Judge Alphonso Basil Klein

1851 - 1933  (81 years)

• Name	Alphonso Basil Klein
  Prefix	Judge
  Born	11 Sep 1851	Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Interesting	law, life story, public service
  Occupation	1906	Walkerton, Brant Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada
  	judge
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-79360
  Died	23 Feb 1933	San Diego, San Diego, California, United States   [3]
  Buried	Walkerton Cemetery, Walkerton, Bruce Co., Ontario   [2]
  Person ID	I79360	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

  Father	John Klein,   b. 13 Oct 1825, Drusenheim, Alsace Lorraine, Germany ,   d. 18 Nov 1918, Walkerton, Brant Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 93 years)
  Mother	Ludovika Isabella "Louisa" Lang,   b. 5 May 1828, Waitstadt, Baden, Germany ,   d. 23 Feb 1903, Walkerton, Brant Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age 74 years)
  Married	5 Nov 1850	St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church, Maryhill, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  Family ID	F8246	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Alphonso Basil Klein Find A Grave

  
  

• Notes

  Klein, Alphonse Basil, Barrister, Walkerton, Ontario province, was born on the 11th of September, 1851, at the town of Berlin, county Waterloo, Ontario. His father was John Klein, a well-known newspaper writer, and his mother was Ludovika Lang, and were both natives of Baden, Germany, who settled in Canada many years ago. Mr. Klein was educated by his father and in the Berlin Grammar School, and speaks and writes the German language. He commenced to study law in 1868, was admitted to practise as attorney and solicitor in May, 1874, and called to the bar in 1879. He began practice in 1874 in Walkerton, in partnership with W. Barrett, now junior judge of Bruce. The same year he joined the 32nd battalion, Bruce Volunteer Militia, and received the commission of paymaster in the same battalion in June, 1881. During the North-West rebellion, in 1885, his battalion was called out, but after laying at Southampton for a week, it was ordered to return home. Mr. Klein was public school trustee for Walkerton from 1876 to 1883, and was chairman of the hoard in 1882. He was elected mayor of Walkerton for 1883, and re-elected by acclamation to the same office in 1884. He has been president of the Walkerton Horticultural Society for the last four years. Is a member of Branch 46, C.M.B.A., located at Walkerton. Was president of the South Bruce Liberal-Conservative Association in 1884, 1885, 1886 ; and secretary-treasurer from 1874 until 1884,of the same association. He received the unanimous nomination of the Liberal-Conservative party to contest South Bruce in the local elections in 1886 against Mr. O'Connor, the Liberal candi-date, but failed to secure his election. In politics Mr. Klein is a Liberal-Conservative, and in religion a Roman Catholic. He was married on the 9th September, 1879, to Sophia A. Klein, daughter of the late Richard Morden, one of the first settlers in Brant township, near Walkerton. Her father's family were U. E. loyalists, and are of Welsh descent, and in former times were Quakers. Her mother was born in England. The fruit of this marriage has been one daughter Honey. A CYCLOPEDIA OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY: BEING CHIEFLY MEN OF THE TIME. A COLLECTION OF PERSONS DISTINGUISHED IN PROFESSIONAL AND POLITICAL LIFE ; LEADERS IN THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF CANADA, AND SUCCESSFUL PIONEERS. ______________________ HIS HONOR JUDGE KLEIN. WALKERTON, ONT. A distinguished Canadian who claims Berlin as his birth-place, is Alphonse Basil Klein, born at Berlin, Co. Waterloo, on 11th. Sept. 1851. His father, John Klein, is a native of Drussenheim, Alsace, and his mother, Ludwika Lang, the wife of Mr. John Klein, was a native of Waitstadt, Baden, Germany. Mr. A. B. Klein's earliest recollections of Berlin are that he accompanied his father to the little red school house near the old Mennonite burying ground, where Mr. John Klein taught school. Later on he attended the Berlin Public School. In the fall of 1858, he went with his parents, to a farm in Huron Township, Co. Bruce. In the winter time until 1861, his father taught school in Zurich and Baden, he staying with his father. In the winter of 1861, the family moved to Wellesley village, Waterloo Co., where he attended his father's school until May of 1866, when he attended the Grammar School in Berlin. He attended Grammar School in 1866 and 1867. At that time Mr. David Ormiston was the teacher, assisted by Rev. F. W. Tuerk. Among those who attended Grammar School then were Henry Lackner, John Pipe, Albert Tuerk, Louis Ziegler, G. F. Shepley, J. Yeagley, W. Leslie, J. Meldrum, Aaron Shantz, the Misses Simpson, Mary Jane McDougall, Fanny. Jackson, and Fanny Simpson. In the spring of 1867, he went to Chepstowe, Co. Bruce and opened there a general store, under Mr. Wenall Messner for the Messners of Formosa and in the winter of 1868 clerked with the late Ignatius Kormann at Carlsruhe. He had charge of store and post office, while Mr. F. Kormann, now of the Hartley House, Walkerton, conducted Mr. T. Kormann's farm. On the 9th. May 1868, he was articled to Mr. D. W. Ross then Crown Attorney at Walkerton, and commenced to study law. From October 1872 to July 1873, he was a student in the law-office of Mr. W. H. Bowlby, Berlin. He and the late Adolph Mueller and late Fred. Smith, then accountant in the Merchants Bank, Berlin, roomed in Fox's block. He became an attorney in May of 1874 and immediately entered into part-nership with W. Barrett Esq., now senior Judge of Co. Bruce and to whom he was articled after he left Mr. Bowlby's office. The firm of Barrett and Klein remained in existence from May 1874 until November 1882 after which each of the partners carried on a separate law business. He was admitted to the bar in May of 1879. Was president of Conservative Association for a number of years for South Bruce and afterwards for East Bruce. Was gazetted paymaster of 32nd Bruce Batt. which position he held for a number of years and when retired was allowed to do so with the rank of Major and received a long-service medal from the war authorities. His regiment, in May 1885, was ordered to the North West and he left with it, but owing to a misunderstanding the regiment did not reach Winnipeg and returned home after being for four weeks under arms. He was Public School Trustee in. Walkerton from 1877 to 1883, holding during part of that time the position of Secretary and afterwards was Chairman of the board. Was Mayor of Walkerton in 1883 and 1884 and was youngest Mayor Walkerton ever had, and first Mayor of that town ever elected by acclamation, Mr. Klein was made a Queen's Counsel in November 1889 and appointed Junior Judge of the County of Bruce in April 1893, which position he still holds, About a year before this he was offered the same position in the County of Waterloo, but could not accept it owing to the illness of his wife. Was appointed in 1894 Revising Officer for East Bruce, and also for West Bruce. On the death of the late W. A. McLean, Local Master at Walkerton in 1901, he was appointed Local Master of the Supreme Court at Walkerton by the late Ontario Government, and afterwards was appointed a special examiner in his County the Judges of the Supreme Court in Ontario. He was elected Reeve of his town for the years 1892 and 1892, At the unanimous request of two Conservative conventions in 1886, he became a candidate for the Local House in South Bruce in the provincial election of 1886 but was unsuccessful. He is now and has been ever since the County of Bruce Hospital trust was incorporated, the President of the Trust and has taken an active part in the erection and management of the Bruce Hospital at Walkerton. In religion he is a Roman Catholic. Judge Klein has been married twice, the first time to Sophia A., a daughter of Richard and Sarah Morden. She died in 1894, leaving a daughter. In 1898, he married Clara Elizabeth, a daughter of Dr. May of Toronto, by whom he has one daughter. He is the first and only Judge in Canada whose parents were natives of Germany and who also speaks and writes the German language. Berlin 1806-1906, official souvenir

  
  

• Sources

  [S131] Census - ON, Waterloo, Waterloo Twp. - 1851, Div 4 Pg 5. [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188738657/alphonse-basil-klein. [S2130] California Death Index 1905-1939. Alphonse B Klein Birth Year:abt 1852 Death Date:23 Feb 1932 Age at Death:80 Death Place:San Diego, California, US [S91] Church Records - ON, Waterloo, Maryhill - St. Boniface Roman Catholic [found cited on various sources on the internet and family histories], Rev. Joseph Ritter. John Klein s/o Andreas & M. Eva Haus married 5 Nov 1850 to Luisa Lang d/o John & Margaret Wittman, witnesses: Andreas Klein & John Lang

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 11 Sep 1851 - Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - judge - 1906 - Walkerton, Brant Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada Died - 23 Feb 1933 - San Diego, San Diego, California, United States  = Link to Google Earth