Showing 8 results

People and organizations
Kingsmill, Thomas Frederick
Person · 1928 -

Born December 18, 1928. Son of George Frederick Kingsmill and Netta May (Nixon) Kingsmill. Fred married Clarissa “Claire” Barker (June 20, 193(1?) - ) on October 31, 1952. They had two children: Timothy Frederick and Anne Ardagh.

He was very active in the London business and retail community. He was a major member of London's Downtown Business Association, as well as the Ad and Sales Club. In 1990, he received a letter from Prime Minister Brian Mulroney congratulating him on the 125th Anniversary of Kingsmill's department store. He is noted for his dedication to charitable works, including Victoria Hospital and The Salvation Army.

He was awarded the Ontario Medal of Good Citizenship in 1991 which recognizes those who have made exceptional long-term efforts towards the well-being of their community.

He was President of Kingsmill Limited from 1970 - 2003.

Kingsmill, Thomas Frazer
Person · 1840 - 1915

Thomas Frazer Kingsmill : born in Ireland in 1840 and died in 1915 in Canada. Married Anne (Ardagh) (Burris) in 1857. Immigrated to the United States before settling in Canada in 1860. Moved to London in 1864.
6 children: Mary Kingsmill, Ann Kingsmill, Alice Maud Kingsmill, Thomas Frazer Kingsmill Jr., Arthur Kingsmill and Henry Ardagh Kingsmill.
Thomas Frazer Kingsmill had a 2nd bigamous marriage to Margaret (Gill) Kingsmill. They had 3 children: Percy Kingsmill, Irene Kingsmill and Vernon Kingsmill.
Thomas Frazer Kingsmill founded Kingsmill's as a dry goods store in London in March 1865. He also opened Kingsmill's Carpet Warehouse, which closed in the early-middle 1900's. He was President of Kingsmill's until his death in 1915. After his death Margaret went to court to challenge his will, which left the bulk of the estate to Thomas Frazer Kingsmill Jr. She declared Thomas Frazer Sr. intended to leave the Kingsmill Carpet

Kingsmill Jr., Thomas Frazer
Person · 1865 - 1939

Thomas Frazer Kingsmill Jr. was born September 1, 1865. He was the son of Thomas Frazer Kingsmill and Anne Ardagh Burris Kingsmill. He married Kate Isobel Ford (1861-1940) of England on June 18, 1890 in a double wedding along with his sister Alice Maud and her husband Edgar Bray. It was the last wedding at St Jerome's Church, Old London. The reception was held at Bellevue Farm. Together, they had three children: Thomas Ford, George Frederick and Alice Ruth.

Thomas Frazer Kingsmill Jr. started working at Kingsmill's in 1878 and ran the company from 1915 - 1939. He rebuilt the store from the ground up twice, after fires in 1911 and 1932. He was a life member of St. John's Lodge 209A of the Masonic Order, and Mocha Temple. He was also active in the local Anglican community at St. George's Church and St. Paul's Cathedral, and was an ordained Anglican Minister.

He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1939 at the age of 74.

Kingsmill, Arthur
Person · 1870 - 1898

Arthur Kingsmill was born in 1870 and died 1898. Son of Thomas Frazer Kingsmill and Anne (Ardagh) (Burris) Kingsmill. He married Jane “Jennie” King on July 1, 1891. Together they had three children: Arthur King, Jack Ardagh and Marjorie.
Arthur ran a second Kingsmill's location on King Street in Chatham, across from the market. Arthur died tragically young at the age of 28 from blood poisoning and the Chatham Kingsmill's location closed for good.

Kingsmill, Thomas Ford
Person · 1891 - 1970

Born April 24, 1891. Died March 29, 1970. Son of Thomas Frazer Kingsmill (Jr.) and Kate Isabel (Ford) Kingsmill. Brother of George Frederick Kingsmill and Alice Ruth (Kingsmill) Hodgins. He married Margaret Campbell (October 10, 1889 - June 25, 1968) on October 27, 1917. They had one child, Katherine Elizabeth.

Thomas Ford Kingsmill was heavily involved in the London community. He was elected to the Victoria Hospital Trust 3 times, and resigned to run for mayor. He was elected Mayor of London in 1936, 1937 and 1938. He then returned to the Victoria Hospital Trust. Appointed provincial representative on the Hospital Trust in 1948, serving until 1960. He was a member of: Kiwanis Club, St Paul's Cathedral's Men's Club, St. John's Lodge No. 209a, Mocha Shrine, Knights Templars and the Orange Order. Was a 32nd degree Mason in the Scottish Rite.

He became managing director of Kingsmill's Limited in 1915 when his father Thomas Frazer Jr. became head of the business. He was subsequently elected president and general manager of Kingsmill's Ltd in 1939 upon the death of his father. Remained as such until 1968, when he relinquished the position but remained as director until his death. He held a directorship in the Ontario branch of the Retail Merchants Association, and was active in the London Chamber of Commerce.

Kingsmill, George Frederick
Person · 1892 - 1973

George Frederick Kingsmill (1892-1973). Son of Thomas Frazer Kingsmill Jr. and Kate Isabel (Ford) Kingsmill. He and Netta May Nixon (June 1, 1888 - August 30, 1976) were married on October 11, 1918. They had three children: Mary Netta, Doris, and Thomas Frederick.

He held a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and majored in beekeeping at the O.A.C. Upon graduation, he was appointed Assistant Dominion Apiarist.

During WWI he enlisted as a gunner and served in France with “E” Battery. He was decorated as an M.B.E (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and for Civilian Service in WWII.

He was involved in the London community including: as a member of Huron College Council; Chairman, Dependents Board of Trustees, London District, 1940-45; a member of the Canadian Consistory Club; Advertising and Sales Club; Camera Club and was Deputy for Ontario Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite. He was also active in the local Anglican community serving for 43 years as bell-ringer and clock maintainer at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Active in Bellevue Park Farms, Bellevue Park Farms Dairy. He served as Secretary-Treasurer for Kingsmill's Limited from 1920 - 1923.

Kingsmill, Robert Frazer
Person

Robert Frazer Kingsmill was the brother of Thomas Frazer Kingsmill. He immigrated with his mother Mary (Frazer) Kingsmill to Toronto in 1952. He married Mary E. Centrillion and together they had 5 children: James William, Thomas Frazer, Robert, Arthur Henry and Frank J. He operated a dry goods store on Dundas St, a couple of doors away from his brother Thomas Frazer.

Garnet McPherson
F 35 · Person

Garnet McPherson was born in Pickering, Ontario and spent much of his childhood exploring the nature surrounding his home in Ajax, Ontario. In school he worked for the school newspaper, was a member of student government, and president of the camera club. At 16, McPherson was hired by a local newspaper as a photojournalist and was freelancing for two national journals. By 18, he worked regularly for the Toronto Star.

McPherson graduated from the Commercial Photography program at Sheridan College in 1974. He then returned to freelancing and began working in aerial, editorial, landscape, and commercial photography. In 1975, he started a photography studio on Champlain Avenue.

Between 1975-1990, McPherson’s studio grew into a group of companies that included Insight Photo-Graphics, Vision Photo Labs, Aerial Photographics of Canada, a local paper called Entertainment Calendar, and Cinema Whitby, a movie theatre which regularly held screenings and workshops with local filmmakers. His company Insight Photo-Graphics created a photographic slide “film” about the town of Whitby, Ontario that screened at Cinema Whitby in 1987. While the master film has been lost, the photographic slides of which the film is comprised were donated to Archives at Whitby Public Library. Besides photography, Garnet loved sailing and flying. He kept his sailboat in Whitby Harbour, and his aerial photography aircraft at Oshawa Airport.

Beginning in the 1990s, McPherson closed his studios in Whitby, and began focusing on environmental sustainability. He wrote and edited for various magazines about the topic and produced documentaries about the impacts of sustainability. He also acts as a keynote speaker about environmental issues and has worked with David Suzuki and Al Gore. He is now semi-retired and resides in Victoria, British Columbia where he continues to support the eco film industry through a new film studio.