Cross & Co. Vancouver B.C. 1894-1963

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. Based on my preliminary findings, Gavin Dalziel Cross was born in Scotland in 1862 and immigrated to Canada in 1892

 

[Canadacan]

Huh...that's cool![8D].....So he was in the merchant service before he came to Canada.

 

[CanadianBottles]

That Saskatoon bottle is interesting and I'd say at this point it's most likely that Dominion offered a generic design that could be customized if you didn't want to pay a graphic designer to design your own. My theory is that the generic said "Double" and the bottlers thought "hey, I'll go with that" or maybe thought that they had to include the name. Since there's no reference to Double on the Saskatoon bottle it seems highly unlikely to be a little-known franchiser.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

This document is a little confusing because it's titled ... Scots in USA and Canada - 1825-1875 ... and yet it clearly shows dates later than 1875. In any event, it shows a date of 1894 for Gavin D Cross and has him located in Langley Prairie which, apparently, is an earlier name for the town of Langley which is located about 40 miles southeast of Vancouver. Unfortunately it doesn't tell us much, but I'm still searching for more. At present I do not know what the boxed [?????] part represents. 1. Entire Page2. Title3. Listing for Gavin

 

[Canadacan]

Yes I know Langley quite well...I'm an hour from there, That's bottle stomping grounds for many of the bottles I've posted that came from Napier's Country Antiques...a couple of which were Cross's!..lol, and then there is the original Fort Langley with the little town that I hit the antique shops at.Great stuff you've posted none the less, I looked at Langley prairie directory and no listing for him in 94 or 95?His name dose not appear until 1896 in the Vancouver directory....but still the best was seeing that snippet from 1895!

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I'm still trying to fill in some missing links, but here's a preliminary timeline I've come up with for ...

~ Gavin Dalziel Cross ~

1862 - Born in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, Scotland ~ Father's name is Alexander Cross
1871 - Scotland Census list Gavin's father, Alexander, as a Minister / Scholar
1883 - Gavin qualifies as a 2nd Mate Mariner in Scotland ~ 21 Years Old
1885 - Gavin qualifies as a 1st Mate Mariner in Scotland ~ 23 Years Old
1891 - Scotland Census list Gavin as an unemployed Master Mariner ~ 29 Years Old
1892 - Gavin immigrates to Vancouver, B.C., Canada ~ 30 Years Old

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. A "Master Mariner" is basically what is known in the U.S. as the "Captain" of a sea going vessel.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Food for thought / Coincidence or Connection? / Mariner's Navigation? The Southern Cross

 

[Canadacan]

Nice time line there Bob!....thanks so much!Wow a full fledged Captain at 30....and then gave it all up for the soda industry. He did quite well though...his company was very dominant , and lasted some 60+ years.Interesting about the Southern Cross.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Does anyone know the first and middle name for J. D. Cross? Based on what I've seen, I do think Gavin and J.D. were brothers. Gavin had a sister named Jane but no brothers that I am aware of. J.D. might be a cousin or uncle. ???