Grace Penelope Dawson-Needham 1886-1956
|
Grace Penelope Dawson was born in April 1886 in Wisbech, England to Frederick Whin Dawson and Anna Elizabeth Huggins. She married Alexander Carter Needham in Cambridgeshire, England in July 1903. In 1904 they had a child Eric Carter Needham and in 1907 the family arrived Canada.
When he died he left Grace fairly well off and she had an interest in one of Toronto's largest funeral homes, located on Danforth Avenue. She also bought old houses and flipped them. Grace was the eldest of the three Dawson sisters who came to Canada and she made sure the family were all looked after. So just where did Grandma Ada and Auntie Fan get their money? My cousin’s didn’t know, until I told them. They got it from Auntie Grace’s, son Eric Carter Needham, “a bookie” by night, and a “paper box salesman” by day. Eric never married and lived his life with his mother, he is buried with his mother at Pine Hills Cemetary in Scarborough next plot to Auntie Fan, Uncle Bill and my brother. In 1965 my mother gave birth to a still born son. I remember the day I was told like it was yesterday. My mother’s family came around to console her, even Auntie Fan and Uncle Bill made a special visit but not one of my father’s family came around or even called. The plots were Eric’s idea and in fact my father is named after Eric (Eric William Cranstoun). Eric’s estate in 1963 was $147,000, a pretty good sum for the time, after all debts were paid, Fan and Ada got $45,000 each. (I have the papers.)
|
When Alexander Carter Needham came to Canada he brought thrashing machines with him which he rented out.
