'Clementina Trenholme', (
4 May 1843 –
14 September 1918), was born at Trenholme,
Canada East and died at
Hamilton, Ontario. (Clementina Fessenden Trenholme),
author, social organizer. Also, mother of
Reginald Fessenden, the radio pioneer. Buried in St. John's Anglican Cemetery,
Ancaster, Ontario.
[ Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol II, 1876-1924), , Thomas Melville, Bailey, W.L. Griffin Ltd, 1991, ]
Educated in Montreal schools, she grew up in a home where loyalism and devotion to British traditions was strong. At twenty one she married Reverend Joseph Elisha Fessenden, a Canadian-born
Church of England clergyman. Family moved to
Fergus, Ontario and later to Chippeaw, on the banks of the
Niagara River. There, she honed her writing skills as one of the first editors of the ''Niagara W.A. Leaflet''.
1893 accepted position of rector at St. John's Anglican Church in
Ancaster, Ontario. Always trying to find ways to strengthen Canada's links to the
British Empire. Identified herself both physically and spiritually with
Queen Victoria. She dressed in black like the widowed Queen after her own husband passed away in
1896. She was responsible for introducing
Empire Day in Canadian schools, first in
Dundas, Ontario in
1898 on the last school day before May 24, Queen Victoria's birthday. It was then celebrated more each year and then instituted in
England in
1904 by Lord Meath. A typical Empire Day in Hamilton schools occupied the entire day and included inspirational speeches by trustees and songs such as ''The Maple Leaf'' and ''Just Before the Battle''.
A bronze plaque was installed in her memory on the wall of St. John's Anglican Church.
Tribute
Had two neighbourhoods named after her,
Fessenden and
Trenholme, both on the Hamilton, Ontario Mountain.
The first neighbourhood, ''Fessenden'', on the West Mountain is bounded by
Upper Paradise Road (east),
Mohawk Road West (north) and (west), this Road for the most part runs on a West-East route on the Hamilton Mountain but on the western end where this neighbourhood is situated the Road turns South and flows overtop of the
Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway, the southern boundary of this neighbourhood. Landmarks in this neighbourhood include
Sir Allan McNab High School and ''Regina Mundi Church''.
The second neighbourhood, ''Trenholme'', on the East Mountain is bounded by
Limeridge Road East (north), ''Pritchard Road'' (east), the
Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway (south) and
Upper Ottawa Street (west). Landmarks in this neighbourhood include
Albion Falls Park and
Trenholme Park, also named after her.
References
★ MapArt
Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 658 - Grids M17, M18
★ MapArt
Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 656 - Grids L8, M8/ Page 657 - Grids L9, M9
External links
★
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''