Individual Notes
Note for: Eduardo Sierra, - 1999
Index
Individual Note: Owned bar by Mirimar beach in Cuba
Individual Notes
Note for: Loly Sierra, ABT 1940 -
Index
Individual Note: Taught abuelo (Antonio Toledo) to Cha, Cha, Cha
Individual Notes
Note for: Aaron Cano, 6 JUN 1955 -
Index
Individual Note: Salesman or Sales Manager at... Cartol Int'l (Miami), Ziebart Rustproofing (Troy, Mi and from home in Boulder, CO), Tremco (from home in Mexico City and Miami, Fl)
Individual Notes
Note for: Trevor Aaron Cano, 26 JUL 1984 -
Index
Education: Date: BET 2003 AND 2007
Place: New York University
Individual Notes
Note for: Walter Lewis Henderson, 4 NOV 1856 - 8 AUG 1913
Index
Occupation: Place: machinist, drover
Individual Note: Buried with his wife in Wardsville Cemetary, east end of town, south of the highway.
Individual Notes
Note for: Henry Henderson, 28 FEB 1824 -
Index
Individual Note: Invented the Brick and Tile Making Machine (c. 1860), currently at the Wardsville, Ontario museum.
Individual Notes
Note for: Josiah Blackburn, 6 MAR 1823 - 11 NOV 1890
Index
Occupation: Place: Publisher, London Free Press
Emigration: Date: 1847
Place: Paris, Ontario area
Residence: Place: London, Ontario, Canada
Event: Type: Event 1
Date: 10 AUG 1823
Place: X@@Pentonville Claremont Indep.Clerkenwell
Event: Type: Comment 1
Place: Pupil of famous Mill Hill School, England
Religion: Date: 1881
Place: Episcopal (according to 1881 Census)
Burial: Place: Woodland Cemetery, London Ontario
Individual Note: For more information on Josiah and the Blackburns, see www.toledofamily.com/Genealogical_Archives/TheNewMan.htm; "A Century of Wester Ontario", by Orlo Miller; and, "Walter J Blackburn, A Man for All Media", by Michael Nolan.
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Josiah lived at 76 Albert Street, London, Ontario. This is now (2004), and has been for some time, the The London Squash Racquets Club. There is a plaque outside this historic mansion dedicated to Josiah. It reads...
"JOSIAH BLACKBURN 1823 - 1890.....The son of a Congregationalist minister, Blackburn was born in London, England. After some experience in journalism he immigrated to Canada West (now Ontario) in 1850 and joined the staff of The Star in Paris. Two years later he purchased a small London weekly, The Canadian Free Press, from its founder, William Sutherland. Blackburn's keen business sense and flair for political writing made this newspaper a success. In 1855 he began a daily, The London Free Press and Daily Western Advertiser - later, The London Free Press. He also controlled The Ingersoll Chronicle and helped found The Mail in Toronto. An ardent liberal who later became an equally fervent conservative, he was one of the province's most influential newspaper publishers."
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Also conducted the Quebec Daily Mercury (early-mid 1860's), the official government organ of his friend, John Sandfield MacDonald (prime minister of Canada before confederation 1862-1864, then first premier of Ontario). Victoria Grace was born (1865) while he and Emma Jane lived in Quebec City.
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BLACKBURN, JOSIAH, publisher, journalist, and politician; b. 6 March 1823 in London, England, third son of the Reverend John Blackburn, a leading Congregational pastor, and Sarah Smith; m. 29 May 1851 Emma Jane Dallimore, and they had two sons and six daughters, including the journalist Victoria Grace; d. 11 Nov. 1890 at Hot Springs, Ark.
Josiah Blackburn was educated at the City of London and the Mill Hill schools before immigrating to Canada West in 1850. He joined his brother John at the Paris Star in 1852 and also became involved in the Ingersoll Chronicle. That same year he purchased the weekly Canadian Free Press from James Daniell, holder of a $500 mortgage against William Sutherland, who had founded the paper in London, Canada West, in 1849. From a small printing office at the back of a dry goods store, Blackburn acted as editor, reporter, proof-reader, bookkeeper, collector, and canvassing agent. Early in 1854 the operation was expanded, and on 5 May 1855 Blackburn began a daily edition, the London Free Press and Daily Western Advertiser (after 1872 the London Free Press) which has continued to the present. The weekly Canadian Free Press was maintained under various mastheads until the 1880s. Josiah’s brother Stephen became a partner in 1858, assisting Josiah in reporting and in writing editorials, and was responsible for the business office until he left the firm in 1871. By 1860 the total circulation of all editions of the Free Press had reached 3,500 copies, second only to the Globe among Reform newspapers in Canada West. Although firmly established the journal nevertheless had a capital investment of only $2,000 in 1861; according to Blackburn, “My capital is felicity of expression.” There were 22 employees on the staff.
The Free Press, with new quarters after 1868, continued to prosper despite brisk competition in London, and on 3 July 1871 Blackburn formed a joint stock company, the London Free Press Printing Company, with John K. Clare, Henry Mathewson, and William Southam* as his copartners; he himself was no longer involved with the day-to-day operation of the newspaper. The new arrangement led to many important innovations. By 1873 the journal had new type, a new press, and special features. An evening edition and pyramid headlines, summarizing news stories in bold print, were introduced. Blackburn was also ahead of his contemporaries in instituting a policy of avoiding editorializing in reports of speeches.
Blackburn was active in politics, and from its inception the Free Press had a reputation for supporting Reformers. He was the Reform candidate for Middlesex East in the 1857–58 election, losing to Marcus Talbot, the editor of the rival London Prototype. Blackburn favoured reciprocity, retrenchment, temperance, and representation by population, and opposed separate schools and sabbath labour. According to the Hamilton Spectator, Blackburn would have been George Brown*’s “warming pan” in parliament.
The year 1858 was a frustrating one for Reformers, and by the year’s end Blackburn was questioning Brown’s leadership. In the furore caused by the celebrated “double shuffle” Blackburn took a different position from other Reform journalists, and from Brown and the Globe in particular. When the courts upheld the legality of the double shuffle he refused to impugn the motives of the judges [see William Henry Draper*], believing that, although it was unworthy and ill judged, it was not illegal. By April 1859 he was convinced that Brown was an impossible leader who could never achieve success especially since he had now alienated Lower Canadian Reformers. Blackburn’s personal attack on Brown raised speculation in some quarters that he was seeking a party realignment under the leadership of Louis-Victor Sicotte and John Sandfield Macdonald*, with the Free Press as official mouthpiece. By June a number of journals, notably the Hamilton Times, were supporting the Free Press position.
By July 1859, however, Brown had reasserted his leadership of the Reform party and by September he was advocating a party convention to reunite Reformers. The Free Press opposed suggestions that the union of the Canadas should be abandoned because traditional Reform goals seemed to be thwarted in it. Blackburn was also critical of the fact that the convention in November 1859 was to be an Upper Canadian affair at a time when cooperation with Lower Canadians was essential and when Reformers were criticizing Lower Canadian sectionalism. The convention organizers slighted Blackburn, who as a Reform candidate and editor should have been an ex-officio delegate, and did not admit him to the convention until proceedings were open to all journalists. The Free Press challenged the Globe’s interpretation of the major compromise of the convention, which called for the dissolution of the union and the creation of “some joint authority.” Blackburn ridiculed the outcome of the convention, and in particular challenged the right of Brown to dictate to the Reform party as if the Globe and Toronto had a monopoly on truth. That Blackburn considered running as an independent candidate in the by-election for Middlesex East in 1860 is a reflection of his view that “the position of affairs is many-sided” and that Reformers came in different shades. By April 1860 he was defending and cooperating with Sandfield Macdonald, who had boycotted the Reform convention.
When Sandfield Macdonald and Sicotte formed a new administration in May 1862, the Free Press became the most official mouthpiece of the government in the western part of Canada West. In 1862 Blackburn went to Quebec to undertake the management of a government newspaper. In August the Quebec Mercury was leased; Blackburn became publisher and George Sheppard* editor. The Mercury was transformed into a daily on 12 Jan. 1863 and Blackburn continued with the newspaper until after the resignation of the government of Sandfield Macdonald and Antoine-Aimé Dorion* in March 1864.
Blackburn became a persistent advocate of coalition governments as the most effective means to pursue practical, short-term measures of reform. He readily accepted, therefore, the confederation coalition formed in June 1864, even though it included Brown and lacked the support of Sandfield Macdonald. The Free Press had reservations about confederation until the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences, when its practicality as a federal union with firm guarantees for Canada West was demonstrated. On the assumption that confederation meant independence, a favourable consequence of confederation, in Blackburn’s view, would be non-involvement in British affairs and a chance to reduce defence commitments; attacks were then made on the Free Press as an advocate of annexation to the United States since many Upper Canadians felt annexation would follow independence.
The resignation of Brown from the coalition cabinet in December 1865 coupled with Sandfield Macdonald’s selection as premier of Ontario in July 1867 reinforced Blackburn’s views, and made his transition to the support of Sir John A. Macdonald* and the Conservatives a smooth one. Blackburn was henceforth an invaluable asset to Conservative party organization in western Ontario. He became a close personal friend of John Carling*, the Conservative member for London in both the dominion and the Ontario legislatures. The Free Press had a wide distribution throughout western Ontario, and had a reputation for sound political judgements, “never prejudicing party interests by haste or immature consideration.” Blackburn was also relatively free to move where he was needed. One of the best examples of this occurred in 1872 when he went to Toronto to assist in establishing the Toronto Mail as an effective Conservative organ and foil to the Globe, thus meeting a need underlined by the defeat of the Sandfield Macdonald administration in December 1871. Blackburn remained chief of the staff at the Mail for about 15 months. But, though a strong Conservative publicist and organizer, Blackburn remained conscientious and independent in his approach to issues. A strong advocate of reciprocity in the 1850s, he gave only qualified support to the National Policy in the 1870s, after long argument.
Blackburn maintained an active interest in London In October 1875 he was on the executive committee of the London Musical Union. He was a promoter of the mechanics’ institute and, in 1881, was a charter member of the reorganized London Board of Trade. He also supported efforts to establish a branch of the provincial university in London. Along with his entire family Blackburn was rebaptized an Anglican on 23 Aug. 1866 in St Paul’s Cathedral, London.
During the 1880s Blackburn received two government appointments. Iii 1880 he was named census commissioner in western Ontario and in 1884 a commissioner for organizing a printing bureau at Ottawa. He investigated government printing establishments in Washington as well as some state capitals and his recommendations culminated in the establishment of the Department of Public Printing and Stationery in 1886.
At his death Blackburn left an estate with real and personal assets totalling nearly $20,000 and shares in the London Free Press Printing Company and Carling Brewing and Malting Company valued at an additional $35,000. He also owned 400 acres of Manitoba farm land.
Josiah Blackburn was one of the most important newspapermen of his day. He was also politically influential, whether as a supporter of George Brown, Sandfield Macdonald, or John A. Macdonald. His journalism and politics were both characterized by a conviction that rational discussion of the issues was important, and the belief that anything Toronto could do London could do as well.
Elwood H. Jones
Josiah Blackburn letters (copies at UWO) are in the possession of W. J. Blackburn (London, Ont.). [J. S. Macdonald], “A letter on the Reform party, 1860: Sandfield Macdonald and the London Free Press,” ed. B. W. Hodgins and E. H. Jones, OH, 57 (1965): 39–45. London Free Press, 1852–90. Mail, 1872–73. Quebec Daily Mercury, 1862–64.
Cyclopædia of Canadian biog. (Rose, 1886). [Archie Bremner], City of London, Ontario, Canada: the pioneer period and the London of to-day (2nd ed., London, Ont., 1900; repr. 1967). C. T. Campbell, Pioneer days in London: some account of men and things in London before it became a city (London, Ont., 1921). History of the county of Middlesex, Canada . . . (Toronto and London, Ont., 1889; repr. with intro. D. J. Brock, Belleville, Ont., 1972). E. H. Jones, “The Great Reform Convention of 1859” phd thesis, Queen’s Univ., Kingston, Ont., 1971); “Political aspects of the London Free Press, 1858–1867” (ma thesis, Univ. of Western Ontario, London, 1964). [H.] O. Miller, Acentury of western Ontario: the story of London, “The Free Press,” and western Ontario, 1849–1949 (Toronto, 1949; repr. Westport, Conn., 1972). Fred Landon, “Some early newspapers and newspaper men of London,” London and Middlesex Hist. Soc., Trans. (London, Ont.), 12 (1927): 26–34. H. O. Miller, “The history of the newspaper press in London, 1830–1875,” OH, 32 (1937): 114–39.
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from "History of the County of Middlesex"....
"JOSIAH BLACKBURN.
Josiah Blackburn, managing editor of the London Free Press, was born in London, England, in 1823, and received his education in the City of London School. He came to Canada in 1850, and, having acquired a taste for literary and political work, he, very naturally, soon drifted into the newspaper business, and the year following his arrival in the Dominion we find him associated with the Paris Star, with which paper he was connected until 1852, when he purchased the interest of the London Free Press, of which he assumed charge at the close of the year. He aided soon afterwards in the establishment of the Ingersoll Chronicle, and for some time conducted both papers. He began issuing the Daily Free Press in 1855, and at that time was in accord with the Reform party of the day, and at the general election of 1858 was one of the candidates of that party, but was defeated by the late Marcus Talbot. In 1859 a difference arose with his political friends, growing out of the attitude of the Globe with respect to an attack made in its columns on the motives of the judges in the decisions they gave in the episode known as the " Double Shuffle." The course taken by Mr. Blackburn was hotly denounced, and an attempt was made to dragoon him, after the manner of those times. Shortly after he adduced reasons why the Reformers should look to the late Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald as their leader, and in 1862 that highly-honored gentleman was called to office at Quebec, and Mr. Blackburn was asked by his Government to conduct the Mercury in the interests of the Ministry, to which he agreed, availing himself of the valuable services of Mr. George Sheppard. After the fall of the Sandfield Macdonald Administration in 1864, a coalition of the parties took place on the basis of the Confederation of the whole of the British North American Provinces, finding the Hon. George Brown in the same Cabinet with his ancient opponents. Sir John S. Macdonald and Sir George Cartier supported that movement, and Mr. Blackburn remained firmly attached to those men and the cause which they represented, and thus declined, with others, to follow Mr. Brown when he retired from the ranks of the Coalition Government. In 1872, Mr. Blackburn was requested to aid in the establishment of the Toronto Mail, and remained connected with that paper for about fifteen months. In 1881 he was appointed one of the chief census officers, and in 1884 was chosen as one of a committee to proceed to Washington to investigate the methods of public printing adopted there, reporting on the same. He has been recognized in many ways as a useful member of the Canadian press, and has been an extremely active journalist. Upon political questions Mr. Blackburn's judgment is admitted to be very sound, and he never, by haste or immature consideration, prejudices the interest of his party."
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JOSIAH BLACKBARN
Male
Event(s):
Birth: 06 MAR 1823
Christening: 10 AUG 1823 Pentonville Claremont Independent, Clerkenwell, London, England
Parents:
Father: JOHN BLACKBARN Family
Mother: SARAH SMITH
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
C097601 1819 - 1837 0825328 (RG4 4282) Film 6904050 Film
Sheet: 00
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from the London, Ontario 1901 Census. Could this be Marion Billington? Seems likely. AND the birth dates of the daughters fit the narrow timespan after they were married and before Josiah died.
Name Birthplace Birthdate Immigration Rel to Head
Marion Blackburn Ontario Nov 2, 1859 - Head
Ena Blackburn Ontario Aug 31, 1887 - Daughter
Ina Blackburn Ontario Jan 4, 1889 - Daughter
Film: T-6480
Ward: 4
Div: 2
Page: 15
Entry: 16
Family: 131
Rel to Head: Head
Birthdate: Nov 2, 1859
Birthplace: Ontario
Immigration: -
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Individual Notes
Note for: Emma Jane Delamore, ABT 1833 - 14 FEB 1885
Index
Burial: Date: 16 FEB 1885
Place: Woodland Cemetary, London
Individual Note: There are several spelling variations of her last name. Dellamore, Delamare, and many more. The birth record of Susan May lists her as "Dallimere". Victoria Grace Blackburn lists her mother's maiden name as "Delemere". All we know is that her family came from the Don Valley area near Toronto.
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Only a few "Delamore"s in Ontario around 1871. Could this be an older sister?
DELAMORE , EMILY
Stray: Individual bears a different surname than the head of the family
Sex: Female
Age: 40
Birthplace: IRELAND
Religion: Church of England, Anglican
Origin: IRISH
Occupation: GOVERNESS
District: YORK WEST ( 044 )
Sub-district: York West ( C )
Division: 2
Page: 47
Microfilm reel: C-9967
Reference: RG31 — Statistics Canada
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Could this be a marriage in the family?
Given Name: ROSE
Surname: DELAMORE
Year of Record: 1831
Comments: York County - marriage
Event Description/Source Reference: Roman Catholic Marriage Registers; Office of the Registrar General (RG 80-27); Archives of Ontario, Toronto: microfilm group MS 248, reel 22, volume 5a
Page #: page 33
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Individual Notes
Note for: Mary Charlotte Blackburn, ABT 1855 - ABT 1935
Index
Individual Note: lived in Montreal at the time of Josiah's death in 1890
Individual Notes
Note for: Margaret Rose Blackburn, 4 MAY 1858 - ABT 20 DEC 1936
Index
Burial: Date: 22 DEC 1936
Place: Woodland Cemetary, London