In my job, I have the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. I've met a man who, in his early 20's, was on the development team that created the A-bomb. I've met a man who was a gunner in the second world war, got shot down, and spent six months as a prisoner of war. I've met a man who lost three years of his life as a prisoner of war, holed up in a bamboo cage. I've met a woman who was a survivor of the Holocaust. I've met a woman who started as a primary school teacher and became a professor at the University of Alberta. I've met a husband and wife and joined them in celebrating their 73rd wedding anniversary. I've met a woman who this year will be celebrating her 100th birthday and is as sharp as a tac, but is only 4 months older than her table partner, who is also as sharp as a tac.
In the past 4 1/2 months i have met over 500 people, but there is one person whom I met who has a direct link to Canadian history; the great grand son of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald. Hugh MacDonald Gainsford, born 1918 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the grand son of Sir Hugh John MacDoland. Sir Hugh John Macdonald is the son of Sir John A. MacDonald. Hugh MacDonald Gainsford mother (Isabella) is the daughter of Sir Hugh John MacDonald.
Hugh Gainsford is the last lineage to Sir John A. MacDonald. Hugh's mother, Isabella, spent her summer months as a young woman with Sir John A. MacDonald. One of the memories Hugh Gainsford remembers from the stories his mother told him was how furious she would get about the rumours of Sir John A. MacDonald's drinking. She stated that Sir john A. was never unruly to the family. I asked Hugh if he had any letters of pictures of Sir John A. MacDonald. He stated to me he did not, partly due to the fact that his family moved around and most got lost or misplaced. He does though have two articles that belonged to Sir John A. MacDonald. One is an ebony walking stick that was given to Sir John A. MacDonald when he attended a picnic at Maidstone, Ontario, August 20th 1867. He passed the walking stick to me and for a few moments, stick gripped in my hand, I walked around his room, holding a part of history. The other article Hugh has a statue of Buffalo horns which was given to Sir John A. Macdonald in 1888. These came into Hugh's possession by way of his mother, who received them when John A. Macdonald died.
In my job I have the privilege of meeting many people, all with their own bit of history, all with their own stories. Hugh MacDonald Gainsford is one of those people.
How many people have you met?
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2 comments:
I'd love to take a walk with that walking stick...
I also have met thousands of folks in my job (I think I've done something like 10,000 psychiatric evaluations in my career). Usually these folks aren't at their best when I meet them. And quite a few interesting folks, with famous connections. I had one such encounter, just this weekend. The sorry thing is that I can't talk about it. Or write about it...Or I would get sued, or go to jail.
I randomly happened upon your blog. Hugh Gainsford is my grandfather (his daughter Nancy is my mother)...I was googling his name and rereading the interviews he's given over the years and it makes me so happy to read posts such as yours. My grandfather is turning 96 in a few days and I was reminiscing of his past. He's a remarkable individual and we're all better for knowing him. In addition to being an interesting man he's also the best grandfather in the world.
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