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Commemorative
Biographical Record of the County of Kent, Ontario
John Goodbrand |
JOHN GOODBRAND, who
now lives retired, was during his active years one of the successful
farmers of Orford township, County of Kent, and he is still living
on his fine farm of 120 acres, Lot 15, Concession 6, to which he
came in the fall of 1875, from the County of Haldimand, Ontario. He
was born March 9th, 1834, in the town of Cullen, Banffshire,
Scotland, son of Alexander Goodbrand and Elizabeth (Forbes) also of
Cullen, who lived and died there. The father was a gardner by
occupation.
For seven years he
served in the British army. He died February 1st, 1891 in the 84th
year of his age, which the mother died December 10th, 1850, aged 50;
they were both members of the Established Church. Their children
were: James of Banffshire, Scotland, who is a head gamekeeper of
Scotland; Alexander, a police official in Chicago; Elizabeth, of
London, Ontario, widow of William Buskirk; Charles, of Hamilton,
Ontario, a farmer; Catherine, of Banffshire, Scotland, who married
James Esson; William, governor of the poor house at Galashiels,
Scotland; Isabella, unmarrried, who is in Scotland; Margaret, who
died in Scotland, wife of James McClean; Walter, a farmer near
Hamilton, Ontario; George, who died in infancy; and Thomas, a
blacksmith of Dundas, Ontario.
On August 11th, 1859,
in Hamilton, Ontario, John Goodbrand married Mrs. Jame (Gibson)
Steel, and they had children as follows: Alexander, a farmer of
Orford township, married Anna Braun, and they have one child,
Carrie; William J., a farmer of Orford township, married Jennie
Newman; James S., who is with his father, married Sarah Bergey, and
they have three children, Russel J., John H., and Robert F.; Jane,
of the "Soo", Ontario married John Haining, a carpenter, and they
have three children, John G., David G., and Jessie M. Mrs.
Goodbrand was born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, March 19th, 1826, a
daughter of Adam and Marian (Riddick) Gibson, farming people of
Scotland, who remained in that country. The father died January
29th, 1855, when 81 years of age, having been born in 1774; while
the mother was born in 1786, and died July 29th, 1867. They were
conscientious members of the Presbyterian Church. Their children
were as follows: John died in Ontario; Robert died in Ontario;
Margaret died in Scotland; James is a retired school teacher in
Scotland; William is also a retired school teacher in Scotland; Jane
is the wife of John Goodbrand.
The first husband of
Mrs. Goodbrand was James Steel, of Dumfriesshire, Scotland, who came
to Canada in 1849, and located in Hamilton, Ontario, where he died
July 22nd, 1857, aged 38 years. He was a stone-cutter by calling.
The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Steel: Marion, of
Oil Springs, Ontario, married to Thomas Blaine; John a farmer of
Orford township; Jesse, who died in infancy; and Maggie, of Howard
township, wife of Walter McIntire, a farmer.
Mr. Goodbrand
remained with his parents until he was 17 years of age, after which
he learned blacksmithing, and followed it for 17 years. He came to
Canada in 1857, and located in Binbrook township, County of
Wentworth, where he carried on his trade for 11 years more, at the
end of that time purchasing a farm in the County of Haldimand, which
he worked until he settled upon his present property. In 1889 he
erected his present handsome brick house, where he and his wife make
their friends welcome with a generous hospitality. In politics he
is a Reformer, but does not desire office. He and his wife are
members of the Presbyterian Church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Goodbrand are
very highly esteemed in their community, as kind neighbours and good
friends, and they are enjoying their declining years surrounded by
the comforts their industry has produced.
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