Advertisement

John Reid

Advertisement

John Reid

Birth
Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Death
17 May 1931 (aged 99)
Almonte, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
Burial
Mississippi Mills, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada Add to Map
Plot
Range B, Plot 480
Memorial ID
View Source
1931, Friday May 22, The Almonte Gazette front page
Death Calls John Reid As He Nears His 100th Birthday
Farmed In Scotland For Years Before Moving His Family To Canada
Lived Under Five Kings
Had Masonic Apron That Once Belonged To Famous Bobbie Burns
Believed to have been the oldest resident in the Ottawa Valley, with his hundredth birthday due on June 11th of this year. Mr John Reid of Almonte, died on Sunday last at the home of his son Thomas J. Reid. He had been in failing health for some months. The late Mr Reid was born on June 11th, 1831, in the historic Perthshire and for many years he farmed on a large scale at Hilton-of-Aldie, near Kincross, famous in the stories of Scott and the poems of Burns, and close to Loch Leven Castle, the place of imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots. He had a leasehold on part of the Scottish estate of Lord Lansdowne, once Governor General of Canada, and on which estate Mr Reid's forebears had lived for 650 years. He was proud of his clan and of the heraldic motto of the clan "Dum Spiro Spero," which translated means "While I breathe I hope." The three major events in Mr Reid's life by a peculiar circumstance all occurred on the 11th day of June; on that date he was born, again on that date was he married and when in 1881 he said goodbye forever to his beloved Scotland it was on June 11th. He had great confidence in the possibilities of this new land and with his wife he brought out his five young sons and one daughter; his confidence was not misplaced; the members of his family all prospered and their talents were splendid contributions to the communities in which they settled. Mr Reid enjoyed the unique distinction of having lived under four British rulers – George IV., Queen Victoria, Edward VII., and George V. He was proud of the fact that he had been a Mason for 71 years and prouder still of one of his most cherished possessions, the Masonic apron once owned by Burns, the Scottish bard. Mr Reid was an enthusiastic Conservative and followed the fortunes of that Party during his long life time. He was the oldest man in Lanark County to cast a ballot in the last Federal election, going alone to the polls to register a vote for the sitting Mr T.A. Thompson. Mr Reid's faculties remained unimpaired to the end and in his declining years when he could not be so active as of yore he loved to read the newspapers and latterly the radio was a favourite with him. His wife, who was Catherine Haldane of Dunfermline, and his daughter, predeceased him a number of years ago, but his five sons remained. They are John, Robert and Andrew, of Beverly, Mass.; Alexander, of Arnprior, and Thomas of Almonte. He also leaves 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral which was private, was held on Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock. Services at the home and grave, in the Auld Kirk Cemetery were conducted by Rev J.R. MacCrimmon. The pallbearers were five sons: Thomas J. of Almonte, Alexander of Arnprior and Messrs. John Francis, Robert and Andrew S. of Beverley, Mass., and a nephew Haldane Reid of Arnprior.
1931, Friday May 22, The Almonte Gazette front page
Death Calls John Reid As He Nears His 100th Birthday
Farmed In Scotland For Years Before Moving His Family To Canada
Lived Under Five Kings
Had Masonic Apron That Once Belonged To Famous Bobbie Burns
Believed to have been the oldest resident in the Ottawa Valley, with his hundredth birthday due on June 11th of this year. Mr John Reid of Almonte, died on Sunday last at the home of his son Thomas J. Reid. He had been in failing health for some months. The late Mr Reid was born on June 11th, 1831, in the historic Perthshire and for many years he farmed on a large scale at Hilton-of-Aldie, near Kincross, famous in the stories of Scott and the poems of Burns, and close to Loch Leven Castle, the place of imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots. He had a leasehold on part of the Scottish estate of Lord Lansdowne, once Governor General of Canada, and on which estate Mr Reid's forebears had lived for 650 years. He was proud of his clan and of the heraldic motto of the clan "Dum Spiro Spero," which translated means "While I breathe I hope." The three major events in Mr Reid's life by a peculiar circumstance all occurred on the 11th day of June; on that date he was born, again on that date was he married and when in 1881 he said goodbye forever to his beloved Scotland it was on June 11th. He had great confidence in the possibilities of this new land and with his wife he brought out his five young sons and one daughter; his confidence was not misplaced; the members of his family all prospered and their talents were splendid contributions to the communities in which they settled. Mr Reid enjoyed the unique distinction of having lived under four British rulers – George IV., Queen Victoria, Edward VII., and George V. He was proud of the fact that he had been a Mason for 71 years and prouder still of one of his most cherished possessions, the Masonic apron once owned by Burns, the Scottish bard. Mr Reid was an enthusiastic Conservative and followed the fortunes of that Party during his long life time. He was the oldest man in Lanark County to cast a ballot in the last Federal election, going alone to the polls to register a vote for the sitting Mr T.A. Thompson. Mr Reid's faculties remained unimpaired to the end and in his declining years when he could not be so active as of yore he loved to read the newspapers and latterly the radio was a favourite with him. His wife, who was Catherine Haldane of Dunfermline, and his daughter, predeceased him a number of years ago, but his five sons remained. They are John, Robert and Andrew, of Beverly, Mass.; Alexander, of Arnprior, and Thomas of Almonte. He also leaves 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral which was private, was held on Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock. Services at the home and grave, in the Auld Kirk Cemetery were conducted by Rev J.R. MacCrimmon. The pallbearers were five sons: Thomas J. of Almonte, Alexander of Arnprior and Messrs. John Francis, Robert and Andrew S. of Beverley, Mass., and a nephew Haldane Reid of Arnprior.


Sponsored by Ancestry

Advertisement

  • Created by: Gary J Byron
  • Added: Jul 6, 2021
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229205231/john-reid: accessed ), memorial page for John Reid (11 Jun 1831–17 May 1931), Find a Grave Memorial ID 229205231, citing Auld Kirk Cemetery, Mississippi Mills, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by Gary J Byron (contributor 49329383).