| Ottawa Journal Saturday 20 April 1929 Almonte Farmer Killed By Train Gravelle Toshack Meets Instant Death When Horses Are Frightened ALMONTE, April 20. – While crossing the railway line at Wylie’s crossing, Almonte, this morning, Grevelle Toshack, a prosperous farmer of the distric, was knocked down and instantly killed by the 10.17 C.P.R. train. Mr. Doshack was driving a tam of horses and ad stopped at the Producer’s Dairy to wait for his son. As the train approached the horses, evidently frightened, ran right into its path and the vehicle was shattered. One of the horses was cut in two, while the other escaped. The victim was well known in the township of Ramsay, where he had been a farmer for many years Ottawa Citizen 20 April 1929. Farmer is Instantly Killed by a Train! ALMONTE, April 20. When his horses became frightened at the Pembroke C.P.R. train and ran onto the railway track at Wylies Milling Company here shortly after 10 o’clock this morning, Gravelle Toshack, a farmer in the township of Ramsay, four miles from here, was struck by the train and instantly killed. Mr. Toshack was thrown about fifteen feet from the track and when picked up was dead. One of the horses was also killed and the wagon completely demolished. Mr. Toshack with his son had come into town and had stopped at the Producers’ Dairy, which is close to the track. His son went into the dairy and during his absence the train passed through the town. The horses became frightened and started to run away. Mr. Toshack, not realizing that the train was so close, did not jump from the wagon. It is likely that an inquest will be opened this afternoon. |
| Name: | Greville E Toshack |
|---|---|
| Age: | 27 |
| Birth Year: | abt 1872 |
| Birth Place: | Ramsey, Ontario |
| Marriage Date: | 24 Jan 1899 |
| Marriage Place: | Canada, Lanark, Ontario |
| Father: | John Toshack |
| Mother: | Janet Young |
| Spouse: | Annie Snedden |
GRAVELLE TOSHACK INSTANTLY KILLED AT MAIN STREET RAILWAY- CROSSING
| Name: | Greville Ewen Toshack |
|---|---|
| Gender: | M (Male) |
| Birth Date: | 20 Mar 1871 |
| Birth Place: | Ramsay, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada |
| Death Date: | 20 Apr 1929 |
| Death Place: | Almonte, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada |
| Cemetery: | Auld Kirk Cemetery |
| Burial or Cremation Place: | Mississippi Mills, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada |
| Has Bio?: | Y |
| Father: | John G. Toshack |
| Mother: | Janet Toshack |
| Spouse: | Annie Toshack |
| Children: | Annie Marion ToshackRobert Ewen Toshack |
1929, Friday April 26, The Almonte Gazette front page
GREVILLE E. TOSHACK INSTANTLY KILLED AT THE MAIN STREET RAILWAY. CROSSING
Community Stirred by Tragic Death of Well Known Ramsay Farmer
Horses Bolted Over Track In Front of Train Greville Toshack Unable To Control Team and Was Killed
Team was Standing When Train Whistled Engine Crashed Into Wagon and One Horse Was Killed
Remarkable Concourse at Funeral and at the Auld Kirk Cemetery Where Interment Was Made. Mr Toshack
Was Fine Athlete in His Younger Days.
Greville E. Toshack, prominent Ramsay farmer, was instantly killed at the C.P.R. crossing on Main Street on Saturday morning shortly after 10 o’clock. His team had been standing at the Producer’s Dairy which is close to the railway track, which the east-bound local came along. The whistle of the locomotive evidently startled the horses. They bolted up Main Street. The engine struck the wagon. One of the horses was killed. The details of the tragedy were considered at the inquest on Monday evening. It seems that this team all winter had made the trip almost every day from the Toshack farm to the Producer’s Dairy and had never shown signs of uneasiness at the passing of trains. On the fatal occasion Mr Toshack was sitting sideways on the single board between the front and hind wheels of the wagon. He held the reins and was waiting for his son Robert who was inside the Dairy building. At the curve, which is some 600 yards from the crossing the locomotive whistled and, according to Mr Andrew Cochrane, of Almonte, who was talking to him at the time, the horses started up. They stopped for a second or so and then bolted across the track just as the train approached. Mr Toshack’s back was toward the incoming train. Apparently he did not hear the whistle, and was bestowing all his attention on the effort to control his horses. The locomotive whistled, the bell was ringing continuously, and the emergency brakes were applied but the tragedy could not be avoided. Mr Toshack was thrown from the wagon on to the siding at the Wylie Mill and his head struck the steel rail. He died instantaneously.
One Horse Escaped.
It is curious that the horse nearest the locomotive escaped, and it is conjectured that the tongue of the smashed wagon hit the farther horse and killed it. The wagon was broken into splinters and part of it carried on the cow-catcher of the engine until it was brought to a standstill. Mr Toshack was very widely known and the tragedy caused the deepest regret in the community. He was 58 years of age, the eldest son of the late John Toshack and his wife, Janet Young, and a descendant of that Greville Toshack one of the pioneer settlers of Ramsay who came from Scotland over a century ago. He was born on the farm where he spent all his life. As a young man he became very well known throughout sport. He was a fine lacrosse and baseball player as well as a runner and had the happy knack of making and keeping friendships. he never lost interest in games in his later years and he was a familiar figure amongst the spectators at local sports.
Leaves Four Sons
Thirty years ago he was married to Miss Annie Snedden, who survives with a family of four sons, Robert at home, and John, Greville and Fred, of Prescott. One daughter Annie predeceased him some years ago. He is survived by one sister, Mrs W.A. Snedden of Blakeney, and to them all the deepest sympathy of a very large circle of friends is extended. The funeral which was held on Monday afternoon from his late residence on the ninth line of Ramsay was attended by an extraordinary large gathering of mourners. The cortege was about a mile and three quarters long. Interment was made at the Auld Kirk cemetery where most of Mr Toshack’s relatives have been laid.
Masonic Funeral
The funeral was conducted under the auspices of Mississippi Lodge A.F. and A.M., of which Mr Toshack was a member. The service was conducted by Rev J.R. MacCrimmon of Bethany United Church and Mr A.M. Woottor, of Blakeney United Church. The pallbearers were Messrs Alex Barker, George Graham, John McGill, John Lindsay, Oswald McPhail, and Oral Arthur. Amongst those who attended the funeral from a distance were Mr Thos Harris, Montreal; Mr George Graham and Mr S.H. Ogden, Ottawa; Mr Wilfred Snedden, Toronto; Mr and Mrs Stanley Everett, Prescott; Mr James Wilson and son of Renfrew; Mr and Mrs Robert Buckham, of Kinburn; Mr R. Moir, Mr and Mrs C. Baker and Mrs George Etherington, Arnprior; Mrs T. Wilson, Fitzroy; Mr and Mrs Wm Young and Mr and Mrs Andrew Young, Clay Bank. It was a touching sight at the Auld Kirk Cemetery when the four Toshack boys and the four Snedden boys surrounded the grave of their father and uncle as he was laid to rest.
Perth Courier, August 24, 1877
California Correspondence—In last week’s and this week’s issue will be found most interesting letters from California by Mr. Gavin Toshack, lately engaged on the editorial staff of the Almonte Gazette. Mr. Toshack has told the story of his voyage there in very graphic terms and we hope to publish his experiences in the “land of the gold” in the shape of equally interesting letters in future issues of the Courier.
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