A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time by Rose

1884. Mr. Bowser is a member of the Masonic fraternity, was Chaplain of

the Old Colony Lodge of Hingham, and is now (1888) Chaplain of St. Andrew’s Lodge of Toronto. * * * * * =Black, Charles Allan=, M.D., Amherst, Nova Scotia, was born August 23rd, 1844, at Salem, Cumberland county, N.S. The family is Scotch originally, the founder in this country being William Black, who came from Huddersfield, England, to Nova Scotia in 1774. Our subject’s father was Hazen Black, son of Thomas, who was grandson of William above-mentioned. The pioneer, William Black, was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1727, whence he migrated to England and thence to Nova Scotia. Upon landing in Halifax with his wife and five children he travelled inland about one hundred and thirty miles, and settled on a large fertile farming area near enough to Fort Cumberland to hear the cannonading. This fort was one of the last military strongholds relinquished by the French when Nova Scotia was ceded to the British. The farm he selected is situated within one mile of the now large town of Amherst, and is still occupied by some of his descendants. Hazen Black, father of our subject, married Martha Ann, second daughter of John Bent, Salem, in the above-named county, who was a farmer of some note. They had five children, two sons and three daughters, whose names were as follow: Charles Allan, John Botsford, Augusta, Laura, and Ada. All are living except Laura, who died in her 13th year. Charles Allan, the eldest and the subject of this sketch, was educated at the grammar school of Amherst, finishing his studies at Sackville (N.B.) Academy, now Mount Allison University. After leaving college he decided in favour of the profession of a druggist and entered as a student under Dr. Nathan Tupper (brother of Sir Charles Tupper), in Amherst, N.S., where he remained throe years, when he decided to study for the medical profession. He graduated from the Pennsylvania University, Philadelphia, in March, 1867, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, being then in his 23rd year. He commenced practice at Sackville, N.B., but soon removed to Amherst, N.S., where he had spent his early school days and student life. Here he has continued to enjoy a successful practice for over twenty years. He was appointed a coroner for the county of Cumberland in