William Brinsmead was born in St. Marys, Ontario on September 21st, 1866 to Hugh Brinsmead and Helen Pacey. He moved with his family from St. Marys to Toronto, and then travelled quite extensively in the USA.
At his parents urging, he took advantage of the offer of free land and moved to the Saskatchewan-Alberta area. The 1916 census shows him, at 50, in Loverna, where he ran the jewelry store for a while until nephew Robert took over. He is listed as an optometrist. Rather than farm, he set up in the jewelry business, first in Loverna, Saskatchewan, then in Monitor, Alberta and then in Consort. An entry in "The Sunny Side of the Neutrals - Consort and District" (971.233 Sn74s 1983 PAA c.1) at page 6 says that, in 1927 Brinsmead Jeweler and Optometrist moved his business from Monitor to Consort.
There is a reference to Bill Brinsmead in the recollections of the Day family of Consort:
In the days when there as no beer parlor in Consort some of the old bachelors of the area would travel to Monitor to find a watering hole. I remember seeing Bill Brinsmead, the local watchmaker and sometimes dentist, Billy Jones, Oren Webb and Mark Sebrey all sitting straight as could be in Bill's old open topped Model T "putting" up the dirt street. The rain was pouring down and they were all soaked but they took about as much notice as if it had been the nicest day of the year. I believe they were immune to the cold of the situation.
He remained single his whole life. Unlike the others in the family listed as Presbyterian, William remained a Methodist like his father.
DEATH OF PIONEER — WILLIAM BRINSMEAD
Another pioneer of this district answered the final summons last Thursday evening at Consort Municipal Hospital where death came to William Brinsmead.
Born at St. Mary's Ont. on. Sept. 21 1866, his parents were Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Brinsmead. Hugh Brinsmead had come from Devonshire, England, as a boy of 12 years, crossing the ocean in a sailing vessel, and eventually settling at St. Mary's, where he made his home and raised a family of five boys and five girls, one of these children being William. Needless to say these children led a busy but happy life and learned many of life's lessons the hard way.
It was the writer's good fortune to know the deceased quite well, and we enjoyed his company and conversation very much. Like all of us he had faults and human failings, but he was always a gentlemen at heart, kind and courteous. He sometimes mentioned his boyhood and young manhood. At one time his family lived in half of a large stone house, and the other half was occupied by the man who later became known as Timothy Eaton the founder of the mail order business in Canada. As a young man William travelled quite extensively in the U. S., and at one time was a close friend of the man who invented the Linotype- in fact William held some stock in the Mergenthaler Linotype Co. for some his Friends idea work into a business which encircled the earth. As a young man William learned the optical business and also the watchmaking and jewelry trade. He had also one time worked as a baker, and when he first came west he could and did cook and keep house in a manner which put him in a class with the most tidy and capable housekeepers. He spent some time in several of the eastern states, even as far south as Florida. He came to Alberta in 1913; located at Loverna in 1914, moved to Monitor in 1919 and from there to Consort in 1926. He had a little home in Pleasant Heights and lived there until last summer when the walk up the hill became a little too much for him, and he finally became a patient at the hospital, gradually becoming weaker, but occasionally toddling down town for a chat with his friends. He was a friend of everyone and he will be missed by all.
One brother and three sisters survive, all in eastern Canada we believe. There are several nephews, among them P. T Brinsmead of Winnipeg, R. C. Brinsmead of Camrose, and T. M. Brinsmead, editor of the Bashaw Star at Bashaw, Alta. who was present at the funeral. The funeral was conducted by Rev. R. L. Harden in Knox United Church on Sunday, Feb. 18th. The weather was very cold, and roads blocked badly, but a goodly number of friends attended to pay their respects. The pallbearers were: Edw. C. Todd, George Kropinski, Mark Seebre, F. L. Wiltse, Jas. Mudie and Wm. Suey. The body was tenderly laid to rest in Lakeroad cemetery.
CARD OF THANKS
On behalf of the relatives of the late Wm. Brinsmead, may I place on record our grateful thanks for the thoughtful attentions of so many Consort and district friends. We feel especially grateful to Dr. Day and the Hospital staff.
Thomas M. Brinsmead, - Bashaw, Alberta.