Ontario Canada

Biography of John Bell, Q.C.

John Bell, solicitor for the Grand Trunk railway company for nearly thirty years, and one of the oldest lawyers in Central Ontario, is a native of the county of Tyrone, Ireland, and was born in Straban, June 10, 1823. His father, Robert Bell, was a linen manufacturer, of Scotch-Irish descent, like the people generally in the north of Ireland; and his mother, before her marriage, was Catherine Wallace, whose father was Scotch. Before our subject was a year old, the family emigrated to the United States, and spent nine years in the city of New York, where the son laid … Read more

Biography of James Young

James Young, member of the Dominion Parliament from 1867 to 1878, and now of the Ontario Legislature, is a son of John and Jeanie (Bell) Young, and was born in Galt, May 24, 1835. Both parents were from Roxburghshire, Scotland, his father coming to Galt the year before the son was born. Our subject was educated in his native town, and chose the printing business as a trade. Before he was 18 years of age, he purchased the Dumfries Reformer, Galt, which he edited from 1853 to 1863, and is the author of two prize essays: “The Agricultural Resources of … Read more

Biography of James Hough

James Hough, a resident of Guelph since the first of June, 1836, and holding the offices of clerk of the County Court and deputy clerk of the Crown and Pleas, is a Derbyshire man, born July 4, 1804. His father was James Hough, senior, and his mother, before her marriage, was Mary Brooks. When he was about twelve years old the family moved to Nottingham, his father being a lace manufacturer. The son received a good English education; was apprenticed to the joiner and builder’s trade; worked at it in the old country until 1835, when he sailed for the … Read more

Biography of Rev. William M.A. Bleasdell, D.C.L.

William Bleasdell, Rector of St. George’s church, Trenton, for more than thirty years, and one of the most learned men in this part of Ontario, is a son of James Bleasdell, a cotton manufacturer and merchant at Preston, Lancashire, England, where he was born on the 12th of March, 1817. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary Hodson, was also a native of Lancashire. James Bleasdell was from one of the old Lancashire families, and was a lineal descendant from Sir Thomas Tyldesley, Knight, who was killed at the battle of Wigan Lane, fought August 25, 1651, with the forces … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Morris

The subject of this sketch, sheriff of the county of Renfrew, was born in the county of 1 Renfrew, Scotland, March 4, 1818. His father, James Morris, senior, was a merchant in the city of Glasgow before coming to Canada; and his grandfather was from the county of Ayr. His mother was Mary Wright, also Scotch. James as educated at the high school in Glasgow; came to this country with his parents in 1830, and they settled on land in the township of McNab, where our subject farmed until 1853. There he buried his mother in 1858, and his father … Read more

Biography of William H. Ruby

William Henry Ruby, merchant and grain dealer, is a son of Adam and Elizabeth (Stein) Ruby, and was born in Essex county, New Jersey, September 20, 1830. Both parents were from Bavaria, Germany, and his father is yet living. When William was nine years old the family came to Canada, and settled on a farm in the county of Waterloo, the son receiving a common school education, and the literary advantage of three years’ work, from twelve to fifteen years of age, in a printing office at Berlin, attending school two years after leaving the office. He taught public schools … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Ward

One of the very early settlers in the township of Hope, was Thomas Ward, a prominent citizen of the place for more than fifty years. He was a son of Thomas Ward, senior, and was born in London, England, June 20, 1770. When Colonel, afterwards Governor-General Simcoe and Attorney-General White came out to Canada (about 1791), Mr. Ward accompanied them, and when Governor Simcoe, in search of a site for the capital, decided upon removing it from Newark (Niagara) to the old French fort Rouille, now Toronto, Mr. Ward was among the number who saw the soldiers clear away the … Read more

Biography of Chauncey Ward Bangs

The subject of this sketch, a son of Benjamin and Deborah (Smith) Bangs, was born at Stanstead, Lower Canada, now the Province of Quebec, January 19, 1814. His father was a native of Massachuesetts, his mother of New Hampshire. They moved to Canada in 1812. When Chauncey was about four years old the family removed to Montreal, and a little later to L’Orignal, county of Prescott, Ontario, the business of the father being that of a hatter and fur manufacturer. The opportunities for an education in that part of the Dominion, fifty years ago, were very limited, and our subject … Read more

Biography of William V. Hutton

William Veal Hutton, one of the most successful business men in St. Mary’s, is a son of George Martin and Ann Austin (Veal), Hutton, and was born in Ringwood, Hampshire, England, April 16, 1825. He belongs to an old Somersetshire family. His father was a linen draper, and a successful business man. William received an ordinary education in a private school, acquired a knowledge of his father’s business, and in the autumn of 1850 emigrated to Canada, and settled at St. Mary’s, then a very small village. Here he purchased a mill, and was engaged in the manufacture of flour … Read more

Biography of Dixie Watson

Dixie Watson, clerk of the Division Court, dates his birth in the township of Westminster, adjoining London, Out., November 14, 1842. His father, Dixie Watson, senior, was a barrister, one of the first members of the profession in Huron county, and a member of the first town council of Goderich, where he died in 1856. The mother of our subject was Charlotte Williams, daughter of Judge Rowland Williams, of the London District. She died in 1868. In 1845, the family moved to Goderich, where young Dixie received a grammar school education, and studied law with Mr. John Bell Gordon, purposing, … Read more

Biography of Thomas Williams

Few men now living are more worthy of a place in this book, as a pioneer in Elgin county and a self made man, whose self reliance, perseverance and industry in life made him successful, than Thomas Williams. He was born in Manchester, Eng., April 5, 1803. His father, a silk manufacturer, was Richard Williams, and the maiden name of his mother was Mary Rice. The latter died at the great age of ninety-three, and then from the effects of an accident, and the former lived to be seventy-eight. In 1816, the family left the old country, and came to … Read more

Biography of Hon. Peter Gow

One of the most prominent men in Guelph, is Peter Gow, many years a member of the Ontario Parliament, at one time in the Provincial Ministry, and now sheriff of the county of Wellington. He is a native of Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland, a son of John Gow, boot and shoe manufacturer, and was born November 20, 1818. The Gows are an old Perthshire family. The mother of our subject was Agnes Ferguson, a native of Argyleshire. He was educated at a private school, and afterwards assisted in his father’s business until his departure for Canada. In 1842 Mr. Gow left … Read more

Biography of Daniel E. McIntyre, M.D.

Daniel Eugene McIntyre, sheriff of the united counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, came from an old family in Argyleshire, in the west of Scotland, and was born in Oban, in that county, February 5, 18I2, his parents being James McIntyre, a sea captain in the commercial service, and Mary McLachlan. The Mclntyres figured more or less in the early wars of Scotland, particularly those in the age of feudalism. The subject of this sketch was a graduate of Glasgow as an M.D., and a week later became a Licentiate of the Medical Board of Upper Canada. On the 7th … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alfred Beckett

Alfred Beckett a prominent citizen of Westminster, Orange County, was born in Ontario, Canada, June 7, 1830, a son of Stephen and Anna (Taylor) Beckett, and the sixth child in a family of nine. He received a good common-school education, worked at the mill and lumber business for several years and also did some farming, and in 1877 came to California and bought forty acres of laud in Westminster, which he has put under a high state of cultivation. Politically he is an intelligent supporter of the Republican party. Both himself and wife are highly respected members of social circles. … Read more

Biography of John E. Smith

John E. Smith, mayor of St. Thomas, and one of the leading merchants of the town, was born near Grimsby, in the old Niagara District, December 29, 1830. His father William Smith, a farmer, was also a native of Canada. His mother was Ann Ensley, whose family were from New Jersey, her grandfather being one of the adherents to the Crown when the rebellion broke out in 1775, and was a Captain in the royal army. The subject of this sketch was reared till near manhood on his father’s farm, in the township of Yarmouth, county of Elgin, receiving an … 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 Daniel B. Chisholm

Daniel Black Chisholm, barrister, ex-member of Parliament for Halton, and for many years one of the leading citizens of Hamilton, is a native Canadian, as was his father before him, and was born in the township of E. Flamboro’, County of Wentworth, Out., on the 2nd of November, 1832. He is a grandson of George Chisholm, a Highlander, who emigrated from Inverness, Scotland, as early as August, 1772, to New York, whence he afterwards removed to Nova Scotia, where he lived for about seven years. In 1781 he settled at Niagara, but removed thence in 1791, to the north shore … Read more

Biography of Joseph C. Woodruff

Among the prominent business men of Drurnmondville none stands higher than Joseph Clement Woodruff, an old citizen who has grown up with the town, and by doing a legitimate trade has won the confidence of the people. He belongs to one of the families that settled at an early day in the Niagara district, and was born at St. Davids, near Queenston, December 9, 1808. His father, Richard Woodruff, from New England, and at one time a member of the Upper Canada Parliament, was one of the first merchants at St. Davids, where he married Ann Clement, and had eight … 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 Kenneth M.Chisholm, P.P

Kenneth Chisholm, of the firm of R. Chisholm and Co., member of the Ontario Legislature for the County of Peel, and one of the leading merchants in Brampton, is a descendant of an old Highland family, originally from Invernessshire, Scotland. His father, Alexander Chisholm, being born in the County of Glengarry, removed to Toronto township, in what is now the County of Peel, in 1818. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary McDonnell, was the daughter of a United Empire Loyalist, who moved from the State of New York to Glengarry at the time of the revolution. She drew lands … Read more