George Jeffery (1876 - 1945)

This is the account of George Jeffery's death, written by his son, Roy Jeffery, and published in the family history compiled by Harvey Jeffery

Contributed by Roy Jeffery:

Grandpa Jeffery died from a mishap. So did Dad. Even though it was August, not a time for having a cold or sore throat, Dad had bought a bottle of Mason's 49 in Schomberg that week. During the night, he could, without turning on a light, take a tongue full to ease his cough. The bottle got knocked over and lost. On September 1st, 1945, he went to Bradford via a neighbour. Dad, for many years, had bought various poisons from the Bradford druggist, William Campbell, for his sheep-dipping endeavours, one of which was called Black-Leaf 40 (nicotine sulphate). When Dad asked for a bottle of Mason's 49 to replace the one he had spilt at home the night before, he ended up with a small bottle of nicotine sulphate, highly poisonous.

With his town errands finished, Dad picked up a loaf of bread and a cantaloupe and headed west, hoping to catch a lift by anyone going his way. Having proceeded beyond the main drag, he decided to uncap his medicine and take a tongue full to ease his throat.

With a parcel in his arm, he may not have taken care to observe his bottle; he had always trusted his druggist. Immediately upon swallowing, he realized something was wrong. He looked at his bottle, went to the door of the immediate house, which was Dr. Bailey's office and called for help. Mr. Harve Currie and Mr. Bill Campbell (no relation to the druggist) took Dad into the Dr's office where they tried to pump his stomach free of the poison. Dad said to the three men working on him, "Don't blame me, Will Campbell has made a mistake."

Those were Dad's last words. He fell into a coma, was rushed to Newmarket Hospital and died forty minutes later.

I was in Nova Scotia at the time and did not get home in time for the funeral. He had died on a Saturday. Wednesday next, I, with Mother and sister Lizzie, walked into the drugstore. I was in my R.C.M.P. uniform. I asked for a bottle of Mason's 49. Mr. Campbell came around to the east wall cabinets and picked off a bottle as requested, leaving six bottles on the shelf. As he attempted to hand the bottle to me, I said, "Doc, I don't need the bottle, I just wanted to see if you had any in stock. Did you have seven bottles last Saturday when George Jeffery asked for the same?"

He looked at Mom and Lizzie and paled to snow.

The next time I walked into that drugstore, it was under new ownership, with new faces behind the counter.