Educator.
Born at Paisley, Ontario on 7 August 1871, son of Thomas Houston (1842-1913) and Mary Jane Houston (1843-1928), he moved with his family to Winnipeg in the 1890s and earned a BA degree. He was Principal of Roseau School / Dominion City School (1898-1900) and Carberry School (1904-1905).
On 13 July 1905, he married Mary Jane Elder (1873-1942) at Hensall Farm, her parents' farmstead near Virden. They had a daughter; Edith Maude Houston (1906-1989, wife of Reverend John MacDonald). They lived at Carberry for one year before returning to Winnipeg where they resided at 398 Victor Street and 122 Ethelbert Street. He worked as a private educator and advertised his professional services for hire to those looking to prepare themselves for university matriculation, civil service examinations, or in search of academic tutoring, and worked in partnership with John Houston around late 1908. Teaching ran in his family, with both of his siblings also being teachers: Alice Mary Houston (1873-1967) in the Winnipeg School District at Dufferin School (1899-1905), Pinkham School (1905-1912), and John M. King School (1912-1937), and William R. Houston (1877-1903) teaching at Montgomery School (1897-1901).
He was an elder of St. Stephen’s-Broadway United Church and member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (Union Lodge No. 14).
He died at Winnipeg on 1 July 1936 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.
1901 and 1911 Canada censuses, Automated Genealogy.
Birth registrations [Edith Maud Houston] Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage registrations [Mary Jane Elder to James Houston, Edith Maude Houston to John Macdonald], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Death registrations [Thomas Houston, Mary Jane Houston, Mary Jane Houston, James Houston], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Houston - Elder,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 July 1905, page 4.
“Educational [Private tuition ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 13 November 1907, page 14.
“Deaths and funerals [The death of Thomas Houston ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 23 May 1913, page 17.
Winnipeg estate files (ATG 0025A), 7279 Thomas Houston, GR0170, Archives of Manitoba.
“Educational instruction [Teaching, matriculation, etc ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 28 February 1925, page 38.
“Death notice [Mrs. Mary J. Houston],” Manitoba Free Press, 29 June 1928, page 26.
“Buried Saturday [Mrs. M. J. Houston],” Manitoba Free Press, 2 July 1928, page 2.
“Professional services [Educational,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 February 1936, page 15.
“James Houston, 40 year resident of Winnipeg, is dead,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 July 1936, page 16.
Obituary, Winnipeg Tribune, 2 July 1936, page 5.
Obituary [Mrs. James Houston], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 February 1942, page 16.
“Engagement notices [Miss Alice Houston, 122 Ethelbert Street ...],” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 November 1942, page 8.
Winnipeg estate files (ATG 0025A), 30442 James Houston, GR4865, Archives of Manitoba.
Winnipeg estate files (ATG 0025A), 30457 Mary J. Houston, GR4865, Archives of Manitoba.
Obituary [Alice Mary Houston], Winnipeg Free Press, 21 November 1967, page 28.
Winnipeg estate files (ATG 0025A), 2206/67 Alice M. Houston, GR4903, Archives of Manitoba.
Obituary [Edith Maude MacDonald], Winnipeg Free Press, 14 June 1989, page 41.
Obituary [Rev. John MacDonald], Winnipeg Free Press, 19 April 1996, page C9.
Elmwood Cemetery burial transcriptions, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 3 August 2024
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