Memorable Manitobans: Alfred Hamman (1866-1958)

Educator, physician, coroner, school official.

Born at Knutsford, Cheshire, England on 28 April 1866, he departed Liverpool for Canada in May 1888. He came to Manitoba, attended teacher training, and obtaining a First Class B Certificate in August 1890. His work in rural Manitoba school districts included a Principalship of Nimitaw School / Boissevain School (1891) and a teacher at Hawkins School (1893) as well as in the region of Souris School (?-?).

His classroom work funded his enrollment at the Manitoba Medical College, from which he graduated with a Medical Docotorate in 1895. He opened his medical practice at Wawanesa, remaining there until early 1906 when he again headed west, transferring his practice to Dr. G. H. Craig.

He married Jane Elizabeth Barbour (1879-1949), whom he had met while teaching in the Souris vicinty, on 20 December 1899 at Portage la Prairie. They had 10 children; Dr. Harold Alfred Hamman (1901-?), Sylvia Ethel Hamman (1903-?, wife of Mr. McCulloch), Mary Dorothy Hamman (1906-?, wife of Mr. Wilson), Arthur Egbert Hamman (1908-1927), Charles Gordon “Charlie” Hamman (1910-1987), Frank Donald Hamman (1912-1920), Calkolina? Margaret Hamman (c1914-?, wife of Mr. Gickery), Mabel Eleanor Louise “Patricia” Hamman (c1916-?, wife of Mr. Snell), Vera Hamman (c1920, wife of Mr. Dack), and Gladys Hamman (c1923-?, wife of Mr. Nessman).

By July 1906, they moved to Heward, Saskatchewan where he resumed his medical practice. One final relocation followed in 1909, then to Taber, Alberta. In addition to his medical practice at Taber, he was active in the community and served over 20 years on the Taber School District (including as Chairman, c1931) as well as the community coroner and Medical Health Officer. He retired around 1948 and was commemorated with the naming of the Dr. Hamman Elementary School at Taber around August 1954.

He died in hospital at Taber on 9 February 1958 and was buried in Taber Memorial Gardens. In his commemoration, all local Taber schools were closed on 12 February 1958.

Sources:

Birth [Harold Alfred Hamman, Sylvia Ethel Hamman, Mary Dorothy Hamman] and marriage [Alford Hammon and Jane Elizabeth Barbour] registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Birth registration [Arthur Egbert Hamman], Saskatchewan Vital Statistics.

1901 & 1911 Canada censuses, Automated Genealogy.

1891, 1906, 1916, 1921, & 1926 Canada censuses, Library and Archives Canada.

“The Advisory Board,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 22 August 1890, page 5.

“Teachers passed,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 4 August 1890, page 8.

“The degrees in Medicine,” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 21 April 1894, page 4.

“Medical degrees,” Manitoba Morning Free Press, 15 April 1895, page 5.

“Wawanesa,” Manitoba Morning Free Press, 26 September 1896, page 4.

“Wawanesa,” Brandon Weekly Sun, 7 January 1897, page 3.

“Locals,” Belmont News, 1 June 1905, page 12.

“Local notes [Dr. G. H. Craig ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 23 May 1906, page 10.

“Epic of the frozen north,” Lethbridge Herald, 9 April 1925, page 5.

“Taber P.-T. A holds social evening,” Lethbridge Herald, 24 April 1931, page 3.

“Taber student is scholarship winner, 'varsity,” Lethbridge Herald, 15 December 1933, page 3.

“Mrs. Mary Barbour passes at Taber,” Lethbridge Herald, 30 August 1938, page 3.

“Mrs. S. Gidman called by death,” Lethbridge Herald, 5 December 1939, page 5.

“Open inquest on Taber man,” Lethbridge Herald, 30 August 1941, page 6.

“Doctor ends practise at Ft. Vermilion [Dr. H. A. Hamman],” Peace River Gazette, 15 September 1944, page 1.

“Inquest is planned,” Lethbridge Herald, 7 November 1947, page 6.

“Dr. Hamman of Taber marks 88th birthday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 April 1948, page 2.

“Birthdays,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 April 1948, page 21.

“Dr. Hamman marks his 88th birthday,” Lethbridge Herald, 5 May 1948, page 18.

“Reject plan to include Hays District in Taber school unit,” Lethbridge Herald, 3 September 1954, page 5.

“Make appointments to staff Taber School Division,” Lethbridge Herald, 26 July 1955, page 5.

“1895 Medical grad to observe 90th birthday April 28,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 April 1956, page 7.

“Dr. Hamman, pioneer Taber physician dies at 91 years,” Lethbridge Herald, 10 February 1958, page 2.

Death notice, Lethbridge Herald 10 February 1958, page 10.

“Taber schools closed in respect to Dr. Hamman,” Lethbridge Herald, 14 February 1958, page 5.

“Overflow crowd pays respects to late Dr. Hamman,” Lethbridge Herald, 15 February 1958, page 5.

“Landmarks demolished,” Lethbridge Herald, 19 February 1962, page 5.

“10 years’ antique collecting fills house on Taber farm,” Lethbridge Herald, 28 January 1977, page 11.

Taber Memorial Garden Cemetery burial transcriptions, FindAGrave.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 15 December 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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