Nelles, Samuel Sobieski, D.D., LL.D., who died at Cobourg, on the 17th October, 1887, on his sixty-fourth birthday, was born of worthy Methodist parents at Mount Pleasant, near Brantford, Ontario, on 17th October, 1823. He attended the Lewiston Academy, New York, during 1839 and 1840, under the tutorship of the poet, J. G. Saxe, whose peculiarly pungent wit the doctor often rivalled in after life. The year following he entered the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, where he was converted and where he connected himself with the Methodist church. Two years later he became one of the two first matriculating students at Victoria University, Cobourg, the institution that was afterwards to achieve prosperity under his guidance, then presided over by Rev. Egerton Ryerson, D.D. During the two subsequent years spent at Victoria College he obtained a local preacher’s license, and distinguished himself, the venerable Dr. Carroll says, for “intellect and eloquence.” Seeking his degree at an older institution, he graduated at the Wesleyan University, Middleton, Conn., in 1846, and spent the next year as head master of the Newburgh Academy, whence he was recommended to the ministry by the Napanee Quarterly Official Board. In 1847 he was received on trial at Port Hope, and preached during 1848 and 1849 at Toronto East, in the old Adelaide street church, which has since been replaced by the Metropolitan, when he was received into full connection, ordained and sent to London as colleague of Rev. John Carroll, D.D., for the first quarter of 1850. It was then that the church wanted a man to take the presidency of their connexional university at Cobourg, an institution that had been founded in 1837 as an academy, had been created a university in 1841, and was then fighting a hard battle for a precarious existence. Samuel S. Nelles, M.A., was the man unanimously chosen, and taken, sorely against his will, from the London charge early in 1850 and installed as successor to the Rev. Alex. McNabb, D.D., in the president’s chair of Victoria University. From this time forward the career of Dr. Nelles is very closely identified with that of the college to which he fully devoted his best energies, his keen intellect, his marvellous power of management and his ripe culture. Finding the institution financially feeble, he travelled the country with persistent energy, appealing, and seldom in vain, to Methodists to support their college, and its rapid growth and success in keeping abreast with the times are largely due to his untiring labors. Together with the late Rev. Dr. Punshon, he undertook to raise an endowment of $100,000 for the college, and the best comment upon their faithful efforts is that they succeeded in swelling that amount to $150,000. Some ten years ago this indefatigable worker persuaded the people of Cobourg to erect a magnificent science building, known as Faraday Hall. In 1861 he received the honorary degree of D.D. from Queen’s University, which was followed in 1872 by the degree of LL.D. He was elected General Conference representative to the conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, United States, in 1864; and associate representative to the Eastern British American Conference in 1868; to the English Wesleyan Conference with Rev. Dr. Dewart in 1873, and to the British Conference, held in Newcastle, in 1883. The deceased was professor of moral and mental philosophy, as well as president at Victoria College, since his first connection with that institution; and in the University Act, passed at the time of Methodist union, he was created chancellor of the university. The doctor was one of the original framers of the University Federation scheme, and gave it vigorous advocacy by platform and press, but as the face of the scheme was changed, largely because of the defection of other colleges, he withdrew his support. He was married early in life to the eldest daughter of Rev. Dr. Wood, of Davenport, who survives him. Four children have blessed the union, all of whom are living. The only son is now practising law with Cameron & Co., at Tilbury Centre; the eldest daughter is the widow of the late Kenneth Dingwall, an eminent barrister of Hamilton, while the two youngest are still unmarried.
Drolet, Jacques Francois Gaspard, Quebec, Auditor of the Province of Quebec, was born at Quebec on the 23rd January, 1828. His parents were Gaspard Drolet, advocate; and Marie Antoinette LeBlond, daughter of Jacques LeBlond, advocate. He received a full and complete course of classics at the Quebec Seminary. He entered the public service in 1862 in the department of Public Works of Canada; and was appointed auditor of the province of Quebec in 1867, under section 20 of the Treasury Department Act, 31 Vict., cap. 9, province of Quebec; 46 Vict., cap. 4, section 3, 1883, which enacts “that the provincial auditor shall hold office during good behavior, but be removable by the lieutenant-governor upon an address of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly.” He was president of the Institut Canadien in 1859-60. In 1869, he, along with J. W. Dunscomb, collector of her Majesty’s Customs at the port of Quebec, and François Vézina, cashier of La Banque Nationale, were appointed a Board of Commissioners to enquire into and report upon the civil service of the province. In 1875 he was on a commission with J. G. Bossé, Q.C., and James Dunbar, Q.C., to enquire into the settlement of the Quebec Fire Loan; and in 1883 he was appointed a commissioner along with L. Tellier and Lieut.-Colonel A. A. Stevenson, on an enquiry on the public service. He has taken an active interest in the Volunteer movement; and during the Trent difficulty held the rank of captain in the 7th battalion of Chasseurs. Mr. Drolet is a member of the Roman Catholic church, and holds the position of church warden. He was married at Montreal, in August, 1850, to Marie Louise Eugénie, daughter of the Hon. Jean Casimir Bruneau, judge of the Superior Court, and niece of the Hon. F. P. Bruneau, one of the Legislative councillors appointed by Lord Sydenham in 1841, and of Dr. Bruneau, for a number of years professor and lecturer of McGill College, Montreal. The living issue of this marriage is three sons and three daughters. The eldest son is Joseph Eugène, advocate; Jean Casimir, Roman Catholic priest; third son, Joseph Charles Gaspard, captain in the 9th battalion Quebec Rifles. Captain Joseph C. G. Drolet went through the North-West campaign with his regiment, and is now adjutant of the Royal School of Mounted Infantry at Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Whitney, Henry A., Moncton, New Brunswick, Mechanical Superintendent of the Intercolonial Railway, was born at St. Stephen, New Brunswick, on the 11th February, 1834. His parents were Beriah Whitney and Lucy Hall, and both were descended from very early settlers in America. The first of the Whitney family emigrated from Wales, England, about the year 1640, and settled in the state of Connecticut. Of the mother’s progenitors, the Howland branch came over with the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620; and the Hall branch emigrated from Hull, England, about 1650, and made their home on Long Island. Henry A. Whitney received a common school education at St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and at Calais, Maine. As early as 1852 he began his connection with railways, and with the exception of a short interval in the years 1853-4, has been in the railway service ever since. During these thirty years he has occupied various positions on government railways, such as foreman, engine driver, shop hand, locomotive foreman, and is now mechanical superintendent of the Intercolonial Railway. He has been obliged to change his residence several times since he began his useful career, having removed from St. Stephen to Moncton in 1857; to St. John in 1858; to Shediac in 1861; and lastly to Moncton in 1872, where he has since resided. In politics Mr. Whitney takes little interest; but in religion he may be classed among the Universalists, having held, from youth up, that our Heavenly Father will finally bring all his erring children home to his house of many mansions. He was married on the 13th of December, 1861, to Margaret J. Lindsay, of St. John, New Brunswick. This lady died on the 22nd May, 1872. On the 5th of May, 1874, he was married to his second wife, Henrietta Elliott, of Moncton, New Brunswick.
Fitch, Edson, Manufacturer, Quebec, Grand First Principal of Royal Arch Masonry in the province of Quebec, is a native of Glen’s Falls, New York state, having been born there in 1838. He is a direct descendant of Governor Thomas Fitch, who was governor of the colony of Connecticut, in 1756, under the reign of George II. The family is one of the oldest in the United States. They were originally from Eltham, county of Kent, England, and came to America, landing in Boston, Mass., in 1634. The homestead of the governor, in Norwalk, Conn., is still in possession of the family, being owned by the subject of this sketch and his sister. Mr. Fitch received his educational training in his native parish. In 1861 he entered the American army as a lieutenant, and was at once sent to the front on active service. During the winter of 1862-3 he received a commission as captain, and was present with General McClellan during the peninsular campaign, and took part in all the principal engagements until the first day’s fight in the battle of the Wilderness, 5th May, 1864, when he was severely wounded, having been shot through the body. This confined him to the rear for about three months, at the end of which time he returned to his post, where he remained till the close of 1864, when, his time having expired, he was mustered out of the service. He was on staff duty most of the time, having been in twenty-seven engagements, fighting under Generals McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, Meade and Grant. When he returned from the service he held the position of acting assistant inspector-general and chief of staff of the first brigade of the second division of the Second Army Corps. On that occasion he received the following flattering letter: —
Head-Quarters 1st Brigade
2nd Div. 2nd Army Corps,
Army of the Potomac, near Petersburg, Va.