Educator.
Born at Aston, Birmingham, England on 12 August 1861, the son of John Buttress (1829-1893) and Clara Potter (1828-1910), he graduated from the School of Pedagogy in 1875, became a teacher, and taught locally for 13 years before emigrating to Canada and settling in Winnipeg (1888). He went on to teach for another 37 years in public schools, including Rosehill School (1888), Craigilea School (1891), Roseberry School (1892, 1895, 1913), Wigton School (1893, 1917-1918), Huntly School (1898), Somerset School (1892), Connaught School (1912), Harmony School (1914), and Thurston School (1915). A strict disciplinarian teacher, he also served as Secretary-Treasurer for Wigton School (1910) and taught Sunday School. He bought a homestead at NE35-3-14W in the Rural Municipality of Argyle and farmed while he taught. He later moved to West Kildonan, resided at 313 Royal Avenue, and taught at John H. Gunn School (1919), from which he retired in 1928 and moved to the family residence in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews.
He married Catherine Ann Steanes (1863-1888) in England with whom he had two children: Thomas Gustavus Buttress (1885-1963) and Catherine Ann Buttress (1888-1979, wife of Herbert Heaver). After his first wife died, he remarried to Emma Hanley (1863-1936) on 3 September 1892 at the RM of Argyle, with whom he had two more children: Frederick Albert “Fred” Buttress (1903-1929) and Winnifred Anne “Winnie” Buttress (c1905-?, wife of William John Hayes). He painted landscapes of Manitoba and England and was a member of the Rosehill Literary Society, Loyal Orange Lodge (Derry Lodge No. 2446), and Little Britain United Church. He donated reading material to the Winnipeg General Hospital.
Following a length illness, he died on 20 June 1931 at his family residence in Little Britain, known as Donalds Crossing, and was buried in the Little Britain Cemetery.
Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901, 1911, 1916 Canada censes, Library and Archives Canada.
“Board of Education,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 7 February 1889, page 4.
“The Rosehill Literary Society discuss various topics,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 17 September 1889, page 2.
“Free social in honor of, and a presentation to, a departing teacher,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 4 December 1890, page 6.
“General Hospital weekly report,” Manitoba Free Press News Bulletin, 25 July 1903, page 4.
“Wanted - teacher for Wigton S.D. No. 381,” Manitoba Free Press, 17 December 1910, page 23.
“In memoriam,” Manitoba Free Press, 16 July 1930, page 22.
“Veteran teacher of province dies,” Manitoba Free Press, 23 June 1931, page 7.
Obituary [Thomas Gustavus Buttress], Winnipeg Free Press, 15 July 1963, page 24.
Obituary [Catherine Ann Hayes], Winnipeg Free Press, 17 October 1979, page 64.
Come Into Our Heritage: Centennial History of Argyle by the Argyle Centennial History Book Committee, 1982.
Henderson’s Winnipeg Directories, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Noke family tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 15 April 2020
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
