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Thomas Stone

Thomas Stone[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Male 1827 - 1899  (72 years)

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  • Name Thomas Stone  [6, 7
    Birth 2 Feb 1827  Brockville, Elizabethtown Township, Leeds County, Upper Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [8, 9, 10
    Gender Male 
    Census 1851  Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [11
    Living with his uncle James Burns 
    Occupation 1852  Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [12
    Owner of the Thomas Stone Dry Goods store 
    Census 1871  [13
    Male, 44, b. Ontario, Origin Irish, Merchant, Kent district, Chatham Town 
    Occupation Orford Township, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Owner of a country store 
    Religion 1881  Chatham, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  [14
    Presbyterian 
    FindAGrave URL https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106189877 
    FindAGrave ID 106189877 
    FamilySearch ID LBXD-MKB 
    FamilySearch URL https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LBXD-MKB 
    Death 17 Oct 1899  his residence 277 Queen St. Chatham, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  [15, 16
    Burial Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  [17
    Person ID I169  Main
    Last Modified 15 Sep 2018 

    Father John Stone,   b. 6 Jun 1798, County Carlow, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Nov 1877, Kent County, Ontario, Canada near Highgate Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 79 years) 
    Mother Mary Burns,   b. Dec 1806, Ferns, Wexford, Leinster, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Feb 1899 (Age ~ 92 years) 
    Marriage 3 May 1826 
    Family ID F108  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Jane Shankland McQuarrie,   b. 9 Dec 1831, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Dec 1855 (Age 23 years) 
    Marriage Dec 1852  Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [10
    Notes 
    Married:
    • D. McKeough notes: "in his obit Jane McQuarrie, not Shankland" [18]
    Children 
    +1. George Edward Stone,   b. 27 Jan 1855, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Dec 1921, London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years)
    Family ID F761  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 16 Oct 2004 

    Family 2 Adelaide Spencer,   b. 22 Feb 1833   d. 9 Mar 1871 (Age 38 years) 
    Marriage 23 Jun 1857  Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    Married:
    • At the residence of the Bride's mother by the Rev. A. McCall, Chatham. [10]
    Children 
     1. William Spencer Stone,   b. 26 Jun 1858   d. 26 Oct 1867 (Age 9 years)
     2. Douglas Stone,   b. Abt 1860, Chatham, Kent, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     3. Annie Stone,   b. Abt 1864, Chatham, Kent, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown
     4. Mary Elizabeth Stone,   b. 14 Aug 1859, Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Dec 1860 (Age 1 year)
     5. Margaret Stone,   b. 11 Oct 1861, Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 11 Jan 1958 (Age 96 years)
     6. John Stone,   b. 26 Feb 1863, Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 18 Oct 1875 (Age 12 years)
    +7. Judge Frederick Stone,   b. 27 Feb 1865, Chatham, Kent, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1940 (Age 74 years)
    +8. Adelaide Stone,   b. 29 Jan 1868, Kent, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1955 (Age 86 years)
    +9. Spencer Stone, "Pen",   b. 24 Jul 1869, Chatham, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 11 Aug 1939, Water Crest Lane, Cedar Springs, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years)
     10. Elizabeth Stone,   b. 25 Feb 1871   d. 21 May 1871 (Age 0 years)
    Family ID F81  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 10 Jul 2023 

    Family 3 Rebecca Adam,   b. 1825   d. 10 Apr 1902, Chatham, Kent, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 77 years) 
    Marriage 6 Sep 1888  Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [10, 15, 19
    Notes 
    Married:
    • At the residence of Wm. Eberts by Rev. A. McCall [10]
    Family ID F1107  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Sep 2018 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsCensus - Living with his uncle James Burns - 1851 - Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Owner of the Thomas Stone Dry Goods store - 1852 - Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - Dec 1852 - Kent County, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 23 Jun 1857 - Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsReligion - Presbyterian - 1881 - Chatham, Ontario Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 6 Sep 1888 - Chatham, Kent County, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 17 Oct 1899 - his residence 277 Queen St. Chatham, Ontario Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, Ontario Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Photos
    Thomas Stone
    Thomas Stone
    from the Canadian Archives
    Thomas Stone
    Thomas Stone
    Thomas Stone
    Thomas Stone
    Closeup from larger photo.

    Documents
    'An Interesting Appendix to the Stone Genealogy'
    "An Interesting Appendix to the Stone Genealogy"
    Prepared by John R. Bradfield, May 1979. Adelaide Spencer Stone's ancestors back to Philippe de Lannoy.
    Degge Block article
    Degge Block article
    Article appearing in Chatham This Week - September 15, 2010 describes the history of the Chatham, Ontario store at one time owned by Thomas Stone and his son Spencer Stone. By John Rhodes. (Article forwarded to me by Darcy McKeough)
    John Rhodes 8 Aug 2012 - Article.
    John Rhodes 8 Aug 2012 - Article.
    John Rhodes article in 8 Aug 2012 - Chatham This Week. "Miller recalled that Thomas Stone was a prominent dry goods merchant and could remember when his store was founded in the mid 1850's."

    Miller is quoted:'I remember when this business establishment was founded by the late Thomas Stone, father of the present Spencer Stone who is president of the company. For a good many years, my family bought all their dry goods from this store, and the first overcoat, which I ever purchased myself, was bought from Mr. Stone Sr., founder of the store when the latter was a clerk in a store run by his uncle, Mr. Burns, just across from where the post office (southwest corner King and 4th streets) now stands.'
    George Edward Stone - Ontario Deaths
    George Edward Stone - Ontario Deaths
    Stone / Hobbs marriage record
    Stone / Hobbs marriage record
    Stone m. Taylor
    Stone m. Taylor
    Marriage record
    Marriage Record of Thomas Stone to Rebecca Adam McEwen
    Marriage Record of Thomas Stone to Rebecca Adam McEwen

    Headstones
    Stone family headstone
    Stone family headstone
    Adelaide wife of Thomas Stone died March 9 1871 aged 38 years and 17 days. Thomas Stone born February 2 1827 died October 17 1899.
    Plot: Look for the large granite monument along the road with a huge statue on top. (Moore). This stone is a short distance toward the creek from there.
    Stone Family monument
    Stone Family monument
    The large monument is engraved as follows:

    Adelaide wife of Thomas Stone died March 9 1871 aged 38 years and 17 days; Thomas Stone born February 2 1827 died October 17 1899; John Stone died Oct 16 1875 aged 12 years 7 months and 20 days; Spencer Stone born July 24 1869 died Aug 11 1939; Jane S wife of Thomas Stone died Dec 2 1855 aged 23 years 11 months and 23 days; Margaret daughter of Thomas and Adelaide born Oct 11 1861 died Jan 11 1958; Mary Elizabeth died Dec 16 1860 aged 1 year 4 months and 2 days; Wm Spencer died Oct 26 1867 aged 9 years and 4 months; Bessie died May 21 1871 aged 2 months and 26 days.

    The smaller stones surrounding are engraved at the top as follows:

    1) John 2) Bessie? 3) Wm Spencer 4) James
    Plot: "Ward B", Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, ON. Chatham-Kent Cemeteries notes "Location - Look for the large granite monument along the road with a huge statue on top. (Moore). This stone is a short distance toward the creek from there."

    Histories
    'LANNOY' by Margaret Stone (1851-1958). 
1 MB pdf file.
    "LANNOY" by Margaret Stone (1851-1958). 1 MB pdf file.
    A typwritten manuscript written cir 1931 that starts with the ancestors of Philippe de Lannoy who came to America on the vessel "Fortune" in 1621, and traces his descendants to our Stone family in Canada. There are also transcriptions of the entries in Thomas Stone's (1799-?) bible from Ireland.

  • Notes 
    • The following is an excerpt from "Romantic Kent" by Victor Lauriston 1952. p179-180:

      "Thomas Stone, an Orford man of Irish descent, came in 1852 to found a dry goods business outstanding in Kent and a family which brought honor to Chatham.  Generous and high-minded, the elder Stone left his impress on the life of the community.  After his death in 1899, a son, Spencer, carried on for many years the business which, even after his passing, long retained the family name under other ownership.  Another son, the eloquent Frederick Stone, became on of Chatham's foremost lawyers, served in the city council, un-successuflly contested the West Kent legislative seat in 1908, and spend his last days as judge at Sault Ste. Marie.  A grandson, Thomas A. Stone, became on of Canada's foremost career diplomats."

      The following is from an article in "A cyclopedia of Canadian biography being chiefly men of the time - 1886" (not an obit. - he died in 1899):

      Stone, Thomas, Chatham, Ontario, was born on the 2nd day of February, 1827, in the township of Elizabethtown, County of Leeds, Upper Canada.  His father, John Stone was a native of the County of Carlow, Ireland, and came to Canada in 1820, a the age of 22.  He married Mary Burns, on May 3rd, 1826, and settled on a farm in Elizabethtown, in 1834, when Thomas was seven years old.  He removed thence to the township of Esquesing, County of Halton, near the village of Adamsville (now Acton), where our subject graduated at the school of Miss Electa Adams.  Here the family resided for six years, after which, in 1840,  it went west, settling in the backwoods of the County of Kent, township of Orford.  Here John Stone purhcased a bush farm, upon which he wrought and prospered, and died upon the same on November 16th 1877, in the eightieth year of his age.  His widow and one of his sons, A. J. Stone, are still living on the old homestead, near Highgate.

      Our subject's grandfather, Thomas Stone, and his grandmother, Elizabeth Cooper, were both born in the County Carlow, Ireland, and his great-grandfather, Lawrence Stone, was an Englishman.  Thomas Stone, our subject, holds a commission as captain in the Sedentary Militia; he has also held the position of school trustee for the last eight years, and is a pastmaster Mason in Wellington lodge, of which he has been a member for over thirty years.  In politics, he is a "moderate"; in religion, a Presbyterian.  His parents were both Episcopalians, but soon after their marriage, became Methodists, in which church Thomas Stone was brought up. 

      Mr. Stone has been married twice, first to Jane McQuarrie, in December 1852.  This lady died in December 1855, leaving one son. 

      He next married Adelaide Spencer, in June 1857, by whom four sons and four daughters were born.  She died on the 6th March, 1871. 

      At the age of twenty years Thomas Stone left his father's home, and proceeeded to Chatham, where he has since resided.  Here he was in business as a clerk in a general store with his uncle and George Turnbull.  On his uncle leaving the business at the end of two years, Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Stone continued the co-partnership till February 1858.  Since that period, Mr. Stone has been in the dry goods business alone, and has prospered therein, and has given to his children the advantages of an education, of which he himself declares he has felt the want.  He is upright and honourable in all his dealings, and there is no other man who enjoys a fuller share of public esteem than he.

      The following is an excerpt from "A Community on the Thames" by John Rhodes 1987.  p. 23 photo (p. 24)

      The industrialists were not the only ones to enjoy the new prosperity The King Street merchant was now beginning to come into his own and in particular, the grocer. The town's population was, by this time, nearing 2,500 people who must buy food. There were no supermarkets in those days and the small independent grocery store held sway. At one point, in these early years, there were dozens of these independent grocers. More often than not, their venture was a failure but in some cases fortunes were made. Among the most successful were: Hugh Malcolmson, Eddie Snook, Kenneth Urquhart and John McCorvie (Malcolmson and McCorvie later became mayors of the city).

      Other merchants also prospered at this time. The McKeoughs in the hardware business, the Stones in the dry goods business and a multiplicity of other merchants offering everything from shoes to shingles.

      These merchants were an industry in themselves in that there were no chain stores and the profit made in the town was almost always to remain in the town. In addition, the King Street merchants were, collectively, the largest employers in the area. With the downtown business district being not much smaller or less compact than it is today, the employment opportunities must have been profuse in comparison to the town's relatively modest size.

      Walker Stores was long considered to be one of the two "anchor" stores of downtown Chatham, the other being Eaton's. The store was founded in 1852 when Thomas Stone and his partner, Mr. George Turnbull purchased the dry goods business of James Burns (Mr. Stone's uncle).

      The firm of Stone and Turnbull continued until 1858 when Mr. Turnbull retired and the firm was then known as Thomas Stone Dry Goods. The store was first situated on the south side of King Street, two doors east of Fourth Street. An October 17, 1899 issue of the Chatham Evening Banner indicates that the business was later located on the opposite side of King Street.

      In the 1890's, a new three-storey building was constructed on the south side of King Street, a few doors east of Fifth Street. In 1898, Spencer Stone joined his father in the enterprise and at this time the name was changed to Thomas Stone and Son. For a while, the store was also known as Appleby, Stone and Appleby, and still later the name was changed to Spencer Stone Limited.

      Notes from W.D. McKeough

      There are all kinds of references in my grandfathers diary and in letters written to him by his father - to "Uncle Thomas" - never Tom!

      Notes from Chatham Daily News 12 Aug 1965:

      - 1852 left a country store in Orford and came to Chatham
      - First store 128 King Street West, next to Rankin Hotel (now a higher number)
      -1880 moved to 58 King Street West
      - A Liberal, Presbyterian, Member of Public School Board, a Mason, and a Captain in the Military. [20, 21, 22, 23, 24]

    Religion:
    • according to the 1881 census

  • Sources 
    1. [S2] John S. Howell, Jr., JSH Feb 13 2003 gedcom.

    2. [S471] JSH, JSHJr., familysearch.org.

    3. [S630] Lauriston, Victor, Romantic Kent, (Sheperd Printing Chatham, Ontario, Canada Pub. 1952. 784p).
      The following from "Romantic Kent":

      Thomas Stone, an Orford man of Irish descent, came in 1852 to found a dry goods business outstanding in Kent and a family which brought honor to Chatham. Generous and high-minded, the elder one left his impress on the life of the community. After his death 1899, a son, Spencer, carried on for many years the business which even after his passing, long retained the family name.

    4. [S646] John Lovell (Compiler), Lovell's 1871, (John Lovell, Montreal, 1871.).

    5. [SAuth] John Spencer Howell, Jr., John Spencer Howell, Jr., (http://www.jhowell.com/ jhowell@jhowell.com).

    6. [S659] John R. Bradfield, Bradfield, (May 1979 -- http://www.jhowell.com/pics/JRBradfieldDelanoLine.pdf).

    7. [S629] John Rhodes, Rhodes - A Community on Thames, (published in1987.), p923-924 incl. photo.

    8. [S622] 1881 Canadian Census, (1881).
      Year: 1881
      Place: Chatham Town
      Film: C-13280
      Div: 2
      Pg: 41
      Entry: 25
      Fam: 201
      Surname: Stone
      Given Name: Thomas
      Age: 54
      Birthplace: Ontario
      Religion: Presbyterian
      Occupation: merchant

    9. [S643] 1871 Canadian Census.
      1871 Canadian Census Index
      Head of Household
      STONE, THOMAS; Sex: Male; Age: 44
      Born: 1827 @ Ontario
      Position in home: Head of House        
      Religion: Canada Presbyterian/C. Presb   
      Ethnic Origin: IRISH - Unknown code      
      Occupation: MERCHANT - Unknown code    
      Electoral District Code: 002 Electoral Sub-district Code: G      
      Enumerator's Division: 1   54   
      Enumerator's Page Number: 08
      Electoral Sub-district Name: Chatham, town

    10. [S468] W. Darcy McKeough, Darcy McKeough, Letter to JSHJr dated Sep 24, 2004 with Stone Tree draft.

    11. [S643] 1871 Canadian Census, District: Kent  Sub District: Chatam Town p54.
      From: http://data4.archives.ca/netacgi/nph-brs?s2=stone&s3=thomas&s4=&s5=&s1=&s8=&Sect4=AND&l=20&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESOFF&Sect5=CEN1PEN&Sect6=HITOFF&d=CEN1&p=1&u=http://www.archives.ca/02/02010803_e.html&r=2&f=G

      Sex: Male
      Age: 44
      Birthplace: ONTARIO
      Religion: Canada Presbyterian/C. Presb.
      Origin: IRISH
      Occupation: MERCHANT
      District: KENT ( 002 )
      Sub-district: Chatham Town ( G )
      Division: 1
      Page: 54
      Microfilm reel: C-9892
      Reference: RG31 — Statistics Canada

    12. [S629] John Rhodes, Rhodes - A Community on Thames, (published in1987.).

    13. [S643] 1871 Canadian Census.
      STONE , THOMAS 

      Sex: Male
      Age: 44
      Birthplace: ONTARIO
      Religion: Canada Presbyterian/C. Presb.
      Origin: IRISH
      Occupation: MERCHANT
      District: KENT ( 002 )
      Sub-district: Chatham Town ( G )
      Division: 1
      Page: 54
      Microfilm reel: C-9892
      Reference: RG31 — Statistics Canada

    14. [S622] 1881 Canadian Census, (1881).

    15. [S468] W. Darcy McKeough, Darcy McKeough, Letter to JSHJr dated 11 Apr 2003.

    16. [S791] Margaret Stone (1851-1958), Maggie Stone's Delano to Stone History, (Aug. 1931 http://www.jhowell.com/pics/LannoyByMargaretStoneLowRes.pdf).

    17. [S967] OCFA - Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid, (Copyright (C), 2000 Ron Demaray. http://www.islandnet.com/ocfa/about.html), STONE Thomas Maple Leaf, Chatham Kent Chatham KT-.

    18. [S468] W. Darcy McKeough, Darcy McKeough, 24 Sep 2004 letter and tree to JSHJr.

    19. [S1711] Ontario Marriages, 1869 - 1927.
      Marriage 06 Sep 1888, Chatham, Kent, Ontario, Canada
      Thomas Stone ,Male,  61 b. 1827, Father: John Stone, Mother: Mary Stone
      Rebecca Mcewen, Female, age: 62, born: 1826, Father: Robert Adam, Mother: Marion Adam

    20. [S468] W. Darcy McKeough, Darcy McKeough, Chart notes p 9-5-d1. The biographical information probably written before 1841.

    21. [S629] John Rhodes, Rhodes - A Community on Thames, (published in1987.), p. 23 - p.24 photo.

    22. [S781] CDN, (includes columns by Victor Lauriston), 12 Aug 1965  by Lauriston.

    23. [S630] Lauriston, Victor, Romantic Kent, (Sheperd Printing Chatham, Ontario, Canada Pub. 1952. 784p), p 179.

    24. [S1457] Geo. MacLean Rose, Cyclopedia of Canadian biography - 1899, (Rose Publishing Company, Toronto, 1886), P. 687.