Name:
Daniel Galbraith 
Location served:
Dawn Mills, Dresden  
Years in Practice:
1868 to 1916
Area of Specialization:
Family Physician and Surgeon  

Biography:

Dr. Daniel Galbraith was born in Dunwich Township (Elgin County), Ontario on the 3rd of July, 1840.  Dr. Galbraith was the 5th of 8 children born to John Galbraith and the former Christina McCallum.  His father was a merchant and his siblings were; Mary, John, Archibald, Neil, James, Sarah and Duncan.

Dr. Galbraith graduated M.B. from The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1868.  He set up his medical practice in Dresden.  An ad appears in the 1869 Province of Ontario Gazetteer and Directory which also indicates that he was practicing medicine in Dawn Mills.

Dr. Galbraith was living in Dawn Mills (located just a few kilometres east of the Town of Dresden) when he married Lavinia DeCow on the 14th of December, 1869, in Iona, (Elgin County).  Mrs. Galbraith was born in Southwold Twp (Elgin County) on the 19th of February, 1849.  She was the 3rd of 9 children born to Daniel DeCow and the former Lucy Ann McGregor.  Mr. DeCow was a merchant in Iona and her siblings were; John L. DeCow, Duncan McGregor DeCow, Daniel DeCow, Hannah Katherine DeCow, Abraham DeCow, Douglas McGregor DeCow, Rose DeCow (died on the 9th of Mary, 1863 at the age of 4) and William Arthur DeCow.

After their marriage Dr. and Mrs. Galbraith settled into a home on Hughes Street in Dresden.  According to the 1882 Ontario Medical Register, Dr. Galbraith joined the College of Physicians and Surgeons on the 10th of February, 1872.  Dr. Galbraith was listed in the 1880 Kent County Business Directory.  In that publication his residence was listed on Metcalf Ave.  Dr. Galbraith’s practice was also recorded in the 1885 and the 1900 Ontario Business Directory, in Dresden.

Dr. and Mrs. Galbraith had 3 children.  Annie Christina Galbraith was born on the 10th of April, 1871.  She drowned on the 7th of November, 1884 at the age of 13.  She was buried at the Dresden Cemetery.  Their second child, Mary Belle Galbraith was born on the 16th of October, 1877.  A son Daniel Royden Galbraith was born on the 25th of November, 1880 but he died of dysentery on the 9th of August, 1881.  Baby Daniel was also buried at the Dresden Cemetery.  All three children were born in Dresden.

Mary Belle Galbraith married Dr. James Patterson “Franklin” Williams on the 26th of June, 1902.  Dr. Williams joined Dr. Galbraith’s medical practice located on St. George Street in Dresden.

Dr. Galbraith died in Dresden on the 20th of December, 1916.  Mrs. Galbraith moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Toronto.  She died on the 10th of July, 1927 while living at 550 Palmerston Blvd., in Toronto.  She was buried at the Prospect Cemetery in Toronto.  The tombstone reflects that Dr. Galbraith was possibly buried at the Prospect Cemetery in Toronto.

*Dr. James Patterson “Franklin” Williams also appears on the Chatham-Kent Physician Tribute website.

**Mrs. Williams’ brother, Dr. Douglas McGregor DeCow practiced medicine in Montreal, Quebec.