Annie Elizabeth Blair (1879 - 1901)

Born 20 May 1879 in Fredericton, York, New Brunswick, Canada

Ancestors

Died 6 Dec 1901 at age 22 in Ottawa, Carleton, Ontario, Canada

Biography

In December 1901, Blair's daughter Bessie drowned while skating on the ill-frozen Ottawa River at a party put on by the Governor-General; Henry Harper dove in to try to rescue her, but drowned as well. His actions are remembered by the statue on Parliament Hill to Sir Galahad.^[1]

Her parents were vacationing for her mother's health in Clifton Springs, New York, at the time. They first learned of her death by reading newspapers.^[2]

Burial in 1901 at Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ottawa Municipality, Ontario, Canada

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_George_Blair
2. ↑ Sad News First Learned From Newspapers Daily Telegraph, Dec 09, 1901

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/MVD2-1FT

• 1881 Canadian census for NB
• https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1881&op=pdf&id=e008131967

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 04 January 2021), memorial page for Annie Elizabeth “Bessie” Blair (20 May 1879–6 Dec 1901), Find A Grave: Memorial #147508705, citing Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ottawa Municipality, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by Bruce Gordon (contributor 48010981) .

• Daughter of Minister of Railways drowned in the Ottawa River Daily Telegraph, Dec 07, 1901

• Sad Drowning at Ottawa The Daily Times, Dec 07, 1901

• Sad Fate of Miss Blair The Daily Gleaner, Dec 07, 1901

• Ottawa Tragedy The Daily Gleaner, Dec 09, 1901