John Shearer

1849 - 1927  (78 years)

• Name	John Shearer
  Born	22 Jul 1849	Cobourg, Hamilton Twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Gender	Male
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/275544259
  Interesting	electric power, invention
  Occupation	1871	East Whitby Township, Ontario Co., Ontario   [5]
  	cloth finisher
  Residence	1871	East Whitby Township, Ontario Co., Ontario   [5]
  Occupation	1881	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 6]
  	Finisher
  Invention	1884	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Machine for Pressing Cloth
  		John Shearer's "Machine for Pressing Cloth" https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/patents-1869-1919/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=18463&
  Occupation	1891	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Cloth Finisher
  Residence	1891	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Anglican
  Occupation	1901	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Electrician
  Occupation	1911	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Manufacturer, at Home
  Residence	1911	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  	Methodist
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-91913
  Died	10 Sep 1927	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Buried	Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I91913	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Father	William Shearer,   b. Abt 1819, , Ireland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Anne Moran,   b. , Ireland ,   d. 22 Apr 1880, Cobourg, Hamilton Twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario
  Family ID	F23913	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Elizabeth "Lizzie" Ebert,   b. 1 Jul 1845, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 23 Nov 1894, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 49 years)
  Married	7 Oct 1880	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Children	1. Shearer,   b. 9 Feb 1882, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Annie Shearer,   b. 9 Aug 1883, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Isabella "Bella" Shearer,   b. 11 Apr 1886, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 19 Oct 1918, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 32 years)
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F31760	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Margaret Bingham,   b. 1847, Chinquacousy Twp., Peel Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. 12 Jul 1875, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 28 years)
  Children	1. William Carson Shearer,   b. 20 Jul 1871, East Whitby Township, Ontario Co., Ontario ,   d. 21 May 1938, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 66 years)   2. Elymer Shearer,   b. CALC 7 Oct 1873, , New York State, USA ,   d. 7 Mar 1877, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 3 years)
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F300274	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  BLAIR SUPPLIED PRESTON WITH HYDRO, ELECTRIC POWER By Nonie Beck Pryce James Fenwick owned and operated the first electric light plant in Preston in 1891. Records in the Town Treasurer's office show that the first account in Preston's books was registered in 1891 when they paid $407,00 for street lighting. There were power shortages and the burden fell on the shoulders of the owner. Mr. Fenwick first operated his steam plant and dynamo in Harry Hamacher's Carriage Shop on King Street. The street lights were turned off at twelve o 'clock. I believe that on moonlight nights they did not come on. A steam plant was expensive and waterpower was much cheaper so the plant was moved to Blair on the property of Charles Beck. There was a big stone building on this property which had first been a tannery, run by Bechtels, then a distillery owned by Thomas Reed. Even in those days there were dry spells, and the water power had to be supplemented with steam generated power. In winter storms raged bringing down poles and wires. A Privately owned plant had lots of trouble. Collections were made from customers every Monday morning. While in Blair an opposition plant was started by John Shearer, chiefly supplying light for homes. After a number of years Mr. Fenwick moved back to Preston, renting a room and steam power from Clare Bros. In 1910 Preston built a municipal plant and agreed to take 600 horsepower from Hydro. Community dances were blacked out at midnight unless arrangements were made to have the power left on, then a fee of a dollar an hour was charged. Grand River Womens' Institute ______________ John Shearer The funeral of the late John Shearer, who died at the home of his sister, Miss Elizabeth Shearer, Eagle, street, early Saturday morning, In his 70th. year, was held yesterday afternoon a 2.30 o'clock from the residence of his sister. Interment being made in the Preston cemetery Rev. R. Herbert, of St. John's Anglican Church, conducted the service and proof of the many friends the deceased had made in the district was seen in the beautiful floral tributes. The late Mr. Shearer is survived by one son. William, Church street and his sister Elizabeth, with whom he had been residing for the last two years. Mr. Shearer, who was born in Cobourg, had been for many years an outstanding man in the community and surrounding district, coming to Preston in 1873. He was a staunch supporter of the Conservative party and until his resignation in 1894, on account of ill health, he had charge of the finishing department of what is now known as Pattison's woollen mills. Before power was supplied in Preston by the town's own plant Mr. Shearer supplied it from a water power and electric light plant he conducted at Blair. Kitchener Daily Record , Tue, Sep 13, 1927 Page 3 ___________ Workmen are busily engaged erecting the new electric light poles between Blair and Preston. There are a number of men at work this week putting in one hundred lamps in the Hotel Del Monte. Mr. John Shearer is having the work pushed on rapidly. The Daily Record, Berlin, Ontario Sat, Dec 08, 1894 Page 2 ______________ Moved by Mr. McKay, seconded by Mr. Hagey - That John Shearer be granted the privilege of placing Electric Light poles along the side of the publie highway leading from Blair to Preston, providing said poles are so placed as not to interfere with public traftic or egress to or from any private property. Carried. The Daily Record, Berlin, Ontario, Fri, Nov 30, 1894 Page 2

  
  

• Sources

  [S86] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo South - 1901, Waterloo (South/Sud) G-2 Page 12. [S297] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1881, Page 52. [S272] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1911, Div. 7 Page 14. [S2441] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1891, Section 1 Page 22. [S57] Vit - ON - Birth Registration. William Shearer, b. 20 Jul 1871 E. Whitby, s/o John Shearer, cloth finisher of E. Whitby and Margaret Bingham [S57] Vit - ON - Birth Registration. Name: Annie Shearer Event Type: Birth Event Date: 09 Aug 1883 Event Place: Preston, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Gender: Female Father's Name: John Shearer - finisher Mother's Name: Elizabeth Ebert

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 22 Jul 1849 - Cobourg, Hamilton Twp., Northumberland Co., Ontario Occupation - cloth finisher - 1871 - East Whitby Township, Ontario Co., Ontario Residence - 1871 - East Whitby Township, Ontario Co., Ontario Married - 7 Oct 1880 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Finisher - 1881 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Invention - Machine for Pressing Cloth - 1884 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Cloth Finisher - 1891 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Anglican - 1891 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Electrician - 1901 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Manufacturer, at Home - 1911 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Methodist - 1911 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 10 Sep 1927 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Buried - - Preston Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth