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146 Bayswater

Figure 88

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David Cuthbertson's Personal Life let us go then you and i when the evening is spread out across the sky
David Cuthbertson married Margaret Whillans in 1860. He had certainly moved to Ottawa by this point, because Margaret grew up in the Hurdman’s Bridge area. They seemed to be a happy couple, and David certainly trusted her business sense. In 1908, he published a personal notice in the Ottawa Citizen that he would not honour any debts in his name without the signature of either himself or his wife. They remained together until Margaret’s death in 1924. Her death at 75 was due to paralysis after a period of ill health. David survived her by only two years. They attended Chalmers Church, previously Bank St. Presbyterian. Their denomination is reflected by their interment in Beechwood Cemetery.
They had eight children together: Edmond Lorne Cuthbertson, Mary Elizabeth Rochester, Janet Isobel Mason, Thomas Alexander Cuthbertson, Norman Oliver Cuthbertson, Clifford Henderson Cuthbertson, and Ethel Christena Chamberlain. Sadly, two of David’s sons predeceased him. Edmond Lorne died at 22, on Friday, April 7, 1905. His death was due to spinal meningitis after suffering lung trouble for nine years despite every treatment available at that time. Thomas Alexander died at 35 in New York City from heart failure. He had married Frances Adeline Mortimer in July 1913, and they had a baby girl named Frances Margaret. When he was in New York City in 1915, his wife received a telegram saying that he was seriously ill; only half an hour later, she received another telegram telling of his death.

The Cuthbertsons lived in many places over the years. 146 Bayswater was one of their very first houses, and they lived there when it was still called Fourth Avenue. During this time, his daughters Mary and Janet married their husbands and the house burned down from the Great Fire of 1900. They moved to 100 Concession St. (now Bronson Ave), where a burglar briefly broke in but did not steal anything. This is attributed to the fact that the family was all at home: perhaps the burglar assumed that they would be at their cottage in Norway Bay. It is while the family was on Bronson that both his sons Edmond and Thomas died. David and Margaret moved to 710 Echo Drive in 1915—their children seem to have all moved out at this point, with the possible exception of Clifford. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary there on January 20, 1920. This home received a lot of attention, because in 1922, it was sold to the Hon. James Murdock, the Minister of Labour. David received $20,000 for the house, which is the rough equivalent of $350,000. He held the mortgage on this house, probably until his death. The final home of the couple was 125 Broadway Avenue.

During the war, Clifford Henderson served for several years overseas. After enlisting with the Athletes of 207th Battalion, he was reported as wounded in action in 1918.
The Cuthbertson children mostly remained in Ottawa throughout their parents’ lifetimes. The exceptions were Clifford Henderson and Thomas Alexander. Clifford Henderson is reported to have lived in Minaki, Ontario at the time of his mother’s death, then in Ottawa at the time of his father’s death, and then again in Toronto only a month afterwards. This constitutes three moves over the course of two years. Thomas Alexander seems to have moved to Toronto after his marriage to Frances Adeline. He also, at one point, is mentioned as having lived in Vancouver. Frances remained in Toronto with their daughter at least until the death of David Cuthbertson.

The death days of the Cuthbertson children are as follows:
Janet Isobel Mason: December 20, 1943
Mary Elizabeth Rochester: March 17, 1955
Clifford Henderson Cuthbertson: May 12, 1957
Norman Oliver Cuthbertson: June 24, 1958
Ethel Christena Chamberlain: November 25, 1971

David Cuthbertson left his estate divided between his five surviving children and granddaughter Frances, giving her the share which would have been given to her father Thomas. His estate totaled $32, 847, which is the equivalent of well over $500,000 today. This was divided between mortgages he held in Ontario and Québec, properties in his hometown Bristol and Nepean Township, savings account, and Dominion of Canada bonds.

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Margaret Cuthbertson dies "Mrs. Margaret C. Cuthbertson died last night at her home, 125 Broadway avenue after a lingering illness in her 75th year. Death was due to paralysis.”

At this point, one each of her sisters and brothers had died.

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Son Edmond Lorne dies on April 5 “The death occurred Wednesday of Edmond Lorne Cuthbertson, at 100 Bronson avenue of spinal meningitis. The young man was twenty-two years of age and the third son of David Cuthbertson. He had been a sufferer from lung trouble for the last nine years and although everything had been done to effect a cure, including several trips to the northwest, the disease gradually grew on him.”

Edmond is described as accomplished, a great reader, of genial disposition, and popular among his friends. When his sister Ethel gave birth to a son in the September of the same year, she named him Edmund Lorne after her brother.

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David Cuthbertson dies “One of the best known early contractors of Ottawa, David Cuthbertson, 125 Broadway avenue, died in a local hospital this morning at the age of 84, following an illness which became acute about two weeks ago.”

David Cuthbertson was interred in Beechwood cemetery.

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