Eaton family (Toronto)

File:Eaton Family Mausoleum.jpg

The Eaton family's mausoleum at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, with lions by sculptor Eli Harvey

The Eaton family is a Canadian family of Scottish-Irish Methodist origin. Established in Toronto, the family dynasty began in 1869 when Timothy Eaton (1834–1907) founded Eaton's, which became a national chain of department stores. At its height, the family's net worth was around $2 billion. Although the Eaton's department store chain went bankrupt in 1999, the family still holds considerable wealth.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and author Rod McQueen have dubbed them as "Canada's royal family",<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> with the CBC describing the Eatons as "homegrown aristocracy", which drew comparisons to the influential Kennedy family.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Eatons were well known for their lavish lifestyle and occasional philanthropy.

Notable family members

File:Timothy Eaton Portrait.jpg

Timothy Eaton in 1903

• John Eaton (1784–1834), m. Margaret Craig (1796–1848)
  • Robert Eaton (1816–1893)
  • Eliza Jane Eaton (1819–1861)
  • Mary Anne Eaton (1821–1841)
  • Margaret Eaton (1824–1900)
  • John Eaton (1827–1895), m. Margaret Herbison (1833–1907)
    • William Herbison Eaton (1873–)
    • Template:Tree list/final branch (3) Robert Young Eaton (1875–1956),<ref>President of Eaton's, 1922Template:Endash1942</ref> m. Hazel Ireland (1889–1965)
      • Margaret Craig Eaton (1912—1988),<ref>(Director-General, Canadian Women's Army Corps, 1944Template:Endash1945) {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> m. John Hubert Dunn (1897–)

• • • • John Wallace Eaton (1912–1990)<ref>worked at Eaton's; managed Montreal store</ref> (twin brother of Margaret), m. Phyllis Finlayson (1915–1997)
      • Edith Elisabeth Nora Eaton (1913–2010),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> m. Paul Robert van der Stricht (1908–2004)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• • • • Erskine Robert Eaton (1915–1942) (died in Dieppe Raid)
      • Template:Tree list/final branch Alan Young Eaton (1916–2000), m. Diana Fishleigh
  • Nancy Eaton (1829–)
  • Sarah Eaton (1831–)
  • James Eaton (1832–1904)
  • Template:Tree list/final branch (1) Timothy Eaton (1834–1907),<ref>President of Eaton's, 1870Template:Endash1907</ref> m. Margaret Wilson Beattie (1841–1933)
    • Josephine Smyth Eaton (1865–1943), m. Thomas David Meldrum Burnside (1835–1900)
      • Iris Margaret Burnside (1894–1915) (died on the RMS Lusitania)
      • Template:Tree list/final branch Allan Eaton Meldrum Burnside (1898–1937)
    • Margaret Elizabeth Beattie Eaton (1867–1952), m. Charles Eldridge Burden (1863)
      • Margaret Beattie Eaton Burden (1898–), m. Billy Bishop (1894–1956)
      • Template:Tree list/final branch Henry John Burden (1894–1960)
    • Edward Young Eaton (1871–1900), m. Tillie Robinson (1869–1895)
      • Marjorie Tillie Eaton (1892–1952), m. Harold Simcoe Coulson (1884–1936)
      • Template:Tree list/final branch Alice Eaton (1894–), m. Edward Browse
        • Template:Tree list/final branch Edward Eaton, m. Nancy Leigh Gossage (1926–2007)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
          • Template:Tree list/final branch Nancy Alice Edward Eaton (1961–1985) (murdered)
    • William Fletcher Eaton (1875–1935),<ref>worked at Eaton's; managed textile manufacturing plant (Oshawa 1903Template:Endash1916)</ref> m. Gertrude Nora Cook (1877–)
      • Josephine Norah Eaton (1900–), m. George Edward Leishman (1897–)
      • Template:Tree list/final branch Noel Beattie Eaton (1910–1996), m. Julia Isabell Fleming (1912–1989)
    • Template:Tree list/final branch (2) Sir John Craig Eaton (1876–1922),<ref>President of Eaton's, 1907Template:Endash1922</ref> m. Flora McCrea (1879–1970), formally known as Lady Eaton
      • Timothy Craig Eaton (1903–1986)Template:Citation needed
      • (4) John David Eaton (1909–1973),<ref>President of Eaton's, 1942Template:Endash1973</ref> m. Signy Hildur Stefansson (1913–1992)
        • John Craig Eaton II (1937–), m. Catherine Farr
          • John David Eaton (1961–)
          • Signy Eaton (1962–)
          • Template:Tree list/final branch Henry Craig Eaton (1963–)
        • (5) Fredrik Stefan Eaton (1938–2021),<ref>President of Eaton's, 1977Template:Endash1988; High Commissioner of Canada to the United Kingdom, 1991Template:Endash1994</ref> m. Catherine Martin (1940–2023)
          • Fredrik D'Arcy Eaton
            • Fredrik Gordon Eaton (2007–)
            • William D'Arcy Neil Eaton (2008–)
          • Template:Tree list/final branch Flora Catherine Eaton Coakley
        • Thor Edgar Eaton (1942–2017),<ref name ="FestEx">promoter of the Festival Express in 1970, as depicted in the 2003 film.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> m. Nicole Courtois (1945–)
          • Thor Eaton
          • Template:Tree list/final branch Cleophée Eaton
        • Template:Tree list/final branch (6) George Ross Eaton (1945–)<ref name ="FestEx" /><ref>President of Eaton's, 1988Template:Endash1997</ref>
      • Edgar Allison Eaton (1912–1988), m. Mildred Jarvis Page (1915–1968)
      • Gilbert McCrea Eaton (1915–1985), m. Marjorie Ann Maston (1913–1988)
      • Florence Mary Eaton (1919–2012),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> m. Frank Flavelle McEachren (1918–1995)

• • • • Template:Tree list/final branch Evlyn Beatrice Eaton (1919?–1989) (adopted), m. Russell Payton (1915–1976)

Notes

• Not exhaustive – listing is generally restricted to siblings of Timothy Eaton, his children, their spouses, and significant descendants.
• (#) – order of succession as the head of Eaton's.

Eaton properties and monuments

• Ardwold, Toronto (1910)
  Ardwold, Toronto (1910)
• Eaton Hall, King Township (1940)
  Eaton Hall, King Township (1940)
• Eaton Mausoleum, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto (1924)
  Eaton Mausoleum, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto (1924)
• Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto (1910s)
  Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto (1910s)

See also

• Statue of Timothy Eaton
• Telegram Corporation

Further reading

• Template:Cite DCB
• Template:Cite DCB

External links

• Ardwold mansion, Toronto – lostrivers.ca