Ontario Canada

Biography of Henry Crotty

Among the few men now living in. Ingersoll who has had a taste of pioneer life, is Henry Crotty, one of the first men to locate on the north side of the Thames river. He was born in the county of Tipperary, Ireland, January 12, 1812, his parents being Henry Crotty, gentleman farmer, and Mary Antony. His paternal grandmother was a Cashel, a somewhat noted Irish family. In 1831, Henry Crotty, senior, immigrated with his family to Canada, coming directly to Ingersoll. There was then a small village here on the south side of the Thames River, but only two … Read more

Biography of Nelson G. Reynolds

Nelson Gilbert Raynolds, high sheriff of Ontario county, since it was organized in 1853, is a son of Rev. John Reynolds, many years a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a native of the north of Ireland, and was born at Kingston, Upper Canada, January, 23, 1814. His mother was Mary nee Gilbert, whose father was from England. Young Reynolds was educated at Upper Canada College, and Cazurovia (New York) seminary; at fifteen years of age went to England, and became an officer in the 11th Lancers, afterwards Huzzars; in 1833 returned to Belleville, Canada, where his parents were … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward D. Morton, M.D.

Edward David Morton, a very successful physician and surgeon, was born in the county of Wicklow, Ireland, June 18, 1835, his father being Francis Morton, a gentleman farmer. He was educated in the ordinary schools of his native country and by private tuition; came to Canada in 1856; studied medicine with his brother, George Dean Morton, M. D., Bradford; attended lectures in the medical department of the University of Toronto; was graduated in 1860, and after practicing two short years in company with his brother at Bradford, settled in Barrie, soon building up a lucrative practice. He has a large … Read more

Biography of Stephen J. Jones

Stephen James Jones, Judge of the County Court of Brant, and Master in Chancery, dates his birth at Stoney Creek, County of Wentworth, December 21, 1821, his father being Stephen Jones, son of a United Empire Loyalist, and born in Duchess County, New York. A great-uncle of our subject, Augustus Jones, also a loyalist, was Government Land Surveyor in the old Niagara District his residence being at Stoney Creek. The mother of our subject was Mary Smith. He was educated in the district grammar school at Hamilton; studied law at first with Miles O’Reilly, of Hamilton, and afterwards with S. … Read more

Biography of William H. Ruby

William Henry Ruby, merchant and grain dealer, is a son of Adam and Elizabeth (Stein) Ruby, and was born in Essex county, New Jersey, September 20, 1830. Both parents were from Bavaria, Germany, and his father is yet living. When William was nine years old the family came to Canada, and settled on a farm in the county of Waterloo, the son receiving a common school education, and the literary advantage of three years’ work, from twelve to fifteen years of age, in a printing office at Berlin, attending school two years after leaving the office. He taught public schools … 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 George Leys

George Leys, Mayor of the town of Sarnia, and son of James and Ann (Williams) Leys, is a native of Cushnie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, dating his birth, August 12,1830. He received a thorough parish school education; learned his father’s trade, that of a tailor, and worked at it in the old country until 1853, when he emigrated to Canada West, and settled in Sarnia, the county town of Lambton, where he has resided since that date. Here at first he had charge of the merchant tailor’s shop of his uncle, Alexander Leys, Esq., J. P., buying him out in 1858, and … Read more

Biography of Robert Beaty

The subject of this brief sketch is truly one of the representatives of the self made and successful business men of Toronto, and an eminent example of the rewards of industry and perseverance, when supported by upright and manly qualities. Robert Beaty, banker, broker, and real estate dealer, is a native Canadian of Irish descent, and was born at Ashdale Farm, township of Trafalgar, county of Halton, Ontario, on the 28th of July, 1824. His ancestors, parents, and items of interest relating thereto, will be found in the sketch of his brother, Mayor James Beaty, Jr., Q.C., D.C.L., which appears … Read more

Biography of John Horsmae

John Horsman, the oldest and leading hardware merchant in the city of Guelph at this writing (Nov., 1879), is a native of Birmingham, England, dating his birth July 18, 1827. His father was John Horsman, senior, many years a miller, and afterwards holding a Government office; and his mother, before her marriage, was Frances Philip. The son received a good English education, sufficient for all practical business purposes; served an apprenticeship at the hardware business in his native town; in 1848 came to Canada, and after halting a short time in Toronto, located in Hamilton, where he remained as a … Read more

Biography of Lieut.-Col. Alexander M. Ross, M.P.P.

The subject of this sketch, who is one of the oldest settlers still living in Goderich, was born in Dundee, Scotland, April 20, 1829. He is the son of Colin and Elizabeth (McLagan) Ross, natives of Dundee. Mr. Ross came to Canada and settled in Goderich, in 1833, and Mrs. Ross followed with her sons in 1834. Here Colin Ross, who had been in the Linen Company’s Bank in the old country, entered into the mercantile business, which he followed for some years. He died about 1850. His widow, mother of Col. Ross, died in 1878. Alexander was educated in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George A. Kirkpatrick, M.P.

Among the sons of Thomas Kirkpatrick, a brief sketch of whom we have given in another article, George Airey, his fourth son, succeeded him in his position as member for Frontenac in the House of Commons. He was born in Kingston, in 1841, and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, taking his degree in 1861. On his return to Canada, in the same year, he entered on the study of law with his father, and by his diligence and urbanity of manner quickly gained throughout the community a host of friends. His connection with the volunteer regiment of Frontenac, as … 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 John Page

The subject of this sketch, the Chief Engineer to the Department of Public Works, is a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, where he first saw the light of this world, on the 9th July, 1816. His father was John Page, a contractor. He received his early mental training in the University of Glasgow, not, however, completing the full college course. He was bred an engineer, and, before leaving his native land, served a while as Engineer of the Northern Lighthouse Board, under Robert Stephenson. Mr. Page crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1838, and was engaged for four years on the Erie … Read more

Tuscarora Indians

Tuscarora Tribe, Tuscarora Confederacy: From their own name Skǎ-ru’-rěn, signifying according to Hewitt (in Hodge, 1910), “hemp gatherers,” and applied on account of the great use they made of Apocynum cannabinum. Also called: Ă-ko-t’ǎs’-kǎ-to’-rěn Mohawk name. Ani’-Skǎlǎ’lǐ, Cherokee name. Ă-t’ǎs-kǎ-lo’-lěn, Oneida name. Tewohomomy (or Keew-ahomomy), Saponi name. Tuscarora Connections. The Tuscarora belonged to the Iroquoian linguistic family. Tuscarora Location. On the Roanoke, Tar, Pamlico, and Neuse Rivers. (See also Pennsylvania and New York.) Tuscarora Subdivisions. The Tuscarora should be considered a confederacy with three tribes or a tribe with three subtribes as follows: Kǎ’tě’nu’ā’kā’, “People of the submerged pine tree”; … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W.E. Sanford

No “Portrait Gallery of eminent Canadians,” would be considered complete without a sketch of the gentleman whose name heads this article. For several years he has stood in the front rank of the “Merchant Princes” of Hamilton, and by his remarkable career of business success has filled a place in the public attention so large as to constitute him, to some extent, a Provincial character and public property. So without fear or favor, and almost forgetting to say, by your leave, we attempt our sketch. Mr. Sanford was born in the city of New York, in 1838. His mother dying … Read more

Biography of Hon. Edward Blake, Q.C.

Edward Blake was born in the township of Adelaide, county of Middlesex Ontario, E in 1833. He is the eldest son of the late Hon. Wm. Hume Blake, himself a man of marked ability, and grandson of the late Rev. Dominick Blake, rector of Killegan and Lough Richland, Ireland; his mother was the daughter of Wm. Hume, of Humewood. The subject of this sketch was educated in his earlier years, by Messrs. Wedd and Brown, and later at the Upper Canada College. In his youth, Edward Blake showed signs of possessing in the bud the talents of elocution and a … Read more

Biography of Thomas Kennedy

Thomas Kennedy. The door of opportunity is everywhere opened to the man of enterprise. The most characteristic industry in the State of Kansas was built up by a young machinist who came to Galena nearly thirty years ago and somewhat later established a factory for the manufacture of perforated metals. The Thomas Kennedy Company of Galens is the only concern of its kind west of the Mississippi River as far as the Pacific Coast. Mr. Kennedy created in his own mind the idea for the machines that are now at work in his plant. He realized the need of perforated … Read more

Biography of Hon. Justice M.C. Cameron

Matthew Crooks Cameron, son of John McAlpin Cameron, was born at Dundas, Ontario, on the 2nd day of October, 1822. His father was a descendant of the Camerons of Fassifern, Scotland, and emigrated from Inverness-shire, to Upper Canada, in 1819, settling at Dundas, where he engaged in the mercantile business; subsequently discharged the duties of deputy postmaster, under Thomas Allan Stayner, then the Imperial Postmaster-General for Canada, at Hamilton, and also deputy clerk of the Crown for the then Gore district; later he was student at law with Sir Allan MacNab, with whom he remained until he was appointed the … Read more

Biography of Timothy T. Coleman, M.D.

Timothy Theobald Coleman, a pioneer physician at Seaforth, and a prominent manufacturer, was born in the county of Kerry, Ireland, February 11, 1828, his father being Thomas Coleman, a farmer, who died when our subject was four years old. Young as he was, Timothy was the oldest of three children, left to the care of the widowed mother. He was kept at school until eighteen years old, receiving an English and classical education, being obliged to drop his studies at that age on account of the famine in Ireland in 1846, when he had to resort to manual labor to … Read more

Biography of Thomas Driffill

Thomas Driffill, a pioneer settler at Bradford, is a native of Lincolnshire, England, a son of Samuel and Ann (Morwood) Driffill, and was born January 27, 1809. He received an ordinary education for business; learned the trade of a blacksmith with his father; came to Canada in 1830, and the next year settled where the village of Bradford now stands. At that time there were only two families on the site of the place, and no clearings, and no roads except such as had been extemporized among the trees. Farms, however, had been opened in various parts of the township, … Read more