The house at 89 St. David Street was built in 1880 as a rental property by Albert Edwin Neil, a train dispatcher with the Grand Trunk Railway. Albert and his family were living a couple of doors away on St. David Street at the time. Albert was born and raised in Lucan, Biddulph Township. His Irish father and Ontario-born mother had farmed in the Ottawa area and then farmed in the Lucan area. After his time in Stratford, Albert moved to Toronto and then to London, working with the railways.

The first tenant of 89 St. David Street was George Clarke (also spelled “Clark” in many records). On May 13, 1850 he was born in Ireland to George Clarke and Jane Smithson, both born in England. His family emigrated to Ontario around 1852. By 1876 George was working as a blacksmith for the Grand Trunk Railway. He and his family were living at 118 St. David Street. In 1880 they moved into the newly constructed house at 89 St. David Street as the first tenants. By 1882 the family had moved around the corner to 13 Argyle Street, a house that they lived in until 1910, and which they appear to have owned. In 1911 they moved to 297 St. David Street, a fine home between Shrewsbury and St. Vincent, not at all like the modest homes that they lived in near the GTR shops. George and Elizabeth remained at 297 St. David until their deaths.

George was a foreman (blacksmith) from 1882 until his retirement in 1923 from what was then the Canadian National Railway. It would appear that his increased salary as a foreman allowed him to buy their first home at 13 Argyle, and then later to upgrade to 297 St. David.

George Clarke and Elizabeth Drury were married in the early 1870s, probably in Stratford. Elizabeth was born in England in 1854 to John and Ann Drury. Her family immigrated to Ontario when she was two years old.

George and Elizabeth had seven children: Mabel (Myers), 1873-1963; Emily May (James), 1876-1974; John Henry “Harry”, 1879-1903; Lillian Maude (Pratt), 1881-1956; Jennie Belle (Clarke), 1884-1973; Cora Pearl (Olsen), 1887-1986; Myrtle Georgina (Greacen), 1889-1940. It is interesting to note how long both parents and most of the children lived, especially for that period. Three of the daughters (Jennie, Cora, and Myrtle) worked for many years as clerks. Cora married the Chief Clerk of the GTR.

Elizabeth died March 28, 1940 at the age of 85. She had been living with their eldest daughter, Mabel, in Toronto for six months before her death. George died September 22, 1944 at the age of 94. He had been living for three months at the same daughter’s house in Toronto. Both George and Elizabeth were buried in Avondale Cemetery, along with several of their children.