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Alfred Clarence Passmore was born and grew up in Toronto. He and his younger brother Forneri Frederick first attended a private school, then were taught by his aunt Maria Louisa, and later in Toronto public schools. His daughter Lola preserved some stories from his school days. It seems that all the desks in one of his schools had holes cut in them, through which the boys used to put their slate pencil shavings. At a signal, they all blew from below, expelling big clouds of pencil dust into the air! They also tried to shoot down a pen that was for some reason fixed like an arrow on the ceiling pointing down so that it would fall down on the hapless teacher’s head. Pea shooters were also apparently a favoured weapon used on teachers whose backs were turned. On the other hand, teachers at that time had no hesitation in liberal use of straps and canings against mischief-makers.
When Alfred Clarence was about 16, his father, who himself was a keen sailor, bought a sailboat for him and his brother. They took it on fairly long excursions along the shore of Lake Ontario, even making it the USA shore at one point. Later, on a friend’s large sailboat they circumnavigated Lake Ontario. Alfred kept a 34 foot yawl, named "Osprey", on Lake Ontario into the 1920s.
In spite of his city upbringing, Alfred Clarence had the ambition to farm. In 1883 his father Frederick Fortescue Passmore bought a 100 acre farm on Lot 8, Concession 4 in Chingacousy Township, in Peel County, Ontario, close to the village of Huttonville. The price was $6500. From the book "From Wolf's Den to Huttonville", we learn that the lot was first granted to a Simon Washburn in 1825 for his service in the Frontenac Militia. In 1841 the lot was sold to the Scott family, who eventually built a two-story log house, which was later occupied by Alfred Clarence while his brick house was under construction. In 1891 and 1895, Alfred Clarence bought two 25-acre parcels of land across the road on Lot 11 of Concession 5 from James McClure.
The 1891 census for Chingacousy Township shows Alfred, age 30, single, living on the property in a wood house, with 7 windows. Living with him is a part-time housekeeper, age 30, named Emily Perry. This same Emily Perry appears in the probate papers of the will of Alfred's brother Forneri in 1932: her married name at that time was Emily Short, and she lived in Brampton. Her declaration in Forneri's probate document states that she knew Forneri as of 9 June, 1892 ( the date of Forneri's will ), and that she, along with Alfred's and Forneri's aunt Maria Louisa Passmore, witnessed Forneri making his will in the City of Toronto. Emily's marriage record shows that she married Thomas Short in Chingacousy on 17 Mar. 1897, and that Alfred Passmore was a witness.
In 1893, Alfred bought the property for $10400 from his aunt, Maria Louisa Passmore, to whom Frederick Fortescue Passmore had transferred it before he died in 1892. In 1894, Alfred contracted a Brampton architect, W.B. McCulloch to build a substantial brick house on the property. There is a family story that some of the construction was undertaken by members of the Fraser family from Lot 3 of Concession 4. Alfred was to marry Sarah Ella Fraser in 1894.
According to "From Wolf's Den to Huttonville", the house contained kitchen, pantry, dining room, double living room, three fireplaces, six bedrooms, a large attic, full basement, and an attached woodshed. It had a hot water furnace and indoor plumbing, with a hand pump connected to a holding tank. The tops of the cement posts at the gate were from the first Ontario Parliament Buildings in Toronto.
One evening on the way to church, Alf gave a lift to Sarah Ella Fraser and her sister Mary. He married Sarah Ella Fraser in 1894. She was the daughter of John Fraser and Jane McGill and had grown up on “Maple Grove farm” in Huttonville. Alfred Clarence and Sarah Ella had a son and two daughters. Their youngest daughter Louisa Mary (called Lola) recounted many happy days spent on the farm. The children had their own Welsh pony and pony cart. Their parents encouraged them to become knowlegible and observant about birds. Alfred Clarence and Sarah Ella Passmore both had a great sense of religious obligation and devotion. They were among the founders of the Huttonville Methodist (later United) Church. Sarah Ella served as its bible class teacher and Alfred served as Sunday school superintendent.
The 1901 and 1911 censuses show Alfred, Ella and their 3 children living in the brick house, along with a female domestic servant. Alfred called his property “Claremont Farm”. The neighbours, in all 3 censuses, were James And Margaret McClure.
The farmhouse still exists, but was moved in 2011 a short distance to 118 Royal West Drive, in what is now the Chingacousy sector of the Municipality of Brampton. It is now referred to as the "Reid Farmhouse" (the next owner after the Passmores was named Reid). The present location is in a new housing development, and the property backs onto the parking lot of the Brampton Walmart store! On-line documents of the Brampton Heritage Board detail the history and architecture of the original property and of the house, up to the present day. The house is said to be a classic example of "Queen Anne style", which became popular in North America in the late 1800s. The family presently owning the house are keeping it in excellent condition.
The Passmores probably would have wished to pass their farm on to their only son, Frederick, who served in the First World War in the Canadian Cavalry Brigade in 1916 and 1917, and who had later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, where he became a fighter pilot in 1918. Frederick decided that farming was not for him after the war. Letters written to Alfred's daughter Lola from former Huttonville classmates serving in the front lines indicated that the family moved to 83 Brunswick Ave. in Toronto in 1915. The Passmores' ownership of the farm ended in 1919, when the family of Weir Reid took possession. By this time, Alfred Clarence was in his late 50's, and had profited from the sale of his farm, and from inheritance from his father Frederick Fortescue Passmore, shared with his unmarried brother Forneri Frederick.
The 1921 Canada census for Toronto West, ward 4, sub-district 13 (page 5), shows the Passmore family living at 83 Brunswick avenue. The household consisted of Alfred C., his wife Sarah E., his brother Frederick F., his aunt Mary A., and his children Searle F., Jennie C. and Lola Mary. Alfred, Alfred, his wife and children were listed as Methodists, his brother and aunt were Anglicans. The listed occupations of Alfred and of his brother were "income". Fred was listed as a machinist working in a garage, Jennie as a nurse in a hospital, and Lola as a public school teacher. Mary Ann's arrival in Canada from England was in 1846.
In 1934, the family moved to 210 Rosemary Road in the Forest Hill section of Toronto. It seems likely that this move "up" was made possible by Alfred's inheritance from his unmarried brother Forneri, who died in 1932, and who while working for a bank had been a successful investor. Their sister Isabella Mary Eugenie Passmore, had died of pericarditis at the age of 16 in 1881.
Throughout their lives, Alfred Clarence and Sarah Ella were pillars of their churches, first at Huttonville Methodist, then at Trinity United Church in Toronto. Alfred served on the United Church Board of Evangelism and Social Service and, from 1931, was also on the Board of Directors of its Cedervale School for Girls in Georgetown, Ontario and of its Ina Grafton Gage Home in Toronto.
Alfred Clarence and Sarah Ella were loved by all their children, grandchildren and friends. They died in 1956 and in 1959, respectively.
Alfred's will, written April 14, 1932 (about a month after his brother Forneri Frederick died), appointed as executors his wife (who renounced her executorship after his death), his son Fred, and his son-in-law Lloyd Stirling. His three children received equal shares of the principal and property of his late brother's estate (as requested in the latter's will). The rest of his estate, including income from his brother's estate, was willed to his wife, with the stipulation that it should be divided among his surviving children after her death.
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1860 - 1956 (95 years)
