The only one I could find information on was Harland Steele. It is interesting that a man of such renown did not merit his own headstone but is included in a family plot. And his wife's family plot at that.
W. Harland Steele was an architect who graduated from the University of Toronto in 1925, winning a Royal Architectural Institute of Canada medal for design. Before marrying his sweetheart, Muriel, daughter of George Lucan Thompson, he went off to further studies in Ecole des Beaux Arts in France. Once back in Toronto, he started up his own firm with Forsey Page that is still in operation today as Page + Steele. They truly helped "shape the fabric of the city" and have been responsible for many public, municipal and office buildings as well as schools throughout Ontario and now are heavily involved in several of the highrise condos and hotels being built in Toronto. Aside from being Chairman and later President of the Toronto Chapter of the Ontario Association of Architects, Mr Steele was also a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Canadian Architects (and a Fellow of Royal Institute of British Architects and Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects).
He, along with the other members of his wife's family are buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.
I found this interesting, not so much for his connection to the Thompson family since I took this photo randomly while on a recent walk through the cemetery but for the information I found out later. I was not familiar with the name Harland Steele, but I having an interest in architecture, I am certainly familiar with his firm and with many of the buildings built by them during the 1950s and 1960s. And anyone who pays any attention to the building that is going on around the city now would be familiar with the P+S signs that prominently displayed. It was almost exciting to discover his name. Again, from a random search of the names listed on the stone!
See Taphophile Tragics for other grave designs.
The font used here is very unusual ... to my eye at least. Looks like a very old manuscript. YOu expect it to be in latin.
ReplyDeleteI don't like this font at all. Looks almost like they were putting on airs!
DeleteBut the way they have simply added and added the names sort of indicates to me that ego was not a big thing in their life. Therefore, perhaps airs were foreign to the also.
DeleteInteresting how the original brothers are buried together and their families. This intrigued me so I started a hunt. I found a little on the Thompsons...arriving in Quebec from Liverpool...There is a photo http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~truax/smith-p/p7.htm#i349
ReplyDeleteand a photo of Alan Orla Thompson + his wife http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~truax/smith-p/p8.htm
Fascinating family that seem to be pioneers of Thornton.
Thanks, Gemma!!!
DeleteI don't know how you did that - I spent hours searching, but I didn't think of Thornton. I think I will have to bite the bullet and pay for ancestry.com if I am going to continue with this and get any results.
The photo is a beauty, but the layout of the information leaves a bit to be desired.
DeleteIf you were to get Ancestry.Com you would never look back.
That is interesting and makes you wonder for sure.
ReplyDeleteHugs
SueAnn
There were quite a few coincidences within this family as is outlined in the first link Gemma provides. I picked up on a couple - such as the birthdays of the brothers all being within 2 weeks of each other.
DeleteWow that is an unusual stone...with alot of inscription....around here family plots are common to see.
ReplyDeleteWe have quite a few, too. I just thought having a family stone for three brothers was odd! And to have recent burials is also not so common. So many stones have huge empty spaces after the first two or so names.
DeleteI have seen a marker with lots of positions for names but with only one inscribed. I will have to go back and photograph it and research to find a reason how come.
DeleteThe stone looks old and masses of inscriptions on it.
ReplyDeleteMaggie X
Nuts in May
I like the use of the insignia at the top of each brother's section.
DeleteBeautiful monument...I like the font myself..very old fashioned and beautiful. He must have been a humble man who was quite content to be buried in his wifes family plot.
ReplyDeleteor maybe he had no other family in Canada...
DeleteNah, I go with humble. I like the font too. Reminds me somehow of the Book of Kells.
DeleteInteresting post. Amazing what you can find out when prompted to do so ny an interesting headstone like that!
ReplyDeleteThis digging for stories is still new for me, and it can be frustrating when I can't find such great stories as some others have uncovered.
DeleteFascinating. Don't you just love the randomness of life, and the fact that blogging sort of throws them at you.
ReplyDelete...and the connections that can come out of the randomness!
DeleteI like the looks of that one.
ReplyDeleteit is rather attractive, I thought.
DeleteI like that they continued the tradition from generation to generation.
ReplyDeleteI hope there is room on the other side for the next generation (if they wish to included!)
DeleteI was wondering about that too, or whether they had to move to another plot, or what.
DeleteIts great that the bros are all together, Im sure they were a tight knit family...its a very ornate looking stone too.
ReplyDeleteI rather envy that familial closeness.
Deletethe stone and typeface look so old-fashioned! but its not that old at all...
ReplyDeletei also like to figure out stuff like that, i learned a lot already... much more than i can write down on my blog!
Yes, I find I am seriously editing and trying to decide what is relevant and important. but I do get sidetracked rather easily!
DeleteOoo goodie. I enjoyed the comments nearly as much as the post, Sanna. Great stuff. And do not worry about earth shattering revelations. I love the stuff you dig up for us each week.
ReplyDeleteand a big thank you for your contributions, Julie!!
DeleteAn unusual looking marker. I'm not sure that I like that font, its very crowded and difficult to read.
ReplyDeleteAt least it is all the same font throughout.
Delete