Adam Beck
ID # 6865, (1857-1925)
| Father | Jacob Freidrich Beck (1816-1906) |
| Mother | Charlotte Josephine Hespeler (1822-1895) |
| Birth | Adam Beck was born on 20 June 1857 at Baden, Wilmot Twp., Waterloo Co.. |
| Marriage | He married Lillian Ottaway on 7 September 1898 at Hamilton, Barton Twp., Wentworth Co.. Mrge reg. 015902-98 Hamilton, Wentworth Co. Adam Beck, 43, bachelor, manufacturer, Church of England. Born Baden (Ontario), residing London (Ontario). Parents Jacob Beck and Charlotte Hespeler. Lillian Ottaway, 20, spinster, Church of England. Born England residing Hamilton. Parents Cuthbert John Ottaway and Mary ... Stinson. Witnesses John B. Kilgour, London, and Carrie Crerar, Hamilton. On 7 Sept. 1898, at Hamilton, by Thos. Geoghegan. Glanbrook Heritage provides a PDF file, Marriages, July to December, 1898, as found in the Hamilton Spectator. This dates the marriage to the same day of the edition of the 'Spec', (Wednesday, September 7, 1898) in which the marriage was recorded. It does not add a great deal to the information shown in the marriage registration, but does tell that the marriage was held in Christ Church Cathedral and that Rev. Thomas Geohegan was assisted by Rev. Canon Bland. Bland was married to Adam Beck's cousin, Maria Augusta Erbs. Bland's sister was married to Adam Beck's brother George. It also notes that at the time of the marriage, Lillian's father was deceased. C. J. Ottaway had been a barrister of the Inner Temple, London, England. Lillian was a step-daughter of B. D. Crerar. The Spectator article does not mention the witnesses, but does record the ushers as Fred Martin, J. L. Counsell, A. Glasgow, and T. H. Crerar. After a trip to the continent, the Becks were to take up residence in London, Ontario. |
| Death | He died on 15 August 1925 at London, Middlesex Co., Ontario, at age 68. |
| Burial | He was buried on 18 August 1925 at Hamilton Cemetery, Hamilton, Ontario. |
| Note | The Dictionary of Canadian Biography has a remarkable history of Sir Adam Beck and this is to be found on the website of Library & Archives Canada. He was a successful manufacturer as well as a politician, having been elected mayor of London three times and later as a minister in the Ontario Government. He was the driving force behind the creation of the public utility, Ontario Hydro. He was knighted by King George V in 1914. The biography describes him as a man driving to achieve his goals, not always liked by his peers, but in the end considered to have been incorruptible. Death reg. 021187-25 London City, Middlesex Co. Sir Adam Beck died August 15, 1925, at 790 Richmond St., Headley. Age 68. Born at Baden, Ont., on June 20, 1857. Gentleman. Minister of Power. Cigar Box Mfg. Parents Jacob Beck and Charlotte Hespeler, both born Baden, Ontario (see notes below.) Physician Dr. Stuart M. Fisher. Informant S. Hay, 53 Barnard Ave., Toronto, son-in-law. Burial Greenwood Cemetery, Hamilton (see notes below.) Burial August 18, 1925. Sir Adam's place of death is shown as 790 Richmond St., Headley. Headley was the name of the house that Adam and Lillian lived in their married life. Adam's parents were indeed born in Baden, but Baden, Germany. There is no evidence to show that they knew each other prior to their coming to Canada where they were married. As to the name of the cemetery at Hamilton wherein Adam and Lillian are buried, it may have had currency as Greenwood at the time of their deaths, but in the present day is known as Hamilton Cemetery. The Hamilton branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society transcribed this quite large cemetery, a cemetery with a number of sections. The Becks are buried in what the OGS transcription lumps together as sections N, P & J. Find-a-Grave has a photograph of the stone and locates the grave in Section N and identifies the lot as number 233. This is probably the more accurate. |
| Last Edited | 29 May 2021 |