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Ireland family fonds
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95 cm of textual records. -- 52 photographs. -- 1 audio cassette
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Name of creator
Biographical history
Thomas Ireland was born in 1844, in London, England. His wife, Amelia (nee Fair), also from London, was born in 1846. In 1869, they were married, and later, in 1874, emigrated to Canada with their 5 children. They landed in Hamilton, Ontario, where Thomas began work as an accountant for the C.P.R, before heading west to a posting at Regina. The family then moved to Medicine Hat in 1883, and lived in their first home which was a CPR cook car. In 1903, they moved to 2nd Street and the family lived there for 75 years. Thomas opened a small brewery believed to have been somewhere near the Central Block on Main (2nd) Street, in 1885, to support his family. His business was named the Saskatchewan Brewery, after the South Saskatchewan River which supplied water for brewing. Unfortunately, the bewery was forced to shut down by the Department of Inland Revenue after only 2 years in operation. Thomas died at his home 5 years later, of heart failure, on September 16, 1892, at the age of 48. Mr. Ireland was the first person buried in the Anglican section of the old Hillside Cemetery, by Seven Persons Creek. Thomas and Amelia had a total of 9 children: Thomas, Annie, Helen, Ada, Henry "Harry", Jessie, Alfred, Margaret and Francis. In December 1885, Jessie died "after a painful illness"; the following year, Francis died at the age of 20 months. Annie passed away at the age of 30, in January of 1902. Miss Margaret "Maggie" Ireland was born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1881. Maggie attended school in Medicine Hat's first school at St. John's Church, and later attended Toronto Street School before receiving approval to enter Normal School, which she did not attend. Her first job was at the Post Office where she worked for 7 years under Post Master Francis F. Fatt. By 1927, she was employed by Dr. Charles Smyth as a receptionist and for Dr. MacCharles, eventually becoming the first Manager of the Medical Clinic. Maggie retired from this posting at age of 80 years. She died in Medicine Hat on November 6, 1969, and is remembered as being one of Medicine Hat's most beloved characters. Unfortunately, little is known about the other children of Thomas Ireland. Son Harry was employed as the Assistant Postmaster at the local post office (date unknown), and later, as a bookkeeper for Tweed and Ewart in 1896, and as an accountant.
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Scope and content
The fonds consists of: school notebooks used by Maggie Ireland (1898), and Harry Ireland (1891); O.S. scrapbook of greeting cards (undated); loose greeting cards (9) (1879-1881, 1895-1896); folder and book of pressed wildflowers (undated); calendars (6) (1902); calendars adv- ertising Lancefield Bros. and Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad (2) (1881); O.S. ledgers of H. Ireland financial records (6) (1907-1911); clinic records (1916-1918, 1908-1911, 1917-1925); Drowning Ford Ranch Co. Power of Attorney from Amelia Ireland to H.W. Ireland (1909); share certificates issued to H.W. Ireland for Western N.E. Osage Petroleum Co. (1904), Midway Goldfield- Bullfrog Co. (1905), Drowning Ford Ranch (1915), Alberta South Eastern Telephone Co. Ltd. (1907), Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club (1913), Reliance Coal Mining Co. (1908), Gas Power Land Co. (1913), Southern Alberta Navigation Co. Ltd. (1907), The Ellis Land Co. (1914); memorial cards for the following: Isabella Niblock (1890), Elizabeth McFarlane (undated), Thomas Bassett Sr. (1891), Amelia Bennett (undated), Martha Clark (1894), Annie Colter (undated but believed to be 1895), Adaline Cuzner (undated), George Dyer (1894), Marion Eddy (1893), John Ewart (1893), Alfred Ford (1893), Caleb Fox (undated), Ann Green (1894), William Harper (1892), Annie Ireland (1902), Thomas Ireland (2) (1892), Frederick Marshall (1895), Infant son of Harmond and Elizabeth Mott (1895), John O'Dell (1894), Dr. Olver (1891), Jemime Payton (1900), Dr. J.B. Peters (1895), Ferdinand Schleifer (1895), Mrs. James Sanderson (undated), Mable Timmons (undated), Samuel Tom (1896), Ada Reynolds (1895), Harriet Harper (1885), Mary Leonard (1891), Rose Markwick (1883), Ivy Bently (1896), Reginald and Arthur Markwick (1886), Maria Davis (1891); memorial poem for William Muir, Robert Long, Benjamin French (1899); A.O.F. dance card (undated); Masonic Lodge dance card (undated); Medicine Hat Bicycle Club dance card (1895); Medicine Hat dance card (1886); menu for News Years Eve Ball for Brotherhoods of Locomotive, Firemen and Railway Brakemen (1889); dance card for 2nd Annual Ball and Supper, Brotherhood of Locomotive, Firemen and Railroad Trainmen (1901); program cover First Annual Ball of Medicine Hat Bicycle Club (1894); invitations addressed to T.W. Ireland and ladies First, Second and Third Annual Balls, Medicine Hat Bicycle Club (1894, 1895, 1897); wedding invitation for marriage of Annie Bassett and T.R. Flett (1901); invitation addressed to Annie Ireland for First Annual Oddfellows Ball (1890); invitation addressed to Thomas and Annie Ireland for Pleasure Hour Club (undated); invitation addressed to Annie Ireland to Brotherhood Ball (1889); invitation addressed to Annie Ireland for First Annual C.P.R. employees Ball (1893); invitation for 2nd Annual C.P.R. employees Ball (1893); wedding invitation addressed to Miss Ireland from Miss Nelson and Mr. J. Clark (undated); festival celebration invitation addressed to Thomas Ireland and ladies for Masonic Lodge (undated); program for annual supper of A.O.F. (1896); ticket and programme for Hope and Port Hope Exhibition for Miss M. Ireland and friend (1903); invitation to Ball addressed to Mr. L. Morris for Medicine Hat Lacrosse Club (1903); inviation to an "at home" addressed to T.W. Ireland and ladies for Oddfellows (1895); fund raising brochure re: Indian Boarding School at Medicine Hat, N.W.T. (2 pgs) (ca. 1890); a certificate of Grand Lodge of Manitoba issued to Harry Ireland (1902); scrapbooks of postcards compiled by Maggie Ireland (3) (1905-1907); Medicine Hat Public School Christmas Cards (2) (1892 and 1896); Christmas card from Canadian Railway Troops (1918); Canadian Soldiers songbook (1916); family photographs of the Ireland family and a small photo album with 85 small photographs (1883-1909); 1 audio cassette interview with Margaret Ireland (1951).
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Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Gifts of the Maggie Ireland Estate, May 28, 1969, the Maggie Ireland Estate via Neil Rutherford, September 13, 1969, the Maggie Ireland Estate via Don Lefever, December 16, 1969, Carol Porter, 1987, and Dorothy Langdon, June 23, 1980. 0525 -- Unknown donor.
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- The material is in English.
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Associated materials
Ireland and Rutherford biography files. M91.7.1 M77.35.1 M78.39.16 M82.15.14 M78.24.53 Sprague scrapbook.
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General note
Record No. M69.2;M69.4;M69.5;M69.104.1-.6;M69.105-107;M69.11.1-.6;*M69.9;M69.87;M87.116.1;M78.24.3;M69.125.2-.28;M69.126.2-.23;M88.24.1-.3;M80.15.1-.11;M69.80-.86;M69.108;M74.121;C1.1;P 0085;P 0525.0200, 0240<br><br>
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- Ireland (family) (Subject)
- Ireland, Maggie (Subject)