David "Mac" MacGeorge

1845 - 1925  (79 years)

• Name	David "Mac" MacGeorge
  Born	14 Dec 1845	Castle Douglas, , Scotland   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Interesting	life story, education
  Immigration	1882	, Canada   [1]
  Name	David McGeorge
  Name	Mac MacGeorge
  Occupation	1890	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	caretaker of schools
  Occupation	1901	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Caretaker
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-57371
  Died	1925  [2]
  Buried	Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Person ID	I57371	Generations
  Last Modified	11 Jun 2024

  
  

  Family 1	Mary McDonald,   b. 12 Aug 1855, , Scotland ,   d. 1945  (Age 89 years)
  Children	1. David A. MacGeorge,   b. 28 Sep 1879, , Scotland ,   d. 1959  (Age 79 years)   2. Annabella MacGeorge,   b. 22 Jul 1881, , Scotland ,   d. 1971  (Age 89 years)   3. Georgina MacGeorge,   b. 24 Mar 1884, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   4. Mary Margaret MacGeorge,   b. 30 Oct 1886, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. Agnes Catherine MacGeorge,   b. 7 Dec 1889, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 20 Oct 1890  (Age 0 years)   6. Hilda MacGeorge,   b. 11 Sep 1891, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Charles MacGeorge,   b. 24 Mar 1895, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	11 Jun 2024
  Family ID	F15640	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Mary McDonald
  Last Modified	11 Jun 2024
  Family ID	F276765	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  DAVID MacGEORGE 1845-1925 Mary MacDonald - 1876 Affectionately known as "Mac", David MacGeorge was, in the words of R. S. Hamilton a long time teacher at the Galt Collegiate Institute, "at one and the same time...caretaker, poet laureate of the school, novelist, detective, florist and general radiator of sunshine in a sombre atmosphere with which tradition has surrounded all centres of learning". Mr. MacGeorge was born in Castle Douglas, Scotland and worked in his youth as a shepherd and, later, as a mail carrier. He first married in 1871 but his wife suffered chronic poor health and died about 1875. In 1876 Mr. MacGeorge married his second wife, Mary MacDonald. Five years later, on April 17, 1882, they left Scotland to start a new life in Canada at the then mainly Scottish settlement of Galt. Mr. MacGeorge's first job in Galt involved the transfer of bodies from the old cemetery, located at what is now Centennial Park, to their final resting place in Mount View Cemetery. Many of the bodies being removed were those of victims of the cholera epidemic of 1834 and his wife, who had joined him in Galt in 1883, was afraid that he might contract the disease from contact with the remains he was helping to relocate. She convinced him to quit this job and to apply for the position of caretaker at Tassie's School (G.C.I.). He got the job and started his duties at the school April 1, 1884. Although he had only two and one half years of formal schooling he was an avid reader, making good use of his right of access to the library at G.C.I. But his interest in the written word went beyond merely assimilating the ideas of others. He loved to write poetry about the things that touched his life and the school. The students, his garden and his family all found their way into his poetry. He wrote of "The Hespeler Pupils", "Preston" and of "Galt for Me". He wrote of "The G.C.I. Cadets of 1910", of the "Winning of the Track Cup" and the "Farmer's Daughter". But his favourite subject seemed to be of the girls of G.C.I. and through Mr. MacGeorge's pen we learn something of "Agnes Graham", "Lola Goodfellow", "Jennie Good", "Vera Wallace" and many more. In all, Mr. MacGeorge published three books of poems, "Original Poems" (1904), "Bubbles from the Boiler Room" (1910), "Ae Glint on Ither Days" (1917), and one novel, "The Doctor's Daughter" (1910). When Mr. MacGeorge had been at G.C.I. for thirty years he wrote a poem to mark the occasion and handed it to the editor of the Galt Evening Reporter. The editor spoke to one of the teachers at the school and it was decided that an event of this significance had to be noted in some manner. The teacher had students and staff alike collect copper pennies and when 2,999 and been gathered, they were placed in a gallon pail mixed with bran. On April 1, 1914, Mr. MacGeorge was persuaded to come to the Assembly Hall under the pretext of reading one of his poems. As soon as he arrived the pail of bran and coppers was brought in on a stretcher by a bugle band. A rather long address, "both humourous and affectionate" was read and the office of Poet Laureate of the school and the degree P.C. (Professor of Coppers) was bestowed. Mr. MacGeorge retired soon after but he did not leave the school. He and Mary were allowed to remain in the caretaker's house and he turned his attention and still ample energies to his gardens and his poems. Mr. MacGeorge died on August 24, 1925 and is buried in Mount View Cemetery. Sources: 1. James R. Barrie A Century at Central 1881-1982, Central Presbyterian Church, Cambridge 1986. 2.Hilda Downey "David MacGeorge 'Dear Old Mac' ", Waterloo Historical Society Journal Vol. 68, 1980. 3. Jim Quantrell, "David MacGeorge" A Part of Our Past, Essays on Cambridge's History City of Cambridge Archives, Cambridge Ontario 1992 Cambridge Mosaic, Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [used with kind permission of Jim Quantrell]

  
  

• Sources

  [S259] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1901, Galt (Town/Ville) C-1 Page 3. [S122] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Mount View CC#4495 Internet Link . [West] MacGEORGE/ David MacGEORGE/ 1845-1925/ Mary his wife/ 1855-1945/ David A. MacGEORGE/ 1879-1959/ Florence E. WALLACE/ wife of David A. MacGEORGE/ 1880-1928/ [East] EDGAR/ In loving memory of/ George A. EDGAR/ 1882-1961/ his beloved wife/ Annabella MacGEORGE/ 1881-1971/ their daughter/ Margaret A./ 1916-1969/ [S512] Church Records - ON, Waterloo, Galt - Central Presbyterian. Agnes Catherine McGeorge Born 07 Dec 1889 Galt Parents D. McGeorge & Mary McDonald baptized 13 Feb 1890 Occupation: Caretaker of School

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 14 Dec 1845 - Castle Douglas, , Scotland Immigration - 1882 - , Canada Occupation - caretaker of schools - 1890 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Caretaker - 1901 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth