William Mansell

I came to Canada with my parents and celebrated my 4th birthday on board ship during the passage (1864) to Canada. I believe that we landed at Saint John, NB. On Oct. 20, 1880 I married Eveline Hill and we had six children between 1881 and 1892.

I was a steamfitter in Toronto, Canada boarding at 2 Goulding in 1884. I then went to Cruikshank Bros. to work in 1886. In 1888 you could find me working with F. Wheeler as a fitter and living at 67 Muter in Toronto.

In 1887 two partners and I formed Purdy Mansell Mashinter Ltd., plumbers and steamfitters. By the late 1890's we were the Purdy-Mansell Co., located on Albert St. (where the new Toronto city hall would be built after my death). My partner Alex Purdy was President and I was vice-president.

In the early 1900's I built a summer home on Pen Lake in Muskoka. Then in 1910 I bought a working farm and waterfront property on nearby Rebecca Lake. My son Dick designed a log cabin for a hunt camp. The farmer and his team of horses cleared a lot on the westward facing sandy beach and built the log cabin for me. My older brother Richard helped with the tuckpointing on the fieldstone fireplace.

My brother Richard and I enjoyed a round the world trip in late 1909 - early 1910, traveling across Canada to Vancouver, Hawaii, Fiji, Australia, Ceylon and through the Suez Canal to Southampton. In 1921 with Rotary International Eveline & I traveled to England and Scotland to see family and attend the 12th International Convention. In 1927 Eveline, Fonnie and Hilda Hill, Ev's niece, and I traveled to England and Wales and in 1931 I visited Venice, Vienna, Prague, Potsdam and Berlin on my own.

I was an active member of Rotary International, the A.F. & A.M. Rehoboam Lodge (Ancient Free & Accepted Masons), and the Rameses Shrine. I also belonged to Humbercrest United Church.