Sophia B.

Exploring The Past: My Family's Connections To Kingston

Sophia B.
Kingston Regional Heritage Fair
Kingston, ON

For my project this year, I wanted to know more about my family’s history in Kingston. My great-grandmother was born in Kingston, Ontario in 1924. I interviewed her this past Christmas and asked her about her life and family. She told me about the Great Depression, WWI,WWII, her husband Guy, her family, and how Kingston changed over the last 100 years.

My great-grandmother passed away in March, four months shy of her 102nd birthday. When we were going through her house, we found old newspaper clippings and pictures of my relatives. I wanted to make my family tree and learn about my family’s history. I wondered what are my family's connections to Kingston, and how long have we lived here?

When interviewing my grandmother, I learned that June worked for Alcan during WWII. After WWII ended June was moved to the second floor of the plant. She didn't like breathing in all of the fumes, so she left Alcan in 1947. After she left, she got a job with the Government of Canada. Her job was to type the military records and coordinate the invoices. Eventually, she and all of the women were laid off and replaced with men. Her father, William Gallagher, owned a car repair shop. During the Depression, June and her family weren't affected as much as others. June told me stories about how her father gave away her clothes to children whose families couldn't afford it and said that people would come to their house after dinner to get any leftover food they had.

Benjamin Lane was June's maternal grandfather. According to the 1891 census, his job was a teamster. A teamster was a person who drove a horse drawn wagon. In June's office there was a frame which had a memorial card for Sir John A. MacDonald's funeral. A story has been passed down that Benjamin’s teamster company was involved with Sir John A.’s funeral, but I could not find any information to prove that. 

The Kingston Cotton Manufacturing Company was a main factory in Kingston that made cloth. The Cotton Mill opened in 1882. According to the 1921 census, four of my family members worked at a factory. In the 1930’s the factory closed down because of the Great Depression. My great-grandfather's parents worked at the Mill and were laid off which greatly impacted their life.

Throughout exploring Ancestry.ca, I learned a lot about my family, and that my father’s side of the family has lived in Kingston since the 1850’s

What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?

The most important source I used for my project was the interview with my great-grandmother. We talked for hours about her life. She told me about her younger life, what it was like living in the Great Depression, what schools she went to, her jobs throughout her life, and about WWII in Kingston. She also showed me pictures of herself and her husband Guy, her children, and photos of her family.

My second most important resource was Ancestry.ca. From there I found my family living in Kingston as far back as the 1861 Canada West census. Through the marriage, birth, and death records I was able to find the names of my 4-times great-grandparents. One of the most interesting things I learned was that my great-great-great grandparents were born in Kingston in 1856 and 1857. This means that I am a 6th generation Kingstonian. 

I also used newspaper clippings that I found in my grandmother's house. After I learned more information about my family, I needed to research to get more information about their jobs. For example, I had to look up what a teamster and a stenographer were and had to learn more about Alcan and the Cotton Mill Factory.

What is the historical significance of your topic?

My project looked at 170 years of my family’s history in Kingston. This project was historically significant to me because it gave me so much information about my family and local history. It taught me about how women worked during WWII and how they were laid off when the men came back from the war. I also learned that my family worked at the Cotton Mill Factory and how their life was impacted during the Great Depression. My project taught me about many of my family’s connections to Kingston like attending Sir John A MacDonald’s funeral in 1891. Overall, all of these moments were significant to my family and now I have my family's stories to pass down to the next generation.

Why did you choose this topic? 

When I chose my project this year, my plan was to focus on my great-grandmother. She lived almost 102 years, and I wanted to honour her memory and make a record of her life and our family. June remembered everything. She told stories about her parents (born in 1882 and 1883) and knew her grandfather (1856 - 1945). June’s life connected her to family members born in three different centuries.

As I did my research, I learned that my family has lived in Kingston since the 1850s and I am a 6th generation Kingstonian. This project helped me understand not just where my family comes from, but how their experiences shaped the life I have today.