A to Z Challenge 2020 - C

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge is to post everyday (except Sunday) in the month of April 2020 starting with the letter A and going all the way to Z. My theme is...
Ancestor Occupations 

CABINETMAKER

My 3x great grandfather George Hunter was a Cabinetmaker, carpenter, upholsterer. He immigrated to Montreal from Scotland sometime before 1812 when he married Anne Maddocks at St Gabriel Presbyterian Church. 

Merchants, traders and housekeepers residing in Montreal 1819 pg.113

George placed an ad to sell their property in the Montreal Herald in march of 1819.

They moved to Kingston, Ontario in 1819 and set up shop. Many Kingston establishments advertised that they sold tickets for George Hunter's furniture Lottery.

British Whig 15 April 1845, pg.3

Ad in Kingston Directory, 1855...

Directory of Kingston, 1855

Kingston Penitentiary put inmates to work and they had shops for manufacturing furniture, shoes, hay forks and other farm implements. The goods were sold from warehouses in the city.

George Hunter became manager for the Penitentiary Furniture Warehouse on Princess Street, Kingston.

Directory of Kingston 1867, mark 17

They opened a Warehouse in Ottawa when the Government moved there and my great grand uncle George Seale managed it for his grandfather, George Hunter. 

Ottawa city and counties of Carleton and Russell directory 1866-1867, pg.iv

The Ottawa Daily  Citizen Almanac  1866, pg.17 mark 25

In the Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada for 1869 George is paid $124 by the federal government in Ottawa for some cabinet work.

Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada 1869, pg.69

 He was also paid $107.50 for office furniture for the Department of the Post Office and $320 for furniture for the Department of Customs. 

Sessional papers of the Dominion of Canada : volume II, pg.3-98

Furniture styles and samples: Early Ontario Furniture

A to Z Challenge 2020 - B

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge is to post everyday (except Sunday) in the month of April 2020 starting with the letter A and going all the way to Z. My theme is...
Ancestor Occupations 

BRASS FINISHER

My great grandfather Alexander Mavor worked as a Brass Finisher for the Grand Trunk Railroad. The first mention of him in this trade is on his marriage record in 1889. A Brass Finisher’s work is very precise.

Choice of Pursuits 1890 pg.44

I found a Brass Finisher's wages mentioned in the Report of the Royal Commission on the Relations of Capital and Labor in Canada. (Quebec Part II 1889). A Brass Finisher earned about $2-5 a week, paid every other week.

 Report on Labour in Canada - Quebec 1889, pg 1423, mark 690

It states that "Very few in that line come to Montreal from abroad or the rural districts" and that is exactly what Alexander did, coming to the city from a farm in the Eastern Townships! 

On the 1901 census of Canada he stated he worked the 12 months and earned about $600 for the year.

I imagine it was not an especially healthy work environment, as Alexander died in 1924 at the age of 60.

Sherbrooke Daily Record 31 mar 1924, pg.2

A to Z Challenge 2020 - A

The Blogging from A to Z Challenge is to post everyday (except Sunday) in the month of April 2020 starting with the letter A and going all the way to Z. My theme is...
Ancestor Occupations 

ANTIQUES DEALER

My Mom, Audrey Mavor Seale was a stay at home mom until I started high school. For many years her and my Dad went to country auctions and brought home some pretty odd things.  They used to put an object on the table and we kids had to guess what it was. I remember when they put out a foot warmer for a sleigh. I had no idea what it was!! 

My Mom bought lots of books on all sorts of antiques to expand her knowledge. Finally they bought a shop and some of the stock from a dealer and they were in business. My Dad was jack-of-all-trades and could fix anything in his spare time. 

Dad and Mom

They dealt in mostly Canadiana furniture with a mixture of small items including lamps, glassware, jewelry and silver. 

Mom's shop was in the city, but in about 1972 they moved shop to the old stone house they bought and restored in Hemmingford. My Dad soon retired from his job at Bell Canada and helped with the business full time. 

It was a good time to be in the antique business as you could still buy low at country auction estate sales and sell high. Mom would participate in Antique Shows all over Canada and the United States. I often went to help - I liked showing the jewelry! 

My Mom asked why there was no antique show in Montreal and everyone told her it couldn't be done as there was not enough interest in the province. Well, she begged to differ and decided, with two of her friends, to organize a show at the Montreal forum. 

Montreal Star, 23 May 1974 pg D1

It was a huge success. They didn't organize the show again, but left it to another antique dealer friend to take on.

I went with Mom to do a show at Quebec City one time. All the dealers set up the night before in the mall, and there was security watching our stuff. Right! We arrived in the morning and had been robbed! When we were home Mom got a call from the police that they found her wares and we had to go to court. We drove back to Quebec city but didn't have to testify. The robber finally confessed and everything was returned. 

Le Soleil, Quebec 19 Sept 1978, pg.2

Mom retired from the Antiques business in 1983 and in August they held a 2 day auction at the house in Hemmingford to sell all their wares, except the few pieces they kept to furnish their suite. 

The Record (Sherbrooke) 5 August 1983, pg 8