Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Rixon, Henry |
Othernames |
Joseph Henry Rixon |
Born |
Apr. 10, 1837 |
Birthplace |
London, England |
Places of residence |
London, England, emigrated in 1860, briefly at Galt, Canada West Leith, Sydenham Township, Grey County Owen Sound, Ontario (67 Boyd St., later known as 894 5th Ave. East after 1909) |
Father |
William A. Rixon |
Mother |
Jane Rixon (nee Gandell /Gandle) |
Nationality |
English |
Notes |
Mr. Henry Rixon, according to the 1901 Census of Owen Sound, emigrated from England in 1860. He was briefly at Galt, Canada West, and then moved to Leith. He was involved with a 19th-century distillery at Leith, Sydenham Township, Grey County, before he moved his family to Owen Sound c. 1888, and had the Rixon, Ainslie & Stoddart lumber enterprise. Mr. Rixon was a son-in-law of Adam Ainslie, who had operated the Leith Mill and distillery in the 1850s. Henry Rixon had married 19-year-old Helen Ainslie at Leith on March 29, 1866, when he was 27. The distillery at Leith ceased c. 1864? An archived map/chart "T.G.B.R. Plan of Owen Sound Harbour", 1883, shows the location of Maitland & Rixon's storehouse. See 1990.058.001. According to an 1894 source, "Maitland & Rixon", described as a "Forwarders and Saw Millers' " business, was established in 1883. Circa 1904, Maitland, Rixon & Co. was a wholesale and retail lumber business and sawmilling operation in Owen Sound. 1993.024.029 Souvenir booklet, 1904, p. 20, has advertisement for Maitland, Rixon & Co. Laura and Eleanor Rixon (d. 1973) continued to live in the Rixon residence at 894 5th Ave. East after their parents were deceased. This building is pictured in Ruth Cathcart's book, HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION, p. 162. Cathcart suggests his birth date as 1838, and that Henry was the son of solicitor. He came to Leith in 1864 and lived there until 1888, when he moved his family to Owen Sound. For several years he sailed on the Great Lakes, working as a purser on the S.S. SILVER SPRAY, S.S. CAMPANA and other steamers connected to Owen Sound. He formed a partnership with James Maitland, and they had a wharf and warehouse. His sawmill became "The Rixon, Ainslie, Stoddart Company". Sadly, Henry and Helen's son, William (Will) Rixon, was drowned when he was carried off the CPR liner ALBERTA near Isle Royale, Lake Superior in May of 1892. He was serving as Second Mate on the vessel. His memorial service was held at Division Street Presbyterian Church. One of the Rixon daughters, "Miss Lillie Rixon", died in September, 1918. Her brief obituary mentioned that she had been an invalid for most of her life. Her funeral was conducted by Rev. Thurlow Fraser. Eleanor W. Rixon's birth record listed Henry's occupation as "Purser City of Owen Sound". She was born August 28, 1879. The S.S. CITY OF OWEN SOUND was a ship built at Owen Sound in 1875. There is a purser's lantern in the collection at Grey Roots from this ship (see 2014.004.001), and the Grey Roots archives also has a couple images of the ship. The Grey County Archives has a portrait photograph of Joseph Henry Rixon, that was taken in 1919 (see 1965.014.008). Henry Rixon died at Owen Sound on March 13, 1920, age 81. His death record says that he had lived the previous 32 years in Owen Sound, and had lived 60 years in Canada. The Rixon burial plot is at Leith Cemetery, in the former Sydenham Twp., and includes the following names: William Augustus Rixon (b. 1869-d. 1892) Henry Rixon (father) 1838-1920 [Note that this differs from the 1901 census record of 1837] Helen Rixon (mother) 1847-1913 Ada A. Rixon 1874-1894 Ella A. Rixon 1871-1918 Alex A. Ainslie 1850-1887 Adam Ainslie 1807-1897 Isabella Ainslie 1828-1918 John Ainslie 1858-1923 Laura Rixon 1876-1963 Eleanor Rixon Dec. 27, 1973 William M. Burr 1861-1931 Frank Broderick 1856-1915 J. Jane Broderick 1867-1933 F. Rixon Broderick 1895-1958 The Rixon family cottage at Leith, Ontario is pictured in a post card view (1971.081.014), called "Within An Arboured Nook". One of the Rixon daughters, "Totie" Rixon (Isabella Jane Rixon), married Francis Broderick, who was a merchant at Chatham, Ontario. Their son Francis Rixon Broderick was born Nov. 13, 1895 at Chatham. He died in 1958. He was usually known as "Rixon Broderick" and he and his wife Nairne (nee Lee) had a son, Lee Rixon Broderick (b. 1931-d.2003?) |
Occupation |
Distillery at Leith Sawmill owner / Businessman / Lumber Merchant Maitland, Rixon & Co. Maitland, Rixon & Stoddart Sailor (purser on steamships c. 1879) |
Publications |
-Cathcart, Ruth, HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION, pp. 162-163. -Ross, Allan, REMINISCENCES OF NORTH SYDENHAM, 1924 -HISTORY OF SYDENHAM TOWNSHIP, 1967 (pp. 738-739 re Old Distillery Field at Leith) -THE OWEN SOUND TIMES, Thursday, May 12, 1892, p. 1 (report of the death of Will Rixon) |
Relationships |
Brother-in-law & Business Partner: Captain John Ainslie (d. 1923) Business Partner: James Maitland (d. 1907) Father-in-law: Adam Ainslie |
Role |
Business person |
Spouse |
Helen Ainslie, m. March 29, 1866 |
Children |
Isabella Jane Rixon (Mrs. Broderick), b. 1868 Augustus W. Rixon b. 1869-d. 1892 (usually known as William or Will) Ada A. Rixon, b. 1874 Ella A. Rixon, b. 1871-d. 1918 (also known as Lillie Rixon) Laura Rixon, b. 1876 Eleanor Rixon, b. 1879 |
