Civil servant, curler.
Born at Montreal, Quebec on 15 September 1862, son of Henry Verner and Catherine Alexander, he was educated at St. George’s School (Montreal) and McGill University. He came to Winnipeg in 1882, entered the Customs Service, but resigned in 1886. Shortly after, he entered the Excise Department and after having gone through the various grades was appointed Chief Officer of that Department in 1916. On the amalgamation of the Customs and Excise Departments in 1921 he was appointed a collector of the united departments. He served under Collectors Spencer, Mingaye, Scott, Strang, Bryan, and Allen. In Inland Revenue, he worked under Costigan and Gosnell. He retired in April 1928.
On 2 September 1886, he married Grace Florence Coultry (1863-1954). They had three sons and two daughters: Stanley Harold Verner (1887-1911), Edna Florence Verner (1889-1963, wife of Samuel W. Albertson), Norman Alexander Verner (1892-1980), Jack Douglas Verner (1894-1919), and Dorothy Grace Verner (1898-1979, wife of Angus M. Morrison). His son Jack served during the First World War and received the Military Cross and Bar before dying in 1919 from wounds received the previous year.
His wife, for many years, was the leading soprano vocalist in Western Canada, and took part in numerous musical events. He was a member of the Manitoba Club, Winnipeg Operatic Society (Secretary), Southwood Golf Club, and Winnipeg Rowing Club. An active curler, he was a member of the Thistle Curling Club, Granite Curling Club, and Strathcona Curling Club (President, 1912-1913), and served as President of the Manitoba Curling Association (1917-1918). In the early 1890s, he held the amateur billiard championship of Manitoba. He and his family had a summer cottage at Minaki, Ontario.
In poor health for the last three years of his life, he died at his Winnipeg home, 174 Maryland Street, on 16 November 1930 and was buried in the Elmwood Cemetery.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“T. H. Verner chosen to pilot Manitoba Curling Association,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 April 1917, page 12.
Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.
Birth, marriage and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Deaths,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 November 1930, page 17.
“T. Verner, prominent Winnipeg citizen, dies,” Manitoba Free Press, 17 November 1930, page 1.
“Many attend funeral for Thomas H. Verner,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 November 1930, page 3.
We thank Garry Bolton for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 11 October 2024
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