Memorable Manitobans: James Alfred Laird (1873-1908)

Educator, merchant.

Born in Scotland on 27 July 1873, he immigrated to Canada in 1891 and became an school teacher. He taught in rural Manitoba, including at Poplar Park School (1896-1897), Craigilea School / Belmont School (1898-1900), Ninga School (1900-1903, Principal), and Hilton School (1904-?). While in Belmont, he was involved with the local Presbyterian Church and led the congregation’s choir, and after moving from Ninga, also opened a general store at Hilton. On 26 September 1900, he married Mary Gibson (1877-1965, remarried to John Hartland Patterson) in the Rural Municipality of Argyle and they had three children: Mary Eliza Bessie Laird (1902-1981, wife of Francis Earl Palmer), James William Thomas Laird (1903-1906), and Alfred Gibson Laird (1907-1982). By 1906, he had moved to Lipton, Saskatchewan where he again managed a general store. His health declined in 1907 and he died at Nanaimo, British Columbia on 20 September 1908.

Sources:

Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Birth and death registration, Saskatchewan Vital Statistics.

Marriage and death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

1901, 1906, & 1911 Canada censes, Automated Genealogy.

“The famine fund [Manitoba school children, Poplar Park School],” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 13 March 1897, page 7.

“Belmont,” Glenboro Gazette, 22 July 1898, page 8.

“Local [At the annual school meeting ...],” Belmont Star, 8 December 1899, page 2.

“Belmont [Mr. Jas. A. Laird],” Manitoba Free Press, 2 October 1900, page 6.

“Belmont [Mr. Laird],” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 4 October 1900, page 6.

“Local [Mr. J. A. Laird ...],” Baldur Gazette, 11 October 1900, page 8.

“Local and general [Mr. Jas. A. Laird ...],” Belmont Eye, 27 December 1902, page 8.

“Local and general [Mr. Jas. A. Laird ...],” Belmont Eye, 10 January 1903, page 2.

“Locals [Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Gibson ...],” Belmont News, 1 July 1903, page 11.

“Locals [Mr. Jas. A. Laird ...],” Belmont News, 27 January 1904, page 12.

“Locals [It is with deep regret ...],” Belmont News, 24 September 1908, page 10.

Graham Black Brookfield Palmer (2011) family tree, Ancestry.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 27 October 2018

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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