James H. Aylward, postmaster and merchant, Queensville, is the son of the late James Aylward, and was born in the Village of Queensville. His father was a native of Ireland, and emigrated to Canada in 1822. He located in York County, and for the first four years taught school in Scarboro’ Township, and was afterwards engaged as general merchant, which business he carried on to within a short time of his death in 1875. The mother of James H. was Miss Belfry, daughter of the late Jacob Belfry, and early settler in this township. The subject of this sketch is the only surviving member of their family, and succeeded to his father’s business, and also the office of Postmaster. He deals in boots and shoes and patent medicines. Mr. Aylward has been twice married; first to Emma J. Hill, whose death occurred October 17, 1872. He was married to his present wife in December 13 1883; she was Miss Marion Stokes, daughter of John T. Stokes, of Sharon.
(vol. II, p. 487)
William James Beaton, blacksmith, was born in the Township of Pickering, Ontario County, in 1859. His father was born in Scotland in 1800, and came to Canada at an early day, and has occupied the position of Township Clerk and Treasurer of Pickering for upwards of 40 years. William James is one of a family of five children; he learned the trade of blacksmith with Mr. William Mosgrove, of Brougham, and has since carried on that business in Markham. He was married in 1882 to Miss Minnie Woodruff. (vol. II, p. 487)
Edward Brammer, merchant, Sharon, was born in Sharon Village. His father was the late Edward Brammer who emigrated from Yorkshire, England in 1836, and the following year was taken prisoner for taking part in MacKenzie’s Rebellion, but was afterwards released. He was a blacksmith by trade, which business he followed to within a short time before his death in October, 1872. The maiden name of our subject’s mother was Hannah Scales; she died in 1882. Edward succeeded his father in the blacksmith business, which he carried on for about 10 years. In 1882 he bought up the store which he now conducts, where he is doing a satisfactory and improving business. Mr. Brammer was married in March, 1867, to Emily Agar, daughter of Henry Agar of this township. (vol. II, p. 487)
William Brodie, proprietor of the steam pump works, Franklin, is a native of Scotland, and emigrated to this country in 1856. His father is John Brodie, who located with his family first in Toronto, and after three years residence there removed to the township of Scarboro’ where he resided about seven years. He subsequently settled in this section, where he has been engaged in the manufacture of pumps. He took possession of his present establishment in 1877, and turns out on average about one thousand five hundred pumps and wind-engines per annum.
(vol. II, p. 488)
John Currie, lot 5, concession 3, is of English birth, and came with his people to Canada in 1830. His father, Thomas Currie, on his arrival in York County, fixed his residence in Newmarket, where he lived for many years, and subsequently died in East Gwillimbury in 1879, at the age of ninety-one years. His mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Parker; she died in the year 1868. John Currie started for himself on the farm belonging to his father, afterwards receiving from him one hundred acres. He located upon his present farm a few years later, and married in 1885 Elizabeth Porter, of English birth.
(vol. II, p. 488)
Elias Doan, lot 11, concession 3, was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1805, being the son of the late Ebenezer Doan, who brought his family to Canada in 1813. Elias married in 1829 Wait Wilson, daughter of the late Hugh Wilson; his family consisted of three sons and five daughters. A.T. Doan, son of the above, was born in Sharon. He went to California, where he remained about 13 years and then returned to Canada, and has since been living on the old homestead in this township. He was married in 1828 to Angelina McCarty, daughter of the late R. McCarty, of this section. (vol. II, p. 488)
David Doan, lots 13 and 14, concession 3, was born on the farm where he now resides, and is the son of the late Ebenezer Doan, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Canada about the year 1808, and settled first in the Township of Witchurch, York County, where he resided about ten years. He moved from Whithurch to this section about 1818, where he lived until his death in 1866, at the age of ninety-three years. Mr. David Doan has been twice married, first to Sarah Quibbell; three sons and one daughter survive this union. In 1875 he married Jane Anderson. (vol. II, p. 488)
Allen Graham, lots 1 and 2, concession 8, is a native of Yorkshire, England, and came out to Canada in 1842, in company with his parents. The family were by trade spinners and weavers, and unaccustomed to farm life, consequently on settling on uncleared land they found the labour and hardship more than usually severe. Their success may be taken for granted when about onethousand four hundred acres of land altogether are possessed by two brothers in different parts of the county. The father died in 1860, at the age of eighty-eight, and for some years after this event Allen and his brother Benjamin were in partnership, combining farming with the business of wool manufacturing. Mr. Graham is, however, now alone, and owns altogether about six hundred and forty acres in this township, and eighty acres and Whitchurch, his brother Benjamin being in possession of the remainder of the property.
(vol. II, p. 489)
William Graham, lot 10 concession 2, was born in the state of New York, near the Mohawk River, and came to Canada with his people when a child. His father, the late William Graham, was a native of Ireland, and settled first in New York State on his arrival in America. In the year 1811 he came to York County, U.C., and settling in concession 3 of East Gwillimbury resided there until his death. Mr. Graham, sen’r, was married in Ireland to Esther Reid, who survived her husband some time; four sons and four daughters were the issue of their union. William, on starting for himself, purchased a bush farm on concession 2 of this township, on which he remained until 1868, when he retired from active life, and has since been living in the Village of Sharon. He was married in 1833 to Elizabeth Doan, daughter of the late John Doan, a pioneer of this township; they have two sons and three daughters. Mr. Graham took an active part in the Rebellion of 1837, and after the disbandment of MacKenzie’s forces was taken prisoner and confined for short time in a church at Newmarket, afterwards being released on bail. (vol. II, p. 489)
George Haigh, proprietor of the woolen-mills, Mount Albert Post Office, was born in East Gwillimbury Township, being the son of the late David Haigh, who emigrated to this country from Yorkshire, England 1841, and settled in this township, where he died in 1844. George was the only son of his father’s family (which consisted only of a son and daughter), and commenced the woollen business at Mount Albert in 1870 under the firm name of Graham & Haigh, which businesses was continued in this manner for six years, when Mr. Haigh retired and follow farming for four years. In 1880 he again took charge of the woollen-mill, and has since successfully conducted the business and employs about ten hands. His manufactures include tweeds, flannels, blankets etc. Mr. Haigh married Jane, daughter of William Mainprize, of this township. (vol. II, p. 490)
Samuel Harris, deceased, was born in New Jersey State, and came to Canada before the war of 1812. He settled in Uxbridge Township, Ontario County, and during the war,not wishing to take up arms against his American countrymen, he was fined by the British Government. He came to East Gwillimbury Township in 1816, and conducted a blacksmith’s business for six years, subsequently returning to Uxbridge, where he owned five-hundred acres of land, and lived there until 1829. He then came back to East Gwillimbury and bought one hundred and fifty acres in concession 2, where he resided until his death in 1872. He married Susan Chapman, born in Pennsylvania, whose death occurred in 1858; three sons and one daughter survive them, of whom one son, Israel, resides on the old homestead. The latter married in 1836 Sarah Doan, daughter of Ebenezer Doan, of this township, by whom he has a family of eight children; four sons and one daughter are now living. (vol. II, p. 490)
Brooks W. Howard, lot 4, concession 2, is one of three sons, the only surviving members of a family of nine children born to Stephen and Tammy (Foster) Howard. The family originally came from Connecticut, U.S., where the father was born in 1781. The late Stephen Howard came to Canada and 1801, and settled on Yonge Street, where he resided until his death in 1840. There was no road when he came, they being obliged to follow the Indian trail. Our subject’s mother was from the Black River region, New York State, was afflicted with chronic rheumatism and not able to walk the last forty-five years of her life; she died in 1869. Brooks W. was born in this township, west of Yonge Street, on concession 1. He was married in 1839 to Emelia Wakefield, daughter of T.B. Wakefield, a native of Vermont, U.S., who came to this township at an early day; she died in 1874. Mr. Howard again married in 1876, his second wife being Elizabeth Philips, a native of East Gwillimbury, by whom he has one son and one daughter. (vol. II, p. 490)
Stephen Howard lot 101, concession 1, was born on the family homestead, being the third surviving son of the late Stephen Howard. He was married in 1848 to Jane Millard, daughter of the late John Millard, a pioneer of York County; the issue of their union is three sons and four daughters. (vol. II, p. 491)
A.J. Hughes, lot 11, concession 3, is the son of the late Job Hughes, and grandson of Amos Hughes, who emigrated from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as early as 1805, and coming to York County, U.C., settled in King Township, where Job, the father of the subject of our sketch, was born. The family removed to the Village of Hope, since called Sharon, in the township of East Gwillimbury, where Amos, the grandfather, died. Job Hughes came to East Gwillimbury along with his parents in 1818, where he lived until his death in 1875. Our subject’s mother was Elizabeth Thorpe, of Irish birth, who died in 1882; four sons and one daughter survive them. A.J. Hughes was born on the old homestead, where he has all his life resided. He married Martha D. Phillips, daughter of David Phillips, whose father, Dr. Samuel E. Phillips, came from Pennsylvania in 1800.
(vol. II, p. 491)
W. H. Hunter, merchant, Mount Albert, is a native of the village where he resides, being a son of the late Robert Hunter. The latter was of Irish parentage and came to Mount Albert in 1844, the locality at that time being entirely bush. In 1850 he built and conducted the first store in the village, and two years later took possession of an adjoining store which he continued to carry on for twelve years. He then retired for four years, subsequently erecting a store and establishing the business now conducted by his son, W.H. he died in 1875. The mother’s maiden name was Maria Shuttleworth; W. H. and his brother are the only surviving children. (vol. II, p. 491)
James Kavanagh, auctioneer and agricultural implement agent, Queensville, was born in Sharon Village, being the son of the late James and Elizabeth Kavanagh. His parents came from Ireland at an early day, and settled in York County, his father being shot at the battle on Yonge Street, near Montgomery’s Tavern, during the Mackenzie Rebellion, dying from his wounds shortly afterwards. James has resided in this township all his lifetime. He first kept hotel at Sharon for several years and afterwards for a time in this village. He has been in his present line of business about twenty-five years. He was married in 1854 to Maria Barker, daughter of the late John and Mary Barker, who lived in this section, having emigrated from England; their family consists of three sons and three daughters. (vol. II, p. 491)
John H. Kavanagh, merchant and postamster, Sharon, was born November 10, 1833, in the village where he now resides. His father, James Kavanagh, was born in the County Down, Ireland, in 1785; he was a soldier in the British Army, and was killed at the Battle on Yonge Street, during the Rebellion of 1837. The mother of John H. was Elizabeth Darling, a native of Ireland also; born in 1787; she died in Rochester, N.Y., in 1874. The subject of this sketch was one of a family of seven children, and was educated at School Section, No. 4, East Gwillimbury. He commenced life as carpenter and joiner, which business he followed for a number of years. During the Civil War in the United States he joined the Federal Army and enlisted in the 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry. He is at present acting as Postmaster of his native village, and also conducts a store. He was married at Sharon in 1861 to Eliza Ryan, who was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1837; he has four children by this union, viz.: Elizabeth, James, Mary and Adeline. He is a Liberal in politics. (vol. II, p. 492)