Fonds F1374 - Kirkpatrick family fonds

Alexander Kirkpatrick (1749-1818) and Marianne Sutton (1767-1833) of Coolmine, Consilla, near Dublin had 13 children: Elizabeth, Margaret, Anne, Alexander, George, Catherine, Marg, Francis, Lydia, Thomas, William, Joseph, and Stafford Frederick. Three of the children settled in Canada. Thomas came to Canada from Ireland in 1823. Stafford Frederick followed soon after and Elizabeth married Colonel Colley Foster, aide-de-camp of Sir H. Drummond, in Quebec.

Thomas Kirkpatrick (1805-1870) came from Ireland in 1823. He settled in Kingston and became a lawyer. In 1828 he founded the law firm that eventually became Nickle and Nickle. He erected a building at 194 Ontario Street which was used for legal purposes for over 75 years. He lived alongside his business on the site of the Frontenac Hotel but later moved to the house known as St. Helen's on King Street West. He was the first Mayor of Kingston in 1838, and served a second term in 1847 when Kingston was a city. He was also a member of parliament for the County of Frontenac. In 1829, he married Helen Fisher, daughter of Alexander Fisher, judge of the Midland District, and had five sons and four daughters.

Stafford Frederick Kirkpatrick (1809-1858) also became a lawyer and settled in Peterborough, Ontario where he eventually became district judge in 1845. In 1835 Stafford married Henrietta Fisher, sister of Helen Fisher Kirkpatrick. They had two sons and four daughters.

Thomas' son, George Airey Kirkpatrick (1841-1899), succeeded his father in the law and had as his partner Mr. R. Vashon Rogers. He obtained his B.A. and LLB from Trinity College, Dublin in 1861. He was called to the bar of Upper Canada in 1865, and became a member of the Queen's Counsel in 1880. In 1870 he was elected representative for the County of Frontenac succeeding his father. He retained the seat until 1892 when he became Lieutenant-Governor fo Ontario, a position he held until 1897.