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Pioneer - COCKBURN, John
Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County
Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906
|
COCKBURN, John
(d.), b. Peeblesshire, Scot., 1797, d. 1868. With his wife and little family
of four children he came to Canada in 1834, and set. on lots 17 and 18, rear
con 8, Puslinch, when the country was new and wild. This farm he cleared and
later purchased the rear, lot 19, con. 8 (300 acres). He had been a flesher
in Scotland. He a man of good education and became a Magistrate in Puslinch,
a Reeve of the township, until from the infirmities of old age, he compelled
to retire. He also took an active interest in church matte and was an Elder
of Duff's Church. In politics he was a Liberal. m. Janet Todd, in Scot.
Issue: John (d.), Thomas (d.), William (d Mrs. Alex. Fleming (d.), all b. in
Scot.; and Hugh (d.), James (d Mrs. David Dickson (d.), Charles G., and Mrs.
Thomas Weir (d.), in Canada
Charles G., youngest son of the late John Cockburn, m. Mary Death, dau. of the late Malcolm McBeath, pioneer of Puslinch. He went to N. Dakota, where he d. in 1888. William had the misfortune to lose his arm with a circular saw. After that he was Assessor, Collector and Constable. He m. Elizabeth Amos. Their son, William J., is a baggage inspector for the G.T. Chicago to Portland, also on the detective staff for a number of years for the same company. Hugh, at the age of eleven, went to live with his Uncle Hugh, who came out at the same time as the late John Cockburn. At twenty he set. on lot 19, rear of con. 8, and finished clearing it. He took but little interest in municipal matters, but was strong in everything pertaining to the interests of agriculture. He was Secretary, Director President of the Puslinch Agr. Society for years, and was one of first members of the Puslinch Tp. Mutual Fire Ins. Co., acting as Sec'y-Treas. for a long time. He was School Trustee and Sec'y-Treas. of S. S. No. 4. In association with Duncan Gilchrist and Peter Mahon he was one of the founders of the Farmers' Institute. He was also Elder in Duff's Church. He m. Margaret Beattie, still living, who came with her parents, Francis and Ann Beattie, from Roxburghshire Scot., in 1834, and set. on lot 14, front con. 8. Issue: John A., Francis W., Hugh G., Robert T., William B., and James A. John A., b. 1858, owns and operates 390 acres, front lot 17, con and part of rear lots 17 and 18, con. 8, rear lot 19, con. 8, and front lot 19, con. 9. He is one of the largest land owners and best farm in the township, and is actively interested in church, agricultural, educational and municipal affairs. He has been Clerk of Session since 1893, and Elder in Duff's Church since 1891; since 1882, Supt. of the Sunday School at S.S. No. 10, and was Trustee of S.S. No. 10 for twenty years, and Director for years of Puslinch Agr. Society, and President for one year. He is an expert judge of cattle and has been judge on Gov. Dept. of Fairs and Exhibitions. He is a breeder of high grade and Shorthorn cattle and Oxforddown sheep. Mr. Cockburn was elected to the Municipal Council in Jan., 1905, and in the bye-election of June, 1905, was elected Reeve of Puslinch by acclamation, and he been re-elected by acclamation. He m. Elizabeth McKeracher, who, with her parents, Duncan and Elizabeth McKeracher, and brother Donald now of Preston, and sister Margaret, now of New Jersey, came from Scot. in 1858, and set. on lot 21, con.9. Issue: Hugh A., John M., Maggie E., Ernest S., Wilbert M. and Alexander B., all at home. Francis W. m. Margaret McBeath, and set. at Devil's Lake, N.D. where he is a large property owner, and has been Alderman for many years. On retiring therefrom he was appointed Inspector of Deeds of the State of North Dakota. Hugh G. was b. and raised on rear half lot 19, con. 8, Puslinch and received his early education in S.S. No. 4, Aberfoyle, also S.S. No. 10, Puslinch. He attended the Guelph Business College in 1887, an next year entered business as retail coal, wood and lumber merchant in the city of Guelph, which he conducted for about five years- at the end of which time he sold the retail business and entered the wholesale instead. He established a wholesale lumber business in the same city, which rapidly increased so that in two years he took in as partner Mr. W. J. Passmore, and conducted the business under the firm name of H. G. Cockburn & Co., and established a market in England and Scotland for hardwood lumber and the higher grades of pine, the former purchased throughout the Central and Southern States, and the latter from the northern sections of Ontario, and exported. Also supplying the Canadian market with hardwood lumber from the United States. As the business continued to increase , at the end of four years, in 1899, Mr. J. J. Whaley was taken in as an active partner, and the business continued under the firm name of Cockburn, Whaley Co. Mr. Cockburn is Presbyterian in religion, and an Elder of St. Andrew's Church, Guelph. In 1889, he m. Jessie, dau. of the late Alex. McLean, Badenoch, Puslinch. Issue: Marguerite Lila, Christina Helen, Hugh Russell, Laura Belle, Jessie Marie. Robert T. graduated from Knox College, Ph.B., and is a Presbyterian clergyman in Southampton. He m. first Mary (d.), dau. of Wm. Kerr, Puslinch, and afterwards Jean Donaldson, of Fergus, Ont. William B. m. Jessie Cameron and set. at Waterdown. James A. finished his education as a photographer in Edinburgh, and m. Jean Cavan, cousin of the late Principal Cavan of Knox College, and set. in Calgary. From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906 |
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