Jessie Carnegie Gibson (1896 - 1966)

Born 19 Sep 1896 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

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Biography

Jessie Carnegie Gibson is born on September 19, 1896, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her parents are Thomas Gibson (1866-1964) and Margaret Burgess (1867-1947) [1][2]. Her father, Thomas, is a lawyer. On her father’s side of the family, Jessie’s ancestors include some of the early Scottish settlers who homesteaded in Scarborough Township (now a part of the city of Toronto). Her paternal great grandfather and her great-great grandfather arrived from Scotland in 1820. Her mother, Margaret Gourley Burgess, was born in Ontario and her parents were both born in Scotland.

Jessie can be found in the 1901 census records as a four-year old child living with her family in north Toronto [3]. And she is in the 1911 census at the age of 14 living with her parents and three siblings in north Toronto [4].

Jessie marries John Robert Cartwright on October 8, 1915. They have one child:

• Margaret (“Peggy”) Cartwright 1920-1919 + (1941) John Daniel Leitch 1921-2020

The family can be found in the 1921 census records, living at 24 Harbord Street in Toronto [5]. The baby Margaret is eight months old. Today, 24 Harbord Street is essentially within the University of Toronto campus.

John Robert Cartwright is appointed to the Supreme Court in 1949 and becomes the Chief Justice in 1967. Jessie dies the year before he is appointed the Chief Justice and she is buried in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto [6].

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Sources

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson shows Jessie as the 2nd child of Thomas Gibson & Margaret Burgess. It shows her spouse as John Cartwright and it shows one child: Margaret + J.D. Leitch.

[2] "Canada Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F2XR-JZR : 16 December 2019), Jessie Carnegie Gibson, 1896. Jessie Carnegie Gibson was born on 19 Sept 1896 in Toronto, Ontario. Her parents were Thomas Alexander Gibson and Margaret Gourlay Burgess. Thomas Alexander is a barrister. The residence looks like 66 Howard Street.

[3] 1901 census, Ontario, 129 York E., Toronto North, pg 12, household 133: Thos. A. (34), born June 22, 1866 lawyer; Margrett B. (33), born e Sept 1867; Ralph B. (6), born 15 Sept 1894; Jessie C. (4), born 19 Sept 1896; Aubrey (1), born 19 Nov 1899 ; [?] Matthews (25), servant. All Gibson family members are labelled “Scotch” and their religion is Pres[Presbyterian] (the servant is English and Methodist). The column “can speak French” has a check mark for Thos. A. (his mother tongue is English).

[4] 1911 census, Ontario, 138 North Toronto, pg 28, household #97: Thos A. Gibson (45) born June 1866; Margret L. (42) born Sep 1868; Ralph R.(16) , born Sep 1895; Jessie C., (14); John A. (11) born Nov 1900; Thomas G. (3) born Apr 1907; Helena (3 months) born Feb 1911; Dorothy Murell (22) domestic; Nellie Lochart (37) nurse. The address looks like 2165 Yonge St. Thomas A. is a Barrister. It shows total earnings of $3,000/yr but then this number has been crossed out. Ralph, Jessie and John A. are all in school.

[5] 1921 census, Ontario, 130 Toronto ward 4, pg 1, family #9: John R. Cartwright (26), barrister; Jessie (24); Margaret B. (8 months). John and Margaret are English; Jessie is “Scotch.” John goes to the Church of England; Jessie and Margaret are Presbyterian. Their address is 24 Harbord Street.

[6] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/161622450/jessie-cartwright: accessed 17 August 2022), memorial page for Jessie Gibson Cartwright (1896–1966), Find a Grave Memorial ID 161622450, citing Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by LMK (contributor 47573469).

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Fred Nix for creating Gibson-4521 on 5 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Fred and others. This biography was prepared by Fred Nix in October 2022. Fred and Jessie are second cousins, twice removed.