X00305: John Douglas in Amherstburg

Just a quick update on X00305 where I've been trying to find out more about the Douglas and Williams brewers in Amherestburg, Ontario around 1850 and if they were connected to the Douglas and Williams brewers in Guelph from around the same time.

It's not much of a discovery, but going through past issues of the Amherstburg Echo and came across a number of ads like this one posted towards the end of 1849:

It's not much, but it does mean that there was a brewery for sale in the area in 1849. It's certainly not proof of anything, but it's a lead.

X00305 Update

I have posted previously about X00305 and how I found listings for a Douglas and Williams brewery in Amherstberg, Essex, Ontario and was wondering if it was the same John Douglas and Thomas Williams who were operating a brewery in Guelph around the same time.

I have since contacted the Essex Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society to see if they had any more history about a brewery operation in Amherstburg operating aroun 1851. They weren't able to find anything in their collections or in the Marsh Collection about a Douglas and Williams Brewery in Amherstburg.

Recently, however, I was looking at the death registration for Mary Sophia Douglas, John Douglas' first daughter [D01451]. It states that she was born in 1851 in Amherstburg:

If this is the case, it definitely puts John Douglas living in the area at the time. Unfortunately the 1851 census for Amherstburg didn't survive, so it can't be verified that way. And to make things difficult, different documents give different birth years and locations for Mary Sophia Douglas, including Detroit and Guelph. So more further analysis is needed before I can definitely conclude anything.

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Sources:
[D01451] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935, Reel 336: 815, 15873, 14; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca.

[D06545] Bowering, Ian, The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario. Burnstown, Ontario, 1988.

[D06546] Sweet, Richard L., Directory of Canadian Breweries (Past and Present); Second Edition. Saskatoon, 1996.

X00308 Thomas Williams' brewery in the County of Flint

Another new discovery that I found when I was doing research on the White Bear Hotel. An article from the Liverpool Mercury [D06809] dated 28 May 1841 suggests that Thomas Williams was selling a brewery located in the county of Flint.



This is an interesting discover, because it suggests that he was involved in the brewery business even earlier than when he came to Canada!

X00130: New Station/Station Road Brewery

One of my research topics is on the Ockenden side of the family: George Ockenden 1820-1900 and his son Charles J. Ockenden (1862-1925) were brewers according to census records. After a bit of research I found that the names of the breweries they ran were called Station Brewery and New Road Brewery. I still need to do some more research on the history of the breweries.

Recently, I came across this ad for New Road Brewery:



There's still more to find but I'm glad to have made this discovery.

X00305: Douglass & Williams Brewers in Amhertsberg?

I’ve been doing some more research on historical breweries in Ontario and I’ve found something interesting. Both “The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario” by Ian Bowering [D06545] and “The Directory of Canadian Breweries Past and Present” by Richard L. Sweet [D06546] mention a Douglas and Williams brewery operating in Amherstberg, Essex County out near Windsor, Ontario.

The first source (Bowering) lists:

Douglas and Williams, brewers 1851 [D06545]

and the second one (Sweet) lists:

Douglass & Williams; brewers 1851-1853 [D06546]

I came across the attached record for Amherstberg from an 1851 directory of Canada West. This is presumably where Bowering got his information from.



So, the big question is, are these two brewers in Amherstburg the John Douglas and Thomas Williams who were operating a brewery in Guelph around the same time?

On the one hand, the names could be a coincidence, as Douglas and Williams are both very common names. On the other hand, perhaps this ties in with the fact that John Douglas’ marriage notice says that he was from Detroit. Perhaps they operated out of multiple locations? Perhaps Douglas was working as an agent for the Guelph operations?

The 1851 census would likely give some indication, but unfortunately that portion of the census has not survived for Amherstburg. I've checked the 1861 census for Amherstburg and there doesn't appear to be anyone with the surname of Douglas living there at the time. Nor is there anyone with the surname Williams with an occupation of brewer.

Next step: Check other resources to see if I can find out the first names of the Douglas and Williams of Amherstberg.

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Sources:
[D06545] Bowering, Ian, The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario. Burnstown, Ontario, 1988.

[D06546] Sweet, Richard L., Directory of Canadian Breweries (Past and Present); Second Edition. Saskatoon, 1996.

Update on X00298 - John Williams Brewing History Part 2

Last week I give an update on X00298 and the research on John Williams. This week I'm going to give an update on two of the other research questions.

2. There was a John Williams who supposedly opened a brewery in 1864 in Flesherton (From Whiskey and Wickedness) [D05727]. Is that the same John Williams?

3. His death record lists him as a brewer living in Owen Sound in 1889 [D03737]. Which brewery could he have been working for?

First, as far as the possibility of him opening a brewery in Flesherton, I managed to find a listing in both “The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario” by Ian Bowering [D06545] and “The Directory of Canadian Breweries Past and Present” by Richard L. Sweet [D06546]. Both were under Artemesia:

The first source (Bowering) lists:

Williams, J., brewer, 1864 [D06545]

and the second one (Sweet) lists:

Williams, John; brewer and maltster, 1864 [D06546]

So, it would seem that there is evidence that a John Williams did open a brewery in the area around 1864 and that it was very short-lived. The question still remains though if this is the same John Williams who was the son of Thomas Williams. There was a John Williams living in the area in 1861 and 1871 who was Dutch but had no evident connection to brewing. It could have been the Dutch John Williams or perhaps it was a different John Williams who moved to the area temporarily. There is still more research to be done.

As for the third question, multiple sources suggest that there were two breweries in operation in Owen Sound in 1889: Eaton Brothers Brewery and the Schwan Brewery [D06545, D06546, D06547].



Eaton Brothers started in 1883 and it was believed that they took over from the Riddell & Secord Brewery. The Schwan Brewery was founded in 1885 and believed that they took over from Malone's brewery. It's not clear as to which one John Williams could have worked for. Many of the names of the workers at Schwan's have been documented [D06547] and his name is not among them. But that does not necessarily mean that worked at Eaton Brother's.

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Sources:
[D03737] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935 Reel 54: 395, 5588, 1; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (6 May 2018). Rec. Date: 3 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 6 May 2018.

[D03739] 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Peel, sub-district Brampton, Brampton, p. 15; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 May 2018). Rec. Date: 5 Feb 2018. Cit. Date: 13 May 2018.

[D05727] Cotton, Larry D., Whiskey and Wickedness Volume V - Wellington and Grey Counties, Ontario. Self-published, 2017.

[D06545] Bowering, Ian, The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario. Burnstown, Ontario, 1988.

[D06546] Sweet, Richard L., Directory of Canadian Breweries (Past and Present); Second Edition. Saskatoon, 1996.

[D06547] Schwan, Terry, The Historic Schwan Breweries with abridged family genealogy. Guelph, 2013.

Update on X00298 - John Williams Brewing History Part 1

I have posted previously about John Williams and researching his work as a brewer. There are a few questions that I have been trying to piece together:

1. The 1861 Census lists his as a brewer living in Brampton [D03739]. Which brewery could he have been working for?
2. There was a John Williams who supposedly opened a brewery in 1864 in Flesherton (From Whiskey and Wickedness) [D05727]. Is that the same John Williams?
3. His death record lists him as a brewer living in Owen Sound in 1889 [D03737]. Which brewery could he have been working for?

To address the first question, I recently visited the Peel Archives to look at some of their records and also to the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library to look through the Directory of Canadian Breweries [D06546]. I've found a few breweries that were in operation in Brampton close to 1861, but none that appear to be in operation in 1861:

• Fletcher, E. & R.; brewers 1853-1857
• Fewson, John; brewer and maltster 1865-1874

There are some others who came later in the 1870s as well.

So, it would appear that there are no clear obvious choices as to where he could have been working in 1861. But there are some other possibilities:

• Brain's Brewery, located one mile east of Hornby was in operation from 1832 to 1916 [D06545].
• Richard Church was brewing at the time and moved his operations between Cooksville in Peel region and Caledon [D06546]. Perhaps he also had operations in Brampton?

Nothing clear, but there are some definite avenues to pursue.

Next week, I'll provide updates the second and third questions.

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Sources:
[D03737] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935 Reel 54: 395, 5588, 1; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (6 May 2018). Rec. Date: 3 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 6 May 2018.

[D03739] 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Peel, sub-district Brampton, Brampton, p. 15; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 May 2018). Rec. Date: 5 Feb 2018. Cit. Date: 13 May 2018.

[D05727] Cotton, Larry D., Whiskey and Wickedness Volume V - Wellington and Grey Counties, Ontario. Self-published, 2017.

[D06545] Bowering, Ian, The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario. Burnstown, Ontario, 1988.

[D06546] Sweet, Richard L., Directory of Canadian Breweries (Past and Present); Second Edition. Saskatoon, 1996.

New purchase

My latest purchase: while doing research on historical Ontario breweries I found a place that sells t-shirts with vintage beer labels and they have one with the label of the Eaton Brothers Brewery from Owen Sound, which to my knowledge was in existence from about 1883 to about 1906.



Gotta love it when genealogy and beer come together!

William W. Jackson and the Orillia Steam Brewery

In my research on Thomas Williams and the Orillia Brewery I came across this interesting story about William W. Jackson and his time running the brewery:

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William W. Jackson and the Orillia Steam Brewery
At some time in the 1860s, Thomas Williams partnered with a man named George Jacques and the two leased out the brewery on 4 October 1865 to a man named William W. Jackson [D05652].



A few months after starting his lease on the Orillia Brewery, W.W. Jackson announced an agent in nearby Barrie to take orders [D05676]. He advertised beer for 20 cents per gallon, a pale bitter ale at 25 cents, a champagne ale at 30 cents and two varieties of London porter at 25 cents and 30 cents [D05676].



A few years after W.W. Jackson took over operations of the brewery, however, he ran into some problems with the local newspaper, the Orillia Expositor.

It started in May of 1869 when the Expositor reported that Jackson's brewery had been seized by the government in June of 1868 for not having paid duty on his malt [D05673]. The article reported that this incident had been covered up and that Jackson had been allowed to continue his operations despite not having paid the outstanding duty [D05673].

David Morrow, the inspector of revenue at the time, wrote a letter to the Expositor to explain that while he had initially found that duty had not been paid on the malt, further investigation found that the duty had, in fact, been paid. Furthermore, according to Morrow, the brewery's business had never been suspended during the investigation [D05673].

Although the letter from the former inspector seemed to have cleared his name, that didn't stop Jackson from firing back at the Expositor, writing a letter of his own. In it, he refers to the newspaper as "that scurrilous little sickly Scotch sheet, known as the Expositor" [D05865] and stated that:

"it is not the practice of gentlemen to enter into a newspaper controversy with puppets, and especially one who will at any time suffer himself to be moulded into the shape of an 'ass' for the purpose of pleasing that clique of rowdy and hypocritical editors to which he undoubtedly belongs" [D05865]

Then, in another letter to the Barrie Examiner Jackson implied that the editors of the Expositor would be in high appreciation of the government's attempts to shut his brewery down. [D05673]

These letters clearly riled up the editors of the Expositor who responded with a scathing article of their own. In it, they refer to Jackson as "the local Beau Brummel" and point out that in his letters he never actually refutes a single statement made by the Expositor [D05865]. According to the editors of the Expositor, Jackson was allowed to continue his operations due to the government's leniency rather than him actually having paid duty on the malt [D05865].

In response to Jackson's "it is not the practice of gentleman…" comment, the editors had their own advice for Mr. Jackson, informing him that:

"it is not the practice of gentlemen to attempt to defraud the Government by making false returns, and incorrect statements; it is not the practice of gentlemen to in any way be guilty of a breach of honour; it is not the practice of gentlemen to go about dressed like a tailor and hair-dresser's walking advertisement, while the tailor and hairdresser are unpaid; it is not the practice of gentlemen to contract debts they do not intend to pay, unless compelled to in a court of law; it is not the practice of gentlemen to assume supercilious airs of superiority in their intercourse with others" [D05865]

As to what actually happened - whether Jackson had paid the duty and was falsely accused by the Orillia Expositor or he was let off easily by the government - the truth may never be known. But we do know that Jackson kept operating the Orillia Steam Brewery at least into the 1870s.


Sources:
[D05652] Barrie Examiner, 5 Oct 1865, online archives (accessed 24 Feb 2019), p. 3, col. 2.

[D05673] Barrie Examiner, 10 Jun 1869, online archives (accessed 5 Mar 2019), p. 2, col. 5-6.

[D05676] Northern Advance, 4 Apr 1866, online archives (accessed 24 Feb 2019), p. 1, col. 3.

[D05865] Orillia Expositor, 9 Jul 1869, p. 1; digital images(accessed 9 Mar 2019).

Cotton, Larry. Whiskey and Wickedness - Simcoe County, Ontario, 2014. Self-published.

Thanks as well to Amy Lambertsen and the Orillia Public Library for the research assistance.

Update on X00298: John Williams Brewing History

I posted recently about X00298 and researching John William's history as a brewer. While I haven't looked into the Brampton or Owen Sound breweries I have looked more into the possibility of him operating a brewery briefly in Flesherton. Unfortunately, the findings don't give any positive results either way. Here's what I've found:

• There is a John Williams living in Flesherton in the 1861 and 1871 census, but his occupation is not listed as a brewer in either census and his background is Dutch.
• The John Williams of Flesherton is mentioned and profiled in the book Split Rail Country but brewing is not mentioned.
• The 1865-66 directory for Grey County did not mention any brewery for Flesherton.
• No John Williams a brewer was found in any reference books or reference files for Breweries/Wineries/Distilleries in Grey County
• No trace of a brewery was found on old maps of Flesherton or Markdale.

So, the next step it seems is to check the newspapers around at the time to see if anything is said about the brewery. The only newspapers that I am aware of in Grey County at the time are in Durham and Owen Sound. I've checked the Durham newspapers but couldn't find anything. Will need to check the Owen Sound newspapers next.

Update on X00256 - Thomas Williams born 1827

A few weeks ago I posted about X00256 and the mystery of what happened to Thomas Williams (born 1827, son of Thomas Williams). Since then I have a few updates on this X-File.

First, in search for a death record, I have ruled out two death records that I've found. One of them was for a Thomas Williams who died in 1874 in Osprey Township, Grey County [D03741]. The year of birth was correct (about 1827) but the location didn't make much sense, and the individual's occupation was a marble cutter. Also add on the fact that I've found this Thomas Williams in documents later than 1874 [D01432, D03878, D03880, D05680], I've ruled it out.



I've also ruled out another death record from 1908 [D05655]. While this one was from Simcoe County, the location was still off from Orillia, the parents names don't match John Williams and H Gunnerson vs Thomas Williams and Sybel Foxwell [D00026]), the occupation is farmer, and the date of birth is off (2 Oct 1828 as opposed to the known date of 15 Mar 1827 [D00026]).



I've also ruled out a land ownership record from the County Atlas Project showing a Thomas Williams living in Tecumseh Township in 1880. A number of things do not match, but most importantly, I've found that some Thomas Williams in other records at the same time as our Thomas Williams is in Orillia.

Fortunately, however, there has been some good news. The Orillia Public Library managed to find him in the 1876 voter records, but not the 1887 voter records, which provides more of an argument that he died in 1885.

Plus, they managed to get the transcription for the stone in St. James' Cemetery. It says:

Uncle Tom / Thos Williams / Died / Aug 3 1885 / Aged / 54 years

Now, while the date at death is off (Thomas Would have been about 58 at the time of death) everything else matches. The fact that it was inscribed as "Uncle Tom" implies that he did not have any children of his own and that his nieces and nephews put up the stone, which all fits.

Not a whole lot of definite proof, but it is definitely leaning towards the argument that he died in 1885.

Next steps:
* Likely to check the Orillia Newspapers on microfilm to see if there was anything published around that time * Check possible church records.


Sources:
[D00026] (Minchinhampton, Gloucester, England), "Baptism Record - Thomas Williams 1827," Batch No C049002, Source No 0857041; FHL microfilm. Rec. Date: 8 May 2016.

[D01432] County of Simcoe and Hamilton and North Western Directory and Gazeteer, 1879: 202; digital images, ancestry.ca accessed 7 Feb 2019.

[D03741] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935 Reel 8: 324, 2247,18; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (9 Mar 2019)

[D03878] County of Simcoe and Hamilton and North Western Directory and Gazeteer, 1884-1886: 111; digital images, ancestry.ca accessed 7 Feb 2019.

[D03880] 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 139, sub-district O, Orillia, p. 88, dwelling 386, family 395; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 Jun 2018).

[D05655] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935 Reel 139: 961, 26669; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (9 Mar 2019)

[D05680] "County Notes," Northern Advance, 27 Oct 1881, online archives (accessed 24 Feb 2019), p. 1, col. 6.

Analysis: Is the John Williams in the Guelph City Directory 1873 [D05546] the John Williams born 1829?

Question: Is the John Williams in the Guelph City Directory 1873 [D05546] the John Williams born 1829?



Details/Background: There is a John Williams on page 120 of a Guelph City Directory from 1873 [D05546]. He is listed as a carpenter and living on Northumberland near Glasgow. The question is, is he the same John Williams born in 1829, the son of Thomas Williams and Sybil Foxwell?

Analysis:
Argument(s) for:
• The Williams family in general, and John Williams in particular have a prior connection to the city of Guelph
• In the 1871 census, his occupation is listed as carpenter as well [D01565]

Argument(s) against:
• In the 1871 census he is living in Owen Sound [D01565], although he shows up later on living in Little Current, Algoma [D01544] so he did move around a lot at the time.
• In most other sources other than the 1871 census he is listed as being a brewer.

Conclusion: There is not enough evidence either way at this time to rule for or against the John Williams in the Guelph City Directory being the same one.

Sources:
[D01544] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, MS932 Reel 23: 30, 1049, Williams-Hatton; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,"(accessed 12 May 2018). Rec. Date: 9 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 12 May 2018.

[D01565] 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 37, sub-district 01-g, Owen Sound, p. 28, dwelling 105, family 109; RG 31; digital images(accessed 5 May 2018). Rec. Date: 4 Mar 2017. Cit. Date: 5 May 2018.

[D05546] Guelph City Directory 1873, 1873: 120; digital images, Ancestry.ca accessed 24 Feb 2019. Rec. Date: 24 Feb 2019. Cit. Date: 24 Feb 2019.

X00298 Research John Williams history as a brewer

Much like the others in the Williams family, John Williams (born 1829) worked as a brewer. He first learned the craft while working as part of his father's brewery in Guelph. But he appears to have branched out on his own later on.

In the 1861 census, his occupation was listed as a brewer [D03739] living in Brampton, Peel.



In his death registration, his occupation was listed as a brewer in Owen Sound [D03737].



But more recently, I've discovered that a John Williams opened a brewery in Flesherton, Grey County in 1864 [D05727], although it's not certain whether or not this is the same John Williams. The 1865-66 directory of Grey County does not mention a brewery in Flesherton or a John Williams living there, so if there was a brewery established in 1864, it was short-lived.



So, there's definitely some more research that needs to be done here to fill in the details.

Next Steps:
* Check with the Brampton Public Library for research on Brampton breweries
* Check Brampton directories from the 1860s
* Check Owen Sound resources from the mid-to-late 1880s
* Check for Grey County/Flesherton directories for the early 1860s


Sources
[D03737] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935 Reel 54: 395, 5588, 1; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (6 May 2018). Rec. Date: 3 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 6 May 2018.

[D03739] 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Peel, sub-district Brampton, Brampton, p. 15; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 May 2018). Rec. Date: 5 Feb 2018. Cit. Date: 13 May 2018.

[D05727] Cotton, Larry D., Whiskey and Wickedness Volume V - Wellington and Grey Counties, Ontario. Self-published, 2017.

X00256: What happened to Thomas Williams after 1884?

Thomas Williams (b. 1827) was the son of Thomas Williams (cir. 1792-1868) and Sybil Foxwell (1798-1874). He was born 15 March 1827 in Minchinhampton, Gloucester, England. He came over with the family to Canada in 1842. The Williams family first settled in Orillia, Simcoe County but eventually moved to Guelph, Wellington County.

Thomas the younger appears to have remained in Orillia and established himself as a brewer there, following in his father's footsteps.

I've managed to find a few records mentioning him as a brewer prior to 1884 (census records for 1861, 1871 & 1881 and Simcoe County directories for 1878 and 1884-1886). But after that, the trail goes cold.

The Simcoe County volume of the "Whiskey and Wickedness" book series mentions Thomas WIlliams and his brewing operations, but all before 1881.

The last record I've found him in was an 1884-1886 directory of Simcoe County where he was listed as working as a brewer. I have not found him in a later census or a death record. None of the records I've found show him as having married. So if he did get married, he did so after 1881.

There is one possibility - According to Find-a-Grave, there is a gravestone for a Thomas Williams in Orillia who died in 1885, but no other details. It could be that he died in 1885 but the death was never registered (I could not find a death registration for a Thomas Williams who died in Simcoe County in 1885).

Next steps: Contact the Orillia Public Library and see if they can help

Profile: Gabriel Williams (1825-1854)

Gabriel Williams [1825-1854]

Gabriel Williams was born in 1825 [D00029, D01459, D01530] in Gloucester, England, the son of Thomas Williams (ca. 1792 – 1868) and Sibyl Foxwell (1798-1874). He was the fourth child and second son of the couple.

Gabriel grew up in Minchinhampton, Gloucester. The Williams family moved to Liverpool in the 1830s and when Gabriel was old enough to begin working, he followed in his father’s footsteps into the clothing industry and worked as a hatter’s assistant in Liverpool [D01530].

The Williams family emigrated to Canada West in the early 1840s and first settled in Orillia, Simcoe County but eventually relocated to Guelph, Wellington County. Thomas Williams set up a business as a brewer in Guelph and like his brothers, Gabriel worked as a brewer as part of his father’s business [D04688].

Sadly, Gabriel died 22 May 1854 at the age of 29 years and was buried on 26 May 1854 [D01459].



Sources
[D00029] (Minchinhampton, Gloucester, England), "Baptism Record - Gabriel Williams," Batch No C049002; Dates 1813 - 1875; Source Call no; 0857041; FHL microfilm.

[D01459] "Deaths," Guelph Mercury, 25 may 1854; digital images, Ancestry.ca (ancestry.ca : accessed 9 Jun 2018)

[D01530] 1841 census of England, Liverpool, Lancashire, folio 45, page 37; digital images(accessed 6 May 2018); citing PRO HO 107/559/15.

[D04688] Canada. Ontario. Wellington. Assessment Roll for the Town of Guelph, 1853. Guelph Public Library, Guelph. Guelph Public Library, Guelph. Guelph Public Library, Guelph.