Ontario Canada

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

Biographical Sketch of James Daniell

James Daniell, judge of the united counties of Prescott and Russell, and member of the board of county judges, was born at Carrickmacross, in the county of Monaghan, Ireland, on the 23rd of November, 1822. His parents, Stanis and Eleanor (Dawson) Daniell, emigrated to Upper Canada, during the spring of 1823, and settled upon Dundas street, township of Toronto, on the farm where Sydenham village now stands. He resided with his parents most of his time until about sixteen years of age. He studied law with George Duggan, the late recorder of the county of York; was admitted an attorney … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hon. John W. Gwynne

John Wellington Gwynne, who was recently appointed one of the puisne Judges of the Supreme Court of the Dominion, is a native of Ireland, and was born in 1817, being a son of the Rev. Dr. Gwynne, minister of the Church of England, of Castle Knock, Dublin. Judge Gwynne came to Canada in 1832, the year that the cholera first visited this continent; subsequently returned to his native country, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He read law with Thomas Kirkpatrick, barrister, of Kingston, and was called to the Bar, Trinity term, in 1837. He was elected a Bencher … 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 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

Biographical Sketch of John Hossie

John Hossie, sheriff of the county of Perth, is a native of the Province of Ontario, being born in the township of Moore, county of Lambton, July 5, 1836. His father, Andrew Hossie, a farmer, was from Scotland, and his mother, whose maiden name was Janet Wilson, was from the same country. Young Hossie received a common school education; farmed till fourteen years old, and then became a clerk in a store at Bayfield. In 1856 he entered the sheriff’s office at Stratford to take a similar position; became bailiff a few years later, then deputy-sheriff, and was appointed sheriff … Read more

Biography of George A. Clement

Soon after the close of the American revolution, several families of the name of Clement, being United Empire Loyalists, moved into British Provinces. The names of two of them, both Lewis Clement, are mentioned in Sabine’s “Loyalists,” though neither of them settled in Upper Canada. Another man of that name, John Putman Clement, of German descent, an officer on the royal side in the war of the revolution, and born in the District of New York, July 21, 1759, came from the Mohawk Valley, and settled in the township of Niagara, and married Mary Ball, who had thirteen children. He … Read more

Biography of Peter A. McDougald

Peter Archibald McDougald, mayor of Oakville for the last six years, was born at Port Glasgow, township of Alboro’, county of Elgin, January 4, 1823. His father, John McDougald, a native of Scotland, came to Canada in 1817, and was a farmer in that county, and also held the office of postmaster a long time, dying in 1858. The mother of Peter was Sarah Campbell, who was born and reared within eighty rods of the seat of the Duke of Argyle, Inveraray, she coming to Canada in 1817, and dying in 1864. She was the mother of eight children, our … Read more

Biography of George W. Badgerow, M.P.P

The subject of this short sketch, George Washington Badgerow, very properly ranks among that younger class of Ontario’s deserving men, just entering public life, but whose previous career, though brief, gives promise of ultimate success. He is a native of the Province, and was born on the 28th of May, 1841, in the township of Markham. His parents were Martin and Elizabeth (Harrington) Badgerow. Martin Badgerow was a native of the State of New York, but came to Canada with his parents about the year 1810, and settled in Markham, engaging in farming. They were a well to do family, … Read more

Biography of William Cane

William Cane, son of Samuel and Nancy (Martin) Cane, dates his birth at Albany, N. Y., October 8, 1823. His father, who was a boot and shoe merchant, was of Irish descent. When the son was ten or eleven years old, the family moved to Upper Canada, and settled in the township of Cavan, fifteen miles from Port Hope, both parents dying three or four years afterwards. Our subject received a very ordinary country school education; finished by private study, and early learned the wood working business turning, carpentering, &c., having a taste and natural aptitude for the mechanic arts. … Read more

Biography of David Robertson, M.D., M.P.P.

David Robertson, the leading physician and surgeon in Milton, and a member of the Ontario Legislature for Halton, is a native of this county, and was born in the Township of Esquesing, July 9, 1841. His father, Alexander Robertson, was from Perthshire, Scotland; his mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Moore, from New England. The father of our subject, born in Perthshire, 1785, was the grandson of Colonel Donald Robertson, of Woodshiel, who commanded the Clan Robertson at the battle of Culloden, April 16, 1746, in which he was severely wounded. On recovering he made his escape to France, and … Read more

Biography of Col. Adiel Sherwood

Adiel Sherwood, who was born near Montreal, May 16, 1779, and died in Brockville, March 25, 1874, was for many years a leading man in the County of Leeds, having been Sheriff of Leeds and Grenville from June 30, 1829, till his resignation of the office in 1864, and held the responsible office of Treasurer of the Counties from 1814 till 1842. His father, Thomas Sherwood, was a subaltern officer in one of the Provincial Corps in Lower Canada, under Sir John Johnson, and was stationed at St. John’s, twenty-five miles from Montreal, where he and his family resided until … Read more

Biography of Alexander Robertson

Alexander Robertson, Mayor of the City of Belleville, and one of its prominent barristers, is a native of the Province of Ontario, being born at Trenton, County of Hastings, December 5, 18 38. His father was William Robertson, lumber merchant, from Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, coming to Canada in 1827; his mother, Jane Simmons, a native of Canada, and daughter of a United Empire Loyalist. William Robertson, who died in 1861, was a descendant of the Robertsons of Strowan, “who were noted for their bravery and fine physique.” When James I. was murdered in Black Friars Monastery, in the presence of … Read more

Biography of Hon. William H. Merritt

A Biography of William Hamilton Merritt, of more than four hundred pages, has been published by his eldest son living, J. P. Merritt; therefore we propose to give only a brief sketch of his life in this work briefer than would otherwise seem to answer our purpose. His father, Thomas Merritt, a Loyalist of the revolutionary time, and a cornet in the regiment known as Simcoe’s “Queen’s Rangers,” married Mary Hamilton, of South Carolina, left the United States with other Royalists for New Brunswick in 1783; removed to Canada in 1793, and it was while on this journey that our … 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

Biography of William Paterson, M.P.

William Paterson, who represents South Brant, in the House of Commons, is a son of James and Martha (Lawson) Paterson, of Aberdeen, Scotland, and grandson of Rev. Mr. Paterson, minister for years at Midmar, Scotland. His parents came to Upper Canada, nearly fifty years ago, and he was born in Hamilton, September 19, 1839. He was educated in that city and at Caledonia, in the County of Haldimand; came to Brantford in 1854, and was a clerk in a general store, until 1863, when he commenced the bakery business, and manufacture of confectionery, being for several years in company with … Read more

Biography of David J.Hughes

David John Hughes, Judge of the county of Elgin, was born in Kingsbridge, Devonshire, England, May 7, 1820, his father being the Rev. David Hughes, a dissenting minister, and of a very old family from the South of Wales. His mother, whose maiden name was Jane Morrish Higman, belonged to an old Cornish family. In 1832 the father of our subject came with his family to Lower Canada, and two weeks after reaching Montreal, died of cholera at Coteau du Lac, and the widow returned to England with a daughter. The son, then twelve years of age, was afterwards adopted … Read more

Biography of Lieut.Col. John Stoughton Dennis

Lieut: Colonel John Stoughton Dennis, Deputy Minister of the Interior, was born at Kingston, Ontario, in 1820. He is the eldest son of Joseph Dennis and Mary Stoughton, his wife, and grandson of John Dennis, a United Empire Loyalist, who, living in Philadelphia at the time of the American rebellion, cast: his fortunes in with the Crown. At the close of the war, Mr. Dennis, with other expatriated Loyalists, settled in Shelburne, N. S., whence he moved to Beaver Harbour, N. B., and finally, in 1792, settled in Upper Canada on a tract of land given him by the Government … 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.

Biography of Archdeacon Lauder

John Strutt Lauder, Rector of Christ church, is descended from an old Scotch family, some of whose members emigrated to Ireland, two or three centuries ago. He was born in the town of Moate, county of West Meath, Ireland, March 22, 1829, his parents being Thomas Bernard and Harriet (Gilland) Lauder. His father was a Captain in the 11th regiment of Her Majesty’s army. The subject of this short sketch came to Canada in 1849; was educated at Trinity College, Toronto, where he graduated B.A., and M.A.; was ordained Deacon by Bishop Strachan, of Toronto, October 2, 1853, and priest … Read more