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People, organizations, and families
Shier, L.V.
Person

L.V. Shier, son of Dr. Daniel Webster Shier and Helise Alberta Workman, was a lieutenant with the 20th Battalion Canadians, British Expeditionary Forces, during the World War I. . He was discharged from the army September 12, 1918 and later became a doctor. Shier married Blanche Relyea (d.1972).

Preston, Josiah J.
Person

Josiah Johnston Preston was born June 7, 1855, as the third son, to James Preston, of American Scots descent and Jane Johnston, of Fermanagh, Ireland. James Preston built one of the first gristmills in Manvers. Josiah was born in the Township of Manvers, County of Durham, Canada West. He had five brothers. He was a grain merchant and in 1887 formed a partnership, called Touchburn & Preston, with Robert Touchburn. Eventually he formed a grain merchanting partnership with his brother Sidney, called Preston Bros. Josiah was deputy reeve and reeve of the Township of Manvers and County Councillor for Division No. 3 in Durham County for 10 years from 1888 to 1897. He was elected 8 times by acclamation. He was elected Warden of the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham by acclamation in 1897. He was appointed clerk of Township of Manvers in 1898 and was holding that office as of 1918. He first returned to the Legislature at the general election of 1902 and was sworn in March 10, 1903 as a member of Provincial Government for Durham East. He was re-elected at the general elections of 1905, 1908 and 1911. He was defeated in the general election of 1919 at age 64. Josiah never married. He belonged to the Anglican church in Bethany and he was an Orangeman and a Mason. He died July 10, 1937. A memorial window was dedicated to Josiah on the west side of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Bethany, Ontario. (Taken from: "The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1918." Ottawa: The Mortimer Company Limited, 1918) and (taken from: Carr, Violet M. "The Rolling Hills." Lindsay: The Manvers Township Council, 1967.)

Seward, William Henry
Person · 1801-1872

William Henry Seward was born in May 1801 in Florida, New York. His father was Doctor Samuel S. Seward, a medical doctor and merchant. His mother was of Irish descent. William entered Union in 1816 after preparation at Farmer's Hall academy, Goshen, New York, and graduated in 1820. He read law with John Anthon in New York City, and with John Duer and Ogden Hoffman in Goshen, and was admitted to the bar at Utica in 1822. Seward then settled in Auburn, New York in January 1823 as the partner of Elijah Miller, the first Judge of Cayuga county. In 1824 he married Elijah Miller's daughter Frances Adeline.

Throughout the late 1820's and 1830's Seward became involved in politics. The Whig party nominated him for governor in 1834, but Seward was defeated in the election by William L. Marcy. He was again nominated for governor in 1838 and won the election by a majority of 10,421. His liberal and democratic ideals caused much dissention within the Whig party, but he was once again re-elected in 1840 with a rather diminished majority. In February 1849, Seward was elected U.S senator and became known as the foremost opponent of slavery in the Whig party. In 1855, he was re-elected to the senate and again spent much of his time fighting slavery. In 1860, he was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination but he lost the nomination to Abraham Lincoln. Seward supported Lincoln's campaign, and in turn, after being elected President, Lincoln appointed Seward Secretary of State. After eight years of tenure, he retired from office in March 1869. In 1870 Seward embarked on a journey around the world and when he returned home, he dedicated his time to the writing of a narrative on his travels, and after its completion, he began a history of his life and times. Unfortunately, the autobiography was incomplete at the time of his death on October 10, 1872.

Way, Allan Percival
Person

Allan Percival Way (fl. 1921-1945), was a farmer who owned property in Murray Township, County of Northumberland. He also lived in Trenton, Ontario and was married to Florence Mildred Way.

Wearing, Joseph
Person

Joseph Wearing is Professor Emeritus at Trent University, having been a member of the Department of Political Studies for three decades and, for a time, serving as Chair of the Department. He is a graduate of the universities of Western Ontario, Toronto and Oxford (D.Phil.) and is the author of books and articles on Canadian political parties. His books include The L-Shaped Party: The Liberal Party of Canada, 1958-1980; Strained Relations: Canadian Parties and Voters; and The Ballot and its Message: Voting in Canada (edited collection of articles on Canadian voting behaviour). He also wrote a book about his father, Lumberjack in the Court House: The Remarkable Career of Judge Joseph Wearing and helped to produce “:30 Second Democracy: A Documentary on Political Television Advertising.” A more recent research interest is the role of party discipline in the Canadian House of Commons. Apart from his academic activities, Professor Wearing has also contributed to the musical life of Trent University and the City of Peterborough. He was the musical director of six Gilbert & Sullivan productions between 1969 and 1975 and performed in a seventh production. He conducted the Coventry Singers of Peterborough, 1967-1975, and was chair of Town & Gown Concerts that presented concerts by local performers as well as by prominent Canadian musicians including Lois Marshall, soprano, and Anton Kuerti, piano. He was also on the Board of Directors of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra and held the position of president. As a pianist and member of the Master Class Players, Wearing performs regularly at community events in Toronto.

Young, Nim You
Person

Young Nim You is a graduate of Haushin University in Korea and has taken courses in theology. She is married to Kwang Il Lee and has a son, Tae Ook Lee, who was born in 1980. You was involved with the Korean Women's Association for Democracy and Sisterhood and came to Canada as a missionary in 1989 under the auspices of the Partners in Mission Program of the United Church of Canada. You returned to Korea in 1992.

White, Henry
Person

Henry White was a Barrister who lived in Port Hope, Ontario, at the turn of the century. He acted as an agent, collecting rents, for various estates in the area.

White, Phyllis
Person · 1917-2010

Phyllis Hope (Fox) White was born near Swift Current, Saskatchewan in 1917. She taught Normal School in Saskatchewan and served in the Canadian Women's Army Corp during WWII. After receiving a BA in Social Work from University of Toronto and an MA in Education from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Phyllis moved to Peterborough in 1969 with husband Rodney F. White (1922-1995), a professor at Trent University. The couple had three daughters, Pat, Kathy, and Debbie. In Peterborough, Phyllis worked for the Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Aid Society and was a member of the Unitarian Church and the Peterborough Historical Society. She conducted historical research and and was interested in the Port Hope area, writing in particular about her paternal forefather, Elias Smith, who was a loyalist and who fought on the side of the British during the Revolution. Phyllis died in Peterborough in 2010. (Biography augmented with information extracted from the Peterborough Examiner, 24 April 2010).

Smith, Arthur James Marshall
Person · 1902-1980

Arthur James Marshall Smith was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1902. He was educated at McGill University and received his B.A. in 1925 and his M.A. in 1926. In 1931 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. At McGill University Smith edited the "McGill Daily Literary Supplement" from 1924 to 1925. When is was discontinued, Smith, along with F.R. Scott, founded and edited the "The McGill Fortnightly Review" in 1925. This was the first journal to publish modernist poetry and critical opinion in Canada. Throughout his lifetime, Smith's works were published in anthologies, and he became recognized nationally as a poet, critic and anthologist. He taught English at several American colleges before accepting a position, teaching English, at Michigan State University from 1936 until his retirement in 1972. Michigan University, upon his retirement, created the A.J.M. Smith Award, given annually for a noteworthy volume by a Canadian poet. Among Smith's most distinguished awards were the Governor General's Award in 1943, for "News of the phoenix and other poems", and the Lorne Pierce Medal in 1966. (Taken from: "Poets Between the Wars." Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1969.) In 1978 A.J.M. Smith received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Trent University. Trent University received a number of books and papers from Smith and a room on the first floor of the Bata Library was dedicated to him. A.J.M. Smith died in 1980.

Stewart, Frances Anne
Person · 1794-1872

Frances Anne Stewart (nee Browne) was born May 24, 1794, daughter of Reverend Francis Browne and Anna Maria Noble, in Dublin, Ireland. In 1796, Rev. Browne died quite suddenly in front of his wife. The resulting shock left Frances' mother somewhat of an invalid until she died in 1809. Frances was left in the care of her great-uncle, Robert Waller in Allanstown, Ireland, where she was raised by Harriet Beaufort, who managed the household. Harriet was a well educated young woman, and sought to give Frances the same quality of education. Under Harriet's instruction, Frances received a much more academic education than was the norm for young girls of those days. In the summer of 1816, Frances, and her aunt Susan went to visit some distant friends, the Stewarts, who lived near Belfast. This is where Frances met her future husband, Thomas Alexander Stewart (1786-1847). They were married December 16, 1816. Thomas worked for the firm of Robert Reid and Son, which manufactured linen, cotton and silk. When the company ran into trouble, and eventually bankruptcy, Frances and Thomas decided to emigrate to Canada. The Stewarts went with Thomas' brother-in-law, and former business partner, Robert Reid and his family. The party of 27 set sail from Belfast Lough, on June 1, 1822. Seven weeks were spent on the ship before reaching Quebec. From there they traveled to Kingston, and then on to York, where Stewart and Reid were each granted 1200 acres, provided they settled in an unsurveyed township. Douro Township was suggested as a promising region. On September 9, 1822, Stewart and Reid traveled to the area with Richard Birdsall, the surveyor, and each chose land on the Otonabee River. Life in Douro Township was very isolated for Frances, but she managed well on her own, looking after her home and children. Thomas Stewart died in 1847 from typhoid fever, and Frances Anne died several years later on February 24, 1872 at Goodwood. Extensive biographical information on the Stewart family, plus friends, neighbours, and associates, may be found in accession 02-001.

Madill, Glenn
Person · 1897-1984

Glenn Madill was a scientist employed by the federal government to undertake research on the “magnetic north.” He was educated at Queen’s University and was an assistant magnetician for the Dominion Observatory taking measurements at the north magnetic pole. He was also a canoeist, farmer, teacher and amateur photographer. He and his wife Olive were married in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1921 and lived in Lakefield, Ontario.

Pierce, John Gourley
Person · 1918-2003

John Gourley Pierce was a Peterborough land surveyor and the son of John Wesley Pierce, also a land surveyor, and Mable Pierce. He graduated from Queen's University, served with the Royal Canadian Engineers in Italy and Europe during WWII where he won the Military Cross for Valour. On returning from the war, he joined his father's survey firm, which then became Pierce & Pierce Land Surveyors, in Peterborough, Ontario. In 1947 he completed the survey of the Ontario-Manitoba boundary started by his father in the 1920's. He was President of the Ontario Land Surveyors Association. He was also active in the community and earned numerous awards, among them a citation for outstanding contribution by the Ontario Land Surveyors Association, a City of Peterborough Award of Merit, Rotary's Paul Harris Fellowship, a Sir Sandford Fleming College Fellowship in Applied Education, and the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award.

Pierce, John Wesley
Person · 1886-1949

John Wesley Pierce, father of John Gourley Pierce, was born in 1886 in Eaton, Quebec, the son of Reverend Barry Pierce and Catherine Farnswoth. He attended University of Toronto and was a member of both the Dominion and Ontario Land Surveyors Associations. He was responsible for the definition of the Ontario-Manitoba boundary, begun in 1921 and finally completed by his son in 1947. Until 1932, he worked for the Topographical Survey Branch of the Dominion Department of the Interior and traveled from New Brunswick to the North-West Territories. In 1932 he settled in Peterborough, Ontario and started the survey firm which would become Pierce & Pierce Land Surveyors. (Biographical account supplied by Catherine Cramer).

Neufeld, James
Person · 1944-

James Neufeld was a professor and author and a member of the Department of English Literature at Trent University from 1972-2010. He was the Principal of Traill College from 1982 to 1987, the Vice-President of University Services from 1990 to 1995, and head of the English Department from 2000 to 2005. Professor Neufeld was born in 1944 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. He received his Hons. B.A from the University of Toronto (1967), and his M.A in Theology and Literature (1969) and Ph.D. in Literature (1974) from the University of Chicago. He joined Trent University in 1972 and retired in 2009.

Professor Neufeld’s area of study is in the arts, namely ballet and music in Canada. He has written four books on ballet and one book on Canadian soprano, Lois Marshall (1925-1997). His academic honours and distinctions include the University of Chicago Fellowship (1968-1969), and the Canada Council Doctoral Fellowship (1969-1972).

Lauder, James William
Person

James William Lauder was a Canadian soldier from a German prisoner-of-war camp in 1944.

Standen, Dale
Person

Dale Standen has played various key roles at both Trent University and the Canadian Canoe Museum. Standen is a Professor Emeritus of History at Trent University and has served terms as chair of the Department of History, liaison with Trent’s Frost Centre, and the Principal of Lady Eaton College. Standen’s research pertains to early colonial history of Canada with a focus on French-Indigenous relations and the practice of history in museums. Standen has also held various positions at the Canadian Canoe Museum, including Director on the Board of the Canadian Canoe Museum (ended spring 2004), as a Councilor of the Champlain Society, as President of the French Colonial Historical Society, and as Director of the Board of the Peterborough Historical Society (2018-2019). Standen also assisted in the re-structuring of the Canadian Canoe Museum when they temporarily closed for financial reasons in 2003-2004. As of 2019, he is currently the president of the Peterborough Historical Society.

Addison family
Family

The Addison family members are descendants of Mark Robinson, Ranger and Superintendent of Algonquin Park from 1907-1936. Ottelyn Addison is the daughter of Mark Robinson, and was born in 1909. Her children are William D. Addison, Peter M. Addison, and Edward M. Addison. Ottelyn spent her childhood summers in Algonquin Park, and has written two books about Algonquin Park, "Early Days in Algonquin Park", and "Tom Thomson, The Algonquin Years". She was also editor of "The Young Naturalist" and "The Richmond Hill Naturalist Bulletin". Ottelyn currently lives in Aurora, Ontario.

Doane family
Family

The Doane family were a Quaker family who settled in York County, probably in East Gwillimbury Township, as early as 1815. According to the 1878 Atlas of York County, the family held land on concession 3, lot 15, in that township, more or less equidistant from Sharon and Queensville Post Offices. Other members of the family branched out to North King Township (third concession, near the Holland River), to Pickering Township, Toronto, the United States, and in one case, to the Baptist Mission at Cocanada, Madras, India.

Cameron family
Family

Charles Cameron was born July 29, 1830 at Lossiemouth, Scotland. In 1856 he emigrated to Canada West and opened a business in the town of Peterborough. Three years later, Sophia Barron, also of Lossiemouth, followed Charles Cameron to Canada West, and they were married at Kingston, February 22, 1859. Together they raised four children: Annie Walker, b. 1859; Alfred and Albert, twins, b. 1864, and Sophia, b. 1868. Two other children, Clara, b. 1861 and William, b. 1866, died in infancy. In 1860, Cameron formed a business partnership with Donald McKellar, and as the firm of McKellar and Cameron, they opened a general store at the corner of George and Hunter Streets, Peterborough. They sold groceries and hardware, and acted as commission merchants. On December 8, 1869, the store was destroyed by fire. In 1869, Sophia and the three youngest children went on a visit to Scotland. Charles and Annie later joined them for Christmas in the same year. In the new year Charles returned to Peterborough and became an insurance and steamboat ticket agent. He continued in this line of work until 1903. He died a year later on February 25, 1904. His wife Sophia never returned to Peterborough; she died in Elgin, Scotland, April 29, 1873. It is unknown as to when the children returned to Canada. Albert Cameron went into a curtain and draperies business called Rumsey and Cameron. His twin brother Alfred became a Provincial Land Surveyor. Alfred married Jennie Rose on November 2, 1895 and together they had 8 children. Their first born died at the age of two. Three of their daughters, Jessie, Margaret and Jean remained in Peterborough throughout their lives, and they are responsible for the donation of this fonds to the Trent University Archives. The Cameron home on Chemong Road was dedicated as a women's shelter in 1996.

Dickson family
Family

Samuel Dickson was born in 1809 in County Cavan, Ireland. He emigrated from Ireland to Peterborough in 1830 and became employed by James Hall as a distiller. In 1840 he built a saw mill on the Otonabee and owned all the land from Parkhill (Smith Rd.) to the bridge on Hunter Street on both sides of the river. He married Ann Holmes and they had ten children: one son and nine daughters of whom only six daughters survived. Samuel Dickson was on the Peterborough Council for four years. He built a number of houses and owned a large portion of Peterborough property. He died in 1870 when, while supervising the repair of a railway pier, he fell into the river and drowned. His daughters married and they and their husbands helped to run the lumber business. His eldest daughter, Mary Ann, married T.A. Hazlitt, who on the death of Samuel Dickson became the manager of the lumber business. Elizabeth married William Davidson and through her line the family maintained the lumber business. In 1906 the Dickson family sold some of their property and established the Peterborough Lumber Company which would give jobs to some of the older men from the Dickson Co. Samuel's grandson Dickson Davidson was the President of the new company. When he died Laura Davidson became President. At her death in 1957, Helen Munroe McCrae, became the President. She was a great granddaughter of Samuel Dickson.

Family

The Theodore Thorne Hamilton family is associated with the earliest settlement of the Bobcaygeon area and later relocation to western Canada, where Theodore Thorne Hamilton was a telegraph operator with the Canadian National Railway. Hamilton was born 10 April 1890 in Bobcaygeon and died 3 August 1959. While in western Canada, he resided in Eudako, British Columbia.

Geale-Rogers family
Family

The Honourable Robert Hamilton (1826-1891) was a factor of the Hudson's Bay Company who was stationed at Fort Edmonton. He married Ann (Annie) Seaborn (Seabourne) Miles (born in 1838 at Rupert's House d. 1863). Annie's mother was Elizabeth (Betsy) Sinclair (b. ca. 1805 and d. 1878) and her father was Robert Seaborn Miles Sr. (1795-1870). Like Robert Hamilton, Robert Miles Sr. was a Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. One of Robert and Annie's sons, Robert Miles Hamilton (1864-1939), married Alice May Barker and resided at "Auburn" in Peterborough, Ontario. Alice's father was the Honourable Samuel Barker, a Conservative Member of Parliament and a barrister. Alice and Robert Hamilton's children were Miles Beresford Hamilton, Robert Barker Hamilton, Alice Seabourne Hamilton, and S.R. Hamilton (male). Both Beresford and Robert Barker Hamilton served overseas during World War I. Alice Seabourne Hamilton married Charles Norman Geale.

Edward Armour Peck, whose papers are also included in this fonds, was the natural father of Arthur Henry Peck and the adoptive father of Charles Norman Geale. Edward Armour Peck was married to Kitty Revel.

Richard Birdsall Rogers was born at Ashburnham in 1857. He was the son of Robert David Rogers and Elizabeth Birdsall and a grandson of Richard Birdsall. He lived in Ashburnham until 1916 and then moved to "Beechwood Farm" in Douro Township. He was a land surveyor and was appointed Superintending Engineer of the Trent Valley Canal in about 1884. During his time in this office, he built the Peterborough-Lakefield Division and the Simcoe-Balsam Lake Division of the Trent Canal including the Hydraulic Lift Locks at Peterborough and Kirkfield, besides many dams and other works on this canal. Richard married Clara Mina Calcutt of Peterborough in 1881. They had seven children. Their daughter, Leah, married Herbert Geale, the brother of Charles Norman. Two of Richard and Mina's sons, Heber and Harry, served overseas in World War I.

Hueston family
Family

The Hueston family (fl. 1918-1919) lived in Thorndale, Ontario.

Kerr family
Family

The Honourable William Kerr, 1836-1906, was born at Ameliasburgh, Prince Edward County, Upper Canada, a son of Francis William and Olive Shelley Kerr. He attended school at Newtonville and later, Victoria College at Cobourg, Ontario where he received his B.A. in 1855 and his M.A. in 1858. Subsequently, Victoria College honoured him with a L.L.D. in 1887. William Kerr carried on his legal studies in the office of Smith and Armour (later Chief Justice of Ontario) in Cobourg. He was called to the Upper Canada bar in 1859 and practised law in Cobourg. He became a Q.C. in 1876. In 1896 he was elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario. During his career, Mr. Kerr maintained his lasting association with Victoria College as a member of its Board of Regents, then as a senator. In 1885 he was appointed the University's Vice-Chancellor. He was heavily involved in the many land transactions undertaken by the University in Northumberland and Durham Counties. Mr. Kerr began his political career as a Town Councillor of Cobourg, from 1862 to 1867 and as the town's mayor, from 1867 to 1873. In 1874, he was elected as a Liberal member of the House of Commons for Northumberland West. He was unseated by petition on September 26, 1874, but was re-elected at a by-election on November 17, 1874. He was later defeated in both the 1878 and 1882 elections. On March 15, 1899 he was called to the Senate. Mr. Kerr was a Methodist by religion. On November 12, 1858, he married Myra J. Field, daughter of John Field M.P.P. They had seven children, three daughters and four sons. The oldest son, William F. Kerr became a partner in his father's law practice to form the firm Kerr and Kerr of Cobourg. After the Senator's death on November 22, 1906 in Toronto, William F. carried on the firm with a series of partnerships. John Wesley Kerr, the Senator's brother, was also a lawyer in Cobourg. He was called to the bar in May 1860 and was commissioned as a notary public in the same year. On June 27, 1870, he married Eva Fraser. It is possible that during his career he was Clerk of the Peace for the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham. He died on September 4, 1903.

Medd family
Family

The Medd family were early settlers in Millbrook, Cavan Township, Upper Canada who later moved to Peterborough, Upper Canada. The first member of the Medd family to settle in the region was Robert Medd. His son Thomas Medd (ca. 1850-1916) married Mary Scott (1845-1922) in 1870. Mary Scott was the granddaughter of Adam Scott, the first pioneer settler on the site of Peterborough. They had two sons, Sidney T. Medd and A.W. Medd. Sidney Taylor Medd, a barrister, married Estelle Lumsden Ackerman some time between 1909 and 1910. They had two children, Scott Ackerman Medd, born in 1911, and Mary E. Medd. Scott Ackerman was educated at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario and upon graduation, was employed by the Bank of Montreal in both Peterborough and Oshawa. In 1932, dissatisfied with his career in banking, Scott Medd successfully applied to the Royal Academy School in London, England. In 1938, he married Beryl Gray-Rees in London, and on June of the following year, their only child Miriam Frances was born. With the outbreak of the World War II in 1939, Scott Medd's artistic career was interrupted as he spent the next six years of his life with the Royal Artillery. In 1945, he was a member of the British occupation force sent to liberate Norway from the Germans. After the War, Scott returned to art as a teacher at the Camberwell School of Art in London. In 1960, he was appointed Resident Advisor to the Students in Painting at the British School in Rome, Italy. He retained this position until 1970, when illness forced him to retire. Scott Medd had a long and successful career as an artist and teacher. He died 9 November 1984.