The Ogden family in America is a very large one, branches of it being found in almost every State in the Union, and throughout Canada. They are descended from a Scotch family, early members of which removed from some of the central counties of England, to Scot-land, at a very early period. There it became in time a thoroughly Scotch family, some members of which spoke only the Gaelic language. During the 18th century some of the Ogdens immigrated to Maryland. At the time of the revolution there were twenty-one brothers of this name, who settled in various parts of the country. It was from one of them that Ogdensburg, New York was named, he being one of the first settlers there. Joseph Ogden, a son of one of these brothers, being what is called a U. E. Loyalist, came to Canada a short time after the Revolutionary War, engaged in agricultural pursuits near, and afterwards in, the township of Toronto. Here was born William Ogden, who also became a farmer in the same township, and who married one Rebecca Ward, a native of Ireland. Of the family, three sons became physicians, two of them being now in Toronto, and the other being settled in practice near Goderich, Ont. A fourth son is a practicing lawyer in Toronto, in the firm of McMichael, Hoskin, and Ogden.
Uzziel, the subject of this brief memoir, was born on the farm, on the 6th day of March, 1823. The only facility enjoyed by him for receiving an education was attending the district school in the intervals between his farm labor. His subsequent educational acquirements he derived without the aid of teachers, from books diligently read and studied whenever opportunity offered. He began and finished his medical studies, under the late Hon. Dr. Rolph, in the Toronto School of Medicine, and began practice in 1851, at a place called Aylmer, near Port Stanley, remaining there about two years. Dr. Ogden then returned to Toronto, and has been there in practice ever since. After his return, in 1853, he attended lectures on general subjects at the Toronto University, and, in 1855, became connected permanently with the Toronto School of Medicine, as one of its Faculty. For about twelve years he was lecturer on Materia Medica, and for about the same length of time has been, and still is lecturer on Midwifery and Diseases of Women, having made these branches a special study.
Dr. Ogden, with others, originated and started the Canadian Journal of Medical Science, an admirable publication, devoted to the interests of the profession, and ably conducted under his editorship, he having sustained that relation to it since the first, contributing freely to its columns articles on various subjects. Previous to the publication of that Journal, he was connected with the Dominion Medical Journal.
For several years Dr. Ogden has been a member of the Toronto Medical Society, and among the relations he maintains to public and charitable institutions may be mentioned the following: Consulting physician to the Toronto General Hospital, consulting surgeon to the Children’s Hospital, and physician to the House of Industry, Protestant Orphans’ Home, and Home for Incurables. With the Orphans’ Home he has been connected since 1853, and with the others, except the Hospital, since they were started.
The Doctor is looked upon as one of the leaders in his profession, and for many years has occupied an eminent position as a physician; has always enjoyed a large practice, but of late years he has felt it imprudent to tax his energies to so great an extent as formerly.
He is a member of the Canada Methodist Church, and politically, a Reformer, as was his father before him.
Dr. Ogden was first married in June, 1852, to Miss Nellis, of Mount Pleasant, who died about a year thereafter; was married again in October, 1854, to Miss Caroline, daughter of David See, of Prescott, and formerly of Sorel, Lower Canada. He has one child, a daughter, who is living at home.