in 1851, and was
educated at Guelph and at Toronto University, where he graduated in
1872. He then visited the medical schools of Great Britain, chiefly
those in London and Edinburgh. He was afterwards elected a Fellow of the
Obstetrical Society of London and became a Licentiate of the Royal
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Edinburgh. In 1873 he commenced
active practice in Guelph, continuing until 1878 when he removed to
Toronto where he has had extensive surgical experience. He is Surgeon to
the Orphans’ Home, Surgeon on the active staff of the General Hospital
and Consulting Surgeon to the Infants’ Home. He is also examiner for a
number of insurance companies and is Medical Referee for Ontario for the
Equitable Life Insurance Company of New York. Dr. Macdonald received a
military training under the 29th and 60th Regiments, and took first
class certificates at both the infantry and artillery schools, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, R.A. In 1872 he was appointed Surgeon to
the Wellington Field Battery, and was afterwards transferred to a
similar position in the Toronto Field Battery which he now holds.
W. H. MACDONALD, M.D., M.R.C.S., England; L.R.C.P. & S., Edinburgh, 422
Church Street, is a native of Inverness, Scotland. His father, Graham
Macdonald, was a farmer in that country, came to Canada in 1856, and
took up land in the County of Halton, where he now resides. Dr.
Macdonald was educated at Trinity College, Toronto, and in 1883
graduated at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Edinburgh,
and the same year in the Royal College of Surgeons, England. In 1883 he
commenced practice in Toronto. He was one of the resident staff, Toronto
General Hospital, in 1881-2, and Gold Medallist, Trinity Medical
College, 1882.
H. T. MACHELL, M.D., was born in Aurora, Ontario, 1850. He was educated
at Markham Grammar School. In 1873 he took his M.D. degree at Toronto
University, and afterwards attended the Bellevue Hospital, New York, for
some time. The years 1874-5 he spent in Great Britain, attending the
colleges and hospitals in England and Scotland. Returning to Canada he
settled down at his present address, No. 320 Spadina Avenue, where he
has built up a very good practice. Dr. Machell married Miss Emily
Broughall, daughter of the Rev. A. J. Broughall, Rector of St. Stephen’s
Church, Toronto.
JAMES G. MALCOLM was born in the Township of Scarboro’, April 26th,
1840. His parents, Archibald and Elizabeth (Waddell) Malcolm, came to
Canada from Scotland with seven children in 1834; his father had been
three times married in Scotland. The family settled in the Township of
Scarboro’, where the father bought two hundred acres of land in the 6th
concession, where he died in 1866. The subject of this sketch left home
in 1865, after having learned the trade of a carpenter, and went to
Sharon, Pa., where he worked at his trade and where, in 1868, he was
married to Laura A. Reeves, by whom he has two sons and one daughter. He
was also living in Chicago at the time of the great fire. In 1874 he
returned to Canada and settled at Toronto, where he shortly afterwards
patented the Climax refrigerator; he sold the patent to Brice Bros., who
are now making a large amount of money out of it. Mr. Malcolm built
three large refrigerators for the new Canada Pacific Railway steamers,
the _Algoma_, the _Alberta_ and the _Athabaska_. Mr. Malcolm is a member
of the A.F. and A.M. He has in his possession a very old Masonic emblem.
It is a clasp which belonged to Malcolm, third King of Scotland, 1057.
Mr. Malcolm is a great curler and belongs to the Toronto Curling Club.
ROBERT MALCOLM, saddle and harness-maker, was born in Glasgow, Scotland,
in 1832, being the seventh in a family of ten sons and five daughters.
He came to Canada with his parents in 1834. His father, Archibald
Malcolm, had been a farmer in Lanarkshire until he was twenty-five; he
then spent his next twenty-five years in Harvey & Co.’s wholesale silk
warehouse, Glasgow. After coming to Canada he engaged in farming in the
Township of Scarboro’ where he resided until the time of his death, in
1861, in his seventy-seventh year. His wife was a daughter of the late
William Waddel, of Boness, Scotland; she died in 1884 in her
eighty-seventh year. Robert Malcolm remained on his father’s farm until
1848, when he came to Toronto and learned his trade with the late
William Gibson in East Market Square. He then carried on business in
Scarboro’ for a short time, removing to Toronto in 1853, where he has
continued in business ever since. Mr. Malcolm is a Presbyterian, and a
Liberal in politics. In 1854 he married Ann, eldest daughter of the late
George Cummings. Mrs. Malcolm’s mother is still hale and hearty at
eighty-six, and can read the smallest print without glasses. Robert
Malcolm is an enthusiastic curler, and is connected with the Grand
National Curling Club of America, and also with the Ontario branch of
the Caledonian Curling Club of Scotland.
THOMAS MARA, retired, was born in the town of Carrick-on-Shannon,
Leitrim, Ireland, in 1808, and is the third in a family of four sons and
two daughters. His parents were Andrew and Mary (McMann) Mara; they died
in Ireland; his father was a farrier. In 1832 Thomas Mara came to
Canada, and having learned shoemaking in Ireland worked at that trade in
Toronto, with Thomas Griffiths, for two or three years. He then opened a
shop for himself at 244 King Street West, which he continued for about
ten years. Then for thirty-five years he was engaged in buying real
estate, he has now retired from business. Two of his brothers, John and
Andrew, came out in 1842; both are now dead. John’s family is living on
Grange Avenue. In 1835 Mr. Mara married the eldest daughter of Robert
Stephens, of the Township of Nelson, by whom he has the following
children, viz.: Susan, married J. Hollinrake, of Milton; William, lives
in St. Louis, Mo.; Thomas, lives in Milton; Margaret, widow of J.
Hickman, lives in Toronto; Henry S., is a real estate broker on Toronto
Street; Sarah, married Alderman J. Brandon, Toronto; Mary Jane lives at
home. Mr. Mara served under Captain Ross in the Rebellion, and was a
member of the old fire brigade for fifteen years, and captain for seven
years. He was a member of the City Council in 1845-6. In religion he is
a Methodist, and in politics a Conservative; he is a member of the Irish
Protestant Benevolent Association.
WILLIAM P. MARSTON was born in the County of Kent, England, in 1820, and
came to America in 1832. He remained in the States until 1851, after
which he removed to Toronto and located on Yonge Street, where he
conducted a gun business for twenty-eight years. He was the first in
this line of trade who carried on this business successfully for so long
a period, and was the only one who manufactured guns in Canada. He
retired from business in 1879, and has since resided at 99 Alexander
Street.
THEODORE HENRY AUGUSTUS MARTENS, professor of music, 37 Charles Street,
was born in Hamburg, Germany, where he received his first musical
education under Charles Kolling, and in 1864 went to the Royal
Conservatoire of Music in Leipsic to continue his studies under
Moscheles, Carl Reinecke, Plaidy, etc., and the great canonicus, Dr.
Hauptman. Here he pursued his studies with such earnestness and
diligence that he was awarded the Mendelssohn Prize which he carried off
out of one hundred and fifty contestants, and graduated with honour and
full diploma in 1867. At the end of 1868 he came to New York where he
made his first appearance in Steinway Hall, in one of Theodore Thomas’
symphony concerts. Shortly afterwards he was engaged as Pianist by the
great Violinist, Ole Bull, to travel with him through the United States,
and in 1869 came to Canada. While in Halifax he had the honour of
performing before His Royal Highness Prince Arthur of England. He held
the Professorship of the Sackville Academy for three years, after which
he was three years organist of Holy Trinity at St. John, N. B. Returning
to Germany for a few months he came back to Canada and settled in
Toronto, and has since been a resident.
JOHN MARTIN was born in Simcoe County, Ontario, November 8th, 1840, and
settled in Toronto in 1856, when he became a messenger boy for the
Exchange Bank, remaining there until its failure. He attended the
Military School where he received a first grade certificate in 1866. For
several years he was book-keeper for the late Robert Wilkes. In 1872 he
was admitted to the bar as an attorney and barrister and now practises
his profession at 46 Church Street.
JOHN M. MARTIN, machinist, Parkdale, was born in Toronto in 1849. His
parents, James and Mary (Moodie) Martin, were both born in Dundee,
Scotland, and came to Canada in 1848, when he settled in Toronto. His
father became foreman in the mechanical shop of the Grand Trunk Railway
and superintended the construction of the first engine run on that road.
John M. Martin was educated in the public schools. When he was twelve
years of age he began to learn his trade, at which he has ever since
worked. In 1871 he married Harriet Bright, who was born in Toronto,
April 22nd, 1853.
JAMES MATHEWS, proprietor of the Robinson House, and ship-owner, was
born in the Township of Pickering in 1823, being the second son in a
family of seven children. His parents, John and Hannah (Peak) Mathews,
came from St. John, N. B., and landed at Ashbridge’s Bay, there being
only three small houses in York then. They settled on two hundred acres
of land in Pickering, being lot 12 in the 2nd concession. He worked on
the farm until his death in 1878, aged eighty-five years. During the War
of 1812 he fought at Lundy’s Lane, Queenston Heights, Detroit and
Sandwich, for which he received four medals; he stood within six feet of
General Brock when he fell and assisted in carrying him off the field.
At his death he left four children: William, Elizabeth, James and John.
James Mathews resided on his father’s farm until 1847. He came to
Toronto in 1854, and opened the International Hotel. He spent a year in
Oil Springs, and returning to Toronto in 1861 engaged in his present
business. He is a Reformer and a Methodist, and takes an active part in
temperance work, being Vice-President of the Temperance Reformation
Society. In 1849 he married Charlotte C., eldest daughter of Samuel
Thorold, of Niagara, Ontario.
N. MAUGHAN, Assessment Commissioner for this city, is a native of
Northumberland, England, and came to Canada in 1832, with his people, at
the age of ten years. His parents died the year of their arrival here;
his father on the journey at Lockport, New York. Our subject in his
youth learned the trade of carpenter, and resided at the suburban
Village of Eglinton. He followed building and contracting for many years
in and about Toronto, up to 1869, when he moved into the city, and in
1872 he became identified with the Assessment Department. In 1877 he was
appointed Assessment Commissioner, which he has since retained. In 1843
he married Sophia Riley, a native of Prescott, Ontario, whose father was
formerly from the County of Cavan, Ireland, her mother being the
daughter of Colonel Drummond, an officer in the regular army, who was
instrumental in settling the Scotch Pioneers in that region. His family
consists of three sons and two daughters.
FRANCIS H. MEDCALF, deceased, son of William Medcalf, was born in the
County of Wicklow, Ireland, in 1803, being the eldest in a family of ten
children. In 1819 he came to Canada with his parents, who located on a
farm in the Bayham District, County of Elgin, where he resided for four
years. He then went to Philadelphia, Pa., where he learned the trade of
a millwright and worked for several years. He subsequently married Mary,
daughter of John Harrison. In 1839 he came to Toronto and located on
Richmond Street, east of Church Street; four years later he removed to
Queen Street, upon the present site of Good’s foundry, opposite to which
he conducted business for several years as a manufacturer of
agricultural implements. In 1850, in order to afford better
accommodation for his increasing business, he removed to King Street
East, near the Don, where he carried on business as builder of steam
engines, saw and grist mill machinery, and threshing machines, until
1875, when he retired from business and rented his place to Mr. Charles
Livey, which was destroyed by fire in 1877. In 1879 he purchased the
foundry at 503 King Street East, then owned by the late William
Hamilton; he conducted that until his death in 1880. Besides attending
to his large manufacturing interests, Mr. Medcalf sat in the City
Council for six years, representing St. Lawrence, St. John’s and St.
David’s Wards. For five years he was Mayor of the city, during which
time he visited London, England, and Ireland, at his own expense, at the
invitation of the Lord Mayor, to attend the grand banquet at the
Guildhall, given in honour of the mayors of the cities and towns
throughout the colonies. He was a Magistrate, and was brought out for
parliamentary honours in East Toronto, but was defeated by the Hon. M.
C. Cameron. He was a prominent member of the Orange Body, of which he
was Grand Master, and was also a member of the A.F. and A.M., and of the
Church of England. At his death he left six children, of whom Alfred,
the third in order of birth, succeeded him in business. Mr. F. H.
Medcalf built the first threshing machine and cleaner (combined) in
Canada. He was very unfortunate by fire, having had his place of
business completely destroyed six times, four on Queen Street and twice
at the Don; at the first four he lost everything having no insurance, on
the latter he had a small insurance but saved nothing.
ANDREW F. MERCER was born in Toronto in 1851. His father, Andrew Mercer,
sen’r, was born in Sussex, England, 1778. In 1802 he came to Canada with
his father, whom he continued to live with up to the time of his death,
which occurred June 24th, 1824. In 1803 Andrew Mercer, sen’r, received
from the Government a grant of two hundred acres of land, which
afterwards proved to be the most valuable property; in the same year he
became a clerk in the Government Office. He was afterwards engaged in
business as a general merchant on King Street, and subsequently kept a
distillery at Hogg’s Hollow, (York Mills). After giving up the
distillery he was appointed issuer of marriage licenses, which position
he held until his death in 1871. He had amassed a great fortune; he sold
a portion of land between King and Wellington Streets, west of the
Parliament Buildings, to the Rossin family for $20,000; at his death he
held $90,000 stock in the Merchants’ Bank; he was offered $60,000 cash
for the place where he lived, near the south-east corner of Bay and
Wellington Streets. He gave a great deal for charitable purposes. After
his death his estate reverted to the Crown, and the Government of
Ontario, acting for the Crown, erected out of the estate an institution
for the reclamation of fallen women known as the Andrew Mercer
Reformatory at a cost of $90,000; also an eye and ear infirmary, known
as the Andrew Mercer Eye and Ear Infirmary, in connection with the
Toronto General Hospital at a cost of $10,000, a small portion of the
estate being allotted to Andrew F. Mercer.
THOMAS MEREDITH, retired, was born in the County Sligo, Ireland, August
15th, 1812. His father was John Meredith, a linen draper, and his mother
Mary McDonald. In 1829 he came out with his brother John and located in
Little York. He was first employed as a clerk in John Watkins’ hardware
store on King Street East. He was in partnership with Gooderham & Worts
for ten years, and dealt a great deal in grain which he brought from
several of the ports on Lake Ontario. He married Susannah Ardagh, by
whom he had the following children viz.: Arthur, Thomas, Richard,
William, George, Sarah and Fanny. In religion Mr. Meredith is a member
of the Church of England.
HONOURABLE WILLIAM H. MERRITT, St. Catharines. A biography of William
Hamilton Merritt, of more than four hundred pages, has been published by
his eldest son living, J. P. Merritt, therefore we propose to give only
a brief sketch of his life in this work—briefer than would otherwise
seem to answer our purpose. His father, Thomas Merritt, a Loyalist of
the Revolutionary time, and a Cornet in the regiment known as Simcoe’s
Queen’s Rangers, married Mary Hamilton, of South Carolina, left the
United States with other Loyalists for New Brunswick in 1783, removed to
Canada in 1793, and it was while on this journey that our subject was
born in the State of New York, on the 3rd of July, 1793. The family
settled on the Twelve-Mile Creek, in the old Niagara District. Here the
boy, then three years old, grew to manhood and made his history. He
commenced his education under Mr. Cockerell, at Burlington, now
Hamilton, continuing his studies at Niagara, and receiving a slight
classical polishing at the hands of the Rev. John Burns. At fifteen
years of age he visited St. John, New Brunswick, where he had relatives,
and where he studied surveying, algebra, trigonometry and other useful
branches. In June, 1812, when the United States declared war against
Great Britain, he immediately drew his sword, having just received a
Lieutenant’s commission. Three months later he was Major, and, at the
Battle of Queenston Heights, October 13th, 1812, holding the position of
Commander of Militia Cavalry of Upper Canada, he was deputed by General
Sheafe to receive the swords of the American officers captured. He was
in other engagements, including those at Detroit, for which he received
a medal, at Stony Creek and Lundy’s Lane, and during the latter
engagement was taken prisoner. At the close of the war Mr. Merritt
returned to St. Catharines, went into the commercial trade, and
continued in trade until 1819. In 1818 he had a survey made of the land
from the south branch of the Twelve-Mile Creek now at Allenburgh, due
south two miles to the Chippewa, in order to see if it was feasible to
supply his mills by means of a canal with a full supply of water from
the latter stream. This apparently trifling undertaking finally
suggested to Mr. Merritt the more gigantic enterprise of connecting the
waters of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, by means of a canal. This grand
idea—the Welland Canal—which he conceived, was commenced in November,
1824, and completed in November, 1829. It was the pioneer enterprise of
the kind in Upper Canada. But Mr. Merritt’s spirit was indomitable; he
had noble coadjutors in the work, and it was done, giving Mr. Merritt a
red-letter page of unsurpassed brilliancy in the history of Canadian
enterprise. In 1832 Mr. Merritt was elected to Parliament for Haldimand;
was placed on the Finance Committee, and served several years in that
body, becoming chairman of the committee just mentioned, in January,
1838. He went into the Government as President of the Executive Council
in 1848, and was Chief Commissioner of Public Works in 1850; sat for
Haldimand and Lincoln until 1860, when he was elected to the Legislative
Council for the Counties of Lincoln and Welland. As a legislator he
looked well to the interests of the Welland Canal; was a strong advocate
of internal improvements generally; took broad and statesmanlike views
of all subjects coming up for consideration, and was one of the most
industrious and useful members of Parliament. He was a strong advocate
of the union of Upper and Lower Canada, a measure which was effected in
1841. During the period of his legislative career, the Rebellion
occurred (1837-38), but Mr. Merritt entered into none of the military
proceedings, designating the attempt at revolution as the Monkey War. In
1840, Mr. Merritt, who had long been a Director of the Welland Canal,
was again elected President of the company, and continued to work with
the utmost diligence for its interests. He was rightly regarded as the
father of that grand public work. He favoured the building of the
Welland Railway, which now runs along the side of the canal, knowing
that both would aid in the development of the country. He took a liberal
and comprehensive view of all such matters, and laboured untiringly to
promote the welfare of Canada until his death, which occurred on the 5th
July, 1862. Thomas Rodman Merritt, the youngest of the three sons who
grew to manhood, was educated at Grantham Academy and Upper Canada
College; was a merchant at St. Catharines from 1844 to 1846; a miller
for the next twenty-three years; a Director of the Niagara District Bank
for more than twenty years and its President for several years; a member
of the Dominion Parliament from 1868 to 1874, and is now
Managing-Director of the Welland Railway, Vice-President of the Imperial
Bank, and president of two or three local corporations or societies.
“Rodman Hall,” his home, is one of the most elegant residences on the
Niagara Peninsula.
JAMES METCALF, 174 Bloor Street West, is a native of Cumberland,
England, and is the eldest son of James Metcalf, contractor. In 1842 the
subject of this sketch came to Toronto, and commenced business as
contractor. Among the buildings erected by him, St. James’ Cathedral
bears testimony to his workmanship. He also built the old Post-office,
Trinity College, and other public buildings. He went to Australia in
1852, and carried on business there for four years, and returning again
to Toronto retired into private life. In 1867 Mr. Metcalf was returned
as a representative in the House of Commons, and remained as such until
1878. He was elected President of the Royal Canadian Bank in 1865, and
appointed a J.P. the year previous. In 1843 he married Miss Ellen
Howson, daughter of John Howson, of Peterborough County, Ontario.
[Illustration: JAMES MICHIE, DECEASED.]
JAMES MICHIE, deceased. Prominent among those names which have been
associated with the progress and development of Toronto the one which
heads this sketch is especially worthy of mention. His death being of
comparatively recent occurrence, the citizens of Toronto will retain a
vivid remembrance of the munificence which distinguished his lifetime,
and the generous manner with which he caused his wealth to be disbursed
for the benefit of the city charities and other public institutions on
his demise. Mr. Michie was of Scotch birth and parentage, his home being
Corryhoul, Strathdon, Aberdeenshire. He was born in 1828, and was the
youngest of a family of seven children, the issue of the union of James
and Sophia Michie. At the age of seventeen he came to Canada in company
with his elder brother Henry, and entered the service of A. Ogilvie &
Co., wholesale and retail grocers, of Toronto, in which house his uncle,
the late Mr. George Michie, held a partnership, and to whose influence,
doubtless, our subject was indebted for his entrance on a business
career which eventually proved so strikingly successful. This business,
with which the name of Michie is now so prominently connected, was first
established in 1836, with a branch in Montreal, the founders being
Alexander Ogilvie and Thomas Kay, under whose name it was conducted
until 1852. In that year Messrs. James Michie and A. T. Fulton were
admitted into the firm, and with the great increase of business it was
decided also to separate the wholesale department from the retail, which
was accordingly done, the former being conducted by Messrs. George
Michie and A. T. Fulton, on Yonge Street, and the retail business
remaining on King Street, with the firm name of Fulton, Michie & Co.,
under the management of Mr. James Michie. The death of Mr. Kay in 1855
somewhat altered the position of affairs, that event being signalized by
the closing of the Montreal branch, and transference of all his business
to Toronto, which was continued by the remaining partners until 1866
when Mr. George Michie died, the business being thereafter conducted by
the two surviving members of the firm. On Mr. Michie’s death in 1883
this flourishing concern passed into the hands of John F., George S.,
and Forbes Michie who compose the present firm, and the business is
still carried on under the old style of Fulton, Michie & Co. Apart from
his own particular business, which must of necessity have occupied the
greater portion of his time and attention, Mr. Michie’s business talents
found scope in other departments where his knowledge of finance proved
of no little value. He held at stated periods a directorship in the Bank
of Commerce, the Western Assurance Company and the Dominion Telegraph
Company, in the latter of which he combined also the position of
treasurer; the vice-presidency of the Freehold Loan and Savings Company,
and likewise was a member of the Board of Trade. Before the Whitby, Port
Perry, and Lindsay Railroad became amalgamated with the Midland, it had,
for the preceding ten years, been owned by Mr. Michie, his partner, Mr.
Fulton, and two other gentlemen, and was operated by them during that
period, they having purchased it from the original proprietors. It would
naturally be conceived that one in his position, and in whose competence
his fellow-citizens had unbounded faith should scarcely have failed to
respond to the many earnest solicitations with which he was assailed to
accept municipal and political honours. But no, his inclinations did not
tend that way, and all temptations held out to him of future distinction
in that direction were modestly refused, to the disadvantage, we cannot
help but think, of the governing bodies generally, where his habitual
caution and knowledge of financial matters would have been of great
service. We have hitherto mentioned the success which attended Mr.
Michie’s business career, it is now our pleasing duty to record some of
those benevolent actions which should keep his memory green in the minds
of our citizens, and which bear full testimony to the general desire on
his part to benefit the inhabitants of the city. One act may be
mentioned which of itself would show the generosity of his nature. His
late uncle, George Michie, originated the Home for Incurables, leaving a
legacy of $2,000 to found the institution, provided an equal amount
should be given by the public within three years. In case they failed to
comply the bequest was to revert to Mr. James Michie. The public failed
to subscribe the amount necessary within the specified time. The
deceased (who was residuary legatee under the will) carried out his
uncle’s intentions and likewise added the substantial sum of $4,000, and
to him alone the foundation of the Home is due. His charitable
disposition on many a memorable occasion was put to the test, and never
found wanting, but it was reserved for Toronto to know, when she had
lost him, of what sterling quality was composed the mind of the man who
had passed away. By his will he bequeathed to the Toronto Hospital,
$3,000; Lying-in-Hospital, $2,000; St. Andrew’s Church, $4,000; Queen’s
College, Kingston, $4,000; Widows and Orphans, $4,000; Temporalities
Fund, $4,000; Tract Society, $500; Bible Society, $1,000; Magdalen
Asylum, $2,000; Girls’ Home, $2,000; Boys’ Home, $2,000; House of
Industry, $3,000, and the poor of the parish of Cargaff, Scotland, $200.
As a true friend of the Church, Mr. Michie never neglected her
interests, nay, he was profuse in his generosity in this respect;
witness his magnificent contribution of $11,000 towards the building
fund of St. Andrew’s Church (of which he was a devoted member), besides
large donations for missionary and other purposes. He was appointed a
member of the board of managers of his church in July, 1861, and was
chairman of the building committee, in both of which positions he
rendered valuable service. He was a member of the Council of Queen’s
College, Kingston, and at his death a resolution of condolence with his
family, was passed by the college board. As one of Scotia’s sons, he was
ever true to the memory of his native land, and was always a steadfast
friend to his countrymen. Year after year they urged him to accept the
presidency of St. Andrew’s Society, of which he was a member, but his
retiring disposition was opposed to the gratification of their desires.
It was not until the annual meeting in 1881 that he was prevailed upon
to allow his name to be used, and at the annual meeting previous to his
death he was re-elected. In business circles he was respected for his
integrity, and every reliance could be placed upon his word. He was
alike remarkable for the simplicity of his character, as he was
unaffected by his prosperity and accumulated wealth. What he gave, he
gave freely, and his own happiness appeared bound up in the prospect of
making others so.
“Oh, heaven! the good that some men do
That others leave to do.”
He passed away beloved by his fellow-countrymen, respected by all as a
gentleman and a citizen. His remains were followed to Mount Pleasant
Cemetery by thousands, both rich and poor, and buried beneath many
floral offerings of the most eminent men of the city and province, a
just and fitting tribute to the purity of his life.
ROBERT BELL MILLER, barrister, was born in 1814 and is the son of George
Miller, a surgeon, who was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland, and who
afterwards went to Ireland, where he married Mary Bell, third daughter
of Dr. Bell. In 1820, the parents of our subject settled at Niagara with
their family of five sons and two daughters, where Surgeon Miller lived
until his death, which occurred in 1829; his wife died in 1841. Robert
Bell Miller came to Toronto in 1829, and began business as a clerk in
the store of Thomas Bell on King Street, where he remained until 1834,
during which five years he had been studying law. In 1839, he was
admitted to the bar, and at once commenced the practice which he has
ever since continued. Mr. Miller served in the “Queen’s Rangers” at the
time of the Rebellion, and witnessed the destruction of the _Caroline_.
He is a Conservative, an Episcopalian and an Oddfellow of many years
standing. He married Susannah, seventh child of the late Thomas Bell, of
the Royal Engineers, and one of the old residents of Toronto. Both of
Mr. Miller’s sisters are still living; one in the Township of Ancaster,
County of Wentworth, and the other at Niagara.
FREDERICK MILLIGAN, deceased, was born in Chester, England, March 25th,
1820. His father, Arthur Milligan, was a soldier in her Majesty’s 71st
Regiment; he came to Canada with the regiment in 1824; his wife and
family came in 1830. He died here in 1861; his wife died in 1881. At the
latter’s death she left the following children: Frederick, Fanny,
Alexander, Joseph, William, Robert and George. Frederick Milligan was
married in 1842 to Margaret, daughter of John Bowman, by whom he had
nine children. For some years he was a tailor, but in 1848 he opened a
hotel called the Lord Roden and Colonel Verner. He died the 16th of May,
1883. At his death he left three daughters.
JAMES MITCHELL, retired, was born in the County of Armagh, North of
Ireland, in 1811, being the fourth in a family of four sons and one
daughter, born to James and Sarah (Hamilton) Mitchell, of Scotch
extraction. In 1832 he came to Canada and located in York Township,
where he engaged in lumbering and farming and also kept a store at
Eglinton. He remained there for over forty years and only a few years
ago returned to the city, where he now resides. Mr. Mitchell married a
daughter of Jacob Snider, Esq., by whom he has four sons and five
daughters living. During the Mackenzie Rebellion he was arrested and
detained for two days; he boarded at Montgomery’s Hotel. Mr. Mitchell’s
elder brother, Robert, who came to Canada in 1834, is now living retired
in Harriston.
GEORGE MONRO, deceased, ex-Mayor of Toronto, was born in Scotland in
1797. In 1800 his father emigrated to Canada, and settled at Niagara,
where he resided until his death. After the close of the war of 1812,
George Monro removed from Niagara to York, where he entered the service
of his brother John, who opened a general store between George and
Frederick Streets on King, afterwards on the corner of George and King
Streets. On the death of his brother in 1830, he assumed control of the
business which he continued until 1869, when he retired. From 1834 until
1841 he represented St. Lawrence Ward in the City Council. In 1841 he
was elected Mayor, which office he filled most satisfactorily. From 1842
until 1845 he again represented St. Lawrence Ward in the Council. In
1844-5 he represented the third Riding of York, now East York, in the
old Parliament of Canada. During the Rebellion of 1837, he was
commissioned a captain of the York Volunteers. His wife was Christina
Fisher of Montreal. Mr. Monro died in 1879, leaving two sons and four
daughters, some of whom reside in Toronto.
GEORGE MONRO, JUN’R, son of the late ex-Mayor Monro, was born in the
building now known as the Black Horse Hotel in Toronto in 1831. He spent
some years in business with his father. He was subsequently educated as
a Civil Engineer, and was employed on the construction of the Toronto
and Guelph line of the Grand Trunk Railway. For the past fourteen years
he has been connected with Her Majesty’s Customs at Toronto.
JOHN M. MONRO, eldest son of the late ex-Mayor Monro, was born at York
in 1828. In 1862 he went to Australia, where he remained nine years. In
1861 he went to England and Ireland, where he travelled for three years.
He then returned to Toronto, where he has since remained. He resides at
the Queen’s Hotel.
ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY, carriage manufacturer, 838 Queen Street West, was
born in Markham Township, a little east of Yonge Street, near Hogg’s
Hollow, now York Mills, November 1st, 1835. His father, Richard
Montgomery, a brother of John Montgomery, who played such a prominent
part in the Rebellion of 1837, was born in February, 1807, east of York
Mills, and died August 14th, 1873. His wife was Hannah, daughter of John
Smith, by whom he had the following children, all of whom survived him:
Jane, born December 6th, 1832; John S., March 4th, 1834; Alexander,
November 1st, 1835; Nathan M., July 23rd, 1837; Sarah Ann, September
10th, 1839; Martha, August 31st, 1841; Joseph, May 11th, 1843; Nancy,
June 21st, 1845; David, May 25th, 1847; Mary E., July 22nd, 1849;
Mahala, June 20th, 1850; Jerusha, May 6th, 1853; Victoria, May 23rd,
1855; Charles A., August 10th, 1857. The mother of these children was
born near Thornhill, April 28th, 1812, and died October 14th, 1883.
Alexander Montgomery began to learn the trade of a carriage-maker and
general blacksmith when he was quite young; he has been manufacturing
carriages for twenty-five years. In 1866, he married Mary Anne, daughter
of Joseph Peelar. The Peelars were U.E. Loyalists, and settled west of
the Hooton in 1800. Mary Ann Hooton, the great grand-mother of Mrs.
Montgomery was drowned while crossing that river on horseback. Mrs.
Montgomery’s grand-mother lived to be eighty-four years of age. She had
a narrow escape from being shot during the Battle of York in 1812, while
walking across Bloor Street with her son, then an infant in her arms.
DR. JOHN W. MONTGOMERY, son of John and Mary Montgomery, was born at
Newtonbrook, Ontario, in 1827. Hence he was only ten years of age when
the Rebellion broke out, at which time he and his cousin (Abraham
Wilson) were the only persons in the old hotel, the “Sickle and Sheaf,”
owned by his father, when the first cannon shot came through his home,
cutting down the three chimneys. These two lads stood viewing the scene
from one of the upper windows; they thought it mere sport until a second
shot entered the wing, when they were removed by some of their friends.
After the Rebellion closed, and his father made his escape to the United
States, his family joined him at Rochester, N.Y. Here our subject
attended the Collegiate Institute until 1843, when the family returned
to Toronto. He entered the private medical school taught by the late Dr.
John Rolph; where he graduated in 1847. During his medical course he was
offered, by a vote of his class, the position of Demonstrator of
Anatomy, which he accepted. After completing his education, he practised
at Sutton Village, Ontario, twenty-five years. In 1872, he removed to
Bell Ewart, Simcoe County, where he remained until 1877, when he
received the appointment of assistant superintendent in the Kingston
Insane Asylum, where he remained five years. In 1882 he was transferred
to the Hamilton Insane Asylum, where he at present resides. In politics
he has always been a strong Reformer. His first wife was Josephine
Gorham, of the city of New York; second, Elizabeth Anderson, of Hawick,
Scotland; his third, Charlotte, daughter of William Jones, Esq., of
Kingston, Ontario. He has four sons and three daughters.
EDWARD M. MORPHY, jeweller, was born in the North of Ireland in 1820,
and emigrated to Canada in 1835, in company with his master, he being at
that time an apprentice. In 1837, his father, mother, six brothers and
three sisters followed him, all of whom settled in Toronto. During the
Mackenzie Rebellion his father and elder brothers were among the first
to volunteer to support the loyal cause, the former being appointed
captain of a city corps. Three of his brothers entered the legal
profession, one entered the Civil Service and two besides himself became
jewellers. Mr. Morphy has been established at 141 Yonge Street for over
forty years; his family consists of five children, two sons and three
daughters; the eldest son, Mr. J. Morphy, is now in partnership with the
father under the style of Morphy, Sons & Co. The eldest daughter is
married to Mr. E. J. Malone, of the firm of Edgar & Malone, barristers.
The family have built over fifty first class houses in Toronto.
HUGH ANGUS MORRISON, railway conductor, was born in Toronto in 1830,
being the youngest in a family of three daughters and one son. His
father was Hugh Morrison, who was born in Scotland in 1798, and who,
after resigning his captaincy in the “Black Watch” Highland regiment,
came to Canada in 1829 with Sir John Colborne. He was then a widower,
with five children, his first wife, Mary Curran, having died in
Scotland. The Honourable Justice Morrison is the eldest of his sons, by
his first marriage; the others were Angus and Michael; the daughters
were Betsey and Jeanette. After coming to Canada he married a daughter
of Captain Alexander Montgomery, by whom he had four children. He first
engaged in farming, and subsequently kept a hotel on Yonge Street. The
subject of this sketch has been engaged on railways for twenty-four
years. He began as baggage man and is now a conductor running between
Toronto and London. In 1863 he married Sarah Jane Ferris, of Toronto.
FREDERICK M. MORSON (of Bigelow & Morson, barristers) was born at
Chamby, Quebec, and is the only son of Frederick Morson, M.D., of
Niagara, Ontario, and a native of Rochester, Kent, England. In 1845, Mr.
Morson, senior, came to Canada and settled in Montreal, where he
practised his profession as M.D., removing in 1860 to Niagara, his
present residence. F. M. Morson was educated at Niagara Grammar School,
and graduated with honors at Trinity College, Toronto, in 1872. He was
called to the bar in 1877, and in that year entered on the practice of
his profession at Hamilton, and in 1878 in Toronto. In 1878, he married
Miss Catherine Wyatt, eldest daughter of the late George Wyatt, Esq., of
this city.
ALEXANDER MUIR was born in the Parish of Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire,
Scotland. His father, John Muir, came to Canada in 1833, accompanied by
his wife and two sons, Alexander and John, arriving at Toronto (then
Little York), in the month of August of that year. Shortly after his
arrival, he took up his residence in the Township of Scarboro’, where he
lived till his death in 1865. Alexander is now a resident of Toronto,
being Headmaster of one of the city public schools. His brother John is
Treasurer of the Chicago Academy of Music.
HECTOR MUNRO, deceased, father of L. H. R. Munro, was born at Dornoch,
Scotland, in 1796. He came to Canada in 1812 with the 49th Regiment,
being a brother officer of Sir Allan McNab. He participated in the
battles of Chrysler’s Farm, Queenston Heights, and Lundy’s Lane, and
carried the colours at Chrysler’s Farm. After the war he retired on
half-pay; and, when again placed on full pay, was stationed at St.
John’s, Newfoundland, from which he removed to Toronto, having been
transferred to the Royal Canadian Rifles. He subsequently filled the
position of Collector of Customs at Galt, until 1854, when he died,
leaving eight children. His son, George T. Munro, who had been retired
as a captain on half-pay on the disbanding of the Royal Canadian Rifle
Regiment with his wife and child and youngest sister were lost at sea on
one of the Allan vessels, the _Hazeldean_, in 1870.
RICHARD H. R. MUNRO, barrister, was born in 1840 at St. John’s,
Newfoundland, where his father Hector Munro, an officer in the Royal
Newfoundland veteran companies, was stationed. He came to Toronto with
his parents, and after having studied law in the office of the Hon.
Edward Blake, graduated in 1867. He formed a partnership with Wm.
Proudfoot of Hamilton, which continued until 1870. Mr. Munro married a
daughter of James Barnum, of Grafton, Ontario.
JOHN MURCHISON, deceased, was born in 1878 in Glengarry, whither his
father, one of the U. E. Loyalists, fled from New York (he was a
descendant of the Macdonalds of Glenco, Scotland). He went to Niagara
when only thirteen years old; from thence he came to York in 1800 in a
small boat, and started in business as a merchant tailor on King Street,
where the Clyde Hotel now stands. In 1808 he was married in the old
English Church to Frances E., daughter of Joseph Hunt, Commissary
officer. He served in the War of 1812, in the York Volunteers, and was
appointed sergeant-major; he was in the Battle of Queenston Heights,
after which he was sent by the Governor with three of the prisoners from
Niagara to Kingston in a small boat, having only two assistants. His
eldest son John was among those who marched to quell the rebels at
Montgomery’s Farm in 1837. He represented St. Lawrence Ward in the City
Council; he was a Conservative and member of the Church of England. In
1838, he retired from business and lived in the present homestead which
he built in 1836 on Cruickshank Lane, now Bathurst Street, being the
only house on the street except Mr. Cruickshank’s farm-house. He died in
1870, leaving of nine children only three living viz.: Sarah, now aged
72, Charlotte, aged 68 and Richard Duncan, aged 62, who for several
years was in business on Queen Street. The latter, at his father’s
death, removed to the homestead where he is now living; he had been
married twice, first in 1847, and second in 1861; he had seven children
by his first wife, five of whom are living, and eight by the second, all
living; of the first children, the three eldest are married in Toronto.
In politics Mr. Murchison is a Conservative, and in religion a member of
the Church of England.
JAMES MURRAY was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1814. In early life he
acquired the trade of a tinsmith, and on coming to Toronto in 1842,
commenced a business which he conducted successfully until 1874. He
subsequently purchased property on Alexander Street, where he now lives
retired. He married Jane, daughter of Alexander Miller, by whom he has
two sons who have succeeded him in the business still carried on at 224
Yonge Street. Mr. Murray is a member of the Carlton Street Methodist
Church, and in politics sympathises with the Reform Party.
EDWARD J. MUSSON, of the firm of Mackenzie, Musson & Co., Toronto, was
born at Weston, June 24, 1834. His father, Edward Musson, was born in
London, England, and emigrated to Canada in 1820. He bought up land in
the Township of Etobicoke near Weston, where he and his brother Thomas,
engaged in farming, saw-mill and distillery business. In 1840 he removed
to Islington and carried on farming, saw-milling and store-keeping, he
creditably filled the offices of Township Clerk, Councillor and Reeve;
he died in 1871. His wife was Ann, daughter of John Smart, whom he
married in 1831, and by whom he had eight children. Edward J. Musson was
educated at Islington, Toronto Academy and Upper Canada College. In 1853
he went to Brampton to learn store-keeping with the late Mr. Peleg
Howland. From 1855 to 1863 he kept a store at Thistleton; after which he
was farming and store-keeping at Weston. In 1875 he came to Toronto. He
is married to a Miss Taylor. He is a Conservative, an Episcopalian, and
a member of the York Pioneer Society.
WILLIAM MUSSON, deceased, was born in London, England, in the year 1799.
He came to Canada in the year 1820 with his wife (Mary Ann Wordley),
father, mother, and two brothers (Thomas and Edward). The family settled
at Weston, where the father died in the year 1832, aged eighty-seven
years, and the mother in the year 1846, aged seventy-seven years. The
father was a manufacturer of tin-plate in London, England, and a member
of the “Goldbeaters’ Guild” of that city. William, the subject of our
sketch, removed to Toronto (then Little York), and carried on the
business of tin-plate manufacturer and importer of hardware until his
death in 1844. He had twelve children, five of whom died in infancy, the
others being Mary Ann, William, Henry, Isabella, James W. George, and
Charles S. He was one of the founders of the Mechanics’ Institute, and
Captain of the old Fire Brigade. He was also one of the first Directors
of the British America Assurance Company. In politics he was a Baldwin
Reformer. His wife, Mary Ann Wordley, died at Toronto in the year 1872,
in the sixty-ninth year of her age.
GEORGE MUSSON, son of William and Mary Ann Musson, was born at 71 King
Street East, on 3rd November, 1836. He was educated at the Toronto
Academy and the Upper Canada College, and with the exception of two
years (1867 to 1869), has always resided in Toronto. He married Agnes,
third daughter of John Balfour. He was for many years with the
well-known firm of Wakefield, Coate & Co., but since 1869 has been
engaged in business on his own account. His firm, Musson & Morrow, 50
Front Street East, tea importers and commission merchants, doing a very
large business, their principal connections being with China, Brazil and
the West Indies. In 1883, Mr. Musson was appointed Vice-Consul for
Brazil. In politics he is a Conservative.
GEORGE MUSSON, deceased, 37 Carlton Street, whose grandfather was a
manufacturer of tin-plate in London, England, and came to Canada with
his wife and sons (William, Thomas and Edward), in 1820. There was a
daughter who married in England, and who came out a few years
afterwards. The family settled on some land near Weston, where the
father and mother died. The father of our subject had learned the
tin-plating trade in England, and began business in that line in York
soon after he came out; he continued it until 1844, when he died. He was
connected with the old Fire Brigade, and was one of the founders of the
Mechanics’ Institute. He was one of the first stock-holders in the
British America Insurance Company.
MUNGO NASMITH, tax collector for St. James’s Ward, residing at 16
Maitland Street, was born in Greenock, Scotland, and is a son of the
late John Nasmith, who came to Canada in 1844 and for many years
conducted a bakery in Toronto. Mungo early learned his father’s trade,
and carried on business for himself at the corner of Yonge and Gerrard
Streets from 1860 to 1872. Retiring from business on account of his
health he received the appointment of collector for St. James’s Ward, a
position he still retains. Following in the footsteps of his father, he
early took an active part in temperance work, and was a charter member
of the Cadets of Temperance when first introduced into Canada. For five
years he held the position of Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Good
Templars; he was also one of the Vice-Presidents of the Dominion
Alliance. At the organization of the World’s Good Templars he was
appointed the Deputy of the R. W. G. T. Mallins, and is still an earnest
total abstainer.
RICHARD NORTHCOTE, retired, was born in Devonshire, England, in 1804,
and is now the only one living of a family of sixteen. His father was
Henry Northcote, a farmer. In 1826, he came to Canada as a butler in the
service of Sir John Colborne. After which he engaged in the grocery
business on King Street, and subsequently in making ginger beer; he sold
the latter business to the Hon. Robert Baldwin. After the Rebellion, he
opened a grocery store on King Street, where Thompson & Son’s dry-goods
house now is; by two fires which occurred while he was there he lost
£2,000. He then commenced a wholesale pork business, which he continued
until his retirement in 1849. In politics he is a Conservative, and in
religion a member of the Church of England. He married a Miss Taylor,
who also came out with Sir John Colborne. His son, Henry Northcote, a
civil engineer, was born in York, November 4, 1833. He received his
education at Upper Canada College. He married Julia, third daughter of
Richard Hackin.
THOMAS NORTHEY, of the firm of Northey & Co., manufacturers of
steam-pumps, was born in Cornwall, England, in 1816, being the eldest of
a family of five sons and five daughters born to George and Mary (Black)
Northey. About 1826, he came to Canada with his parents, who settled on
Prince Edward Island, where they remained for six years. Then he went to
Pittsburg, Pa., where he learned the trade of a mechanical engineer. In
1838, the term of his apprenticeship having expired, he returned to
Canada, and after working ten years at Wellington Square and Simcoe
located at Hamilton, where, until 1880, he was engaged in building
stationary steam-engines and subsequently in making steam-pumps. In
1882, he removed to Toronto, where, at the corner of Front and
Parliament Streets, the firm of which he is a member is doing a
prosperous business. In 1876, he patented a steam-pump, which has proved
a great success. In 1846, he married Matilda Williams, daughter of Mr.
Williams, of Seneca township, who subsequently died. In 1856, he married
Julia Henrietta Pell, daughter of J. E. Pell. Mr. Northey’s parents died
in Hamilton; he has three brothers living, one in Melbourne, Australia,
and two in Hamilton. He is a Conservative in politics.
RICHARD H. OATES, deceased, the founder of the “York Pioneers Society,”
was the son of Captain Oates, a commander in the merchant service,
trading between England and the West Indies. Shortly after his marriage,
Captain Oates made a voyage to the West Indies. On the return voyage he
was compelled to put into Belfast, instead of London, whither they were
bound. This occurred on July the 27th, 1809, on which date Richard H.
Oates was born. His early life was, if not romantic, at least very
eventful. While accompanying his parents to Malta in his father’s vessel
the _America_, and when Richard was scarce a year old, they were
captured in the Mediterranean by a French privateer and carried as
prisoners of war to Algiers. Fortunately, the British consul of that
place happened to be an old school-mate of Captain Oates; and by
visiting the prisoners relieved the monotony of their captivity until,
by an exchange of prisoners, they regained their freedom. Captain Oates,
being in the Commissariat Department, was ordered to Oporto, where his
son Richard, then two years of age, was carried off and concealed for
some weeks by a Portuguese nobleman, who had taken a fancy to him; he
was found, however, in good health and spirits, and could prattle
somewhat in Portuguese. In 1812 and 1813, he travelled with his father
through France and Spain, and, in 1814, returned with him to England.
Captain Oates was then ordered to Quebec; and while in Canada visited
Little York, when his cousin, Miss Russell, sister of President Russell,
prevailed upon him to return to England for his family and to settle in
Canada, which he did in 1817. He afterwards became prominent in
connection with the packet _Richmond_, which he built and sailed between
Niagara and Toronto. As Richard Oates was but eight years of age when he
came to Canada, he was sent to school to the late Dr. Strachan. He also
attended school at Niagara, St. Catharines and Brockville, after which
he returned to Toronto and served two years as an apprentice to the drug
business. In 1828, he went to England, where he finished his studies for
his profession. Returning to Toronto he opened a drug store; but finding
it not as profitable as he could wish he invested his capital in a
foundry with Christopher Elliot. He afterwards went into the mill-stone
business and built a mill at Bradford, by which he lost $18,000. The
mill-stone business occupied his attention until his death, which
occurred on March 2, 1881. At the beginning of this sketch reference has
been made to Mr. Oates as being the founder of the “York Pioneers
Society.” It is to his efforts that the Society owes its existence. It
was organized for the purpose of collecting and preserving relics and
historical momentoes of old times. The membership was confined to those
who had lived in Toronto before March 6, 1834, on which date Little York
became Toronto; subsequently those descendants of pioneers who had
reached forty years of age were admitted. The society has been a certain
success, much of which is due to Mr. Oates. In politics Mr. Oates was a
Conservative, and in religion a Unitarian. He was President of the
United Canadian Association for five years, and in January, 1880, was
elected to a seat in the City Council as Alderman for St. James’s Ward.
DANIEL O’BROOK, retired, was born on the corner of King and Church
Streets in this city, September 15, 1825. His father, whose name was
also Daniel, came out to Canada some years before 1800 with his father,
who was a merchant in Norwich, England. The grandfather of our subject
afterwards became a captain in the 41st Regiment, and fought at the
battle of Queenston Heights. Daniel O’Brook, sen’r, married a daughter
of John Playter, by whom he had three sons, George, John Edward and
Daniel. He purchased a lot at the corner of King and Church Streets, and
on it built a house. He died in 1872, aged eighty years. George O’Brook
lives in Toronto, while John Edward resides in Chatham.
DR. OLDRIGHT is descended from military ancestors. His grandfather was a
burgher of the ancient German free city of Frankfort-on-the-Main. He
having contracted a second marriage, his son left home and joined the
British army, when Napoleon Bonaparte’s military genius was contributing
to the overthrow of the ancient dynasties of Europe. The father of Dr.
Oldright was born in London, England. His mother was Elizabeth Clucas,
whose father was from the Isle of Man. Dr. Oldright’s father, when very
young, joined His Majesty’s 81st Regiment of Foot, the Loyal Lincoln
Volunteers. This corps, like other regiments of the line, has, in
consequence of the extent of the British possessions, seen a great deal
of foreign service. Major Oldright was forty-two years in the army, and
travelled over a large portion of the globe. Soon after the great battle
of Waterloo he served with his corps in the Army of Occupation in
France, pending the complete restoration of peace and the return of the
Bourbons. He afterwards accompanied his regiment to different stations
in the West India Islands and British North America, besides having done
duty in Great Britain, and in the Mediterranean and Ireland. He finally
retired upon full pay with the rank of major. His son, Dr. William
Oldright, was born at St. Kitt’s, West Indies, in 1842. During the early
part of his life he accompanied his father to different countries with
the regiment. In 1854, after his father’s retirement, he resided a short
time in London, England, and in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and for a couple
of years upon a small farm formerly belonging to the old warrior Brant,
adjoining the old Mohawk Church near Brantford. He attended the
Brantford High School until seventeen years of age, when he entered
University College, and graduated at the University in modern languages
in 1863, and in medicine in 1865. He began practice at Walkerton,
Ontario, remaining two years; after which he returned to Toronto in
1867, where he has since been actively engaged in the practice of his
profession. He became a member of the Medical Council, and in 1869, when
he retired from that body, became Lecturer on Sanitary Science in the
Toronto School of Medicine. In 1873 he was elected a member of the
Senate of the Toronto University. In 1882 he was appointed Chairman of
the Provincial Board of Health. His term of office as Chairman expired
in April, 1884, when he was re-appointed a member of the Board. In 1865
he married Sarah Ellen, daughter of Charles Durand, Esq., of this city.
WILLIAM T. O’REILLY, M.D., was born at Niagara Falls in 1834, being the
eldest in a family of two sons and one daughter. His father was William
O’Reilly, the youngest son of a family of six sons and five daughters,
and was born in the same place and the same house as his son. In the
year 1800, he married a daughter of Stiles Stevens, a U. E. Loyalist,
who came to Canada from Boston; by her he had two sons and one daughter,
viz.: William T., Helen and Hamilton; he died in Oakville in 1846. The
grandfather of our subject, John O’Reilly, came from Baltrasna, in the
County of Cavan, Ireland, in 1745, to Philadelphia, where he became the
President of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1786 he came to Canada
and settled at Niagara Falls, where as a U. E. Loyalist he drew land for
himself and sons, and where he died in 1815. He and five of his sons,
served during the War of 1812, and fought at Queenston Heights and
Lundy’s Lane. Dr. O’Reilly attended Upper Canada College in 1847-8-9,
and graduated in medicine in 1856. He then practised in St. Mary’s for a
short time, but returned to Toronto in 1859, and now occupies the
position of Inspector of Prisons and Public Charities for the Province
of Ontario.
PETER PATERSON, hardware merchant, was born in Toronto, May 30, 1834.
His parents were David and Sarah (Bishop) Paterson. His grandfather,
Peter Paterson, came to Canada from Blantyre, Scotland, in 1819, with
his sons David, John, and Peter. He settled at once in Toronto, and
started in the hardware business the same year in the old Market Square,
which he continued, with his son David as partner, until his death in
1846. David continued the business until 1856, when he died, and was
succeeded by his sons Peter and John. Peter, since his brother John’s
death in 1880, has carried on the business alone. In 1861 he was married
to Jane W., eldest daughter of David Paterson, of St. John, N.B.
R. G. A. PATON, cashier in the Toronto Custom House, was born at St.
Andrews, Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1830. His father, Alexander Paton, died
in Scotland; his mother was Violet Wilson. In 1833 his mother came to
Canada with her family, Jessie, Elizabeth, William and Robert. William
died in 1845. His mother died in 1872, aged eighty-two years. R. G. A.
Paton was educated in Toronto, at what was called the York Academy, kept
by Mr. James Hodgson. He was on the _British Colonist_ newspaper for ten
years. For the last thirty years he has been in the Custom House. In
religion Mr. Paton is a Presbyterian.
JOHN PATRICK, Superintendent Water Works, Parkdale, is a native of
Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, being the second son of George Patrick, a
baker of that town, who married Jane Laidlaw. In 1868 John Patrick came
to Toronto, and was employed at the Soho Foundry as foreman, and at the
time the Water Works were established in Parkdale, took charge as
Superintendent.
ALEXANDER PATTERSON was born in Belfast, Ireland in 1834, and in 1849
emigrated to Canada, and was engaged in lumbering until 1855. He then
went to Oakville, and engaged in the grocery and dry goods business,
which he conducted for two years, afterwards continuing the grocery
business in Toronto. He remained at 295 Yonge Street about twenty-two
years, and then retired from business in 1879, since living in
retirement. In 1857 he married Miss Charlotte Hazelhurst, a daughter of
Benjamin Hazelhurst of Peterboro’, the issue of the union being one son
and two daughters, all of whom reside in the city.
JOHN PATTERSON, retired, was born in Belfast, Ireland, and came to
Toronto with his parents when only two years of age. In his youth he
learned the trade of printer, which occupation he followed for
twenty-five years. In 1875 he took possession of the hotel at the corner
of Agnes and Elizabeth Streets, which he conducted with success for a
period of seven years, selling out to Mr. Taylor, the present
proprietor, in 1882. He is a retired Captain of the 10th Royals, having
joined at the time of the Fenian Raid.
THOMAS PATTERSON, retired, was born in Ireland in 1834; and at the age
of twenty he emigrated to Canada and took up his residence in Toronto.
On his arrival he joined the city police force, in which he remained
four years. He then entered the service of the Grand Trunk Railway, and
was stationed at Belleville in the capacity of policeman. On his return
to Toronto some time afterwards, he again joined the city police, but
subsequently returned to the employment of the Grand Trunk, and was
stationed at the Union Station, where he continued until 1861. About
this time he engaged in the grocery and liquor business at 230 Queen
Street East, but stayed only a short time, opening a hotel and feed
store on the corner of Queen and Ontario Streets. He continued this
business until 1879, and then built the Prospect House, 266 Queen Street
East, since which time he has lived retired at No. 81 Ontario Street. In
1859 Mr. Patterson married Miss Jane Byers, of Toronto, by whom he has
three children living; she died in 1873. He was married a second time,
his wife being Miss Beatty of Toronto, by whom he has one daughter
living.
BENJAMIN PEARSALL, silversmith, is the son of Samuel and Amelia (Lewis)
Pearsall, who came to Canada from Bristol, England, in 1800, and located
in Little York, where they took a house on Duke Street. His father, who
was a blacksmith and engineer by trade, was one of the first blacksmiths
in the town. For two years he was employed by the Corporation as an
engineer. He met his death by drowning in 1853, with his two sons named
Louis Haliburton and Leurx, while the three were returning from a
shooting excursion to the Island. He left three sons and three
daughters. Benjamin Pearsall was born in 1847, in a house on King
Street, east of Parliament Street. He married Isabella, third daughter
of Frank Woods, of this city. His first wife dying he married Henrietta,
daughter of John Smith, of Toronto.
GEORGE PEARSALL, locksmith, son of Samuel and Amelia Pearsall, was born
in Toronto in 1840. He learned his trade with J. J. Taylor & Co., and
began business for himself at 417 Yonge Street, repairing locks and
filing saws, in February, 1871, and is now carrying on the hardware
business in connection with the jobbing department. He married Isabella
Maysonholder, of German extraction, who was born in the Province of
Quebec.
ELIHU PEASE, deceased. The Pease family are of English origin, their
name having been common in England for the past three hundred years. A
work published there as early as 1472, mentions the name of John Pease,
L.L.D.; persons of this name were found in all ranks of society,
ministers, bankers, members of Parliament, etc. An English historian
ascribes to them a German origin, and by a coat of arms we find the
English Pease in Germany as early as A.D. 971. The great-grandfather of
our subject, Samuel Pease, was born at Enfield, Conn., his ancestors
having emigrated to America from Ipswich, England, with the Puritans, in
the ship _Francis_, which landed at Boston, April, 1634, from which
place they subsequently removed to Enfield, Conn., where our subject was
born, June 29, 1781. He was educated for a civil engineer and land
surveyor. In 1810 he came to York County, and settled at Thornhill,
where he soon after began teaching school in a log building erected in
1811, which is still standing, it being the first school-house in the
County of York. During the War of 1812, all aliens were compelled to
take the oath of allegiance or leave the country, hence Mr. Pease
returned to Buffalo, where he served in the Post-office and Custom House
until the war closed, after which he returned to York, and assisted in
re-building the old garrison. He later followed school teaching at
Newtonbrook until 1821, when he returned to Buffalo, and he was employed
as manager in a tannery for the late Jesse Ketchum for a period of two
years. He then returned to York and located opposite the Golden Lion
Hotel, Yonge Street, and took the oath of allegiance. He purchased
fifteen acres of land and erected a tannery which he conducted until his
death in 1854. In 1820 he married Catharine, daughter of Jacob Cummer (a
pioneer of York who emigrated from Reading, Penn.), by whom he left four
children. Edward, the second child of Elihu Pease, was born at York,
September 15, 1824, and entered his father’s tannery at the age of
fifteen, remaining until 1847, afterwards removing to the Township of
King, where he purchased fifteen acres of land on lot 6, concession 5. A
year later he erected the second tannery in the Township of King, which
he conducted eight years, and then returned to Lansing, and lived on the
old home where he was eight years farming. He subsequently went to
Aurora, where he was again engaged in the tanning business for sixteen
years. He came to Toronto in 1880, and is at present located at 25 Front
Street East, where he and his two sons are engaged as leather merchants.
While Mr. Edward Pease was a resident of the Township of King he sat
three years in Township Council, also three years in the Town Council of
Aurora. In politics he is a Reformer; in religion a member of the
Methodist Church. In 1846 he married Sarah, eldest daughter of Samuel
Castle, from Herkimer County, N.Y., who had settled in the Township of
Vaughan; by whom he has four sons and three daughters. Two of his sons,
Joseph and Elihu are engaged with him in business.
R. W. PHIPPS, son of Thomas Phipps, jun’r, whose father settled in
Toronto in 1817, is a gentleman well-known throughout the Dominion as a
writer on Political Economy and other subjects. His writings in favour
of the National Policy were largely circulated by the Conservative Party
prior to the election of 1878, and aided in determining the result of
that contest. He however left the party on the ground that the old
Cabinet should not have been brought into power without an inter-mixture
of the men who had been associated with the new ideas which had gained
them the victory. In Provincial matters Mr. Phipps has been a supporter
of the Mowat Administration. He is now employed by the Ontario
Government on the subject of forest preservation, his first report on
which has been received with remarkable favour by the Canadian and
American press, and has attracted attention in Great Britain. Mr.
Phipps’s writings in prose and poetry have been contributed principally
to newspapers, magazines and pamphlets.
THOMAS PHIPPS, deceased, one of the early settlers of Little York,
emigrated to Canada from London, England, in 1817. For some years he
cultivated a farm a few miles north of Toronto; but, having been a
merchant in England and unused to such a rough life, he took no active
part in clearing the land. He did not succeed as a farmer, and went back
to England; but, again returning to Canada, died here. He was twice
married, having by his first marriage one son, Thomas, who died in 1859.
By his second marriage he had four sons and several daughters. Of the
sons, the eldest, William, a well-known banker and broker, died a few
years ago; the other sons, Frederick, George and John, are still living,
the two last being citizens of Toronto.
WILLIAM PICKARD is a native of Beverly, Yorkshire, England, and was born
in 1827. He came to Canada in 1856, locating in Toronto, where he has
resided ever since. He was by trade a cooper, which occupation he
followed for some three years, after which he engaged in the milk
business, from which he retired in 1883. Mr. Pickard commenced with but
one cow, and his success may be noted from the fact that on giving up
business he had twenty-five head of cattle. In 1856 he married Miss
Isabella Tait, of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by whom he has two sons and
two daughters, three of whom are living in this city, and one in
Chicago.
NOAH L. PIPER, deceased, was born in Berlin, Connecticut, U. S., in
1815. His father, Luther Piper, was of English extraction, and was a
cooper by trade. In 1831 he and his eldest brother, Hiram, came to
Canada and settled in Little York. He spent five years in learning the
tinsmith trade with his brother, and was afterwards manager of the
business. Eight years later he entered into partnership with his brother
and continued business with him until 1863, when he formed a partnership
in the house-furnishing business with his son, Edward. He retired from
business in 1875, and died 12th January, 1884. His brother, Hiram, was
born in 1805, and died in 1866. On January 3, 1838, Noah L. Piper
married Sarah, second daughter of Robert Spencer, by whom he had three
sons, Henry, Edward and Hiram, and one daughter Emeline Elizabeth, who
married M. A. Thomas, of this city. In politics he was a Conservative,
and in religion a Unitarian. Edward Piper, second son of Noah L. Piper,
was born in Toronto in 1842. In 1875 he succeeded to his father’s
business which he still carries on. In 1866 he married Elizabeth Morgan,
daughter of John Morgan, of Scarboro’.
JOHN PLATT was born in the County of Armagh, Ireland, in 1815, and came
to Canada with his father, Richard Platt, in 1827. He spent several
years in hotel keeping, his first venture being on Colborne Street.
After remaining here about five years, he built a hotel on Jarvis
Street, which was burnt down on the 7th of April, 1849, at the time of
the destruction of old St. James’s Cathedral, the Market, City Hall and
other buildings. He rebuilt, and successfully conducted, a hotel until
1864, when he retired. He has accumulated a large amount of city
property, owning three hotels, fifty acres in Leslieville, twelve near
High Park, and five at the mouth of the Humber. In addition, he holds
many stores and dwelling-houses throughout the city. In 1841 he married
Elizabeth Carter, by whom he had eleven children, six of whom are still
living. He now resides at 33 Wilton Avenue.
SAMUEL PLATT, M.P., was born in the north of Ireland, in 1812, being the
fourth son of Richard Platt. He passed his early days upon his father’s
farm. In 1827 the family emigrated to Canada and settled temporarily at
Kingston, where the Government was engaged in building a roadway from
the mainland to the New Fort. Here Richard Platt secured employment for
himself and son. In 1829 his father removed to Toronto, and located on
King Street, near the Market, where he rented a house from John Baldwin.
He soon after died. His wife survived him only a few years, when the
family was broken up. Our subject was early thrown upon his own
resources, and the first winter he spent chopping cord-wood on what is
now known as Sherbourne Street (then covered with a good growth of
basswood and other timber). He was to receive three York shillings per
cord; but, after working some time and his employer failing to pay him,
he abandoned the business and entered the employment of Enoch Turner,
whose brewery was then upon the present site of the gas works, as a
clerk. With Mr. Turner he served four years, at the expiration of which
time he erected a distillery upon the same site; the distillery was
conducted by Mr. Platt in connection with the brewery for fourteen
years, when he retired. In 1837 Mr. Platt married the only daughter of
Mr. George Lockett, of Staffordshire, England. During the Rebellion of
1837, he was a volunteer in Colonel Ridout’s Company, and had charge of
two companies of Militia. He sat in the City Council for St. Lawrence
Ward for eight years, and for St. David’s Ward for two years. When the
City Water Works were being constructed he was chosen commissioner, with
Hon. George Allan, to superintend the erection. During the political
contest of 1873 Mr. Platt was nominated by the Conservative Party to
represent East Toronto in the Dominion House; he was elected and sat for
five years, at the expiration of which time he was returned by a
handsome majority for the House of Commons. In 1850 he was commissioned
a magistrate for the County of York. For the last ten years he has been
a director of the Western Canada Loan Co., and also of the Gas Company.
He is now living a quiet, retired life, a portion of his time being
spent in travelling with his wife through the different countries of
Europe.
JAMES W. POTTER is a native of Thetford, England. When sixteen years of
age he entered the University of Cambridge (being the youngest but one
who gained admittance that year), and graduated with a B.A. degree. On
leaving college he enlisted in the British Army, and served in the
Crimea; after which he received an appointment as Inspector of Artillery
Stores. Subsequently he entered the police force, in which he remained
five years, and resigning his position in 1868, he came to Canada and
was employed on the Ottawa Railway as baggage-master. In 1870 he came to
Toronto, and was appointed inspector and foreman of the Board of Health,
which office he filled for seven years. Mr. Potter is now a reporter on
the _Mail_ staff for the eastern part of the city. He was two years on
the School Board, and was elected during the present year to represent
the new Ward of St. Matthew’s.
JAMES PRICE, who has been a resident of Toronto for many years, was born
at Hampstead, Middlesex, England, on March 13, 1810. He left his home,
June 1, 1832, and came to Canada, arriving at Peterboro, September 1 of
the same year; after remaining a little over a year, he came to Toronto,
and, while there, engaged with W. H. Patterson, of Streetsville, with
whom he served as clerk in the store till the spring of 1834, when he
again went to Peterboro’, and worked at his trade as bricklayer and
builder. In 1837 he was engaged on the Lock Works at Crooks Rapids, from
whence he came back to Toronto, in July, 1838. He was married on January
8, 1839. His eldest son, Mr. James Price, jun’r, is manager of the Queen
Street Branch of the Dominion Bank. Mr. Price, sen’r, afterwards engaged
in contracting for himself. He built the Commercial Bank, a wholesale
warehouse for the Hon. Wm. McMaster, and one for Mr. McMurrich. Mr.
Price then worked for the Government, and was clerk of the works in the
erection of many buildings, among which may be mentioned a portion of
Upper Canada College, Normal School and the New Garrison, the whole of
the New Jail and the Deaf and Dumb Institute at Belleville. He
represented St. James’s Ward in the City Council, and was a member of
the old fire brigade, No. 3. He was School Trustee for two years for St.
Patrick’s Ward. He has been for many years employed by the Corporation
as assessor and inspector of works, and, in connection with Mr. John
Harper, made the valuation of all the city property upon which the
Council borrowed money from England, Mr. Price has been a resident of
St. John’s Ward for over thirty years, and still continues to reside
there.
JOSEPH PRICE, deceased, was born in Hertfordshire, England, in 1790, and
came to Canada at the close of the war in 1814. When he first came to
America he settled in the State of New York, and while there engaged in
the iron and brass trade. He was a U. E. Loyalist, and, on arriving in
Canada, settled first in the Township of Toronto, where he purchased a
farm. He afterwards removed to York Township, where he resided ten
years, then moved to Toronto. A few years later he purchased two hundred
acres of the Elmsley Estate, lot 18, east of Yonge Street, and erected a
saw-mill on the creek which still bears his name. He engaged in the
lumber trade for twenty years until his death in 1846. He left two sons
and one daughter; the latter is still living. He was a member of the
Freemason body, and also belonged to the St. George’s Society. He was
Captain in the First Militia of York, and took an active part in the
Rebellion of 1837; he was a strong Conservative and a follower of the
English Church. Mr. Price married Maria, daughter of Thomas Kimberly,
who died in 1849.
CAPTAIN JOHN QUINN was born in St. Andaire, Spain, June 2, 1815, his
father being a soldier in the British Army, which was then fighting in
the Peninsular War. In 1832 his father, with his family, came to Canada
and took up land in the Township of Emily, Victoria County; he died the
same year. At the death of his father, which occurred so shortly after
his arrival in Canada, the subject of this sketch sold the farm and
accepted the life of a lake mariner. He began on the steamer _Great
Britain_, which used to make eight-day trips around the lake, calling at
Canadian and American ports. After four years he became bartender in a
hotel in Toronto, and then went back to the _Great Britain_ as steward.
In 1835 he worked on the _Iroquois_, the first steamer that went down
the Rapids. Among other boats that he worked on were the _United
Kingdom_, _Burlington_, _Britannia_, _Transit_, _City of Toronto_,
_Eclipse_, _West_, _Maple Leaf_ and _Peerless_. In 1853 he built, and
ran between the Island and the city, a ferry boat called the _Citizen_.
He served during the Rebellion. In 1838 he married a daughter of John
Hesson.
WILLIAM RAWLIN, retired, 54 Elm Street, was born January 24, 1812, in
Kirbygrindle, Yorkshire, England, being the second eldest in a family of
four sons and four daughters. His father was William Rawlin, and his
mother a daughter of John Harper. He came to Canada in 1832, and worked
on a farm near Woodstock until 1837, when he came to Toronto and
commenced teaming for Charles Cooper, with whom he lived for nine years.
For six years he was hostler at the Green Heifer, a hotel kept by Henry
Fuljames, at the corner of Queen and Yonge Streets. In 1859 he went to
England, and on his return took the contracts for the street crossings.
In 1852 Mr. Rawlin married Mary Ann Clayton, who is of English descent.
He has no children. He is a Reformer in politics, and in religion is a
Methodist. He is also a member of the St. George’s Society.
D. B. READ, Q.C., was born on the 13th of June, 1823, in the Township of
Augusta, a short distance from Brockville; his grandfather Read was a U.
E. Loyalist, and drew land as such; he came to Canada from Connecticut.
D. B. Read’s father was John Landon Read, who served in the War of 1812.
Mr. Read’s maternal grandfather was David Breakenridge, also a U. E.
Loyalist, and an officer in the British Colonial Army during the
American Revolution. Mr. Breakenridge resided below Brockville on the
St. Lawrence, near Maitland, and was for some time Chairman of the
Quarter Sessions at Brockville. The subject of this sketch was in his
early youth a pupil of Mr. Elms, a well-known district school teacher of
that day, noted as well for his learning as for his school teaching. Mr.
Read went to Upper Canada College in 1836 to finish his education; he
passed through all the forms in the College, and then entered the law
office of the Hon. George Sherwood, at Brockville; in 1842 he removed to
Belleville, and entered the law office of the Hon. John Ross; and in
1845 he removed to Toronto, where he completed his studies with John
Crawford, afterwards Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. Mr. Read was called
to the Bar in 1845; elected a Bencher of the Law Society in 1855; was
created a Queen’s Counsel in 1858; made Mayor of Toronto in 1858; and
Commissioner for consolidating the Statutes of Upper Canada. Mr. Read
has practised his profession in Toronto from his first entry to the Bar
down to the present time.
[Illustration: DAVID REESOR.]
HON. DAVID REESOR is the descendant of a German family, his great
grandfather, Christian Reesor, a Mennonite Minister, emigrated from
Mannheim to Pennsylvania about 1737, having under his charge a small
colony, and settled in Lancaster County, where some of the family still
reside, the original homestead, a splendid farm of three hundred acres,
being in their hands. The first settlement of this family in the
Township of Markham took place as early in its history as 1801, when the
grandfather of our subject, Christian Reesor, jun’r, his father, Abraham
Reesor, together with three uncles, located in that section of the
country. Here David Reesor was born on the 18th January, 1823. His
mother was Anna Dettiwiler, who was also from Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania; she died in Markham in 1857, the father having died many
years before, in 1832. The early education of Senator Reesor was only
that obtained from the common schools; but, previous to being put to any
business, he received three years private training under a competent
instructor with beneficial results. His father’s farm was the first
stage on which he enacted his part in the drama of life, thence from
agricultural pursuits he went to those of merchant and manufacturer,
conducting business in the last named branches for five years. In 1856
he published the first copy of the Markham _Economist_, a journal of
strong Reform proclivities, which he edited and conducted with
considerable skill for several years, selling out about 1868. He has
been a Magistrate since 1848; a Notary Public since 1862, and for a long
time was Secretary-Treasurer of the Markham Agricultural Society. When
York, Ontario and Peel were united in 1850, he became a member of the
County Council, and served several years, being Warden in 1860. His
career as a school trustee will not soon be forgotten, as it was upon
his motion that Markham secured a Grammar School. He has long been
connected with the Militia, and has held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel
of the Reserve since 1866. He was appointed Returning-officer for the
East Riding of York, July, 1854. In the more extensive region of
politics, Senator Reesor has not been less true to his principles, or
less active as a general advocate of measures that tend to the public
good, than when in the limited sphere of Township Councillor he
supported and directed local improvements. He represented Kings Division
in the Legislative Council of Canada, from 1860 until the Confederation
of the Provinces, when he was called to the Senate by Royal
Proclamation, October 23, 1867. At the time when the Confederation
measure was under discussion in the Legislative Council he moved a
resolution, which had it been passed would have made the office of
Senator elective; it was however defeated on a division. He is a Liberal
in politics. Our subject is a member of the Methodist Church, and every
good cause obtains from him a hearty and willing support; he was for
many years President of the Markham Bible Society. In February, 1848, he
married Emily, eldest daughter of Daniel McDougall, Esq., of St. Mary’s,
Ontario, and sister of the Hon. William McDougall, C.B., M.P.; they have
five children, four daughters and one son, two of the former being
married. Marion Augusta, the eldest daughter, is the wife of Dr. Colburn
of Oshawa, and Jessie Adelaide is the wife of John Holmes of Toronto.
The Senator’s residence is at Rosedale, North Toronto, where he has
lived since 1876, enjoying that retirement which has been well earned by
a long official career. He is highly esteemed by the many friends he has
made, both in public and private life, all of whom trust that for years
to come he may be spared to remain in our midst.
WILLIAM REID was born in the County of Tyrone, Ireland, in 1844, being
the youngest of nine children born to Samuel and Sarah (Lackie) Reid. He
came to Canada in 1847 with his parents, who located on the lot where
Mr. Reid now resides, 147 Elizabeth Street, Toronto. In 1882 he entered
the Toronto Custom House, where he is employed in the examining
warehouse. In 1865 he married Margaret, second daughter of James Spence,
an old resident of Toronto, by whom he has seven children, four sons and
three daughters.
WILLIAM REYNOLDS, Yorkville. In the biography of Mr. John Smith, of
Toronto, which has a place in these pages, allusion is made to William
Peak, the first white settler of York County, Ontario. The subject of
this sketch is the grandson of William Peak on the maternal side, and
can therefore claim hereditary descent from the original founders of
York. His grandfather, on his father’s side, was W. H. Reynolds, who was
from the North of Ireland. He emigrated to Canada in 1795 and settled in
the 9th concession of Markham Township, York County, where he lived
until his death at the age of ninety-seven years. He left a family of
four children besides the father of our subject. The latter married a
daughter of William Peak. Mr. Peak received from Governor Simcoe, for
services rendered, two hundred acres of land at Duffin’s Creek. William
Reynolds was born in Toronto, March 9, 1818, and, when he was seven
years of age, his parents went to reside at Niagara, and after staying
there three years removed to St. Catharines. They subsequently returned
to Little York, where William has since remained. Mr. Reynolds may be
classed amongst the oldest residents of the city, and few events in
connection with its history have escaped his recollection.
DR. RICHARDSON, Professor of Anatomy at the Toronto School of Medicine.
His grandfather served in the British Navy under Lord Rodney, and came
to Canada in 1785, when he received an appointment in the Canadian
Marine. Dr. Richardson’s father was James Richardson, who was born
January 29, 1791. He married Rebecca, second daughter of John Dennis, a
U.E. Loyalist who came to Canada from Philadelphia, where the family
owned considerable property. The subject of this sketch began his
studies in 1841, in Rochester, N.Y., with Dr. Rolph, remaining there two
years. In 1844 he went to England, where he studied for three years in
Guy’s Hospital, London, and about a year in Bristol. He then returned to
Canada and took his diploma. He afterwards was appointed Professor of
Practical Anatomy at Kingston College, which position he maintained
until the abolition of the Medical Faculty in 1853. He then practised
his profession until his acceptance of his present position in the
Toronto School of Medicine.
JOHN KNIGHT RIDDALL, M.D., now practising at Parkdale, in the City of
Toronto, is the eldest son of the late John Riddall, M.D., L.R.C.S.,
Edinburgh; M.D. University College, L.S.A.I., and nephew of Dr.
Alexander Knight, Medical Inspector-General, P.L.B., Ireland. The
subject of this memoir was born at Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland, on
the 31st October, 1837, and after passing his matriculation examination,
was apprenticed to the celebrated Dr. Wyse of Dublin, and at a very
early age entered upon the arduous studies of his profession under the
able tuition of Professor Graves, Sir W. W. Wylde, Sir Philip Crampton,
Sir H. Marsh, William Stokes, Sir D. Corrigan; all eminent physicians
and surgeons of the day. The Crimean War breaking out, Dr. Riddall
having placed his name for service abroad, was drafted twice, the last
time accepting. He was attached to the Army Hospital Corps, on active
service in the East, and did duty both at Scutari and Balaclava in 1855,
and was present at the evacuation of Sebastapol, seeing much active
service, at the age of eighteen. On his return from the East he
completed his studies, becoming a Licentiate of the Apothecaries’ Hall,
Dublin, in 1854, and Licentiate in Surgery and Midwifery, Dublin, in
1857. Owing to exposure and hard work, he was, for many months, laid up
with inflammatory rheumatism, which, by the advice of his medical
confrères, necessitated his removal to Canada, where he obtained the
degree of M.D., Victoria College, in 1864, and was appointed Coroner for
the Counties of Peel and Simcoe. He married Margaret, second daughter of
the late Joseph Griffith, Esq., Weston, Ontario. In 1863, the period of
the Trent affair, he raised the Caledon Infantry Company, of which he
was Captain, doing duty throughout the Campaign of 1866. He was
appointed to the Surgeoncy of the 36th Regiment of Peel Infantry in
1867, which post he still retains, and did duty with his regiment at
Toronto in camp, during Toronto’s Semi-Centennial Celebration.
[Illustration: G. P. RIDOUT. JOS. D. RIDOUT.]
THE RIDOUT FAMILY. The first mention made of this family is from
“Hutchin’s Visitation of Somerset,” England, in the College of Arms,
London, where a Coat of Arms was granted in 1531 to Thomas Ridout, of
the Parish of Hensbridge, in Somerset. The Ridouts have been principally
located in Blandford and Sherborne, Dorset, England, after which
Sherbourne Street (should be Sherborne), Toronto, was named by the
Honourable Thomas Ridout, the Surveyor-General, in commemoration of his
birthplace. The first mention by Hutchin of the family residing in
Bristol, is the marriage, in 1674, of Susannah, daughter and heiress of
John Ridout, of Bristol, to Thomas Strangways of Melbury, County of
Dorset, whose grand-daughter (Elizabeth), married Stephen Fox who was
created Earl of Ilchester in 1741. George Ridout, the father of our
subjects, and his wife Mary Ann (Wright) Ridout settled in York in 1826,
having come out from England in 1820, to the United States. After
residing in Philadelphia a short time, upon the recommendation of his
uncle, the Honourable Thomas Ridout (Surveyor-General of Upper Canada),
he removed his family to Toronto, with the exception of the eldest sons
(George Perceval and Joseph D.) who remained at New York and
Philadelphia. He subsequently received a Government appointment which he
held until the time of his death, September 3, 1835; his wife dying
October 3 of the same year. George Ridout was born at Bristol, England,
on the 22nd of February, 1783; his father Nicodemus Ridout, being an
elder brother of the Honourable Thomas Ridout (the Surveyor-General of
Upper Canada.) The two elder sons, George Perceval and Joseph D., of the
above mentioned George Ridout, have been for the last fifty years
intimately connected with the history of Toronto. George Perceval Ridout
was born at Bristol, England, August 21, 1807. He came to America with
his father in 1820 and resided in Philadelphia and New York, where he
formed a partnership with his brother and the Messrs. Tarratt, of
Wolverhampton, England, in the hardware business in 1832 which he
continued in until 1866, when he severed his connection with the firm,
his brother continuing to carry on the business. During the Rebellion of
1837, Mr. George Perceval Ridout took an active part and was Captain of
the 7th Battalion of the Regiment of York Volunteers, from which he
retired some years later with the rank of Colonel. He represented
Toronto in the Dominion Parliament in 1851-2-3, and was also requested
to stand for Toronto in the election of 1844, but fearing a defeat to
the Conservative cause, on account of more than two of the party being
in the field, he retired, notwithstanding he was first nominated, for
which action he received the personal thanks of Sir P. Metcalfe,
Governor-General of Canada, as will be seen by the following:
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
QUEBEC, _October 22, 1844_.
DEAR SIR,—The public spirited and honourable course you pursued
during the late election for the City of Toronto has attracted
the Governor-General’s attention, and has won his warm
admiration. His Excellency considers that you have conferred a
signal service upon Her Majesty’s Government and the
constitutional cause by voluntarily withdrawing from the
contest, rather than create division among the ranks of its
supporters, and his Excellency feels that he is in no small
degree indebted to your genuine patriotism for the great triumph
gained by the issue of the election. I am desired to say that
the Governor-General would have hailed your return to Parliament
with high satisfaction, and that his Excellency hopes that the
country is only temporarily deprived of your services in the
Legislature, which, he believes, would be as valuable as your
devotion to the public weal has proved sincere.
I have the honour to be, dear sir,
Your faithful servant,
J. M. HIGGINSON, _Secretary_.
George Perceval Ridout was one of the original founders and President,
for the years 1850-1 of the Toronto Board of Trade, and President of St.
George’s Society, 1845-6-7; was Governor of the British American
Assurance Company from the 2nd August, 1853, until the time of his death
which occurred on June 28, 1873. He was never married. Joseph D. Ridout
the second son, was born at Bristol, England, 9th of June, 1809, and
came to America with his parents in 1820. His first start in business
was in the New York branch of the Messrs. Tarratt, of Wolverhampton,
England, from which place he was shortly afterwards sent to Boston, to
open a branch for the same firm. At this time he was only nineteen years
of age, and the confidence placed in him by his employers, who at that
time were one of the leading iron firms of England, was only the
forerunner of the trust and confidence placed in him during the rest of
his business career. He came to Little York in 1831, and one year later
entered into partnership with his brother and the Messrs. Tarratt. After
his brother’s retirement he took into the partnership James Aikenhead
and Alexander Crombie. Both of these gentlemen had been connected with
the firm for many years. Joseph D. Ridout retired from the firm in 1876,
leaving the business in the hands of the present firm, Messrs. Aikenhead
& Crombie, in whom he has always had the greatest confidence. Joseph D.
Ridout was one of the founders of the Toronto Board of Trade, which was
established in 1834 in Toronto. He was one of the founders of the St.
George’s Society and was four times honoured with the Presidency
(1851-2-3-4). He was the Vice-President of the Farmers’ and Mechanics’
Building Society, which successfully closed its business in 1853, and
from which originated the present Canada Permanent Loan and Savings
Company, of which he was President from its organization, until January,
1884, when he resigned on account of failing health. His skilful
management and constant, laborious supervision helped materially in
bringing that great financial institution to the high point of credit
and prosperity which it now enjoys, it being one of the foremost
institutions of the kind in America. He was also for some time Grand
Master of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and was one of the
original founders, and President for some time, of the Mechanics’
Institute. He was an officer in the East York Militia from 1833 until it
was disbanded under new legislation in 1867, when he retired with the
rank of Major. He was in active service during the Rebellion of 1837 and
1838. He was twice married, first to Julia Elizabeth Gold (widow),
sister of Mrs. F. W. Cumberland and the late Mrs. T. G. Ridout; and
secondly to Caroline Cumberland, sister of the late Colonel F. W.
Cumberland, by whom he had two sons, Perceval F. and Walter, both
residents of Toronto. Mr. Joseph D. Ridout died on the 4th of June,
1884.
RIGGS & IVORY, dentists, South-east corner of King and Yonge Streets,
established themselves on Queen Street West in 1882, from which place
they moved to their present rooms in the early part of 1885, and are now
doing an extensive practice in plate-work, gold-filling, and extensive
use of anæsthetics, including vitalized air specialities. The
establishment is large, light, commodious, handsomely furnished, and
situated on the most prominent corner in the city.
ISAAC ROBINSON, retired, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1809. His
father was John Robinson, who had three daughters and two sons; Isaac
being the eldest of the family. He learned the tailoring trade in
England, and came to Canada in 1831. He worked in Little York for
William Lawson, a tailor, until 1833, when he commenced business for
himself on Yonge Street. In about two years he removed to King Street
near Yonge, where he remained two years. His next location was further
east on King Street; he was there for eleven years. Then he bought a
farm four miles out of town on Yonge Street, and resided there for
fifteen years, when he returned to the city to live. At the time of the
Rebellion he was taken prisoner by Dr. Rolph. He is a Methodist and a
Conservative. In September, 1882, he married Ruth Walker, who is still
living. By his marriage he had the following children, viz.: Mary Ann,
died in infancy; Margaret, married E. Snider, and living in Manitoba;
Mary Jane, married Rev. W. Hunter; Sarah Ann, married Irving Walker;
Eliza, married B. Fitch; Edgerton W., living in London; Clara, married
Rev. W. J. Joliffe; Hannah, dead; and Amelia.
ROBERT HUNTER ROBINSON, M.D., was born in West Gwillimbury, Simcoe
County, being the youngest son of Gilbert Robinson, Esq., J.P., who was
born in 1807, and emigrated from King’s County, Ireland, in 1829. His
mother came from County Antrim, Ireland, in 1834. Dr. Robinson is one of
a family of seven children. He received his preliminary education in
Bradford High School, afterwards attending the Toronto School of
Medicine, and graduated at Toronto University in 1873, and in 1874 as
M.C.P.S.O. In 1872 Dr. Robinson was assistant-physician at the Toronto
General Hospital, and to the Small-pox Hospital in 1873. He married on
May 20, 1874, Nellie Van Allen, a native of Detroit. There is no issue.
Dr. Robinson is a Conservative in politics, and in religion a member of
the Methodist Church. Gilbert Robinson, J.P., the father of Dr.
Robinson, may be classed as among the first settlers of the Township of
West Gwillimbury. He came to this country in 1829, and arrived at Little
York, now Toronto, from which place he walked next day to West
Gwillimbury, where his father, William Robinson, then lived, whose house
was at that time the only one on the Penetanguishene Road. William
Robinson married a daughter of the Rev. John Connell, an Episcopal
Minister of King’s County, Ireland; he was a brother to the late Captain
Gilbert Robinson of the 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery, Woolwich,
England. Gilbert Robinson and his wife are still living, and have
recently celebrated their golden wedding, surrounded by their family and
friends.
THOMAS ROBINSON, deceased, was born in Yorkshire, England, 1815, and
came to Toronto in 1830. He married Ann, the eldest daughter of William
Jackson, who had settled in Toronto in 1831. His wife attended the
Central School which was taught at one time by Bishop Strachan. During
the Cholera of 1832 Mr. Robinson attended the death-beds of several
neighbours. Mr. Robinson continued the tailoring business after his
father-in-law removed to Eglinton. In 1850 he was burnt out by the great
fire, after which he opened a temporary shop on Yonge Street, opposite
Edward Street, until he rebuilt on the old site 127 Yonge Street, and
carried on business there until 1871, when he retired and built 616
Yonge Street, to which place he removed. He died in 1877.
SAMUEL ROGERS, deceased, was born in Coleraine, Ireland, in 1809, being
the sixth of a family of eight children. His parents were William and
Mary (Rodden) Rogers. In 1830 he came to Canada with John Duncan, with
whom he had learned his trade. In 1831 he opened a shop on the
north-east corner of King and Bay Streets, and in 1838 he removed to his
late premises, which he bought. Mr. Rogers was a member of the old fire
brigade, and represented St. Andrew’s Ward in the City Council for one
year. He was a Reformer in politics, and in religion a member of the
Methodist Church. In 1833 he married Elizabeth Knott. He died 7th
October, 1884.
WILLIAM ROMAIN was born in Quebec, July 15, 1818, and is one of a family
of eight children born of Pére and Elizabeth (McDonald) Romain. His
father was born in Quebec in 1777, and his mother was the eldest
daughter of Major McDonald, who was on active service in 1812. Pére
Romain also served in that war as lieutenant. William Francis Romain
came to Little York in May, 1830, and entered the service of Sir W. P.
Howland & Brother, of Toronto Township, as clerk. Two years later he
became manager for the pioneer store and grain dealer in the present
town of Brampton, and was the first post-master of that place. He
married Ann, eldest daughter of the late Colonel Wm. Chisholm, and
settled in Oakville, Halton County, where he at present resides. Mr.
Romain was Reeve of the Township of Trafalgar for two years; and when
Oakville was incorporated as a town he served for many years as
Councillor, and was twice elected unanimously as Mayor. The Romain
Buildings on King Street West were built by himself and his brother.
DR. JAMES ROSS was born in York Township in 1832. His father, James
Ross, sen’r, was born at sea in the Cove of Cork, off the coast of
Ireland, January 26, 1786, and in 1796 came to Canada with his parents,
and brothers and sister, John, Mary, Robert, George and Thomas. James
Ross, sen’r, began business as a tailor, which he continued until the
War of 1812. He was taken prisoner at the capitulation of York. He
afterwards settled on a farm in York Township, where he remained until
1858, and then moved into the city. He died at Newmarket in 1868. Until
he was seventeen, the subject of this sketch spent his life on his
father’s farm. In 1847, he ploughed at Hamilton, Ont., in the Junior
Class (under sixteen years) and won the first prize (a purse and a
diploma); the latter now adorns the wall of his study. In 1848 he
entered the Toronto School of Medicine under Dr. Rolph. In 1851 he
obtained his license from the Provincial Board, and subsequently
graduated at Jefferson College, Philadelphia, in 1852. The same year he
returned to Toronto, where he has since carried on the practice of his
profession. In 1854 he married Ann Jane, second daughter of John
McIntosh, of Toronto. Dr. Ross does not take an active part in politics;
in religion he is a Presbyterian. He is now President of the Ontario
branch of the Caledonian Curling Club.
GEORGE G. ROWE, M.D. The subject of this sketch was born in 1854, at
Churchville, Peel County, in which place he commenced his education,
attending Public Schools until his removal to Georgetown Academy, and
subsequently to the Canadian Literary Institute at Woodstock, where he
finished his elementary studies. He matriculated in Toronto University
in 1875, graduating four years after, and has been in the active
practice of his profession since. He took up his residence in Parkdale
in 1881, and since his advent there has gathered together a large and
profitable practice. Dr. Rowe holds numerous offices, being medical
attendant for the Grand Trunk Railway Company, as well as for several
benevolent societies. He is the Medical Health Officer for the
municipality of Parkdale, and is on the staff of physicians attached to
the Home for Incurables. Dr. Rowe married, in 1880, Jeanie E., eldest
daughter of Thos. Clark, of Georgetown.
REV. ALEXANDER SANSON, Rector of Trinity Church, Toronto, was born in
Edinburgh, Scotland, January 6, 1819. His father, James Sanson, was born
in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1791, and died in Orillia, Ontario, April 13,
1874. His mother Mary Laing, daughter of William Laing, of Edinburgh,
Scotland, was born in 1790, and died in Orillia on the same day that her
husband died. Our subject was educated in his native city, and was
ordained a clergyman of the Church of England May 8, 1842. He was Rector
of York Mills until 1852, since when he has been connected with Trinity
Church, Toronto.
ROBERT SARGEANT was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1813, and
emigrated to Canada in 1834, taking up his residence in Toronto the same
year. He engaged in contracting and building, and in 1837 erected the
first brick house in the “City Block” for Mr. Atkinson. He continued in
this business until 1850, when he opened a general store under the name
of Robert Sargeant & Co., No. 2 St. Lawrence Block, which he conducted
until 1862, afterwards commencing gardening, east of the Don. After
spending seven years in this business he retired, subsequently receiving
the appointment of City Inspector, an office which he held for seven
years; retiring from the same into private life. In 1837 he married Miss
Eunice Hutchinson, who died in 1858, leaving four children.
RICHARD SCORE, tailor, and importer of fine woollens, Toronto, was born
in Devonshire, England, in 1807. His parents were John and Johanna
Score. He spent his early life in England, where he learned the
tailoring business with his father. In 1832 he married Harriett,
youngest daughter of John Courtice, and in the following year came to
Canada with his wife and one child. He settled in Toronto, and commenced
business in 1845, on King Street West, in what was called Chewett’s
Buildings, a few doors west of his present place of business. Mr. Score
has four surviving children (three daughters and one son). His son is a
member of the present firm of R. Score & Son. In politics Mr. Score is a
Conservative, and in religion a Methodist.
FRANCIS H. SEFTON, dentist, was born in the City of Worcester, England,
and is one of a family of nine children born of H. F. and Martha (Brown)
Sefton. Francis was educated at the Ontario Dental College, and began
practice on receiving his diploma. He married in 1833 Amy Firlde of
Prescott, Ontario, of English extraction.
JOHN SHAW, builder, 102½ Euclid Avenue, a York Pioneer, was born at
Newmarket, Ontario, in 1822, being the son of William Shaw, a native of
Queen’s County, Ireland, who settled in Little York in 1800. His mother
was a daughter of William Hunter, a blacksmith and farrier, who
emigrated from England with his family to the United States, and settled
for a short time in Albany, N.Y. He came to Little York about 1797 with
his six daughters, where he was employed by Governor Simcoe for some
time as blacksmith and veterinary surgeon for mounted troops. He then
moved a little north of Thornhill on Yonge Street, where he established
himself in business. He was the first blacksmith established in this
county. During the War of 1812, Mr. Shaw’s father belonged to the York
Militia, and participated in the battle of York and some others. After
the surrender of the town to the Americans the troops were billeted on
the inhabitants. During their stay in the town, a portion of the flour,
provisions, stores, etc., which had been sent out from England for the
supply of the garrison and other purposes, was distributed by the
American officers among the citizens. The Government issued a
proclamation after the Americans left the town calling for the people to
return the provisions, which was done in nearly every case. Among the
other members of this family who emigrated to this continent may be
mentioned George Shaw, who died at Niagara; John Shaw, sen’r, who
settled in New York; and Joseph Shaw, who had a brewery at Little York,
and subsequently died at Hogg’s Hollow; these were uncles of the subject
of this sketch. The father of our subject, William Shaw, soon after his
arrival in York, was appointed clerk in the Parliament Buildings, during
the regime of Governor Simcoe, also under the administration of Governor
Hunter, and subsequently died in New York while visiting some friends
there. John passed the first ten years of his life in York, and then
removed with his parents to Thornhill, where he resided until 1845, and
there learned the trade of cabinet-maker, which business he continued
until 1845, when he removed to Whitby, Ont., where he resided until
1873. He then removed to Toronto, and has since been engaged in business
there as a builder. He was married in Whitby to Margaret, daughter of
William Flint, by whom he has two sons and two daughters, viz.: William,
Arthur, Margaretta and Louisa. He had four brothers and one sister, his
eldest brother William, at Aurora, being the only one now living.
JOHN SHAW was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1809. He came to Toronto in
1857, and remained until 1870, when he removed to St. Louis, Missouri.
After an absence of six years he returned to Toronto, where he has since
continued to reside. In 1839 he married Jane, daughter of John Place,
Esq., of Ballyfermot House, County of Dublin, Ireland, the result of the
union being six children, four of whom are still living.
CHARLES SHEPPARD, No. 237½ Yonge Street, was born in England, 1819, and
came to Toronto, Canada, in 1821 with his father, Thomas Sheppard, who
built and kept the “Golden Lion” Hotel, seven miles north of Toronto. In
1855 he married Eliza Cousins, by whom he had four children. Mr.
Sheppard had been living in Toronto since 1864. He is one of the best
shots in Canada, having won $8,000 in prizes with the rifle. He was
noted as a great deer hunter, having with a comrade, Mr. John Perry, of
King Township, killed fourteen in one day. About 1881 he lost the sight
of his right eye from a cataract, and one year after he was afflicted in
the same way in the left eye, but fortunately had an operation performed
by Dr. Rosebrugh which saved the sight of both eyes.
JOHN SMALL, deceased, the first of the name in Canada, is a member of an
old Gloucestershire family. He was born in Gloucestershire, England, in
1746, and came to Canada with Governor Simcoe, and settled in the then
Town of York (now Toronto) in 1793. He left in England his younger
brother, Joseph Atwell Small, D.D., Prebend of the Cathedrals of
Gloucester and Bristol, and one of the Chaplains of the King. His house
(Berkeley House) in York was built near the present corner of King and
Berkeley streets, and is now occupied by his grandson, John Small, M.P.
Mr. Small was appointed by the Imperial Government as Clerk of the Crown
and Clerk of the first Executive Council in Upper Canada. This position
he held until the time of his death, on the 10th of July, 1831, at the
age of eighty-five years. James Edward, the eldest son living at the
time of the death of John Small above named, was born in 1798, and is
said to have been the third white child born in York. He served as a
midshipman on the ship _St. Lawrence_, seventy-four guns, during the War
of 1812. Mr. Small was elected as a member of Parliament twice for the
City of Toronto, and in the year 1842 for the Third Riding of York. In
1843 he took the portfolio of Solicitor-General in the
Baldwin-Lafontaine Cabinet. He was one of the representatives of Canada
who proceeded to England for the purpose of negotiating with the Home
Government for a Representative Government. Subsequently he was
appointed Judge of the County of Middlesex, which position he held until
his death, which occurred in London, Ontario, on the 23rd of May, 1869,
at the age of seventy-one. John T. Small, M.D., the eldest son of James
Edward, was born at York in 1823. He was one of the pupils of the late
Bishop Bethune at the rectory at Cobourg. He afterwards went to the
Upper Canada College, and thence to the University of King’s College,
which was then situated where the present Parliament Buildings are.
Having decided upon adopting the medical profession, he went to the Old
Country in 1845. After studying for several years in Guy’s Hospital, and
in the hospitals of Paris, Edinburgh and Dublin, he took the degree of
M.D. at the University of St. Andrew’s, and became a member of the Royal
College of Surgeons for England in 1851. In the following year he
returned to Toronto and commenced the practice of medicine. Dr. Small
was married in Scotland in 1852, to Catherine Frances, the daughter of
Alexander Herriot, of the Law House, in Berwickshire. Dr. Small is a
Mason, having been initiated in the Order of A.F. and A.M. in 1845; and
is a member of St. George’s Society. He is a Presbyterian, being a
member of St. Andrew’s, the church of the Rev. D. J. Macdonnell.
ANDREW SMITH, founder and present Principal of the Ontario Veterinary
College, is a native of Ayrshire, Scotland, and received his
professional education in the Edinburgh Veterinary College, and
graduated in 1861 with the highest honors. The staff of Professors and
the subjects taught are as follow:—Prof. Smith, V.S., Edinburgh,
M.R.C.V.S., and Honorary Associate, R.C.V.S. (Principal), _Diseases of
Domesticated Animals_; J. Thorburn, M.D., Edinburgh, _Veterinary Materia
Medica_; M. Barrett, M.D., _Animal Physiology_; Prof. Smith, V.S., and
assistants, _Clinical Instructors_; Dr. Ellis, University, _Chemistry_;
George Buckland, _The History, Breeding and Management of Domestic
Animals_; J. T. Duncan, M.D., V.S., _Demonstrator of Anatomy_; J. T.
Duncan, M.D., V.S., _Histology_.
HON. FRANK SMITH was born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1822, and
settled near Toronto in 1832. In 1849 he went to London, Ont., and
engaged in business until 1866, when he made Toronto his home. The
business which he has established in Toronto is that of an importer and
wholesale dealer in groceries, wines and liquors. He for the space of
nine years imported teas direct from China to New York, doing a very
large business in this line. In 1881 he purchased a controlling interest
in the Toronto Street Railway. Since then he has trebled its work, until
now it employs over six hundred horses and traverses the principal
streets of the city. While living in London he was an alderman for some
years and subsequently mayor. In 1871 he was called to the Senate, and
in 1882 to a seat in the Dominion Cabinet. He is also President of the
Home Savings and Loan Company, President of the London and Ontario
Company, President of the Street Railway Company, President of the
Northern Railway Company, Vice-President of the Dominion Bank, Director
in the Gas Company, and Director in the Dominion Telegraph Company.
FRANK SMITH, late Bursar of the Toronto General Hospital, was born on
the 22nd day of April, 1809. He is the second son of Francis and
Elizabeth Smith, of the County of Kent, England, both born in January,
1777. In the year 1832 their sons, Frank and Joseph, emigrated to
Canada, and settled on land in the Township of March, Ottawa River,
where they remained two years, removing to Guelph Township in 1834,
where they took up seven hundred acres of wild land. In 1835 Frank
married the fifth daughter of George Davis, Esq., of Guelph, by whom he
had thirteen children. In 1851 he removed to St. Catharines, and was
engaged in farming there until 1875, when he removed to Toronto,
accepting the appointment of Bursar to the Toronto General Hospital,
which he held for ten years. During the Rebellion in 1837-8 he served
under Sir Allan McNab as Lieutenant in the 6th Gore District Militia. In
politics he is Conservative, and in religion a staunch member of the
Church of England.
[Illustration: WILLIAM SMITH, SEN. GRANDFATHER. WILLIAM SMITH,
JUN. FATHER. JOHN
SMITH. SON.]
FRED. SMITH, dentist, Queen and Berkeley Streets, was born in Liverpool,
England, in 1852. In 1875 he passed the final examination at the London
College of Dentistry, after which he practised his profession in Wales.
In 1879 he came to Toronto; and established himself on Queen Street
East. He now occupies a fine suite of rooms at the above address.
JAMES SMITH was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1820, and emigrated to
Canada when eighteen years of age. On his arrival in Toronto he joined
the Volunteers, and served about six months, during the close of the
“Mackenzie Rebellion.” He then entered the employment of Mr. T. D.
Harris, a King Street merchant, with whom he remained two years. He
afterwards followed steamboating for fourteen years, and then took
charge of the Restaurant at the Union Station, which he conducted for
twenty-one years, having previously had some experience in
hotel-keeping. Mr. Smith retired from business in 1879, his present
residence being 389 Queen Street West. He was one of the originators of
the “Queen’s Own Rifles,” in which corps he held the rank of captain. In
1840 he married Rebecca Armstrong, who died in 1858, leaving two
children, three having died before their mother. Mr. Smith married a
second time, his wife being Christina Byers, by whom he had nine
children, five of whom are living. In politics he is a Conservative. He
belongs to the Orangemen and Masons.
JOHN SMITH. Instructive and interesting as a perusal of the lives and
antecedents of the various characters connected with Toronto’s rise and
growth may prove, it is without undue precipitation that we pronounce
the opinion that the family of the gentleman whose name heads this
sketch have the claim of possessing a peculiar interest in matters
relating to the early history of the city. Proud they have a right to
be, who, tracing their descent to the early pioneer, feel that they are
in possession of a heritage which will not depreciate in value in the
hands of successive generations. Individually or collectively, however,
they must all give way, in point of interest, to the family to whose
record this space is devoted. At the commencement of the reign of George
III. was born in Nottinghamshire, England, one William Smith, who in
early life acquired a knowledge of architecture and engineering, and who
was employed on account of his skill in these branches by the monarch
upon one of his royal palaces. In the year 1774 he was sent by the
British Government to superintend the construction of works at Cape
Breton. Upon his arrival he drew a large tract of land, which proved a
valuable coal mine. This he developed, and in 1792 freighted a vessel
with coal and sailed for New York where he disposed of his cargo and
made his way to Newark (now Niagara). The following year (1793) he
joined General Simcoe, and came with him to explore that section of the
country of which Toronto is now the capital. He found three Indian
wigwams east of the Don on the river banks (lot 15), one of which
contained the Chief Kashago; the only white settlers then being William
Peak and his family. The latter had been settled there some time, and
knew the locality well, and often accompanied General Simcoe on hunting
and fishing expeditions, that being Peak’s principal occupation. The
Governor gave Mr. Smith choice of land, and he selected one-fifth of an
acre—a town lot—being what is now the corner of King and Sherbourne
Streets. In the fall of 1793 he returned to Niagara to be with his
family during the winter, and in the spring of 1794 brought them to
Little York, and having erected a log hut upon lot 15, settled there. He
assisted Governor Simcoe in drawing plans for the building of “Castle
Frank,” the old summer house on the heights west of the Don, and in
various ways brought his knowledge to bear in planning, surveying and
laying out the future city. He followed his business of builder and
contractor for many years, during which time he constructed many public
and private buildings. He erected the first English church; also the
residence of Secretary Jarvis on the corner of Sherbourne and Duke
Streets; and subsequently, in company with his son-in-law, John
Thompson, laid the foundation of and erected the lighthouse on the
Island. He was a volunteer in the War of 1812, and was taken prisoner at
the capitulation of York in April, 1813. He died in the year 1819, at
his residence on the corner of King and Sherbourne Streets, and was
buried in the old churchyard of the English church, now St. James’
cathedral. His life was a long and useful one, as well as eventful, and
he lived long enough to see the muddy little York, at whose birth it may
be said he presided, growing into life and vitality, with a prospect of
future greatness which it has more than realized. Mr. Smith had a family
of six children, viz: Thomas, William, Mary, Betsy, Sally and Samuel.
Thomas was killed at the Battle of Queenston Heights. William, who was
born in England in 1781, succeeded his father in the business. In 1814
he purchased the adjoining lot (14) two hundred and seventy acres, from
George Cook for $5,000. In the year 1819 he purchased the Governor
Simcoe property, lot 15, east of the Don, from John Scadding. He erected
a tannery at the Don in 1820, and shortly afterwards opened a store
adjoining the old family residence on King and Sherbourne Streets, which
he conducted until 1832. In taking to his father’s business he branched
out into the mercantile line, and accumulated a quantity of real estate.
He purchased the Helliwell property, where the brewery now stands. He
was the first Assessor and Collector of York and Markham townships. He
was likewise a volunteer in the War of 1812, and was taken prisoner at
the battle of York. He died in 1839, leaving six children. His life-long
cherished sport was hunting, and, as game of all kinds was then
abundant, sport in plenty was to be had. John, whose name appears at the
head of this sketch, is the oldest son of the late William Smith, and
was born in 1811, at the old home at the corner of King and Sherbourne
Streets. He is the only male survivor of the family, and now resides on
the old Simcoe property. Only a few years since he presented to the York
Pioneers that time-honoured old log cabin which was removed to the
Exhibition Grounds with appropriate ceremony, and which continues to be
an object of historic interest to visitors, as well as to the
inhabitants of the city. John, when a boy, received his first schooling
in Michael Doyle’s house on Duke Street, Mr. Blair being the teacher;
then at the old yellow school-house at the corner of Ontario and King
Streets, at which Mr. Cassells was teacher; and later at the Masonic
Hall, which opened in 1824 under the tutorship of Thomas Appleton, after
which he attended James Padfield’s school—Secretary Jarvis’s old
house—corner of Sherbourne and Duke Streets. Mr. Smith’s mother (Julia
Ann Lewis) died when he was sixteen years of age. He succeeded his
father in business, and in 1846 married Mary Magarham, by whom he had
nine children. He was present at the skirmish near the Don Bridge during
the Mackenzie Rebellion. Mr. Smith is in politics a Conservative,
although he has ever resisted the pressure brought to bear upon him by
friends whose desire was that he should accept office, municipal and
political. In concluding this family record, it should be stated that
Mr. Smith has in his possession an old clock made by the late Jordan
Post, one of the first clockmakers in York, which ticks just as merrily
as it did three-score and ten years ago when the old man constructed it,
and which can scarce be excelled as a time-piece at the present day. Mr.
Smith is still hale and hearty, and, possessing, as he does, a retentive
memory, adds to the pleasure, as well as the profit, of the present
generation by recounting the strange events and appearances which in the
old days surrounded “Little York.”
[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF JOHN SMITH, ESQ. (SHOWING THE OLD LOG HOUSE
OF 1794).]
JOHN T. SMITH, deceased, was born in London, England, 1805. In 1826 he
emigrated to Canada, and soon after his arrival in Toronto served the
public in the capacity of mine host at the Masonic Arms Hotel, West
Market Square, where his genial manner won for him hosts of friends, who
later elected him to a seat in the Council Board for St. Lawrence Ward,
which he held for several years. He was one of the first to assist in
organizing the present Gas Company, in which he was a stockholder, and a
Director until his death, September 10, 1877, aged seventy-two years.
During the Rebellion of 1837 he served as a volunteer. He was twice
married, first to a Miss Moore, of Quebec, and on her demise, he married
in 1857 a daughter of Frederick East, an old English naval officer. Mr.
Smith was for many years a member of the Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons, he was also a member of the English Church.
WILLIAM SMITH, waggon-maker, was born in Oxfordshire, England, in 1821,
being the eldest of a family of two sons and two daughters. In 1832, his
parents, John and Mary (Mason) Smith, came to Canada with their
children. On the voyage out, on the ship _Alexander_, the small-pox and
cholera broke out among the passengers, and Mr. Smith lost a sister two
years old by the former, and while waiting at Prescott for a boat to
take them to York, the mother died of cholera, in a shop there, leaving
the father to look after three young children. Mr. Smith’s uncle and
grandfather died at Montreal of the cholera. After reaching York his
father rented two rooms on Yonge Street, and obtained work as a mason’s
clerk. He afterwards became a labourer in Helliwell’s Brewery, and died
in 1849. His second son, Alfred, is a cooper in Drayton, Ontario.
William Smith learned his trade with Reuben Parkinson, with whom he was
for seven years. He began business for himself in 1843, and in 1847
purchased the property where his business now is, and on which he
erected a waggon shop. He now gives employment to eight men. In religion
Mr. Smith is a Methodist; he belongs to no political party, but votes on
principle. In 1845 he married Edith, daughter of William Dellamore, a
farmer in York Township.
JOSHUA GRAFTON SNIDER, livery, etc., was born in the Township of York,
December 29, 1833. His grandfather, Martin Snider, was born in Germany;
he lived in the United States until the close of the Revolutionary War,
when he removed to New Brunswick; he afterwards came to York Township,
his son, Thomas, the father of Joshua, being only eighteen months old.
Thomas Snider was eighteen years of age at his father’s death. He
resided on the old farm until he came of age, when he moved to a farm of
his own in the rear of the old homestead, where he lived until his death
in 1856. On January 3, 1833, he married Catharine Grafton, daughter of
Stewart Grafton, by whom he had seven children. Joshua Snider was
working on a farm of his own until his father’s death, when he went on
the old homestead farm which he worked for about ten years. He then went
to York Mills, where he remained for three years. His wife, a daughter
of Thomas Lackie, whom he had married in 1857, died there. He then went
to Cincinnati. In 1871 he came to Toronto, where he has been ever since.
In 1873 he married a Miss McCallum. In politics he is a Reformer. George
S. Snider, the second son of Thomas Snider, was born in 1836. In 1861 he
married Elizabeth M. Walker.
MARTIN EDWARD SNIDER, dentist, Bay Street, Toronto, was born in the
Township of York in 1845. His father, Thomas Snider, was born in New
Brunswick in 1810, and came to Little York about the same year with his
father, Martin Snider, a U.E. Loyalist, who took up land in the Township
of York, where he died. The wife of the elder Martin Snider died in York
Township at the age of one hundred and three. The father of our subject
lived in York Township from 1810 until his death, which occurred in
1856. In 1849 he was commissioned a Lieutenant of the York Militia; two
commissions signed by Lord Elgin and one by Sir Edmund W. Head. At his
death he left a widow and five sons, as follow: Joshua Grafton lives in
Toronto; George Stewart lives in Toronto; Thomas Albert lives in
Cincinnati, O.; Martin Edward, and John Elgin live in Toronto. Martin
Snider received his first education at the old Grammar School, and began
his studies at Upper Canada College in 1857, being then twelve years of
age. In 1861 he began to study his profession in Toronto; he spent one
year in the United States. In 1867 he returned to Toronto, where he has
been ever since. His wife is Hannah Wilkinson, daughter of one of the
oldest settlers in the town of Muddy York. He has been Returning-officer
for St. George’s Ward for thirteen years. In politics he is a Reformer.
ALBERT W. SPAULDING, dentist, 51 King Street East, was born in Durham
County in 1848. His father was Joseph Lovell Spaulding and his mother
Sarah Hepinstall. Mr. Spaulding taught school for five years, in Huron
County, after which he studied dentistry with Mr. W. C. Adams, in
Toronto. In 1878 he graduated at the Toronto Dental College, where he
afterwards taught, during the sessions of 1880-1 and 1881-2.
JAMES SPENCE, carpenter and builder, was born in County Armagh, Ireland,
in 1808, and was the eldest in a family of four sons and four daughters.
His parents were Thomas and Margaret (Whitten) Spence, both of whom were
born in the County of Armagh. While he was still a boy he came to
Canada, and located at Kingston where he served three years learning the
carpenter trade. Then he came to Little York, and for a few years worked
with John Harper. For many years he did work for Judge Hagerman and
Chief Justice Robinson. In 1835 he built the house in which he now
resides at 99 Elizabeth Street. He bought the lot from Judge Hagerman,
and paid $300 for it. Mr. Spence has held several public offices. In
April, 1856, he was appointed License Inspector for St. John’s Ward, and
has in his possession a watch which was presented to him by the
hotel-keepers as a mark of their esteem. For twelve years he was
Assessor in different Wards, St. James’s, St. Andrew’s and St. John’s.
He was collector for St. John’s Ward for three years, and represented
that Ward in the City Council for the same length of time. He has made
considerable money in real estate transactions. Mr. Spence married Eliza
Lockie, born in Tyrone, Ireland, by whom he has had one son and three
daughters. The son, Thomas, is dead. He was in the Toronto Custom House
for eight years. His daughters are married, the eldest is Mrs. Foster;
the second to William Reid, who is in the Custom House; the third to
James Carruthers, a bootmaker on Teraulay Street. In politics Mr. Spence
is a Conservative, in religion he is a member of the Church of England.
During the Mackenzie Rebellion Mr. Spence went out to find Dr. Rolph,
whom he wanted to attend his wife who was ill. As he made very anxious
enquiries after the doctor, and refused to tell his business, he was
arrested by his own party on suspicion of being a rebel, and was taken
before a magistrate (John Armstrong), who sent two volunteers to
accompany him in his search for the doctor. He was afterwards released,
and served with the volunteers under Captain Powell, and was on Yonge
Street at the dispersion of the rebels.
CHARLES SPROAT, City Engineer, is the youngest son of the late Alderman
Henry Sproat, who died in 1875. Mr. Sproat, sen’r, was a native of
Cumberland, England, and came to Canada in the year 1821. He settled in
York and devoted his attention to farming, but in 1844 he relinquished
his agricultural pursuits and commenced business in the city as a
merchant. He took an active part in municipal affairs, and in 1856 was
elected Councillor, and, three years later, Alderman, for St. Andrew’s
Ward. During his term of office, which extended over a period of seven
years, he occupied the position of Chairman of the Fire, Water and Gas
Committee, and also of the Board of Works, and was a genuine mover in
effecting the introduction of the new fire system. In 1863 he withdrew
from active participation in municipal affairs, and shortly afterwards
purchased the brewery on Queen Street West, known as Cosgrave &
Sproat’s; but a few years later he sold his interest in the concern and
retired from business altogether. His son, Charles, the present city
engineer, was born in Toronto in 1836, and received his education at
Upper Canada and Knox Colleges. He selected the profession of engineer
as his future career in life, and became a pupil of the late Frank
Shanley, C.E., with whom he was engaged in the survey of the Toronto and
Guelph Railway, afterwards amalgamated with the Grand Trunk, and, on the
completion of this undertaking, on the Midland Railway survey. He was
afterwards employed as Government Surveyor in the districts north-east
of Toronto, and subsequently as District Engineer on the Toronto, Grey
and Bruce Railway, and in connection with the latter road he was later
on promoted to the position of Resident Engineer. When Mr. Shanley
entered upon the duties of City Engineer of Toronto, Mr. Sproat received
the appointment of Deputy Surveyor, and it was under his
superintendence, while holding that office, that the present sewage
system of the city was constructed. Mr. Sproat next connected himself
with the Georgian Bay and Wellington Railway, connecting Palmerston and
Durham, in the capacity of Chief Engineer, and was afterwards engaged in
the Canadian Pacific Railway survey in the Rocky Mountains, where he
remained until his appointment as City Engineer of Toronto, on the 24th
of September, 1883. In 1863 Mr. Sproat married Miss Frances Jane
Lawrence, daughter of Mr. Joseph Lawrence, formerly of Toronto, but now
a resident of Collingwood.
WILLIAM STANLEY, deceased, was born in Toronto in 1836. He was a painter
by trade, and conducted a large and successful business in
fresco-painting, graining and decorating, which he commenced in 1859. He
was a Unitarian, and a member of the Oddfellows Society. He was also
connected with the Tenth Royals and Queen’s Own for many years; and was
an active member of the Ontario Rifle Association. Mr. Stanley married
in 1856 Elizabeth James, and at his death left a widow, two sons and
four daughters.
RICHARD GEORGE STAPELLS, professor of music, 263 Berkeley Street, was
born at Rochester, Kent, England, and came to Canada in 1873, locating
in Toronto, where he has since remained. He studied under Thomas
Harcourt, Esq., the choir-master of Rochester Cathedral, and George
Newsome, Esq., a professor also of that city. Mr. Stapells is organist
of Grace Church, and also gives vocal and instrumental instruction to
pupils.
THOMAS H. STARK, M.D., 97 Bond Street, is a native of Beauharnois,
Quebec, being the son of William Stark, school-teacher. He is a graduate
of Trinity University and Trinity School, and was for some years
Resident Assistant Surgeon at Toronto General Hospital, and in 1882
commenced practice in this city.
N. L. STEINER, marble dealer, Toronto, was born in Bohemia, Austria, in
1832, being the eleventh in a family of fourteen children. His father,
Wolfgang Steiner, was a Government contractor. Mr. Steiner was educated
in Vienna, and in 1848 left his home and went to New York, where he
spent three years learning sculpturing. After having learned the
business he was for a few months located in Buffalo. In 1852 he came to
Toronto, and commenced business on Parliament Street, afterwards
removing to King Street. His next location was at the corner of Yonge
Street and Wilton Avenue, where he carried on a large business for
twenty-four years, employing over thirty men. In 1880 he removed to his
present place on the corner of Wilton Avenue and Victoria Streets. In
1876 Mr. Steiner married a daughter of the Rev. Dr. Leon Sternberger of
New York. In 1880 he was elected to represent St. James’s Ward in the
City Council, obtaining the largest vote ever polled. He sat for two
years, and then retired. He was elected in 1883, being once more at the
head of the poll—and in 1884 by acclamation. In 1870, he was
commissioned a J.P. In politics he is a Reformer. Mr. Steiner is
Past-Master of the A.F. and A.M. of Toronto, and also President of the
German Society.
W. ST. CROIX, 7 North Street, Toronto. Among the many who have settled
in Toronto in the past thirty years, and added to its substantial growth
and prosperity, there are few who have overcome greater difficulties in
achieving an honourable success in business than the subject of this
sketch. Mr. St. Croix was born on the Island of Jersey in 1834, of
Huguenot extraction. In early life he learned the trade of bricklayer
and plasterer, and later travelled through France, England, and a
portion of the United States, arriving in Toronto in 1854 with only one
York shilling, which constituted his entire wealth. He not only
struggled with poverty, but, being in a strange country, was wholly
unable to comprehend the language of the people. For the first year
after his arrival he worked as a journeyman, during which time he
improved his leisure hours in the study of the English language. He soon
after began business for himself in a small way, which gradually
increased until it assumed vast proportions; with honesty, industry and
frugality for his motto, his labours have been crowned with success.
During the past thirty years he has erected many public and private
buildings, among which were the present Police Station and Court House,
near the Post Office, Phœnix Block on Front Street, and several
warehouse blocks on Yonge Street. In 1880 he purchased a portion of the
Elmsley Estate, west of Yonge Street, consisting of one thousand feet
frontage on Bloor Street North and St. Mary Street, upon which he has
erected about forty handsome two-storey brick residences, a portion of
which he has sold and rented, besides many other private residences in
various parts of the city. He has annually employed from sixty to
seventy-five men. As an instance of the amount of labour performed in
one branch of his business—plastering—in one year, his contracts
amounted to thirty-five thousand dollars. The average wages he has paid
his men during a period of thirty years has been one dollar and
twenty-five cents to two dollars per day. More recently he has enlarged
his business, and now contracts for the construction of buildings from
the digging of the cellar to the finishing and turn of the key. At the
present time he owns over fifty beautiful residences and stores in
various parts of the city. In politics he is a Reformer; in religion, a
member of the Bond Street Congregational Church, where he has acted in
the capacity of a deacon for many years. In 1860 he married a daughter
of James Kerr, an old resident of Toronto, of Scottish extraction.
QUETTON ST. GEORGE. In 1791, when the French Revolution was raging, a
British Legion was raised in England for the purpose of rescuing Louis
XVI., then a prisoner in the Tuileries, and restoring him to the throne
of his ancestors. Two brothers, Laurent and Etienne Quettonn, went over
to England and enlisted. The Republicans were then a cruel race, the
guillotine and confiscation of property being the order of the day. They
were particularly hard on those families which were known to have some
member fighting for the King. On that account the Duc d’Angoulême, who
was then in London taking a great interest in the organization of the
said Legion, advised all Frenchmen who enlisted in it to change their
names, and assume for a time a _nom de guerre_. The brothers Quetton
were therefore enrolled in the army list as Laurent and Etienne St.
George. They went over to France in October, 1791, and from that year
they were engaged in active and hard service. Etienne was shot and died
on the field of honour at Brestien, the 8th of December, 1798. Laurent
was more fortunate, and rose rapidly. He was born at Verrazses, near
Montpelier, in the Province of Languedoc, June 4th, 1771. He was barely
twenty when he joined the British Legion. The official record of his
campaigns shows that he distinguished himself in many engagements, and
was gradually promoted. In April, 1796, we find him Lieutenant-Colonel,
and in June the same year he was made Chevalier of the Royal and
Military Order of St. Louis. In 1798, the Royalist armies being
completely routed and all but annihilated by the Republicans, some of
the survivors were fortunate enough to escape to England, where those
who belonged to the British Legion were treated as retired British
officers, and received grants of land in Canada. Among them was Colonel
St. George, who then resumed his proper name of Quetton St. George; his
descendants still retaining the two names. His grant of land was on the
Oak Ridges, at the corner of the four townships of Vaughan, Markham,
Whitchurch and King. Several other French officers, General de Puisaye,
Count and Viscount de Chalus, and others were also located at Oak
Ridges, in what is known to this day as the French settlement. Their
first attempt to examine their location was not made by rail, nor even
by stage or waggon. Having left York on horseback, when they came to
Hogg’s Hollow they found the river so swollen that any attempt at wading
through it, the only way of getting across in those days, was out of the
question. They left their horses at a farm, and were directed to an
Indian path where a pine tree felled across the stream did duty as a
bridge for foot passengers. They went up to the Ridges on foot. Some of
them actually settled on their lots; but the Chevalier de St. George
very soon came to the conclusion that a man who had not been brought up
to it was more likely to break his back than to make a fortune by
felling trees and piling them into log heaps to clear the land. He
returned to York, and started as a merchant at the corner of King and
Frederick Streets. He became very popular with the farmers at Markham,
then the best settled township north of York. He traded also with the
Indians, and a few years ago an old house fire-place was to be seen in
Rama Island, Lake Simcoe, which was known to have been a fort, as they
called it in those days, where he met the Indians every year. His
business prospered, and he built the first brick house in York, still a
very good and substantial one, now occupied by the Canada Company. He
entered into partnership with Julius Quesnel and John Spread Baldwin,
under the name and style of Quetton St. George & Co. Some curious
documents of Custom-house entries of those days are still preserved, and
may be seen in the house of the same name founded by his son, and now
situated on King Street, a few doors west of Yonge Street. After the
legitimate Kings of France had been restored to their throne, Quetton
St. George, then an independent man, very naturally wished to revisit
his native land and relatives. He was received with great distinction by
King Louis XVIII. His title of Chevalier, which had been given him in an
informal sort of way when King and Princes were prisoners or exiles, was
duly confirmed and registered, and he was given besides the decoration
of the Lys, a distinction specially reserved for those who had remained
true to their legitimate King during those troublous times. He was about
returning to Canada when he died, at the comparatively early age of
fifty, after a most eventful and honourable life. A son of his is still
living at Oak Ridges, and some grandchildren in the Province of Quebec.
HENRY STONE, undertaker, 239 Yonge Street, was born in Queen’s County,
Ireland, in 1830, being the second eldest and only surviving one in a
family of nine children. In 1831, his father Daniel Stone came to Canada
and settled in Montreal, removing to Toronto in 1840, where he carried
on business as a chandler on Wellington and Edward Streets, until his
death in 1855. Henry Stone was educated in Toronto, and when twenty
years of age began business as a chandler on Edward Street. In 1854 he
was married to Susannah, second daughter of William Reid, who died 22nd
November, 1880, in her forty-seventh year, by whom he has had fourteen
children, four of whom are dead. In 1869 he bought out Chadwick Fawkes,
undertaker, and has carried on that business ever since. In politics he
is a Conservative, and in religion a Methodist.
ISAAC STONEHOUSE, retired, was born in England in 1812. His father,
Joseph Stonehouse, was a carpenter by trade, and was born in Yorkshire.
He came to Canada in 1819, with one of his sons, and settled on a farm
in Etobicoke Township; the rest of his family followed him a year later.
About 1854 he moved into Toronto, where he remained until his death,
which occurred in 1858; his wife was Martha Rushforth. Isaac Stonehouse
was farming in Etobicoke until 1854, when he came to Toronto. He is now
living retired, and has been so for some few years. He has one son and
five daughters. In politics Mr. Stonehouse is a Reformer; in religion a
Methodist. He has been a member of the Fruit Growers’ Association for
ten years.
WILLIAM THEOPHILUS STUART, M.D., is a son of the Rev. James Stuart, and
was born in Markham Township in 1853. He received his early education at
Brantford, and later attended the Upper Canada College and Trinity
Medical School, graduated in 1877 as M.B. In 1877 his acquirements
gained for him a gold medal at Trinity University, as well as the
University gold medal, and Star gold medal at Toronto University. He
commenced the practice of his profession in this city, where he remained
one year, afterwards visiting the hospitals of Great Britain, and
returning again to Toronto, has since continued a resident, having an
extensive and increasing patronage. In 1877 Mr. Stuart became connected
with the Central College as Lecturer on Anatomy and Physiology. In 1878
he was appointed Practical Chemist to Trinity Medical School. He is one
of the visiting physicians to the Home of Incurables. He devotes much
time to the study of Chemistry and Mineralogy. In 1881 he was married to
Miss Maggie B. Gibson, of Lachine, by whom he has two children, a son
and a daughter.
LESLIE M. SWEETNAM, M.D., is the eldest son of Mr. Matthew Sweetnam,
Post-office Inspector, of Toronto, and was born in Kingston, Ontario, on
the 1st of August, 1859. He was educated at the Grammar School,
Kingston, the Model School, Collegiate Institute, and Upper Canada
College, Toronto. He attended the Toronto School of Medicine, and
graduated M.B. at Toronto University in 1881; and M.D., Ch.M. at
Victoria University, Cobourg, in the same year. He was Resident
Physician and Assistant House Surgeon on the staff of the General
Hospital, Toronto, in 1881. Dr. Sweetnam commenced the regular practice
of his profession in Toronto in 1882. He is a medical man of more than
ordinary promise, and has a large and steadily increasing practice. He
is on the medical staff of the House of Providence.
ANDREW TINGLE, carpenter, was born in the Township of Scarboro’ in 1820,
being the eldest in a family of thirteen children. His father was John
Tingle, who was born near Leeds, England. He was a farmer. In 1818 he
came to Canada and, two years later, married Ellen, daughter of Andrew
Thompson, who came to Canada from Scotland. He cleared a farm in the
Township of Scarboro’, and lived there until his death in 1877. He
survived his wife two or three years. He served during the Rebellion of
1837, under Captain McLean; he was stationed in the city for two weeks,
and then spent the winter on the Kingston Road. In 1841 Andrew Tingle
married Agnes, daughter of John Reeve, of the Township of Clarke; she
died about 1853, in the County of Oxford. His second wife was Mary,
daughter of James Patton, of Scarboro’ Township. By his first wife he
had one son and two daughters, and by his second wife two sons and one
daughter. In 1845 Mr. Tingle removed to the County of Oxford; he
remained there until 1853, when he returned to Scarboro’. In 1857 he
came to Toronto and engaged in the trade of a carpenter. In politics he
is a Reformer, and in religion a Presbyterian.
JOHN TINNING, retired, third son of Richard Tinning, sen’r, was born at
Brampton, October, 1832. In 1864 he married Jane Donley, daughter of
Patrick Donley, by whom he has two sons and one daughter.
RICHARD TINNING, deceased, was born in Cumberland, England, in 1801, and
about 1824 married Ann Tiffin, who was born at Durham, England, and died
at Toronto, July 6, 1874. In 1832 he came to Canada with his wife and
two children and settled in Toronto, locating himself at the foot of Bay
Street on the shore of the Bay, where he established a timber and lumber
business. His stock was cut principally at Oakville and Port Credit, and
after being thrown into the Lake was towed along the shore to his
saw-mill, which was the first erected in Toronto. In 1840 he removed to
the foot of York Street, and in 1846 erected a steam saw-mill where the
St. James’ Hotel now stands, and which was then the shore of the Bay. He
leased for forty-two years the tract of land extending north from the
Bay along York Street to Front Street; upon this he erected several
buildings, one a house, in which he resided. In 1834 he contracted with
the University authorities to clear College Avenue of the heavy growth
of trees and brushwood which covered it. Mr. Tinning continued to run
his saw-mill, and did a prosperous business, until his death in 1858. He
was a member of the old fire company, and for six years was Alderman for
St. Andrew’s Ward. At his death he left a family of three sons and one
daughter.
RICHARD TINNING, jun’r, eldest son of Richard Tinning, sen’r, was born
in Cumberland, England, in 1825, and in 1832 came to Canada with his
father, with whom he was for years associated in the lumber business. He
married the eldest daughter of W. B. Hornibrook, by whom he has one son.
For twelve or thirteen years he has represented St. George’s Ward in the
City Council.
THOMAS TINNING, 39 Front Street West, the second son of Richard and Ann
(Tiffin) Tinning, was born in Carlisle, England, in the year 1832. His
father was born in 1801, at the same place; his mother was a native of
Durham, England, and died in Toronto, July 6th, 1874. Mr. Tinning,
sen’r, married in 1824, and in the spring of 1832 emigrated to Canada
with his wife and two sons, Richard and Thomas. He landed in Quebec, and
at once proceeded to Montreal, and from thence he came to Toronto, the
journey being accomplished by Durham boats drawn by oxen. On their
arrival here, the head of the family went to Brampton, leaving his wife
and children in the city, but subsequently returned after a short
absence and located at the foot of Bay Street, on the shore of the bay.
He established himself in the lumber trade, and for twenty years
employed a large force of men cutting lumber by means of whip-saws. In
1840 he moved to the foot of York Street, and in 1846 erected a steam
saw-mill upon the site of the present St. James’ Hotel. The mill was a
frame building eighty feet in length, and would cut forty feet lengths
of square lumber. He leased from the city for forty-two years a tract of
land extending from the water’s edge along York to Front Street upon
which he erected buildings, and where he himself resided. In 1834 the
contract was given Mr. Tinning to clear what is called College Avenue,
which was then covered with a good growth of black ash, basswood and
oak, together with a variety of other timber. In this work he employed a
staff of forty men, and he himself cut down the first tree. All the
timber felled in connection with this clearing was given to Mr. Tinning,
and in addition a handsome recompense. It was subsequently cut for
firewood and sold to the citizens. While the work was being performed,
an incident happened one day which created a slight sensation and,
although it may appear paradoxical, will in truth call up startling
reflections on the immense progress made by Toronto since that time. The
incident referred to was a deer which ran across the avenue from the
direction of Rosedale and darted into the bush in a south-westerly
direction. All the men gave chase, but the fleetness of the animal soon
distanced the pursuers. Mr. Tinning continued to run his saw-mill until
his death in 1858. He was a member of the old Fire Company; also a
member of the A.F and A.M. He was Alderman for St. Andrew’s Ward six
years. In political matters he was strongly Conservative, and in
religion a member of the Church of England. At his death he left a
family of three sons, Richard, Thomas, and John. Thomas Tinning, whose
name appears at the commencement of this family record, was only an
infant when his parents located in Toronto. Brought up beside that
element on which he was destined to play thereafter many a gallant part,
he imbibed that affection for aquatics which afterwards secured for him
the Championship of Toronto Bay, which he maintained for so long a
period. He assisted his father in the lumber business, which he has
continued to carry on; but it is especially by those deeds of daring
inspired by a desire to rescue human life from shipwrecked vessels that
Mr. Thomas Tinning has earned the gratitude of the citizens of Toronto.
He has during the last twenty years been the means of saving the lives
of two hundred human beings from drowning in the lake and bay. The
following examples bear testimony to the courage and endurance displayed
on two memorable occasions in which Mr. Tinning was the principal actor.
In the month of December, 1856, a schooner, named _J. G. Beard_, went
ashore on the south side of the Island during a furious gale. The crew
had taken refuge in the rigging; and, observing the wreck by the aid of
his glass, together with the perilous position of the crew, Mr. Tinning
immediately launched his skiff and rowed over the bay and, hauling his
boat across the Island, succeeded in pulling off to the wreck in the
face of a tremendous sea. This feat was not easily accomplished, and he
was thrice upset while attempting it, but on the fourth trial he reached
with his skiff the unfortunate crew, who were eventually rescued. The
weather was bitterly cold, and during the long hours that passed while
undertaking this meritorious action his clothes became coated with ice.
In December, 1861, the schooner _Pacific_, while attempting to make the
Queen’s Wharf during a violent gale was driven ashore in the Humber Bay.
The position of the vessel, and the probable fate of the crew caused Mr.
Howard of High Park to hasten to Toronto, and, if possible, bring back a
relief party with him to make the attempt to save the shipwrecked crew.
He called upon Mr. Thomas Tinning, who got together some volunteers, and
taking with him one of the life boats of the steamer _Zimmerman_,
proceeded at once on a sleigh to the scene of the wreck. After
considerable difficulty and much danger, they succeeded in rescuing the
crew, and as the success was in a great measure the result of Mr.
Tinning’s individual exertions, in which he displayed great promptitude,
coolness and daring, he was shortly after the event presented by the
citizens of Toronto with a handsome trophy in recognition of his
valuable services. The presentation took the form of a splendid piece of
silver rock-work, surrounding a representation of water in glass, with
an appropriate mermaid figure in the centre holding a nautilus shell of
frosted cut-glass made to contain flowers. The following inscription is
engraved on a silver shield: “Presented to Thomas Tinning by a few of
his friends and fellow-citizens for his gallant behaviour in rescuing
the crew of the schooner _Pacific_, wrecked in the Humber Bay, December,
1861: Toronto, May, 1862.” These two instances we have given will be
proof sufficient of what benefit his long residence in Toronto has been
to the saving of life from the dangers of the Lake, and will serve to
impress the toilers of the deep with the conviction that Toronto is not
behind other ports in possessing brave hearts and willing hands, ready
to risk their own lives in the prospect of saving others. Among the list
of vessels which he has been at different times the means of saving from
entire destruction and consequent loss of valuable cargoes, we may
mention the _Rapid_, _Echo_, _Olive Branch_, and the crew of the
_Fearless_, in Ashbridge’s Bay. On the 3rd August, 1870, he was
presented with a silver tea service for his great and successful
exertion in recovering the bodies after the deplorable and heart-rending
catastrophe in the Bay of Hamilton that year. Mr. Buchanan made the
presentation, and expressed to Mr. Tinning the views, in regard to him,
of the citizens of Hamilton. “He had not only been the instrument of
alleviating the distressed feelings of a family, but also of a
community.” The silver tea service bears the following inscription:
“Presented by a few of the citizens of Hamilton to Thomas Tinning, as a
mark of their high appreciation of his services in recovering the bodies
of the daughters of Thomas Swinyard, Esq., June 27, 1870.” In 1870, Mr.
Tinning was appointed by the Government Captain of the Life Saving
Station at Toronto, which position he held for some years, finally
relinquishing it on account of the small allowance made for the support
of crew, boats, etc. Mr. Tinning is a well-built man of about six feet
two inches in height, and a frame which proves him to be possessed of
great muscular power. He married Miss Summer, the daughter of the late
Bernal Summer, a prominent Niagara merchant, and grand-daughter of Dr.
Cyrus, of Beamsville, an old U. E. Loyalist. Mr. Tinning has two sons;
Frank, the eldest, is fast following in the footsteps of his father,
having in 1882 saved two young men from drowning in Georgian Bay.
William, the other son, is in the Custom House.
JOHN M. TINSLEY, retired, 81 Agnes Street, was born in Richmond,
Virginia, in 1783. His grandfather, Thomas Tinsley, came to America from
Ireland during the time of Oliver Cromwell, and located at Hanovertown,
twenty-one miles from Richmond. He had four sons, Thomas, Peter, John
and Samuel. The father of our subject was Samuel Tinsley, who was born
in Ireland, and who married Elizabeth Merrywether, who was born in
Virginia. He was a Captain in the Revolutionary War, and was in many of
the battles. He died in Virginia in 1815. The early boyhood of our
subject was spent in Richmond, where he went to school. In 1800 he began
to learn the trade of a carpenter, and in 1807 he was a journeyman. He
married Douglas Dailey in 1811. In 1831 he paid a visit to Canada,
spending some weeks at Toronto, and at the Wilberforce settlement near
London. He returned to Richmond where he remained until 1837, in which
year he removed to Cincinnati. In 1842 he came to Toronto and opened a
grocery store on the corner of Albert and Elizabeth Streets, which
business he continued for one year; his wife died in 1842. He then
worked at the carpenter trade for John Harper and for J. George Joseph.
Mr. Tinsley has long since ceased to work. He has not been able to read
for the last ten years, but he can see things at a distance. When he was
fifteen years old he saw George Washington, who used to visit some
families in Richmond. His family were very long-lived. A sister, Polly,
who was born in 1775, was living in New Orleans in 1870 when Mr. Tinsley
last heard from her. Mr. Tinsley is a Reformer in politics and a Baptist
in religion.
ROBERT TROTTER was born in the County Cavan, Ireland. He spent the early
part of his life in County Louth, from which place he emigrated to
Canada in 1837, and at once took up his residence in this city. He was
for a time connected with the police force, and was clerk of the market
for some years. He has for many years been a successful speculator in
real estate, and now owns a large amount of property in this city.
The career of MRS. JENNY K. TROUT, M.D., of Toronto, furnishes an
excellent illustration of what a woman possessing pluck and perseverance
may accomplish. Dr. Trout was born in the year 1840, in the pretty town
of Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland. Her parents, Andrew and Elizabeth
Gowanlock, emigrated to Canada when she was but seven years old, and at
the age of seventeen we find her still living with them in a sparsely
populated district near Stratford, Ontario. Her education was only of an
imperfect rudimentary nature, but books were her close companions and
she read them with a fixed determination to acquire knowledge. About
this time she commenced attending the little country schools with a view
to qualifying as a teacher. When nineteen years old she graduated from
the Toronto Normal School, and was shortly afterwards placed in charge
of a school in the northern part of her own township. Labouring in this
capacity and neighbourhood for nearly five years, she was able, by
industry and good husbandry, to accumulate a considerable sum of money.
It was during her fifth teaching year, 1864, that she married Mr. Ewart
Trout, of Toronto, and subsequently removed to that city. One of her
youthful ambitions was to become a physician. Loss of health intensified
this ambition and having made good use of her spare hours she succeeded
in matriculating in 1870. Her health at this time was so poor as to
excite the serious apprehension of her medical adviser and friends, but
notwithstanding she attended—during 1871-72—a full course of lectures
at the Toronto School of Medicine. An account of the trials and
tribulations which she underwent would prove as instructive as
interesting, but our space will not permit of it. Dr. Trout was one of
the first to apply for admission to the lectures in the University, this
being the place where the students of the Toronto School assembled for
Chemistry lectures, but the Faculty denying admittance to women, she
was, with others, compelled to forego for a time the study of this
branch of medicine. After a three years’ course of the Women’s Medical
College, Philadelphia, she received the degree of M.D., and immediately
upon her return to Canada, successfully passed the examinations before
the Council of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Dr. Trout has the
honour of being the first woman who passed the Ontario Council, and also
held the position for many years of being the only lady member of the
college. She now entered upon the duties of her new profession in
Toronto, being joined by Dr. E. Amelia Tifft, a graduate of the same
school and class in Philadelphia. It was not long before they opened a
woman’s dispensary, in the eastern part of the city, which, however,
they were, owing to the demands made upon them as physicians, compelled
to abandon. Dr. Trout was, for a time, one of the two visiting
physicians connected with the Infants’ Home in its early days. The lady
doctors have made popular a comparatively new agent in the practice of
medicine in Canada, _i.e._, Electricity. In order to successfully
develop the capabilities of this curative power, they founded what
proved to be one of the best institutions of its kind in the Dominion,
occupying a handsome white-brick structure on the corner of Jarvis and
Gerrard Streets, and facing the Baptist Church. Dr. Trout’s health,
never robust, improved slightly for a time, but ultimately gave way
under the heavy strain of her large and increasing practice, until
utterly worn out, she was compelled in 1883 to retire from the laborious
duties of the Institution. Dr. Trout has ever taken a lively interest in
the education and advancement of the younger members of her sex. She
has, wholly or in part, aided more than one young woman to obtain the
degree of M.D. In thorough sympathy with the objection to mixed classes
in the schoolroom, she was anxious to see a Women’s Medical College in
Canada and, in 1883, offered to liberally endow such an establishment in
Toronto; but the promoters hampered it with such conditions that she
transferred her support and influence to Kingston, where a college had
been opened, which is in a flourishing condition. She has also been an
earnest and successful worker in the cause of Temperance, having filled,
at sundry times, the office of President, Vice-President, and Secretary
of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. The subject of our sketch is
to-day Vice-President for Canada of the Association for the Advancement
of Women. She is a member of the Jarvis Street Baptist Church, is
liberal in her principles and tolerant in her religious views.
W. W. TURNER, M.D., was born at Millbrook, Ontario, 1849, and is the
eldest son of Charles Turner of that place. In early life he attended
the Public and Grammar Schools at Brighton, Ontario, afterwards studying
at Victoria University, receiving a diploma in 1867. He attended various
hospitals in New York, and graduated from Bellevue Hospital College. Dr.
Turner first commenced practice in Winnipeg in 1876, where he remained
five years and during his residence performed some very skilful surgical
operations which made him quite a celebrity. He settled in Parkdale in
1882, and has already a large and lucrative practice. He is on the
medical staff of the Home for Incurables, and during the present year
read a paper before the Ontario Medical Association which was received
and commented on with favour. Dr. Turner married, in 1872, Julia
Laughton, of Hamilton, by whom he has one daughter.
CHARLES K. UNWIN, Deputy Registrar of the County of York, is the son of
Charles and Elizabeth Unwin, the former a native of England and the
latter of Irish descent. His father married after he came here in 1835.
He was employed in the office of Mr. Samuel Ridout for about fifteen
years, afterwards being connected with the Beaver Mutual Insurance
Company. Charles K. was born in 1853 in this city, and has been
connected with the Registry Office about six years.
[Illustration: PROFESSOR S. VERNOY.]
PROFESSOR VERNOY, the founder and proprietor of the Electro-Therapeutic
Institution, 197 Jarvis Street, Toronto, is a native of New York. He
commenced the practice of electro-therapeutics in Pennsylvania in 1869,
according to the new theory, as discovered and promulgated in that
branch of science, proving it to be a success. In 1876 Professor Vernoy
was induced to leave Philadelphia for Canada; he accordingly settled on
Jarvis Street, Toronto, where he established himself as an
electro-therapeutist. Since his arrival here the success attending the
exercise of his profession in the new and wide field of the Dominion has
been marvellous, and has won for him a wide reputation in the cure of
nervous diseases and those not successfully dealt with by other means.
This new system of treatment by the application of electricity is
becoming more popular and interesting year by year, from the fact that
well-attested evidence has shown that wonderful cures have been effected
by its use when all other means have failed. In his paper, _The Electric
Age_, Professor Vernoy records numerous testimonials (given for the
purpose by individuals of unquestionable reputation in our midst) as to
the saving of life and restoration to health by his new system of
electro-therapeutic treatment. Many of those who have been thus
benefited by him have expressed their willingness and desire to aid him
in his endeavours to relieve suffering humanity; hence, in order to
satisfy the enquiries of those who desire proof of his great success (by
direct communication), a list of many important cases is recorded in his
paper. Professor Vernoy’s Electro-Therapeutic Institution is situated on
one of the finest and most beautiful streets in the city, within five
minutes’ walk of the Post-office and the business centre, and can
accommodate a limited number of patients, who are made to feel
pleasantly at home, their comfort and convenience being consulted. In
connection with his large experience and practice in the use of
electricity, Professor Vernoy has devoted his attention to the
production of a superior Electro-Medical Battery suited to all varieties
of human temperament and the various classes of disease. This delicate
instrument is so nicely arranged that individuals who cannot
conveniently enter the Institution for treatment may, by obtaining one
of them, take treatment at home successfully by following the
instructions given.
[Illustration: JOHN J. VICKERS.]
JOHN JOSEPH VICKERS, proprietor of the celebrated Express Company of
that name, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1818, being the second son of
John and Hannah (Leeson) Vickers of that city. His father held a
government position in the Treasury Department for many years, and his
death occurred when John Joseph was but six years old. Our subject’s
early education was acquired in Dublin, and when a young man he entered
the service of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, and remained
with them several years. In 1849 he went to New York, bearing
introductory letters from James McHenry, Esq., of Liverpool, and
entering the service of the Howard Steamship Company, he continued in
their employ two years. In the meantime, having heard of the splendid
agricultural prospects of Canada, young Vickers, who lacked neither
energy nor ambition, determined to try his hand at farming, and, putting
his resolution into effect, moved to the Bay of Quinte district and
settled upon a farm in Prince Edward’s County. Two years’ practice as an
amateur farmer convinced Mr. Vickers that rolling logs and growing
buckwheat was more of a reality than he anticipated, hence he abandoned
agriculture and left for Toronto. In 1852 he engaged with the American
Express Company and continued in their service two years. On the
completion of the Northern Railroad, he embarked in the express business
on his own account, and by strict attention and great exertions he has
developed his present extensive connection, a statistical account of
which is given elsewhere in this volume. In 1859, in conjunction with
others, Mr. Vickers visited the Lake Superior district in the first
steamer (_The Rescue_) to Thunder Bay. He then noticed that the mouth of
the Kaministiquia River would in the near future be a great harbour,
and, acting on his own prophetic instincts, he purchased all the land
obtainable in that region after its survey by the Government, and now
owns nearly half of the navigable portion of the river frontage on the
north side, the Canadian Pacific Railway running through the greater
portion of his property. He owns about seven thousand acres, upon which
are valuable mines of silver, slate and large quantities of fine
sandstone. Since his settlement in Toronto he has taken an active
interest in all that concerns the city’s welfare, and was elected
alderman to represent St. George’s Ward in 1864, and remained in the
Council until 1870. During the time he was a member of that body he
proposed the resolution to construct the New Water Works, which was
carried October 10, 1870. He is captain in the Sedentary Militia, having
held a commission for many years. Mr. Vickers’ political opinions are
strongly Conservative. In 1855 he married Catharine Mary, eldest
daughter of the late John W. Dunbar Moodie, first Sheriff of Hastings
County (her mother being Susanna Moodie, the eminent authoress, whose
“Roughing it in the Bush” and other publications have contributed not a
little to our national literature). The issue of this marriage are four
sons and six daughters, all living; the eldest son, John A. D. Vickers,
being active superintendent of the Express Company. William W. is a
student at the University. Victor Gillmor Ridgeway is supposed to be the
only boy born in Toronto the morning the Queen’s Own Rifles left for the
frontier on the memorable First of June, 1866, at the time of the Fenian
raid; the Civic Council choosing the name in honour of the event and
Colonel Gillmor acting as godfather.
W. J. WAGNER, M.D., 7 Gerrard Street, was educated at Toronto Grammar
School and Upper Canada College, and studied medicine at Toronto School
of Medicine. He graduated at Toronto University in 1870 and commenced
practice the same year on Queen Street.
JAMES WALLIS, 104 Cumberland Street, Yorkville, was born in Cumberland,
England, July 29, 1807, and came to Toronto in February, 1828. He worked
two years for Jacob Hutchinson on Front Street, and then began business
for himself as blacksmith on King Street East. He removed to Yorkville
in 1831 and has been in business there about fifty years. Mr. Wallis was
one of the first members of the Yorkville Council and remained in that
body two years, afterwards for several years occupying the responsible
position of Treasurer to the Council. He belonged to the old fire
brigade, and took part on the loyalist side during the Rebellion of
1837-38. He is a member of Bloor Street Methodist Church. In May, 1828,
he was married to Ann Greenwell, of Cumberland, England, who died May 5,
1837. Mr. Wallis was married a second time to Esther Hodgson, who is
also a member of the same church as himself.
JAMES JOHN WALSH was born in Cheshire, England, in 1833, and came to
Canada in 1861, taking up his residence in Toronto, where he has since
remained. He was for many years engaged in the live cattle export trade,
and carried on successfully the largest wholesale butchering business
for one man in the city. In 1880 he retired from business; since which
time he has lived at his fine private residence on Kingston Road, called
Cheshire Villa.
JAMES WALSH is a native of the City of Cork, Ireland, where he was born
in 1839, and when ten years of age emigrated to Canada and located first
at Belleville, where he remained until 1859, after which he came to
Toronto. Subsequently he removed to London, Ont., and after a residence
of five years there he returned to this city, where he has since lived.
He engaged in the manufacture of soda and mineral waters, which business
he conducted from 1868 to 1883, retiring from trade in the latter year.
In 1871 he married Mary Jane, daughter of David Slee. Mr. Walsh built
the Berkeley Terrace from Nos. 122 to 134, and also owned the soda water
factory and house No. 220 Berkeley Street.
BENJAMIN WALTON was born at Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, 1819,
youngest son of Jonathan and Sarah (Wood) Walton. His father was a cloth
merchant. Mr. Walton in early life had very good advantages for an
education, which he diligently improved, and subsequently learned the
trade of a stone-mason and builder. In 1844 he came to Toronto and
worked as a journeyman until 1848, when he embarked in the building
business for himself; his first contract was for the construction of the
stone work for Osgoode Hall, for which he received $50,000. After its
completion he laid the basement of Toronto University, and subsequently
erected the Mechanics’ Institute (now the Public Library), Bank of
British North America, Custom House, Examining Warehouses, and many
other buildings. He purchased one thousand five hundred acres of land on
the Grand Trunk Railway, at Melbourne, P.Q., where he expended a large
sum of money in opening a slate quarry; one year later he shipped the
first car-load of Canadian slate that was ever brought into Toronto. He
continued his slate industry until he had expended nearly $80,000, when,
in 1883, with a view of meeting the demands of their largely-increasing
trade, he organized a joint stock company (under the Mining Act) called
the “Dominion Mining Company,” with a capital of $100,000 (he being one
of the largest stock-holders), since which time his business has
materially increased; they now employ over sixty men. The demand for
their slate, which is of very superior quality, has steadily increased,
and they are now exporting large quantities to England, Australia, Cape
of Good Hope and United States. Notwithstanding there is a duty imposed
of twenty per cent, they are doing a large business in exporting to the
North-West. The quarry is situated six miles from Richmond station, on
the Grand Trunk Railway, where quite a little village is springing up.
In 1848 Mr. Walton married Eliza, daughter of Thomas Glasco, by whom he
had one son and four daughters. Mr. Walton died 3rd January, 1885.
JOHN WALZ was born in Germany in 1830 and came to Canada in 1857,
locating first at Preston, near Galt, where he remained one year. He
then came to Toronto and started as brewer in 1858, which business he
carried on up to 1882, since which time he has been living retired. In
1859 he married Miss Josephine Bandel, by whom he has three daughters
and two sons. The property of Mr. Walz has a frontage of two hundred and
five feet on Sherbourne Street and three hundred on Duchess Street, on
which he has erected fifteen houses.
A. J. M. WATKINS, Superintendent of the Horticultural Gardens, is a
native of the City of Hereford, England, his father being a florist and
seed merchant in that city. During his father’s life-time our subject
was thoroughly grounded in the business, and his whole life has been
spent in the care of flowers, shrubs, trees and lawns. He came to Canada
in 1870, and was foreman with Fleming, the propagator and seedsman, for
two years. He was for a time engaged in market gardening, and in 1875
accepted his present position. He took the gardens when the ground was a
swamp and waste, and then made it to blossom with roses.
JOHN WATSON was born in the village of Bedford, Missisque County,
Quebec, and is the third of a family of four children born to John and
Sarah (Botham) Watson who, removing from Quebec Province, settled in
York County in 1849. John was born in the year 1840, and was
consequently but nine years of age when the family took up their
residence here. His father was a carpenter and carried on business for
many years and was eighty-four years of age when his death occurred in
1879. John early learned his father’s business, and for ten years worked
as a journeyman, subsequently, in 1860, commencing business for himself
as builder and contractor, which he has since conducted, employing about
fifteen men. He has, however, confined his share of the work to building
wood work, letting out contracts for the brick and other work; he owns
all the property he has put up, which now amounts to sixty-three houses
scattered through four Wards of the city. Mr. Watson is a member of the
Methodist Church; also, he takes an active part in the Salvation Army in
Toronto and other towns; he was the means, assisted by two friends, of
securing that valuable lot on the corner of James and Albert Streets, at
a cost of $7,000, on which the Salvation Army Temple is being erected.
His father and mother are from England and came out about the year 1818;
his father returned to England and came back to Canada a second time; he
served in the Rebellion of 1837, and took up arms to defend the
Government round Missisque Bay, on the Vermont frontier.
TOM WEBB, baker and confectioner, corner of Yonge and Agnes Streets, is
the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Parker) Webb, who came to Canada from
England in 1842. His father carried on the business of a baker and
confectioner in the stand now occupied by Tom, from 1842 until 1875,
when he retired and removed to Deer Park, where he now resides. Mr.
Webb, sen’r, had three sons, Edward, a lawyer in London, England, who
died December, 1884; Harry and Tom who are both in the bakery business;
and one daughter, Mrs. John Wightman. Tom was born in Toronto in 1849,
and succeeded to his father’s business in 1875. In 1873 he married a
daughter of Henry James Clark.
HENRY G. WHITE is a native of New Hartford, Conn., and came to Canada in
1854. He was a builder, sash, door and frame manufacturer, having served
his time in Connecticut. On his arrival here he entered the service of
Alexander Manning as foreman, after which he spent some time in Vaughan
Township, where he built and fitted up several saw-mills, from thence he
again came to Toronto and was foreman of the first exhibition building
there. He then went to Bothwell and was manager for the oil works there
two years, subsequently becoming manager for the Des Moines Valley Oil
Company. From there he went to Muskegon as engineer in a large mill,
from which place he returned to Toronto, and engaged in car building
about two years. After spending a short time in Bradford, in 1875 he
took charge of the wood-working machinery in the Northern Railway shops,
which position he still retains.
ISAAC WHITE, deceased, was born at Rutland, Vermont, April 9, 1792. His
ancestors emigrated from England to America previous to the American
Revolution, and settled in the above named State, where they were at one
time slave-holders and tillers of the soil. In 1796 Mr. White, sen’r,
died, and left a family of five children, of whom our subject was the
eldest. His mother came to Canada in the same year, bringing with her a
faithful slave called “Mammy Long,” to whose care Isaac was especially
entrusted. She died in Toronto at the age of one hundred years. When Mr.
White was seven years of age he was sent to Bond Head, Simcoe County,
where he was bound as an apprentice, and a few years later drove Thomas
Rouche’s stage between York and Niagara until 1810. His advantages of
education, like the youth of that day, were very limited. He never
attended school but one day, and on that day fell into a dispute with
his school-mate, Allan McNab (afterwards Sir Allan McNab), and gave him
a severe thrashing; for fear of being chastised by his teacher he failed
to return. This circumstance caused the two juvenile pugilists to become
fast friends, and whenever, in after years, Sir Allan was in York he
never failed to call upon his friend White. As Mr. White advanced in
life he saw the benefits to be derived from an education, and from his
meagre earnings purchased some school books; with industry and great
perseverance he mastered the common English branches, which fitted him
for a useful and eventful life. He served at the taking of Detroit and
the Battle of Queenston Heights. He was present at the battle of York,
where he was taken prisoner of war with the York Militia. When brought
before the American Commander, Major General Dearborn, his American
accent was at once detected; Major-General Dearborn enquired, “What are
you doing here, young man, fighting against your country?” Mr. White
replied, “General, I will not deny my nationality, nor am I fighting
against my country; if a country is worth living in it is worth fighting
for; I am fighting for my home and my family who reside here.” “That’s
right, my boy, you are a brave fellow,” said the General, who
immediately paroled him. After serving until the close of the war he
received, in 1848, from the Crown for his bravery a silver medal.
Previous to the war he married Nancy, eldest daughter of Jacob Snider,
of Eglinton, York County, by whom he had one daughter. He subsequently
kept the old Red Lion Hotel in Yorkville, and afterwards located at the
corner of James and Albert Streets, where he lived many years. He early
acquired the trade of mason and bricklayer, and was concerned in the
erection of many fine and substantial buildings in the city, among which
were St. James’s Cathedral, and Osgoode Hall. The first fire company
that was organized in York counted him among its members. At the time of
his death, 1878, he was one of the oldest members of the York Pioneers,
being eighty-six years of age. He earned for himself a reputation,
second to none, for intelligence, honesty and an undivided application
to business. His second marriage was in 1838, to Jane, the widow of
Thomas Carroll, and a daughter of the late John McIntosh, by whom there
was no issue.
JAMES WICKSON, deceased, was born at Walworth, near London, England, in
1794, and in 1834 emigrated to Canada, and settled in Toronto. He
engaged in the butcher business, and occupied a store in the Market,
which he carried on until a little previous to his death. He married
Miss Jane Tuesman, by whom he had ten children, eight of whom are still
living, and three of them residing in this city. John Wickson, the
second son, was born in England in 1817, and came to Canada with his
father. He also engaged in butchering, and had a stall in the Market
until 1870, after which he became interested in real estate. In 1836 Mr.
Wickson married Miss Eliza Chilver, daughter of Joseph Chilver, who
emigrated to this country in 1833. He had eleven children, nine of whom
are still living.
HON. CHRISTOPHER WIDMER. (From the _Weekly Globe_, May 5, 1858.) The
venerable gentleman whose name heads this paragraph died on Monday
morning at four o’clock. On Sunday at noon he had gone to visit the
grave of an only son, recently deceased, to whom he was deeply attached,
when he was seized with a fit, was conveyed home, and notwithstanding
all the efforts of the medical men, expired on the following morning.
Dr. Widmer was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, and was
formerly Staff Surgeon attached to the Fourteenth Light Dragoons. He
served through nearly the whole of the Peninsular War, for which he held
the medal with five clasps for Vittoria, Salamanca, Fuentes d’Onoro,
Busaco and Talavera. He came to this country before the close of the
American War, and resided in Toronto until his death; he was
consequently one of the oldest inhabitants of the city. In 1849 Dr.
Widmer was appointed a member of the Legislative Council. For many years
he occupied the first rank in his profession in Toronto, being
constantly in every important and critical case, and was highly valued
for his courage, promptitude and skill. He was at times somewhat rough,
retaining a little the manner of the army, but he was essentially
kind-hearted, and many grieved for the loss of their frank and reliable
medical adviser. In his long and successful practice he accumulated a
large fortune. He left two daughters, one unmarried, the other the wife
of George M. Hawke, Esq. He was within a few days of the seventy-eighth
year of his age.
JOHN WIGHTMAN, retired, was born in Brampton, Cumberland, England, in
1806. His parents were Robert and Mary (Davidson) Wightman; his mother
died in England in 1818. In 1834 he came to Canada with his father, who
was a manufacturer of worsted goods. His father died in Toronto in 1860.
After he came out here John Wightman and his brother George opened a dry
goods store and straw bonnet manufactory on King Street, near Yonge; at
the end of three months they removed to where Catto’s store now is, on
King Street, which they held until 1874, when they sold the business to
Mr. Catto; they were in business there for sixteen years. Mr. Wightman
is now retired from business. In 1838 he married a daughter of Captain
Jago, from Plymouth, England, by whom he had one son, who is now living
at Deer Park; she died in 1849. In 1850 he married Elizabeth Hayward,
who was born in Hampshire, England, in 1802; she died in 1877. Mr.
Wightman had no children by his second marriage. He is a reformer in
politics, and a Congregationalist in religion; he is a deacon in his
church. Mr. Wightman had three sisters, the eldest Mrs. Burns, who died
in Yorkville, 1846; the second, Margaret Wightman, who died in Toronto,
1875; and the youngest, Mrs. Evans, who died in Cobourg, 1869.
ROBERT WILKES, deceased. In the records of Toronto many names occur to a
long resident which fail not, when recalled, to stir some cherished
memory of departed years. The subject of our present brief memoir is one
of those, and consequently deserving of more than ordinary notice. Of
Irish birth, he displayed all those qualities—ability, energy and
quicksightedness, traits of character common among his countrymen—which
assist materially that success which is generally their lot when free
from the political evils that do so much to retard progress on their
native soil. Robert Wilkes was born in Tulleham, County Leitrim,
Ireland, June 24, 1832. He came to Toronto with his mother in 1848, and
was one of a family of seven children, his father having died in
Ireland. On the settlement of the family here, Robert was immediately
placed in the mercantile house of his maternal uncle, Mr. R. H. Brett.
In 1852 he engaged as clerk with Rossin Bros., Jewellers, with whom he
remained until their retirement from business in 1858. Mr. Wilkes then
commenced business on his own account and, four years later, secured
premises on Yonge Street, Nos. 48 and 50. Encouraged by his success in
Toronto, he opened a branch house in Montreal. From this time forward
his success was assured, and the honours afterwards falling to his lot
were not less earned than deserved. In the year 1871 he became Director
of the Bank of Commerce, and two years later he was elected a member of
the Dominion Parliament, as representative of Central Toronto. In
religious matters Mr. Wilkes was an example, his own body (the
Methodists) having during his lifetime received from him material
assistance. He was a Trustee of Bloor Street Methodist Church, and was
instrumental in procuring the extensive alterations and improvements
recently made in that edifice. He was for many years Treasurer of the
Irish Protestant Benevolent Society, and was also a member of the Board
of Trade. Mr. Wilkes lost his life in a noble and praiseworthy endeavour
to save his son and daughter from death by drowning off Sturgeon Point
and, ere assistance could be rendered, he and those he attempted to
rescue found a watery grave. Thus perished one of those citizens whose
name is connected with the rise and progress of the city; enterprising,
honourable and courageous, his life is a guidance to the rising
generation, and his success exemplifies what may be the result of a
laudable and unselfish ambition. Mr. Wilkes married on July 23, 1863,
Martha, daughter of Dr. Cooke, of London, England.
WILLIAM WILKINS was born in County Cork, Ireland. In 1834 he came to
Canada, and locating in Toronto, opened a store, and engaged in the
mercantile business. He first commenced on King Street, but shortly
afterwards removed to where the house of Gooderham now stands. He
remained here twenty years, and then returned to King Street, and after
spending two years in the latter thoroughfare he retired from the
business. He has since been largely engaged in the erection of houses
and, in connection with his son, has built over one hundred houses in
the eastern portion of the city. He married, in 1840, Miss Margaret May,
of Queen’s County, Ireland, by whom he had nine children, six of whom
are yet living, four sons and two daughters.
JAMES M. WILLIAMS, Gas Company Lamp Inspector, is a native of
Sittingbourne, Kent, England, and is the youngest son of Captain William
Williams, of the Mediterranean Steamship Line, who married Miss Matilda
Love, also of Sittingbourne. Mr. Williams came to Toronto in 1869, and
in 1882 took his present position. In 1867 he married Elizabeth M.
Etall, of Dover, Kent, England.
JAMES A. WILLIAMSON, barrister, 18 St. Mary’s Street, is a native of
Galt, Ontario, the eldest son of Robert Williamson, merchant, born in
Ross-shire, Scotland, who married Jessie Bethune, of the same county,
and came to Canada about 1864. Mr. Williamson received his primary
education at the Central School, Galt, and afterwards under Dr. Isaac.
He was articled to W. H. Beatty, and in 1879 passed his final
examination, and was called to the Bar.
THOMAS P. WORTHY, Yorkville, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1810. He
came to York in 1831, and having no trade he went out on to the Huron
track and worked three years at farming. He then returned to Toronto,
and on August 4, 1834, married Ann Scaling, the wedding being solemnized
in Upper Canada College. After this event he was engaged in the making
of soda water and ginger beer, for thirty years. He was in the Rebellion
of 1837. He is a Conservative in politics, and in religion a member of
the English Church. His eldest son is employed with George Pearse,
coffee and spice manufacturer, corner of Yonge and Maitland Streets.
J. W. WONCH, general agent, 270 Parliament Street, Toronto, was born in
Markham Township, August 10, 1837. His father was John R. Wonch, a
native of Prussia, who, with his parents settled on lot 20, Concession
4, in Markham Township, on 1st January, 1794, the said John R. Wonch
then being only five years old. The mother of John W. Wonch was Ann
Amelia Shoults, who, it is stated, was the first European child born in
Little York (now Toronto), she was born, October 20, 1794. There were
born to John and Anne Wonch four sons and two daughters, who all lived
to years of maturity, the subject of this sketch being the youngest. J.
W. Wonch received a common and High School education. Having finished
his studies he followed the vocation of a teacher for fourteen years. He
then tried farming for two years, when he entered the employment of the
Massey Manufacturing Company, with which Company he has been for over
twelve years. He married Miss H. M. Verro, daughter of Augustus and
Sophia (Reynolds) Verro, of Stouffville, October 22, 1854, by whom he
has four daughters and one son. Mr. Wonch has always been a staunch
Reformer.
GEORGE H. WRIGHT, M.D., M.A., M.B., was born in Brampton, Ontario, 1838.
He received his early education at Streetsville, removing afterwards to
Victoria College, Cobourg, where he received B.A. in 1862, and M.A. in
1867; in the same year he graduated at Toronto University, M.B., and at
once commenced practice in this city, where he has since remained, and
succeeded in establishing an excellent connection. He was Demonstrator
of Anatomy in the Toronto School of Medicine for twelve sessions, and is
at present Assistant Lecturer on Materia Medica and Therapeutics. He is
a member of the staff of the Toronto General Hospital, and also the
Hospital for Sick Children. He is a lecturer on the Practice of Medicine
in the Women’s Medical College, Visiting Physician to the Home of
Incurables, was a member of the School Board for eight years, during two
of which he filled the position of Chairman, and is at present a member
of Toronto Free Library Committee. Dr. Wright married Miss N. Wrong, by
whom he has one son, George N. B. In politics he is a Conservative.
[Illustration: PAUL KANE.]
[The following sketch was received too late for insertion in its proper
order.]
THE LATE PAUL KANE, Canadian artist. In the earlier numbers of the new
series of the _Canadian Journal_, several papers on various Indian
tribes of the North-West, from the pen of Paul Kane, attracted
considerable attention, as the results of travel and personal
observation in the remote Hudson’s Bay Territory and beyond the Rocky
Mountains. Their author had long been known in Canada as a self-taught
artist of great promise, who had devoted himself to the study of the
native Indian tribes of British North America; and the contributions to
that journal were the first published results of explorations, the
fruits of which were afterwards set forth in more comprehensive form in
his “Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians of North America,”
published by Messrs. Longman & Co., of London, in 1859. His father, Mr.
Michael Kane, was originally in the British Army, and served latterly,
we believe, in the small force which accompanied Lieutenant-Governor
Simcoe when he removed to the selected site of the future capital of
Western Canada, in 1794. On his leaving the army, he settled in the
newly-founded city, where his son was born in 1810. Toronto was then and
long afterwards a very humble little backwoods settlement. The Indians,
whose wigwams occupied the cleared ground near the mouth of the Don when
Colonel Bouchette made his first survey in 1793, long continued to haunt
this favourite spot; while an Indian trail through the partially cleared
pine forest to the old French fort and another northward to Holland
Landing were the precursors of the long lines of costly stores, hotels
and public buildings which now extend for miles along King and Yonge
Streets. In the midst of this conflict between the artless rudeness of
savage life and the progressive energy of the Anglo-Saxon colonist young
Paul grew up from boyhood, with few external influences calculated in
the slightest degree to stimulate artistic tastes, or to direct his
attention to the study of Indian manners and customs; for the Indian, as
seen in his worst debasement, haunting the centres of new civilization,
is little calculated to attract the eye of the artist or ethnical
observer. Nevertheless, Mr. Kane remarks, in the preface to his
“Travels,” when referring to his resolution to devote himself to
painting a series of studies of North American scenery and Indian life:
“The subject was one in which I felt a deep interest in my boyhood. I
had been accustomed to see hundreds of Indians about my native village,
then Little York, muddy and dirty, just struggling into existence, now
the City of Toronto, bursting forth in all its energy and commercial
strength.” The youth of the future artist and traveller was passed amid
all the disadvantages pertaining to the infancy of the embryo city. What
little education he had was mainly received at the District Grammar
School. There also he obtained whatever instruction he received in the
art to which he was to devote his life from Mr. Drury, a clever but
eccentric teacher of drawing. But his early manifestations of an
artistic bias were regarded as the mere purposeless amusements of a boy;
and his disinclination for the ordinary trading pursuits, which alone
promised profitable occupation in the young settlement, seemed to
unappreciative seniors only a further proof of his distaste for the
restraints of steady industry. The circumstances of the community were
indeed too frequently inimical to the fostering of settled habits among
its youth. Dr. Scadding has remarked, when describing the first years of
the District Grammar School, that “during the time of the early
settlements in this country, the sons of even the most respectable
families were brought into contact with semi-barbarous characters. A
sporting ramble through the woods, a fishing excursion on the waters,
could not be undertaken without communication with Indians and
Half-breeds, and bad specimens of the French voyageur. It was from such
sources that a certain idea was derived, which, as we remember, was in
great vogue among the more fractious of the lads at the school at York.
The proposition circulated about, whenever anything went counter to
their notions, always was to run away to the Nor'-West. What that
process really involved, or what the Nor'-West precisely was, were
things vaguely realized. A sort of savage land of Cocaigne, a region of
perfect freedom among the Indians, was imagined, and to reach it Lakes
Huron and Superior were to be traversed.” In this way young Kane’s mind
was early familiarized with the idea of that expedition across the
continent, to ocean shores beyond the Rocky Mountains, of which he has
left so many memorials by means of his facile pencil and pen. The first
industrial pursuits of the boy appear to have been carried on in the
employment of Mr. Conger, subsequently Sheriff of Peterborough, but then
engaged in the manufacture of household furniture. In this occupation
his latent talent found expression in the ornamentation of various
pieces of furniture, till he began to be recognized as one whose
artistic abilities deserved encouragement. But in his native village no
works of art existed to furnish the slightest hint to the aspiring boy,
and no teacher could be found to supply adequate instruction. He was
thus a purely self-taught artist. Some of his crude efforts at
portraiture would probably have amused himself at a later date. But his
early patrons were, fortunately, not too critical; and thus he was
enabled to overcome the first difficulties of his artistic career, and
to save a little money for making an independent start in life. His
first scene of artistic labour after leaving Toronto was Cobourg, where
portraits of Sheriff and Mrs. Conger, her sister, Mrs. Perry, Sheriff
Ruttan, and others of his early patrons were executed. By this means he
acquired sufficient funds to enable him to set off for the neighbouring
States, there to try his fortune as a portrait painter, in the hope of
accumulating the requisite means for the bold project he had already
formed of visiting Europe and perfecting himself in his favourite art by
studying the works of the great masters. A letter from his father,
addressed to him at Detroit, in 1836, speaks of difficulties that “will
probably prevent your Italian excursion.” Thereafter he is found, at
various dates between that and the year 1841, at Mobile, St. Louis, and
other American cities, closing with New Orleans, whence he set sail, in
June of the latter year, for Marseilles. The following four years were
spent by Paul Kane in some of the great cities of Europe, studying and
copying the works of the Italian masters. Unfortunately, a journal which
he kept during this period has perished; so that the details of his
continental sojourn are no longer recoverable. But we trace him, by
means of his passports and other evidence, at Paris, Genoa, Milan,
Verona, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples. While in the latter
city, he availed himself of an offered passage in a Levantine cruiser,
and visited the coasts both of Asia and Africa. He joined a party of
Syrian explorers, and was already on his way to Jerusalem, when they
were deserted by their Arab guides, and, after being exposed to great
danger, were compelled to return to the coast, and abandon the attempt.
This failure to accomplish a visit to the most sacred scenes of the
ancient historic world was always a subject of mortifying reflection to
him. It was on his return from this unsuccessful pilgrimage that he
landed on some part of the African shore; and so was able to say, on
regaining his Canadian home, that he had been in every quarter of the
globe. Mr. Kane brought back with him, as the fruits of his four years’
professional tour, copies of famous pictures in the galleries of Venice,
Florence and Rome. His mind had been enlarged by observation, and by
intimate intercourse with artists trained in the best schools of Europe.
A letter of introduction, given to him by an Irish artist, whose
friendship he had acquired while in Rome, is addressed to the Right Rev.
Dr. Purcell, Bishop of Cincinnati, in which the latter is urged by no
means to miss the opportunity of seeing Mr. Kane’s “admirable copy of
Raffaelle’s portrait of Pope Paul II.” He also copied some of the most
prized pictures in the Palazzo Pitti, at Florence; and on his return,
brought with him well-executed paintings from Raffaelle’s Madonna in the
Pitti Palace, and his portrait of Pope Julius II; Leonardo da Vinci’s
and Rembrandt’s fine portraits of themselves, in the Florentine gallery;
Murillo’s Madonna, in the Orsini Palace at Rome, and other favourite
artistic studies; along with a highly finished copy of Busato’s portrait
of Pope Gregory XVI. Stewart Watson, a well-known Scottish artist,
appears to have been one of his special friends while in Italy. They
returned together from Italy to London, and there for a time shared the
same lodgings and studio, “at Mr. Martin’s, Russell Street.” Another of
his brother artists, and fellow-travellers while in Italy, Mr. Hope
James Stewart, thus writes to him from Edinburgh: “After London, this
place looks like a dead city, and reminds me much of the way you and I
felt the quietness of Rome, after our trip to that noisy and favourite
place, Naples.” In 1844, Mr. Kane returned to Canada, with all the
prestige of a skilled artist, who by his own unaided energy had overcome
every obstacle, and achieved for himself opportunities of studying the
works of the great masters in the most famous galleries of Europe. He
was now to display the same indomitable energy and self-reliance in
widely different scenes. In the preface to his “Wanderings of an Artist
among the Indians of North America,” he remarks: “On my return to Canada
from the continent of Europe, I determined to devote whatever talents
and proficiency I possessed to the painting of a series of pictures
illustrative of the North American Indians and scenery.” On applying to
Sir George Simpson, the Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and
showing him studies of Indians he had already made, Sir George entered
cordially into his plan; furnished him with letters of introduction to
the chief factors of the Company’s posts, and ordered him a passage in
the brigade of canoes which was to start for Lake Superior in the spring
of 1846. But before his arrangements could be completed—including all
the miscellaneous supplies required for an artistic tour through regions
where it would be vain to seek for the most simple appliances of his
art—the voyageurs had set out, and he only succeeded in joining them,
after much toil and hardship, before the party reached the mountain
pass, forty miles above the Hudson’s Bay Fort on the Kaministiquia
River, at the head of Lake Superior. Mr. Kane’s romantic experiences and
adventures during the next four years are detailed with graphic
truthfulness in the volume published by him in 1859. He crossed the
continent in canoe and on foot, made his way up the valley of the
Saskatchewan, and over the vast prairies beyond it, stretching westward
to the Rocky Mountains. Crossing them, he navigated the Columbia River
to Oregon, visited and explored Puget’s Sound, Vancouver’s Island, and
other regions of the then savage west: which, though now rapidly filling
up with European settlers, are described by him as “those wild scenes,
amongst which I strayed almost alone, and scarcely meeting a white man,
or hearing the sound of my own language.” Everywhere his pencil was
busily employed on portraits of chiefs, warriors, and medicine-men of
the Indian tribes; and on hunting scenes, games, dances, and other
characteristic native rites and customs. He pictured various of the
Flathead Indians, of the Cowlitz, Chinook, Newatee, and other tribes;
had opportunities of studying the Crees, Blackfeet, Chimpseyabs, Clalams
and others, including even the Esquimaux; and was everywhere received
among them with mingled respect and apprehension, as a great
medicine-man, whose reproduction of their likenesses by his mysterious
art was supposed to give him some strange power over them. Among the
most striking of the Indian portraits executed by him, is one of
Kea-keke-Sacowaw, head chief of the Crees, whom he met when travelling
on the Saskatchewan, engaged in raising a war-party against the
Blackfeet. He had with him eleven decorated pipe-stems, ten of which
were the pledges of as many chiefs engaged to join him in the proposed
expedition. On learning that the artist was a great medicine-man, he
agreed to exhibit to him the pipe-stems, in the belief that his
sketching them would greatly increase their efficiency when opened on
the war-path. A pipe-bowl was accordingly filled with tobacco and some
aromatic weed; the chief chaunted a war-song; and then inserting one of
the stems into the bowl, he lighted it, inhaled the smoke, and blew a
long cloud upwards. This was his offering to the Great Spirit, whom he
invoked to confer success on their expedition. Another prolonged puff,
directed eastward, was followed by an appeal to the earth to produce an
abundant supply of roots and buffalo for the coming season. The third
was directed to Kane himself, with a request for his influence on their
behalf. He had then to smoke all the eleven pipes; and thus enlisted in
the cause, the portrait he then painted of the grim old chief, adorned
with his war-paint, and holding in his hand his own pipe-stem, decorated
with the head and plumage of an eagle, was esteemed a great medicine,
calculated to contribute materially to the success of the war-party. At
length, after many wild adventures and hair-breadth escapes, Mr. Kane
returned to Toronto in 1848 with a valuable portfolio of studies of
Indians and scenery of the great North-West. While still at the
Saskatchewan he received from Sir George Simpson a commission for a
dozen paintings of “buffalo hunts, Indian camps, councils, feasts,
conjuring matches, dances, warlike exhibitions, or any other pieces of
savage life you may consider to be most attractive or interesting.”
Other commissions followed; and in 1851, by a vote of the Legislature of
the Province of Canada, he was authorized to execute a series of Indian
pictures which now hang in the Parliamentary library at Ottawa. But his
most liberal patron was the Hon. G. W. Allan, to whom he subsequently
dedicated the narrative of his travels, “as a token of gratitude for the
kind and generous interest he has always taken in the author’s labours;
as well as a sincere expression of admiration of the liberality with
which, as a native Canadian, he is ever ready to foster Canadian talent
and enterprise.” In 1853 Mr. Kane married Miss Harriet Clench, of
Cobourg, a lady who, among other attractions, had a skill with her
pencil and brush akin to his own. Thus happily domesticated with a
companion able to sympathize with him in his artistic labours, Mr. Kane
devoted himself to the execution of an extensive series of oil
paintings, including one hundred pictures of Indian scenes, landscapes,
portraits and groups, now in the Hon. G. W. Allan’s collection at Moss
Park. There also a very curious collection of Indian implements,
weapons, masks, drums, carvings and other specimens of native art,
obtained by Mr. Kane, during his travels in the North-West, is now
preserved. In 1857 he re-visited Europe, and superintended the execution
of the chromo-lithographic illustrations of his travels. On his return
to Toronto in the following year, he resumed his pencil, and indulged in
the long cherished hope of being able to follow up that volume by a more
extensive work, illustrative of the characteristics, habits and tribal
peculiarities of the Indians of British North America, and the scenery
of the regions they occupy. But soon after his return to Canada his
eyesight began to fail, and he had scarcely completed the liberal
commission of Mr. Allan, when he was compelled entirely to abandon the
favourite art, which till then he had pursued with such energetic zeal
in defiance of every impediment. Mr. Kane had, at least in his later
years, somewhat of the quiet unimpressible manner of the Indians, among
whom he had spent some of the most eventful years of his life. A
reviewer in the _Athenæum_, in noticing the published narrative of his
travels, described him as “an American artist, who had studied in
Europe, and apparently unites the refinement of the Old World with the
Indian energy of the New.” His memory was singularly retentive; and, in
spite of his reserved manner, his descriptive powers were great when he
could be induced to give them free scope. In the company of those who
did not sympathize with his favourite pursuits, his words were few and
abrupt; but he was a man of acute observation, and, when questioned by
an intelligent inquirer, abounded with curious information in reference
to the native tribes among whom he had sojourned. His published
narrative is a modest, but interesting and vivid description of novel
scenes and incidents of travel; and his career is a creditable instance
of the pursuits of a favourite art, by a self-taught artist, in spite of
the most discouraging impediments to success.
TOWNSHIP OF YORK (EAST).
THOMAS WINSLOW ANDERSON, retired, was born in the Township of York in
1809, being the son of Cornelius and Mary (Snider) Anderson. His father
was born in Scotland, and came to America in 1754, when only two years
old, in company with his mother and two brothers. In the year 1776 he
joined the British Army under Colonel Allen and served through the whole
campaign of the Revolutionary War, in which service he remained until
disbanded in New Brunswick. He then came to York County in 1804,
accompanied by his wife and family, consisting of nine children. He
located on lot 11, concession 1, York Township, where he resided until
about 1835. During the War of 1812 he lost a horse which the Government
had pressed into service, and it was not until some years afterwards
that he received any compensation, and then only to the amount of $13.
He died in 1848, aged ninety-six years, leaving a family of twelve
children, six sons and six daughters. The subject of this sketch learned
the watchmaking business with James McKenzie, with whom he served for
four years. In 1832 he began business for himself, and continued it
until 1854. In 1835 he married Jane Drummond, daughter of Colin
Drummond, a native of Scotland and a member of the first corporation of
York, by whom he had ten children. In 1869 he removed to a farm in the
Township of York, where he now resides. Mr. Anderson is a Reformer in
politics, and a Presbyterian in religion.
W. C. ALISON was born at Pickering, Ontario, and came to York County in
1880, having accepted the position of foreman in the saw-mill of Mr. J.
H. Taylor, the working capacity of which is twelve thousand feet of
lumber per day, and gives employment to fourteen hands.
JOSEPH ARMSTRONG, lot 3, concession 4, the eldest son of Edward
Armstrong of this township, was born in 1837 on the old homestead, where
he remained until 1868. He then settled on a farm which had previously
been purchased by his father on lot 3, concession 4, containing
sixty-two acres, which he has greatly improved and continues to
cultivate. In 1861 he married Miss Eliza Porter, of York Township, who
died in 1874, leaving six children.
SAMUEL ARNOLD, proprietor of the brick works, Doncaster, is a native of
Northamptonshire, England, and came to Canada in 1871. He learned his
trade in England and afterwards worked about nine years in the English
metropolis. On his arrival in Canada he worked for Pears, of Toronto,
taking charge of the brick-machine. In 1877 he commenced to manufacture
bricks on his own account near his present location. He employs ten
hands and turns out about eight hundred thousand bricks per annum.
THE ASHBRIDGE FAMILY were originally “Penn Quakers” and emigrated from
England before the War of Independence, and settled in Philadelphia.
After the close of the war, the father being dead, the mother and two
sons, John and Jonathan, came to Canada. This was in 1793, and on
arriving at York they stayed the first night in the old French fort,
subsequently making their way to what is now known as “Ashbridge’s Bay.”
Being U.E. Loyalists they drew land from the Crown and settled on lot 8,
concession 1, broken front east of the Don. John and Jonathan
participated in the War of 1812 and the Rebellion of 1837-8, and died on
the homestead on the shore of the Bay. Isaac Ashbridge, farmer, is the
son of Jonathan mentioned above, and was born at the bay, February 17,
1811. When eight years of age he attended school in the old Simcoe house
east of the Don, the teacher being Mr. Stark. Isaac remained at home
with his parents until he was thirty-two years of age, his father dying
two years later, in 1845. He married, in 1850, Ruth Auburn, a native of
Northumberland, England. Mr. Ashbridge has been in the York Township
Council two years. He is a Reformer in politics and was commissioned a
Justice of the Peace, but did not qualify. He is a member of the
Methodist Church. Jesse Ashbridge, deceased, youngest brother of Isaac,
was born on the old home farm in 1825. He married, in 1864, Elizabeth,
daughter of Thomas Rooney. His death occurred in 1874.
MARK BARKER, deceased, was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1801, and
in 1830 came to Canada and located in Little York, and engaged in
farming. In 1834 he purchased one hundred acres on lot 5, concession 3,
which he cleared and continued to cultivate until his death in 1869. He
married Miss Ann Jaffrays, also from Lincolnshire, England, the result
of this union being six children, four of whom are living and reside in
the county. Mark, the eldest son living, was born on the old farm in
1843, where he has always remained, and which he is now in possession
of.
THOMAS BEATTY, retired, was born in New Brunswick in 1825, being the
youngest in a family of five sons and two daughters, born to James and
Margaret (Potter) Beatty. His father who was a farmer, came out to
Canada in 1824; his mother was a native of Glasgow, Scotland. Both his
parents returned to Ireland, where they died. Thomas Beatty came to
Toronto in 1840, and worked on Jonathan Ashbridge’s farm for ten years.
He then kept the Commercial Hotel on Jarvis Street for four years, and
the Prospect Hotel for fourteen years, after which he retired. In 1865
he married Ella Winnett, by whom he had two sons and three daughters.
Mr. Beatty is a generous and consistent member of the Methodist Church.
JAMES BELL, deceased, was born in the County Fermanagh, Ireland, in
1814, and at the age of twenty emigrated to Canada and settled in the
Township of York. In 1833 he bought eighty acres of land on lots 23 and
24, concession 4, east of Yonge Street, which he cleared, improved and
remained on until his death in 1860. He married in 1843 Miss Martha
Cherry, by whom he had four children. John, the only surviving son, was
born on the old homestead, which is now known as Clydesdale Farm, where
he has always remained, and now owns, having added since his father’s
death sixty acres on lot 25, concession 4; forty-five acres on lot 23,
concession 3, and ninety acres in Markham Township, lot 16, concession
5; owning two hundred and seventy-five acres in all. In 1883 he married
Miss Hannah Morgan, daughter of John Morgan, of Scarboro’.
JAMES BEST was born in Berkshire, England, in 1807, where he learned the
trade of carpenter, which he worked at until coming to Canada in 1850,
and which he has also followed since his settlement here. In 1852 he
purchased five acres on the Kingston Road, which he has continued to
cultivate up to the present time. In 1842 he married Miss Helen Mills,
of Surrey, England, by whom he has five children.
ROBERT BOND, deceased, was born in Suffolk, England, in 1778, where he
remained until 1829. He then emigrated to Canada, and first located in
the Township of East York. In 1826 he purchased one hundred acres of
unenclosed land which he fenced and improved until his death in 1852.
Mr. Bond married Miss Mary Palmer, a native of the same place, by whom
he had six children. Thomas Bond was born in England in 1817, and came
to Canada with his father, and has always remained on the old homestead,
which he now owns. In 1854 he married Miss Mary Manning, by whom he had
four children, three of whom are living in the county.
FRANK BOSTON was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1847, and came to Canada
in the spring of 1869. He has been a resident of Ben Lamond since 1871,
and was first in the employment of the Toronto Gravel and Concrete
Company as manager, in which capacity he superintended the construction
of the tramway. In 1872 he married Miss Maggie Flynn, of Portland,
Maine, by whom he had four children. In 1877 he erected a store and
boarding establishment on his present location, which was burned down in
the beginning of 1884. He now does a large bakery trade.
THOMAS BOTHAN was born in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in
1809, and in 1836 emigrated to Canada, and first settled near Brampton.
In 1874 he purchased fifty acres of land in McGillivray Township,
Middlesex County, and afterwards two hundred acres near Mimico Station,
which eventually was bought by the Government. In 1872 he purchased his
present property containing one hundred acres on lot 12, concession 1,
where he continues to reside. In 1833 he married Miss Eliza Stott, who
is a native of Yorkshire, England, by whom he has five children, four of
whom are living in this county. George, the youngest son was born in
1857, and lives on the old homestead with his father. In 1878 he married
Miss Catharine Smith, daughter of William Smith, by whom he has one son.
JOSEPH BRAUN, proprietor of the Woodbine Hotel, his occupancy of which
commenced with the beginning of 1884, came from England in 1883. The
hotel is beautifully situated, and commands a fine view of Toronto and
Lake Ontario, and comfortably accommodates upwards of thirty guests. A
tram car passes every half hour, by means of which passengers may reach
the city in twenty minutes. Mr. Braun is well acquainted with the hotel
business, his wife having had charge of four refreshment rooms on the
London and North-Western Railway, England.
WILLIAM H. BROTHERSTON is the only son of William Brotherston, deceased,
who was born in Scotland in 1813, and came to Canada in 1832. He settled
in Toronto, and engaged in the trade of a blacksmith, his shop being
located at the foot of Church Street, where he conducted one of the
largest establishments of that kind in the city up to 1879. He married
Miss Isabel Murray, of Caithness, Scotland, by whom he had four
children, two sons and two daughters, of whom only three are living, one
daughter having died. William H. was born in Toronto in 1848, and has
always been a resident of the county. Having learned the trade of
blacksmith from his father he opened a shop at Little York, where he
carries on a general trade including carriage-making. In 1878 he married
Miss Emily Newman, of St. Catharines, who died three years afterwards.
His second wife was Miss Ellen McGill, daughter of William McGill, of
Toronto Township.
JAMES BROWN, deceased, was born in Cumberland, England, in 1801. In 1819
he enlisted in the 34th Light Infantry, which came to Canada in 1834,
and took part in the Rebellion three years later. In 1843 Mr. Brown
received his discharge, and commenced working at his trade of tailor,
which he followed until his death. His wife was Amelia Batchelor, to
whom he was married in 1823, and who still survives him. James, the
youngest son by the marriage, was born in 1846, on the old homestead in
Eglinton, which he now owns, and where he still resides. Mr. Brown has
held the office of County Constable since 1869. In 1874 he married Miss
Lottie Ely, daughter of John Ely, of Ingersoll, by whom he has one son
and one daughter.
WILLIAM BRUNSKILL, proprietor of the Davisville Hotel, was born in York
County, his father, John Brunskill, being a native of England who
emigrated to Canada at an early day. He settled in Thornhill, and
carried on the business of merchant, miller and farmer, to the time of
his death, which occurred in 1870. William followed his father’s
business of farmer, and in addition ran a line of busses from Eglinton
to Toronto, he being the first to commence running on that route. In
1877 he leased and took possession of his present place of business,
since purchasing the same, which in his hands loses nothing as a
suitable suburban resort.
THOMAS BURKE, deceased, was born in the County of Wexford, Ireland, in
1780. In 1817 he emigrated to Canada and first located in Perth, Lanark
County, where he remained seven years, subsequently coming to York and
settling on one hundred acres of land, which he had purchased, together
with an additional one hundred acres given him by his father, on lots 3
and 5, concession 3, which he cleared and continued to cultivate until
his death in 1841. About the year 1800 he married Miss Ann Wheelock, of
County Wexford, Ireland, by whom he had six children, four of whom are
living. John, the eldest son, was born in Wexford in 1811, and came to
this country with his parents, since which time he has been a resident
of York, and owns one hundred acres on lot 2, and one hundred acres on
lot 3, concession 2.
HENRY CALANDER, the subject of this sketch, was born in Scarboro’
Township, and has always been a resident of the county. He has been
proprietor of the Calander Hotel, Leslieville, for twelve years,
previous to which he was engaged in farming at Scarboro’. Mr. Calander
is the son of the late John Calander, who came to Canada in 1812. In
1862 he married Miss Jane Weaymouth, of Willmouth, by whom he has seven
children. His hotel property has a frontage of one hundred and fifty
feet by five hundred feet, and has accommodation for forty guests, and
has one of the best stables on the Kingston Road.
GEORGE COOPER, deceased, was born in England in 1841. In 1846 he came to
Canada, and in 1861 began gardening, purchasing seven acres on Pape’s
Avenue, where he remained until his death in 1878, since which time his
business has been carried on by his widow. In 1861 he married Miss
Catharine Manus, by whom he had seven children.
RICHARD C. COSBURN is a native of London, England, where he was born in
1834. In 1857 he emigrated to Canada, and first located on Kingston
Road, York Township, where he followed the trade of carpenter, also
gardener. In 1872 he purchased twelve acres on lot 8, concession 2,
which he has very much improved, and at the present time does a
considerable trade in market gardening, and growing small fruits. He
married in 1857 Miss Louisa Palmer.
GEORGE COULSON is the third son of John Coulson, an old resident of this
township, and was born on the old homestead in 1850, where he remained
until 1878, afterwards settling on lot 3, concession 3, his farm
consisting of one hundred acres. In 1878 he married Elizabeth, daughter
of Jesse Henry, of Scarboro’, by whom he has two daughters and one son.
GEORGE CUDMORE, deceased, was born in Devonshire, England, in 1806, and
in 1842 emigrated to Canada and took up his residence in the Township of
East York, where he remained until his death in 1883. Soon after his
arrival he commenced gardening in a small way, subsequently buying a
farm on lot 11, concession 3, where he carried on that business until
his death. In 1835 he married Miss Eleanor Rudd, of England, by whom he
had twelve children, three of whom are living. John Cudmore, the second
son, was born in England in 1839, and came to Canada with his parents.
In 1860 he purchased a farm on lot 15, concession 2, on which he has
carried on a successful gardening business, cultivating upwards of forty
acres in vegetables, etc. In 1860 Mr. Cudmore married Miss Elizabeth
Brown, daughter of John Brown, of York Township, by whom he had seven
children, six of whom are living.
GEORGE DIGBY, harness manufacturer and proprietor of the Coleman Hotel,
Little York. Mr. Digby has been engaged in the manufacture of harness in
York County for the last twenty years. He was born in Dublin, Ireland,
and came to Canada in 1852 and located in Toronto, subsequently removing
to Markham, where he stayed fifteen years. He again returned to the city
and, after a prolonged residence there, came to his present location in
1884. In 1868 he married Miss Mary Jane Wilson, by whom he has five
children.
JOHN DOEL, deceased, was born in Wiltshire, England, in 1790, where he
remained until 1817. He then determined to seek his fortune in the New
World, and accordingly sailed for Philadelphia, U. S., in which city he
remained about one year. He then decided to come to Canada, a journey
which took him above a month, landing in Little York, November 5, 1818.
Soon after his arrival here he engaged in the brewing business on
Sherbourne Street, then known as Caroline Street; subsequently
conducting his trade on Adelaide and Bay Streets until the burning of
his brewery in 1847, when he retired into private life; his death
occurred in 1871, his wife following him a year later. From 1825 to 1830
Mr. Doel was the only letter carrier in Little York. He was a Justice of
the Peace for many years. In 1815 he married Miss Huntly, of Wiltshire,
England, by whom he had six children four of whom are still living,
viz., the Rev. John Doel, of Yorkville; Hester Ann, the widow of the
late John W. Drummond, J.P.; Elizabeth, widow of the late Rev. William
Price, and William Henry. In religion Mr. Doel was an active and
prominent member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. In politics he was a
Reformer, and during the troubles of 1837 suffered with many others for
his political principles, he having been twice imprisoned during that
memorable winter. William Henry Doel was born in Little York in 1827,
being the second son of the above. He was educated at Upper Canada
College, and served his apprenticeship as an apothecary under Francis
Richardson, after which he carried on the drug business both in Toronto
and Whitby. On the commencement of the Civil War in the States Mr. Doel
entered the service of the United States Government in connection with
the Medical Department, and continued until the close of the war, then
taking up his residence in Philadelphia, where he remained until 1870.
He returned to Toronto and resided in the city two years, afterwards
removing to his present residence on Broadview Avenue. In 1852 Mr. Doel
married Miss Jane Huntly, of Philadelphia, by whom he has three children
living. Mr. Doel has filled various public positions, having been a
License Commissioner for East York a number of years. He was President
of the Reform Association for his district, and has been a Justice of
the Peace since 1877. He was one of the promoters of the Industrial
Exhibition Association of Toronto, of which society he has been an
active director since its inception.
DOUGHTY BROS., proprietors of brick-yard, Doncaster. This firm is
composed of I. H. and R. A. Doughty, natives of Toronto and sons of
Richard Doughty, an Englishman by birth, who came to Canada at an early
day. During his lifetime he carried on the business of builder and
contractor. Previous to 1881 the brothers were engaged in a different
business, I. H. following his father’s trade, and R. A. conducting a
pork-packing business. The present business was established in 1881, and
now employs about ten men, and the annual output is from seven hundred
thousand to one million machine stock. They use a Fowmley machine.
JOHN DOUGLAS, deceased, was born in Ireland in 1804 and came to Canada
in 1831, and settled in Toronto, where he resided up to the time of his
death in 1869. He had six children, four of whom are living. William,
the eldest son, was born on York Street, Toronto, in 1834, and remained
in the city up to 1855. He then moved to Eglinton and engaged in the
carriage business, which he still continues to carry on. In 1855 he
married Miss Eliza Gillespie, of Yorkville, by whom he has four
children.
DAVID DUNCAN is the third son of Wm. Duncan, and was born on the old
homestead in 1837. In 1864 he settled on a farm which had been
previously purchased by his father, being lot 11, concession 3, where he
owns two hundred and fifty acres. In 1873 he married Miss Anne Laird,
daughter of Hugh and Ellen Laird, by whom he has two sons and one
daughter.
HENRY DUNCAN, Reeve of the Township of York, is the eldest son of
William Duncan. He was born on the old homestead in 1833, where he
remained until twenty-seven years of age, afterwards settling on a farm
previously purchased by his father, containing two hundred acres, being
lot 10, concession 3, which he has very much improved and still resides
on. In 1861 Mr. Duncan married Miss Betsy J. McGinn, daughter of Charles
McGinn, who came to the Township of York in 1812. Mr. Duncan’s family
consists of six children. He has always taken a deep interest in the
affairs of the township and was elected to the Council in 1870, and from
1871 to 1878 was Deputy-Reeve, and in 1879 was elected Reeve, being in
the Township Council fourteen years.
JUSTUS DUNN is a native of the State of New Jersey, where he was born in
1813. In 1862 he came to Toronto and first engaged in the wholesale
fruit trade, being one of the first engaged in that industry, which he
carried on for nine years. He purchased twelve acres on Queen Street
East extension, where he engaged largely in the growth of small fruits.
In 1836 Mr. Dunn married Miss Barbara Ann Mackie, of Niagara County, New
York State, by whom he had seven children, three of whom are living in
Canada. Mr. Dunn is now cultivating six acres, growing small fruits.
THOMAS ELGIE, deceased, was born in Durham, England, in 1816, and
emigrated to Canada in 1841, taking up his abode in Toronto. He engaged
in farming for about four months, after which he opened the celebrated
Bay Horse Hotel, conducting the same for about seven years. He then gave
up the hotel business and purchased about two hundred acres of land on
lot 15, concession 2, which he improved and cultivated up to the time of
his death in 1880. In 1842 he married Miss Elizabeth Cook, who died in
1848, taking for his second wife Miss Elizabeth Beckwith, daughter of
George Beckwith, by whom he had ten children, only four of whom are
living.
G. EMPRINGHAM, of Little York, was born in England in 1837, where he
remained until 1851, in which year he came to Canada with his father,
Wm. Empringham, and settled in the Township of York, where he was
engaged in farming until 1881. Since that time he has been engaged in
the hotel business. In 1862 he married Miss Mary Ormerod, of
Scarborough.
DANIEL FITZGERALD, deceased, was born in Waterford, Ireland, in 1804. In
1825 he emigrated to New York State and settled in Cape Vincent, where
he remained until 1843. He then came to Canada and settled in the
Township of York, on lot 5, concession 2, having purchased one hundred
acres of land, on which he lived until his death in 1844. His wife was
Rebecca Noble, a native of New York State, by whom he had four children.
Joseph, the youngest, was born in New York State in 1839 and came to
Toronto with his parents. In 1864 he went to Lambton County, where he
stayed until 1871, and returning to York purchased the old homestead,
which he now owns. In 1861 he married Miss Catharine Gorman, by whom he
has ten children. Lewis F., the eldest son of Daniel Fitzgerald, was
born in 1837 in the State of New York, and came to Canada with his
father and lived on the old homestead. He purchased fifteen acres on lot
8, concession 2, to which he has since added ten acres, which is devoted
to gardening and fruit growing. In 1856 he married Miss Ellen Daily, of
York Township, by whom he has eight children.
WILLIAM GALLOW, deceased, was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1807,
and in 1857 emigrated to Canada, settling in Toronto, where he engaged
in gardening, which industry he has continuously carried on. In 1861 he
purchased a farm on the Don and Danforth Road, which he cleared and
cultivated, doing the largest gardening business in the district, until
the time of his death, which occurred January 8, 1885. In 1833 he
married Miss Grace Reid, by whom he had nine children, six of whom are
living.
ROBERT GOODINGS, proprietor of brick-yard, Doncaster, was born at
Windermere, a village in the Lake District of England, being on the
shores of a romantically situated lake from which the village takes its
name. He came to Canada in 1873, and having previously learned
brick-making he followed the same occupation on his arrival here. In
1870 he commenced on his own account at his present location, where he
does an extensive trade, manufacturing between eight hundred thousand
and one million bricks annually and employs from eight to ten workmen.
ALEXANDER GRAY was born in Scotland in 1804 and came to Canada in 1820,
locating with his brothers William and James on lot 19, concession 3,
where they erected a grist and saw-mills, the property now belonging to
the subject of this sketch. Mr. Gray married, in 1835, Miss Marion
McLean, daughter of John McLean, of Wellington County, who died during
1883, leaving a family of six children. James Gray, the only son of
James, deceased brother of Alexander Gray, was born on the old homestead
and now owns the west half of lot 9.
THOMAS S. GRAY, the eldest son of Alexander Gray, was born on the old
homestead in 1836. In 1863 he settled on lot 10, concession 2, where he
has eighty-six acres. In 1873 he married Miss Mary N. Bonoby, by whom he
has four children.
WILLIAM GRAY was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, in 1802, and in 1823
emigrated to Canada, and in conjunction with his brother located on lot
9, concession 3, Township of York, erecting thereon a saw and
grist-mill. Since 1854 Mr. Gray has had exclusive control of the
grist-mill property, where he still carries on a good custom trade. In
1840 Mr. Gray married Miss Phœbe Street, a daughter of Timothy Street;
she died in 1878, leaving six sons and four daughters.
R. GREENWOOD, fruit-grower, Kingston Road, is a native of England and
came to Canada in 1874. He has now under cultivation some thirty acres
of land devoted to the growth of strawberries, raspberries, apples,
currants and other fruits, all of which find a ready sale in the Toronto
market.
HALLAT BROTHERS, glue and oil manufacturers, Doncaster. This firm
consists of Vincent and J. S. Hallat, who are the sons of Joseph E.
Hallat, a native of Cornwall, England, who emigrated to Canada in 1851,
and was engaged in the wool business for many years. Messrs. Hallat
Brothers built their extensive manufactory in 1879-80; the dimensions of
the main building being 42 x 22 feet and four storeys high, with the
annexes—one of two storeys, 36 x 16 feet; one of one storey, 72 x 14
feet; one of two storeys, 42 x 60 feet, and boiler-room, 30 x 12 feet,
with an engine fifteen horse-power, the boilers having a capacity of
fifty horse-power. The business turn-over is annually from fifty
thousand to sixty thousand dollars.
W. HARRIS & CO. This firm is composed of William and John B. Harris, who
established their business in 1870 on Kingston Road, afterwards removing
to Pape’s Avenue, where they are now engaged in the manufacture of
sausage and bologna casings, fertilizers and fertilizer materials,
animal oils, etc. They also do an extensive trade as stock dealers,
handling horses, cattle, milch cows, hogs, etc. William Harris was born
in England in 1848 and came to Canada in 1870. John B. was born in 1856
and came to Canada in 1872, and was engaged in business in London,
Ontario, until 1882.
WILLIAM HARRISON, deceased, was born in Nova Scotia in 1784, and came to
Canada and settled in the County of York in 1797. He took up lots 12 and
13, concession 2, East York, consisting of three hundred acres, which he
partially cleared before his death, in 1838. In 1813 he married Miss
Elizabeth Wright, daughter of Archibald Wright, of this township, by
whom he had eleven children, seven of whom are yet living. In the War of
1812 Mr. Harrison took a prominent part, and received a medal for
services rendered at Queenston Heights. William Harrison, the third son
of the above, was born on the old homestead in 1820, where he has always
remained; he now owns one hundred acres on lot 13, fifty acres on lot 12
and sixty on lot 11. In 1848 he married Miss Susan Brooks, daughter of
Edward Brooks, of Scarboro’ Township, by whom he has four children.
Christopher, the youngest son of William Harrison, deceased, was born on
the old homestead in 1829, where he has continued to live and of which
he now owns two hundred acres. In 1860 he married Miss Catharine,
daughter of Thomas Shepherd, by whom he has six children.
THOMAS HASTINGS, retired, was born in the Township of Whitchurch in
1808. His father, Nathaniel Hastings, came from Massachusetts in 1796.
He drew two hundred acres of land at Hogg’s Hollow, but finally settled
on Yonge Street, in Whitchurch Township, on a farm of two hundred acres,
where Thomas was born. He afterwards removed to lot 10, concession 1
from the bay, Township of York, where he died in 1833, leaving a family
of twelve children, of whom four are now living. He served in the War of
1812 and was taken prisoner at the capitulation of York. Thomas
Hastings’ mother was a Miss Webster, of English descent; she died in
1847. The subject of this sketch learned the trade of an axe-maker in
Toronto, serving three years. He afterwards worked in Rochester, New
York, for one year, at the end of which time he returned to Canada and
engaged in business for himself at Cobourg. In 1832 he commenced farming
in the Township of York. He next went to Orleans County, New York, where
he engaged in farming for four years, and to Cleveland, where for six
years he worked at his trade. In 1847 he returned to Canada and settled
in the Township of York. In 1834 Mr. Hastings was married to Elizabeth,
second daughter of John Becket. He has one son now living in Toronto and
engaged in the brewing business.
THOMAS HELLIWELL, deceased, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1796, and
emigrated to Canada in 1818, first settling near Niagara Falls, and
coming to Toronto two years later. He engaged in the brewing and milling
business on the Don at Todmorden, afterwards devoting his time to
improving his property in that section. He died in 1862. Mr. Helliwell
married Miss Mary Wilson, who died in 1832. He married a second time,
his wife being Miss Ann Ashworth, of Lincolnshire, England. He had six
children by his first wife, and seven by his second. W. P. Helliwell,
the youngest son of his first wife, was born in Toronto in 1831, and has
continued a resident of the county. In 1866 Mr. Helliwell removed to his
present home on lot 12, concession 2, where he has been largely engaged
in farming. In 1865 he married Miss Sophia Wood, by whom he had nine
children.
SAMUEL HILL, farmer, was born in the County of Wexford, Ireland, in
1815. His parents were John and Ann (Wright) Hill. In 1840 having
learned the trade of a tanner and currier, he came to Canada and located
at St. David’s, near Niagara, where he worked at his trade. In the
following year he came to Toronto and worked at Smith’s tannery; he
afterwards carried on a tanning business for himself, finally giving it
up to engage in farming on lot 2, concession 1, York Township. He has
also been largely interested in the ice business, having been proprietor
of the Ontario Ice Company for several years. In 1850, he married a
daughter of John Ashbridge, who settled near the bay, which now bears
his name, in 1794. In religion Mr. Hill is an active member of the
Methodist Church; in politics he is a Conservative.
JOHN HOGG, deceased, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1795, and in
1835 emigrated to Canada and located on lot 7, concession 3, East York,
where he purchased fifty acres of bush land, subsequently adding fifty
acres more, on which he lived until his death in 1879. In 1820 he
married Miss Janet Hogg, of Scotland, by whom he had eleven children,
six of whom are still living. Robert, the youngest but one, was born on
Yonge Street in 1835, and has always lived on the old homestead, half of
which he now owns. In 1866 he married Miss Margaret Thompson Young,
daughter of James Young, by whom he has nine children.
THOMAS HUMBERSTONE, sen’r, deceased, was the only child of Samuel
Humberstone, an Englishman, who learned his trade, the manufacture of
pottery, in Staffordshire, and came to America with his wife, and
settled in the British Province of Pennsylvia, now called Pennsylvania,
where their son, Thomas, was born in 1766, at Philadelphia. After the
war by which the Americans gained their Independence they, with other U.
E. Loyalists, left the United States and came to Montreal, where they
resided for some time, having received a grant of one thousand acres of
land for services rendered to the British during the American
Revolution. Subsequently they removed to Swagorche, near Brockville, on
the St. Lawrence, where the father carried on the manufacture of
pottery, Thomas acquiring a knowledge of the trade. In 1798 he came to
York, and located on lot 14, west of Yonge Street, taking up two hundred
acres of land, which he cleared and fenced, erecting a pottery thereon,
the first of its kind in York County. In 1800 he married Miss Harrison,
by whom he had ten children, one of whom met with a tragical death. The
following is an extract from the paper published at that time:—“Died,
on Saturday, 22nd February, 1822, Elizabeth Humberstone, aged fifteen
years, from the effects of a mortal wound received by using an old
gun-barrel to turn the back-log in the house of her uncle, Francis Lee,
at Talbot Settlement, in the Township of Oxford.” It was an old
gun-barrel found in the field, the wood having rotted away. For his
services in the War of 1812, he drew a pension, a captain’s half-pay,
also five hundred acres of land in Tecumseth, when Sir Peregrine
Maitland, K.C.B., was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, and he also
received a medal in memory of the capture of Detroit. He belonged to the
Third Regiment of Incorporated Militia, and was taken prisoner of war by
the Americans and sent to Greenbush, October 11, 1813, where he was let
out on parole until exchanged after being kept as hostage. He served
under General Brock, and when the latter fell mortally wounded at the
Battle of Queenston Heights, he helped to carry him off the battle
field, and the General’s words to the others were “If I die, remember
Humberstone, remember Humberstone.” He was a Freemason, and helped to
build the first Masonic Hall in Toronto. Morgan and his wife boarded at
his house when they first came to Canada. Some time after leaving there
Morgan published an exposition of Freemasonry. Mr. Humberstone, sen’r,
died in 1849, on lot 24, West York, aged seventy-three years. Thomas
Humberstone, jun’r, the second son of the above, was born in 1811, on
the old homestead, where he remained until 1833, following the same
trade as his father and grandfather, subsequently carrying on a pottery
at York Mills. He then returned to the northern part of the township and
established a pottery, which, with the house and barn, was reduced to
ashes by fire; he rebuilt, suffered from fire again, rebuilt a second
time; moved to the other side of Yonge Street, and built again, which
was also destroyed by fire, again he rebuilt and continued in the
business until he retired in favour of his second son, Simon Thomas, who
now carries on the trade of his forefathers, having erected a large
pottery on the site of the place where his father was first burnt out.
There was no insurance whatever on any of the buildings that were
destroyed by fire. After various properties passing through his hands,
he moved to lot 8, East York, where he is now engaged in farming. On the
1st January, 1835, he was married by the Rev. Mr. Jenkins, Markham, to
Miss Sarah Wilson, second daughter of John Wilson, of Markham Township,
formerly of Tyrone, Ireland, by whom he has eight children. Two of his
children are in the North-West, one died in the States, the other five
are at present in York County. Last New Year’s day, 1885, was the
fiftieth anniversary of his wedded life.
JAMES HUNTER, deceased, was born in Ireland, 1790, and in 1815 emigrated
to New York, where he stayed two years previous to taking up his
residence in this city. He was a tailor by trade, and conducted a
merchant tailoring establishment on Yonge Street up to 1835. He then
purchased three hundred acres of land on lots 11, 12 and 13, concession
3, and carried on a general lumbering business up to the time of his
death, in 1876. He married Miss Mary Nail, of England, who died in 1844,
leaving a family of eight children, five of whom are still living.
Alexander, the second son, was born in Toronto in 1824, and early
learned the trade of a carpenter, and for many years carried on a
building business in that city. He retired in 1865, and now lives on the
old homestead. He married Margaret Elliott, of York, by whom he has
three children. Edward was born on the old homestead in 1826, and
carried on the lumbering business established by his father.
ROBERT ARCHIBALD HUNTER was born in Scotland in 1833, and in 1852
emigrated to the United States, remaining there two years, afterwards
coming to Canada and locating in the Township of Scarboro’, where he
engaged in farming. In 1857 he purchased twenty-five acres on lot 2,
concession 4, East York, to which he subsequently added another fifty
acres, his farm being one of the finest in the township. In 1880 he
bought one hundred acres in the Township of Scarboro’, which he still
owns and which is attended to by his son. In 1855 he married Maria,
daughter of Mark Parker, by whom he has eight children.
JOSHUA INGHAM was born in Lancashire, England, in 1833, where he
remained until 1862. He then emigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto,
where he has since been a resident. He first opened a market on Yonge
Street, which he continued for a short time, after which he engaged in
buying and exporting largely both cattle and sheep. He was one of the
well-known firm of Crawford & Company, cattle dealers, looking after the
company’s interests in England, and doing all the receiving and selling
of stock. This firm exported over six hundred head of cattle monthly. In
1855 Mr. Ingham married Miss Harriet Axon, of Cheshire, England, by whom
he had seven children. Mr. Ingham resides on the Don Mill Road, Chester
Village.
WILLIAM JACKES, Eglinton, was born in little York in 1827. His parents
(Franklin Jackes and Catharine Gibson) came from England in 1824, and
were married the following year. Franklin Jackes, who was a baker by
trade, carried on his business in York until 1836, when he removed to
Eglinton where he died in 1852, aged forty-eight years. His mother is
still living and is seventy-seven years of age. Mr. Jackes, sen’r, was
one of the Aldermen of Toronto, and after he removed to Eglinton became
Reeve of York Township and Warden of the county. He was commissioned a
Justice of the Peace in 1837. William Jackes spent his early life in
Toronto, and in 1835 went to Eglinton with his father. He now owns the
farm, lot 2, concession 1, which his father purchased. He was for some
years a member of the Township Council, and is now Treasurer of the
Township. In 1869 he was commissioned a magistrate. He is also a member
of the Agricultural Society. In politics he is a Reformer. Mr. Jackes
was married in 1857 to Henrietta, daughter of Robert Jones.
HUGH LAIRD, deceased, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1803 and when
eleven years of age came to Canada with his father. The latter settled
in Halton County and Hugh, the subject of this sketch, came to York
where he lived with Mr. Alexander Milne for some time. In 1835 he bought
one hundred acres of land on lot 7, concession 2, which he cleared,
fenced and continued to cultivate until his death in 1884. He married
Miss Milne, daughter of Alexander Milne, his former employer, by whom he
had six children. Hugh Laird, the only son, was born in 1844, and now
has possession of the old homestead.
T. LAMBERT is a native of Yorkshire, England, and was born in 1840,
emigrating to Canada in 1872, and was first employed by Jacques & Hay,
with whom he stayed three years. He then purchased five acres on lot 5,
concession 2, where he erected a dwelling and hot houses, and has gone
largely into market gardening and the growth of small fruits. In 1861 he
married Miss Mary Farrar Boyes, by whom he has six children.
ROBERT LAWRENCE was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1814, and in
1854 emigrated to Canada, and settled in the Township of York. In 1868
he purchased his present home on lot 18, concession 3, where he is
largely engaged in market-gardening. In 1844 he married Miss Mary Case
Townsend, Gloucestershire, England, by whom he had twelve children, six
of whom are living.
JOHN LEA, the subject of this sketch, was the second son of John Lea,
deceased, who came to Canada in 1818, and took up two hundred acres of
land on lot 13, concession 3. He was born in 1823, and has always
remained on the old homestead, of which he owns a part, owning one
hundred and ten acres on lot 12 and fifty acres on lot 24, his farm
containing in all one hundred and eighty acres, devoted principally to
farming, stock-raising and fruit-growing. In 1870 Mr. Lea married Miss
Mary, daughter of James Charles, who was a long time engaged in the
wholesale dry goods in Toronto; he has two sons and one daughter.
[Illustration: WILLIAM LEA.]
WILLIAM LEA, the subject of this sketch, was born in Lancashire,
England, on the 28th of May, in the year 1814, and came to America with
his father and mother in 1818. John Lea, his father, was born in
Lancashire in 1773; Mary, his mother, was born in Cumberland. They
sailed from Liverpool in the spring of 1818, in a barque commanded by
one Captain Birkett, and after tossing about on the Atlantic three
months arrived in Philadelphia, where they remained only a short time;
then travelled in a stage coach over the Alleghany mountains to
Pittsburg, where they remained a year. Not liking the country or people
of the United States, the father went to Canada in search of a suitable
place to settle in. William, with his mother, coming on to Niagara,
travelled along the shore of Lake Erie, crossed the Niagara River at
Black Rock and on past the Falls, the sound of which he remembered
hearing. The first thing that gave his mother courage was seeing the
British soldiers in their scarlet uniforms at Niagara, which was in
1819. When his father had found a place to his liking, in the Township
of York, he informed his wife of his purchase of lot 13, concession 3
from the bay. She, with her son, crossed Lake Ontario in a schooner
belonging to one Garside (the only steamboat at that time being the
_Frontenac_), and on arriving at York they went to the farm, which
consisted of a small log-house and a few acres cleared, the rest of the
two hundred acre lot being heavily timbered. In the course of time they
bought cows and kept a dairy, and planted an orchard. In 1829 his father
built a brick-house, the only one then in the township, in which his
brother, John Lea, now lives. John Lea, sen’r, died December, 1854, aged
eighty-one years. He left his son William ninety acres of the old
homestead, and John one hundred and ten, including the house, orchard
and all the out-buildings. William, in 1841, purchased part of lot 12,
concession 3 from the bay, containing one hundred and thirty acres, on
which he and his family reside. In 1841 he married Mary Ann, second
daughter of James Taylor, from Tadington, Derbyshire, England, by whom
he had two daughters, both dying in infancy. Their mother soon followed,
dying within three years of her marriage. In 1848 he married Elizabeth,
the eldest daughter of Charles Kendrick Davids, a gentleman from
Dartford, Kent, England, by whom he had three sons and four daughters,
who are all living; their mother died in 1867. In 1870 he married his
present wife, Sophia, relict of John Samuel Blogg, of Canterbury,
England, and fourth daughter of Charles Kendrick Davids, of Dartford,
Kent, England, now deceased. He, with two of his sons, carries on
farming, fruit-growing and farm gardening. In 1850 he was elected to the
office of Township Councillor in the place of John Eastwood, who died
during the latter part of that year. He held the office for seven
successive years thereafter. During the administration of Government by
Lord Elgin he was appointed a Justice of the Peace, which position he
still holds, having been reappointed as each commission was issued. He
also wrote (being a member of the York Pioneers Society) a history of
the early settlement of the River Don, with the business and milling
industries carried on up to the present time, extracts from which appear
in the first volume of this work.
[Illustration: GEORGE LESLIE.]
GEORGE LESLIE, of Leslieville. William Leslie, the father of our
subject, was of Scottish origin, his birth-place and that of his family
being in the Parish of Roquart, Sutherlandshire, Scotland. He was reared
upon a farm, and when a young man joined the Rothshire Militia, and
served in the County of Tyrone, Ireland, where he married Catharine,
eldest daughter of James Beatty, and sister of the Rev. John Beatty, of
Cobourg. After his regiment was disbanded he returned home and engaged
in agricultural pursuits until October, 1826, when he emigrated to
Canada with a family of eight children, and joined the Rev. John Beatty
at Streetsville. He settled upon two hundred acres, lot 14, concession
12, of York Township, a portion of which he cleared and improved. In
1837 he commanded a company of York Militia, and served during the
campaign. Many years later he drew a pension from the Crown for his
services in Ireland. He died in 1877 at Streetsville, leaving a family
of eight children. He was a strong Conservative in politics. George
Leslie, of Leslieville, was the second son in his father’s family. He
was born in Sutherlandshire in 1804, and was twenty-one years of age
when he left home and came to York, where he entered the service of the
late Hon. George Crookshanks, Commissary General. He remained with him
one season, and then for several years acted in the capacity of gardener
and florist to the Hon. William Allen, and the Hon. John Henry Dunne,
Receiver General. In 1830 he purchased from the Rev. James Beatty, at
Streetsville, the old homestead previously occupied by his father, a
portion of which he cleared and improved. In 1837 he removed to Toronto,
and took up his residence in an old frame house on King Street East, it
being the place where he and Caroline, eldest daughter of Calvin Davis,
passed the first nine years of their wedded life, which began in 1836.
He soon after established himself in business as a grocer and seed
merchant. His first stock of seeds was brought from London, England.
Seven years later he transferred his business to the corner of Yonge and
Colborne Streets, upon the present site of the Bank of Commerce, where
he remained until 1845, when the city purchased the property for $5,000.
He then leased from Mr. Charles Small twenty acres of land east of the
Don, for a period of twenty-one years; he purchased the land two years
later, and, by subsequent purchases, added to it until he now has two
hundred acres in a good state of cultivation. Upon this land he began
business as a nurseryman, florist, and gardener. The business has
increased rapidly until his nursery is now the largest in the Dominion.
A portion of his land was surveyed into lots and sold to settlers, thus
forming the nucleus of a village. In 1851 he was commissioned
Post-master of Leslieville Post-office, which office he still holds. Two
years later he was commissioned a magistrate by the Hon. Robert Baldwin,
the duties of which office he has ever since discharged with fidelity.
When the first fire company was formed in York he became a member. Our
subject is at the present time one of the oldest horticulturists in the
Dominion, and has been an active member of the Agricultural Society for
many years. Although a strong Reformer, he has never neglected his
business to engage in political strife. He has two sons and two
daughters. His eldest daughter, Caroline, married the eldest son of the
Rev. Dr. Jennings, now in charge of the Bank of Commerce at Paris. His
second daughter, Esther, married Alexander McDonald Allan, son of the
Rev. Mr. Allan, of Goderich, who formerly published the _Signal_ at that
place. The eldest son, George, is in partnership with his father in the
nursery business, and also a magistrate and Commissioner for taking
Affidavits. He has been Reeve for the Township of York for five years,
and represented St. Lawrence Ward in the City Council for two years.
John Knox, the second son, is Clerk of the Township of York, and resides
at Eglinton.
JAMES LESSLIE. The events embodied in that portion of Canadian history
which occupied the period immediately preceding, and that which
followed, the Rebellion of 1837-8 had the effect of bringing many men
into publicity who, but for the extreme display of faction which those
events created, would most likely have desired to keep aloof from public
affairs. To this class of men the subject of this brief memoir belonged,
and having in early life formed an intimate acquaintance with the leader
of that Rebellion, it would be strange indeed if he had failed to imbibe
some of the strong political principles that lay then undeveloped in the
mind of William Lyon Mackenzie. James Lesslie was born at Dundee,
Scotland, in 1802, being the son of Edward and Grace (Watson) Lesslie.
His father was a bookseller and stationer, and being what is known as
well-provisioned in life gave his family a good education, of which, as
results proved, James took no small advantage. In the year 1820 Mr.
Lesslie, sen’r, decided on emigration, and chartered a vessel which was
to convey himself and large family, numbering twelve souls in all,
together with household effects and his goods, to the New World. Owing
to the illness of the mother, however, they were detained some months;
but, in the meantime, the second eldest son, John, in company with
William Lyon Mackenzie—who had previously been in the employ of Mr.
Lesslie, sen’r, as book-keeper—sailed for Canada, and by the time the
remainder of the family arrived, he was already engaged in business in
York, now Toronto. After a prolonged voyage of seventy days James, with
a younger brother and sister, arrived at Kingston, where he remained.
The rest of the family came out next year, going forward to York. Our
subject commenced business in Kingston in the book and stationery line,
which he conducted there for four years, removing from thence to York,
John going to Dundas, where a branch of the business was opened. This
was in 1826, and in 1833 the firm, Lesslie & Sons, purchased property
near the locality of the _Globe_ office, and thereon erected their
business premises. The causes which contributed to the Rebellion were at
this time shaping themselves, and thinking men admitted the approach of
a great crisis. Mr. Lesslie’s sympathies were undoubtedly with the
Reformers, though no evidence is apparent that he gave any active
assistance to the rebels; but this fact did not prevent him from being
subjected to persecution by the parties in power during the week of the
Rebellion. His premises were taken possession of by the Government, and
he himself arrested and imprisoned, with his brother William. They were
released after an incarceration of a fortnight and enabled to return to
their business. A few weeks after William, going on business by stage to
Montreal, was again arrested and imprisoned in Kingston Jail without any
charge against him and treated as a criminal for about ten days. About
the period of the arrival of Lord Durham as Governor-General, the
publication of the Examiner commenced by Sir Francis Hincks, which
afterwards came into the hands of Mr. Lesslie in 1844, and was conducted
by him for ten years, until the settlement of the question of the Clergy
Reserves. He was also connected with the Peoples’ Bank—the first Bank
on the Scotch principle in Upper Canada—and for five years held the
position of President. He was commissioned a Justice of the Peace, and
was an Alderman of the first City Council. In 1858 he retired from
business, and took up his residence at his rural retreat in Eglinton,
and now, in his eighty-second year, he devotes his well-earned leisure
to books and the management of a small farm.
JAMES LONG, deceased, was born in the County Armagh, Ireland, in 1809,
and when ten years of age came to Canada with his father. Some years
later he bought land on lot 19, concession 4, which he improved and
cultivated until his death in 1871. A few years before his death he
added one hundred and twenty-five acres on lots 18 and 20, concession 4.
He married Miss Harriet Hough, by whom he had eight children. George H.,
the youngest son, was born on the homestead in 1840, which he now owns.
He married in 1875 Miss Hannah Haron, daughter of Robert Haron, of
Scarboro’, by whom he has six children.
JOHN MCLATCHIE was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1848. In 1858 he went
to Ireland, and remained some years, then emigrated to Canada, and first
located in the Township of Scarboro’, where he worked at his trade of
blacksmith for two years. He afterwards came to Toronto where he has
resided ever since. In 1879 he purchased his present property in
Leslieville where he carries on a large carriage-making and blacksmith
business, his buildings occupying sixty-five feet by five hundred feet
in depth.
THOMAS MERCER, deceased, was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1744, and
came to the United States at an early day. He settled in Philadelphia,
where he remained until 1793, and then coming to Canada, he, in 1796,
took up two hundred acres of land on lot 10, concession 1, East York.
The journey from Philadelphia was made overland, Mr. Mercer bringing
with him a cow from his old settlement. He remained on his farm in York
until his death in 1829. He married Susan Jordan, of Hillsborough,
County Down, Ireland, the union resulting in seven children. Thomas, his
second son, was born in Philadelphia in 1792, and came with his parents
to Canada, always remaining on the old farm, which he cleared and
considerably improved. He died in 1873. His wife was Catharine, daughter
of John O’Reilly, of Drummondsville, near Niagara, who died in 1868,
leaving five children. Thomas Hamilton, the eldest son, was born on the
old homestead in 1822, where he has always resided, and which he now
owns, and to which he has since added fifty acres. In 1863 he married
Jane, daughter of William Graham, who came from Nova Scotia to Ontario
in 1853. They had six children, five of whom are now living, viz.:
Minnie A., Ada S., Alfred E. E., Bertha E. M., Wilfred H. O.
JOHN MILLS was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1825, and emigrated to
Canada in 1848. He first settled in Thornhill, where he remained two
years, subsequently removing to Toronto, and, taking charge of the Clyde
Hotel, conducted that establishment from 1856 to 1878. After giving up
the hotel business, he went to his farm known as the Clyde Cottage, on
the Don and Danforth Road, where he cultivated one hundred acres of
land. In 1854 he married Mrs. Arnitt, a widow, who died four years
later. He married again, his second wife being Priscilla, daughter of
George Lambert, by whom he had eleven children, nine still living.
ALEXANDER MILNE, deceased, was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, in 1777,
and on emigrating to the United States in 1801 settled at Oyster Bay,
Long Island, where he followed weaving, having at one time ten handlooms
in operation, from which place the family removed to Dutchess County,
N.Y., where he had taken charge of a woollen mill, and in 1813 moved to
New Jersey, and engaged in the cotton-bleaching business, having got out
a patent for that process. He remained there four years, and on the
recommendation of the British Consul at New York he came to Canada 1817,
locating on the east half of lot 5, concession 2, East York, where he
took up five hundred acres of land. He erected a saw-mill in 1827, which
he carried on for five years, but for want of power, he afterwards built
another saw-mill on the east branch of the River Don in 1832, which was
in successful operation until after his death in 1877. In 1800 he
married Miss Jane Gibson, also a native of Forfarshire, Scotland, who
died in 1835 leaving seven children. Mr. Milne again married, his second
wife being Mrs. Ann Kirk. William Milne, his eldest son, was born in
Scotland in 1801, and always assisted his father to carry on the
business; his wife was Jane Weatherstone, a native of Berwick-on-Tweed,
by whom he had five sons and four daughters, eight of whom are now
living. Alexander W. Milne, the eldest son of William Milne, was born on
the old homestead in 1837, and was always interested in the business
established by his grandfather, after whose death he, in company with
his father, erected a large brick woollen mill on the same site, and
adopted more improved machinery. Mr. William Milne’s death, which
occurred in 1881, left the business in the hands of his son Alexander W.
Milne, who is engaged in the business at this time. He was married in
1867 to Miss Harriet Margaret Heron, daughter of Richard Heron, by whom
he has three sons and one daughter.
JOSEPH H. MITCHELL is a native of London, England, where he was born in
1822. He early came to Canada, and for thirty-two years was foreman of a
department in the establishment of Hay & Co. In 1859 he purchased five
acres on lot 9, on which he grows fruit of every description. In 1850 he
married Elizabeth Spence, sister of the Hon. Robert Spence,
ex-Postmaster-General.
THOMAS MITCHELL is a native of Devonshire, England, where he was born in
1822, and emigrating to Canada in 1849, located first in London,
Middlesex County, where he was employed by Judge Allen. The Judge
removing to Toronto after Mr. Mitchell had been in his service six
months, he removed with him and continued in his employment for three
years. He subsequently engaged with Mr. John Cull, as foreman in the
Starch Factory, with whom he remained eight years. He then began
business for himself as grocer on Kingston Road, and built the first
brick store east of the Don (1858). This was on the corner of Kingston
Road and Scadding Street, and was known as “Mitchell’s Corner.” In 1861
he purchased a lot on Market Square, Barrie, Ontario, and built thereon
the Victoria Hotel, which he afterwards sold. In 1871 Mr. Mitchell
retired from business which is now carried on by his son. He purchased a
private residence known as Rose Lawn, in St. Matthew’s Ward, where he
now lives in ease and comfort. Mr. Mitchell married in 1852 Miss Mary
Ann Joslin, of Devonshire, England, by whom he has one son and four
daughters. Once only since leaving it has Mr. Mitchell revisited his
beautiful native county which, with pardonable pride, he maintains is
the “Garden of the World.” This trip he made in 1874.
JOHN MYERS, deceased, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1807, and in
1830 emigrated to Canada, locating in the Township of East York, on lot
21, concession 4, which was then bush; this he cleared, fenced and made
his home until his death in 1868. Mr. Myers also worked at his trade of
shoemaking. He married Miss Jane Hopper, a native of Yorkshire, England,
by whom he had thirteen children, four of whom are now living. Robert,
the youngest son, resides in the county. He was born on the old
homestead, which he now owns. In 1877 he married Miss Caroline, daughter
of Robert Heron of Scarboro’, the issue of this union being three
daughters.
FRANK NICHOLSON, deceased, was born on the old homestead in 1850, and is
the son of John Nicholson, deceased. He remained at home up to the time
of his death in 1882, carrying on the same business as his father before
him, viz.: fruits and gardening. In 1837 he married Miss Susan Felstend,
of the same township, by whom he had five children.
GEORGE NICHOLSON, the youngest son of John Nicholson, deceased, was born
on the old homestead in 1841. He has always resided in the township, and
has been engaged in gardening on his own account for the past ten years.
He owns sixty acres and cultivates ten acres. In 1874 he married Miss
Elizabeth Collins, of Don Mills, by whom he has three children.
JOHN NICHOLSON, deceased, is a native of Sheffield, England, where he
was born in 1810. When ten years of age he came to Canada, and engaged
in gardening, and subsequently taking up ten acres on Pape’s Avenue,
which he cleared and otherwise improved, he lived there until his death
in 1866. He married Miss Mary Hartley, also a native of Sheffield, by
whom he had six children, three of whom are yet living. John, the eldest
son, was born in Toronto in 1843. He remained at home on his father’s
place until he reached his twenty-first year, after which he engaged in
gardening on his own account, and has always continued in that industry,
cultivating at present eleven acres. In 1864 he married Miss Caroline
Cooper, who died in 1877, leaving four children. He married again, his
second wife being Miss Hannah E. Lester, who died in 1879. He then
married a third time, on this occasion to Elizabeth Bolton, by whom he
has one child.
JAMES PAPE is the second son of Joseph Pape, who came to Canada at an
early day. He was born in Toronto in 1845, and has always continued a
resident in or near the city, and is at present engaged in business as a
florist at No. 12 Carlaw Avenue, his premises and land having a frontage
of eight hundred and fifty feet by one hundred and thirty-five feet. He
proposes extending his greenhouse arrangements, which will necessitate
the using of about ten thousand square feet of glass. Mr. Pape was a
representative of St. Lawrence Ward in the City Council, and occupied
that position two years. He married in 1856 Miss Agnes Patterson, by
whom he has seven children.
GEORGE PHILIPS was born in Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1856. He emigrated to
Canada in 1876, and settled in Toronto, remaining in the city until
1884, when he removed east of the Don, having under cultivation for
fruit-growing twenty acres of land. Mr. Philips is married and has a
family of three children.
HENRY PHILIPS, proprietor of the Brick Works, Doncaster, was born in
Rochester, Kent, England, and coming to Canada in 1872, worked at his
trade up to 1875, after which he started the manufacture of bricks at
Rosedale, continuing one year. He then commenced near his present
location, his yard giving employment to about ten hands, with a yearly
out-put of six hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand.
JONATHAN PRESTON was born in England in 1826. He came to Canada in 1857,
and located first in Halton County, where he stayed about six years,
afterwards coming to York and locating on lot 11, East York, where he
remained about eight years. He then purchased thirty-four acres on lot
7, concession 2 from the Bay, and in 1874 moved on to lot 6, where he
has since resided. Of late years he has been engaged in the milk
business, which he still carries on. In 1849 he married Miss Sarah H.
Wilson, a native of England.
GEORGE ROBSON was born at Lockington, Yorkshire, England, in 1826. In
1847 he emigrated to Canada and located in York Township, where he
engaged in farming up to 1877, since which time he has been living
retired at Eglinton. In 1853 he married Miss Elizabeth White, of York
Township.
J. MCCRAE ROSS was born in Ross-shire, Scotland, in 1800, being the
eldest in a family of two sons and two daughters. His father, Andrew
Ross, married a Miss McCrae. Both parents died in Scotland. His only
brother was a great botanist; he visited the mountains of Siberia, being
sent there by the managers of the Botanical Gardens, London, England;
while there he contracted a disease of which he died on his return to
Scotland. Mr. Ross came to Canada in 1833, and remained for one year at
Picton. Then, having learned engineering in Scotland, he superintended
the construction of the first railroad in Nova Scotia. In 1846 he
settled in Toronto. For a year he was clerk in the office of John
Eastwood, a publisher. For about the next fourteen years he was
bookkeeper and clerk in various offices. In 1862 he settled on thirteen
acres of land on lot 10, concession 1, of the Township of York, and
engaged in farming; this is his present residence. In 1845 he married
Hannah, only daughter of William Stabler. He has no children. Mr. Ross
is a Reformer in politics, and a Presbyterian in religion.
A. RUDD is a native of Devonshire, England, where he was born in 1833.
In 1853 he emigrated to Canada, and took up his residence in Quebec,
where he stayed two years, afterwards coming to Toronto and entering
into the employment of the Bank of Upper Canada. He remained two years
at the bank, and then settled on what is now Logan’s Lane, where he
acquired nine acres of land, and commenced the gardening business, in
which he has been successfully engaged for over twenty-eight years. In
1828 he married Miss Elizabeth Tulford, of Cumberland, England, the
marriage being productive of only one child, a daughter.
NATHANIEL RUDD was born in Devonshire, England, in 1828, and in 1862
came with his brother to Canada, since which time he has been engaged in
market-gardening. In 1864 he purchased his present home on the Don and
Danforth Road, and in 1853 he married Miss Mary McGrath, who died in
1866, leaving him one daughter.
WILLIAM SAMMON was born in the County of Kent, England, in 1841, and
came to Canada in 1871. He settled in the County of York in 1872, bought
twenty acres, lot 7, concession 2, of bush land, which he has very much
improved, erecting a large house and out-buildings. He is engaged in
market-gardening and the fruit-growing trade. In 1863 he married Miss
Mary Ann Inward.
SCHMIDT BROS., grocers, 241 Kingston Road, established this business in
1883. They carry general groceries, flour and feed, with a trade equally
divided between city and country, which amounts to about $6,000
annually. The store has a frontage of 25 x 50 feet, is constructed of
brick, and is two storeys high. The firm is composed of Albert and
Frederick Schmidt, who are Canadians by birth.
HENRY SCRACE, deceased, was born in the County of Sussex, England, in
1801. In 1829 he came to Canada, and in 1832 purchased one hundred acres
of uncleared land on lot 17, concession 4, East York, where he remained
until 1850, afterwards removing to lot 20, concession 4, where he lived
until his death in 1876. In 1833 he married Miss Jane Long, by whom he
had seven children, three of whom are living. William, the eldest, was
born on the old homestead in 1836, and now owns one hundred acres of the
same. George, the youngest son, was born in 1842, and married Mary Jane
Sheppard of Scarborough Township, daughter of Paul Sheppard, by whom he
has had two sons and two daughters. He owns and resides on lot 17,
concession 3, East York.
ALBERT SEDGWICK is a native of Toronto, and was born in 1860. He has
been, and is still, engaged in market-gardening, at present cultivating
sixteen acres of land, and is the owner of two acres of land on Pape’s
Avenue. He employs about four hands, and trades principally with dealers
in the city. George, his eldest brother, was born in Toronto in 1852,
and since 1872 has been engaged cultivating nine acres for himself. Mr.
Sedgwick married Miss Mary Kennedy, by whom he has four children.
THOMAS SHEPARD was born on Yonge Street in 1804, and is the eldest son
of Joseph Shepard, who came to Canada about the year 1774, and settled
in York County at an early day. He (Joseph Shepard) was an Indian
trader, and travelled all through the country, and in connection with
the settlement of Toronto assisted to build the first shanty. Thomas,
the subject of this sketch, remained at home until 1837, and then
commenced the milling business, which he carried on until 1860. Since
that time he has lived retired with his daughter, Mrs. Christopher
Harrison. Mr. Shepard took an active part in the Rebellion of 1837, and
was one of the historical fifteen who escaped from Kingston
Penitentiary. In 1830 he married Miss Nancy Woolcut, by whom he had
seven children.
N. SHEPHERD was born in the County of Norfolk, England, in 1814, where
he remained until 1836, emigrating in that year to Canada. He came
direct to York County, and settled in the township of the same name
where he has since continued a prominent resident. He was a miller by
trade, and located at different places, at different periods of his
life. He has held the office of Assessor and Collector for the township
for the past twenty years, and for a like period has been a resident of
Eglington. In 1837 he married Miss Ruth Wilson, of York Township, who
died in 1871.
BERNARD SOMERS, deceased, was born in the County of Cavan, Ireland, in
1808, and remained there until 1832. He then emigrated to America, and
after remaining some time in New York he went to Connecticut, where he
lived until 1856, afterwards coming to Canada, and settling near Toronto
on the Kingston Road. Subsequently he purchased twenty acres of land on
the Don and Danforth Road, lot 11, concession 2, which he cleared and
lived on until his death in 1879. Mr. Somers married Miss Mary Caffray,
of Ireland, by whom he had nine children, five of whom are living. Hugh,
the second son, was born in Ireland, and came to this country with his
parents, and at present resides on the old homestead.
CUBETT SPARKHALL was born in Norfolk, England, in 1821, and is the
youngest son of Cubett Sparkhall, deceased, who died in 1821. In 1832
our subject came to Canada in company with his mother and family, and in
1839 started in the butchering business, occupying a stall in the old
and new markets up to 1870, when he retired from retail business, but
continued to do something in the wholesale trade. In 1845 he purchased a
farm on Logan’s Lane, where he has resided ever since. In 1840 he
married Miss Eliza Moore, daughter of James Moore, of Toronto, by whom
he had six children, five of whom are living.
JAMES B. SQUARES was born in Devonshire, England, in 1821, and in 1854
emigrated to York County, Canada, where he carried on market-gardening
ever since. In 1857 he purchased the place where he now resides, on
Logan’s Lane. In 1851 he married Miss Ann Nash, of London, England, by
whom he has four children.
JOHN STRADER is a Canadian by birth, and has been a resident of East
York for the past twenty years, eighteen of which he has been engaged in
cultivating small fruits, flower-growing, etc. Since 1869 he has
occupied his present home, having two acres of land on Pape’s Avenue. In
1866 he married Miss Margaret Sedgwick, by whom he has four children.
JAMES TAYLOR, deceased, was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1833. In
1832 he emigrated to Canada and engaged in farming in York Township. In
1871 he purchased two hundred acres of land on lot 3, concession 3,
which he very much improved and on which he erected buildings. He
married Ann, daughter of John Armstrong, of Scarboro’, who died in 1862,
leaving two sons and two daughters. He married a second time, to Mary
Watson, daughter of John Watson, by whom he had one daughter, who died
in 1877. John Taylor, the eldest son of the above, was born on the old
homestead in 1862, where he remained until 1880, going from thence to
the United States, and, after residing there about three years, returned
to Canada. In 1881 he married Emily Hawkins, daughter of Henry Hawkins.
Mary Ann is the eldest daughter of James Taylor, and lives at home;
Joseph lives on Yonge Street; Annie, Jane and Bella are also members of
this family.
J. H. TAYLOR is the eldest son of John Taylor, deceased, and was born at
the Don Mills in 1853. He remained on the old homestead until 1879, when
he removed to his present large farm, which contains five hundred acres,
on lot 10, concession 3, where he devotes his time principally to the
breeding of cattle. In 1879 he married Miss Matilda McLean, daughter of
Daniel McLean, by whom he has three sons, viz.: John, Charles McLean and
Morton.
THOMAS S. THORN was born in the County of Kent, England, in 1809. His
father, accompanied by his eldest son, came to Canada in 1816, being
followed two years later by his wife and family, which included Thomas.
His father settled in Durham County; but Thomas learned in Toronto the
trade of brickmaker, which he followed for many years. He was engaged in
the erection of many of the earlier buildings of the city, notably the
first Roman Catholic Church in 1821. He married Miss Catharine Hanan, by
whom he had six children, two of whom are dead; his wife died in 1883.
Mr. Thorn has held the office of County Constable for the last
thirty-two years.
JOSEPH TREBELCOCK, grocer, Norway, established his business in 1881, and
located first at Leslieville, removing to his present premises a little
later. He has built a large brick store and residence, having a frontage
of thirty by forty-five feet, where he does a large and increasing
trade. Mr. Trebelcock was born in Norway, East York, where he has always
resided. His wife was a Miss Fox, a native of Leslieville.
JOHN WALMSLEY, deceased, was born in Lancashire, England, in 1804, and
in 1825 emigrated to Canada and settled in the Township of York, where
he resided up to the time of his death in 1847. He married Miss Mary
Cunningham, who came to Canada at an early day. James, the eldest son,
was born in 1830 on the old homestead, where he remained until 1844. He
then went to Simcoe County and attended school for eighteen months,
after which he learned the waggon-making trade. In 1864 he purchased one
hundred acres of land on lot 14, concession 3, which he has improved and
on which he still resides. For the last twenty years he has been engaged
in gardening and growing small fruits. In 1855 he married Miss Eleanor
Langrill, of Eagleton, by whom he has nine children, seven of whom are
living.
JOHN WEBBER, florist, Kingston Road, was born in Devonshire, England,
and came to Canada in 1870. Previous to his settlement in Toronto he had
located in London and Barrie, and was in the employment of Chief Justice
Harrison and Mr. C. W. Howland. His property has a frontage of two
hundred and forty by three hundred feet.
STEPHEN WEBSTER was born in Northamptonshire, England, in 1830, and came
to Canada in 1842; he first settled in the Township of King, where he
remained for several years. In 1854 he married Miss Huldah Doan, of the
same township, by whom he had two children; his first wife having died,
he married Miss Isabella Williams, of Picton, Prince Edward County, in
1859, by whom he has six children. In 1869 he took up his residence in
Toronto; the following year he engaged in the manufacture and sale of
machine oils, in which business he continued up to 1880; subsequently
purchasing eleven acres on the Don and Danforth Road, on lot 11,
concession 2, of East York, where he and his son cultivate garden
produce; they are also largely interested in bee culture.
HUGH WILSON is the eldest son of William Wilson and was born in Ireland
in 1812. He came to Canada with his parents, and his principal
occupation has been that of farming, although at one time he navigated
the lakes. During the Mackenzie Rebellion he took an active part, and
was present at the burning of Montgomery’s Hotel and the skirmish on
Yonge Street, and was on the side of the Government. Mr. Wilson is one
of the oldest residents in the township and a general authority in all
matters relating to township lore. He married Miss Mary Cawley, of
Wexford, Ireland, who died in 1883, leaving one son and one daughter. He
married again, his second wife being Miss Ann Brown, of Lincolnshire,
England, by whom he has five children, four of whom are living.
JAMES YOUNG, postmaster and merchant, Doncaster, was born in
Berwick-on-Tweed, England, in 1824, and came to Canada in 1853, settled
at once in Doncaster, where he has resided ever since, and is one of the
settlers in this locality. He carried on hotel and store for over twenty
years and has been postmaster for fifteen years. He was twice married,
first in Scotland, and a second time in Doncaster, to Anne Hogg,
daughter of John Hogg, a York pioneer. He has two sons and six
daughters, married and settled in the vicinity.
TOWNSHIP OF YORK (WEST).
PHILIP ARMSTRONG, deceased, was born in Cumberland, England, in 1810,
and in 1830 came to York, where he began business as a butcher and
farmer. Soon after the incorporation of the city he engaged extensively
in market-gardening, on Yonge Street and Rose Hill. In later years, as
the County of York became more densely settled, the divisions existing
at present were made, and the City of Toronto Electoral Division Society
was formed, in which he held various offices. He was instrumental in
inaugurating the first Exhibition of 1852. He lived to see the result of
his labour crowned by the Provincial Exhibition, in which, with the
desire to promote and advance agriculture, he took a great interest.
Although an active worker in the above society, he continued his
connection with the West York Association, of which he was President for
many years. In early life he was a strong Baldwin Reformer, but later
was identified with the Conservative Party. He was a Justice of the
Peace for the County of York, which office he held for many years, and a
member of the County Council, also of the Agricultural and Horticultural
Societies, and the Art Association. He was President of the Electoral
Division Society. He was connected with various churches, and was
instrumental in organizing the present Philharmonic Society. Few men
were better known throughout the County of York. His connection with the
various industries added to his great popularity. Although three-score
and ten years of age, he was still active and retained his mental
faculties in a great degree. The York Pioneers and Electoral Division
Society, and other associations to which he belonged, attended his
funeral in a body. He was twice married, first to a Miss Calvert, of
England, in 1837; at Toronto he married Mary, eldest daughter of James
Wickson, by whom he left one son. Dr. Thomas Armstrong, only son of the
above, was born at Yorkville in 1838, where he first attended school. He
passed three years at the Toronto Academy, after which he was engaged
upon his father’s farm until 1858, when he began his medical studies at
the Toronto School of Medicine, where he graduated in 1862. He then
removed to Whitby, Ontario, where he practised for five years. In 1867
he returned to Yorkville, where he has since built up a large and
lucrative practice. In politics he is a Conservative. He is a member of
the A.F. and A.M., and A.O.U.W. In 1863 he married the eldest daughter
of Nicholas Maughan, Assessment Commissioner of Toronto.
J. BARNES is the proprietor of the general store at the newly-built
portion of the rapidly increasing village of Carlton West Junction. He
operated a business that extended through the Township of Markham and
Vaughan, establishing the Edgeley Post-office, which he conducted in
conjunction with a general store for twelve years, afterwards selling
out and moving into the Township of Markham, where he continued in
business for eight years. In the autumn of 1882 he disposed of this, and
in the spring of the following year accepted the position of buyer for
the Parry Sound Lumber Company. He returned to York County in December
of the same year, and established his present satisfactory, and largely
increasing business.
EDWARD BESCOBY, of Eglinton, retired, is a native of London, England,
and came out to Canada in 1834, in company with his brother-in-law who
died some years ago. Mr. Bescoby settled first on the Huron Track, and
remained there a few years, subsequently removing to a farm on the
Dundas Road. Shortly after this we find him a resident of Toronto, and
in the lime business, his firm burning the lime required for the
erection of the Asylum, in which trade he continued until 1857. He was
married in 1830 to Miss Priscilla Thwaites, of London, England, who died
in 1857, while on a visit to her native land. He then purchased some
property consisting of mills, lime and freestone quarries at Limehouse
in Halton County, which business he conducted until 1871. There he
manufactured the first Portland cement produced in Canada. On his
retirement from business he paid a lengthened visit to the Old Country,
and on his return to Canada took possession of his handsome private
residence in Eglinton. Mr. Bescoby served during Mackenzie’s Rebellion
as Captain under Colonel Dunlop. He was married in 1864 to Miss Helen
Ashbough, of Hamilton, Ontario.
JOHN BOAKE, one of the early settlers of York, is a native of County
Tipperary, Ireland, and came out in 1821, settling soon after on the
farm he at present owns and lives on. He bought one hundred acres first
and afterwards owned five hundred acres, dividing the same among his
children. He married Rebecca Boake in 1832, also a native of Ireland,
who came eight years after and died in 1865; five sons and one daughter
survive her. He married Margaret Bell, of Woodstock in 1870.
JOHN BOLER, farmer, is a native of Mansfield, England. He came out in
1859 and settled upon the place where he still lives; he leased this
first in 1875 and bought the same. In 1860 he married Sarah J. Shipman,
also a native of Mansfield; they have one son.
WILLIAM BOURKE, hotel proprietor, Weston, was born in Ireland in 1840,
and came to Canada with the 2nd Battalion of Her Majesty’s 17th Regiment
in 1862. The regiment was stationed at Halifax, N.S., for four years,
and afterwards moved to Montreal, where it was after a short stay of two
months, transferred to Toronto, when Mr. Bourke left the service. Soon
after his retirement from the army he married Rose Ann Hagan, a native
of Ireland, by whom he has two children, a boy and a girl. After his
marriage he moved to Lambton Mills, where he did military detective duty
for nearly two years and then embarked in the hotel business;
subsequently he conducted a hotel known as Morgan’s Corner, in
concession 2, West York. After spending four years here he migrated to
Thistledown and kept a hotel there for eight years and a-half. In 1881
he purchased the hotel which he at present conducts, called the Russel
House, where he does a good business, and where the travelling public
receive every considerate attention. Mr. Bourke has the two following
children, viz.: William Joseph and Mary Ellen.
EDWARD BROWN, proprietor of grocery and provision store, corner of
Davenport Road and Bathurst Street, is a native of London, England, and
came to America in 1844. He landed at Philadelphia, and after spending a
few months in the States came to Toronto. He followed the occupation of
painter and grainer for a while, having learned that trade in England,
but subsequently commenced in the grocery and provision trade. He
continued in that trade until 1883, on Yonge Street, finally
relinquishing the active part of the business in favour of his son, who
is established at the address above mentioned. Mr. Brown married in
1858, Miss Margaret Thompson, a native of Gloucestershire, England, by
whom he has a family of four children, two sons and one daughter living
in Toronto.
JOSEPH BROWN, proprietor of Black Creek Brick Yard, was born in Durham,
England, and came to Canada with his father, John Brown, in 1849. The
latter was a potter by trade, and carried on the business here which he
had learned in the old country, and in conjunction with his partner
received £100 for making the first draining tile in this Province. The
family have been potters and brick-makers for generations. This yard was
established by J. Wellington in 1856, and was leased to Mr. Brown in
1860. He commenced the manufacture of brick in 1881, and employs eight
hands, turning out about one million bricks annually.
JOHN A. BULL, proprietor of the Carlton Carriage and Waggon Works, was
born in Carlton Village, being the son of the late William Bull. His
grandfather John Bull, settled with his family one mile east of the
village, on the farm now owned and occupied by J. R. Bull. William Bull,
the father of the subject of this sketch, was a waggon-maker by trade,
and followed that occupation to within ten years of his death, which
occurred in 1883. John A., learning the trade of his father, succeeded
to the business in 1880, which he has since conducted with ability, and
bears a good reputation in city and country for producing first-class
work. He turns out a large number of carriages and substantial waggons
yearly.
JOHN EDWARD BULL, lot 7, concession 4, was born on the concession on
which he now lives in West York. He was the son of Edward Bull, a native
of Tipperary, Ireland, who emigrated to Canada in 1819, finally settling
near the Davenport Road in this township, and who died in 1876. His
mother was Margaret McKay, a native of West York, who died in 1873. John
Edward is one of a family of four children who survive their parents,
and with the exception of about ten years continued to reside on the
farm he now occupies. He married in 1861 Susan Bunt, a native of Vaughan
Township, by whom he has seven children.
J. P. BULL, Davenport Post-office, lots 29 and 30, concession 2, West
York Township, is a son of the late Bartholomew Bull, a native of
Tipperary, Ireland, who came to Canada in 1818, and settled soon after
on the farm, which the subject of this sketch, jointly with his two
brothers, now owns and occupies. He lived at home until the death of his
wife in 1871, and took up his residence with a son who was located at
Yorkville, and with whom he lived until his death in 1878, at the
advanced age of eighty-seven years. His family consists of three sons
and two daughters, who survive him. The sons are, Dr. Bull of Toronto,
T. H. Bull, Clerk of the Peace for the County of York; and J. P. Bull,
on the old homestead. One daughter is the wife of Dr. Pattalls, of
Brampton, and the other the wife of James Good, iron-founder, Toronto.
Mr. J. P. Bull was born on the home farm, and married in 1849 Harriet
Bishop, who came to Canada in 1844. On coming of age he received from
his father two hundred acres of land in the Township of West York, on
which he lived for forty years, during that period doing much building,
and making vast improvements. As a man of considerable influence, he has
held several offices, and taken an active interest in all that concerns
the municipality. He has been a Justice of the Peace for thirty-five
years, and was Deputy-Reeve for the township several years. As a member
of the Methodist Church he has manifested a more than ordinary concern
in its welfare, and the Agricultural Society of the county recognizes
heartily the share he has taken during the last forty years in promoting
the advantages which it now enjoys. He has held office in connection
with it continuously during the period of his membership, and for seven
years presided over its deliberations, being at the present time
Vice-President. Mr. Bull has a family of two sons and four daughters,
one son being settled in the Township of York, and the other near
Brampton. Mr. Bull was one of the founders of the Dominion Grange and
remains Treasurer of the society at the present time. His address is
Davenport Post-office.
WALTER J. BULL, lot 8, concession 4, the son of J. P. Bull, elsewhere
noticed, commenced farming for himself near Brampton in 1876. The
following year, his father being desirous of retiring from farming,
Walter rented the old homestead “Downsview Farm,” after which the
post-office, church, etc., of that name were called. He still resides on
the old farm, which contains two hundred acres of land. His wife was the
second daughter of Thomas Holtby, Esq., of Brampton.
ROBERT CARRUTHERS, deceased, was a native of the County Cumberland,
England, and came to Canada with his people in 1810, the family settling
upon the farm now in the occupation and ownership of his son George
Carruthers. The father of Robert was James Carruthers, one of the oldest
settlers in the township, they having no neighbours nearer than three
miles for a long time after their settlement. Robert resided on the old
homestead until his marriage, when he moved to Carlton, and lived there
six years, afterwards moving to Toronto Gore, where he spent eight
years. In 1856 he returned to the old homestead and died there. The
surviving family consists of three sons and five daughters, all of whom
are settled in the county. George Carruthers has resided at the old
homestead since the family returned from Toronto Gore; he received the
old place by will from his father, which contains fifty acres. He
married in 1873 Mary A. Watson, daughter of Francis Watson, of this
township.
EDMOND JOHN CLARK, located on Yonge Street, in the Township of West
York, was born in East York, being the son of John Clark, a native of
Essex, England, who came to Canada at an early day. His mother was
Charlotte Shuttleworth, daughter of the late Henry Shuttleworth, a York
County pioneer, who settled at Mount Albert, being a native of
Lincolnshire, England. Edmond John Clark in 1879 married a daughter of
Robert Leslie, of East York.
W. J. CONRON, Weston, cattle dealer and exporter; commenced his calling
in early youth with his father, who has been engaged in the same line
since 1845. He has been engaged in the export trade since 1881; at
present, however, he does a local trade. He has also been Clerk and
Treasurer of Weston Village since its incorporation.
WILLIAM CORNISH, proprietor of the planing-mill and lumber business
recently established in the thriving Village of West Toronto Junction,
is a native of Exeter, Devonshire, England, and came to Canada in 1876.
He settled first in Coaticook, Quebec, remaining there six years,
subsequently coming to Toronto, where he was engaged with Mr. Fletcher
until 1884. He commenced the erection of the building, and having now
established his business, we may add that it is likely to prove of great
advantage to the village and its surroundings.
JOHN COTTRELL, florist and gardener, Deer Park, is the son of the late
Samuel and Margaret Cottrell, who came from Shropshire, England, in
1869; his father was a farmer in the Mother Country, and on his arrival
here. He was variously engaged to 1871, when he commenced
market-gardening, following that occupation until his death in the
spring of 1883. John, his son, succeeded him in the business, and is at
present entering more extensively into the cultivation of flowers and
shrubs.
JAMES COULTER, born in the County Down, Ireland, in 1821, was ten months
old when his parents settled in the Township of Etobicoke. His father,
besides farming, engaged extensively in sawing lumber, being the owner
of three saw-mills. Since 1841 Mr. Coulter has carried on the business
of erecting mills. He owns the Weston Foundry and machine shop, which he
erected in 1856. It contains all the machinery necessary for the
construction of the different parts of mill machinery. The motive power
is furnished by two steam-engines, twenty-five and six horse-power
respectively, while eight men are employed. On February 8, 1854, Mr.
Coulter married Abigail Card, who was born in 1826. They have eleven
children living and one dead. The former are Andrew, Eleanor, Martha,
Eliza, Levi, Mercie, James, Louisa, Eustace, George and Ida.
RICHARD COX, proprietor of the market garden on lot 22, concession 2, is
a native of Norfolk, England, and came to Canada in 1873. In 1878 he
bought eleven acres of land, which he reduced by sale to six acres,
where he cultivates garden produce, having reclaimed his land from the
bush. He married before he came to Canada Miss Elizabeth Middlestock.
Mr. Cox expects in the future to give his attention especially to
fruit-growing.
JOSEPH CROSSON, lot 22, concession 5, was born in 1826, on the farm he
now occupies and owns, and is the son of John Crosson, of German
extraction, a native of Pennsylvania, United States, who settled in
Canada in 1805. The elder Crosson had previously paid a visit to this
country in 1801, but had returned to Pennsylvania; and, perhaps,
impressed with the prospect of Canada, he returned four years later,
having in the interim married Elizabeth Gower, who accompanied him. We
are told that the journey was made with only a colt two years old, on
the back of which their household effects were placed; the distance
covered, and the slow pace at which they of necessity moved, must have
occupied a great length of time. Mr. Crosson was a pioneer in the true
sense of the word, for, apart from the physical endurance required to
perform such a journey, in which innumerable hardships were their
unpleasant lot, the prospect on their arrival at their destination would
be the reverse of exhilarating, in a sparsely settled, unbroken
wilderness, with a home to hew out of the forest with the wood-man’s
axe. He owned the first waggon in that part. Time, labour and energy
will do great things, and as improvements began to show themselves in
his new home, brought about by his unfailing industry, with his children
growing up around him, he passed serenely on through life, feeling only
the occasional sorrows which the loss of those we hold dear provoke and
which remain the common lot. His long and useful career was brought to a
close in 1868, at the venerable age of ninety-three years. He survived
the partner of his joys, toils and sorrows but eight years, and was laid
in his last rest by the surviving members of his family. Joseph, who
owned the old homestead, was married in 1846 to Ann Wild, a native of
Nottinghamshire, England, who came out with her people in 1829, by whom
he had twelve children, only four of whom are now living. Of the other
members of the family of twelve children which composed the original
family of the old people, only three remain besides the one whose name
appears at the head of this sketch, one being settled in Missouri, one
in the County of Peel, and William L. is in this township.
THOMAS DANIELS, market gardener, Runnymede Estate, near Dundas Road, is
a native of Monmouthshire, England, and came out to Canada in 1873. He
was variously engaged until 1876, when he leased the garden he now
cultivates, containing twelve acres. He married Susannah Bailey, by whom
he has six sons and two daughters.
JOHN DAVIDSON, retired, is a native of Scotland, and was born in 1818.
He came to Canada with his people in 1831, when they settled in King
Township, on lot 9, concession 2. Here John resided and, on the death of
his father, received the homestead by will, and owned the same until
1874, having in the interim added to it, the total then reaching two
hundred and ninety acres. He then sold out, and has since resided with
his sister on the Indian Road, and owning property on Roncesvalles
Avenue. Mr. Davidson’s father was the late Andrew Davidson, who died in
1856, at the age of eighty-nine; three sons and three daughters survive
him.
J. F. DAVIDSON, lot 26, concession 3 from the Bay, is a native of
Chatham, Kent County, England, and came to Canada in 1858, and with the
exception of a short time spent in Buffalo and St. Louis, has resided
here ever since. He married in 1868 Mary Severn, daughter of the late
John Severn, a native of Derbyshire, England, who came to Canada at an
early day and engaged in the brewing business until his death, and was
President of the Brewer’s Association some years; he owned the farm for
many years where Mr. Davidson is now located. He died in 1880, having
spent a long and useful life devoted to mercantile and agricultural
pursuits.
J. C. DEVINS, lot 20, concession 6, born in 1809 on the farm, a portion
of which he still resides upon, is the son of the late Isaac Devins, who
with his people, who were U.E. Loyalists, came to York County with
Governor Simcoe. The grandfather was Abraham Devins; he and four sons
settled in the southern portion of York Township. One of the sons died
in military service under General Brock in 1813. Isaac bought and
settled upon a farm located in the north-west portion of York Township
as above. He married Miss Polly Chapman, of Genesee, N.Y., a native of
New England, before he came to Canada. The sister of the subject of this
sketch Elizabeth Devins, is thought to be the first white child born in
Toronto. Isaac and his brother-in-law, Nicholas Miller, erected the mill
at Lambton. John C. Devins received from his father one hundred acres of
land, which he cleared and brought into a flourishing state of
cultivation, and which he yet resides upon. He married in 1832 Jeanette
Rodger, a native of Scotland, the issue of their union being eleven
children; eight sons and one daughter are still living, Mr. Devins in
1837 set off to join Mackenzie’s forces, but was intercepted and taken
prisoner, the Loyalists being aware of his sympathy with the Reform
Party. Mr. Devins’ father, although a U.E. Loyalist, never received the
land from the Crown to which he was entitled.
JOHN DEW, farmer, lots 24 and 25, concession 3, was born in Deer Park in
1843, being the son of John and Caroline Dew, of English birth, who came
to Toronto about 1830. Mr. Dew, sen’r, was a machinist by trade, and is
credited with having made and set up the first steam engine in Toronto.
He at first carried on a foundry, but was afterwards interested in
Gooderham’s Distillery. Caroline, his wife, was a governess before her
marriage, and educated several of the Gooderham family. Mr. Dew, sen’r,
left Toronto and went to Prince Edward County, where he purchased a
large tract of land, subsequently selling out and removing to St.
Catharines where he died, in 1881, at the age of seventy-six years; he
was a Justice of the Peace for many years. John Dew, his son, whose name
appears at the head of this sketch, married Ann, daughter of James
Charles, merchant, of Toronto.
JAMES DUNCAN, lots 18, 19 and 20, concession 5, born on lot 18, is the
son of the late James Duncan, sen’r, a native of the County of Leitrim,
Ireland, who came to Canada about 1821 with his parents, who purchased
six hundred acres of land near the Humber, on which the family settled,
part of which is now owned by James Duncan. His father married in 1831
Ann Moore, who died in 1851, his demise occurring in 1877. Two sons and
two daughters survive them. James married in 1858, Elizabeth Jane
Griffith, a pioneer of this township; four sons and three daughters
remain of a family of ten children, the issue of this union.
W. A. DUNCAN, J.P., and License Commissioner for the Ontario Government,
resides on lot 23, concession 6; is a son of the late John Duncan, a
native of Ireland, who came out to Canada in 1821, and settled on a
portion of the six hundred acres purchased by his father. W. A. Duncan
was born on the farm he now owns and occupies, having resided there all
his life, with the solitary exception of about two years. He received
his property by will from his father, which consists of about eighty
acres. He married in 1869 Elizabeth, daughter of John C. Devins, of this
township, whose sketch appears elsewhere.
WILLIAM DUNCAN, lot 16, concession 3, one of the oldest residents of the
township, was born in the County of Leitrim, Ireland, on New Year’s Day,
1801. He came to Canada in 1821, and in 1823 bought and settled upon the
farm where he now resides. An unbroken wilderness then faced the hardy
settler, and a lack of energy or strength of will would have betrayed
itself in any man whose destiny was cast in that labyrinth of virgin
forest. But William Duncan endowed with more than ordinary perseverance
and industry, commenced his life’s labour in earnest, with the result
that youth around him have had a splendid example set them of what may
be made of early opportunities. The land originally occupied is now
divided amongst his sons, and the well-cultivated farms bear ample
testimony to the care bestowed upon them by their respective owners. Mr.
Duncan married in 1831 Sarah Mulholland, of Irish parentage, by whom he
has nine sons and three daughters. The mother died in 1883, two years
after the celebration by the old people of their golden wedding. Mr.
Duncan is still hale and hearty, although advanced in years, and is
respected far and wide for his urbanity and kindliness of disposition.
FRANK A. FLEMING, lot 6, concession 5, Park Farm, is the son of Sanford
Fleming, Esq., Civil Engineer. The farm has belonged to the family since
1854, and came into the present owner’s hands in 1880, and contains
about two hundred and ten acres. Mr. Fleming is extensively engaged in
the importation and breeding of Hereford Cattle, and has on hand about
forty head of the celebrated breed. This is one of the finest
stock-breeding farms in the county.
WALTER FOXWILL, lots 7 and 8, concession 3, was born in Gloucestershire,
England, in 1840, and emigrated to Canada in company with his brother
Albert, in 1864. They came direct to Weston and started farming on land
belonging to Mr. Henry Dennis. They purchased in 1874 the farm on which
they now live, and since that time have been doing well, and are in
possession of a very comfortable home. Mr. Walter Foxwill was married in
1882, his wife’s maiden name being Marian Kennedy.
JOHN GRAINGER, florist and gardener, St. Clare Avenue, Deer Park, was
born in Yorkshire, England, in 1811. In 1829 he came with his people to
Canada, and settled first in Montreal, from which city, after a stay of
three years, they removed to Toronto. They settled on Yonge Street, near
Bloor, where the father and son entered into the gardening business,
which was conducted by the former until his death in 1837. John
continued the business, and remained in the original locality until
1845, when the extension of the city forced him further northward, to
his present position, where he has since conducted his business. He
married in 1838 Laura Stibbard, of Toronto, a native of Norfolk,
England, the issue of the marriage being a family of eleven children.
Mr. Grainger was a volunteer during the time of the Rebellion, and
served under Captain Jarvis, also under Captain Newbigen.
OLIVER GRAINGER, florist, Yonge Street, near Deer Park, is a native of
Toronto, being the son of John Grainger, noted elsewhere. He makes a
speciality of cut flowers for floral designs. He married Lavinia Crown,
daughter of David Crown, Yorkville; he has a stall also at St. Lawrence
Market.
ALLEN GRAY, deceased, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1802, and
emigrated to Canada in 1820, settling in York, in which county, as well
as in that of Peel, he followed farming until his death, which occurred
on the 28th of March, 1880. During his lifetime he took an active
interest in all matters relating to the good of the community among
which he moved, having been President of the Agricultural Meetings,
School Trustee, and other more or less important offices. He was twice
married, first to Mary Eller, by whom he had three children, as follow:
George, born January 1, 1826; Mary, born July 10, 1828; and Robert, born
May 29, 1830, died June 7, 1878. Mr. Gray’s second marriage occurred
July 4, 1830, his wife being Mary Ann Lang, who was born in Cornwall,
Lower Canada, September 13, 1810; the issue of this union was nine
children, viz.: Harriet, born November 1, 1832, married to William
Watson, October 14, 1867; John, born September 30, 1834; Hannah, born
April 5, 1837, and married to William Crozier, February 26, 1857;
Elizabeth Fleming, born August 23, 1859; Annie Bull, born March 31,
1841; Sarah Russell, born October 24, 1842; William, born May 24, 1851,
and died April 22, 1872.
A. J. GRIFFITH, lot 14, concession 5, was born on the family homestead
on lot 13, and is the son of the late Joseph Griffith, noticed
elsewhere. He resided at the old homestead until 1870, when he bought
and took possession of his present farm of fifty acres and an adjoining
lot of seventy-five acres. He married in 1871 Eliza J. Livingston, of
Peel County; they have one daughter, Maggie E., born in 1872. Mrs.
Griffith is daughter of the late Robert Livingstone, of Peel, a native
of Ireland, who came out in 1830.
JOSEPH GRIFFITH, lot 13, concession 5, was born on the lot upon which he
still lives, and is the son of the late Joseph Griffith, a native of
County Cavan, Ireland, who came out about 1823, and soon after settled
on lot 13, where he resided until his death in 1879. His wife was Judith
Welch; four sons and two daughters survive this union. Mr. Griffith
married in 1881, Eliza Griffith, daughter of the late Thomas Griffith,
also a pioneer of this township. Thomas Griffith, sen’r, was with the
loyal forces at the time of the Rebellion. Abraham Welsh, brother-in-law
of Joseph Griffith, sen’r, was taken prisoner by Mackenzie, held for
some time, and afterwards liberated.
WILLIAM GRIFFITH, lot 13, concession 5, was born on the farm he at
present owns, one hundred and fourteen acres, and which constituted the
family homestead, being another son of the late Joseph Griffith.
ROBERT HARRIS, deceased, proprietor of the West Toronto Junction Hotel,
was a native of Somersetshire, England, who came to Canada in 1857, and
settled with his people in the Township of East York, his father being
the late John Harris. In 1870 Robert married Mary A. Lawton, a native of
Bridgewater, Somersetshire, England. In 1872 he commenced business for
himself by purchasing a farm on lot 23, concession 3, Etobicoke, where
he resided until 1883. He then sold out, afterwards leasing and taking
possession of the above hotel, which he conducted until his death on
28th December, 1884, when Mrs. Harris continued to manage the business,
furnishing good accommodation for the travelling public. This is one of
the oldest establishments in the district, being of forty years
standing.
MILES HAYDRICK was born in the County of Wexford, Ireland, and in 1856
came to Toronto. He was a coachman and butler, and acted in that
capacity in various places up to 1877, when he came to his present
location on concession 3 from the Bay, and bought six and a-half acres,
which he cleared and commenced market-gardening. He has very much
improved the land, and has added to it, until he now owns eighteen
acres, valued at $12,000, and by honesty and industry he has accumulated
considerable wealth.
FRANCIS HEYDON, proprietor of the old established Carlton Hotel, is a
son of James and Bridget Heydon, who came to Canada from Ireland in
1828, and settled in the Gore of Toronto, where they resided until their
death in 1859. Francis in early life followed the business of threshing
for five or six years. He then bought a saloon near the Grand Trunk
Station, in the township, where he continued some five years, afterwards
being employed by the Grand Trunk Railway Company. He then kept a hotel
in Vaughan Township about seven years, and in 1867 took possession of
his present premises, buying the same in 1882. He married in 1860
Isabella Gracey, a native of Etobicoke Township in this county, by whom
he had a family of eight children, four sons and two daughters are still
living.
JOSEPH HOLLEY was among the early settlers of York County; he was born
in Pennsylvania in 1780, coming to Canada and settling in this country
in 1794. He engaged in saw-milling and built up a considerable estate.
He was a most useful member of society, and assisted materially the
growth and prosperity of the locality in which he lived. He died in
1874, lacking six years of being a centenarian. His son William, born in
1839, carried on his father’s saw-mill and farm until his death in 1882,
when he in turn was succeeded by his son O. P. Holley, who was born in
1861 and was married November 14, 1883.
ABRAHAM HOOVER, lot 23, concession 4, was born in Markham Township in
1821, being the son of the late Christopher Hoover, a native of
Pennsylvania, U. S. He, with his people, who were U.E. Loyalists, were
among the first to take up their residence in this county. The
grandfather, Martin Hoover, settled in Markham Township on land given
him by the Government. Christopher was for a short time in the States,
and on his return, in 1824, bought the farm now owned by Abraham, the
subject of this sketch. Christopher married Mary Troyer, who, with his
two sons and five daughters, survived him. His widow is now ninety-nine
years of age, and is living with a daughter in Markham Township. Abraham
married in 1844 Elizabeth Cook, of Markham; they have a family of six
sons and two daughters.
F. A. HOWLAND, proprietor of the store and mills at the Village of
Lambton, was born at Carlton Island in the St. Lawrence, New York, and
is a son of Jonathan and Lydia Howland, natives of Dutchess County, in
that State. The father died at Cape Vincent on the St. Lawrence in 1841;
the mother died in Toronto in 1880, at the advanced age of ninety-one
years. Their family consisted of ten children, of whom three sons and
three daughters are surviving members. Sir William and H. S. Howland,
now of Toronto, and the subject of this sketch constitute the male
portion. The late Peleg Howland, who was the first to come to Canada of
this family, and who was partner in the above business, died in 1882.
Mr. F. A. Howland came to Lambton Mills in 1843, being then fourteen
years of age, and engaged with his brother, Sir William Howland, in the
store and mill. At that time there was an old Government mill and store,
erected about 1785, which Sir William leased for forty-one years,
subsequently buying out the “Cooper” heirs and becoming sole proprietor.
The old buildings were then taken down, and the present spacious and
commodious buildings erected in 1845. They measure 120 x 44 feet, and
are five stories in height, with a run of six stones, with a yielding
capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels per diem. In 1855 Mr. Peleg
Howland took a half-interest in the property and business, which he
continued to hold until his demise. Sir William retired in favour of the
present owner, and Peleg in 1868, and on the death of the latter F. A.
Howland became sole proprietor of the business. In 1883 he erected the
woollen mills of eight looms, where are employed about twenty-five
hands. Mr. Howland has been postmaster since 1856, the date the office
was established at Lambton Mills. He married in 1855 Matilda Musson, of
Weston, who died in 1871, leaving four sons and one daughter. In 1873 he
married again, his second partner being Jane Ford, of Toronto; the issue
of this union is two sons and one daughter. Sir William Howland came to
Canada in 1831; Peleg, in 1829, and H. S., in 1840.
CHARLES JOHN HUNTLEY, market-gardener and florist, Bowood Cottage;
proprietor of the market garden, Carolan Street, which consists of six
acres. He is a native of Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, and came out to
Canada in 1854. He followed the occupation of gardener in England, and
on his arrival here assisted in clearing the land at High Park and
remained there as gardener for twelve years. He has carried on business
at various places since, and it was not until 1881 that he settled on
his present acreage. Mr. Huntley married, in England, Miss Emma Walker,
from his own district, by whom he has four sons and six daughters.
GEORGE H. HUSBAND, dentist, Newtonbrook, was born in Welland County,
Ontario, being the son of the late James Husband, of Irish birth, who
came to Canada about 1820 and settled in Welland County, where he
resided until his death. The subject of this notice commenced the
practice of dentistry at Thornhill in 1857, where he remained two years,
and after a short time spent at Goderich, permanently settled in the
Village of Newtonbrook, where he now enjoys an extensive practice. He
pays periodical visits to Weston, Woodbridge, Unionville and Richmond
Hill.
GEORGE JACKSON, lot 13, concession 4, was born upon the farm which is at
present in his occupancy. On commencing life for himself he settled on
an adjacent farm, where he resided seventeen years, and in 1879 took
possession of the old homestead, since which time he has rebuilt the
home and made other important improvements. He owns in all about four
hundred and twenty-three acres of land in concessions 3 and 4. Mr.
Jackson was in the Township Council in 1868-69. In 1862 he married Sarah
James, daughter of the late John James, a native of Tyrone, Ireland, and
a pioneer of York County. They have two sons and one daughter.
WILLIAM JACKSON, lots 21, 22 and 23, concession 3, was born in West York
Township and has lived on his present farm since he was two years of
age. His father was George and his mother Ann H. Jackson, both natives
of Yorkshire, England, who came out to Canada about 1830. They settled
in York, subsequently purchasing the farm William now resides upon,
where the father lived until his death in 1876, the mother dying three
years previous. One son and three daughters still survive them. William
married, in 1860, Jane Danby, daughter of John Danby, of this township,
the fruit of the union being four sons and two daughters. The subject of
this notice commenced with one hundred acres, left to him by his
father’s will, and now owns an improving estate of five hundred acres.
FREDERICK R. JAMES, lot 22, concession 2, is the son of Joseph James, a
native of County Tyrone, Ireland, who came to America with his people in
1818. They settled first in Pennsylvania, and came to Canada in 1820.
After a period spent in East Gwillimbury Township they removed to West
York later on, the grandfather taking up the farm now in the occupancy
of Frederick, where he resided until his death in 1872, at the venerable
age of ninety-four years. The father, Joseph James, died in 1876, and
the mother whose maiden name was Frances Reesor, followed two years
later. The surviving family consists of four sons and five daughters,
all of whom are living in this county.
ROBERT JAMES, lots 23 and 24, concessions 1 and 2, is the son of William
James, who settled on the farm adjoining where William James, jun’r, now
lives, afterwards purchasing the lots Robert at present resides on.
William James, sen’r, was born in Ireland, and went first to
Pennsylvania, U. S., with his father and family, and from thence came to
Canada. He married Rebecca Johnston, who died in 1856; the surviving
family consists of five sons and two daughters. Robert married in 1872
Miss Carruthers, daughter of Robert Carruthers, an early settler in this
Township. He owns one hundred and forty-five acres.
WILLIAM JAMES, lot 24, concession 3, is the youngest son of William
James, sen’r, deceased. He was born on the old homestead, where he has
always lived, and has received the same by will from his father, coming
into possession in 1874, the farm consisting of one hundred and
forty-five acres. He married in 1883 Agnes Ramsay of Yorkville.
D. F. JESSOPP, lot 29, concession 3, is a native of Waltham Abbey,
Essex, England, and came to Canada in 1837 with his people. His father,
Captain Henry Jessopp, on the breaking out of the Rebellion received a
commission; his death occurred in 1854. Mr. Jessopp has resided on his
present farm nearly all his life. He was connected with the Toronto
Battery of Artillery, and finally retired with a Captain’s commission.
Only two sisters besides himself comprised his father’s family. Captain
Henry Jessopp was much esteemed by his surrounding neighbours, and his
popularity among the poor, which was the outcome of his benevolent
disposition, has passed into a proverb.
WILLIAM KEMP, County-constable, apiarian, proprietor of fruit and
market-garden, King Street, West Toronto Junction, was born in the State
of Illinois, and came with his people to Lambton County when a child,
where he resided until 1877. In that year he removed to York County,
locating on his present purchase, which he has since continued to
cultivate. Mr. Kemp’s father, the late John Kemp, was of English birth,
and emigrated to the States, settling in Chicago when that large and
flourishing city was in its infancy, removing from thence to Lambton
County, and settled on land given him by the Government for services
rendered when a soldier in the British Army, where he lived until his
death. He left a family of four sons and three daughters. The subject of
this notice remained on the homestead until twenty-five years of age,
afterwards living at various places in the county previous to taking up
his residence here. He married in 1873 Elizabeth Munn, daughter of the
late George Munn, of Trafalgar Township, Halton County.
[Illustration: LAKEVIEW PARK (THE RESIDENCE OF DAVID KENNEDY ESQ.)]
DAVID KENNEDY, retired. The parents of our subject, James and Diana
(Foster) Kennedy, were natives of the County Cumberland, England, from
which place they emigrated to York in 1832, and settled on Duke Street,
subsequently purchasing property on Queen Street West, where he was
extensively engaged in manufacturing carriages until his death in 1864.
David is the second eldest son in the family, and was born in the County
of Cumberland, England, in 1819. He came to York with his parents where
he received such an education as the early schools of the city afforded.
At an early age he entered his father’s shop, and although he never
learned a trade he soon became a skilful workman. In 1855 he succeeded
his father in business, and a few years later became extensively engaged
in the lumber business, which he conducted until 1874, when he removed
to the Township of West York, lots 36 and 37, where he purchased one
hundred and eight acres of land, upon which he erected a fine and
commodious house at a cost of about $5,000. This beautiful and
picturesque piece of property, Lake View Park, is situated five miles
west of Yonge Street, on Bloor; here Mr. Kennedy has passed nearly
twelve years of hard labour, and expended about $20,000 in converting a
wild and romantic broken forest into a lovely quiet home, which is truly
unsurpassed by any in Ontario; at considerable cost he has constructed
three lovely artificial lakes that are stocked with forty thousand brook
trout. In 1837, during the Rebellion, our subject was one of six
soldiers stationed at the Old Fort when the alarm bell for war rang;
they remained two days without receiving a supply of food, there being
no commissioned officer in command. After being relieved, Mr. Kennedy
joined Captain Brown’s company of volunteers, which he accompanied to
Montgomery’s Farm, the scene of action, where he participated in the
engagement, also in the firing of the hotel. After serving about thirty
days he returned home. In politics he is a Liberal Conservative, and in
religion a member of the Church of England. In 1849 he was married to
Marion Cullen, of New York, by whom he has six sons and four daughters.
His eldest son, David, is a great traveller, and is at present scaling
the Rocky Mountains for pleasure. Charles R. Kennedy, his second son,
was born in Toronto in 1852, where he was educated. He has chosen the
artist’s profession, which he began about eight years since under the
direction of Mr. Leslie Judson, of this city; he is at present located
at 22 King Street East. Frederick Kennedy, third in order, was born in
Toronto in 1854, is at present situated at 452½ Queen Street West, where
he has been for several years engaged as a jeweller and watch-maker.
Three sons and three daughters remain at home and attend to the farm
duties; one of his daughters married Walter Foxwill, a retired farmer of
West York.
RICHARD KERSLAKE, proprietor of market garden on the Shaw Estate, is a
native of Devonshire, England, and came out to Canada in 1872. He was a
shoemaker by trade, and followed that occupation for two years after his
arrival here, commencing his present business at the above location in
1874, where he owns six acres and cultivates a variety of plants and
vegetables. Mr. Kerslake married in 1862, Mary Ann Pym, also a native of
Devon, England, the issue of the union is four sons and three daughters.
THOMAS KINGSLEY, proprietor of market-garden on Cinnamon Street, lot 33,
concession 2, West York, was born in County Wexford, Ireland, and came
to Toronto in 1840. He was for twenty-seven years employed in farming
with George Cooper. He first bought two acres of land and afterwards
added six more, making in all eight acres, and carried on a regular
market-garden. He married in 1851 Miss Helen Maloney, a native of County
Clare, Ireland; they have one son and five daughters, all living, viz.:
Edward, Lizzie, Katie, Hellen, Mary and Annie.
PETER LAUGHTON, market-gardener, Carlton, is a native of Bedford,
England, and came to Canada in 1867. He was for two years in a city
store, afterwards taking charge of a private garden. At the expiration
of that time he leased a part of the Davison Estate, where he carried on
market-gardening for eleven years, purchasing in 1881, twenty-seven
acres at his present location, where he has one of the most extensive
gardens about the city.
EDWARD LINDNER, of Carlton Village, is of German extraction, his father,
John Lindner, emigrating from that country to Canada in 1854, and
settling in Newmarket, where the subject of this notice was born. The
family remained four years at Newmarket, removing afterwards to West
Carlton where the father still resides. Edward learned the trade of
carpenter, and in 1879 established himself as a builder, and during his
comparatively short business career has erected more than forty houses,
and has twelve under construction at the present time, all of which have
been built on speculation at his own risk. In addition he has done a
considerable amount of contract work, and has also built on his own
account, the large and commodious block known as Lindner’s Hall. This
handsome structure is three stories high, measuring 28 x 120 feet, and
contains besides a general store, barns, etc., two public halls and a
capacious dining room for the use of lodgers. One of the halls is
occupied by the Independent Order of Good Templars. The size of the
lower hall is 28 x 96 feet, the upper hall is the same size but includes
the dining-room. We may say that it is due largely to the enterprise of
Mr. Lindner that the Village of Carlton has assumed its present
proportions, and the inhabitants will appreciate at its proper value his
residence in their midst.
CHARLES MCBRIDE, hotel proprietor, Eglinton, was born in the Township of
York (East) in 1832. The family first settled in Canada in 1793, the
grandfather having emigrated from the North of Ireland to Pennsylvania
some years before that date. He was one of the original pioneers and
assisted to clear the land which now forms the centre portion of the
City of Toronto. He sold two lots, one of four acres and one lot of one
acre, for a few dollars which, had he kept, would probably have left his
grandchildren millionaires. After selling his city property he moved on
to lot 17, concession 1, on Yonge Street, where John McBride, the father
of Charles, was born in 1802, who also resided on the old homestead
until his death in 1865. Charles McBride commenced the hotel business at
Prospect House, Eglinton, and kept the same for fourteen years, and in
1872 bought the farm of fifty acres that he now owns, and erected his
present hotel.
FRANCIS MCFARLANE, proprietor of the York and Vaughan Hotel, is a native
of County Tyrone, Ireland, and came to Canada in 1850. He was engaged in
the lumbering up to 1867, after which he leased and took possession of
his present premises, where he remained six years. He then removed to a
hotel a little south of this locality, and after spending nine years
there, returned to his former place of business where he has since
continued. Mr. McFarlane is district agent for the following
agricultural implement manufacturers, viz.: Fleury Estate, Aurora;
Wilson & Company, Hamilton; Coulthard, Scott & Company, Oshawa; and
keeps in stock a full line of binders, reapers, mowers, drills, rakes,
ploughs, fanning mills, harrows, etc.; he also repairs for any of the
above, and conducts an extensive trade with the farmers of the country.
KENNETH MCLENNAN, Brockton, proprietor of market-garden, Bloor Street,
is a native of the Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire, Scotland, and came out
to Canada in 1852. A shoemaker by trade, he followed the business for
about six years after his arrival, and then changed his occupation to
that of market-gardening, and commenced on his own account on Argyle
Street, afterwards removing to the corner of Dundas and Queen Streets.
In 1871 he bought fourteen and a-half acres and moved to his present
location, but has since disposed of some, and now cultivates about
thirty acres. He has built on and improved his place considerably. He
married in the Isle of Skye, Catharine McKay, and out of a family of
twelve children, two daughters only are living.
JOHN MCNAMARA, farmer and market-gardener, was born near Galway,
Ireland. He came out to Canada in 1848, and settled in this county,
where he has been engaged in the above business since his advent. He
cultivates about thirty acres of land, and employs, according to the
season, from five to twenty hands, and markets his goods fresh in the
city daily. He married in 1864 Elizabeth Clarke, a native of England,
who came out in 1858, the issue of this union was ten children of whom
four sons and four daughters are living.
P. MCNAMARA, proprietor of the market-garden on Caroline Street, is a
native of Ireland and came out to Canada at an early date. In 1868 he
bought the ten acres of valuable garden land which he still retains, and
two years later commenced the business he continues to conduct.
HENRY MASON, lot 6, concession 1, is a native of Mossingham, Lancashire,
England, and came to America with his people in 1833. His father, the
late William Mason, lived in Rochester five years, and on coming to
Canada in 1838 settled in Scarboro’, where he died. Mr. Mason first
started on the farm in that township belonging to his father, afterwards
becoming possessed of the same by purchase, which he exchanged for
another in the same municipality. In 1877 he bought the farm where he
now resides, but only moved into it in the spring of 1883. He married in
1852 Fanny Palmer, who died in 1882, by whom he had a family of five
sons and five daughters.
GEORGE C. MOORE was born in the Township of West York, and is the son of
the late William Moore, a native of Ireland, who was born in 1795 and
came to Canada in 1809. His father, on his arrival, remained some time
in Montreal, and about 1811 commenced to bring goods to Toronto by team,
which he lost in the St. Lawrence River by breaking through the ice. He
was in the War of 1812, and at the Battle of Queenston Heights was
wounded in the face by a musket ball. He received a medal for his
services, was commissioned a Lieutenant and afterwards Captain in the
militia. He married Sarah, daughter of William Harrison, a U. E.
Loyalist; his surviving family consisting of three sons and one
daughter, viz.: Joseph, James and the one whose name heads this sketch;
the daughter is Mrs. James Dobson, of Yorkville. George C., on leaving
the homestead, moved to Yorkville, where he resided about nine years,
ultimately removing to Davenport, and in the spring of 1844 settled at
his present location. He married in 1863 Fanny, daughter of John
Charlton, of London, Ontario; the latter, in company with two sons, was
at the burning of Montgomery’s Tavern during the Mackenzie Rebellion.
THOMAS MULHOLLAND, lots 6 and 7, concession 2, was born in this township
in 1816, and is the son of Henry Mulholland, a native of Ireland, who
emigrated to Canada and settled in York County in 1806; he was in the
War of 1812, and participated in the Battles of York, Stony Creek and
Lundy’s Lane, and lost his life on the Atlantic Ocean through the
foundering of a vessel, _The Lady of the Lake_. Thomas Mulholland has
always resided at the old homestead, and during the Rebellion of 1837
took part in the skirmish on Yonge Street as a volunteer in loyal troops
and witnessed the burning of Montgomery’s Tavern. He married in 1847
Mary A. Conland; the family consists of five sons and six daughters. Mr.
Mulholland owns large tracts of land which are in the Townships of West
York, King and Innisfil (Simcoe County). The family are of German
descent.
B. W. MURRAY (Blair Athol), lot 1, concession 4, West York, is a native
of Scotland and came to Canada in 1857; he held a position in the North
of Scotland Bank for six years, and on his arrival here became connected
with the Bank of British North America. He subsequently accepted a
position in the Commercial Bank until 1860; he then went to the States
to take a position there, but returned to Canada in 1872, and in 1876
was appointed to the charge of the Accountant’s Office of the Court of
Chancery (now Supreme Court), which position he still holds. He married
in 1858 Julia, only daughter of William Henry, of Montreal, and
grand-daughter of Alexander Henry, a famous North-West traveller, who
coming to Canada with General Amhurst in 1760, in conjunction with two
brother officers, purchased large tracts of land in the North-West; this
gentleman was the only one who escaped at the capture of Fort
Michilimackinac, and it was to a female slave he owed his life.
JAMES ORR, lot 16, concession 6, is a native of County Antrim, Ireland,
and came out in 1867, since which time he has followed farming, an
occupation he had previously been accustomed to. He married in 1873
Elizabeth McLean, daughter of Laughlin McLean, an old settler of the
township, native also of County Antrim, Ireland, who came out in 1827
and settled soon after at Black Creek. In 1840 he settled on the farm
now owned by our subject.
MATTHEW PARSONS, farmer, lot 3, concession 3, was born in Wiltshire,
England, and came out to little York with his parents in 1820. His
father settled on lot 22, concession 6, West York in 1821, which was
then bush, which he cleared, cultivated and lived upon until his death
in 1864, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. The surviving family
consists of the subject of this notice and three sisters, viz.: Mrs.
Joseph Smith, of Etobicoke; Mrs. Daniel Maybee, of Albion Township, and
Mrs. Jacob Mattice, Jarvis, Ontario. Matthew married in 1841 Elizabeth
McKay, daughter of Jacob McKay; the issue of the union being two sons
and five daughters; one son and three daughters living, all of whom are
married and settled in the county. The son, William Albert, is now
living on the west part of the McKay homestead, lot 3, concession 3.
After his marriage Matthew Parsons remained for some time on the old
homestead, removing to his present locality in 1851.
JOHN PAUL, Weston. Among the most esteemed citizens of York County may
be mentioned the name of John Paul. He was born in Aberdeenshire,
Scotland, November 21, 1802, and landed at Toronto in 1823. Being a
teacher by profession he resided in different localities for about
fourteen years; since which he has always lived in the vicinity of
Weston. He has been Major of militia, and was Captain during the
Rebellion of 1837. He also has been Deputy Returning-officer for twenty
years. In 1827 he married Jane Miller, who was born in Etobicoke
Township, York County, in 1811, and who died in 1864, by whom he had
eight children, all living, viz.: George O., John, James, Isabella A.
McDougall, Mary B. Warbrick, Jane A. Curtis, Catharine and Harriet
Denison.
REMBLER PAUL is the son of Thomas and Sarah Paul, natives of Norfolk,
England, who landed in Quebec in 1832, where, shortly afterwards, the
subject of this sketch was born. They spent four years in Quebec, and a
subsequent eight years in Kingston, from which place they removed to
Toronto, where Mr. Paul, sen’r, died in 1855. He was a veterinary
surgeon by profession, and when in Toronto formed a partnership with Mr.
Capriol, who was the first to open a repository for the sale of horses
and carriages in the city. Rembler learned the profession of veterinary
surgeon from his father, previous to which he had spent some time in the
office of the _British Whig_, where he learned to set type, but
apparently did not follow up this occupation. He practised as veterinary
surgeon for about twenty years, but only carried on the repository about
a year after his father’s demise, although he still owns the property
where Grand & Louis do business. He retired from his profession in 1879,
and engaged in real estate speculations, mostly in the North-West, where
he now owns three thousand acres of land eleven miles south of Regina,
stocked with horses, cattle, etc. In 1883 he cultivated three hundred
acres of grain. He also owns a silver mine in Thunder Bay and a coal
mine near Bancroft. Mr. Paul married in 1852 Elizabeth H., daughter of
the late Calvin Davis, of Toronto, by whom he has one son.
JOHN PAXTON, florist and market-gardener, lot 29, concession 3 from the
bay, is a native of Alloa, Scotland, and came to Canada in 1858, landing
at Quebec, where he remained and had charge of a gentleman’s garden for
thirteen years. In 1870 he came to Toronto, and after two years spent in
the service of the Hon. D. L. Macpherson, he leased a place at Carlton,
and at the end of five years bought the ten acres he at present
cultivates, and by industry and thrift has succeeded in establishing a
large and flourishing business. He keeps on sale a choice variety of
flowers, plants and vegetables. He married in 1858, while in Quebec,
Jane Young, of Langley, Buckinghamshire, England.
WILLIAM PEARS, Manager for Booth & Pears (or Y. & C. Brick Manufacturing
Company), brick manufacturers, Carlton West, is the son of Leonard
Pears, a native of Yorkshire, England, who came to Canada in 1851. This
yard employs about twenty-three men and turns out about two million
bricks annually. They manufacture both common and pressed brick by
steam, their yard containing all modern appliances. The firm was
established in 1880, the business having previously been entirely in the
hands of Mr. Pears, who conducted it for thirty years.
PHILLIPS & BERRY, Lambton Mills, manufacturers of all kinds of flannels.
The business was established in 1884, both members of the firm being
young men from Yorkshire, England. They imported their machinery from
Thornton Brothers, Yorkshire, England, who are represented in this
county by Mr. A. Jackson, of Lambton Mills.
WILLIAM PLANT is a native of Staffordshire, England, where he learned
the trade of brick and sewer-pipe making, and for several years had the
management of a yard there. He came to Canada in 1860, and worked about
two years for Mr. Nightengale, afterwards establishing himself in the
business of sewer-pipe making at Yorkville, removing from thence to the
west end where he remained until 1874, in which year he came to his
present location where he has carried on a large and extensive brick
business, and having recently sold out, is on the eve of retiring into
private life. He was married in England to Sarah Whitehouse, of
Staffordshire; out of a family of seven children, one son and two
daughters only are living. His son, Stephen J. Plant, is a patentee of
the best brick-making machines in use, together with a patent kiln for
the baking of bricks. Mr. Plant, sen’r, made for Mr. Nightengale the
first kiln for baking sewer-pipes in this part of Canada. In 1882 he
received a diploma for the best building materials at the Exhibition.
JOSEPH PRATT, farmer, lots 17 and 18, concession 2, was born in
Warwickshire, England, and came to America in 1852, taking up his
residence in Ohio, U. S., where he stayed two years and then returned to
England. In 1859 he came out to Canada and settled in Toronto, where he
conducted a flour and feed store on Bloor Street West up to 1867. He
then bought one hundred and fifty acres of land at the above location,
and in 1877 another farm of one hundred acres, which he continues to
cultivate. He married Susan Killey, of Warwickshire, by whom he had six
sons and two daughters.
W. H. RAY, proprietor of the Peacock Hotel, Dundas Road. This old
established hotel has been in existence since 1820, and is now one of
the oldest houses in the Province. The present proprietor is a native of
London, England, and came to Canada in 1870. He was engaged in the
butchering business for some time, and in 1881 took possession of this
hotel, since which time he has received steady support from the
travelling public.
DR. SAMUEL RICHARDSON, Eglington, was born in York County, being a son
of the late John Richardson, a native of Ireland, who came to Canada in
1823 and resided in Scarboro’ Township until his death in 1874. Dr.
Richardson obtained his professional education at the Victoria School of
Medicine and the Toronto University, entering the former institution in
1867, where he spent two years, and graduating at the latter in 1871. He
practised in Toronto five years, holding at the same time the
Professorship of Materia Medica and Lecturer on Insanity at the Victoria
School to the end of 1874. He practised in Scarboro’ three years, and in
1879 settled at Eglington, where he enjoys an extensive practice.
JOHN ROACH, farmer, lot 27, concession 2, was born in Cornwall, England,
and came to Canada when twenty-five years of age. He settled first in
Oshawa, and after a residence of nine years, part of which time he kept
hotel, he removed to Toronto and conducted hotels in different
localities in the city. In 1874 he removed to the farm on which he at
present resides, having purchased the same eight years previous. He
married in 1848 Mrs. S. Lukes; they have one son and one daughter. We
may add that the farm of Mr. Roach is considered one of the finest in
the district, being composed of two hundred acres; he is also largely
engaged in the milk business, and keeps about twenty-five cows. In
politics he is a Reformer.
RICHARD ROBERTS, proprietor of Covertdale Mills, was born in Ireland and
came to Canada, taking up his residence at the above locality in August
1883. He leased and took possession of the mills, where he is doing a
thriving business buying wheat from the farmers in the adjacent
district, and selling the produce at wholesale in the city, besides
doing a retail trade on his own premises. He is a man of large
experience in his business, his father having conducted a mill in County
Cork, Ireland.
GEORGE ROSS, proprietor of the well-known and popular Eagle Hotel,
Weston Village, is a native of Toronto, and for seventeen years followed
the vocation of commercial traveller. He took possession of the above
hotel in June, 1884, and hopes, by strict attention to the comfort and
convenience of his patrons, to merit that share of custom hitherto
awarded his predecessor.
DAVID ROWNTREE, butcher, Weston, was born at Carlton, York Township, in
1845, being the third son of Mr. D. Rowntree, of Carlton, mentioned
elsewhere. David lived with his father until twenty-one years of age,
and then commenced business for himself as butcher in 1866. He has been
very successful, and last year built a splendid brick store in a
prominent part of Weston, where he conducts a general store in
connection with his butchering business. Mr. Rowntree was married in the
year 1865, his wife’s maiden name being Isabella Campbell, who is of
Scotch parentage. They have a family of eight children. Our subject is a
member of the Village Council since its formation. The family are
adherents of the Methodist Church.
DAVID ROWNTREE, lot 35, concession 3 from the Bay, was born in
Cumberland County, England, and came to Canada in 1832 with his parents,
with whom he remained eight years. He then rented a farm in Toronto
Township for four years, subsequently purchasing and taking possession
of the farm which constitutes his present home. He married in 1840 Sarah
Lee, of English birth, who died in 1864, leaving nine sons and two
daughters. He married again in 1866, his second wife being Sarah
Rossiter, also a native of England; five sons and four daughters are the
issue of this union. Mr. Rowntree owns ninety acres.
JAMES ROWNTREE, lots 22, 23 and 24, concession 7, was born on the farm
adjoining that which he now owns, and is the son of the late Joseph
Rowntree, a native of Cumberland, England, who came to Canada about
1834, and worked for a time as journeyman miller, afterwards settling
upon a farm near the Humber. His wife was Ann McGee, a native of
Scotland. James married Caroline M. Crosson, daughter of William
Crosson, of this township.
ALFRED H. ST. GERMAIN, lots 7 and 8, on the west side of Yonge Street,
Township of York. The retirement of a once prominent man from the ranks
of journalism (although particularly noticed and commented on at the
time) is not one of the events which leave a lasting impression on the
memory, and is perhaps forgotten by the many, yet the few who still
retain a recollection of the subject of this notice will not forget that
Toronto is indebted to him for being the first to publish a One Cent
Daily Newspaper. Mr. St. Germain was born at Kingston, in the Province
of Upper Canada, in the year 1827, being the son of Hyacinth LeMere St.
Germain, a lineal descendant of Rudolph St. Germain, who was a companion
of Jacques Cartier in the exploration of the Canadas. Mr. St. Germain
spent his early life in Kingston, and before leaving there, in 1849, was
one of the proprietors of _The Herald_, one of the oldest papers in
Canada. The California gold fever, which was raging at that time,
attracted him from the editorial chair; but, after tempting fortune on
the Pacific coast for a time, he returned to Canada, and taking up his
residence in Toronto, commenced the publication of _The Toronto Evening
Journal_, the first one cent daily newspaper in Canada. He also was the
originator of the cheap advertising rates which now prevail in Toronto
newspapers. His connection with the printing and publishing business
came to a close in 1882, when he retired to his Yonge Street farm,
consisting of one hundred and eighty-five acres, within three and a-half
miles of Toronto’s northern city limits.
HENRY SAUNDERS, lots 5, 6 and 7, concession 3, was born in 1849, on the
farm where he now resides. The family are of German extraction. The
grandfather of our subject, Matthew Saunders, a noted shipbuilder, was a
U. E. Loyalist, and took up from Government two hundred acres of land on
lot 6, concession 3, which is still in the possession of his
descendants. He was killed at the battle of York by the explosion of the
magazine. The father of our subject was born near Thornhill in 1801, and
took possession of the family homestead in 1824, where he resided until
his death in 1880, at the age of seventy-nine years; two sons and three
daughters survive him. Henry Saunders married Elizabeth Gould, of Pelham
Township, Welland County, who died in 1870. He married again in 1877,
Elizabeth Dawdy of Galesborough, by whom he has two sons and one
daughter. Mr. Saunders owns five hundred and sixty acres in this
township.
GEORGE SMITH & CO., woollen manufacturers, Lambton Mills. This business
was originally established at Weston in 1870, under the name of Smith &
Wilby, and continued in force until 1880, when a dissolution of
partnership took place. Mr. Smith then entered into partnership at
Lambton Mills, to which place he transferred his business which is now
known under the above name. They employ over one hundred hands in the
manufacture of blankets, tweeds, and general woollen goods of various
grades. The machinery is run by an eighty horse-power water wheel and
one hundred and fifty horse-power steam engine. Mr. Smith is a native of
Yorkshire, England, and was born in the year 1832, emigrating to Canada
in 1870.
ROBERT SMITH, proprietor of market garden on High Park Avenue and Indian
Road, was born in Cumberland, England, and came out to Canada in 1832.
He was variously engaged up to 1859, when he commenced the gardening
business at his present location where he owns and cultivates twelve
acres of fine garden land, growing all kinds of fruits, vegetables, etc.
He married in 1869 Mrs. Margaret Daly.
JAMES STEWART, deceased, was born in Ireland, of Scotch parents, in
1803, and came to Canada when only a boy. He first settled in Cavan
Township, Durham County, afterwards coming to West York, and locating on
lot 13, concession 2, where he purchased two hundred acres of bush land.
He lived there for twenty years, and by additions made to his first
purchase became the owner of five hundred acres of land in one block. He
subsequently bought two hundred and thirty acres near the Don, in East
York, and twenty acres on Yonge Street, making a total of seven hundred
and fifty acres which is still in the possession of the family. He
resided on the farm near the Don until his death in 1878. He married
Mary Ann Mulholland, sister of Thomas Mulholland, of this township, who
died in 1872, leaving a family of four sons and four daughters. Joseph,
the youngest son of the family, resided on the homestead until 1876,
when he settled on one hundred acres, a part of the York estate. He
married in 1876 Jennie Heyland, daughter of James Heyland, of Essex
Township, Simcoe County, who was of Irish birth; they have two sons and
one daughter. Henry and James, the second and third sons of the family,
still reside on the old homestead farm consisting of two hundred acres.
Samuel Stewart, the eldest son, resides on a portion of the York estate,
and has a family of ten children living. The four daughters of the late
James Stewart are all married. Mary Ann, married to James McGee, of
Toronto; Sarah, married to Thomas Woodhouse, of Toronto; Louisa, widow
of the late William Henry, of Toronto; Jane, married to George S.
Stevenson, of Peterboro’.
JACOB STOREY, lot 25, concession 4, is the son of the late David Storey,
who left Pennsylvania for Canada at an early day. He served in the War
of 1812, and at the proclamation of peace settled in Vaughan Township,
and after a time removed to West York, where he purchased one hundred
acres of land, and locating on the lot above mentioned, resided there
until his death in 1872 at the age of seventy-eight. He left a widow and
four sons all of whom are still living. Jacob Storey, the subject of
this sketch, was married in 1843 to Sarah Snider, daughter of the late
Samuel Snider, of York Township; they have three sons and four
daughters, and have sustained a loss of two daughters by death. During
the Mackenzie Rebellion the father and son threw in their lot with the
Reformers, and the father, being captured by the regulars, was kept a
prisoner for some time by the Government. The family are of German
descent.
JAMES STURZAKER, deceased, was a native of Lancashire, England, where he
was born in 1809. He had served his time to harness-making, and on his
arrival in Toronto in 1842, he settled on York Street, in which locality
he continued to conduct his business until 1874. He then removed to
Weston where he remained carrying on the same trade until the time of
his death on September 20, 1884. In 1843 he married Sarah Mayhew, a
native of Hamilton, Ontario, by whom he has four children living, viz.:
Sarah, born August 9, 1849, married to Joseph Dean in 1870; Lillie, born
August 27, 1853; Sophia, born September 28, 1859, married to Thomas
Connor, October 15, 1878; Margaret, born October 11, 1857, married to
William Bain, February 7, 1883.
JOHN SUMMER was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1842. He emigrated to
Canada in 1878, and taking up his residence in Toronto, remained there
two years. He then went to Dundas and from there to Cornwall,
subsequently locating in Weston where he yet remains. He married in
Dundas Martha Conningsby.
JAMES SYME, proprietor of vegetable and market-garden, Roncesvalles
Avenue, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and came to Canada in 1849,
being first employed by Mr. Gordon as a gardener for about eight years.
In 1859 he visited the Southern States, and on the breaking out of the
Civil War, joined the Confederate army. At the Battle of Fort Donaldson
he was taken prisoner, and was seven months confined at Camp Douglas,
Chicago. He was again wounded and captured at Resacka, Georgia, and
suffered another eight months’ confinement, and towards the close of the
war was parôled on account of sickness. In 1865 he returned to Toronto,
subsequently commencing in the gardening business in conjunction with
his brother, in which vocation he since continued. In 1877 the brother
retiring from the business, James has since conducted this improving and
extensive business alone.
GEORGE SYME, proprietor of market-garden, lot 37, concession 3 from the
Bay, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and came with his people to Canada
in 1862. His father was James Syme, also a market-gardener, who followed
that occupation on his settlement here. George first commenced business
on Prospect Street, Toronto, afterwards spending some time in
Brockville, and on his return to Toronto, bought and settled in his
present location, which consists of twenty-five acres of fine gardening
land, where he cultivates both plants, vegetables and fruits. He married
in Toronto, Elizabeth McDonald, of County Armagh, Ireland, daughter of
Daniel McDonald, who now resides in this township; they have a family of
three sons and three daughters.
GEORGE TOWNLEY, proprietor of the steam brick and tile yard, Carlton
West, established his business in 1868. From a small beginning, which
only gave occupation to six or seven men, he has by industry and
enterprise succeeded in building up a trade that will compare favourably
with any in the district. He now employs about twenty men, and turns out
about two million bricks annually. He also does a large business in
sewer-pipes, his output being two millions yearly. In the spring of 1884
he added a steam engine to his works. Mr. Townley is a native of
Yorkshire, England, and came to Canada in 1850. He had learned his
business before his arrival.
FREDERICK WAKEFIELD, Carlton, a native of England, came to Canada with
his parents. His father, the late William Wakefield, was a native of
Oxfordshire, England, who emigrated to Canada in 1873, and commenced the
brick manufacturing business in Carlton, which is now carried on by his
widow, Mary Wakefield, the executrix of the estate, Frederick being
manager. They employ thirteen hands, and turn out about one million
bricks annually, also a large quantity of sewer-piping.
MICHAEL WARD, Davenport, is a native of County Cavan, Ireland, and came
to Toronto in 1842. He was first engaged carrying the mail before the
railway went through. He then carried on business for himself about
eight years, subsequently engaging in the milk business, which he
continued for five or six years. In 1873 he commenced farming on the
Davenport Road, and in the spring of 1884 moved to his present location.
He married in 1862 Elizabeth Murphy, a native of County Tyrone, Ireland;
they have three sons and one daughter living.
JESSE G. WARDLAW, lot 11, concession 4, was born on the farm where he
now resides, and is the son of Alexander G. Wardlaw, deceased, a native
of Scotland, who came to Canada about 1836 with his parents and settled
with them on the farm above mentioned, where he remained until his death
in 1872. Mr. Wardlaw’s grandmother died 3rd November, 1874, at the
advanced age of one hundred and two years.
FRANCIS WATSON, lot 15, concession 2, is a native of County Monaghan,
Ireland, and came out in 1834. He settled at once upon the farm on which
he now resides. He was first married to Elizabeth Conland, who died in
1849; two daughters survive her. His second marriage was with Jane
Duncan, of this township. His eldest daughter is the wife of George
Carruthers of this township.
JOSEPH WATSON, Deputy-reeve, West York Township, is the son of
Christopher and Margaret Watson. His father was born in Cumberland,
England, and came to Canada in 1819, settling on lot 22, concession 6,
four miles north of Weston, where he resided six years; he then removed
to the Village of Weston, where he lived until his death in 1828. The
surviving children consist of three sons and two daughters: John, who
lives on lot 21, concession 6, West York; Joseph, the subject of this
sketch, and Thomas, now of Port Hope. John and Joseph commenced farming
for themselves when they became of age, and subsequently purchased fifty
acres near the homestead. Joseph married in 1850 Caroline M., daughter
of Jacob McKay, a native of the United States, but of Scotch parentage;
they have two sons and four daughters—the eldest son, William A., is
living on lot 1, concession 3, in this township; the second son, John
T., lives in the Qu’Appelle district, N. W. Territory; of the daughters,
one is married and settled in Peel County; one is in Toronto, and one is
on lot 19, concession 5, West York. Mr. Watson has held the office of
Deputy-Reeve since 1871, with the exception of two years, and has held
other offices of more or less importance. He settled on a farm which he
still owns and occupies in 1852, and since that time has purchased the
east half of lot 1 and part of lot 2, concession 3, West York,
consisting of one hundred and thirty-three acres, also one hundred acres
in Toronto Township, being west half of lot 10, concession 6.
HENRY WELSH, lot 16, concession 6, was born on the homestead where he
now resides. He is the son of Henry Walsh, sen’r, a native of County
Monaghan, Ireland, who emigrated to Canada in 1830, and received from
his father (who had previously settled and bought land) eighty acres, on
which he resided until his death in 1867. His wife was Ann Bell, who
died in 1876; three sons and three daughters survive them. Henry Welsh
received the homestead at his father’s death by will; one of his sisters
resides with him.
JAMES WRIGHT, floral and market-gardener, was born in Yorkshire,
England, and emigrated to Canada in 1848. He engaged for a short time in
farming, and subsequently adopted the business in which he is now
engaged. In 1849 he located on Avenue Road, Yorkville, where he remained
until 1875, when he purchased eleven acres on Roncesvalles Avenue, on
which he built a residence, hothouses, etc. In 1878 he was burned out;
but has since rebuilt, and now has one of the finest gardens in the
neighbourhood of the city. Mr. Wright has had a fine opportunity of
becoming conversant with all the details of his business, having in
early life been employed in the gardens of the Duke of Marlborough at
Medley Hall, England. He married Miss Jane Stibbart, daughter of the
late Thomas Stibbart, an early pioneer.
A. W. YOUNG, proprietor of greenhouses and market garden, Roncesvalles
Avenue, is a native of Tyrone, Ireland, and came to America in 1848. He
spent about ten years in the States previous to settling in Toronto in
1858; on his advent he was engaged in a wholesale boot and shoe house
eleven years. He then removed to the neighbourhood of Yorkville, on a
lot he had purchased in 1866, where he conducted a dairy business for
seven years. The tragic occurrence in High Park in July, 1882, in which
a boy was killed by a police officer under distressing circumstances,
will not easily be forgotten by this family, seeing that the unfortunate
youth was a son of the subject of this notice. In the winter of 1882 Mr.
Young bought nine acres of land at the above location, where he erected
a handsome residence and greenhouses, the latter being 65 x 18 feet. Mr.
Young married in 1853 Eliza Kilfarick, a native of County Tyrone,
Ireland, by whom he has one son and four daughters living.
TOWNSHIP OF ETOBICOKE.
JACOB ANDERSON, lot 19, concession 2, was born in New Brunswick in 1804,
and came along with the other members of his father’s family to Ontario
in the year 1806. He bought the property on which he at present resides
in 1824, and, in conjunction with his brother Abraham (now deceased),
commenced farming. At the time of his first settlement the district was
all bush; roads, there were none, and schools, churches, and like
institutions had not been thought of as regarded the building of them.
He has happily been spared to witness the remarkable improvements which
the energetic spirit of a modern civilization makes when once it lays
its colonizing hand upon a virgin soil, and we trust he may be spared
for long years to come to witness the still greater triumphs which are
amongst the evident probabilities of the future. Mr. Anderson married in
1828 Mary Morrow, now deceased; he has two children living.
ANDREW BARKER, lot 31, concession A, was born in the Township of
Vaughan, being the son of the late Aaron Barker, who emigrated to
Canada, in the year 1832, with his wife and family consisting of six
daughters. He had been accustomed to farming in England, and on his
arrival rented a farm in the Township of Vaughan for ten years. In 1841
he purchased the farm where Andrew now resides, and with whom he
continued to live until his death, which occurred in 1873. He was a
member of the English Church, and took great interest in all matters
appertaining to its welfare. Andrew Barker was married in 1864 to Mary
Ackrow, by whom he had a family of four children, three boys and one
girl. Mr. Barker takes considerable interest in raising the best breeds
of cattle and sheep.
PHILIP BARTHOLOMEW, lot 35, concession 7, was born on the lot where he
now resides in 1806. His father, Henry Bartholomew, was born in
Pennsylvania in 1779, and emigrated from that State to this country in
1800. Philip Bartholomew has been twice married; his first union was in
1833 with Mary Boyer, by whom he had eight children, two boys and six
girls. He married again in 1863, his wife being a daughter of the late
James Lever; she was the widow of the late Peter Curtis, (his son the
Rev. James Curtis being President of the Bay of Quinté Conference of the
Methodist Church); her parents came from Bolton, Lancashire, England in
1818. Mr. Bartholomew, sen’r, took part in the War of 1812, and died in
1815.
GEORGE BETTERIDGE, lot 36, concession 1, was born in 1822, upon the farm
where he at present resides. He is the third son of the late John
Betteridge, one of the first settlers in the section, and a native of
the city of Bristol, England, who emigrated to Canada with his wife and
family, and at first located in Toronto. He was a baker by trade, and on
his arrival opened a bakery on Queen Street, where he carried on
business for three and a-half years. He then purchased the farm in
Etobicoke, at present in possession of his son. George Betteridge was
married in 1850 to Sarah Castle, a native of York County, by whom he had
eleven children, seven only of whom are living. He is an adherent of the
Methodist Church, and has taken an active part in promoting the general
good of that body in his neighbourhood, having been a class-leader for
twelve years, and led the choir for twenty-five years. He is earnest and
sincere in the work he has undertaken, and as a Christian is an example
worthy to be followed.
SAMUEL WOODS BIGHAM, lot 12, concession 1, was born in 1828, on the farm
where he now resides, being the son of the late Andrew Bigham, who was
born in County Down, Ireland, September 9, 1767, and was one of the
first settlers in this township, having emigrated to America before
1800. Andrew Bigham was married twice, by his first wife he had seven
children, four girls and three boys, and by his second wife he had nine
children, seven boys and two girls. When he first located in Etobicoke
it was so sparsely populated that he remained four years without a
neighbour to the north and west of his lot. He died April 6, 1843, at
the age of seventy-five years and seven months. His wife was sixty-four
years old when she died, on February 27, 1853. Samuel W. Bigham married
in the year 1849, Eliza Ash. He has not taken much interest in municipal
matters, but is Superintendent of the Baptist Sunday school, and has
been a School Trustee for a space of six years.
CHARLES E. BROWN, west half of 20 and 21, lot F, range 3, proprietor of
market garden, was born in New York State in the year 1839, and came to
Canada in 1862, locating first at Niagara, where he worked for six years
on a farm. He then moved to Sunnyside, and after spending two years on
the farm of his mother-in-law, purchased the property which he now owns.
He cultivates both farm and garden produce, and all his crops are in
good demand. He married in 1865 Susannah Elizabeth, eldest daughter of
James Charles, Esq., one of Toronto’s oldest merchants and residents, he
having settled and started in business near the corner of King and Yonge
Streets, in 1834. By this lady he had a family of eight children, seven
of whom are living.
JOSEPH F. BROWN, lot 11, concession 3, was born on the farm where he now
resides, being the son of the late Joseph Brown, who was a man
well-known and respected in the neighbourhood. Mr. Brown, sen’r,
emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in 1831, and soon after his arrival
settled upon the farm now occupied by the subject of this sketch. The
mother is still living and in good health, having reached the age of
seventy-seven years.
WILLIAM BURGESS, lot 1, concession 6, was born in Middlesex County,
England, in 1844, and came to Canada with his father’s family when ten
years of age. They came direct to Toronto, and lived a few years on
Dundas Street, and followed the occupation of gardening. In 1860 William
Burgess moved to his present farm, where he does a considerable amount
of vegetable and fruit-growing. He also ships a large quantity of
vegetables, etc., to the States. He married in 1871 Margaret Griggs, by
whom he has four children.
MATTHEW CANNING, lot 17, concession 1, was born in the City of New York
in 1827, being the son of the late Joseph Canning, who emigrated from
Ireland and settled in New York, where he remained about four years
previous to coming to Canada. He took up his residence in York Township,
and located at different places until 1832, when he moved with his
family to Etobicoke Township, and purchased the farm which his son
Matthew now owns, where he lived until his death. Our subject took
possession of the homestead, and, by industry and perseverance, has
considerably improved the property, to which he has since added, owning
now about four hundred acres of land. He has taken a lively interest in
municipal affairs, and from being a member of the Township Council, was
elected Deputy-reeve, and afterwards Reeve, which position he has filled
with consummate ability for the past eleven years. He married in 1848
Janet Anderson, by whom he has a family of twelve children, eleven of
whom are still living. His eldest son resides on the farm; five
daughters are married.
JAMES CARRUTHERS was born in Cumberland, England, in 1813, and is a son
of the late James Carruthers, who emigrated to Canada with his family in
the year 1822, and settled in York Township. The township was then but
thinly populated, there being no place of worship nearer than Weston,
where a small Methodist Church had been erected; their wheat they had to
carry to Pine Grove, it being the nearest grist-mill, which was run by
old John Smith. James Carruthers was married in 1841 to Hannah Hind,
also a native of Cumberland, England, by whom they had a family of
twelve children, four of whom only are living. The family are adherents
of the English Church.
ALLAN CASTLE, lot 28, concession A, was born on the farm where he now
resides, and is the second son of the late Robert Castle, who emigrated
from Yorkshire, England, about the year 1818. Robert had served his time
to shoemaking, but did not continue in that business, evidently
preferring the medical profession, which he followed for four years.
After his arrival in Toronto he sailed the lakes for two or three years,
as captain of a vessel plying between Toronto and Lewiston, afterwards
following the occupation of bookkeeper for a similar period. He then
turned his attention to farming, and purchased a farm in Markham, where
he stayed two years, subsequently in 1825 he bought the land in
Etobicoke, where his son Allan now lives together with his brothers,
Thomas and James, and his sister Matilda. The family are members of the
Methodist Church.
WILLIAM CAVE, carpenter, Thistletown Village, is a native of
Gloucestershire, England, and was born in the year 1810. He emigrated to
Canada in 1832, and came direct to Toronto, the cholera being very bad
throughout the country at the time; which somewhat disheartened him. He
proceeded to Weston, and there settled down to his trade, building
houses, barns, and all other works of the kind required in the
neighbourhood. The first frame house put up in Thistletown was the
driving house for Devin’s. Mr. Cave’s long residence in the township,
and possessing as he does a good memory, together with more than
ordinary power of observation, enables him to trace with much
distinctness the rise and progress of the municipality. In the absence
of schools within convenient distances, a teacher usually travelled
around from farm to farm; spending a week here and there, and by these
primitive means the children were not left completely without education.
Mr. Cave married in 1834 Eve Philips; they had a family of nine
children, seven of whom are yet living. The family are members of the
Methodist Church. Mr. Cave remembers the old Indian, John Etobicoke, and
his squaw, after whom the township was named.
MATTHEW CODLING, lot 37, concession 4, was born in Etobicoke Township in
1838, being the eldest son of the late John Codling, who died in 1847.
Mr. Codling, sen’r, emigrated to Canada at an early day and spent some
years in Toronto, holding the position of brewer at Helliwell’s brewery.
In 1826 he left Toronto and purchased a farm in the Township of
Etobicoke, the one at present in the possession of Matthew, which is now
considered one of the nicest in the township. Mr. Codling was married in
the year 1863; his wife was Mary Pekins, a Canadian by birth; the issue
of this union being four children. He has two brothers, who also have
farms in the township, Thomas and John. The family are adherents of the
English Church, and are much respected in the neighbourhood.
ROBERT COULTER is a native of County Down, Ireland, and was born in the
year 1818. His father emigrated to Canada with his family in 1822 and
remained for a short time in Toronto; from there he removed to Etobicoke
and settled on some land he purchased from D’Arcy Boulton. As an
instance of the straits to which they were often put, it is recorded
that a man named Stoddard carried a barrel of flour on his back from
Toronto to Islington, a distance of nine miles. Mr. Robert Coulter was
married in 1851 to Ann Jane Patterson, by whom he had a family of twelve
children, seven daughters and five sons, viz.: Martha Ann, born April
18, 1852; Elizabeth Agnes, born September 1, 1853; Andrew, born January
20, 1855; Isabella, born July 8, 1857; Robert Wilson, born April 17,
1859; Albert Edward, born June 15, 1861; Hannah Caroline, born September
3, 1863; Sarah Maria, born April 18, 1865; Emily Adaline, born November
26, 1866; Florence Louise, born September 27, 1868; David Wesley, born
October 14, 1870; Frederick Arthur, born July 30, 1874. Incidentally we
may mention that no death has occurred upon this farm for fifty years.
MEADE CREECH, builder, Lambton Mills, was born in the County of Cork,
Ireland, in 1825, and came to America with his parents the same year.
They settled in Philadelphia, U. S., and after a period of four years
came to Canada and settled at Scarlet Factory, on Black Creek, where
they remained about fourteen years, during which time Mr. Creech, sen’r,
took the factory from Mr. William Taylor and assumed entire control.
They subsequently removed to Lambton Mills, then known as “Cooper’s,”
where Mr. Creech worked in the mill for a Mr. Hobson, since which time
the family have been located there. Mr. Creech, sen’r, died in the year
1866. Meade Creech was married in Hamilton in 1851 to Charlotte Jane
McCammon, a native of Prescott. Our subject is a builder by trade, and
several dwellings and other buildings in the district testify to his
skill and ability.
FRANCIS DANIELS, lots 26 and 27, range 2, was born in Yorkville,
Toronto, in 1841. He is the fifth son in a family of eight sons and two
daughters born to William Daniels, who emigrated from England in 1837,
and followed the business of market gardening for a number of years.
Francis for a long time assisted his father in the business, and in 1871
he purchased the farm on which he now resides, and in connection with
general farming does a market gardening business. He married in 1866
Susan Lane, a native of the United States; they have a family of five
children, two girls and three boys.
MARK DAWSON, lot 14, concession 3, is the second son now living of the
late Mark Dawson mentioned elsewhere. Our subject was brought up to
farming and owns a good farm in this township, which he has leased in
consequence of the ill-health of his wife and himself, and is now living
in Weston. He married in 1864 Ellen Jane Waugh, of Irish parentage, by
whom he has a family of eight children. The family belong to the
Methodist persuasion.
WILLIAM DAWSON, lot 15, concession 3, was born on the farm he now owns
and occupies, which formerly belonged to his father, the late Mark
Dawson, who emigrated from England in 1824, and settled upon the farm
the same year. He died in the fall of 1865. Mr. William Dawson was
married in 1872 to Elizabeth Hadden, a Canadian by birth; they have a
family of seven children. He has two brothers, Mark, now living in
Weston, and Thomas, in the Township of Essa.
JOHN DIXON, lot 30, concession 1, was born in this township in 1841,
being the son of the late John Dixon, a native of Westmoreland, England,
one of the earliest settlers in this district. Our subject’s grandfather
and family located in the township when they had no neighbours around
them for miles and the country generally was in its virgin state. Mr.
John Dixon has five brothers and six sisters, all of whom are living. He
married Deborah Bolton, the youngest daughter of the late Thomas Bolton,
a sketch of whose life appears below. Mr. Dixon is a member of the
Baptist Church. Thomas Bolton, deceased, was born in Yorkshire, England,
and emigrated to Canada in 1828. He lived about eighteen months in the
Province of Quebec, afterwards coming forward to York County, where he
purchased the farm in Etobicoke on which Mr. Dixon now lives, and on
which he himself resided about fifty years. After leaving the farm he
retired into private life and took up his abode in Weston, where he
lived two years and four months, being eighty years old when he died.
During his lifetime he was largely interested in the raising of
thoroughbred Durham cattle, and was one of the first in the township who
embarked in this business.
JOHN DOYLE, lot 26, concession 3, was born in this township on February
1, 1830, being the third son of the late James Doyle, who was an early
settler in Etobicoke. His father emigrated from the County of Wexford,
Ireland, in 1819, and landed in New York, having made extraordinarily
quick sailing across the Atlantic in nineteen days. He remained for a
time in New York State and worked on the Lockport Canal, and while there
married; shortly afterwards came to Canada and settled in Vaughan
Township, where he stayed two years. He then purchased in 1828 the farm
in Etobicoke on which his son John now resides, where he lived until his
death in 1873. He had a family of twelve children, five boys and seven
girls. The subject of this sketch travelled a good deal in his youth
through the United States, and finally in 1864 settled down on the old
homestead. He married in 1866 Mary Egan, a Canadian by birth; they have
a family of six boys and two girls, and have buried one—a boy. In
religion the family are of the Roman Catholic faith.
JOHN DUCK, hotel proprietor, Mimico, was born near Newmarket, in
Whitchurch Township, and is the son of William Duck, who is still
living. Our subject was brought up to farming, but ultimately entered
the hotel business, and commenced on Colborne Street, Toronto, which
place he left in 1866. He belonged to the band of the 10th Royals, and
accompanied the regiment to Ridgeway at the time of the Fenian Raid.
From there he went to bush farm in the Township of Bentinck where he
stayed three years, and then bought the property on which he now lives,
known as Duck’s Hotel, situated at the mouth of the Humber. Placed as it
is in the midst of one of the most attractive summer resorts of the
inhabitants of the city, Mr. Duck has spared no expense to beautify and
adorn his extensive pleasure grounds, which during the season are in
great demand for pic-nics, etc. He built the wharf at the mouth of the
Humber which bears his name, and through his enterprise was formed the
company who run the steamboat _Annie Craig_, to and fro between Toronto
and the wharf in question. Mr. Duck has been presented with a gold watch
and a medal by the Humane Society for saving life. He married in 1863
Rhoda Trotter, by whom he has six children living, one having died.
JOHN DILLON EVANS, J.P., Islington, was born in the Township of
Trafalgar, in the County of Halton, on July 19, 1841. His father John
Evans, son of Richard and Isabella Evans (Mrs. Evans’ maiden name was
Anderson), of County Cavan, Ireland, came to Toronto in 1825. The city
was then in its infancy, and he used to tell that there were only five
brick houses then in it. In 1834 he went to New York, and on the 19th of
April, 1837, was married by the late Bishop Onderdenck to Eliza Dillon,
daughter of Christopher and Elizabeth (_Nee_ Drummond) Dillon, of
Dublin, Ireland. John Evans and wife then settled on lot 3, concession
5, New Survey, Trafalgar, where he lived until his death in 1863. During
the Rebellion of 1837 he turned out with the militia to do his duty as a
loyal citizen in quelling the Rebels. John Dillon Evans came to
Etobicoke in 1872, having purchased lot 5 in the first range of the
township. He at once turned his attention to fruit-growing, which he has
since followed. In 1879 he removed to the Village of Islington where he
now resides. He was married on the 30th of January, 1867, by the Rev.
Canon Tremayne, to Isabella Beatty, third daughter of the late Joseph
Beatty, of Tyrone, Ireland, by whom he has three children. Mr. Evans was
in 1876 appointed a Justice of the Peace. He has taken an active part in
promoting the interests of the Etobicoke Agricultural Society, of which
he has been a director about ten years, and several times President. Mr.
Evans was three years a Councillor, five years Deputy-reeve, and is now
the Reeve of the township.
JOHN FOOTE, lot 25, concession A, was born in Newfoundland in 1816, and
came with his parents and family to Ontario in 1844. His father, the
late John Foote, settled on the farm on which the subject of this sketch
and his brother William still live. Neither of the brothers are married.
JAMES FULLER, lots 19 and 21, concession E, was born in Norfolk County,
England, in 1846, and emigrated to Canada in 1871. He lived in Toronto
seven years, and was in the employment of the Grand Trunk Railway during
that period. In 1878 he purchased the farm where he now lives, which he
cultivates principally for vegetables, fruit, etc., which he disposes of
in the city. He married in 1867 in England Sophia Percy, by whom he has
two children, both girls.
GEORGE GARBUTT, lot 28, concession B, is a native of this township, and
was born in 1829, being the eldest son of the late George Garbutt, who
emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in 1819. His father worked in Toronto
for a short time, and subsequently drew land in the Township of Albion,
where he remained but a few months, afterwards purchasing land in
Etobicoke. He married in 1825 Elizabeth, widow of the late Daniel
Trimmer, by whom he had a family of three sons and two daughters, George
being the only surviving son. The latter commenced farming on his own
account on concession A of this township, in 1863. He married in 1864
Hannah Chapman; they have a family of eight children. Mr. Garbutt is a
member of the Baptist Church. We may mention that our subject has been
very successful in getting together a comfortable home for himself and
family. At the time of the settlement of Mr. Garbutt, sen’r, in the
township, there was no cleared land after leaving lot 28, concession A,
Etobicoke, and no road but blazed trees from there to Albion.
JAMES GARDHOUSE, lots 32, 33 and 34, concession 4, was born in
Cumberland, England, 1834, and came to Canada with his father and family
in 1837. They came direct to Toronto, where they remained three months,
and the father having purchased land in Etobicoke on lots 32, 33 and 34,
concession 4, they went and settled there, the same farm being now in
the possession of our subject. James Gardhouse married in 1855 Ann
Stobbart, by whom he has a family of eight children. The family are
adherents of the Baptist Church.
THOMAS GRIFFITHS, hotel proprietor, Thistletown Village, was born in
York Township in 1856, being the fourth son of Matthew Griffiths of the
same township, who was one of the earliest settlers in York, having
emigrated from the County Cavan, Ireland, in company with three
brothers. Thomas followed farming, and is proprietor of the only hotel
in the Village of Thistletown, which he has kept three years. He married
in 1880 Maria Ramsey, by whom he has a family of two children. They are
adherents of the English Church.
WILLIAM GRUBB, lots 30 and 31, concession B, is a native of Edinburgh,
Scotland, and was born in the year 1812. He emigrated to Canada in 1832
accompanied by his uncle, William Grubb, and after a rough passage,
extending over six weeks, they were ultimately wrecked on the coast of
New Brunswick, losing their personal effects, but fortunately without
loss of life. After a delay of six weeks, during which time they
remained without shelter, they were taken to Quebec, and thence to
Montreal, from which city they removed to Toronto, after a stay there of
ten days. The year following their arrival in Toronto our subject’s
father, the late John Grubb, came out from Scotland, and the father and
son, after considerable trouble, finally settled on the farm now owned
by the latter. Mr. Grubb married in 1850 Mary Hetherington, of English
birth. In religion the family belong to the English Church. The late Mr.
John Grubb was one of the first to introduce plank roads in the
district, and was President of the Weston Plank Road at the time of its
building.
FRANCIS HENDRY, lot B, concession 1, L. S. R., was born in the Village
of Eglington, York County, in 1837, being a son of the late George
Hendry, who emigrated from Ross-shire, Scotland, in 1831. The latter
followed farming, and was a man well-known and respected in the
township. He moved in 1849 to the farm, on which Francis now lives,
where he died. Two brothers, Robert and Donald, reside with our subject
on the old homestead. He married in 1882 Lavinia Meredith, of English
parentage, by whom he has one child.
OCTAVIUS L. HICKS, hotel proprietor, Mimico, was born near Dundee,
Scotland, in 1852, and came to America in 1871; after spending one year
in the United States, he came to Canada and located for a short time in
Hamilton, eventually taking up his residence in Toronto, where he
carried on business as contractor and builder for about two years. In
1873 he removed to the mouth of the Humber and commenced the business he
had formerly followed in England (boat building), which he still
continues in conjunction with his hotel business. His house, “The Royal
Oak,” has excellent accommodation for excursionists, pleasure and
pic-nic parties, and contains a large room suitable for balls, banquets,
etc. He has a large variety of pleasure boats and yachts to order. He is
the inventor and patentee of the roller sliding-seats for racing boats,
similar to those used by Mr. Hanlan. Mr. Hicks has been instrumental in
saving the lives of five persons on four different occasions, having
rescued two persons at one time. He also formed one of the company who
started the _Annie Craig_ steamboat running daily in the season between
the Humber and the city. He was married in 1874 to Hannah Taverner, by
whom he has five children, all boys.
D. F. HORNER, lots 8, 9 and 10, concession 2, was born in the Township
of Markham, York County, being the seventh son of Mr. Emanuel Horner,
one of the first settlers in Markham Township. His father, in
conjunction with his uncle, the late Mr. Daniel Horner, built the first
steam saw-mill in this township, and in connection with his lumber
business farmed on an extensive scale. Our subject lived with his father
until twenty years of age, and then went into business on his own
account, and ran a steam saw-mill for several years. He afterwards
settled down on the old homestead and turned his attention to farming,
but at the expiration of seven years he moved to Toronto, and was
engaged in buying and selling real estate for about four years, when he
purchased the farm of three hundred acres on which he has since resided.
He married in 1861; his wife’s maiden name was Elizabeth Wagg, born in
Canada of English parentage on her father’s side, her mother being an
American. Their family consists of seven children. Mr. Horner has taken
some interest in municipal matters, and is at present a member of the
Township Council, having occupied that position for four years.
RICHARD JOHNSTON, retired, Thistletown, was born in the Township of
Cavan, Durham County, in 1821, being the third son in a family of seven
children. His father, the late Robert Johnston, of Irish extraction,
removed from New York to Canada in 1818, and taking up his residence in
Cavan Township, brought up his family. On leaving home Richard came to
Etobicoke, and embarked in the mercantile business at Thistletown, which
he conducted successfully for twenty-two years, and for twelve years
during that period undertook the duties of Post-master. In connection
with the above business he cultivated a farm which he leased on his
retirement about five years ago. Mr. Johnston has been twice married,
first to Margaret Weir, of Otonabec, near Peterboro’; by her he had two
children, one of whom (a son) is now living in Etobicoke. His second
marriage was in 1858 to Mary Duncan; the fruit of this union is three
daughters and one son, all living. The two eldest daughters are married,
one to Mr. George Rowntree, and the other to Rev. Henry Harper,
Methodist minister. With the exception of Mr. Johnston himself, who is a
Presbyterian, the family are of the Methodist persuasion.
ANDREW KAALE, lot 35, concession 1, was born in this township on the lot
where he now resides, and is the third son of the late Adam Kaale, an
early settler in Etobicoke. His father came from Pennsylvania to Canada
with his parents in 1796, when only six years of age, when they settled
on the farm now occupied by Mr. Allan Castle; from there they removed to
concession 3, subsequently to the farm where Andrew now lives, and where
Adam, the father of our subject, died. Mr. Andrew Kaale married in 1871
Elizabeth Nichol, a Canadian by birth. They are members of the Methodist
Church.
JAMES KELLAM, lot 31, concession 2, was born in the Township of Vaughan
in the year 1838, and is the eldest son of Mr. John Kellam, of this
township, whose biographical notice appears elsewhere. James was brought
up to farming and remained with his father until 1864, when he settled
on the farm which he still owns and lives upon. He married in 1850 Emma
Victoria Havill, a Canadian by birth, of English parentage; her father
was the late Richard Havill, Esq., J.P., of Rainham Township, Haldimand
County. They have two children, viz.: Alice A., born October 18, 1860,
and Richard H., born 29th January, 1862, both of whom are still living
upon the old homestead with their parents. In religion Mr. James Kellam
is an adherent of the Methodist Church. He has taken an active part in
municipal matters, having been a member of the Township Council for the
past seven years, and has always exerted himself and supported useful
measures for the general good of the municipality.
JOHN KELLAM was born in Wymondon, England, on the 31st December, 1806.
He was early initiated in farming, and on coming to Canada with his
father and family in 1831, engaged in the same industry. His father was
a shoemaker, and on his arrival in York settled in Vaughan Township,
where he followed that trade as long as his health and strength would
permit. Our subject took up land on lot 9, concession 9, Vaughan, which
he cleared and cultivated for about thirteen years, when he sold out and
removed to Rainham Township, Haldimand County. He continued there six
years, subsequently returning to York County, and purchased a farm in
Etobicoke, lot 32, concession 3, where he remained thirteen years, after
which he moved to lot 32, concession 2, where he lived until recently,
and is now living in retirement. Mr. Kellam was married in the year 1837
to Rachel Sleightholm; his family number eight boys and three girls, his
sons being all settled in the neighbourhood and doing well. The family
belong to the Methodist Church.
JOHN MCLELLAN, lot 23, concession 1, was born in Bothwell, Lanarkshire,
Scotland, in 1807. His father, John McLellan, died when our subject was
an infant; his mother is still living in Etobicoke, and is one hundred
and one years old.
CHARLES MASON, lots 7 and 8, range 5, is a native of Yorkshire, England,
the year of his birth being 1836. He emigrated to Canada when twenty-one
years of age, and after remaining a few months in Toronto moved to
Etobicoke Township, and hired out among farmers for seven years. In 1865
he settled on the farm where he now lives, containing one hundred and
sixty acres, which he cultivates in garden produce for market. Mr. Mason
married in 1867 Matilda Eccles, by whom he has a family of six children.
JOHN MOODY, lot 40, concession 4, is a native of Yorkshire, England,
where he was born in 1815. His father, the late Robert Moody, came with
his family to Canada in 1831, and settled in Etobicoke with his eldest
son James (now deceased), who had come out before the other members of
the family. Our subject has principally been employed in farming; he
purchased some land on lot 38, concession 4, which he lived on and
cultivated for over thirty years; he retired from active work about
three or four years ago. He was married in 1840 to Sarah Gardhouse, by
whom he had eleven children, all living in this neighbourhood. Mr. Moody
was Tax-Collector of the township for four years. He is a member of the
Baptist Church.
CHARLES NURSE, hotel proprietor, Mimico, was born in Maidstone, Kent,
England, in 1841, and emigrated to Canada in the year 1871. He had
previously served his time and worked at the trade of plane and
carpenter’s tool maker, and on his arrival in Toronto worked as
carpenter for about nine months, after which he followed the occupation
of saw sharpener. He came to his present place of business in 1876, the
well-known Nurse’s Hotel, at the mouth of the Humber, where he has
accommodation in the summer months for a large number of excursionists,
pic-nic parties, etc.; the pleasure grounds in connection therewith form
no inconsiderable portion of the attraction of the hotel. Mr. Nurse is a
shareholder in the _Annie Craig_ boat, which makes four trips per day
during the season, between the City and the Humber, commencing on the
24th of May. Our subject was married in 1865 to Mary Sunnuck; they had
one child, a boy. Mr. Nurse has earned a wide-spread reputation as a
runner, having defeated all opponents at distances varying from one to
ten miles, and the trophies of his numerous victories on view at the
hotel are to him a source of pardonable pride. He also does quite a
business in fishing in the spring which he markets in the city; he
builds his own boats for this purpose. Mr. Nurse has been instrumental
in saving a number of lives from drowning in his vicinity, and in
addition to several medals received from the Humane Society, he has been
presented by friends of the rescued parties with valuable mementoes of
his courage.
EDWARD O’BRIEN, lot 29, concession 3, is a native of this township, and
was born in 1852, being the youngest son of the late Christopher
O’Brien. His father was one of the earliest settlers in this part of the
township, and emigrated from County Westmeath, Ireland, at an early day,
and lived for over fifty years on the lot now occupied by his son
Edward, and followed the occupation of farming up to the period of his
death. He had two other sons farmers, Patrick in the Township of
Mornington, Perth County, and Thomas in Clinton, Huron County. The
subject of this notice has always remained on the old homestead, which
he became possessed of at his father’s death. His mother died about two
years ago. He married in 1884 Elizabeth Shannon, of Canadian birth. He
belongs to the Roman Catholic faith.
JONATHAN ORTH, lots E and F, was born in the Township of Markham, York
County, in 1815. His father, Abraham Orth, emigrated from the State of
Pennsylvania after the War of Independence, and settled in Markham,
being one of the first pioneers of that section. His family consisted of
four sons and two daughters, of whom Jonathan was the youngest, two
other of his sons are still living, one in Toronto Township, Peel
County, and one in Woodstock, Oxford County. Mr. Orth, sen’r, removed
from Markham to Etobicoke Township, and was amongst the first settlers
in this township. He died here in 1843. Jonathan inherited a part of his
father’s patrimony, and has been very successful through life. Having
grown up as it were with the growth of the township, he has taken an
active part in municipal matters; he was for sixteen years Assessor, and
while a member of the Council held for some time the office of
Deputy-Reeve; was School Trustee for over twenty-one years, and is now
Secretary and Treasurer of the Board. He was twice married, first to
Miss McDonnell in 1835, by whom he had a family of four children. His
second wife was Miss Rutledge, of Canadian birth, also dead; the fruit
of this union was one child. Mr. Orth is still hale and hearty in spite
of advancing years, and appears likely to live long—which is the
earnest wish of all his friends—to enjoy the comforts with which
through the labours of a long life he has been able to surround himself.
JERAD PAISLEY, lot 19, concession 3, is a native of Fermanagh, Ireland,
and came with his father and family to Canada in 1817; they located in
Toronto for some months, and while here Mr. Paisley, sen’r,
unfortunately lost his life. Being desirous of forwarding some letters
to the Old Country, he, in company with two others, rowed off to a
vessel lying in the Bay about to sail east, and on their return to shore
they were overtaken by a squall, which capsized the small boat; his
companions saved themselves by clinging to the overturned craft, but Mr.
Paisley, not so fortunate, was drowned. The widow married again, and
young Jerad lived with his step-father until he was sixteen years of
age. He was brought up to farming, and on commencing for himself
obtained fifty acres in the Gore of Toronto which he cleared; this he
afterwards sold, and purchased one hundred acres in Etobicoke, the same
on which he now lives. He married in 1838 Rebecca Rutledge, also a
native of Fermanagh. During the Mackenzie Rebellion Mr. Paisley joined
Denison’s Cavalry and remained until the disbandment of the volunteers.
Mr. Paisley was twice married; his second wife’s name was Martha Ann
Hillis. The family consists of five sons and five daughters, some of the
sons being in the service of the Government.
JAMES PEACOCK, lot 17, concession 3, was born on the lot where he now
resides in the year 1830. He is the second son and fourth in order in
the family of Jonathan Peacock, one of the first settlers in Etobicoke.
The latter was a native of Helmsley, England, and when he first settled
here no roads, or the still more visible signs of civilization, churches
and schools, were to be seen. Religious worship was conducted in
different farm houses by a Mr. Robert Walker, of Toronto, who travelled
to and fro on foot. James Peacock married in 1859; his wife’s name was
Mary Dawson, a daughter of Mr. Mark Dawson; they have a family of seven
children living; two are dead. Mr. Peacock has succeeded in making a
very comfortable home for himself and family.
THOMAS RAMAGE, lot 17, concession 4, was born in Scotland in 1826 and
accompanied his parents to Canada in 1833. Almost immediately on their
arrival in York they removed to and settled in the Gore of Toronto,
where his father, the late James Ramage, engaged in farming until his
death in 1838. Thomas continued to reside on the old homestead until
1853, when he moved to the Township of Etobicoke and purchased the
property where is situated his present residence. Mr. Ramage married in
1853 Maria Mercer, of Canadian birth, by whom he has one daughter, now
married. They belong to the Methodist Church.
GEORGE ROWNTREE, lot 34, concession A, was born in this township in
1856, being a son of Joseph Rowntree, deceased, late of Weston, a sketch
of whose life appears under another heading. Our subject lived
continuously with his father up to the two years preceding the death of
the latter. In 1881 he embarked in the grist and milling business at the
Humberford Mills, in addition to which he farms the lot above mentioned.
Mr. Rowntree married in 1883 Angeline Duncan Johnstone, of Canadian
birth.
JOHN ROWNTREE, lot 38, concession A, was born in this township in the
year 1846, being the eldest son of the late Joseph Rowntree, one of the
earliest settlers in this section. Mr. Rowntree, sen’r, emigrated from
Cumberland, England, in 1830, and having learned the milling business
continued the same on his arrival here. In the year 1843 he built the
flour-mill now known as the Green Holm Mills, which he conducted until
1877, removing to Weston about that time, where he lived until his death
a year or two after; his wife is still living. The Humberford Mills,
about a mile south of the present locality, were also started by the
deceased gentleman, and are now owned by George Rowntree, a younger
brother of the subject of this sketch. John Rowntree married in 1876
Sarah Hamilton Torrance, of Etobicoke; the result of the union being
three children—one boy and two girls. Mr. Rowntree does a large
merchant milling business, his brand of flour in the market being known
as a superior article; he also runs a saw-mill in connection on the York
side of the Humber. The family are adherents of the Methodist Church.
JOSEPH RUSH, lot 1, range 3, was born in Oxfordshire, England, in 1849.
He emigrated to Canada in 1868, came direct to Mimico, and hired out for
four or five years. He purchased in 1870 the property on which he now
resides, and in 1873 commenced market-gardening, in which he has been
successful, finding a great and increasing demand for his produce;
occasionally he ships to the States. He was married in 1874; his wife
being Caroline Burgess, by whom he has a family of four children.
NEWMAN SILVERTHORNE, lot 10, concession 4, was born in the Township of
Etobicoke, as also his father before him. His grandfather came from
Jersey and settled in this section as a pioneer. Newman was educated in
Toronto at a school on Colborne Street, kept by a Mr. Hodgson. Having
lived all his life in the township he has noted with satisfaction the
vast improvements which have taken place, and well remembers the first
baptism which took place at the Baptist Church, Somerville. Mr.
Silverthorne married in 1857 Almira Beals, by whom he has a family of
four children.
WILLIAM SIMPSON, brick manufacturer, Mimico, was born in the County of
Derry, Ireland, in 1820, and accompanied by his brother John came to
America in 1836. He lived for about eight years in the United States,
and while there his brother died. He then came to Canada, and located in
Toronto, where he resided thirty-seven years and followed his present
business on Kingston Road and in the city, the latter place being on the
site now occupied by the Grand Trunk Railway shops. He also made bricks
on South Park Street, near the Don, and supplied bricks for some of the
principal buildings in Toronto. He subsequently went to Carlton and
conducted the same business there for a period of three years,
ultimately taking possession of his present premises where he still
continues to manufacture red brick on a large scale. He was twice
married, first in 1842, by which union there were three children. His
second wife was Catharine Doherty, by whom he has a family of thirteen
children. He has a son who keeps a hotel on the corner of Yonge and
Richmond Streets, Toronto.
THOMAS WILSON SMITH, lots 9, 10 and 11, concession B, is the son of the
late Thomas Smith, who kept a hotel on the Dundas Road for over
seventeen years. The latter was from Yorkshire, England, and on his
arrival in Toronto was engaged in the manufacture of crockery ware for
three years. He afterwards kept the Bay Horse Hotel in the city for two
years, and then took up his residence in Islington on the Dundas Road,
where Thomas Wilson Smith was born in 1857. He was brought up
principally to farming, and now occupies one hundred and four acres left
him by his father, who died in 1872; his mother is still living. Thomas
Wilson married in 1878 Mary Ann Marshall, by whom he has three children.
EDWARD STOCK, lots 13 and 14, Mimico Estate, is a native of Lancashire,
England, and was born in the year 1815. His father was James Stock who,
emigrating to Canada with his family in 1830, came direct to York
County, and settled in the Township of Etobicoke on lot 8, meridian 2,
where he commenced farming, after having cleared the land which was at
first all bush. Edward remained with his father until his marriage,
which took place in 1836; his wife’s maiden name was O’Hara (now
deceased), and the fruit of the union was eight children, all living but
one. On leaving the homestead he rented a farm in the township where he
lived about twenty years, afterwards purchasing the property on which he
now resides, about one hundred and ninety acres. Mr. Stock has a very
comfortable home and a well-tilled farm.
JOHN STRONG, lot 15, concession A, was born in the Township of Albion,
Peel County, and is the son of Mr. Henry Strong of that section. The
latter is a very old settler in Albion, and came out in 1835 from County
Cavan, Ireland, and took an active part as a Loyalist in the Rebellion
of 1837-8. Our subject came to Etobicoke in 1862, and took possession of
a farm purchased for him by his father; the same farm on which he at
present resides and owns. At the time of his first settlement only about
thirty acres were fit for tillage, the rest being bush which he has
since cleared, and he now has one of the finest farms in the township.
Mr. Strong was married in 1867; his wife was Mary Jane, daughter of Mr.
Matthew Canning, the present Reeve of Etobicoke. They had seven
children, two of whom are dead. Mr. Strong has been an active member of
the Loyal Orange Association for over twenty-five years, having joined
L.O.L. No. 184, Albion, July 12, 1859.
HENRY THOMAS, lot 40, concession 4, waggon-maker, was born in Yorkshire,
England, in 1817, and came to Canada with his mother and family in 1830.
His father had come to Canada about ten years previously, and died two
years after his arrival. The family came direct to Etobicoke, and
settled on lot 17, concession 4, for a short time, afterwards moving to
lot 31, concession 3, the same farm being now in possession of our
subject’s brother, Richard Thomas. In the year 1835 Henry went to
Brampton, and was taught the trade of waggon-maker, and after remaining
there six years, removed to Clairville where he carried on a
waggon-making business for twenty years. He then came to the lot
above-mentioned, and commenced farming on a small scale, which he
continued some time, and in 1878 returned to the Village of Clairville
and recommenced the waggon business which he still conducts. He married
in the year 1840 Eleanor Hetherington, of English birth; they have no
family. Mr. Thomas for many years belonged to the Primitive Methodist
Church, and was superintendent of the Sabbath school for about
twenty-five years.
GEORGE A. THOMPSON, meridian 2, is descended from a family who settled
in this township in 1803. His grandfather, Alexander Thompson, was a
sergeant in the King’s Rangers, and on receiving his discharge together
with a pension, he drew two hundred acres of land from the Government,
on which he located in the year above-mentioned. As an instance of the
value of land in those days we may mention that the half of this lot was
sold shortly afterwards for a set of harrow pins, an old mare and $30 in
cash; the same one hundred acres is now worth over $10,000. His father,
the late Archibald Thompson, was born on the farm adjoining that which
is occupied by the son; he died February 12, 1865. Mr. George A.
Thompson was married in 1877 to Georgina Peers. Among the reminiscences
of Old Toronto handed down by the grandfather, we may mention that he
remembers well the Americans landing at York in 1812, and the bodies
being laid out after the explosion of the magazine. He was out at the
time of the Rebellion of 1837, and the family are still in possession of
the musket which he carried on the memorable occasion of the Yonge
Street skirmish. He planted potatoes on the present site of Osgoode
Hall.
JOHN TORRANCE, lot 38, concession 1, was born in the Parish of
Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on July 22, 1819. In his youth he was
employed in the distillery business for about eighteen years, and worked
for three different firms in Scotland. He came to Canada in 1848, and,
on locating in York County, Ontario, worked for one year in Scarboro’
Township. He afterwards worked in Vaughan Township, and in 1851 rented a
farm where he lived for two years, keeping bachelor’s hall. In 1853 he
married Miss Jane McLellan, of Etobicoke, by whom he has a family of
seven children, five girls and two boys. In the year 1869 he purchased
the farm where he now resides, which he continues assiduously to
cultivate. His interest in all matters agricultural has been very great,
he having in his possession several prizes received at different fairs
for his exhibits.
THOMAS UMPLEBY, lots 6 and 7, concession 3, was born in the
neighbourhood of Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, and emigrated to Canada
in 1842. He came direct to Toronto, and worked for a few months with
Jacques and Hay; afterwards rented a farm near Springfield, Toronto
Township, where he remained seven years. He then removed to a
two-hundred-acre farm in the Indian Village, having obtained a lease for
ten years, but at the expiration of two years was obliged to retire on
account of a fit of ague. He next went to Somerville, and worked for two
years at the chair factory, afterwards renting the same, which business
he conducted for seven or eight years. He subsequently rented two farms
on Dundas Road near Dixie, where he stayed ten years, which proved very
successful in a pecuniary sense, and ultimately purchased the farm where
he now resides. Mr. Umpleby married in 1844 Mary Vaughan, by whom he has
a family of four daughters and one son living, two sons having died. The
daughters are all married.
PETER WARDLAW, lot 24, concession A, is a native of Scotland, and was
born near Glasgow, being the youngest living son of the late Peter
Wardlaw, who emigrated with his wife and family to Canada in the year
1835. His father came direct to York County, and purchased land in
concession 4 of West York, where he lived until his death; his wife, the
mother of our subject, is still living in this township, and is
ninety-nine years of age; she is a native of Scotland, and was born near
Bothwell Bridge, the scene of the historical battle of that name. The
family consisted of eleven children, three only being now alive. The
subject of this biographical notice lived with his father on the old
homestead until 1844; and having married the year previous he took
possession of the farm where he now lives. His wife’s name was Julia
Clark, who was born in Canada of Irish parents; they have a family of
seven children. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
CHARLES WARE, merchant, was born in Bridgewater, Somersetshire, England,
in 1824. Before coming to Canada in 1849, he had been for a short time
in the boot and shoe business in Birmingham, and on his arrival here he
started the same business at 103 Yonge Street, Toronto, which he
continued for ten years. He subsequently went to Hamilton and after a
short stay there of seven months returned to Toronto and resumed
business. In 1859 he came to Lambton Mills, and, after seven years spent
in the shoe business, he commenced the general store which he at present
carries on. He married the year before he emigrated, his wife’s maiden
name was Elizabeth Knight.
JOHN WATT, retired, Thistletown Village, was a blacksmith by trade and a
native of Scotland. He was born in 1820 at North Berwick, East Lothian.
His father was a soldier in the British Army, and our subject’s early
years were spent with his grandparents. After learning his trade in
Berwickshire he came to Canada in 1843, and worked for his father in
Toronto, the latter having received his honourable discharge from the
Royal Artillery, for seven years. About the end of this time he married
Ann Fleming, and a year later (1850) he moved from Toronto to his
present residence in Thistletown, where he followed his trade until a
short time ago. His first wife having died, he married a second time
Mary Fleming; his family consists of two sons, one by each wife. He has
been very successful in business, and his present comfortable home is
the result of thrift and industry. Mr. Watt is a member of the
Presbyterian Church.
ROBERT WILSON, lot 32, concession B, was born in the parish of
Mullabrack, County Armagh, Ireland, in 1817, being the third son of Mr.
Joseph Wilson, of that place. Our subject served in the Irish
Constabulary four years and nine months and emigrated to Canada in 1849,
accompanied by his wife and two children. After landing, his wife and
family were taken ill with fever, which delayed their arrival in York
two months. He first settled in York Township, where he lived about ten
years. In the year 1873 he bought the farm on which he now lives, and
during his settlement here has done remarkably well, his present
comfortable home abundantly testifying to this fact. He married in 1845,
before he left Ireland, Martha McLellan, by whom he had a family of nine
children, one of whom is dead. Of four sons living, one is the Rev.
William Wilson; one daughter married the Rev. Matthew Couron.
SAMUEL R. WOOD, lot 8, concession 1, was born in the City of New York,
being the eldest son of the late Samuel Wood, a well-known and respected
resident of Etobicoke. The latter emigrated from England in 1830, and
remained in the United States about ten years, subsequently in March,
1840, coming to Canada. He purchased the farm in this township on which
his sons George and Arthur now reside. Samuel R., the subject of this
sketch, was born in 1840 and from his youth upward followed farming. He
married in 1876 Amelia Ann Musson, by whom he has a family of two
children.
TOWNSHIP OF Scarboro’.
JEREMIAH ANNIS, lot 16, concession D, is the son of Levi and Rhoda
Annis, of English extraction, who emigrated from the United States to
Canada in 1793, where he purchased land in Scarboro’ Township, on which
he remained until his death in 1855. He also owned about four hundred
and fifty acres in Darlington Township, Durham County, which eventually
became the property of his sons. Jeremiah has always lived on the old
homestead, but he has done a good business in buying and selling farms
to advantage. He belongs to the Methodist persuasion, and is highly
respected in his immediate neighbourhood. He married Jane, daughter of
William Fawcett of this township, by whom he has three sons and three
daughters. He is a Justice of the Peace, the only office he has accepted
amongst the many offered to him.
THOMAS BROWN, lot 29, concession B, is the son of John and Margaret
(Smith) Brown, natives of Scotland. He was born in Scotland in 1806, and
emigrated to Canada in 1830, settling on the lot where he still
continues to reside. Like others of the early settlers, toil and
hardship were for many years his portion, but by industry and skill he
has succeeded in producing from almost impenetrable bush as neat and
compact a farm as any to be found in the township; and now, in his
declining years in the society of the members of his family, he enjoys
the quiet contentment vouchsafed to him by his laborious past. He has
figured conspicuously in connection with the management of the
municipality, having been a member of the Council upwards of twenty
years, being Deputy-Reeve and Reeve a considerable part of that time. He
was appointed J.P., and for several years acted in that capacity, but
early retired from the Bench, as he says, “to give place to younger
men.” He married in 1835 Miss Mary Tackett, by whom he had ten children,
seven only are now living. His eldest son, John, is now owner of the
farm; another son Robert lives on the lot adjoining. Mr. Brown is a
Conservative in politics, and in religion a Presbyterian.
WALTER GLENDINNING, lot 29, concession 1, is the youngest son of
Archibald and Jane Glendinning. His father and family emigrated from
Dumfriesshire, Scotland, in 1820, and settled on lot 28, concession 1.
Archibald married after he came to Canada; his family consisted of three
sons and five daughters, viz.: Elizabeth, Isabella, Archibald (dead),
Margaret, Janet, Robert, Walter and Jane. Mr. Glendinning, sen’r, kept
the first store in the township, near Ellesmere, and was also
postmaster, the latter position being now in the possession of Walter.
He was a Major in the militia, and was at the head of his company during
the Yonge Street skirmish in 1837; his military suit and sword are yet
preserved as relics by the family. He was one of the first Councillors
on the old District Council and was also Secretary of the Scarboro’
School Commissioners, and retained that office several years. He was
also Assessor and Collector of the Municipality for a lengthened period.
Although principally engaged in mercantile pursuits, he and his brother
William farmed at one time four hundred acres of land. He was a member
of the Presbyterian Church. He died on May 29, 1883, after a long and
industrious life, leaving behind him a fine property and, what is still
better, a respected and honoured name. Walter (whose name heads this
sketch) married Isabella, daughter of John Robertson, a descendant of an
old pioneer of Simcoe County, by whom he had six children, one son and
five daughters. Like his father he is a member of the Presbyterian
Church, and a moderate Conservative in politics.
WALTER J. GLENDINNING, lot 29, concession 2, is the son of James and
Elizabeth (Wilkinson) Glendinning, who came from Dumfriesshire,
Scotland, at an early date, and settled in Scarboro’, where the father
died some years ago. The family left behind consisted of four sons and
one daughter, viz.: Francis, Walter J., Charles and John; the daughter
married J. G. Thompson of this township. The subject of this sketch was
born March 3, 1836, and early in life learned the trade of carpenter,
which he follows at the present time. He belongs to the Presbyterian
Church, and in politics is a Liberal Conservative.
WILLIAM HELLIWELL, lots 7 and 8, concession 1, is a son of Thomas
Helliwell who emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in 1818, and settled in
Toronto, where he established a brewery, carrying on that business until
his death in 1825. The business was afterwards carried on by his sons
Thomas and John until 1832, when William (the subject of this sketch)
and Joseph (another brother) became partners. John died in 1828, leaving
two sons, viz.: Thomas, who was manager of the Bank of Upper Canada at
St. Catharines for many years, and John who is a commission merchant. In
1847 the premises comprising the brewery, distillery, grist mills and
dwelling were burnt down, and the partnership was dissolved, William
removing to Highland Creek, where he built a grist mill, which he
operated until 1880, when it was burned. He then turned his attention to
farming, and has since continued in that branch of industry. He was
appointed J.P. in 1847, and was for many years a member of the Township
Council. He now holds the office of Overseer of Fisheries under the
Dominion Government. He is a Conservative in politics, and in religion a
member of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Helliwell married first a daughter
of Thomas Bright, who died in 1843, leaving two sons and four daughters.
He married a second time another of Mr. Bright’s daughters, by whom he
has a large family, six sons and five daughters. He has one son (Frank)
in the employment of P. Burns, coal and wood merchant, Toronto, and one
(Horatio) in the Inland Revenue Department. Mr. Helliwell was formerly a
captain in the militia, and was out with his company during the troubles
of 1837-’38.
[Illustration: JOHN HERON. [_Deceased_]]
WILLIAM HERON, deceased, was born in York County, near Toronto, in 1806.
His father was a pioneer of this section, and passed through the
troublous times of 1812. William married in 1832 Hannah, daughter of
George Skelding, also a York pioneer, and settled on lot 9, concession
D, Township of Scarboro’, where he lived until about two years before
his death which occurred October 25, 1883, at his residence in Scarboro’
Village, where Mrs. Heron and two daughters still live. He left a family
of four sons and five daughters, viz.: Samuel, George, William, Andrew,
John, Ann Moore, Lucy Stephenson, Jane Westney, Elizabeth and Sarah.
Each of the former received a farm, and the remainder of the family were
left in good circumstances. Mrs. Heron is still living on the family
homestead with two daughters, and is very much respected. The sons are
Reformers in politics; two members of the family are Presbyterians, the
rest are Methodists. Mr. and Mrs. Heron celebrated their golden wedding
January 25, 1882, surrounded by their family and friends.
JOHN HOLMES, lot 26, concession 2, blacksmith, is the second son of
Alexander Holmes, a native of Roxburghshire, Scotland. He came to Canada
in 1830 and remained three years in Montreal, subsequently coming to
York County and settling on his present lot. In addition to his trade he
has twenty-five acres of land which he cultivates, and his dwelling and
surroundings, on which he evidently expends much labour, are replete
with beauty and comfort. At the time of the Mackenzie Rebellion Mr.
Holmes shouldered his musket in defence of law and order, and was on
guard at Government House at the time of the Yonge Street skirmish. He
is in politics a Reformer, and a devoted and consistent member of the
Presbyterian Church. He married Miss Margaret Wilson, of Berwickshire,
Scotland, by whom he had twelve children; two only are now living, one
son and one daughter, the latter living at home with her parents.
WILLIAM H. HOUGH, carriage builder, is the son of Henry and Mary
(Colbetle) Hough. His father is a descendant of one of the Scarboro’
pioneers; his grandfather fought under General Brock, at Queenston
Heights, where he was wounded, and afterwards received a pension. The
father, Henry Hough, followed farming until twenty-four years of age
when he commenced the manufacture of carriages, which he continued until
1881, when William H. took charge of the business. In addition to
carriage-making he carries on a blacksmith’s shop also; and by close
application to every detail in his business and the employment of the
best workmen he is on his road to prosperity. He belongs to the
Methodist Church, and is a Liberal in politics.
JAMES HUMPHREY, lot 16, concession D, is the son of William and
Elizabeth Humphrey, and was born in the County of Tyrone, Ireland. His
father was of English descent, his mother being from Scotland. James
married, before he left Ireland, Margaret, daughter of James Richardson,
of Derry, the latter coming with our subject to Canada in 1824. They
came direct to York County and settled in Scarboro’ Township, and
purchased three hundred acres of Clergy Reserve Land. Mr. Humphrey has
been very successful and has been able to be of great assistance to his
family. He is in religion a consistent and devoted adherent of the
Church of England. His wife died in 1868, leaving a family of ten
children. He has one son, Richardson, who lives at home on the farm.
THOMAS KENNEDY, lot 28, concession 2, is the son of Samuel and Eleanor
Kennedy. His father came to Canada in 1800, and was engaged in making
roads and farming until 1838, when he removed to Ohio, U. S., and
remained there until his death in 1861. He had five sons and one
daughter, and to each of the sons who remained in Canada he gave a good
farm. Thomas Kennedy was born in Scarboro’ Township, October 11, 1814,
and has always been a resident of this section. He married Jane,
daughter of Alexander Montgomery, a pioneer of this section, by whom he
had the following children: Rebecca, born December 7, 1839; Eleanor,
born February 28, 1842; Lyman, born May 28, 1844; Elizabeth, born March
29, 1846; Henry, born August 20, 1849; John W., born May 31, 1852;
Thomas, born April 5, 1854; Maria, born August 16, 1856; William Andrew,
born August 18, 1858; Alfred E., born September 21, 1860, and Mary Ann,
born February 27, 1864, the latter being the only one now at home. Mr.
Kennedy received from his father sixty-five acres of land, uncleared;
that his success in life has been marked may be taken for granted, he
being in possession of five hundred acres. He is a Liberal in politics,
and in religion a member of the Presbyterian Church. One of the sons,
Alfred E., is a druggist in Toronto; John W. is a merchant of Agincourt
and very prosperous.
JOHN MCINTOSH, deceased, was a native of Perthshire, Scotland; he
emigrated to Canada in 1801 and settled in York County, where he died in
1830, at the age of seventy-seven years. He left a family of eleven
children; he and his son John fought side by side in the defence of
little York in 1812 and at the capitulation were both taken prisoners.
His son John married a sister of Mrs. William Lyon Mackenzie, and was in
the Legislature at the same time as the husband of the latter. Mrs.
Elliot, a daughter of John McIntosh, sen’r, was born in Toronto,
December 14, 1805, and married in 1827 Thomas Elliot, who died in
December 21, 1880. Mrs. Elliot is now living in comfortable retirement
at Highland Creek, and is much respected for her benevolent and
consistent Christian spirit.
MARSHALL MACKLIN, lot 24, concession 4, is the son of Daniel and Martha
(Marshall) Macklin, who in consequence of the persecution under which
they, as members of the Old Kirk of Scotland, suffered, took up their
residence in the North of Ireland, where they remained until their
death. Marshall emigrated to Canada in 1827, settled in Scarboro’, and
purchased two hundred acres of land from the Canada Company, afterwards
adding to his original lot until he had five hundred acres, which he has
divided among his sons. He married in 1837 Mary Jackson, by whom he had
seventeen children, seven sons and six daughters of whom are living.
Some of the family are settled in Michigan, U. S.; the eldest son,
Marshall, is a physician practising in Manitoba; the others are living
on or in the neighbourhood of the old homestead. Mr. Macklin has been
very successful, and has accumulated wealth, and now in the autumn of
life, after many years of laborious anxiety, enjoys in quiet and content
the ease afforded him. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in
politics belongs to the Reform Party.
SIMON MILLER, lot 28, concession 4, Scarboro’, is the eldest son of
Henry Miller, whose father came to York from Pennsylvania, U. S., in
April, 1793, and soon after settled on lot 34, concession 1, Markham
Township, where Henry Miller was born in November, 1797, and remained
until his death, February 29, 1884. He left a family of five children,
Simon, Nicholas, Henry, Nancy Jane, wife of William Gown; and Andrew.
Henry Miller, sen’r, was a member of the Home District Council from
Markham Township, and was also appointed Coroner and Issuer of Marriage
Licenses in 1853. He was once offered the representation of East York in
the Dominion Parliament, but refused the honour. Simon, the subject of
this sketch, married a daughter of William Munshaw, of Markham Township;
his family consists of two sons and four daughters. Mr. Miller is a
Justice of the Peace, and was a member of the Township Council for six
years.
W. J. MITCHELL, J.P., lot 22, concession 5, is descended from an Irish
family who remained true to the Crown during the Rebellion of 1798. His
father, James Mitchell, who was born in 1783, in after life often
related many of the stirring scenes of which he was an eye-witness
during that memorable period, one in particular, the setting on fire of
his father’s house by the United Irishmen. The family trace their
ancestry back to a more remote date, their name being mentioned by
Mackenzie in his narrative of the famous siege of Derry, on the side of
the defenders. The subject of this notice is the son of James and Sarah
Mitchell, who emigrated from Londonderry to Canada in 1842, and settled
on lot 22, concession 5, Scarboro’ Township, where the father died on
April 1, 1883, in his hundredth year. He now lives on the old homestead,
and although often solicited to accept municipal honours has always
declined. The only office he holds is that of Magistrate and
Commissioner in Queen’s Bench, the duties of which he discharges with
care and ability, there not having been any appeal against his decisions
for the quarter of a century in which he has held office. He married a
daughter of James Baird, of Donegal, Ireland, a very prominent family in
that part of the country, an uncle of Mr. Baird’s having been an
intimate friend and subordinate officer of Lord Nelson, viz.: Surgeon on
board the flag ship _Victory_.
JAMES PALMER, lot 31, concession B, is the son of James and Sarah Palmer
who came from the State of New York in 1797, and settled first at
Kingston, from which place they went to Cobourg, subsequently coming to
York and settling in the Township of Scarboro’, on lot 22, concession D,
where the father remained until his death in 1836. James, our subject,
was born at Stone Mills, Bay of Quinté, Prince Edward County in 1797,
and remained with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age,
when he purchased the lot on which he now lives. He has been through
life a very industrious man, and has also been successful, the neatness
of his farm and the substantial erections thereon bearing ample
testimony. He served in the War of 1812, for which he drew a pension. He
has been a member of the Municipal Council for some years. In politics
he is a Reformer, and in religion a Methodist; a consistent Christian,
he has earned the respect of all who know him. Mr. Palmer married Mary
Anne, daughter of Nathaniel Hastings, of Toronto, who died in 1876.
JAMES PATTON, lot 28, concession C, is the second son of George and
Elizabeth (Brock) Patton, natives of Lanarkshire, Scotland, who came to
Canada in 1833, and settled in Scarboro’ Township. Our subject has been
considered one of the best farmers in this section, and the services
rendered by him to the rising community recently took the form of a
valuable testimonial consisting of a beautifully framed illuminated
address, together with a purse of $150. The following is a copy of the
address:
_James Patton, Esq., of Scarboro’_:
DEAR SIR,—We, the undersigned, desire to express our
appreciation of the valuable services you have rendered, in your
successful endeavours to advance the interests of prize
ploughing in Canada; you have always occupied a prominent
position among the ploughmen of this country, and although
during later years, you have not been a competitor, yet the
interest you have manifested has been of the liveliest nature.
To your untiring zeal and kind instructions many of us owe our
success in the field, while your friendly and gentlemanly manner
at all times has endeared you to us all. This is a slight token
of the high esteem in which you are held by your many friends;
we would ask your acceptance of the accompanying testimonial,
and at the same time we trust the good feeling which has always
existed between us in the past, may continue in the future. We
would also express our regard for your estimable wife, Mrs.
Patton, and hope she may long be spared together with yourself,
to enjoy the blessings of this life, and be rewarded with
eternal happiness in the life which is to come. Committee on
behalf of the contributors: William Hood, Andrew Hood, W.
Rennie, S. Rennie, Dougald McLean, John Gibson, George Morgan,
William Milliken, John L. Gibson, Alfred Moson, John Little,
Alexander Doherty, Andrew Young, sen’r; James McCowan, Hugh
Clark, James Weir, John Torrance, John Crawford.
SCARBORO’, June 17, 1884.
ADNA PHERRILL lives on his farm of one hundred acres, being lot 25,
concession B. He is a son of the late Stephen Pherrill, a native of St.
John, N.B., who came to Canada in 1805, and settled in Scarboro’
Township. He fought in the War of 1812, and also during the Rebellion of
1837, in which he held a captaincy. Adna Pherrill, the subject of this
sketch, was born in this township in 1816, and lived on the old
homestead until he reached man’s estate, when his father presented him
with thirty acres of land wherewith to commence life. He afterwards
purchased his present one-hundred-acre farm in Scarboro’, for which he
paid $20 per acre. He also acquired thirty-two acres in the township. He
has been very successful in buying and selling farms and city property.
He purchased one hundred acres at Widder, Bosanquet Township, Lambton
County, which—being required for town lots—turned out a very
profitable investment; he afterwards bought three farms in Chatham,
where two of his sons and his eldest daughter now reside; he also
purchased a fine residence in Leslieville, before it became part of the
City of Toronto (for which piece of property he has been offered three
times what it originally cost him). Mr. Pherrill attributes his success
to the fine example set him by his honoured father, and never forgot a
maxim laid down by him “My son, be honest and earnest in whatever you
do.” He had a brother who was lieutenant in the Rebellion of 1837-38. In
1838 he married Miss Stewart, daughter of Captain William Stewart, by
whom he has seven children living, viz.: William, Russell, Stewart,
Tilmer, Elizabeth, Mary Hester and Helen. Having, by nearly fifty years
of industry and hard work, amassed a considerable fortune, he retired in
1875 to enjoy the ease and comfort to which his past life entitles him.
STEPHEN PHERRILL, deceased, was descended from a family who came from
the State of Maine, U. S., and settled in New Brunswick at the close of
the Revolutionary War. He remained with his parents for several years,
and while in New Brunswick married Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Jacob
Russell, of that Province, by whom he had six children, as follow: Amy,
Sarah, Eliza, Mary, Stephen and David. During the War of 1812 he was
engaged carrying despatches for Government, and after the war was over
settled on lot 24, concession B, Scarboro’ Township, where he lived
until his death in April, 1842. He left about one thousand five hundred
acres to divide among his family. William Pherrill, son of the above,
lives on the old homestead. He married Charlotte Boulton, daughter of
Captain Edward Boulton, by whom he had eleven children, seven of whom
are living; all married with one exception, a daughter who remains at
home. Mr. Pherrill held a captain’s commission, and was present at the
battle on Yonge Street during the Rebellion of 1837-’38. David J.
Pherrill, son of Stephen Pherrill, deceased, lives on the old homestead.
He married Hannah, daughter of Archibald Thompson, by whom he has five
children.
SIMPSON RENNIE, J.P., lot 30, concession 5, is the third son of Robert
and Eliza (Fife) Rennie. His parents came from Scotland in 1833, and
soon after settling in Scarboro’ purchased the lot on which Simpson now
resides. Mr. Rennie, sen’r, has long ago retired from active work, and
now lives in ease and retirement in the City of Toronto. Simpson Rennie
has had the entire management of his present farm for over twenty years,
and during that time has made considerable improvements. He obtained the
gold medal awarded by the Ontario Agricultural and Arts Association for
the best managed farm in group No. 4, comprising the following electoral
districts: Peel, Cardwell, York East, York North, York West, Simcoe
West, Simcoe East, Simcoe South, Algoma, Muskoka, Ontario North, Ontario
South, Durham East, Durham West. We need scarcely add that the
Association’s award is to Mr. Rennie a source of considerable pride. Mr.
Rennie married Isabella, daughter of William Hood, Esq., Markham, a
sketch of whose life appears elsewhere. The fruit of this union is four
children, viz.: Elizabeth, married to J. W. Sanderson; Robert, William
and James. The family belong to the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Rennie is a
Reformer in politics.
[Illustration: GEORGE TAYLOR.]
GEORGE TAYLOR, lot 26, concession C, was born in England, June 5, 1817.
His father, Richard Taylor, was born in 1776, and was a gardener by
profession. His mother’s maiden name was Fanny Burke. Their family
consisted of five children, viz.: George (the subject of this sketch),
James, Andrew, Mary and Nancy. Mr. Taylor, sen’r, emigrated to Canada in
1819, and after remaining in Nova Scotia for one year came forward to
little York, thence to Scarboro’ Township, where he purchased a farm on
the Don and Danforth Road for the sum of $500, on which he erected a log
house, and commenced the work of clearing. He had to put up with all the
inconveniences and hardships incidental to pioneer life, but by dint of
perseverance and energy he soon had a comfortable home in which to bring
up his family. As years passed by, his successes multiplied, and would
no doubt have further increased had not death, the stern monitor, cut
short his career in the year 1834. His life was a noble and industrious
one, and a fine example for his descendants. George Taylor was educated
in Scarboro’ Township, and early assisted his father in clearing the
farm, and on the death of the latter received the same by paying off the
other members of the family. When twenty-five years of age he married
Mrs. Stevens, of Scarboro’; the result of this marriage was five
children, three sons and two daughters, viz.: Abigail, born July 26,
1843; George, born January 20, 1845; Ruth, born September 8, 1846;
William, born September 11, 1848; Sarah Melissa, born June 7, 1852. The
mother died on June 17, 1882. Mr. Taylor has earned among his neighbours
a reputation for integrity rarely equalled; his industrious habits,
descended to him from his father, brought with them that success which
is generally the lot of application, and although now enjoying his
well-earned ease, his habitual liking for work finds vent in cultivating
the well-laid-out garden surrounding his house.
DAVID A. THOMPSON, lot 26, concession 1, is the youngest son of the late
Archibald D. Thompson, a descendant of the late Andrew Thompson,
mentioned elsewhere. His father died in 1877; his mother is still
living. The family consisted of six children. David, to whom was left
the old homestead and the care of his mother, married Margaret
Patterson, who died in 1875, by whom he had the following children:
Janet, Mary, Archibald, David and Isabella. Mr. Thompson is an
industrious, upright man, and respected by all for his integrity and
high principle. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a Liberal
Conservative in politics.
DAVID THOMPSON, deceased, was the first settler in the Township of
Scarboro’, locating there in the year 1796. He and his wife were of
Scotch birth, being from Wester-kirk, Dumfries. He died on June 22,
1834, and his wife died November 8, 1847; the latter was eighty years of
age, and left behind her over one hundred descendants. Mr. Thompson was
a stone-mason by trade, and assisted in the building of the first
light-house in Toronto Bay. He also fought in the War of 1812.
FRANCIS THOMPSON, lot 34, concession C, is the youngest son of William
and Mary Thompson, who came from County Tyrone, Ireland, about the year
1802. His parents remained in the United States eleven years, after
which time they came to Little York, and settled east of the Don,
removing afterwards to Scarboro’ Township, and settling on lot 34,
concession C, where he remained until his death. Francis was brought up
on his father’s farm and assisted in clearing off the bush and became
possessed of the homestead by purchase afterwards. He has been very
successful, and has been able to fairly start his sons in life and
retire himself from active labour. He married Hellen, eldest daughter of
John Walton, by whom he had five children, William Wallace, Mary, David
Walton, Hannah Janet, and Hellen Isabella; the latter lives at home with
her parents. Although often solicited to accept municipal honours he has
always declined. He is a staunch Conservative in politics, and a member
of the Presbyterian Church.
CHRISTOPHER THOMSON, lot 34, concession 2, is the youngest son of
Christopher and Mary Thomson. His father, who was born in Dumfriesshire,
Scotland, August 31, 1796, was one of the first settlers in this
township, and during his lifetime occupied a prominent position, having
filled for many years the office of Councillor and other places of
public trust in the municipality. His mother, Mary Thomson, was born in
York, Upper Canada, May 14, 1800. His parents were married March 17,
1820, at Scarboro’, by the Rev. W. Jenkins. Their family consisted of
nine sons and four daughters, none of whom died under forty years of
age. The mother, Mary Thomson, died December 14, 1876, and the father,
Christopher, died December 13, 1879. On the occasion of each funeral six
sons acted as pall bearers, and bore to their last resting-place the
remains of their deceased parents, an occurrence rarely seen. Mr.
Thomson, sen’r, was a consistent and devoted adherent of the
Presbyterian Church, and in politics supported the Reform Party.
Christopher, the youngest son, was born February 23, 1843, and has
always remained on the old homestead, which in company with his brother
John, he continues to cultivate. He is a firm supporter of the
Presbyterian Church, and in politics casts his vote for the Reform
Party. Both his brother and himself are much respected in this section.
JAMES A. THOMSON, deceased, lot 23, concession 1, was the youngest son
of Andrew and Jane Thomson, who emigrated from Dumfries, Scotland, in
1796, and after remaining five years in little York, removed to
Scarboro’ Township, and settled on lot 23, concession 1. Andrew Thomson
served during the War of 1812, and was taken prisoner by the Americans
at the capitulation of York. Connected as he was with the early history
of this township, we shall only be doing justice to his memory by
briefly alluding to the evident signs of progress made in this section
during the early days of settlement with which he was closely
associated. The first school-house erected in Scarboro’ was situated on
the corner of this lot, and the first church, a frame building,
belonging to the Presbyterian body, was built in 1819, to which Mr.
Thomson, sen’r, gave considerable assistance. The old gentleman died at
the age of seventy-one years, leaving behind him a name revered by his
posterity. He was twice married. By his first wife he had two children,
viz.: John and Elizabeth; by his second marriage he had Margaret,
Andrew, Janet, William, Mary Ellen, and James A., whose name heads this
sketch. The latter was born on the old homestead, part of which he
afterwards owned, March 20, 1802, and it is stated he was the first
white child born in Scarboro’ Township. Mr. Thomson was essentially a
self-made man. Brought up to agriculture, he did not neglect the more
ornamental, yet necessarily useful duties that relate to
self-improvement, and toiled early and late to acquire such knowledge as
would prove advantageous to him in after life. He was appointed a
Justice of the Peace, but always declined to act. He was frequently
solicited to act as Councillor, and in other municipal offices, but the
offers were all courteously declined. In politics Mr. Thomson was a
staunch Reformer, but insisted strongly on the maintenance of the
British connection with its attendant institutions. He was appointed an
Elder of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Scarboro’, in 1844, during
the ministry of Dr. George; and it was in a great measure due to his
influence that the site for the present beautiful structure at Bendale
was selected, for the erection of which he contributed a handsome sum.
Following the example of parents, who during their life-time were
eminent for their zeal and piety, he indeed merited the confidence of
the surrounding neighbours, and embraced every opportunity by which,
through his assistance, the cause of religion might be advanced. He was
a man of rare intelligence, and one who discharged the duties of elder
with great faithfulness and efficiency for over forty-four years. Mr.
Thomson was twice married. His first wife was a daughter of Thomas
Patterson, of this township, by whom he had eleven children. There was
no issue by his second marriage. He died on October 28, 1884.
JOHN TINGLE, jun’r, merchant and post-master, Wexford, is the son of
John and Ellen (Thompson) Tingle, and was born in 1837 in this township,
in which he has always been a resident. He commenced in the mercantile
line in 1865, and has been very successful. His father emigrated to
Canada in 1818. He was a Reformer in politics, and a Presbyterian in
religion. Our subject married in 1869 Eliza, daughter of Timothy
Devenish, of this township, by whom he had two children, Mary Ellen and
Emily. Mr. Tingle, like his father, is a strong Reformer, and a
consistent member of the Presbyterian Church.
THOMAS WALTON, deceased, a descendant of one of the pioneers of
Scarboro’, was born in this township, January 12, 1828. He died April
17, 1876, leaving a widow and a family of seven children. His wife’s
maiden name was Fanny Scott; she came from Cumberland, England. Mrs.
Walton resides on the old homestead in company with the following sons
and daughter: William Albert, Thomas A., Francis E. and Alice. Two
daughters are married, Lavinia to William Brown, of Markham, and Mary to
Charles Scrivens, of Buffalo. John Wallis, the second son, married a
Miss Brown, of this township. The family is one highly respected in the
neighbourhood; they are members of the Methodist Church.
JOHN P. WHELER, deceased, was born in England in 1810; he emigrated to
Canada in 1829 and settled in the Township of Scarboro’ in the following
year, on lot 21, concession D, where he operated a saw-mill,
subsequently erecting a flour-mill, which was destroyed by fire in 1863.
Mr. Wheler took a prominent and active part in the affairs of the
municipality, and was elected Councillor when the Board was organized,
accepting the honour of Deputy-Reeve for the first year and serving in
the Reeve’s chair for the succeeding twenty years. He was Warden of the
County of York three years and was elected first President of the East
York Agricultural Society, and also occupied for a number of years
corresponding positions in the Scarboro’ and Provincial Agricultural
Societies. He was appointed License Inspector for East York under the
Crooks Act, which office he held until the time of his death in August,
1883. Mr. Wheler was a strong Reformer in politics, and took a lively
and intelligent interest in all measures likely to benefit the country
at large.
THOMAS WHITESIDE, lot 29, concession 2, is the son of Thomas and Sarah
(Murdock) Whiteside. His father was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in
1772, and came to Canada in 1821, settling in Scarboro’ Township on the
lot now occupied by our subject, a year later. He died in 1870. He was a
strong Conservative in politics, and, in company with two of his sons,
took a prominent part in suppressing the Rebellion of 1837. He was in
religion a Presbyterian, and always bore a good character among his
neighbours. He left a family of seven children—Margaret, Jane, James,
Daniel, Sarah, Thomas and John. Thomas Whiteside, jun’r, was born in
1827 in the old log house, which is still to be seen from the windows of
his present residence. He married Miss Jane McCowan, a native of
Scotland, by whom he has six children, viz.: Thomas, William J.,
Margaret P., Janet G., David and John H. Mr. Whiteside served in the
Township Council four years. He takes an active part in agricultural
matters, and is a member both of East York and Scarboro’ Societies. He
is also a member of the York Pioneers. In politics he votes
Conservative, and in religion is a worthy member of the Presbyterian
body, from which he never withholds substantial support.
ARCHIBALD WRIGHT, deceased, a pioneer of Scarboro’ Township and a native
of the Highlands of Scotland, emigrated to America at an early day and
settled in New Brunswick, where he remained until the year 1809. He came
to Canada and settled in Scarboro’ Township on the lot now occupied by
his grandson, John Wright. He afterwards removed to Whitby with his wife
and one son, where he died on June 18, 1837. His wife died on November
13, 1855. He left behind him a family of five sons and four daughters,
together with considerable property—about five hundred acres. He was a
worthy member of the Presbyterian Church, and in political convictions a
strong Reformer. Hulet Wright, son of the above, residing with his son
John on lot 35, concession 4, having in early life to put up with the
discomforts and hardships attendant to pioneer life, it is scarcely
necessary to add that he had little or no education, in lieu of which he
had the example of perseverance and energy, combined with a strong
religious belief received from his parents. He has been very successful
in life, and now, at the advanced age of eighty-eight, surrounded by his
grandchildren, he enjoys that ease and comfort, earned through years of
toil, to which he is certainly entitled. In politics he is a Reformer.
John Wright, lot 35, concession 4, son of the above, was born in
Scarboro’ Township in 1833 and has always lived at home on the old
homestead. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and in politics a
staunch Reformer.
TOWNSHIP OF MARKHAM.
WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, lot 10, concession 10, is the eldest son living of
Captain William Armstrong, who emigrated to the United States in 1817.
Mr. Armstrong remained in New York about two years, and then removed to
Montreal, where he stayed until 1824, in which year he came to Toronto.
He soon afterwards settled in Markham Township on lot 10, concession 8,
one log house at that time comprising what is now the Village of
Markham. In the year 1832 he married Esther, daughter of Peter Reesor.
For many years he kept the Wellington Hotel in the township, which he
carried on in connection with his farming. He took a lively interest in
agriculture; and many others, stimulated by his example, were prevailed
upon to give their full support to the exhibitions. He also held a
captain’s commission in the militia. He was a member of the English
Church, it having been partly through Captain Armstrong’s
instrumentality that the services of the Church of England were procured
for Markham. Captain Armstrong lived to a good old age, honoured and
respected by all his neighbours, by whom his memory is still cherished
and his virtues emulated. William, his son, has a very fine property and
has taken great interest in all agricultural matters. He is energetic
and enterprising, and allows no opportunity to pass whereby the
advancement of the township may be secured.
WILLIAM JAMES BEATON, blacksmith, was born in the Township of Pickering,
Ontario County, in 1859. His father was born in Scotland in 1800, and
came to Canada at an early day, and has occupied the position of
Township Clerk and Treasurer of Pickering for upwards of forty years.
William James is one of a family of five children; he learned the trade
of blacksmith with Mr. William Mosgrove, of Brougham, and has since
carried on that business in Markham. He was married in 1882 to Miss
Minnie Woodruff.
JOHN N. BUTTON, lot 15, concession 4, is the second son of
Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Button, who located in Markham about 1798
with his father, Major John Button, who raised a troop of cavalry and
fought in defence of his country during the War of 1812. The subject of
this notice was born on the old homestead, and at the age of sixteen
repaired to Markham Village, where he learned the trade of blacksmith,
which business he followed for several years. He has of late years,
however, confined himself mostly to farming. He married Miss Barr, by
whom he had one daughter, now the wife of Major James Elliott, who
resides on the home farm. Mr. Button is one of the oldest Canadian
J.P.’s in the township. He formerly held a commission in the British
cavalry. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and has been liberal in
his donations for schools and other necessary institutions in the
township. His eldest grandson, Robert Button Elliott, is a member of the
old troop, and is Sergeant-Major of the Second Regiment of Cavalry; his
youngest grandson, William Asa Elliott, is with him on the old farm.
NEWBURY BUTTON, lot 35, concession 7, is the son of Francis Button,
mentioned elsewhere. He was born at Buttonville Village in 1825, and
remained with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age. He
married a daughter of William Reynolds, by whom he has two children
living. His wife died in 1857. He married again, his second wife being
Catharine Bartholomew, of this township, by whom he had two sons. Both
himself and his sons take an active interest in military matters.
CHRISTOPHER H. CHANT, lot 12, concession 5, is the youngest but one in a
family of nine children born to Christopher and Jane Chant. His father
emigrated from Somersetshire, England, and settled in Brockville in
1841. Three years later he removed with his family to Niagara, and while
there the subject of this sketch was sent to St. Catharines to learn the
trade of cabinet maker. He eventually settled in Unionville, Markham
Township, where he married a daughter of Robert Croft, and has now a
grown-up family. He follows his calling of cabinet maker, and is
everywhere noted as being extremely skilful in his business. One of his
sons follows the same trade. He has one son Station Agent on the Midland
Railroad, and his youngest son is teaching school at Maxwell, having
matriculated at Toronto University with first-class honors in
Mathematics and English. Mr. Chant also conducts an undertaking business
and has a first-class hearse of his own making.
DAVID CLARK, proprietor of Queen’s Hotel, Thornhill, is a native of
Scotland, and came to Canada in 1872. For some time he carried on a
bottling business in Toronto, and afterwards kept the Manitoba House. In
1882 he bought and took possession of the above named pretty popular
hotel, where he has every accommodation for the travelling public.
W. D. CROSBY, lot 8, concession 7, is the son of C. Crosby, who, coming
from the State of New York, located with his parents in Markham in the
year 1812, the family settling on the farm now occupied by the subject
of this sketch. His father married Mary, daughter of Michael Miller, a
pioneer of Markham, by whom he had the following children: Jemima (now
the wife of Dr. Doherty), H. P., Ellen, I. G., W. D. (our subject),
James S. and H. A. W. D. Crosby was born on the old homestead and
assisted to clear the farm, and since he has been in possession has
shown himself energetic and successful, and bears a good character among
his neighbours. He is a Reformer in politics, and a consistent follower
of the Methodist Church. He married in 1860 Jane Mulholland, by whom he
has a family of eight children.
SAMUEL S. CUMNER, lot 4, concession 3, Township of Markham, is the
youngest son of David and Abigail Cumner, being a descendant of a family
who originally came from Pennsylvania, and settled in York County at an
early day. His father was born in 1803, and his mother in 1797, and the
family consisted of eight children, six of whom are yet living. Samuel
has always lived on the old homestead; he married Miss Sarah Toppin, by
whom he had five children; he has one daughter at home keeping house for
him. Mr. Cumner in religion is a Methodist, and is everywhere looked
upon as an upright, earnest and consistent Christian; he is always ready
to assist in Sunday school work, and has been superintendent for the
same some years. He is one who has never sought office, preferring
rather to remain in private life and watch over the education of his
children.
ANDREW ECKARDT is the sixth son of Philip Eckardt, who came to Canada in
1790. His father came to Markham with Mr. Berzie, the Government Agent.
Andrew was born in 1811; he married Miss Charlotte Hunter, whose parents
emigrated to Canada in 1790; her mother was originally from Copenhagen,
in Denmark. Mr. Eckardt has been known throughout the township as a
hardworking and enterprising man. In the municipality he helped to clear
the land where now stands the thriving Village of Unionville, and was
appointed Postmaster when the office was first established there; and,
in all matters for the advantage of the township as a whole, Mr. Eckardt
was ever ready to take his share of responsibility.
JAMES ECKARDT, lot 11, concession 6, was born upon the farm where he yet
lives. He is of German extraction, his grandfather having emigrated from
Bruges in 1793, and suffered all the hardships and privations of the
early settlers. James was only fifteen years of age at the death of his
parents; but, as he had received a good education, was well prepared to
face the stern realities of life. He married Sarah Jane Size in 1859, by
whom he has four sons and four daughters. He is a J.P. and License
Inspector. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, and his influence
throughout the section is very great.
JOHN ECKARDT, lot 10, concession 6, is the fourth son of George Eckardt.
The latter was born in Markham in the year 1800, and died in the same
township in the year 1862. Our subject was born in Markham in the year
1843, where he has always continued to live, following the occupation of
farmer. He married Mary, eldest daughter of John Snowball, a native of
Yorkshire, England, by whom he has two children, viz.: Wilbert Howard
and Ethel Maud. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and is a Reformer in
politics.
JOSEPH ECKARDT, lot 10, concession 6, is the youngest son of George
Eckardt, was born in Markham Township, and is one of a family of eight
children, all of whom are still living. He was born in 1846, and still
lives on part of the old homestead, where he does a large and profitable
trade in the cultivation of small fruits. He married in 1874 the eldest
daughter of Hector C. Thomson, formerly of Glasgow, Scotland, by whom he
has three children. His grandfather was one of the first settlers in
Markham.
ANTHONY FORSTER, lot 13, concession 9, was born in the Township of
Markham, November 6, 1844, and is the son of William Forster, a native
of Northumberland, England, where he was born December 22, 1813. His
mother’s maiden name was Barbara Wurts, of Markham; their family
consisted of four sons. Anthony was educated in School Section No. 21,
Markham Township, and subsequently at the High School, Markham Village.
He has, since the completion of his education, been engaged in farming;
he married January 16, 1870, Alice A. Dack, daughter of John W. Dack, a
native of Dublin, Ireland; they have six children, viz.; Tamsine Emilia,
Nellie Amelia, Laura Alice, Jessie Gertrude, William Dack and Walter
Ellis (all living). Mr. Forster has occupied several important offices
in connection with municipal affairs. He has been Road Overseer,
Assessor, Councillor, Deputy-Reeve, Public and High School Trustee, and
a member of the Local Board of Health. He also belongs to the
Agricultural Society, and is a member of the Farmers’ Club. Two brothers
of Mr. Forster, John and Elias, were drowned in the Maitland River,
April 16, 1864. He is a member of the Methodist body, and a Reformer in
politics.
THOMAS FRISBY, lot 25, concession 4, is the eldest son of John and Lucy
Frisby, who emigrated from England in 1831 and settled in Thornhill,
where the father purchased a farm on concession 3, on which he remained
until 1856; he went on business to Milwaukee, but unfortunately lost his
life on board the Niagara boat which was burned on September 24, 1856.
This unexpected and melancholy event disturbed all existing arrangements
and the family decided to remain in the township, Thomas taking upon
himself the management of his late father’s affairs. That the section
benefited by the family remaining here is certain, for Mr. Frisby has
ever proved himself anxious to promote the general well-being of the
community; and, although he has never accepted office, yet his presence
has ever been recognized as an advantage. He has been liberal towards
the erection of churches of every denomination, and the poor and needy
find in him a sincere friend. He married a daughter of John Newlove, of
Etobicoke, by whom he had ten children, nine of whom are living.
GEORGE GOHN, lot 9, concession 3, is the youngest son of David and Lucy
Gohn, of this township. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, his
mother being from New Jersey. Mr. Gohn, sen’r, came to Canada in 1812
and took part in the war with the States, afterwards settling on the lot
now occupied by his son George, where he remained until his death in
1862. His wife is still living with her son on the old farm. George Gohn
married a daughter of L. Belway, of Thornhill, by which union there are
four sons. He has, since his father’s death, greatly improved the
property, and now possesses a very fine farm, to which he gives the
closest attention.
WILLIAM GOHN, lot 8, concession 2, is the second son of David and Lucy
Gohn. His father was born in Pennsylvania and came to Canada in 1812; he
served in the War of 1812 and was at the Battle of York. He settled on
lot 9, concession 3, Markham, where he remained until his death in 1862;
his wife is still living.
MOSES HEMINGWAY, deceased, was born in the Township of Markham in the
year 1809. He was descended from a family which claimed to be of Scotch
origin, though one of its members, Samuel Hemingway, resided in England
previous to his departure for these shores. Samuel, as far as we can
learn, was the first of his race to come to America; he settled in the
United States, and brought up his family in the occupation of farming.
The members of the Hemingway family were particularly remarkable for
their strength and physical endurance. Josiah Hemingway, son of Samuel,
and father of the one whose name heads this sketch, was born in the
State of New York in the year 1774, and when a young man of twenty-four
years determined to try his fortune in Canada. In the year 1798 he
settled in the Township of Markham, York County, and married Miss Annie
Stiver, daughter of the late John Stiver, and sister of the first white
male child said to have been born in Markham. After his marriage he
settled on lot 4, concession 4 of that township, his land then being in
its primæval state; but through succeeding years he and his faithful
helpmate after the first of the hardships—the laborious work of
clearing—was accomplished, got together a very comfortable home. Josiah
Hemingway died in the year 1854, at the advanced age of eighty years,
leaving a family of three sons and six daughters. Relative to the early
history of York County, it may be mentioned that Josiah Hemingway with
his seven and a-half pound axe cleared the first part of Yonge Street
leading north from Toronto. He never held any public office, preferring
to attend to the duties of his farm, which was in itself sufficient to
engage his attention. Politically he was a consistent Reformer, but took
no active part in election contests. He was ever true and loyal to the
British flag, the emblem of those institutions of freedom which he
always cherished and admired. In religion he held to the Methodist
Church, of which he remained a devoted member until his death. He was
liberal in all matters that had for their object the good and welfare of
the community at large. Moses Hemingway, whose name heads this family
history, was left with the old homestead on his father’s death, and was
married to Miss Jane Burns, daughter of Thomas Burns, deceased, who at
the time of his daughter’s marriage resided in the City of Toronto.
Moses, on taking possession of the farm, followed his father’s footsteps
in the management of the property. He was a man of powerful frame and
robust constitution, which enabled him to endure any amount of fatigue,
and was considered, when in the prime of life, one of the strongest men
in the Township of Markham. He was also a great sportsman, and might
often have been seen with gun and dogs wending his way in search of
game. Mr. Hemingway, following the example of his father, held no public
office; in politics he was ever true to the Reform Party, but took no
part in election struggles. In religion he belonged to the Methodist
Church, and was liberal in promoting any object whereby the well-being
of society was to be secured. His death occurred March 15, 1875, at the
age of sixty-six years; his widow, two sons and three daughters survive
him. Orson Hemingway, lot 4, concession 4, Markham, is the second eldest
son of Moses Hemingway, deceased. He manages the farm formerly in
possession of his father, and in addition to this he is occupier of the
Bee-Hive Hotel, at Hagerman’s Corner, Markham, where every accommodation
is afforded to the travelling community. Mr. Orson Hemingway was married
in 1869 to Miss Matilda Jane Webber, daughter of John Webber, Esq.,
proprietor of the Queen’s Hotel, Unionville, one of the most commodious
and attractive hotels north of Toronto. Mr. Hemingway has a family of
five sons and three daughters. In connection with his extensive farm Mr.
Hemingway is applying all the latest improvements, and as a hotel-keeper
he is found courteous and obliging, and is everything else to be
desired. His reputation for fair dealing is well-known, and he is
liberal in giving towards any object that is likely to promote the
welfare of the community.
WILLIAM HOOD is a native of Roxburghshire, Scotland, and emigrated with
his wife and family in 1837. His father died in 1806; his mother came
with him to Canada. On his arrival here his family consisted of two sons
only, which was afterwards increased to fourteen; nine only are now
living. Most of his sons are farmers and are settled in different parts
of the country. Mr. Hood has been very successful, and although
commencing with only $100 has bought, and paid for since, five hundred
and eighty-six acres of land. Adam Hood, son of the above, lives on lot
3, concession 6; he married a daughter of John Gibson, of this township.
The family are members of the Presbyterian Church, and have ever been
known as hospitable and generous to the poor and needy.
B. HOOVER, lot 6, concession 7, was born on lot 23, concession 1,
Pickering Township, in 1852. He is one of a family of eight children,
and worked for Mr. J. H. Ramer, of Markham, and subsequently with his
brother, J. R. Hoover, at the mill on Duffin’s Creek, two years. He
afterwards rented a grist mill from Mr. A. Spofford for two and a-half
years; and, before taking possession of his present mills, rented a
grist and general custom mill from Mr. Thomas Millne, from 1881 to 1883.
The Glen Rouge Mill, which has a run of three stones, and a grinding
capacity of fifty barrels per twenty-four hours, is valued by Mr. Hoover
at $8,000. In 1875 he married Miss Emaline Ramer, of Markham; they have
three children—Peter John, born May 10, 1879; Edith Mary, born
September 23, 1881, and Archie, born February 3, 1884.
BENJAMIN B. S. JENKINS, lot 27, concession 5, is the son of the Rev.
William Jenkins, a Presbyterian clergyman. His father was educated at
the University of Edinburgh, and subsequently came to America, having
for his object the propagation of the Gospel amongst the Indian tribes.
He laboured among the Oneida Indians about twelve years; and then being
offered a professorship in the College at Saratoga, and likewise having
a call from York County, Canada, he accepted the latter, and travelled
on horseback across the country to take charge of his new duties. This
took place in the year 1816, and it is confidently stated that he was
the first Presbyterian minister who settled in the country. Through his
persevering efforts several churches were erected in the various
townships, and his death, which occurred September 25, 1843, was widely
regretted. He was buried at Richmond Hill, the village where his last
sermon was preached. Benjamin was born May 25, 1824, and has always
followed agricultural pursuits, in which he has been eminently
successful. He was married in 1848 to Maria F. Crosby; their family
consists of four children, two sons and two daughters. Mr. Jenkins is a
zealous worker in the cause of the church and is superintendent of the
Sabbath school.
CORNELIUS JOHNSON, lot 27, concession 7, is the son of Peter and Sarah
Johnson, and was born June 9, 1810, in Markham Township. He remained at
home and assisted his father to clear the land till his marriage with
Margaret Clendenning in 1834, when he settled on his present lot. His
family consists of four sons and three daughters, one having died, and
are comfortably settled in the neighbourhood of the old homestead. His
wife died December 6, 1856. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and
is much esteemed throughout the district.
JOHN LANGSTAFF, lot 36, concession 1, one of the contributors to this
work, was born September 9, 1819. His father came to Little York from
Amboy, New Jersey, in the winter of 1808, riding the whole distance,
five hundred and fifty miles, on horseback. The following year he
married Lucy Miles, of Richmond Hill, after which he returned to his old
home in the winter of 1809-10, and was back again at little York in the
spring, the journey, as heretofore, being accomplished on horseback,
covering a distance of one thousand one hundred miles. He signalized his
return by settling on the lot now owned by his son John, and commenced
school teaching. He opened the first public school north of Toronto. The
building was situated on the corner of lot 35 (Markham) and built of
round logs. During the War of 1812-’14, Mr. Langstaff held a situation
in the Commissariat Office as book-keeper under the late George
Crookshank. He died in the year 1863, at the age of eighty-nine years.
He was a strong Conservative in politics, and took an active part at
election times. John Langstaff, whose name heads this sketch, has been a
farmer in Markham for the past fifty years. In 1847 he purchased lot 47,
concession 1, in Vaughan Township, on which he built a saw-mill and
agricultural implement manufactory. He has been engaged in lumbering for
a number of years, and has been generally successful as a business man.
He married in 1853 Elizabeth Brett, of English birth, by whom he has the
following sons and daughters, viz.: George Augustus, M.D., at Thornhill;
John Elliott, M.D., Brooklyn, New York, and married to Miss Meredith of
New Brunswick; Louis Garibaldi, M.D., Richmond Hill; Edwin Curry,
farmer; Lucy, married to R. D. Little, and Flora at school. Mr.
Langstaff belongs to the English Church, and is a Conservative in
politics. In connection with Mr. Langstaff’s present property is a
mineral spring which has only recently been utilized, its health-giving
and healing properties being found to be quite as remarkable as those
Bethesda waters which have such a celebrated name over the continent.
Its constituent elements are as follow, as analyzed by Professor Thomas
Heys, of Toronto School of Medicine: Sulphate of Potassa, 0.921;
Bicarbonate of Soda, 2.068; Bicarbonate of Magnesia, 9.812; Silica and
Alumina, 1.449; Chloride of Potassium, 1.225; Bicarbonate of Lime,
16.507; Bicarbonate of Iron, 0.669 (being 32.615 grains per gallon). The
spring has quite a reputation and many invalids are tempted thither to
test the peculiar properties of the waters. Mr. R. D. Little, of
Brooklyn, New York, son-in-law to Mr. Langstaff, has charge of the
Hawthorn Mineral Spring Residence, the name by which it is known, and
every accommodation is afforded for guests and visitors.
JONAH LEEK, lot 15, concession 3, was born in this township. His parents
were David and Harriet Leek. His father was born in New Jersey, his
people removing to New York State when he was three years old. They
remained there until 1825, when they came to Canada and, taking up their
abode in Markham, settled here. Mr. Leek died in 1878, leaving a family
of six children. Jonah was the only son and to him was left the family
homestead. He married Miss Quantz; they have eight children, five sons
and three daughters, all of whom live at home with them. Mr. Leek is a
member of the Episcopal Church, and takes great interest in all affairs
calculated to promote the spread of Christian principles.
GEORGE LEEK, lot 16, concession 3, is the youngest son of David and Mary
Leek. His father was born in New Jersey in 1801, but afterwards lived in
New York State several years. He married there in 1826, and subsequently
came to Canada, taking up his residence in Markham Township, where he
lived until his death July 19, 1882. He was much revered by his
neighbours for his urbanity, which closely allied to his Christian
character did much to elevate the general tone of the community, and as
such his death was universally regretted. George, who was brought up
upon, and still retains the old homestead, endeavours to maintain the
good character of the family as established by his father, in which he
has been eminently successful. He is a Liberal Reformer in politics.
S. B. LEHMAN, lot 31, concession 5, is the second son of Daniel and
Susanna Lehman. His father was a native of Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania, and came to Canada in 1825 with his parents, and settled
on lot 35, concession 7, Markham Township, subsequently removing to lot
35, Pickering Township, where he died in 1867. His family consisted of
six children; his widow died in 1883. S. B. Lehman remained at home with
his parents until he was twenty-five years old when he married Miss
Frances Hoover, in 1865, and commenced farming on his own account which
pursuit he followed until 1880. In that year he started to operate a
flour as well as a woollen mill, and is at present doing a good business
in both departments, having one son in the business with him. Although
not possessing a desire for municipal honours yet he is always ready to
join in any private enterprise likely to benefit the community,
consequently much respect is entertained for him throughout the
township. By his wife he has six children.
JOHN LUNDY, lot 5, concession 3, is the son of William Lundy, who
emigrated from Ireland with his family, consisting of five sons and
three daughters. Mr. Lundy, sen’r, settled in Toronto Township. John was
a cooper by trade, and being induced to settle at the German Mills
followed his occupation there for several years. He subsequently
purchased the farm adjoining the mill, on which he now resides. He
married Sarah, daughter of John Curroy, of Scarboro’ Township, the fruit
of this union being eight children. He has one son at home, Joseph, who
manages the farm. Mr. Lundy has been a hard working industrious man, and
bears a high character for integrity in the township. He is an adherent
of the Presbyterian Church, from which he never withholds his support.
ANGUS MCKINNON, lot 26, concession 5, is the sixth son of Neil McKinnon,
who emigrated from Scotland in 1812. His father came out with Lord
Selkirk, and went with him to Manitoba, where he built a house on the
banks of the Red River, about one and a-half miles from the present City
of Winnipeg. Angus was born in Mull, Scotland, and was about three years
old when the family settled in the far west. They left there at the
expiration of three years on account of the misrepresentations of Lord
Selkirk, and turned their faces eastward again. After a tedious and
lengthened journey they reached York, and settled in Markham, on the lot
now occupied by Mr. McKinnon. The father died in 1829; the mother
survived him twenty years. Angus married Mary Anthony, by whom he has a
family of four sons and five daughters. As may be expected he has done a
fair share of hard work, having helped to clear the farm at the time of
settlement. He has contributed towards the erection of churches and the
support of ministers, and in all matters concerning the welfare of the
municipality has acted no mean part.
ARCHIBALD MCKINNON, deceased. The late Archibald McKinnon, Markham, was
born in the year 1797 in the Isle of Mull, Argyleshire, Scotland. He was
the eldest of a family of four sons and three daughters. His father, the
late Hugh McKinnon, of Markham, and his mother, Margaret McGilivray,
were both of the same parish of Mull. His father, Hugh McKinnon was in
fair circumstances in Mull, yet he was anxious to better the condition
of his family; and his brother, the late Neil McKinnon, who had settled
in Markham in the year 1817, from the Selkirk District in the
North-West, where he emigrated with his family in the year 1812, held
forth to his brother Hugh, in Mull, strong inducements to emigrate to
Canada with his family. This invitation was finally accepted, and in the
summer of 1820 Hugh and his family came to Canada. Previous to coming to
Canada, his eldest son, Archibald, the subject of this sketch, was
married to Miss Catharine McGilivray, of the same parish. They set sail
from Glasgow, and after a rough voyage of six weeks landed at Quebec.
After staying there for a few days they set sail for Little York, now
Toronto, which they reached after a perilous voyage of four weeks. The
journey up from Quebec had to be performed with Durham boats drawn by
oxen and guided by pilots who walked on the tow-path along the shore and
with pike-poles kept the boats at a certain distance from the shore. On
landing at “muddy York,” the first sight that attracted their attention
was the dead carcase of a horse lying on the wharf and surrounded by a
group of Indians and squaws feasting over its remains. Such a feast as
this was rather unnatural to the Mull people, as they would prefer
feasting over a dish of Loch Fine herrings and a good bowl of
buttermilk. After staying in Little York for a short time, they set out
for Markham, taking Yonge Street as their route, which at this time was
the only road leading north of Toronto. After a journey of one day on
foot from Toronto, they finally reached their destination, the home of
Neil McKinnon, near Cashel, and now the present home of his son, Angus
McKinnon. Shortly after coming to Markham, Hugh McKinnon and his son
Archibald purchased lot 9, concession 6, Markham. Archibald settled on
the east end of the lot, and his father on the west end, each occupying
one hundred acres, all bush land. Hugh McKinnon, after the lapse of many
years, made for himself a comfortable homestead, where both he and his
amiable wife died in the year 1850, at the advanced ages of eighty-four
and eighty-two; leaving a family of four sons and three daughters, all
of them being married at the time of their parents’ death. Archibald,
the subject of this sketch, and his faithful wife endured (as did his
father) many hardships and trials on their bush farm, contending against
difficulties which all the early settlers had to fight against. The
Village of Unionville, in Markham, at this period had no existence, and
Markham Village only contained a few log houses. The first two bushels
of fall wheat which he sowed he had carried a distance of five miles on
his back after threshing it on the same day with the old-fashioned
implement, the flail. The first baking-kettle obtained was purchased
with a loaf of sugar, which he carried on his back to Toronto, a
distance of twenty miles through the woods, and returned home the same
day carrying the kettle on his back. He had frequently journeyed to
Toronto on horseback with eggs and butter. However, through the lapse of
time, he and his industrious wife hewed for themselves a comfortable
home out of this forest farm, where he died on December 25, 1880,
surviving his wife by eleven years, and leaving a family of four sons
and three daughters to survive him. His eldest son, John, resides in the
Township of Vaughan and follows the occupation of farming; he has a
family of eight sons and one daughter. The second eldest son, Hugh,
resides in Markham on his grandfather’s old homestead; he has a family
of four sons and one daughter. His son Neil follows the occupation of a
Public School teacher and resides with his brother Allen, who is in
possession of his father’s old homestead, and his youngest sister,
Christina, lives on the farm with him. The other two daughters, Flora
and Margaret, reside in the Townships of Bruce and Saugeen, and are
married and in comfortable circumstances. The late Archibald McKinnon
was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, to which
denomination his family also belongs. In politics he was a Liberal
Reformer; but took no active part in political contests, neither held
any public office, as he was no office-seeker, preferring to live a
quiet life. He was honest and exact in all his public dealings, never
had a suit in court, nor was he ever sued. He and his wife were kind and
hospitable, their home was always open to the poor and needy, and they
were always liberal in giving to assist in every good cause, which
example the surviving members of the family endeavour to follow.
ALEXANDER MCLEAN, lot 10, concession 6, is the son of John and Isabella
McLean, who emigrated from Argyleshire, Scotland, in 1824 and settled in
York County, purchasing and locating on the lot on which the subject of
this sketch now resides. His father died in 1864 and his mother in 1877.
Alexander follows the occupation of farmer, and is energetic and
industrious. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a Liberal in
politics.
JOHN B. MCLEAN, lot 3, concession 8, was born in the Township of Markham
in 1836; his father was John B. McLean, a native of Ardigullen, County
of Longford, Ireland, who died in 1851. His mother’s maiden name was
Eliza Preston, a native of the same place. She died in 1876. Our subject
is one of a family of ten children, and has generally been engaged in
farming. He married, December 2, 1864, Ophelia Peck, of Newmarket,
daughter of Stephen Northrop Peck, deceased, formerly a dentist of
Newmarket, by whom he has five children. Mr. McLean is in religion a
member of the Baptist Church, and a Conservative in politics.
ALEXANDER MCPHERSON, lot 2, concession 5, is the son of Alexander and
Annie McPherson. The family are of Scotch origin, our subject’s
grandfather having emigrated from Edinburgh about 1787, and settled in
Nova Scotia. His father, Alexander, came from that Province to York in
1830, and purchased the property on which the son now lives. He cleared
his land, and, after a life spent in toil and usefulness, died in 1878.
He took an active part in all matters pertaining to the religious
welfare of the community among which he lived, and ministers of all
denominations have received from him a hearty welcome. He left a family
of one son and five daughters. The subject of this sketch married
Elizabeth, daughter of William Hood. She died leaving one child. In 1855
he married a second time, his wife was Hester Kennedy; they have no
children. Mr. McPherson has much improved his farm, which is now a very
valuable one, and contains two hundred and twelve acres of choice land.
He follows in the footsteps of his father, which is the highest
compliment that can be paid to him, and in all matters which concern the
good of the township he is ready to contribute his share of time and
labour. He is a York Pioneer and also holds a Lieutenant’s commission in
the militia.
ANDREW MILLER, lot 34, concession 1, is the youngest son of Henry and
Mary (Kennedy) Miller. His father settled in Markham Township during the
administration of Governor Simcoe, where he lived until his death in
1884. He was throughout his long life industrious, and discharged his
manifold duties with conscientious care. He filled the office of
District Councillor, and was a member of the first Council Board of the
township, and also belonged to the County Council. As a sincere and
devoted member of the Presbyterian Church his death was much lamented by
that body in the district. Andrew has always lived on the old homestead
which he now owns, and like his father, is much respected in the
neighbourhood. He takes no part in the affairs of the municipality; but
attends strictly to his own immediate concerns, and has been very
successful. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He married a
daughter of John Welsh of this township, by whom he had four sons, one
of whom is in California. His grandfather built the first grist mill in
Markham.
JOHN MILLER, lot 19, concession 10, is the son of George and Catharine
Miller. His father was a native of Dumfries, Scotland, and emigrated to
Canada in 1832, settling in the Township of Markham, where he remained
until his death which occurred in 1880. During his lifetime he was
largely engaged in stock-raising, and was, we believe, the first to
import into Ontario the Leicester and Cotswold breed of sheep as well as
the Shorthorn Durham cattle. He was also mainly instrumental in
establishing the Provincial Exhibition, and up to the time of his death
was a most active member of the society. He was on one occasion burned
out, losing by that conflagration nine valuable horses, fourteen head of
cattle and thirty-two sheep. He was, however, not discouraged by this
calamity, but took the earliest possible opportunity of having his stock
recruited from the Old Country. John, following the same course as his
father, deals largely in a thoroughbred stock, but never exhibited at
any of the large shows. He is married, and has six children.
LUTON MILLER, lot 16, concession 8, is the fourth son of Joshua Miller,
who came from Saratoga, New York State, in 1801, and settled on lot 22,
concession 8, in Markham Township, where he lived until his death in the
year 1851. Luton was born on the old homestead in 1809, and on
commencing life for himself purchased the farm where he resided until
his death, which occurred July 7, 1884. Having grown up with the
township, he contributed not a little towards the making of roads and
the erection of churches and school-houses. Among the positions he held
may be mentioned Roadmaster, Trustee of Schools and Deacon of the
Baptist Church. He was also a Lieutenant in the militia, and was one of
the first to answer the call to arms during the perilous times of the
Rebellion.
WILLIAM MILLIKEN, lot 5, concession 5, is the descendant of a U. E.
Loyalist family whose property was confiscated during the Revolutionary
War. They settled in New Brunswick, but afterwards removed to York
County, Ontario. His grandfather, Norman Milliken, located in Markham
about 1805, where he remained until his death. His father, Benjamin
Milliken, was born in New Brunswick in 1794, and was about eleven years
old when the family removed to York. He volunteered for active service
during the War of 1812, and was present at the Battle of Queenston
Heights. The arms he carried on that memorable occasion are still in
possession of the family. He also took an active part in the loyal cause
during the Rebellion of 1837-38. He received a Captain’s commission, and
subsequently was appointed Major. As a fitting reward for long and
distinguished service he was commissioned a Justice of the Peace, the
duties of which he fulfilled with zeal tempered by moderation. He was a
faithful adherent of the Methodist Church, and his house was always open
in welcome to ministers of every denomination. He was generous to the
poor and needy, and exemplified his Christian principles by bestowing
liberally for the furtherance of the Gospel. He died July 3, 1863, at
the age of sixty-nine years. William was born on the old homestead July
2, 1834. He married Miss Mary E. Hood, by whom he has two sons and three
daughters. Since he has had possession of the farm he has considerably
improved and beautified it by planting hedgerows, etc. He is believed to
have the best stock of Durham cattle and Cotswold sheep in the section.
He has been seven years a member of the Municipal Council, and four
years in the County Council. He at present occupies the position of
Postmaster, and is a Lieutenant in the militia.
JOHN MORGAN, lot 28, concession 1, is of Scotch descent, his parents
being Thomas and Sarah (Munshaw) Morgan. His father died in 1846, and
his mother in 1838. His father was a blacksmith, and by industry and
economy, left behind him a fine property of between four and five
hundred acres. John followed his paternal parent’s trade, and in
addition farms his land, which through his care and attention has been
rendered highly productive. He married Miss Margaret Clarke, Thornhill;
the fruit of this union is two children. Mr. Morgan is a member of the
Presbyterian Church.
NATHAN MUNSHAW, lot 35, concession 1. The family originally came from
Pennsylvania. The grandfather, Balsam Munshaw, a U. E. Loyalist in
company with Isaac Devins, came to Canada with Governor Simcoe, and
settled in the Township of Markham. The subject of this sketch was born
October 22, 1884, on the lot where he now resides. His father’s name was
William; his mother was a daughter of the above-mentioned Mr. Devins. It
is claimed for the eldest sister that she was the first white child born
in York. Mr. Munshaw, sen’r, died July 13, 1846; his wife died June 27,
1881. Nathan was married in 1869 to Miss Jane E. Martin, by whom he has
three children. He has greatly improved the homestead since his father’s
death, by erecting new buildings and planting trees. His eldest brother,
William M., lives with him and has an interest in the property. Mr.
Munshaw has not been an office-seeker, being contented to attend to his
own business. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and a consistent
Christian.
WILLIAM MUSTARD, lot 29, concession 3, is the second son in a family of
twelve children. His father was George Mustard, of Scotch birth, who was
pressed into the English Navy during the wars of Napoleon. He sailed for
South America, and his ship having captured several prizes subsequently
sailed for the West Indies. Mr. Mustard while there left the Navy and
removed to the United States, from thence to Canada, and took up his
residence in Markham, where he lived until his death in 1854. He served
during the War of 1812 as Lieutenant under Colonel Allen. In the Battle
of York he was at the western battery when it was blown up, and was
taken prisoner by the Americans; but was exchanged, when he again took
up arms and served until the end of the war. William lives on the old
homestead, and married Miss Annie Graham, of Pickering, by whom he had
nine children. He underwent in early life all the hardships that fall to
the lot of the pioneer, but being a man of powerful frame, and withal
resolute will, he conquered every difficulty, and has now the supreme
satisfaction of knowing that the toil has not been in vain. He is a
member of the Christian Church, and takes great interest in the work of
the Sabbath school.
AMBROSE NOBLE was born in Massachusetts, United States, in 1795. His
native town was West Springfield, his father being Stephen Noble who
emigrated from thence to Canada before the War of 1812. Ambrose settled
on lot 16, concession 8, Markham Township. He married in 1821 Hannah
Badgerow, by whom he had eleven children, six boys and five girls, all
of whom are married with the exception of two who live at home. His wife
died August 27, 1879. Jesse Noble, lot 5, concession 6, second son of
the above. In early life he assisted his father to clear the farm, and
on reaching manhood occupied his present lot. He married a daughter of
the late Colonel Button, by whom he has one son, W. A., who lives at
home. Mr. Noble has very much improved his property, and has shown
considerable taste and skill in planting trees around his demesne, which
is considered one of the prettiest places in the township. He has not
sought or accepted office on the Municipal Board, but has principally
attended to his own immediate concerns.
WILLIAM HENRY NORRIS, deceased, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 12th Battalion
of York Rangers, and a Justice of the Peace of some twenty-two years’
standing in the County of York, was a native of England, and graduated
LL.D., at Oxford University. He was educated for the ministry, and held
a living in the Church of England when he came to Canada in 1839. A few
years after his arrival he gave up his charge, which was either at
Scarboro’ or at Markham, and commenced to speculate in land, and other
profitable investments, by which he amassed considerable means. He was
appointed a Justice of the Peace for the County of York, about 1856,
which position he retained until his death. About the same year that he
was appointed J.P., he started a company of volunteers in the
neighbourhood of Scarboro’ (the 12th Battalion, York Rangers), and
always continued to take an interest in them. He accompanied the Rangers
to Niagara, during the Fenian Raid of 1866, and stayed with them while
they were camped along with the medical staff at the Mount Eagle House,
near the bridge. The regiment did not take part in the Battle of
Ridgeway. Colonel Norris espoused Elizabeth Gray, also a native of
England, by whom he had two sons, who now reside in York County. Colonel
Norris died very suddenly on March 18, 1878, of apoplexy, a complaint
from which he had for more than a year previously suffered. He had been
to the New Fort on Garrison Common, Toronto, on business having
reference to the 12th Battalion, and while boarding a Yonge Street car,
with the intention of proceeding to his home in Yorkville, the attack
which soon after proved fatal came upon him; assistance was promptly
procured and he was carried to a neighbouring store, where he was
attended by Dr. Riddell. The latter came to the conclusion that the case
was a hopeless one, and at once secured a cab in which he had his
patient placed, and within an hour had him in his own home in Yorkville.
All that human ingenuity could devise and medical skill accomplish was
done for the sufferer; but his life could not be saved, and before 8
p.m. the same evening Colonel Norris had breathed his last. His funeral
was largely attended by the general public, and his remains were
followed by two companies of the 12th York Battalion, also a number of
the rank and file of the Queen’s Own, the Governor-General’s Body Guard,
the Field Battery, and the 10th Royals. A large number of commissioned
officers were present, besides several prominent citizens of Toronto.
The body was temporarily lodged in the vault at St. James’s Cemetery,
and was subsequently removed to its final resting place in Scarboro’. Of
the esteem in which Colonel Norris was held by his brother magistrates
and neighbours, the following memorial is sufficient testimony: “That
the Magistrates of the County of York, in adjourned General Sessions of
the Peace for the transaction of the public business, are deeply
impressed by the absence from among them of two esteemed friends, for
whom they had entertained sentiments of the most affectionate
regard—they refer to the late Colonel Richard R. D. Denison and
Lieut.-Colonel W. Norris, whose loss as members of their body is
seriously felt, and engenders feelings of sincere sorrow. Impelled by a
sense of duty, and actuated by feelings of long-tried friendship, this
court desires to place on record that they have always found in those
gentlemen unswerving integrity and zeal for the public good, and beg
leave to assure the bereaved families of their departed friends how
truly they sympathize with them in the very painful bereavement which,
by the dispensation of Providence, has fallen upon them.” W. P. Norris
resides on lot 4, concession 6, Markham Township, and is the eldest son
of the late Lieut.-Colonel W. H. P. Norris. He was born in London,
England, in the year 1835. Came to Canada with his father in 1839, and
after receiving a fair education, turned his attention to farming, which
occupation he has since followed. By perseverance, industry and good
management, he has made for his family a comfortable home. He was
married in 1868 to Miss Letitia Cairns; they have two sons and five
daughters. Mr. Norris is a Liberal Conservative in politics, and has
never taken any active part in contested elections. He is no office
seeker, but finds sufficient outlet for his ambition in the cultivation
of his farm, and towards the comforts of his home. The only positions of
any importance held by Mr. Norris were a lieutenancy in the militia of
Scarboro’, which had he desired it would have been raised to the
captaincy, and Public School Trustee for his own section for a term. Mr.
Norris bears the reputation of being very exact in his public dealings,
and his liberality towards all objects of public benefit is very
charitable; and his hospitable and genial manner is particularly
noticeable and appreciated by his neighbours and friends.
MARSHALL O’NEILL, lot 10, concession 6, brick manufacturer, was born in
Markham in 1856, and is the son of Isaac O’Neill, who for some years
carried on a brick manufactory in the Township of Uxbridge. Our subject
commenced business for himself in 1882, and has been very prosperous. He
married Miss Mary Hampton, by whom he has two children, William A., and
Frederick O. Mr. O’Neill takes a lively interest in all matters
pertaining to the welfare of the municipality.
JOHN PETERSON, lot 19, concession 6, is of German extraction, his
father, Philip Frederick Peterson, being a native of Hanover. His
grandfather was a minister of the Lutheran Church, who emigrated to
America in 1795 with his family. In 1831 Philip Frederick purchased the
lot now owned by our subject, on which he lived until his death in 1880,
at the age of eighty-nine years. He left a widow and four children,
three daughters, and John who was the only son. The latter took
possession of the old homestead, which he continues to cultivate. He is
of a quiet and unassuming disposition, and has never held or sought
office in connection with municipal government.
FRANCIS PIKE, lot 11, concession 9, was born in Pennsylvania in 1804,
and came to Canada in 1824. The prospects during the first few weeks of
his advent were not encouraging, and only the want of funds prevented
him from returning to Pennsylvania, but content came at last and with it
success. He married in 1826 Elizabeth Strickler, by whom he had a family
of fourteen children, nine of whom are living. He bought the old
homestead, lot 30, concession 8, Markham, in 1826, and made it one of
the most desirable farms in Markham; at that time it was harder to pay
for a farm at $4 per acre than now at $80, owing to the absence of
markets, and the impassable roads. Peter, his eldest son, has two fine
farms, and John, another son, has three farms, all of which are in the
vicinity of the old homestead. Francis sold his own farm, and bought ten
acres, on which he built a beautiful brick house and out-buildings, and
has also a fine orchard adjoining. Mr. Pike bears a good reputation for
charity in the township, and steadily seeks how best to put in practice
the precepts of the Great Teacher. He is a member of the Mennonite
Church, and has been School Trustee for several years.
JOHN PINGLE, lot 21, concession 5, is the son of George and Mary Pingle,
who emigrated from Germany and settled in the United States in 1792. His
parents only remained there one year before coming to Canada and at once
proceeded to Markham and located on the lot now occupied by him. He was
born on the homestead in 1804, and from his earliest years was
accustomed to the severe labour which fell to the lot of pioneers in
clearing the bush. He managed to attend the German school of the
district during the winter months, his services being in request on his
father’s farm in summer. In 1827 he married Miss Jane Hunter; eight
children being the fruit of the union. Of that family six are still
living—two sons and four daughters. He was presented with one hundred
acres of land with which to commence for himself, and by prudence,
industry and thrift he was enabled to give his sons a fair start in
life. He has a son and daughter living at home; the name of the former
being Alexander, who manages the farm. Mr. Pingle is a member of the
Church of England, and held the position of Warden in connection with
that body for a number of years.
FREDERICK QUANTZ, deceased, an early settler in Markham Township, was
born in London, England, in 1782. He was a German by birth, his father
being a soldier in the English Army, and fought in that capacity during
the American War of Independence. The latter returned to Europe on the
restoration of peace, and while there his son Frederick was born. He
subsequently returned to America, landing in Philadelphia in 1791; from
thence he came to Canada and settled in Markham in 1793, where Frederick
thereafter continued to reside. Our subject served in the War of 1812
under Colonel Butler, in command of the Markham Cavalry, and afterwards
drew a small pension. He died in the year 1877. George Quantz, son of
the above, on commencing for himself purchased part of lot 12,
concession 2, in Markham, and also two hundred acres of land near
Barrie, in Simcoe County, on one hundred acres of which his son Frank
now resides. He also bought fifty acres of land on lot 38, concession 1,
where his son Arthur resides. He married a daughter of Edward Phillips,
of this township, by whom he has three sons and four daughters. He has a
married daughter living in Vaughan Township, and a son-in-law who is a
lawyer in Toronto. Mr. Quantz and his wife are famed throughout the
district for their hospitality, shelter never being refused the
wayfarer. Arthur Quantz, lot 38, concession 1, son of the above, was
born in Markham in 1849. He has been connected with farming all his
life, and the interest he takes in agricultural matters is amply shown
by the fact that he is President of the Agricultural Society of this
township. He married in 1875, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Linklatter.
He is a member of the Lutheran Church, and holds a Trusteeship.
FREDERICK QUANTZ, lot 26, concession 6, is the eldest son of George and
Mary Quantz. His father was a native of Hamburg, Germany, and came with
his parents to the United States in 1772, where they remained about one
year; subsequently coming to Canada and settling in this township. Mr.
Quantz, sen’r, remained at home until his marriage in 1807, when he
removed to a farm of his own. Frederick married Margaret Puterbough, by
whom he had ten children. She died in 1854, and he married a second time
to Mrs. Mary Lundy, a widow; they have two children, a son and a
daughter, who live at home with them. Mr. Quantz is a member of the
Methodist Church.
JOHN RAMER, lot 30, concession 8, is the son of Abraham and Fanny
Raymer, and was born in Pennsylvania, U. S., in 1810. He came to Canada
in 1822 with his parents, and remained on the homestead until his
marriage, clearing up the land. His wife was Elizabeth Sophia Breuls,
daughter of John Breuls, a native of London, England, by whom he had
eleven children, as follow: Hannah, dead; Elizabeth, married; Fanny, who
married Mr. Mitchell, dead; Mary, living at home; Anna, married; Philip,
married; Martha, dead; John, married; Margaret, married; George, dead,
and Joseph, who lives at home. Although Mr. Ramer has suffered reverses,
and has not always enjoyed the best of health, he has nevertheless a
fine farm of two hundred acres and is in easy circumstances. He is a
member of the Mennonite Church.
PETER RAMER, lot 14, concession 7, is the son of Abraham Ramer, and was
born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1800, and came to
Canada in 1809, settling on lot 14, concession 8, Markham, where he
lived until his marriage in 1823 with Miss Elizabeth Byer; they had a
family of three sons and one daughter, Abraham, Jonas, John and Martha
Reesor, all of whom are living in this township. The family belong to
the Mennonite Church, and are in very good circumstances. Mr. Ramer,
though now advanced in years, still continues hale and hearty and can
yet read the newspaper without the aid of spectacles. Deer Park Farm,
lot 15, concession 8, Markham, the home of Peter and Elizabeth Ramer for
fifty-four years, was always open to receive weary strangers, and Mr.
Ramer was one of the most enterprising and prominent pioneer farmers in
Markham. Mrs. Ramer died in 1877.
PETER RAYMER, lot 32, concession 8, is the son of the late Abraham
Raymer, who came with his family from Pennsylvania, U. S., in 1822, and
settled in this township. Peter was about five years old when his people
came to Canada, and was brought up to farming. His family consists of
four sons and three daughters—Jacob, the eldest son, is located on lot
12, concession 7, of Whitchurch, and married Martha Breuls; the other
members of the family are Fanny, married to John Heisey; Abraham,
married to Matilda Stockley, located on lot 8, concession 7, Township of
Whitchurch; Mary and Christian (the two last named being twins),
Elizabeth and Peter. Christian Raymer married Christina Stouffer. He is
of a studious disposition, and often fills the pulpit of Mennonite
Brethren in Christ. Mr. Peter Raymer has been successful enough to give
each of his sons a good farm and yet retain for himself fifty acres, and
bears an exceptionally good character among his neighbours in the
section.
BENJAMIN B. REESOR. The family first settled in Markham in 1804, John
Reesor, the father of our subject, being born at Cedar Grove a short
time afterwards. Mr. Reesor, sen’r, assisted to clear the farm, and for
some years was proprietor and ran a grist-mill in his native village,
until receiving from his father lot 1, concession 11, of Markham, he
repaired thither and commenced farming. He subsequently bought land
adjoining, and his property in all amounted to about seven hundred
acres. His death occurred in 1864. Benjamin was born in 1836, and is the
owner of the old homestead, being the youngest in a family of five
children. He married Nancy Hoover in 1857; the result of this union
being eleven children. He is a Reformer in politics, and a member of the
Mennonite Church; he has a brother, a minister in that body.
MRS. C. REESOR, lots 14 and 15, concession 10, relict of the late C.
Reesor, of this township, is a daughter of Calvin Cornell, of Scarboro’
Township. She was married to Mr. Reesor in August, 1866, and his death,
which took place on April 25, 1877, left her with five children, viz.:
Albert C. Grasett, Victoria M., John A. E., Frederick E. N., and Maude
C. E., all of whom are still living. By the father’s will each of the
sons received three hundred acres of land, the daughters having divided
among them the village property. To Mrs. Reesor was left the management
of the estate, together with its income, besides village property and
money. Her deceased husband was a Conservative in politics, and an
adherent of the English Church. Mrs. Reesor belongs to the Methodist
persuasion, and recently gave a lot in the Village of Stouffville on
which to build a church. Her father, the late Mr. Calvin Cornell, died
in Detroit, Mich., under circumstances that provoked at the time a
strong suspicion of foul play. He had gone on a journey to the United
States to buy land, and for that purpose carried with him a large sum of
money; he took sick at Detroit and died, and the doctor who attended him
was tried at the Courts in Toronto for having poisoned Mr. Calvin
Cornell, but managed to clear himself. All the money and some notes
disappeared.
JOSEPHUS REESOR, lots 3 and 4, concession 9, was born in the Township of
Markham, January 10, 1820, being the son of Peter Reesor, a native of
Pennsylvania, who emigrated to Canada at an early day. The family is one
of great respectability and is very well known throughout the township.
Mr. Reesor has followed farming since he commenced for himself, which
occupation was also followed by his father. Mr. Reesor is a Mennonite in
religion, and in politics is a Conservative.
WILLIAM REESOR, lot 22, concession 10, Township of Markham, is the
eldest son of the late Christian Reesor, and was born in this township,
March 24, 1821, where he has always resided. He has been married twice,
the first time to Mary Jane Campbell, who died August 1, 1862, by whom
he had two sons and one daughter; one son and the daughter died in
infancy and the other son is now established in the jewellery business
in Brandon, Manitoba. His second wife was Jeannette, daughter of Hector
Thompson, of Cedar Grove, by whom he has one son and two daughters.
William Reesor and his wife belong to the Wesleyan Methodist Church, of
which they are exemplary and consistent members.
JONATHAN SLATER, farmer, Buttonville Post-office. Benjamin Slater, the
father of the subject of this sketch, was born in New York State, in
1789, and while yet a young man came to Canada, and became a British
subject. When the War of 1812-15 broke out he took up arms in defence of
his adopted country. He settled first on Yonge Street, near Hogg’s
Hollow, but afterwards removed to Markham Township, where he purchased a
farm on which he lived until his death in 1868, at the ripe old age of
seventy-nine years. Jonathan received a good common school education,
remained on the farm, and on his father’s death came into possession of
the homestead. By his energy and industry, and by adopting the most
approved system of farming, he has raised himself to a front rank among
the agriculturists of this section, and is a prominent member of the
Farmers’ Club. He has given considerable attention to the improvement of
stock, especially sheep. His religious persuasion is Presbyterian. In
politics he is a consistent Liberal, but has never aspired to political
distinction.
JOHN SNOWBALL, lot 8, concession 7, was born in Yorkshire, England, and
came to Canada in 1842. He settled first at Yorkville, where he followed
his occupation of brick-maker. In 1845 he removed to Markham, and
established his present business which was up to 1860 confined to the
manufacture of brick alone. In that year he was enabled, by importing
machinery from England, to enter largely into the manufacture of tiles,
which business he still follows. Besides his two sons he finds constant
employment for two men, and his close application to business has been
the means of securing him a large trade. He married Ann Glue, of
Yorkville, by whom he has seven children, four sons and three daughters;
a son and a daughter are dead. He is an adherent of the Methodist
Church.
WILLIAM SPENCE, merchant tailor, Unionville, was born in Yorkshire,
England, September 4, 1858, and came to Canada in 1883. He located first
in Hamilton, where he was employed as cutter, subsequently removing to
Unionville, where he commenced business for himself. Since his advent he
has met with considerable encouragement, the business in the near future
promising to be a prosperous one. He married Elizabeth Love, of
Yorkshire, England, by whom he has two children. He takes great interest
in the temperance movement, and holds the position of Worthy Patriarch
in the Sons of Temperance Society.
JAMES STATENBURGH, lot 25, concession 3, is the youngest of three
children, and was born in Markham Township in 1821, where he received
his education. He is of Dutch descent, his grandparents having been born
in Holland. He is now living on the family homestead, having received
the same from his father, after paying off the other members of the
family. He has in addition other property which he has purchased, and
has laid out a great deal of money in buildings and improvements. He
held the office of Postmaster and is still License Inspector of the
district. He is Captain of the militia, having risen to that rank by
merit from the grade of private. He was twice married, first to a
daughter of Robert Nichol, who died in 1845. He married the following
year a daughter of Robert Grundy from Yorkshire, England, who died in
1883. By his first wife he had one daughter; by his second wife three
sons and two daughters.
REUBEN H. STIVER, general merchant, Unionville, was born in Markham
Township, July 16, 1855. He is the only son of Robert Stiver, who was
born also in Markham Township, October 25, 1818, and, when quite young,
removed with his parents to Toronto Township; but returned again to
Markham in a few years; he was one of the young pioneers of Markham, and
at the present time is the oldest member of the Stiver family now
living; he is a staunch Reformer, and took part in the Rebellion of
1837. He married Annie Bell, a native of Cumberland, England, who came
to Canada when only eight years of age. Reuben A. Stiver commenced life
on a farm, but, at the age of twenty-two, he gave up farming and engaged
in the hardware business in Unionville, which he continued until January
1, 1884. He is now engaged in the general business in the same place. On
March 2, 1880, he married Eleanor, the third daughter of the late James
Mustard, of Markham; his wife was born on July 11, 1855. In religion he
is an adherent of the Lutheran Church, in politics he is a Reformer. His
wife is a Presbyterian.
W. STIVER, lot 14, concession 5, public school teacher and farmer, was
born in Markham Township, May 17, 1830. He is of German descent, his
grandfather having emigrated to the United States from Hamburg, Germany,
in 1792. He (the grandfather) remained in New York State about one year,
and in 1793 came and settled in Markham Township. Our subject’s father,
Francis Stiver, was born near Rochester, New York State, in 1793, and
came to Markham Township with the family. He served with his brother
John as a volunteer during the War of 1812-’14. His death occurred May
12, 1879, at the age of eighty-six years and eleven months. The mother
of our subject was Elizabeth Lindsay, who was born at Southampton,
England, in 1805; she died in 1873. William Stiver is one of a family of
nine children, and after receiving a good scholastic training he
commenced the business of life as school-teacher. He began his duties in
1851, which he continued uninterruptedly to fulfil until so recent a
date as December, 1884. During the course of his career of thirty-four
years’ tutorship it is calculated that he travelled on foot to and from
school, altogether a distance of sixty-nine thousand five hundred and
twelve miles. He had something like one thousand four hundred and
seventy-eight different pupils under his care, some of whom are now
professors, ministers, and high and public school teachers. He taught
eleven years in No. 5 Section, two years in No. 10 Section, and
twenty-one years in No. 11 School Section of Markham Township. Mr.
Stiver was married at the Lutheran Parsonage, Vaughan, December 24,
1873, to Elizabeth J., daughter of Andrew and Rebecca (May) Wagner. Two
children only are the issue of this marriage, Elma May and J. L.
Bernard. Mr. Stiver belongs to the Lutheran Church, and is a Reformer.
As an illustration of the tenacity with which the members of this family
cling to their political principles, it is recorded as a fact that never
on any occasion did the father or one of his six sons poll a
Conservative vote.
WILLIAM STIVER, lot 13, concession 4, is the son of John and Mary
Stiver. His mother, it is stated, was the first white child born in
Markham, her birth being on April 7, 1794. The family originally came
from Hanover, Germany, in 1793; and Mr. Stiver, the father of our
subject, served in the War of 1812, for which he drew a pension. He died
in 1879. William married a daughter of Robert Hesk, of this township, by
whom he has nine children, all living.
DANIEL TIPP, lot 23, concession 4, is the son of William and Catharine
Tipp. His mother was born in Pennsylvania of German parents. His father
was born in Germany in 1755, and came to America as a soldier in the
German Legion of the British Army, and served through the Revolutionary
War. At its conclusion he settled in Pennsylvania, but subsequently came
to Canada where he drew three hundred acres of land from the Crown. His
grant was at Chippewa Creek, which he afterwards sold and removed to
Toronto. He located soon after in Markham. He took part in the War of
1812, and was at the Battle of York. Mr. Tipp, sen’r, being ignorant of
farming, was not very successful; but the last days of himself and wife
were spent in comfort in the home of their son. Daniel was born in 1799
at Richmond Hill, and has always been a resident of Markham. When he
reached manhood he purchased two hundred acres of land in Tecumseth, and
afterwards bought in Markham the lot where he now resides. He married
Sarah Perkins; the issue of the union being two daughters, both married.
Mr. Tipp’s religious principles are sound, and he gives liberally to all
denominations. He has not sought office, but has quietly attended to his
own affairs, which have been successful.
JAMES TRAN, lot 6, concession 10, is of Scotch descent, but was born in
Yorkshire, England, in 1814. He emigrated to Canada in 1843, his mother
and remainder of family coming in 1844, his father having died in
England. In 1845 he settled in Markham, the family comprising a small
colony of themselves, there being nine sons and three daughters; two
have since died, a son and a daughter. James has always followed
farming, and during the first few years of his residence in the township
rented a farm. In 1856 he bought the property, and five years later
added to the purchase, making in all one hundred and ninety acres of
choice land. The lively interest he took in agricultural matters gained
for him the Presidency of the County Agricultural Society, and he was
for twenty-six years Director and Judge of the Provincial Exhibition. He
has imported stock from the Old Country, together with agricultural
implements, and in connection with this business has five different
times crossed the Atlantic. He has been License Inspector seven years,
and during his residence in the township has contributed materially to
its progress. He married in England in 1837 Mary Ann Gardham, by whom he
had thirteen children; nine only are living, seven of whom are married.
One of his daughters, Maggie, has been successful in securing the first
prize for the best Farmer’s Wreath, at York County, Whitby and Newmarket
Fairs. Mr. Tran has at present twenty-four grand-children.
WALTER W. WALKER, lot 26, concession 6, hotel proprietor, was born in
Essex, England, and emigrated from there to the United States in 1872.
He came to Canada one year later, and was for some time engaged on the
survey of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He took possession of the
present hotel in 1880, and makes an entertaining and agreeable host. He
also fills the position of County Constable with zeal and discretion.
Mr. Walker married Christiana E. Hunter of this township, by whom he has
one child, a daughter.
THOMAS WILLIAMSON, the present Reeve of the Township of Markham, was
born in the township in 1848, and is essentially a self-made man. His
father emigrated from England in 1837, and settled at Richmond Hill,
where after renting two farms, he ultimately purchased land on lot 26,
concession 7. His parents were married in England, his mother’s maiden
name being Hannah Bowlor; their family consisted of seven children.
Between the years 1866 and 1877 Thomas taught school in the village, and
afterwards bought a farm of ninety-five acres on lot 31, concession 5,
of this township. He married in 1860 Miss Jane Lee of Markham, by whom
he has four children as follow: Elizabeth, born 1871; John, born 1873;
Ernest, born 1875; and Clarabell, born 1879. Mr. Williamson has been
Deputy-Reeve and Councillor.
DAVID WISMER, lot 17, concession 7, was born in this township in 1807,
being the son of David and Lydia Wismer, who emigrated from Pennsylvania
in 1805, and making the journey with a yoke of oxen, settled in Markham.
His parents died in 1856. David married in 1826 Mary Toman, by whom he
had fourteen children; ten are still living. Elijah, the youngest son,
resides with his parents, and takes the management of the farm. He
married Susanna Strickler, by whom he has four children. Mr. Wismer,
sen’r, though over seventy-six years of age, still preserves the
activity of youth, and through his long life has been energetic and
industrious. He has assisted in the making of roads and other necessary
improvements for the comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of the
section, and in various ways has proved his usefulness to the community.
He is a member of the Christian Church.
VILLAGE OF MARKHAM.
JOHN ANTHONY, builder, was born in Norfolk, England, and came to Canada
with his father, who settled in Scarboro’ Township, in 1836. John
remained at home until 1850, when he was apprenticed to Mr. Peter Lapp,
with whom he learned the trade of carpenter. In 1856 he commenced
business with Mr. Matthew Swallow, and two years later removed to
Pickering and began business for himself, which he carried on until
1870. He then became foreman for Speight & Son, which position he held
eleven years. He now rents a large factory, where he manufactures
sashes, doors and all kinds of general wood work. Mr. Anthony has the
reputation of being a first-class draughtsman and architect, and has
erected some of the finest buildings in the township. In 1858 he married
Mary Cook. By this union he has four children, Mary, Arthur, H. Oscar
and Stella. On October 23, 1883, Mr. Anthony lost all his property by
fire.
SAMUEL CHARLES ASH was born in Devonshire, England, in 1817. He belonged
to H.M.’s 43rd Regiment of Foot, and came to Canada with the corps in
1838. They were first stationed at Montreal, and afterwards removed to
Niagara Falls. In 1846 he returned to England, where he got his
discharge. The following year he came to Canada and located in Montreal
a short time, and in 1848 he went to Toronto. After spending some little
time at Thornhill, he commenced business in Toronto as a merchant
tailor. From there he went to Uxbridge and ultimately came to Markham
Village. In 1850 he married Elizabeth Washington, who died on December
11, 1877; they had five children, viz.: Elizabeth Maria, born May 27,
1851; Elizabeth Maria, born July 21, 1852; Agnes Augusta, born September
21, 1853 (the three last named died in infancy); Frederick Charles, born
February 22, 1855; Elizabeth Maria, born May 4, 1858.
EBENEZER BURK, postmaster, was born on lot 24, concession 10, of Markham
Township, in 1847, and is the son of David Burk, who emigrated from
Ireland in 1833. His mother’s maiden name was Jane L. Campbell. In 1866
Mr. Burk commenced general store keeping, which he continued until 1872.
In 1881 he took charge of the Markham Post-office, which position he
still holds. In July, 1879, he married Miss Lizzie Bell, of Brougham; he
has one son, Edmund, born January 9, 1882.
GEORGE JAMES CHAUNCEY was born at St. John’s, Newfoundland, in November,
1849, and is a descendant of one of the oldest families in Britain’s
oldest colony. Among his predecessors was the first Surveyor-General and
Clerk of the Peace of the colony; and among his late relatives was the
late Thomas Knight, Esq., for many years a member of the Legislature,
one of whose sons still fills the responsible position of Acting
Secretary of the Board of Works, and a second that of Cashier of the
Newfoundland Savings Bank. Mr. Rice, M.H.A., one of the present
representatives to the Legislature from the electoral district of Notre
Dame Bay, is also an uncle of Mr. Chauncey on his mother’s side. Another
of his uncles lost his life whilst engaged in the public service of the
colony; whilst the old firm of Goss, Chauncey & Ledgard was one of the
most substantial commercial houses in Harbour Grace, Conception Bay. One
of Mr. Chauncey’s uncles by marriage has been Financial Secretary of the
Colony for the past eight or ten years. Mr. Chauncey’s parents are
George William Fletcher Chauncey and Eliza, eldest daughter of the late
James Rice, Esq., formerly Sheriff of the Northern District of
Newfoundland. Mrs. Chauncey was born at Twillingate, Notre Dame Bay, in
1828, where her husband carried on a general commercial business for
some years. Mr. George Chauncey is one of seven children, five of whom
are still living. His earliest days were spent in Notre Dame Bay, where
many of the most stirring memories of his boyish days were acquired. One
of the most memorable of these incidents occurred when scarcely fourteen
years old—his father then being engaged in commercial life at
Twillingate. Upon that occasion large numbers of seals (_Phoca
Grœnlandica_) had been driven into the Bay upon the ice, and George,
young as he was, made it his duty to join the seal hunters in their
raids upon the amphibious animals, and always brought home his “haul,”
when others had cut their lines to save their lives. Twice, with his
companions, he was carried off upon the floe-bergs, to be rescued by a
timely boat on one occasion; and upon the other escaping to shore over
the ice after very considerable exertion, which ended in an attack of
ice-blindness that lasted for three days. How great the peril was may be
understood when the bodies of five men, who were drifted up the bay and
lost, were subsequently recovered, frozen to death on the floating ice,
about fifteen miles from where they started. After receiving a very fair
and liberal education of the old-time Commercial School class, Mr.
Chauncey was placed in the printing office of _The Public Ledger_
newspaper, then conducted by his uncle, the late Mr. Henry Winton, in
which paper he “served his time” out. He afterwards entered the office
of _The St. John’s Daily News_, and _North Star_ (weekly), edited and
published by Mr. Robert Winton, now of Toronto. At this establishment,
where from some twelve to fifteen years was published the Legislative
work of the colony, with the Journals of its Legislative Assembly, Mr.
Chauncey acquired a pretty thorough knowledge of his business. He
remained at work there up to the period of his departure for Toronto,
where he was engaged on the _Globe_, _Evening Telegram_ and in other
offices, occasionally contributing correspondence and other matter to
these journals. In April, 1880, Mr. Chauncey was married to Miss Mary
Hammond, of Brampton, and in the following year was induced to undertake
the publication of the Markham Sun, in the Village of Markham, York
County, which paper is still successfully continued by him. In September
of last year he was appointed Postmaster of Markham, which position he
continues to fill. In politics Mr. Chauncey is of the
Liberal-Conservative school; in religion, a Protestant of the
Independent or Congregational denomination, a connection in which he
received his earliest religious training, and to which he is still
strongly attached. Personally, Mr. Chauncey is a gentleman of
considerable energy and large experience, and is possessed of the best
traits characteristic of the stock from which he sprung. He has been a
warm and zealous exponent of the views and policy of the party with
which he is associated, and—still a young man—gives fair promise of a
long future of considerable value to the political interests of the
Province in which he has taken up his permanent abode.
WILLIAM CHERRY, retired farmer, was born in Ireland in 1802, and
emigrated to Canada in 1827. He first worked near Toronto, and engaged
in lumbering and farming six years, and afterwards worked on the
Lockport Canal. He then purchased a farm, being part of lots 3 and 4,
concession 3, Markham, and with land adjoining, which he has since
bought, now owns two hundred and fifty acres. Mr. Cherry is in every
sense of the word a self-made man; he landed in Toronto without a
dollar, and by perseverance, energy and pluck has acquired a nice
competency. He owns a fine residence on lots 1 and 2, Church Street in
Markham Village, on which he resides. In 1840 he married Miss Ann
Armstrong, whose parents came from Ireland; they had ten children, as
follow: Jane, born April 20, 1842; died May 1, 1842; Martha, born April
25, 1843; Mary, born January 18, 1845; John, born October 22, 1846;
Thomas, born July 26, 1848; William, born September 9, 1850; Rebecca,
born August 10, 1853; James, born September 2, 1855; Sarah Jane, born
October 31, 1857; and Albert, born September 8, 1860, who died September
15, 1860. Thomas, Mary and Martha are married.
A. FLEURY, ironfounder, was born in 1824 on lot 9, concession 1, King
Township, where he remained until 1843. He then went to Newmarket, and
learned his trade with Mr. Blaker, and, on completing his
apprenticeship, returned to the farm, and built a shop in which he
manufactured threshing machines, ploughs, etc. He remained there ten
years, after which he removed to Aurora, and in connection with his
brother, worked there for five years. In 1868 he located in Markham
Village and rented what was known as Todd’s old foundry, which was burnt
down in 1874. Mr. Fleury then rented his present foundry, where he
employs from twelve to twenty men in the manufacture of agricultural
implements. In 1880 he built a fine brick residence in the village. He
was a member of the Council for four years, and is at the present time a
Trustee of the Canada Methodist Church. In 1848 he married Miss
Catharine Woodard, by whom he had seven children, viz.: Agnes, Milton,
Arthur, Maria, Seth, Peter and Egbert.
GEORGE GRAHAM, retired, was born near the City of Carlisle, Cumberland,
England, and came to Canada in 1829. He located in Markham Township,
settling on lot 5, concession 7, where he remained until 1871. He was
Sergeant under Captain Barkie, and took part in the Rebellion of 1837.
In 1855 Mr. Graham bought two hundred acres of land in Uxbridge
Township, and at present owns fifty acres in the Township of Scott, in
addition to house and lot in Markham Village where he resides. He is
Treasurer of L. O. F. No. 548. He has been twice married, first to Ann
Sanderson, of Cumberland, England, in 1835, by whom he has four
children, viz.: Ann, Joseph, Thomas and Dinah. His second marriage took
place in 1870, his wife being Mrs. Dewhurst, of Uxbridge.
WILLIAM HAMILTON HALL, proprietor of the Franklin House, Markham
Village, was born in 1852. His father, the late Mr. Hamilton Hall, was a
native of Rome, New York State, where the family owned a distillery.
Accompanied by his brother he came to Canada, and settled near the
Humber, where he died, March 23, 1882, in his seventy-second year. In
1872 William took possession of the Ontario Hotel at Ringwood, and
subsequently built his present large and commodious hotel, 50 x 100 feet
and two storeys high. In 1872 he married Lavinia Rimdle, of Whitby.
JOHN JERMAN, waggon manufacturer and blacksmith, Markham Village. The
enterprising subject of this sketch was born in 1838, being the second
son of Henry and Ann (Wilson) Jerman. His father came to Canada in 1832,
and for several years carried on the business of blacksmith in Markham,
and, under his supervision, John learned the same trade. On the
retirement from business of the former, the son took it in hand and had
greatly extended it, having added a furniture manufactory, planing mills
and waggon works. The factory was burned down in the fall of 1883, but
he still carried on the blacksmith shop. He is the owner also of
considerable village property, and may be classed as one of the most
prosperous of the surrounding community. He was a member of the Council
from its incorporation until 1882. In 1873 he married Annie, daughter of
Captain Armstrong. His wife died in 1877, and he married a second time,
his partner being Mary, daughter of Joseph Reesor, of Markham.
H. C. MARR, grocer, flour and feed merchant, is a native of Markham
Township, and was born in 1833. His grandfather was one of the first
settlers east of concession 6 of this township, and came from
Pennsylvania, United States. On his arrival in Canada, June 1, 1800, he
remained at Niagara one year and then came forward to Markham. They made
the journey by means of sleighs drawn by oxen, in which primitive manner
their worldly goods were conveyed to the place of settlement, that being
on lot 14, concession 9, which was a Government grant of two hundred
acres. The subject of this sketch is still owner of one hundred and
twenty-five acres of the old homestead. They had many hardships to
contend with in the early days, his grandfather having carried wheat on
his back a distance of fourteen miles to the German Mills, and on one
memorable day before Christmas, walked to Toronto for the purpose of
obtaining bread and tea, and brought home two pounds of tea and seven
loaves of bread. He died in 1865. The father of our subject held forty
acres of the old homestead, and purchased fifty acres on the adjoining
lot, on which he reared a family of six children, as follow: James,
Maria (dead), Henry C., Jemima (dead), Sarah Ann and Catharine. The
father died in 1855. The subject of this sketch worked on the farm the
ten years following his father’s death, when he removed to his present
location, and started his present business, which is a very prosperous
one. He has occupied some important public positions, among which may be
mentioned the Presidency of the Markham and East York Agricultural
Societies, and is at present Vice-President; he was Assessor and
Collector for four years.
WILLIAM MARR, hotel proprietor, was born July 19, 1827, on lot 14,
concession 16, in the Township of Markham. His father, Joseph Marr, was
born in Pennsylvania, United States, in 1862. His mother’s maiden name
was Louisa Crosby. His parents are dead. Their family consisted of nine
children, viz.: William, Sarah, Manly, Rufus, Ira, Mary, Ann, Edward and
James. William remained on the home farm until 1850, and then removed to
Pickering; he subsequently located in Markham Village, and entered the
hotel business, which he has since conducted. He married in 1847 Harriet
Killington, from Yorkshire, England, by whom he has one son, Henry, born
November 17, 1861.
THOMAS MORGAN is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and came to this
country with his father, William Morgan, in 1832. His father bought land
in Markham Village and erected a blacksmith’s shop and other premises,
the firm being now known as T. & G. Morgan. He is one of a family of six
children. The father died in 1843, and the mother the preceding year.
GEORGE PRINGLE, one of the firm of Pringle Brothers, carriage and waggon
manufacturers, was born in 1841. Some account of his parents is given in
another sketch. Mr. Pringle has been thrice married, first, March 9,
1865, to Catharine Burgess; second, on June 24, 1878, to her sister
Margaret Burgess; third, October 7, 1881, to Martha Widman. He has by
his first wife two children, Willard, born October 23, 1866; Walter
Leslie, born December 3, 1868; by his second wife he had Lilly Ella,
born February 9, 1879; Minnie May, born May 13, 1880; by his third wife,
who died October 20, 1883, he had one daughter, viz.: Nellie Augusta,
born November 24, 1882.
ROBERT PRINGLE, waggon-maker, was born in Markham in 1837. His father,
James Pringle, was born in Scotland, and came to Canada in 1832. His
mother’s name was Johanna Wanless. His parents were married at Hogg’s
Hollow in 1836, and his father removed to Markham the same year, where
he commenced business. In 1873 his sons Robert and George took charge of
the business which they have since successfully conducted. Their
manufactures include all kinds of cutters, sleighs, waggons, buggies,
etc., the turn over being about $10,000 per annum, and they employ about
fifteen men. Mr. Pringle has been a member of the Council three years.
He was twice married, first to Mary Ann White; three children are the
fruit of this union, Clara, William and Frank. His second wife was Rosa
Nighswander by whom he had two sons and one daughter, Charles, Robert
and Laura.
[Illustration: F. G. PERCY.]
F. G. PERCY, livery stable proprietor, was born in Pickering. His father
emigrated from England in 1832, and was one of the first settlers in
that district; he took up lot 27, concession 6. His mother’s maiden name
was Elizabeth Young. His parents were married in England, the result of
their union being eleven children, five of whom only are now living; as
follow: Rev. William Percy, of Stouffville; James Percy, J.P., and first
Deputy-Reeve of Pickering Township; Salvanius, in the express office,
Port Huron; Uriah, living on the old homestead, and F. G. Percy, the
subject of this notice. The latter conducts the livery stables at
Markham Village, and owns a number of first-class rigs; he also owns a
part (fifty-three and a-half acres) of the old homestead. He is a County
Constable, and a Councillor in the Village of Markham.
FREDERICK A. REESOR was born on lot 8, concession 8, Markham Township,
1844. He attended school and worked on the farm until 1863, and then
went to college where he graduated in 1867. He is a silver medallist in
mathematics; one year subsequent to leaving college he held a position
in the Royal Canadian Bank, and from 1872 until 1874 he was teacher in
the High School. In the last-named year he was appointed to the
management of the Markham Branch of the Standard Bank—a position he
still retains. In 1872 he married Catharine, daughter of the Rev. James
Bain; they have three children: Kate Eliza, born 1875; James D., born
1880; and Emily Bain, born 1884. Mr. Reesor has been a Sunday school
superintendent for fourteen years.
HENRY B. REESOR was born on lot 12, concession 9 of Markham in 1846, and
is the son of Christian G. Reesor, who was also born in this township.
His mother was Susan Burkholder, of Vaughan Township. Our subject was
educated at the Common and Grammar Schools; attending the former until
eighteen years of age; the latter for two years. In 1867 he married Miss
Jennie Dack, by whom he has five children, viz.: Ella Augusta, born
1868; Laura Gertrude, born 1871; Walter Douglass, born 1876; Maud Ethel,
born 1880; and Nora Edith Beatrice, born 1882. After his marriage Mr.
Reesor lived five years on the farm, and then removed to Markham
Village, and engaged in the business of conveyancer, general financial
and insurance agent, etc.
JAMES ROBINSON, tanner, was born on the north-east corner of Bay and
King Streets, Toronto, in 1804, and came to Markham with his father (who
was from Pennsylvania, U. S.) in 1805. He was the eldest son in a family
of five children; his father and grandfather were tanners, which
business James followed. In 1854 he commenced on his own account. He has
occupied several public positions, notably the office of Reeve from 1868
to 1872; Councillor from 1874 to 1878; he was Warden of the county in
1877, and has also been Deputy-Reeve. In 1863 he married Louise
Ashbridge, of Toronto, by whom he has five children, viz.: John
Franklin, William Armstrong, Edward Wheeler, Jennie and Clara.
DR. WESLEY ROBINSON was born on lot 13, concession 8, of this township,
in 1850, and is the son of Andrew Robinson, who was born on the same
farm in 1820. He studied at McGill College, Montreal, where he graduated
in 1872. He commenced the practice of his profession at Uxbridge, and
from there came to Markham, after a short stay of six months, where he
has continued to reside. He has been a member of the Council and School
Trustee. Dr. Robinson married Arvilla Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Freel,
of Stouffville, by whom he has two children, viz.: Bertram, born 1872,
and Ada, born 1879.
HENRY ROBINSON, merchant, was born in Markham Village in 1849, where he
was educated. In 1873 he opened a general store on the west side of Main
Street, where he continued to carry on his business until 1882. He then
moved to a building opposite, and with a well-stocked store is doing a
successful trade. He is a member of the Council, and has been a
Churchwarden for three years. In 1868 he married Miss Sophia Burke, by
whom he has had the following children, viz.: Harry Crickson, born May
26, 1869, died October 22, 1874; John O., born November 3, 1872; Joseph
Hilliard, born July 29, 1875; Eva Sophia, born December 10, 1877.
JAMES SPEIGHT, one of the largest waggon manufacturers in the Province
of Ontario, was born in Markham, August 30, 1830. His father, Thomas
Speight, emigrated from Yorkshire, England, and took up his residence in
the Southern States. He remained there but a short time, and came from
there to Canada, settling in the Village of Markham, and in 1840
established the waggon manufactory which bears his name. James went to
school until he was fifteen years of age, and then worked with his
father. In 1877 a fire destroyed the whole factory, which was rebuilt in
the amazingly short period of thirty days. The main building is 244 x 52
feet; the showroom 100 x 32 feet; in connection with the factory is also
a planing mill and sash and door shop. The annual turnover is about
$150,000, and goods are exported to the North-West as well as other
portions of the Dominion, in addition to a large local trade. Mr.
Speight was the first Reeve of Markham Village, held the Reeveship for
ten years consecutively, and has besides held the office of Councillor,
High School Trustee, and Secretary and Treasurer of the Township
Agricultural Society. He is also a Mason and an Oddfellow. He has been
twice married, having in 1855 espoused Miss Mary Crosby of Markham
Township, who died in 1876; by her he had the following children, viz.:
Arthur A., born July 9, 1856, died May 2, 1882; Harriet Amelia, born
October 28, 1858, died December 25, 1859; Elizabeth Maud May, born
September 10, 1860, died June 7, 1881; Martha Helen, born October 20,
1863; Jennie Crosby, born November 19, 1865; Joseph James, born November
11, 1868; Annette L. Gertrude, born January 29, 1871; Frank Herbert,
born February 25, 1873; Henry Howard, born November 22, 1875. His second
wife was Helen, the sister of his deceased wife.
G. R. VANZANT is descended from a family of U. E. Loyalists, his
grandfather, Garrett Vanzant, having emigrated from New York State, and
settled in concession 10 of Markham. He is one of a family of seven
children; his father’s name was William. He was first employed on a farm
at Uxbridge in 1853, and afterwards went to the United States. In 1860
he removed to Toronto where he stayed two years, subsequently conducting
a general hardware business in the Village of Stouffville. He sold out
there in 1869 and located on his present premises in Markham, where he
carried on a successful business. He is also the owner of ten acres of
land and the residence built by the Hon. D. Reesor in 1874. He at
present holds the position of Reeve, and has been Councillor and School
Trustee. Among other important offices which he holds are Master of
Lodge No. 87, A. F. and A. M., G. R. Canada; President of the Speight
Manufacturing Company, and President of the Reform Association. In 1861
he married Miss Catharine Nadier, by whom he has five children, Eva I.,
Victor Edward, William Clifford, Frank Nicholas, and Clarence N.
JOSEPH WALES, carriage-maker, was born in 1836. In 1844 he went to Erie
County, New York State, and at the expiration of seven years returned to
Markham, and worked for his brother, William H. R. Wales, at the trade
of carriage building. At the end of eleven months he left him and worked
for some time afterwards in the sash and door factory of Messrs. W. & J.
Hicks. He subsequently journeyed to California, and after remaining
there close upon three years, returned to Markham and again entered the
employment of his brother. In 1872 he began business for himself as
carriage and waggon builder. In October, 1852, Mr. Wales married Anna R.
Scott, of this township; they had two daughters, Henrietta, born 1853,
and Gertrude, born 1864, died 1866. He has been a member of the Council
for two years.
VAN B. WOODRUFF, saddle and harness-maker, was born in Brougham, March
15, 1860, being the son of Powell and Ruth Ann (Merrit) Woodruff, whose
family consisted of six children. Mr. Woodruff first commenced business
in Brougham, where he stayed two years, after which he purchased his
present premises (formerly owned by Mr. G. M. Digby), and has a good
business. He keeps a general stock of harness, saddles, whips, valises,
trunks, etc.
WASHINGTON G. WOODRUFF, livery stable proprietor, was born in Brougham
in 1856, and is one of a family of five children born to Nelson and
Margaret (Barnum) Woodruff. He remained at home until 1873, and then
removed to Pickering, and was employed as buyer in the firm of W. & J.
Spinks, millers and grain merchants. He stayed at Pickering three years,
and then removed to Brant County, where he conducted a bakery, selling
out at the end of four months. The next four months he spent at
Michipicoton Island, carriage painting, and subsequently came back to
his native village, where he established a bakery which he carried on
for a little over a year. He purchased his present business from Mr.
Marshall in February, 1883. He married Miss Nellie Reid, of Brougham.
T. F. WOOTTEN was born in Wiltshire, England, in 1843, and emigrated to
Canada with his parents, David and Eliza (Clifford) Wootten, who settled
in Markham in 1856. He is one of a family of nine children, five of whom
only are living, and conducts the business formerly owned by his
brother. He holds a contract for conveyance of Her Majesty’s Mails, and
is also pound keeper of the Village of Markham. He was married to Sarah
Jane Brooks, daughter of the late Mr. Jacob Brooks, by whom he has two
children, Ellen D. and Alna A. Eliza Elizabeth. It should be stated that
Mr. Jacob Brooks carried the first mail from Toronto to Markham right
through to Uxbridge and Mariposa Township, which he continued for over
twenty-one years. He was a native of Devizes, Wiltshire, England, and
came to Canada before the War of 1812-’14, in which he took a part.
During the Rebellion of 1838 his son, Peter, now deceased, carried the
mails at the time they were stolen by the Rebels. The sword is in the
possession of the family which was carried by Mr. Brooks at the time. He
was a man highly respected and very upright in all his dealings. He was
a strong Conservative in politics.
TOWNSHIP OF VAUGHAN.
GEORGE AGAR, lot 28, concession 10, was born in this township on lot 19,
concession 10, in the year 1842. He is the eldest son of Mr. Richard
Agar, who now resides at Weston. The latter emigrated from Yorkshire,
England, about 1836, and settled on lot 33, concession 9, Vaughan
Township, which he cleared. He took an active part in the church matters
of the township, and was for many years a class leader. George Agar was
married to Mary Ann Bingham in 1866. His wife is a daughter of Mr.
Andrew Bingham, of Etobicoke. Their family consists of seven children.
He belongs to the Methodist persuasion, and is a Reformer in politics.
JAMES ADAMS, lot 26, concession 7, is a native of Ireland, having been
born in County Tyrone in the year 1807. He emigrated to Canada in 1832,
and immediately purchased the one hundred acres of land where he now
lives. The country around him was then quite wild and he had very few
neighbours. He was a member of the first Township Council. Mr. Adams was
married in the year 1834 to Sarah Irwin, the issue of the union being
seven children. He has one son, Mr. William Adams, in Toronto. He
belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and his political views are in
accordance with those of the Conservative Party.
WILLIAM BASINGTWAIT, lot 22, concession 2, was born in the County of
Norfolk, England, in the year 1816. He came to Canada in company with
his parents and the other members of the family in the year 1832. They
came first to York County, but shortly afterwards moved into Ontario
County, where the father purchased a farm in Reach Township, on which he
lived until his death. In 1843 our subject settled in the Township of
Vaughan on the farm still occupied by him, which, when he first located
there, was complete bush; neither were there churches, schools or roads.
Mr. Basingtwait, in addition to farming his land, is much interested in
bee-culture, having no less than thirty-five hives, which are very
productive and yield a profitable return. He was married in the year
1835 to Mrs. Margaret Atkinson; they have a family of six children
living. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and is in political opinions
a Reformer.
WILLIAM BOLTER, lot 29, concession 7, is a native of Suffolk, England.
He was born in 1815, and emigrated to Canada in 1859 accompanied by his
wife and two sons. He came direct to Toronto, where he remained two
years, being at the end of that period employed by Mr. Philip Armstrong,
on Yonge Street. He worked for that gentleman about nine years, and then
rented a farm on concession 3 of York Township, which he only occupied
about one year. He then rented the farm where he now resides. He was
married about six years previously to his departure from England, his
wife’s maiden name being Louisa King; they have a family of two sons and
four daughters. He belongs to the Episcopal Church.
ANTHONY BOWES, lot 3, concession 2, was born in the Township of Vaughan,
on the farm where he still lives. He is the youngest son of the late
Anthony Bowes, and was born in the year 1835. Mr. Bowes, sen’r,
emigrated from Yorkshire, England, accompanied by his wife and family,
and settled upon the above-mentioned farm. He continued to cultivate his
land for many years, and having had a moderate share of success he
retired in favour of his son and went to live in Toronto. He remained
there three or four years and then returned to Thornhill, where he died
in the year 1870. Mr. Anthony Bowes married in 1857 Catharine Gillivray,
of Scotch parentage, being a daughter of Mr. John Gillivray; they had a
family of eleven children, all living but one. He is a member of the
Methodist Church, and a Conservative in politics.
WILLIAM BOWES, lot 7, concession 2, was born in England in the year
1818, and in company with his parents and other members of the
family—three brothers and two sisters—came to Canada in 1831. They
landed at Quebec, the journey from there to Montreal being made by
steamboat. From the latter city to Brockville they journeyed by Durham
boats, and the remainder of the trip to little York by schooner. His
father was the late Anthony Bowes, mentioned in another sketch, he being
the eldest son of the family. Mr. Bowes bears testimony to the extreme
badness of the roads in the early days of the settlement, although he
admits the existence of one of the prime elements of civilization, to
wit, an old log school-house. During the Rebellion of 1837 he was a
member of Captain Gapper’s troop, and served during that time. Mr. Bowes
married in 1844 Ann Maxwell, by whom he had ten children, seven only of
whom are living. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and in politics is
a Reformer. The day the fight took place at Montgomery’s Tavern, Mr.
Bowes was engaged at his father’s farm on lot 3, concession 2 of King,
butchering hogs. While they were so employed six of the Rebels rode up
on horseback and demanded that our subject and his companion should go
with them and swell the force under Mackenzie’s command, but they
refused to comply. The Rebels shortly afterwards went away, leaving word
that they would return and should then expect their wishes to be
respected. This threat was no vain one, at least so far as their return
was concerned; but for making unwilling men go where they had no desire
was another matter. They put up their horses, “blackmailed” for food and
then commenced to threaten what would happen unless he went with them.
Happily perhaps for all parties, before violence could be used, the
Rebels, by some unexplained means, became aware of the defeat of
Mackenzie on Yonge Street, and at once mounting their horses galloped
away. The horses were afterwards found straying; they belonged to people
around Eglington, and one, a very valuable mare, was owned by Sheriff
Jarvis.
JOSEPH BROWN, lot 3, concession 5, was born in Vaughan Township on lot
2, concession 5. His father was the late James Brown, mentioned
elsewhere. Joseph was the fifth son in order in his father’s family. He
has been twice married, first in the year 1844, to Catharine Burkholder,
by whom he had a family of nine children, most of whom are dead. His
second marriage took place in 1881 to Miss Troyer. He is an adherent of
the Methodist Church, and is a Conservative in politics. His son Henry
now occupies his farm, lot 3, concession 6, and is the only son living;
two daughters are living, Susannah and Catharine, the latter being
married to Jacob Quartz.
RICHARD BROWN, lot 2, concession 5, was born on the lot where he now
resides in the year 1822. His father, the late James Brown, was among
the first batch of settlers in Vaughan, having emigrated some years
before the War of 1812. He was a man much esteemed by his neighbours,
and was ever ready to bring his experience to bear in assisting new
settlers in their difficulties. He was a Mennonite in religion, but
afterwards joined the Methodist Church. Richard married in the year
1843. His wife’s maiden name was Rebecca Burkholder, who was born in
Vaughan Township, being a daughter of the late William Burkholder, who
was a soldier during the War of 1812. They have a family of nine
children living, and two dead. He is an adherent of the Methodist
Church, and a Conservative in politics.
JAMES BRYSON, lot 30, concession 6, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in
the year 1794. He learned the trade of a machinist in Glasgow, at which
business he worked about eighteen years. In 1832 he emigrated to Canada,
and shortly afterwards settled in Vaughan. He married in 1835 Jane
McCallum, daughter of the late Donald McCallum, who had charge of the
post-office in concession 6 of King Township. They had a family of one
son and seven daughters; the daughters are all married and reside in
different parts of the county, the son living with his father on the
farm. His wife died October 31, 1882. He is a member of the Presbyterian
Church, and has always been a Reformer in politics.
JOSEPH BURKHOLDER, lot 3, concession 4, Edgeley Post-office, is the
youngest son of the late William Burkholder. His father was a native of
the State of Maryland, and was ten years of age when he came to Canada
with his parents. During the War of 1812 he was captain of a company in
the militia. He moved on to the farm now occupied by his son Joseph in
the beginning of 1816, and continued there until his death in 1869. At
the time of the Rebellion of 1837, Mr. Burkholder’s impulsive yet withal
generous nature was somewhat imposed upon as the following incident will
show. He became security for the appearance of a number of Rebels, but
they, either through fear of the consequences, or from other motives,
were not forthcoming when wanted, which had the effect of placing Mr.
Burkholder in a somewhat difficult position. He, however, came through
his trouble all right, the authorities possibly concluding that no blame
could be attached to him. Joseph Burkholder was born on the old
homestead. He was married in 1852 to Miss Hannah Koake, daughter of Adam
Koake, late of Etobicoke Township. They have a family of nine children
living, two being dead. Mr. Burkholder is a Presbyterian, but his family
attend the Methodist Church. He is a Conservative in politics. The farm
which he owns was originally purchased from the Clergy Reserve.
ROBERT BURTON, lot 13, concession 9, was born in the year 1852 on the
lot which he now owns and cultivates. He is the youngest son of the late
Henry Burton, who was one of the earliest settlers in this part of
Vaughan, and was a man well known in the neighbourhood. Mr. Burton,
sen’r, was originally from Scotland, and on emigrating to Canada settled
first in little York, removing to Vaughan in the year 1834, where he
resided until his death in 1881, at the age of seventy-five years.
Robert Burton married in 1860 Margaret Lawrence, daughter of Mr. Isaac
Lawrence, of Toronto Gore, by whom he has three children. He is a member
of the Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
WILLIAM BURTON, lot 2, concession 9, was born in Toronto Township in the
year 1828, being the eldest son of the late Robert Burton, who was well
known and respected in Vaughan and the surrounding townships. The latter
emigrated from Roxburghshire, Scotland, in the year 1824. He was a
stone-mason by trade, and on settling in Toronto assisted in building
the old Upper Canada Bank, as well as some other notable erections. He
married Violet Oliver (who is still living) and settled in Vaughan in
1830. In 1852 he purchased land in Albion and King Townships, and lived
on his farm in the last named section until his death in 1870, at the
age of seventy years. William having been brought up to farming has
always followed that occupation. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church,
and is a Reformer in politics. He is not married.
WILLIAM BURTON, lot 4, concession 9, was born in little York, now
Toronto, in the year 1830, and is the eldest son of his father’s family.
The latter was Mr. Henry Burton, who emigrated from Roxburghshire,
Scotland, in 1830; he was a stone-mason by trade, which he followed for
two years after his arrival. He helped to build the first Market-place,
and Osgoode Hall in Toronto. In 1832 he located on lot 13, concession 9,
and settled down to farming, which he continued until his death in 1881,
at the ripe age of seventy-seven years. He was a Trustee of the
Presbyterian Church, and joined the first congregation formed in the
locality. Mr. William Burton espoused in 1860, Jane, a daughter of Neil
McDonald, by whom he has four children. He is a member of the
Presbyterian body, and in politics a Reformer.
ARCHIBALD CAMERON, lot 17, concession 6, was born in Caledon Township,
Peel County, in the year 1826, and is the eldest son of the late Donald
Cameron. His father was a native of Argyleshire, Scotland, whose early
years were spent in tending cattle on the mountain pastures of his
native county. He emigrated to Canada in 1819, but previous to his
departure married Elizabeth Armour, who accompanied him, and heroically
endured the severe hardships which they afterwards encountered. They
landed after their voyage in Montreal on August 21, and immediately
commenced the long and tedious journey to Peel County, where they
proposed to settle. After several delays which occurred at different
points on the route, and the additional misery of having sickness on
board the boat, they arrived at their destination about the latter end
of October, and it appeared as though they had not reached the final
stage of despondency. They received their grant of sixty acres in the
Township of Caledon; but were compelled owing to the sparsity of
settlement to sleep out in the woods for several nights without shelter,
not being able to build a shanty for want of the necessary assistance.
Mr. Cameron contrived however by perseverance, and the consolation which
his deep religious convictions afforded him, to overcome innumerable
obstacles and to emerge from his state of wretchedness to one of
comparative comfort. He remained in Caledon Township about seven years,
and then removed to Vaughan, where he lived until the time of his death.
During his lifetime he took great interest in municipal affairs, and was
in the Township Council for some years. He was an Elder of the
Presbyterian Church. Archibald Cameron took charge of the homestead at
his father’s death, which he has since continued to cultivate. He
married in 1851 Catharine McMurchell, by whom he has a family of eight
children. He is an Elder of the Presbyterian Church, and a Conservative
in politics.
LACKLEN CAMERON, lot 12, concession 10, was born in the Island of Mull,
Argyleshire, Scotland, in 1830. In company with his parents he emigrated
to Canada in 1856, who settled in the Township of Saugeen, Bruce County,
where they remained about one year, subsequently removing to the
Township of Bruce, where they secured one hundred acres of land, which
the subject of this sketch still owns. He rented a farm in Vaughan
Township, on which he lived about seven years, and at the expiration of
that time purchased the farm where he now resides. He is also the owner
of an additional fifty acres in another part of the township. He married
Margaret, a daughter of the late Archibald Sommerville, of this
township; they have a family of seven children. Mr. Cameron is a member
of the Presbyterian Church, and a Reformer in politics.
JOHN CHAPMAN, lot 37, concession 1, is the descendant of a U. E.
Loyalist family who emigrated from the State of New York at an early
day. Our subject was born in 1804, and came with his mother and
stepfather to Canada; the latter drew land from Government, the same now
occupied by Isaac and James Chapman. The first settlement was made on
the farm now owned by Mr. Arnold, which was the first farm cleared on
Yonge Street. Mr. Chapman was married in 1826 to Hannah Pearson, of
English parentage, by whom he had twelve children. The family generally
belong to the Presbyterian Church, but some of the sons are Methodists.
Mr. Chapman takes an active part in politics, and votes for measures
rather than party. As U. E. Loyalists the family retain the patriotic
spirit which animated their forefathers, and the evidence they have
shown of their firm adherence to the Crown is to them a source of
considerable pride.
JAMES CHERRY, lot 32, concession 9, was born in Vaughan Township, on the
lot where he now lives, in 1838. He is the only son of the late John
Cherry, one of the earliest settlers in this part of Vaughan, who
emigrated from County Down, Ireland, and settled in this township about
the year 1834. James married Elizabeth, daughter of the late Samuel
Sheardon, of this township, by whom he has five children, all girls. The
family are adherents of the Lutheran Church, and in politics Mr. Cherry
votes Conservative. He takes considerable interest in stock-raising, and
last year imported two of the Clydesdale breed of horses, and in other
matters shows his enterprise and judgment.
WILLIAM CONSTABLE, lot 16, concession 6, was born in Yorkshire, England,
in the year 1815. He emigrated to Canada in company with his
step-father, William Jarolt, in the year 1830. He remained in the
lumbering districts of Quebec Province about six years and then moved
west to York County and settled in the Township of Vaughan. He rented a
farm on lot 21, concession 6, where he stayed five years, after which he
bought his present farm. He lived on lot 20, concession 5, about four
years, and returned to lot 16, concession 6, on which he had erected
buildings and where he yet resides. He married in 1830 Mary Jackson,
daughter of the late George Jackson, of York Township; they have a
family of two children living. He is an adherent of the Lutheran Church,
and a Reformer in politics.
G. J. COOK, lot 28, concession 3, was born at Caarville, Vaughan
Township, June 7, 1852. He is the youngest son of the late Thomas Cook,
a very early settler in this section. His father located on lot 16,
concession 2, which he farmed, and in addition carried on a large
business as merchant miller. He gave up business here and went to New
Zealand, with the intention of permanently settling there; but not
liking the country, he returned to Canada, and again fixing his
residence in Vaughan, died there in the year 1877, leaving his property
to his sons. Two of the sons reside at Caarville. J. G. Cook was married
in the year 1876 to Jane Denton, daughter of William Denton, now living
in Mono Township, County Dufferin, formerly of Vaughan. They have a
family of two sons. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and in politics
supports the Reform Party.
THOMAS COOK, lot 16, concession 2, is the son of the late Thomas Cook,
of English birth, who emigrated to America in the year 1830. Mr. Cook,
sen’r, first settled in the United States, and coming afterwards to
Canada he settled in the Township of Vaughan, where he located on a
portion of what was known as the old “Fisher Estate.” He purchased six
hundred acres, which he divided with his brother William, and where, in
connection with farming they operated a grist-mill which was already on
the land, being the first mill erected in the township. They did a very
large business, having the monopoly of the trade in the section. Mr.
Cook took considerable interest in the affairs of the township and was
for a number of years a member of the Council. He was a Justice of the
Peace for some time previous to his death, in which position he
discharged his duties with much discrimination and judgment. In church
matters he was ever to the fore, and the Methodist body, of which he was
an earnest member, in many instances received substantial proof of his
devotion to the cause of the Gospel. He died in the year 1877 on the old
homestead, after a long and successful career, and a life of usefulness
to the public weal. Thomas, who now resides on the home farm where he
was born, is the second son of his father’s family. He married in the
year 1879 Elizabeth Ann Bell, a Canadian by birth, by whom he has two
children. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Church, and in
political opinions gives his support to the Reform Party.
WILLIAM COOK, lot 16, concession 2, was born on lot 17, adjoining the
farm upon which he now resides, and is the eldest of the three sons of
the late Thomas Cook mentioned in a previous biography. William married
in 1872 Mercie Ellerby, daughter of Mr. Joseph Ellerby, of Markham
Township. The family are adherents of the Methodist Church. Mr. Cook has
been a member of the Vaughan Township Council for four years, and is now
Deputy-Reeve. In political matters he is a Reformer.
GEORGE COOPER, lot 25, concession 8, was born in Lincolnshire, England,
in the year 1843, and emigrated with his parents to Canada in 1854. His
father, the late John Cooper, settled on his arrival in concession 2 of
Markham Township, where he remained about one year. He subsequently
removed to Thornhill, where he died, after a residence of eight months.
His wife, the mother of our subject, lived in Thornhill about twenty
years after the death of her husband, and is still living in Vaughan
with her son, being now about eighty years old. Mr. George Cooper was
married in 1868, the maiden name of his wife being Fanny Wells; they
have seven children. He has taken little or no active part in local
affairs. He belongs to the Episcopal Church, and is a Conservative in
politics.
JOHN COWAN, blacksmith, Purpleville, was born in the Township of
Vaughan, in 1862. He is the second son of Mr. John Cowan who laid out
the Village of Purpleville, and for a number of years carried on a
blacksmith’s business there, having since removed to the United States.
Our subject has lived the greater portion of his life across the border.
He learned his trade at Teston with Mr. Richard Lund, and has since
commenced business at Purpleville, which, there is good reason for
believing, is a successful one.
JOHN CRADDOCK was born in the Township of Vaughan, within a short
distance of his present residence. His father was a native of Yorkshire,
England, his mother was from Lincolnshire, England. His parents came to
Canada in 1831, and located on lot 29, concession 4, where he conducted
a lumbering business in addition to farming for a number of years. They
were among the early settlers of Vaughan, and the old people are still
alive and reside in the town of Barrie. Mr. Craddock, jun’r, was married
in the year 1861, his wife’s maiden name being Elizabeth Nixon, daughter
of Mr. William Nixon, of concession 4 of Vaughan. The family are
adherents of the Methodist Church, and are all Reformers in politics.
ROBERT CREIGHTON, lot 10, concession 10, was born near Glasgow,
Scotland, in the year 1813, and emigrated to Canada in 1828 in company
with his father, his mother being dead. They came via New York, where
they remained a few months, and subsequently made their way to Little
York. They settled down in Toronto where they lived eleven years, and
then moved up Yonge Street, and located for over nine years on the spot
where Davisville now stands. In the year 1841, Mr. Creighton, sen’r,
purchased the farm now in the possession of his son Robert, where he
resided until his death, which took place in 1883, at the age of
seventy-seven years. Robert was married in the year 1846 to Jane
Stewart, she being a daughter of the late Henry Stewart, of Toronto.
They have one son. In politics Mr. Creighton is a Reformer.
ROBERT CROFT, lot 28, concession 8, is a native of Lincolnshire,
England. He was born in 1810, and in 1831 emigrated to Canada
accompanied by his wife and one child. He came direct to York County,
and settled at Thornhill, where he worked for three or four years. He
then removed to Vaughan Township, where he spent three years, and
subsequently lived nine years in Markham. At the end of that time he
purchased a farm in the latter township, on lot 4, concession 4, where
he resided about twelve years. He ultimately bought the property in
Vaughan where he now lives. He has been twice married; by his first wife
he had eleven children. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and a
Conservative in politics.
JAMES DALZIEL is the son of the late John Dalziel, who emigrated from
Lanarkshire, Scotland, with his family in 1828, and immediately on his
arrival in York, settled in the Township of Vaughan, on lot 1,
concession 5, where he lived until his death in 1842. James was born in
Scotland in 1816, and on the death of his father occupied the old
homestead. He has benefited the Township of Vaughan considerably by the
introduction of a fine stock of Durham and Shorthorn cattle, and has
also infused much spirit into the working and aims of the Agricultural
Society. He has taken a number of prizes for ploughing, and may be
classed as the best ploughman in the section. He has a brother also who
is a first-class ploughman. The farm he lives on was originally owned by
the late John Smith, who afterwards built mills at Pine Grove. Mr.
Dalziel rents his farm and only retains a few acres, living now in
retirement. He married in 1872, his wife’s maiden name being Janet
McLean, a native of Scotland, by whom he had four children, two boys and
two girls. He is a Presbyterian in religion, and a Reformer in politics.
JAMES DEVINS, lot 18, concession 10, was born in concession 6 of York
Township in the year 1804. He is descended from a family who originally
emigrated to Canada from Pennsylvania, U. S., his father, the late Isaac
Devins, landing at the mouth of the River Don with Governor Simcoe,
whose tent he assisted to put up. Mr. Isaac Devins located in the
Township of Markham, but not being satisfied he came to concession 6 of
York Township, where he subsequently died, being over eighty years of
age. In the early days the settlers had to go to the head of the lake in
scows to have their grist ground. The first saw-mill built on the Humber
was erected by an uncle of our subject, and was put up by order of the
Government. James Devins moved from York into Vaughan Township at an
early period of settlement, there being at that time less than
half-a-dozen dwelling-houses between Toronto and Vaughan. Our subject
married in 1830, his wife’s maiden name being Eleanor Christner: their
family consisted of nine children. In politics Mr. Devins has taken a
somewhat active part, and at election times has given great assistance
to the Reform party. He belongs to the Methodist persuasion.
GEORGE ELLIOTT, lot 11, concession 8, was born on the farm where he now
resides. He is the eldest son of the late John Elliott, an old settler
in Vaughan, who emigrated from Northumberland, England, at an early day.
Mr. Elliott, sen’r, remained two years in Montreal, and subsequently
spent a similar period in Toronto. In 1834 he purchased a farm in
Vaughan, where he continued to live till his death in 1869, at the age
of sixty-nine years. He belonged to the Congregational Church, and was a
Reformer in politics. George Elliott married, in 1860, Elizabeth,
daughter of the late George Gowland, of this township: they have a
family of seven children. In religion and politics he follows in the
footsteps of his father.
RICHARD EGAN, lot 33, concession 8, was born in the County Monaghan,
Ireland, in the year 1831, being the youngest son of the late Johnston
Egan. His father emigrated to Canada, accompanied by his children (the
mother being dead), in the year 1831, and settled in Vaughan as soon as
possible after his arrival in York. He purchased land from the Canada
Company, lot 31, concession 7, which he occupied for three years, at the
expiration of which time he sold out and bought the farm where his son,
the subject of this sketch, lives. He died in the year 1858, being about
fifty-five years of age. Richard took possession of the old homestead,
which he has continued to cultivate, and where he has brought up his
family. He was married to Jane, a daughter of the late Joseph Hempsall,
of this township: they have nine children living. He is a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
JOHN H. ELLIS, lot 32, concession 8, was born in the County of
Nottinghamshire, England, in the year 1830. He came out to this country
with his parents when an infant. His father located on the farm now
occupied by his son, which he cleared and otherwise improved. He lived
to the ripe old age of eighty-one years, his death taking place in the
year 1882. John H. Ellis was married in 1863, his wife being Sophia
Josephine, daughter of the late Abraham Crossen: they have a family of
four children. He belongs to the Lutheran Church, and is a Conservative
in politics.
WILLIAM W. FARR, lot 5, concession 9, was born in the Township of
Chinguacousy, County Peel, in the year 1830. His father, the late James
Farr, emigrated from the neighbourhood of Weston, Herts., England, at an
early day, and settled first in Weston, where he stayed until 1829. He
it was who gave to the Village of Weston its title, in commemoration of
his English home. On leaving Weston he went to Peel County, and at the
expiration of twelve months moved into Vaughan Township, on the same
farm where William, his son, now lives. He resided there until his
death, which took place in 1841, at the age of fifty-three years: his
widow is still living, being eighty-one years old. Mr. Farr, sen’r, held
a Captain’s commission in the militia. W. W. Farr has been twice
married: first in 1850 to Eliza Fletcher, by whom he had one child. His
second union was with a daughter of the late John Williams, an old
settler who lived to be ninety years of age. He has four children by his
present wife. Mr. Farr has been a member of the Woodbridge Village
Council for three years, a position he still holds. He belongs to the
Methodist Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
EDWARD FLETCHER, lot 9, concession 8, was born on the lot on which he
now resides. His father, the late Walter Fletcher, was an early settler
in the township, having located here in 1826. He was a native of County
Leitrim, Ireland, and after settling on his farm in Vaughan remained
there until his death in 1869, at the age of seventy-nine years. Edward
was born in 1837, and is the youngest son of his father’s family, which
consisted of three sons and two daughters. Mr. Fletcher is unmarried. He
is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics is a
Conservative.
JOSEPH GRAHAM, lot 18, concession 2, is a native of Vaughan Township,
and was born on concession 2, in 1840, being the second son of the late
William Graham, an old settler in this section. He (Mr. Graham, sen’r)
was a cooper by trade, and followed that business for many years at York
Mills, and subsequently in Vaughan, and was widely known throughout the
district as a hard-working, industrious man. The members of his family
are located within a few miles radius, and are all farmers. Joseph
Graham was married in the year 1877 to Louisa Frank, by whom he has a
family of two, both boys. He belongs to the Methodist denomination, and
votes for the Reform Party at elections.
MICHAEL HARVEY, lot 26, concession 6, is a native of County Tyrone,
where he was born in 1829. His father being dead, he, accompanied by his
mother and other members of the family, came to Canada in 1850. They
came direct to Vaughan, and settled on the adjoining lot on which he now
lives. He moved on to the present lot in 1862, which he continues to
cultivate.
WILLIAM HEMPHILL, lot 33, concession 9, was born in County Tyrone,
Ireland, in the year 1831. He emigrated to Canada, in company with his
parents, in 1841. They came direct to York County, and almost
immediately took up their abode in Vaughan Township, on the same farm
now occupied by William. He is the second son in his father’s family:
his paternal parent, Joseph Hemphill, died in Vaughan, in 1878, at the
ripe old age of eighty-four years. Mr. William Hemphill, since the
family first located there, has always lived on the homestead, which was
at first all bush. He was married in the year 1865 to Jane Hamilton,
sister of Mr. Gavin Hamilton, of this township, by whom he has eight
children. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is a Conservative
in politics.
GIDEON HISLOP, lot 50, concession 1, is the grandson of a Scotch farmer,
who emigrated from Perthshire, Scotland, at an early day, and located on
the lot now owned by the subject of this notice. Mr. Hislop was born on
the family homestead, and is the fourth son in his father’s (the late
Gideon Hislop) family. The latter in his day contributed a great deal to
the township improvements, and in other ways, such as introducing some
very fine Clyde draught horses, for a better class of stock. Mr. Hislop
is not married, but his mother and sister reside on the farm with him.
He is a Reformer in politics, and the family are members of the
Presbyterian Church.
JOHN HUGILL, lot 32, concession 7, was born in the City of Toronto, in
the year 1833. His grandfather, John Hugill, was an early settler in
York, and formerly conducted a brewery in Toronto. His father, also
named John, died when our subject was but four years old. John Hugill
has travelled around a good deal in his lifetime, but he has lived about
thirty-five years in Vaughan off and on. He is interested in the
breeding of horses, and has now a fine imported Clyde colt with an
excellent pedigree. Mr. Hugill married in 1855 Susan Cloney, daughter of
John Cloney, of Etobicoke Township, by whom he has a family of ten
children. He attends the English church, and votes for Conservative
measures.
ROBERT IRWIN, lot 28, concession 6, was born in the County Tyrone,
Ireland, in 1811, and emigrated to Canada in 1832. He first settled in
concession 7 of Vaughan, after coming direct to York County, where he
remained about five years. He then sold that farm and located at Hogg’s
Hollow for two years, after which he bought the farm where he now
resides. The only office he has held since his residence here is that of
Returning Officer, which he filled for one year. His connection with the
Presbyterian Church has been marked by the earnest attention he has
given to all matters relative to its welfare, he having been an elder
for several years. Mr. Irwin was married in the year 1858 to Eleanor
Wallace. He is a Conservative in politics.
DAVID JEFFREY, an old settler in this township, whose long public
connection with the municipality entitles him to receive at our hands
more consideration than the space allotted to us usually affords, was
born in the parish of Whitsome, Berwickshire, Scotland, in the year
1799. He was put to the plough at an early age, and before he had
arrived at manhood had acquired a practical knowledge of all matters
relating to agriculture. He was employed on the estate of Sir John Hay
to carry out a series of important improvements, in which situation he
remained until 1833, when the family decided upon emigration. He had,
some little time before, married a half-cousin, Jane Mitchell, and the
family, consisting of father, mother, two brothers, and three sisters,
besides himself and wife, took passage for Quebec, and, having friends
in York County, they proposed proceeding thither to settle. The voyage
across the Atlantic occupied fourteen weeks, and the journey from Quebec
to Little York was made by Durham boats. It was an August Sabbath
afternoon when “Muddy Little York” (then on the point of being
re-christened) was reached, where they stayed a few days before resuming
the journey to Richmond Hill. After arriving at their destination, the
first business was to gain possession of some land, which they
eventually did, being lot 34, concession 8 of the Township of Vaughan,
for which they paid £400 sterling—£200 down. As was usual in such
cases, they had to put up with considerable inconvenience and hardship
during the first few years of settlement, the township then being far
from completely settled. Mr. Jeffrey early became associated with the
local governing body, and was elected one of the commissioners appointed
to conduct the expenditure allowed by Government for public improvements
in the municipality. He also assumed the office of Township Clerk, which
he managed with ability for seven years. Mr. Jeffrey is a politician of
strong Reform proclivities; and, having personally suffered under the
system originated by “The Family Compact,” has ever since endeavoured to
promote the return of Reform candidates. Having lived through the
dangerous period of the Rebellion, he was well acquainted with its
causes and effects, and has never wavered in his allegiance to the party
who fought for and obtained Responsible Government for the people of
Canada. Mr. Jeffrey is still hale and hearty, and his declining years
are made happy by his children and grandchildren, to whom he often
recounts the story of the stirring times gone by.
JOHN JEFFREY, lot 15, concession 9, was born on the lot which he now
occupies in 1849. His father, the late Richard Jeffrey, emigrated at an
early day from the County of Kent, England, and, on his arrival in York,
settled in concession 8. He afterwards worked on the farm now occupied
by his son John, where he resided until his death in 1872, at the age of
fifty-four years. His wife is still living on the homestead. John
Jeffrey is the only son living of their family. Being of a retiring
disposition, he has taken no part in municipal affairs, but attends
strictly to his own immediate concerns. He attends the Presbyterian
Church, and is a Reformer in politics. He has five sisters, two of whom
are married, one to Mr. Gavin Hamilton, and the other to Mr. Thomas
Richardson. Mr. Jeffrey, in addition to the management of his own farm,
practises as Veterinary Surgeon, having received his diploma from the
Ontario Veterinary College in 1874.
JOHN JOHNSON, lot 2, concession 8, was born in the year 1840, on the lot
where he still lives. He is the eldest son of the late Robert Johnson,
who emigrated from Dumfries, Scotland, in the year 1832, and, after
remaining two years in the Ottawa district, located in Vaughan Township,
York County, where he brought up his family.
DAVID JOHNSTON, lots 3 and 4, concession 8, was born in Dumfriesshire,
Scotland, in the year 1811, and emigrated to Canada in 1831. He settled
first in the vicinity of Ottawa, and at the end of two years moved west,
and settled in Vaughan Township, on his present farm. At the time he
first located here the country around was very wild, although the land
was mostly taken up. In 1849 Mr. Johnston married Catharine Dalziel,
daughter of John Dalziel, of this township. They had a family of five
children, two of whom are now dead. He is a Presbyterian in religion,
and a Liberal in politics.
PETER KEFFER, lot 12, concession 3, was born in Somerset County,
Pennsylvania, December 30, 1879. His father, Jacob Keffer, was a native
of Germany. The family came to Canada in 1806, and settled on the lot
now occupied by the subject of this sketch, where the father lived until
his death. Mr. Keffer was married in 1823 to Miss Fisher, by whom he had
nine children. They are adherents of the Lutheran Church, and Mr.
Keffer, like his father, is a Reformer in politics. He has one son
living on the homestead with him, who is married and has one child.
WILLIAM KEFFER, lot 9, concession 3, was born on the farm where he now
resides, in the year 1812. He is the youngest son living of the late
Michael Keffer, who settled in Vaughan as early as 1806, where he lived
until his death in 1852. His family consisted of six sons and three
daughters, some members of the family dying very young. Although brought
up to the Lutheran faith, he afterwards joined the Church of England,
and entered with spirit into all matters undertaken for its future
benefit. He gave the land for the first church built, which is still
standing, and where services are yet conducted: it is a log building.
William Keffer married in 1831 Susanna Burkholder, a daughter of Oldrick
Burkholder, of this township: they have six daughters and two sons
living. Mr. Keffer has taken an interest in municipal affairs. He is an
adherent of the English Church, and a Conservative in politics.
ROBERT KERR, lot 23, concession 7, was born in 1812 in the Island of
Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands group. His father was a soldier in
the British army, and served during the Peninsular War. Robert emigrated
to Canada in the year 1844, accompanied by his wife and two children. He
remained a few months in Toronto, and then moved into York Township. In
the year 1846 he accepted a situation as school teacher in concessions 2
and 3, York, where he taught for one year, afterwards removing to
Vaughan Township, and was there occupied in teaching for a number of
years. In the year 1860 he settled on the farm where he now lives. He is
an adherent of the Presbyterian Church, and a Reformer in politics.
THOMAS KERSEY, lot 22, concession 10, is the eldest son of the late
William Kersey, and was born in 1836, on the farm where he now resides.
His father came from Westmoreland, England, and on his arrival in York
remained two years in Toronto Gore, and subsequently settled on the farm
in Vaughan. He was a man highly respected throughout the township, and
held several important offices in connection with the municipal
government. He was a member of the Township Council, and received the
appointment of first License Inspector of the section. His death
occurred in 1876, he being seventy-five years old. Thomas Kersey has
continued to reside at the old homestead. He has two brothers, one of
whom lives with him on the farm. His mother is also living and in good
health, being now seventy-five years of age. He attends the Episcopal
Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
ROBERT KING, lot 13, concession 9, is of Scotch parentage, and was born
on the farm where he now resides. His father, the late Robert King, an
early settler in this part of the township, emigrated from Ayrshire,
Scotland, and, previous to his location in this section, remained some
time in Kingston and Toronto, where he worked at his trade of
stone-cutter. About 1830 he came to Vaughan, and commenced farming, and
continued to follow that industry until his death in 1872. Robert’s
birth took place in 1836, he being the youngest son of the family, and
he has always followed farming. He was married in 1859 to a daughter of
Mr. James Devins, by whom he has a family of seven children. He is an
adherent of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics is a Reformer.
NATHANIEL KIRBY, lot 38, concession 1, was born in Yorkshire, England,
in the year 1806, and emigrated to Canada in 1831. He came direct to
York County and located in Vaughan Township, where he had a brother
already settled. For some years he worked among the farmers of the
district, and in 1836 rented a farm in Markham Township. At the
expiration of five years he went to live at Weston, and conducted a
hotel in connection with a farm for about eighteen months. He then moved
to concession 2 of Vaughan, to a farm formerly occupied by Mr. William
Cook, where he stayed twenty-five years. In 1860 he moved on to the farm
where he now resides. He married in 1836 Harriett Mason, also from
Yorkshire, by whom he had five children. He is a Conservative in
politics, and a member of the Church of England. When he first settled
in Vaughan there were a church and a log school-house in Thornhill.
JAMES KURTZ, lot 28, concession 9, is the youngest son of the late John
Kurtz, and was born on concession 2 of Vaughan, in the year 1842. He has
resided on his present farm since the death of his father in 1879. He
belongs to the Methodist Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
JOHN C. KURTZ, lot 27, concession 10, was born near Richmond Hill, in
the year 1830. His father, the late John Kurtz, came from Pennsylvania
when quite a child, and settled with his parents in Vaughan. In the year
1849 he moved to concession 9, where he lived until his death in 1880,
at the age of seventy-two years. John C. married in 1871, his wife being
Sarah Calham, daughter of Mr. James Calham, of Toronto Township, by whom
he has a family of six children. Mr. Kurtz has taken great interest in
municipal matters, and his opinion is often sought in connection with
township affairs. He is also an enthusiastic politician, and works hard
for the Reform Party. The temperance cause has in him an ardent
supporter, and he looks hopefully forward to the time when the Scott Act
shall be carried in his native county.
JACOB LAHMER, lots 16 and 17, concession 5, was born in the year 1828.
He is the only son of the late Jacob Lahmer, a native of Pennsylvania,
who emigrated to Canada in the year 1823, and shortly afterwards settled
in Vaughan. His mother’s maiden name was Susan Mussulman, who carried on
the management of the farm after her husband’s death, her own taking
place in 1879. The old homestead was Jacob’s birthplace, where he has
always lived. He has taken great interest in municipal and agricultural
matters, having been a member of the Township Council for two years, and
a Director of the Agricultural Society since its inauguration. He has
assisted materially in the development of well-bred stock in the
section, and has taken several prizes at the neighbouring fairs for
Durham cattle. Mr. Lahmer was married in the year 1850 to Barbara
Snider, daughter of the late Mr. John Snider, of Vaughan.
JOHN LAHMER, lot 15, concession 3, was born in the Township of Vaughan,
in the year 1854, being the eldest son of Jacob Lahmer, whose sketch
precedes this. He was married in 1881 to a daughter of Mr. Thomas
Mulholland, a prominent pioneer of York Township. Mr. Lahmer gives great
attention to all matters concerning agriculture. He was the leading
institutor of the Vaughan Ploughmen’s Association, which has won such
celebrity of late years. At the inaugural match in 1879, he and three of
his brothers won one watch, two silver cups and two ploughs as premiums.
Although the object of this sketch was not so successful as some
ploughmen, he has tried his skill against the best men in the county.
Mr. Lahmer has also taken an active part in politics, and is prominent
among the workers of the Reform Party of West York. He is Vice-President
of the Riding Association, and has been Secretary of the Township
Association for years.
JOSEPH LANKIN, lot 8, concession 6, was born in the Township of Vaughan
(where the Village of Maple now stands) in the year 1830. He is the
third son of the late Rickard Lankin, an early settler, who located on
lot 19, concession 4, when nothing but bush was to be seen around. Mr.
Lankin, sen’r, afterwards moved back to lot 3, concession 1, where he
lived about eight years. He subsequently went to Pickering Township, and
after spending a number of years there took up his residence in
Hamilton, where he died. Joseph, the subject of this notice, was married
to Elizabeth Hodges in 1845. She was a daughter of Jonathan Hodges who
emigrated from Ireland in the early times of settlement. Mr. Hodges, at
the commencement of his career in the township, taught school, which he
continued for four years, and then bought a farm in Tecumseth Township,
on which he lived until his death. Mr. Lankin by his marriage has a
family of six sons and two daughters living. He is a member of the
Methodist Church, and a Conservative in politics. When he first settled
on his present lot it was a swamp, and there was no church nearer than
Woodbridge.
JOHN LAWRIE is a native of Lanarkshire, Scotland, having been born
within a short distance of the City of Glasgow in the year 1802. He was
early initiated in the weaving business, but did not follow it,
afterwards working with his father on the farm. He married Isabella Reid
in 1830, and emigrated to Canada in the same year. He settled first in
York Township, where he lived nearly five years. He then removed to
Scarboro’, where he lived six years, and from there he moved to his
present residence, lot 12, concession 9, Vaughan. At the time of his
settlement in Vaughan roads were conspicuous by their absence, and
schools, churches, and institutions of that kind were dreams of the
future; religious services were then conducted in barns, and oftentimes
in the kitchen of Mr. Sommerville. Mr. Lawrie was a member of the first
Council of Vaughan, and in other affairs took an active part. He entered
with spirit into the building of Knox Church in the township, and has
always been a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. The family
consists of five daughters and one son. He is a Conservative in
politics. Gavin Lawrie, son of the above, was born in Scarboro’ Township
in 1836. He married in 1859 Eliza Jane Bennett, by whom he has a family
of five children. In religion and politics he follows his father.
JOHN LINE, lot 18, concession 4, is a born resident of Vaughan Township,
having been born on the lot where he still continues to reside. He is
the only son of the late Henry Line, a Canadian by birth, and one of the
oldest settlers in Vaughan, the family having originally emigrated from
Pennsylvania. Mr. Line, sen’r, always lived on and industriously
cultivated the home farm, where he died in 1870 at the age of sixty-four
years; his wife is still living in Maple Grove. Mr. John Line was
married in 1858 to Martha Bennett, a daughter of the late Jacob Bennett;
they have seven children living. He is a member of the Baptist Church,
and a Conservative in political opinion.
SAMUEL LINE was born on lot 15, concession 4, Vaughan Township, in the
year 1814, being the third son of the late John Line, mentioned
elsewhere. He was married in 1841 to Rebecca Murray, daughter of the
late Christopher Murray, an old settler in this township; they had three
children, only one of whom is now living. He is a member of the Lutheran
Church, and belongs to the Reform Party.
WILLIAM LINE, lot 16, concession 4, was born in Vaughan Township, on lot
15, concession 4, in the year 1816, and is the youngest son of the late
John Line. His father emigrated from Pennsylvania at an early day, and
on his arrival in York immediately settled in Vaughan on the same farm
now owned by our subject, which at that period was all bush. He
continued to live on the farm until his death, which event occurred
about the year 1840. William Line was married in 1839; his wife’s maiden
name was Susan Snider, she being a daughter of the late Jacob Snider;
the issue of this union is five children. They are adherents of the
Methodist Church, and Mr. Line’s political sympathies are with the
Reform Party.
SAMUEL MCCLURE, lot 13, concession 8, is a native of Vaughan Township,
and was born in the year 1853, being the youngest in a family of ten
children, born to Andrew McClure, mentioned in another sketch. Mr.
McClure married in the year 1877 Nancy Cameron, the eldest daughter of
Mr. Archibald Cameron, of Vaughan Township, by whom he has a family of
five children. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is in politics
a Conservative.
WILLIAM MCCLURE, lot 14, concession 8, is the son of the late Andrew
McClure, one of the very first settlers in this section of the township.
The latter emigrated from County Armagh, Ireland, in 1833, and assisted
in the erection of a considerable number of grist and saw-mills on the
Humber. He settled on the lot now occupied by the subject of this
sketch, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1876, at
the age of sixty-seven years; his widow is still living, and resides
with William on the homestead. William was born in 1857, and in 1875
married Ellen Nesbitt, daughter of the late John Nesbitt, of Toronto
Township, by whom he has three children living. He is a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and takes great interest in all matters concerning
that body, especially the Sabbath school, in which he is a teacher. He
votes on the Conservative side.
DONALD MCDONALD, lot 24, concession 6, is the grandson of one John
McDonald, who was born in the Highlands of Scotland. His grandfather was
a soldier and held the rank of Sergeant in the British Army, and came to
America in that capacity. He served through the Revolutionary War, and
lived in New York State six or seven years, during which period John
Macdonald, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born. The
family came to York County, and settled on Yonge Street, north of
Toronto, where they remained two years, subsequently removing to Vaughan
Township on lot 19, concession 3, where our subject’s grand-parents
died. His father resided at home until he was twenty-one years of age,
and then took possession of lot 19, concession 6, which he successfully
cultivated until his death. Donald was one of a family of five children,
and was born in the year 1835. He was married in the year 1875, his
wife’s maiden name being Flora McDonald; the issue of their union is
four children. Mr. McDonald has devoted much attention to church
matters, and is Treasurer and Trustee of the Presbyterian Church. He is
a Reformer in politics.
JAMES MCDONALD, lot 19, concession 3, was born in the year 1836 on the
same farm where he now resides, being the youngest son of the late
Archibald McDonald. His father came to Canada when quite young, in
company with his parents; they were from the United States, and were of
Scotch extraction. James has always lived on the old homestead in
Vaughan, and married in 1863 Barbara Watson, by whom he had three
children. She died however, and his second union was with Elizabeth,
daughter of the late Henry White, by whom he had three children, two of
whom are dead. The family are adherents of the Methodist Church, and Mr.
McDonald is a Reformer in politics.
JOHN MCGILLIVRAY, lot 31, concession 7, was born in Vaughan Township on
the lot where he now resides, which is the same farm located on by his
father, Neil McGillivray, when he emigrated from Argyleshire, Scotland,
in the early days of settlement. Mr. McGillivray was married in the year
1864, his wife being Nancy McGillivray; their family consists of two
sons and three daughters. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and
in politics is a Reformer.
LACHLIN MCGILLIVRAY, lot 30, concession 7, is a native of the Island of
Mull, Scotland, where he was born in 1807, being the youngest son of the
late John McGillivray, mentioned elsewhere. Mr. McGillivray is the
second owner from the Crown of the farm he now resides upon; his father
lived on the farm with him until his death. He was married before
leaving Scotland to Flora McKinnon, by whom he has seven children
living, viz.: Donald, Mary, Sarah, Margaret, Hugh, Ann, Janet; John died
when three years of age. He belongs to the Presbyterian body, and is a
Reformer in politics.
NEIL MCGILLIVRAY, lot 19, concession 9, is a native of Vaughan Township.
He is the eldest son of the late Neil McGillivray, an early settler, who
emigrated from the Island of Mull, Scotland, accompanied by his mother
and the rest of the family. They came direct to York and located for a
few years on concession 3, and in 1836 moved to the farm, lot 20,
concession 9, Vaughan Township, where the subject of this sketch was
born. Mr. McGillivray died March 30, 1884, at the advanced age of
eighty-two years. Neil McGillivray is an adherent of the Presbyterian
Church, and a Reformer in politics.
CHARLES E. MCKINNON, pump manufacturer, late of Richmond Hill, is the
son of Angus McKinnon, of Markham Township. He was born in Markham, and
remained at home until his marriage in 1871 with Sarah M., daughter of
John Perkins, of Victoria Square, when he removed to Richmond Hill and
engaged in his present business, which includes the manufacture of all
kinds of first-class pumps and windmills. He also deals extensively in
hydraulic rams and similar appliances. He has lately removed to
Kleinburg, where a full line of all goods sold by him is kept in stock.
DUNCAN MCKINNON, lot 18, concession 8, was born in Argyleshire,
Scotland, in 1833. He came to Canada with his parents and family in
1834. The family first settled in Vaughan and afterwards removed to
Markham, where they lived about five years. They then returned to
Vaughan and took possession of the lot now occupied by Duncan, where the
father died. Mr. McKinnon was twice married, both his wives being dead.
He is a Presbyterian in religion, and in politics a Conservative.
JOHN MCKINNON, lot 18, concession 5, was born in Trafalgar Township,
Halton County, in the year 1824, being the eldest son of Donald
McKinnon, who emigrated from the Isle of Mull, Scotland, in the year
1820. On arriving in Canada his father stayed some time at Little York,
and subsequently moved into the Township of Markham and settled on lot
9, concession 6 (one hundred and fifty acres), which is still farmed by
a brother of our subject. Mr. McKinnon, sen’r, remained in Markham about
two years and then settled in Halton County, where he married and
settled upon fifty acres of land near Streetsville, on which he lived
about twenty-one years, and then disposed of, finally purchasing the
farm in Vaughan where John, his son, now resides, and where the old man
lived until his death, at the age of sixty-eight years. John married in
the year 1860 Ann Drummond, who was a native of Caledon Township, by
whom he has a family of three children living. The family are adherents
of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. McKinnon is a Reformer in politics.
Our subject had to help his father in the early days to clear the farm,
which was then all bush, and remembers perfectly well the school teacher
boarding around amongst the different families, which was then the only
possible means by which the children could obtain any education.
JOHN MCLEAN, lot 16, concession 6, was born in 1850 on the farm he at
present occupies, and is the youngest son of the late John McLean. His
father was one of the first settlers in Vaughan, having emigrated from
Tyree, Scotland, about the year 1821. After his arrival he was engaged
upon the construction of Brock’s Monument, and about the year 1839
purchased the above mentioned farm in Vaughan, where he lived until his
death in April, 1879. He was in religion a Presbyterian, and took great
interest in Church matters. His political leaning was decidedly
Conservative. He left his farm to his son John, who in religion and
political ideas follows in the same grooves as his father.
DUNCAN MCMILLAN, lot 27, concession 3, was born in the township, on the
farm where he now resides. He is the youngest son of the late Hugh
McMillan, who emigrated from Argyleshire, Scotland, and composed one of
the band of pioneer settlers in Vaughan, being very widely known and
much respected throughout the section. Mr. McMillan landed at little
York when there were only three or four houses, and they travelled to
their destination by a deer track, carrying their luggage on two sticks
across their shoulders. He settled on the farm now occupied by Duncan,
where he remained until his death, March 9, 1876: his birth was on
August 9, 1791. He took little or no interest in municipal affairs, but
politically was an enthusiastic Conservative. He took great interest in
Church matters, being a member of the Presbyterian body. Duncan McMillan
was born in 1843, and has always lived on the old homestead.
ALEXANDER MCNAUGHTON was born in the Township of Vaughan in 1848, being
the second son of the late Reverend Peter McNaughton, a clergyman of the
old Scottish Kirk, who came to Canada in 1833, and was the first
minister of any denomination established in Vaughan. The Reverend Peter
McNaughton preached in Vaughan about five years, and then returned to
Scotland to take charge of a parish, where he remained about three
years. He came back to Canada at the end of that period, and again
taking up his residence in Vaughan ministered to the wants of the
section for about nine years. He subsequently removed to Pickering
Township, and, after a number of years spent in Gospel work in that
locality, he returned to Vaughan, where he had considerable property: he
retired from the ministry and remained here until his death in March,
1874, at the advanced age of eighty-one years. Alexander was married in
the year 1880 to Catharine Cameron, by whom he has two sons. He belongs
to the Presbyterian Church, and is in politics a Conservative.
PETER MCNAUGHTON, lot 6, concession 9, was born in the year 1846 on
concession 5 of Vaughan, being the third son of the late Donald
McNaughton. His father emigrated from Perthshire, Scotland, in 1837, and
settled in concession 5 of this township, where he lived until his death
in 1878, at the age of seventy-five years. He was a brother of the late
Reverend Peter McNaughton, who for many years acted as minister for the
Presbyterian body in Vaughan. Mr. Peter McNaughton was married in 1884,
his wife’s maiden name being Margaret Bryson, a daughter of Mr. James
Bryson, of this section. He is an adherent of the Presbyterian Church,
and in politics votes for the Conservative Party.
ANDREW MCNEIL, lot 12, concession 6, is a native of Vaughan Township,
having been born on lot 14, concession 6, in the year 1834. He is the
second son of the late Mr. Arthur McNeil, a very old settler in Vaughan,
who came to Canada in 1819. His father remained in Toronto, then Little
York, about fourteen years, where he married. He afterwards purchased
land in Vaughan on lot 14, concession 6, where he continued to live
until his death. His wife’s maiden name was Margaret Jamieson, who is
still living. During his lifetime he took a very intelligent interest in
agricultural matters, being the first to introduce the Galloway breed of
cattle into this section. He was also active in political affairs, and
was a zealous and consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. He died
in the year 1881, at the advanced age of eighty-one years. Andrew, the
second in order of his father’s family, was married in 1872 to Sarah
Livingston, by whom he has three children. In politics, as well as
creed, he follows in his father’s footsteps.
CHARLES MCNEIL, lot 14, concession 9, was born in Vaughan Township, on
the lot where he now resides. His father, the late Colonel Arthur
McNeil, emigrated from County Cavan, Ireland, in the year 1821. He
remained about ten years in Toronto, and in the year 1831 purchased the
farm the locality of which is given at the commencement of this sketch.
He always entered with a progressive spirit into agricultural
undertakings, and introduced into the township the celebrated Galloway
cattle. He died on the farm in the year 1881. Charles was the eldest son
of his father’s family, and continues to cultivate the old farm, which
is a very fine one of two hundred and fifty acres.
ARCHIBALD MCQUARRIE, lot 23, concession 4, is a native of New York
State, where he was born in 1818. In company with his parents he came to
Canada in 1827. His father, Lachlan McQuarrie, after his arrival in York
County, settled on lots 15 and 16, concession 3, in 1829, and died in
the fall of the same year. After his father’s death, his mother
purchased twenty-five acres of lot 23, concession 4, and two years
afterwards she also died. The family consisted of seven children besides
the subject of this sketch, who are all indebted to their eldest sister
for the devoted manner in which she endeavoured to supply the loss they
had sustained. She is now married and is a resident of Vaughan, being
the wife of Mr. Francis Bunt. Each member of the family is now doing
well, and most of them are living in this neighbourhood. Archibald
McQuarrie was married in 1864 to Emma Pickering, a native of England:
they have a family of ten children. He has taken an active part in
municipal matters, having been a member of the Township Council about
four years. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in
politics.
JOHN C. MCQUARRIE, lot 20, concession 4, was born in the State of New
York in the year 1825. His father, the late Lachlan McQuarrie, emigrated
from there to Canada about the year 1830, and coming to York County
located on lot 17, concession 3, Vaughan Township. He died, however,
after he had been about twelve months at the new settlement, leaving a
family of eight children, three girls and five boys, of whom John C.,
the subject of this sketch, is the third in order. His mother died a few
years after; thus, at the age of fourteen years, he was left to fight
the battle of life alone. Nothing daunted, he commenced to work with a
carpenter, from whom he received five dollars per month in the summer
and no money at all in winter. He worked for him about three years,
during which period he received a little schooling in the winter months.
He then hired out at eighteen dollars per month, and the subsequent year
commenced business for himself. He carried on a general carpenter and
builder’s trade for about ten years, in which he was more than
ordinarily successful; but failing health compelled him to give up that
business, and he purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land, which he
has since continued to farm. Mr. McQuarrie was married in the year 1853;
his wife was Sarah Ann Bennett, daughter of Jacob Bennett, who was a
native of Vaughan, having been born before the War of 1812. They have a
family of three daughters living. His wife died about fourteen years
ago, and he has since that time remained a widower. Mr. McQuarrie is a
Justice of the Peace, and has also taken considerable interest in church
matters, having filled several important positions during the last
twenty years.
ALEXANDER MALLOY, lot 33, concession 7, is a native of Vaughan Township,
and was born in concession 4. He is the eldest son of Mr. Archibald
Malloy, who is still living on the homestead, the latter having
emigrated from Argyleshire, Scotland, in the year 1826. On arriving in
York he removed into the neighbouring County of Peel, and located for a
short time in Caledon Township, afterwards (in 1827) coming to Vaughan,
where he settled. Alexander was born in the year 1838, and in 1860
married a daughter of Mr. James Bryson, of this section. Our subject has
given a considerable amount of time and attention to municipal affairs,
and was for about ten years a member of the Council of Colborne
Township, Huron County, having formerly resided there. He has been
connected with the Council of his native township four years, and is at
present Deputy-Reeve. He belongs to the Presbyterian body, and is a
Liberal in politics.
JOHN MALLOY, lot 35, concession 4, is a native of Argyleshire, Scotland,
having been born in the year 1802. He emigrated to Canada in 1824 with
his parents. His father was the late Neil Malloy, who was well-known in
his day throughout this district. In the year 1829 John Malloy purchased
land in Vaughan Township, the same lot on which he now resides. Mr.
Malloy remembers the first church being built on concession 6, at which
time there were no roads. He was married in 1837 to Isabella Mitchell;
they have a family of four sons and one daughter living. He is a member
of the Presbyterian Church, and casts his vote for the Conservative
Party.
GILBERT MATHEWSON, lot 20, rear of concession 4, was born in the
Township of Vaughan on the same lot where he now lives. His father, the
late Joseph Mathewson, emigrated from Ireland with his parents and
settled in Vaughan at an early day, the locality at that time being very
wild; he located in 1836 on the farm now occupied by his son Gilbert. He
died in 1873; his wife is still living, being seventy-five years of age.
Gilbert married in 1860 Susannah Line, a daughter of Samuel Line, who
lives in Maple Village. At her death he married his present wife, whose
maiden name was Sarah Shunk; she is a daughter of Mr. Simon Shunk, of
this township. He has five children by his first wife and one by his
present wife. The family are adherents of the Methodist Church, and he
is a Reformer in politics.
JOHN MAXWELL, lot 6, concession 2, was born in Yorkshire, England, in
the year 1816. His father was the late Thomas Maxwell, who emigrated to
Canada in the year 1818 in company with his parents and other members of
his family. Thomas Maxwell was married in England to Martha Robson, by
whom he had six children; he was a miller by trade and followed that
occupation after his arrival here; subsequently, entering into
partnership with Mr. Thomas Fair, they operated a mill on their own
account. Some time afterwards he removed to West York and conducted a
saw-mill for about three years. He then came to Vaughan and rented part
of the farm belonging to his father for a term of six years; but
unfortunately died before the expiration of his lease. John remained at
home with his parents for some years. On leaving there he went to
Weston, where he resided between two and three years, afterwards
returning to Vaughan. About the year 1838 he moved on to the farm he at
present occupies.
ROBERT METCALF, retired, was born in Yorkshire, England, in the year
1809. In 1831, accompanied by his brother Thomas, he emigrated to Canada
and came to little York, now Toronto. He shortly afterwards removed into
Markham and worked for various farmers in the section. He subsequently
purchased land in Vaughan, on lot 23, concession 2, where he resided
thirty-six years and brought up his family. He was married in the year
1841 to Mary Ann Hoshel, a Canadian by birth of German extraction. His
family consists of two boys and one girl. Mr. Metcalf is a member of the
Methodist Church, and was a deed trustee of the old Methodist Church at
Richmond Hill; he was an assistant class-leader to Amos Wright, and
conducted the class-meetings in the absence of Mr. Wright while
attending to his parliamentary duties. Mr. Metcalf mounted guard at
Thornhill during the Mackenzie Rebellion. He is a Reformer in politics.
His son Thomas was sergeant of a troop of cavalry for about ten years,
and was looked upon as being a very efficient officer.
EDWARD MILLER, lot 27, concession 6, is a native of County Tyrone,
Ireland, where he was born in the year 1800. He was a weaver by trade,
which occupation he followed previous to his emigration to Canada in
1827. He came direct to York County and located in Vaughan Township, and
about six years after his arrival purchased the farm on which he now
resides. Mr. Miller married in Ireland, Rebecca Noble, by whom he had a
family of ten children, six sons and four daughters; four being dead. He
belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
From his long residence in the township, Mr. Miller can bear testimony
to the vast improvements made in the section since first he entered it,
and the fact that he can remember the time when neither roads, churches
or schools existed, speaks eloquently on behalf of the settlers whose
enterprise and energy have contributed to the present satisfactory state
of things.
JOHN MOODY, lot 21, concession 9, was born in Vaughan Township, being
the youngest son of the late Mr. James Moody, a native of Yorkshire,
England. Mr. Moody, sen’r, on his arrival in Canada came direct to York,
and purchased fifty acres of land in Etobicoke Township, on which he
remained about fifteen years. He soon after purchased the farm in
Vaughan, where his son John now resides; where he lived until the time
of his death in 1883, at the age of eighty years. His wife, our
subject’s mother, still lives in Gray County. John Moody was married in
the year 1880 to Matilda, daughter of the late Mr. John Prescott, of
Toronto, by whom he has three children. He belongs to the Methodist
Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
ARCHIBALD MORROW, lot 26, concession 7, was born on the farm he now
occupies, being the son of the late James Morrow. His father emigrated
from County Cavan, Ireland, in the year 1819, and on his arrival settled
first at Chippewa, where he was married. He appears to have followed
different occupations in various places before locating in Vaughan. At
one time he chopped cordwood on Cruikshank’s Lane (now Bathurst Street),
Toronto, for the sum of twenty-five cents per cord, and he was
subsequently engaged as one of the party who surveyed the section where
the town of Barrie now stands. In the year 1830 he settled in this
township on the farm where his son, Archibald, now resides. He was a man
who, in all probability, would have made a useful member of the
municipal body elect, from his great experience and well-known capacity
for observation, but such office he never sought, although it is
recorded that he always worked hard for his friends and party. He died
in the year 1869, at the advanced age of eighty-one years, having lived
a useful and industrious life, and gained a host of friends. Archibald
Morrow was first married in 1862, the maiden name of his wife being
Martha McCutcheon, by whom he had a family of three children. He married
his present wife in the year 1871, her name being Margaret Slater; they
have three children. Mr. Morrow belongs to the Methodist Church, and is
a Conservative in politics.
MALCOLM MULLOY, lot 35, concession 5, was born in Argyleshire, Scotland,
in the year 1810, and is the youngest son now living of the late Neil
Mulloy. The latter emigrated to Canada in the year 1825 with his family,
and came to little York, and after staying there a short time, he
removed to Vaughan and settled on lot 55, concession 4. He lived with
his two sons, James and Neil, who had emigrated about two years
previously, and who farmed the land, he himself being a weaver, at which
trade he worked up to the period of his death, which took place in 1845.
Malcolm married in 1837 Agnes Cameron, who is still living; they have
had a family of ten children, but three died when young. Mr. Mulloy is
an elder of the Presbyterian Church, and has taken an active part in its
affairs. He is a Conservative in politics.
ISAAC MURRAY, lot 26, concession 5, was born in Pennsylvania, in the
year 1816, and came with his parents to Canada when he was only two
years of age. The account of their journey has more the appearance of an
extract from some work of fiction than an incidental circumstance of
real life. The distance of four hundred and fifty miles was covered by
the parents on foot, while the children, of whom Isaac was one, rode in
wallets over the back of a horse. It is not recorded in what length of
time the journey was made, but no doubt it would afford a striking and
instructive contrast as against the time occupied in traversing the
distance in the present day. His father first settled in York Township,
on lot 19, concession 5, where he remained about ten years. In 1833 he
removed to Vaughan Township, and purchased the lot where the subject of
this sketch now resides. His father died at the advanced age of eighty
years; his mother was within a few days of reaching her eighty-ninth
year when her death occurred. The old people during their lifetime,
through industry and perseverance, accumulated a nice property, the
mother having been in the habit of weaving for the neighbours, by which
she earned a good deal of money. His father had to carry all his flour
on his back from Farr’s Mill near Weston. Isaac was the youngest son of
his father’s family, and to him fell the possession of the old
homestead. He is greatly interested in bees, having a very large apiary
in connection with the farm, from which he takes a great quantity of
honey; he has one hundred and twenty-four hives, and took out last
season over two thousand four hundred pounds in weight. Mr. Murray
married Mary Cober, a daughter of the late Peter Cober; they had only
one son who has since died. The only office held by our subject has been
that of Road Commissioner, which he held for about five years. He is a
member of the Lutheran Church, and has taken an active part in church
matters. He is a Conservative in politics.
JAMES O’CONNOR, lot 24, concession 6, was born in King Township in the
year 1846, and is the youngest son of the late Patrick O’Connor, an
early settler in that section. His father emigrated from the County of
Kerry, Ireland, in 1837. He came to York County, and after working for a
time on Yonge Street he located in King Township, and worked for Mr.
Baldwin, a farmer, for about nine years. He then purchased a farm on
concession 6 of King, where he lived a number of years, and in 1855
bought the farm in this township, now in the hands of his son James,
where he lived until his death, January, 1883, at the age of
seventy-four years. James was married in 1874 to Henrietta Nuggett,
daughter of Thomas Nuggett, who still resides in Vaughan. He belongs to
the Roman Catholic faith, and is a Reformer in politics.
JOHN PAGE, lot 9, concession 2, was born in the Township of Vaughan in
the year 1828. His father, the late Lewis Page, was born in the United
States and came to Canada in 1822. He worked around in the Township of
Vaughan until 1825, in which year he married and settled down on the
farm now occupied by the subject of this notice, which he had purchased,
and where he remained about five years. He then rented the Vaughan farm
and bought another one in King Township, where he resided twenty years.
At the end of that period he removed again to Vaughan and located on his
original purchase, where he continued to reside until his death, which
event transpired in 1858, at the age of fifty-eight. The mother of our
subject was before her marriage Rebecca Rupert; she died in 1881, being
seventy-two years old. Both his parents were of English extraction. John
was born on the old homestead in Vaughan. In 1851 he married Jane,
daughter of the late Job Wells, of King Township, by whom he had a
family of five children. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and is a
Reformer in politics.
WILLIAM PATTERSON, lot 26, concession 9, was born in Roxburghshire,
Scotland, in the year 1815. He came to Canada with his parents in 1831.
He is the eldest son of the late Archibald Patterson, by his second
wife, and on settling in Vaughan, our subject had to take the entire
management of the farm in consequence of his father’s advanced age and
corresponding infirmities. The latter died in the year 1837 at the
venerable age of ninety-five years. Since Mr. William Patterson’s
residence in the township he has taken an active part in municipal
affairs, having, for the last twenty years, filled the office of Road
Commissioner, and he has been Tax Collector for about half that period.
In addition to these he has been a School Trustee for a number of years.
He is a Presbyterian in religion, and a Reformer in politics. Mr.
Patterson married Mary Jane, daughter of the late Thomas Sharpe, by whom
he has a family of nine children.
HENRY PAUL, lot 24, concession 10, was born in England in the year 1809.
He emigrated to America alone in 1834, and landed at New York. He
remained some months in Utica, New York State, and then removed to
Cleveland, Ohio, where he lived nine years. He subsequently came to
Canada and located in Vaughan Township on the lot where he now lives. He
was married in the year 1856 to Patience Peacock, a daughter of the late
Thomas Peacock, of Toronto Gore. They have a family of four sons and
three daughters, viz.: Mary, born November 8, 1857; Jane, born September
13, 1859; Henry, born January 7, 1862; Thomas, born January 24, 1864;
Georgina, born March 18, 1866; John, born June 9, 1868; Robert, born
October 11, 1870. He belongs to the English Church, and is a Reformer in
politics.
THOMAS PETERMAN, lot 30, concession 7, was born on the lot upon which he
is at present living and is the second son of Mr. Henry Peterman, who
lives in Aurora; his father was born on concession 3 of this township,
the family having originally emigrated from Pennsylvania. Mr. Henry
Peterman of Aurora, brother to Thomas, is very active in church matters,
and was a class leader of the Methodist Church. His retiring disposition
has retarded him from interfering in municipal affairs. He is a Reformer
in politics. Wesley and Reuben, two younger brothers of the family, work
lot 29, concession 6.
CAPTAIN JAMES PLAYTER, deceased, was born and had always lived in the
County of York, and during the most of his life resided at Richmond
Hill, where he carried on for many years a large agricultural and
lumbering business at the old homestead of his uncle, the late Squire
Miles, who contributed so largely to the church and school of that
village. He was many years Captain of the 4th Battalion York, Upper
Canada Militia, retiring with rank in 1861. In earlier life he
manifested much interest in Sunday school work. He took little part in
public matters, though being a great reader, he was very familiar with
the political history of the country in every detail. He was a Liberal
Conservative in politics, but supported men rather than party. Captain
Playter was a descendant of a very old Anglo-Saxon family. He was a son
of James Playter, a U. E. Loyalist, who over eighty years ago held
municipal offices in the country, and grandson of the Captain George
Playter referred to in “Toronto of Old,” as an intimate friend of
Governor Simcoe. He was related to many of the oldest families in the
Province, was twice married, and the father of Doctor Playter, of
Toronto, and seven other sons, one still living at Richmond Hill,
another in the Bank of Commerce, and two daughters. His death occurred
December 20, 1882, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.
JOHN PORTER, lot 3, concession 9, was born in the year 1810, and is a
native of Yorkshire, England. In 1831 he came to Canada in company with
his wife to whom he had only just been united, and settled in York
County. After remaining in little York about six months he moved into
Vaughan Township, where his brother, the late William Porter, had
previously settled. Mr. Porter located on the farm he now occupies,
which was then in its primitive state, and the absence of roads and
other adjuncts to comfort and convenience contributed not a little to
his labour in early years. He takes a very active part in agricultural
matters, being amongst the first to introduce heavy draught horses and
the breed of Leicestershire and Cotswold sheep in this section. His
wife’s maiden name was Ann Mercer, also a native of Yorkshire; they had
a family of fourteen children, seven of whom only are living. Mr. Porter
is a member of the Township Agricultural Society; a Reformer in
politics, and a member of the Methodist Church, of which he is a
Trustee.
WILLIAM POWILL, lot 47, concession 1, is a native of Beverly, Yorkshire,
England, and was born in the year 1814. He emigrated to Canada in 1830,
and settled near the Village of Richmond Hill, York County, and
commenced to work for Miles Langstaff, with whom he stayed between three
and four years. He then rented a farm from Colonel Moodie for four
years, afterwards moving into Whitchurch Township, where he rented
another farm. At the expiration of two years, not liking the section, he
moved to Vaughan on the farm which he still occupies. Mr. Powill in 1835
married Margaret, daughter of Colonel Bridgeford; by this union he had
five sons and one daughter, all of whom are living at the present time.
His wife died, and he married again in the year 1858. His second
espousal was to Elizabeth Chamberlain, by whom he has had seven sons and
two daughters. Mr. Powill has taken an active part in the management of
the affairs of the municipality, and was a member of the first Council
elected for the Village of Richmond Hill. He continued in the Council
about seven years. He and his family are adherents of the Church of
England, and in matters political he remains an uncompromising
Conservative. Of his family twelve sons and three daughters are now
living; the sons are all impregnated with the intensely loyal spirit of
the father, and are prepared, should necessity ever require it, to
defend the Crown against any enemy. Mr. Powill, during the Mackenzie
Rebellion, was a member of Captain Gapper’s troop of horse. Mr. Powill
was the son of the late Benjamin Powill, who died in the Township of
Whitchurch.
JOSEPH READMER, lot 31, concession 6, was born in 1837 in the Township
of Vaughan, on lot 12, concession 9, being the second son of Mr. Thomas
Readmer, who now resides on concession 8. The latter is a very old
settler, and came to Vaughan when he was thirteen years old. The family
were originally from Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, and on their first
landing here settled at Lachine, Quebec Province, where they remained
about five years, subsequently coming west and settling in Vaughan
Township. The family consisted of two sons and six daughters. Joseph
Readmer married in 1859 Sarah Ann Margaret Peterbough, whose parents
came out with the Selkirk party, for the colonization of the Red River
region: they have one son. The family are Presbyterians, and Mr. Readmer
is in politics a Reformer.
DANIEL REAMAN, lot 15, concession 2, is a native of this township,
having been born on lot 10, concession 2. His father, the late Josiah
Reaman, was a man well known in the Township of Vaughan and
surroundings, and was also born on lot 10, concession 2. The family were
originally from Pennsylvania. The subject of this sketch is the third
son living of his father’s family. He has two brothers living in this
section, one, Josiah, residing with him, and the other, Nicholas, living
on the old homestead; he has one brother, William, living in Orillia.
His brother Josiah takes a very great interest in bee culture, and is
always proud to show strangers the working and household arrangements of
his numerous family. Daniel Reaman has been thrice married, his present
wife’s name being Margaret Woods previous to their union: he has one
child. The family are members of the Methodist Church, and Daniel is a
Reformer in politics.
MICHAEL REAMAN, lot 7, concession 9, was born in the year 1849, and is
the third son of the late Michael Reaman, whose parents originally came
from Pennsylvania and settled in York at an early day. Mr. Reaman,
sen’r, was born in York County, and took up his residence in Vaughan
Township when the settlement of that section first began. He was a man
well and widely known, and the enthusiastic interest he took in all
Parliamentary matters gave to him more than a local celebrity. He was a
strong Reformer, and up to the time of his death in 1871 never
flinched—whatever may have been the position of his party—from the
principles he early imbibed. Mr. Reaman, the subject of this notice, was
married in 1876, his wife’s maiden name being Jane McCauley, a daughter
of Malcolm McCauley, of this township: they have a family of four
children. He is a member of the Methodist Church. His interest in
political matters is centred more in obtaining good measures than in
promoting the advancement of party. He does a great deal of
stock-raising, and has some thoroughbred Durham cattle. He owns the
first prize draught stallion “Edinburgh Tom,” which was imported in
1884, and is valued at $2,500.
THOMAS RICHARDSON, lot 14, concession 9, is the only son living of the
late Thomas Richardson, who emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in the
year 1818, and took up his residence first in Philadelphia, United
States. Mr. Richardson, sen’r, after a short stay in the United States
came to Canada and settled at little York, where he worked for Dr.
Baldwin some time, and subsequently kept a hotel for a number of years.
He then purchased a farm in Vaughan Township, in concession 8, which he
lived on and cultivated until his death in 1875, at the age of
eighty-five years. Thomas, the subject of this notice, was born in
little York in 1825. In 1859 he married Miss McCormack, by whom he had
one son. She died, and he afterwards married again, his second wife
being Elizabeth, a daughter of the late Richard Jeffrey, of this
township: they have four children. He is a member of the Methodist
Church, and a Conservative in politics.
THOMAS RIDDELL, lot 10, concession 10, was born on lot 12, concession 9,
Vaughan Township, in the year 1842. He is the fourth son of the late
Alfred Riddell, an early settler in Vaughan, who emigrated with his
father’s family from Roxburghshire, Scotland, and located here in 1834.
Mr. Riddell, sen’r, took an active interest in all matters concerning
the Presbyterian Church, of which he was a ruling elder for upwards of
twenty years. He lived on the farm until the time of his death, which
occurred in January, 1863, being then sixty-seven years of age: his wife
is dead also. The subject of this sketch was married in 1872, his wife
being Jane, a daughter of Mr. John Mason, of Toronto Gore: they have a
family of four children. He is a Reformer in politics, and, like his
father, a firm adherent of the Presbyterian Church.
ROBERT ROBINSON, lot 1, concession 6, was born in County Armagh,
Ireland, in the year 1837. He accompanied his parents on their
emigration to Canada in 1838, and is the eldest son of his father’s
family. His father’s name was Mark Robinson, who is still living in the
Township of Chinguacousy, where he settled soon after his arrival in
Canada. He is now seventy-four years of age, and during his lifetime has
taken great interest in municipal affairs. He is also a prominent member
of the Church of England, and has been churchwarden on several
occasions. Robert Robinson in 1869 married Mary Jane Graham, daughter of
the late William Graham, of this township. The latter was a proprietor
of a large lumber mill, and was also a prominent member of the Masonic
order. Our subject was the first pupil who passed through the Ontario
Veterinary College, taking his diploma on March 27, 1866. He is a
Conservative in politics, and a member of the English Church. He has a
family of five children.
PETER RUPERT, lot 16, concession 3, is descended from a family who
originally came from Pennsylvania, U. S. He is the son of the late Adam
Rupert, who died comparatively young, at the age of thirty-four, and was
born on the farm where he now resides in the year 1809. Reminiscences of
the early days of settlement may often be brought back to many through
the medium of a biographical sketch, and the early battles with nature
in which the pioneers played their part, to the mind’s eye, may be
fought over again by a perusal of these pages. With these events,
although but a boy at the time, our subject was well acquainted, and
retains a vivid recollection of the trials and hardships undergone. The
absence of all signs of civilization, nothing around but the vast and
apparently endless bush, may well make an impression on the mind of
anyone, and Peter Rupert was not exempt in this respect. Having
witnessed the rise and progress of his native township, he is naturally
proud of the part he has played in its development. He remembers well
the time when but one little German school was all the educational
facilities afforded in the township, most of the settlers being Germans
from Pennsylvania. There was plenty of wild animals however, and the
nights were made hideous by discordant noises. Mr. Rupert has happily
seen a new state of things, and how, by the industry and energetic will
of man, the wilderness may be brought into entire subjection. He was
married in the year 1831 to Susan, daughter of the late John Pulebaugh,
by whom he had seventeen children, some of whom are still living in the
neighbourhood. Mr. Rupert took an active part in municipal affairs, but
never accepted office. He is an adherent of the Methodist Church.
THOMAS SEAGER, lot 31, concession 1, was born in Vaughan Township, on
concession 2, in the year 1844. He is the eldest son of the late Edward
Seager, an early settler in Vaughan, who emigrated to Canada in company
with his brother in the year 1830. He settled near Thornhill and
operated a saw-mill on Yonge Street, north of the village, for about
fifteen years. In 1850 he purchased the farm in lot 31, concession 1,
Vaughan, where his son still resides, together with his mother and a
younger brother. They are Roman Catholics in religion, while in politics
Mr. Seager supports the Conservative Party. He has four brothers and two
sisters, all living.
SIMON SHUNK, lot 8, concession 4, is the eldest son of the late Jacob
Shunk. His father was a native of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, who
emigrated to Canada shortly before the War of 1812, and immediately
after his arrival in York purchased the farm on which Simon now lives,
and which he remained upon until his death in 1880, at the venerable age
of ninety-seven. He was a Mennonite in religion, and an elder of the
Church. Our subject was born in the old homestead in 1814, and married
in 1835 Susannah White, daughter of the late Hiram White, of Vaughan, by
whom he has six children, all living. Mr. Shunk has taken a lively
interest in agricultural matters, having especially turned his attention
to the breeding of horses, and having sold some very fine teams. On one
occasion he sold a single horse for the high price of $700, which
sufficiently proves that the time and care he devotes to stock raising
is justified by results. His farm is considered one of the finest and
best cultivated in the section. He is an adherent of the Methodist
Church, and in politics a Conservative.
WILLIAM SIMMONS, hotel proprietor, Thornhill, was born in
Nottinghamshire, England, April 11, 1844. He emigrated to Canada in
1867, and first located at Belleville, where he was employed on the
Grand Trunk Railway. He then went to Michigan, where he remained two
years; and the subsequent seven years he was employed as engineer on the
Great Western Division of the G. T. Railway. In the year 1884 he
purchased his present hotel in the Village of Thornhill, where he has
excellent accommodation for the travelling public, including good
stabling. He married Mary Ann Callasas, of Lincolnshire, England. Mr.
Simmons has done a large amount of foreign travel, and possesses at the
present time some property in New Zealand.
DAVID SMELLIE, lot 8, concession 3, was born in the Township of Vaughan
in 1833, on the farm on which he now resides, being the eldest of the
family of the late David Smellie. The latter emigrated from Lanarkshire,
Scotland, in the fall of 1830. He came alone, and for the first year
after his arrival worked at York Mills; he then purchased the farm in
Vaughan now owned and occupied by his son, where he lived until his
death in 1860. He was a man well-known in the surrounding townships and
exercised considerable influence in municipal matters, and was for a
number of years a member of the Township Council. He took a leading
position in all matters relating to Agriculture, and was generally
recognized as being of great service to the different societies. He took
prizes at all the township fairs, his specialties being Leicestershire
and Cotswold sheep, and Ayrshire Cattle. At his death, the loss to the
community was felt to be great, and his memory is still cherished by
some of the old inhabitants independently of the surviving members of
his family. His son, David, on his father’s death, came into possession
of a very handsome heritage, and it may be fairly stated that without
exception he owns the finest farm in the township. It is compact and
neat in every particular, and the grounds and surroundings bear ample
proof of the care and labour lavished upon them; the style of
cultivation is also greatly above the average. Mr. Smellie married in
the year 1873. His wife was Martha Jane, born in York Township, and
sister of William James, of that section; they have a family of three
children. Mr. Smellie is an adherent of the Presbyterian Church, and a
Reformer in politics.
JACOB SMITH, lot 15, concession 5, was born in Somerset County,
Pennsylvania, in the year 1817, being the eldest son of the late John
Smith mentioned elsewhere. He was but twelve months old when he came to
Canada with his parents, with whom he continued to live until 1845. He
then moved on to lot 16, concession 5, where he remained until 1869, in
which year he located in the Village of Maple, where he still resides.
He married in the year 1845, his wife being Elizabeth, daughter of the
late John White, of this township. He is a Mennonite in religion, and a
Conservative in politics.
SAMUEL SMITH, lot 7, concession 4, is the third son of the late Jacob
Smith, who emigrated from Pennsylvania in company with his parents
shortly after the American War of 1812. They settled on the farm now
owned by our subject. Samuel’s grandfather belonged to the Mennonite
Church and took considerable interest in its welfare, and having
received a good education he often in his younger days exhorted the
members of the church. Samuel was born on the old homestead in 1833, and
was married in the year 1866 to Sarah, daughter of Mr. Samuel Snider, by
whom he has four children. He belongs to the old Mennonite Church, but
takes very little interest in politics, giving his support to good
measures rather than party.
JOHN SNIDER, lot 17, concession 5, is descended from a family who
emigrated from the State of Pennsylvania (near the Susquehanna River) in
the year 1800. He is the eldest son of the late Jacob Snider, who was
born during the journey his parents made from the States to Canada.
Jacob Snider settled on the farm now owned by his son John, and in the
early days of settlement proved very useful amongst his neighbours (on
account of his skill in surgery) before the advent of the medical
profession which is now so ably represented. He died on the farm in
1864, at the age of sixty-four years. His wife’s name was Fanny
Mussulman, who is still living being about eighty-four years of age.
John, the subject of this sketch was born in 1821, near the Village of
Maple, and was about nine years of age, when his father located on the
farm now in his own possession. He has a lively recollection of the
hardships to which they were in the early times subjected, and remembers
when the first trees were cut on the lot for building purposes. He was
married in 1852 to Mary Sturp, by whom he has three children living. He
is a member of the Lutheran Church, and a Conservative in politics.
JAMES SOMERVILLE, lot 14, concession 10, was born in 1843 on the lot
where he now resides. He is the second son of the late James Somerville,
who emigrated from Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1836, and settled in
Vaughan on the same land now occupied by James, jun’r. Mr. Somerville,
sen’r, took a lively and intelligent interest in the affairs of the
municipality, and was a member of the Township Council for some years.
He was a devout member of the Presbyterian Church, and was an Elder for
about twelve years previous to his death. Before the church was built
the religious services presided over by Dr. Jennings were conducted at
the house of Mr. Somerville. He died in 1873, being sixty-three years of
age. James from his youth upwards resided on the old homestead, and
takes considerable pride in the cultivation of the farm. He does a good
deal of stock-raising, principally Durham cattle. He belongs to the
Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
ROBERT SOMERVILLE, lot 14, concession 10, was born on his present lot.
He is the eldest son of the late James Somerville, who was born in
Lanarkshire, Scotland, and emigrated to Canada, locating in the Township
of Vaughan at an early day. The late Mr. Somerville took a lively
interest in municipal matters, and was a member of the Township Council
for a number of years. He continued to live on the farm until his death
in 1873, at the age of sixty-two years. He was an Elder of the
Presbyterian Church. Robert Somerville was married in the year 1876 to
Mary Ann Goodall, by whom he has four children. He belongs to the
Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
ROBERT SOMERVILLE, lot 17, concession 9, is the eldest son of the late
Archibald Somerville, who settled in the township about 1837. His father
was a native of Lanarkshire, Scotland. He lived on the farm in Vaughan
until 1876, in which year he purchased a farm in Chinguacousy Township,
Peel County, where he lived until his death in 1873, at the age of
fifty-seven years. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church,
and a Reformer in politics. His wife survives him, and lives in Peel
County. Robert was born in 1847, on the lot where he still resides. He
married in 1880 Mary Elizabeth, daughter of John Pearson, of Brampton;
they have one child. Mr. Somerville is a Presbyterian in religion, and a
teacher in Sabbath schools. In politics he is a Reformer.
JOHN C. STEELE, lot 26, concession 1, hotel proprietor, was born in
Vaughan Township, near Atkinson’s Mills, in the year 1837. He is the
only son of the late Thomas Steele, who settled in the township at an
early day, and followed farming for a considerable time, and in
connection therewith also kept an hotel at Bond Lake; he died in Vaughan
Township in the same house where our subject now conducts the hotel
known as The Green Bush. John C. is a joiner by trade, and worked for a
number of years in Toronto. He subsequently commenced in the hotel
business in Alma, Wellington County, and continued there for twelve
years. He started his present hotel in 1877, where every attention is
paid to the travelling public. Mr. Steele was married in the year 1858,
his wife’s maiden name being Mary A. Robertson, by whom he has seven
children, two boys and five girls. He is an adherent of the Presbyterian
Church, and a Conservative in politics. Mr. Steele’s parents were
natives of Yorkshire, England.
THOMAS H. STEELE, lot 20, concession 9, was born on the farm he now
resides on, being the youngest son of the late Daniel Steele, who
settled in Vaughan about the year 1841. He came from Napanee in the Bay
of Quinté, and at the time of his first settlement in Vaughan there were
no roads, only the old Indian trail. He was an earnest and devoted
member of the Methodist Church, and besides being a class leader was
also a local preacher. He died in 1873 at the age of sixty-five years.
Thomas H. married in 1871, his wife being Mary, daughter of Robert King,
of this township; they have a family of five children. Mr. Steele is an
adherent of the Methodist Church, and votes with the Reform Party.
JAMES A. STEVENSON, lot 20, concession 8, was born in 1848 in the
Township of Vaughan, on the lot now occupied by him. He is the only son
of the late James Stevenson, one of the early settlers, who came from
Glasgow, Scotland, and located here when only seventeen years old. He
settled on a farm in the township, where he remained quite a number of
years, and in 1853 located on lot 30, concession 8, where he died in
1862. Mr. Stevenson, sen’r, was for many years a member of the
Agricultural Society. Mr. James A. Stevenson married in the year 1872
Eliza Hartly, by whom he has four children. He belongs to the
Congregational Church, and is in politics a Reformer.
JOSEPH STONG, lot 1, concession 5, is a Canadian by birth, being the
third son of the late Daniel Stong, who emigrated from Pennsylvania in
the year 1809 in company with his parents. They settled in Vaughan on
lot 23, concession 3. The father of our subject assisted to brush the
town line between York and Vaughan. Joseph was born in the year 1826; he
married Elizabeth Snider in the year 1849, who was also born in Vaughan,
being a daughter of the late Jacob Snider, who was Collector and
Assessor for the Township a number of years. They have a family of five
children, three sons and two daughters, all of whom are married and in
good circumstances. The family are adherents of the Methodist Church,
and Mr. Stong is a Reformer in politics. His mother is still living and
resides with him; she is eighty-six years old.
THOMAS TEDDER, lot 25, concession 9, is of English birth, being the
second son of the late William Tedder, who emigrated from the County of
Norfolk, England, and settled near Woodbridge. In 1859 Mr. Tedder,
sen’r, moved on to the farm where our subject now resides, and remained
there until his death in 1882, at the age of sixty-seven years. He was
an active worker in the cause of the Gospel in his day, and was a class
leader in the Methodist Church about thirty-five years. Thomas was born
on the old homestead in 1844, and has all his life devoted his attention
to farming. He was married in 1866, his wife’s maiden name being Mary
McGillivray; her father was the late Neil McGillivray, of this township.
They have no family.
SAMUEL THOMPSON, lot 35, concession 2, is from the county of broad acres
yclept Yorkshire, England, where he was born in the year 1812, and where
he spent the early portion of his life. About the year 1830, accompanied
by his stepfather, Thomas Grundy, his mother and other members of the
family, he came to Canada. They settled first at Unionville, in
concession 6 of Markham, and there Samuel continued to reside, working
with his stepfather, who was a blacksmith by trade. He subsequently
worked on the farm of Mr. Robert Grundy in the same township for several
years, and finally, in 1850, purchased the farm in Vaughan, on which he
still resides, and which he still cultivates. In 1847 he married a
daughter of his former employer, Mr. Robert Grundy, by whom he had
eleven children, nine being still living. He is a member of the
Methodist Church, of which he is a Trustee, and generously presented the
lot upon which the edifice was erected. The first church was burnt down,
and Mr. Thompson was instrumental in having it rebuilt. He is a Reformer
in politics.
JOHN TRAIN, lot 27, concession 8, was born in the City of Toronto in the
year 1832, he being the eldest son of the late Christopher Train, who
emigrated from Hull, Yorkshire, England, the year previous to the birth
of our subject. His father, after his arrival in Canada, came direct to
York County, and for the first two years, remained in Toronto, where he
engaged in sawing lumber, but, on account of ill health was obliged to
quit that business. He bought a farm in Vaughan Township, on lot 20,
concession 10, where he remained some time. He was induced to try
Toronto again, and after battling vainly against ill-health, he was
obliged once more to seek the repose and pure air of the country. He
came back to Vaughan, and after a lapse of eight or nine years he bought
the farm where Elder’s Mill now stands, and commenced to operate the
saw-mill, renting off the agricultural part of his property. After a
time he sold his farm and mill and returned to his first purchase in
concession 10; this in turn he sold, and finally bought the farm on
which his son, John, now resides. He died in 1857, at the age of
fifty-eight years. John Train followed his father’s business, and runs a
saw-mill on his property in Vaughan, and in addition has one in the
neighbourhood of Georgian Bay, where he does a large lumbering trade. In
1856 he espoused Ann, daughter of Mr. Thomas Gimmerson, a native of
Wallace Township. They have nine sons and two daughters. Mr. Train has
taken scarcely any interest in municipal matters; he belongs to the
Methodist Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
SAMUEL TROYER, lots 1 and 2, concession 3, was born in the Township of
Vaughan in the year 1838, and is the fifth son of the late Christian
Troyer, minister of the Mennonite Church for upwards of forty years, a
Canadian by birth, who settled in Vaughan at an early period in its
history. His mother was born on Yonge Street, near Thornhill, and was a
daughter of the late Nicholas Cober who died in the year 1842. His
people on both sides were originally from Pennsylvania, U. S. His father
commenced farming on lot 5, concession 3, where he lived for twenty-six
years, after which he moved on to the farm which is now in the hands of
our subject. Mr. Troyer was married in the year 1865, his wife’s maiden
name being Mary Ann Baldwin, a Canadian by birth; the fruit of this
union was a family of six children, all living. They belong to the
Presbyterian Church. Mr. Troyer is not much of a politician, but
countenances good measures, rather than support hard and fast lines of
party. The house on Yonge Street, near Thornhill, formerly in the
possession of his grandfather, was the fifth built north of Toronto.
JACOB TWYER, lot 8, concession 8, was born in York Township in 1829, and
is a descendant of a family who came from Pennsylvania at an early day.
He is the fourth son of the late Jacob Twyer, an early settler of York.
He was a member of the Lutheran Church. Our subject was married in the
year 1859 to Mary Hackins, a daughter of the late James Hackins, of
Albion Township, by whom he has twelve children, all living. Mr. Twyer
is an adherent of the Bible Christian Church, and is a Reformer in
politics.
PETER VANDERBUIGHER, lot 24, concession 2, is descended from a U. E.
Loyalist family, who came from Pennsylvania, U. S. His father was
Richard Vanderbuigher, who was born in Markham Township, his parents
being amongst the very earliest settlers there. Peter was also born in
Markham in the year 1817. In the year 1843 he purchased the farm in
Vaughan, where he still resides. In 1843 he married Mary Ann Marsh, of
Canadian birth, and daughter of the late James Marsh, of Markham
Township; by this marriage he has seven children. He belongs to the
Presbyterian Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
PETER G. WARDLAW, lot 21, concession 9, was born in the Township of
Etobicoke, in the year 1851, being the second son of Mr. Peter Wardlaw,
who resides on lot 24, concession A of that township. Mr. Peter G.
Wardlaw was married in 1875, his wife’s maiden name being Elizabeth
Parsons, daughter of Mr. Matthew Parsons, of York Township. They have a
family of three children. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and
a Reformer in politics.
JAMES WATSON, lot 23, concession 3, was born at Gambleton, Scotland, in
the year 1820, and came to Canada with his parents when but two years of
age. His father, the late John Watson, on arriving with his family at
Toronto moved up at once into Vaughan Township, and located on lot 9,
concession 2, where he remained a few years. Apparently not satisfied
with his position he gave up the farm and hired himself out for a length
of time, subsequently locating on lot 23, concession 5, where he lived
six years. He tried two other localities before ultimately settling on
lot 25, concession 4, where he died. The subject of this sketch
commenced life on his own account by threshing, which branch of industry
he followed for over twenty-seven years. In 1866 he purchased the farm
he now holds, and which he has farmed very successfully up to the
present. He married in 1858 Nancy Jane White: they have a family of
three children. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer
in politics.
THOMAS WATSON, lot 32, concession 4, is a native of Yorkshire, England,
and was born in the year 1814. He emigrated to Canada in the year 1831,
and the subsequent eleven years worked for different farmers in and
about Thornhill, amongst others the late Mr. Thorn. He then purchased
land in the Township of Vaughan on which he still resides. Being
economical as well as industrious he has become the owner of two other
farms, and possesses now a considerable amount of property. Mr. Watson
was married in the year 1835, his wife’s maiden name being Hannah
Morrison: they have a family of seven children living. He has taken no
active part in municipal affairs, his own business and family having
absorbed his whole time and attention. He belongs to the Episcopal
Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
WILLIAM WATSON, lot 7, concession 6, is a native of Lanarkshire,
Scotland, where he was born in the year 1831. He came to Canada in 1856,
and settled in Markham Township, York County, where he remained about
two years. He then moved into Scarboro’ Township, where he stayed
seventeen years, subsequently locating on lot 7, concession 6, in the
Township of Vaughan. Mr. Watson was married before he left Scotland; his
family consists of seven children, all living. He has exerted himself
very much in church matters, and is an elder of the Presbyterian body.
He is a Reformer in politics. While a resident in Scarboro’ Township he
took considerable interest in the Agricultural Society, of which he was
a director.
GEORGE WELDRICK, lot 35, concession 1. This gentleman, so well known in
connection with agricultural matters in the township and county, was
born in Hull, Yorkshire, England, in 1828. He emigrated to Canada in
1849, and settled in Scarboro’ Township, where for a short time he ran a
threshing machine, subsequently renting a farm. He afterwards rented a
farm from Mr. T. Langstaff, near Thornhill, in Markham Township, which
he cultivated and resided upon about fourteen years. He then purchased
his present farm, which has now been in his possession about fourteen
years. He was married in the year 1852, his wife being Hannah, daughter
of the late William Boynton, of Markham Township: he has a family of
three sons and one daughter. Mr. Weldrick has in his possession several
prizes and diplomas received from the County and Provincial Fairs,
awarded to him for excellence in his breeds of cattle and sheep,
together with horses. His Leicester Cotswold sheep and Durham cattle are
much admired. In other matters connected with agriculture he has always
shown a desire to promote its interests in his section; and, by adopting
the most complete methods, has been the cause of much emulation amongst
his neighbours, to the general benefit of the township. Mr. Weldrick in
politics is now a Conservative, having in recent years altered his
opinions on the National Policy. He is an adherent of the Methodist
Church, and highly respected wherever he is known.
HIRAM WHITE, lot 8, concession 3, is a native of Vaughan Township, and
was born on the farm where he now lives. His father, the late Hiram
White, was one of the first settlers in the section, there being but
three houses when he first located there. Mr. White, sen’r, was from
Vermont, U. S., but is descended from an English family who settled in
that State before the Revolutionary War. On coming to Canada he first
settled in Etobicoke Township on the Humber River, but remained there
only a short time, subsequently moving into Vaughan where he lived until
his death. He had a family of nine children, five sons and four
daughters, Hiram and one sister, Mrs. Simon Shink, being the only two
living of this family. Mr. White married in 1853 a daughter of Mr.
William Keefer, by whom he has a family of seven children. He is
connected with the English Church, and in politics is a supporter of the
Reform party.
ROBERT WILSON, lot 23, concession 5, was born in the Township of
Chinguacousy, Peel County, in the year 1841. He is the eldest son of Mr.
John Wilson of that township, who emigrated from the County of
Cumberland, England, about the year 1827. He settled in the Township of
Chinguacousy, where he purchased land on lot 9, concession 1, west of
the centre, where he has since continued to live. Mr. Wilson, sen’r,
married after his arrival in Canada, his wife’s name being Ellen Craig;
they had a family of six sons and four daughters, of whom five sons and
two daughters are living. Robert Wilson has never married. He is a
member of the Methodist Church, and a Conservative in politics.
DAVID WITHERSPOON, lot 25, concession 7, was born in the Township of
Vaughan on lot 12, concession 7, in the year 1856, being the youngest
son of Mr. Peter Witherspoon, an old settler in the township, who has
now retired and lives at Woodbridge. Mr. Witherspoon was married in the
year 1883. His wife’s maiden name was Mary Blough, daughter of Mr. John
Blough of Vaughan Township, by whom he had one child. In religion he is
a Presbyterian; in politics a Reformer.
VILLAGE OF RICHMOND HILL.
DAVID BOYLE, ex-Reeve of the Township of Vaughan, is a native of
Ayrshire, Scotland, where he was born in 1821. In the spring of 1842 he
emigrated to Canada, and located at York Mills, where he worked as
blacksmith for twelve years. He then took a farm in concession 2 of East
York, on which he lived for five years, and subsequently purchased two
hundred and fifteen acres of land, where there was a saw-mill which he
operated until 1881, when he retired. He has held the offices of Reeve,
Deputy-Reeve, and School Trustee; all of these offices he has
satisfactorily filled. In 1848 he married Miss Ann Williamson, a native
of England; they had born to them the following children, viz.: David,
born 1850; John, born 1852; Mary Ann, born 1853; Agnes, born 1855, died
in 1872; Matthew, born 1857.
WILLIAM FRENCH, carriage manufacturer, Richmond Hill, was born in
Scotland in 1832, and came to Canada with his parents in 1835. His
father was a blacksmith, and on his arrival in York first located at
Elgin Mills. His mother’s maiden name was Sarah Craige. William learned
his trade with his father, and in 1857 went into business on his own
account at Richmond Hill. In 1878 he opened his present commodious place
of business, a large building of three storeys high, and 110 x 30 feet
measurement, where he employs fifteen men, and conducts a business of
$20,000 annually. His establishment is fitted up with all the latest
improvements in machinery, which is driven by an engine of sixteen
horse-power. In addition to this manufacturing industry Mr. French owns
a farm of one hundred acres in Vaughan Township, being a part of lot 23,
concession 2, which he cultivates. Mr. French has also taken an active
part in municipal affairs, and has occupied the position of Village
Reeve; he is now a School Trustee. He was married in 1859, his family
being as follows: Annie, Frank, Thomas, Mary, Wycliffe, Matilda, Susan
and William.
DR. JAMES LANGSTAFF, of Richmond Hill, the youngest of eight children,
was born near Thornhill in 1825. His father, John Langstaff, from New
Jersey, U. S., was married on Yonge Street in 1808, to Lucy Miles,
daughter of Abner Miles, named in Dr. Scadding’s “Toronto of Old.” Dr.
Langstaff studied two years as house-pupil with Dr. Rolph, also two
years in Guy’s Hospital, London, England. He commenced practice in
Unionville in the spring of 1849, but removed in the following September
to Richmond Hill, where he has continued to reside up to the present
time, and is still in the active practice of his profession. He has been
twice married, first to Mary Ann Miller, daughter of Henry Miller, Esq.,
of Thornhill, who died in 1879, leaving four children. In 1882 he was
married to E. F. Louisa Palmer, daughter of J. W. Palmer, Whitby. In
politics Dr. J. Langstaff has been an active Reformer, although his
father and three brothers were ranged on the opposite side. He has been
a member of the Presbyterian Church for many years, and has always taken
an active part in the temperance cause.
JOHN PALMER, hotel proprietor, was born in Devonshire, England, in 1840,
and came with his parents John and Frances (Holman) Palmer to Canada in
1843. Our subject worked on his father’s farm until 1865, and in that
year purchased the Robin Hood Hotel, which he conducted only six months.
After selling the property he bought the stage which plied between
Stouffville and Toronto. In 1849 he bought the property known as The
Palmer House, Richmond Hill, which he rebuilt in 1874, and which with an
additional two acres of land is valued at $15,000. He also owns a farm
of one hundred and seven and a-half acres, being part of lot 46,
concession 1 of Markham. Mr. Palmer takes considerable interest in the
raising of heavy-draught horses, and has imported some of the best
stallions ever introduced into the country. In 1868 he married Delia
Veley of Vaughan Township, by whom he has two children: Walter, born
1869, and Jennie, born 1879.
TOWNSHIP OF KING.
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ARTHUR ARMSTRONG, deceased, was born in Ireland in
1812. He emigrated to Canada in 1836, and locating in York County
purchased lot 24, concession 9, King Township. He filled several
important offices during his career, and was in 1838 appointed a J.P. He
gave very valuable assistance to the Government during the troublous
times of 1837, and was authorized by the Governor-General to raise a
company, which he succeeded in doing in the short period of four days.
He was taken prisoner by a party of Rebels who endeavoured by threats to
coerce him into joining their ranks, but it is scarcely necessary to add
without success. Baring his bosom he gave them to understand that his
life was at their disposal if they wished to take it, but his loyalty to
the Crown should never be questioned. Through his instrumentality the
whole party were afterwards arrested. He was appointed the first Clerk
of the Division Court, which position he occupied about ten years. In
1865 he took a first-class certificate at the School of Military
Instruction. He cleared over three hundred acres of land. He died in the
year 1880, after a long, useful and honourable life.
ARTHUR ARMSTRONG, son of the above, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in
1835, and came with his parents to Canada when but a child. His early
education was received in the Common Schools, afterwards finishing at
Upper Canada College. He succeeded his father in 1859 as Clerk of the
Division Court, and continues to retain that position. In military
matters he has taken an active part, having held honourable positions in
both Cavalry and Infantry Corps. He retired in 1875 with the rank of
Major. Major Armstrong was married in 1865 to Miss Bosworth, daughter of
Alfred Bosworth, M.D., late of Paris, Ont. His wife died in 1880,
leaving five children to mourn their loss, viz.:—A. Bosworth, born
1868; Walter Clifford, born 1873; Adelaide Dewson, born 1875; John A.
McDonald, born 1877; Violet Keith, born 1879. Major Armstrong again
married, his second wife being a daughter of the late Colonel R. S.
Denison. Our subject is a strong Conservative in politics, and in
religion holds to the Church of England.
FRANCIS ATTRIDGE, lot 6, concession 6, carriage manufacturer, Laskay
P.O., was born in Simcoe County, and acquired a knowledge of
carriage-making, at which trade he worked as journeyman for a period of
fifteen years. He established his present business in 1883, and by
strict attention and a careful regard to all the details of workmanship,
he has been enabled to secure a considerable amount of the trade of his
vicinity.
JOSEPH BALDWIN, deceased, was one of the early pioneers of King
Township, and was born in the year 1807, at Laskay, Yorkshire, England.
He emigrated to Canada in 1830, and located for about two years in the
Township of Loughborough, Frontenac County. Attracted by the encouraging
reports that were being received there of fine agricultural land north
of little York, he came to York County in 1832, and settled in the
Township of King, on lot 3, concession 5, and may be called one of the
originators of the Village of Laskay. He settled in the dense forest,
amongst the hills that skirt one of the eastern branches of the River
Humber, on the north half of the lot previously alluded to, where a
small beginning had been made towards the erection of a saw-mill and the
building of a dam. Mr. Baldwin purchased the property in its unfinished
state, and completed its erection, and afterwards successfully operated
the saw-mill in connection with the clearing of timber off his land. He
was married during the year of his arrival in King Township, his wife
being Elizabeth Simpson, daughter of George Simpson (a highly respected
Quaker family residing at the settlement of the Society of Friends,
about three miles south of the present Town of Newmarket). There not
being at that time any authorized minister residing within eighteen
miles of the residence of his wife’s father, the marriage contract was
drawn by Mr. William Tyler, Justice of the Peace, and witnessed by a
number of relations and friends. The document is still in existence,
being in the possession of their eldest son by whom it is preserved as a
curiosity. Mr. Baldwin’s wife was born at Kirkbymoorside, Yorkshire,
England, in 1808, and came with the remainder of her father’s family to
Canada in 1831. The lumber mill of Mr. Baldwin, being the only one in
the section at that time, had to supply the demand of a considerable
portion of the district, and as a consequence he was more than usually
prosperous, although, what with the work of the mill and the additional
labour of clearing the land, his resources of strength and endurance
were tried to the utmost, but the innate energy he possessed conquered
all difficulties and his progress was one of continued success. In the
year 1844 he was selected to represent the Township in the District
Council, which office he filled to the entire satisfaction of his
constituents for several years until 1851, when he was compelled to
retire, from the pressure of his own increasing business. In the year
1849 he erected a large first-class flour and grist-mill on the south
side of his property and entered largely into that business. The same
mill is yet in good order, and is known as Laskay Mills; mainly from
this establishment may be said to have sprung the present lively Village
of Laskay. But, although his business prospered, Mr. Baldwin about this
time suffered a severe loss by the death of his wife, which occurred on
August 19, 1851, in her forty-third year. She had throughout her married
life been of invaluable assistance to her husband, patient under the
discomforts of their early settlement, and exercising by her
uninterrupted cheerfulness a bright influence that drove away the care
which attends on accumulating business. She had three children who still
survive her, two sons and one daughter. Mr. Baldwin felt his loss
deeply, and in the interests of his growing family and the general
comfort of his home married a second time, his wife being Mrs. Bailey,
who proved an affectionate step-mother, dividing her kindness and
attention equally between the children of his first wife and her own, of
whom they have one son and three daughters still living. Mr. Baldwin
transferred his milling business to his second son, George Simpson
Baldwin, in 1865, and went into partial retirement, his only occupation
being that of farming, the old saw-mill having become dilapidated and
unworkable from the wear and tear of age the year previous. In the year
1879 he leased his farm and built a village residence, to which he
repaired and retired altogether from active life. He lived but two
years, however, to enjoy the ease which the labours of a long and
honourable career had earned for him, and in April, 1882, he found
refuge in that haven against whose breakwater the storms of life for
ever beat in vain. His wife died about three months previous, on
December 23, 1881, in the sixty-second year of her age. The cause of Mr.
Baldwin’s death was cancer. He was buried in the graveyard of the
Methodist Church, along with his two wives and three infant children,
that resting-place being on the lot which Mr. Baldwin had presented to
the Methodist body for that purpose. Of his character little need be
said; the example of a well spent life requires no further testimony
than its own acts; and no language of ours will contribute greater
honour to his memory than the lesson taught to the rising generation of
what may be accomplished in the sure way of gaining the respect of all
by closely imitating his mode and manner of life.
HENRY BALDWIN, proprietor of the woollen mills, Laskay, is the eldest
son of the late Joseph Baldwin, and was born in 1835 in the house near
the old saw mill to which allusion is made in the biographical sketch of
the father. Our subject and his brother, George S. (who was born in
1839), received all the Common School education that it was possible to
obtain, with additional completion in Grammar Schools in Barrie and
Toronto, and afterwards were thoroughly taught every branch of the
father’s business with whom they continued, rendering their united
assistance for the general good. Henry in 1856 was established by his
father in a general store in Laskay, which he conducted in connection
with the other branches of his father’s business; he was subsequently
appointed to the position of Postmaster of Laskay, which office he has
held for over twenty years. He afterwards added an additional branch to
his business and purchased a carding and cloth finishing mill near to
the store, which business he yet owns and manages, having recently
enlarged it to treble its original size and capacity. The motive power
is principally water, although when that fails steam is used. He has
also enlarged his store to suit the requirements of increased trade. In
the spring of 1862 Mr. Baldwin finding his health beginning to fail on
account of the severe strain to which he was subjected by his close
application to business, resolved to trust to the benefits likely to
accrue from an ocean voyage rather than the doubtful expedient of
physicians’ prescriptions, and accordingly sailed from New York in a
steamer called the _North Star_, being the commencement of a journey
which had for its termination Victoria, in British Columbia. He had for
his travelling companion Mr. William Jenkins, the voyage to Aspinall, in
the Caribbean Sea, being described as very enjoyable. After crossing the
Darien Isthmus by railroad they embarked on the steamship _Orizaba_ for
San Francisco. The boat was very much overcrowded and our passengers
suffered severely, but the most miserable existence comes to an end, as
did the voyage, and on the twenty-seventh day from leaving New York the
travellers found themselves gazing on the horizon of the Pacific from
the quays of the Californian Capital. There they remained a few days
waiting for a steamer that was to convey them to Victoria, B.C., and on
arriving in that city after five days’ sail, their ocean journey may be
said to have been completed. The invalid had not trusted his sick body
to the care of old Neptune in vain, and on his arrival on the western
shores of the Dominion, his health, if not quite restored, was so far
improved as to lead to the hope that he would shortly be in the full
possession of his strength and vigour. After a short stay at Victoria
they went to New Westminster, and from that place boarded the steamer on
the Fraser River and travelled to the head of navigation, and thence to
the gold mines of Cariboo. They arrived at their destination in safety,
after having performed a journey of five hundred miles on foot; but now,
not being satisfied with the exorbitant prices demanded for provisions,
which added to the doubtful prospect of striking the glittering metal,
they concluded to return to Victoria, probably thinking that money was
more likely to be got rid of at the mines than found. Their return to
Victoria was signalized by the parting between Mr. Jenkins and Mr.
Baldwin, the former taking the steamer for San Francisco, from which
place he proposed visiting the Californian mines, while the latter,
finding the pure air of British Columbia suitable to his health,
resolved to remain where he was. The following spring Mr. Baldwin, still
unsatisfied with his former trip to the mines, determined upon another
journey thither, and accompanied by three others (who, like himself,
were anxious to test the truth of the reported rich deposits at
Cariboo), commenced their expedition. They each had a mule which they
loaded with about three hundred pounds weight of provisions, and thus
equipped started from the head of navigation on Fraser River. The second
day out they lost one valuable mule by accident, but eventually arrived
at the mines without much further trouble or loss. They located at the
Town of Richfield, on William’s Creek. A few weeks of hard and dreary
toil with shovel and pick convinced our subject that mining has its
disadvantages, especially when the labour is unremunerative; that is to
say, when the gold for which they were in search most unaccountably
happened to be absent from that part where their claim was located. A
continuation of ill-luck, which appeared to have become chronic, induced
him to adopt the slow but sure process of earning a living in the trade
to which he had from youth upwards been accustomed, and accordingly he
went to work in a saw-mill, for which he received good wages; but which
at the same time entailed on him long hours of employment with a
continuity of work through the entire seven days of the week, Sunday not
being recognized as a day of rest at the “Diggings.” By this and mining,
Mr. Baldwin managed to accumulate considerable capital during his over
seven years’ residence in British Columbia, although at times from
investing too hopefully—miner like—he lost on some occasions portions
of his savings. In the fall of 1869 the idea occurred to him that a
return to his birthplace for the purpose of winding up his affairs there
would be the correct and necessary thing to do previous to settling in
British Columbia for good. He arrived at Laskay, York County, on
December 9, 1879, and at the solicitation of his friends and relatives
was prevailed upon to remain and return to his old business. He
recommenced the general store and the carding and cloth mills, which he
conducted successfully until 1882, when he disposed of the general store
part of the business and has since only carried on the woollen factory.
Mr. Baldwin was married in September, 1878, to Elizabeth, daughter of
Thomas Lewis, a pioneer of Markham Township; her mother, Mary Lewis, is
of Dutch descent and is still living, the father having died November,
1884, in his eighty-second year. Mr. Baldwin’s wife died March 20, 1880;
two children (twins) still survive her, viz.:—Thomas Lewis and George
Henry, healthy and promising boys.
THOMAS BARRADELL, lot 25, concession 5, was born in England in 1827, and
came to Canada in 1851. He hired out as farm and mill hand, and
afterwards rented a farm for a few years. He bought his present farm in
1876. He has two children: William, born 1861; and Ida, born 1862.
THOMAS BATEMAN, lot 25, concession 11, is the son of the late Mr.
Stephen Bateman, who emigrated from England to this country in 1849: he
died in 1855. Thomas was born in England in 1818, and emigrated at the
same time as his father, and settled on the farm where he now lives. He
was twice married. By his first wife he has three children living:
Milton, James and Joseph. He has one son by his second marriage: John,
born in 1862.
WALTER BEASLEY, lot 4, concession 10, is the son of William Beasley,
mentioned elsewhere, and was born on the old homestead on concession 9
of King, and inherited his present farm from his father.
WILLIAM BEASLEY, deceased, was descended from a U. E. Loyalist family,
and was born in the Bay of Quinté District in 1812. He early acquired
the trade of carpenter, and on coming to York County located in King
Township in 1840, and followed that trade in connection with farming, he
having purchased the east half of lot 8, concession 9. In 1872 he
purchased the east half of lot 4 and part of lot 5, concession 10, where
he resided until his death in 1874. His widow, one son and a daughter
still reside on the same lot. His wife’s maiden name was Miss
Ruterbough, of Vaughan Township, by whom he had eight children: five are
still living. John Beasley, lot 8, concession 9, is the eldest son of
the late William Beasley, and was born on the old homestead, where he
has ever since resided. In addition to the careful attention he has paid
to the raising of crops, the breeding of cattle has occupied a
considerable portion of his time, he having at present some very fine
thoroughbred shorthorns. Mr. Beasley has been appointed a Justice of the
Peace, which was a very wise selection. He has also held the office of
Township Collector for many years past. He was married in 1869 to Miss
Kurtz, by whom he had three children, two of whom are living: William J.
and Victoria E. Mr. Beasley is a Reformer in politics. He is an active
member of the Good Templars and Grange organizations. He is also a
commissioner for taking affidavits, conveyancer, etc., and recording
steward of the Kleinburg circuit of the Methodist Church; altogether
taking an active part in local affairs.
JAMES BELL was born in Scotland in 1810, and emigrated to Canada in
1831. He navigated the lake for a few years, and then bought a farm near
Guelph, which was at the time complete bush. He cleared his land with
the help of his son James; by their united efforts it was soon under
cultivation. Mr. Bell’s wife, whose maiden name was Mary Cairns, died
the year subsequent to their arrival in this country: two of their
children are living—James and Jane. Mr. Bell came to Canada without
means, but has been very successful: he is still living on the old
place. James Bell, jun’r, was born in Scotland in 1827, and was only
four years old when his father brought him to Canada. He was married in
1854 to Miss Margaret McCallum: they had five children, four of whom are
living—Duncan, Adam, James, and Elizabeth. He is in religion a
Presbyterian, and in politics a Reformer. A fine large brick church
stands on an acre of ground presented by Mr. Bell.
JOHN BLACK, lot 14, concession 1. His parents came to Canada in 1800,
and settled in the Province of Quebec, where the subject of this notice
was born in 1818. His father was accidentally killed in Quebec, and his
mother afterwards removed to York County. In early life John was
employed variously, and in 1840 he commenced farming. He bought the farm
on which he now resides in 1843, and also purchased lot 2, concession 3.
By thrift and constant attention he has been moderately successful, and
has been enabled to divide a fair share of his accumulation among his
children. He was married in 1840 to Araminta Hillier, by whom he had
nine children; seven are still living, viz., Jerad, Joel, Zemas, John,
Margaret, Mary, and Maria. Mr. Black took an active part during the
Mackenzie Rebellion, and for the sympathy and assistance he gave towards
that movement was imprisoned for a time by the Government.
ABSALOM BLAKER, lot 21, concession 2, is of German extraction. He was
born in Pennsylvania in 1808, and came to Canada in 1828. He located
first in Toronto, where he worked at the trade of carpenter for a few
years, making trips to the United States at intervals. He then went to
Newmarket and started the first foundry in that section, which he has
conducted for close upon ten years. He subsequently bought his present
farm, which he has continued to reside upon. He espoused Miss Eunice
Hutchinson, by whom he has had seven children, three only of whom are
now living, viz., Henry, born in 1837; Charles, born 1841; and Margaret,
born 1843.
THOMAS BORDEN, retired, was born in King Township, York County, in 1822,
being the son of Joseph Borden, who emigrated from the United States to
Canada in the year 1800. Mr. Borden, sen’r, purchased property in
concession 8 of King Township, where he raised a family of three
children, and remained there until his death in 1868. Thomas, on
commencing life for himself, bought some land on lot 25, concession 6,
in his native township, which he successfully cultivated until 1883,
when he retired and purchased his present residence in Lloydtown. He
married in 1857 Jane Dale, of King Township: the issue of this union is
a family of eight children. Mr. Borden is a Reformer in politics, and
belongs to the English Church.
WILLIAM BREEDON, deceased, was born in England in 1791, and emigrated to
Canada with his family in 1829. He was a shoemaker by trade, which
business he followed after his arrival here, and in 1834 purchased land
on lot 6, concession 10, in King Township, which, with the assistance of
his sons, he succeeded in clearing. His occupation hitherto having been
of a sedentary nature, and he himself being totally unacquainted with
the hardships and privations of pioneer life, as may be imagined he
found the work of preparing wild land for cultivation somewhat
uncongenial work; but energy and a determination to conquer triumphed
over discomfort, and all difficulties were eventually overcome. The
result was that he left to his family a fine property and the example of
a well-spent life. William Breedon, eldest son of the above, was born in
England, and came to Canada with his parents when only eight years old.
He was early initiated into all the hardships of pioneer life, and
assisted to clear his father’s farm. He bought his present farm in 1842,
which he has much improved. He was married in 1842 to Elizabeth Harman,
by whom he had one son, William J.
W. J. BRERETON, physician, was born in Simcoe County in 1846, being one
of a family of six children born to Mr. C. S. Brereton, who emigrated
from England and took up his residence in Simcoe County at an early
date. W. J. Brereton received a thorough English education in the Common
School, which he completed at the High School, subsequently graduating
at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Ontario, in 1871. He bought
and located at his present residence the same year, and in 1872 married
the eldest daughter of the late Mr. H. Lount, of Barrie. He has four
children living: Cloudsley H., born October 25, 1873; Ewart L., born
1876; Clara, born 1879; Ottie, born 1882 and died 1884; Mandall
Schovell, born June, 1884. He is a Conservative in politics, and in
religion a member of the Church of England.
JAMES BRETT, lot 6, concession 4, was born in Willowdale in 1841, being
the son of the late John Brett, who emigrated from England in 1836 and
settling in York County located at Willowdale. Mr. Brett, sen’r, was
confined during the Rebellion of 1837, and was ever after a strenuous
supporter of Reform. He died in 1884, at the age of seventy-five years.
James lived on the old homestead until he was nineteen years of age, and
was then apprenticed to the waggon-making trade. He commenced business
for himself at Thornhill; but shortly afterwards removed to his present
stand, where he does a large trade, and manufactures all kinds of waggon
and carriage wood work, together with painting and trimming. He runs a
blacksmith’s business in connection. He was married in 1866 to Miss
Carley, daughter of Peter Carley; they have three children: George E.,
James O. and John L. W. He is a Reformer in politics, and in religion a
Methodist.
JAMES BROWN, lot 1, concession 3, was born in the North of Ireland in
the year 1800. He is a weaver by trade, and came to Canada in 1840,
having spent seven years previously in the United States. He followed
his business after his arrival here, having taken possession of his
present farm, which was then all bush, he having cleared and otherwise
improved it at intervals. He was married in Ireland in 1821 to Mary
Stewart, by whom he has five children living: George, Robert, William,
James and Mary. Mr. Brown belongs to the Church of England, and is a
Conservative in politics.
JOHN R. BROWN, retired farmer, Lloydtown, is descended from an Irish
family, who settled in Pennsylvania, U. S., at an early day. John R.
came to Canada in 1830, and settled in York County, and during the
Rebellion of 1837 was arrested for complicity in the rising. He was
imprisoned for eight months, and afterwards banished from the country.
He returned again after an absence of two years, and purchased lot 26,
concession 8 of King Township, for which he paid eight dollars per acre.
He has been very prosperous, and has erected for himself and family, at
considerable expense, a handsome and commodious brick residence. He
retired from active life in 1880, and is now living in ease and comfort
on the fruit of his past labour. He married in 1840 Mary Price, a native
of Pennsylvania; they have a family of eleven children, as follow:
Charles, Martha, Angelina, Louisa, George W., Franklin, John N., Martin,
Josiah, Mary and Evaline. Mr. Brown is a Methodist in religion, and a
Reformer in politics.
JOHN BROWN, blacksmith, was born in England in 1823. His father was
Thomas Brown, who emigrated with his wife and family to Canada in 1830.
Mr. Brown settled first in the County of York, where he bought some
land, which he afterwards sold, and then moved to Wilmot Township,
Waterloo County. He died there at a good old age, having in his
connection with the section made himself highly respected. John was
about seven years of age when he came to Canada. He was at the age of
fifteen apprenticed to the trade of blacksmith, and after serving a term
of five years, commenced his present extensive and profitable business.
He married Miss Elizabeth Thompson, of this township, by whom he has two
children living, Louisa and Ivon H. Mr. Brown is a Methodist in
religion, and a Reformer in politics.
JAMES BURNS, lot 6, concession 4, is a native of Scotland, and came to
Canada in 1834. He located on his present lot the same year, which was
then entirely bush, to which he has since added the adjacent lot (5). He
has given agricultural matters the greater portion of his attention, yet
for twenty-five years Mr. Burns operated a saw mill, and also a grist
mill on Manitoulin Island, where he owns about six hundred acres of
land. Mr. Burns has accumulated this property notwithstanding loss from
fires, etc. He was married in 1837 to Miss Mary McPhearson, of Scotland,
who died in 1881. She had five children, four of whom survive her: John,
Catharine, William and James. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church,
and is a Reformer in politics. As an instance of the state of the
country at the period of Mr. Burns’ first location, money was so scarce
that months often passed by without those in the more remote settlements
seeing a single piece of silver.
FREDERICK BURROWS, lot 15, concession 3, is one of a class of men to
whom has been given the peculiar privilege of making the best of
opportunities. Originally a furniture polisher and finisher, he worked
at that business for a time after he came to Canada in 1837, and
subsequently purchased land in King Township; his intention was to
devote the remainder of his life to agriculture. However, the fact of
the non-existence of roads and other attributes to personal comfort and
convenience dissuaded him from continuing the cultivation of his
property, and he returned to Toronto to follow the business in which he
had previously been engaged. In 1852, on the completion of some of the
railroads, he returned to his lot, cut and sold the timber, and erected
a saw mill which was the first steam saw mill in King Township, and soon
put his land in a high state of productiveness, which he has since been
enabled to keep up to the average. He is a native of Ireland, and was
born in the year 1816. He was married in New York to Martha Potts, a
native of Ireland, by whom he has had five children, three only are now
living, viz: Frederick is a School Inspector of Lennox County; James, a
farmer in Grey County, and John has a farm in this township. Although
getting somewhat advanced in years, Mr. Burrows is still an active man,
and superintends all the business of his farm. He is a Reformer in
politics.
JOSEPH BUTLER, lot 29, concession 4, is the son of Joseph Butler, sen’r,
and was born in England in 1832. He came to Canada in 1854 without
funds, and worked some years as a farm hand. He afterwards rented land
and finally purchased the farm where he now lives, which he has himself
cleared and made highly productive. In addition he owns seventy-five
acres in the New Survey. He married Charlotte Mumford, a native of
England, by whom he has seven children living. He is a Conservative in
politics, and in religion belongs to the Methodist Church.
JOHN NELSON BYERS, physician and surgeon, was born in 1842. His father
was Samuel Byers, a native of Ireland, who settled in York County in
1834. He participated in the Rebellion of 1837, and died in the year
1874 in Ontario County. The subject of this sketch had the advantage of
a good sound education, and in 1868 graduated as M.D. from Victoria
College. He first began practice in Muskoka in 1868, and in 1875 located
at Lloydtown, where he has since remained. He married in 1867 Miss
Hadwen, of English birth, by whom he has five children. He is a
Conservative in politics. Mr. Byers’ maternal great-grandfather and
grandfather, John Rouse, were U.E. Loyalists, having emigrated from
Pennsylvania, U. S., in 1812; their property was confiscated by the
American Government.
ADAM CAIRNS, lot 12, concession 10, was born in Scotland in 1802, and in
1831 emigrated to Canada. He settled in York County and purchased the
lot where he now lives, it being then quite uncleared and in its virgin
state. Mr. Cairns is a living example of what maybe accomplished by
energy, perseverance and industry; and considering the fact that he was
in very poor circumstances when he first landed, his present affluent
position will attest to his having made use of the inherent qualities of
his nationality to advantage. He married before he came to Canada
Catharine McFarland, by whom he had nine children, seven of whom are
living: Thomas, Mary, Duncan, John, Margaret, Agnes and Janet. He
belongs to the Presbyterian Church. Duncan Cairns, one of the above, was
born on the old homestead, where he has continued to reside, assisting
his father in the cultivation of the farm. He married Janet Boyd,
daughter of Malcolm Boyd, by whom he has a family of nine children.
JAMES CAIRNS was born in Scotland in 1808, and emigrated to Canada in
1834. He settled in York County and remained a year or two in Vaughan
Township, after which he bought lot 15, concession 9, King Township,
then in a wild state. He was married to Miss Isabella McMurchy, by whom
he had eleven children; six are still living, viz: Nancy, James, Thomas
(who lives on the homestead), Archibald, Martha and Janet. Thomas was
born in 1849, and married Margaret Atkinson; they have one child.
JOSEPH CAIRNS, lot 13, concession 10, is the son of the late John
Cairns, and was born on the old homestead, which he now owns, in 1850.
His father emigrated from Scotland in 1830, and settled on a bush farm
in Vaughan which he had purchased. He subsequently sold that one, and
removed to King Township and settled on lot 13, concession 10, where he
remained until his death in 1880, leaving a family of eleven children.
Joseph Cairns was married to Christina Watson, by whom he has three
children: William John, Kelso C. and Learat L.
WILLIAM CAIRNS, lot 11, concession 9, is the son of John Cairns, of this
township, and was born on the old homestead, lot 13, concession 10. He
married Miss Ellen Watson. He purchased his present farm in 1881.
REVEREND JOHN W. CAMERON was born in New York State in 1851, and
received a very fair education in his youth. He entered at Knox College
in 1874, and graduated B.A. in 1881, having devoted much time to
theological studies. He was ordained to the ministry the same year in
which he graduated, and was immediately invited to take charge of the
Presbyterian Church at Laskay. He has also charge of churches in the
west of King Township; the three under his control having a membership
of one hundred and seventy-five, having considerably increased since the
reverend gentleman took charge. The churches are all comfortable frame
buildings. He was married in 1882 to Miss Maggie Lockhart, of Toronto,
by whom he has one child, Mary Frances.
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, lot 2, concession 7, was born in Scotland in the
year 1829, and came to Canada with his parents when only two years of
age. His father, Dougal Campbell, emigrated from Scotland to Canada in
1831, accompanied by his wife and four children. He bought a farm in
Albion Township, and afterwards removed to near Thornhill, in York
County, where he died in 1860. Archibald was brought up to farming, and
on commencing on his own account bought the farm he now occupies in King
Township. He was married in 1850 to Milcha, daughter of George Atkinson,
of Markham, by whom he has the following issue: Mary Margaret,
Alexander, John, Jerome, Aaron, Archibald, Sarah and Esmerelda.
ABRAHAM CARLEY, deceased, emigrated from New York State to Canada in
1831, and settled near what is now the Village of Thornhill, in York
County. He commenced farming about one hundred acres; he was very
successful, and subsequently bought two hundred acres of bush land on
lot 7, concession 5, which, with the assistance of his sons, he cleared
and cultivated. He died in 1864, after a useful and prosperous career,
leaving a large estate to his children, seven in number. In religion he
was a Methodist, and in politics a Conservative. Benjamin Carley, lot 7,
concession 5, son of the above, was born in New York State in 1814, and
was seventeen years old when he came to Canada with his parents. He had
a Common School education and has throughout his life been accustomed to
farming. He assisted to clear the home farm, where he has since
continued to reside. He belongs to the Methodist Church, and is a
Reformer in politics. Mr. Carley was married in 1837 to Miss Martha
Clark, who originally emigrated from Pennsylvania; their family
consisted of ten children, nine of them are living, as follow: Abraham,
Sarah, Charles (dead), Nancy, Alfred, Charlotte, William, Lavinia,
Martha and Mary.
A. D. CARLEY, lot 7, concession 5, was born in the year 1846 on the farm
which he at present owns and occupies. His father was Peter B. Carley,
who came with his parents from Genesee County, New York State, and
inherited from our subject’s grandfather the farm above mentioned, to
which he added another twenty-five acres, and subsequently acquired
fifty acres in concession 3. During the Rebellion of 1837 he took no
part; but on one occasion narrowly escaped being killed by a mob of men
armed with clubs. He was prosperous throughout his life, and died in the
year 1872, at the age of fifty-six. He left a family of nine children,
all of whom are living. A. D. Carley inherited the old homestead,
consisting of seventy-five acres, which he has worked since his father’s
death. Mr. Carley spent about one year in Manitoba previous to taking
entire possession of his farm. He also works one hundred acres adjoining
the old homestead. He was married in 1875 to Miss Dutcher, of Innisfil,
by whom he has two children: William B. and Francis A. O. He belongs to
the Methodist Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
REVEREND JAMES CARMICHAEL was born in the Ottawa Valley, near Carleton
Place, in 1828, his early years having been spent on his father’s farm.
His preliminary education was received at the Common Schools, and at the
age of sixteen he commenced teaching, which he continued only for a
short time; subsequently preparing for his University course, having to
walk five miles for each lesson. He entered at Queen’s College,
Kingston, in 1854, where he remained five sessions, and afterwards
finished his course at Glasgow, Scotland. In 1860 he was ordained, and
accepted a call from St. Andrew’s congregation, of King Township—a
large, well-finished stone church, on lot 10, concession 6, where he has
officiated for the past twenty-five years. During the early portion of
his residence in the township the reverend gentleman preached in Gaelic,
as well as in English, often preaching as many as five sermons in one
day. He was married in 1855 to Miss Martha Ross, who died on March 24,
1884. He has two sons, Norman Ross and Fergus.
ORLIN CHAPPEL, lot 26, concession 3, was born in New York State in 1810,
and came to Canada shortly after reaching man’s estate. He settled in
York County, and worked around among farmers for a few years. He then
bought lot 26, concession 3, in King Township, which was then all bush;
he cleared it, and has now got it into a fine state of cultivation. He
has since added eight acres to the original purchase. Mr. Chappel in
1865 received a permanent spinal injury from the fall of a horse he was
riding, since which time he has unfortunately been confined to his
residence. He was married in 1837 to Miss Melinda Heacock, daughter of
Edward Heacock, by whom he has three children, viz: Edward, born 1838;
Loomis, born 1842, and Lorinda, born 1850. During the Mackenzie Revolt
Mr. Chappel was arrested and kept prisoner for one week; the official to
whom he was indebted for this circumstance was Captain Guthrie. Mr.
Chappel is a Reformer in politics, and in religion he belongs to the
Society of Friends.
REVEREND HORACE D. COOPER was born in Huron County, being the son of the
Rev. H. C. Cooper, a clergyman of the Church of England, who emigrated
from London, England, in 1832, and settled in Huron County. The reverend
gentleman in 1848 removed to York County, and took charge of Christ
Church at Mimico. Horace D. received a liberal education and obtained
his degree of B.A. at Trinity College in 1859. He was ordained by Bishop
Strachan in 1861, and was subsequently engaged in missionary work. He
was appointed to the charge of St. Mary Magdalene’s Church at Lloydtown
in 1883, which consists of some three hundred members. He married a
daughter of Peter Ruthven, of Hamilton, in July, 1864 by whom he has a
family of ten children, as follow: Peter E. S. was born in 1865; Henry
W., born 1866; Horace Stanley, born 1868; Vivian L., born 1869; Alfred
St. Paul, born 1871; Sextus R. born 1873; Percy F., born 1876; Ethel M.,
born 1878; Ernest Octavius, born 1879, and an infant, born October 19,
1884.
JAMES COOPER, lot 35, concession 9, is the son of William Cooper, who
emigrated from England to Canada in 1842 and settled in York County.
James was born the same year in which his parents came to this country,
and received a Common School education. He was married to Jeanette
Beaton, daughter of Donald Beaton, by whom he has five children, viz.,
John, Hettie, Donald, William, and James. Mr. Cooper is a Reformer in
politics.
ROBERT CREIGHTON, merchant, Schomberg, was born in Simcoe County in the
year 1860, being the son of Alexander Creighton, who emigrated from
Ireland in the year 1820, and after a life of activity and usefulness
died in 1873. Robert was educated at the High Collegiate Institute at
Collingwood and the Commercial School in London, and in 1883 commenced
business as a general grocer and dry-goods merchant in partnership with
Edmund Walker. He bought the property where he conducts the business,
having paid for the same $2,000. His trade is a very flourishing one,
Mr. Creighton being a very enterprising and industrious young man.
N. P. CROSSLEY, retired farmer, King Township, was born in Whitchurch,
York County, in 1811. His father was Samuel Crossley, a native of
Pennsylvania, who died in 1831. His mother’s name was Mary Barr, also of
Pennsylvania, who died in 1860 at the advanced age of over ninety years.
Their family consisted of four boys and four girls. They emigrated from
Pennsylvania to Canada in 1804, and followed the occupation of farming
in York County. N. P. Crossley, like his parents, followed agricultural
pursuits until within the past few years, when he retired from active
life. He was married in King Township in 1832 to Margaret Moore, who was
born in Ireland in 1812, being the daughter of Thomas and Mary Moore;
they had four boys and three girls, as follow: Levi Nelson, engineer;
James Whiting, insurance agent and bailiff; Daniel Oliver, and Hugh
Thomas (the two last-named are ministers of the Methodist Church); Mary,
Ellen, and Ann Jane are the daughters. Mr. Crossley’s eldest son, Levi
Nelson, was drowned in the fall of 1881, through the foundering of the
steamship _Columbia_ in Lake Michigan, of which vessel he was chief
engineer. Mr. Crossley belongs to the Methodist persuasion, and is a
Reformer in politics.
ANDREW DAVIS is descended from a U. E. Loyalist family. His grandfather,
Asahel Davis, came from Carolina in 1790, and settled in Halton County,
Governor Simcoe at that time sending a gunboat to the mouth of the
Genessee River to meet two families, that of Mr. Davis being one and Mr.
Ghent’s the other. Asahel devoted the greater portion of his life to
farming in Nelson Township, County Halton, where he remained until his
death. James Davis, the eldest son of Asahel Davis, and father of
Andrew, was born in 1798. His wife’s maiden name was Ghent, a descendant
of the family that came to Canada with Mr. Davis’s family; they had five
children, four of whom are still living. In 1828 he came to York County,
and settled on lot 20, concession 1, York Township (west of Yonge
Street). Andrew, the subject of this sketch, was born in Halton County
in 1825, and was brought up on his father’s farm. He acquired a Common
School education, and at the age of fifteen commenced work. His father
operated a tannery, in which in due time Mr. Davis had a partnership,
and which finally passed into his possession completely. In 1848 he
married Elizabeth Pease, who was born June 6, 1822. He carried on the
tannery until 1856, when he sold out and bought a tannery and sixteen
acres on lot 6, concession 5, King Township, where he conducted business
until 1884, when he retired in favour of his son, who for about twelve
years previous had held an interest in the business. Mr. Davis has taken
an active part in municipal affairs, and in politics has always recorded
his vote for the Reform party. He is an adherent of the Methodist
Church. His family is composed of the following: Elihu James, now owner
of the tannery; Ghent; Edward Pease, now practising law in Winnipeg; and
Lelia Ada.
E. J. DAVIS, eldest son of the above, and successor of his father in the
tannery business, was born in the Township of York in 1851. He was
educated at the Common and District Grammar Schools, and took a
commercial course in Hamilton. Mr. Davis is a thorough business man, and
his connection with the Township Council has been found of great service
to that body, he having been Councillor, Deputy-Reeve and County Warden,
and being at present Reeve of King Township. He was married to Miss
Maggie Johnston, who was born in King Township, October 25, 1849, being
a daughter of David and Janet (Lang) Johnston, by whom he has four
children.
CALVIN DAVIS, lot 34, concession 4, is the son of Thomas Davis, who came
to Canada with his parents in 1806 from Pennsylvania, and settled in
what is now King Township, York County. Calvin was born on the old
homestead in 1820, and after receiving a Common School education he
commenced to assist his father in the cultivation of the farm, where he
remained until he was twenty-one years of age. He then bought the farm
where he now lives, which was entire bush, he having since that time
cleared and improved it. Besides the activity and energy with which he
has followed agricultural pursuits he has given some attention to
matters municipal, and was for some years Collector and Assessor of the
township. Mr. Davis was married in 1840, his wife being a daughter of
William Lloyd. They have ten children, all living and in good positions,
viz., Nancy, Thomas, Lizzie, Walter, Murdoch, Lot, Ella, Meade, Susan,
and Daniel.
DANIEL DAVIS was born in Whitchurch in 1827, and commenced life as a
farmer, working with his father until twenty-four years of age. He then
bought a farm in Tecumseth Township, on lot 23, concession 1, where he
continued to live until 1882, when he acquired his present residence in
the suburb of Schomberg. He married in 1852 Miss Annie Irwin, daughter
of Thomas Irwin, of Simcoe County; they have one son, Walter, born in
1857.
LEVI DENNIS, mill owner, Schomberg, was born in Newmarket in 1816. His
father, Nathan Dennis, emigrated from Pennsylvania, U. S., in 1806, and
located on lot 31, concession 1, King Township, where he brought up his
family. Levi was the second eldest in a family of eight children, four
sons and four daughters, and after receiving a good education he
commenced in 1840 on his own account by erecting mills in Simcoe, in
1858 purchasing one hundred acres of land in King, York County, which he
continued to cultivate until 1882. In 1875 he bought the mill which he
now operates, and which has turned out a very profitable one, being in
excellent running order. Mr. Dennis married in 1845 Lydia Clarke; they
have seven children living, viz., Urania, Jonathan, Sherman, Adelaide,
Alfred, William, and Henrietta. The daughters are married and
comfortably settled. The mother died in 1882. The residence and grounds
of Mr. Dennis have every evidence of diligence and careful attention.
ALFRED EASTWOOD, druggist, deceased, Schomberg, was the son of Anthony
Eastwood, who emigrated from England in 1844, and bought the property
now in the possession of his widow. Alfred was born at Lloydtown in
1847, where in due time he received his education; afterwards attending
the High School in Barrie. He acquired his diploma as Pharmaceutist from
the Ontario College in 1871, and began business in 1874, having
purchased the property, the size of the store being 16 x 36 feet. He was
married in 1868 to Miss Caroline Thompson, daughter of Mr. William
Thompson of Lloydtown, by whom he had four children as follow: Norman,
born 1872; Blanche, born 1875; Paul, born 1879, and Alvin Clare, born
1883. He died January 15, 1885.
J. B. EDWARDS, lot 21, concession 3, was born in England, in 1822, and
came to Canada with his father, the late George Edwards, in 1837. The
latter settled in King Township, and hired out for a few years. He
subsequently bought lot 20, concession 2, where he lived until his death
in 1880. J. B. Edwards, following the example of his father, worked out
for a few years and bought his present farm in 1862. He was married in
1843 to Miss Ellen Lloyd, daughter of Norman Lloyd, by whom he has six
children living: Elizabeth, Henry, Matilda, William, Fanny and Ira. In
politics Mr. Edwards is a Reformer.
THOMAS FERGUSON, part of lots 4 and 5, concession 2, is the son of John
Ferguson of this township, and grandson of the late Thomas Ferguson,
mentioned in another sketch. He was born at his father’s residence, lot
10, concession 3, and after receiving a Common School education he
commenced farming, and also assisted his father to run the saw mill. He
was married in 1875 to Miss Flora McCallum of King Township, and soon
after moved to his present farm, which formerly belonged to his
grandfather. The issue of this marriage is three children, viz: John S.,
Thomas L., and Peter E. He is a Presbyterian and a Reformer.
THOMAS FERGUSON, deceased, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, where he
learned the trade of weaver. He came to Canada in 1820, and soon after
purchased land, lots 4 and 5 in concession 2 of King Township, where he
worked at his trade and carried on farming at the same time. His farm
was at first complete bush land, but by dint of hard work he cleared the
greater part of it which he soon got into fine condition. He was very
prosperous and acquired considerable wealth, and on his death in 1852 he
left his widow and eight children in very comfortable circumstances.
John, his eldest son, was born in New York City, while his parents were
_en route_ for Canada. He received a Common School education, and on
commencing for himself in 1847 he bought the last part of lot 10,
concession 3, where he built a saw mill, which he has since operated. In
addition he owns the west half of lot 13, concession 3. He takes a
lively interest in political matters, being a Reformer. He is an
adherent of the Presbyterian Church. He was married in 1848 to Margaret,
daughter of George Stewart, an early settler in the township, who
emigrated from the North of Ireland to Canada in the year 1823. He
purchased lot 11, concession 4, on which he settled about 1828, and died
in 1863.
THOMAS FERGUSON, last parts of lots 12, 13 and 14, concession 3, the
second son of the late Thomas Ferguson, the remainder of whose family
constitutes the following: Margaret, eldest daughter, married to Walter
Scott, residing in Aurora; Alexander, the third son, was born on Yonge
Street, and is now living in Jasper County, Missouri; Hugh, the fourth
son, was born in King Township, now living in the Township of Downie,
Perth County; Catharine, the second daughter, was born in King Township,
and is married to George Burrows, resides in Simcoe County ; Mark L.,
born in King Township, and at present living on part of the old
homestead; Mary S., youngest daughter, was born in King, and died at the
age of twenty-three years. Thomas Ferguson was born near Thornhill in
1820. He had a Common School education, and since he began for himself
has devoted his time to farming. He owns a good deal of land in the
township. He married in 1847 Frances Wade of England, by whom he had ten
children, six of whom only are living, viz: Thomas K., John H., Hugh,
William, Elizabeth and Joshua. Mr. Ferguson is a Reformer in politics,
and a Presbyterian in religion. John H. Ferguson, lot 18, concession 3,
son of the above, was born in 1854 in King Township, and took possession
of his present home in 1872. He married Miss McNaughton, of this
township, their issue being three children: Ellen, Annie, and Mary F. In
religion and politics his principles are in accordance with those of the
family.
JOHN FLEURY, lot 69, concession 1, is the son of Joseph Fleury, who
emigrated from Lower Canada in 1810, and settled on the above mentioned
lot, which he purchased in 1815. Mr. Fleury, sen’r, served during the
War of 1812, and was at the Battle of York. On locating on the farm he
went to work and cleared it, and after considerable trouble and labour
placed it under a proper state of cultivation. His life was one of
usefulness and consequent prosperity, and his death, which occurred in
1860, was much regretted by the neighbourhood. John Fleury was born on
the old homestead which he inherited, in 1818, and after receiving a
limited education, he commenced to assist his father in the work of
cultivating the farm. His application, combined with industrious habits,
secured for him a knowledge of all the details of agriculture, and
evidently led to that prosperity which has been his deserving lot.
During the Rebellion of 1837 Mr. Fleury’s strong Reform proclivities
induced him to take up arms in the rash and adventurous policy which the
actions of the Family Compact almost forced upon the impulsive William
Lyon Mackenzie. Mr. Fleury was taken prisoner, and suffered confinement
for a period. Our subject was married in 1840 to Esther Harman, daughter
of William Harman; they had a family of sixteen children, ten of whom
are still living, viz.: William, Obadiah, Alfred, John, Walter, Ira,
Susan, Mary, Matilda and Diana. Mr. Fleury attends the Methodist Church.
GILBERT FOLLIOT, lot 6, concession 2, is a native of England, and was
born in 1813, being the son of Jonathan Folliot. He was brought up to
farming, and on coming to Canada in 1832, he settled in King Township,
York County, where he purchased a tract of wild land which his
enterprise and industry have changed into his present compact and
well-tilled farm. He was married in 1833 to Miss Hall, likewise from
England, who died in 1852. They had four children, three of whom are
living, viz: James, Gilbert and Jonathan. He is a Presbyterian in
religion, and belongs to the Reform Party. Mr. Folliot, although over
seventy years of age, continues hale and hearty, and attends to his
vocations with as much zest as ever, and the wish is that he may long be
spared to enjoy the pleasures which are provided on earth for those
whose lives are spent usefully and well.
JOHN FOLLIOT, lot 6, concession 2, is the son of Thomas Folliot, sen’r,
of this township, and was born on the old homestead in 1851. He was
educated at the Common School, since which time he has followed farming,
and has devoted his time and energies to the improvement of his farm and
also to stock raising. He was married in 1880 to Miss Agnes Johnston,
daughter of David Johnston, by whom he has one child, a daughter named
Jennie Mary, born in 1881. He is a Presbyterian in religion, and a
Reformer in politics.
THOMAS FOLLIOTT, undertaker and dealer in general house furnishings, was
born on lot 6, concession 2, in King Township, being the son of Thomas
Folliott, sen’r, of this section. He was born in 1842, and for a short
time after leaving school followed farming. He subsequently learned the
carriage making business under his brother, and then travelled in
various lines of business for a number of years. In 1879 he built the
store and residence which he at present occupies, and opened a furniture
store, tin-ware and general house furnishing business, with which he
combined that of undertaker, possessing all the requisites for
conducting funerals in first-class style. He is also agent for the Royal
A. Sewing Machine, manufactured in Hamilton. Mr. Folliott is a good
business man, being enterprising, industrious and thoroughly reliable,
qualities which insure success in life in any business. He has been
twice married, first to Miss Hannah Draper, and secondly to Miss
Turkington in 1879. He has three children, viz: W. Thomas, Edith H. and
Sadie A. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in
politics.
CHARLES FRY, lot 10, concession 8, was born in Somersetshire, England,
in 1804, and emigrated to Canada in 1832. He located in King Township,
York County, on lot 10, concession 8, and lot 11, concession 9, a
considerable portion of which was then uncleared, and which has since
been placed under good cultivation. He was married in 1837 to Miss
Shrooks, daughter of Mr. William Shrooks, by whom he has seven children
living, viz.: John, Henry, Thomas, James, Elizabeth, Mary, and Jane. Mr.
Fry is a Conservative in politics, and a member of the Church of
England. Henry Fry, lot 11, concession 9, is the second son of the
above, and was born on the old homestead in 1851. He was married in 1879
to Miss Jane Addison, daughter of Mr. John Addison; they have two
children, Charles A. and Mary Ethel.
JAMES FULLER, lot 17, concession 11, was born in England in 1824, and
came to Canada with his father in 1831. His father, Samuel Fuller,
bought some bush land in King Township, but died about four years after
his settlement. James was one of a family of six children, and as may be
surmised from the condition of the country, he received but a meagre
education. Although only about twelve years old when his father died,
young James showed unusual energy, and adapted himself to the work of
clearing the farm and making the home for his mother comfortable, which
he succeeded in doing. In 1842 he purchased his present farm, which from
its wildness had to have the same amount of labour spent upon it as the
one which his father first located upon. He was married to Anna Jackson,
by whom he has a family of seven children living. Mr. Fuller has now a
very comfortable home which he is able to appreciate and enjoy, after
the toil and privations which attended upon his earlier years. He is a
Reformer in politics.
JOHN GODSON, deceased, was born in England, and emigrated to Canada in
1839. He at first occupied a farm on Yonge Street, where he continued
two years, subsequently purchasing lot 16, concession 10, in King
Township, which was then in its wild state. He entered with earnestness
and energy into the work of chopping and clearing, and in due time he
had the satisfaction of knowing that his earlier labour was receiving
recompense. He lived many years to enjoy the fruits of his industry, and
in the year 1881 died, leaving a widow and seven children. The children
are still living and in prosperous circumstances, but his widow only
survived him about one year. Joseph Godson, lot 16, concession 10, is
the eldest son of the above and came into possession of the home farm on
his father’s demise, which he has since continued to cultivate. He
married Anna Atkinson, by whom he has two children, Mary and John Henry.
He is a Methodist in religion, and tenders his support to the Reform
Party.
WILLIAM GRAHAM, lot 35, concession 10, was born in the year 1849. His
father, Donald Graham, emigrated from Scotland in 1840, and coming to
Canada settled in King Township, York County, and for the first few
years followed his trade of blacksmith, which he afterwards gave up in
favour of farming. William received a good Common School education, and
until about five years ago remained with his father on the homestead. In
1879 he rented the farm he at present lives on, and his industry and
economical habits render it no difficult task to prophesy that
prosperity for him is within measurable distance. The maiden name of his
wife was Elizabeth McDevitt; they have three children, viz.: Ella Mary,
Laura Mabel and Annie Matilda.
ALEXANDER HALL, lot 28, concession 12, was born in England in 1827, and
came to Canada with his parents when an infant. His father was a
carpenter by trade and emigrated to this country in 1830; he took up his
residence first in Toronto, and worked upon the old Parliament
Buildings, then in process of construction. He afterwards moved to the
Township of King, where he took up land on lots 27 and 28, concession
12, and occupied himself with farming and the lumber business until his
death in 1873. Alexander received a Common School education, and was
afterwards employed in running the saw mill on his father’s place. He
has besides given considerable time and attention to farming. In the
year 1855 he married Mary Burnham, by whom he has three children as
follow: Thomas, born 1858; George, born 1861, and Isabella, born 1857.
CHARLES HAMBLY, concession 9, lot 2, was born in Nova Scotia in the year
1808, and came to Upper Canada in 1828. A few years after his arrival he
purchased from the Canada Company two hundred acres of land in
concession 9, which from complete bush he, by energetic perseverance,
converted into a good productive farm. As a matter of fact, he had
absolutely to cut his way to his property, such then being the sparsity
of settlement. He afterwards purchased six hundred acres of land, which
has since come under the plough. Mr. Hambly has only served one year in
the Township Council. Notwithstanding a very serious loss originating
from a fire, Mr. Hambly has by industry and economy accumulated a very
large estate. He was married in 1833 to Miss Mary Ann Hambly, daughter
of William Hambly; they have seven children, viz.: William, Edwin,
Charles, David, John, James, Bella and Elizabeth. He attends the
Methodist Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
JOHN HANLAN, lot 27, concession 9, was born in the North of Ireland in
the year 1815, and emigrated to Canada in 1835. He worked in Peterboro’
County for the first twelve months after his arrival, and then moved to
York County, where he purchased lots 26 and 27, concession 10, in the
Township of King, where he still resides, and in addition owns lot 27,
concession 9, now occupied by his son George, whose sketch appears
below. In 1840 he married Catharine Bell, of Tecumseth Township, by whom
he has a family of nine children: John, George, William, Daniel, Mary,
Ann, Elizabeth, Jane and Margaret. Mr. Hanlan is a Reformer in politics.
George Hanlan was born in 1853 in Tecumseth Township. He received a
Common-school education, and has since remained with his father on the
farm. He married in 1883 Miss Strainer, of this township, by whom he has
one son.
SETH HEACOCK, who resides at Oakland Farm, Township of King, is a
descendant of Jonathan Heacock, who emigrated from Pennsylvania some
time before 1800, and lived for a short time near St. Catharines,
Ontario. From there the family moved to Yonge Street, north of Aurora,
about 1804. They afterwards went to King Township and located on lots 26
and 27, concession 3, where they acquired four hundred acres of land,
which was then completely bush. The children of Jonathan and Mary
Heacock were Jane, John, Edward, Mary, Nathan, Catharine, Roland, Sarah,
Nancy, Amos and Levi. Nathan resided in Niagara District, Township of
Pelham, until about 1830. He then moved to the County of York, where all
the rest of the family were settled. Our subject’s father was Edward
Heacock, who, with some of his brothers cleared the land, where he lived
until his death in 1864. About 1812 or 1813 Edward Heacock married
Rachel Webb, one of a family also from Pennsylvania, who settled on
Yonge Street, near Aurora, about 1803 or 1804, with many descendants in
the County of York and elsewhere. The children of Edward and Rachel
Heacock were Eliza, Delilah, Malinda, Seth, Mary and Ruth. Seth Heacock
was born on the old homestead on June 23, 1822. He acquired a fair
education for the times; but the clearing of land, making roads through
the bush, ploughing among stumps and stones was the principal occupation
at all hours to make both ends meet; his whole life having been devoted
to farming, raising of stock and improving it as circumstances would
permit until 1867. He commenced with thorough-bred Durhams and imported
stock from the herd of Mr. Robert Symes, of Red Kirk, Dumfriesshire,
Scotland. His Shorthorn Durham cattle are considered specially fine; he
now owns about thirty head of the pure breed, which command high prices,
having received as much as $520 per head, and are distributed over a
large part of Canada and the United States. He is also breeding pure
Southdown Sheep of the best breed, from imported stock, which are
especially fine and in splendid condition. Mr. Heacock was appointed a
Justice of the Peace in 1876. He is a Reformer in politics, and in
religion is inclined to be identified with the Society of Friends. He
was married in 1847 to Hannah, daughter of Jesse and Eliza Walton, of
Kettleby, Ontario; their family consists of eight children living and
one dead: John Milton, George Washington, Eliza Celesta, Emma C., Addie
A., Mary Lavilla, Rachel Alberta and Franklin W. John Milton in 1878
married Emma Louise Salter; family, one child, Mable L.; he lives at
Midland City, County Simcoe. Addie A. in 1878 married Robert A. Starr;
family, Ethel L., Edgar D. and Leanora, and lives in Whitchurch
Township, County York.
JOSEPH HOLLINGSHEAD, lot 1, concession 8, is the son of Anthony
Hollingshead, who was born in Little York in 1800. The family were U. E.
Loyalists, and during the War of 1812 Anthony, then quite a boy, drove a
waggon which contained a number of American prisoners; he was also
present when the powder magazine was fired during the Battle of York in
1813. His family consisted of seven children, of whom Joseph, our
subject, was born in King Township in 1845. He acquired a Common School
education, and afterwards went to farming. He operated his own farm, the
locality of which is given at the commencement of this sketch, during
the years 1867-8-9, which he the following year rented out and commenced
the business of general merchant at Schomberg, to which in 1882 he added
that of druggist, and is now doing a successful trade. He married in
1869 Mary A., daughter of Mr. John Proctor, of King Township, by whom he
has two children, viz.: Alberta, born 1871, and Emma, born in 1874. Mr.
Hollingshead is a strong Conservative, and attends the English Church.
JOHN HUGHEY, lot 69, concession 1, was born in York County in 1820. His
father was James Hughey, a native of Ireland, who came to Canada in 1818
and settled on some land in York County. He bought one hundred acres off
Yonge Street, which, after he had cleared, he sold and purchased the
land now farmed by his son John, who succeeded to the property on the
death of his father in 1871. John had only a Common-school education,
and was early inured to all the hardships and privations of pioneer
life. He was twice married; first to Miss Isabella Kerr in 1846; by this
union there was no issue. He married a second time in 1854, his wife
being Miss Sarah Thompson, from Ireland; they have nine children living,
as follow: James, Jane, William, Samuel, David, Rankin, Nelson, Bell and
John; two are dead—Wellington, who was drowned, and Lavinia, who died
in 1860. Mr. Hughey belongs to the Presbyterian Church, and is in
political temperament a Conservative.
JAMES HUTCHINSON, deceased, was born in England, and came to Canada in
1828 and worked as a farm hand several years. He subsequently bought one
hundred acres of land in King Township, which is now owned by his son
Martin. This land was entirely bush when he first located upon it, and
it took him several years of laborious toil to put it in thorough
farming condition. His labour, however, was well repaid, and he
afterwards succeeded in accumulating property to the amount of $15,000.
His death, which occurred in 1873, was much regretted in the
neighbourhood, where his genial and kindly disposition had gained him
numerous friends. His wife, Jane Hutchinson, survived him nine years,
and she died at the venerable age of seventy-two years. Martin
Hutchinson, son of the above, resides on the old homestead, lot 13,
concession 2. He was born in King Township in 1836, and received a
rudimentary education in the Common schools of the time. He early
assisted his father on the farm, which he acquired at the latter’s
death. He married Elizabeth Gray, of York Township, by whom he has six
children, viz.: John, Thomas, James, George, Henrietta and Martin. He
attends the Baptist Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
WILLIAM HUTT, lot 24, concession 2, was born in England and came to
Canada in 1833. He had from his early years followed the occupation of
shepherd, and on his arrival in York County worked the first year as a
farm hand. The succeeding six years he rented a farm, and then purchased
his present property on lots 30½ and 20, concession 2. He was married
previous to coming to this country, his wife being Miss Gardner; they
had eleven children, four only are living, viz.: Oliver, William, Walter
and Amy. He is in religion a Methodist, and in politics gives his vote
to good men and good measures.
CHARLES IRWIN, miller, Lloydtown P.O., is the son of R. P. Irwin, of
Irish descent, who was born in Pennsylvania, U. S., and coming to Canada
in the year 1818, settled near Aurora, where he followed his trade as
millwright, and in which locality his son Charles was born in 1832.
Charles was educated in Newmarket. He went into the milling business
with his brother in Aurora in 1865. He bought his present mill and
additional property in 1879, where he does a large and lucrative
business. He married in 1857 Miss Tyson of Aurora, by whom he has five
children as follows: Josephine, born 1858; Marion, born 1861; Kate, born
1867; Courtwright, born 1870; and William, born 1873. Mr. Irwin was a
Councillor of Aurora for a number of years, and for the past nine years
has been first Deputy-Reeve of the Municipality of King, and a Justice
of the Peace. He is a Methodist in religion, and in politics is a
Reformer.
JARED IRWIN, manager of the York County Industrial Home, comes of a
purely American ancestry. His grandfather, Charles Irwin, came to Canada
from Pennsylvania in the first years of the present century, and settled
on the line of the Indian trail which subsequently became the important
highway known as Yonge Street. He served his country in active service
in the War of 1812-14, and died at an advanced age, leaving a number of
children. One of these, Thomas, having married Miss Phila Pearson, a
sister of the present County Registrar, started life upon a bush farm in
the Township of Tecumseth, Simcoe County. Here the subject of the sketch
was born in 1839. He assisted his father in the pioneer’s task of
clearing the land, always taking advantage of such opportunities for
education as were then possible, and continued to devote himself to the
farm until 1860. He then left the now fine homestead to begin life for
himself, and ultimately settled upon a farm adjoining the Town of
Newmarket, where he continued to live till appointed to his present
position in 1882. He was married in 1861 to Miss E. J. Armitage of this
township. Their family consists of Herbert E., born 1862; Eli Franklin,
born 1867; James Walter, born 1869; and Caroline Lenore, born 1880.
REVEREND WILLIAM JENKINS, deceased. In connection with the early history
of York County, the part played by the subject of this sketch was not an
unimportant one. It is stated that he was the first ordained preacher in
York County, but in the absence of any complete information on the
point, it would be perhaps as well to leave it debatable. The Reverend
William Jenkins was born in Scotland, and was educated at the University
of Edinburgh, and was married in that city. He came to Canada in 1812
with the object of advancing the Gospel of Christ amongst the Indian
tribes, but was soon obliged to relinquish his noble and praiseworthy
calling on account of ill-health, which compelled him to return to the
Old Country. He was, however, soon enabled to resume his duties, and in
1818 he returned to Canada, and settled in little York, where for many
years he preached the Word. He ultimately located in Markham Township,
where he died in 1843. The first sermon he delivered in Markham was
given from a tree stump, there being no churches, nor indeed any
building capable of accommodating a number of people. The humorous often
finds an entrance into matters of graver moment, and an anecdote is
recorded of the Reverend William Jenkins, that was quite characteristic,
and which exemplifies the truth of the axiom. An old man who usually
occupied a position right in front of the pulpit, habitually went to
sleep during the reverend gentleman’s discourses. This fact alone would
probably not have brought such a severe castigation upon the unfortunate
sleeper as he eventually received, but that his capacity for snoring
equalled in its vigour the most sounding declamations of the preacher,
and it is a question as to which was the greater sufferer, the minister
or his congregation. However, the continuation of the old man’s
discordant slumberings at last produced a crisis. On one occasion while
expounding to his hearers some important theological point, he was so
annoyed at the snoring of the old man, that he stopped short in his
sermon, and bestowing a hearty cuff on the sleeper’s head with his
Bible, remarked that if he could not be made to hear the Scriptures, he
would make him feel them. The Reverend William Jenkins spent a period of
nine years amongst the Indians, and translated the Bible into the Indian
language. He was a man of large attainments, and as a linguist could
scarcely be excelled, having acquired a knowledge of twelve different
languages. His cultivated mind, stored as it was with the learning of
all times, rendered his sermons profoundly impressive, although they
lacked neither clearness nor simplicity. James W. Jenkins, lot 6,
concession 6, son of the late Reverend William Jenkins, was born in New
York State, while his father was at his missionary labours. He was
brought up to farming, which he has always followed. He was married in
1845, to Miss Lazzetta Burnford, she being a grand-daughter of the
Surveyor of Yonge Street. They had ten children, all of whom are living.
Mr. Jenkins came to King Township in 1857, and retired into private life
in 1879.
ROBERT KENNEDY, lot 9, concession 9, was born in Ireland in 1816, and
emigrated to Canada in 1834. Soon after his arrival he settled in King
Township, and purchased the farm he at present holds. He came to this
country, if not exactly penniless, at least, without what may be termed
capital, and has by industry, economy and strict attention to his
affairs been prosperous above the average. His land was entirely bush
when he first settled upon it, but his labour and untiring energy in a
short time transformed the virgin forest into a fine productive farm. In
addition to the substantial brick house he has built on the farm in this
township, he has also built a similar one on a farm he purchased in Gore
Township. Mr. Kennedy was married in 1844 to Mary Dennis, by whom he had
six children, viz.: Catharine, Michael, Honora, Mary, Margaret and
William. He is a follower of the Catholic Faith, and a Reformer in
politics.
SIDNEY LEONARD, merchant, Schomberg, is the son of the late James
Leonard, who emigrated from England in 1849 with his family, which
consisted of his wife, four sons and two daughters, their names being as
follow: Thomas, born 1831; Stephen, born 1835; Sidney, born 1837;
William, born 1840; Mary Ann, born 1833 (married to J. McKindless);
Ruth, born 1841 (married Robert Winters). Mr. Leonard, sen’r, died in
1867. Sidney, the subject of this sketch, was born in England, and is
the fourth in order in his father’s family. He established himself in
business at his present location in 1865. Having purchased two and
a-half acres of land in the centre of the Village of Schomberg, he
forthwith erected the store which he has since continued to occupy,
being 24 x 70 feet, with a height of two storeys. He also erected a
brick residence in 1883. In addition to his mercantile investment he
possesses a farm on lot 29, concession 8 of this township. Mr. Leonard
was married in 1865 to Jane, daughter of Alexander Thompson, King
Township, by whom he has eight children, viz.: Jennette Ann, born 1867;
Sarah Jane, born 1869; James H., born 1872; Florence P., born 1874;
Esther C., born 1877; Iva, born 1879; Lydia, born 1881; and Thomson,
born 1884. Mr. Leonard is a very enterprising man, and is strictly
honourable in all his dealings.
JOEL LLOYD, lot 31, concession 9, is the son of Jesse Lloyd, who
emigrated from Pennsylvania, U. S., to Canada in 1812. Mr. Lloyd, sen’r,
came to York County and settled in King Township, where he erected a saw
and grist mill where Lloydtown is now located, it being the first mill
in this section. He sold out in 1836 and bought lot 34, concession 9. He
was not long permitted to remain on his newly acquired property, for, on
the breaking out of the Mackenzie Rebellion a year later, he threw
himself heart and soul into the movement. During the subsequent events,
when the ring-leaders were either escaping or being captured, he with
Thomas Brown succeeded in reaching the United States in safety, a large
reward being at the time offered for their capture, dead or alive. He
died during his exile at the age of fifty-three years. Joel Lloyd was
born in 1822 at Whitchurch, where he received such an education as the
Common schools at that time afforded. He remained with his parents until
he reached man’s estate, and then settled on a part of lot 34,
concession 9, King Township, which is still his residence. He married in
1847 Elizabeth, daughter of James C. Gray, of Simcoe County, by whom he
has four children, viz.: Sarah, Libbie, Emma and Edwin. His first wife
dying, he took another in the person of Miss Eliza Mainprize; the issue
of this marriage is one child, Florence L., born 1882. He is a Reformer
in politics, and attends the Methodist Church.
NELSON LLOYD, lot 35, concession 12, is the son of Joseph Lloyd, who
emigrated from Pennsylvania, U. S., at an early date. He settled in York
County, and died in the year 1880. Nelson was born in King Township in
the year 1841, and worked with his father on the farm until twenty-five
years of age. After receiving a fair education he commenced school
teaching in the year 1868, and taught thirteen years. In 1870 he was
married to Mary Campbell; they have a family of three children: Minnie,
Bertha and Mary. In 1881 he bought his present home. He has been
generally very prosperous.
WILLIAM LLOYD, second son of Jesse Lloyd, lot 33, concession 9, was born
in Lloydtown in 1830. In early life he acquired a Common-school
education, and in due time enjoyed the honour of retaining the old
family homestead, and has been very successful in life. He married Miss
Jane Gray, daughter of James C. Gray, one of the oldest and most
respected families in the county. The issue of this marriage is seven
children, viz.: Albert W., Martha J., Alfred L., Rachel A., Lavina H.,
Eliza A. and Mary Etta.
JOSEPH LYNN, postmaster, Linton P.O., was born in Ireland in 1826. He is
second son of John Lynn, and brother to William Lynn, mentioned
elsewhere. He settled in his present locality in 1861, where he fulfils
the duties of postmaster in connection with a grocery store. He was
married in 1858 to Miss Annie McBain; they have four children, Josephine
Amelia, Jane Maria, Frances Adeline and John Alexander.
WILLIAM LYNN, lot 28, concession 8, was born in Ireland in 1828, and
came with his father and family to Canada in 1842. His father’s family
consisted of four sons, James, Joseph, John and William (the subject of
the present sketch). He received a Common-school education, which he
improved by teaching school for a short time. He now retains the farm
originally in the possession of his father. He is in religion a
Presbyterian, and in politics gives his support to the Conservative
Party.
JOHN MCCARROLL, lot 35, concession 7 of King, was born in Ireland in
1825, being the son of the late John McCarroll, who emigrated to Canada
in 1840, and settling in West Gwillimbury Township, died there, after
twenty-five years residence, at the good old age of eighty-seven years.
John came to this country with his parents, and for about six years
worked out as hired man. He subsequently bought a farm in concession 11
of King Township, and later on purchased the farm where he now resides.
By perseverance, industry and thrift, he has accumulated a fair amount
of this world’s goods, which he now enjoys in the companionship of his
wife and children. He married in 1846 Mary Bell, of Ireland; they had
nine children, of whom seven are still living, viz.: John, born in 1847;
Margaret, born 1849; Elizabeth, born 1851; Sarah, born 1852; Mary, born
1853; William, born 1855 and Rachel, born 1857. Mr. McCarroll is a
member of the Presbyterian Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
ANDREW MCCLURE was born near Belfast, Ireland, in 1815, and emigrated to
Canada in 1836. He worked as hired man the first four years of his
residence in York County, and in 1840 bought a bush farm, which he
cleared and subsequently cultivated. On his first arrival here he was
without means, but by hard work and strict attention to details, success
has crowned his efforts, and he has accumulated quite a handsome
property. He was married to Mary Ann Hamilton, daughter of Andrew
Hamilton, by whom he had twelve children; eight are now living as
follow: Mary A., John, Andrew, James H., Jane J., Elizabeth, Samuel and
William. Andrew McClure, son of the above, was born in Vaughan in 1841,
and inherited his present residence, lot 9, concession 7, King Township,
from his father, which contains two hundred acres. He was married in
1870 to Miss Elizabeth Bryson, daughter of James Bryson; they have six
children: Andrew, James, Jane, Mary A., Alexandra and Norman. Mr.
McClure is in religion a Presbyterian, and in politics supports the
Conservative Party.
WILLIAM MCDEVITT, lot 23, concession 9, was born in Ireland in 1821,
being the son of James McDevitt, of County Derry, Ireland. His mother
was Martha Parkhill, who is a native of Ireland. Our subject is one of
three children, and began life as a shoemaker. He was married in 1850 to
Mary Jane Morrison, of Irish birth, by whom he has nine children, six
daughters and three sons. He is a Presbyterian in religion.
ARCHIBALD MCGILL, lot 24, concession 6, was born in Scotland in 1814,
and came with his father to Canada in 1834. His father, William McGill,
located on lot 13, concession 7 of King Township, but only lived five
years after his arrival, having died in 1839. Although only a
comparatively short time in this country, his excellent knowledge of
farming prevailed over the obstacles and general crude state of things,
which always exist in a new settlement, and his career, though limited,
was one of unqualified success. Archibald worked at home on the
homestead for several years, and in 1865 removed to the above farm
purchased by his son Dugald some time previous. He is connected with St.
Andrew’s Church, and belongs to the Reform Party. He married in 1838
Charlotte McMillan of Scotland, by whom he has seven children living,
viz.: William, Dugald, Duncan, Margaret, Katharine, Sarah and Charlotte.
JOHN MCMILLAN, deceased, was a native of Ireland, and came to Canada in
1818. He purchased some bush land in King Township, York County, on
which he located, and having cleared it he put it in a good state of
cultivation, and was in the end very prosperous. He died in 1882,
leaving a valuable estate to his widow and seven children. John
McMillan, merchant, Eversley P.O., son of the above, was born in Vaughan
Township in 1859. After receiving but a limited education, he assisted
his father on the farm, but eventually gave up agricultural pursuits and
adopted the business of general merchant. He took possession of his
present premises in 1883, where he is doing a thriving trade, and in
addition fulfils the duties of Postmaster. He married Miss Haile, of
Vaughan Township. He is a Methodist in religion, and a Conservative in
politics.
ARCHIBALD MCMURCHY, lot 12, concession 5, was born in 1817, and
emigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1841. On his arrival he hired out
for three years, and then purchased his present farm, which at the
beginning he had to clear. He has since placed it under fine
cultivation, and has added to his original purchase one hundred acres.
He also bought one hundred acres in Simcoe County, which is now the
residence of his son, John McMurchy. He has also two hundred acres in
Huron County, the residence of his sons Donald and Alexander, both of
whom have families. This fine property has not been got together without
labour and economy, and Mr. McMurchy is to be congratulated on his
successful endeavours in this respect. He was married in 1845 to Jane
Cameron, daughter of Donald Cameron, one of the early settlers of York,
by whom he had twelve children; eleven of whom are living, viz.: Donald,
Alexander, Annie, Archie, John, Peter, Elizabeth, Neil, Jane, Catharine
and Duncan. Mr. McMurchy is a Presbyterian in religion, and in politics
votes Reform.
JOHN MALLOY, lot 5, concession 8, is the son of John Malloy, of Vaughan
Township, where he was born in 1845. He purchased his present farm in
1876, in which year he also married Flora Malloy, daughter of Malcolm
Malloy; they have two children, Sarah and Archibald. Mr. Malloy is a
Methodist in religion, and a Conservative in politics.
JAMES MOSLEY, lot 20, concession 1, is the son of Thomas Mosley, a
native of Kent, England, who emigrated to Canada, and taking up his
residence in little York, was one of the first settlers engaged in the
mercantile business on King Street East. Mr. Mosley, sen’r, was
subsequently appointed Government Auctioneer, which position he filled
for some length of time. He died in Toronto after a successful career.
James was born in Toronto, March 5, 1818, and received the only
education which the schools at that time afforded. He began business in
the store of his brother on King Street as clerk; but, becoming tired of
store-keeping, he moved from the city on to the farm in King Township
which constitutes his present residence. He has one hundred and four
acres of good agricultural land, and in addition to crop raising he
takes a great delight in the breeding of good horses, having received at
various times prizes for the best roadsters and other classes of stock.
Our subject was married in 1858 to a Miss Davis (a connection of an old
pioneer family). The issue of their union was five children, of whom
three only are living: John, Minnie and James E. Mr. Mosley belongs to
the Episcopal Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
WILLIAM MULOCK, M.P., was born at Bond Head, Simcoe County, in 1844,
being the son of Thomas Homan Mulock, M.D., T.C.D., formerly of King’s
County, Ireland, who settled in Canada about 1830. Mr. Mulock was
educated at the Newmarket Grammar School and University of Toronto,
graduating at the latter institution in 1863, when he obtained the gold
medal in the Department of Modern Languages. Having been called to the
Bar in 1868 he has since practised his profession in Toronto. His wife
is Sarah Ellen Cawthra, daughter of James Crowther, barrister, of
Toronto, and by whom he has five children now living, namely: William,
Edith, Sarah, Ethel and Cawthra. Mr. Mulock is a Liberal in politics,
and was elected to the Commons of Canada to represent North York in
1882.
ROBERT NORMAN, lot 6, concession 3, was born in England in 1818, and
came to Canada with his parents in 1833, who both died the year
subsequent to their arrival. Robert worked as hired hand for about
twelve months, and then rented a farm for a number of years. In 1862 he
acquired by purchase his present farm on lot 6, concession 3. He was
married in 1842 to Miss Elizabeth Wells, daughter of Mr. John Wells, an
old settler, who served in the War of 1812. They had ten children, seven
of whom are living, viz.: Charles, John, George, William, Maria,
Isabella and Mary. Mr. Norman is a member of the Baptist Church, and is
a Reformer in politics.
DANIEL O’BRIEN, lot 5, concession 6, is the son of William O’Brien,
deceased, who came from Nova Scotia, and settled in York County, about
1828. Mr. O’Brien, sen’r, was a carpenter by trade, but devoted the
greater portion of his life to farming. He bought and cleared a farm in
Pickering Township, and was very prosperous, leaving at his death a nice
estate to his widow and six children. He took an active part during the
Mackenzie Rebellion, and being a sympathizer with the movement, his
house on several occasions was searched, and he himself narrowly escaped
being arrested, having to conceal himself for some time in the bush. By
this exposure he contracted a disease from which he never afterwards
recovered, and he died in 1847, at the comparatively early age of forty
years. Daniel, whose name appears at the head of this sketch, was born
in Markham Township in 1832. He learned the trade of blacksmith in
Pickering, which he has since followed. He established his present
business in 1854, and by strict attention added to good workmanship, he
has built up a large and increasing trade. He was married in 1857 to
Miss Wood, daughter of Joseph Wood, of Clark Township, by whom he has
nine children, viz.: Emma J., Joseph M., Ida A., Frederick W., Annetta
L., Benjamin J., Louis J., Lina K., Eddie.
MICHAEL J. O’NEILL, lot 15, concession 10 of the Township of King, was
born on November 15, 1854. His father, Michael O’Neill, was born May 25,
1814, in the County of Limerick, Ireland, and emigrated to Canada in
1841. On his arrival in King he purchased the farm the location of which
is described above, and which is now known as Holly Park Farm. It was at
the time all bush, and has since been improved and put in a very high
state of cultivation. He was married in Ireland to Margaret O’Halleran,
a lineal descendant of Sir Henry O’Halleran who once took up arms
against the tyrannical laws of his country, but who subsequently became
one of Her Majesty’s most loyal subjects. Mrs. O’Neill died May 14,
1873, leaving a family of seven children, five of whom are still living,
viz.: Mary Ann, Patrick J., Ellen, Michael Joseph (our subject), and
Thomas. Michael J. was born on the old homestead, and helped to clear
the farm where he now resides. He entered public life at an early age,
and has filled various positions of trust. He was elected Deputy-Reeve
of the Township Council in 1811, of which body he still continues an
able and active member. He also holds the position of Postmaster of
Holly Park. Mr. O’Neill is devoted to the Roman Catholic Faith, and in
politics gives his support to the Reform Party.
W. PEARSON, lot 29, concession 2, is descended from a family who
emigrated from Pennsylvania in 1808 and located near what is now the
town of Newmarket, then a complete wilderness. His grandfather, Peter
Pentz Pearson, settled there and followed the occupation of farming; he
was concerned in the troubles of 1837 and was taken prisoner. The father
of our subject, L. B. Pearson, was born on the family homestead near
Newmarket in 1828. He bought the farm, lot 29, concession 2, King, which
he improved and continues to cultivate. William Pearson was born in
Whitchurch Township in 1863. He received his preliminary education at
the Common School, and then went to the High School at Newmarket, where
he took a second-class certificate, and has now been a Certified School
Teacher for the past two years; and is at present attending the Normal
School at Ottawa.
THE PERRY FAMILY. It will invariably be noticed that, in regard to
modern settlements, some families will, as if by instinct, at once take
a prominent place among their neighbours and retain it through
successive generations. This general rule might distinctively be applied
to the early settlers of York County, and the family whose biographical
record is herein traced affords a good illustration. Many of the old
residents will remember the advent into King Township of the late
Richard Perry, who, bringing with him his wife and three children,
settled upon lot 24, concession 7. He was born in Ireland in the year
1797, and was thirty-four years of age when he came to Canada and
located in this section in 1831. Young, vigorous and active, possessing
moreover the peculiar energy of his race, he was in a word just the sort
of pioneer required in a new and undeveloped country. The large and
productive acreage now under cultivation by his sons testifies to his
strong and determined purpose to rank not among the least of those who
first laid open the forests of Ontario as a foundation for new
industrial enterprises. During his lifetime he exerted himself in all
matters that would prove of benefit to the community, and by that means
succeeded in gaining the respect of all his neighbours. His strongly
imbibed Conservatism, and his genuine attachment to old-fashioned
political ideas may at times have caused him to ill-conceal his dislike
to the Reform element which in his day broke forth in such a startling
manner and culminated in the Rebellion of 1837-8. Mr. Perry, at the
commencement of the affair, seeing the Rebels with their pikes painted
red and uttering treasonable menaces, made, with the assistance of his
son John, sixty-five rounds of ball cartridges, and was at Bond Head
before daylight next morning offering his services to Colonel Dusen. The
gallant Colonel complimented Mr. Perry upon his vigilance, and declared
that he was the only one who up to that time was prepared to meet the
insurgents. He lived to the good old age of eighty-two years, and his
death, which took place in 1879, was felt as a personal loss throughout
the section.
HENRY PERRY, lot 34, concession 10, is the second son of the late
Richard Perry, and was born in Ireland in 1824, and came with the
remainder of the family in 1831. His education was only that obtained at
the Common schools, and he began early to till the soil. He located on
his present lot in 1864, which he has since continued to cultivate. He
was married in 1854 to Elizabeth Gardiner, daughter of the late
Lieutenant Gardiner of the British Army. The issue of the union is eight
children, viz.: Harriet, born in 1855; Richard, born in 1856; Frederick,
born in 1858; Susannah, born in 1861; Charlotte, born in 1863; Emma,
born in 1865; Isabella, born in 1871, and Arthur, born in 1879. He also
belongs to the Church of England, and is a Conservative in politics.
JOHN PERRY, the eldest son of the late Richard Perry, was born in
Ireland in 1822, and accompanied his parents to Canada. He was but nine
years old when the emigration of the family took place, and the
educational facilities of the township being limited, he was obliged to
forego the benefits of much early scholastic training. He commenced to
work with his father on the farm while still a boy, and acquired, it may
be said almost from necessity, a practical knowledge of all that relates
to agriculture. The wild state of the country at that time afforded
excellent opportunities for youth to gain a good knowledge of hunting
and shooting, and our subject soon became proficient in that respect,
for many a fine buck, to say nothing of smaller game, fell before his
unerring and trusty rifle. His hunting expeditions were not, however,
without their dangers, and in many a tight fix did he find himself with
his mortal enemy the bear, which, however, generally resulted in the
discomfiture of bruin and the consequent loss of his hide. John left his
father on the old homestead in 1852, and located on his present farm,
and settling down to married life the year following gave up to a great
extent his adventurous pursuits. He at various times in succeeding years
enlarged his original farm until he now owns two hundred and
seventy-five acres. The opening out to settlement of the North-West led
him into larger enterprises, and he now owns three thousand acres of
timber lands, besides nine hundred and sixty acres of fine farming land
near to the City of Winnipeg, which will no doubt in the immediate
future yield him a large and profitable return. In the township Mr.
Perry is recognized as a leading and influential Conservative, and takes
a remarkably lively interest in the fortunes of that political party.
His marriage in 1853 was to Elizabeth Steward, daughter of George
Steward; his wife died in 1880, leaving three children, Richard,
Elizabeth and Susannah. He belongs to the Church of England.
RICHARD PERRY, lot 24, concession 7, is the youngest son of the late
Richard Perry whose life is recorded elsewhere. He was born on the old
homestead in 1837, where he has always remained, having assumed the
control of the farm when his late father retired from active life. He
was married in 1870 to Miss Sarah J. Hunter, daughter of Joseph Hunter,
of this section, by whom he has seven children, as follow: Rebecca, born
1871; Albretta, born 1873; Violet, born 1875; Eva M., born 1876;
Matthew, born 1878; Ida F., born 1880, and Isabella, born 1883. He is,
like the other members of the family, a member of the Church of England
and a Conservative in politics. Mr. Perry is also a member of the
Volunteers.
GEORGE PRINGLE, farmer, Nobbleton P.O., was born in Queen’s County,
Ireland, April 10, 1812. His father, William Pringle, was born in the
same place on the 24th of February, 1785, and was by trade a
wool-comber, the wool in those days being combed by hand. Mr. Pringle,
sen’r, came to Canada at an early day, being about the fifth settler in
King Township. He died on April 5, 1873. Our subject’s mother was Jane
Gribbens previous to her marriage; she was a native of King’s County,
Ireland, and died in Prince Edward Island in 1818. George Pringle
attended school for a short time in his native town, and after coming to
Canada received further instruction at the Public school. He commenced
farming at an early age, which occupation he continued to follow until
recently, when he gave up active life and is now living retired in the
Village of Nobbleton. During the Rebellion of 1837 Mr. Pringle enlisted
as a Volunteer at Lloydtown. At the time of the great Battle of
Waterloo, Mr. Pringle (then not quite four years of age) distinctly
recollects his father taking the newspapers containing an account of the
action round to the neighbours. He was married in King Township on the
19th of April, 1835. His wife was Susannah Bell, of Queen’s County,
Ireland; they had a family of ten children, three of whom are dead. The
names of the survivors are as follow: Jane, Edward, Martha, Roland,
George, William and John. Mr. Pringle attends the Methodist Church, and
is a Conservative in politics.
GRESHAM PROCTOR, retired, was born on Yonge Street, York County, in the
year 1817, being the son of Henry Proctor, who emigrated from Vermont,
U. S., in the year 1800, and bought a bush farm which he cleared. Mr.
Proctor, sen’r, took part in the War of 1812 by hauling supplies for the
army. Gresham in early life had the advantage of a fair education, and
after leaving school hired himself out to farmers until he had
accumulated sufficient money to purchase a farm. He bought one hundred
acres on lot 31, concession 6 of the Township of King, paying for the
same $100. He subsequently bought fifty acres more, all of which by
industry and skill he put in a high state of cultivation and was very
successful. In the year 1869 he acquired five acres in Kettleby Village
and retired from active life. Mr. Proctor has filled several municipal
offices very creditably. He was married in 1841 to Elizabeth Lloyd,
daughter of William Lloyd, by whom he has six children: William,
Mellissa, Lovella, Luzesky, Josephine and Wakefield.
JOHN PROCTOR, deceased, was a native of Ireland, and emigrated to Canada
in 1831. He located in King Township, York County, settling upon lot 23,
concession 7, which was then in a wild state. He cleared the farm and
remained on it until his death in 1865, at the age of seventy-seven
years. He served in the Rebellion of 1837 under Captain Armstrong. His
wife, Mary Proctor, died in 1879, at the great age of one hundred years,
having through her long life been very active. William Proctor, lot 23,
concession 7, is the eldest son of the above, and was born in Ireland in
1814; he was seventeen years of age when he came with his people to
Canada. He received a very fair education, and on his arrival here spent
two years in the Victoria University. He began life as a farmer on his
present lot; since first taking possession he has added to it at various
times, and now owns one hundred and forty-seven acres of choice land,
which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. He has been very
prosperous, and is now worth about $20,000. He was married in 1854 to
Susannah Bunting, of Ireland, by whom he has the following children:
Hester, born 1858; Herman, born 1860, and Mary, born 1863. His first
wife died and he married a second time. By this second union he has two
children: William Abbot, born 1875, and John Henry, born 1877. Mr.
Proctor is a preacher of the Methodist Church, having commenced when
twenty years of age.
WAKEFIELD PROCTOR, lot 31, concession 5, is the son of Gresham Proctor,
of Kettleby Village, whose sketch appears elsewhere, and now lives on
the old homestead formerly cultivated by his father. He was born on the
home farm in 1854, and in 1878 married Miss Stokes, daughter of Captain
Joseph Stokes, of this township; they have two children, Bartley and
Clarence. Mr. Proctor’s affairs, together with those of his sons, are,
and have been, very prosperous.
WILLIAM RAMSDEN, lot 29, concession 5, was born on lot 50, concession 5
of this township, and is the son of the late Thomas Ramsden, who
emigrated from England in 1836. He bought fifty acres of land in King
Township, which he successfully cleared and on which he brought up a
family of six children. William was born in 1838, and lived with his
father until he arrived at man’s estate, when he purchased his present
home. He married a daughter of Peter Boodwin, of King Township, by whom
he has five children: James, Oscar, Teresa, Thomas and Hettie May. Mr.
Ramsden is a Reformer in politics.
DAVID ROGERS, lot 1, concession 2, is the son of the late James Rogers,
and grandson of Timothy, the deceased U. E. Loyalist, a sketch of whose
life appears in these pages. After getting a little education he went to
work at farming, and subsequently purchased the lot where he now resides
(ninety acres), which he improved suitably to his own ideas. He has been
very successful. He married Mary Armitage, daughter of Thomas Armitage;
they have four children: Henry, Mary, Eliza and William. His religious
views are those of the Society of Friends, and he is a Reformer in
politics.
JAMES ROGERS, lot 14, concession 2 (known as Maple Avenue Farm), is the
eldest son of the late Timothy Rogers, and was born on the old homestead
farm in 1834. He bought and took possession of his present farm in 1863,
which contains one hundred and forty-five acres. He is much interested
in stock breeding, of which his specialty is Southdown sheep and
Berkshire pigs; he also devotes a great deal of his attention to fruit
growing; his orchard contains about six acres of the most choice fruits
of various kinds. He is a Conservative in politics, and is a member of
the Christian Church. He married in 1861 Miss Sarah Tustian, who was a
native of Oxfordshire, England; they have five children: David A.,
Annie, Ida, Ella and Eva. Mr. Rogers has always taken a deep interest in
the Agricultural Societies of the township and county in which he
resides, and held the position of Councillor and Deputy-Reeve for four
years, and is a Justice of the Peace. He is a descendant of Timothy
Rogers, who emigrated to Canada from the State of Vermont, and who was
the founder of the Quaker settlement on Yonge Street, near the Town of
Newmarket.
TIMOTHY ROGERS, deceased, was a U. E. Loyalist who settled on six
hundred acres of land on or near what constitutes the present
flourishing Town of Newmarket, in the year 1801. He emigrated from
Vermont, U. S., and brought with him his children, seven in number, who
each drew four hundred acres, and having the land laid out in town lots,
Timothy may be said to be the founder of Newmarket. The following
paragraph, extracted from an historical sketch which appeared in the
Newmarket _Era_ about five years ago, will explain itself: “The first
white man known to have slept at Newmarket was Timothy Rogers, who in
the year 1800, while on a prospecting tour between Toronto (then little
York) and Lake Simcoe, followed the branch of the Holland River running
to Newmarket, and there favourably impressed with the natural advantages
of the place, and with a view to a more thorough examination of it and
its surrounding locality, camped for a time upon the hill about where
the North York Registry Office now is, and fed his horse upon the rushes
that grew on the low land near by. He located and received from the
Government a deed of lots numbers 92, 93, 94 and 95, and thus became the
first individual owner of all the land upon which Newmarket was first
built. This Timothy Rogers was the founder of what was so long known as
the Friends or Quaker settlement on Yonge Street, and was greatly
instrumental in influencing Governor Simcoe to locate Yonge Street upon
the line where it now is. He made an arrangement with Governor Simcoe by
which he was to bring and settle upon Yonge Street forty settlers, and
the first instalment of these was located there soon after, and then
followed the first settlement in and about Newmarket.” During his
residence in Pennsylvania, when the war was raging between the revolted
colonies and the British Government, Timothy from the nature of his
creed took no part, and later in the War of 1812-14, he suffered
imprisonment at the hands of the Government for refusing to disobey the
dictates of his conscience. The old man died in the year 1844, after
having lived a useful, peaceable and religious life and having seen his
children grow up in comfortable circumstances. James Rogers, deceased,
was the eldest son of Timothy Rogers, deceased, and was quite a youth
when he came with his people to Canada. His whole life was spent in the
work of clearing, chopping, and building houses for the accommodation of
the incoming settlers, and he well deserves the appellation of a
pioneer. He died on the old homestead, lot 95, concession 1, in the year
1854. John Rogers, son of the above, was born on the old home farm, and
after receiving a Common School education, commenced to work, and
assisted his father in clearing and cultivating. He was married in 1840
to Anna C. Doan, grand-daughter of the late William Doan (he composed
one of the party who came from Pennsylvania with our subject’s
grandfather). They have a family of six children: William, Timothy,
Jonathan, Albert, Annie C. and Phœbe.
TIMOTHY ROGERS, lot 11, concession 2, was the second son of the late
James Rogers, who emigrated to Canada from the State of Vermont with his
father, Timothy Rogers in 1781; he was the founder of the Quaker
settlement in the neighbourhood of the Town of Newmarket. Timothy was
born on lot 95, concession 1, in the Township of King in 1809, where he
remained until 1830, assisting his father and brothers, when he removed
to his present lot after leaving home, which then contained two hundred
acres of bush land, which he, with his sons, has put in a fine state of
cultivation. In 1834 he married Annie Lloyd, a native of Bucks County,
State of Pennsylvania, U. S., a daughter of the late James Lloyd, a
native of the same county and state, by whom he had nine children, viz.:
James, David L., Mary, Sarah, William, Henry, Elizabeth, Thomas and
Alice. Mr. Timothy Rogers died October 22, 1884. The sons of the above
are men of sterling integrity. James holds the position of Justice of
the Peace, besides other offices of responsibility. David L. is a
physician of high standing, and is practising his profession in the Town
of Newmarket. William is a dentist of the highest standing, and is
practising in the neighbourhood of Richmond Hill. Henry has spent his
lifetime on the old homestead farm with the exception of four years
spent as a merchant at Eversley. He married Miss Jenet Scott, of the
Township of King, in 1875. He is a Conservative in politics. Thomas has
served in the Mounted Police in the North-West, and is now residing in
Prince Albert, N.W.T. The sons and daughters of the above were all born
on the homestead farm.
JAMES ROSS, deceased, was born in Ireland, and was brought to Canada
when an infant, his father being a soldier in the 49th Regiment of Foot.
James in early life learned the trade of a tailor and began business on
Sherbourne Street, in little York. He served during the War of 1812-14.
He continued his business in little York until 1821, when he bought two
hundred acres of bush which he cleared and placed under cultivation. He
volunteered as a private to aid in suppressing the Mackenzie Rebellion,
and he also made the service clothing of Robinson’s Company. He lived a
long and useful life and was highly esteemed by all who knew him. His
death occurred in 1875. John Ross, son of the above, was born in 1811 in
little York. He has devoted his whole life to agriculture and purchased
his present farm, lot 7, concession 4, in 1836. His early experience was
such as has been the lot of many, and he suffered all the inconvenience
and hardships of a pioneer life. In 1836 Mr. Ross married Emma Elson, of
England, they had eleven children, all of whom are alive and prospering,
their names being as follow: Thomas, Philip, Sarah, James, Carrie,
Elizabeth, Henry, Richard, William James, Ruth and John. Mr. Ross is a
member of the Disciple Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
ROBERT ROSS, lot 11, concession 6, was born at Niagara in 1797. His
father, John Ross, was born in Ross-shire, Scotland, in 1730. He
belonged to the regiment known as the Cameron Highlanders, in which
corps he was for over twenty-one years a sergeant, and served through
the whole of the war between England and her revolted Colonies. He was
appointed Barrack Master at little York, in the year 1800, which he held
until his death in 1805. Robert’s mother was Elizabeth Brooks, who was
born in Birmingham, England, in 1750, and died at little York in 1828,
aged seventy-eight years. Our subject was one of a family of ten
children, and commenced life as a shoemaker, having been apprenticed to
that trade when he was twelve years of age. He worked at his trade in
little York until 1828, and then moved to a locality a little south of
Aurora, on Yonge Street. In 1832 he occupied his present lot and erected
a saw-mill on a small tributary of the Humber, which passed through his
farm. He was married in the year 1820 in the house of Dr. Strachan
(afterwards Bishop Strachan), his wife being Maria Smith, who was born
in New York State in 1803. Her father, Richard Smith, was of English
birth, and was a U. E. Loyalist. After the War of 1812-14, Mr. Smith
went to Penetanguishene, where he had a son, Robert H., born, who it is
stated was the first white child born in Penetanguishene; another of his
sons, Walker Smith, was Sheriff of Simcoe County for over thirty years.
The family of Robert Ross, by this marriage, consisted of five sons and
seven daughters; four sons and two daughters only are living; one son,
Walker, is Indian Land Agent at Cockburn Island. For the last fifty
years Mr. Ross has resided on his farm, a great portion of which time he
operated his saw mill, which, though now in other hands, still does good
work. Despite his advancing years Mr. Ross maintains good health, which
it is hoped will long continue. His memory is still active, and the
events of his youth are fresh and green to his mind’s eye. The City of
Toronto presented somewhat of a different aspect to what it did when Mr.
Ross, as a boy, traced a bear cub a few rods from where the Union
Station now stands, or gathered brushwood on the site of St. James’
Cathedral. He was in the Militia in 1813, and was present at the Battle
of York. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in
politics. On January 8, 1885, Mrs. and Mr. Ross celebrated their
sixty-fifth wedding day, and both are healthy and quite strong yet.
JOHN H. ROSS, machinist, King P.O., was born on lot 7, concession 4 of
King Township, and is the son of the late John Ross, mentioned in
another sketch. He had a limited education in his early years, and was
apprenticed to the trade of blacksmith when only twelve years old, and
had also the opportunity of acquiring that of a machinist before he was
twenty. He purchased his present machine and blacksmith’s business in
King in the year 1868, which he has since enlarged, and is now doing a
large and prosperous business in machinery of all descriptions. He
married in King Township in 1869 Miss A. Stewart, daughter of Mr. James
Stewart, by whom he has five children, viz.: Maddie, Lillie, Edwin,
Nellie and Agnes. He is in religion a Baptist, and casts his vote for
the Reform Party.
GEORGE ROTSEY, deceased, is a native of England, and emigrated to this
country in 1835. His trade was that of a mason and plasterer, at which
he worked in Toronto for two years. He subsequently located in
Newmarket, and while there served on the side of the Crown during the
Rebellion of 1837. In 1846 he bought lot 19, concession 2, which was at
that time uncleared, and by perseverance and toil converted it into the
fine and productive farm which is now in the possession of his son,
William Henry. He died in 1884, leaving a widow and seven children,
viz.: George, James, John, Joseph, Sarah, Matilda and William Henry. He
was much respected by his neighbours as an honest, upright man, and
trustworthy in all his dealings, and his good management enabled him to
leave a large estate to his inheritors.
REVEREND THOMAS GRAHAM SCOTT was born in Markham Township, June 30,
1838. He is of Irish descent, being a native of Tyrone, Ireland. His
mother was Annie Graham, born in County Armagh, Ireland, May 23, 1815,
and died in April, 1882. Thomas Graham Scott’s preliminary education was
received at the Common Schools, supplemented by indefatigable home
study. He afterwards went through a Primitive Methodist course of
ministerial studies. He commenced life on the farm his father occupied,
which he afterwards gave up for the more responsible calling of a
Methodist minister. He was married in Newmarket on June 12, 1872, his
wife being Miss Bella Hirst, of Yorkshire, England; they have four
children: Lillian Hirst, Ernest Graham, Sarah Bella and Winifred Henry.
SAMUEL SHEARDOWN, deceased, was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1806,
and emigrated to Canada in 1828. He settled in York County, and worked
out for a few years as hired man until he had saved sufficient money to
purchase a bush farm. He was the pioneer of his section, and had to cut
his way through the bush to reach his land, which was lot 6, concession
9 of King. He was married in 1838 to Miss Isabella Drummond, who died in
1874; they had eight children, all of whom are living: William, John,
Samuel, James, Peter, Elizabeth, Catharine and Thomas. Mr. Sheardown’s
death occurred soon after that of his wife in 1874, at the age of
seventy-one years.
BENJAMIN SHUTTLEWORTH, lot 27, concession 10, was born in Vaughan
Township in 1843. He received a Common-school education and was brought
up on his father’s farm. He learned the trade of a waggon-maker. He
married Eliza Gould, daughter of John Gould. Mr. Shuttleworth’s father
was a native of England, and emigrated to Canada at an early day and
settled in Vaughan Township. He took an active part in the Rebellion of
1837, and being a sympathizer with Mackenzie, his house was frequently
searched. He was killed by lightning in 1841.
JOHN SMELSER, deceased, was born in Germany, and came to Canada with his
parents when quite a child. His father died shortly after his arrival.
His mother died at sea. After the death of his father, John was bound
out as an apprentice; but ran away from his master and settled in the
United States. He returned again to Canada and joined the British Army,
and fought during the War of 1812. The family have in their possession a
medal of which he was the recipient for his bravery and fidelity. At the
conclusion of the war he bought a bush farm in Vaughan Township, which
he cleared and cultivated, afterwards purchasing one hundred acres in
King Township. Mr. Smelser was married in the United States. His wife
was Miss A. Puteraugh; of the issue of this marriage six children are
living: Isaac, Daniel, Joseph, John, Kate and Mary. Through life he was
exceedingly prosperous, and at his death in 1859 he left a handsome
estate for the benefit of his children. Isaac Smelser was born in
Vaughan Township in 1819 and was early accustomed to all work in
connection with farming. In 1847 he bought lot 7, concession 8, and
subsequently married Mary Ross. The family consisted of six children,
four of whom are living. His first wife died and he married a second
time, his wife being Susan Wells, daughter of Jacob Wells; they have
three children. He is a Conservative in politics, and belongs to the
Presbyterian Church.
JOSEPH SMELSER, lot 2, concession 5, is the third son of the late John
Smelser, and was born on the family homestead in 1835. Like the rest of
his brothers he was brought up to farming, and endeavoured to bring his
farm as near perfection as possible. He was married in 1859 to Ellen Ann
Bailey, of English birth, by whom he has one son, Thomas Baldwin
Smelser. He belongs to the Church of England, and is a Conservative in
politics.
JAMES SOMERVILLE, lot 19, concession 9, was born in the City of Glasgow,
Scotland, in 1828, and came to Canada with his mother in 1832. She came
to York County and settled in Toronto Gore, and subsequently married A.
McShanack. James was brought up to farming and assisted to clear the
farm where he now resides, which he purchased on his step-father’s
demise. He also bought an additional two hundred acres, thus bringing
the amount of acreage in his possession to three hundred, two hundred
and fifty of which are under a good state of cultivation. From a small
commencement Mr. Somerville has, by perseverance and hard work, got
together a large estate. He was married in 1859 to Miss Flora McLachlin,
by whom he had eleven children, eight of whom are living. He is a member
of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics is a Reformer. Mr.
Somerville had only a limited education; but he has through life been a
great reader, his library ranking as one of the best stocked and most
complete in the section.
ROBERT SRIGLEY, deceased, ranked amongst the very early settlers of
Upper Canada. He came to Canada in company with his parents in 1785, who
settled near Niagara. In 1808 he bought and cleared lot 34, concession
2, Whitchurch Township, where he brought up his family, which consisted
of ten children, four of whom are now living, viz.: Jesse, Malon, Elisha
and Christopher. During the War of 1812 he assisted to build gun-boats
at Collingwood. Robert Srigley died in 1836, after a useful and
prosperous career. He had acquired during his lifetime about four
hundred acres of land, and besides attending well to the duties of his
farm, he filled various local offices with credit, viz.: Constable,
Assessor, Tax Collector, etc.
MAJOR STEPHENSON, lot 33, concession 4, was born in England in 1812, and
came to Canada in 1834. He settled in York County, and hired out among
the farmers for the first six years after his arrival. He then rented
his present farm which he held until 1850, when he purchased it. He has
taken very great interest in agricultural matters, and was selected by
the North York Agricultural Society to compete for the prize given to
the best ploughman in the country. He obtained the first prize—being
then over fifty years of age—which consisted of a silver tea service,
and for this event was also presented with a gold watch by the friends
of agriculture in York. He was married in England in 1834 to Mary Field;
they had eleven children, nine of whom are living, viz.: William,
Elizabeth, David, Phœbe, Marjory Mary, Elijah, Frank, Martha and Jane.
GEORGE STEWART, deceased, was born in 1798, and came to Canada in 1823.
He settled in York County, and located in King Township, where he
purchased two hundred acres of land, being lot 11, concession 4. The
land when it came into his possession was quite uncleared, but by
industry and perseverance he succeeded in bringing the greater portion
of it under cultivation. He accumulated a fine property during his
lifetime, and was in a position to give his children a fair start in the
world. He died in 1864; and of a family of sixteen children, twelve were
living at his death. James Stewart, lot 15, concession 9, was born in
Canada in 1823. He had a Common-school education, and early acquired a
knowledge of farming. He purchased his present farm, a great portion of
which he has cleared, and has since added one hundred acres of lot 15,
concession 8. He was married in 1846 to Miss Margaret Rankin, a native
of Ireland, by whom he had twelve children, ten of whom are still
living, viz.: Mary E., George, Sarah J., William, James A., Rankin,
Lena, Bella, Robert W., and Ida. Mr. Stewart is a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
HENRY STEWART, deceased, was a native of Scotland, and came to Canada in
1831. He located in York County, and settled on lot 5, concession 2,
King Township, which he cleared, and by labour and skill put his land in
fine cultivation. He was a useful member of the community, and held the
office of Township Councillor for many years. He was appointed Justice
of the Peace, in which position he gave great satisfaction. He died in
1872 at the advanced age of eighty-five years; five children of his
family survived him, viz.: Mary, James, Robert, Allison and John. James
Stewart, lot 5, concession 2, son of the above, was born in Scotland in
1820, and was eleven years old when he came with his parents to Canada.
He received a fair English education, and then assisted his father to
clear up the farm. He now owns ninety-nine acres of land where he
resides. He was married in 1845 to Miss Magdaline S. Rainey, of
Bradford, whose father was an old settler. They had a family of twelve
children, nine of whom are living, viz.: Henry, William, Robert, George,
Agnes, Mary, Allison, Eliza and Harriet. After the Rebellion Mr. Stewart
received a Lieutenant’s commission under the command of Major Armstrong.
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and is a Reformer in
politics.
JAMES WALLACE STEWART, pastor of the Methodist Church, Schomberg, was
born in Cookstown, Simcoe County, February 26, 1853. He is one of a
family of seven children born to Mr. J. W. Stewart, who emigrated from
Ireland in 1830, and settled in Simcoe County. The reverend gentleman
married in 1878 Miss Ralston, of Cookstown, who died the following year,
leaving one child, Gertie. He married again in 1882 to Miss Mary Cross,
daughter of James Cross, of Innisville.
CHRISTOPHER STOKES, deceased, was born in England in 1800, and came to
Canada in 1827, and located in Aurora. He was a miller by trade, and
devoted his life and energies to the business. He bought two hundred
acres of land in King Township, lot 4, concession 7, in 1834, and four
years later built a grist-mill. He was a thorough pioneer, cleared all
his land from the bush, and made many serviceable improvements. The
state of the country at that time may very well be understood when for a
long time the settlers bringing their grain to be ground carried it on
their backs, this being chiefly from the absence of waggons and roads.
Throughout his life Mr. Stokes was very successful; and at his death,
which occurred in 1868, he left an estate worth $30,000 to be divided
among his six children. James Stokes, merchant, King P.O., was born in
Vaughan Township in 1836. He received a Common-school education, after
which he assisted for some time about the mill and farm. He moved into
the Village of Springhill (King) in 1869, and opened a general agency in
machinery and agricultural implements, auctioneer, etc. He began the
business in 1876, and in 1881 erected his present commodious brick store
and residence, where he now carries on a large and profitable business.
Mr. Stokes was elected Deputy-Reeve in 1875, which position he held for
six years and then resigned. He married in 1861 Miss Jeffray, only
daughter of Mr. William Jeffray, who was born in little York, now
Toronto, in 1803; they have three children, viz.: Ada, Hannah and
William. He is a Conservative in politics.
JOSEPH STOKES, miller, Kettleby, is the son of William Stokes, who
emigrated from Pennsylvania to Canada in 1834. William was a carpenter
by trade, which business he successfully followed for twenty years,
afterwards purchasing a farm in concession 5, King Township, remaining
in the county until his death in 1880, aged seventy-three years. Joseph,
the subject of this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania in 1832, and was
only two years old when his father came to this country. After receiving
a Common-school education he commenced life in the milling business. He
operated his father’s saw mill for some years, and subsequently
purchased his present romantic and valuable mill property in Kettleby
where he resides with his family. He married in 1856 Mary Vernom,
daughter of Nathan Vernom, by whom he has five children, one only (a
daughter) being married, the rest are yet at home, Carrie, William F.,
Clinton and Cora. His father-in-law, Nathan Vernom came to Canada
previous to the War of 1812, in which he took part. Mr. Stokes was
elected to the County Council in 1868, and again in 1874, and served
until 1882, the greater portion of which time he officiated as Reeve. He
was Warden of the county in 1880. He was appointed Justice of the Peace
in 1872. He is an active spirit in politics in the section, and has done
good service for the Reform Party. The genial and hospitable disposition
of Mr. Stokes has gained him an abundance of friends in the township,
and all unite in wishing him a life full of years and continued
prosperity.
JOHN STORY, deceased, was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1834, and
came to Canada when eight years of age with his parents, Peter and
Charlotte Story. The family settled on lot 30, concession 11 of King
Township, all of which was bush-land, which the father in time cleared.
John was early made acquainted with the rudiments of farming, and
assisted his father in the work of opening out the land for cultivation,
and on arriving at man’s estate purchased the farm whereon his widow now
lives. He also acquired by purchase one hundred acres of lot 21,
concession 4, and afterwards bought the old homestead. Mr. Story was
married in 1850 to Miss Hutchinson, by whom he had six children, all of
whom are living, viz.: Sarah, Henry, Alfred, John and Jenny. He was a
Conservative in politics, and a member of the Methodist Church. His
death occurred in 1881, at the age of fifty-seven years, after having
lived a very useful and energetic life.
OLIVER STURDY, deceased, was born in Yorkshire, England, and came to
Canada in 1851. He settled on lot 10, concession 5, which he continued
to farm until his death in 1883, at the age of eighty-three years,
leaving a widow and one son.
CHARLES STURDY, lot 9, concession 5, was born in England in 1834, and
came to Canada with his parents. He acquired a fair education in
England, and afterwards devoted his life exclusively to farming. He
inherited the old homestead from his father, and has also purchased the
adjoining lot, where he now lives. He has taken great interest in all
school matters, and is known as a man of very good standing. Mr. Sturdy
has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Jefferson; Oliver and
Charles are the survivors of this union. The second marriage was to Miss
Watson, daughter of John Watson, an old settler, by whom he has one
child, Lizzie May. He belongs to the Church of England, and is a
Conservative in politics.
GEORGE TEASEDALE, deceased, was born in England in 1790, and emigrated
to Canada about 1820. He came to York County and settled in Markham
Township, where he acquired some land, which he successfully cultivated.
His death took place in 1858 through a steamboat disaster. During the
Rebellion he took an active part, his services and sympathies being on
the side of the Government. At his death he left two hundred and fifty
acres of choice land in excellent condition to his widow and six
children. Nancy Teasedale continued to reside on the farm with the
family until her death in 1879. George Teasedale, lot 22, concession 3,
son of the above, was born in Markham Township in 1833. He had a
Common-school education, and afterwards commenced life as a farmer. He
began by renting land, and afterwards bought part of it. He also
purchased his present farm in this section, which he cleared from the
bush. He married in 1857 Miss Susan Gaston, of Markham, by whom he had
eleven children, all living but one: Albert G., Walter, Minnie, Charles,
Mary, Sarah, Harvey, Ernest, Ralph and Norman. Mr. Teasedale is a member
of the Methodist Church, and is a Conservative in politics.
BENJAMIN TERRY, lot 25, concession 5, is the son of David Terry,
deceased, who emigrated to Canada from Pennsylvania in 1822, and coming
to York County settled near Newmarket. A few years afterwards he moved
to the farm now occupied by Benjamin, where he remained until his death
in 1857. Benjamin Terry was born in Pennsylvania in 1809, and was
thirteen years old when he came to Canada. He took part in the Rebellion
of 1837, but managed to escape arrest. He was married in 1843 to Lucilla
Mount, daughter of Joseph Mount; they have ten children living: Esther,
Mary, Susan, Lavinia, John A., Joseph M., Sarah, Lucinda, Franklin and
Emma L.
JOHN THOMPSON, lot 28, concession 10, is the son of William Thompson,
and was born in King Township in 1843. He received an education such as
the Common schools of that day afforded, and was brought up to farming
on the old homestead. In 1877 he located on lot 28, concession 10, where
he still resides with his family. He married Eliza Irwin, of Toronto, in
1866; their family consists of four children, viz.: William, born in
1868; Delia, born in 1870; Henry James, born in 1871, and John, born in
1880.
WILLIAM THOMPSON, lot 28, concession 10, is the son of William Thompson,
whose sketch appears elsewhere. He was born in King Township in 1840,
and after receiving a Common-school education worked with his father on
the home farm, which he still occupies. He was married in 1870 to
Rebecca Irwin, of Toronto, by whom he has six children, viz.: Harold,
Anna, Mary E., William R., James H. and Bertha M. The farm bears
evidence of skill and attention, and is a credit to the possessor.
WILLIAM THOMPSON was born in England in 1810, and emigrated to Canada in
1836. He located near Lloydtown, York County. In 1856 he purchased one
hundred and fifty acres on lot 28, concession 9, and later on acquired
lot 27, concession 9. By industry and perseverance he was in 1874
enabled to retire from active life and bought his present residence. He
was married in 1833 to Ann Culley, a native of England; they have eight
children, as follow: Henry, born 1834; Rachel, born 1836; Annie, born
1838; William, born 1839; James, born 1841; John, born 1842; Caroline,
born 1849, and Martha, born 1853. Mr. Thompson belongs to the Episcopal
Church, and is in politics a Conservative.
JACOB S. TOOL, cheese factory, Aurora, was born near Kettleby in King
Township in 1858. His grandfather came from Pennsylvania to Canada in
1802 and settled near Bogart Town. He afterwards removed to near
Kettleby and erected the first saw-mill in this section. The father of
our subject was named John, who was born on the old homestead and
devoted nearly all his life to farming. He married Miss Davidson, of
Bond Head; their family being as follows: Jacob S. (our subject), John
B. and Sarah A., married to James Hunter, of Oakville. Jacob S.
commenced his cheese factory about one year ago and has done a
satisfactory local trade, its capacity being about four hundred and
fifty pounds per day. The family are all Reformers in politics.
MICHAEL TRAINOR, lot 9, concession 10, is the second son of the late
Patrick Trainor, and was born on the old homestead in 1844. He inherited
his present farm of one hundred acres, and afterwards purchased an
additional one hundred acres from his brother. He was married in 1870 to
Ellen Curtis, daughter of John Curtis, by whom he has six children,
viz.: Loretta, Annie, Lucy, Louisa, Michael Ambrose and James A.
PATRICK TRAINOR, deceased, was born in Ireland in 1816, and was twelve
years of age when he came to Canada with his parents. The family came to
Peel County, and located in Albion Township, where they remained some
years, afterwards removing to King Township, York County, where the
father died. Patrick was early inured to all the hardships which wait
upon the pioneer, and assisted in clearing farms in Albion, Etobicoke,
Toronto Gore, and King Township. He made his home on lot 9, concession
10 of King Township, which consisted of two hundred acres. The education
he acquired in youth was but limited, although the absence of
instruction had little or no effect on the success which attended him
through life. He died in 1879, leaving a fine estate to his widow and
nine children. John Trainor, lot 16, concession 9, eldest son of the
late Patrick Trainor, was born on the old homestead in King Township in
1839. He has devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits, and
inherited part of his present farm. He bought one hundred and sixty-six
acres on lot 17, in the same concession. He was married to Ellen
O’Neill, of Ireland; they have nine children as follow: Mary A., Patrick
J., Maria J., Ellen, John, Michael, James, Thomas, Hannah T. Mr. Trainor
belongs to the Roman Catholic Faith, and is a Reformer in politics.
PHILIP WADE, deceased, was a native of Sussex, England, and came to this
country prior to the Rebellion of 1837. He settled on lot 4, concession
3 of this section, the whole of which was then a wilderness. He cleared
the land and put it in a good state of cultivation, and died in 1870, at
the age of seventy years. John Wade, lot 4, concession 3, son of the
above, was born in England in 1831, and came to Canada with his parents
when only five years of age. He has all his life been connected with
farming, and endured in early years all the hardships and privations of
the pioneer. He purchased his father’s farm at his death, which he has
continued to cultivate. He married Miss Sarah Hoover, of this township,
by whom he has eight children. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church,
and is a Conservative in politics.
JESSE WALTON, deceased, was born in New Brunswick, being the son of a U.
E. Loyalist who settled in that Province after the War of 1812. Jesse
removed west to York County, U. C., in 1824, and bought a farm near
Newmarket, subsequently removing to Tecumseth Township, Simcoe County,
which was then complete bush. During the first few years the section was
so sparsely populated that they were months together without beholding a
strange face. In 1840 Mr. Walton came to King Township, and bought lot
30, concession 4, where he remained until his death in 1872. Jacob
Walton, merchant, Kettleby P.O., son of the above, was born near
Newmarket in 1826, and after leaving school was apprenticed to the trade
of blacksmith at which he worked for about ten years. He was appointed
Postmaster in 1853, and began the business of general merchant with a
small stock of goods. He also bought his father’s farm on lot 30,
concession 4. He built his present handsome residence in Kettleby in
1876, and has also erected other property at various times. He was
married in 1876 to Mary, daughter of Thomas Lloyd, of King Township.
They have seven children, viz.: Ellen, Frederick, Jane, Elizabeth,
Jesse, Clara and Gertie.
JOHN WATSON, deceased, was a native of England, and came to Canada in
1833. He settled in York County, and purchased a bush farm in Vaughan,
which he cleared and put under cultivation and farmed until his death in
1850, at the age of fifty. His wife was Sarah Watson, whom he married in
England, and who accompanied him to Canada; she died in 1880, at the age
of seventy-three. Joseph Watson was born on the old homestead in
Vaughan. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to the trade of a
blacksmith, which he has since continued to follow, and has been
exceedingly prosperous. In 1859 he bought and settled upon his property,
lot 1, concession 6 of King Township. He was married in 1859 to Miss
Robinson, by whom he has four children living.
THOMAS WEBSTER, lot 12, concession 1, was born in England in 1828, and
came with his father, William Webster, to Canada in 1842. The family
settled on lot 35, concession 4, King Township, containing one hundred
and twenty acres which the father cleared and afterwards cultivated. He
died in 1878. Thomas remained on the family homestead until he arrived
at the age of manhood, when he bought the farm which he now occupies. He
married in 1851 Mary Doane, daughter of Mr. B. Doane, formerly of
Pennsylvania, by whom he has seven children, viz.: Hilda, Ebenezer,
William, Barbara, Joseph, Isaac and Frederick.
MILTON WELLS, lot 10, concession 2, was born in 1857, on concession 1 of
King Township, being the son of Job Wells. He received a Common-school
education, and was brought up on his father’s farm, in which vocation he
has been continuously employed. He was married to Miss Lena Stewart, of
King Township; they have one son, Roy S. Mr. Wells is a Conservative in
politics, and belongs to the Presbyterian Church.
ISAAC WILLIS, deceased, was born in the State of New Jersey, U. S.,
1781, and came to Canada in 1803. He purchased four hundred acres of
bush-land near the present Aurora Village, which he cleared and put
under cultivation. He was a man of great energy and very skilful in all
matters relative to agriculture, therefore it may easily be surmised
that prosperity was his portion. His wife was Miss Vandyke, of New
Jersey; they had eight children, six of whom are still living. He died
in 1838, leaving a very handsome property. Frederick Willis, son of the
above, was born on Yonge Street, York County, and was raised up to
farming, to which he devoted his whole life and labour. He inherited one
hundred acres of bush-land from his father, which he afterwards sold and
purchased his present home, lot 5, concession 6, in 1831. He was married
in 1843 to Hannah Moseley, who died leaving three children. His second
union was with Mrs. Jane O’Brien, a daughter of William Jenkins. Mr.
Willis is a Reformer in politics, and belongs to the Presbyterian
Church. His first wife had six children, three of whom died; the
survivors are living in this county, their names being: John W., Joseph
A., and Jane Phœbe.
EMANUEL WOOD, lot 14, concession 9, was born in England in 1820, and
emigrated to Canada in 1842. Having little or no means on his arrival,
he worked as hired man for a number of years, until he had sufficient
money to buy a farm. Having got together the necessary funds, he
purchased the farm where he now resides, containing one hundred and
thirty-eight acres of land. He married in 1844 Miss Mary Ann Holland, by
whom he has ten children. He was a Reformer in politics.
JOHN M. WOOD, merchant and postmaster, Lloydtown, is the son of Marshall
Wood, who came to Canada with his parents at an early day. The father of
Mr. Wood settled on Yonge Street, and afterwards purchased lot 6,
concession 6, and removed to Lloydtown, where he died in 1866. John M.
was born at Lloydtown in 1847, and after receiving an ordinary English
education began business as carriage-builder in Schomberg in 1867. He
occupied his present locality, where he built a store and residence in
1882. He was burnt out the following year. He is now doing a flourishing
business, and in addition discharges the duties of postmaster and
telegraph operator. He married Miss Cameron, daughter of George Cameron,
of Stouffville, by whom he has five children, three daughters and two
sons: Maud, Mabel, James, Lillian and John. He belongs to the Methodist
Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
VILLAGE OF AURORA.
SETH ASHTON, Reeve of the Village of Aurora, was born in 1822, on lot
16, concession 2 of Whitchurch Township. His parents emigrated from
Pennsylvania, U. S., in 1818, and settled on the lot where our subject
was born. He remained on the homestead until 1848, and afterwards spent
some time travelling through the United States. On his return he went
into store-keeping in Newmarket, and afterwards acquired possession of a
general custom and grist-mill with two runs of stones, in concession 3
of Whitchurch; he also owns a farm adjoining the old homestead. He was
twice married, first in 1862 to Miss Causland, who died in 1872. His
second union was with Miss Todd. He has no issue.
GEORGE BISHOP, carriage-builder, is a native of York Township, his
father, Warren Bishop, having followed the occupation of wool-finisher
and carder in that section. George learned the trade of blacksmith with
Mr. William Duff, of Markham. In 1863 he went to Indiana, U. S., where
he remained seventeen years, and with the exception of one year, was in
business for himself during that period. He returned to Canada in 1881,
and erecting the necessary buildings in Aurora, commenced the very
successful business which he now conducts. His specialty consists in
light buggies, of which he manufactures between three and four hundred
per annum, and does a trade varying at from $20,000 to $25,000 yearly.
Among the public offices at present held by him are Junior Warden, A.M.,
and Foreman of the A.O.U.W. He was married in 1868 to Mary Alice Foust;
they have two boys, William Warren and George Bruce.
FRANCIS BUTTON, hotel proprietor, was born in Markham Township in 1834.
His father was born in Pennsylvania in 1792, and died in 1880. In 1859
Francis married Dinah Teasdale of Headford, by whom he has a numerous
family. He is a Lieutenant in No. 3 Cavalry Troop. His present hotel is
styled Button’s Hotel.
F. F. DAVILL, proprietor of tannery, Aurora Village, was born in
Middleport, 1846, and settled in York County in 1877, and commenced to
operate the tannery, the business of which has grown to such extensive
proportions. He employs on an average twenty men, and does a trade of
about $60,000 annually. Mr. Davill is a member of the Municipal Council,
a School Trustee, Master of the Lodge Rising Sun, 129 A.M., and Receiver
of the A.O.U.W. He was married in 1869 to Miss Rachael Delong, by whom
he has three children, viz.: Herbert Lionel, Edna Mary and Fred Wilfred.
CHARLES DOAN, retired, was born November 6, 1808, at the settlement of
the Society of Friends, on Yonge Street, lot 94. His parents were from
Bucks County, State of Pennsylvania, U. S., and settled in Canada in
1806, subsequently in 1817 settling in Sharon. At the age of eighteen
our subject learned the trade of shoemaker, supplementary to the farming
experience he acquired, and entered into business in partnership with
his cousin Elias Doan, as merchant, and afterwards with Hugh D. Willson.
In 1850 he was appointed Postmaster of Aurora, to which place he had
removed. Of the different events which have marked the course of
Canadian History, Mr. Doan has an intimate knowledge. He is one of the
few men now living who heard the sound of cannon which preceded the
capitulation of York during the War of 1812. At the time of the
Mackenzie Rebellion he was imprisoned for five months. He was the first
Reeve of Aurora, and is an earnest advocate of the temperance cause. He
is also president and manager of the Aurora cemetery ground. Mr. Doan
was twice married, his first union being with Miss Mary Willson of
Sharon in 1831; she died on September 6, 1848. His second marriage was
in 1850 to Miss Catharine E. Willson of Sugargrove, Pennsylvania. He had
seven children by his first wife, two of whom are still living, viz.:
David Willson, born at Sharon, January 31, 1833; Charles Henry, born at
Sharon, April 18, 1846. There is no issue to his second marriage.
DAVID WILLSON DOAN, the son of Charles and Mary Doan, was born at
Sharon, York County, January 31, 1833. He remained at his birthplace
until 1850, when he removed to Aurora with his father. In 1870 he
established himself in business as dealer in groceries, drugs, paints,
etc., which he continued until December 1879, when he sold his drug
connection to the late Mr. S. H. Ashton. He was appointed in 1882 to the
position of Postmaster in Aurora, an office for which he was
exceptionally well qualified. He is also Express and Telegraph Agent,
with the additional responsible offices of Treasurer of Aurora Village,
the Aurora Cemetery Company, and Mechanics’ Institute. He was married in
1867 to Frances Emily Babcock, daughter of John Babcock, by whom he had
three children, viz.: Mary Eliza, Florence Emily, and Clara Lilian. His
first wife died in October 1872, and Mr. Doan married again, his wife
being Sarah, daughter of Samuel Hamill of Nevada, U. S.; they had two
children, viz.: Ethel Winnifred and Mary Grace.
HERBERT W. FLEURY, agricultural implement manufacturer, was born in
Aurora in 1860, and was educated at Upper Canada College. His father,
the late Mr. Fleury, commenced the business now carried on by the
subject of this sketch in 1857; and, after an unusually prosperous
career, died in 1880. The manufactures include binders, reapers, mowers,
ploughs, etc., and find a ready sale in the Dominion; having also a good
foreign trade.
ALFRED GRAHAM was born in Whitchurch Township in the year 1841; he is a
grandson of the late Lieutenant-Colonel William Graham; his father was
Adam Graham, who married in 1819 Miss McLeod, her death taking place the
year following their union. Our subject’s father married again, his
second wife being Elizabeth Edmondson, by whom he had eight children,
six sons and two daughters. Alfred owns two hundred acres of land in
this township, one hundred and forty acres of which are cleared. His
mother died January 15, 1873, and his father July 1, 1874. In 1864
Alfred married Miss Sophia Jane McMacken, native of Nova Scotia, by whom
he had the following children: Margaret G., born January 4, 1865;
Frederick G., born July 6, 1867; Alla M., born March 10, 1869; Harry H.,
born May 8, 1871; Sarah Rosettie, born November 25, 1873; Alfred L.,
born July 6, 1876; Eva Senorah, born August 29, 1879; Charles B., born
October 18, 1871.
GEORGE W. GRAHAM, grain merchant, was born in the Township of
Whitchurch, concession 2, in 1841, being a son of the late Neilson
Graham and grandson of Adam Graham, who was reputed the first white
child born in this township. George W. married Miss Wesley of Newmarket,
Ont., by whom he has three children, viz.: Joseph, Herbert and Susan.
Mr. Graham has been a member of the Village Council for two years; he
conducts a very successful grain, flour and feed business.
WILLIAM HALLIDAY, butcher, was born in Aurora; his father, James
Halliday, was a member of the Municipal Council. William learned his
trade in Aurora and commenced business for himself in 1875; in February,
1878, he married Josephine Playter, by whom he has two children: Ethel,
born, 1879 and Nellie, born 1881.
H. J. HARTMAN, druggist, was born in Whitchurch Township in 1853 and is
the son of the late Joseph Hartman, M.P.P., who owned a farm of one
hundred and sixty acres in this township. His father’s marriage with
Mary Ann Cosford took place in 1843; their family consisted of six
children as follows: Ann Jane, Hattie, Carrie, Thomas, Henry J. (our
subject), and Clayton W. Mr. Hartman’s early education was acquired at
the High School in Newmarket and afterwards at Hamilton; he received his
diploma at Toronto in 1874, and the same year commenced business at
Newmarket. In 1876 he came to Aurora to manage the drug business for D.
W. Doan, and at the expiration of four years purchased his present stand
known as the Medical Hall, which was first opened by Dr. Hillary and
afterwards conducted by Mr. H. E. Connor, now deceased.
GEORGE LEMON, proprietor of the Royal Hotel, Aurora Village, was born in
Markham in 1842. His father came to York County in 1836 and settled upon
a farm in Markham Township, which he worked on shares with Mr.
Cunningham. He, Mr. Lemon, sen’r, afterwards purchased Kirby’s Hotel at
Thornhill, from which place he subsequently went to Richmond Hill. He
returned to Thornhill and went back to his old farm in Markham, removing
again to Thornhill and died in 1872. George learned the trade of saddler
and harness-maker with Mr. R. Fleming, of Newmarket. In 1868 he bought
his present property from Mr. William Lloyd, which includes the hotel,
outbuildings, etc., and about one acre of land. He afterwards built a
hotel in Victoria Square, Markham, which is occupied by his
brother-in-law, Mr. W. Meek. In 1867 Mr. Lemon married Sophia Meek; they
have three children, viz.: Lena, born 1869; Eva, born 1873; Georgina,
born 1874. The Lemons, father and sons, have kept hotels on Yonge Street
for the past forty years.
JOHN W. LLOYD, bookseller and stationer, was born in York County in
1854. His ancestors came from Pennsylvania at an early day. He built his
present store in 1882, at a cost of $15,000, and carries a large stock
of general stationery, books, fancy goods, etc.
SCOTT T. MAGEE, carriage manufacturer, was born in County Antrim,
Ireland, in 1856. He came to this continent in 1876, and landed at New
York, from which city he proceeded to Toronto where he remained two
years. For some time afterwards he fluctuated between Bradford, Orillia
and Penetanguishene, and ultimately settled in Aurora where he follows
his business of carriage-builder, having learnt his craft with Mr. W.
Judhope of Orillia. He was married in October, 1880, to Miss M. J.
Williams, by whom he has one son, born September 20, 1882.
WILLIAM OUGH, hardware merchant, was born in Cornwall, England, in 1837,
and came to Canada in 1840, settling in York County. In 1869 he opened a
hardware store in Aurora Village, and finding the demands of his
business requiring larger premises, he acquired his present commodious
store, the building of which measures twenty by sixty feet. Mr. Ough was
married in 1860 to Margaret Smith, who died in 1873; they had six
children, viz.: Mary, Annie, William, Margaret, John and Gertrude.
SAMUEL E. PHILIPS, undertaker (late of Aurora), was born in Schomberg in
1840. He commenced business in Aurora in 1877, which combined that of
undertaker and furniture dealer, and conducted it until 1885. His
business reached about $9,000 per year. He was married in 1863 to Eliza
Hill, by whom he has three children, viz.: Oscar Hamilton, Anna Louise
and Herbert Charles. Mr. Philips was a member of the Aurora Council. He
is now a resident of Toronto.
ALBERT PROCTOR, proprietor of livery stables, Aurora Village, was born
in Albion Township, Peel County, in 1857, where his father kept hotel.
Alfred was for some time traveller for the Toronto Reaper and Mower
Company, and during that period visited the North-West and a great
portion of the United States. He established his present business in
1881, and has now several first-class rigs. He was married in 1882 to
Miss Waite.
JOHN C. QUERRIE, carriage-builder, Aurora Village, was born in St.
Heliers City, Island of Jersey, in 1845, and came to Canada with his
parents when only two years of age. His father, George Querrie,
emigrated from Jersey in August, 1848, and settled in Toronto, where he
commenced business as builder and contractor, subsequently removing to
Wellington County, where he occupied a farm. In 1851 he removed to
Markham, resuming the business of builder until his death, which
occurred in 1871. Our subject learned his trade as carriage-builder with
William Oliver, of Markham, who afterwards removed his business to
Aurora. Mr. Querrie eventually purchased his employer’s business in
1876, which he has since, with his brother, carried on under the name of
“The Novelty Carriage Works.” He was married in 1870 to Miss Emily
Savage; they have two children.
PHILIP L. QUERRIE, blacksmith, was born in the County of Wellington in
1848, and acquired a knowledge of his trade with Mr. George Barnbridge,
of Markham. He first established himself in business in Markham in 1874,
where he remained about six years, and then removed to Aurora. His
present business is carried on in connection with Mr. John Querrie’s
carriage works, which forms a very satisfactory combination. Mr. Querrie
was married in 1874 to Mary Jane Tran, by whom he has two children.
WILLIAM B. RICHARDSON, grain merchant, was born in concession 3 of
Whitchurch on July 17, 1831. His father, David Richardson, emigrated
from Yorkshire, England, about 1828 accompanied by his wife. He came
direct to York County, where he took up land, which he afterwards
continued to cultivate. Mr. W. B. Richardson commenced his present
business in February, 1866. His wife was Mary Lloyd; the issue of their
union was Avarilla Ann, born March 23, 1855, died September 8, 1855;
Louisa Josephine, born August 7, 1856; George Henry Stamper, born
January 11, 1859; David Wilmot, born May 8, 1861, died January 7, 1885;
Ella Elizabeth Jane, born September 18, 1864; Sandford Jared, born March
9, 1868, died March 18, 1869, and Anson Lloyd, born September 12, 1871,
died August 22, 1872.
C. C. ROBINSON was born in Toronto in 1853, being a son of Hon. John
Beverley Robinson, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario. Mr.
Robinson is one of a family of five children, and was educated at Upper
Canada College, after which he studied law. He was married at Oakridges
to Miss J. McLeod, daughter of Norman McLeod, by whom he has three
children. He is a member of the A.F. and A.M., also A.O.U.A. He is a
Conservative in politics, and a member of the English Church. Mr.
Robinson is in the practice of his profession in Aurora.
CAPTAIN JOSEPH F. SMITH was born in the Parish of Bourne, Lincolnshire,
England. His father, Joseph F., married a Miss Eliza Hardy of Spalding,
in the above-named county. Mr. Smith, sen’r, died in April, 1854, at the
age of forty-two years, leaving a widow, seven sons and one daughter, to
mourn his loss; in consequence of a long and lingering illness, the
family were not left in the best of circumstances as regards this
world’s goods. Captain Smith was born on May 31, 1841, being the third
son. Brought up on a farm in the Fens, up to a very short time previous
to his father’s death—excepting a part of two years, during which time
he was sent to school at Bourne—he saw or heard little but incidents of
a farmer’s life, a great and successful farmer being his ideal of
greatness. Being only in his thirteenth year at the time of his father’s
death, and being the eldest of six, with a widowed mother, young Smith,
only a lad, had to turn out and work in earnest to help his mother to
maintain his little brothers and sisters. Although now deprived of all
school tuition, he still continued to study whenever opportunity
afforded, and attended both public and private night schools. At the age
of eighteen he took a notion to military life, and in the year 1859
enlisted into Her Majesty’s 30th Regiment of Foot, at the ancient
historic City of York, engaging with Sergeant Ackinson, of the
above-named corps. The Sergeant restrained him from joining the recruits
at the public rendezvous (knowing the bad results that always affect the
country lad, by being thrust among recruits obtained in the large
cities), and kept him in his own private quarters until the time arrived
to be sent to the Training Depôt. The Depôt Companies of the 30th
Regiment then formed a part of the 5th Depôt Battalion commanded by
Colonel Jeffreys, at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight; to which place young
Smith was sent, and posted to No. 12 Company, commanded by Captain
Campbell. The good advice given by the Sergeant had not been given in
vain, for Private Smith, by a steady obedience to discipline, and an
eagerness to learn all the duties of a soldier soon found himself in the
favour of his Captain, and while at recruits’ drill, was picked out of
the squad, and sent to the Garrison School, to be examined for
promotion, passed creditably and was promoted Corporal, being only about
two months a soldier, and still at training. In February, 1860, Corporal
Smith was sent with a draft to join the Service Companies of his
Regiment at the Curragh of Kildare, Ireland, the Regiment being then
under the command of Colonel J. T. Mauleverer, C.B. In June of the same
year he accompanied the regiment to the Channel Islands, viz.: Jersey
and Alderney, the head-quarters being at Jersey. No. 7 Company, to which
Corporal Smith belonged, formed one of the head-quarter companies. In
January, 1862, a general change of companies between Jersey and Alderney
took place. In May of the same year the whole regiment was sent to
Aldershot Camp, Lieutenant-General Penefather, commanding in chief.
About this time the trouble between North and South America began to
show itself very plainly. The Imperial authorities decided to send more
troops to Canada, and in the latter end of June the 30th Regiment
received orders to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to Canada,
and on the 27th it embarked on board the steamer _Great Eastern_,
together with the 4th Battalion 60th Rifles, and the Grey Battery of
Artillery, and reached Quebec on July 6, and on the 9th and 30th
disembarked on the river steamers for Toronto, Canada West, which was
reached on July 12. Soon after arriving at Toronto, Corporal Smith was
sent with five others for examination for the rank of Sergeant, and
again came out with flying colours, the other competitors being plucked:
thus when only two years and ten months a soldier he had been promoted
four times, to the different grades of Corporal and Sergeant. He
accompanied the regiment to Montreal in 1863, and in January 1864,
returned to Toronto on leave of absence and married Miss Jane Coffin,
whose acquaintance he had made while stationed at that place. Sergeant
Smith participated with his regiment in the Fenian troubles of 1866,
being stationed at Cornwall. In July, 1866, he took his discharge from
the army, notwithstanding urgent requests from the officers of his corps
to remain, having been in the service seven years, and never performed
the duty of a private soldier, being promoted and becoming a
non-commissioned officer before the course of training as a recruit was
terminated. Mr. Smith now proceeded to Toronto, and in October of the
same year entered the service of the Northern Railway of Canada. In
April, 1868, he was appointed Station Agent at Sunnidale, and in August
of the same year the whole village, together with the railway station,
was burnt down, the conflagration originating from bush fires, and not a
solitary building was saved; Mr. Smith, with the rest of the citizens,
lost nearly all his personal effects, his wife and young family barely
escaping with their lives from the fiery fiend. In November of same year
he was appointed agent at New Lowell, and in 1870 at Gilford. In June,
1872, he was again promoted, and appointed to his present position,
Agent at Aurora. During all this time he still retained a desire for
military life, and in 1874 joined the Volunteer Militia Force of Canada,
and was gazetted to the quarter-mastership of the 12th Battalion York
Rangers; on July 1, 1879, he received his Captaincy by being gazetted to
the command of No. 3 (King) Company, which commission and command he
still holds. Mrs. Smith is also a native of England having been born in
Harmer, Shropshire, on July 17, 1845, but coming to this country with
her parents, when only four years of age. Her father and mother (who
still survive, and reside in the City of Toronto) settled first at Rome,
New York State, coming to Canada and settling in Toronto in May, 1855,
the family consists (all surviving) of four sons and three daughters,
Mrs. Smith being the eldest of the family. The result of Captain Smith’s
marriage is four sons and one daughter, sons all living, the daughter
dying when only a year old. Mr. Smith has been connected with the
Northern Railway for the past seventeen years, and holds the entire
confidence and respect of his employers and the public.
ALBERT STEVENSON, publisher, was born in 1854. He was educated in
Aurora, and learned the printing business with Mr. E. Jackson, of
Newmarket. In 1877 he commenced to publish a paper called the _Liberal
Conservative_, which was afterwards changed to the _Aurora Borealis_.
Mr. Stevenson was married in 1872 to Miss Jackson; they have two
children, viz.: George Ashton and Alberta Maud.
B. TOMLINSON, farmer, was born in York County, Ontario, in 1847, being
one of a family of eight children born to George and Charlotte
(Mitchell) Tomlinson. Mr. Tomlinson worked on his father’s farm until
1861. In 1871 he went to the Southern States, and bought a farm of
twelve thousand acres on which he raised cotton, corn, pea-nuts, etc. In
1881 he sold out and returned to Canada, and purchased a farm of three
hundred acres on lot 17, concession 3 of Whitchurch. Mr. Tomlinson has
been twice married, first to Annie Graham, by whom he has one daughter,
Delia. In 1867 he married Mary Ann Finch; the issue of this union is one
son, George, born 1869.
JAMES WAITE, proprietor of the Wellington Hotel, Aurora, was born in
Tompkins County, New York State, July 28, 1842. He remained in his
native State until 1862, and then came to Canada, locating for a short
time after his arrival in Toronto. He subsequently went to Whitchurch
where he continued in the hotel business until 1872, selling out in that
year and removing to Aurora. He purchased a hotel, which he conducted
for two years in connection with livery stables which were burnt down.
He next secured the American Hotel, and assumed the control of that for
three years, afterwards purchasing the Railway Hotel, which he sold to
Mr. Button. He then built his present large and commodious hotel
together with convenient attachments, where every accommodation and
comfort are secured to the travelling public. Mr. Waite was married to
Miss M. Graham, by whom he has two children, Isabella and Frederick.
JOHN WEBB, general contractor, was born in Towcester, England, in 1830,
and emigrated to Canada and settled in Aurora, York County, in 1856. He
has erected the principal buildings in Aurora, including the Queen’s
Hotel, now owned by Mr. R. Wells, the Medical Hall, etc., and employs on
an average ten or twelve men. He purchased half-an-acre on Yonge Street,
on which he built a house 30 x 26 feet, with stabling and outbuilding,
which now constitutes his present residence. He was married in 1841 to
Charlotte Elizabeth Turland, of Northamptonshire, England.
GEORGE WEBB, bookseller and stationer, son of the late Livell Webb, of
the Township of King, was born in King Township in 1858. He was married
in 1880 to Mary Case, of Aurora; they have no issue.
RICHARD WELLS, the enterprising subject of this sketch, who is
proprietor of the Queen’s Hotel, Aurora Village, was born in the
Township of King in 1838. He worked on his father’s farm in that
township until 1862, when he went to the gold mines of Cariboo, British
Columbia. His evident desire for change is manifest, for Washington,
Nevada, Vancouver’s Island, and other places were visited by him before
he returned again to York County. When he did return in 1868 he began
farming, and went into stock-raising, with energy and vigour, and
imported a very fine class of draught and carriage horses. He took
possession of the Queen’s Hotel in 1881. In the spring of 1869 he
married Rachel Webb, by whom he has the following children: Kate, born
1870; Maud, born 1872; Mary, born 1874; Bertie, born 1876; Sadie, born
1878; Edith, born 1881.
ANDREW YULE, Accountant, etc., was born in Scotland in 1839, and came to
Canada in 1848. From the time of his arrival until 1860 he was
principally occupied in farming in King Township. He then taught school
for a number of years, and subsequently engaged as bookkeeper and
manager in the establishment of Joseph Fleury, Esq. Mr. Yule is at
present a member of the Aurora Council and School Board and Reeve of the
village. He is now engaged in the management of the Aurora Agricultural
Works. He was married in 1866 to Mary Jane Watson, of Schomberg, by whom
he has the following children: Watson A., born 1870; John C., born 1872;
Edwin W., born 1874; Edward B., born 1876, and Walter S., born 1880.
TOWNSHIP OF WHITCHURCH.
JOHN ATKINSON, lot 14, concession 4, was born in Yorkshire, England, in
1807, and came to Canada in 1830 and located in Whitchurch Township. He
was married in 1832, his wife’s maiden name being Jane Watson, who was
born in Yorkshire in 1805, and died in 1878. The family consisted of the
following: Sarah Warran, born 1832; Thomas, born 1834, and died 1857;
William, born 1836; Mary E. Scott, born 1858, died 1881; Joseph, born
1840; Jane Whitworth, born 1845; Richard, born 1846; Simeon, born 1848;
John, born 1850, died 1868.
SETH ARMITAGE, lot 92, concession 1, was born in 1796, being the
youngest son in a family of seven children born to Amos and Martha
Armitage. His parents were natives of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and
came to York County in 1804, and settled on the farm now occupied by
him. His father died in 1847; his mother died in 1840. Mr. Armitage was
married in 1815, his wife being Anna Phillips, who died in 1859; their
family composed the following: James, born 1816; Jane, born 1818; Seba,
born 1820; John, born 1822; Mark, born 1824; William, born 1827; Elias,
born 1829; Isaac P., born 1832; Sarah Ann, born 1835; Mary P., born
1837, and Eli, born 1840.
WILLIAM BADGEROW, lot 25, concession 8, was born in Toronto in 1833. His
father, Philip Badgerow, was born in Albany, N. Y., in 1784, and settled
in Toronto at an early date; he died in Ospry Township in 1854. His
mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Lemon; she is still living. William
settled on his present farm in 1864, where he has under cultivation one
hundred and fifty acres. He was married in 1853 to Mary Bates, by whom
he has five children, Ira, William H., Philip, Milford and Rhoda.
JESSE M. BAKER, merchant, Bethesda, was born in Whitchurch in 1857. He
established his present business in 1882 and occupies the position of
Postmaster for the Village of Bethesda. He was married in 1880 to Mary
M. Eyer, a native of Markham, by whom he has two children, George E.,
and Abram R.
JACOB BAKER, lot 8, concession 7, was born in Whitchurch Township in
1808, being the son of the late Jacob Baker, who came from Pennsylvania
to Canada and located in Whitchurch Township at an early day, and died
in 1817. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Mary Law; she
died in 1858. Mr. Baker has been twice married; his first union was with
Elizabeth Connor in 1832, who died in 1841. In the year following her
demise he married Ruby Lemmon, a native of Pennsylvania, the issue of
the union being four children, viz.: John Lemmon, Abner and Carlton.
ABRAHAM BARKEY, lot 4, concession 9, was born in Markham, and settled
upon his present lot in 1860. He was married in 1859 to Annie Raymer,
who was born in Markham Township in 1840. They had two children, John
and Sarah. Our subject’s father, Henry Barkey, was born in Pennsylvania
in 1804, and settled in Markham in 1808. He died in 1876.
JOHN BARTHOLOMEW, lot 3, concession 9, was born on lot 35, concession 7,
Markham, in the year 1842, being the son of Philip Bartholomew. The
latter was born in the year 1806 on lot 35, in concession 7 of Markham
Township, and married in 1833 Mary Boyer, who was born in York County in
1815 and died in 1862. They had eight children, as follow: Elizabeth,
Catharine, Mary Ann, Benjamin, Mahala (the two last named being twins),
Sarah, Matilda and John. Mr. Bartholomew, sen’r, was married a second
time in 1865, to Mrs. Mary Ann Curtis, daughter of James Lever. The
grandfather of John, who heads this sketch, was born in 1779 and died in
1815; he settled Markham Township in 1800. John Bartholomew was married
in 1865 to Elizabeth Jane Richards, a native of Somersetshire, England;
they have five children, viz.: Louie Ornetta, Lewis Elsworth, Alma N.
Blanche, Mary V. Pearl and Audrey B.
FRANCIS BOAKE, lot 35, concession 6, is the owner of one hundred acres
in this township, in addition to which he owns six hundred and forty
acres in Manitoba. He was born in York Township in 1836, and located on
his present lot in 1859. He is of Irish extraction, his father, Edward
Boake, having been born in Tipperary, Ireland, in 1811 and emigrated to
Canada in 1825, and is at present living in York Township. Mr. Boake,
sen’r, was married in 1835 to Sarah Boake, also a native of Tipperary,
by whom was born to him the following children: Francis, Benjamin,
Maria, John T., Ellen, Sarah, Charlotte, Rebecca, Norman (died in
infancy), Robert, Wellington, Ephraim, Bartholomew, Norman and Louise.
Francis was the eldest son of his father’s large family and in 1859
settled on the farm in Whitchurch now owned by him. He has been very
active in all matters relative to the improvement of the township and
was formerly in the Municipal Council. He has been a Justice of the
Peace for seven years, in which position he has given general
satisfaction. He is the present Postmaster of Shrubmount. On January 23,
1862, he was united to Sarah Thirsk, who was born in East Gwillimbury,
May 23, 1838, and died May 5, 1881. By his marriage he had two children:
Clara L. and Elizabeth M.
JOHN T. BOAKE, lot 35, concession 6, is the fourth in order in the
family of Mr. Edward Boake, mentioned in another sketch. He was born in
York Township in 1839, and settled on his present farm in Whitchurch in
1867, known as Eden Grove. He was married in 1867 to Sarah Wilson, who
was born in Toronto in 1842; their family consists of the following: Ada
M., Martha L., Rachel R., Edgar J. T., and Byron F. E.
JOSHUA BOGART, lot 31, concession 2, is the son of John Bogart alluded
to in another sketch. He was born on the lot where he now resides in
1818, and was married in 1841 to Priscilla Penrose, who was born in York
County in 1821, and died in 1852, having given birth to six children,
viz.: Charles, born 1843; Albert, born 1844; Alonzo, born 1846; Joseph,
born 1848; John E., born 1850, and Harriet, born 1851. He was again
married, his second wife being Delia Glenson, in 1854; she was born in
Pennsylvania in 1822, and came with her people to York County in 1834.
Three children are the result of this union: Ira, born 1855, died 1870;
Arthur, born 1859, died, 1860, and George, born 1867.
PHILIP BOGART, lot 31, concession 2, was born on June 18, 1804, in the
homestead where he now resides. His father, John Bogart, was born in New
York State, September 19, 1758, and settled in Whitchurch Township, York
County, in 1803, and died September 7, 1842. His mother’s maiden name
was Mary Opp, who was born in New Jersey, October 10, 1754, and died
January 2, 1843. Philip was one of a family of six children, whose names
and dates of birth are as follow: Anna, born 1788; John, born 1789; he
was Clerk and Treasurer of Whitchurch for many years; Margaret, born
1792, died in infancy; Mary M., born 1795; Hannah, born 1796; Catharine,
born 1799, and Philip, born 1804 (the subject of this notice). The
family are of German extraction, Philip’s grand-parents having been born
there, afterwards emigrating to America and settling in New York State.
Philip Bogart has been thrice married; first in 1828 to Britannia Hodge,
whose Christian name was acquired from the fact that she was born on the
vessel of that name which conveyed her parents to this continent. She
died in 1838, leaving as a legacy to her husband three children, viz.:
John P., born 1829; Mary Starr, born 1832, and Lyman, born 1834. Mr.
Bogart’s second wife was Hannah Walton, who was born in New Brunswick in
1807, and died April 6, 1850, by whom he had one child, Eliza Britannia,
born 1839; she is married to Reuben Jenison, of Barrie, Ont. His third
marriage took place in 1850 to Adeline Gleason, a native of
Massachusetts, U. S.; the fruit of this union is two children, twins,
born November 29, 1855—Franklin, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and
Wellington, a photographer at Newmarket. J. P. Bogart is the eldest son
of the above, and was born in 1829. He was married in 1852 to Rhoda A.
Gody, who was born in York County in 1827; they have three children:
Walter, William Henry and George A. Lyman Bogart is the youngest son of
Mr. Philip Bogart by his first wife, and was born in 1834. He married in
1863 Arietha Haigh, a native of Ontario County, born in 1834, by whom he
has one child, Lewis C.
ABRAHAM BRILLINGER, jun’r, lot 10, concession 5, was born where he now
resides in 1849. His father, the late Daniel Brillinger, was born in
Whitchurch in 1823 and died in 1880. His mother was Jane Reid, who was
born in Ireland in 1827 and died in 1880; they have seven children,
viz.: Abraham, Nancy, Samuel, Elijah, Nathaniel, Mary Jane and Enoch.
ABRAHAM BRILLINGER, lot 2, concession 4, was born in Whitchurch Township
in 1820. His father, John Brillinger, was born in Pennsylvania in 1796
and died in 1874. Abraham was married in 1842 to Elizabeth Gower, a
native of Pennsylvania, who died in 1847. His second marriage was in
1860 to Elizabeth Horner, a native of Markham Township, by whom he had
two children, Fanny and Nancy.
GEORGE BRILLINGER, lot 3, concession 4, was born in Whitchurch in 1816.
He is a son of the late Peter Brillinger, who was born in Pennsylvania
in 1788 and died in this township in 1865. His mother was Sarah
Fauckler, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1791 and died in 1862. Mr.
Brillinger was married in 1839 to Fanny Heise, a native of Markham, by
whom he has six children: Elizabeth, Nancy, Fanny, Martha, Chrystal and
George.
CHARLES J. BRODIE, lot 2, concession 5, was born in Aberdeenshire,
Scotland, in 1834, being the son of George Brodie who was born in
Aberdeenshire in 1791. Mr. Brodie, sen’r, came to Whitchurch in 1835 and
continued to reside there until his death in 1881. He was a member of
the Township Council several years. Charles J. now lives on the old
homestead, and was married in 1860 to Ellen Spafford, of Markham
Township, by whom he has six children, viz.: Harriet J., Charles J.,
George, Mary, William and Mable. Mr. Brodie has for some time been a
member of the Whitchurch Township Council, and is at present
Deputy-Reeve.
JAMES BROWN, deceased, was another son of William Brown, sen’r, and was
born in Markham, May 8, 1813, but when still a small boy his father
removed into Whitchurch, near the present Village of Stouffville. He was
married in 1843 to Barbara, daughter of Cornelius Johnson, born in
Markham in 1825. Three children were born to them, John J., Mary Jane
and Elizabeth Ann. His death occurred August 7, 1882. Politically he was
always a staunch Reformer; he sided with the Patriots during the
troubles of 1837; was present under Mackenzie in the skirmish at
Montgomery’s Farm; afterwards went to the States, where he had many
relatives, but soon returned and lived on his farm near Stouffville till
the time of his death. He lived a quiet life, was a good and esteemed
citizen, and an earnest supporter of the British connection.
JAMES BROWN, retired, Stouffville, was born in Niagara in 1801. His
father’s name was James Brown, who was born in Somersetshire, England,
in 1752, and early joined the English Navy, and in that arm of the
service took part in the Revolutionary War. He settled in Pennsylvania
and married in 1779 Mary Marr, by whom he had the following children:
William, born 1780, died 1855; Margaret, born 1781, died 1874;
Elizabeth, born 1783, and is still living in Illinois; Susan, born 1786,
died 1857; Hannah, born 1788, died 1868; Joseph, born 1790, died 1873;
Mary, born 1793, died 1862; Jane, born 1796, died 1857; John, born 1799,
died 1860, and James, born 1801. As will be noted, James is the youngest
son of his father’s family, and, with the exception of a sister living
in Illinois, is the only representative now living of a somewhat
numerous family. He was married to Catharine Long, who was born in 1795
and died in 1876. Their family was as follows: Elizabeth, born 1824;
Joseph, born 1826; Philip, born 1827; Rachael, born 1829; John, born
1831, died 1832; Polly, born 1832, died 1833; Catharine, born 1834;
Phœbe, born 1838, died 1881.
WILLIAM BROWN, jun’r, lot 1, concession 10, was born in 1824 on the lot
where he now lives, being the son of William Brown, sen’r. He was
married in 1848 to Margaret Kribs, whose birthplace was in Wentworth
County, Ontario; they had two sons, John W., born in 1851, and Albert
C., born in 1863.
WILLIAM CARLISLE, lot 2, concession 2, is a native of County Down,
Ireland, where he was born in 1806. He emigrated to Canada in 1818, and
some time afterwards settled on the farm on which he now resides and
cultivates about one hundred acres of land. He has two children, Samuel
and Ann A.
ANDREW CLUBINE, deceased, was born in New Jersey, U. S., in 1763. His
wife was Eliza Viles, to whom he was united in 1791, she being born in
1768. He came to Canada in 1801, and settling in York County, located on
Yonge Street, about ten miles north of Toronto. Two years later he
removed to lot 88, concession 1, of Whitchurch Township, where he
remained until his death in 1838, his wife having died five years
previous. He had seven children, viz.: Mary, born 1793; Keturah, born
1795; Ezra, born 1798; Nancy, born 1801; Frederick, born 1805; Andrew,
born 1807, and John, born 1811. The last named, John Clubine, resides on
the old homestead, and is a farmer of three hundred and fifty acres. He
has been twice married, the first time to Elizabeth Butler, who was born
in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1817. The issue of this union was five
children: Francis E., born 1839; Mary Jane, born 1842; William Henry,
born 1844; Richard A., born 1847, died in infancy; John R., born 1849.
Mr. Clubine’s second marriage took place in 1853, his wife being Sarah
Jane Inglehurst, who was born in 1829, and died in 1884, by whom he had
five children: Ezra F., born 1854; Cyrus J., born 1857; Edwin J., born
1861; Andrew F., born 1864, and Justus J., born 1868.
J. W. COLLINS, lot 31, concession 2, was born in Uxbridge Township,
Ontario County, July 16, 1815, and was brought to Whitchurch Township
when an infant. His father, Joseph Collins, was born in 1782, who
married in 1810, Annie Bogart, settling in Uxbridge soon after that
event; he was a millwright by trade, and built the first mill in that
section; he was accidentally killed in the mill in 1815. His widow
afterwards married Mr. E. Lewis, and died May 1, 1870. J. W. Collins has
followed his late father’s business as millwright, having also owned and
cultivated a farm; he has, however, for some time been living in
retirement, except that he has held the office of Clerk and Treasurer of
Whitchurch for thirty-two years. He married in 1838 Caroline T. Gibbs,
eldest sister of the Hon. T. N. Gibbs. The issue of their marriage was
five children, viz.: Emily C., born July 8, 1839, died March 10, 1842;
John B., born 1841, died 1860; Caroline A., born 1843; Sarah E., born
1846, died July 24, 1847, and William E., born 1847.
JAMES DALEY, Stouffville, was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1832,
and settled in Stouffville in 1854, and engaged in the manufacture of
boots and shoes, the management of the business being now in the hands
of his son, R. J. Daley. He was married in 1855 to Rosanna Rafferty, who
was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1833; she died in 1873. They had
seven children: R. J., Mary A., Francis, Susan, James, Josephine and
Margaret Jane.
R. J. DALEY, boot and shoe merchant, Stouffville, was born in
Stouffville in 1857. The business was established by his father in 1854,
and has been carried on by R. J. Daley since 1876. He is the owner of
what is known as “Daley’s Block,” comprising three stores, bank, public
hall, law offices, mechanics’ institute rooms, etc. It was erected in
1882; he is also owner of the large music hall, roller skating-rink and
curling-rink, erected in 1885. Mr. Daley has been a member of the
Village Council for three years, and a Director of the Board of
Management of the Mechanics’ Institute. He married in 1875 Lucinda
Bentley, who was born in Pickering in 1852. They have three children:
Lewis R., Celia M. and Florence G.
JAMES DOUGHERTY, hardware merchant, Stouffville, was born in Markham
Township in 1838. He taught school for about thirteen years, and was
afterwards engaged as clerk in a mercantile house. He commenced business
for himself in the hardware trade in 1878, and is now doing a large and
profitable business, in which he employs two clerks. He has been Reeve
of the Village of Stouffville four years, and was formerly a member of
the Markham Township Council. He was married in 1861 to Charlotte Jones,
of Whitchurch Township, by whom he has a family of five children. Mr.
Dougherty’s father, Samuel Dougherty, emigrated from Ireland in 1796,
and settled in Whitchurch in 1841; he died in 1882.
WALTER FOOT, lot 31, concession 6, was born in Dorsetshire, England, in
1810, and emigrated to Canada, settling in Whitchurch Township, York
County, in 1835. His wife’s maiden name was Jane Taylor, their union
taking place in 1847. They have four children, James Walter, John H.,
Ann Rebecca and Jane E.
ROBERT GRAY, lot 21, concession 7, was born in the County Tyrone,
Ireland, in 1830, and settled in Whitchurch in 1847. His father, William
Gray, was a soldier in the British Army and served through the
Peninsular War and was also present at the Battle of Waterloo. He came
to Canada in 1849, and died in 1873, at the age of ninety-six years. Our
subject’s mother was Jane Folyard, who was born in 1787 and died in
1879. The family consisted of eight children: John, Jane, David, Robert,
Sarah, Edward, Mary and Jane. Robert married in 1857 Sarah E. Teed, a
native of Lincolnshire, England, by whom he has six children: George H.,
Robert F., Minnie E., Wesley H., Edgar H. and Ida S.
AARON B. HAINES, lot 21, concession 2, is the descendant of a New Jersey
family, his grandfather, Samuel Haines, having emigrated from that State
to Canada when quite a young man, and died in East Gwillimbury Township
in 1874. His father was Israel Haines, who was born in Uxbridge, Ontario
County, in 1814 and came to York County in 1822. His mother was Sarah
Doan, who was born in 1814. His parents are still living and reside in
East Gwillimbury. Aaron was born in East Gwillimbury Township in 1845,
and settled on the lot he at present occupies in 1876, which contains
one hundred acres. In 1873 he married Eliza Usherwood, by whom he has
three children, George B., Ethel A. and Leslie D.
JOHN HARTMAN, deceased, was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, June
24, 1779, and was of German extraction. He married in 1804 Mary Webb,
also a native of the same State, and five years later emigrated to
Canada and settled in Whitchurch Township. He located on Yonge Street on
lot 80, concession 1, where he lived until his death. He had born to him
the following children: Emily, born 1805, died 1828; Lavinia, born 1807,
died 1827; Harriet, born 1809, died in 1829; Lot, born 1811, married J.
Wells, and died in 1850; Silas, born 1813, died 1835; William, born
1815, died 1883; Thomas, born 1818, now living in Colorado; Joseph, born
1821, died in 1859 (he was M.P. for North York); Nancy, born 1823,
married to Thomas Cosford and lives in London, Ontario; Samuel, born
1826, married Sarah Ashton in 1847, and died in 1858. The children of
Samuel Hartman are Mary, born 1848, died 1851; Lot L., born 1850; Elma,
born 1853, married to G. T. Smith and resides in Aurora; Eliza, born
1855, married Clark Playtor, who resides in concession 5. Lot L. is now
in possession of the old homestead, and at present occupies the position
of Deputy-Reeve of Whitchurch. He was married in 1872 to Harriet
Armstrong, who was born in 1850; they have three children, Warren, born
1873, died in infancy; Laura E., born 1875, and Lorne A., born 1878.
ROBERT HILL, merchant, Ballantrae P.O., was born in Whitchurch Township
in 1833, being the son of Alexander Hill, who was born in County Tyrone,
Ireland, in 1800, and came to Canada in 1831 and died in 1872. Robert
followed the trade of carpenter until 1870, when he established himself
in business at Ballantrae and keeps a general store. He is also
Postmaster. He was married in 1860 to Eliza Dafoe, a native of Markham
Township, by whom he has three children: William A., Mary Ann and Newton
A.
DR. JAMES J. HUNTER, lot 16, concession 6, is a native of Yorkshire,
England, and was born in 1822. He came to Canada with his parents, who
settled first at Niagara in 1823; from there they removed to Whitby,
where his father practised medicine. They subsequently left there for
Hautland, New York State, where they stayed until 1840, and returning to
Canada in that year settled in Newmarket, York County. Dr. Hunter
studied medicine, and graduated at Geneva, N. Y., and afterwards
attended lectures at the New York Medical University. He commenced the
practice of his profession at Newmarket, in which town he remained about
twenty years, being Reeve of the Council during six years of that
period. In the year 1860 he went to New York City, where he practised
three years, when he returned to Newmarket and resuming his former
practice, again was elected Reeve. In 1870 he took up his residence on
his present lot, and purchased a saw-mill and a tract of timber, which
he has since operated, besides which he does a little farming. He has
not, however, allowed the latter enterprises to interfere with the
practice of his profession, which he still follows. Dr. Hunter has been
a Justice of the Peace for twenty-five years, a position for which he is
eminently fitted. He was married in the year 1842, his wife being Rachel
Lundy, daughter of Isaac Lundy; she was born in Whitchurch in 1822.
Three children are the issue of their union: Louisa C., born 1844,
married to Edward Campbell, and resides in Uxbridge; Mary E., born 1848,
married to Martin Heaton, and residing in Montreal; James W., born 1859,
Physician and House Surgeon to the Invalid Hospital, Buffalo. He is a
Liberal in politics. Dr. Hunter’s father, James Hunter, was born in
England in 1796, and as we have before mentioned, came to Canada in
1823. He practised medicine in Whitby until 1837, that being the year of
the Rebellion, and he was suspected by the authorities for complicity in
that movement; he was arrested and imprisoned, but was released on
finding bail of $16,000. He stayed until his trial was announced, and on
returning was acquitted, the day of his trial being the one on which
Launt and Matthews were executed. He was afterwards threatened with
re-arrest, but managed to reach the States before he could be detained.
He returned to Canada and resided for some time in Newmarket. He died in
Buffalo in 1850.
JOHN IRWIN, lot 23, concession 8, whose birth-place was Markham
Township, located on his present farm in this section at an early day.
He was born in 1825, and in 1847 was married to Sarah Macklen; the fruit
of this union being the following children: Margaret Ann, Martha,
George, Jane and John. Mr. Irwin’s father, Samuel Irwin, was born in
County Tyrone in 1794, and came to Canada at an early day; he died in
Whitchurch in 1853. His mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Davis, who
died in 1869. Mr. Irwin cultivates one hundred and thirty acres of land
and also takes considerable interest in Municipal affairs, having been a
member of the Township Council for the past seven years.
JOHN JAMIESON, Springbrook Farm, west half of lot 8, concession 8,
Whitchurch, was born on this farm in 1835. His father, James Jamieson,
was born near Glasgow, Scotland; he settled in York County in 1820, and
died in 1840. His mother was a native of London, England; she emigrated
to Canada in 1816, and died in 1848. Mr. John Jamieson was married in
1856 to Mary Ann Lemon, a native of Whitchurch, and youngest daughter of
Baltes and Mary Lemon, by whom he had the following children: James H.,
born 1858, who died in 1862; Elizabeth Jane, born 1860, died 1862;
Matilda Ann, born 1862, died in 1882; Mary A., born 1863; Thomas H.,
born 1865; Lydia J., born 1868; Ettie E., born 1873. Mr. Jamieson was a
member of the Council of this township for seven years; during five
years of this time, 1878-1883, he held the position of Deputy-Reeve; he
has also been a Justice of the Peace for several years.
JOHN H. JOHNSON, lot 5, concession 8, was born in Whitchurch Township,
October 1, 1858, being the son of the late Robert Johnson, who was born
in this township in 1820, and died October 14, 1883, and who, during his
lifetime followed the occupations of blacksmith and farmer. His mother’s
maiden name was Lydia Macklen, also a native of Whitchurch. He was
married to Barbara Jane Wheeler, a native of Whitby, by whom he has one
child, Zella A. Mr. Johnson belongs to the Christian Church, and is a
Reformer in politics.
NORMAN JONES, lot 3, concession 8, was born in New York State in 1801,
being the son of Timothy Jones, born in the same State in 1780. Norman
came to Canada in 1819 and was engaged in school teaching for ten years.
He subsequently commenced farming, which he has since continued. He was
a member of the first Council of York County, and was appointed a
Justice of the Peace, but did not qualify. He is at present cultivating
one hundred acres. He married in 1831 Theresa Patterson, who was born in
1814, and died in 1859. His second marriage was to Belora Patterson, who
was born in 1829, and died in 1870. He had by his first wife eleven
children: Maxon, Emmiline, Diana, Alanson, Abigail, Charlotte, Lyman,
Adeline, Eveline, Margaret Angeline and Alma Augusta. By his second wife
he had one daughter, called Minette.
LUKE JORDAN, lot 21, concession 5, was born in the County of Mayo,
Ireland, in 1813, and came to Canada in 1836, and settled on the lot
where he now resides. In 1846 he married Julia Foot, who was born in
England in 1819. They have a family of ten children: Joan, Thomas,
Frank, Luke, Job, Samuel, Sarah, Mary Ann, Julia Ann and Martha Jane.
Mr. Jordan’s father was James Jordan, who died in Whitchurch in 1849.
JAMES LEMON, lot 12, concession 5, was born on the farm where he now
resides in 1840. He was married in the year 1865 to Mary Ann Jordan, who
was born in 1845; five children are the issue of this union, viz.: Sarah
E., born 1866; Isaac, born 1868; William J., born 1870; Mary L., born
1879, and Delia, born 1884. Mr. Lemon’s father was born in New Jersey in
1796, and emigrated to Canada, settling in Whitchurch Township, York
County, in 1834; he died in 1869. Our subject’s mother was Mary
Mendenhall, who came from the same place; she died also in 1869.
DR. R. C. LLOYD, deceased, was born in Stouffville in 1845, and was a
son of the late Dr. Scott Lloyd, of English birth. He married in 1867 a
daughter of Alexander Sangster, Esq., of London, England. Her father was
born in 1821, and died in 1866. Her mother’s maiden name was Amelia
Patterson, who was born in Whitchurch, York County, in 1830, and died in
1865. Dr. Lloyd died in 1872, leaving his widow with one child—Edwin C.
Lloyd—who resides in Stouffville. He was a Methodist in religion, and a
Reformer in politics.
THOMAS LLOYD, lot 5, concession 3, whose birthplace is Whitchurch
Township, is the son of James Lloyd, who emigrated to York County from
Pennsylvania in 1808, and is still living. His mother was Anna Walker,
who was born in York County in 1804, and died in 1873. Thomas was born
in 1827, and was married in 1865 to Sarah Hutchinson; they had four
children: O. J., Cora May, Laura Anna and Emily Mabel. Mr. Lloyd
cultivates two hundred and eighty-three acres of land, and in connection
with municipal affairs has been Councillor and Deputy-Reeve. He is also
Collector for the Township, and has been for a number of years President
of Whitchurch Agricultural Society.
WILLIAM J. LLOYD, lot 79, concession 1, first saw light in 1824, his
birthplace being the lot on which he now resides. His father, James
Lloyd, was born in Pennsylvania in 1781, and emigrated to Canada in
1810, settling in Whitchurch Township, York County, where he died in
1868. William J. was married in 1853 to Sarah Webb, grand-daughter of
Isaac Webb, who settled in York County in 1808. Their issue was thirteen
children, nine of whom are still living: John W., James B., William J.,
George W., Senneca D., Albert B., Harvey C., Florence E. and Bertha. Mr.
Lloyd has six hundred and forty acres under cultivation, and also
operates a saw-mill on the home farm.
JOHN LUNDY, lot 26, concession 5, is the son of the late John Lundy, who
was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1772, and came to Canada in
1801, settling in Whitchurch Township where he died in 1855. Our
subject’s mother was Elizabeth Toole, who was born in Pennsylvania in
1760. John was born in Whitchurch Township in 1810, and in 1837 married
Hannah Penrose, by whom he had the following children, viz.: Daniel,
born 1839; George, born 1840; and Mary Ann Randall, born 1845.
ROBERT MCCORMICK, lot 31, concession 7, was born in Niagara County, New
York State, in 1818. His father, Nathaniel McCormick, was a native of
Belfast, Ireland, and while still a youth emigrated to Pennsylvania, U.
S., subsequently removing to Niagara, Ont., where he married Eleanor
Campbell, who was a descendant of a U. E. Loyalist family, afterwards
removing to Porter, N. Y. Both spent their lives there. Robert McCormick
early learned the trade of millwright, and in 1842 settled on the Don,
east of Toronto, where he entered into the millwright business, and
built twenty-two mills in the Counties of York and Ontario. In 1854 he
established himself as a lumberman in the north-east part of
Whitchurch—then an entire wilderness—and is properly called the father
of Vivian Village. He has been extensively engaged in lumbering and
latterly in farming and mercantile business, being the owner of one
thousand four hundred acres of land. He has been a member of the
Municipal Council fourteen years, and a J.P. upwards of twenty years. He
was married in 1844 to Elizabeth Latham, a native of Ireland, born in
1826, by whom he has seven children, viz.: Margaret E., Elizabeth, Mary,
William A., Robert L., Nathaniel and George S. In religion he is a
member of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics is a Conservative.
JOHN MCMILLAN, lot 31, concession 3, was born in Wigton, Scotland, in
1835, and came to Canada in 1849. He settled in Whitchurch, York County,
where he has successfully followed agriculture. He has been married
twice, his first wife being Edith Wilson, who was born in 1837, and died
in 1872. By that union he had four children, viz.: John A., born 1859,
who is an M.D.; Joseph E., Henry M., and Ida Laura. His second marriage
was in 1877, to Eliza Ann Powell, who is a native of East Gwillimbury,
by whom he has four children, viz.: Elva J., Morvin J., Loyal E., and
Etta V.
W. H. MAJOR, lot 74, concession 1, was born in Pickering Township,
Ontario, in 1839, being the son of Henry Major, who was also born there
in 1808. His mother’s maiden name was Mary Jane Smith; she was born in
Pickering the same year as her husband, and died in 1844; they had six
children. Our subject’s father was married a second time, his wife being
Lydia A. Hawkins, a native of New Brunswick, by whom he had ten
children. Mr. William Henry Major settled on his present farm in 1872,
which contains one hundred and seventy acres, in addition to which he
follows the business of an auctioneer. He was married in 1867 to Mary
Jane Burgess, who was born in Pickering Township in 1844, by whom he has
four children, viz.: Ellsworth E., Ella E., Ida Medora, and Maud Ethel.
Mr. Major’s grandfather, John Major, was one of the first settlers in
Pickering Township.
JACOB MILLER, deceased, whose birth-place was Erin County, N. Y., and
the date 1784, was one of a family who rank amongst the earliest
settlers in York County. They settled in Markham Township in 1796, and
located on lots 21 and 22, concession 9, where Jacob lived and followed
the occupation of farmer for many years. He died in 1868. He was married
in 1810, to Phœbe Gould, aunt to Mr. Jay Gould, the well-known
financier; she was born in 1786 and died in 1852, being the mother of
sixteen children, all of whom lived to have families of their own. Their
names are as follow: Hiram, Joshua, Avery, Jacob, Alfred, Mary, Robert,
Abel, John, James, Warren, Martha, Elijah, Nancy, Lorinda and Nathan. At
his death Jacob Miller could count of his direct descendants as many as
one hundred and eighty persons. Elijah Miller, hotel proprietor,
Stouffville, is the thirteenth in order of the family of the late Jacob
Miller, and was born on the old homestead in Markham in 1831. He lived
at home with his parents until he arrived at the age of twenty-five when
he became agent for a firm of agricultural implement-makers, which
employment he followed for a number of years. In 1870 he entered the
hotel business at Ballantrae, but sold out there after an experience of
seven years. He then established his present hotel in Stouffville,
called the Mansion House where, as host of that deservedly
well-patronized hotel, he has full opportunity of showing his capacity
for management. Mr. Miller was married in 1854 to Mary Jane Read, who
was born in Markham Township in 1835; by whom he has eight children,
viz.: Charlotte, Sophia, Frank D., Catharine, Fred, Harry, James and
William, all of whom are living.
SAMUEL PEGG, lot 27, concession 9, is the son of the late Samuel Pegg,
who was born in Pennsylvania, U. S., in 1785, and died in this township
in 1870. His mother was Nancy Purdey, who was born in the same State in
1800, and came to York County in 1802; she died in 1881. Samuel was born
in the Township of East Gwillimbury in 1837, and settled on his present
lot in 1880. He was married in 1862 to Caroline Swigley, who died in
1872; he had six children by this union, viz.: Andrew, Lydia, Mary,
George E., Ethel and Jesse S. He married again in 1876, his wife being
Mary Ann Bradshaw, a native of Peel County; they have two children,
Caroline and Herbert.
JOHN PLAYTER, lot 27, concession 2, was born in Whitchurch, in 1834,
being a son of the late Welden Playter, who was born in York County in
1806, and died in 1869. His mother was Priscilla Haines, who is still
living in Aurora. Mr. Playter was married in 1860 to Margaret Lloyd, who
was born in 1840, by whom he has four children. He cultivates one
hundred and fifty acres of land, and is generally recognized as a
first-class farmer. Mr. Playter is a Liberal in politics, and in
religion an adherent of the Methodist Church.
JOSEPH PRETTY, lot 6, concession 4, was born in Devonshire, England, in
1804, and settled in Whitchurch Township in 1833. He was married in 1842
to Catharine Hilts, who was born in Markham in 1816. Their family
consisted of the following children: Mary Oliver, born 1843; Elizabeth
Ratcliffe, born 1845; Hezekiah, born 1847; Frederick, born 1850; David,
born 1853; the last named was married to Mary Jane Terry in 1882.
JOHN RANDALL, lot 30, concession 3, is the son of the late Joseph
Randall, a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who settled in
Whitchurch in 1801, where he died in 1825. His mother’s maiden name was
Huldah Westley, who died in 1857. John was born in Scarboro’ Township in
1813, his parents having removed from Whitchurch to Scarboro’ about this
period, returning however to the former township in 1817. He now farms
three hundred and fifty acres of land, in addition to which he is the
owner of considerable village property. He takes great interest in
municipal affairs, having occupied the position of Councillor,
Deputy-Reeve and Reeve, his connection with the Council having now
lasted fifteen years. He was married January 21, 1852 to Ellen Dales, a
native of Yorkshire, England, five children being the result of this
union, viz.: Agnes, born 1853, married to George Fisher, and lives in
Halton County; Caroline, born April 12, 1856, died June 17, 1856; Mary,
born September 7, 1857, married to John E. Dickens, and lives in
Newmarket; Joseph R., born September 29, 1860, and Huldah, born October
2, 1863.
JOB SCOTT, lot 13, concession 4, was born in Yorkshire, England, in
1811, and settled in Canada in 1830. He was married in 1837 to Emma
Foot, a native of Dorsetshire, England, by whom he had eight children,
viz.: William, born 1828; Thomas, born 1840, died 1883; James, born
1843; Mary Ann Watson, born 1846; Stephen, born 1849, died 1873; John,
born 1857; Henry, born 1854, died 1880; Albert, born 1859.
DANIEL SHAFFER, lot 5, concession 5, was born in 1844 on the lot where
he now resides, being the son of Joseph Shaffer, who was born in
Markham, November 20, 1808, and settled in Whitchurch in 1840; he died
in 1833. His mother, Sarah Shank, was born in Markham Township, April 7,
1825, and died July 10, 1848. Daniel was the only issue of this union,
his father having been married twice—his second wife died in 1873. He
has always remained on the homestead, and on October 10, 1865, one year
after his mother’s death, he married Barbara Burkholder, who was born in
Markham June 20, 1834; they have three children: Sarah Ann, born May 22,
1867; Adeline, born June 23, 1869, and Abraham, born October 30, 1872.
GEORGE H. SILVESTER, merchant and Postmaster, Ringwood, was born in
London, England, in 1827 and came to Canada in 1851, and located at
Ringwood, Whitchurch Township, York County, in 1853, where he has since
that year been engaged as a merchant. He was appointed to the position
of Postmaster in 1856, which office he still retains. He was a
Commissioner in 1861, and the following year elected to a seat in the
Municipal Council. Mr. Silvester was married in 1854 to Diana Adelaide
Jones, daughter of Norman Jones, by whom he had five children: William
A., Alice H., Fanny A., George E. and Frederick W.
CHRISTOPHER SMITH, lot 7, concession 3, is a native of Northumberland,
England, having been born there on November 26, 1804. He came to Canada
in 1831, and settled in York County, occupying his present farm in
Whitchurch since 1840. He cultivates two hundred acres of land and
additionally has the reputation of being a very clever Veterinary
Surgeon, at which profession he has practised for sixty years, being
succeeded by his son Henry, who is a graduate of the Ontario Veterinary
College, Toronto. He married in 1832 Susannah Steel, who was born in
Yorkshire, England, in 1813; they had a family of twelve children as
follow: William, born in 1833; John, born 1834; Robert, born 1836;
George, born 1838; Thomas, born 1840, died 1843; Elizabeth, born 1843,
died 1871; Christopher, born 1845, died 1848; Ann, born 1848, died in
infancy; Henry, born 1849; Mary Ann, born 1852, died 1853; Hannah, born
1854; Seth, born 1857.
GEORGE SMOKEN, lot 30, concession 9, was born in Wiltshire, England, in
1839 and settled in this township in 1858. He was married in 1860 to
Malath Jagger, born in Yorkshire, England, in the year 1835; they have
seven children, viz.: James, Sarah, David, George, Emma, Maud and Effie.
DAVID STOUFFER, merchant, is descended from a Pennsylvania family. His
grandfather, Abraham Stouffer, emigrated from the Quaker State in 1804,
and settling in Whitchurch Township, became possessed of six hundred
acres of land, a portion of which now constitutes the Village of
Stouffville, and from whom it acquired its present title. He died in
1855. Our subject’s father, Abraham Stouffer, was born in Stouffville in
1806, and was a farmer by occupation. He married in 1828 Esther Lehman;
their family consisted of nine children, as follow: John, born 1828;
Abraham, born 1830; Samuel, born 1832; Jacob, born 1834; Elizabeth, born
1837; Christian, born 1839; Hannah, born 1842, died in infancy; David,
born 1844, and Simeon, born 1846. David was the youngest but one of his
father’s family, and is in business as a general merchant in
Stouffville. In 1867 he married Ellen Parsons, of Lincolnshire, England.
Mr. Stouffer is a member of the Village Council. Abraham Stouffer is the
second eldest son of Abraham Stouffer, sen’r. His present residence is
on lot 2, concession 9, where he owns two hundred acres of land. He was
married in 1852 to Elizabeth Sherrick, of Markham; their family is
composed of the following: Christiana, Fanny, Elizabeth, Noah, Esther,
Adeline, Mary Ann, Josephine, Martha and Abraham S. Simeon Stouffer is
the youngest son of Abraham Stouffer, sen’r, and was born in 1846. His
wife was Miss Sarah Webb, a native of King Township, by whom he had four
children: Laura A., Luella R., Mary Jane and Frederick W. Mr. Stouffer
lives on the homestead of his ancestors, and is also the owner of a farm
in Simcoe County.
WILLIAM SWALES, retired, is a native of Yorkshire, England, and was born
in 1805. He came to Canada in 1844 and settled in York County, being now
the owner of one hundred and thirty-six acres of land on lot 14,
concession 9, of Whitchurch Township, which is now farmed by his son
David. Mr. Swales was married in February, 1831, to Elizabeth Brown, who
was born November 5, 1808, and died August 11, 1884; their family was as
follows: Ann, born 1832, married to Robert Curtis, and living in Markham
Township; James, born 1834, died 1882; Jane, born 1835, married to
Alexander Seaton, and lives near Bloomington; William, born 1837, died
in infancy; Elizabeth, born 1839, married to Robert Greenbury, and
living in Markham Township; David (who resides on the old homestead),
born 1841; William, born 1843; Mary, born 1845, married Jacob H. Rose;
Bartholomew, born 1848, and John, born 1850.
WILLIAM TINDALE, lot 28, concession 9, was born in York County in 1834.
John Tindale, the father of the above, was a native of Yorkshire,
England, where he was born in 1794, and came to Canada, settling in York
Township in 1830; his death occurred in 1867. His wife was Eliza Lees
Tindale, who was born in 1806 and died in 1864. William, our subject,
was married in 1858 to Sarah Hilts; they have five children as follows:
Margaret Ann, Holland, Charlotte M., Emma S. and William.
JOHN VAN NOSTRAND, lot 17, concession 4, derives his descent from a
German family who settled on Long Island, New York State, somewhere
about the year 1750. His grandfather, James Van Nostrand, was born on
Long Island, New York, in 1764, and settled in Toronto, York County, in
1800 and died in 1840. His father, Cornelius Van Nostrand, was born on
Long Island in 1796, and came to York County with his parents in 1800,
and died in Whitchurch Township, November 16, 1878. His mother was Mary
Wilkinson, of English extraction, who was born in 1802 and died in 1844.
John Van Nostrand, the subject of this sketch, was born in York Township
in 1824, and in 1854 removed to Whitchurch Township and engaged in
farming. He owns about one thousand three hundred acres of land, and
does a large lumber business, his saw-mill and residence being located
on lot 17, concession 4, where he manufactures annually about one
million feet of lumber, giving employment to over twenty men. In 1846 he
married Anna Maria Marsh, who was born in England in 1822, by whom he
has six children.
CHARLES E. WIDDIFIELD, deceased, was born in Whitchurch in 1813. His
father, Henry, was born in New Jersey in 1779, and came to Canada in
1801, settling on lot 32, concession 3 of Whitchurch, Maple Grove Farm,
where he died in 1869. His mother was Phœbe Randall, who was born in
1770 and died in 1855. Charles E. was the only son in a family of four
children. He married Angelina Hughes, daughter of Joseph A. Hughes, of
King Township. The issue of their union was nine children, viz.:
Elizabeth A. Knowles, born 1842, residing in Whitchurch; J. H., born
1845, now practising medicine at Newmarket; Elma Playter, born 1847,
resides in Newmarket; Mercie A. Collins, born 1849, living at St.
Catharines; Jennie, born 1852, lives at home; William C., born 1855,
practises law at Newmarket; J. E., born 1857, and lives on the old
homestead; Rosa E., born 1860, and Charles H., born 1863. Mr.
Widdifield’s death occurred in 1883.
L. C. WIDEMAN, Marble Works, Stouffville. The Widemans are descendants
of an old Pennsylvania family who settled in York County at the
commencement of the present century. In 1749, in the Quaker State, one
Philip Wideman was born, who married Anna S. Long, a native of the same
place, born in 1759. They emigrated to Canada with their family and
settled first in Markham Township, where the wife of Philip died in
1806. Philip afterwards removed to Whitchurch Township, where he died in
1833 at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Among their issue was one
son Ludwig, the grandfather of the gentleman whose name heads this
sketch. Ludwig Wideman was born in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in
1781, and settled in Markham Township, York County, in 1801. He was
twice married, but no record appears to have been preserved of the first
event. He had, however, one daughter by this marriage, Christiana, born
in 1813. His second union was to Elizabeth Macklen, who was born in 1797
and died in 1852. Their family consisted of the following: Mary Ann,
born 1818; Henry, born 1819; Philip, born 1821; Lydia, born 1824; Sarah,
born 1827, and John, born 1829, the last named died in infancy. Ludwig
Wideman was killed during the Rebellion of 1837. Philip Wideman, the
third in order in the family of Ludwig, was born in Whitchurch Township,
and established the business now carried on by his son, L. C. Wideman,
in Stouffville. He married in 1848 Eliza Jane Center, who was born in
Lower Canada in 1826. His family consisted of the following children:
Huldah E.; L. C., our subject; Albert, who died in infancy; Lydia R.;
Bertha J., who died in infancy; Mary A.; and Henry B. Mr. Philip Wideman
is the owner of one hundred and ninety acres of land, and is now living
in retirement in Ringwood. L. C. Wideman was born in Ringwood in 1851,
and is now proprietor of the Marble Works established by his father in
Stouffville at an early date, being, in fact, the first of that
particular industry commenced in this part of the country. He came into
possession in 1877, and employs four hands in the business. He married
in 1879 Matilda Bartholomew, a native of Markham Township, by whom he
has two children, Cora M. and Bartholomew C.
JUDGE WILSON, lot 25, concession 3, was born in New Brunswick in 1804,
being the son of Joshua Wilson, who was born in New Jersey, of English
parentage, in 1756. His father served the Crown during the Revolutionary
War, and at its close settled in New Brunswick. He subsequently came to
Whitchurch, where he died in 1838. John Wilson was married in 1831 to
Agnes Lundy, who was born in 1812 and died in 1881. Their family
consists of the following: Elizabeth Jane Hollingshead, born 1832, who
resides in Lambton County; Lavinia Vernon, born 1835, living in Ontario
County; Emily, born 1835, died 1838; Harriet Armstrong, born 1840; John,
born 1842; Robert A., born 1843; Charles, born 1845, died 1848; Mary
Ann, born 1848, died 1878; Alonzo P., born 1851; Louisa C., born 1853.
JOSHUA WILSON, lot 27, concession 4, was born on the same farm where he
now lives in 1831. His father, Joshua Wilson, was a son of a U. E.
Loyalist, and settled in Whitchurch in 1812, and died in 1877. Our
subject was married in 1861 to Mary Walks of Whitby Township; they have
four children: Ella M., James A., Arthur E. and Edgar.
TOWN OF NEWMARKET.
THOMAS ATKINSON, auctioneer, commission agent, etc., was born in
Yorkshire, England, September, 1828. When two years of age he was
brought to Canada by his parents, who first located near Richmond Hill,
Vaughan Township, York County. They subsequently moved to Whitchurch
Township, and Thomas was then sent to school at Hartman’s Corners under
the tutorship of J. C. Moulton. He divided his time in the early part of
his youth between working for farmers and attending school, and was
subsequently apprenticed to Eli Irwin for three years to learn the
waggon-making business, after which he worked at his trade in Newmarket
and other places for a number of years. He worked in Bradford, Simcoe
County, two years, and then established himself in business, which he
conducted for some time; but this latter venture proving unprofitable,
he decided to go to Toronto. He there worked in the service of McLean &
Wright, and was engaged building cars for the Northern Railway. After a
period he returned to Bradford, and again conducted business for
himself, which at the expiration of two years proved of considerable
value; but from shrinkage in the value of stock, which effect was
produced by the close of the Russian War in 1856, he found it necessary
in order to recover lost ground to remove to Yorkville, where he
continued in business one year, and finding no improvement he wound up
his affairs. The United States now attracted his attention, and thither
he departed, locating first at Lockport, and afterwards at New York
City, where he worked at his trade. The breaking out of the Civil War
rendered remunerative employment not easily procurable, and Mr. Atkinson
returned to Canada, and settled in Newmarket, after a short stay in
Hamilton. He adopted the business of Insurance Agent and Auctioneer, in
which he has been successful. He was afterwards elected a member of the
Town Council; but after serving one year he was defeated at the polls on
his second candidature in consequence of his strenuous advocacy of the
Public Market for the town. In 1882 he engaged in the jewellery
business, which is under the superintendence of his son. Mr. Atkinson
was married in Newmarket to Jane Philips, formerly of Hampshire,
England; their issue is one son named Lemington.
JOHN ARNOTT, cooper, Newmarket, was born in Northumberland, England, in
1821, and emigrated to Canada in 1854, and locating first in Toronto, he
remained there about three years. He came to Newmarket in 1857, and a
little later became one of the partners in the firm of Arnott & Fox, the
well-known coopers and manufacturers. They work up four hundred cords of
stave bolts into barrels annually. Mr. Arnott was married to Miss Jane
Douglas, by whom he has a family of two daughters.
GEORGE H. BACHE was born at Brierley Hill, Staffordshire, England, in
1813. In company with his father and younger brother he emigrated to
Canada in 1829; they located first at Cobourg, from which place after a
residence of a few months they removed to Toronto. His father
subsequently purchased land on lot 2, concession 3, Georgina Township,
situated on the shore of Lake Simcoe, which farm they cultivated about
three years. They then returned to Toronto where his father kept hotel,
during which period George H. worked as pattern-maker, in Duchess
Foundry, and assisted in building the engine for the steamer _Colborne_,
which was the first steamboat launched on Lake Simcoe. The family then
removed to North Gwillimbury, where his father purchased a farm, which
they cultivated for about two years, and in 1837 came to Newmarket.
During his residence in Newmarket he followed his trade of carpenter and
joiner. He also held the official position of Bailiff of the Court of
Requests and County Constable, in addition to which he has been Bailiff
of the Division Court under Judge Boyd. When Newmarket was first
incorporated Mr. Bache was elected to serve in the first Town Council,
and at present occupies the position of Market Clerk, having held that
office for the past ten years. The same year that he settled in
Newmarket he married Miss Lucy Hunt of Nottinghamshire, England, by whom
he had two children, one only, a daughter, being now alive; she married
Mr. John G. Partridge, a native of Staffordshire, England.
W. H. BENTLEY, M.B., Toronto University, M.C.P.S., Ontario, physician
and druggist, Newmarket, was born in the City of Toronto, where he was
educated, and graduated from the University in 1878, since which time he
has practised in Newmarket.
JOHN BRIMSON, carriage manufacturer, whose birth-place is Wiltshire,
England (1830), emigrated to Canada with his parents, who first settled
on a farm in Simcoe County, Ontario. John moved from there in 1844, and
the succeeding five years were spent in learning his trade with Edward
Kermott, after which he worked as journeyman several years. After
spending about twelve months in Bowmanville, Durham County, Ontario, he
came to Whitchurch, and followed his trade for nine years previous to
settling in Newmarket. He established his present business in 1868,
which now amounts to $3,000 annually. Mr. Brimson was married in 1850,
to Miss Jane Brodie, of Newmarket, by whom he has a family of two sons,
Robert Hudson and John Herbert.
J. B. CALDWELL, retired, was born in New York City in 1807, and
emigrated to Canada with his parents in 1819, where they rented a farm
in Markham Township, York County, where his father was unfortunately
killed by the falling of a tree three months after their arrival. They
subsequently removed to York Township and rented a farm belonging to
Capt. D. Haines, from which place Mr. Caldwell went to Whitchurch in the
fall of 1820, where he worked on a farm as hired boy. After a lapse of
five years he removed to Thornhill, where he commenced to learn the
trade of blacksmith; but by the end of the first month he gave up the
prospect of being a blacksmith and moved to little York, where he
learned chair-making with Erastus Wiman. After about six years spent in
the “Queen City,” he again turned his face northward, and locating in
Newmarket rented a house and shop of Mordecai Millard. After the lapse
of three years he built a house, which took fire and burned down while
he was in little York on business. His capital at this time, to use his
own words, was a “York shilling.” He followed the business of painting
and chair-making about fifty years, being burned-out three times during
that period, and by industry and perseverance has been enabled to retire
altogether from active life. He was married in Toronto in 1830 to Miss
Rosina Potter, a native of Ireland, by whom he has nine children living,
six sons and three daughters. James Caldwell, deceased, was a U. E.
Loyalist and emigrated from Tyrone, Ireland, to America in 1807. He
subsequently drew two hundred acres of land from Government in Albion
Township, Peel County, on which the settlement duties were performed
after his death.
W. CANE & SONS, lumber merchants and manufacturers. The present head of
this firm, Mr. William Cane, was born in Albany, New York, in 1822, of
Irish parents. He emigrated to Canada in 1840, and first located in the
Village of Queensville, York County, where he commenced the business of
wood-turning and operated a pump-works. He also purchased the saw-mill
formerly in the hands of Mr. Wilson, and in addition bought some land on
which he erected another mill. During his residence in Queensville he
was Reeve and Councillor of the Township of East Gwillimbury for a
number of years, and was for the year 1874 Warden of the County of York.
His settlement in Newmarket dates from 1875, in which year he
established the business which has now such an extensive connection. He
also bought S. Sykes’ foundry and engine works. The foundry was burned
in the spring of 1876. The firm afterwards built a tannery on the same
lot, which is now occupied by R. Park & Co. as tenants. He first built
the steam saw-mill which is conducted under the management of the
present firm. The existing sash and blind factory was also built about
the same time and is a portion of the business. The manufacture of
pails, tubs and wooden ware is a department of the business for which
the firm have become celebrated. Mr. Cane’s general fitness for
municipal office was quickly recognized by the citizens of Newmarket,
and very little time was allowed to elapse after his location in the
town before he was elected a member of the Council, and on Newmarket
receiving the honour of incorporation in 1881 he was elected Mayor,
which office he has since retained. Mr. Cane was married in 1844 to
Catharine Belfry, of Queensville, by whom he has eleven children: eight
sons and three daughters.
R. J. DAVISON, general merchant, was born at Holland Landing in 1842,
and first commenced business in Newmarket in 1870 as partner in the firm
of Harrison, Sheppard & Co. Mr. Sheppard retiring in 1875, the style of
the firm became Harrison & Davison. This latter partnership closed in
1880, and Mr. Davison then established his present extensive business,
which amounts now to about $26,000 per year. He deals largely in
dry-goods, cloths, tweeds, ready-made clothing, hats, caps, ladies and
gentlemen’s furs, boots and shoes, etc., also in general groceries. He
was married to Miss Mary Wright, of East Gwillimbury, in 1874; their
family consists of two sons and one daughter. Mr. Davison is of Irish
descent, his father, George Davison, having been born in County Tyrone,
Ireland, and emigrated to this country in 1832. His maternal grandfather
was a U. E. Loyalist and emigrated from Pennsylvania to the Niagara
District at the close of the last century, and located in York County in
1804.
JOHN E. DICKSON, Principal of High School, Newmarket, was born in East
Gwillimbury in 1850, being the son of Andrew and Elizabeth Dickson. His
parents were natives of Peebles, Scotland, and emigrated to America in
1834, settling first in Ohio State. They removed to Canada in 1836 and
located at Newmarket, York County, afterwards removing to a farm near
Newmarket. J. E. Dickson is the youngest of a family of ten, and
acquired his primary education at the Public School near his father’s
farm, and was also a student at the Scholastic Institution of which he
is now the principal. He graduated at Toronto University in 1879, and
the year following received his present appointment. He was in 1880
married to Miss Mary Randall, of Whitchurch.
EDMUND ELVIDG is a native of Nottinghamshire, England, and emigrated to
Canada, settling in the Province of Quebec in 1815. He came to Upper
Canada in the year 1836, and located in York County, where he followed
the business of a millwright for several years. He was married in 1849
to Miss Grace McArthur, of Simcoe County. Mr. Elvidg has been Collector
of Taxes in Newmarket for several years, also Engineer of the Fire
Brigade, and now occupies the post of County Constable. He is one of a
family of nine children born to Henry and Elizabeth Elvidg.
R. FLOOD, Manager of Loan Company, Newmarket, is a native of Middlesex
County, Ontario. He was born in 1836, and acquired his education in
London, Ontario. In 1862 Mr. Flood came to York County, and locating at
Richmond Hill commenced business as a general merchant, which he
continued for four years. He then went to Manitoba, and after a stay of
nine years returned to York County, and taking up his residence in
Newmarket commenced the banking business under the style of R. Flood &
Co. Mr. Flood subsequently became Managing Director of the Provincial
Real Estate and Loan Company, which was established in 1881, the
President being James J. Pearson, Registrar of the North Riding. Mr.
Flood married Grace Agnes Wyatt, of Hamilton City, in 1862; they have a
family of six children, four sons and two daughters.
G. FOX, of the firm of Arnott & Fox, was born in Germany in 1820, and
emigrated to America, settling in New York State in 1851. After two
years’ residence in the Empire State he came to Canada, and fixing on
York County for his future abode located in the Town of Newmarket. He
was married in 1853 to Miss Regine Treuzier, also a native of Germany;
they have a family of eleven children, four sons and seven daughters.
THOMAS GAIN, merchant tailor, was born in the County of Waterford,
Ireland, in 1852, and came to Canada in 1858. He first located in
Montreal where he remained for a few years, after which he came west to
Toronto, where he worked at his trade for ten years. He located in
Newmarket about 1868, and for the first five years superintended the
tailoring department of Mr. William McMasters, after which he
established himself in business. He has been a member of the Town
Council for two years. Mr. Gain was married to Miss Sarah Brown, a
native of Bristol, England, by whom he has five children living.
NELSON GORHAM, J.P., retired. The gentleman to whom we accord this space
in our pages is the eldest-born resident of the Town of Newmarket, and
is one of a family of eleven children. His father, Eli Gorham, was born
in Danbury, Conn., January 2, 1787. His mother’s maiden name was
Hambelton; she was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1790, and died
in York County in 1830. His father was a woollen manufacturer, and came
to Canada before the War of 1812. He located in Newmarket, and followed
the business of woollen manufacturer and farmer until his death, which
occurred April 11, 1867. Nelson was born in Newmarket, June 6, 1812, and
was educated at Aurora Academy, Cayuga County, N. Y. On finishing his
studies, he assisted his father with the business, which he carried on
for ten years after the death of the latter, when he retired from active
business life. He was married March 26, 1863, to Miss Bull, of Loana,
Chautauqua County, N. Y.; they have no family. Mr. Gorham has ever taken
an active interest in all that concerns the welfare of his native place,
and has occupied numerous offices in connection with public and
municipal affairs, among which may be mentioned the Reeveship of
Newmarket Village, and also that of Judge Advocate. With regard to
military affairs Mr. Gorham has always taken a prominent position, and
having held a commission on Navy Island during the Rebellion of 1837-38,
his knowledge has been of considerable service. He has been Captain of
Artillery and Brigade Inspector. He is a member of the English Church,
and a Liberal Conservative in political matters. He is a Mason and a
member of I.O.F. The first carding machines introduced and operated west
of the Bay of Quinté were brought by Mr. Gorham, sen’r, in 1808.
PATRICK HARDING, general merchant, and dealer in groceries, crockery,
glassware, etc., was born in Sligo, Ireland, in 1846, and came to Canada
with his parents when only one year old. They located first at
Newmarket, York County, and subsequently in North Gwillimbury, where
Patrick worked around amongst the farmers. When he reached the age of
twenty, he removed from Canada to the United States and settled in
Pennsylvania, where he worked at the saw-mill and lumber business. He
subsequently returned to Canada and purchased a farm of two hundred
acres in the Township of Georgina, York County, which he cultivated for
a period of six months, and then abandoned that project and commenced
working in a hat factory. He again removed to Pennsylvania and worked in
a hat factory in Philadelphia, and ultimately returned to Canada and
locating in Newmarket, followed the business of hat making until 1880,
when he established his present large and prosperous business, which is
now doing about $20,000 annually. Mr. Harding still owns the farm in
Georgina in addition to the more recent purchase of two lots in
Newmarket, upon which he has built a handsome residence at a cost of
$1,500. In 1847 he was married to Miss Sarah Howard, of Newmarket, by
whom he has one child living. His father, Timothy Harding, still resides
on his farm in Georgina Township.
ERASTUS JACKSON, eldest son of Christopher Stroud Jackson, was born in
the Village of Merrickville, County of Grenville, Ontario, Canada, on
August 29, 1829. Two years later his parents removed to the Town of
Prescott, on the St. Lawrence, where the family remained for over six
years, when they again removed westward, and settled in the Village of
Wilton, Township of Ernestown, County of Lennox. During the next seven
years the parents of the subject of this sketch gave him all the
advantages of education obtainable in those early times in the District
School of that locality; but, as those years included the period when
the pedagogues of the day “boarded around,” those advantages were
exceedingly limited. In January, 1845, the _Canada Christian Advocate_
was established in the Town of Cobourg, by Messrs. Webster & Leonard, as
the acknowledged organ of the M. E. Church; and as the junior member of
the firm had been an old school-mate of the father of Erastus, it was
arranged that the youth should enter the office as an apprentice, with
the view of learning the “art preservative.” In 1848 the General
Conference of the Church took control of the _Advocate_, and removed its
office to Hamilton. This, of course, led to the dissolution of the
partnership between Messrs. Webster & Leonard. The former, however,
continued as editor of the paper; and Mr. Leonard bought another press
and continued the printing business in Cobourg. The employés of the
office were divided, part going to Hamilton, and part remaining with Mr.
Leonard, who continued the publication of a monthly periodical called
the _Canadian Gem_, which had been started before the dissolution.
Shortly after this a General Election followed, and Mr. Leonard was
induced to commence the publication of a weekly political paper called
the _Courier_, in the Liberal interest. The contest in Northumberland
that year was between Messrs. Weller and Meyers, the former noted as
being the proprietor of the line of stages then running between Kingston
and Toronto, and a strong Reformer, the latter a lawyer, if our memory
serve us, residing in the neighbourhood of Trenton. During this contest
Mr. McCarroll, previously connected with the management of a Liberal
paper at Peterboro’, was the accredited editor of the _Courier_; but,
Mr. Weller being defeated, the paper did not succeed very well, and only
continued about a year after, when Mr. Leonard moved his office to
Toronto, where he still continued the publication of the monthly
periodical above referred to, and also became the publisher of a Church
paper—the organ of the Methodist New Connection body. Mr. Jackson
accompanied Mr. Leonard to Toronto, where he completed his
apprenticeship in January, 1850; and about the first of the following
May proceeded to Guelph, and occupied a situation in the _Advertiser_
office there—then printed and edited by John Smith, Esq. Here he
remained until the summer of 1852, the _Advertiser_ meanwhile changing
hands and passing to Mr. Kieling, who afterwards started the _Guelph
Mercury_. In 1852 Mr. Jackson again returned to Toronto, and took a
situation in the office of the _North American_, conducted by the Hon.
William McDougall, where he continued until June of the next year, when,
in company with Mr. A. Henderson, another North American typo, he
purchased the _Newmarket Era_ office. The partnership only continued one
year, when Mr. Jackson became sole proprietor, and he was editor and
publisher until February, 1853, when he retired from business and handed
over the paper to his son, Mr. L. G. Jackson, who conducts it. The
subject of this sketch has ever taken a lively interest in every
enterprise calculated to advance the prosperity of the Town of Newmarket
or County of York. For most of the time during the past twenty years he
has held a seat in the local municipality of the town, and with the
exception of one year, has been its Reeve and Representative at the
County Council since 1871. He has also been Warden of the county, and
having taken a lively interest in municipal matters for so many years,
is generally regarded as a pretty good authority in municipal law. Mr.
Jackson has also been an active worker in agricultural matters; he has
been Secretary and Treasurer of the North York Society for over twenty
years, and largely through his instrumentality the Directors purchased
the beautiful grounds, and erected the commodious buildings now the
property of the Association in Newmarket, not equalled by any society in
the county. During the period when the present Judge Adam Wilson
occupied the position of Solicitor-General in the
Sandfield-Macdonald-Dorwin Administration of Old Canada, Mr. Jackson was
appointed Coroner and Issuer of Marriage Licenses, and continued to hold
the same until he voluntarily resigned in 1878. Mr. Jackson has also
taken a deep interest in the Mechanics’ Institute of the town, and for
years occupied the position of President. He was also elected for this
year to the Provincial Board of Mechanics’ Institutes. He is still Reeve
of the town, as well as taking part whenever occasion requires in the
work of the local magistracy of the place. Considering his limited
opportunities in early life, and the success that has attended his
public and private affairs, he may be regarded as essentially a
self-made man, the printing office being his principal schoolmaster. For
many years he occupied a position on the Executive Board of the Canadian
Press Association, was its Secretary for some years, and has also filled
the President’s chair. He has been twice married; his present wife being
a daughter of the late James Wright, jun’r, of the County of Wellington,
by whom he has seven children all living but the eldest, who died when
quite young. Mr. Jackson is a Liberal in politics, and took a prominent
part in nearly all the great conventions of the party, as a supporter of
the late George Brown, from 1858 until after Confederation.
JAMES KILMAN, druggist, is a native of Banffshire, Scotland, where he
was born in 1835. He emigrated to Toronto in 1856, and after remaining
there until 1869 he came to Newmarket, where he has since been in
business. Mr. Kilman has been Auditor for Newmarket several years, and
is at present Agent for Vickers’ Express and the Montreal Telegraph
Company. His agencies also include the White Star and Allan Line
Steamship Companies. Mr. Kilman was married in 1856 to Miss Elizabeth
Cahan, of Wicklow County, Ireland, by whom he has a family of seven
children, two sons and five daughters.
WILLIAM MALLOY, bailiff, etc., was born in Ireland in 1822, and came to
this country with his parents when an infant, and has resided in or near
Newmarket ever since. He has held the office of Bailiff for the past
twenty years and also the office of License Inspector since 1878. Mr.
Malloy was married in East Gwillimbury Township on May 8, 1847, to Miss
Rebecca Wilson, by whom he has two sons and three daughters, all of whom
are living in the county.
ALEXANDER MILLARD, manufacturer, Newmarket, was born in 1852, and
commenced business with his father, Joseph Millard, in 1873, and
established business for himself in 1881. His marriage was in 1874 to
Miss Emma Millard, by whom he has one child, a daughter.
JOSEPH MILLARD, furniture manufacturer and undertaker, was born in the
Township of Whitchurch, York County, in 1816, and is of Welsh descent.
He first commenced farming, also worked in a saw-mill, and in 1839
commenced his furniture business in Newmarket with the limited capital
of twenty-five dollars. This business has steadily increased, and the
modest dimensions of its original existence, compared with its present
large proportions, is very creditable to Mr. Millard’s talent and
enterprise, and he is now considered one of the wealthiest men in this
section. In 1840 he married Miss Susan Hollingshead, of Whitchurch, by
whom he has a family of eight children living, three sons and five
daughters. Mr. Millard’s parents, John and Mary Millard, emigrated from
Pennsylvania in 1805, and on their arrival in York County first located
at Stouffville with their parents, Timothy and Mary Millard, where they
resided until 1813; they then removed to Newmarket and remained there
till removed by death at the respective ages of eighty years.
J. NASH, M.D., was born in Sussex, England, in 1815, and settled in the
State of Connecticut. He remained there but two years however, his next
place of location being Toronto. He came to Newmarket in 1841 where he
has since practised his profession. He was married in New York City, in
1838, to Ann Ashman, formerly of England; they have three sons and three
daughters.
RICHARD PARK, tanner and leather merchant, was born in Yorkshire,
England, in 1839, and came to Canada when twenty years of age. He was
located for a long time in Oxford County, Ontario, and in 1871 came to
York County, settling in Newmarket, commenced the business which he at
present carries on in partnership with Mr. J. S. Peckham, of
Waubaushene, under the firm name of R. Park & Co. The main building of
the tannery is 100 x 36 feet, in the rear a wing 50 x 25, and three
storeys high, with a brick-built engine-house containing a thirty
horse-power engine. Calfskin, kip, bridles and harness-leather are
manufactured and made a specialty of by the firm, whose business
turn-over amounts to about $70,000 per annum. Mr. Park was married in
1865 to Miss Hannah Battye, of English birth; neither of their children
is living. Mrs. Park died suddenly in the spring of 1884, and, a year
later, Mr. Park married Miss Maria Barry, daughter of J. W. Barry, Esq.,
of Bradford, Ont.
JAMES J. PEARSON, Registrar of the North Riding of York, was born in the
Township of Whitchurch in 1828. He was for some years engaged in the
milling business in King Township, and received the appointment of
Registrar in 1863, the office being established that year. Mr. Pearson
has been married twice. His first wife was Mary Ann Kennedy of Aurora,
to whom he was united in 1856; her death occurred in 1866. He was
married again in 1868 to Mrs. Hoag, widow of Lyman Hoag and daughter of
the late S. T. Peckham, of Newmarket. He has two daughters by his first
wife. James Pearson, father of the above, was one of the early pioneers
who emigrated from Pennsylvania to Canada in 1800 and located in the
Township of Whitchurch. He was a son of Nathaniel and Ann Pearson, the
latter being a daughter of William Bunting, formerly of England. Her
maiden name was Bidgood, her ancestors having come from England with Wm.
Penn. The grandfather of James Pearson was supposed to have been killed
during his homeward journey from Quebec to New Jersey after the old
French War.
W. T. PERKINS, saddler and harness-maker, was born on the Island of
Jersey, in the English Channel, and emigrated to Canada in October,
1850. He located first at Bradford, County Simcoe, and came to Newmarket
in 1858. Mr. Perkins is doing a first-class business, which may be
considered the best of its kind in town. He has been a Director of the
Mechanics’ Institute for five years, and is now a member of the
Independent Order of Oddfellows. Mr. Perkins was married in 1871 to Miss
Martha Scarffe, sister of Mr. J. W. Scarffe, Mayor of Brantford, by whom
he has a family of four daughters living and one son.
B. F. REESOR, merchant miller, Newmarket, is one of a family of eight
children, born to Samuel Reesor, a son of Peter Reesor, mentioned
elsewhere as an early pioneer of Markham Township. B. F. Reesor was born
in Markham Township in 1849, where he lived until 1882, when in company
with his brother, F. A. Reesor, he purchased the flour and grist-mill
now owned and conducted by Reesor Brothers. The premises measure 60 x 80
feet, with a height of five storeys, and five runs of stones, with a
yielding capacity of three hundred and fifty barrels per day. Mr.
Reesor’s capabilities as a business man, added to his previous
experience as a Councillor and Deputy-Reeve of Markham, were soon taken
advantage of by the citizens of Newmarket, and his present position as
Councillor is the result, a position doubtless extensible to something
higher when time and circumstances shall reveal themselves.
SAMUEL ROADHOUSE, cabinet-maker and undertaker, is the descendant of a
family who emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in 1819, his grandfather
and parents settling in Albion Township, Peel County, that year, where
they lived until their death. Mr. Roadhouse was born in Albion Township
in 1824, and located in Newmarket in 1841, since which date he has by
prudence, good management and ability, got together an extensive
connection. In the year 1846 he was married to Frances Elizabeth
Elvidge, by whom he has a family of seven children, three sons and four
daughters.
THOMAS J. ROBERTSON, barrister, etc., was born in Dublin, Ireland, in
1841, and settled in this county in 1847. He is a member of the Town
Board of High School Trustees.
DR. DAVID L. ROGERS, physician and surgeon, was born in King Township,
York County, in 1836. He graduated at Bellevue Hospital Medical College,
New York City, in 1863, and at Victoria University College, Toronto, in
1864. He practised medicine about five years in Newmarket, York County,
and five years in Toronto, Woodson County, in Kansas State, after which
he returned to Newmarket, where he has since remained in active
practice.
WILLIAM SAWDEN, retired, although he may be termed an early resident of
York County, is still only comparatively a recent citizen of Newmarket.
He was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1813, and emigrated to Canada in
1837. He devoted himself entirely to farming, and on his location in the
Township of Whitchurch, York County, he commenced as hired man. The
first farm that he owned was in Mariposa Township, Victoria County; but
this he afterwards sold, and bought a farm in concession 9 of
Whitchurch. He subsequently bought the lot adjoining his latest
purchase, and by other acquisitions succeeded in getting together six
hundred acres of land. He was married in 1843 to Rachel Toole, by whom
he has a family of two sons, who are both living.
ROBERT HALL SMITH, J.P., retired, was born in Penetanguishene, Simcoe
County, in 1817, and was, it is stated, the first white child born at
that place. He removed with his parents to Toronto in 1819, where they
stayed until he was twelve years of age; they then moved to Springfield,
Elgin County, from which place after a stay of two years they again
returned to Toronto. Robert Hall entered a store as clerk, and continued
until 1833, when he removed to Aurora Village, and opened a general
store, which he assisted in conducting in partnership with his
step-father (Marshall), and in 1837 he removed to Newmarket. In 1839 he
married Miss Mary Boyart, by whom he has a family of two sons and three
daughters.
SUTHERLAND BROTHERS, merchants. This firm conducts a large general store
on Main Street, where a flourishing business is done. It is composed of
James, Alexander and William, who are the sons of the late Mr. Donald
Sutherland. The latter was born in the County of Caithness, Scotland, in
1815, and in 1840 emigrated to Canada. He came to York County, and was
first employed by Mr. William Fraser, of East Gwillimbury Township. Two
years later he removed to Schomberg, and took charge of the mill of the
late Thomas Brown. After a few years’ experience there he decided to go
into business on his own account, and accordingly came to Newmarket, and
leased the Coster mill. At the expiration of three years he returned to
Schomberg, and rented the mill formerly owned by Mr. Brown. On the
completion of the Northern Railway, Mr. Sutherland came back to
Newmarket and purchased two mills, the only existing ones in the
village, which he operated for many years. He began store-keeping also,
and after a time entered into partnership with Mr. Burns, which
continued some time, when serious losses by fire compelled them to break
the connection, and for a period suspend business. Mr. Sutherland,
however, commenced in the mercantile business, which, with the
assistance of his sons he carried on for a number of years. Failing
health eventually obliged him to retire from active employment, and his
sons energetically continued the concern. Mr. Sutherland, sen’r, held
numerous offices in connection with local government, prominent among
which may be mentioned the first Reeveship of Newmarket. He was also a
member of the School Board, and his abilities being recognized, he was
also made a Justice of the Peace. He was also a License Commissioner,
and subsequently became chairman of that body. He was married in 1847 to
Jane Boddy of Lloydtown, by whom he had seven children. He died in
November, 1880.
WILLIAM TERRELL, caretaker, Newmarket Cemetery, was born in Devonshire,
England, in 1824, and emigrated to Canada in 1870, and at once settled
at Newmarket, York County. The cemetery of which Mr. Terrell is
caretaker was opened in 1869, and is beautifully situated at the
northern extremity of the town limits, on high rolling land, commanding
a good view of the town and the surrounding country. Alfred Burns, late
of the firm of Burns & Sutherland, was the first buried there. Mr.
Terrell was married in England in 1848, to Miss Maria Brouse; they have
eight children, four sons and four daughters.
THE _North York Reformer_ is published every Friday morning by the
editor and proprietor, Mr. Thomas Ratcliff, at his office, corner of
Main and Botsford Streets, and is at the present time regarded as the
official organ of the Reform Party in the North Riding of York. It was
at first commenced by Messrs. Oliver & Ratcliff at the request of some
of the leading Reformers of the Riding, in order to supply a want sorely
felt by members of the party, viz.: that of a Liberal paper at political
headquarters. This position had previously been filled by the _Newmarket
Era_; but, its editor having opposed the nominee of the Reform
Convention in 1875, the paper had gone into Opposition and the party was
thus left without an organ in Newmarket. In commencing the _Reformer_
the proprietors made no addition to the number of papers in the Riding,
having purchased the plant of the _Newmarket Courier_, a paper published
in the Conservative interest in the building now occupied by Mr. William
Perkins as a harness shop. The _Courier_ was first launched by Mr. G. M.
Bins in 1867, and was conducted by him for about four years, when he
sold out to Dr. Playter, who retained the management of it but a short
time, and in the year 1872 disposed of the business to Mr. George Fox,
from whom the present proprietor purchased it, as above mentioned, in
the year 1876. Under the new management the name and politics of the
paper underwent an entire change, and the circulation was increased to
nearly three times its original number. In the winter of 1877 Mr. Oliver
severed his connection with the paper, and his place by Mr. M. Baker, of
Whitchurch, until the end of 1878, when he sold his interest to the
present proprietor and retired from the business. The _Reformer_ is a
large, special-sized sheet, devoted to family reading, and local and
political intelligence. It is well-patronized by the Reformers of the
riding, as well as by the more liberal-minded Conservatives. Two years
after its first number appeared Newmarket, previously Conservative, gave
a Reform majority, and since that time it has been steadily on the
increase, the majority for Dr. Widdifield at the last election to the
Ontario Legislature being one hundred and twenty-eight, a portion of
which remarkable increase may very fairly be attributed to the influence
exerted through its columns. Its editor has for some years acted on the
Board of License Commissioners, an office he preferred to accepting
municipal honours. The paper has been treated to a new “dress” of type
during the past year, and the proprietor contemplates putting in new
machinery at an early date. A very complete job office is connected with
the other plant, with which a good business is done.
THE ROYAL HOTEL, Newmarket, A. K. McKinnon, proprietor. This well-known
and popular hotel is one of the best in the locality, and is
well-patronized by the travelling public, every accommodation and good
attendance being among its characteristics.
J. H. WIDDIFIELD, M.D., M.R.C.S., London, England, L.R.C.P., Edinburgh,
Scotland, M.P.P., was born at Maple Grove Farm in Whitchurch Township in
1845. He has represented the North Riding of York in the Ontario
Legislature in the Reform interest since 1875, and at the last election
held in February, 1884, he was returned with a majority of eight hundred
and fifty-four. Dr. Widdifield is a Justice of the Peace, and formerly,
for several years, held the office of Coroner for the County of York.
JOHN WILSON, boot and shoe merchant, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland,
and emigrated to Canada in 1846. He came to Upper Canada and located in
York County, taking up his residence in Newmarket. He opened a store
near the old Post-office, but was afterwards burned out, his loss
exceeding $2,500. He took possession of his present store in the fall of
1884, where his attention to business promises a large custom, which is
certainly deserved. Mr. Wilson was married in 1849 to Miss Ellen Tardy,
a native of Wexford, Ireland, by whom he had six children. Henry Wilson
is the fourth son in order of the family of John Wilson, and is at
present in business with his father. Their store on the west side of
Main Street is one well-known, and both father and son have business
qualifications of a high order.
A. M. WOOD, photographer, is a native of Springfield, New York State,
and came to Canada in 1856. Previous to his settlement in Newmarket in
1868, he worked in Simcoe County at different points along the Northern
Railway. Since locating in Newmarket Mr. Wood has taken considerable
interest in matters relating to the social welfare of the inhabitants,
especially in the cause of temperance, and at present holds the
Presidency of the District Association. He is also connected with the
Masonic Order and formerly occupied the position of Master of Richmond
Hill Lodge. He was married to Miss Henrietta Victoria Selby, of East
Gwillimbury, by whom he has a family of four children.
TOWNSHIP OF EAST GWILLIMBURY.
JAMES H. AYLWARD, postmaster and merchant, Queensville, is the son of
the late James Aylward, and was born in the Village of Queensville. His
father was a native of Ireland, and emigrated to Canada in 1822. He
located in York County, and for the first four years taught school in
Scarboro’ Township, and was afterwards engaged as general merchant,
which business he carried on to within a short time of his death in
1875. The mother of James H. was Miss Belfry, daughter of the late Jacob
Belfry, an early settler in this township. The subject of this sketch is
the only surviving member of their family, and succeeded to his father’s
business, and also the office of Postmaster. He deals in boots and shoes
and patent medicines. Mr. Aylward has been twice married; first to Emma
J. Hill, whose death occurred October 17, 1872. He was married to his
present wife in December 13, 1883; she was Miss Marion Stokes, daughter
of John T. Stokes, of Sharon.
WILLIAM JAMES BEATON, blacksmith, was born in the Township of Pickering,
Ontario County, in 1859. His father was born in Scotland in 1800, and
came to Canada at an early day, and has occupied the position of
Township Clerk and Treasurer of Pickering for upwards of forty years.
William James is one of a family of five children; he learned the trade
of blacksmith with Mr. William Mosgrove, of Brougham, and has since
carried on that business in Markham. He was married in 1882 to Miss
Minnie Woodruff.
EDWARD BRAMMER, merchant, Sharon, was born in Sharon Village. His father
was the late Edward Brammer, who emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in
1836, and the following year was taken prisoner for taking part in
Mackenzie’s Rebellion, but was afterwards released. He was a blacksmith
by trade, which business he followed to within a short time before his
death in October, 1872. The maiden name of our subject’s mother was
Hannah Scales; she died in 1882. Edward succeeded his father in the
blacksmith business, which he carried on for about ten years. In 1882 he
bought the store which he now conducts, where he is doing a satisfactory
and improving business. Mr. Brammer was married in March, 1867, to Emily
Agar, daughter of Henry Agar of this township.
WILLIAM BRODIE, proprietor of the steam pump works, Franklin, is a
native of Scotland, and emigrated to this country in 1856. His father is
John Brodie, who located with his family first in Toronto, and after
three years residence there removed to the Township of Scarboro’ where
he resided about seven years. He subsequently settled in this section,
where he has been engaged in the manufacture of pumps. He took
possession of his present establishment in 1877, and turns out on an
average about one thousand five hundred pumps and wind-engines per
annum.
JOHN CURRIE, lot 5, concession 3, is of English birth, and came with his
people to Canada in 1830. His father, Thomas Currie, on his arrival in
York County, fixed his residence in Newmarket, where he lived for many
years, and subsequently died in East Gwillimbury in 1879, at the age of
ninety-one years. His mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Parker; she
died in the year 1868. John Currie started for himself on a farm
belonging to his father, afterwards receiving from him one hundred
acres. He located upon his present farm a few years later, and married
in 1885 Elizabeth Porter, of English birth.
ELIAS DOAN, lot 11, concession 3, was born in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, in 1805, being the son of the late Ebenezer Doan, who
brought his family to Canada in 1813. Elias married in 1829 Wait Wilson,
daughter of the late Hugh Wilson; his family consisted of three sons and
five daughters. A. T. Doan, son of the above, was born in Sharon. He
went to California, where he remained about thirteen years and then
returned to Canada, and has since been living on the old homestead in
this township. He was married in 1828 to Angelina McCarty, daughter of
the late R. McCarty, of this section.
DAVID DOAN, lots 13 and 14, concession 3, was born on the farm where he
now resides, and is the son of the late Ebenezer Doan, a native of
Pennsylvania, who came to Canada about the year 1808, and settled first
in the Township of Whitchurch, York County, where he resided about ten
years. He moved from Whitchurch to this section about 1818, where he
lived until his death in 1866, at the age of ninety-three years. Mr.
David Doan has been twice married, first to Sarah Quibbell; three sons
and one daughter survive this union. In 1875 he married Jane Anderson.
ALLEN GRAHAM, lots 1 and 2, concession 8, is a native of Yorkshire,
England, and came out to Canada in 1842 in company with his parents. The
family were by trade spinners and weavers, and unaccustomed to farm
life, consequently on settling on uncleared land they found the labour
and hardship more than usually severe. Their success may be taken for
granted when about one thousand four hundred acres of land altogether
are possessed by two brothers in different parts of the county. The
father died in 1860, at the age of eighty-eight, and for some years
after this event Allen and his brother Benjamin were in partnership,
combining farming with the business of wool manufacturing. Mr. Graham
is, however, now alone, and owns altogether about six hundred and forty
acres in this township and eighty acres in Whitchurch, his brother
Benjamin being in possession of the remainder of the property.
WILLIAM GRAHAM, lot 10, concession 2, was born in the State of New York,
near the Mohawk River, and came to Canada with his people when a child.
His father, the late William Graham, was a native of Ireland, and
settled first in New York State on his arrival in America. In the year
1811 he came to York County, U. C., and settling in concession 3 of East
Gwillimbury resided there until his death. Mr. Graham, sen’r, was
married in Ireland to Esther Reid, who survived her husband some time;
four sons and four daughters were the issue of their union. William, on
starting for himself, purchased a bush farm on concession 2 of this
township, on which he remained until 1868, when he retired from active
life, and has since been living in the Village of Sharon. He was married
in 1833 to Elizabeth Doan, daughter of the late John Doan, a pioneer of
this township; they have two sons and three daughters. Mr. Graham took
an active part in the Rebellion of 1837, and after the disbandment of
Mackenzie’s forces was taken prisoner and confined for a short time in a
church at Newmarket, afterwards being released on bail.
GEORGE HAIGH, proprietor of the woollen-mills, Mount Albert Post-office,
was born in East Gwillimbury Township, being the son of the late David
Haigh, who emigrated to this country from Yorkshire, England, in 1841,
and settled in this township, where he died in 1844. George was the only
son of his father’s family (which consisted only of a son and daughter),
and commenced the woollen business at Mount Albert in 1870 under the
firm name of Graham & Haigh, which business was continued in this manner
for six years, when Mr. Haigh retired and followed farming for four
years. In 1880 he again took charge of the woollen-mill, and has since
successfully conducted the business and employs about ten hands. His
manufactures include tweeds, flannels, blankets, etc. Mr. Haigh married
Jane, daughter of William Mainprize, of this township.
SAMUEL HARRIS, deceased, was born in New Jersey State, and came to
Canada before the War of 1812. He settled in Uxbridge Township, Ontario
County, and during the war, not wishing to take up arms against his
American countrymen, he was fined by the British Government. He came to
East Gwillimbury Township in 1816 and conducted a blacksmith’s business
for six years, subsequently returning to Uxbridge, where he owned five
hundred acres of land, and lived there until 1829. He then came back to
East Gwillimbury and bought one hundred and fifty acres in concession 2,
where he resided until his death in 1872. He married Susan Chapnen, born
in Pennsylvania, whose death occurred in 1858; three sons and one
daughter survive them, of whom one son, Israel, resides on the old
homestead. The latter married in 1836 Sarah Doan, daughter of Ebenezer
Doan, of this township, by whom he has a family of eight children; four
sons and one daughter are now living.
BROOKS W. HOWARD, lot 4, concession 2, is one of three sons, the only
surviving members of a family of nine children born to Stephen and Tammy
(Foster) Howard. The family originally came from Connecticut, U. S.,
where the father was born in 1781. The late Stephen Howard came to
Canada in 1801 and settled on Yonge Street, where he resided until his
death in 1840. There was no road when he came, they being obliged to
follow the Indian trail. Our subject’s mother was from the Black River
region, New York State, was afflicted with chronic rheumatism and not
able to walk the last forty-five years of her life; she died in 1869.
Brooks W. was born in this township, west of Yonge Street, on concession
1. He was married in 1839 to Amelia Wakefield, daughter of T. B.
Wakefield, a native of Vermont, U. S., who came to this township at an
early day; she died in 1874. Mr. Howard married again in 1876, his
second wife being Elizabeth Philips, a native of East Gwillimbury, by
whom he has one son and one daughter.
STEPHEN HOWARD, lot 101, concession 1, was born on the family homestead,
being the third surviving son of the late Stephen Howard. He was married
in 1848 to Jane Millard, daughter of the late John Millard, a pioneer of
York County; the issue of their union is three sons and four daughters.
A. J. HUGHES, lot 11, concession 3, is the son of the late Job Hughes,
and grandson of Amos Hughes, who emigrated from Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, as early as 1805, and coming to York County, U. C.,
settled in King Township, where Job, the father of the subject of our
sketch, was born. The family removed to the Village of Hope, since
called Sharon, in the Township of East Gwillimbury, where Amos, the
grandfather, died. Job Hughes came to East Gwillimbury along with his
parents in 1818, where he lived until his death in 1875. Our subject’s
mother was Elizabeth Thorpe, of Irish birth, who died in 1882; four sons
and one daughter survive them. A. J. Hughes was born on the old
homestead, where he has all his life resided. He married Martha D.
Philips, daughter of David Philips, whose father, Dr. Samuel E. Philips,
came from Pennsylvania in 1800.
W. H. HUNTER, merchant, Mount Albert, is a native of the village where
he resides, being a son of the late Robert Hunter. The latter was of
Irish parentage and came to Mount Albert in 1844, the locality at that
time being entirely bush. In 1850 he built and conducted the first store
in the village, and two years later took possession of an adjoining
store which he continued to carry on for twelve years. He then retired
for four years, subsequently erecting the store and establishing the
business now conducted by his son, W. H. He died in 1875. The mother’s
maiden name was Maria Shuttleworth; W. H. and his brother are the only
surviving children.
JAMES KAVANAGH, auctioneer and agricultural implement agent,
Queensville, was born in Sharon Village, being the son of the late James
and Elizabeth Kavanagh. His parents came from Ireland at an early day,
and settled in York County, his father being shot at the Battle on Yonge
Street, near Montgomery’s Tavern, during the Mackenzie Rebellion, dying
from his wound shortly afterwards. James has resided in this township
all his lifetime. He first kept hotel at Sharon for several years and
afterwards for a time in this village. He has been in his present line
of business about twenty-five years. He was married in 1854 to Maria
Barker, daughter of the late John and Mary Barker, who lived in this
section, having emigrated from England; their family consists of three
sons and three daughters.
JOHN H. KAVANAGH, merchant and postmaster, Sharon, was born November 10,
1833, in the village where he now resides. His father, James Kavanagh,
was born in the County Down, Ireland, in 1785; he was a soldier in the
British Army, and was killed at the Battle on Yonge Street, during the
Rebellion of 1837. The mother of John H. was Elizabeth Darling, a native
of Ireland also; born in 1787; she died in Rochester, N.Y., in 1874. The
subject of this sketch was one of a family of seven children, and was
educated at School Section, No. 4, East Gwillimbury. He commenced life
as carpenter and joiner, which business he followed for a number of
years. During the Civil War in the United States he joined the Federal
Army and enlisted in the 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry. He is at
present acting as Postmaster of his native village, and also conducts a
store. He was married at Sharon in 1861 to Eliza Ryan, who was born in
County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1837; he has four children by this union,
viz.: Elizabeth, James, Mary and Adeline. He is a Liberal in politics.
CHARLES E. LUNDY, lot 102, concession 1, east of Yonge Street, whose
place of birth is the farm he now owns and occupies, is the son of the
late Jacob Lundy. Mr. Lundy, sen’r, was born in this township on an
adjoining lot, his father, Israel Lundy, having emigrated from Lycoming
County, Penn., and settled there in 1805, and built mills, subsequently
removing to Sharon, where he died in 1846. Jacob Lundy lived with his
people until he reached the age of twenty-five (1824), when he bought
and settled upon a tract of uncleared land (the same farm being now
occupied by Charles E.), where he lived until his death in 1878, at the
age of sixty-nine years. The mother of the subject of this sketch was
Hannah Doan, daughter of Ebenezer Doan, who emigrated from Bucks County,
Penn., in 1808. Charles E., the mother and three sisters are the
survivors of the family. The former has always resided at the homestead,
which he received by will from his father, and consists of seventy-five
acres, in addition to which he owns one hundred and twenty-five acres on
lot 8, concession 2 of this section. His father, Jacob Lundy, was with
Mackenzie’s forces during the Rebellion of 1837, and was held a prisoner
for a short time.
CHARLES LUNDY, lot 1, concession 2, farmer and machinist, is the son of
the late Samuel Lundy, who, with his parents, settled in concession 4 of
Whitchurch, at the beginning of the present century. His father married
in 1838 Hannah Star, who is still living; their family consisted of five
sons and three daughters. Samuel Lundy died in 1860. Charles resided at
the old homestead until 1863, when he bought and settled upon his
present farm which he continues assiduously to cultivate.
JOHN CALVER MCCARTHY, lot 2, concession 3, was born upon the farm he at
present owns. His father, the late R. McCarthy, was born in Rensselaer
County, New York State, in 1809, and in 1825 came to Canada. He was only
a boy at the time, and almost destitute, walked all the way from
Kingston to York. He was variously employed for several years and
eventually bought and settled upon the farm located as above. His first
purchase was fifty acres from the Crown, to which he added another fifty
acres which he purchased from his father, George McCarthy, who came to
Canada some time after his son. John Calver, two sisters and his mother
survive the father. John C. married in 1877 Margaret, daughter of John
Hooper, of this township; she died in May, 1884.
MRS. B. F. MORRISON, lot 1, concession 2, is the daughter of the late
Joseph Kinsey. Her father was born in this section and was the son of
James Kinsey, who came from Pennsylvania at an early day, and settled on
lot 3, east of Yonge Street, in this township, where he resided until
his death. Joseph Kinsey was married in 1828 to Clarissa Arnold, who was
born in the United States; both died in the year 1835. Mrs. Morrison is
one of two daughters who survived their parents; she was married in 1851
to B. F. Morrison, of Youngstown, Niagara County, N. Y., and son of
Major Morrison, of that place; their family consists of four sons and
three daughters, who are located at various places from the homestead to
the Pacific Coast.
W. MORLEY, proprietor of the grist-mill lately erected at Mount Albert,
is a native of Sussex, England, and came with his people to Canada in
1832. They settled first in Perth County, where they lived until the
death of the father. Mr. Morley has a grist and saw-mill at Baden,
Waterloo County. His present mill in East Gwillimbury has three run of
stones; the main building is 30 x 40 x 37 feet, with another structure
38 x 30 feet; the machinery is driven by a fifty horse-power engine. Mr.
Morley married Rachael Coe, of Waterloo County.
T. T. MORTON, proprietor of the general store, Queensville, is the son
of Silas Morton, now living in Michigan, U. S. His father and
grandfather were the first to settle in North Gwillimbury, where they
located about 1820; the grandfather died there. His father resided on
the old homestead until he arrived at maturity, and then purchased lot
18, concession 5, North Gwillimbury, where T. T. Morton, our subject,
was born, and which farm is now owned by the latter. Mr. Morton, sen’r,
remained on the farm until 1870, when he moved to Michigan. The mother
of our subject was Annie Sinclair, who died in 1882. T. T. Morton is one
of a family of eight children, and on leaving home engaged in farming in
Simcoe County. He subsequently settled upon a farm in this township, and
was afterwards engaged in the mercantile business in Ontario County. In
1883 he located in Queensville, and established the business in which he
is at present engaged. He married in 1867 Sarah Huntly, of North
Gwillimbury Township.
JAMES PARNHAM, lot 106, concession 1, was born in Nottinghamshire,
England, in 1822, and came to Canada with his mother and stepfather when
only ten years of age. On their arrival in Toronto in 1832 his mother
died from cholera. Subsequently the family went to Newmarket and
afterwards to East Gwillimbury, where our subject’s stepfather, George
Foster, resided until his death. James, on leaving home, went to live
with a sister in Pickering Township, with whom he remained about one
year. He then learned the trade of carding and cloth-dressing at
Ellerby’s mill, East Gwillimbury, a vocation he followed ten years. He
then bought one hundred and forty acres of land, on which he now lives,
and to this he has since added another hundred acres, owning now about
two hundred and fifty acres of land. Mr. Parnham occupied the position
of Reeve of East Gwillimbury for eight years, and was Warden of the
County for one year, 1870; these offices he held between 1860 and 1870.
He was married to Miss Wright, daughter of George Wright, of Yonge
Street, East Gwillimbury; they have one daughter living, having lost
their only son when about five years of age.
B. F. PEARSON, M.D., Queensville, derives his descent from a family who
originally came from Pennsylvania. The grandfather, Benjamin Pearson,
came to Canada in 1797, and settled the same year in King Township, York
County, where he died in 1817. Of his family only one son, Benjamin P.,
survives; he is living in Aurora. Nathaniel, deceased, another son, was
the father of the subject of this notice. He resided on the old
homestead until 1825, when he married Martha W. Watson, daughter of
William Watson, one of the early settlers of Whitchurch Township.
Nathaniel died in 1880 and his wife died in 1867; two sons and one
daughter are all that survive of a family of eight children. B. F. lived
on the homestead with his parents until 1860. He spent about three years
teaching, and afterwards attended the Victoria Medical College, Toronto,
where he graduated, and soon after commenced practising in the Village
of Queensville. He was married in 1870 to Mary Wilson, daughter of the
late William H. Wilson, of Sharon.
PHILIP PENTZ, proprietor of the grist-mill, Pine Hill, is the son of the
late Peter Pentz, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to this country at
an early day and settled in Lloydtown. He afterwards returned to the
States, where he died in 1842. Philip learned his business in Lloydtown,
and afterwards engaged in milling in various parts of the country. He
acquired a lease of the above-mentioned mills in 1881, and has since
conducted the business. The mill is worked both by steam and
water-power, and has three run of stones, doing a large custom business.
He was married in 1861 to Catharine Lundy, daughter of Reuben Lundy, of
this township.
DANIEL PEREGINE, lot 21, concession 1, was born in England in 1814, and
came to Canada with his people when an infant. His father, John
Peregine, settled in York County and remained near Toronto about three
years, and in 1818 removed to Georgina Township, where he drew land from
the Government, and erected the first dwelling-house in that township.
He resided there twelve years, and in 1839 sold out and bought the farm
where Daniel now lives. He died in 1859; his wife, whose maiden name was
Catharine Thomas, followed him three years later. Daniel is one of a
family of two sons and one daughter who survive their parents. He
married in 1837 Martha Wilson, daughter of the late Titus Wilson, of
this section. Mr. Peregine cultivates one hundred and fifty acres. R. F.
Peregine, son of the above, resides on the old homestead. He has been
twice married, first to Priscilla Defoe, of Belleville, in 1875. His
present wife, to whom he was married in 1878, was Hannah Holgate, of
Belleville.
A. F. PRINGLE, M.D., and proprietor of drug store, Mount Albert, is a
native of Lennox County, being the son of Wm. Anson Pringle. His
grandfather, Joseph Pringle, was a U. E. Loyalist, and was amongst the
first settlers in Lennox County; he located in Fredericksburg Township,
where he lived until his death. Dr. Pringle was, for many years, a
school teacher, and spent ten years in Waterloo County in that capacity.
He received his professional education at Trinity College, Toronto, and
obtained his degree in 1882. He practised for a time with his brother at
Wellandport, and, in 1883, bought the drug business of Dr. Hamill and
commenced the practice of medicine in this district.
HARRISON PROCTOR, lot 98, concession 1, was born on lot 100, concession
1 of this township, and is the fifth son of the late Henry Proctor. Both
his parents died when he was quite young. He resided on what had been
his father’s farm until he was twenty-five years of age, after which he
was engaged in farming in different places. He subsequently bought a
small farm on Yonge Street, which he afterwards sold and bought the one
where he now resides. He was married in 1853 to Mary A. Millard,
daughter of the late John Millard; they have one son who is now in
charge of the homestead. Mrs. Proctor’s grandfather, Timothy Millard,
was a pioneer of Whitchurch.
ISAAC PROCTOR, concession 1, west of Yonge Street, in East Gwillimbury
Township. His father, Henry Proctor, was born near Boston, U. S., and
settled in York Township in 1800 on the same farm where he, Isaac, was
born, and where he lived until his death. Of six sons and twelve
daughters who survive him, Isaac is the eldest. Isaac resided on the old
homestead until 1840, when he purchased a farm in King Township, where
he remained until 1876; he then moved to his present location.
JOHN SALTER, lot 12, concession 2, was born near Bath, in Somersetshire,
England, and came to Canada in 1851. He settled first at Holland
Landing, where he remained about thirteen years, and followed his trade
of carpenter. He next settled on lot 108, east of Yonge Street, and
engaged in farming, subsequently removing to lot 11, concession 2, where
he remained until 1872. He then bought the farm of one hundred and
eighty acres, west part of lots 12 and 13, concession 2, where he has
since resided. Mr. Salter has been twice married, his first union being
with Mary Greenhill, whose death took place in 1863; one daughter
survives her. His present wife’s maiden name was Rachel Wright, daughter
of the late George Wright, of this township, who came originally from
England. He has two sons and two daughters by this marriage.
SAMUEL SHUTTLEWORTH, lot 9, concession 8, is a native of Lincolnshire,
England, and emigrated to Canada in 1834. Soon after his arrival in York
County he settled on his present farm in East Gwillimbury. He was a
pioneer of this section, and came through the woods all the way from
Newmarket, following an Indian trail. He has very much improved his
property both in the way of cultivation as well as in the erection of
buildings. He married in 1838 Nancy Malts, a native of County Donegal,
Ireland.
STEEPER & WOODCOCK, proprietors of saw, planing and shingle-mills, and
sash, door and blind factory, Mount Albert. This firm is composed of S.
Woodcock and Messrs. P. & J. Steeper, and was established in 1883. The
planing mill has been running for about eleven years, the business at
first being carried on by Woodcock and Grindall, the firm name having
been changed several times since then. The working capacity of the
saw-mill is about twenty thousand feet per day. The firm are also
builders and contractors, and are prepared to fulfil all contracts of
that class. Messrs. Steeper Brothers are natives of Lincolnshire,
England, and came to Canada in their youth. Their father, David Steeper,
settled in Markham Township, where he resided many years, and has only
lately removed to this section. The mill building has a frontage of 60 x
50 feet.
ISAAC TOOL, lots 4 and 5, concession 8, is descended from a family of
Welsh origin. His father, the late Moses Tool, was born in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, and came to Canada with his parents Aaron and Rachel
(Howard) Tool in 1799. They located near Niagara two years, and then
came to York County, settling in Whitchurch Township on a tract of land
drawn from Government (lot 29, concession 4), where the old people
resided until their death. In 1827 Moses Tool took possession of the
farm in this township now occupied by Isaac; it then consisted of four
hundred acres, which is now divided, a part being in the hands of Lewis
Tool. When the late Mr. Tool first came here but three settlers were
located at that end of the section. He died in the year 1882, at the age
of eighty-eight years, having survived his wife twenty-two years. His
wife’s people were of Welsh origin and U. E. Loyalists, and came from
New Brunswick at an early day. Isaac, the subject of this sketch, is one
of a family of four sons and one daughter, and was born on the old
homestead in Whitchurch Township. He has been thrice married, his first
union being with Jerusha Burchard, who died eight years later; she was
the mother of five children, only one survived her; this daughter died
some time after. His second marriage was with Elizabeth S. Brown, which
event took place in 1870; she died in 1876, leaving one son. Mr. Tool’s
present wife was Hannah J. Brown, to whom he was married in 1879.
LEWIS TOOL, lot 4, concession 8, was born on the farm on which he now
resides, being the only son of the late Lewis Tool, whose death occurred
by an accident from a threshing-machine in 1851. His family consisted of
a son and a daughter. Mr. Tool inherited his farm from his grandfather,
the late Moses Tool. His mother is still living.
W. J. TURNER, general merchant, Queensville, is a native of Newtonbrook,
Ireland, and came to Toronto in 1854. He had learned the trade of
shoemaker at home which he followed for two years after his arrival
here; he then left Toronto, and established himself as a general
merchant in Queensville, which he continued for a number of years. He
subsequently bought and lived upon a farm in Grey County, and in 1879
returned to Queensville, and after putting in a new stock of goods
opened the store which he has since conducted. Mr. Turner has been twice
married, his first wife being Eleanor Todd, of King Township; she died
in October, 1873, leaving two sons and one daughter, all of whom are now
in Manitoba. His second marriage was in April, 1884, to Mrs. G. Stiles,
of Queensville, born at Port Perry, whose maiden name was Rosanna Brown.
JOSHUA WELDON, shoemaker, Queensville, was born in Biddleford, England,
and came to Canada in 1855. He came to York County, and settled in this
village, in 1858, where he has since carried on the business of
shoemaker. He married in 1863 Charlotte A. Marles, daughter of Samuel
Marles, of this township; they have five sons and four daughters.
HUGH D. WILSON, farmer, Sharon Post-office, is the son of the late David
Wilson, and was born in 1802, where the Village of Sharon now stands.
Mr. Wilson was formerly a Custom House Officer, which position he
occupied about twenty years, the remainder of his life has been spent in
Sharon. He was married in 1823 to Phœbe Wilson, daughter of W. H.
Wilson; they have two sons and two daughters.
DAVID L. WILSON, lot 6, concession 2, is the son of Israel Wilson, and
grandson of David Wilson, who founded the Church of Davidites or
Children of Peace at Sharon. David Wilson, sen’r, came from the State of
New York about 1801, and settled with his family in what is now Sharon
Village, Israel, the father of David L., being then an infant. Israel
lived on the homestead until some time after his marriage with Mary
Hughes, daughter of Amos Hughes, a pioneer of this township, and in 1841
settled upon the farm now owned by David L. The latter is the youngest
in a family of four children, and has always lived on the old homestead,
which he received from his father. He was married in 1869 to Eliza J.
Stokes, daughter of John T. Stokes, of Sharon.
RODNEY WILSON, lots 13 and 14, concession 3, was born on the farm where
he now lives, being the son of John H., and grandson of Hugh D. Wilson,
who came to Canada in 1812, and took up their residence in North
Gwillimbury. His mother was Rebecca Barr, who died at the age of
seventy-two years. Rodney lived for twelve years on concession 5, and
took up his residence on the old homestead in the fall of 1882. He
married in 1857 Adeline McCarty, daughter of R. McCarty, an early
settler in this township, by whom he had one child, a daughter.
TOWNSHIP OF NORTH GWILLIMBURY.
WILLIAM R. ARDELL, lot 10, Lake concession, was born in King’s County,
Ireland, in the year 1827, and emigrated to Canada in 1848. On his
arrival he settled in North Gwillimbury on the lot which he at present
owns. He was married in the year 1857 to Louisa Ann Knowlton, by whom he
had nine children, six of whom are still living. The country generally
was in a wild state when Mr. Ardell first came, there being no roads at
all, and no school nearer than Bellhaven.
JAMES ALDOM, lot 19, concession 6, was born in Gloucestershire, England,
and emigrated to Canada in 1847 with his parents, being at that time
very young. His father, Edwin Aldom, is still living and enjoys good
health, being now seventy-six years of age. His mother’s maiden name was
Annis Nicolls; she also is living, and is in her seventy-eighth year.
James is one of a family of four children, three of whom are living and
married, being also in good circumstances. The district, when the family
first settled there, was extremely wild, and around the lonely
farm-house the wolves howled through the night, awakening them from
their hard-earned slumbers and making them feel more than ever how
distant they were from a civilized community. The country is changed
now, however, and what was once a wilderness is now a rich and
productive soil. Towards this result Mr. Aldom has contributed his
share, and by his industry and prudence has made himself a comfortable
and well-furnished home. The family are members of the English Church.
JOHN CONNER, lot 13, concession 6, is the son of John and Hannah Conner.
He married Miss Latham, daughter of John and Lydia Latham of North
Gwillimbury, by whom he had the following children: Albert, born August
7, 1861; Hannah Victoria, born January 1, 1863; Lydia, born 1865; Jane,
born 1866; Sarah Jane, born 1868; Polly Ann, born May 10, 1869; Thomas
Wilmot, born October 4, 1870; Emma, born March 4, 1873; Martha, born May
15, 1876.
JOSEPH D. DAVIDSON, lot 14, concession 6, was born in the Township of
Brock, Ontario County, of Scotch parentage, in the year 1849. He removed
to Newmarket in 1856, and remained in that neighbourhood about ten
years, from which place he came to North Gwillimbury. He has lived on
the farm where he now resides for the past twelve years, and was married
in 1872 to Eliza Sheppard, daughter of Richard Sheppard, sen’r, one of
the old pioneers of the township; they have six children, all of whom
are living. Mr. Davidson has been a member of the Township Council for
several years, and, in addition to the interest he takes in local
government, has contributed not a little to the progress and welfare of
the section by the attention he gives to the breeding of Shorthorn
cattle, of which he has a very fine herd. By enterprise and industry he
has succeeded in establishing for himself a good reputation among his
neighbours, and his comfortable home is due to his own labour and his
appreciation of what is required for the best comforts of his family.
THOMAS GLOVER, lot 1, concession 5, is a native of Loftus, Cleveland,
Yorkshire, England, and was born on January 1, 1811. He emigrated to
Canada in the year 1831, and coming to York County located in the
neighbourhood of Newmarket. He purchased land in the Township of North
Gwillimbury in 1845, which at that time was perfect bush, there being
only cow-paths to do duty for roads, and no mill nearer than Newmarket.
Mr. Glover was one of the first five Councillors elected for the
township. He was married in the year 1835 to Margaret Garbot, by whom he
had nine children, seven of whom are living.
SAMUEL KING, lot 1, concession 5, was born in England, and came to
Canada in 1856. He first located at Woodstock, where he remained six
years, after which he rented a farm in East Gwillimbury for ten years,
subsequently purchasing a hotel at Ravenshoe, which he has since
continued to conduct. He was married in England to Miss Charlotte Short,
by whom he has had eleven children, eight of whom are still living.
LOUISA MANN, lots 16 and 17, concession 5, was born in the Township of
North Gwillimbury in the year 1827. Her maiden name was Louisa Prossor,
being a daughter of John Prossor, Esq. The latter was one of the leading
men in the township in the early days and was commissioned a Justice of
the Peace; his fatherly advice whilst acting in that capacity is still
remembered by many in the section. He was an elder of the Christian
Church, and was a devoted and consistent member. He died about the year
1852, deeply regretted by all the old settlers. Mrs. Mann was married in
1844 to Darius Mann; they had a family of five children, four of whom
are living.
SQUIRE MORTON, deceased, was born in the United States and emigrated to
Canada with his parents, Simeon and Elizabeth (Squires) Morton, in 1801.
He was then three years of age, and continued to reside on the homestead
until 1817, when he married Sybelia, daughter of Darius Mann. He first
settled in North Gwillimbury, subsequently removing to concession 4 of
East Gwillimbury Township. His family consisted of ten children—four
sons and six daughters; by industry and perseverance he secured for them
a comfortable home. He was a man of strong religious convictions, and in
the capacity of minister for the Canadian Christian Church did a great
deal of good in his section. He died in 1867, at the age of seventy
years. Darius Morton, lot 8, concession 5, the second son of the above,
was born on May 19, 1820, and lived with his parents until twenty-one
years of age. In commencing life for himself, he settled on the farm in
North Gwillimbury Township, which he still occupies. He married Deborah
Phœbe, daughter of Captain N. McArthur, of Ameliasburg, Ontario, by whom
he had three sons and four daughters. On the death of his first wife he
married her sister, Elizabeth McArthur; he has two sons and one daughter
by his present wife.
EDWARD ROSS, lot 12, concession 5, was born in North Gwillimbury
Township in the year 1839. He was married in 1858; no issue.
RICHARD SHEPPERD, lot 16, concession 5, was born in King’s County,
Ireland, and emigrated to Canada in 1827, settling in North Gwillimbury
the same year. At that time the absence of roads, schools, churches and
other elements of civilization added greatly to the inconvenience and
labour of the early settler. Mr. Shepperd was married in 1836 to Chloe
Willingsby, by whom he had sixteen children, twelve of whom are still
living.
GEORGE TOMLINSON, lot 15, concession 2, is the son of George and Mary
(Garlic) Tomlinson, who came to Canada in 1831, and located in this
section the year following. His father died June 30, 1859, his mother
died July 3, 1854. Their family consisted of four sons and one daughter.
George remained at home until he was twenty-two years of age; he then
commenced for himself, and after locating in two or three different
parts of the section, finally settled on his present lot. He has
acquired other lands besides that which he resides on, and owns about
eight hundred and sixty acres in the township. He married Miss Mitchell
in the year 1836, by whom he has had nine children, seven of whom
survive; their names being as follow; Sarah Ann, born October 4, 1837,
died February 19, 1884; Ezery Bartlett, born November 23, 1839; Mary
Jane, born May 3, 1842; Priscilla P. T., born June 17, 1846; Hannah L.,
born April 26, 1848; Ida, born July 11, 1851, died February 6, 1855;
Elizabeth, born January 4, 1854; Isabella, born July 14, 1856, and
George W., born March 28, 1859. Mr. Tomlinson has been a member of the
Council for several years. He is a regular attendant of the Methodist
Church, and has given largely towards the erection of churches in the
section.
R. M. VAN NORMAN, merchant, Keswick P. O., was born in North Gwillimbury
in 1845. His father, David Van Norman, was born near Kingston in 1815,
and is still living. His mother’s maiden name was Eunice Crittenden, who
was born in North Gwillimbury in 1820, and died in 1857. Our subject is
one of a family of twelve children, and began life as a farmer. He
afterwards established his present business, and was appointed
Postmaster of Keswick in 1873. In 1880 Mr. Van Norman was elected a
member of the Township Council, and was Reeve for 1884. He has always
taken great interest in matters municipal. He belongs to the Christian
Church, and is a Reformer in politics.
SAMUEL WINCH, lots 18 and 19, concession 4, was born in this township in
the year 1829, and in 1850 was married to Ann Williams; they have a
family of seven children, who are all living. Mr. Winch, by industry and
perseverance, has succeeded in making a comfortable home for himself and
family.
ALFRED WYNDHAM was born in Dorsetshire, England, in 1837. His father,
Alexander W. Wyndham, was born in Dinton, Wiltshire, England; and held
the rank of Captain in the famous Dragoon Regiment known as the Scots
Greys; he died in January, 1869. His mother’s maiden name was Emma
Trevelyan, a native of Somersetshire, England; she died in 1857. Alfred
was one in a family of nine children, and was educated at the Sherbourne
(England) Grammar School, and the Gosport Naval School. He served in the
Wiltshire Militia as Lieutenant during the Crimean War. Mr. Wyndham was
married in Toronto in 1859 to Caroline Elizabeth Stuart, who was born in
London in 1837; they have ten children, viz.; Alexander, Agnes Stuart,
Walter, Trevelyan, Ernest Alfred, Spencer, Charles Wadham, Beatrice Ida,
Julia, Mary Sophia and John Stuart. Mr. Wyndham is Lieutenant-Colonel of
the 12th Battalion York Rangers. He is a Conservative in politics, and
an adherent of the English Church.
TOWNSHIP OF GEORGINA.
JAMES BAINE, lot 10, concession 1, is the son of Samuel Baine, who
emigrated from the County of Antrim in the year 1832, and coming to York
County, Upper Canada, settled in Toronto. He moved to the Township of
Scott in 1849, where he brought up his family. The mother of James was
Jane Bone, of English parentage.
KENNETH CAMERON, lots 10 and 11, concession 4, was formerly a
non-commissioned officer in the 93rd (Sutherland) Highlanders. He
emigrated to Canada in 1838, and locating first in Toronto was there
married to Mary Murray. He subsequently moved to the Township of Thora,
Ontario County, and from there to Georgina, where by industry and hard
work he has succeeded in accumulating a very comfortable property. He
had ten children born to him, eight of whom are living and in good
positions.
MURDOCK S. CHAPMAN, lot 1, concession 4, was born in the Township of
Georgina, York County, in 1852. He is a son of Mr. Seth Chapman.
RICHARD CROMSBERRY, lot 15, concession 7, was born in the Township of
Georgina in 1859, on the farm he at present occupies. In the year 1881
he married Alice Ann, eldest daughter of Richard Dalton, J.P., Georgina
Township. His father, Benjamin Cromsberry, emigrated from Limerick,
Ireland, in the year 1848, and settled first in the Township of Brock,
afterwards settling in Georgina. His mother’s name was Matilda Jackson.
ARTHUR DOIDGE, lot 15, concession 5, was born in Devonshire, England,
1828, and emigrated to Canada in 1855. He came at once to York County,
and located in Sutton Village, from which place he removed to
Queensville. He afterwards occupied lot 11, concession 5 of Georgina
Township, where he remained fifteen years, and subsequently took
possession of the lot where he now resides. He has had the usual
hardships to contend with, which fall to the lot of the pioneer; but, by
perseverance, industry and economy, has got together a comfortable home.
Mr. Doidge was married before he left England to Margaret Honey, of
Plymouth, by whom he has twelve children, seven only are living.
MARK KAY, lot 7, concession 6, is the son of Joseph Kay, who emigrated
from near Hull, Yorkshire, England, in 1829. Mr. Kay, sen’r, married in
England, his family consisted of fourteen children, twelve of whom are
still living. On his arrival in York County he settled in Georgina
Township, and had in the early days to go all the way to Holland Landing
to the nearest grist-mill.
PETER LAVIOLETTE, lots 23 and 25, concession 7, was born in the Village
of Sorel, Quebec Province, in the year 1823. In 1833 his father and
family moved to the City of Montreal, where Mr. Laviolette, sen’r,
followed the occupation of shoemaker. Peter travelled about a good deal
in his younger days, during which he lived some time in the City of New
York. He came to Georgina in 1851, but did not remain long on his first
visit, he being absent about two years in the Huron District previous to
locating permanently. He married in the year 1842 Jane Duck, by whom he
has a family of six sons and four daughters. Four of his children are
living in Georgina, and he has two sons in the United States.
WILLIAM MOORE, lot 21, concession 5, was born in the County of Limerick,
Ireland, in the year 1849, and emigrated to Canada in 1865. He settled
in the Township of Brock, Ontario County, and lived there until 1877,
when he removed to his present locality. He was married in the year 1874
to Rebecca Ann Edwards, by whom he had four children; three of them are
still living.
WILLIAM MORRIS, lot 24, concession 6, was born in the Township of
Georgina in 1853 on the farm on which he at present resides. His father
was George Morris, a native of Ayrshire, Scotland, who settled on the
farm above-mentioned at an early day, the country being then very wild
and the roads merely chopped out and all but impassable.
WALTER S. RAE, lot 13, concession 6, was born in the Township of
Georgina in the year 1833, being the son of John Rae, who emigrated from
Scotland. In the early days of settlement Mr. Rae tells us that the only
road in the township was the one leading from Sutton to Beaverton. The
school-house was a small log-building, although teaching was mostly done
on the “boarding out” system, the payment being twenty-five cents per
month for each scholar. Mr. Rae was married in the year 1866 to Selina
Honey, who was born in England; they have a family of three children.
Mr. Rae, by economy and perseverance, has got together a comfortable
home.
ARCHIBALD RIDDELL, lot 8, concession 3, whose birth-place is in the
Parish of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland, emigrated to Canada in
the year 1829. He remained four years in Quebec Province, and then
removed to the vicinity of Hamilton and in 1838 settled in Georgina
Township. He was married in 1840 to Catharine Munroe; they had twelve
children, eight of whom are living. Four of his sons are settled in the
township and all in prosperous circumstances.
ROBERT RIDDELL, lot 1, concession 5, is a native of the Parish of East
Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and emigrated to Canada in the year
1829. On his arrival he located in the County of Harlington, Quebec
Province, where he remained about ten years, after which he took up his
residence in Montreal and worked for the Hon. John Molson. The cholera
being very bad, Robert took his departure from Montreal and came west to
Dundas, where he stayed until the fall of 1834, when he came to Georgina
Township and located on the farm where he now resides. He was married in
Toronto in the latter part of 1834, his wife’s maiden name being
Elizabeth McConachie; they have six children all living. In the early
days of settlement they had to carry grain on their backs to Sutton to
be ground.
EZRA SHERWOOD, lot 13, concession 5, was born in the Township of North
Gwillimbury in the year 1817, being the son of Thomas and Annie
(Mitchell) Sherwood. His maternal grandfather was the second settler in
North Gwillimbury. When our subject was a boy they had to carry their
grain to mill at Sutton, and he remembered when there was only one house
in Sutton, besides the store. His grandfather assisted to make the first
mill in that village, and came very near losing his life at the time.
THE END.
TRANSCRIBER NOTES
Obviously misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected. Where
multiple spellings occur, majority use has been employed.
In several cases, dates appear to be incorrect, but these were not
changed.
Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious printer errors
occur.
Some illustrations were moved to facilitate page layout.
[The end of _History of Toronto and County of York, Ontario Volume 2 of 2_
by Charles Pelham Mulvany et al.]