Comer, George William Henry

Person

Comer, George William Henry

1840-1929

George William Henry Comer was born the third son of John F.R. Comer and Elizabeth Barbara Comer on October 21, 1840 in Niagara, Upper Canada. The Comer family moved to a number of different places in Upper Canada including Port Robinson, Chippewa and Kingston. While in Kingston, George Comer attended grammar school from 1850 to 1854.

After leaving school Comer studied the business of printing, working at the Commercial Advertiser office in Kingston. George Comer continued to work in printing over the next ten years though not exclusively in Kingston. He worked for The Constitutional in St. Catherines, The Times in Hamilton, The Herald in Cleveland, Ohio and The Lorain County News in Oberlin, Ohio.

Comer returned to Kingston, Canada in 1861where he continued working at a variety of printing and accounting jobs. In 1868 George Comer was granted a Purser's position with the Canadian Navigation Company. His first appointment was on the Steamer Corinthian, and throughout the next twenty seasons worked on that ship as well as the Algerian and Spartan. During the winters Comer worked as a bookkeeper for a variety of companies and businesses in the area.

On April 1, 1891 George Comer was personally appointed to the Customs Department as a Preventative Officer by Sir John A. Macdonald. He worked for the Department for over 25 years and in 1919 received the Long Service Medal from King George IV.

George W. H. Comer died on January 5th, 1929. He had been predeceased by his wife Ellen Elizabeth Charles, of Garden Island and was survived by three of his seven children, Jessie Comer, Bessie Comer and Elizabeth Cassa White.

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