HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-12-07, Page 314
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By WC Elmo+
' Lots 1 and 2 on Cobourg
Street, among the first sold here
Iv the Canada Company nearly
a century and a. half ago, today
stand "parklike, devoid of any
WW1 ing,„butAch_ in mem_mies.
The first house thereon, built
for Alfred W. Otter, was the
boyhood home Of Sir William
Dillon Otter, who helped put
down the Northwest Rebellion,
commanded the Canadians in
South Africa and becinne first
Canadian -born Chief of the
General Staff at Ottawa,
A great-grandson of General
Otter, who; left Canada for
Australia a few years ago, has
interested hirlf in family
history, and writes from South
Perth: "I tend to hold my great -
'grandfather in awe, and it was
refreshing to meet him more as
the man and less the legend in a
chapter in Book III, Huron
Early Houses."
Anthony Edward Otter Mor-
ton is a' son of the late Major-
General Ralph Otter Geoffrey •
Morton, C,B.E., who served in
the Canadian army in both
world wars and commanded in
turn three military distiicts in
Canada before retiring in 1951.
Anthony Morton's uncle, the
late Major-General R.E.A. Mor-
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WO, was a staff officer in in 1841, married Anna de la
the First Canadian Army in Hooke, daushter- of Magistrate
War II, and later commanded W.K. *Win Hooke. They r Wed
es
districts in Canada. These firit in Stanley Township, ' the
distinguished professional edge of Clinton, but Otter was
soldiers, born in Toronto, were soon employed by the Canada
grandsons of William Dillon Ot- Company -in Goderich. VVilliam,
• ter and Mary (Porter) Otter and the future general, was born
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Morton.
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A GREAT—GREAT--GREAT
Anthony Otter migrated to
Australia in 1964, remarried
,
there, and at time of writing was
expecting arrival of a great -
great -grandson of Sir William.
"I've been searching out
Alfred's life for about two
years," he writes, "as little is
known about him or his wife. He
tends to be overshadowed by his
father, the bishop, and his son,
the general. Incidentally, I ven-
ture to say the . bishop, his
father, would be as interesting a
subject for a story as the son is.
In any case, I wasn't having
much success until my chance
meeting with Margaret Durham
and through her Mrs.. Diehl
(Mrs. Carl Diehl, Bayfield) and
your good self. A lot of your
chapter is new to me, par:
ticularly about . Alfred and his
wife."
Alfred William Otter, who
came to Canada from England
family moved here, but was bap-
tized by the rector of St,
George's, for "it is recorded in
Days of the Canada Company
that "in the drawing room of the
rectory, William O. Otter was
christened, Mrs. Campbell, the
de la Hookes and other friends
being gathered for the ceremony
with the father, and the
beautiful young mother."
" Probably also born in Stanley
was Jacqueline Mary, baptized
in 1847 by Rev. R.F. Campbell:
Thomas Mercer Jones, Canada
Company Commissioner, was
her godfather; Mrs. Jones and
Mrs. Alex Trotter were god-
mothers.
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"If anyone in the family knew
that Alfred had had another son
or daughter, it hasn't come to
my noticer writes Mr. Morton
of Australia.
. However, one must accept as
accurate Rev, Mr. Campbell's
entry in the book of baptisms. In
fact, the same record gives us
the name of Frederick Watson
Otter, born May 5, 1849, "son of
"Ned" Lewis and his Chief 7 Evidently taken in Ottawa, this wintry picutre shows the member
for West Huron and the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Borden, probably in 1917, the year Mr.
Lewis was appointed judge.
Alfred William. and Anti*,
Goderich, gentleman."
THREE CHILDREN -
When Anna .Otter died in .
Toronto in 1907, she was living
with 'her daughter, Mrs. A.D. ,
Lato.,,w_a_KLALeAactaigh,..fii„.,,mL
said, and was survived also bY
two . sons; • Harold, with the.'
American Express Company in
Chicago, and Big. -Gen. WD.
Otter, Toroneo. (Perhaps
"Harold" ought to have read
"Frederick."
Lots 1 and 2, when purchased
from the Canada Company by
John Macdonald,, an employee
of the company, were described
as Lots 25 and 26, Lighthouse
stpet. Mr. Macdonald, sheriff
from 1847, had an eye for real
estate of potential value. After
13 years he sold these lots to
Alfred W. Otter. The con-
sideration was 325 pounds
sterling, which at this distance
of time seems a good price for
two lots in the bush, even across
from the company's office.
Perhaps the sheriff- called the
Englishman's attention to the
fine view of thelake.
The deed recording -this tran-
saction' is dated May 16, 1849,
and the parchment folds are
stiff with age, nobody ,having
looked at it for a century or sp,
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7. •‘1•,...';,*-
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perhaps. It pontains the infor-
mation that Mrs. Macdonald
-(Elizabeth Amelia Mitchell, the
sheriffs first vvife) in con-
sideration of five shillings
relinquished her dower in the
property.
Macdonald -took a mortgage
back, and Otter alse borrowed
. -
on rnor age rom1t. on.
ward Street, the Baron Belpter
of Kingston Hall, Nottingham.
The baron's wife was a sister of
Rt. Rev. William Otter, Bishop
of*phichester, father of Alfred
W. Otter.
There exists no picture of
Alfred Otter's house, which
later passed through many
hands, including those of Rev.
Peter Schneider, parish priest of
St. Peter's, before R.W. McKen-
zie, a Goderich merchant, sold it
to E.N. Lewis in 1880. This en-
try in the Registry Office has
aroused some curiosity,
inasmuch as Edward Norman
Lewis was only 24 years of age,
and a student -at -law, not likely'
needing a house. Documents
recently made available clear
up the mystery.
Ira Lewis:. father of E.N., a
native of Leeds county, was
practising in Toronto when John
A. Macdonald appointed him
Crown Attorney of Huron (and
Bruce). He built. a house on
Montreal Street which evidently
D
wa beyond his means to main,
tam, and it
was sold.to satisfy a
mortgage. Ira, then bankrupt.
----bren-igreemente
Sir William Dillon Otter, first Canadian -born Chief of Staff
at Ottawa, was born near Clinton, attended school in
Goderich, and began his military career in the Queen's
Own of Toronto. The Cobourg St. residence of his father,
Alfred W. Otter, became part of the Lewis house.
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lootootiormeal
,01moot."=!
mow
014.41i ,
28, 1881, undertook. to pay. Ed-
ward $900 in instalments on
condition that the latter under-
took to erect "a two-storey con-
crete house 36 by 43, and to
finish same according to plans ,
hereunder annexed, by the 15th
day of October !lima." Ira was to
be given a "proper lease" free of
rent, for six years. The house •
was not built by October, 1881,
but was completed in 1883. The
younger Lewis later deeded the!.
property to 'Julia Dwight Lewis,
his mother, and she left it to him
in her will.
MP FOR WEST HURON
Edward Norman Lewis, born
(continued on page pa)
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One .of several grout houses in.Goderich, the walls Otto
former Lewis house disgorged great quantities 91 sand and
clay when the house Was demolished hi 1987.
The former L se at 217 Cobourg Street, latterly known as the Elliott house, was sold
by auction on 1 31, 1952, by the Canada Trust Company, executor of the Eleanor Rose
Elliott estate. It was acquired by Mrs. Jean Mallough and after remaining. vacant for some
time was demolished in December, 1967, when this picture was taken.
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462
• When it was the Lewis Wise. This Ohotogiaph, taken in 1889, shoWS at ex.
treme left Edward Norman Lowia, then 32 years of age. In the darriage it his
daUghter Catherine; Julia (now Mrs. MacIntyre, Goderich) was not then horn.
In front of the bay windOw are Ira Lewis, Crown Attorney; his son Joroine, of
Buffalo; Mrs, ire LaViiii and Miss Alice M. Lewis. ' .6
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oem zeve;
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c4,4< fere
Why the ,house was built - Ira Lewis, O.V., hooded plata to Nve and pakt his SOO ittlitiard
$900 in instalments 10 erect a "two-storey concrete house" on Let 2 and lealeft to hitt.
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