The Canadian Biographical Dictionary Collections – Page 5 of 27

Biography of Samuel Noxon

Noxon Brothers Manufacturing Company, the most extensive industry in the manufacturing line at Ingersoll, is composed of five brothers, Freeman C., James, Samuel, Stephen, and Thomas H., sons of Samuel Noxon, senior, who was born and spent his days in the County of Prince Edward, Ontario, and grandson of James Noxon, a United Empire Loyalist from Duchess County, N. Y. The grandfather settled in Prince Edward at the close of the American Revolution. The mother of these five sons was Rhoda White. They received a business education in the public schools of their native county, James, the second son, adding … Read more

Biography of Samuel Merner, M. P.

Samuel Merner, member of the House of Commons for South Waterloo, and the leading business man at New Hamburg, was born in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, January 29, 1823, his parents being Jacob and Susan (Schluchter) Alerner. In 1837 the family emigrated to Canada and settled on a bush farm two miles west of New Hamburg, where the parents lived until their death, the father dying in 1873, aged 81 years, and the mother in 1876, aged 86 years. Samuel received a common school drill, and when fifteen years of age he went to Preston, County of Waterloo, learned … Read more

Biography of Samuel G. McCaughey, M.S.

Samuel Glyn McCaughey, solicitor, son of Thomas and Jane (Glyn) McCaughey, was born in the county of Antrim, Ireland, in November 1830. His father was a linen draper and agriculturist, owning several farms, and belonging to a family of land proprietors. Our subject was educated at the Royal College, Belfast, and is Master of Arts; came to Canada in 1854, and read law with his brother, James McCaughey, LL.B., of Ingersoll; was enrolled as an attorney in 1862; practiced at first in company with his brother, and in 1865 settled at Seaforth, being of the law firm of McCaughey and … Read more

Biography of Samuel Burden

Samuel Burden, the present warden of the united counties of Northumberland and Durham, is a native of Devonshire, England, a son of William and Ann (Sanders) Burden, and was born January 1, 1835. The name was originally spelt Bourdon, and traced back to Normandy, being as old as William the Conqueror. The family emigrated to Canada in 1843, and settled at Bowmanville; William Burden being a nurseryman. He and his wife are still living, his age being seventy-seven, hers seventy-six. Our subject was educated at the Normal school and Upper Canada College, Toronto, taking care of himself since ten years … Read more

Biography of Rufus M.P. Stephenson

Rufus Stephenson, member of the Dominion Parliament since the Dominion’s formed, representing the County of Kent; is a native of Springfield, Mass., dating his birth January 14th, 1835. His parents are Eli and Chloe (Chapin) Stephenson, his father being still alive, and in his 94th year. His mother is a descendant of Deacon Samuel Chapin, a Puritan who came to Roxbury (now in Boston) Mass., prior to 1640, and settled at Springfield, same State, in 1642. His descendants form one of the most numerous families in the United States, embracing many names of a national reputation. Among them are Hon. … Read more

Biography of Rueben S. Patterson

Reuben Spaulding Patterson, mayor of the city of Belleville, is descended from a family which was among the original settlers in Londonderry, N. H., emigrating from the north of Ireland in 1736. Peter Patterson, the progenitor of the Pattersons in New Hampshire, was from the county of Antrim, born in 1716, and dying in 1800. The colonists who came with him brought their minister and doctor, and everything which they thought would be necessary in starting a colony. The grandfather of Reuben was Thomas Patterson, who fought for the independence of the American colonies, and who was in the third … Read more

Biography of Roderick McDonald, M.D.

The subject of this brief biography is of Scotch pedigree, both parents, John and Ann (McGillis) McDonald, being natives of Scotland. His father was a cattle raiser and dealer in the old country, coming to Canada a few years before the close of the last century, and settling on a farm on the Raisin river, in the township of Cornwall, dying in 1825. Roderick was educated at the Cornwall grammar school, and at a French college in Montreal, and was graduated in medicine at McGill college, that city, in 1834. Doctor McDonald Practiced at Cornwall nearly forty years, retiring only … Read more

Biography of Robinson Lyon

One of the best known men in the county of Renfrew, is Robinson Lyon, more than forty years a hotel keeper in the Province of Ontario. He is a son of George and Elstet (Phillip) Lyon, and was born in Inverury, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, January 13, 1811. His father was bailie of that place for 49 years. In 1830 our subject married Miss Mary Ann Bank, of Bath, Eng., and six years afterwards came to Upper Canada, settling at Richmond, county of Carleton, where he was a farmer and hotel keeper for four years. The next fourteen years he was in … Read more

Biography of Robert Thompson

The oldest settler in Guelph, still living here, is Robert Thompson. He first saw the site of the place in 1827, the year it was started; and has been a constant resident here since 1828; has witnessed the rise of log shanties, the laying of the foundation stone of the first two stone buildings, the first celebration of the King’s birthday, the roasting of the first and only ox, and the first May Fair, when three cows and one yoke of oxen constituted the whole “show.” Most of these scenes were witnessed in 1828, when our subject was twelve years … Read more

Biography of Robert Simpson

Robert Simpson, the first mayor of the town of Barrie, and many years a prominent man in the municipalities of the town and county, is a native of Yorkshire, England, being born in Salton, March 16, 1817. His father, John Simpson, who was a yeoman, was from Fifeshire; his mother, Mary (Richardson) Simpson, was English. Robert received a parish school education; farmed in the old country until 1835; then emigrated to Upper Canada; attended school one winter after learning the brewing business at Newmarket; carried on that business for himself at Kempenfeldt, three miles from Barrie, about two years, when … Read more

Biography of Robert Porteous

Robert Porteous, of the most prominent and successful business men in Paisley, is Robert Porteous, banker and grain dealer, and manufacturer, a native of this Province. He is a son of Robert Porteous, senior, a native of the Island of Hoye, one of the Orkneys, and was born in Kingston, January 13, 1825. His mother, before her marriage, was Jane Anderson, who is also Scotch. His father died at Fullerton, in 1879; his mother in 1873. Our subject was educated in private, by his father, who was a teacher in middle life, and afterwards a farmer; worked at farming at … Read more

Biography of Robert P. Jellett

Robert Patterson Jellett, Judge of the county of Prince Edward, was born in Belfast, Ireland, March 15, 1827. His father, Morgan Jellett, left Ireland in 1832, settled at Port Hope, was a merchant there several years, afterwards clerk of the old Court of Commissions, and at the time of his death was clerk of the county council of the united counties of Northumberland and Durham, with residence at Cobourg. The Jelletts are an old and prominent family in the county Down, the great-grandfather of our subject, Morgan Jellett, was for many years a magistrate in that county, dying at Moira, … Read more

Biography of Robert Naylor Rogers

Robert Naylor Rogers, banker, son of Captain Robert Naylor Rogers, senior, and Elizabeth, nee Coleman, was born at Bandon, County of Cork, Ireland, May 16, 1832. He comes from an old military family, related to Sir Walter Raleigh, who lived in the days of “Queen Bess.” Members of the family built portions of Fort Gibraltar, and one of the streets there, called “Rogers’ Ramp,” was named from this family. A great uncle on the grandmother’s side, Major Wilkes, invented red hot shot, at Gibraltar, where it was first used when the fortress was besieged. Captain Rogers was Lieutenant 2nd battalion … Read more

Biography of Robert McKechine

Robert McKechnie, a leading business man of Dundas, was born in. Glasgow, Scotland, June 16, 1834, and is a son of Robert McKechnie, senior, who was from Ireland, and Margaret Waters, a native of Scotland. In 1842 the family emigrated to Canada West, and settled at Dundas, where our subject was educated in a school taught by Robert Spence, afterwards Postmaster-General of the Province of Canada. Here young McKechnie learned the pattern makers trade of John Gartshore, of the old Dundas foundry; worked for him several years as a journeyman mechanic after finishing his apprenticeship, and in 1861 started in … Read more

Biography of Robert J. Gunn, M.D.

Robert John Gunn, thirty-seven years a Physician and Surgeon in Whitby, was born in the parish of Watten, County of Caithness, Scotland, February 14, 1815, his father being Rev. Alexander Gunn, a Minister of the Kirk of Scotland, and his mother, Elizabeth nee Arthur. His maternal grandfather, Robert Arthur, was also a Minister of the same denomination. Robert was educated at a private school and at the University of Edinburgh; studied medicine in that city; became a Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh; practiced two years at Thurso, in his native county; in the autumn of 1842 … Read more

Biography of Robert Henry

Robert Henry, ex-mayor of the city of Brantford, and a leading business man here of the younger class, was born in Perthshire, Scotland, November 30, 1844. His father is John Henry, a carpenter and contractor; his mother, Jane Dow, both Scotch. He was educated in the parish schools of Perthshire until nine years of age, came with the family to Canada West in 1853; finished his studies in the Brantford public schools; when in his twelfth year entered the new stationery and news store of Andrew Hudson; was with him three years, and then became an apprentice to the grocery … Read more

Biography of Robert Hay, M.P.

Robert Hay, member of the House of Commons for Centre Toronto, is a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Henderson) Hay, and was born in the parish of Tippermuir, Perthshire, Scotland, May 18, 1808. His father was an agriculturist in moderate circumstances, with a family of nine children; and at fourteen years of age our subject had to leave school and rely upon his own small hands for support. He became an apprentice to a cabinet maker; learned the trade thoroughly in the town of Perth; worked at it as a journeyman in the old country until the summer of 1831, … Read more

Biography of Robert Gibbons

Robert Gibbons, sheriff of the county of Huron, belongs to an old Birmingham, (England) family, where his father, William Gibbons, and the ancestors for several generations, were born, though he himself dates his birth in Glasgow, Scotland, December 24, 1811. His father was an ingenious mechanic or machinist, engaged for years in turning, finishing and fitting up machinery. The maiden name of Robert’s mother was Margaret M. McDonald, who was born in Scotland. In June, 1820, the family left the old world for Canada, landing at Quebec in August, and settling on land in the county of Lanark. About four … Read more

Biography of Robert Edmondson, M.D.

It is safe to say that no physician ever living in Brockville, was more generally beloved than the late Robert Edmondson, the skilful physician and surgeon, and the christian gentleman, whose death occurred May 7, 1871. He was born in Ballymena, county Antrim, Ireland, September 22,1802, was educated at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, graduating as master of surgery, in 1827, and was in surgical practice in the county of Down, Ireland, until 1829, when he came to Canada, and shortly afterwards settled at Brockville, then a very small village. Here he practiced his profession more than forty years, having … Read more

Biography of Robert Douglass, A. V., M. D.

Robert Douglass, the oldest physician and surgeon in Port Elgin, is a native of this Province, dating ‘his birth in the Township of Nelson, County of Halton, June 8, 1833. His father, Robert Douglass, senior, was from the State of New York; his grandfather from Scotland. His mother was Jane McGill, from Belfast, Ireland. Dr. Douglass was educated in the Arts at Queen’s College, Kingston, being graduated in 1851, and spent one year in the study of medicine at the same institution, and three years at Trinity College, Toronto; received the Degree of M.D. from the former school in 1855. … Read more