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Pioneer - The SHORTREED Family
Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County
Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906
|
SHORTREED, Family, The
. The pioneer of this family in Canada was the late Thomas Shortreed, who was
b. in Hawick, Scot. 1786. He m. in Scot., Isabella Armstrong, and they came
with their family to Canada in 1831, first set. in the village of Guelph. He
was a tailor in Scot. , and pursued his trade for about two years in Guelph,
when he purchased a farm of 200 acres, about three miles from the village. He
only lived a few years and hardly long enough to make a record in this country,
passing away at the age of 56. He was said, however, to have been a man of
sterling qualities, and great force of character, which characteristics have
been handed down to his descendants in a marked degree. His widow lived many
years after his demise, passing away at the age of 97 years. Issue: James,
John, Robert, William, George, and Thomas.
John, b. 1810, d. 1891, m. Margaret Hood in 1834. Issue: Mrs. P. Bathgate, Thomas, Jr., George, Jr., Mrs. Henry Dance,, Jas. (d. age 28), John, Jr., Gideon, Mrs. J. J. Sanderson, Margaret (d. young). Robert, Mrs. W. R. Cook, William, Jr., Mary (d. young), and Mrs. James Anderson. He purchased, in 1834, lots 3 and 4, Div. D., Guelph Tp., and here set. to which he afterwards added 250 acres, owning 350 acres at the time of his death. He was very energetic and active, and accumulated a large property, assisted his sons in purchasing farms, and pursuing the lumber business. Of this branch, Thomas, Jr., m. Mary Pettinger. Issue: Mrs. (Rev.) Horne, Elora; Mrs. (Dr.) Stenhouse of Toronto; William Jr., unm., Thomas, Jr., first went into lumber business alone, in Esquesing, in 1868, and in 1871, he associated with him Mr. R. Laidlaw, and his brother Gideon, under the firm name of Shortreed and Laidlaw. This business was carried on successfully for years. They later started a sawmill in Toronto for the purpose of sawing stone. and the business was assuming large proportions , when , in 1886, he was accidentally killed in Toronto by the guy of a derrick. George, Jr., b. 1838, m. Elizabeth Dawson. Issue: John J., Margaret E., and Roy D. He set. in Barrie in 1875, and went into the lumber business there with his brother John, Jr. this business was carried on with great success for 12 years, and in 1887, he retired to Guelph where he has since resided on Norfolk St. and aside from looking after his investments, is not engaged in any active business. He is a Presbyterian, and in politics a Liberal. John Jr., m. Caroline Gilrie, he d. 1901. Issue: Margaret, Winnie, William, and Ruth. All lived in Toronto with their mother. He engaged with his brother George, in the lumber business in Barrie, which, as before mentioned, was very successful, but he did not confine himself alone to the lumber business, he had been engaged extensively in the cattle business, with the late Gideon Hood, and this line of business he continued, to the time of his death. He was a large land owner in Manitoba, as well as the lumber business spoken of, and other property. Gideon, m. Eliza Williams. Issue: Bertha, Robert, Harold, Effie, Ella, Lionel, George, Margory, and John, and as before mentioned, was of the firm of Shortreed and Laidlaw, Barrie, and was later of the firm of Shortreed Bros., lumber dealers. In his business he amassed a fortune, and is now living retired at Hillsdale, near Barrie. Robert, Jr., m. Barbara Thain. Issue: Robert 3rd, Isabella, Elizabeth, and Evelyn He owns and lives on the old Shortreed farm in Guelph Tp., 250 acres. This is the "gold medal" farm of the district, and Mr. Shortreed, like his progenitors, is a successful man. William, Jr., unm., was drowned while in business with his brother Gideon, in Hillsdale. He was a successful businessman. Robert, Sr., b. Scot., m. Elizabeth Barclay. Issue: Thomas, Mrs. Thomas Welsh, Mrs. William Watt, Mrs. Hugh Short, and Robert. Robert, Sr., retired in Fergus, carried on a farm, also a sawmill in Esquesing, and a flourmill in Elora. He is a broad-minded man, and possesses executive ability of high order. William, Sr., m. in 1841. Issue: William, Thomas, and Isabella. He was a merchant in Guelph for a number of years. He built the large hotel on Cork St., then called the "Underhill hotel." He removed to the U.S. and there died. George, Sr., b. Scot., 1807, d. 1900, m. Sarah Ritchie. Issue: William, Andrew, in Fergus; Jane, Thomas, in Rainy River; Mrs. Alex. Petrie, Toronto; Rosie, Mary, Esther, James Stonewall, and John Robert. George Sr., lived on the old homestead where his father settled, and was Reeve and Councillor of the township for a number of years. Andrew, son of George, Sr., went to school in Guelph Tp. He went to Garafraxa with his father in 1820, and farmed with him. In 1880 moved to Fergus, and milled with Andrew Semple, at old Robinson mill. In 1884, started to buy grain, and live stock for late John Black. For two seasons before he ran seed and feed store on the Owen Sound road, then with Mr. Black. In 1888, he started buying for himself cattle and hogs, and has since been in the same business. He was one year Councillor of Fergus; Director of Nichol Agr. Soc., for five years. He is a Presbyterian nd a Conservative. He m. first, Sarah Jordon, dau. of James Jordon, of West Garafraxa. His second wife was Mrs. Wm. Murphy, dau of David Mullen, of West Garafraxa. Issue of first marriage, George, and James, at Maple Creek, ranching. Second issue: Irene. James, b. Scot., 1808, m. Margaret Blair, set. in Maryborough, where he farmed for many years, and there d. as did his wife. Issue: Thomas, and Samuel, Mrs. Geo. French, Mrs. Guest, Mrs. Stuart, Robert, John and George. Thomas 2nd, unm., b. in Scot., ws in the service of the Hudson Bay Co., on the Saskatchewan and Assiniboia, among the Indians, about 25 years (between 1834 and 1860) . He at one time owned land on which Still Water, Minn., and the city of St. Paul, as well as present city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., now stands. Later took up land at Rainy River, Ont., where he d. in 1891. From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto:Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906 |
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