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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/
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Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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History of the Great Lakes
Illustrated, In Two Volumes, Vol. II
Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co., 1899

        [127-128]

              ROBERT LEITCH, a marine engineer of considerable experience,
           was born August 3, 1837. in county Antrim, Ireland. He is the
           eldest of eight children born to DAVID and ELIZABETH LEITCH, the
           others being: THOMAS, at present a marine engineer on the
           steamer Maine, resides in Buffalo; ELIZA is married to WILLIAM
           HERDMAN, who is in the employ of the Grand Trunk railway at Air
           Line Junction, Ont.; DAVID is a farmer, and resides at Air Line,
           Ont.; FRANK is a stationary engineer employed by Carl Bros., of
           Buffalo; ANNIE is married to RUBEN APPLEYARD, and resides at
           Stone Bridge, Ont.; ESTER was married to her cousin, WILLIAM
           LEITCH, and died in 1889; and JOHN (unmarried) resides with his
           father near Welland, Ontario.
              When seven years of age ROBERT LEITCH came to America with
           his parents, who first settled in Dunnville, Ont. From that
           place they moved to Welland, Ont., and from there, at the age of
           nineteen years, he shipped on the tug L. N. G. , engaged in
           towing on the Welland canal and Chippewa creek. He then went in
           the steamer Ocean, running to Montreal; then (in 1874) went on
           the tug Agnes McMann, towing rafts from Collin's Bay to Lachine,
           near Montreal, after which he was on the tug Sam Perry and H.
           Kneeland, owned by HARVEY KNEELAND, of Port Dalhousie.
              After one season (1880) as engineer of the tug Jessie, run-
           ning on the Detroit river, he entered the Grummond's line, and
           remained about three seasons. He then returned to Welland and
           spent one year (1886) on a farm; but being more inclined to
           follow a sailor's life than that of a farmer, he soon went to
           Buffalo and shipped on the tug Holloway for the seasons of
           1887-88-89, afterward, for 1890, on the tug Samson, engaged
           in towing lumber rafts from the upper ports to Tonowanda. There
           he accepted the position as chief engineer on the Oscoda, and
           remained two seasons. In 1893 he went on the Viking, owned by
           Gilchrist & Co., of Alpena, as chief engineer, and has since
           remained in that position.
              On January 5, 1877, Mr. LEITCH was married to Miss SARAH J.
           MCDOWEL, daughter of JOHN and REBECCA (WILSON) MCDOWEL, natives
           of county Tyrone, Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. LEITCH had four chil-
           dren: ANNA ISABEL, born September 26, 1877; ELIZABETH MABEL,
           born July 27, 1879; ANDREW THOMAS, born February 6, 1881 ; and
           HARRY MORTIMER, born September 1, 1886. Mr. LEITCH is a member
           of the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association No. 1, of
           Buffalo, N. Y.; also of the F. & A. M., DeMolay Lodge No. 498,
           of Buffalo, N. Y. He is a member of Park Presbyterian Church, of
           Buffalo.

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