Ferrier

Thomas Lyons Ferrier was born 8/10/1815 in Belfast, Ireland, married Alice Kelly (unknown date, presumably in Ireland), and immigrated to Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada, sometime before 1841, as the first child was born there. Family lore gave his middle name is Lyons, and his father was also Thomas. This conflicts with a contemporary photo which says “T.S. Ferrier.” Thomas and Alice had seven children: Nancy, John S, William Warren, Francis, Robert, Ephraim, Esther. I have his bible which lists all of their birthdates, as well as Alice’s death on 3/22/1869. I know nothing about what he did. He died 1888 Bridgeport, Waterloo Co, Ontario. Searching the web I found “Thomas Lyons Ferrier” buried in the Bridgeport Free Church Cemetary [1] along with (wife) Alice, (daughter) Nancy and (?his father) Thomas. Son Ephraim E. was listed in Mr. Hope, Kitchener, Section D. There are no dates on the web site, and I have yet to obtain the records from these cemetaries. I know that Ephraim died after his brother Francis (after 1917). The family photo album kept by son Francis has photos of John, William, Robert and Ephraim which are identified. I suspect one of the unidentified women is Nancy, but don’t know which one. Of note, when I visited PRONI in 2019, I was unable to verify any of the data for either Thomas Ferrier or Alice Kelly. I suspect that they traveled from Belfast and that became where they were from.

Francis Ferrier was born August 29, 1851 in Bridgeport, Waterloo County, Ontario, Canada, and was educated in Canadian schools. He immigrated to the US and spent one year with the Pillsbury Mills in Litchfield, MN (1871) before becoming associated with the Starr Mills in Vallejo, CA in 1872. He remained with Starr for 17 years, as the “Second Miller”, and Starr was one of his sponsors when he was naturalized August 3, 1880 in San Francisco. [2] Francis writes in his journal “I left home the 1st November 1871. Went to Stirling, Ill. thence to St. Paul thence to Minneapolis thence to Litchfield which place I left Apr 3rd 1872 arrived at San Francisco 14th April 1872. Went to work at A. M. H May 16 ’72. Came to South Vallejo 19 Aug 72 went to work at Starr Mills at 1p.m. $3.00 per day.” He goes on to list his next raise to $3.50 on Oct. 5 1872, then to $4.00 on Oct 11 1873, then to $4.50 on Nov. 6, 1873.

“The wedding of Miss Lizzie M. [Elizabeth Margaret] Doble, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Abner Doble, and Mr. Francis Ferrier, was quietly solemnized on Tuesday evening last [Nov 20, 1888] at the residence of the bride’s parents, 1315 Gough Street [San Francisco]. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. W. H. Scudder of Plymouth church and was very private, on account of the illness of the bride’s sister, Miss Mary Doble, only the immediate relatives of the bride and groom being present.” [3] I don’t know how they met (but am suspicious that her father introduced them as Abner and Francis were both Masons).

In February 1888, he and E.M. McDonald organized the McDonald Mill and Warehouse (later the Globe Milling Co), in Wilmington, CA. He and his wife remained there until 1893. Their first child, Frances Alice Ferrier, was born there in 1892.

Moving to Berkeley in 1893, he entered and remained actively engaged in the Real Estate business, until his death October 11, 1917. He was mayor of Berkeley for 6 years (under the ward system of the second charter, as well as under the commission form of the third charter), during which period the Key Route Trains came to Berkeley in 1903, the San Francisco earthquake and fire occurred on April 18, 1906, the cornerstone of the City Hall was laid in June 1908. He was the first president of the Berkeley Real Estate Exchange (4 years) and of the California Real Estate Association (1 year). He was a director of the San Francisco Realty Co, and of the Oakland Title Association and Guaranty Co., and was a founder of the West Berkeley Bank, later a branch of the American Trust Co. He died 10/11/1917 Berkeley, Alameda Co, CA. The number of letters and telegrams received by the family half fills his lock-box.

Frances Alice Ferrier (4/10/1890-2/20/1979) met Orville Roscoe Goss in elementary school. He dipped her braids in his ink well! They married in 1914, and had two sons. Orville went to the University of California Medical School (now UCSF), and had a full career in the US Navy as a surgeon (who specialized in Ear/Nose/Throat).

Elizabeth Erskine Ferrier (10/24/1892-1969) met and married Donald Lishman Ross. They lived for some time in Honolulu, affiliated with Standard Oil. They had two sons, one of whom died as a young man.

Delphine Margaret Ferrier (9/17/1894-3/31/1990) met Victor Hugo Doyle while an undergraduate at Cal (UC Berkeley). They were married in 1917, and also had two sons. See the Doyle line for more info.

A. B. C.

A. Francis Ferrier with his eldest grandchild, Francis Ferrier Goss
B. Delphine with her parents (at the Fulton Street house) upon her graduation from Mills Seminary
C. Delphine on her wedding day
D. E. F.

D. Thomas Ferrier
E. Alice Kelly Ferrier
F. John L. Ferrier & wife (Lydia Snyder)

G. H. I.

G. William Ferrier
H. Robert Ferrier
I. Ephraim Ferrier

[1] Ontario Cemetary Finding Aid
[2] Certificate of Naturalization
[3] Wedding Announcement, unknown newspaper

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