Ontario Canada

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

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Robertson

Samuel Robertson, banker, is a native of Glasgow, Scotland, dating his birth, March 31, 1831. His father, James Robertson, was a weaver in that city, and his grandfather had to flee from Scotland to Ireland at one time on account of political troubles. The mother of Samuel was Marion Harvie, also Scotch. In May, 1841, the family came to Upper Canada, and our subject went on the farm of Henry Widdefield, three miles from Newmarket, where he spent between one and two years, doing chores, and attending school three months; spent two and a half years in the village of … Read more

Biography of Thomas S. Shenston

Thomas S. Shenston, registrar of the county of Brant, and son of Benjamin and Mary (Strahan) Shenston, was born in London, England, June 25,1822. Two uncles on his father’s side were clergymen: Rev. William Shenston, twenty-five years pastor of a Baptist church at Little Aile St., Whitechapel Road, London, and Rev. John B. Shenston, a Sabbatarian Baptist, Shoreditch, London. His maternal grandfather was a Congregational minister. This branch of the Shenston family is remotely related to the poet Shenstone. When our subject was about nine years of age, the family emigrated to Upper Canada, and after halting one year near … Read more

Biography of William D. Ardagh

William Davis Ardagh, mayor of Barrie, is a son of Stephen Ardagh, who is descended from a Welsh family that settled in Ireland about the time of Edward I. He was born in the county of Tipperary, March 21, 1828, but spent most of the first twenty years of his life in the county of Kilkenny. In 1848 he came to Barrie, and finished his education in the grammar school; studied law with John Strathy, of this town, and was called to the bar at Hilary term, 1855. Mr. Ardagh commenced practice in Toronto, in partnership with Hon. John Crawford, … Read more

Biography of David Stirton

David Stirton, Postmaster at Guelph, and son of James and Janet (Crichton) Stirton, pioneers in the Township of Guelph, County of Wellington, was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, June 13, 1816. His parents were both natives of that county, and in 1827 emigrated to Upper Canada, and settled on a bush farm five miles from where the City of Guelph now stands. At that time, fifty-three years ago, there was not an acre of the present site of Guelph cleared, nor a finished house, nor a road formed. It was simply a dense forest of hardwood timber. The father of our … Read more

Biography of James A. Macpherson

James Albert Macpherson, mayor of the town of Kincardine, and the leading solicitor of the place, was born in the town of Perth, county of Lanark, October 10, 1843. His father is Malcolm Macpherson, a native of Perthshire, Scotland, born June 1, 1806, coming to Canada in the summer of 1815, with his parents. The family were on the ocean when the victory at Waterloo occurred, June 18th. The grandfather of our subject settled where Perth now stands, and felled the first tree on its site. Malcolm Macpherson was reared there; learned the carpenter and joiner’s trade; built half the … Read more

Biography of William Patrick

William Patrick, Sheriff of the united counties of Leeds and Grenville, is of Scotch descent, his grandparents being on their way through Massachusetts to Canada, when his father, Asa Patrick, was born. The family settled near Newmarket, Upper Canada, opening a farm there. In the war of 1812-15, Asa Patrick was connected with the Commissary Department, with head-quarters at Toronto. William was born in “Little York,” now Toronto, February 21, 1810, the maiden name of his mother being Belinda Gilbert. He was educated by Dr., since Bishop Strachan, then Rector, and the Principal of the grammar school at Toronto; there … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles S. Hutchinson

Charles Hutchinson, County Crown Attorney, since 1858, a Son of Francis Hutchinson, a Physician and Surgeon, and Frances nee Losh, and was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, June 22, 1826. His grandfather, Charles Hutchinson, from whom he was named, was an officer in the East India Company’s service, there spending his life. Our subject was educated in the Royal Grammar School of his native town; came to London, Ontario, in 1846, and the next year was articled to Henry C. R. Becher, barrister; was called to the Bar at Michaelmas Term, 1852; was a partner of Mr. Becher for … Read more

Biography of Levi Young

One of the pioneers in the forests of the Ottawa valley, and one of the conquerors of the cataracts of the Ottawa river, is Levi Young, who, though past his three score years, is still active in life, and may yet serve as a pall bearer to the nineteenth century, whose birth was only five years ahead of his. He was born September 5, 1805, at Wiscassett, Maine, a State noted for its liberal growth of lumbermen. His parents were Levi and Rachel (White) Young, whose wealth was dug out of the earth in the Pine Tree Commonwealth. Joshua Young, … Read more

Biography of Hon. George Brown

George Brown, Senator, managing director of the Globe Printing and Publishing Company, and one of the most prominent and influential citizens of Canada, is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was born on the 29th of November, 1818. His father was Peter Brown, merchant, of Edinburgh, but later connected with the newspaper publishing business in New York and Toronto, and his mother was the only daughter of George Mackenzie, Esq., of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. He was educated at the Edinburgh high school and afterwards spent a few years in London. In 1838 he accompanied his father to New … Read more

Biography of Rev. Henry Patton

The Rev. Henry Patton, D.C.L., Trinity College Toronto, and Archdeacon of the Diocese of Ontario, died at Belleville, April 30, 1874. He was born at Chelmsford, Essex, March 27, 1806, and received his early education in England; came to Canada with his father, the late Major Patton, 45th Regiment, in 1816; completed his education at the Brockville Grammar School; and studied Divinity at Chambly in Lower Canada. In 1829 Dr. Patton was ordained Deacon by the late Bishop Stewart in the Cathedral at Quebec, and the year following was made Priest by the same Bishop in St. James’ Church, York, … Read more

Biography of James Lister, M.D.

James Lister, a surgeon and physician in Belleville for thirty-seven years, and one of the best educated professional men in this part of the Province, was a son of Captain Lister, long a commander of the Coast Guards, at Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, and was born in London, England, June 30, 1811. When he was twelve years old, the son was placed in a large private school near Cork, where he received an English and classical education. He then went to Dublin, took a thorough course of study in surgery; received his degree in that branch of the … Read more

Biography of Seneca Pitcher

Seneca Pitcher, reeve of Norwich, was born in Warren County, N.Y., December 27, 1825, his parents being Alva and Charlotte (Cunningham) Pitcher, both of New York. Losing his father when he was eight years old, his mother moved to Upper Canada, and settled in the township of Burford, county of Oxford, formerly in the District of Brock, Seneca having an older brother who accompanied them. He acquainted himself with the elementary branches of knowledge in the common schools of that day, supplementing it with private study; farmed most of the time in his youth; clerked a short time in the … Read more

Biography of John White

John White, one of the leading men in the County of Halton, and for years a member of the Canadian Assembly and Dominion House of Commons, was born near Omagh, County of Tyrone, North of Ireland, June 8, 1811. His father, Thomas White, was a carpenter and joiner and farmer. His grandfather was from Perth, Scotland, and his ancestors on both sides were Scotch. When our subject was eleven years old the family came to “Little York,” and settled on a farm in Etobicoke. He was educated in a common school in. the old country, and a Grammar School in … Read more

Biography of Daniel Mackenzie

One of the oldest and most substantial merchants in Sarnia, county of Lambton, is Daniel Mackenzie, who has been in business here more than thirty years, and has weathered every financial storm. He is a native of the village of Campbelltown, parish of Ardersier, Inverness-shire, Scotland, and was born on the 4th of March, 1828. His parents were John and Margaret (Cameron) Mackenzie, his father being a druggist. Both families, were military. Daniel received a parish school education; lost his father about 1833, and in 1843 came to Canada with his mother and two sisters locating at London, where he … 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 Hon. Alexander Mackenzie

In a book of this character, where our space is limited, we can only briefly sketch the principal events of Mr. Mackenzie’s life, laying the foundation for the more extended notice which will occupy an important place in the history of Canada. He was born near Dunkeld on the 28th of January, 1822, being third son of the late Mr. Alexander Mackenzie, of Logierait, Perthshire, Scotland, by Mary, second daughter of Mr. Donald Fleming, of the same parish, both well known families in Athol and Strathtay. His paternal grandfather was Mr. Malcolm Mackenzie, of Strathtummel. Our subject was educated at … Read more

Biography of John Peter Featherston

John Peter Featherston, Mayor of the City of Ottawa in 1874 and 1875, is a native of Durham, England, and’ was born at Mewbus Grange, November 28, 1830. His parents were Jonathan Featherston, M.D., of Her Majesty’s 24th Foot, and of Blackhall, Northumberland, and Janet Dunbar Nicolson, daughter of Rev. Patrick Nicolson, of Thurso, and niece of Sir Benjamin Dunbar, of Hempriggs, Caithness. He was educated at Richmond School, Yorkshire; in 1858 he came to Canada and settled in Ottawa, where for ‘sixteen years he was engaged in the drug business. He was elected Alderman of St. George’s ward in … Read more

Biography of Sir Richard J. Cartwright, K. C.M. G., M.P

Richard John Cartwright, who represents Centre Huron in the House of Commons, and was Minister of Finance from 1873 to 1878, is a son of the Rev. D. Cartwright, chaplain at one period to the forces at Kingston, where he was born, and grandson of Hon Richard Cartwright, a United Empire Loyalist, who came to Canada from the United States about 1776, afterward fought for the Crown, and was a member of the first Parliament of tipper Canada, which met at Niagara in 1792, and continued to hold a seat in that body until his death in 1815. Our subject … Read more

Biography of Kenneth M.Chisholm, P.P

Kenneth Chisholm, of the firm of R. Chisholm and Co., member of the Ontario Legislature for the County of Peel, and one of the leading merchants in Brampton, is a descendant of an old Highland family, originally from Invernessshire, Scotland. His father, Alexander Chisholm, being born in the County of Glengarry, removed to Toronto township, in what is now the County of Peel, in 1818. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary McDonnell, was the daughter of a United Empire Loyalist, who moved from the State of New York to Glengarry at the time of the revolution. She drew lands … Read more