There passed away on
Tuesday, January 18th, one of the old pioneer residents of Jarvis in the
person of John Brock, who died suddenly at the residence of his eldest
son, George, near Tyrrell, with whom he has lived for the past two years.
Deceased has always enjoyed good health up to a few weeks ago but was able
to be up and around as usual. He arose on Tuesday morning as usual but
dropped dead only a few minutes later. He was in his 81st year.
Deceased
was born in Fermanagh County, Ireland, and came to Canada with his parents
in 1840, and settled in Scarboro, near Toronto, where he learned
blacksmithing.
He came to Jarvis in 1852, opening a shop on the premises now
occupied by the Union Hotel, and a few years later located on the premises
where the Whittaker block now stands, remaining there until a few months
before the big fire in 1872, which almost wiped out the village.
After being in
business in London for about twenty years he retired from business about
five years ago and since that time has lived with his sons.
He was married in
1854 to Elizabeth Ann Forster, daughter of the late George E. Forster, of
Townsend. Eleven children were born to them, ten sons and one daughter,
the youngest who died when about two years of age. One son, Herbert, died
in 1891 at the age of 18 years and nine still survive him. The sons are
George and Robert, of Townsend; Frank, of the Yukon; Thomas and Percy,
Waterford; John, St.
Williams; Charles, Caledonia; Ernest, Philadelphia
and Fred, in London. His wife died about two and a half years ago.
Deceased was a
conservative in politics and a life-long member of the Church of England.
