Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer

Wellington County, Ontario GenWeb - Pioneer - SORBY, Walter

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Pioneer - SORBY, Walter

Biographical Sketches of
Early Settlers of Wellington County

Information from: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario.
Toronto: Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906

SORBY, Walter (d.). The pedigree of the Sorby family can be traced back to the reign of King Henry VIII., and was derived from the town of Sowerby, Yorkshire. The late Walter Sorby was b. in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng., Aug 7th , 1804, and was there raised and educated. On arriving at manhood's estate he and his brother Richard entered into co-partnership and became possessed of a colliery near Sheffield, which they ran successfully for some years. In 1846 the late Walter Sorby took a trip to the U.S. for recreation from business, and in Michigan met Mary S. Talbot, to whom he was m. in 1847. She was a descendant of the English and Irish Talbot family. In 1848 they returned to England and lived there about ten years, when he sold out his interests in England and came to Canada, purchasing the Puslinch farm in 1863. Here he lived until his death in 1890. The late Walter Sorby was well educated and a man of refined taste, possessed of means and practically lived a retired life in Canada. He had the following issue: Walter D., Alfred T. (d.) Harold and Oswald.

Walter D., m. Mary C. Howitt, dau. of the late Alfred Howitt. Issue: Mary H. and Dorothy D. He is retired and lives at his beautiful home on the Waterloo road in Guelph Tp. He also owns an island in Muskoka, where he and his family spend a portion of their time each year. For some years before his retirement he was connected with his brother Oswald in the breeding of Clydesdale and Hackney horses.

Harold, m. Florence B. Bate and set. in N.W. Oswald, m. Agnes Evans, dau. of Smith Evans. Issue: Gertrude, Walter, Phyliss and Muriel Talbot. He carries on the breeding of Clydesdale and Hackney horses on his farm in Puslinch.

From: Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario. Toronto:Historical Atlas Publishing Co., 1906