Mayor Hugh Cant

1833 - 1917  (84 years)

• Photos

  Hugh Cant

  
  

• Name	Hugh Cant
  Prefix	Mayor
  Born	18 May 1833	Calcairn Mills, Rosshire, Scotland   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
  Christened	28 Jul 1833	Kiltearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland   [8]
  Gender	Male
  Business	Gore Fire Insurance, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Gore Fire Insurance Co.
  	THE GORE FIRE INSURANCE CO. Among the many institutions of which Galt boasts, none are more conspicuous than the Gore Ins. Co's pal-atial and imposing structure situated on the corner of Main and Ainslie streets. The style is of a Romanesque char-acter, and is built with Connecticut brown-stone, rock-faced base up to the first storey window sills ; above this it is faced with brown pressed brick, tooled portage entry stone trimmings and Terra Cotta carvings. The corner of Main and Ainslie streets is round, having over the main entrance a heavily moulded arch, supported on two Doric columns, and over the arch the Company's name carved in mediaeval letters. This round corner is continued up above the roof, forming a round tower, roofed with Span-ish tiles and terminating in a columned and octagon lantern, with ogee top and flag staff. Total height from the side-walk about eighty-two feet. The Gore has about 125 active agents through Ontario.1a 1a1897 Jubilee Souvenir of Galt
  		Gore Fire Insurance Co. in 1897 From 1897 Jubilee Souvenir of Galt
  Immigration	1843	, Canada   [1]
  Immigration	1843	, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  Occupation	1851	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Saddler
  Residence	1851	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Presbyterian
  Residence	1866	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  Elected Office	1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [11]
  	councillor, Deputy Reeve, Reeve, Mayor
  	Municipality Galt Years on local council: 1871-72, 1892-94, 1899, 1901 Councillor; 1874-75 Deputy Reeve; 1876 Reeve; 1903 Mayor Years on Waterloo County Council: 1874 1875 1876
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17349533
  Occupation	1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Saddler
  Residence	1871	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	U. Presbyterian
  Occupation	1881	North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	In Coal Trade
  Occupation	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Merchant
  Residence	1891	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Presbyterian
  Occupation	1911	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Income
  Residence	1911	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [6]
  	Presbyterian
  Residence	1912	80 Water St. S., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Residence Gone
  Died	31 Dec 1917	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10, 12]
  	Cause: Cancer of Face (1 year)
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	Bef 2012	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [13]
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-64208P
  Buried	Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [9, 10]
  Person ID	I64208	Generations
  Last Modified	9 Sep 2024

  
  

  Father	Hugh Cant,   b. 1799, , Scotland ,   d. 26 Mar 1867, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 68 years)
  Mother	Alison Thom,   b. 1801, , Scotland ,   d. 24 Mar 1879  (Age 78 years)
  Family ID	F6626	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Christie Anne Ferguson,   b. 13 Mar 1839, North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 19 Jan 1914, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)
  Married	25 Jan 1866	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 7, 14]
  Children	1. Hugh Howard James Cant,   b. 13 Aug 1869, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 12 Oct 1869, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)   2. Howard F. Cant,   b. 24 Jan 1871, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 11 Jul 1955  (Age 84 years)   3. Dr. Duncan Alexander Cant,   b. 12 Feb 1872, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 3 Jul 1947, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 75 years)   4. Lorren Hughson Cant,   b. 5 Nov 1875, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	11 Sep 2024
  Family ID	F16771	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Hugh Cant Jr. was born in Calcairn Mills, Rosshire, Scotland 18 May 1833. When 10 years old he came with his family to Canada, spending a year in Hamilton, arriving in Galt in 1845. He father was a miller who worked for the Crombie Mill. In 1856 Hugh Jr. travelled to California and in 1862 returned to Galt and became a harness and saddlery business with his brother John. In 1868 they closed the business and Hugh, John and other brother Andrew created a foundry business. After retired in 1895 the business moved to Lancaster, New York. he was a member of the Galt Public board and the school board. He wrote the book "Historical Reminiscences of Galt and Other Writings. Cambridge Mosiac, Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [snippet from original text in book] ____________________________ Serving in public life in Galt for forty years after taking up residence in 1845 made Hugh Cant, the 1903 mayor, an authority on the town's early history. In 1915 he wrote an interesting brochure, "Historical Reminiscences of Galt." He was a native of Calcairn Mills, Rosshire, Scotland. In early life, when horses were very numerous, Cant engaged in the harness and saddlery business and had a busy shop on Main Street. He then became a partner with his brother's Andrew and John, in the firm of Cant Brothers, a woodworking machinery company, from which he retired in 1890. Cant was actively associated with the Galt Town Council, the Board of Trade, the Galt Collegiate Institute Board and the Public School Board. He was a director of the Gore Mutual Insurance Company from 1877 until his death in 1917, having become president four years earlier in 1913. Waterloo Region Hall of Fame

  
  

• Sources

  [S259] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1901, Galt (Town/Ville) C-8 Page 2. [S5] Vit - - ON, Waterloo - 1858-1869 Marriage Register. Hugh Cant b. Scotland res: Galt Age: 32 born abt 1834 father: Hugh mother: E. Thorn married Christiana Ferguson Age:: 26 born abt 1840 b. North Dumfries Spouse res: North Dumfries father: Duncan? Ferguson mother: Sarah Haggert married 25 Jan 1866 Marriage Place: Galt [S205] Census - ON, Waterloo, North Dumfries - 1881, Div. 1 Page 48. [S313] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1851, Pg.35. [S570] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1871, Div. 2, Pg. 6. [S572] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1911, Div. 16 Page 23. [S1800] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1891, Sec. 1 Page 2. [S1609] Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, FHL microfilm 990,653, 990,654. Hugh Cant GenderMale Christening Date28 Jul 1833 Christening PlaceKILTEARN,ROSS AND CROMARTY,SCOTLAND Birth Date18 May 1833 Father's NameHugh Cant Mother's NameEllison Thom [S2697] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge, Mount View Cemetery Internet Link. Father/ at rest/ Hugh CANT/ born 1833/ died 1917/ CANT/ [S3231] Find A Grave, Hugh Cant, J., Cemetery, M., America, N., Municipality, W., & Cemetery, M. (1833). Hugh Cant, Jr (1833-1917) - Find A Grave Memorial. Retrieved 23 May 2020, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17349533/hugh-cant. [S1450] Waterloo County Councillors A Collective Biography. [S2491] aaa Vit - ON - Death Registration, death certificate 032005 (1917). Name:Hugh Cant Gender:Male Age:84 Birth Date:abt 1833 Birth Place:Scotland Death Date:31 Dec 1917 Death Place:Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Cause of Death:Cancer of the Face [S220] Waterloo Region Hall of Fame Waterloo Region Hall of Fame. [S31] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Dumfries Reformer (1850-1892), 31 Jan 1866. Ferguson, Christie A. married 25 Jan 1866 to Hugh Cant, Jr. At the residence of the bride's father by Rev. Robert Acheson. Groom, of Galt; bride, second daughter of Duncan Ferguson, North Dumfries.

  
  

• Event Map

  Christened - 28 Jul 1833 - Kiltearn, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland Business - Gore Fire Insurance Co. - - Gore Fire Insurance, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Immigration - 1843 - , Canada Immigration - 1843 - , Ontario, Canada Occupation - Saddler - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1866 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 25 Jan 1866 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Elected Office - councillor, Deputy Reeve, Reeve, Mayor - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Saddler - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - U. Presbyterian - 1871 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - In Coal Trade - 1881 - North Dumfries Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Merchant - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1891 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Income - 1911 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Presbyterian - 1911 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Residence Gone - 1912 - 80 Water St. S., Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Cancer of Face (1 year) - 31 Dec 1917 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region - Bef 2012 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth