Majorette Corps, Township of Trafalgar Police Boys Band, around 1958
Description
- Media Type
- Image
- Text
- Item Type
- Photographs
- Description
- One of several photographs in our digital collection of the Township of Trafalgar Police Boys Band, this one taken in sometime in the years 1958 - 1965. This particular photograph shows the band's majorettes, teen Barb Priestly and (Grace) Elizabeth Wilson. Other pictures show a second teenage majorette, Jean Crutcher.
Elizabeth's brothers played instruments in the band, Her father, Harry, was one of the two police band leaders, the other being John Robson. Another Trafalgar policeman, George Stalkfish also helped to teach how to play the instruments.
Harry Wilson was the first officer hired by Trafalgar Township Policeman, Fred Oliver, in 1952. Harry had previously worked for the OPP (Ontario Provincial Police).
Briefly, in 1948 Fred Oliver was selected from 110 applicants and appointed the Police Chief of Trafalgar Township. Along with his police duties, he was also the truant officer, dog catcher and building inspector for the Township of Trafalgar.
Fred policed from Lake Ontario on the south to Hornby, Ontario on the north and to Burloak Drive, as we know it now, on the west. His area included the Village of Bronte and excluded the Town of Oakville. Oakville was south of the Queen Elizabeth Way at that time and did not include the Ford plant. The population of this area was approximately 5,500. Fred worked alone out of his residence until 1952 when he hired a second officer, Harry Wilson. - Notes
- Milton's July 5, 1956 Canadian Champion newspaper had a photograph of majorettes Elizabeth and Jean. They are shown standing on either side of the Pipe Major of Kitchener's 54th L.A.A. Scots Fusiliers. The newspaper page is linked here for your further information (use your mouse to move the page image over to Column 4, top of the page). It gives us more information about this marching band: the photograph was taken at a massed band Tattoo in Acton. the band was formed "recently", and the name of the band was given as "Trafalgar Police Boys and Girls Band".
Another item in the December 15, 1955 Canadian Champion said that the band was organized at a meeting the previous Saturday, that the Township Council voted to buy the instruments, and the news item explained that they were seeking an experienced majorette for the approximately 50 member band. This news item is not linked here but the full text can also be found in the "Halton News" section of the Halinet collective website. - Inscriptions
- Township of Trafalgar, Police Boys Band
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Henry Gardner Wilson, called Harry, b.April 9, 1914 d.April 11, 1995. Wilma Maxine Henderson, b.December 29, 1913 d.January 9, 1982. Walter Fredrick Wilson, called Walt, b.1947. Grace Elizabeth Wilson, called Elizabeth, b.1950. William Henry Wilson, called Harry, b.1955.
- Local identifier
- TTWGW000676
- Collection
- Trafalgar Township Historical Society
- Language of Item
- English
- Geographic Coverage
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.43341 Longitude: -79.78293
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- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Recommended Citation
- Majorette Corps, Township of Trafalgar Police Boys Band, around 1958
- Contact
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Trafalgar Township Historical Society Sponsor: Jeff Knoll, Local & Regional Councillor for Oakville Ward 5 – Town of Oakville/Regional Municipality of Halton
