Eaton family

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

The Eaton family of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, were owners of the Eaton's department stores, a national chain that was founded in 1869, and became bankrupt in 1999. At the family's height, their net worth was around $2 billion. Today, after the store's demise, "The Boys"—John, Chuck, Thor and George—are collectively worth around $450 million.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and author Rod McQueen has dubbed them as "Canada's royal family",^[1] with the CBC describing the Eatons as "homegrown aristocracy" which drew comparisons to the influential Kennedy family.^[2] The Eatons were well known for their lavish lifestyle and generous philanthropy. Today, they and their wives and children continue to hold prominent positions in Toronto's society circles.

Significant family members

• 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-)
    • (3) Robert Young Eaton (1875–1956),^[3] m. Hazel Ireland (1889–1965)
      • Margaret Craig Eaton (1912-1988),^[4][5] m. John Hubert Dunn (1897-)
      • John Wallace Eaton (1912–1990)^[6] (twin brother of Margaret), m. Phyllis Finlayson (1915-1997)
      • Edith Elisabeth Nora Eaton (1913-2010),^[7] m. Paul Robert van der Stricht (1908-2004)^[8]
      • Erskine Robert Eaton (1915–1942) (died in Dieppe Raid)
      • Alan Young Eaton (1916-2000), m. Diana Fishleigh
  • Nancy Eaton (1829-)
  • Sarah Eaton (1831-)
  • James Eaton (1832-1904)
  • (1) Timothy Eaton (1834–1907),^[9] 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)
      • 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)
      • 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-)
      • Alice Eaton (1894-), m. Edward Browse
        • Edward Eaton, m. Nancy Leigh Gossage (1926-2007)^[10]
          • Nancy Alice Edward Eaton (1961-1985) (murdered)
    • William Fletcher Eaton (1875–1935),^[11] m. Gertrude Nora Cook (1877-)
      • Josephine Norah Eaton (1900-), m. George Edward Leishman (1897-)
      • Noel Beattie Eaton (1910–1996), m. Julia Isabell Fleming (1912-1989)
    • (2) Sir John Craig Eaton (1876–1922),^[12] m. Flora McCrea (1880–1970) (formally known as Lady Eaton)
      • Timothy Craig Eaton (1903–1986)
      • (4) John David Eaton (1909–1973),^[13] m. Signy Hildur Stefansson (1913–1992)
        • John Craig Eaton (1937-) m. Sally Horsfall
          • John David Eaton (1961-)
          • Signy Eaton (1962-)
          • Henry Eaton (1965-)
        • (5) Fredrik Stefan Eaton (1938-)^[14]
          • Fredrik D'Arcy Eaton
          • Flora Catherine Eaton Coakley
        • Thor Edgar Eaton (1943-),^[15] m. Nicole Courtois (1945-)
          • Thor Eaton
          • Cleophée Eaton
        • (6) George Ross Eaton (1945-)^[15][16]
      • 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),^[17][18] m. Frank Flavelle McEachren (1918-1995)
      • 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, spouses, and significant descendants.
• (#) - order of succession as the head of Eaton's.

References

1. Rod McQueen (1998). The Eatons: The rise and fall of Canada's royal family. Toronto: Stoddart. p. 320. ISBN 0-7737-3120-2.
2. "Eaton's: Canadian royalty". CBC Digital Archives.
3. President of Eaton's, 1922–1942
4. (Director-General, Canadian Women's Army Corps, 1944–1945) Barbara Dundas and Dr. Serge Durflinger. "The Canadian Women's Army Corps, 1941-1946". Canadian War Museum. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
5. Henry B. M. Best (2003). Margaret and Charley: The Personal Story of Dr. Charles Best, the Co-Discoverer of Insulin. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 260. ISBN 1-55002-399-3.
6. worked at Eaton's; managed Montreal store
7. "van der Stricht, Edith Elisabeth Nora Eaton". The Globe and Mail. 7 August 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
8. "Paul Robert van der Stricht". New York Times. 14 August 2004. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
9. President of Eaton's, 1870–1907
10. "EATON, Nancy Leigh (Snubby) (nee Gossage)". The Globe and Mail. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
11. worked at Eaton's; managed textile manufacturing plant (Oshawa 1903–1916)
12. President of Eaton's, 1907–1922
13. President of Eaton's, 1942–1973
14. President of Eaton's, 1977–1988; High Commissioner of Canada to the United Kingdom, 1988–1994
15. promoter of the Festival Express in 1970, as depicted in the 2003 film.
16. President of Eaton's, 1988–1997
17. "McEACHREN, Florence Mary (nee Eaton)". The Globe and Mail. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
18. Rod McQueen (27 April 2012). "Florence Mary Eaton McEachren 1919-2012". Retrieved 11 February 2013.

Further reading

• Joy L. Santink (1994). "Eaton, Timothy". In Cook, Ramsay; Hamelin, Jean. Dictionary of Canadian Biography. XIII (1901–1910) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
• Joy L. Santink (2005). "Eaton, Sir John Craig". In Cook, Ramsay; Bélanger, Réal. Dictionary of Canadian Biography. XV (1921–1930) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.