William John James Lear (1850 - 1921)

Born 1 Jul 1850 in Newcastle, Durham Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 10 Oct 1921 at age 71 in Brighton, Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada

Biography

William John Lear was born in Newcastle or Clark Township Durham, Ontario, Canada on 1 Jul 1850 to parents, Joseph Lear (abt.1822-1914)- who was born in Kingston, Ontario and Mary Jane (Perrin) Lear (1827-1897) - who was born in New Castle, Ontario^[1] with whom he made his home until 1870.^[2]

He married Mary Susan (Darnell) Lear (1853-1931)^[3] the daughter of Abraham Darnell (1806-1892), about 1870 in Sandwich, Illinois. ^[4]

Four sons were born to Mary Susan and William James Lear: William James John Lear Jr (1871-1941), Frank Leroy Lear (1873-1960), Walter Edwin Lear (1879-1944), and Mark Lear (1884-1922).^[5]

In 1870^[6] he was living in Fox Township, Illinois.

He ran a drug store in Missouri for about 13 months prior to working as a barber in Oswego, Illinois for 3 years. About 1875 he purchased 120 acre in Livingstone County, IL. In 1878, he returned to Plano, [closer to his Darnell in-laws] and worked for Marsh Harvester (which later became Deering Harvester. He next leased and operated Schnieider's Flour Mills and acquired considerable real estate and livestock. At the time of his Uncle John Lear's death in Brighton, Canada, William inherited well and removed to Brighton, Canada where he was a large property holder, owning several fine farms in the area of Prince Edward County. He was known as being a liberal and leader of his party, and nominated for public office without his acceptance.^[7]

In 1880^[8] he was working as a machinery agent in Little Rock Township, Illinois.

He was working as a grocer at the time of his death according to his Canadian death record.^[9]

William passed away in Brighton, Ontario on 10 Oct 1921^[10] at the age of 64, with cause of death being a combination of bronchitis, nephritis, and cardiac arrhythima and contributory aortic heart disease. He was buried at Mount Hope in Brighton, Ontario.^[11] Another record states that he was a farmer.^[12]

Research Notes

GIVEN NAME DISCREPANCY exists. Canada Find a Grave shows name as William John Lear, however the Pioneer Life on the Bay of Quinte has his name as William James Lear. His 2nd given name needs more research to find out if his given name was William James or William John. Please feel free to correct IF you have a reliable substantiating birth/baptismal record that you also add to this profile.

DAUGHTER:

1. Mary Lear is missing. Needs profile Are there any sources. Is this a red herring daughter? Was there a Mary Lear born in 1915? Can the Lear family share what they know?
2. I believe Mary may have been born in Canada, not the USA
3. Daughter's Birth Record is Needed.

Sources

1. ↑ Death Record - Brighton Township, Northumberland, Canada - Death Record for William John Lear (photo of an obvious death record shows no title - info shown at top used as the source)
2. ↑ Rolph & Clark,Pioneer Life on the Bay or Quinte,1904, with new index and introduction 1999 with image reprint CD, Milton Global Heritage Press, 2010), Pg 494-49; shared by Wanda Lear 23 Apr 2015 in her Lear Family Tree at Ancestry.com
3. ↑ Death Record - Brighton Township, Northumberland, Canada - Death Record for William John Lear (photo of an obvious death record shows no title - info shown at top used as the source),
4. ↑ Excerpt: Pg 494-495, Pioneer Life on the Bay or Quinte; shared by Wanda Lear 23 Apr 2015 in her Lear Family Tree at Ancestry.com
5. ↑ Rolph & Clark,Pioneer Life on the Bay or Quinte,1904, with new index and introduction 1999 with image reprint CD, Milton Global Heritage Press, 2010), Pg 494-49; shared by Wanda Lear 23 Apr 2015 in her Lear Family Tree at Ancestry.com
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6WZ-7K6 : Thu Oct 05 17:26:05 UTC 2023), Entry for Wm James Lear and Mary S Lear, 1870.
7. ↑ Excerpt: Pg 494-495, Pioneer Life on the Bay or Quinte; shared by Wanda Lear 23 Apr 2015 in her Lear Family Tree at Ancestry.com
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXVQ-9KY : Thu Oct 05 15:53:12 UTC 2023), Entry for William J. Lear and Mary S. Lear, 1880.
9. ↑ Death Record - Brighton Township, Northumberland, Canada - Death Record for William John Lear (photo of an obvious death record shows no title - info shown at the top used as the source)
10. ↑ "Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD88-SB7 : 2 March 2021), William John Lear, 10 Oct 1921; citing Brighton Township, Northumberland, Ontario, yr 1921 cn 23649, Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,863,542.
11. ↑ Death Record - Brighton Township, Northumberland, Canada - Death Record for William John Lear (photo of an obvious death record shows no title - info shown at top used as the source)
12. ↑ "Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD88-SB7 : 2 March 2021), William John Lear, 10 Oct 1921; citing Brighton Township, Northumberland, Ontario, yr 1921 cn 23649, Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,863,542.

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/159242884/william-john-lear