Re: George Kingston
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In reply to:
George Kingston
Tara Charlton 6/10/10
By the way, that George Kingston came from London, England may be incorrect. His brother, Joseph N. Kingston, was a master weaver from Manchester, England who also, about 1853, came to New Brunswick and seems to have left family there. Other brothers were William and John Kingston.
Thomas
Of George Kingston, John Wood has a brief article, "The Textile Mill at Geary, N.B.", which appears at:
http://johnwood1946.wordpress.com/tag/morrow/http://johnwood1946.wordpress.com/tag/morrow/
Part of this reads:
"George Kingston lived on the South Branch Oromocto and had a brother, Joseph, in England. Joseph had the financial means and experience necessary to start up a textile business. The province sent a group to a London trade show in 1851 and, by the winter of 1853-54, Joseph Kingston was in New Brunswick with plans to build a steam powered cotton mill somewhere on the Oromocto.
"George Morrow was a big-time lumber merchant from French Lake, and controlled all of the timber on the Rockwell Stream through Geary and all the way back into what is now Camp Gagetown. William Smith was also a timber merchant and, at that time, owned the saw mill that Morrow had first established on the Rockwell Stream in Geary. Morrow and Smith donated land to Kingston’s project and the steam-powered cotton and woolen manufactory was built here. The factory had two stories, with a cotton works on the upper level and a woollen mill below. This, in Geary, was the first cotton mill in New Brunswick and only the third in Canada.
"Kingston anticipated that he would run short of operating capital and, in 1854, applied for a grant from the province. Charles H. Clowes, JP, and 220 other Sunbury Countymen signed a petition supporting Kingston’s application. The province then appointed a committee to look into the merits of the application and their chairman, the powerful William Scoullar reported that there were twelve looms in operation weaving cotton cloth; two in weaving cotton and wool satinette; one in weaving cheek; one warping mill; two winding machines and one frame mill. Kingston had told them that he also had several looms on board ship in Saint John which he intended adding to the establishment. The committee recommended a grant of £200, but this was never forthcoming and by 1861 the operation was out of money. Kingstonfirst tried to mortgage the business but soon had to liquidate it. The mill was closed and the machinery was moved to a new mill (Park’s cotton mill) in Saint John.
"Fred McGrand wrote a book in 1967 about Sunbury and Queens Counties. In it, he recounted that at least one marriage occurred between workers at the mill, and that was between Thomas Harper and Mary Kingston, the owner’s niece."
It is clear from the 1851 census that George Kingston was in New Brunswick several years prior to Joseph Kingston. Perhaps this may be why Joseph Kingston sought to attempt his enterprise in Sunbury Co. What is ironic is that, not too long afterwards, a very profitable cotton mill was built up the Nashwaak River, not too far from Sunbury Co.
By 1881, George Kingston, (74, b. England, Free Christian Baptist) was still a 'Taylor', a widower and living with him was a widow, Mary 'Paterson' (73, b. England, Free Christian Baptist.) They lived in Gladstone Parish and it is thought that George had it in mind to marry again, perhaps to Mrs. Patterson, but was refused.
Kingston Hill is apparently in the Royal Borough of Kingston, Surrey, within the limits of present-day London. That the kingston came from there may be in question. For example, the 22OCT1864 issue of the Saint John, "New Brunswick Courier", had an announcement:
"d. Saturday morn., age 15, Emma Mitchell granddaughter of Joseph N. Kingston, Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, natives of Manchester, England. Her remains will leave 119 Union St. 8 o'clock Monday morn. to Indiantown for interment in Burton parish"
This suggests another place of origin. The Saint John, "The Daily Telegraph", has in its 19JUN1876 edition:
"d. Oromocto 15th May, Joseph N. Kingston, age 74, native of Manchester, England, left wife and family."
This certainly seems to be George's brother as described above. There is a book, "British Technology and Europe Industrialization: The Norwegian Textile Industry in the Mid Nineteenth Century", Kristine Bruland, Cambridge University Press, 2003. On pages 114-5 it describes events in Christiana (Oslo), Norway when Halvor Schou of the Hjula Weaving Company made attempts to foster a textile industry. Apparently an early attempt was made about MAR1850 when Joseph Kingston was hired by Schou as a weaving master. Included was Joseph's son, Jonathan. Also, Joseph's daughter, Emma was mentioned as Scho paid for her trip to Norway OCT1850 Joseph returned to England MAY1853. This Joseph also had a brother, William, who was in England OCT1852, possibly recruiting workers for Schou. In FEB 1854 James Townsend sends supplies (healds, reed and bobbins) to Joseph Kingston in the USA. This would be about the time Joseph Kingston arrived in New Brunswick. Another brother was John Kingston.
Certainly George's son, William Kingston [358A] who 1st married Sally's cousin, stated in his 2nd marriage that he was from Manchester and born there. He also stated that his mother was Mary.