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- From Gordon Allison
Melville entered the printing trade when he was a teen-ager. In 1855 he went to St. Louis, MO, where he was a journalist for 6-7 years. The American Civil War made his status uneasy so he returned to London in 1861 and began a book and job printing company.
He bought The Prototype, the oldest daily newspaper in Middlesex County, that he made into a powerful political organ. The Prototype was the first Canadian newspaper to advocate national government policies.
Fire destroyed the printing plant in 1878. Melville Dawson had little insurance and his fire loss was heavy. However, substantial aid and assistance came from the local business community, irrespective of creed or politics, and the printing plant was soon back in operation.
Melville was a very active Mason and served as a member of the London City Council. He also had the rank of Lt. Col. in the militia and served as Militia Paymaster and Stores Superintendant. While he was married to Eliza Jane Hannah he helped to repulse the Irish-American Fenian invasion of Canada in 1865.
From Andrea Thomas
Melville DeBlois Dawson was born November 29, 1838 in Bathurst, New Brunswick, the second of three sons of Benjamin Dawson and Jane Wright. Mel was educated at a grammar school in New Brunswick and moved with his family to London, Canada West in 1851.
By 1853, Mel was a journeyman in the tiny Talbot Street office of the London Free Press. At that time the paper had been recently purchased by Josiah Blackburn and was printed weekly on 26? x 40? sheets. Local news was always of secondary importance to international political items. In the summer of 1854, Mel helped to set up a new larger office in a building on North Street where the Free Press would be printed daily on a new power press.
Mel stayed with the paper as a compositor until 1855, when he left for St. Louis, Missouri to engage in journalistic work. In St. Louis, Mel met Eliza Jane Hannah of St. John, New Brunswick whom he married on March 17, 1859. Their first child, Leila S. was born in St. Louis on February 5, 1861. The young family returned to London later that year just as the American Civil War began.
Once back in London, Mel started a successful book and job printing business (Dawson & Brother) with his brother Wilberforce. On January 29, 1864, Mel and his wife had a second child, Charles M.
After returning to Canada, Mel also began what would be a long career in the military. He volunteered during the Trent affair in November 1861, in which 10,000 British troops were sent to Canada to oppose the Union army kidnapping of two southern Confederate diplomats bound for England on the British vessel Trent. However, the northern Union army was not in a position to fight a war on two fronts and quickly backed down. In 1864, Mel was gazetted 1st Lieutenant of No. 2 Rifle Company, and in June 1866 he went with his company to the Niagara frontier to defend Canada from invading members of the Fenian Brotherhood, a radical Irish-Catholic movement based in the U.S. Although the skirmish was over by the time the London contingency arrived, they were awarded Fenian service medals for their effort, and Mel was appointed captain on October 5, 1866.
Mel's wife, Eliza, died on January 9, 1867 at age 28 of inflammation of the lungs. He remarried on April 30, 1868 to Rebecca Jane (Jennie) Hearn, daughter of the late Captain William Hearn of Montreal. Their first child, Lewis Henry, was born on August 10, 1870.
That same year, Mel purchased the Herald and Prototype, the oldest daily newspaper in the County of Middlesex, and launched M. D. Dawson & Co printing. The Prototype became a powerful political organ in the young country of Canada, and was the first Canadian journal to advocate John A. Macdonald's National Policy.
The next few years were prosperous for the Dawson family. Two more children arrived: Franklin DeBlois in April 20, 1872 and Mabel Gwendoline in December 20, 1875. Meanwhile, Mel had been promoted steadily in the No. 2 Rifle Company. He was made captain and adjutant in 1871, major in 1873, and lieutenant-colonel in 1876. Mel was also enjoying prominence as the secretary of St. John's Lodge.
However, disaster soon befell the family. First, on September 10, 1878, Mel lost his entire printing plant to fire, and suffered heavy financial losses as he carried little insurance. Fortunately, the family was well esteemed in the growing city, and they received substantial aid and assistance from the London business community. Yet, a second blow came in December 1880 when the Dawsons lost their young son Franklin after he choked to death on his collar button on the way home from church.
Mel and Jennie had one more child, Melville DeBlois Jr., born July 21, 1881. However, this son suffered a severe head injury at age 5 as the result of a tobogganing accident, and developed epilepsy for which he required life-long care.
Yet, the family recovered from these setbacks, in part due to a strong Christian faith rooted in the Methodist tradition. In 1884, Mel was appointed paymaster and superintendent of militia stores for the London District. The family moved to the military grounds (the north half of the present Victoria Park). Mel later purchased a property called ?Cedar Grove? in 1888 when the military grounds were sold.
In 1886, Mel served as a member of London City council. By the turn of the century, Mel was well-known throughout the city and the province through business, political, military and masonic connections.
Mel's daughter Leila married Frank McBride and moved to Calgary, Alberta where they raised a family of three children. Charles moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he engaged in the printing business. He married Minnie Venn on May 15, 1888 and the couple had four children.
Mel's son Lewis became a dentist, and had a successful practice in London at the turn of the century. In 1907, Lewis went west with his brother-in-law Horace Ferguson to homestead at Irvine, Alberta in hopes of making a fortune in breeding horses for the army. Horace returned to London in 1909, and Lewis' family lived in London while he served as an officer during WWI. Upon his return, Lewis returned to the west with his wife and five children.
Mel's youngest daughter Mabel married Dr. Horace James Ferguson, and the couple raised a family of two daughters in London. Melville Jr., went out west with his brother Lewis for a while, and worked on the homestead at Irvine, Alberta. He eventually returned to London where he resided in the household of his sister and brother-in-law, Mabel and Horace Ferguson.
Mel's second wife Jennie died on December 29, 1900 at age 52 after having suffered a stroke. Mel retired from his position as paymaster in 1907. Mel died exactly nine years after his wife's death on December 29, 1909 from a short bout of pneumonia.
Despite his stern countenance, Mel was a kind-hearted man, who was known affectionately to his children and grandchildren as ?Bubba.? Mel was remembered in the community as a ?benevolent gentleman,? and Rev. John Gibson of the Methodist Church stated after his death that he ?was not only a man of power, but he was beloved by all and noticeably by children.?
Obituary in London Free press 30 Dec 1909
SUDDEN DEATH OF
COL. M. D. DAWSON
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Former Superintendant of Mili-tary Stores for this District Suc-cumbs After Short Illness.
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ONE OF MOST PROMINENT
MASONS IN ONTARIO.
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Was Founder of The Prototype, the First Canadian Journal to Advocate
the National Policy.
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After an illness from pneumonia of but a couple of days, the death took place yesterday afternoon of Liet.-Col. M.D. Dawson, retired paymaster of the militia and superintendent of militia stores for this district.
Col. Dawson, who had been secretary of St. John's Lodge, No. 20, A. F. and A. M. for over 10 ears, was at the Ma-sonic Temple on Monday night, when the joint installation of officers took place, though he did not attend that event. He conversed on lodge business for some time with Mr. John Robertson, the tyler, and then went into the rooms of the Brunswick Club, of which he was a mem-ber. One of his friends noticed that he was taken home. He went to his bed and never rallied from the illness which had seized him.
Col. Dawson was born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, in 1838, son of Benjamin and Jane (Wright) Dawson, both born in County Cork, Ireland, and came to Lon-don with the family in 1851. Shortly af-terwards he began his apprenticeship as a printer. In 1855 he went to St. Louis, but returned in 1861 and started a book and job printing office. A few years later he became proprietor of The Prototype, the first Canadian journal to advocate the national policy. In 1878 he suffered a se-vere loss, his entire plant being destroyed by fire, but so highly was he esteemed by the business community that by their aid he was placed on his feet again. In 1886 he was a member of the city council.
APPOINTED PAYMASTER.
In 1884 he was appointed paymaster and superintendent of stores in this district, an office which he held until a couple of years ago, when he was retired. His mili-tary career dated, however, from the Trent affair and the days of the Fenian Raid. In 1964 he became first lieutenant of No. 2 Rifle Company, captain in 1866, captain and adjutant in 1871, major in 1873, and lieutenant-colonel in 1876.
On March 17, 1859, he was married to Miss Eliza Jane Hannah, a native of St. John, N. B., who died in 1867, leaving two children, Charles and Leila. He was married a second time, in 1869, to Miss Rebecca Jane Hearn, of Montreal, and four children were born from this union: Louis H., Franklin, Mabel and Melville. Franklin died about twenty years ago; Louis and Melville are at Irvin, Alta. Charles is in St. Louis; Mrs. Frank Mc-Bride is in Calgary, and Mrs. (Dr.) Horace
Ferguson, is at home. Mr. Wilberforce Dawson, of 226 King street, is a brother, and the late postmaster, R. J. C. Daw-son, was also a brother.
LONG IN MASONRY
The late Col. Dawson was one of the oldest and best known Masons in Lon-don. He was admitted as a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 20, on March 11, 1862, and within a few months was elected to the office of secretary for 1863. He was again secretary in 1864-5-6-7, junior warden in 1868, senior warden in 1869, and master in 1870. Beginning with 1872 he has since been secretary of the lodge con-tinuously, being elected for the last time less than a month ago. He was also past first principal of St. George's Chapter, R. A.; a member of Richard Coeur de Lion Preceptory, No. 4; an active member of the general finance committee in the city, secretary of the banquet hall committee, and has held office in the Grand Lodge of Canada. He was also one of the origina-tors of the Masonic Mutual Benevolent Society, and some years ago wrote a his-tory of the St. John's Lodge, No. 20.
When the Grand Encampment of Odd-fellows of Ontario was formed in 1869, Col. Dawson was appointed grand scribe, which office he held to his death. He has been a member of the Workmen since 1878, and in 1879 received the degree of pe and master workman.
He was one of the first members of the Brunswick Club, when, in 1876, it grew out of the old Bachelor's Club. Other early members of that time were Edwin Paull, James and George Priddis, Geo. D. Wanless, Robt. Wallace, Frank and Chas. Leonard, Wm. Elliott and Michael Kew.
Col Dawson was well know through-out Ontario and Mayor Oliver of Toronto, was one of his old and particular friends. His many years residence in London, and his prominence in Masonry circles had made him a familiar figure and his death removes one who had done much for benevolent work.
The funeral arrangements have not yet been completed.
(The London Free Press 30 Dec 1909)
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