MATERNAL NAMES
BENJAMIN McEWAN 1879 -1953
grandfather
BENJAMIN McEWAN 1900 WEDDING PHOYO
I never knew my grandfather, Benjamin McEwan. He died when I was three. My mother had little of a relationship with him, either. He was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1879, the youngest living son of John McEwan and Janet Stevenson. He grew up as part of a large family in the eastern part of downtown Toronto. By the time Benjamin was born, the family lived on Saulter Street. As was customary in those days, he would live at home until he married.
038789-7053 - 29 September 1879, Benjamin McEwan, Male, son of John McEwan jeweller, and Janet Stevenson, 101 Duchess Street, Toronto, reg’d 15th October 1879 Dr H. H. Wright, Robert Reddy.
The family was not by any means wealthy. By the time Benjamin was two, John and Janet’s oldest son, Robert, was also contributing to the household income. While only fifteen, he worked with a lithographer. The others ranged in age from William thirteen, John eleven, Edith nine, Henry seven, Marion five, Jessie three, and Benjamin two. From the beginning, finding Ben (in documents such as the Canadian census) always posed a problem. In the 1881 enumeration, Ben is on a separate page from his parents as Benjaman McEwin. Throughout the years, people constantly misspelled Ben’s name.
01531-00 (York) Benjamin MCEWAN, 21, fur cutter, Toronto, same, s/o John MCEWAN & Janet STEVENSON, married Fanny G. OSTROM, 18, Canton Ont, Toronto, d/o Simeon C. OSTROM & Frances KNIGHT, witn: Emma OSTRAM and Harry KNIGHT both of Toronto, 10 April 1900 at Toronto, Congregational, Rev. J. P.GERRIE, licence reg. 9 May 1900.
In 1900 Ben married Frances Gertrude Ostrom in Toronto. Fannie was just eighteen.
Ben was employed at R. Reilly & Co. as a fur cutter when he and Fannie first married. They couple set up house at 81 Lewis in Toronto.
The couple gave birth to her first child several months after the wedding. May Irene was born in September but only lived a few months.
During the next ten years, there would be five more births, but only three children survived. Fannie died one month after the birth of a child December 6, 1909. She succumbed January 5, 1910.
Ben and Fannie were living in a newly built house on Old Oak Road shortly to be renamed Willow Av. He continued to work as a fur cutter. Little did he know he would be a widower by January of that year.
MARRIAGE 2
Ben did not waste time remarrying. He married Olive Clements, ten years his junior in January 11th, and Olive’s birthday. They would also have a child that first year, September 3rd. Four more children would follow.
019074-11(York) Benjamin MCEWAN, widower, 30, fur cutter, Toronto, same, s/o John MCEWAN & Janet STEVENSON, married Olive May Clements, 20, ,Toronto, same, d/o Henry Clements and Maria Trotter, witn: Ben Croft and Louisa Clements both of Toronto, 11 January 1911 Toronto.
The 1911 census has Ben and Olive living at 534 Pape Avenue, with Fannie and Edgar, two of the children from his first marriage. The youngest, Lilly, my mother, was living with Ben’s parents and would remain there. Frances and Edgar left the same year to live with their grandmother in Saskatchewan. Family members have told me that Ben’s new wife did not treat the children well and that they would be better off if raised by one of their grandmother’s. Ben did not object, so Frances and Edgar left for Saskatchewan to live with their maternal grandmother Frances Knight.
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Ben moved around the city somewhat and in 1921 he was living at 31 Langford Avenue with his new wife Olive, and four children; Margaret ten, Kenneth eight, Harvey six and Marie two. They would have one more child Bernice in the next few years.
Ben continued little contact with the children he had with Fannie and I do not know if he kept much in touch with his parents, either. My mother remained with her paternal grandparents in Toronto and only received a few visits. Her face fell and her excitement vanished when she unwrapped the gift of handkerchiefs on one of her birthdays. Ben could afford much more. She mentioned he visited her after her marriage to Kelvin, but said little more about him.
Whatever happened, the family did not keep in touch with Benjamin and his new family, yet my mother was aware of her step-sisters and step-brothers. She spoke fondly of Ken, and would see the others at family reunions.
Benjamin McEwan died from Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in Toronto on May 24th, 1953 at seventy-three. The family buried him at St. John’s Norway Cemetery and Crematorium in Toronto.
CITATIONS
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(1) B.1879. Ontario, Canada Births, 1858-1913 Archives of Ontario; Series: MS929; Reel: 41
(2) M. 1900 Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928, 1933-1934 1879 Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 100
(3) M. 1011 Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928, 1933-1934 Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 185
(4) D. 1953 Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
(5) C. 1881, 1891, 1921, 1931