Ontario Canada

Biography of George Davidson

eorge Davidson, sheriff of the county of Waterloo, is a son of John and Margaret Davidson, and was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, May 15, 1814. Both parents belonged to Aberdeen families. John Davidson was a merchant, and burgess of Aberdeen, retiring from business in 1833 and dying in 1853. Our subject was educated at Aberdeen; studied law for about four years in the same place; came to Canada alone in 1835; and took up 200 acres of land partially cleared, in the township of Woolwich, county of Waterloo; and improved it until about 1841, when he moved into Berlin; here … Read more

Biography of Thomas N. and William H. Gibbs

Thomas N and William Henry Gibbs are sons of Thomas and Caroline (Tate) Gibbs, who emigrated from Kingsbridge, Devonshire, England, in 1819, and settled at Terrebonne, Province of Quebec, where both of the sons mentioned were born, Thomas Nicholson, March 11, 1821, and William Henry, November 29, 1823. In 1832 the family removed to Oshawa, where the father of our subjects engaged in the grain and flour trade, dying here in July, 1871. They are cousins of Frederick W. Gibbs, C. B., formerly tutor to the Prince of Wales. Thomas N. Gibbs was educated in England; and since his return … Read more

Biography of Hon. William H. Brouse, M. S., M. D.

Hon. William H. Brouse, Senator from South Grenville, is a descendant of one of the United Empire Loyalists that settled on the northern shore of the St. Lawrence river, immediately after the American revolution, his parents being Col. Jacob Brouse, a farmer, and Nancy Parlow, his wife, the latter being also a descendant of a loyalist family. He was born at Matilda, Dundas, Ont., June 15, 1825; received his literary education at Victoria College, Cobourg, where he took his degree of M.A. in 1849; studied medicine with the Bon. John Rolph, M.D., LL.D., of Toronto; graduated at McGill College, Montreal, … Read more

Biography of Sandford Fleming, C.E.; C.M.G.,

Sandford Fleming, Engineer-in-Chief of the Pacific Railway, is a son of Andrew Greig Fleming, and Elizabeth née Arnot, and was born in Kirkaldy, Scotland, January 7, 1827. He was educated in’ the grammar school of his native town; paid special attention to the mathematics, and at an early age was articled to an engineer and surveyor, John Sang, a gentleman well known in North Britain, more especially in connection with water works and other works of various kinds. In 1845 Mr. Fleming came to Canada, finding but little employment for several years, and engaging, meanwhile, in various congenial pursuits of … Read more

Biography of Robert Noble

This well known citizen of Reynolds, Owyhee county, is one of the largest sheep-raisers in Idaho and has been largely instrumental in improving the grade of stock raised in the state. His efforts have therefore been of public benefit, for the improvement of stock adds to its market value, and the wealth of the agricultural class is thereby augmented. The rich pasture lands of the northwest provide excellent opportunities to the stock-raiser, and this industry has become a most important one in the commercial interests of Idaho. Mr. Noble, one of its leading representatives, is of English birth, a native … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles Francis

Charles Francis, the leading barrister at Trenton, and a member of the county council, is a native of this place, and was born January 22, 1838. His father, Robert Francis, a native of Ireland, came to Canada, with his wife and older children, about 1835. Having a contract on the St. Lawrence canal, he moved his family for a short time to St. Anne’s, Province of Quebec. A little later the family removed to Huntington, county of Hastings, Ontario, returning to Trenton in 1850. Robert Francis was a member of the town council of Trenton until his death in December, … Read more

Biography of Samuel G. McCaughey, M.S.

Samuel Glyn McCaughey, solicitor, son of Thomas and Jane (Glyn) McCaughey, was born in the county of Antrim, Ireland, in November 1830. His father was a linen draper and agriculturist, owning several farms, and belonging to a family of land proprietors. Our subject was educated at the Royal College, Belfast, and is Master of Arts; came to Canada in 1854, and read law with his brother, James McCaughey, LL.B., of Ingersoll; was enrolled as an attorney in 1862; practiced at first in company with his brother, and in 1865 settled at Seaforth, being of the law firm of McCaughey and … Read more

Biography of Pierre St. Jean, M. D.

Pierre St. Jean, a native of Bytown (Ottawa), and now one of the oldest residents of this City, was born September 22, 1834, his parents being Sylvain St. Jean and Elizabeth, nee Causabon. His father, who settled in Bytown in about 1832, was from St. Sulpice, L’Assomption, Province of Quebec, and died at Ottawa in 1867. His maternal great grand-father was a French military officer. The subject of this biographical notice was educated at the Ottawa College; commenced the study of medicine in 1850; obtained his degree of M. D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons (New Victoria College), … Read more

Biography of George Elliott

George Elliott, formerly one of the leading merchants in Guelph, and largely indent , fled with its municipal history, is a native of Rochester, county of Kent, England, dating his birth February 27, 1819. His father, George Elliott, senior, a country gentleman, was descendant from an ancient Scottish family; his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Moulden, descended from an old Kentish family. Our subject received a good education, including the mathematics and classics; came to Canada with the family in the autumn of 1832; was in business in Toronto and Cincinnati, Ohio, for several years; came to Guelph in … 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

Mohawk Tribe

Mohawk Indians (cognate with the Narraganset Mohowaùuck, ‘they eat (animate) things,’ hence ‘man-eaters’) The most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation.  They called themselves Kaniengehaga, ‘people of the place of the flint.’ In the federal council and in other intertribal assemblies the Mohawk sit with the tribal phratry, which is formally called the “Three Elder Brothers” and of which the other members are the Seneca and the Onondaga.  Like the Oneida, the Mohawk have only 3 clans, namely, the Bear, the Wolf, and the Turtle. The tribe is represented in the federal council by 9 chiefs of the rank of … 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

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 W. Loucks

John W. Loucks, clerk of the Division Court, is a son of William Loucks, a United Empire Loyalist, from the State of New York, settling in the county of Stormont, Ontario, soon after the American Revolution, and afterwards purchasing land in the township of Williamsburg, county of Dundas, where he died at a great age in 1863. There our subject was born May 15, 1796, and reared a farmer with very few opportunities for acquiring an education. At sixteen, when the second war with the United States opened, he enlisted in the Provincial cavalry; was at the battle of Crysler’s … Read more

Biography of John R. Martin

John Robert Martin, County ‘Crown Attorney and Clerk of the Peace, dates his birth in the County of Kildare, Ireland, February 25, 1825. He is a grandson of the celebrated Col. Richard Martin of Connemara, County of Galway, Ireland, a large land owner in Ireland, representing Galway in the Irish Parliament, with such associates as Grattan, Curran, Flood, and that class of statesmen and orators. We learn from the “Historical Atlas of Haldimand County,” that Col. Martin sat for Galway until the Union, and continued to represent it in the British Parliament, for a long period, and in that body … Read more

Biography of Peter R. Randall

Peter Rice Randall, Mayor of Port Hope, is a descendant of a United Empire Loyalist family on his mother’s, the Ferguson, side, and was born near Cobourg, in the Township of Hamilton, July 7, 1822. His grandfather, Robert Randall, a Highland Scotch man, was temporarily in the United States, when the father of our subject, John P. Randall, was born, and subsequently returned with his family to Great Britain. The father of Peter was an officer in the British Navy, serving on a man-of-war vessel for four years; was taken prisoner by Napoleon’s forces, and kept a prisoner one year … Read more

Biography of James Metcalfe

James Metclafe, one of the leading citizens of Toronto, and ex-member of Parliament for the East Riding of York, is an Englishman by birth, and was born in Cumberland in the year 1822. The Metcalfe family, though very numerous, are all of the same stock and descendants of a very ancient family, justly entitled to the compliment paid them by the compiler of the life of Lord Metcalfe, a gentleman of our time, well known in Canada, viz., that they were industrious, honest, and unassuming people, whose integrity was a better inheritance than titles. One of them was knighted at … 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 Alexander Workman

The oldest iron merchant in Ottawa is Alexander Workman, a native of Lisburn, county of Antrim, Ireland, where he was born May 28, 1798. His father was Joseph Workman, who emigrated to America when a young man, and was a mathematical teacher in an institution in Philadelphia a few years, and then returned to his native place, and married Catharine Gowdey. Young Workman received his education at an institution which has since become Belfast College, and when about seventeen became a clerk in an iron store. In April, 1820, he came to America, landing at Quebec; and proceeding westward to … 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