Family

Lighthall (Family : 1820-1984 : Montréal, Québec)

approximately 1820-1984

The Lighthall family came to Canada from New York about 1830. Douw K. Lighthall was registrar of Beauharnois, Quebec. His son William Francis married Margaret Wright, grand-daughter of Major James Wright (McIntyre). Her father's brother-in-law was Peter Rutherford, builder of Fort Lennox. By marriage, the Lighthalls were related to the Nyes who were among the claimants of the Christie estates including the Seigneury of Lacolle. W.F. Lighthall (1827-1920) practiced as a notary in Montreal except for a brief period in Hamilton, Ontario. He had two sons, William Dow (1857-1954), and George Rutherford (1861-1956) who was also a notary and a daughter, Katherine. W.D. Lighthall married Cybel Wilkes, the grand-daughter of the reverend Dr. Henry Wilkes (1805-1886), a Congregationalist minister in Montreal. They had three children: William S., Alice and Cybel. Cybel Wilkes Lighthall was one of the founders of the Canadian Guild of Handicrafts and her daughter, Alice, was to be equally active in this organization. William S. fought with the British forces in Mesopotamia in World War I and was an early member of the Flying Corps. Alice was a V.A.D. in France. George Lighthall married Anne dean, sister of Mrs. Charles Lyman. Their daughter Anne worked as a nurse in France and Belgium, ca. 1930 – ca. 1970. George was a founder of the Canadian branch of the Aerial League of the British Empire. Most members of the family were active Protestants; Anne Lighthall was a Roman Catholic.