Tims, Frank Dillon, Deputy Provincial Auditor of the Province of Quebec, is a prominent figure in official life at Quebec, and few members of the Civil Service enjoy a larger share of the public respect. He is the youngest son of the late William and Catherine Dillon Tims, and was born in Oldcastle, county Meath, Ireland, on 26th December, 1829. The family came to Canada in 1834, and settled in the city of Quebec, where Mr. Tims, sr., died in 1836 and his widow in 1862. An elder brother of the subject of this sketch, Thomas D. Tims, now occupies the important position of Financial Inspector of the Dominion of Canada, at Ottawa, and their sister, the Reverend Mother St. Catherine, who entered the Monastery of the Ursulines at Quebec many years ago, is still living, after having occupied for two consecutive terms, the longest period permitted by the regulations, the high position of Lady Superior. Our subject was educated at the Seminary of Quebec and the Quebec High School, and subsequently studied law with Charles Alleyn, Q.C., subsequently Provincial Secretary of Canada, and now sheriff of Quebec. Seized with the “gold fever” in 1849, he gave up the study of the law, and on the 12th November, 1849, sailed on the barque Rory O’Moore, the first vessel leaving Canada bound for California, by the way of Cape Horn, finally reaching San Francisco after a five and a half months’ voyage. He remained in California, engaged principally in mining, until the fall of 1851, when he started on his homeward journey down the Pacific coast, stopping at San Juan del Sur and Lake Nicaragua for some weeks and then proceeding to Panama, where he crossed the isthmus and took steamer to New York from Chagres in January, 1852. He reached Quebec in February of the same year, and on the 23rd October following, was married at Sherbrooke, to Caroline Dudley, youngest daughter of the late Captain John Fraser, of H.M. 76th regiment, formerly town mayor of Quebec. He next removed to Upper Canada, where he was principally engaged in mercantile pursuits down to 1857, when he went to Illinois, entered the lumber business for some time, and while there in 1859, was licensed to practice as an attorney and counsellor-at-law in that state. Returning to Canada in 1861, he entered the employ of the late Hon. Jas. Skead, senator, then one of the largest lumber producers of the Ottawa district, where he remained in charge of the business until January, 1868, when he was appointed to the Audit branch of the Treasury department of the province of Quebec, and promoted to the office of Deputy Provincial Auditor in 1884, which he still holds. In religion, Mr. Tims is a Roman Catholic. In 1856, he held a commission as lieutenant and adjutant in the Waterloo (Ont.) Militia. He is a past president of the St. Patrick’s Society of Quebec, and has taken a prominent interest in the progress of the Geographical Society of Quebec, of which he has been the secretary for several years. In this last capacity, he was one of the principal promoters of the government exploring expedition, which was sent out within the last few years to endeavor to solve the mystery surrounding Great Lake Mistassini, in north eastern Canada. By his marriage, he has had issue thirteen children, seven of whom are living, four sons and three daughters. Of the former, three are actually settled in the Canadian North-West, at Swift Current and Beaver Lake, near Edmonton, where they are largely engaged in commercial pursuits. One of them, F. F. Tims, had the honor to be the first to erect a building at Regina, the present capital of the province of Assiniboia. During the late rebellion this son rendered valuable public service in freighting for the troops and in provisioning the Battleford contingent and Mounted Police.
Ostigny, Joseph Henry, Manager of the Bank of Hochelaga, at Joliette, Quebec, was born at St. Hilaire, county Rouville, Quebec, on the 5th of January, 1849. His father, Zephirin Ostigny, was an agriculturist, and lived for more than thirty years in the parish of l’Ange Gardien, county Rouville. His mother’s name was Sophie Montplaisir. The subject of this sketch, when fifteen years of age, told his father of his wish to give up farming, and get his livelihood in some other way. For that he required more education, and through the kindness of a father, who sacrificed his own personal interests to promote those of his children, he was sent to school at St. Césaire from 1863 to 1866, and from 1867 to 1869 at the Jacques Cartier Normal School, at Montreal. In the year 1870, he took the course at the Montreal Business College, and was for nearly two years a professor of that institution. When the Bank of Hochelaga commenced operations, April 6th, 1874, he entered it, and since then has worked up to be manager, which position he has held since January 25th, 1885. In religion he is a Roman Catholic. He was married on February 9th, 1886, to Maria Georgiana Athala Piché, daughter of Urgel Piché, broker, of Joliette.
Ratcliffe, John, was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the 9th September, 1813. His father, Daniel Graham Ratcliffe, was a native of Cumberland, England, but removed to Scotland in early manhood, married Elizabeth Latham, a native of Hamilton parish, Lanarkshire, and spent the remainder of his days mostly in Avondale parish. The father was suddenly cut off in the prime of life, leaving a heavy burden to rest upon the shoulders of his son John, the eldest of the family. Before he had completed his twentieth year, in the spring of 1833, he sought the shores of Canada, in the hope of securing a better home and portion for the family. The township of Whitby, county of Ontario, was the part of Upper Canada to which he was directed. He purchased from the government the north half of lot 6, concession 6, where he settled. The following year the family removed to Canada, where they found a home ready for them. On October 31st, 1836, Mr. Ratcliffe married Margaret Hepburn, eldest daughter of John Hepburn, a native of Lanarkshire, who also came to Canada in 1833. To them were born seven sons and three daughters, all of whom are still alive. The subject of this sketch was a man of more than ordinary ability. Not having educational opportunities beyond a few months in the parish school, his pathway was made more difficult, but this loss was largely compensated for by extensive and careful reading. Time for reading was not abundant in the life of a pioneer, but moments were utilised, and to such good advantage that, having the misfortune to break his leg, he was, during the time of enforced rest from work, chosen to teach a school opened in the neighbourhood. When municipal affairs began to demand attention, he was alive to every question that agitated the public, and occupied a seat at the council board for many years, presiding as reeve over its affairs during the greater portion of the time. In the year 1863 he occupied the warden’s chair, thereafter retiring from public municipal life. For many years he was an active justice of the peace, and in the discharge of the magisterial functions won the respect and confidence of the whole community. During the years that East Whitby was without a township hall, his house was the court-room in which most of the petty trials of the township had a hearing. He always counselled a harmonious settlement of difficulties; and many a quarrel was satisfactorily disposed of, without “going to law,” by having the parties meet and talk over the trouble with him. In politics he was a consistent and pronounced Liberal, and for many years held the honorable and responsible position of president of the South Ontario Reform Association. His name was frequently mentioned when a candidate was to be selected, but he always declined the honor. In religion he was a loyal Presbyterian. With all his interest in public affairs, his relation to the church of Christ, and his responsibility to its Head were never allowed to be interfered with. In the year 1856 he was ordained to the eldership of the United Presbyterian church, which office he adorned until called higher. Only ill-health or absence from home ever kept him from his accustomed place in the house of God, or from his class in the Sabbath school. He was a most successful teacher, personally interested in every member of his class, and many were by his instrumentality led to decide for Christ. In his home he was tender and affectionate, yet firm, and his children remember with gratitude his kindly, wise counsel, and, above all, his Christian instruction and personal example. Suddenly, on March 9th, 1878, he was called to his rest and reward.
Torrington, Frederic Herbert, Organist of the Metropolitan Methodist Church, Toronto, Conductor of the Toronto Philharmonic Society and of the great Toronto Musical Festival, 1886, and without doubt the most prominent executive musician in Canada, was born at Dudley, Worcestershire, England, October 20th, 1837. He commenced playing the violin at the early age of seven years, and as he even then showed marked ability, he was placed under competent musical instructors at Birmingham, and articled, after the good old English fashion, to James Fitzgerald, then organist and choirmaster of St. George’s and Mary’s Churches, Kidderminster. At the age of sixteen he became organist and choirmaster of St. Anne’s Church, Bewdley. In 1857 he left England for Montreal, where he was, immediately on his arrival, appointed organist of Great St. James street Methodist Church, a post which he occupied for twelve years. During this period he founded several vocal societies and the Montreal Amateur Musical Union Orchestra, and was for two years bandmaster of the 25th regiment (regulars). Visiting Boston in September, 1868, he gave a performance on the Great Music Hall organ, which was warmly noticed in Dwight’s Journal of Music and the Boston daily press. Shortly after, at the invitation of P. S. Gilmore, he formed the Canadian orchestral contingent for the first great Boston jubilee. A few weeks after the close of the festival, Mr. Torrington accepted the position of organist at King’s Chapel, Boston, and held it for four years. During this period he was one of the regular solo organists at the Music Hall, one of the first violins in the Harvard Symphony Orchestra, a teacher of the piano at the New England Conservatory of Music, and conductor of six vocal societies. On several occasions he was solo organist at the concerts in Henry Ward Beecher’s church, Brooklyn. In 1873 he came to Toronto, and was appointed organist and choirmaster of the Metropolitan Church, and conductor of the Philharmonic Society. This society was, at this time, in its infancy, and in a languishing condition, but Mr. Torrington’s energy and the enthusiastic music-lovers with whom he was able to surround himself enabled him to develop it into the greatest factor in the musical world of Canada, and into one of the greatest societies on the American continent, as will be shown by a glance at the society’s performances in fourteen years:—“Messiah” (4), “Elijah” (5), “Creation” (3), “Lay of the Bell” (2), “Fridolin” (2), “St. Paul” (2), “Stabat Mater” (2), “May Queen” (3), “Hymn of Praise” (2), “Walpurgis Night,” “Naaman” (2), “Spring’s Message,” “Bride of Dunkerron,” “Judas Maccabæus” (2), “Gypsy Life,” “The Last Judgment,” “Acis and Galatea,” “Preciosa,” “Redemption” (2), “Rose Maiden,” march and chorus (Tannhæuser), “March Cortege” (Reine de Saba), “Crusaders,” “Fair Ellen,” “Rose of Sharon,” “Mors et Vita,” “Spectre’s Bride,” “Golden Legend.” To this imposing list of choral works must be added numerous unaccompanied part songs, and the following orchestral works:—Larghetto, Second Symphony (Beethoven), Larghetto, Jupiter Symphony (Mozart), Surprise Symphony (Haydn), Hymn of Praise Symphony (Mendelssohn), the Maritana, Martha, Oberon and Preciosa overtures, Andante, First Symphony (Beethoven), G minor Concerto (Mendelssohn), Beethoven’s Piano Concerto, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, Arditi’s L’Ingenue Gavotte, and Delibes’ Valse lente e pizzicati, many of these works being heard for the first time in Canada, and some for the first time on this side of the Atlantic. The influence of the Philharmonic Society is most strikingly reflected in the immense improvement in the condition of church choirs throughout the city, and in the establishment of other flourishing vocal societies. But Mr. Torrington’s greatest work in the cause of music was undoubtedly the initiation and successful performances of the great musical festival of 1886. In this a monster chorus of over nine hundred voices, accompanied by an orchestra of one hundred skilled musicians, sang Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” and Gounod’s “Mors et Vita” with a degree of musical splendor that astonished every auditor. The soloists were of world-wide repute, being Fraulein Lilli Lehmann, Mrs. E. Aline Osgoode, Mrs. Gertrude Luther, Miss Agnes Huntington, Mr. Albert L. King, Mr. Max Heinrich, Mr. D. M. Babcock, Mr. Frederic Archer, Mr. Otto Bendix, Mme. Josephine Chatterton, Herr Henry Jacobsen, and Mr. Fred Warrington. Two miscellaneous concerts were also given in which the soloists and orchestra were assisted by a chorus of over one thousand three hundred school children, in whose training he was ably assisted by E. W. Schuch and A. P. Perrin. Mr. Torrington conducted these performances, which have been unparalleled outside of four or five of the largest American cities. The support and interest of the public were most gratifying, the receipts being $13,561.48, yielding a net profit, after all expenses were paid of $599.19, and entirely obviating the necessity of calling on the immense guarantee fund of $35,000. In the respect of being self-sustaining, the festival was unique, this rarely being the case, even in the largest cities of the United States. The ability of the city to provide such immense choral forces, and to support such an undertaking so liberally, may clearly be traced to the confidence placed in Mr. Torrington by the musical public, and to the great influence exerted by his unwearied efforts to advance and popularise the cause of true and pure music in Toronto. Mr. Torrington has laboured assiduously to organise a permanent orchestra in Toronto, and his efforts have been crowned with success; an efficient orchestra of sixty instrumentalists being now one of the chief musical features of the city, and one of its principal musical educators. Mr. Torrington’s wisdom in introducing the amateur element into this orchestra is shown by the fact that a well-balanced band, which is capable of performing oratorio accompaniments, is now in active life in the city. His labors have extended to Hamilton, where, as conductor of the Hamilton Philharmonic Society, he has produced “The Lay of the Bell,” “Messiah,” “Elijah,” “Hymn of Praise,” “Naaman,” “Rose of Sharon,” “The Three Holy Children,” and “Samson.” As conductor of the University College Glee Club, he has produced Mendelssohn’s music to “Antigone,” and Max Bruch’s “Frithjof.” As a composer, he has produced several church services, hymn tunes, organ voluntaries, secular choruses and songs. Mr. Torrington was brought up a member of the Church of England, but has for many years been connected with the Methodist church as organist. He is a Freemason, being a life member of Ionic lodge, Toronto, and is a fellow and gold medallist of the Society of Science, Letters and Art, London, England. He has also been, for the past five years, director of the musical department of the Ontario Ladies’ College, Whitby.
Owens, John, St. John, New Brunswick, an enterprising ship-builder and shipowner, but better known in these latter days as a public spirited and philanthrophic citizen, was born in St. John, New Brunswick, in the year 1790, and died in his native city in the year 1867. The Owens Art Institution of St. John is the outcome of his bequest “to be applied by his executors for the purpose of establishing a gallery, or school of art, for the instruction of young persons in drawing and other works of art.” The fact of this institution having been created without any outside assistance, and of its being operated with the view to be self-sustaining through voluntary support on its merits alone, warrants some reference to the circumstances which led up to its present efficiency as a thoroughly equipped art educational establishment. Hence, it may be said, the amount left for art purposes proving to be quite inadequate to effect the object as set forth, led the executors to believe the testator intended the amount so left to be merely a nucleus, to be added to by other persons desirous of promoting a love for the fine arts. From the outset the money was much sought after, but the fund remained unapplied, in consequence of all propositions for its use being destitute of the practical and financial accompaniments which the executors deemed absolutely necessary for the accomplishment of the object, in accordance with the terms of the will. A church property, together with a limited endowment fund, formed another bequest, vested in five trustees and their successors, the clergyman officiating in the church to be of either the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Independent or Episcopal persuasion. By reason of a combination of restrictions and limitations governing the trust, so much difficulty was experienced in its administration that a cessation of the church services took place in the year 1882, with little prospect of their early renewal. In this state of the two interests it became the opinion of the then sole surviving executor, Robert Reed, and the trustees of the church estate, namely, Robert Reed, Francis Jordan, Thomas Jordan, John Hegan, and Andrew D. Robertson, the latter having succeeded John Duncan, deceased, who was Mr. Owens’ business partner for about forty years, under the firm of Owens & Duncan, that if the several trusts were concentrated upon art, that object which the testator had in view might possibly be carried out; whereupon they joined in an application to the legislature to change the trusts, which was done by an act passed in the session of 1884. Immediately thereafter steps were taken, by the same trustees, to remodel the church edifice into what now appears to be a building thoroughly adapted for the purpose of art education, with the view of making the institution as attractive and as useful as possible under the circumstances; thereby hoping to create a more general interest in the fine arts, the trustees have put forth the whole strength of the means at their command, resulting in the gallery walls being covered with high class work, consisting mostly of examples from the brush of English Royal Academicians and other eminent artists of the present and previous two centuries, besides a very full and complete school outfit of casts from the antique, and drawing examples by leading artists, characteristic of the South Kensington schools. In consequence of the funds being thus exhausted, the institution is now solely depending for its income upon its school fees and a charge for admission to the gallery, but its being thus sustained solely on its intrinsic merits, is a problem now in course of solution. If the experiment succeeds in its aims it will prove to be a new departure in the maintenance of educational establishments of a kindred character. The school is in charge of John Hammond, a native of Montreal, who, in addition to being a professional artist of many years’ standing, has, since his connection with the Owens Art Institution, spent two years in European art study, and his works having been repeatedly hung in the annual exhibition of the Royal Academy of London, and the Paris Salon, gives him rank as among the leading artists of the day. In addition to the patronage from the city and outlying districts of New Brunswick, the school has thus far attracted pupils who have registered respectively from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Maine and Massachusetts.