Ontario Canada

Biography of James Hall, C.E.

James Hall, late member of the Dominion Parliament, dates his birth April 14, 1806, County of Clackmannanshire, Scotland, being a son of James Hall, senior, merchant. He was educated in the grammar school of his native town; spent some time in the office of his older brother, Francis Hall, civil engineer, and in 1820 came to Canada, with the family, locating in the township of Lanark, then in Carleton, now in Lanark county. His father built the first house in that township. There the son farmed a while, then had a store and distillery, doing more or less surveying at … Read more

Biography of Hon. Alexander Vidal

Hon. Alexander Vidal, Senator, is a descendant of a family originally from Spain, removing thence to England in the 18th century. He is a son of Capt. Richard Emeric Vidal of the Royal Navy, and Charlotte Penrose nee Mitton, and was born in Berkshire, England, on the 4th of August, 1819. He was educated at the Royal Mathematical School, Christ’s Hospital, London; accompanied his father to Upper Canada in 1834; settled in Sarnia the next year; practiced the profession of a Provincial Land. Surveyor from 1843 to 1852; was Manager of the Sarnia branch of the Bank of Upper Canada, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Bonfield, M.P.P.

James Bonfield, the representative for South Renfrew in the Ontario Legislature, descends from an old agricultural family in Ireland, and was born in Gortmore, county of Tipperary, in 1825, his parents being John and Elizabeth O’Meara Bonfield. A maternal uncle of James, Father Morgan O’Meara, was a Catholic priest. Mr. Bonfield received a good English education, including the higher mathematics, attending school most of the time until 1848, in the spring of which year he came to Canada, and settled at Eganville, township of Grattan, where he has resided for thirty-two years. He commenced work in this Province as a … Read more

Biography of Charles F. Gildersleeve

Charles Fuller Gildersleeve, Mayor of Kingston, and one of the leading business men of this city, was born here on the 17th of October, 1833, his parents being Henry and Sarah (Finkle) Gildersleeve. His father came from Portland, Conn.; settled in Kingston in 1816; was a ship builder and steamboat owner, and an energetic business man. His maternal grandfather was a United Empire Loyalist. The subject of this notice received his literary education at the High School of Ontario, better known as the Upper Canada College, Toronto; prepared for the profession of law, partly in Kingston and partly in Toronto; … Read more

Biography of James Cooper

One of the leading manufacturers in the Dominion a self made man in the fullest sense of the term a man of the people, and one held in the highest esteem by those who know him; is the subject of this sketch, senior member of the firm of Messrs. Cooper and Smith, wholesale boot and shoe manufacturers. Mr. Cooper is a native of Gainsboro, Lincolnshire, England, where he was born in 182S, the thirteenth of a family of fifteen children of whom twelve are still living. He received but a limited education, such as was attainable forty years ago in … Read more

Biography of George C. McKndsey

George Crawford McKndsey, Sheriff of the County of Halton, and son of William and Jane(Crawford)McKindsey, was born in this county, March 29, 1829. Both parents were from Ireland. His father, who’s a merchant, died in 1844; his mother, who is a sister of Hon. George Crawford, deceased, Brockville, is still living, her home being with her son in Milton. He received a common school education, and luckily had an excellent teacher, and made good progress in his studies; was a clerk one year in the store of his father, on whose demise he went to Montreal, and is in a … Read more

Biography of John Cook

John Cook, clerk of the Division Court for North York, is a son of John and Hannah (Winter) Cook, and was born in Portsmouth, England, March 5, 1817. He received a fair English education; at thirteen years of age went to sea; sailed for six years on the Atlantic Ocean, and in the Mediterranean Sea; crossed to Canada in 1836, and was for seven years on the fresh water lakes. In the rebellion of 1837-38 he was a volunteer; was at the Windmill, and was one of the men selected to reconnoitre by daylight around Navy Island, and was fired … Read more

Seneca Tribe

Seneca Tribe: A prominent and influential tribe of the Iroquois. When first known they occupied that part of western New York between Seneca Lake and Geneva River, having their council fire at Tsonontowan, near Naples, in Ontario county.

Biographical Sketch of James McKibbon

James McKibbin, a resident of Upper Canada, now Ontario, since 1830, and Clerk of the Division Court and Crown Land Agent since 1863, was born in Belfast, Ireland, July 4th, 1808. His father Hugh McKibbin, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy; the maiden name of his mother was Sarah Bailey. Our subject was educated in the Belfast Academic Institution; was for some years in a cotton printing establishment owned by himself and older brother, John Thomas McKibbin, until 1830, when he emigrated to Canada, and located at first in the township of Hope, county of Durham. After farming there … Read more

Biography of Malcolm C. Cameron, M. P.

Malcolm Colin Cameron, who represents the electoral division of South Huron in the Dominion Parliament, has his residence at the “Maples,” in the Town of Goderich, the seat of justice of Huron county, bordering on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. It is one of the largest, most populous, and most wealthy counties in the Province. The land is prolific, the climate salubrious, and the people industrious and thrifty, and the inhabitants of South Huron have an able representative whom they are proud to keep in Parliament. Mr. Cameron was born in Perth, County of Lanark, Ont., April 12, 1831, … Read more

Biography of Lieut.Col. William Allan

William Allan, Lieut.Colonel 20th Rifles, was born in the Parish of Halkirk, Caithness, Scotland, September 25, 1815, his parents being James Allan, contractor and builder, and Diana nee Waters, both of Caithness. His mother was a daughter of George Waters, of Broadwell Castle. Young Allan received a parish school education; at nineteen years of age entered Her Majesty’s service in the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders; served eight years as sergeant in that regiment, most of the time in Canada, coming over at the time of the rebellion of 1837-38, and participating in the engagements at St. Denis, St. Eustace, the Windmill, … Read more

Biography of Thomas H. Wright

Thomas Henry Wright, treasurer of Essex county, was born in Colchester, in the same county, and in the Province of Ontario, on the 19th of July, 1816. His father, Henry Wright, was a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1786, and was the third son in a family of eight children. He came with his father’s family by land route to Detroit, in 1796, and crossed thence into Canada. There being no roads or settlements for most of the distance at that time, the goods and persons of the family were carried on the backs of pack horses. The family … 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 Alexander Sproat

Alexander Sproat, banker, and formerly member of Parliament from the north riding of Bruce, was born at Esquesing, near Milton, county of Halton, June 24, 1835. His father, Adam Sproat, farmer, was from the county of Kirkcudbright, Scotland; his mother before her marriage, was Eleanor Brown, daughter of Alexander Brown, a United Empire Loyalist. Alexander was educated at Knox College, Toronto, and Queen’s College, Kingston, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts from the latter institution in 1852. After leaving college, he was on the engineer’s staff at the construction of the Grand Trunk railway; subsequently studied surveying, and followed … Read more

Biography of Hugh Carlin

Hugh Carlin. From their quiet firesided in their comfortable homes at Salina, Kansas, there are men now retired from active life who can recall without an effort of memory the days when this busy city was little more than an Indian camping ground and pioneer conditions existed for miles adjacent. The hardy men who have been the upbuilders of Saline County have known both stirring times and hardships. They have lived in dugouts, have pursued and killed game for sustenance and have suffered from the depredations and offenses of hostile Indians. In counting the years they do not seem so … 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 John Barclay

Among the older merchants, still in business, in Oakville, is John Barclay, a son of Matthew and Mary (Fleming) Barclay, born in Paisley, Scotland, August 19, 1820. He is an older brother of Francis Barclay, of Georgetown, whose sketch also appears in this volume; received a grammar school education in the old country; came to Canada with the family in 1832; attended school at Markham six months, and there assisted his father in tilling the soil until 1847, when he came to Oakville. Here he was a clerk in the post office, and four years in the dry goods store … Read more

Biography of Edward Jackson

This gentleman, the descendant of an old New England family, was born in Redding, Connecticut, on the 20th of April, 1799. His parents being without wealth, his education at school and as an. apprentice was such as would enable him to earn his livelihood. His brilliant social qualities and engaging person rendered him a most agreeable companion, and won for him, while yet without fortune, the heart and hand of a young lady of more than ordinary talent, beauty, and social position, Miss Lydia Ann Sanford, of his native town. They were married in 1826 and at once turned westward … Read more

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

Biography of Horace Merrill

One of the landmarks in the Valley of the Ottawa River, is Horace Merrill, who commenced building saw mills in this section of Canada nearly fifty years ago, and the marks of whose skill are visible in this valley from Ottawa to Hawkesbury, sixty miles below. Through his hands the Crown conveyed the first water lots at the Chaudiere Falls to private parties for the utilizing of the power, he early seeing that these Falls could be improved, and resorted to the means of bringing enterprising men hither to start the grand movement. Mr. Merrill is a native of Grafton … Read more