Genealogical Profile: George Forbes (1868–1951)

Genealogical Profile: George Forbes (1868–1951)



Early Life
George Forbes was born on 14 May 1868 in Woolwich, England, to James S. Forbes and Ellen Benson. Little is known about his early childhood, but he immigrated to Canada circa 1880, at the age of 12. This significant move marked the beginning of a life that would span vast distances and diverse occupations.

Religious and Family Life
George was a devoted Roman Catholic, with records of his faith appearing as early as 17 February 1887 in Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada. On 27 February 1897, George married Jane Louisa D’Eye at St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto. Their union was witnessed by James Forbes and Madeline D’Eye.

Together, George and Jane had three children:

1. George Edgar Augustine D'Eye Forbes (b. 1898)
2. James P. Basil Forbes (b. 1899)
3. Gertrude Ellen Forbes (b. 1901)

Sadly, Jane passed away on 20 January 1905, leaving George to raise their children.

Career
George’s professional life was as varied as his places of residence. He initially worked as a telegraph dispatcher in Toronto (1897) and later served as a train inspector in Edmonton, Alberta, by 1921. Over the years, George developed a long-standing career with the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.), working as an employee from 1885 to 1928 and holding roles such as dispatcher and train inspector. By the time of his retirement, his dedication to the railway industry was well-established.

In later years, George shifted careers, working as a fruit grower in Naramata, British Columbia by 1945, a region known for its thriving orchards and vineyards. His residence in Naramata reflects a quieter chapter of his life.

Residences and Travels

George’s life was characterized by frequent relocations. He lived in several Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Notable residences included:

• 20 Ross Street, Toronto (1897)
• Suite 15 Leamington Mansion, Edmonton (1921)
• Naramata, British Columbia (from at least 1945 until his death)

George also traveled to Seattle, Washington, USA, on 20 December 1945, perhaps reflecting his ties to family, business, or leisure pursuits.

Later Years and Death
In his later years, George resided in British Columbia, where he lived for 23 years. At the time of his death, he had been living in Vancouver for four months at 1970 McNicoll Street. George Forbes passed away on 13 April 1951 in Vancouver due to chronic myocarditis and generalized arteriosclerosis. He was buried at the Ocean View Burial Parkin Burnaby, British Columbia, on 16 April 1951.

Legacy
George Forbes’s life tells a story of perseverance, faith, and adaptability. From his beginnings in Woolwich to his varied career and family life across Canada, George’s journey exemplifies the experience of many immigrants who contributed to the development of their adopted country. His commitment to family, work, and faith continues to be remembered by those who study his life and lineage.

X00286 Burial Record for Eva Wilkinson - Solved!

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but there have been some new releases that have come out since my last post. In particular, the Ontario Death Registrations for 1949 have been released. Among other things, I was able to find the death registration for Evangeline Louise Madden Wilkinson (1883-1949).

I had already know that she was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto through Find a Grave, but the death registration confirmed it.

I found the plot number through the Toronto Trust website and then went to Family Search to search for the burial records for that plot and was able to get the burial record

In addition I was able to verify other names as well for that plot.

X00281: More on what Happened to Edwin & Maude Williams after 1921

An update on X00281 and the question of what happened to Edwin and Maude Williams after 1921.

While researching other members of the Williams family, I came across the following obituary for his brother, Frederick Amos Williams from 1950:

In the obituary, it mentions that Fred A. Williams has a brother, Edwin L. Williams age 82 and living in Toronto. So we know that Edwin is still alive and living in Toronto in 1950.

X00251 Death Date for Jonadab Hardy - Solved!

For the longest time, I had figured that Jonadab Hardy (son of Lancelot Hardy and Ann Wood) had died sometime between 1891 and 1901. This was based on the fact that I had found him the 1891 census [D02255], but in the 1901 census his wife, Mary Ann Foster Hardy appears without him [D03280]. But I wasn't able to find a death record for him in that range. Nor was I able to find any cemetery record indicating when or where he might be buried.

I came across a death record from 1906 that could be a possible fit [D03297].

It was indexed as "John Adolph Hardy", but on closer inspection, it could well be Jonadab (or a spelling variant of it). The date of death was 12 March 1906.

Looking at the death record, there are a few arguments in favour:

• The name matches (or at least it's a close approximation)
• The location of the death (Toronto) makes sense, because previous records indicate he had been living there.
• The age at death (73) indicates a year of birth around 1833, which matches what is known about Jonadab
• I haven't seen any other occurrence of the name Jonadab Hardy in southern Ontario at the time.

There were a few problematic areas as well:

• The given occupation (speculator) does not mach previous records indicating that he was a carpenter and operated a saw mill in later years.
• The birthplace (Canada) does not match all other records indicating that he was born in England
• The fact that he doesn't appear in the 1901 census with his wife is suspicious. The census record does not indicate whether or not she was a widow.

I did some digging in the Peel archives and found an death notice in the Streetsville Review dated 15 March 1906 [D04565].

Not only does it confirm the name, but it also indicates that he formerly operated a sawmill in the area. Based on that, I'm going to conclude that this is the same person and that the birth location given on the death registration was an error. I still haven't found him in the 1901 census but that might likely be because of the various mispellings of his name. Another plus: it gives the location of where he was buried, in Erindale Cemetery. That being said, he doesn't appear in the transcriptions for Erindale so, it is most likely that either there was no stone, or the stone hasn't survived.

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Sources:
[D02255] 1891 census of Canada, Ontario, district 119, sub-district St. Stephen's Ward, Toronto City, p. 150, dwelling B2/6, family 678; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestry.

[D03280] 1901 census of Canada, Ontario, district 103, sub-district D-3, Toronto Township, p. 2, dwelling 19, family 19; RG 31; digital images.

[D03297] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935 Reel 124: 55, 1742; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca. [D04565] (Streetsville) Streetsville Review, 15 March 1906, p. 1, Col 6.

X00281: What Happened to Edwin & Maude Williams after 1921?

Last week I posted the profiles of Edwin Lawerence Williams [1869-?] and Maude Alfreda Williams [1869-?] based on what I have found so far. Unfortunately, I have no information on what happened to them past the 1921 census. As of 1921 they were both living in Toronto at 58 Elmer Avenue.

I have not been able to find them in the death registrations for Ontario, or any cemetery records for them using a number of sources including Find A Grave and the Toronto Trust Cemeteries Database.

Some sources still to try:

• The 1931 census (when it becomes available)
• Local newspapers
• Directories
• Voters lists
• The 1940 National Registration

Any other suggestions or information are welcome!

Profile: Edwin Lawrence Williams [1869-?] and Maude Alfreda Eastman [1869-?]

Edwin Lawrence Williams [1869-?] and Maude Alfreda Eastman [1869-?]

Edwin Lawrence Williams was born in Mount Forest, Wellington, Ontario in June 1869 [D03788, D03789, D05223, D05224, D05225, D05226]. He was the youngest child of Isaac Williams and Caroline Seymour Sanders.

Edwin moved around with the family from Mount Forest to Port Perry and then eventually to Lindsay, Victoria County [D03789]. At the age of twelve, Edwin assisted his father’s bookkeeping work [D03789] but later learned the trade of a jeweller. He first worked in Brighton, Northumberland [D05223, D05224] but later found work in a watch factory in Toronto [D05225, D05226].

Edwin married Maude Alfreda Eastman on 7 Jan 1891 in Toronto [D05223]. Maude was the daughter of Benjamin Eastman and Sarah Alfreda. She was born in February of 1869 in Minden, Haliburton County [D05223, D05224, D06663, D06664] and grew up there [D06663, D06664].

Edwin and Maude continued to live in Toronto after they were married, residing at 58 Elmer Ave [D05226].



Sources
[D03788] 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 35, sub-district e, Mount Forest, p. 49, dwelling 173, family 173; RG 31; digital images(accessed 20 May 2018).

[D03789] 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 129, sub-district B-2, Lindsay, Victoria, p. 99, dwelling 458, family 469; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 20 May 2018).

[D05223] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, Reel 73: 322, 14007, Williams-Eastman; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,"(accessed 22 Dec 2018).

[D05224] 1891 census of Canada, Ontario, district 98, sub-district 1, Brighton, p. 17, family 86; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestry (accessed 22 Dec 2018).

[D05225] 1911 census of Canada, Ontario, district 125, sub-district 33, Toronto, p. 12, dwelling 119, family 135; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com (accessed 22 Dec 2018).

[D05226] 1921 census of Canada, district 142, sub-district 33, Toronto, p. 13, dwelling 64, family 82; RG 31; digital images, ancestry.com (accessed 22 Dec 2018).

[D06663] 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 53, sub-district G, Minden Hills, p. 3, dwelling 7, family 7; RG 31; digital images(accessed 25 Jan 2020).

[D06664] 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 125, sub-district P, Minden, p. 2, dwelling 7, family 7; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 25 Jan 2020).

The Tragic Death of Harold Wright Douglas

Harold Wright Douglas was the eldest son of T.W. Douglas and Winnifred Henrietta Victoria Wright. He was born 23 July 1885 in Owen Sound [D05715, D06025].



In the spring of 1904, at the age of nineteen, Harold Wright Douglas moved to Toronto to work for Purdy Mansell & Co., a plumbing and steamfitting company located based in Toronto at 16 Adelaide St. West [D00236, D06020]. He had previously worked for Owen Sound plumber A.J. Ross [D00236, D06020].

While in Toronto, Harold roomed at 346 Berkeley Street along with his co-worker William Bell [D00236, D01210, D06022].

Around 4:00 in the afternoon of Sunday 4 June 1904, Harold and William borrowed a canoe from Ewan’s boat-house at the foot of Sherbourne street and began paddling out on Toronto Bay [D00236, D01210]. When they were about four-hundred yards out, Harold, who was cold stood up to put on his coat. The action caused the canoe to overturn, spilling both Harold and William into the lake. The two of them clung on to the side of the canoe and waited for help [D00236, D01210, D06022].

Boaters James Cockerell and James Ramsden were also out on the water at the time and came to the assistance of the two young men. The two were able to rescue William Bell, but Harold had let go and had sunk beneath the waters by the time that they arrived [D00236, D01210, D06022].

A search was conducted, and the drowned body of Harold Wright Douglas was recovered the following day around 3:00 in the afternoon by ex-Esplanade Constable George Williams [D01209, D06020].

His well-attended funeral was held on Wednesday, 15 June 1904 at the residence of his parents [D06016, D6021, D06023]. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery [D01131, D04954].

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Sources:
[D00236] "Harold Douglas Drowned," (Owen Sound) The Advertiser, Owen Sound , 14 June 1904, p. 1, col. 6.

[D01131] "Owen Sound Greenwood Cemetery Interments" (typescript, 2005), p. 81.

[D01209] "Douglas' Body Recovered," Toronto Star, 14 Jun 1904, col. 3; digital images, Pages of the Past (accessed 6 Apr 2019).

[D01210] "Canoes Claimed Two More Victims," Toronto Star, 13 Jun 1904, p. 7, col. 2; digital images, Pages of the Past (accessed 6 Apr 2019).

[D04954] Greenwood Cemetery (Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario), G-S9-1.

[D05715] "Births," (Owen Sound) The Advertiser, Owen Sound, 30 July 1885, p. 2, col. 5.

[D06016] "Interred on Wednesday," (Owen Sound) The Advertiser, Owen Sound , 17 Jun 1904, p. 1, col. 3.

[D06020] (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Times, 17 Jun 1904, p. 1, col. 4.

[D06021] (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Times, 17 Jun 1904, p. 5, col. 5.

[D06022] "Harold Douglas Drowned at Toronto," (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Sun , 14 Jun 1904, p. 1, col. 4&5.

[D06023] (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Sun, 17 Jun 1904, p. 1, col. 2.

[D06025] Ontario Archives of Ontario, MS 929, reels 1-245, MS929, Reel 70: 11742, 96; digital image, Ancestry.com, "Ontario, Canada Births," (16 Mar 2019).