Alexander Edward Ashenhurst (1905 - 1987)

Born 8 Sep 1905 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Lois Ursula Haviland (Brown) Ashenhurst — married 4 Apr 1935 (to 15 Sep 1987) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died 15 Sep 1987 at age 82 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile managers: G. MacKay [send private message] and Patricia McKee [send private message]

Biography

Dr. Alexander Edward Ashenhurst, known to his family and friends as Alex, was a dedicated physician who spent 50 years practicing medicine in West Toronto. Born on September 8, 1905, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he was the second child of Alexander and Emily (Cornwall) Ashenhurst. His sister Izet was much older, being 14 years old when Alex was born, and he grew up in a family that had moved from the farming tradition of their ancestors in Northern Ireland to the bustling city life of Toronto.

Alex Ashenhurst's family lived in various locations on Toronto's east side as he was growing up. In 1919, he enrolled at the University of Toronto, where he was also active in football. After completing his education, he interned at St. Joseph's Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children in the early 1930s. In 1932, he opened his own family medical practice on Annette Street in Toronto, where he served the community for many years.

On April 4, 1935, Alex Ashenhurst married Lois Ursula Haviland Brown, a registered nurse. They had four children together: Sandra MacKay, Alex, Jim, and the late Marcella Joyce. Dr. Ashenhurst was not only known for his professional dedication but also for his love and care for his family. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and his family meant the world to him.

Dr. Ashenhurst's career as a physician was marked by his commitment to his patients and his community. He served as a trusted healthcare provider for generations of families in West Toronto, and his expertise and compassion earned him a reputation as a caring and skilled physician. He was known for his strong work ethic, which was deeply ingrained in his soul, and he worked tirelessly to provide the best care possible to his patients.

Outside of his medical practice, Dr. Ashenhurst had a lifelong interest in his family's history and ancestry. He traced his roots back to his farming ancestors in Northern Ireland and was proud of his heritage. He was also known for his wit and sense of humor, often making others laugh with his clever remarks and anecdotes.

After a lengthy illness, Dr. Alexander Edward Ashenhurst passed away peacefully on September 15, 1987, at McMaster University Medical Centre. He was survived by his beloved wife Lois, his children, and his grandchildren. A private family service was held at Norval Cemetery, and he was laid to rest among his ancestors. Dr. Ashenhurst's legacy as a compassionate and dedicated physician, a loving husband and father, and a proud steward of his family's history continues to be cherished by those who knew him.

Birth

September 8, 1905

Toronto, Ontario, Canada^[1]

Marriage

Marriage between Alexander E. Ashenhurst & Lois U. H. Brown^[2]

Date: April 4, 1935

Place: Toronto, Ontario

Groom: Alexander Edward Ashenhurst

Occupation: Physician

Age: 29

Religious Denomination: Anglican

Residence: 665 Annette St., Toronto, Ontario

Birth place: Toronto, Ontario

Mother: Emily Cornwall

Father: Alexander Ashenhurst, b. Ontario

Bride: Lois Ursula Haviland Brown

Occupation: Registered Nurse

Age: 26

Religious Denomination: Baptist

Residence: 17 Biggar Ave., Toronto, Ontario

Birth place: Toronto, Ontario

Mother: Helen Edy

Father: Harry William Brown, b. Ontario

Witnesses: Izet V. Leggett, 235 Riverside Drive; Helen Brown, 17 Bigger Ave.

Census Data

1911 Census - 39 Langley, Toronto, Ontario^[3]

Alex Ashenhurst -- 45 (June 1865) b.Ontario, Anglican, Office Manager Sheet Metal Works, Earnings $2000

Emily "Annette" Ashenhurst -- 44 (Nov 1866) b.Ontario, Anglican

Izet I. Ashenhurst -- 20 (Sept 1890) b.Ontario, Anglican, Music

Alex Ashenhurst -- 5 (Sept 1905) b.Ontario, Anglican

James L. Cornwall -- 39 (Oct 1871) b.Ontario, Anglican

1921 Canadian Census - 39 Langley Avenue, Toronto East, Ward 1, Ontario (Single brick home 8 rooms occupied)^[4]

Alex Ashenhurst - 58 (1863) b. Ontario; Parents b. Ireland; O. Fin. Sect'y, Sir E. Kemp; Earnings: $2400

Emily M. Ashenhurst- 53 (1868) b. Ontario; Father b. Ireland; Mother b. Ontario

Izet I. Ashenhurst - 27 (1874) b. Ontario

Alex E. Ashenhurst - 15 (1906) b. Ontario

James L. Cornwall (brother-in-law) - 50 (1871) b. Ontario; Father b. Ireland; Mother b. Ontario; o. Unemployed

Lifespan Residences

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

110 Amelia St. (1905-1911)

39 Langley Ave. (1911-1919) St. Andrew's College.

37 Playter Blvd. (1919-1927)

158 Glenrose Ave. (1928-1929)

482-6 Oriole Pkwy. (1930-1931)

665 Annette St. (1932-1941)

232 High Park Ave. (1941-1977)

10 Robin Hood Rd. (1977-1982)

Dundas, Ontario, Canada

101 Governor's Road (Dundas, Ontario) (1982-1987)

Interview

Source: Alexander E. Ashenhurst (1905-1987) and Lois Ashenhurst (1909-1992) in a conversation recorded in 1975 with their son Alec. Recording transcribed by G. Patrick MacKay

ALEX Jr. – “Well, where did you live in the east end of Toronto?”

ALEX Sr. – “Well I was born at 110 Amelia Street, which was the street where a cop was shot the other day.”

ALEX Jr. – “Oh yeah.”

ALEX Sr. – “And when I was six we moved to 39 Langley Avenue and we lived there until about 1919, I guess. And then we moved – we sold that house and moved up to 37 Playter Boulevard and we lived there for I guess seven or eight years anyway, and then they sold that house and we moved up into a house on Glenrose Avenue – it’s up in Moore Park, and when I was going through medicine I lived there, and then they got rid of that place and moved into a house 486 Oriole Parkway just below Eglinton. and they were very happy living there. And then when I started in practice – I interned first of all at the General and then at Sick Kids. Then when I started practice they rented this place at the corner of Annette and Windemere; that’s where I started my practice.”

ALEX Jr. – “Well you interned an extra year a Sick Children’s, didn’t you?”

ALEX Sr. – “Yeah. I was a junior intern at Sick Kids…”

LOIS – “And you took a Locum Tenens up in Huntsville…”

ALEX Sr. – “Oh, after I interned at Sick Kids I took a Locum Tenens up in Huntsville for six weeks from Dr. Evans. And I did quite a bit of work up there for about six weeks.”

LOIS – “They paid a dollar a mile for every call.”

ALEX Sr.- “Oh yeah, I went all over the place, I can find about 15 people in houses up there.”

LOIS – “If you want anything from my family, Alec, it’s all written down.”

ALEX Jr. – “Well, what happened – I have a vague memory of going over to Niagara Falls just towards the end of the war.”

LOIS – “Oh, he was in the army.”

ALEX Sr. -- “Oh, well during the last war I was a medical examiner for the recruiting and I did that for two or three years, and I was also…”

ALEX Jr. – “Well what did you do during that time, were you based in Niagara Falls?”

ALEX Sr. – “Oh no, I was working down at the Exhibition grounds as a medical examiner in the medical boards, but I was also the medical officer for Second Divisional Signals. So I went down there twice a week examining recruits for them but we had to go over to Niagara Falls, the camp there at Niagara-on-the-lake, and I went there a couple of years, and then I had to qualify as a Captain, so I took a two week course over there and qualified…”

ALEX Jr. – “Well what were you doing over in Niagara Falls?”

ALEX Sr. – “Well I was a medical officer there for the Second Divisional Signals.”

LOIS – “…unload the garbage pails.”

ALEX Jr. – “Yeah, you weren’t there all the time.”

ALEX Sr. – “No, I was just there for two weeks each Summer. And we had to inspect the camp and…”

LOIS – “…the garbage.”

ALEX Sr. – “But then I had to qualify and took the course to be a third degree driver for the Army, I think it was, and be able to drive a truck or some darn thing. That was about the military. I could never qualify to get in the active Army because I had this darn psoriasis.“

ALEX Jr. – “I remember something too about the war -- you closing the windows at nighttime, and I can barely remember it, but what we had were black outs…”

ALEX Sr. – “We had black outs, and you had to put that black paper over the windows, and you couldn’t have any lights on and if you did, why the wardens came along would check on you.”

LOIS – “they’d burn fires in the street, remember? and we sat in the hall. Tell him.”

ALEX Sr. – “Well I bought two or three of those Coleman lanterns because we were supposed to turn all our lights out.”

LOIS – “We had the lights on in the hall during the black out because we had everything blackened, but they turned the power off for three, four hours a night.”

ALEX Sr. – “Conserving electricity.”

ALEX Jr. – “That was during the war, though.”

ALEX Sr. – “Oh yes.”

ALEX Jr. – “I remember you getting those lanterns. I must have been five, but I remember getting them.”

ALEX Sr. – “We bought about about three of them and I gave one of them to the Sewell’s, I guess. And I think I took one of them up to uncle Cecil’s cabin. They were a good lantern. You had to preheat the generator with…”

ALEX Jr. – “Metho-alcohol?”

ALEX Sr. – “Metho-alcohol and then you’d use coal. They were darn good lanterns.”

LOIS – “Remember Temagami, and he put it on the trunk.”

ALEX Jr. – “I remember Temagami.”

LOIS – “And he spilled it all over, and set fire to the trunk.”

ALEX Jr. – “I remember Temagami too. You went up to the 24th of May with a skyrocket, sitting on the big dock. That was about 1945, wasn’t it?”

ALEX Sr. – “About ’45, yeah.”

Death Notice

Death Notice for Alexander Ashenhurst: (Pysician for 50 years in West Toronto), Died peacefully after a lengthy illness at McMaster University Medical Centre on Tuesday, September 15, 1987. Dear husband of Lois, father of Sandra MacKay, Alex, Jim and the late Marcella Joyce. Grandfather of David, Susan, Graeme and Daniel MacKay, Jim and Andrew Ashenhurst, Shawna and Samatha Ashenhurst and Tom and Patricia Joyce. A private family service took place at Norval Cemetery. (Toronto Star – October 10, 1987)

Eulogy

Delivered by Dr. Alex W. Ashenhurst, October 10, 1987, at Hillcrerst Cemetery in Norval, Ontario. Transcribed by G. Patrick MacKay.

His ancestors were farmers. They tilled the rock unforgiving soil of Northern Ireland for eons. The soil finally gave up, but they did not. They came to Canada to try again. They broke the land. They were married to the land. They lived and died on the land. Their bones lie beneath our feet. Dad's father broke the mold. He left the land. He wanted something better for his children. Father indeed was given a better opportunity. He worked hard to take advantage of it. In spite of what he was given to this day I still sense that his home was devoid of warmth and affection.

The work ethic was ingrained in his soul. Often his passing was just a blurr. I can remember waking on a cold winter night to hear the muffled ring of the telephone. Then I would hear the stairs creaking. Soon after I could hear his car struggling to start before he raced away to manage an untimely birth. He had a love-hate relationship with the telephone. At any time it would call him away from his family and give him no peace. His only escape was to take us out in the country Sunday afternoons. We would often go for a picnic, or to Terra Cotta or just for a drive.

Of course there were his lighter moments. He could sleep on a dime. His snores would rattle windows. Sometimes he would tease us. After dinner when the dishes were cleared he would reach into his pocket and pull out a handful of change. "Guess the correct amount and you can have it", he would say. He would pass the change from one hand to the other then stop. With much pleading from us he might do it one more time. When there was a winner it was usually Sandy. Years later she would admit that the secret was to count the pennies.

In retrospect it was probably best that father was never a farmer. Behind the old red brick garage he had his small garden plot. Each spring he would dig, rake, fertilize, plant and finally water his garden. All the spring and summer he would tend his garden and we were given strict instructions not to step on his garden. In spite of this he is the only man I know whose crop failed 20 successive years.

With the passage of time I came to realize how deeply he loved his children. His Victorian upbringing subdued his outward affection. HE was so gentle that we knew his discipline hurt him more than us. He was generous to the moment. There was not much left for later years.

His love for mother was so deep that he broke with the past. I can remember many times when I would walk into the kitchen. He would be embracing mother. He would see me. He would draw apart, looking flustered, but I knew. For more than 50 years he was a dedicated husband.

Nearly 400 years ago William Shakespeare had Anthony say of Brutus:

His life was gentle. The Elements So mixt in him, that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, 'This was a man'.

Burial

Burial: Hillcrest Cemetery

Place: Norval, Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada

Findagrave Link

Video

The Ashenhursts

Here is a link to a 2016 YouTube video that chronicles Alexander Ashenhurst, and his son, featuring a 1973 recorded interview of Alexander E. Ashenhurst and his wife, Lois. Includes memories told by Alec Ashenhurst, Peter Joyce and Danford MacKay.

Here is a link to a YouTube video from December 2009, which shows the late Dr. Alex W. Ashenhurst (1940-2012) giving a brief history of the original Esquesing line of the Ashenhurst family at Hillcrest Cemetery in Norval Ontario, on the occasion of his sister Sandra MacKay-Szabo's burial.

Sources

• WikiTree profile Ashenhurst-107 created through the import of CornwallDescendants.ged on Feb 6, 2012 by G. MacKay Ahnentafel GM-6. See the Changes page for the details of edits by G and others.

1. ↑ "Ontario Births, 1869-1912." index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 14 February 2012. Entry for Alexander Edward Ashenhurst, born 8 September 1905; citing Birth Records, FHL microfilm 2,435,796; Registration: 10561; Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Canada.
2. ↑ Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1935
3. ↑ 1911 Canadian Census - Place: Ward 1, Toronto East, Ontario; Page: 2; Family No: 19 - District #125, Sub-District #35
4. ↑ Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 89; Census Place: Ward 1, Toronto East, Ontario; Page Number: 8.