Ontario Canada

Biography of John Prain

John Prain, warden of the county of Wellington, is a native of Perthshire, Scotland, and was born May 29, 1830, his parents being George and Ann (Sim) Frain. Frain is a rare name in Scotland, except in some parts of Perthshire and Forfarshire, it there being common. John was educated at a parish school in his native country; farmed until about twenty years of age; worked for a few years for a company engaged on public roads, and in the spring of 1858 came to Canada West, and settled in the township of Minto, four miles from Harriston, where he … Read more

Biography of Rev. William Cochrane, D.D.

William Cochrane, pastor of Zion Presbyterian Church, Brantford, dates his birth in Paisley, Scotland, February 9, 1832, his parents being William and Mary (McMillan) Cochrane. The family is from Ayrshire, and descended from Thomas Cochrane, of the Dundonald branch, afterwards Earl of Dundonald or Lord Cochrane. The mother of our subject was from the Island of Arran, Scotland. He attended the parish schools of his native town until twelve years old, when he was placed in a bookstore, where he remained between ten and eleven years. So great was his thirst for knowledge during the latter part of that period, … Read more

Biography of Henry Macpherson

The subject of this biographical notice, Judge of the County of Grey, and Surrogate Judge of the Maritime Courts, is a grandson of Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Macpherson, who had command of the Fort at Kingston at the commencement of the war of 1812, and was removed to Quebec, where he remained until the close of the war in 1814. Donald Macpherson was the son of Evan Macpherson, of Cluny, Chief of the Clan Macpherson, who joined Prince Charles with his Clan in 1745. Henry is a son of Lowther P. Macpherson, barrister, who was born in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, … Read more

Biography of Major Andrew Patton

The Late Andrew Patton, Major in the 45th Regt., was descended from a military race, his father and grandfather having been Colonels in the British Army. Major Patton was born at Clatto, near St. Andrews, Fifeshire, Scotland in 1771, and while comparatively young, and at school in France, received a commission as Ensign in the 6th Regiment, of which his father was Colonel. In 1794 he was appointed to a Lieutenancy in the 10th Regt., and in 1798 to a Captaincy in the 92nd, or Gordon Highlanders; in the last mentioned year he was also made A. D. C. to … Read more

Biography of William Furby

One of the oldest journalists in the county of Durham, or this part of the Province of Ontario, is William Furby, a native of Bridlington, Yorkshire, England, and a son of John Furby, a school teacher, who, during the winter season, made a specialty of instructing sailors in navigation. Our subject was born September 5, 1799, and at the time of preparing this sketch is in his 80th year. He was educated by his father; learned the printer’s and cabinetmaker’s trade; in 1819 crossed the Atlantic ocean, and spent five or six years with an older brother, Robert Furby, at … Read more

Biography of John F. Dewar, M.D.

John Forrest Dewar, physician and surgeon, was a son of John Dewar, advocate, Edinburgh, Scotland, and was there born, May 3, 1834. The maiden name of his mother was Elizabeth Burnet. The Dewars are an old MidLothian family. The paternal grandfather of our subject was a surgeon in Edinburgh. Dr. Dewar received his literary and medical education in his native city; walked several hospitals on the continent, with a special view of witnessing surgical operations; practiced a short time at Turin, Italy, and in 1859 emigrated to Canada and settled in Port Hope, here practicing until his demise, August 8,1877. … Read more

Biography of Surgeon-Major Amos Samuel Bristol, M. D.

Amos Samuel Bristol, son of Major Coleman and Catharine (Way) Bristol, is a descendant of one of the families that settled in Rhode Island about two hundred and thirty-five years ago. The Town of Bristol, in that State, was named after the progenitor of the family in that place. Descendants are now scattered all over the United States and Canada. One branch settled in Troy, New York, nearly a century and a half ago, the great-grandfather of our subject being a clergyman in that city, prior to the Revolution. A son of his, John Bristol, grandfather of Amos, was in … Read more

Biography of John Stevenson

One of the older class of residents in the County of Lennox, and one of its most prominent citizens, he having been Speaker of the Provincial Parliament, is John Stevenson, who’s born in the State of New Jersey, August 12, 1812. His parents were Edward and Mary (Large) Stevenson, members of the agricultural community, and both of Quaker descent, his mother dying in the faith of that religious sect. The Stevensons were English, and first settled in Pennsylvania, soon after William Penn went there, the pioneer settler being Surveyor-in-Chief of the States of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. One branch of … Read more

Biography of Thomas Racey

Thomas Racey, registrar of the county of Halton, was born in the city of Bath, Somersetshire, Eng., December 24, 1791, and hence is in his 89th year. His parents were James and Jane (Sumption) Racey. He received a plain English education; came to Canada in 1805, being engaged before leaving, as a clerk for Thomas Dickson, of Queenston, Eng., where he remained three years; and then went to Ancaster, at the “Head of the Lake,” and was a merchant’s clerk a while for Samuel Hatch, and subsequently his partner at an outpost at Mount Pleasant, near Brantford; and while there … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David S. Bowlby, M.D.

David Sovereign Bowlby, the leading physician and surgeon in Berlin, is a son of Adam Bowlby, whose sketch appears in this volume, and Elizabeth, nee Sovereign, and was born in Townsend, county of Norfolk; September 5, 1826. He received his literary education in Upper Canada College and the University of Toronto; studied his profession at first in the Toronto School of Medicine, and then in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York city, receiving the degree of M.D. at the former institution in 1852, and at the latter in 1853. He is one of the most thoroughly educated … Read more

Biography of Hon. John O’Connor, Q.C.

The subject of this sketch is descended from two distinct families of the same name, of Kerry, Ireland; his parents being John and Mary O’Connor, though not related within known degrees of kinship. They immigrated to the United States in 1823, and settled in Boston, Mass., where our subject was born, January 21, 1824. When he was four years old the family removed to Upper Canada, settling in the County of Essex, in the extreme western part of what is now the Province of Ontario, where the son received his education in common, gram mar and private schools. He read … Read more

Biography of Ezra A. Bates

Ezra Albert Bates, lawyer, and postmaster at Arnprior, is, like his parents, Joshua J and Tamson (Bigelow) Bates, a native of Canada, he being born at Farmersville, county of Leeds, April 14, 1839. His branch of the Bates family is of Scotch lineage, and its progenitor in this Province came from the United States nearly a century ago. When Ezra was eight years old the family moved to Brockville, where he was educated in the grammar school. Subsequently the family lived near Smith’s Falls, where Joshua Bates had a flouring mill and a custom carding mill, the son having for … Read more

Biography of Thomas Long, M.P.P.

The subject of this biographical sketch, is descended from German ancestors on his father’s side, the progenitor of the family settling in the County of Limerick, Ireland, about the commencement of the 17th century. In that county our subject was born, August 7, 1836, his parents being Thomas and Margaret (Farrel) Long. His father who was an agriculturist, died in the old country in 1847; his mother is still living there. Mr. Long was educated in part at the national school at Shanagolden; came to Canada in 1850, with his wardrobe carefully done up in a small cotton handkerchief, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Oliver, M.P.

Thomas Oliver, who represents North Oxford in the Dominion Parliament, is a native of Sutherlandshire, Scotland, the son of Thomas Oliver, senior, whose calling was that of a shepherd, and Janet nee Walker, and was born in March, 1821. He was educated in part in a parish school, and with additional private study fitted himself for an instructor. After teaching a parish school two years in his native county, he came to Canada in 1840, and located in the township of Zorra, now West Zorra, county of Oxford. There he taught school three or four years; then settled in Woodstock; … Read more

Biography of John Macoun, M. A., F. L. S.

Should Samuel Smiles ever enlarge his entertaining and instructive volume on. Self Help,” he will find rich material in the life of John Macoun, who has educated himself, become the best botanist in the Dominion of Canada, and is a member of the Linnaean Society of London. He is a native of the County of Down, Ireland, the son of James Macoun, a British soldier, and Ann Jane Nevin, a descendant of the Scotch Covenanters, and was born on the 17th of April, 1832. The Macouns are a very old family in the County of Down, and have held lands … Read more

Biography of Will McCraney, A.M.

William McCraney, leading business man of Oakville, and a member of the House of Commons from 1875 to 1879, was born in the township of Trafalgar, two short miles from Oakville, on the 15th of December, 1831. His grandfather, William McCraney, for whom he was named, was a U.E. Loyalist, leaving the States about the time of the Revolution, and settling at first at Caledonia, in the county of Haldimand. The father of our subject was Hiram McCraney, who was born in 1801, in what is now the county of Brant, came with the family to Trafalgar, county of Halton, … Read more

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 David Glass, Q.C

David Glass born on the 20th July, 1829, at the township of Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Province of Ontario. His parents are from the North of Ireland. He is a brother of Sheriff-Glass, mentioned in a preceding sketch of this volume. At the age of sixteen he, in partnership with his brother William, opened a branch of the grain business, in which their father had for many years been engaged. At eighteen, having accumulated some money, he dissolved partnership with his brother, and for about a year attended the grammar school (of which Benjamin Bagley, M. A., was … Read more

Biography of Lambert R. Bolton

The Bolton family is thoroughly identified with the history of the Township of Albion and the County of Peel, some of its members having figured quite prominently in this locality. James Bolton, one of the pioneers in Albion, and the grandfather of our subject, came from the County of Suffolk, England, to Upper Canada in 1818; his occupation was that of a carpenter and builder. He settled in Albion, near the Humber, the next year. We learn from the “Historical Atlas of Peel County,” that he erected the first grist mills at Weston, Newmarket, Lloydtown and Tecumseh, and also a … Read more

Biography of Miles O’Reilly, Q.C.

This gentleman is of Irish extraction, but was born near Niagara Falls, on the 18th of May, 1806. He was chiefly educated at the Niagara Grammar School, there being no colleges or universities in the country at that early day. He commenced the study of the law with the late John Breakenridge, in the old town of Niagara, then the commercial rival of Little York (now Toronto), and at an early period the capital of Upper Canada. On the death of Mr. Breakenridge, in 1828, Mr. O’Reilly went to Toronto, and completed his legal education in the office of the … Read more