William Charles Harding

[Historycat]

With help from others on another forum I have managed to find some details of this chap and some of his family, but I'd appreciate it if anyone could help with a few more details.  To begin William C Harding was born in November 1846 St Pancras London, 5th child of 7 born to William Harding and Georgianna Isabella Malim.  At some time after 1871 he went to Toronto where he married Margaret A Masters (date of birth and date of marriage unknown).  They had one known child Charles V Harding in 1877, I don't know if there were others.  William founded Harding Carpets in Toronto.  He died in 1916, I haven't found a death for Margaret.
Of ther son Charles, he married  Minnie F Moneypenny in 1903, she was born in Ireland in 1875.  They had 4 known children: Constance, Dorothy, Ethel Kathleen (1908) and Charles Malim.  Ethel Kathleen married twice 1st Charles Powell Bell in about 1936/1937, they had one daughter (possibly still alive), he died in 1938 and she married James Arthur Gairdner in 1941, he died in 1971 and Ethel Kathleen in 1991.
Would somebody be able to help fill in the gaps, thanks

[jorose]

If you could list what you have in way of sources, or link to the other thread, that would help.

e.g. do you have 1881/1891/1901/1911 Canadian censuses for them?

http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/
 - looks like in 1901 he's listed as "Charles" Harding.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1891/001081-100.01-e.php
 - in 1891 the family are indexed as "Hardwig" (looks like Harding) and he's as "Chs W".

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~births/Har_Haz_Surnames.htm
 - Dorothy's birth is here.

http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=ZzArAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CZkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3911,1350789&dq=malim-harding&hl=en
 - a picture of "C. Malim Harding", appointed general manager of Harding Carpets in 1947. (note that it says that he is the "son of the founder", not the grandson)
http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=KkEjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Xp8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=7169,337055&dq=malim-harding&hl=en
 - another picture of him

[cosmac]

William Charles Harding, 25, living toronto born London, Eng., bachelor, clerk, s/o William and Isabel Harding married 22 Nov 1875 40 Beech St. Toronto, York to
Margaret Annie Masters, 21, living toronto, b. London, Eng., spinster, d/o aAlfred Michael and Margaret Anne Masters.

Debbie

[cosmac]

Margaret Anne Masters d/o Alfred Michael and Margaret Anne Masters
born Sep 17, 1855 and Christened 14 Oct 1855 All Saints Poplar Tower Hamlets Middlesex England

Debbie

[Manitou910]

Ethel Kathleen's daughter, Daphne Powell Bell, was born January 18, 1937, in Toronto, and died May 28, 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland.  Daphne was a model, linguist, psychologist, equestrian and philanthropist.  (A 1962 marriage in New York ended in divorce and did not produce children.)

Also, I can mention that Dorothy ('Do') Harding became the second wife of General Guy Simonds, as per this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Simonds

Constance ('Connie') Harding died during the mid 1990s, a few years after Ethel Kathleen ('Kay') died on June 16, 1991 [I recall the date because it happens to be my own birthday].  She had a son, Robert Bradshaw, born circa 1937 and still living.

My information about these individuals comes directly from Daphne, a close personal friend from 1970 until her passing in 2008.

[vbain]

You might try
http://www.ourroots.ca/
Our Roots: Has a lot of local histories of Canada.
You might try to find books of Brantford and their industries.

[RunKitty]

Hi,
You might want to try the Toronto Star Pages of the Past site (link under the Canada resources thread).  I am looking at the obituary of Charles V. Harding right now.  The obituary is in the Saturday, July 23, 1932 issue of the Toronto Star.   You can find the full obit at this site.  Here are some of the details. 

Died in his 55th year.  Middle name is Victor.  Lived at 260 Warren Rd.  Was the ONLY son (answers one of your questions) of the late Charles William and Margaret Ann Harding.   It tells where he went to school and gives his business history (Charles V. was the one who started the company). Survived by his widow, one son Charles of Toronto, and 4 daughters: Mrs A Bradshaw of Windsor, Mrs Powell Bell of Toronto and Dorothy and Mary "at home".

If you are interested in the business history of the company, there are small articles in the Toronto Star Pages of the Past too.  I suggest you stick to the first few years of the company - in later years, you get a lot of stock prices as the results of a "Harding Carpets" search. 

I will keep looking to see if I can find his widow's death announcement.   (Didn't find it)
RK

[Historycat]

Many thanks to everyone who has replied, particularly to Manitou, who was a friend of Daphne.  I have saved the newspaper links, and will go and search the other links.  I have no information of their whereabouts on Candian census at all.  I know that one of my father's cousins was in contact with a member of the family at some time in possibly the 50's or 60's but I don't know who although given the information in may well be Robert Bradshaw who is of a similar age to the cousin.
I am updating the Malim family tree and would also like to try and re establish contact with this branch if at all possible.
Many thanks once again
HC

[Manitou910]

Thanks Historycat --- glad I've been able to help.  One further detail:  I understand there was a fourth sister, Mary, who also survived Ethel Kathleen.  I remember Daphne mentioning something about her being given a set of earrings from Kay's estate.

Robert ('cousin Bob' as Daphne always called him) Bradshaw now lives in Mexico, though still visits Toronto where his daughter Melinda lives (Daphne left Melinda her house on Salonica Road in The Bridle Path district).