Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.
Alexander Burnett

Alexander Burnett[1]

Male Cal 1796 - 1886  (~ 90 years)

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  • Name Alexander Burnett 
    Born CALC 16 Apr 1796  , Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3, 4, 5
    Gender Male 
    Occupation Whistlebear, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    shoemaker 
    Occupation 1852  North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Shoe Maker 
    Residence 1852  North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Church of Scotland 
    Occupation 1861  North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Shoemaker 
    Residence 1861  North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    Church of Scotland 
    Occupation 1871  Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Market Clerk 
    Residence 1871  Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Church of Scotland 
    Residence 1886  Ramore St., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-103179 
    Died 16 Jun 1886  Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Cause: old age 
    Buried Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I103179  Generations
    Last Modified 26 Feb 2024 

    Family Janet Elliott,   b. 1805, , Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Aug 1884, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years) 
    Children 
     1. Burnett,   d. Yes, date unknown
     2. Walter Burnett,   b. 1833, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     3. William Burnett,   b. 1836, , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     4. Jessie Burnett,   b. 11 Mar 1837, of, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Oct 1891, Guelph City, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 54 years)
     5. Samuel Lount Burnett,   b. 11 Sep 1838, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1914, Thornbury, Simcoe Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 75 years)
     6. Jesse Burnett,   b. 1839, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
     7. Elspeth Burnett,   b. 15 Sep 1841, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Jan 1896, Ryerson Township, Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 54 years)
     8. Christine Allison Burnett,   b. 22 Feb 1845, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown
    Last Modified 2 Mar 2024 
    Family ID F26462  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    Alexander Burnett
    Alexander Burnett
    Alexander Burnett of Galt, Ontario
    Alexander Burnett of Galt, Ontario

    Ray Ruddy Collection 2017

  • Notes 
    • The men who took the most prominent part in organizing the first library in the village were: Rev. Dr. Bayne, Alexander Burnet, James Cowan, John Gowinlock, William Trotter, H. G. Barlow, James Harris, Andrew Elliott, Francis McElroy, Francis Hogg, Andrew Moscrip and Walter H. Benn. These men have long since passed away, but they all did good work in their day in laying the foundations of a progressive and moral community; to the older generation of Galtonians their names call up a crowd of memories of the days that are no more.

      First Annual Report of the Waterloo Historical Society, Berlin 1913, pg 17

      ____________________

      Alexander Burnett was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and emigrated to New York in 1832. He arrived in Galt in 1834 working in James Smith's harness shop. He was friends with Walter H. Benn. He and Walter Benn were busy in political activities and struggled for more egalitarian society. He was a noted orator and debater. It was proposed to arrest him during the 1837 rebellion, but was not. He moved to Whistlebare and set up a shop there for a time, returning to Galt later to be its market clerk until retirement.

      Cambridge Mosiac, Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [snippet from original text in book]

      _______________

      Death of Mr. Alexander Burnett

      The river has been crossed at last. Our old friend passed quietly away at his residence, Ramore street, shortly before midnight on Wednesday, in the 91st year of his age.

      It is of course impossible, with the limited time at our command and the crowded state of our columns, to make more than a mere passing allusion to Mr. Burnett's death today. He was one of the pioneers of this town, and in its early days was among the foremost men in the hamlet. Possessed of wonderful natural gifts, and being a great reader, he took a leading part in all the events of the long distant past, and by the exercise of his humor and pathos carried many a difficult point. Mr. Burnett was a born orator; and the writer can yet see the flash of the eye, the defiance expressed in every movement of the body, as the burning and impassioned words feel from the now cold and silent lips. It was a treat but rarely experienced within the past twenty-five years to hear a speech from Mr. Burnett; but a few can recall such a treat to mind, and treasure it up as a stirring example of the power of God's great gift of oratory. He was equally eloquent with his pen and his graphic description of the ravage of the cholera in Galt in the year 1832 has become the history of those dark and terrible days.

      Mr. Burnet was a shoemaker by trade, and for many years carried on business at "Whistlebare," Dumfries, and afterwards in Galt. During his late years he occupied the position of market clerk in this town; but the frailties of old age compelled him some years ago to resign the position, and he has since lived in retirement at his residence, Ramore St. Full of years and ripe in the love and esteem of all who knew him, Mr. Burnett has gone to his eternal rest, and in the words of the poet "the place that once knew him shall know him no more forever."

      Mr. Burnett's aged partner in life predeceased him a few years ago. There is left, we believe, a family of six, viz.: Walter, now of Montana; William G., of this town; Samuel, of Preston; Mrs. John Turnbull, of Guelph; Mrs. James Goodall, of Muskoka; and Mrs. H. Jenks, of, we think, Montreal.

      The funeral will take place today (Friday) at 1 o'clock, p.m., from his late residence to Galt cemetery.

      Galt Reporter Jun 18 1886 pg 1

      ________________

      In Galt, on Wednesday night, 16th June, at 25 minutes to 12 o'clock, Alexander Burnett, aged 90 years and 2 months.

      Funeral, today (Friday), at 1 o'clock, ? from his late residence, Ramore St., to Galt Cemetery.

      Galt Reporter Jun 18 1886 pg 1

  • Sources 
    1. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register.
      Samuel S. Burnett b. Galt res: Brampton Age: 27 born abt 1839 father: Alexander Burnett married Mary Ann McFeiggan Age:: 18 born abt 1848 b. Galt Spouse res: Galt father: David Feiggan married 5 Sep 1866 Marriage Place: Galt

    2. [S336] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1881, Galt Division 2 Page 65.

    3. [S570] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1871, Div. 1, Pg. 72.

    4. [S233] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1852, Div. 3 Page 19.

    5. [S1778] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1861, Div 10 Page 78.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - CALC 16 Apr 1796 - , Scotland Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Shoe Maker - 1852 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Church of Scotland - 1852 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Shoemaker - 1861 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Church of Scotland - 1861 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Market Clerk - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Church of Scotland - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - Cause: old age - 16 Jun 1886 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth