Part 128
=Torrington, Frederic Herbert=, Organist of the Metropolitan Methodist Church, Toronto, Conductor of the Toronto Philharmonic Society and of the great Toronto Musical Festival, 1886, and without doubt the most prominent executive musician in Canada, was born at Dudley, Worcestershire, England, October 20th, 1837. He commenced playing the violin at the early age of seven years, and as he even then showed marked ability, he was placed under competent musical instructors at Birmingham, and articled, after the good old English fashion, to James Fitzgerald, then organist and choirmaster of St. George’s and Mary’s Churches, Kidderminster. At the age of sixteen he became organist and choirmaster of St. Anne’s Church, Bewdley. In 1857 he left England for Montreal, where he was, immediately on his arrival, appointed organist of Great St. James street Methodist Church, a post which he occupied for twelve years. During this period he founded several vocal societies and the Montreal Amateur Musical Union Orchestra, and was for two years bandmaster of the 25th regiment (regulars). Visiting Boston in September, 1868, he gave a performance on the Great Music Hall organ, which was warmly noticed in _Dwight’s Journal of Music_ and the Boston daily press. Shortly after, at the invitation of P. S. Gilmore, he formed the Canadian orchestral contingent for the first great Boston jubilee. A few weeks after the close of the festival, Mr. Torrington accepted the position of organist at King’s Chapel, Boston, and held it for four years. During this period he was one of the regular solo organists at the Music Hall, one of the first violins in the Harvard Symphony Orchestra, a teacher of the piano at the New England Conservatory of Music, and conductor of six vocal societies. On several occasions he was solo organist at the concerts in Henry Ward Beecher’s church, Brooklyn. In 1873 he came to Toronto, and was appointed organist and choirmaster of the Metropolitan Church, and conductor of the Philharmonic Society. This society was, at this time, in its infancy, and in a languishing condition, but Mr. Torrington’s energy and the enthusiastic music-lovers with whom he was able to surround himself enabled him to develop it into the greatest factor in the musical world of Canada, and into one of the greatest societies on the American continent, as will be shown by a glance at the society’s performances in fourteen years:—“Messiah” (4), “Elijah” (5), “Creation” (3), “Lay of the Bell” (2), “Fridolin” (2), “St. Paul” (2), “Stabat Mater” (2), “May Queen” (3), “Hymn of Praise” (2), “Walpurgis Night,” “Naaman” (2), “Spring’s Message,” “Bride of Dunkerron,” “Judas Maccabæus” (2), “Gypsy Life,” “The Last Judgment,” “Acis and Galatea,” “Preciosa,” “Redemption” (2), “Rose Maiden,” march and chorus (Tannhæuser), “March Cortege” (Reine de Saba), “Crusaders,” “Fair Ellen,” “Rose of Sharon,” “Mors et Vita,” “Spectre’s Bride,” “Golden Legend.” To this imposing list of choral works must be added numerous unaccompanied part songs, and the following orchestral works:—Larghetto, Second Symphony (Beethoven), Larghetto, Jupiter Symphony (Mozart), Surprise Symphony (Haydn), Hymn of Praise Symphony (Mendelssohn), the Maritana, Martha, Oberon and Preciosa overtures, Andante, First Symphony (Beethoven), G minor Concerto (Mendelssohn), Beethoven’s Piano Concerto, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, Arditi’s L’Ingenue Gavotte, and Delibes’ Valse lente e pizzicati, many of these works being heard for the first time in Canada, and some for the first time on this side of the Atlantic. The influence of the Philharmonic Society is most strikingly reflected in the immense improvement in the condition of church choirs throughout the city, and in the establishment of other flourishing vocal societies. But Mr. Torrington’s greatest work in the cause of music was undoubtedly the initiation and successful performances of the great musical festival of 1886. In this a monster chorus of over nine hundred voices, accompanied by an orchestra of one hundred skilled musicians, sang Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” and Gounod’s “Mors et Vita” with a degree of musical splendor that astonished every auditor. The soloists were of world-wide repute, being Fraulein Lilli Lehmann, Mrs. E. Aline Osgoode, Mrs. Gertrude Luther, Miss Agnes Huntington, Mr. Albert L. King, Mr. Max Heinrich, Mr. D. M. Babcock, Mr. Frederic Archer, Mr. Otto Bendix, Mme. Josephine Chatterton, Herr Henry Jacobsen, and Mr. Fred Warrington. Two miscellaneous concerts were also given in which the soloists and orchestra were assisted by a chorus of over one thousand three hundred school children, in whose training he was ably assisted by E. W. Schuch and A. P. Perrin. Mr. Torrington conducted these performances, which have been unparalleled outside of four or five of the largest American cities. The support and interest of the public were most gratifying, the receipts being $13,561.48, yielding a net profit, after all expenses were paid of $599.19, and entirely obviating the necessity of calling on the immense guarantee fund of $35,000. In the respect of being self-sustaining, the festival was unique, this rarely being the case, even in the largest cities of the United States. The ability of the city to provide such immense choral forces, and to support such an undertaking so liberally, may clearly be traced to the confidence placed in Mr. Torrington by the musical public, and to the great influence exerted by his unwearied efforts to advance and popularise the cause of true and pure music in Toronto. Mr. Torrington has laboured assiduously to organise a permanent orchestra in Toronto, and his efforts have been crowned with success; an efficient orchestra of sixty instrumentalists being now one of the chief musical features of the city, and one of its principal musical educators. Mr. Torrington’s wisdom in introducing the amateur element into this orchestra is shown by the fact that a well-balanced band, which is capable of performing oratorio accompaniments, is now in active life in the city. His labors have extended to Hamilton, where, as conductor of the Hamilton Philharmonic Society, he has produced “The Lay of the Bell,” “Messiah,” “Elijah,” “Hymn of Praise,” “Naaman,” “Rose of Sharon,” “The Three Holy Children,” and “Samson.” As conductor of the University College Glee Club, he has produced Mendelssohn’s music to “Antigone,” and Max Bruch’s “Frithjof.” As a composer, he has produced several church services, hymn tunes, organ voluntaries, secular choruses and songs. Mr. Torrington was brought up a member of the Church of England, but has for many years been connected with the Methodist church as organist. He is a Freemason, being a life member of Ionic lodge, Toronto, and is a fellow and gold medallist of the Society of Science, Letters and Art, London, England. He has also been, for the past five years, director of the musical department of the Ontario Ladies’ College, Whitby.
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=Owens, John=, St. John, New Brunswick, an enterprising ship-builder and shipowner, but better known in these latter days as a public spirited and philanthrophic citizen, was born in St. John, New Brunswick, in the year 1790, and died in his native city in the year 1867. The Owens Art Institution of St. John is the outcome of his bequest “to be applied by his executors for the purpose of establishing a gallery, or school of art, for the instruction of young persons in drawing and other works of art.” The fact of this institution having been created without any outside assistance, and of its being operated with the view to be self-sustaining through voluntary support on its merits alone, warrants some reference to the circumstances which led up to its present efficiency as a thoroughly equipped art educational establishment. Hence, it may be said, the amount left for art purposes proving to be quite inadequate to effect the object as set forth, led the executors to believe the testator intended the amount so left to be merely a nucleus, to be added to by other persons desirous of promoting a love for the fine arts. From the outset the money was much sought after, but the fund remained unapplied, in consequence of all propositions for its use being destitute of the practical and financial accompaniments which the executors deemed absolutely necessary for the accomplishment of the object, in accordance with the terms of the will. A church property, together with a limited endowment fund, formed another bequest, vested in five trustees and their successors, the clergyman officiating in the church to be of either the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Independent or Episcopal persuasion. By reason of a combination of restrictions and limitations governing the trust, so much difficulty was experienced in its administration that a cessation of the church services took place in the year 1882, with little prospect of their early renewal. In this state of the two interests it became the opinion of the then sole surviving executor, Robert Reed, and the trustees of the church estate, namely, Robert Reed, Francis Jordan, Thomas Jordan, John Hegan, and Andrew D. Robertson, the latter having succeeded John Duncan, deceased, who was Mr. Owens’ business partner for about forty years, under the firm of Owens & Duncan, that if the several trusts were concentrated upon art, that object which the testator had in view might possibly be carried out; whereupon they joined in an application to the legislature to change the trusts, which was done by an act passed in the session of 1884. Immediately thereafter steps were taken, by the same trustees, to remodel the church edifice into what now appears to be a building thoroughly adapted for the purpose of art education, with the view of making the institution as attractive and as useful as possible under the circumstances; thereby hoping to create a more general interest in the fine arts, the trustees have put forth the whole strength of the means at their command, resulting in the gallery walls being covered with high class work, consisting mostly of examples from the brush of English Royal Academicians and other eminent artists of the present and previous two centuries, besides a very full and complete school outfit of casts from the antique, and drawing examples by leading artists, characteristic of the South Kensington schools. In consequence of the funds being thus exhausted, the institution is now solely depending for its income upon its school fees and a charge for admission to the gallery, but its being thus sustained solely on its intrinsic merits, is a problem now in course of solution. If the experiment succeeds in its aims it will prove to be a new departure in the maintenance of educational establishments of a kindred character. The school is in charge of John Hammond, a native of Montreal, who, in addition to being a professional artist of many years’ standing, has, since his connection with the Owens Art Institution, spent two years in European art study, and his works having been repeatedly hung in the annual exhibition of the Royal Academy of London, and the Paris Salon, gives him rank as among the leading artists of the day. In addition to the patronage from the city and outlying districts of New Brunswick, the school has thus far attracted pupils who have registered respectively from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, Maine and Massachusetts.
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=Corning, Thomas Edgar=, Barrister, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, is of English descent. His ancestors came to America in 1640, and settled in Beverley, Massachusetts. His great grandfather removed in 1764, and was one of the first settlers in Yarmouth. His father is Nelson Corning, of Chegoggin, Yarmouth. Mr. Corning was born at Chegoggin on the 11th April, 1842. He received his early education in Acadia College, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and graduated on the 6th June, 1865. Besides holding the degree of bachelor of arts, he has been elected a scholar and member of the senate of the University of Acadia. This latter event occurred in 1883. Having finished his classical studies, Mr. Corning entered upon the study of the law, and was admitted to the bar on 30th October, 1869. His thoroughness and practical business turn of mind soon secured to him a fair share of the legal business in Yarmouth, and he now enjoys the reputation of being one of the best lawyers in Yarmouth county. He is head of the firm of Corning & Chipman. In politics he is a Liberal-Conservative, but resides in a constituency which has always been intensely Liberal. However, at the general elections in 1882, Mr. Corning was elected as a supporter of the then Liberal-Conservative government led by the Hon. J. S. D. Thompson, now minister of justice at Ottawa. This government resigned shortly after the elections, giving place to the Liberal government first led by the Hon. Mr. Pipes, afterwards by the Hon. Mr. Fielding. In the House of Assembly Mr. Corning took a leading part in all the debates, and carefully considered every question upon its merits, aiming to give an intelligent vote always. Although staunch to his party, his candor and fairness made him popular and respected by the dominant party. On the dissolution of the house, in 1886, he was nominated by his party. But the secession agitation had begun, and the Fielding ministry went to the country with the cry of “Repeal.” To this issue Mr. Corning presented an unwavering opposition, but the popular enthusiasm was too great for him, and he was defeated in June, 1886, by a majority of one thousand. Since then he has continued in private life, but his integrity and ability will, no doubt, before many years bring him again to the fore in political matters. Mr. Corning has never travelled much outside of his native province. He has held the office of treasurer of the municipality of Yarmouth since 1874. Although one of the largest towns in the province, Yarmouth has never been incorporated, and is still managed in the old way. Nine of the county councillors, elected in the limits of the polling district of Yarmouth town, manage its affairs. Mr. Corning married, on the 25th August, 1880, Jane Alden Baxter, daughter of John Baxter, of Yarmouth. He is a Baptist in religion.
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=Black, J. Burpee=, M.D., Windsor, N.S., was born at St. Martin’s, New Brunswick, on the 15th August, 1842. Dr. Black is of Irish extraction, his father, Thomas Henry Black, having been a native of county Armagh, Ireland. His mother’s maiden name was Mary E. Fownes, and resided in St. Martin’s. Dr. Black received his early education in St. Martin’s, and continued his course in St. John, New Brunswick, and at the Mount Allison Wesleyan Academy, Sackville, N.B. His family were Baptists, but, owing probably to his educational associations, Dr. Black has for twenty-five years worshipped with the Methodists, and has for some years been an active member of their church. Having completed his studies at Sackville, where he made the acquaintance of the lady who afterwards became his wife, he studied medicine at Berkshire Medical College, in Massachusetts, and received the degree of M.D., after finishing his course at the University of Philadelphia. He commenced the practice of his profession in the village of Hantsport, Hants county, N.S., but after residing there for five years removed to Windsor, where he has since resided, and has worked up one of the largest practices in Nova Scotia. Hantsport has been in its growth one of the most prosperous villages in Nova Scotia. It owes the greatest part of its success to the business ability, integrity and enterprise of the Hon. Ezra Churchill, who worked his way up from the humblest beginnings to the position of M.P. in Nova Scotia before confederation, and a senator of the Dominion. When he died, at Ottawa, in the spring of 1874, he owned a fleet of upwards of forty ships of various sizes, and his property was estimated at $800,000. He literally made Hantsport, most of the houses there having been erected under his supervision. His daughter, Bessie, was married to Dr. Black at Hantsport, on the 11th May, 1864. They have been blessed with a family of ten children, nine of whom are living, and one, the eldest, is married. Like his father-in-law, Dr. Black has always been a Conservative in politics, and in some campaigns has taken the stump in behalf of his friends. He has also been freely spoken of as a possible candidate for legislative honors. He was elected a member of the town council of the town of Windsor in October, 1882, and held the position until his time of service expired in 1884, when he was elected warden of Windsor without opposition. Windsor became an incorporated town in the year 1878. Previous to this time its affairs had been administered by justices of the peace sitting at quarter sessions. Its public moneys were voted at a town meeting held once a year. The chief officers were the town clerk, the commissioner of streets, and the collector of rates. During Dr. Black’s period of service as councillor the town was supplied with water from a reservoir on Fall Brook, a stream of water running from lakes on the South Mountain, six miles in rear of the town. The actual length of the water mains is about three miles. The cost of this public work, the greatest yet undertaken by the town, was $48,000, and $8,000 has since been expended in extending the system. Debentures paying five per cent in two half-yearly instalments were issued to raise this sum, which was readily procured, and has proved to be excellent stock, the bonds now selling considerably above par. All parts of the town are supplied cheaply and plentifully with excellent water, while the pressure, 86 lbs., is so great that the town has no need of fire engines, the supply from the hydrants being sufficient to quickly extinguish any fire which has yet broken out. Dr. Black was chairman of the water committee, and the works under his management were constructed for a less cost than that estimated by the engineer—a result very rare in public works. Dr. Black has also been interested in most of the new manufacturing enterprises of the town. On the expiry of his first term of service as warden, in 1884, he was re-elected by acclamation, and held the office until he retired in 1885. He is connected with no secret society except the Masonic fraternity. He was made a Mason in Mount Lebanon lodge, R.E., Prince Edward Island, in 1866. He held the office of master of Poyntz lodge, at Hantsport, from 1867 to 1870. In 1873 he became high priest of Hiram Chapter, at Windsor. He was also district deputy grand master of the Nova Scotia Grand Lodge in 1883 and 1885.
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=Bingay, Thomas Van Buskirk=, Yarmouth, N.S., was born in 1814, at Shelburne, Nova Scotia. He comes of an old loyalist family. His mother, Sarah Van Buskirk, was the daughter of Jacob Van Buskirk, who saw stirring times during the American revolution. In the first American war he held the position of major, and during the war of 1812 he was colonel. Later on he became a judge of the old inferior court of Common Pleas, of Nova Scotia, in the list of the judges of which court occur some of the brightest names of Nova Scotians, such as Judge Haliburton (“Sam Slick”), John G. Marshall, and Peleg Wiswell. Jacob Van Buskirk’s father was Abraham Van Buskirk, who was colonel in the 4th battalion of New Jersey Volunteers, and second in command to Brigadier-General Arnold in his expedition to New London (being specially mentioned in his despatches for active exertions), and who, at the close of the revolutionary war, in 1784, settled in Shelburne. Shelburne was then a city of some ten thousand inhabitants, and Abraham Van Buskirk was its first mayor. Mr. Bingay is the eldest son of the late John Bingay, of Shelburne, who for some years represented the county of Shelburne in the provincial parliament, and who was deputy-sheriff of the county of Yarmouth, and subsequently, in 1836, first high sheriff of the county, which office he held until his death, which occurred in 1851. He was educated at Church Point, in Digby county, with the venerable Abbé Sigogne, for many years parish priest of the Acadian district of Clare, in which settlement he exercised great influence, and where his name is still held in great reverence. The abbé was a great friend of T. C. Haliburton whilst that author practised law in Annapolis Royal and represented the county of Annapolis in the House of Assembly. He was not only a very learned man, but also a typical country clergyman, being consulted by his flock on all occasions about affairs of every class. Mr. Bingay subsequently attended school in Halifax. He began to study law in Liverpool, N.S., but completed his term of apprenticeship in Halifax, where he was enrolled as attorney in 1835. In those days, a year elapsed before an aspirant for forensic honours after becoming an attorney, could be admitted to practice at the bar of this province. In 1835, Mr. Bingay became a barrister and began the active duties of his profession in Yarmouth. In 1839, he was appointed judge of probate, and in the next year, master in chancery. He was also a captain of the Yarmouth militia in 1839. In 1852 he left Yarmouth and made a voyage to Australia. On his way home he stopped in California, where his son, Thomas V. B., was born. He returned to Yarmouth in 1857, and has resided there ever since. Mr. Bingay has lived through the most prosperous times of Yarmouth. Has seen the rise, good times, and decadence of one of the most enterprising shipbuilding eras of this province, and has been professionally connected with most of the leading enterprises of his town. His first wife was Lois, daughter of the late Joseph Tooker, by whom he had two sons, who both died in early manhood, and a daughter who died in infancy. His second wife was Margaret J., daughter of the late James Budd Moody, who was a brother of the late Elisha W. B. Moody, and grandson of Col. James Moody, of New Jersey. Col. James Moody, at the close of the American war, settled in Weymouth, N.S. Of this marriage there were eight sons and a daughter, of whom two sons and the daughter died in infancy. Of his sons, the oldest three reside in Yarmouth. These are James Wentworth Bingay, Q.C., revising barrister, and major of Yarmouth county militia; George Bingay, barrister and captain of militia, and Thomas V. B. Bingay, accountant in the Exchange Bank of Yarmouth. All of these are men in first-rate standing. Mr. Bingay and his two oldest sons constitute the legal firm of Thomas V. B. Bingay & Sons. They are the solicitors of the following local corporations, viz.:—The Bank of Yarmouth; The Western Counties Railway Company (James Wentworth Bingay, sec’y.-treasurer); The Mutual Relief Society of Nova Scotia (James Wentworth Bingay, director and trustee); and the Yarmouth Water Company (George Bingay, sec’y.-treas.). Of the latter company George Bingay was one of the three original corporators. From his family antecedents, as well as his professional and social environment, as may be supposed, Mr. Bingay’s sentiments lean strongly towards Conservatism. He is the oldest representative of a family, which for a hundred years, has held a very prominent position in the western counties of Nova Scotia. His ancestors made great sacrifices for British connection. The family are Episcopalians in religion.
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