Benjamin Thompson
M, #17351, b. 1815
Parents
Biography
- Christening: 31 December 1815; Offerlane parish, Queen's county, Ireland
- Marriage: Isabella; Canada West (Ontario)
- Note: Possibly the Benjamin Thompson who lived in Georgetown, Halton county in 1861--not proven however, so placement tentative. All info except for baptism record are for this Canadian Benjamin. 1861 census: Benjamin 45, occupation Innkeeper; born Ireland, English church; wife Isabella 34 born Canada; children Henry P. 7 and Benjamin 4. 1871 census shows no further children, Benjamin aged 54. 1881 Benjamin still a "hotel keeper" in Georgetown, age 66.
- Last Edited: 24 May 2010 01:00:00
William Rees Brock
M, #17352, b. 14 February 1837, d. 1 November 1917
Parents
Biography
- Birth: 14 February 1837; Eramosa tp, Wellington county, Upper Canada (Ontario)
- Death: 1 November 1917; Toronto, Ontario
- Note: Brock family history gives birth year as 1836; 1901 census says 1837. From the Brock book (excerpts online posted to Rootsweb mailing list by Edith Gomez in 1999):
"Brock, William Rees, the late, was born on February 14, 1836, in the Township of Eramosa, near Guelph, Ontario. His father, Thomas Rees Brock, was an ancient English family who were landed proprietors near Colchester in the County of Essex. His mother was Eleanor Thompson, daughter of Thomas Thompson, of Rusheen [Rushin], Queen's County, Ireland. This young couple, aged respectively 17 and 21 years, were married at the Parish Church in Guelph and after the ceremony rode on horseback to their new home five miles away "in the wild woods."
After a few years of life on the farm, Mr. Thomas Rees Brock was persuaded that a man of his education and attainments could do better in the town and he removed to Guelph where he held several appointments as Town Auditor, Secretary of the School Board, Superintendent of the Government Road and Surrogate Court Clerk. In the fall of 1850, while out shooting in the woods, he was accidentally shot and died at his residence, Park Place, a few days afterwards, aged thirty-eight years, leaving his widow with nine children surviving. The stone house, Park Place, which he built on the York Road is still standing. The subject of this sketch was the second child and eldest son. He immediately left the Guelph Grammar School and went into the law offices of the Hon. Ferguson Blair, where he remained about a year, and then decided to enter commercial life, in which he achieved so conspicuous a success. His first employment was in the general store in Caledonia. About 1854 he located in Toronto, being engaged with Scott & Laidlaw. He married on the 23rd of September 1857, Margaret Anna, second daughter of Captain John Segur Diamond, formerly of Clonenagh, Queen's County, Ireland, who came to Canada in 1834, and served through the rebellion of 1837 as Adjutant of the 2nd Gore Regiment. Captain Diamond was at one time in the Royal Irish Constabulary and after his arrival in this country was engaged in business with Colonel Chisholm, of Oakville, and others, as lumbermen and vessel owners. He had died some nine years previously to his daughter's marriage. After his marriage, Mr. Brock went into business in Guelph, but later sold out and entered the service of McArthur & Co., of Bowmanville, where he remained about four and a half years, subsequently went to Ogilvy & Co., Montreal, wholesale merchants, was English buyer for that firm for some years; was made a partner and came to Toronto in 1871, and opened Ogilvy & Company's Toronto branch. In 1877, in partnership with his brother, J.H. Brock, he started the business of W.R. Brock & Brother, at the corner of Bay and Wellington Streets, Toronto. In 1879 a partnership was formed with Messrs. F. Wyld and H.W. Darling, as Wyld, Brock & Darling. Mr. Darling retired in 1883, and Mr. Wyld in 1887. The firm of W.R. Brock & Company was turned into a joint stock company in 1897. The Montreal branch was started in 1899, and the branch at Calgary in 1905. Besides being President of the W.R. Brock Company, Ltd., he was a director of the Dominion Lands Colonization Co., the British Canadian Loan and Investment Co., Toronto Electric Light Co., Electrical Development Co., Ontario Accident Insurance Co., Toronto General Trush Corporation and the Dominion Bank. He was also President of the British American and Western Assurance Companies, the Stanstead Granite Quarries, London Electric Light Company, and the Canadian General Electric Company. Mr. Brock was one of the founders of the "Empire" news-paper, Toronto, and served as President of the company until its amalgamation with "The Mail" in 1895. For years he was President of the Toronto Conservative Association and sat in the House of Commons for Centre Toronto in the Conservative interest from 1900 to 1904. Mr. Brock was also a director and a leading spirit in many philanthropic organizations. He was a founder and President of the Toronto Humane Society, a life member of the Council of Trinity University and of Upper Canada College, and the benefactor of both institutions. He was a member of the congregation of St. James' Cathedral, and from 1883 to 1890 was a churchwarden. His clubs were: Toronto Club, York Club, Albany Club, Montreal. His surviving children are Lt.-Col. Henry Brock, Lt.-Col. R.A. Brock, Mr. W.L. Brock, and the Misses Lilian, Gertrude and Muriel Brock. Mr. Brock died at his residence, 21 Queen's Park, Toronto, on November 1, 1917. He was almost eighty-two years of age . . . "
In 1861 William, 25, was a merchant; he and Margaret, 25, with their son Henry, 2, lived in Bowmanville, Durham county. Margaret's sister Caroline, 19, was also a member of the household. In 1871 William, 35, merchant, is living alone in Toronto.
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Thomas Rees Brock
M, #17353
Biography
- Note: Thomas Reese Brock was born in Kingstown Jamaica, but educated in England, and settled in Eramosa, and then later Guelph. His family were of English origin. (KK from book on the Brock family, e-mail 28 Aug 2008)
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Margaret Anna Diamond
F, #17354, b. 12 March 1836, d. 8 December 1919
Parents
Biography
- Birth: 12 March 1836; Queen's county, Ireland
- Death: 8 December 1919; Toronto, Ontario
- Burial: St James Cemetery
- Note: Ontario death reg'n #6687: cause of death myocarditis, age 85, died at 21 Queens Park; informant A.W. Miles (?) of 396 College St.
- Last Edited: 22 May 2010 01:00:00
Lilian Brock
F, #17362, b. about 1865
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1865; Canada West (Ontario)
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Henry (Harry) Brock
M, #17363, b. about 1859
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1859; Canada West (Ontario)
- Note: Age 2 in 1861. In 1881 Henry was 21, living with his parents and was a law student.
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Reginald Brock
M, #17364, b. about 1869
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1869; Ontario
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Gertrude Brock
F, #17365, b. about 1874
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1874; Ontario
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Muriel Brock
F, #17366, b. about 1878
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1878; Ontario
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Captain John Segur Diamond
M, #17367, d. about 1848
Biography
- Birth: Queen's county, Ireland
- Death: About 1848; Canada West (Ontario)
- Note: From the Brock book:
"Captain John Segur Diamond, formerly of Clonenagh, Queen's County, Ireland, who came to Canada in 1834, and served through the rebellion of 1837 as Adjutant of the 2nd Gore Regiment. Captain Diamond was at one time in the Royal Irish Constabulary and after his arrival in this country was engaged in business with Colonel Chisholm, of Oakville, and others, as lumbermen and vessel owners. He had died some nine years previously to his daughter's marriage [daughter Margaret].
Family: Annie (b. about 1805)
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Louisa Diamond
F, #17368, b. about 1848
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1848; Canada West (Ontario)
- Note: Living with her widowed mother in Toronto in 1881, age 33.
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Llewellyn Brock
M, #17370, b. about 1839, d. 11 December 1914
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1839; Wellington County, Upper Canada (Ontario)
- Death: 11 December 1914; Guelph, Ontario
- Note: Llewellyn was a physician in Guelph. Death reg'n 33450: age 75, cause of death pneumonia.
- Last Edited: 9 August 2014 10:32:35
Llewellyn Brock
M, #17371, b. about 1861
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1861; Canada West (Ontario)
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Annie
F, #17372, b. about 1805
Biography
- Birth: About 1805; Ireland
- Note: Age 76 and living in next household to daughter, Margaret Brock, in 1881.
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
Francis Thompson
M, #17373, b. about 1801
Biography
- Birth: About 1801; Ireland
- Note: 1861: farmer, age 60, widower, living in Essa tp, Simcoe county, with children John 22, David 21, Ellen 18, Francis 17.
- Note: 1861 census indicates married in 1830
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
John Thompson
M, #17374, b. about 1839
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1839; Upper Canada (Ontario)
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00
David Thompson
M, #17375, b. about 1840
Parents
Biography
- Birth: About 1840; Upper Canada (Ontario)
- Last Edited: 23 May 2010 01:00:00