Mr. George Cliff, Sr., one of the grand old octogenarians of Napanee, though not a native of this locality, has been one of our active and well-known citizens for many years, and has done well his part in helping build up our town and in making it what it is. He was born in Nottinghamshire, England, July 29, 1814, and is therefore now in his eighty-third year. Though he has been a very active and industrious man all through life, yet he shows less of the infirmities of age than many men ten years his junior. He now feels the bodily weight of his four score years, but his mind and memory seem yet unimpaired.

His parents moved to Canada in 1819, when he was but five years of age, and arrived in Quebec on the 24th of May, the birthday of the Princess Royal, now our venerable and beloved Queen Victoria. It generally took the fastest sailing ships as many weeks to cross the Atlantic then as it now does days. Then the postage on a letter from England to Canada was as many shillings (five) as it is now cents. Emigration from England to Canada was a more formidable undertaking then than emigration from Canada to the heart of South Africa would now be.

The family settled in Montreal, then a small town, where his father engaged extensively in his trade, as a builder and contractor. They were residents there during that dreadful "cholera year" of 1832, when it seemed at one time that nearly the entire population would be cut off by that terrible scourge. His mother died of the disease during 1834. The family moved to Upper Canada first in 1828 and his father made purchase of the "Stone Mills," now Glenora, in Prince Edward county, or indeed in the adjoining country. The water power from the celebrated Lake on the Mountain was even much better then than now. The first flouring and carding mills in the county were erected there and a saw mill at a little later date. These were all in active operation when Mr. Cliff and father were residents of the place.

Mr. Cliff moved to Kingston in 1836 and established business there, as a builder and contractor. He was a resident of that city for over thirty years and had to do with the erection of some of the most important buildings there at that day, including the splendid and substantial City Hall, which was then the finest building of its class in the province and is even yet much admired by visitors from all parts.

In 1859 he moved to Napanee and has been one of our active and well-known citizens ever since. He came here in connection with the building of the Campbell House, which was then being erected. He had the contract of the carpenter and joiner work. The Campbell House, though much enlarged since, was then one of the finest and most pretentious first-class hotels in all Upper Canada, west of Kingston. Its founder and proprietor, the late Alexander Campbell, was one of the most prominent and spirited of the pioneer citizens of this town. Mr. Cliff has had also to do with a number of our other prominent buildings here. He superintended the building of the Eastern Methodist church. He also prepared the plans and superintended the building of the Western Methodist church. The neat and substantial manner in which both these churches were built stands much to his credit. He also superintended the erection of the very fine residence of ex-Mayor, J.C. Huffman, now owned and occupied by H.M. Deroche, Esq. He also superintended the erection of the beautiful residence of Mr. R.G. Wright, now the home of Judge Wilkison. He superintended building the extensive Napanee Glass Works here for the late John Herring. He also prepared the plans and superintended the erection of the East Ward school, of the Rennie Block, and of some others of the houses that are among the ornaments of our fine town--buildings yet much admired by all visitors.

Mr. Cliff was for five years an active member of our Town Council and all that time was Chairman of our street committee. It was freely acknowledged, even by his opponents at the time, that no other man in the council rendered our town more substantial service during those years. His practical knowledge as an extensive builder came well into play and he gave to these town interests the same careful attention he did to his own private business.

He has been a life-long supporter of the Conservative party and still stands firm in that faith, taking yet an active and intelligent interest in political affairs. His sons follow in their father's footsteps in this matter. He has had five children, all of whom are now living. His only daughter is Mrs. John Walker, now a resident of Pennsylvania, a lady well known and popular here. His four sons, all active and hearty men, are John, now residing in Rochester, but for years an active business man here; W. Wesley, of Carleton Place, Ont., the well known publisher and editor of the "Central Canadian," Charles, now a resident of British Columbia, and George junior, one of the most active and extensive contractors and builders of this town, -- a good successor of his father in this respect.

Mr. Cliff has been, for forty years or more, a faithful and active member of the Methodist church, and his family all follow their father's example in this respect, we believe. He has been for many years a member of the Odd Fellows Order, and was also a member of the Good Templars and other Temperance organizations here.

He informs us that, when he first became a resident of Napanee, the then small village was a part of the Municipality of the Township of Richmond. His taxes then, on a substantial residence near the Eastern church, were but $1.50 a year. There was, in addition, a school tax of 25 cents per month, collected monthly, on each child attending school. The Grand Trunk railway was not then yet built, but had been completed as far west as Brockville. None of our present churches or school buildings were then standing. The small frame school house then stood near the site of the present Western Methodist church, and the venerable Robt. Phillips, now of Fergus, was the teacher.