Chapter Five Minnie's Husband

Richard Tanner about 1910 when he was about 50

Richard Tanner was born in Cornwall, Ontario 1859 July 18, the only child of Joseph Tanner and Isabella Aird. Both of his parents had children from previous marriages, thus he was the youngest child in the blended family.

Richard's father was Joseph Tanner, born 1810 April 2 in Stone, Berkeley, Gloucester England and moved to Cornwall, Ontario at an unknown date before 1841. Joseph was first married to Sarah Ridley in Cornwall 1841 November 1, and was widowed about 1848 after fathering five children. Joseph Tanner then married Isabella Aird, widow of Henry Patterson about 1857: location unknown, but probably Montreal or Cornwall. Joseph was a Tailor and later Lockmaster at Cornwall Locks. He was enumerator in his district of Cornwall for the 1881 census and his signature appears on the census returns. Joseph died at Cornwall 1887 March 7 of "cancer 6 months."

Richard's mother, Isabella Aird, was born 1820 April 1 in Kirchmichael, Ayrshire, Scotland. Her first husband was Henry Patterson and they were probably married in Montreal about 1841. They had five children. The family moved to Cornwall in the late 1840s where Henry became proprietor of the newspaper Cornwall Freeholder. Isabella took over that position following the death of Henry about 1855. Isabella died at Cornwall 1896 February 12, cause of death listed as "Apoplexy 3 or 4 hours."

Richard was raised in Cornwall and nothing is known of his early life. He ended up in the paper business, possibly through contacts his mother had from her first husband's business with the Cornwall Freeholder. In 1881 he was a bookseller in Cornwall. About 1898, he and his family moved to Ottawa, where he was an employee and representative of McFarlane Son & Hodgson, Wholesale Stationers and Paper Dealers. The company was based in Montreal, and Richard was the Ottawa representative. Checking Montreal Directories, I find it first listed in the 1897-98 Directory. Earlier it appears it existed under David McFarlane, with Hogson coming in about 1897. This would have coincided about the time Richard moved from Cornwall to Ottawa, so it may be that was when the Ottawa office was set up. The company appears in the Montreal Directory until 1941. In the 1913 to 1915 period, Clement H. McFarlane was President and A. A. Hodgson was Vice President and Treasurer of the company.

Part of the page of 1913 Montreal Directory with company Richard Tanner worked for.

directory2

Full page ad in the 1925 Montreal Directory.

In 1901, the census reports that he earned $600 in the previous twelve months. By 1914, Richard Tanner's health failed and the following letter was sent to him relieving him of his duties with the company.

Richard died three months later, 1915 April 18 at age 55. Cause of death was listed as "Epithelioma for 12 years. Immediate cause: Hypostatic pneumonia 4 days." He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Cornwall, Ontario.