Memorable Manitobans: Alexander Beattie Black Garvin [Garven] (1839-1907)

Farmer, municipal official.

Born at Nichol, Ontario on 19 May 1939, the son of Robert Garvin and Elizabeth Garvin (1808-1903), he married Alice Donald [Dodds] (1847-?) at Keppel, Brant County, Ontario on 19 August 1867. The couple had three children: Robert Beattie Garvin (1870-1936), Francis Ernest Garvin (1877-1954), Maud M. Garvin (1879-?, wife of Mr. E. Richardson).

In 1872, he departed Ontario along with his brothers and moved West via the United States and the Red River. He and his family settled at Little Britain and took up homesteading before relocating to property nearer to Lower Fort Garry. From there, they moved nearer to the Stony Mountain Penitentiary where he worked. They returned to Bird’s Hill in 1887 where he was a leader in the community, serving as a school board trustee (1890-1897) for the Birds Hill School, municipal Councillor (1900-1902, 1905), and Reeve of the Rural Municipality of St. Paul (1906). He was also Vice-President (1905) of the the Bird’s Hill Farmers’ Institute.

He died at Bird’s Hill on 28 September 1907 and was buried in Moose Nose Cemetery. He is commemorated, along with his sons (both of whom later served on the municipal council), with the naming of Garven Road in East St. Paul.

Sources:

1891, 1901, 1906, & 1911 Canada censes, Library and Archives Canada.

Ontario Marriages Index, Ancestry.

Canadian Civil Servants Lists, 1872-1900, Ancestry.

Death notice [Mrs. Robert Garven], Manitoba Free Press, 10 February 1903, page 14.

“Bird’s Hill plowing match,” Manitoba Free Press, 30 May 1905, page 6.

Winnipeg Surrogate Court Probate Books (ATG 0022A), Letters of Administration B6 Folio 467, Alex B. B. Garvin, Archives of Manitoba.

“Funeral of pioneer,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 October 1907, page 5.

“Notice to creditors,” Winnipeg Tribune, 9 November 1907, page 15.

Death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“Robt. B. Garvin dies at Birds Hill age 66,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 July 1936, page 4.

Death notice [Francis Ernest Garven], Winnipeg Free Press, 23 December 1954, page 19.

Heritage II, A History of East St. Paul, Heritage Book Committee. [F 5649.326 Her 1992 C.1, Legislative Library of Manitoba.]

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 22 December 2015

Memorable Manitobans

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