The Family of William Harrison (1812-1849) and Mary O'Connor (1820-1904)

William HARRISON (1812-1849)
m. Mary O’CONNOR (1820-1904) – on April 19, 1837 at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Wildfield, Toronto Gore Township, Peel County
Upon his death on March 11 1849, William's estate was valued at £1005, 10s with total debts of £181 . The majority of this was in land. The 100 acres on Lot 8, Concession 9, Toronto Gore Township where the Harrisons first settled in 1831 was valued at £600. Mary O'CONNOR, William HARRISON's widow married Edward GALVIN at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Wildfield, Peel County, Canada on January 27, 1864. On February 1, 1864 Edward and his wife Mary signed an indenture where she releases her 1/3 dower interest in all property to her son William for $1. Edward seems to have disappeared sometime later.

William and Mary had the following children:

• William (1838-1920) m. Minnie DEADY at St. Mary’s Church, Simcoe County on November 28, 1888 – they had one child, a daughter named Frankie in 1890. She married James DERRICK. William attended St. Michael's College, affiliated with the University of Toronto, in the early 1860s.  According to his obituary, published in the Brampton Conservator on May 27, 1920, William passed away suddenly on May 19th of heart disease. He was engaged in farming at Derry West for a number of years and then operated the Arlington Hotel in Brampton from about 1895. The hotel was located on the corner of Railroad and Elizabeth Streets directly across from the Grand Truck Railway station. He was buried in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Brampton.

• Bridget (1840-1856), buried St. Patrick’s Cemetery – never married. Her obituary in the Toronto Mirror says that she died "after a lingering illness". "Miss Harrison was a native of the Gore of Toronto, and from her sweet charitable, and pious disposition, will be long and deeply mourned by her friends and acquaintances".


• Francis H. (1842-1925) m. Mary Ada CREED, April 1, 1876, Evanston, Wyoming USA. Francis attended St. Michael's College in the 1860s and would become a medical doctor, after furthering his education at Bellevue Medical College in New York City, and then at Yale University - including a stint in the US Army as a Medical Cadet during the Civil War (see separate entry).


• John (1845-1927) farmed on Lot 8, Concession 10, Toronto Gore Township until 1887 when he sold it to George Robinson and retired to live in a large farmhouse in Vaughan Township, York County just north of Claireville. The house still exists and is located on the east side of Highway 50 just north of Highway 407.  It was then, late in life, that he married Margaret LENNON on January 9, 1901 at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Toronto Gore Township, Peel County.  John and Margaret had apparently already had one child, a daughter named Gertrude, mysteriously born on March 19, 1894, according to census information.  There does not appear to be a birth registration nor a baptismal entry in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Wildfield?   Gertrude would later marry John DEANE on August 23, 1922.  John DEANE was a recent emigrant to Canada only arriving in Quebec in November 1920.  They had four known children – John, James, William and Helen.    Originally the Deane family lived in Woodbridge but later they moved to the City of Toronto.  John died on May 15, 1936 and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Toronto.

Tombstone of John Harrison and Margaret Lennon

St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Wildfield

© Michael Harrison 2010

• Nicholas (1847-1933) m. Mary WILEY on January 24, 1882 at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Toronto Gore Township, Peel County.

Nicholas Harrison Farm - Lot 8, Concession 10, Toronto Gore Township, Peel County 

© Michael Harrison 2009

Nicholas farmed on Lot 8, Concession 10, Toronto Gore Township for a number of years. Upon his retirement he moved to a small cottage on the west side of The Gore Road just south of Mayfield Road opposite St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. According to his obituary in the March 31, 1933 edition of the Bolton Enterprise, Nicholas passed away at his home on March 27th. He was described as “one who had been prominent in the public life of the county for well over half a century”. He had served as the clerk of the Township of Toronto Gore for 50 years, as well as representing the township on the Board of Directors of the Peel Farmers Insurance Company, of which he was president from 1910-1912. He was also a school trustee for several years.
Nicholas and Mary had the following children:

• Mary Maria (1882-1962) m. Charles O’HARA on April 26, 1904 at. St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church – had 4 children
• Anne Elizabeth (1884-1964).  I think I found her boarding at the McRae home in Winnipeg in the 1911 census.  She  married George WIGGINS in Kenora, Ontario on October 12, 1911.   According to George's obituary, he moved from Toronto to Winnipeg in 1909 to open the Success Business College.   Since they both lived in Winnipeg I wonder if they eloped?  Why leave Manitoba and get married in remote Kenora, Ontario? George listed his occupation as professor in college.  Anne listed herself as a teacher.  In 1914 George joined the G. R. Bradley and Co.  They are in Winnipeg in the 1921 Canadian census.  Anne's sister Mary (Minnie) is living with them as a teacher along with her nephew Vernon Tice.   George retired from business In 1942.  He died on May 4, 1947.   Annie continued to live in Winnipeg until her death on September 12, 1964.  They are both buried in Brookside Cemetery.  They had no children.
• William John (1885-1965)  William lived on the family farm until about 1903 when he went out west and ended up in the US travelling around to various parts of it including Los Angeles.  He came back to Canada, settling in Saskatchewan about 1914.  His draft papers from March 1918 have him as single and living in Amulet, Saskatchewan.  In 1919 he was in Colville, Washington and came down with influenza.  He was nursed back to health in hospital by Della Bernice Hammond.  Della was the daughter of Ben Hammond of North Dakota.  They had two children William Maurice Harrison in 1921 and Rosalie Edith Harrison in 1924.  They moved to the US in November 1924 to settle in Yuma County, Arizona where Della's father had moved.  They remained there and can be found in the 1930 and 1940 US Census.  Descendants continue to live in Yuma today.
• Francis Ewart (1887- September 1961) – Francis remained on the family farm and never married.
• Clara Isabel (1889-1924) married Charles TICE in Toronto in 1906.  They moved to the United States and were living in Hamilton, Indiana in the 1910 US Census.  In 1914 they immigrated to Saskatchewan where Charles took advantage of the land available as a Homesteader.  By this time they had three children - all boys:  Clifford (b. 1909), Claude (b. 1911) and Vernon (b. 1915).  Charles enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1915 and served overseas in the First Pioneer Battalion, Canadian Engineers.  The family was listed in the 1916 Saskatchewan census - Charles was noted to be overseas.    Charles married for a second time in England to Rose Whittaker in Ecclesall Bierlow, Yorkshire West Riding, England on May 6, 1917.  They had one daughter Rose in England in 1918.  In 1921 two of the sons (Clifford and Claude) were living with their grandparents Nicholas and Mary Harrison in Toronto Gore Township, Ontario and the other son (Vernon) was living with his aunt Anne Wiggins (nee Harrison) in Winnipeg.   What then happened to Clara Harrison is unclear, she was still alive though I cannot find her in the 1920 US Census or 1921 Canadian Census.  What is known is that she died in Toronto on December 15, 1924 and is buried at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Wildfield, Peel County.  Charles Tice and Rose did come to US in about 1921 but lived first in Pennsylvania then in Ohio, then in the city of Madison, Indiana before finally settling in Pendleton Indiana (Madison County).   That is where they appear in the 1940 US census.  He died there in 1945.  Rose died in Indianapolis (Marion County) in 1978.   It does not appear that the children from his marriage to Clara Isabel Harrison ever lived with him again.  Vernon Tice continued to live with his aunt and uncle in Winnipeg.  He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1940 and took part in D Day operations in France on June 6, 1944.  Captain Vernon Tice was killed on June 9, 1944 and is buried in the Beny-Sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery in Calvados, France.  His obituary mentions that he was married and his wife's name was Eileen Emily (maiden name unknown) who was living at 179 Renfrew Street in Winnipeg.  His uncle George Wiggins is also mentioned in the obituary.  Clifford and Claude appear to have remained in Ontario.  However Clifford later immigrated to the United States.  He died in Orange County, California on October 9, 1990.  I have not been able to determine what became of Claude Tice. 
• Hilda Maria (1891-1980) m. Dr. TIGHE on April 7, 1913.  They had 4 known children.  Yvonne b. 1915, Frank 1918-1918, Frank b. 1919 and John 1924-1925.  They originally lived in Bolton, Ontario but had moved to Bomanville, Ontario by 1921.  Frank Harrison Tighe born in 1918 eventually immigrated to the United States were he married Ann Stevens-Butz in San Bernandino, California on March 24, 1961.  Frank died in San Bernandino, California on May 15, 1995.
• Alice Louise (1893-1986) m. Martin BYRNE on September 23, 1914.  Alice died in 1986.
• Edith Alexandra (1897-1917).  She was a teacher but died unmarried in 1917.
• Mary (Minnie) Margaret (1898-1983) Mary was a teacher teaching at schools near Brampton.  In the 1916 census she is living with her sister Anne Elizabeth Wiggins (nee Harrison) in Winnipeg and is listed as "Mary" where she continued to work as a school teacher.  She is also listed as living in Winnipeg in both her mother's obituary from 1928 and her father's obituary in 1933.  Mary lived in Winnipeg until at least 1935.  While on a long bus trip to visit her brother in Yuma Arizona she met US Marine James R. Rutledge.  It appears to have been love at first sight as she later married James R. Rutledge of the United States Marine Corps who was born in Arkansas in 1904.  As a Marine he had many exotic postings.  He was stationed in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii in 1930 and at the US Legation in  Peking in 1935. In the 1940 US census they were living on a US Marine Corps base in Virginia.  I also believe that he fought in WWII but have no details on his involvement in the war.  After the war they appear to have settled in San Diego, California.  James died in San Diego on December 26, 1968.  Later in life Mary moved to Yuma, Arizona, no doubt to be closer to her brother's family and died there in April 1983.