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William Ross Black
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Lawyer, civil servant.
Born at Kildonan on 11 January 1855, eldest son of pioneer Presbyterian minister Dr. John Black, he graduated with honours from the University of Toronto, winning the Governor-General’s medal and the silver medal in classics. After studying law in the offices of Bain and Blanchard, he was called to the Manitoba Bar in February 1881.
He practised law at Portage la Prairie and was a Conservative candidate for the Portage constituency in the 1883 provincial general election and a June 1883 by-election. In 1884, he was appointed Registrar of Norfolk County. He moved to Carman in February 1890 where he established a law practice. In 1899 he became Registrar of the Morden Land Titles Office where he served for twenty years.
On 12 October 1881, he married Catherine Sutherland (1856-1930, daughter of John Sutherland of Kildonan) and they had seven children: Henrietta Laurinda Black (1883-1957), Jeanette McBeth “Nita” Black (1884-1926), John Ross Sutherland Black (1886-1927), James Rupert Ross Black (1894-1947), Colin Francis Black (1896-1974), Hugh Alexander Black, and William Henry Baird Black (1902-1902). He was President of the Carman Curling Club (1899-1900).
He died at Winnipeg on 25 September 1919 and was buried in the Kildonan Presbyterian Cemetery.
Obituary [William Henry Baird Black], Morden Chronicle, 14 August 1902, page 4.
“W. R. Black, well known pioneer of Winnipeg, died last evening,” undated newspaper clipping. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B7]
Obituary [Jeanette McBeth Black], Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 11 January 1926, page 8.
Obituary [John Ross Sutherland Black], Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 3 September 1927, page 2.
Death registration [Catherine Black], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Mrs. W. R. Black passes away in 74th year,” Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 8 April 1930, page 3.
“James R. Black dies at home,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 March 1947, page 7.
Obituary [Henrietta Laurinda Black], Morden Times, 13 March 1957, pages 1 and 9.
Pioneers and Early Citizens of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Manitoba Library Association, 1971.
Obituary [Colin Francis Black], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 November 1974, page 42.
We thank Rick Mutton and Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 13 June 2026
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