Farmer, surveyor, municipal official.
Born at Peel, Ontario on 27 May 1858, he came to Manitoba where he surveyed the newly established town of Carberry in the 1880s. He was later a leader in the development of southeastern Manitoba in the 1890s and one of the founders of Lac du Bonnet. He served as founding Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Whitemouth (1905-1909). Toward the end of his career, he was responsible for surveying the border between Manitoba and Ontario.
On 29 May 1883, he married Josephine Sayers (1857-1930) at Wentworth, Ontario and they subsequently had ten children: Anthony H. Cousins (1880-?), Adoriah Cousins (1884-?), William Cousins (1885-?), Arthur Carberry Cousins (1888-1967), James Leslie Cousins (1890-1967), Edith Cleveland Cousins (1892-?, wife of A. E. Webb), Mabel Josephine Cousins (1894-1989, wife of David Malcolm Wardrop), Frederick David “Fred” Cousins (1897-1982), and Gladys Pearl Cousins (1899-?, wife of Thomas Little and E. A. Ans), and Alice Myrtle Cousins (1901-1973, wife of Robert Bruce Latta).
He died at the St. Vital Sanatorium on 20 March 1942 and was buried in the Whitemouth Old Cemetery.
Ontario marriage registration [William Henry Cousins, Josephine Sayers], Ancestry.
Birth registrations [Arthur Carberry Cousins, James Leslie Cousins, Edith Cleveland Cousins, Mabel Josephine Cousins, Frederick David Cousins, Gladys Pearl Cousins, Alice Myrtle Cousins], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Marriage registrations [Gladys Pearl Cousins, Thomas Little], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registrations [Alice Myrtle Cousins, Robert Bruce Latta], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations [Josephine Cousins, William Henry Cousins], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“William Henry Cousins,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 March 1942, page 2.
Obituary, Western Municipal News, April 1942, page 99.
Obituary [James Leslie Cousins], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 January 1967, page 27.
Obituary [Alice M. Latta], Winnipeg Free Press, 8 September 1973, page 41.
Obituary [Frederick David Cousins], Winnipeg Free Press, 30 July 1982, page 28.
William Henry Cousins, FindAGrave.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
We thank Barry Willer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 25 April 2026
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:
1975 | 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 | 2025 | 2026
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!
