Scottish Obituary for Thomas Chalmers Scott

From The Dundee Courier, Friday January 12, 1877, p. 4.

I didn't know he lived in Glasgow for a short time. The description of his public speaking prowess and interest in temperance and religion fits what we already know of him very well. 

Obituaries for Robert Watt Elliot

Robert Watt Elliot was the son of William Elliot and Mary Oliphant, and the sister of Mary (Elliot) Scott. Here are two obituaries from the Toronto newspapers.  The first is from the Toronto Daily Star,  Monday November 13, 1905, page 9:

"Robert W. Elliot.  At the age of 71, and after a year's illness, Mr. Robert W. Elliot, head of the firm of Elliot and Co., Limited.  wholesale druggists, died at the family residence, 109 Pembroke street, yesterday afternoon.

He is survived by his widow, one son, W.S. Elliot, who is in charge of the business, and two daughters, Mrs. Biggar, wife of Lieut.-Col. Biggar of Ottawa, and Miss Violet Elliot, at home. Deceased was member of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, a member of the National Club, and a past president of the St. George's Society.  He was for several years president of the Toronto Rowing Club, and was a lover of all healthy outdoor sports."

The Globe, November 13, 1905, page 12:

"Death of R.W. Elliot--Prominent Business Man Passes Away--Past President of the Toronto Board of Trade and of St. George's Society--Took Great Interest in All Out-door Sports.
Mr. Robert W. Elliot, head of the firm of Elliot and Co., wholesale druggists, died at the family residence, 109 Pembroke street, yesterday afternoon. Mr. Elliot, who was 71 years of age, had been ill for about a year.  Part of that time he was able to give some attention to business, but during the past few weeks he had been gradually sinking until the end came. He is survived by his widow, one son, W.S. Elliot, who is in charge of the business, and two daughters, Mrs Biggar, wife of Lieut.-Col. Biggar of Ottawa, and Miss Violet Elliot, at home.  

Deceased was member of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, a member of the National Club, and a past president of the St. George's Society.  He was for several years president of the Toronto Rowing Club, and was a lover of all healthy outdoor sports.

Mr. Elliot's business career was a successful and honorable one.  When comparatively young he succeeded to the drug business established by his father, the late Wm. Elliot, and in 1869 he was elected President of the Board of Trade.  During the term of his office the board took up the question of tariff, and made suggestions to the Government on the subject.  The board also suggested to the Government the appointment of a Railway Commission.  He took an active part in the work of organizing and pushing to a successful completion the Nipissing Railway, and in other ways worked to increase the railway and shipping facilities of the city." 

Library Field Trip

This week I treated myself to a little field trip to the Baldwin Room of historical Canadiana in the Toronto Reference Library.   They specialize in primary materials relating to Toronto, and we have a few ancestors who were prominent in Toronto city life, so I was hoping to find some relevant documents.  Imagine my excitement when the librarian told me they had a whole collection of William Elliot papers!  Imagine my delight when she brought out four big old dusty boxes and I opened them to see stacks of original diaries!  But alas, it was another William Elliot.  This one was a judge, not an industrialist.  Rats. 

However, the trip was not in vain.  Although I didn't find anything in the Baldwin Room collection, it turns out that the Toronto Reference Library for many years kept scrapbooks of obituaries and biographies of prominent Torontonians, which have now been microfilmed.  I found a very detailed obituary for John Galloway Scott, son of Thomas Chalmers Scott, in Volume 7 page 427 of the scrapbook, which was on Film # T686.3.  It was clipped from the Toronto Mail newspaper, June 23, 1928.

The headline was dramatic:

J.G. Scott, K.C., Dies of Injuries

Was Struck Down by Auto While Returning From Board Meeting

Called to Bar in 1862

Chosen in 1885 to Inaugurate Land Titles System of Ontario

"Struck down by a motor car driven by George Kindness, Browning Avenue, at Bay and King Streets, on June 19 last.  John G. Scott, K.C., aged 92, of 29 Dunvegan Road, former Master of Titles at the Registry Office, died in the General Hospital yesterday.  Coroner McConnell is investigating the mishap.  Kindness, who was driving without a permit, was arrested on a charge of reckless driving.

The late Mr. Scott, who was active for his great age, was crossing the road at King and Bay Streets, and was struck down by Kindness' auto as the latter attempted to make a left-hand turn to go along King Street.  Removed to the hospital, it was found that Mr. Scott had suffered a fractured skull and other injuries.

John Galloway Scott was born in Dundee, Scotland, December 5, 1836, and came to Toronto with his parents in 1844.  He was educated at Toronto Academy and Bethany College, Virginia, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1862.

He successfully practiced his profession in Toronto in partnership, first with the late R.G. Dalton, Q.C., and subsequently with Kenneth Mackenzie, Q.C.  In 1870 he was appointed, by the Hon. John Sandfield MacDonald, Clerk of the Executive Council and First Assistant to the Attorney-General's Department, positions which he continued to hold under the Blake and Mowat administrations.  During his work with the Attorney-General's Department he drafted two most important acts:  The Consolidated Municipal Act, 1873, and the Creditor's Relief Act, 1880.  In 1876, while he was deputy Attorney-General he was appointed a Queen's Council.

In 1885 he was chosen to inaugurate the Land Titles system of Ontario, and was appointed Master of Titles at Osgoode Hall, which position he held until his retirement in 1920, after serving the government of Ontario for more than fifty years.  It is universally admitted that the success of the Land Titles Act in the portions of Ontario in which it is in force, was due to his careful administration.

Mr. Scott was a Royal Commissioner for the revision of the Statutes of Ontario in 1885, and again in 1896.  He took part in the launching of the Toronto General Trusts Corporation, of which he was the oldest Director, in 1882, under its original name of The Toronto General Trust Company.  In 1859 he married Mary Elliot, a daughter of the late William Elliot.  Until recently he was a member of the congregation of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, which, when he joined in 1863, met on Bond Street, in the building since transformed into St. Michael's hospital.  He was a deacon of the church from 1885 to 1921, when he transformed his membership to Walmer Road Baptist Church. 

After his retirement, November 30, 1920, he lived at his home, 29 Dunvegan Road, and spent much of his time gardening, which was his favorite hobby.

He is survived by his widow, a daughter, Mrs. R.K. George of Toronto, and a son, Arthur H. Scott of Montreal.  The funeral is to be held on Monday at 2 p.m. to the Necropolis."

I find it interesting that John Galloway Scott attended Bethany College.  As I mentioned in a previous post about the Oliphants, this was a Disciples of Christ College (in fact, it still is today) founded by Alexander Campbell.  I suppose it's not surprising that T.C. Scott would send his son to be educated there. David Oliphant Jr. had attended Bethany College as well, but earlier than Scott.

It's also interesting that this obituary gives a date for Scott joining the Baptist Church (1863).  He would have been 27 years old at the time, and his father would certainly have still been active in the Disciples Church.   This would have been four years after his marriage.  We know that William Elliot also joined the Jarvis Street Baptist Church, and in fact he and John Galloway helped pay for the building on Jarvis Street.