Family/Spouse: Rosalie Elizabeth AITCHESON. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Jeffrey Gladstone COWAN
2. David Gibb COWAN

William married Mary Isabelle GREIG in 1947 in Toronto. Mary (daughter of Wickliffe Knox Luther GREIG and Jessie Belle JEFFREY) was born in 1917 in Toronto; died in 1952 in Toronto; was buried in Cobourg Union Cemetery, Cobourg, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Born in Toronto Lived at 176 Briar Hill Avenue (originally numbered 100 before extension of the street to Yonge St) until about 1918.

William married Evelyn Wilda TURNER in 1908. Evelyn died in 1975. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Moved to Philadelphia April 26, 1910 (see Library Item 3a).

Marriage License (see Library Item 3a) lists him as a "Clerk" in Nov 1911

Dau's Society Blue Book, Montreal 1905-06 says he was still living at 400 Cote St Antoine - his parents home.

Living locations after marriage, according to notes prepared by his wife in her application for old age security:
1911-1913 Philadelphia Pa US
1913-1918 Toronto (122 Warren Road in 1913 then #176 Briar Hill Ave - formerly #100 Briar Hill Road)
1918-1938 Winnipeg (1042 MacMillan Avenue)
1938-1941 Toronto (141 Hillsdale Ave) (Death notice says he came to Toronto 5 years before death.

Other details derived by Bill Cowan research in October 2017 by various emails:
- Prior to marriage he was Bank Manager for the Royal Bank in Port Moody BC 1907-1910.
- In 1919 he was Superintendent of Western Branches for the Home Bank (426 Main St), before it failed in 1923.

According to his death notice in the Toronto Daily Star (Item #5 in his Library) he represented London Life in Winnipeg after the Home Bank. He was still working for London Life when he died. At the time he was branch secretary of the Toronto-Bloor agency.

Wickliffe married Jessie Belle JEFFREY on 14 Nov 1911 in Toronto, Ontario. Jessie (daughter of John JEFFREY and Mary SUTHERLAND) was born on 22 Jul 1885 in Cobourg, Ontario; died about 1975 in Toronto; was buried in 1975 in Cobourg Union Cemetery, Cobourg, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Belle Jeffrey's sister, Mary Hutchison, was next door neighbour to William Greig in Westmount Montreal (see Item #3 and 5 in his Library) until roughly 1906. Belle was visiting her sister and got invited across the street to a neighbour's party where William's son Wickliffe was similarly invited. (Oral communication in about 1975 from Eileen Hutchison (daughter of Mary) who was about 5 years old at the time of said party. Eileen vividily remmebers reports of this exciting event.) See William Greig Library Item #5.

Eileen reported that her family rented a cottage near the Greig's rented cottage at South Bristol, Maine, when she was a kid, roughly 1910-1915. See Wickliffe Library Item #9 and William Library Item #4.

Belle Jeffrey signed Janet (Jessie) Jeffrey's vistor book in 1893 (see Janet Jeffrey Library Item 4 Page 13).

Belle was artistic - see Libary Item 4

Living at 26 Earl St Toronto Nov 22, 1905 when her beau of the day sent her a postcard, 6 years before she married him. (See Library/ Wickliffe Geig/Items 17 and 17a)

David married Amelia INGLIS. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"A Westmount Pioneer" (see Obit in Library/William Greig/Item 7)

Lived in Bridgeton Glasgow until 1859 when he went to Australia.

Returned to Glasgow in 1861 to marry Oct 1 1861 and land in Montreal Nov 1, 1861.

Served four years in the Montreal Garrison Artillery Volunteer Brigade at the time of the Trent Affair (a row between USA and Britain during the American Civil War - no actual battles).

Excerpts about him from the Obit:
"- Mr & Mrs Greig became considerable factors in the development of Cote St Antoine into the Westmount of today.
- A man of vision and his work for many years will not soon be forgotten.
- Connected with the large foundry business of Warden King for nearly half a century.
- A sturdy Presbyterian. An early member of Melville Church, Cote St Antoine. An elder and clerk of the session for many years.
- A member of the masonic order.
- Typical Scottish Canadian. Upright in all his dealings, alert and vigorous, strong in opinion and of wide reading, he was a type of those of earlier days who have made for us the Canada of today."

Due to ill health in 1910 moved to Baltimore for its more mild climate. Lived at 2000 Madison Ave, at the intersection with Presstman St (in 2018 Google Street View shows this address as the end unit of a 3 unit 3 storey brick townhouse block. Probably the original building, though maybe new in 1910).

William Cowan found (March 19, 2020):
"In the US Federal Census of 1920, three households are shown within 2000 Madison Avenue:
• The Silberman family of 9 with Tonchum Silberman shown as head of house
• The Greig family of 3
• The Meyer family of 2
• Someone has boarder named Charles Steen, carpenter

William, Elizabeth and their daughter Margaret are shown as aliens with Margaret immigrating in 1907 and her parents in 1910. It states that Margaret is 42 and William and Elizabeth are 82 (John notes that William was 2 years older than Elizabeth). Margaret is listed as a music teacher and for employment as “Own Account” as opposed to employee. Presumably she gave private music lessons, perhaps to kids after school.The Greigs are shown as renters.

Other interesting things about 2000 Madison Avenue that can be learned from the 1920 census. Tonchum Silberman (age 55) is stated as owner – presumably of their third of 2000 Madison Avenue. It states that he was born in Russia with Yiddish as his mother tongue. His wife was born in New York of Russian parents. Tonchum’s mother lives with them and is shown as 82 years of age. It says the mother is an alien having immigrated in 1890. She appears to only speak Yiddish. Tonchum is shown as a manufacturer in the dry goods business and as an employer. Their 6 children range in age from 8 years old to 27. The three sons are all shown as being in the dry goods manufacturing business, the 27 and 20 year olds shown as “employer” and the 18 year old as a wage earner. Perhaps Tonchum was intent on passing his dry goods business to his sons."

His son Wickliffe's Marriage License (Library/Wickliffe Greig/Item 3a) lists William's 'rank or profession' in 1911 as "Gentleman." Maybe that means retired. There is no evidence he attended the wedding in Toronto, though he may have.

Died in South Bristol where he was spending the summer.(See picture in Library Item 4)

Justice of the Peace for the City and district of Montreal since 1890.

Served in the Town as Councillor, Council of Westmount, for 7 years.

Lived at 400 Cote St Antoine ("Ardchoille" gaelic for 'wooded heights') Westmount according to the 1904-05 "Dau's Society Blue Book" found at the Toronto Public Library https://archive.org/stream/daussocietyblueb00montuoft#page/68/mode/2up. Also living with him were his wife, son Wickliffe and presumably his Mother-in-law "Mrs nee Rodger". His son William Jr lived down the street at #326 with his wife.

By 1911 he had moved to 539 Grosvenor Ave, Westmount, accoring to Dau's Society Blue Book 1911

William married Elizabeth McGowan RODGER. Elizabeth was born in 1839 in Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland, UK; died in 1920 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; was buried in 1920 in Woodlawn Cemetery, Woodlawn County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Granddaughter of Alexander Rodger, the Poet who published well known songs including "Robin Tamsen's Smiddy" "Marry for love and work for siller"

Year of birth is 1836 in Family Search but 1839 on tombstone.

Notes:

Businesses

1873 he was in business in Cobourg with FJ Hall as Jeffrey& Co (see Library/Misc Stuff/Item 22-D).

1874 he was issuing marriage licenses at his hardware store (see Library/Misc Stuff/Item 22-E).

1875 News article describes him as "one of our most successful (hardware) merchants." (in Cobourg) (Library/Misc Stuff/Item 22-F)

1883 "Jeffrey & MacNachtan" hardware was operating on King Street (see History published in 1937 - Library/Misc Stuff/Item 21. Note that Library/Andrew Jeffrey/Item 27b states Jeffrey sold in 1881 and spelling was slightly different.)

Business Manager of the Polson Iron Works in Owen Sound at the time of his sudden death. Funeral was at the CPR station in Owen Sound.


He visited and signed the guest book of sister Janet (Jessie) Jeffrey (see Janet Jeffrey Libary Item 4 Page 3). Another copy of his death notice is in this book.

William Campbell's files say marriage was Aug 24th, not Oct 24th 1866

1875 Cobourg newspaper reports he was building "a fine new mansion on Ontario Street" (see Library/Misc Stuff/Item 22-F). This is now 110 Ontario Street, a private residence. It was known for a while as Ilahee Lodge. He sold it to William R. Ridell in 1877 See also Library Item 7. https://townofcobourg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=983947c13df94ff69563e8c2378c0eab%20

He commissioned the building of a 43 foot steam yacht ('Fairy') in about 1880 to be operated by Frank Polson. See Library/John Jeffrey/Item

1871 Census shows the John Jeffrey household(see Library/Misc Stuff/Item 28 P2)

John married Mary SUTHERLAND on 24 Oct 1866 in Port Burwell, Ontario. Mary was born on 19 Aug 1846 in Cobourg, Ontario; died on 4 May 1924 in Toronto; was buried on 6 May 1924 in Cobourg Union Cemetery, Cobourg, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Related to John Sutherland??? who was shown as a "grocer" (on page 146 of P.Clemo's book "early Cobourg")