David B. Patton
ID # 5764, (1860-1878)
| Father | James L. Scott (1808-1890) |
| Mother | Helen Nichol (1814-1897) |
| Birth | David B. Patton was born in 1860 at St. Mary's, Perth Co., Canada West. |
| Death | He died on 22 May 1878 at Galt, Waterloo Co., Ontario. |
| Burial | He was buried at Section 2, Mountview Cemetery, Galt. |
| Note | David B. Patton was the adopted son of James L. Scott and Helen Nichol. The inscription on the family gravestone in section 2 of what was then the Galt Cemetery (later Mountview) reads: David Patton, adopted son of James L. and Helen Scott. Died May 22, 1878. Aged 17 years. (Transcription per Waterloo Region branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.) His death registration reads: Death reg. 014812-78 Galt, Waterloo Co. David P. Scott died May 22, 1878. Age 17, occupation illegible, born St. Mary's, Ontario. Presbyterian. Cause of death accidently drowned. Informant James (X his mark) Scott, gentleman, Galt. A David 'Paton' appears in the 1861 census at St. Mary's, Perth County, with parents David and Elizabeth C. Paton, both born Scotland and older siblings John and Annie, also born Scotland. David is the only one shown as being born in Canada West. He appears in the 1871 census in the Scott household in North Dumfries Township as David B. Patton, age 10. What happened to his parents and siblings has yet to be found. The page on the form for deaths of the day had space to report six deaths and all of them on David's page relate to drownings on the Grand River in the May 22nd disaster. There was a steam powered pleasure boat rather grandly called the Empress of India and which went out for pleasure trips. There were some 17 passengers the night that David was aboard. Some survived, but perhaps at least half drowned. The story goes that the rudder failed and the boat was swept over the dam. Not all remains were recovered immediately and there are other victims reported in the Galt death pages as remains were recovered. The front page of the Toronto Globe edition of May 24, 1878, has something of the disaster. How David came to be adopted by the Scott family is unknown, especially when he had been born in St. Mary's. Since both families were from Scotland it's entirely possible that David was a family connection of the Scott's. |
| Last Edited | 23 Aug 2017 |