donaldfarmer.ca

18 Spencer Palmer Farmer 1866 1942

Jul 21, 2023

Spencer Palmer Farmer was born on 13 Oct 1866 in Welchpool, Campobello Island to parents John Farmer and Julia Hepzibeth Palmer and Christened 20 July 1868 at the St Annes Church. He spent his life on Campobello island and from the census records we know that his occupation was a bookkeeper. He was married twice. He married Dinah Butler in 1893 and together they had 5 children. He married Elizabeth Anne MacGillvrey in 1870 and they had one son together. He died in 1942 at St Andrews, NB and is buried in the St Andrews Rural Cemetery.

Parents

John Farmer

was born on the 8th of March, 1813 at Whitechapel St Mary, England to parents James Farmer and Margaret Sanderson. He emigrated to Canada in 1828 at the age of 15. He was married twice and had a total of 16 children. He married Ann Gregg in 1843 and they had six children together before she died in 1864. He married his second wife, Julia Palmer in 1870 and they had 10 children together. He died on the 8th of February, 1901 and is buried at the St Anne Cemetery at Campobello, New Brunswick, Canada.

Julia Hepzibeth Palmer

was born 23 Dec 1829 in Regent Square Scotch Church, St Pancras, London, England and died 31 July 1914 at Campobello and is buried at St Annes Church.

Marriage to Dinah Butler

Spencer married Dinah Butler in 1893 in St. Andrews.

Dinah Butler was born in 1866 in England. She died on the 6th of Aug 1900 and is buried in St. Andrews NB.

Spencer and Dinah had several children.

John Owen Farmer 1888

John Owen Farmer was born on the 17th of July 1888 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to parents Spencer Palmer Farmer and Dinah Butler. He married Ruth Hope White and they had four children together. He died in Perth Andover in 1983.

Frances Rowena Farmer 1890-

George Brandon Farmer 1892-1905

Steele Farmer 1893-

Irving Spencer Farmer 1895-1987

Marriage to Elizabeth Ann MacGillvray

Spencer remarried to Elizabeth Macgillivray on 30 Sept 1912.

Elizabeth Ann MacGillvray 1881

was born on the 6th of Mar 1881 in Lerchkin Inverness Scotland. She emigrated to Canada in 1912. She died in 1965 in St Andrews and is buried in the St Andrews rural cemetery.

Elizabeth emigrated from Scotland, and worked as Spencer Palmer Farmer’s cook. I guess after Dinah passed, Spencer got lonely and had my dad when he was 47!

Spencer and Elizabeth had one child together, Ronald Allerton Farmer. Ronald Allerton Farmer, Elizabeth Ann Macgillivray, David Farmer Shown: Ronald Allerton Farmer (son), David Farmer (grandson), Elizabeth Ann Macgillivray

Ronald Allerton Farmer 1913

was born 11 February 1913 in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. He married Iva Patricia Brockington 11 July 1942 at St Paul's Anglican Church, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He died 28 February 1999 in Lachine, Quebec, Canada and is buried at Lakeview Cem, Field of Honour, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada

Spencer's Life

Spencer was put on a train to Winnipeg at the age of 15 by John, given $50, and told to go forth. I understand Spencer helped put down the Northwest rebellion. Eventually, Spencer became a bookkeeper at the (then) CP Algonquin Hotel in St Andrews and eventually a relief Hotel Manager (when the other guys went on vacation or something). So Spencer managed the CP Hotels in Banff, and also spent a few years managing the CP Hotel in Bermuda when my dad was a young boy.

All of Dad’s (Ronald Allerton Farmer) half brothers were much older. The youngest, Lancelot was 14 years old when Dad was born – so he kind of grew up without siblings. By the time Dad grew up, all the siblings were scattered to the 4 winds. Dad left home in St Andrews to Boston when he was 17 and then Montreal when he was 20 ish and never went back ( so he really never had much contact with any of them. I have a photo of Steele b 1895, but that’s about it...David Farmer