(died 28 Feb. 1923, aged 62), merchant. (A. Markson, Abe Markson) Born in Yasvonne, Russian Poland, the son of a grain dealer. Abraham Markson came to Canada about 1878, “and shortly after his arrival he came to Glengarry, settling at Fassifern. With a pedlar’s pack, he started out very modestly on his career and by hard labour, and honest dealing he secured a footing sufficient in due course to permit his opening a store at McCormick. Later he removed to Glen Norman and from there to Glen Robertson where he established a good business, his patrons coming from far and near, and where to this day he is remembered by a host of friends, and familiarly known to many as ‘Abe’.” (obituary, Glengarry News)

     Markson came to Alexandria in 1894 and established himself there as a prosperous general merchant. Notwithstanding the above observation about Glen Robertson, it may have been from Dalkeith that he came in the final instance to Alexandria. (Glengarry News 28 Sept. 1894, cf. 4 May 1894) Clarence Ostrom recorded that in Alexandria Markson moved in Jan. 1900 from the Sugarman store (on the SE corner of Main and Kenyon Street) to the Stone Store, Main Street South. For many years Markson operated as a general merchant at the Stone Store, Alexandria. Besides the usual goods of a general merchant of the time (which in his Stone Store in 1919 included “Dry Goods, Groceries, Boots and Shoes, Ready-Made Clothing, Crockery and Glassware” ), he dealt in grain, hay, lumber and wood. “Mr. Markson was one of the best known men in Glengarry, and for many years past he operated lumbering camps in different parts of [the] county, coming into contact with many people, and [we] have yet to meet a man who ever questioned his honesty.” (obituary, Alexandria Times) “About a week previous to his death, he made a trip to his lumber camps where he contracted a severe cold which quickly developed into pneumonia,” from which he died. (obit. Alexandria Times) His obituaries indicate his skill as a businessman, his honesty, and his charitableness (“No one was ever known to have approached him for help who did not receive relief.”).

     While he was in business at Fassifern, Abraham Markson was married to Zilda Rebecca Albin, like himself a native of Russia. The marriage was performed in Alexandria in the Stone Store building, where he later had his store. She died about 20 years before her husband (six children surviving her) He remarried (one child surviving him), but the name of the second wife has not been found. He belonged to the Jewish religion. The burial was in Montreal. He was the father of David Markson and Dr Moses Markson, and was probably a brother or other close relative of Nathan Markson of Glen Robertson, who was the father of Drs D. E., M. R. and and S.M. Markson. Also, it may be noted that the surnames of the wives of Abraham and Nathan are fairly similar. Abraham Markson died the same day as another prominent member of the Alexandria business community, Isaac Brock Ostrom. The land for the Église Sacré-Coeur, Alexandria, was purchased from Abraham Markson.

Glengarry News and The Alexandria Times, both 9 March 1923. This rare surviving copy of the Alexandria Times is in the present author’s collection. These two rich, substantial obituaries are different, but some of the material shares a common written or dictated source. * Ostrom 246 * merchandise 1919: from printed heading, sale bill for merchandise, A. Markson, Stone Store, 12 May 1919 * Église Sacré-Coeur: GN 30 Sept. 1949 * many adverts., includes full-page advert. for his Stone Store in GN 18 Dec. 1914 * makes renovations, Chenier block, Alexandria, GN 28 July 1922 * legal notice re estate, GN 12 March 1926 * obituary of his son Simpson, Glengarry News 26 Oct. 1945 (not the same as Dr Simpson M. Markson)