Notes |
- Notes for WILLIAM FREEMAN:
William was a Conductor on the Canadian Pacific Railroad when he died
in 1899.
William Freeman Sr., moved his family from Hemmingford,
Huntingdon County, Quebec to Prescott, Grenville County, Ontario
around 1880. He was a conductor on the CPR railways. Prescott is a
small town located on the St. Lawrence River between Brockville and
Cornwall. It is situated at the head of the rapids and the lowest
point that large ships could safely unload cargo, in the 1800's.
The stage coach followed the river shore between Montreal and
Prescott, which made Prescott a transportation point for embarking
larger lake ships, to Toronto. Prosperity came to Prescott during
the Railroad times. The Prescott-Byway Railway necessitated the
building of large storage yards at the waterfront in Prescott, to
connect the Railway by ferry to the Champlain Railway from
Ogdensburg, New York to Boston, MASS. but gradually, Prescott
became only a intermediate point on this transportation system.
The Grand Trunk Railway pushed west from Montreal, Quebec to
Toronto, Ontario. In 1889 Prescott had electric street lights
although private homes used kerosene lamps until the early 1900's.
In 1899 a water tank was erected and Prescott homes had a water and
sewage system!
William and Fanny were listed on the 1880 census for Prescott,
William was 50 years old and working as a Railway Conductor for CPR.,
Richard was 20 years old and working as a Commercial Traveler.
William Henry was 17 years old and working as a clerk in a store.
Robert George was 15 years old and attending school. Adelaide was
listed as 21 years old and living at home. The Freeman family had a
maid who was Josephine Hornby, 20 years old, born in Ontario,
Anglican of Irish origins.
William Freeman Sr.'s Will dated 1898, he was living on lot
#15, now number 235 Dibble Street, Prescott, on the south side of
the street. He was a Public School Trustee in Prescott. The family
attended St. Paul's Wes. Methodist Church, in Prescott. William
Freeman Sr.'s wife, Fanny McGrath, died in Prescott on the 07
February 1897, from Congestion of the brain for 4 days. She was
buried in Sandy Hill Cemetery, Prescott. William Freeman Sr.
remarried on 09 July 1898, Ella Etta Wilson, Fanny's nurse, at St.
James Methodist Church, St. Catherines Street, Montreal, Quebec.
Ella was born in Messina, New York on 27 June 1865, she was 31
years younger than William Sr.
William Freeman Sr., died 08 October 1899 in Prescott from
gangrene. He was buried with his first wife, Fanny McGrath in Sandy
Hill Cemetery, Prescott. In his Will, which is at the County
Clerks Office in Prescott, he left his entire estate to Ella Etta
(Wilson) Freeman, valued at $2,487.00.
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