Ontario Canada

Biographical Sketch of Andrew McKenzie, M.D.

The subject of this sketch is a native of Lower Canada,, a son of Daniel and Margaret (Gray) McKenzie, and was born at Terrebonne, on the 15th of September, 1810. Dr. McKenzie has had an office in the city of London, for forty round years. His father was from the Highlands of Scotland, and was engaged for years with the North west Fur Company. Andrew finished his education at the grammar school of Perth, county of Lanark; at seventeen commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Robert Gilmour, of Brockville; attended lectures at McGill College, Montreal, in 1829 and 1830, … Read more

Biography of Henry Cunningham

Henry Cunningham, son of James Cunningham, farmer, and Margaret Ward, was born in the County of Monaghan, Ireland. He is descended from a Cunningham family that went from England about the time of the commotion connected with the Common wealth. Henry received a common school education; at fifteen years of age became a clerk in a hardware store at Monaghan, being apprentice for five years; then became a salesman; in 1852 went to Manchester, England, and in 1856 crossed the ocean and settled in Kingston. The next year he went into business with Edwin Chown, they purchasing the interest of … 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 William Mostyn, M.D.

William Mostyn, late member of the Ontario parliament, and the oldest and leading physician and surgeon in Almonte, is of Welsh descent, the family moving into the county of Roscommon, Ireland, a little more than two centuries ago, and becoming large landed proprietors. Our subject is a son of Thomas and Margaret (Murray) Mostyn, and was born at Elphin, in the county of Roscommon, on the 5th of June, 1836. Before he was a year old, the family emigrated to Canada, and settled in Kingston, where he was educated in the grammar school and the university of Queen’s College, receiving … Read more

Biography of Robert Baird

Robert Baird, Warden of the county of Bruce, and the leading grain dealer in Kincardine, is a son of William and Margaret Baird, and was born at Picton, Upper Canada, June 4, 1832. His parents were from the county of Fermanagh, Ireland. Complying with the wishes of his father, Robert limited his mental drill to the common school; farmed in Prince Edward county until 1850, when the family removed to the county of Hastings, where his father bought a farm. In December, 1855, our subject left home; came to Kincardine, then a village of something like 300 inhabitants; clerked in … Read more

Biography of Hon. Thomas Moss

Hon.Thomas Moss, Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ontario, is the eldest son of the late John Moss, Esq., of Toronto, and was born in Cobourg, this Province, Aug. 20, 1836. He was educated at the Toronto academy, Upper Canada college, and at the Toronto university; at the latter institution he was gold medalist in classics, mathematics and modem languages, and graduated MA. in 1859. In 1860, on the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales, he was presented to His Royal Highness as the most distinguished alumnus of the university. Studied law with hector Cameron, … Read more

Biography of Chief Justice Robert Alexander Harrison

Honorable Robert Alexander Harrison, Q.C., D.C.L., and Chief Justice of Ontario, was a native of Montreal, where he was born on the 3rd of August, 1833. His parents were, Richard Harrison, a native of County Monaghan, Ireland, and Frances Hall, of Newtownbutler, County of Fermanagh. They immigrated to Canada soon after their marriage, and settled first at Markham, but afterwards removed to Toronto. Mr. Harrison received his education first at Upper Canada College. Received from University of Toronto the degree of B.C.L., and afterwards had degree of D.C.L. conferred upon him; began the study of law with Messrs. Robinson and … Read more

Biography of Hon. Malcolm Cameron

No citizen of Sarnia filled so large a place in the public eye while living as the Hon. Malcolm Cameron, and no one who has passed away is more affectionately and proudly remembered. This would be readily inferred from the marks of public confidence placed on him while in active life, and from the eulogies which yet linger on the tongues of his survivors, Malcolm Cameron was born at Three Rivers, Province of Quebec, April 25, 1808. He was the son of Angus Cameron and Euphemia (nee McGregor) Cameron, both natives of Scotland, the former of Argyleshire, the latter a … 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 Col. Adiel Sherwood

Adiel Sherwood, who was born near Montreal, May 16, 1779, and died in Brockville, March 25, 1874, was for many years a leading man in the County of Leeds, having been Sheriff of Leeds and Grenville from June 30, 1829, till his resignation of the office in 1864, and held the responsible office of Treasurer of the Counties from 1814 till 1842. His father, Thomas Sherwood, was a subaltern officer in one of the Provincial Corps in Lower Canada, under Sir John Johnson, and was stationed at St. John’s, twenty-five miles from Montreal, where he and his family resided until … Read more

Biography of John M.P. Charlton

John Charlton, member of Parliament from Norfolk, is a descendant from the Chadtons of Northumberland, England, whence his father, Adam Charlton, immigrated to the United States, in 1824, settling at Caledonia, Livingston County, N. Y., and engaging in teaching and storekeeping. There the son was born, February 3, 1829, the maiden name of his mother being Ann Gray, a native of the Empire State. In the infancy of John, the family removed to Ellicottville, Cattarangas County, same state, where Adam Charlton was employed by the Holland Land Company; its lands, known as the “Holland Purchase,” once embracing most of Western … Read more

Biography of Thomas Driffill

Thomas Driffill, a pioneer settler at Bradford, is a native of Lincolnshire, England, a son of Samuel and Ann (Morwood) Driffill, and was born January 27, 1809. He received an ordinary education for business; learned the trade of a blacksmith with his father; came to Canada in 1830, and the next year settled where the village of Bradford now stands. At that time there were only two families on the site of the place, and no clearings, and no roads except such as had been extemporized among the trees. Farms, however, had been opened in various parts of the township, … Read more

Biography of Wellington Jeffers, D.D.

Wellington Jeffers, one of the best read clergymen and most eloquent preachers in the Methodist Church in Canada, was born in the City of Cork, Ireland, June 22, 1814. His father being Rev. Robert Jeffers, a merchant in the old country, and a preacher and teacher in Canada. The family came to this country in the summer of 1817, and after preaching a few years, in connection with the Conference, the father of our subject settled as a teacher in Kingston. He was a man of almost universal knowledge, excelling in the mathematics, and showing great ability, both as a … Read more

Biography of John George Hodgins, M.S.,LL.D.,F.R.G.S.

With the single exception of Dr. Ryerson there is no other who has had as much to do with the development of the educational systems of Ontario as Dr. Hodgins. For nearly forty years he has been at the helm of the educational ship, and while all agree (and none more heartily than the subject of this sketch) that to his great captain, Dr. Ryerson, the credit is mainly due, it is certain that the perseverance, the faithfulness, and especially the administrative ability of Dr. Hodgins contributed very largely to the triumphant success which they so harmoniously accomplished. John George … Read more

Biography of Rev. Mark Burnham

The subject of this sketch was a son of Zaccheus Burnham, and was born at Cobourg, county of Northumberland, July 12, 1804, his father being a pioneer in that county. Zaccheus Burnham was born in Dunbarton, N. H., February 10, 1777, while the American revolution was in progress, and immigrated to Canada, with his father, Asa Burnham, in 1798, reaching Haldimand in May of that year. In the autumn of 1800, he returned to New Hampshire, and on the first of February 1801, married Elizabeth Choate, reaching Canada again on the 28th of the same month. Zaccheus Burnham was a … Read more

Biography of Henry Michie

Henry Michie, the oldest merchant in Fergus, and one of the leading citizens of the place, was born in the parish of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, November 18, 1825. His father, James Michie, who was a farmer for many years, is still living, being about ninety years old. The mother, whose maiden name was Sophia Stuart, died a few years ago. Henry was educated at a parish school, and while securing his education, which was mainly during the winter season, he worked at farming, and as shepherd, teaching, also, two or three terms. In 1846 he came to Canada, and spent several … Read more

Biography of Louis Breithaupt

Louis Breithaupt, mayor of Berlin, and one of the most successful business men in the town, was a son of Liborius and Catherine (Goetze) Breithaupt, and born in Allendorf, Kurhessen, Germany, on the 8th November, 1827. He received a common German education; partially learning his father’s business, that of a tanner, in the old country, and in November, 1843, came with the family to the United States, settling in Buffalo, N. Y., the next spring. There they built a small tannery on Seneca street, at the ” Hydraulics,” making it of slabs, and commencing to tan sheep skins on a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Robert R. Loscombe

Robert Russell Loscombe, a leading barrister in the county of Durham, is a son of Charles and Jane (Gamble) Loscombe, who emigrated from Andover, Hampshire, England, and were living at Niagara, Upper Canada, when he was born, August 9, 1835. Charles Loscombe was a school teacher part of his life, dying in 1874. Robert was educated at Toronto, attending the Normal School, Upper Canada College, and Knox College; studied law with the Hon. G. W. Gwynne, now of the Supreme Bench of the Dominion, and W. Vynne Bacon, and Hon John Hillyard Cameron, Toronto; was admitted as an attorney and … Read more

Huron Tribe

Encampment among the Islands of Lake Huron

Commonly known as the Huron Tribe, Huron Indians, Huron People, Huron First Nation, Wyandot Tribe, and Wyandot Indians (Huron – lexically from French huré, bristly,’ ‘bristled,’ from hure, rough hair’ (of the head), head of man or beast, wild boar’s head; old French, ‘muzzle of the wolf, lion,’ etc., ‘the scalp,’ ‘a wig’; Norman French, huré, ‘rugged’; Roumanian, hurée, ‘rough earth,’ and the suffix –on, expressive of depreciation and employed to form nouns referring to persons). The name Huron, frequently with an added epithet, like vilain, ‘base,’ was in use in France as early as 1358 as a name expressive … Read more

Biography of John Henry Wilson, M.D.

John Henry Wilson has been for many years one of the best known men in the county of Elgin. He was born near the city of Ottawa on the 14th of February, 1833. His father, the late Jeremiah Wilson, was a native of Vermont. His grandfather was an United Empire Loyalist, and a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. In 1835 the family removed to the township of Westminster, county of Middlesex. The homestead is on the London and Port Stanley Road, and in one of the richest farming districts of the Province. Here young Henry attended the common school, … Read more