Alexander James Watson, the full name of the next mayor of Ottawa, does not dwell on his family history on his campaign website. We learn he was born in Montréal in 1949. His father was a chemical engineer and his mother a school teacher. They moved often, from Lachute, Que., to the Toronto suburbs, to Sarnia. From other information readily available on the Internet he has a sister Jayne with daughters of her own, and his parents now live in Ottawa.
His sister is CEO of the National Arts Centre Foundation, a graduate of Queen's University in Kingston. According to Queen's University information she followed in her father's footsteps. (Alexander) Beverly Watson, is listed as a Queen's engineering graduate in 1950.
Jim Watson was gracious enough to give the further lead that his father was born in Ste Foy, Quebec. There is a Quebec City baptismal record for Alexander Beverly Thomas Watson, son of Lanceley Thomas Watson and Lily Sanderson Mary Sleeth.
Lanceley Thomas Watson has a WW1 attestation paper showing him as born at Ridgetown, Kent County, ON, June 13, 1893. His father, Alexander H Watson, is given as next of kin living in Woodstock, ON. The 1893 birth registration shows the same date and place of birth and his father's occupation as mechanic.
Alexander H Watson was born in in 1864 in Acton and died in 1944 in Woodstock. His father, Jim Watson's gg-grandfather, Thomas Watson (1821-1891), was the last of the line born in England, in County Durham. He came to British North America with his parents, William Watson and Dinah Richardson, both found in the 1852 census. .
Good work!
ReplyDeleteAnne S.
Jim Watson was a graduate of Carleton University, where he was head boy, I think.
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