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DR. ROBERT W. FORREST OF
MOUNT ALBERT (1840-1923)
Dr. R.W. Forrest
was a prominent doctor, a Presbyterian elder and vice president of the first
board of directors of Mount Albert Cemetery.
Dr. R.W.Forrest was
one of eight children (four boys and four girls) born to Dr. James
Forrest. Dr. James Forrest immigrated to Canada in 1856 from Ruskie,
Lancanshire, Scotland with wife Janet and his eight children and settled in
Scott Township east of Mount Albert. Dr. James Forrest died early in a hunting
accident in 1859, leaving behind his wife and eight kids ranging in age from 26
to five years old.
One of his four
sons became a Presbyterian Minister and the other three including R.W. Forrest
became doctors. His brother William Forrest took the silver medal in arts and
gold medal in medicine from the University of Toronto. He married Maria
Cockerline of Mt. Albert, practiced medicine in Bradford for a few years and
then changed careers to become a high school teacher as science master.
Dr.
R.W. Forrest
graduated from the U of T in 1864. In 1865 married with Margaret
Widdifield and went to New York for post graduate studies, where he
enlisted
with the Union Army during the America's Civil War, and became head
Surgeon of
Cumberland Hospital, Nashville,
Tennessee.
In 1867 Dr. Robert
Forrest came back to Canada and bought a house from Dr. McCallum, a doctor in
the village who was retiring. The house was on top of the hill on the north
side of Mt. Albert Road east of Centre St., where he had his medical practice
and lived there with his family.
Dr.
R.W. Forrest had four children: James, Byron, Richard-Franklin, and Florence
(Flossy). His three boys became doctors.
In
about 1890 he built the Manor for his two sons James and Byron who was also a
pharmacist. His other son, Dr.
Richard–Franklin, moved to Port Hope. The house was decorated with walnut doors
and baseboard trimmings, high ceilings and beautiful wall paper and furnishings
of that period. The Manor was designed and
built by the local Master Mason and Architect William Brooks, his next door
neighbour on Albert Rd.
In
the front of the house he had a separate entrance, a big room where he had his
practice and where he performed operations as he was also a surgeon. In the back
of the house Dr.Byron had a drugstore where the first telephone was installed in
1898 and was used as a public telephone. Dr. R.W. Forrest lived in the Manor
with his family for two years working at his office with his two sons.
In
1892 Dr. R.W. Forrest moved to his beautiful new house on his farm on the south
side of Mt. Albert Rd. where the Lyons Club is currently located.
When
Dr R.W. Forrest retired and all family members moved away from the farm, the
house was donated to the Lyons Club. The house is presently rented out by the
Lyons.
Dr.
R.W. Forrest then began practicing medicine in his new home. He had an office in Uxbridge and helped his
sons at the Manor to perform operations. Older residents still remember Dr.
R.W. Forrest as a fine and caring doctor.
Dr.
James Forrest married Elisa Ross and Dr. Byron Forrest married Carrie Douglas
and they all lived in the Manor for a while.
Later Dr. Byron with his wife moved to Saskatoon, Sask. When Dr. R.W.
Forrest retired in 1911, he left the Manor to his son James (Jim) Forrest who
in 1912 sold it to Dr. Cody and moved to Port Hope. Dr. R.W. Forrest was still practicing at the
Manor part time until 1915 when he moved to Toronto.
In 1921 Dr. Cody sold the Manor to Dr. Mills. Dr.
Mills sold it in 1923 to Dr. Carruthers who lived and had a medical practice in
the Manor until 1943 when he sold it to Mr.Chas Davidson who lived in the Manor
with his seven kids until 1957 when he sold it to Dr. Alan Cooper and his wife
Francis, a nurse. Dr. Cooper renovated
and made the Manor into a Nursing and Retirement Home by the name Coopers Care
Home until 1982 when it was sold. It continued operating as a nursing home,
then was sold again and ran for a year as a Group Home for children. In May 2006 it was bought and renovated by
the present owners.
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