Francis Shanley owned the lots 11 to 23, which was 2 3/5 acres, on Douro Street in 1870.

He sold John Carey Jr. lot 15, which was 1/5 acre and the house was built. In the 1871 assessment John and his family of three are listed as living in the house.

John Albert Carey Jr. was born on May 26, 1847 in Stratford, Ontario. His parents John and Katherine (McLear) immigrated to Canada from Ireland. John Jr. married Johanna McGrath (1847) on July 18, 1870 in Kinkora, Ontario. They had 5 children. Katherine (Kate) born in Stratford on November 1, 1870. She married John Rudolph at St. Josephs Church on February 8, 1898 and moved to Walkerton where she died on May 6, 1950.  Mary, born in 1873, married George Westman and died in 1921 in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Fredrick was born in 1873 and died in Smith Falls, Ontario in 1921.  Elizabeth was born in 1878. She married Hugh O’Neil Stewart and resided in Stratford. She died in 1933 and is buried in Avondale Cemetery.  Johanna was born in 1880 and died in 1901.  Mother Johanna died on April 7, 1880 and is also buried in Avondale.

In the 1891 Census, John’s occupation is listed as a contractor. He, his mother, daughters Kate, Mary, Eliza, and Johanna, and son Fredrick were living at 55 Douro Street, Stratford.

He remarried on January 11, 1892 in Walkerton to Catherine Rudolph. Catherine was born on September 27, 1859 to parents Heinrich Rudolph and Maria Stewart.  She had a brother John, who was married to Kate Carey (John Carey Jr.’s daughter). They had one son, Victor born in Stratford on October 15, 1895. In the 1921 Census, John Jr., Catherine and Victor were living at 93 Rebecca Street. John was living at this address on March 9, 1932 when he died. Victor’s occupation was a telephone man for Bell. He married Florence Arleen Smith in 1926 and died of lung cancer on July 10, 1938. 

Catherine moved to Owen Sound where she died on April 25, 1942 and is buried in Avondale Cemetery in Stratford along with John and Victor.