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James Whitham
b.15 Oct 1858 Heywood, Lancashire, England
d.11 Nov 1945 Cornwall, Stormont, Ontario, Canada
Family tree▼ (edit)
m. 11 Jul 1846
(edit)
m. 21 Dec 1882
Facts and Events
Known facts: James listed his birth place as Heywood. He had a brother, a Mr B. Whitham, who remained in England. The two brothers were reunited in 1925 at a Burnley address, 35 Wynothan St. The 1925/7 Burnley street directories show a Benjamin Sr and Jr boarding with Mr & Mrs J R Haworth st 35 Wynotham St. James listed his father's name as James on his marriage record. James Whitham 57 [67] years sailed from eastern Canada to Liverpool , arrived 13th December 1925. Ship was" MONTROSE" third class. occupation theatre proprieter. Sailed alone.Burnley address visited. His wife died in Canada same year so maybe he wanted to be with relatives here after her death. He returned to Canada on the Montclare, arriving in St John, New Brunswick on 14 Feb 1926. He listed his English next of kin as a brother, Mr B Whitham. Excert from Cornwall Standard-Freeholder, Jan 14, 1933 article by George Wilson about James Whitham ".... Today we pay tribute to James Whitham, to whom, in large measure, is due the credit for making the movies and the talkies what they are in Cornwall at present. Starting under very unpretentious circumstances when movies were in their infancy in Ontario, Mr. Whitham has kept his succeeding theatres up with the times and for the last five years his present Capitol Theatre has been recognized as one of the finest in the province. But there are other interesting facts associated with Mr. Whitham’s life besides his theatre connection and Down The Lane takes pleasure in stating that the half hour we spent in Mr. Whitham’s company in delving into his past proved most enjoyable, and, we are sure, the narrative will prove of interest to our readers at home and former residents of this district now in other parts who knew Mr. Whitham during their residence here. James Whitham was born in Haywood, East Lancashire, near Manchester, England, on October 15, 1858, and passed his 74th milestone last October. He was a son of James Whitham and was born in an age when there did not exist such strict educational regulations as we have today. At the age of eight years he commenced work as a weaver in Lowden’s Mill in Burnley, being paid the munificent salary of 50 cents a week. As he became more proficient, he was given 60 cents and then 70 cents and at the age of 11 years earned $2.75 a week. But there were restrictions as to school attendance even then and a boy or girl working, as Mr. Whitham did, was compelled to go to school half a day and work the other half. After he reached the age of 11 years he was put on full time work. Mr. Whitham was married at Burnley, Lancashire to Miss Naomi Forties, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Forties, on December 21, 1882, and in August of 1883, Mr. Whitham arrived in Canada and settled in Valleyfield, Que. Mrs. Whitham joined him there in November, having come over with her parents. They remained in Valleyfield for four years, where Mr. Whitham was employed as a loom fixer in the cotton mill. Came Here In 1886 — In July, 1886, the family came to Cornwall and this has since been his home. Mr. Whitham entered the Stormont Mill as a loom fixer and continued at that occupation there and in the Canada Mill, with the exception of a couple of years spent on a farm on the Branch, until 1910, when he retired from mill work after a continuous service in cotton mills for 43 years, and during that long time he only lost one actual week’s work and that was when he was on the ocean travelling to Canada. Mr. Whitham left the mill to buy out the Starland Theatre, then operated in the block at present occupied by Arthur Chevrier, opposite the Counties’ Buildings, Pitt street, and conducted by Robt. Douglas and Wesley Tilton, who had been in the business for about a year, that being Cornwall’s first theatre. Starland had a seating capacity of 100. Mr. Whitham only remained in that block two weeks, when he moved to the McIntyre & Campbell block, in the store now occupied by Loblaw’s Groceteria [ed. - 130 Pitt Street], where there was a seating capacity of 160. After a stay there of 15 months another move was made, this time to the Yates Block, where larger quarters were secured and in which 340 patrons could be accommodated, there being a gallery at the front end, where the machine room was situated. After eight years of popular entertainment there, with patronage expanding, it became imperative that larger quarters would soon have to be secured and Mr. Whitham disposed of the theatre business to Nelson Charlebois and Arthur St. Amand, who carried on for some time. Builds Theatre — In 1919, he decided to build a theatre according to his own plans and one that would better meet all existing conditions. Accordingly, the Palace Amusement Company was organized and the Palace Theatre was erected on the east side of Pitt street, midway between Second and Third. Capital stock of the company was placed at $100,000 with shares at 50 common and 50 preferred. The theatre had a seating capacity of 830. Mr. Whitham was elected president and managing director of the company; Clarence G. Markell, his son-in-law, became and still is secretary-treasurer; and they, with Ben. Whitham, of Toronto, Mr. Whitham’s son, F.D. McLennan and G.D. Atkinson formed the board of directors. The Palace Theatre was considered a model of completeness when finished, but after seven years of occupancy it, too, became too small and the company began scouting for a place on which to erect a larger and more modern theatre. The final choice fell on the property of Dr. A.A. Smith, Second street west, just above the Post Office, and here the present Capitol Theatre grew up, one of the finest stone residences in Cornwall being razed to make room for the progress of time. New Capitol — On January 23, 1928, the Capitol Theatre was thrown open to the public with great ceremony, leading theatre people from Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and other Canadian cities coming to take part in the opening. The Capitol was the second theatre in Canada to install such an elaborate system of concealed lighting effects and atmospheric scenery, the only other being the Runnymede Theatre in Toronto. Inspector Woodward, who passed all places of amusement, credited the Capitol with 100 per cent perfection in its compliance with the Ontario Amusement Act regulations and up to that time, the Capitol was the only theatre in all Ontario so credited. The Capitol has since been visited by thousands of people and in the intervening years it has lost none of its beauty or attractiveness and is still admired by visitors from larger cities who attend its programs for the first time, the opinion being frequently expressed that the people of Cornwall should be proud of its theatre and so are we. When the Capitol was opened, the Palace was closed so far as public entertainment was concerned, but it is still fully equipped and could be utilized at any time. Many public gatherings have been held there in recent years. The new Capitol has a seating capacity of 1261 and even at that it is none too large, proving that Mr. Whitham’s optimism and faith in the future of Cornwall in supplying the city with such a fine theatre, supplied with the latest sound producing equipment, was in no wise misplaced. Mr. Whitham was bereft of his helpmeet by the death of Mrs. Whitham on October 26, 1925. His family consists of Mrs. Clarence G. Markell, of Cornwall; Ben. Whitham, of Toronto, in charge of building equipment for Famous Players Canadian Corporation; A. Victor Whitham, head projectionist at the Capitol; Mrs. Stanley Williams, of Cornwall; Mrs. R.H.V. McCartney, in charge of the box office at the Capitol; George Whitham, of Sarnia, Ont., efficiency man with the Electrical and Radio Corporation....." References
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