Ontario Canada

Biography of Peter Perry

One of the pioneer merchants in what is now the County of Ontario, and one of the most prominent and public spirited men that ever lived in this county, was Peter Perry, son of Robert Perry, a United Empire Loyalist, who left the State of New York, and settled near the foot of the Bay of Quinte, County of Lennox and Addington, soon after the Revolutionary War, being a farmer in that part of Upper Canada until his death, about 1840. Peter was born at Ernestown, near Kingston, in 1793, received such an education as the district schools could furnish … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John E. Harding

John Elley Harding, senior member of the firm of Harding, Harding and White, barristers, dates his birth May 29, 1840, in the township of Beverley, county of Wentworth, Ontario. His father, John Harding, a farmer and mill owner, was a native of the county of Tipperary, Ireland, and his mother, whose maiden name was Jane Talbot, was from Queen’s County, in the same country. Our subject commenced his education in a country school, and subsequently spent four years at Caradoc Academy, near London, and two years under the private tuition of Rev. Henry B. Jessop, incumbent of the English church … Read more

Biography of John P. Crysler

John Pliny Crysler, whose name is associated with the legislature and military history of Canada, was born on the 26th of February, 1801, on the farm on which the battle of “Crysler’s Farm” was fought, in 1813. His father was Col. John Crysler, a U. E. Loyalist, who came to Canada in 1781, being fifteen years of age, a drummer boy, or, as he used to call himself, a “sheep-skin fiddler;” was a farmer, merchant, and magistrate; had at an early day a patent deed for 6,000 acres of land in his chest, and was ” monarch” of nearly “all … Read more

Biography of Sir John A. MacDonald, K.C.B., D.C.L., L.I. U.,

John Alexander MacDonald, Prime Minister of Canada, was born in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, January 11, 1815. He is the eldest son of Hugh Macdonald, of Kingston, Ont., and formerly of Sutherlandshire, Scotland. He was educated at the Royal Grammer School, Kingston, under Dr. Wilson, a fellow of the Oxford University; read law with the late George Mackenzie, and was called to the Bar, U.C., at Hilary term, in 1836. He was created Queen’s Counsel in 184G; is a Bencher, ex-officio, of the Law Society of Ontario. He early distinguished himself in civil law, and, in 1839, in a very important criminal … Read more

Biography of Thomas Benson

The subject of this sketch, one of the most public spirited and energetic men that ever lived in Port Hope, was Thomas Benson, son of James and Ann (Robinson) Benson, of Fintona, County of Tyrone, Ireland, where he was born January 11, 1804. The family came to America in 1816; settled at first at Lansingburgh, N. Y., three years later removed to Kingston, Upper Canada, and there James Benson died December 24, 1828, his widow dying at St. Catharines, August 30, 1854. They had a family of ten children, of whom only four are now living. Hon. James Rea Benson, … Read more

Biography of Holland V. Sanders

Holland Venton Sanders, Town Clerk of Port Hope since 1857, is a son of Emanuel and Sarah (Venton) Sanders, and dates his birth in the parish of Cookbury, Devonshire, England, September, 1823. His parents and grandparents belonged to the yeomanry of Devonshire, the family living in the same house more than a century; his mother died when he was about six years old; lie was reared in habits of industry; received a common English education; at sixteen years of age went to Buckland Brewer, in his native county, and served his time at the watch and clockmaker’s trade, and in … Read more

Biography of William Henry Waller

The Wallers now found in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, are all descendants of the Waller who came to England, from Normandy, with William the Conqueror in 1066. The subject of this sketch is a direct descendant of Richard Waller, of Groombridge, who went to Ireland in 1641, thus being of Norman-Irish extraction. He left two sons. The elder, Richard Waller of Cully, County of Tipperary, married Elizabeth Redmund, and, dying in 1701, was succeeded by his eldest son, Edmund Waller, who, dying without issue, in 1711, was succeeded by his brother, William Waller, of Cully. The latter … Read more

Biography of Lieut-Colonel David Wylie

David Wylie, generally called “the father of the Press,” and certainly a journalist of great experience as well as ability, is a son of. William and Mary (Orr) Wylie, who were married in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland, in 1804, and reared a family of five children, of whom David was the fourth child. Two of his brothers were sea captains, one of them of the Inman line of steamers. David was born in the village of Johnstone, parish of Paisley, March 23, 1811. Fortunately for him his father, who was a shoe dealer, was very fond of books, and encouraged David … Read more

Biography of William R. Meredith

William Ralph Meredith, who represents the City of London in the Ontario Legislature, is a native of Middlesex County, in this Province, and was born in the Township of Westminster, March 31, 1840. His father, John Cooke Meredith, born in the City of Dublin, Ireland, and there graduated at Trinity College, is Clerk of the Division Court for the County of Middlesex. His mother, before her marriage, was Sarah Pegler. Our subject was educated in the London Grammar School and the University of Toronto, being graduated from the law department of the latter institution, and called to the Bar at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward D. Morton, M.D.

Edward David Morton, a very successful physician and surgeon, was born in the county of Wicklow, Ireland, June 18, 1835, his father being Francis Morton, a gentleman farmer. He was educated in the ordinary schools of his native country and by private tuition; came to Canada in 1856; studied medicine with his brother, George Dean Morton, M. D., Bradford; attended lectures in the medical department of the University of Toronto; was graduated in 1860, and after practicing two short years in company with his brother at Bradford, settled in Barrie, soon building up a lucrative practice. He has a large … Read more

Biography of James 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 William Gunn

The, to which the subject of this sketch belongs, is of Scandinavian origin, and traces its ancestry back as far as Heiti, father of Suadi, and the brother of Gore-Nor, from whom Norway had its name, in A.D. 690. The progenitor of the clan was Gunn, the second son of Olav, of Gairsey, a descendant of the Earls of Orkney, and the Norse Kings, afterwards Olav the Black, King of Man, and the Isles, and brother of Swein, the last and greatest of the Norse Vikings. Gunn was born about A.D. 1090. The country of the Gunns, after they attained … 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 Charles and Ormond Jones

Among the early and prominent families to settle in the county of Grenville, Upper Canada, now Ontario, were the Joneses, figuring largely in the history of Brockville. About the time of the opening of the struggle of the American colonies for their independence, Ephraim Jones, United Empire Loyalist, left the United States and his property there, came to Canada, and was an officer in the King’s service, settling in Augusta, Grenville, eight miles east of where Brockville now stands. There he died in 1811. He was the father of eight children, one of whom, Charles Jones, born in 1781, was … Read more

Biography of Hon. James C. Aikins

James Cox Aikins, Senator and Secretary of State of Canada, is a son of James Aikins, who left the County of Monaghan, Ireland, in 1816, and after residing in Philadelphia, Pa., four years, came to Canada and settled in the township of Toronto, now in the county of Peel, where our subject was born on the 30th of March, 1823. His mother’s name, before her marriage, was Ann Cox. James Aikins was a hospitable christian man, and his backwoods house, half a century ago, was the frequent resort of evangelists and the centre wherefrom radiated strong religious influences. Our subject … Read more

Biography of James Gooderham

The subject of this sketch was the second son of William Gooderham, senior, whose sketch appears on another page, and was born in Norfolk, England, December 29, 1825. At the age of seven years he accompanied the other members of the family to Canada, and was educated in Toronto. He was always an earnest, thoughtful, and conscientious youth, and his mind was early imbued with serious thoughts of religion. It was when he was 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 … Read more

Biography of John Tissiman

Among the middle aged men reared in Chatham, a witness of its growth, and long an official of the town, is John Tissiman, who was born in Mount Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, August 9, 1834, and came with his parents, Joseph and Edith (Teller) Tissiman, to. Chatham in 1837. Both parents were from Yorkshire, England. Joseph Tissiman was in the mercantile and brewing business here until his death in 1846. He left his wife and three children in moderate circumstances, the widow died about ten years after her husband. John was educated in the common school at Chatham; was an … Read more

Biography of Adam Hudspeth

Adam Hudspeth, a leading barrister in the county of Victoria, is a son of Robert Hudspeth, formerly of Cobourg, for many years master of the Grammar School there, a native of the county of Northumberland, Eng., who emigrated to Canada in 1834. Soon after Robert Hudspeth had settled at Cobourg, Adam was born, December 8, 1836, his mother, before her marriage, being Marianne Cairns, daughter of Rev. Adam Cairns, of Loughforgan parish, Scotland. He was educated by his father in English and the classics; in 1851, was articled to a merchant, Thomas Harvey, of Cobourg, and spent four years as … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William P. Brown

William Penn Brown, lawyer, and mayor of Kincardine for three years, is a son of James and Lydia Carpenter (Kipp) Brown, and was born in the county of Elgin, Ontario, March 22, 1837. His father’s sketch appears in preceding pages. The maternal grandfather of William was a United Empire Loyalist, and had a brother who was a Colonel in the British army, the family coming to this country from New York. Our subject was educated in the grammar schools of St. Thomas and London; studied law with James Daniell, then of London, now judge of the united counties of Prescott … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John D. Smith

In 1797 Elias Smith and Jonathan Walton received a grant of land, of three lots, first concession township of Hope, about 700 acres, lying along the shore of lake Ontario, on. condition that they would build a grist mill and saw mill, and encourage settlement. The latter they would naturally be disposed to do, as mills would be of no use unless there were people to patronize them. They induced many families to settle in the township of Hope, some arriving with them; and their mills, located at the mouth of Smith’s creek, soon became paying investments. This Elias Smith, … Read more