Bain / Thornton Genealogy

Walter Scott Thornton was born on January 15, 1878.   Son of Robert Martin Thornton and Ellen Smith. Walter Thornton Birth Certificate (1948 re-issue)  He married Elizabeth Tye , daughter of Charles Tye and Julia Higgs on Dec 11,1889 in Toronto. Walter Thornton Marriage Walter and Elizabeth had four children: Gladys Ellen, Walter Tye Thornton Eleanor May Thornton   Robert Ernest Thornton

Elizabeth Tye Mother of Eleanor Thornton Bain Elizabeth Tye was born on 11 Jun 1874 in Toronto, Ontario.  She was the sixth child of Charles Tye and Julia Higgs. Walter Scott Thornton and Elizabeth Tye had the following children: Robert Ernest Thornton was born on 02 Apr 1901 in York, Ontario, Canada. Eleanor May Thornton was born on 13 Aug 1904 in York, Ontario, Canada.  Walter Tye Thornton was born on 15 Jun 1902 in Toronto. Gladys Ellen Thornton was born on 02 Jan 1899 in York, Ontario, Canada, Toronto. Elizabeth was killed by a taxi in Toronto on March 2,1938. She had early dementia and had gone missing after a walk. I believe the taxi driver was charged with manslaughter.

Welcome to my Thornton / Bain  Genealogy Blog. This blog mainly focuses on the ancestry and descendants of John Bain and Eleanor Thornton of Toronto  A list of the people in this blog can be found here.   I'm always adding new names and documents so check back often. If you are looking for information that you don't see here send me an email at redwoodretro@gmail.com  I haven't entered all of my research online yet and might have the info you are looking for. Please visit my personal blog on Dollhouse Miniatures and retro photography

Julia Higgs was born on February 18, 1841, in Holborn, Middlesex, England, Father :William,   Mother,:Ann, She married Charles Tye on October 23, 1859, at St Marks. They had 11 children. She died on November 1, 1929, at the age of 88, and is buried in Toronto, Ontario. Charles Tye and Julia Higgs had the following children: Gertrude Tye  was born in Feb 1877 in Toronto. Ethel C. Tye  was born on 18 Apr 1865 in England.. She married James W Hogg on 07 Oct 1884 in Toronto. Emma Tye  was born on 05 Dec 1881 in York, Ontario, Canada. She died in Apr 1967. She married Arthur Higgs on 30 Jun 1908. Alice Emily Tye  was born on 30 Jul 1867 in Camden, Middlesex, England. She died on 15 Jan 1938 in York. Henry Tye  was born in 1870 in England. He died on 08 Jun 1874 in York, Ontario, Canada. Elizabeth Tye   was born on 11 Jun 1874 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She died on 02 Mar 1938 . She married Walter Thornton on 11 Dec 1897 in York...

Clara was born on March 22, 1885 in Ontario She was the daughter of John Barclay and Ada Gosney  Clara married George Bain The couple had the following children John George Bain was born on 08 Sep 1905 in Toronto. He died on 11 Jan 1966. He married  Eleanor May Thornton on 21 Apr 1925 in York, Ontario, Canada. Mary Louise Bain was born on 06 Apr 1907 in York, Ontario, Canada. She died in 1961. Eleanor Bain was born about 1921 in Toronto. She died in the 1970's in Toronto. Melvin Bain was born about 1916 in Canada. He died on 01 Nov 1929 in York, Ontario, Canada. Edward "spikey" Bain was born on 15 Feb 1919 in Toronto. He died on 29 Aug 1929 in Toronto (Climbed into a gas tank and was killed by fumes.). Edna May Bain was born on 15 May 1909 in York, Ontario, Canada. She died on 27 Jan 1986. She married Ken Barrett Clara died June 26,1957 She is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Toronto

Grace Thornton was born on July 29, 1874, in York, Ontario, She is the daughter of Robert Martin Thornton And Ellen Smith. She married Thomas Shepard on September 8, 1890 in Toronto. The couple had two children Ellen Nellie Shepard was born July 24, 1891.  She married William Cain on June 24, 1907, in York, Ontario. They had three children: Thomas William born 1911, Grace Elizabeth 1912-1994, Verna Cain 1925-1996 L-Sgt James Shepard was born Sept 13,1893 in York Ontario. On May 23 1912 he married Lena McLeod.  The couple had three children: Thomas, Marjory and Lillian. He died on Sep. 1, 1918 in France. James was killed in action during an attack on Crow's Nest & Chateau Wood. He was in the 15th Battalion.

Ada Gosney (Gossney) was born March 9,1862 in Horbury, Yorkshire, England She was the daughter of William Gossney and Anna Early On November 9,1883 she married John Charles Barclay so of Alexander Barclay and Elizabeth ? John and Ada's Marriage record The couple had the following children: Frederick William Barclay born 1884 Clara Barclay Born 1886 John Barclay born 1889 Annie Elizabeth Barclay born 1892 She died March 20,1902. She was supposedly the first women to be cremated in Quebec or Ontario (not sure where she died exactly) Her remains were not interred until August 10, 1929 in Prospect Cemetery in Toronto.  Adas burial record - To view, download and open with photo viewer

Teddy Bain was born in Toronto on February 15,1919. He was the youngest son of George Bain and Clara Barclay. Edward Bain On left. with brothers Jack and Melvin. Teddy died August 29, 1929. when he climbed into a train tanker car and was overcome by the fumes. I have transcribed the newspaper story of his accident. NAPHTHA FUMES FATAL TO 8-YEAR-OLD BOY Edward Bain Loses Life While Playing On Gasoline Car FIREMAN OVERCOME Brockton Station Firefighters Rescue Comrade and Recover Lad’s Body In boyish bravado, eight-year-old Edward Bain, of 247 Lansdowne Ave, climbed on top of a large C.N.R. tank car that stood a stone’s throw from his home on the Lansdowne and Dundas St. siding last night and dropped through the dark opening in the tank to his death. Overcome by the fumes of naphtha gasoline that lay six inches deep on the floor of the tank, the little fellow was found dead, lying on his back and badly burned by the gasoline that flowed about him. The boy’s body wa...

John Jack Bain was born on September 8, 1905 in Toronto. He was the son of George Bain and Clara Barclay. Jack Bain as a child Teddy, Jack and Melvin Bain On April 21,1921 he married Eleanor May Thornton in Toronto. Jack and Eleanor's marriage record  The couple had six children. Frances, John,James,Robert, David and Jacqueline. The couple had a daughter in 1925 named May who died in infancy Jack died January 11,1966.

Sorting boxes this morning and I came across Grama Bain's TTC pass from the 1960's. Too cute not to share :)

Eleanor May Thornton was born August 13, 1904 in Toronto Ontario. She was the daughter of Walter Thornton and Elizabeth Tye. On April 21,1925 she married John (Jack) Bai n The couple had seven children.  Frances, John, James, Robert, David and Jacqueline. The couple had a daughter in 1925 named May who died in infancy.  Jack Bain and May Thornton Bain 1962

We recently had a family get-together for my grandmother's (Frances Bain) birthday. It turned into a bit of a Bain reunion :)

June 26th Update : I have started a page for photos and documents relating to the homes our families have lived in. I have started an interactive map of where our ancestor's have lived over the years in Toronto. This is what I have so far below. I am hoping to find some photos of some of these places in Toronto archives to add to the map but if anyone has any pics of home in Toronto I would love a copy. This map will update automatically as I add to it so save the link to this post.

I have yet to find an "official" document confirming the death of Charles Tye. He shows up in the 1885 Toronto directory but not 1886. In the 1886 publication  The Dominion Annual Register and Review there is a reference to a bricklayer named Charles Tye being killed by a train in Oct 1885. This afternoon I was browsing old Toronto newspapers for an unrelated project and came across an Oct 12, 1885. issue of The Toronto World.( a newspaper that ran from 1880-1920). On the very first page I found a news story that I think is Charles. Charles wife Julia Higgs remarried in 1886 and was listed as a widow so I am quite sure these stories refer to our Charles Tye. 

Robert Martin Thornton was born on Aug 10,1850 in Dundee, Scotland ( Could be  Monifieth, Angus, Scotland) The son of Peter Simpson Thornton and Mary Swaddell. He had eleven siblings, John Swaddel, Lydia, David, William, Peter Simpson, James Easson, Etthal Aison (Easson), Peter, Mary Jane, Samuel, and Janet Eason "Jessie". He arrived in Canada about 1857 He married Ellen ( Helen ) Smith,daughter of Richard Smith and Grace Smith, Feb 20,1871 in York, York, Ontario, Canada. Robert Martin Thornton and Ellen ( Helen ) Smith had the following children: Walter Scott Thornton was born on 15 Jan 1878 in Ontario.   Peter Thornton was born on 02 Jan 1872 in Ontario Grace Thornton was born on 29 Jul 1874 in Toronto,   David Thornton was born in Dec 1879 in Toronto Ontario (about). I believe Ellen died in early 1880. Iam trying to confirm if she died during childbirth or shortly after. Robert married Phoebe Edwards about 1880 in Toronto.  ...

 George John Bain was born Feb 29,1876. I have been unsuccessful so far in finding his birth record. I was unsure of where he was born until recently. I was told many things. The first version I was told about 20 years ago is that he came to Canada as a toddler from Ireland, landed in Griffintown (Montreal)  *Griffintown was the name given to the SW part of downtown Montreal. From the 1820s to 1960's it was mainly populated by Irish immigrants and their descendants. Fun fact. Also known as "The Griff, The area is said to be haunted. More info here. One early census had him registered as being born in Ontario, his marriage record said Quebec. I always thought he might have been born on the ship? The 1921 census says he was born in Quebec and seeing that is the most recent official document, I am going with Quebec.  I am currently search Griffintown birth records but they are not easy to read. I have yet to find any info on his parents. The 1921 census says his fat...

Charles Tye Paternal Grandfather of Eleanor Thornton Bain Charles Tye was born  Sept 1841 in Clerkenwell, London, England. He was the first child of William Tye and Ann Cummings. He had five siblings, John, Mary, Sarah Elizabeth, Thomas, and William. When he was 18, he married Julia Higgs, daughter of William Higgs and Ann Roe, on 23 Oct 1859 in St Mark, Myddelton Square in London Charles was a brick-maker and with his wife and young children came to Canada in 1871. Settling in Toronto. I have yet to find an official death record for Charles but found a newspaper reference to a brickmaker named Charles Tye in Toronto who was killed by a train on Oct 10th 1885 . Julia remarried in '87 and was listed as a widow so I am pretty sure it is the same Charles. Charles Tye and Julia Higgs had the following children: Gertrude Tye was born in Feb 1877 in Toronto. Ethel C. Tye was born on 18 Apr 1865 in England.. She married James W Hogg on 07 Oct 1884 in Toronto. Emm...

Have you stepped outside yet? Don't!!! Too freaking cold. Windchill of minus 35 here on the Bay of Quinte. I have started adding newspaper clippings . The clippings on the main page are relatives. When I search newspaper archives I save anything I come across with family or similar names. I am posting these under "other". They may or not be connected to our tree. The Thornton tree is huge and many of our great grandfather's sibling settled in the Toronto area. If you know a Thornton from Toronto there is a good chance they are connected :)

Not much here yet but I will try to add daily during the last few days of my break.  I have added a chart, photos and Grama Bains marriage record so far. TIP: If you click on the image it will enlarge it. I still have lots of sections to add and I am trying to make it more interactive. I have added a search box so once I start tagging all of the content it can be found easier.  Suggestions welcome! Happy New Year!!