Historical Plaque Properties

 

William Henry Beadle - Machinist/George McLagan Furniture Company
257 Ontario Street
Stratford, ON
1904


The house at 257 Ontario St. was built in 1904 by William Henry Beadle, the eldest son of Thomas Edwin Beadle and Sarah Middleditch Beadle. William was born in Stratford October 11, 1875 most likely in the home of his parents, right next door at 253 Ontario St. His brother Albert Edwin would arrive the following year on November 11. After their father died in 1902 both William and his brother continued to live in the house with their mother. Albert would become a foreman and then superintendent with the Stratford Flax Company while William became a wood machinist with the McLagan Furniture Company with an annual salary of $400.
On December 23, 1902 William married Hannah Marie Bradfield, the 26 year old daughter of Joseph Bradfield and Matilda Doherty in Stratford. In 1904 Albert and William had the lot severed and William built the house at 257 Ontario St.
Soon William and Marie welcomed a son, Elson Murray born January 12, 1906 attended to by Dr. JP Rankin. Perhaps due to a workplace injury by 1909 William was still employed at McLagan's but now working as a stock clerk. In 1911 William, Marie, Murray and William's mother Sarah moved into the Stratford Collegiate Institute on St. Andrew St. where William was employed as the caretaker. In 1926 he purchased the house at 45 Douglas St. and continued to work at the Collegiate right up to shortly before his death March 20, 1949.
Murray continued to live at home working as a clerk with the Royal Bank of Canada and then as a piano salesman with Mason and Risch. He eventually found his calling as an insurance agent with Metropolitan Life Insurance.
On February 20, 1937 Murray married Vera Luck in Barrie and moved there from Stratford with his new bride. Soon after William's death the house on Douglas was sold and Marie moved in with Murray and Vera who were now living in Brantford. Marie died in 1954 and is buried along with her husband in Avondale cemetery.