The Kingswells in Kingston

 

My great-grandparents Charles and Frances Kingswell left England in 1885, arriving in Quebec City on July 3. From there they headed to Ontario where they settled in Kingston, at the time a city of approximately 16,000 inhabitants.

The 1887 City Directory described Kingston as "...being the soundest city financially, its merchants being considered the most prudent and safest men to deal with". Further, “The Limestone City, as it is sometimes called, is also the cleanest and healthiest city in Ontario, being built on solid rock”.

The city must have been welcoming to English emigrants with a newspaper named The British Whig. The nearby village of Portsmouth (home to the Kingston Penitentiary) would have reminded Charles of the Isle of Wight where he was born and raised. The Kingswells settled in the working class neighbourhood of Williamsville. 

Newspapers helped me get a fuller picture of the lives of the Kingswells. One of the first articles I found was in The Kingston Whig-Standard’s 26 December 1888 issue: 

This was actually Charles'older brother Edward who sailed from Liverpool in 1874, landing in Quebec City on 21 May with a destination of Quebec. 

I wasn’t able to locate Edward in Kingston until he surfaced in the 1881 census so he may have remained in Quebec until that time. Edward hadn’t married and he must have been terribly lonely in this city far from home. There was only two years difference in age between Edward and Charles and they were likely close. It made sense that Edward encouraged his brother to relocate his young family to Kingston. This answers the question of why Charles and Fanny emigrated to Canada though we may never know what prompted Edward to leave his home. 

The 1887 Kingston Directory listed both brothers but the following year Edward returned to England, no doubt homesick for his family. 

Seven years later the following sad report appeared on 11 July 1895 in The Kingston Whig-Standard. 

Edward had been living his parents and working as a gardener. The coroner's inquest found the incident was a pure accident and that death resulted from a severe concussion. Membership in the Ancient Order of Foresters guaranteed Edward a proper burial. The Kingston piece exaggerates a bit. According to a piece in The Isle of Wight County Press Edward fell 14 feet and about 200 brethern attended the funeral.

This was just the start of a streak of bad luck for the Kingswell family. The following report appeared in the 22 February 1896 Kingston Daily News: 

I was surprised to find out that a disease like diphtheria was still common almost at the turn of the 20th century. In the late 1880s a new 120 foot steel water tower had been constructed in Williamsville, new iron pipes had been laid and new pumping stations built in an effort to improve working class living conditions. Unfortunately these provisions weren’t enough to save the Kingswells as the highly communicative disease spread through their home. The first to fall to the disease was young George, the eldest Kingswell child who had made the trip from the Isle of Wight.

  

 

He was only 11 years old. William (9), Ernest (8), Lizzie (6) and Olive (2) survived the disease but young Charles aged 3 died on 25 February in Hotel Dieu after the article was published. To add to the stress Fanny was pregnant. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy on 8 March 1896 and named him George after his deceased brother. 

 

The family moved house yearly for the next few years no doubt trying to find a safe home for their growing family that they could afford on a working man’s salary, moving from Victoria Street, to Stanley Street, to Fifth Street finally settling at 783 Princess Street in 1898. 

This was the year the family made another dramatic appearance in the local papers captioned as “Trouble in Williamsville”

Henry Thomas Barnes was a local businessman who operated a blacksmith shop at 787 Princess Street and lived next door at 789 Princess Street according to the 1898 City Directory. This made him a close neighbour to the Kingswells. The first indication of the “Trouble” was reported in the October 28 issue of the Kingston Daily News. Mr. Barnes filed a complaint against young Willie Kingswell.  The following day Willie's mother marched down to the News office to deny the confrontation. Though she couldn’t prove or disprove the stone throwing incident she had witnesses to prove that Barnes pulled Willie from the streetcar and roughed him up so much that he had to be rescued by bystanders.  

The case came before the court on the following Monday, October 31. Witnesses claimed that Barnes dragged young Kingswell off the car striking and kicking him and dragging him through the mud. All agreed that the boy was “treated roughly”. Willie’s dad testified to seeing the boy’s bruises. Barnes admitted to seizing the boy but as the latter squirmed and kicked he had difficulty holding him. In the counter suit Willie denied throwing the stone. The Magistrate had no patience with the conflicting evidence given and dismissed both suits but not before chastising Barnes for his behaviour about which others had complained.

This incident was no doubt the talk of the neighbourhood for some time. Problems with neighbours is obviously nothing new! The Kingswells continued to move residences, sometimes on a yearly basis. From Princess Street they moved to Durham Street, Nelson Street, Stanley Street and Albert Street, all in Williamsville. They spent two years in Portsmouth before returning to Kingston in 1911 settling at 13 St. Lawrence Avenue. Hopefully their neighbours were more congenial than Mr. Barnes! 

 

Kingston Collegiate

 I found more mentions of the Kingswells after the Barnes incident but most were for happier reasons. There was some trouble. In 1901 William and his friend Harold Doyle were charged with stealing another young lad’s rooster. I couldn’t find a resolution for this matter, perhaps it was dismissed. In 1916 Alfred, who had “filled up on American Old Tom” was fined $15 for being drunk and interfering with the police. But no major problems.  All the Kingswell children did well in school, passing their exams and moving along to the Collegiate. They attended church picnics and outings, funerals and weddings.

My grandmother Gertie was mentioned a number of times in the papers. The first was a dog bite on 4 April 1912. Fortunately this incident had not impact on her lifelong love of dogs. Then an illness was reported on 1 November 1918. Wonder what she had? 

By the time my grandparents married in 1921 all the Kingswells had relocated from Kingston to either Toronto or Buffalo. My grandmother had fond memories of her childhood home though many of the locations she recalled were long gone by the time we visited when I was a child. I've plotted out the various landmarks on this map. 

THE 1938 CANADIAN CORPS REUNION

The morning of Saturday, July 30 1938 dawned hot and sunny in the city of Toronto. It was the start of the Civic Holiday long weekend and it looked like it would be a swell one. The day was an extra-special one in the Moorecroft household. Fred Moorecroft donned his pin, red beret and armband and was ready to go. He was one of over 100,000 veterans of the Great War who gathered to celebrate and reminisce at the Canadian Corps Reunion.

 Fred had had a terrible war experience. Embracing his Ulster Scot background, he enlisted in the 48th Highlanders in August of 1915. He sailed for Europe in early 1916 with the 92nd battalion and was attached to the 15th battalion in France. Fred returned home early in 1918 a broken man having lost a leg and several fingers in an attack

92nd battalion scouts, Fred is 4th from the left

In the 20 years following Fred managed to build a life for himself, marrying Adeline Nicholls in 1921 and finding employment as a clerk and bookkeeper. He and Addie lived with their son Fred Jr. at 56 Donlands Avenue in the east end of Toronto. Life seemed to be good, which may be why Fred decided to attend the 1938 reunion.

The first Canadian Corps Reunion was held in Toronto from August 4 to 6 1934 to commemorate the start of the Great War. The reunion, tied in with the 100th anniversary of the City of Toronto, was a huge success. About 100,000 veterans attended and spent $750,000 during the event. A bigger party was planned for ’38. The end of the war was perhaps a more fitting cause for celebration. However, there was another reason—storm clouds were brewing and democracy and freedom were being threatened. There was a good chance that Canadians would be called upon again and what better way to inspire patriotic feelings than to be reminded of the sacrifices made by the older generation 20 years earlier? 

The reunion was announced on Remembrance Day 1937 at the Corps’ annual dinner and as 1938 began invitations were sent out. A full program was planned with events taking place at Exhibition place, Riverdale Park and other locations.

 

The first vet to register in April 1938 was Toronto Mayor Ralph C. Day formerly of the 116th battalion. He was followed by many other politicians, as well as Victoria Cross recipient Air Marshall William “Billy” Bishop. Acceptances came from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and West Africa. Special trains were booked to bring groups from Montreal, Buffalo and Chicago. Groups arranged to travel from Detroit, California and Newfoundland. 

A special group called themselves the “League of Forgotten Men”, men who had been reported dead or missing and believed dead.  

Times were still tough so assistance was offered to unemployed vets. Brantford council allowed unemployed vets to perform 3 days of special relief work to earn $13 towards their trip. A special train was booked to bring several hundred attendees from Hamilton, for no charge. Emergency billeting was provided in the Livestock building.

First up was a popular event brought back from the 1934 reunion—the French Village located in the CNE Coliseum. It opened to the public on July 25, with 5,000 visitors pouring in. From the evening of Friday, July 29 it was reserved for veterans. Visitors could stroll through streets past homes, barns, shops and estaminets (small cafés offering food and drink). Beer and wine flowed and visitors enjoyed sing-a-longs to favourites like “Mademoiselle from Armentières” and “Pack Up Your Troubles”. Dancing and revelry went on well into the night. It was a great success. The first night one beer ticket wicket ran out of tickets; another ran out of change. According to the Globe and Mail, “It was a grand party. Today motorists on their way to work in the city saw many of last night’s celebrants blissfully sleeping on the grass near the lakefront”.

 

Saturday, July 30 featured the Canadian Corps March Past following Prime Minister Mackenzie King’s opening addresses to the veterans—“Liberty and democracy cry out anew for preservation, not only in foreign countries, but in many parts of Canada”. The parade was led by the brass and pipe band of the 48th Highlanders. 

Each unit was represented by a group of four veterans with a colour bearer carrying the unit flag. Thousands lined the streets despite the heat. Some vets and spectators collapsed and were treated by St John Ambulance. The Globe’s 1 Aug headline: “Veterans March Past Takes Two Full Hours Beneath Broiling Sun” In all 70,000 vets, and 40 bands marched.  

Saturday night unit dinners were held. The Canadian Corps reunion dinner took place at the Royal York with 22 Victoria Cross recipients the guests of honour. A representative from every unit attended and the dinner address was broadcast by remote radio hookup to the other dinners held at the Royal York, King Edward Hotel, Victoria Hotel, CNE Grandstand, the horticultural building at CNE and many other locations.

The main event on Sunday, July 31st was the Drumhead Service at Riverdale Park which followed services at Prospect Cemetery and Varsity Stadium. Colonel McLaughlin of GM fame funded an actual size reproduction of the Vimy monument based on the original plans of designer Walter Alward. As most vets had not been able to travel to France to see the original, it was felt that the emotional pull of the reproduction would be great.

One of the big events on Monday, August 1st was the unveiling of unit plaques at Coronation Park. The park had been opened in 1937 to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Trees were planted to represent the countries of the empire and each CEF unit. Granite plaques were now installed noting the name of the tree and the unit. Representatives from each unit simultaneously pulled ribbons to remove little Union Jacks that covered each plaque. Fundraising coast to coast covered the installation and any extra money was to go towards installing a bench or statue holding a continuously burning flame but that doesn’t appear to have ever happened. Some of the trees have been replaced over the years but it appears that the 15th battalion’s tree is the original. Most people jogging and biking through this lovely park probably know nothing of its past.

By the morning of Tuesday, August 2nd the reunion was officially over. Streets were cleared of paper, broken bottles and bonfire ashes. According to Globe, “All the traffic signs which happy veterans had placed in queer places had been returned to their proper posts when the cleaners had finished their job, and waste paper cans once more reposed on street corners”. The reunion had been a huge success. Reportedly over $1.5 million was spent on food and lodging over the weekend. Several downtown hotels had to close before 11 pm Saturday when they ran out of booze. There were some downsides to the event— hospitals were overwhelmed and police were run ragged. Over 160 injuries, 39 auto collisions and 3 hold ups were reported.

 

It’s difficult to know how many events Fred attended. On July 30th the Globe reported that upon request the Christie Street Hospital was willing to provide transport to all former patients who couldn’t otherwise get to the festivities. Fred may have accepted this offer or perhaps Addie drove him. Fred had been fitted with a prosthetic leg but he appeared to prefer his crutches. Either way it may have been difficult for him to attend some events during the weekend and he certainly would have found it difficult to march with his colleagues. Perhaps he at least attended the reunion dinner on Saturday night, though I haven’t been able to determine where the 15th held their dinner. Either way he kept his reunion gear so it seemed that the reunion meant something to him. 

Before the reunion it was reported that Alderman GS Layton from Montreal would be attending the reunion and was to bring a bid for the next reunion in 1942. Unfortunately circumstances had changed and the next reunion was not to be.

My Father's Loom

An object might seem to be just an object but the same object can have a story to tell.  A diamond ring might tell the story of love and marriage. A christening gown could tell the story of the multiple babies who wore it. But what kind of story can a loom tell? As it turns out an interesting one with a personal twist to it! Here is the loom and here is its story.

In 1946 my father Sergeant Gordon Russell Brooks was demobilized from the Canadian Armed Forces. After four years in Europe serving first in the Medical and then the Provost Corps, Russ was eager to return to Toronto to get on with his life. Never robust, he miraculously managed to survive his service without injury, but upon his return home developed severe problems in his right knee. As a veteran, he first was treated in the old Christie Street Hospital which was still in operation when the first soldiers returned from Europe. He was subsequently transferred to the spanking new Sunnybrook Medical Centre where he underwent surgery (he was one of the first 100 patients to be admitted). Recovering from surgery, Russ was bedridden for some time. The Sunnybrook occupational therapist team devised a treatment plan to keep his hands busy and his spirits up. He was prescribed a Guildcraft-Thackeray Loom, produced by the Guild of All Arts in Scarborough.

The Guild of All Arts was founded by Rosa and Spencer Clark as an artists’ co-operative and centre promoting the Arts and Home Crafts Industries movement in Canada. It was situated on the grounds of the Bickford Estate, a property purchased by the widowed Rosa Breithaupt Hewetson in 1932 just before her marriage to Spencer Clark. Bickford Estate 1944 photo TPL Digital Archives Rosa and her three daughters from her first marriage enjoyed working with looms so it was no surprise that the first studio established at the Guild in 1932 was hand-loom weaving. Other crafts soon followed - pottery, wrought iron working, sculpture, painting, and cabinet making, among others. Workshops were set up on the Clark’s property, staffed with professional crafts people who lived on site and would demonstrate their particular craft to the public. Quality pieces produced by the artists would be sold on site or at the Guild of All Arts Shop on 44 Bloor Street West. This postcard, purchased and sent home by one visitor in 1940, shows the popularity of the weaving studio.This particular visitor was from New Jersey - visitors came from near and far to visit.

 

The first looms produced and used in the weaving studio were huge, noisy and complicated. The Guild’s 100” wide loom, billed as the largest hand-loom in Canada, was set up at the CNE for visitors to marvel at. The Clarks soon began to look for a smaller loom that could be manufactured and sold to customers who wanted to learn the craft. The Clarks learned of a unique light and portable loom that had been created by Captain Henry James Thackeray, a member of the British Arts and Crafts movement, and a 3rd cousin of author William Makepeace Thackeray. The Captain had  died in 1926 but his widow continued on with his work of promoting the loom.  

In the July 11 1931 edition of the Yarmouth Independent Margaret 

Thackeray spoke of “efforts being made at Elsing to revive the old village  industry of weaving by means of a simple loom invented by her husband, the late Captain Thackeray. Its use was deftly demonstrated upon the terrace overlooking the lily-starred moat, and fabrics so made were much admired”. In the mid 1930s Rosa and Spencer visited England and stayed with Margaret at Elsing Hall, the family estate located in Norfolk. The Clarks were successful in securing the North American as well as the British patent and design rights to the loom. Despite the fact that she no longer controlled sales of the loom Margaret continued to promote it. In the 1939 Register of England she described herself as “Estate Owner and Seller of Thackeray Loom”.  

Back in Canada production of the Guildcraft-Thackeray Utility Loom was soon underway in the Guild's wood-working shop supervised by Herman Riedl. Assistance was provided by the metal-working shop. The loom proved incredibly popular and was marketed to schools, camps and rehabilitation hospitals, as well as the enterprising home weaver. The loom was light, portable, and small enough to be used by a seated patient such as my father. It was reasonably priced and many were sold by mail order. Potential weavers could visit the Guild of All Arts Shop on the 6th floor of Simpsons for a free demonstration. 

The loom could be purchased on a “Home Lovers Plan” for only $2.50 now and $2.50 monthly. Customers were encouraged to take the loom to the cottage as “During the holidays you can readily weave smart materials for suitings, hand bags, scarfs, table runners, and many gifts for Christmas” (Toronto Star June 14 1935). It became a major source of revenue for the Guild with more than 30,000 shipped worldwide, The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star were filled with ads touting the benefits of the loom and  news articles featuring Rosa and her daughters modelling clothing made from cloth they wove themselves.

Globe and Mail February 2 1938

The Canadian magazine published a glowing report about the Guild’s looms in its November 1937 article. “The Guildcraft and Thackeray looms are the biggest news the weaving world has had for centuries” as “The very smartest Parisian women and the most advanced Americans have seized on the brand-new vogue for hand-weaving with such glee that The Canadian would like to wager that you will find yourself plunged into the craze for hand-weaving before you know what has happened to you”.

The instruction book for the Loom noted that “Guildcraft Looms have revolutionized home weaving until it is now one of the easiest and simplest of home occupations. Study your loom and your work with patience and care. You will be an expert before you realize it”. The booklet featured a picture of the Hewetson girls at work on their looms on the grounds of the Guild.  

My father was extremely creative and he enjoyed using the loom to make various projects. I still have a wee blanket and a placemat/napkin set. He must have made more woven items and given them as presents as he had labels created. I don’t ever remember my father using the loom but he kept it safe through his life. It remains a reminder of a difficult but rewarding time in my dad’s life and an interesting connection to my current home in Guildwood Village.

The Guild of All Arts is no longer in operation but the site still exists though in a different form. The property has recently been renovated and turned into an event venue. The City of Toronto took over the property in 1978 and the park is open to the public. Of interest is the open air art gallery. In the1950s and 60s many older buildings in Toronto were razed for new development. The Clarks collected the decorative stonework from many of these buildings. Relics from over 50 buildings can be seen in the park.  

This is the facade from the Royal Conservatory of Music formerly located at the corner of University Avenue and College Street in Toronto. My dad studied at the Conservatory and later at the Faculty of Music located in the same building. The facade features a portrait of Sir Ernest MacMillan, dean of the Faculty when my father studied there. Sir Ernest was apparently an occasional guest at the Guild of All Arts taking the time away from his day to day activities to write music. A nice reminder of my dad’s music studies close to my home.