Douglas Brymner (1823 - 1902)

Born 3 Jul 1823 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Husband of Jane (Thomson) Brymner — married 4 Oct 1853 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 19 Jun 1902 at age 78 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

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Biography

Douglas Brymner is Notable.

Douglas Brymner was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire on 3 July 1823, and christened in Greenock on 31 July 1823^[1]. He was the son of Alexander Brymner and Elizabeth Fairlie.

At the time of the 1841 Census of the United Kingdom, Alexr, Eliza, Eliza Ann, Douglas, Graham, Cecilia, and John Brymner were listed as living in Greenock, Renfrewshire, along with two servants^[2]. At the time of the census, Douglas' occupation was listed as "Clerk".

Douglas married Jean Thomson at Hillend Villa, Glasgow, Lanarkshire on 4 October 1853^[3].

He immigrated to Lower Canada with his wife and son in 1857.

At the time of the 1861 Census of Canada East, Canada West, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Douglas, Jane, William, George Douglas, and Anne Steele Brymner (mistranscribed as "Buymet") were listed as living in Melbourne, Quebec^[4]. At the time of the census, Douglas' occupation was listed as "Farmer".

At the time of the 1871 Canada Census, Douglas (enumerated as "Douglass"), Jane, Annie, James, Elisabeth, and Cecil Brymner (mistranscribed as "Brymnen") were listed as living in Montreal, Quebec, along with Isabella and Robert Thomson (possibly Jane's relatives) and a servant^[5]. At the time of the census, Douglas' occupation was listed as "Editor".

In 1872, Douglas was appointed as the first Dominion Archivist. "As head of the Canadian archives for 30 years, Brymner amassed an impressive library of books and pamphlets, and over 3,100 volumes of hand-copied and bound manuscripts. Because he was restricted by appropriations that remained unchanged, and inadequate, until the mid 1890s and often worked alone ... Brymner’s accomplishment is all the more impressive. Acutely aware of the value of history, he realized that there could be no study without raw materials and so he dedicated himself to building collections that would allow historical research, and the historical profession in Canada, to expand and flourish," wrote Glenn Wright in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.^[6]

At the time of the 1881 Canada Census, Douglas, Jean T., William, George D, James, Elizabeth F, Agnes J., and Robert T. Brymner were listed as living in New Edinburgh, Ontario^[7]. At the time of the census, Douglas' occupation was listed as "Clerk Civ Ser".

At the time of the 1901 Canada Census, Douglas Brymner was listed as living in Ottawa, Ontario, along with his son-in-law Frederick Colson, his daughter Elizabeth F. Colson, his son Robert T. Brymner, and two lodgers^[8]. At the time of the census, Douglas' occupation was listed as "Civil Ser".

Douglas died in New Westminster, British Columbia on June 19, 1902^[9], and was buried in Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario^[10].

Sources

1. ↑ FindMyPast: Scotland Births & Baptisms 1564-1950, First name(s): Douglas, Last name: Brymner, Gender: Male, Birth year: 1823, Baptism date: 31 Jul 1823, Baptism place: WEST OR OLD PARISH, GREENOCK, RENFREW, SCOTLAND, Father's first name(s): Alexander, Father's last name: Brymner, Mother's first name(s): Elizabeth, Mother's last name: Fairlie, Residence: Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
2. ↑ Census of the United Kingdom, Census Year: 1841, County: Renfrewshire (RFW), Place: Greenock, Civil Parish: Greenock, Piece: 564, Enumeration District: 43, Folio: 0, Page: 6, House or Street Name: Cathcart St, Douglas Brymner : Accessed September 28, 2018).
3. ↑ Happy Haggis: Birth, Marriage & Death notices from Scottish newspapers: October 1853
4. ↑ Census of Canada East, Canada West, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, 1861, Canada East (Quebec), Richmond, Melbourne, page 96, Douglas Brymner; RG31 - Statistics Canada, roll C-1313 (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1861/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=613551 : Accessed January 19, 2019).
5. ↑ Census of Canada, 1871, Quebec, Montreal West (106), St. Antoine Ward (b), page 1, dwelling 3, family 3, Douglass Brymner; RG31 - Statistics Canada, roll C-10047 (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1871/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=3387968 : Accessed September 27, 2018).
6. ↑ Wright, Glenn, "Brymner, Douglas." Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 13, Toronto: University of Toronto/Université Laval (1994). Accessed September 15, 2018.
7. ↑ Census of Canada, 1881, Ontario, Russell (104), New Edinburg (F), page 34, dwelling 159, family 163, Douglas Brymner; RG31 - Statistics Canada, roll C-13229 (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1881/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=2916322 : Accessed September 25, 2018).
8. ↑ Census of Canada, 1901, Ontario, Ottawa (City) (100), Central Ward (B), page 23, dwelling 218, family 229, Douglas Brymner; RG31 - Statistics Canada, roll T-6488 (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1901/Pages/item.aspx?itemid=1755649 : Accessed September 25, 2018).
9. ↑ Registration of Death for Douglas Brymner, Event Type: Death, Registration Number: 1902-09-081950, BC Archives Mfilm Number: B13088, GSU Mfilm Number: 1927116, Event Date: 1902-06-19, Event Place: NEW WESTMINSTER, Age at Death: 79, Person: DOUGLAS BRYMNER, BC Archives - Royal BC Museum.
10. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #7051664

See also:

• Brebner.com: Douglas Brymner (1823-1902), Dominion Archivist
• Desveaux, Michelle, "National Unity Through History: The Canadian Archives and the Development of a Unifying National Narrative." Unwritten Histories. August 7, 2018.
• Wikipedia: Douglas Brymner
• Wikidata: Item Q5301280, en:Wikipedia