Educator.
Born in Oxford County, Ontario, son of James Gillesby (c1847-1922) and Margaret Vince Allen (1851-1918), he completed collegiate education at Brantford and obtained a first-class teaching certification at Bowmanville (1896). Teacher education was further developed at Brantford Normal School, Toronto Normal School, and Ontario Normal College at Hamilton. He was Principal of Thornburny School in Ontario and in Saskatchewan at Battleford (c1917) and Vanscoy (two years) as well as attending courses on Arts and Physics at the University of Saskatchewan.
He married a fellow teacher and had at least one child, William James “Jimmy” Gillesby. They came to Manitoba in 1922 and taught for the Brandon School District, where he was Principal of New Central School (1922-1924) and she taught at New Central School (1922-1923) and was Principal of McLaren School (1923-1924). In July 1924, they left their Brandon residence, 431 Fourth Street, put household items up for public auction, and moved to Chicago, Illinois. He died at Chicago on 2 September 1934.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“Successful candidates,” Bowmanville Canadian Statesman, 2 September 1896, page 5.
“School children give splendid concert,” The Battleford Press, 29 March 1917, page 1.
“School Principal,” Brandon Daily Sun, 9 September 1922, page 2.
“Around town,” Brandon Daily Sun, 18 September 1922, page 5.
“School Principal bereaved,"” Brandon Daily Sun, 20 November 1922, page 10.
“Auction sale,” Brandon Daily Sun, 30 July 1924, page 15.
“Sports gossip [Jimmy Gillesby],” Brandon Daily Sun, 12 March 1925, page 3.
“Former Brandon student,” Brandon Daily Sun, 20 June 1931, page 1.
Obituary, Brandon Daily Sun, 4 September 1934, page 5.
Greenwood Cemetery burial transcriptions [Brantford, Ontario], FindAGrave.
We thank Darryl Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 23 March 2024
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