The Eaton family is a prominent Canadian family of Scottish-Irish

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

origin. Established in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, the family dynasty began in 1869 when

Timothy Eaton Timothy Eaton (March 1834 – 31 January 1907) was an Irish businessman who founded the Eaton's department store, one of the most important retail businesses in Canada's history. Early life and family He was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Hi ...

(1834–1907) founded

Eaton's The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's grew ...

, which became a national chain of

department store A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...

s. At its height, the family's net worth was around $2 billion. Although the Eaton's department store chain went bankrupt in 1999, the family still holds considerable wealth. The

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

and author Rod McQueen have dubbed them as "Canada's royal family", with the CBC describing the Eatons as "homegrown aristocracy", which drew comparisons to the influential

Kennedy family The Kennedy family is an American political family that has long been prominent in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business. In 1884, 35 years after the family's arrival from Ireland, Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy be ...

. The Eatons were well known for their lavish lifestyle and occasional philanthropy.

Notable family members

Fredrik Gordon Eaton Fredrik is a masculine Germanic given name derived from the German name '' Friedrich'' or Friederich, from the Old High German ''fridu'' meaning "peace" and ''rîhhi'' meaning "ruler" or "power". It is the common form of Frederick in Norway, Finlan ...

* 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 Robert Young "R.Y." Eaton (1875–1956) was a Canadian businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family. He was a nephew of Timothy Eaton, the founder of Eaton's department store. Life and career He was born in 1875 to John and Margaret ( ...

(1875–1956), m. Hazel Ireland (1889–1965) **** Margaret Craig Eaton (1912-1988), m. John Hubert Dunn (1897-) **** John Wallace Eaton (1912–1990) (twin brother of Margaret), m. Phyllis Finlayson (1915-1997) **** Edith Elisabeth Nora Eaton (1913-2010), m. Paul Robert van der Stricht (1908-2004) **** Erskine Robert Eaton (1915–1942) (died in

Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was an Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a regiment o ...

) **** Alan Young Eaton (1916-2000), m. Diana Fishleigh ** Nancy Eaton (1829-) ** Sarah Eaton (1831-) ** James Eaton (1832-1904) ** (1)

(1834–1907), 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 RMS ''Lusitania'' (named after the Roman province in Western Europe corresponding to modern Portugal) was a British ocean liner that was launched by the Cunard Line in 1906 and that held the Blue Riband appellation for the fastest Atlanti ...

) **** 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 Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial com ...

(1894–1956) ****

Henry John Burden Henry John Burden DSO DFC (28 April 1894 – 28 March 1960) was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 16 victories. Life and work Burden was born in Toronto, the son of Margaret Elizabeth Beattie (Eaton) and Charles E ...

(1894–1960) *** Edward Young Eaton (1871–1900), m. Tillie Robinson (1869-1895) **** Marjorie Tillie Eaton (1892-1952), m. Harold Simcoe Coulson (1884-1936) **** Alice Eaton (1894-), m. Edward Browse ***** Edward Eaton, m. Nancy Leigh Gossage (1926-2007) ****** Nancy Alice Edward Eaton (1961-1985) (murdered) *** William Fletcher Eaton (1875–1935), 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 Sir John Craig Eaton (April 28, 1876 – March 30, 1922) was a Canadian businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family. Life and career He was born in Toronto, Ontario, the youngest son of department store magnate Timothy Eaton and hi ...

(1876–1922), m. Flora McCrea (1879–1970), formally known as Lady Eaton ****

Timothy Craig Eaton Sir John Craig Eaton (April 28, 1876 – March 30, 1922) was a Canadian businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family. Life and career He was born in Toronto, Ontario, the youngest son of department store magnate Timothy Eaton and hi ...

(1903–1986) **** (4)

John David Eaton John David Eaton (4 October 1909 – 4 August 1973) was a Canadian businessman and a member of the prominent Eaton family (Toronto), Eaton family. He was the second son of Sir John Craig Eaton and Flora Eaton, Lady Eaton of Toronto, Ontario. He w ...

(1909–1973), m. Signy Hildur Stefansson (1913–1992) *****

John Craig Eaton II John Craig Eaton II (born May 30, 1937, in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian philanthropist and former businessman who is a member of the prominent Eaton family. Family and career He is the great-grandson of Timothy Eaton, founder of the former E ...

(1937-), m. Sally Horsfall ****** John David Eaton (1961-) ****** Signy Eaton (1962-) ****** Henry Eaton (1965-) ***** (5)

Fredrik Stefan Eaton Fredrik Stefan Eaton, (June 26, 1938 – February 20, 2021) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Eaton family. He was the great-grandson of Eaton's department store founder Timothy Eaton. Life and car ...

(1938–2021), m. Catherine Martin ****** Fredrik D'Arcy Eaton ******* Fredrik Gordon Eaton (2007-) ******* William D'Arcy Neil Eaton (2008-) ****** Flora Catherine Eaton Coakley ***** Thor Edgar Eaton (1942-2017),promoter of the ''Festival Express'' in 1970, as depicted in the 2003 film. m. Nicole Courtois (1945-) ****** Thor Eaton ****** Cleophée Eaton ***** (6) George Ross Eaton (1945-) **** 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), 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

, his children, their spouses, and significant descendants. * (#) – order of succession as the head of

Eaton properties and monuments

File:Ardwold in 1910.jpg,

Ardwold Ardwold was the residence of Sir John Craig Eaton and Lady Eaton of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Sir John was the youngest son of Timothy Eaton, the founder of the T. Eaton Company Department Store, or Eaton's, and he inherited the business and becam ...

, Toronto (1910) File:Grounds and hall of Eaton Hall, 1940.jpg, Eaton Hall, King Township (1940) File:Eaton family vault, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto (I0001313).tif, Eaton Mausoleum, Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto (1924) File:TEatonMemorialChurch.jpg,

Timothy Eaton Memorial Church Timothy Eaton Memorial Church is a church located at 230 St. Clair Avenue West in Forest Hill, Toronto, Forest Hill, Toronto, Ontario. Originally Methodist Church, Canada, Methodist, since 1925, it has belonged to the United Church of Canada. The ...

, Toronto (1910s)

References

External links

Ardwold mansion, Toronto
– lostrivers.ca {{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton Family

Family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Canadian business families Canadian families Canadian socialites Methodist families

Notable family members

Eaton properties and monuments

See also

References

Further reading

External links