William Polson (1834 - 1901):
William Polson was the son of Angus Polson and Sarah Pennicott. He was married twice, to Jane Broughall (d. 1912) and Annie Pollock, dates unkown. There were four children from his marriage with Annie Pollock, Franklin Bates (1858 - 1907), Arthur (1859 - 1900), Anne Josephine (1868 - 1926) and William S. (1861 - 1900)
Obituary - two articles
Franklin Bates Polson (February 10, 1858- October 28, 1907:
Franklin Bates Polson was the son of William Polson and Annie Pollock. He received an extensive engineering education, worked for several railway companies, and founded Polson Iron Works in Toronto with his father, William, in 1883. They had produced many engines before they branched out into ships - first yachts, then lakeboats of all kinds (tugs, dredges, barges, cargo ships), producing the first steel lakeboat, the Manitoba, at their shipyards in Owen Sound, Ontario, in 1888. Bruce Rudolf in his article, The Polson Iron Works of Owen Sound, says:
"The building of the Manitoba marks a significant achievement in Canadian industrial history in a number of ways. For one, the Manitoba would not only be the largest steel steamer afloat on inland waters, but she would be built by the first Canadian shipyard equipped for steel shipbuilding. From an industrial archaeological point of view, the Manitoba was the starting point of steel shipbuilding in Canada."
Franklin Bates was married in 1879 to Emma A. Woods who died at the young age of 25 in 1885. Of their three children, one, Florence Grace, survived to adulthood. In 1901 Franklin married Bessie Stephen Thomson. There were four children from this marriage, Margaret Lois (1902-1933), architect Franklin Murray (1903-1978), Gordon (1905-1908) and Alan (1907-1908). Franklin died unexpectedly in 1907 just as plans were being developed for expansion of the Toronto yards.
Biography of Franklin Bates Polson.
Franklin Bates Polson's first wife:
Emma A. Wood, born in Brighton, Cobourg County, in 1860. Her family came to Cobourg in 1870. Married Franklin Bates Polson in 1879, which union produced a son and two daughters. The daughters survived her death at the age of 25 in 1885.
Obituary, Cobourn Sentianl-Star, July 3, 1885
Franklin Bates Polson's second wife:
Bessie Stephen Thomson (b. Toronto 1878 - d. Vancouver 1973) was the ninth child of William Thomson (b Dundee, 1831) and Betsy Gibb Stephen, (also of Dundee). William Thomson was for a time President of the Toronto Board of Trade, and a Director of the Northern Railway. Bessie married Franklin Bates in March, 1901. This marriage produced Margaret Lois, (b. 1902 - d. 1933), Architect Franklin Murray (b. 1903 - d. 1978), Gordon (b. 1905 d. 1908) and Alan (b. 1907 - d. 1908).
She married a second time, November 24, 1910, to Frederick C. Lee (b.1876? - d. ?)
Thomson Family Portrait circa1884. Bessie is the girl feeding Jock, the dog.