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The Binney Girls

Left to right: Faire and Constance Binney

Probably back in my early 20’s I recall asking my dad what he knew about our family history. Unfortunately he knew very little about the family prior to their arrival in Canada from England in 1912. He did know of a few family stories though. One such story was that we were related to a New York music publisher named Gray and that he had two daughters that were movie stars. My dad had gone down to New York in the 1950’s and was met by one of the family.

Edward Smith Willard

Edward Smith Willard, the son of Smith Willard and Ann Goodale was born in Brighton, Sussex, England in 1853. He was the youngest of six children, four girls and two boys.
He made his debut upon the stage at Weymouth in The Lady of Lyons in 1869. He then toured with E. A. Sothern and later joined various stock companies. Coming to London in 1875, he played Antonio in The Merchant of Venice with Charles Rice in 1876. After a varied experience in Shakespearean and other plays, in 1881 he was engaged by Wilson Barrett at the Princess Theatre, where he played in The Lights of London, The Silver King, and other well-known pieces. In 1886 he made a hit as Jim the Penman at the Haymarket.

Sir Ernest Fisk

Sir Ernest Thomas Fisk (1886-1965), radio pioneer and businessman, was born on 8 August 1886 at Sunbury, Middlesex, England, second child of Thomas Harvey Fisk, builder, and his wife Charlotte Hariette, née Halland. He was educated at local schools, St Mary's and Sunbury Boys'. Although he later enrolled at the United Kingdom College, a private London coaching college, and, in 1917, in the diploma course in the department of economics and commerce at the University of Sydney, he sat for no examinations.

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