August 6, 2009: (new photograph added)

Photo Source: Ottawa, The Capital of Canada by Shirley E. Woods, Jr. 1980


August 28, 2008:

Samuel Bingham, Lumber Baron, Mayor of Ottawa
Text Source: Hurling Down the Pine, pages 105-107






A Samuel Bingham and Sarah Fitzpatrick, were in Bytown by 1838
when they baptized their son John (possibly John Samuel): 

20 May 1838
Baptism of John, born the 1st of the marriage of Samuel Bingham and Sarah Fitzpatrick
Witnesses: Moses Doyle & wife (Bridget Brady)
Moses Doyle was one of the early settlers at South Gloucester -- one of the Doyles
in that area who came from the border area of County Wexford and County Wicklow, Ireland. 
Bridget Brady was from County Cavan.

The witnesses to another son's baptism were also pioneers on the Manotick Station Road:

12 Apr 1840
Baptism of Thomas, born 23 March of the marriage of Samuel Bingham and Sarah Fitzpatrick
Patrick Dewan & sister (The Dewans came from County Tipperary)

Source for church records at Notre Dame above is the Drouin Collection at ancestry.ca
February 15, 2009:

Hello
 
I have been enjoying this site for about a year, finding it after becoming interested in 
my family background. Bytown or Bust has given me interesting information about the Binghams' 
that was quickly added to the family tree. I was then surprised and thrilled to find 
information the other side of the family tree, the Herbert, Nash, Daley, Kelly, Kehoe, McEvoy 
connection. I am now looking for information on the Reardon family. My great grandmother was 
Margaret Reardon Kelly, married to William Kelly, and they raised a family of 8 in Manotick, 
I believe. If anyone was has information on her or the Reardon family, I would really 
appreciate hearing from you.
 
Thank you.
 
... Karen Bingham

May 14, 2009:

Hello Al
 
I emailed you a few months ago and at that time may have mentioned I was working on a biography 
of Mayor Samuel Bingham, my great, great, great uncle. Most of my information comes from 
family records and articles that were collected. I would like to have this biography added to 
the Bytown or Bust site. 
 
Thank you
Karen Bingham

Samuel Michael Bingham was the 5th son born to Irish immigrants, Samuel 
Bingham and Sarah Fitzpatrick, on May 13th, 1845 and baptised at Notre
Dame Cathedral on the 8th of June. His godparents were Michael and Mary
Cudick.
 **Birth year is listed anywhere from 1845 to 1848
 **His age on the marriage notice has him at 28 making his birth year 1847               
After finishing his education at Maloney's School at 113 Clarence Street in 
Ottawa, he worked in Ramsey Village as a millhand learning the trade of saw filler.

On the 11th of January 1875,  he married **Ellen Brannigan (sometimes referred
to as Helen, daughter of George Brannigan and Mary Cudick.
**The birth year of Ellen Brannigan is up for debate.
      Her age on the marriage notice is 23, making her birth year 1852
      Her age on the 1901 census is 53, stating her birthdate May 11, 1847
      Her death lists her as dying at 55 in1915, making her birth year 1860 and her
      age at marriage 15?
**Ellen often referred to on notices as "Helen"
The following year, Samuel almost drowned after his canoe tipped and he
waited over 1/2 an hour to be rescued from the frigid water of the Ottawa River.
                  
 He and Ellen went on to have 6 children, Albert born 28th October 1875 and
dying on the 24th May 1881 of diptheria at 5 years old, Walter Joseph born
 on 21st April 1877, dying also of 
diptheria at 4 years, within days of his brother Albert on the 29th. Georgina
 was born on the 9th of October, 1878 and
died on the 26th of August, 1880 from measles at age 2. Ellen born October
 22nd 1880. Helena Theresa S. was born on the 22nd October, 1882 and Mary
Mount Carmel S. born on the 25th March, 1885. They lived at 139 Dalhousie
Street until 1877 when they moved to 89 Sussex Drive at St. Andrew Street
(house demolished in 1940 to build Esso Station), now the National Research
Council (Pearson building.)

In 1878 he won contract for rafting and driving logs on the river with his
company, The Gatineau Drive Company, co-owned by Gilmour and Co. (later Gilmore
and Hughson) and the W.C. Edwards Company. he also operated Gatineau Boom Company. 
From 1880 to 1893 he served consecutive terms as alderman for Ottawa Ward in
Lower Town and was nominated for Parliament in 1886, but declined. 

In 1893 a new bridge was built and the city decided to name it after Alderman 
Bingham and despite protests from the citizens to keep the original name 
"Cummings Bridge". Two iron signs bearing the name "Bingham Bridge" were
attached. It wasn't long before both were ripped from the bridge and
thrown into the river. To this day, the bridge is known as "Cummings Bridge".
              
He was a wealthy man by the time he ran for Mayor in 1897, defeating
Mr. W.H. Cluff and Mr. Levi Crannell on January 5th. Samuel was at home
sick with laryngitis and the outgoing Mayor Borthwick spoke for him,
thanking his supporters. During his time as mayor, he painted fence red, 
white and blue to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and her
visit to Ottawa that year.

A strong believer in bilingualism he told the Daily Citizen "There are two
languages in the country and you cannot get away from that fact. The French
learn English because they have to, but the English should learn French 
because their education is not complete if they do not know it" He also
received the  Chevalier by Pope Leo XVII. He never accepted payment,
during the time he was mayor, instead, he donated to deserving charities, both
Catholic and Protestant.

He loved children and wanted them to have a place they could play, so he
donated the land for Bingham Park bounded by Dalhousie Street, Sussex Drive
and Bolton Street. He fixed up the playground at his own expense and paid
the caretaker out of his own pocket. The sign at the entrance of the 
park said " Free to every living man and boy who behaves himself".

Daniel O'Connor had a drinking fountain placed in Metcalfe Square, with the 
inscription " Presented by D. O'Connor, QC to his worship Mayor Bingham, May
1897". In 1963, the fountain was moved to the lawn to the side of City Hall,
Green Island. The cast iron bowl being damaged at some earlier time. In 1980
the base was moved to municipal storage at the Bayview Yard Depot. On the
5th July 2000, City Council passed a motion that the fountain base be moved
to 120 Boteler Street, the home of the Bingham family built by Samuel's nephew
in the 1890's.
 
On June 16th, Samuel was summoned from home late in the evening by
telegraph, after a hard week looking after the log drives. He started out shortly
after midnight to the Cascades and by 8 a.m., the dam finally broken after hours
of work without a break, he ate breakfast then headed to Wakefield. He had
had plans to meet with his daughters there and go on to their summer cottage
at Blue Sea Lake where they were planning to spend Sunday. Sam got to
Wakefield and left a message for his daughters telling them he could not join
them at the summer cottage as he was concerned about a jam forming again.
It's believed he fell asleep in the buggy as it headed toward Wakefield
exhausted from over 24 hours without sleep compounded with the very close,
warm weather. He was awakened by a hired hand from one of the
summer resorts along the way, thanked him and promised to stop in on the way
back and  was last seen again by a local just after midnight. It's believed the
horse, parched from the long drive headed into the water for a drink after
Sam fell asleep again. He was a strong swimmer so, it will never be known
how he drowned, although there are a few possibilites. 

In an article in the The Citizen Newpaper, on 22 June, told of how the grappling
irons, used to search for previous drowning victims, were lost and replaced by
Sam and were now being used in the search for his body. On the 23rd of June his
body was found around 5:20 p.m. by Maurice Charron floating among the logs
at the Cascades near Wakefield. His date of his death is said to be on or 
about the 17th and believed to have happened between noon  and 3 pm.  

The wake was held at his home on June 24th, leaving there at 9:30 to St. Brigit's
Church for the funeral, the largest seen in Ottawa in quite some time. It was
attended by members of city council as well as the employees from the Gatineau
River (see copy of funeral notice). He was buried at Notre Dame Cemetery,
lot 1736, section x, a bronze bust designed by Hamilton McCarthy and a copy
of the medal given him by Pope Leo XVII adorn it. In his will dated December 31,
1896, he left money to both Catholic and Protestant orphanges and hospitals,
as well as to family members including his brothers, sisters and their children                    
                   
In 1910 Ellen Brannigan and her daughters went to Rome and had the privilege
to meet with the Pope. Ellen returned with a crucifix and donated it to
St. Brigit's Church. Upon it's closing in 2006 the crucifix was moved to either
Notre Dame Cathedral or Our Lady Carmel on St. Laurent Blvd.

On Thrusday, October 21 1915 Ellen Brannigan died at the Place Viger
Hotel in Montreal of Bright's Disease (kidney disease) at the age of 55.
The wake was held on Saturday, October 25 at her previous residence,
89 Sussex Drive followed by funeral at St. Brigit's at 9:45. She was laid to
rest with husband at Notre Dame Cemetery.

At 24, Helena married 31year old Andrew Livingston Masson, a presbyterian,
son of Donald Masson and Marion Edie / Edey at St. Patrick's Church, Ottawa on
November 21, 1906. Andrew, born April 14,1875,was a clerk at the Department
of the Interior. They had one son, Walter Bingham Masson, born on the 25th April 
1909 at 240 Cooper St. in Ottawa (see copy of birth notice) and was baptised
May 2nd at St. Patricks Church. His godmother is listed as Carmel Bingham.
Walter is listed in the 1911 Census with parents however in December 1918
Andrew and Lena immigrated to Buffalo, NY without him. It appears he died
sometime between 1911 and 1919, however no records have been found 
confirming his death.

There is very little information on Carmel except she is mentioned on two
passenger lists. On the "6th of November, 1916 Passenger List, 
Carmel Bingham, age 31,sailed on "The Bermudian" to New York, NY, USA",
then on "October 1918 Passenger List, Carmel Bingham, age 32,
address 16 Baird Street, Ottawa, Port of Arrival Vermont, USA."
(see copy of immigration notices)
                                       
Samuel Bingham was a self made man and philanthropher, also referred to as a
"man of progress". He was described as "a shrewd, energetic businessman"
accustumed to handling large and important enterprises. He was the consumate
family man enjoying every minute he spent with his wife and 
daughters. An avid sportsman he loved skating, snowshoeing, bicycling,
canoeing and was an avid horse back rider touring a part of the city each day.

"He was honest, a man of means and considerable independence, a warm and
genial Irishman"

... by Karen Bingham

 March 12, 2010:

Hello Al
 
I thought this picture could be of some interest. This is the Ottawa National Baseball Team from 1896. The gentleman on the 
far right is Richard Bingham, I would be his first cousin, three times removed I believe. He played the position of left 
field on the team. Unfortunately, I do not have names for any of the other gentlemen.
 
... Karen Bingham

Ottawa National Baseball Team, 1896



Photo also posted to our Ottawa Sports History Web Page.

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