George Hastings

George Hastings, who was born at Petite Cote, Quebec, in 1817, died in July, 1865. His father was Thomas Hastings, who came from Lexington, Massachusetts, to Petite Cote, where he bought land and settled some time before the birth of Mr. Hastings. In this connection it is interesting to mention that Petite Cote is now divided into Fairmount and Rosemount and is a part of the city of Montreal. The land is now mostly divided into building lots that command good prices.

Thomas Hastings, father of George Hastings, had married Cynthia Baker, of Burlington, Vermont, and they lived for many years in their home at Petite Cote, where their five children, three sons and two daughters, were born and brought up. The sons’ names were: George; Thomas, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work; and Horatio, the youngest, who died unmarried in 1899. The daughters were Mrs. Clark Fitts and Mrs. Ryan.

George Hastings, of this record, married in 1847 Margaret Ogilvie, a sister of A. W., John and W. W. Ogilvie, whose careers are mentioned at greater length in another part of this history. Mr. and Mrs. George Hastings spent their entire married life in their home on a farm at Petite Cote. There their ten children received the training of their early lives. Of these children six were sons and four were daughters. Thomas, the eldest, married Jane Kydd, formerly the widow of William Nesbitt. They reside at Rosemount boulevard and have no children. William, the next son, with George, the third son, after considerable business experience established The Lake of the Woods Milling Company. The former married, in 1884, Georgina Ure, of Montreal. He died in 1903, leaving his widow and two sons, who live in this city. George managed the western branch of the business, from which he resigned in October, 1913. He married in 1886, Margaret Anderson, of Ayr, Ontario. They live in Winnipeg and have a family of two sons and two daughters. Robert, the fourth son, is with The Lake of the Woods Milling Company and lives also in the west, making his present home in Qu’ Appelle. He is unmarried. Alexander, the fifth son, was also connected with The Lake of the Woods Milling Company. He died in St. John, New Brunswick, where he had charge for several years of the local branch of the company. He married, in 1898, Maud Anderson, of Montreal, and his widow is living. Their only child died when one month of age. John Clark, the youngest son, died unmarried in 1883. Helen Watson and Cynthia Baker, the two elder daughters, died in 1912, the latter in January and the former in May of that year. The third daughter, Frances, married Francis Jordan, of Goderich, Ontario, in 1885. Mr. Jordan died in 1907, but his widow, son and daughter are living. Maria, the fourth and youngest daughter of the family, is living and unmarried. The family have always been connected with the American Presbyterian church. The Hastings are well known among the old residents of Montreal, for it is almost a century since Thomas Hastings settled upon the farm which now is a portion of the metropolis.