A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time. Various
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Mr. Stockton for a number of years took an active interest in military affairs, and held a commission as captain in the militia of the province at the time of the union in 1867. He is a past master of the Masonic order, and a member of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick. He is also prominently identified with the temperance reform movement. In religious matters he is a member of the Methodist denomination, and has always belonged to that church, and at present is one of the trustees of the Centenary Methodist Church in St. John. He was married on the 5th September, 1871, to Amelia E., second daughter of the Rev. Humphrey Pickard, D.D., of Sackville, N.B., who was for over a quarter of a century president of the educational institutions at Sackville, and one of the most prominent educationists of the Maritime provinces of Canada.
Cram, John Fairbairn, Wool Merchant and Farmer, Carleton Place, Ontario, was born on October 13, 1833, in the township of Beckwith, county of Lanark, Ontario. His grandfather, Peter Cram, in the year 1820, with his wife, five of his sons and two daughters, left their native village of Comrie, in Perthshire, Scotland, and set out for Canada, to seek their fortune as farmers. After a tedious journey by sea and land, extending over two months, they reached the township of Beckwith, in Lanark, Ontario, where their eldest son John had settled two years before, and had prepared for them a primitive shanty in the woods. Here the family took up their temporary abode, and shortly afterwards, the father and several of his sons selected lands in the eleventh concession of Beckwith. The lots they selected were of good quality, and though heavily timbered, these sturdy Scotch pioneers did not feel the least dismayed, but soon succeeded in making a clearing in the forest, and establishing a comfortable home for themselves. In 1830, James, one of the sons of Peter Cram, and the father of the subject of our sketch, married Janet, daughter of John McPhail, of the township of Drummond, and settled on a lot adjoining his father’s farm, and in course of time this worthy couple were blessed with a family of six sons and three daughters, all of whom are still living, though they and their descendants are now scattered throughout Canada and the United States. The old couple passed away a few years ago, Mr. Cram at the age of eighty-seven years, and Mrs. Cram about ten years younger, both greatly respected and regretted by their numerous relatives and neighbours. John Fairbairn, who was the second eldest son of James Cram, was at the age of seven years sent to a school about three miles from home, and was able to attend pretty regular until May, 1846, when unfortunately his father’s dwelling house, with barn and all other outbuildings, were destroyed by fire, when he had to give up attending school and go to work on the farm. After this he had few opportunities presented him in the way of school learning; and at the age of seventeen left home and apprenticed himself to John Murdock, of Carleton Place, as a tanner, for three years. He honourably served his apprenticeship, and in the spring of 1853, joined in a partnership with his brother, Peter, when they built for themselves a tannery at Appleton, about three miles from Carleton Place. The brothers carried on the tanning business pretty extensively for about sixteen years, when John sold out his interest in the business to Peter, and removing to Carleton Place, erected a wool and pelt establishment for himself. In 1872, Mr. Cram was elected a member of the Board of Education of Carleton Place, and was re-elected continuously for the following twelve years. He occupied a seat in the Municipal Council of the village for eleven years, three of which he presided as reeve. At the end of this period, finding the position too onerous, he declined re-election. Mr. Cram is a total abstainer, and has been connected with the order of the Sons of Temperance, the Good Templars, and the County Temperance Alliance. In religious matters, he is an adherent of the church of his fathers—the Presbyterian church. Twenty-seven years ago he became a member of this church, and for the last eighteen years has been one of its managing committee, and six years ago was elected a deacon of the church. In politics, he is a staunch Reformer, and is president of the Reform Association of Carleton Place. Mr. Cram has been fairly successful in business, and although like many another self-made man, has had his trials and difficulties, yet he can afford to look back on his struggles and say that with the help of God and an indomitable will, I have succeeded in making enough of this world’s goods to enable me to spend the remainder of my days in comfort. In 1865, Mr. Cram was married to Margaret, only surviving daughter of William Wilson, of Appleton. This estimable lady died on the 21st of November, 1886. The fruit of the union was one daughter (deceased) and three sons.
Ross, Alexander Milton, M.D., Montreal, the eminent Canadian philanthropist, scientist and author, has had a career of striking interest. He was born on December 13th, 1832, in Belleville, Ontario. His father, William Ross, was a grandson of Captain Alexander Ross, an officer of General Wolfe’s army of invasion. Captain Ross took part in the battle on the Plains of Abraham, which resulted in the defeat of the French and the conquest of all Canada. He subsequently received a grant of lands from the Crown, and settled in Prince Edward County, Upper Canada, where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1805. Captain Alexander Ross was a grandson of Alexander Ross, laird of Balnagown, Ross-shire, Scotland, who descended in a direct line from Hugh Ross, of Rariches, second son of Hugh, the sixth and last Earl of Ross, of the old family. Dr. Ross’s grandmother, on his father’s side, was Hannah Prudence Williams, a descendant of Roger Williams (1595–1683), the famous liberal preacher, and apostle of freedom, of Rhode Island. His mother, Frederika Grant, was the youngest daughter of John Grant of the British army, who died from wounds received at Niagara, in the war of 1812–1814. His maternal grandmother was Mary Jenks, a daughter of Joseph Jenks, colonial governor of Rhode Island. Governor Jenks has left a famous record of public services. He was speaker of the House of Representatives of Rhode Island, from Oct., 1698, to 1708; deputy governor from May, 1715, to May, 1727; governor from May, 1727, to May, 1732. He was a staunch and persistent friend and advocate of political and religious liberty. In his boyhood Dr. Ross made his way to New York city, and after struggling with many adversities, became a compositor in the office of the Evening Post, then edited and owned by William Cullen Bryant, the poet. Mr. Bryant became much interested in young Ross, and ever after remained his steadfast friend. It was during this period that he became acquainted with General Garibaldi, who at that time was a resident of New York, and employed in making candles. This acquaintance soon ripened into a warm friendship, which continued unbroken down to Garibaldi’s death in 1882. It was through Dr. Ross’s efforts in 1874 that Garibaldi obtained his pension from the Italian government. In 1851 Dr. Ross began the study of medicine, under the direction of the eminent Dr. Valentine Mott, and subsequently under Dr. Trall, the celebrated hygienic physician. After four years of unremitting toil, working as compositor during the day and studying medicine at night, he received his degree of M.D. in 1855, and shortly after received the appointment of surgeon in the army of Nicaragua, then commanded by General William Walker. He subsequently became actively and earnestly engaged in the anti-slavery struggle in the United States, which culminated in the liberation from bondage of four millions of slaves. Dr. Ross was a personal friend and co-worker of Captain John Brown, the martyr. Although Dr. Ross’s sphere of labour in that great struggle for human freedom was less public than that of many other workers in the cause, it was not less important, and required the exercise of greater caution, courage and determination, and also involved greater personal risks. Senator Wade, vice-president of the United States, said, in speaking of the abolitionists:—“Never in the history of the world did the same number of men perform so great an amount of good for the human race and for their country as the once despised abolitionists, and it is my duty to add that no one of their number submitted to greater privations, perils or sacrifices, or did more in the great and noble work than Alexander Ross.” He has received the benediction of the philanthropist and poet, Whittier, in the following noble words, which find their echo in the hearts of thousands:—
DR. A. M. ROSS.
For his steadfast strength and courage
In a dark and evil time,
When the Golden Rule was treason,
And to feed the hungry, crime.
For the poor slave’s hope and refuge,
When the hound was on his track,
And saint and sinner, state and church,
Joined hands to send him back.
Blessings upon him!—What he did
For each sad, suffering one,
Chained, hunted,