William Mosher, Obituary
The Hants Journal, March 12, 1913

THE LATE WILLIAM MOSHER

The funeral of the late Mr. William Mosher took place on Wednesday last at Mosherville, the service
both at the house and grave being rendered by the Rev. J.W.M. Crawford, pastor of St. John’s
Presbyterian Church of this town. The remains were laid beside those of Mr. Mosher’s late wife, who
passed away some years ago, also at an advanced age.
Their only son Mr. Austin Mosher, of Montreal, and adopted daughter, Mrs. Geo. J. Mosher of Truro,
N.S., were amongst the very near relatives who gathered around the bier of one who had been so long
the Nestor of the family. The late Mr. William Mosher having been born on the 10th of February, 1824, was consequently one of the very oldest and best known men in the county of Hants. In his early life he was engaged at shipwork in Avondale at or about the very spot where the first Nova Scotia members of the Mosher family
landed in the year 1760. He saw the ship building industry in this province grow from very small
beginnings to be the pride not only of his native county, but of North America also, living long enough to
witness the absolute decline of Nova Scotia wooden walls, the latter having given place to steel.
The lamented gentleman took a lively interest up to the last years of his life, in the public affairs of the
country. With his father he was from boyhood days an adherent of the old Liberal party of Joseph Howe
and Adam Archibald, and in fact Mr. Mosher had already reached man’s estate when what was then
designated as Responsible Government was accorded the province of Nova Scotia by the Imperial
authorities at Downing Street. Deceased was in fact almost a young man when the rebellion broke out
in the then Lower Canada, and the writer has heard the late Mr. Mosher frequently say that the
sympathy of the family was undoubtedly with the cause then so ardently championed by Louis Joseph
Papineau, Sir Etienne Cartier and other so-called patriots of 1837 and 1838.
From 1865 to 1867 Mr. Mosher was with the Anti-Confederate party which swept the province against
the Union, his vote at the first general election following the union of the British North American
colonies being given to Joseph Howe for the House of Commons, and William Lawrence and Elkenah
Young for the Legislature. However, an important transition was near at hand. The country had arrived
at the parting of ways and a revolutionary feeling had taken place. The ever famous Tupper School Bill
which played havoc with that statesman’s followers at the polls in September, 1867, turned out a
complete success, and this fact probably more than anything else contributed to the return of Hon. Mr.
Howe in March, 1869, the ‘old man eloquent’ having accepted office in Sir John Macdonald’s cabinet
and was elected in Hants by over three hundred majority. Mr. William Mosher, his father and three
brothers at that time joined to “accept the situationists” and with men from both political camps
formed what is now called the Liberal-Conservative party. The last federal ballot cast by the old man
who has just gone down to mother earth was for Mr. H.B. Tremain, M.P., on the 21st of Sept., 1911.
Mr. Mosher had visited the New England States both in early and in later years, and also together with
Mrs. Mosher made three trips to Quebec, Montreal and Toronto, calling upon members of the Mosher
family who had gone west when Ontario was known as Upper Canada and its proud capital of today as
Little York. On that occasion Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Mosher met for the first time a daughter of “Capt.”George Mosher who had participated in the Upper Canada rebellion, and who with his leader, William
Lyon Mackenzie, were forced to flee for their lives to the other side of the line. An exceedingly
interesting feature of Mr. Mosher’s life was his visit some years ago to the College of St. Anne de la
Pocatiere, where his son had studied in previous years. His very cordial reception at the hands of those
revd. gentlemen who had been Mr. Austin Mosher’s confreres deeply touched the Nova Scotia visitors
and completely broke any religious prejudice that might have previously existed in his mind.
Deceased paid his last visit to Windsor on Merchants’ Day, and those who met him realized that the end
was not far away, although he entertained a number of near relatives at New Year’s, and the friends
were preparing for a birthday celebration on the 10th of February. Man however proposes but God
disposes, for Mr. Mosher took to his bed on Jan.17th, his death taking place on Monday morning at 6:15,
March the third. He however was not sick but worn out, his last days on earth being marked by little or
no suffering.

Death Registration, Hants County Vital Stats 1913, book: 10, page: 219, number: 1314

William mosher, author of "the CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE MOSHER FAMILY"

William Mosher was born on 10 February 1824 in Mosherville, West Hants, Nova Scotia. His  parents are Joseph Mosher (1799-1885) and Lydia Anthony (1802-1888). Joseph is the son of Joseph Mosher (1768-1859) and Priscilla Greeno (1768-1813) That makes William a great grandson of James and Lydia. William was well placed in the family to know and compile a family history that he published in 1891. This is an important source to the family line and a great achievement by him. William married his cousin Harriet (1826-1909), the daughter of James Mosher (1789-1873) and Rachel Lahey (1791-1861). William and Harriet had a son Austin Mosher (1854-1920), who moved away from Nova Scotia, married and became a newspaper journalist for the Montreal Gazette, living in Montreal.

William was a very inquisitive individual and also had a strong interest in local affairs and the history of his family. His son and only child, Austin was living in Montreal and returning regularly to the family must have engaged William in what was happening at the important time in Canada's history. A separate profile of Austin Mosher will be listed under featured descendants.

​William lived a long life and also a long married life with Harriet. The photo below is the celebration of the 50th wedding anniversary of William and Harriet Mosher in Mosherville with many family and friends. It was also reported in the newspapers. They were married at the Rawdon Anglican Church on October 5 1853.

Front row: William and Harriet

Second row: In the middle of William and Harriet, Lucinda Wier (1852-1945) their niece who they raised and to her right Austin Mosher.

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