Lilias Scott Watson & John Salter Watson

(1892- 1969) CANADA (1891-1986)

Lilias Gardner was born in 10 East Forth Street Cellardyke in 1892. Her father Alexander, a fisherman was 36 and her mother Euphemia 35.  She had 4 sisters and one brother.

Lilias married fisherman John Salter Watson in the Manse at Kilrenny in 1912 and they moved to his home at 14 George Street. His father was the owner of the steam drifter The Pride of Fife.

Lilias and John had 2 sons, John and Alexander while living in Cellardyke.  They had been married for 10 years when they decided to emigrate to Port Dover, Canada in 1922. Their youngest son Alexander was only 7 months old. The decision was partially made because John had been in the Royal Navy Reserves during WW1 clearing mines in and around Gallipoli/Dardanelles and could still be called up for this dangerous line of work. Several local fishermen had made the move following the First World War.

Two years after arriving in Port Dover they had a daughter – Betty

John stuck to the trade he knew and owned the fishing boat Dyker Lass in Port Dover a very different craft from the boats at home. Their son John was sadly lost in a boating accident at Port Dover at the age of 17.

Their second son Alexander became one of Canada’s foremost ophthalmologists, Chairman and Professor and then Professor Emeritus of the Department of ophthalmology at the University of Ottawa and the force behind the establishment of the Ottawa General Hospital Eye Institute. His interest in hockey led him to assemble and manage the R.C.A.F. Flyers who won the Olympic Gold Medal in hockey in 1948, he also served as Manager of Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team in 1984.

Lilias and John returned from Canada a few times for family celebrations and deaths of family members. Her sisters were teachers in Cellardyke Primary, her brother was skipper of the fishing boat ‘Agnes Gardner’

Lilias died in Port Dover at the age of 77 in 1969,-John and Lilias had been married 56 years

John Salter Watson returned to Cellardyke and died there in 1986 at the age of 95 years Research by Gillian McArthur