George Joseph Jaffray^[1]

1838 - 1895  (56 years)

• Name	George Joseph Jaffray
  Born	21 Oct 1838	Shrewsbury, , Shropshire, England   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  Christened	9 Dec 1838	Shrewsbury, , Shropshire, England   [9]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/245266009
  Interesting	newspaper, life story
  Residence	1851	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Episcopalian
  Occupation	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Printer
  Residence	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Church of England
  Residence	1866	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10]
  Occupation	1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Printer
  Residence	1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Church of England
  Misfortune	May 1878	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [11]
  	SAD ACCIDENT AT GALT A Pleasure Steamboat Goes Over The Mill Dam -- 8 Drowned May 23, Galt. --The little steamer EMPRESS OF INDIA, which had been placed on the Grand River, and which on Monday last commenced its trips for the season on Blain's Dam, to all appearance was perfectly safe for the business required of it, and the calamity which has overtaken it was totally unlooked for. Last evening about eight o'clock a party of some fifteen young men and two young women embarked on the vessel for a sail up the river. As the boat was crossing the dam something appeared to go wrong with the rudder, and the head of the boat could not be turned sufficiently up the stream to enable it to counteract the effects of the current caused by the flow over the dam. The west side of the dam was reached without mishap, however, but the point where the boat would have touched being rough and rocky, an order was given to reverse the engine, which was done. The boat again getting out into the stream, an effort was made to turn the bow up the stream but again it seemed as if the rudder would not work, and when at last it did, it unfortunately was turned the wrong way, and the boat headed directly for the fall, and before those on board could realize their position the steamer drifted broadside to the fall, and in a moment went crashing over into the boiling water beneath. Before it took it's final leap, however, two of it's occupants, John and William Ovens, jumped into the water, and the latter, in an almost miraculous manner, managed to obtain a foothold on the very edge and to resist the current until he reached the shore. His brother John was not so fortunate, being carried over the faIl, but he was eventually taken out of the river some distance below in an insensible condition. Of those who went over with the boat, eight were lost, the rest having in various ways managed to reach shore. Both of the young women were saved, one, Miss Landreth, having had an escape that was perfectly miraculous, she floated down the stream until she struck the western pier of the upper bridge, against which the water pressed her so tightly that parties were enabled to get ropes and rescue her. The following is a complete list of the drowned:- Jas. Montgomery (engineer and owner), Edward Wren, Andrew Jackson; John Fraser; Frederick Cane; H. J. Jaffray (of the Galt reporter); Thomas Elliott and David Scott. The body of Mr. H. J. Jaffray was taken out of the water within a short time of the accident, but the most unremitting exertions on the part of the medical men present failed to restore life. It is the general impression, that when the boat went over the fall he must have been struck and stunned. Efforts to recovers of the bodies were made during the night but without success. This morning the boat was turned over where she lay below the falls, being supposed that some of the bodies must be entangled in the wreck, but none were discovered. The dam is about ten or twelve feet high, with about a foot of water flowing over the fall. The depth of water above the fall is from fifteen to eighteen feet. Meaford Monitor Friday, May 31, 1878
  		The Empress of India after going over dam
  Occupation	1881	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Journalist
  Occupation	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	News Paper Publisher
  Residence	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Anglican
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-102101
  Died	5 Sep 1895	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [12, 13]
  	Cause: Dilation of Heart (2 months)
  Buried	Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [8, 12]
  Person ID	I102101	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	Peter Jaffray,   b. 1800, , Stirlingshire, Scotland ,   d. 15 Nov 1864, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 64 years)
  Mother	Mary Ann Gittins,   b. 1804, Shrewsbury, , Shropshire, England ,   d. 17 Apr 1873, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 69 years)
  Married	30 Oct 1829	Shrewsbury, , Shropshire, England   [14, 15]
  Family ID	F23820	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Jane Kippen Nairn,   b. 7 Aug 1847, Goderich, Huron Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 29 Apr 1921, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 73 years)
  Married	18 Jul 1877	Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan, United States
  Children	1. Julia Kippen Jaffray,   b. 21 May 1878, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 22 May 1941, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States  (Age 63 years)   2. Harry Traver Jaffray,   b. 24 Nov 1879, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 18 Aug 1944, Artemesia Twp., Grey Co., Ontario  (Age 64 years)   3. Mabel Kate Jaffray,   b. 17 Jul 1882, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 1971  (Age 88 years)   4. Jennie Lyster "Jane" Jaffray,   b. 10 Nov 1884, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 10 Nov 1948, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 64 years)
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F16285	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Ellen Burke,   b. 1837, , Ireland ,   d. 27 Apr 1868  (Age 31 years)
  Married	14 May 1866	Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada   [10, 16]
  Children	1. Arthur George Jaffray,   b. 1867, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 2 Nov 1889, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 22 years)
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F41298	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Jaffray, Bros. , printers and proprietors of the Galt Reporter. The brothers are natives of England and were born there Richard in 1832, and George in 1838. Have been residents of Galt since 1844. Mr. R. Jaffray has held the office of Reeve. Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsel & Co., Toronto - 1881 ____________________ GEORGE J. JAFFRAY 1838-1895 Married: 1. Ellen Burke - 2. Jane (Jennie) Nairn - 1877 George Joseph Jaffray was born in Shewsbury, Shropshire, England on October 21, 1838, the youngest son of Peter Jaffray, the founder of the Galt Reporter, now the Cambridge Reporter. He emigrated from England with his family in 1844, arriving in New York in May. The family then proceeded toward the Goderich area with the intention of operating a farm. They were passing through Galt when Mr. Jaffray's father, Peter, noticed that the Dumfries Courier was seeking a printer. It was not long before he decided to forego the farming adventure and took the job at the Courier and settled in Galt. This led to the founding of the Galt Reporter by Peter Jaffray in 1846. Peter Jaffray died in 1864, leaving the operation of the paper to George Jaffray and his brothers Henry Jaffray, William Jaffray and Richard Jaffray. The brothers formed the firm of the Jaffray Bros. to publish the paper and to do contract print work. George Jaffray served as the business manager for the paper and is credited with placing the paper on a sound business footing. Following the deaths of two of his brothers, Henry and William, and the withdrawal of the third brother, Richard, from the partnership in 1889, George Jaffray took over sole control of the paper acting as the editor as well as the business manager. He retained both positions until ill health caused him to relinquish his posts on August 12, 1895. In addition to operating the Reporter, Mr. Jaffray was a member of the Galt Public School Board in 1888 and 1889, was the auditor for a number of years of both the Town of Galt and the Ontario Mutual Life Co. of Waterloo. He also served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Imperial Hotel Co. and as the Secretary of the Conservative Association of South Waterloo. He was a member of the Galt Board of Trade as well as a shareholder in the Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway Company. Mr. Jaffray died on September 6, 1895 and is buried in Trinity Anglican Cemetery. Cambridge Mosaic, Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge _______________________________ DEATH OF MR. JAFFRAY He Passed Away Thursday Evening Aged 57 Years - An Old and Much Respected Resident of Galt - A Widely-Known Journalist After nearly four weeks of suffering and distress, Mr. Geo. Joseph Jaffray, editor and proprietor of the Galt Reporter and one of the oldest and most highly esteemed residents of the town, died Thursday evening, at a few minutes after nine o'clock. The deceased gentleman had, at late years, been a victim of dyspepsia, but being of a quiet disposition and of as uncomplaining nature, very few of his friends were acquainted with his sufferings. He was always able to attend to business and was to be found In his office every day, with a punctuality and regularity that was a marked characteristic of Mr. Jaffray during all his life. It was not until attending the C. W. A. meet in Waterloo in July, that Mr. Jaffray's condition began to give his family any source of alarm. To a friend he remarked upon that occasion that he had some difficulty in getting his breath. Mr. Jaffray, however, continued to be present at his office every day for some weeks after and it was not until four weeks ago on Monday last that he was compelled to remain at home, his indisposition having assumed a character as to necessitate his ceasing work. For three weeks previous to his death, he suffered much distress and notwithstanding all that medical skill could do to relieve his ailment, which was heart trouble, he grew worse and his condition for the last few days, was very precarious. Perfect rest and quietude was ordered him by his physiclan and these were secured to him as far as possible. Mr. Jaffray was conscious up to the last moment and the end came, as already mentioned, a few minutes after 9 o'clock, in the evening. George Joseph Jaffray was the youngest son of the late Peter Jaffray and was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, in the year 1838. When a mere boy, along with the other members of the family, he came to Canada with his parents. They came direct to Galt and were thinking of going up in the neighborhood of Goderich to take up land and begin farming. But at that time a situation was open for a printer on the Dumfries Courier and Mr. Jaffray, the father of the subject of this sketch, received employment on the paper. His two sons, William and Richard also drifted into the employ of the same office. This was in the year 1844 and two years subsequently, Mr. Peter Jaffray, retired to establish the Galt Weekly Reporter, the organ of the Conservative party in Waterloo Co. Thus, it will be seen, that the Reporter, ever since its inception, nearly fifty years ago, has been in the hands of the Jaffray family, the paper descending from father to son. Shortly after this journal was established by Mr. Jaffray, the Courier went out of existence. The Reporter continued in the hands of the father, until he passed away in 1864, when it came into the possession of the sons Richard, Henry and George. Mr. Richard Jaffray edited the journal until his serious illness in 1889, when he retired, his interest being taken over by his brother George. The deceased, before assuming the editorial management and control of the Reporter, was actively connected with its business interests, being bookkeeper and business manager. Henry Jaffray, who was also one of the proprietors, did not devote as much time to the business as his brothers, Richard and George. He being of a nomadic disposition, had gone on a trip to England, joined Wolelsey's Red River expedition to the North-west and travelled miles over the face of the continent. He was one of the victims of that ill-fated steamer which passed over the dam in Galt, in the year 1878, the memory of which still fills many minds with horror and recalls one of the saddest drowning accidents, which ever took place in Canada. The only others of deceased who are living are William, the eldest, who is postmaster at Berlin and Richard, of Galt. Two sisters were born, one of whom is still living, Miss Catherine Jaffray, who resided with the deceased. The other sister, Minnie, who married Mr. Geo. Baker, now of Chicago, died some years ago. As a publisher and journalist, the deceased was known far and wide in the newspaper fraternity. He always conducted a clean, well edited and neat publication, which reflected credit on the publisher and was an ornament to the Canadian press. The deceased was also familiar with the early scenes and associations of Galt and surrounding country and was conversant with the history of the oldest residents, their struggles, and the hardships incident to settling in a new and what was then, a comparatively undeveloped country. He was an authority on municipal law and the Statutes of Ontario. The funeral of the late Geo. J. Jaffray took place from the family residence, East Main St., to Trinity church cemetery on Saturday afternoon. The respect and esteem in which the deceased gentleman was held, was evidenced by the large attendance, the cortege being one of the longest ever witnessed in Galt. The floral tributes were numerous and very pretty. As the solemn procession moved slowly down Main street on the way to Trinity church, the merchants closed their places of business and lowered their window blinds. All the clergymen of the town were present at the house, where the solemnities were conducted by Rev. John Ridley, rector of Galt, and Rev. Dr. King. At Trinity church the burial service of the Church of England was conducted by Rev. Mr. Ridley. Interment, to the Trinity church cemetery. The Weekly Reformer 12 Sep 1895 pg 6 ____________

  
  

• Sources

  [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 14 Nov 1889. Nov. 2, 1889 Arthur George Jaffray, son of George J. Jaffray, died in Galt at age of 22 years. [S336] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1881, Galt Division 1 Page 96. [S570] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1871, Div. 1, Pg. 68. [S313] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1851, Pg.40. [S1114] Book - Cambridge Mosaic, An Inquiry into Who's Who in the History of Cambridge, Profile of George J. Jaffray. [S1838] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1861, Galt 1861 Div. 2 Page 30. [S1800] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1891, Section 2 Page 140. [S2598] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Trinity Anglican Cemetery Internet Link. [East] Peter JAFFRAY/ died at Galt/ Novenber 15th 1864/ aged 64 years/ also his wife/ Mary Ann GITTINS/ died April 17th 1873/ aged 69 years/ Catherine Elizabeth/ daughter of/ Peter & Jane/ JAFFRAY/ died Feb. 21st 1907/ aged 76 years/ JAFFRAY/ [South] Arthur George/ son of/ George J. JAFFRAY/ died at Galt/ November 1889/ aged 21 years/ Julia Kippen/ daughter of George & Jane/ JAFFRAY/ May 21, 1878/ May 22, 1941/ Scott, Galt/ [West] George Joseph/ fourth son of/ Peter & Mary JAFFRAY/ died at Galt/ September 5th 1895/ aged 56 years/ also his wife/ Jane Kippen NAIRN/ August 7th 1847/ April 29th 1921/ [North] Henry James/ third son of/ Peter & Mary JAFFRAY/ died May 22nd 1878/ aged 42 years/ Harry T. JAFFRAY/ 1880 - 1944/ interred in Toronto/ Jane L. JAFFRAY/ 1884 - 1948/ Mabel K. JAFFRAY/ 1882 - 1971/ children of George/ & Jane JAFFRAY/ [S1808] z England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, ). George Joseph Jeffray Residence Place:Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England Gender:Male Christening Date:09 Dec 1838 Christening Date (Original): 9 Dec 1838 Christening Place:Saint Alkmond, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England Father's Name:Peter Jeffray Mother's Name:Mary Anne [S55] Vit - ON, Wellington - Wellington County Marriage Register 1858-1869. Ellen Burke Birth Place: Ireland Residence: Arthur Township Age: 28 Estimated birth year: abt 1838 Spouse Name: George Jeffrey Spouse's Age: 37 Spouse Birth Place: Ireland Spouse residence: Galt Marriage Date: 14 May 1866 Marriage Location: Guelph Marriage County: Wellington [age of George and his birthplace is recorded incorrectly] [S2154] News - ON, Grey, Meaford - Meaford Monitor, Sad Accident at Galt - May 31, 1878. [S184] Funeral Card - - Funeral Card Notices of Waterloo County from 1851 to 1980. Died, In Galt, on Thursday evening, Sept. 5th, at 10 minutes past 9 o'clock, George J. Jaffray, Aged 56 years and 11 months. Funeral, To-morrow (Saturday) afternoon, at 3 o'clock, from his late residence, East Main Street, to Trinity Church Cemetery. Galt, Sept. 6th, 1895. [S2491] aaa Vit - ON - Death Registration, death certificate 017866 (1895). Name:Geo Joseph Joffay Gender:Male Age:57 Birth Date:abt 1838 Birth Place:England Death Date:5 Sep 1895 Death Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada [S1803] zzEngland, Marriages, 1538-1973, ). Peter Jaffray Spouse's Name:Mary Anne Gittins Event Date:30 Oct 1829 Event Place:Saint Chad,Shrewsbury,Shropshire,England [S2734] England, Staffordshire, Church Records, 1538-1944. Peter Jaffray Event Place:Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom Event Place:Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England Age:21 Marital Status:Unknown Spouse's Name:Mary Anne Gittins Spouse's Residence County:Salop Spouse's Age:21 Spouse's Marital Status:Single Spouse's Birth Year:1808 [S31] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Dumfries Reformer (1850-1892), 23 May 1866. Burke, Ellen married 14 May 1866 to George J. Jaffray At Guelph, by Rev. Mr. Archibald. Groom, of the Galt REPORTER; bride, of Arthur.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 21 Oct 1838 - Shrewsbury, , Shropshire, England Christened - 9 Dec 1838 - Shrewsbury, , Shropshire, England Residence - Episcopalian - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Printer - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Church of England - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1866 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 14 May 1866 - Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Occupation - Printer - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Church of England - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 18 Jul 1877 - Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan, United States Misfortune - May 1878 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Journalist - 1881 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - News Paper Publisher - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Anglican - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Dilation of Heart (2 months) - 5 Sep 1895 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth