Isabella Mary Gainsford

Daisy Macdonald

Daisy was born in Ontario in 1877 to Hugh and Jean Macdonald. Her mother died when Daisy was about four and she was sent to live with her grandparents until her father put his affairs back into order. By 1883, Hugh had married again and Daisy moved to Winnipeg.

When Daisy was ten, she was sent to Miss Harmon’s Boarding school in Ottawa. On weekends, she would go to visit her Macdonald grandparents at their home at Earnscliffe. By 1890, Daisy was attending Sault-au-Recollet Convent in Montreal. She would spend the summer with her grandparents or her parents and then travel back to school in the care of her parents or her father’s partner Willis Tupper. Daisy’s grandmother, Agnes Macdonald, convinced Hugh and Gertie to send Daisy to England to study at a school in Brighton. Daisy was close to both her grandmother and her grandfather. She once said that she would rather be in hell with John A. Macdonald than in heaven without him.

For recreation, Daisy did fencing and pistol shooting. Not only was Daisy athletic, she was also musical and theatrical. She played the harp and the piano and in 1900, she was involved in a show put on by the Soldiers Wives’ league at the Winnipeg Theatre. Daisy acted in a tableau called Home Sweet Home. She portrayed the role of a lady reading a letter written by someone dear to her, who was away at the front.

Daisy was involved in Winnipeg’s social scene and attended many teas, luncheons and balls. She was especially present at events held by Mrs. Howell, a neighbour to the Macdonalds. At Mrs. Howells’ tennis parties, guests would play tennis until it became dark and then they would go back into the drawing room to dance.

On February 10th, 1915 Daisy married George Gainsford at St. Mary’s Presbytery church in a ceremony performed by Rev. Father O’Donnell. Daisy, who was given away by her father, wore a “a tailored costume of midnight blue serge” and had a bouquet of bridal roses.

Daisy died in 1959 and was buried in the family plot at St. Johns Cathedral Cemetery.