“My father, Harry Edward, was born on November 26, 1890 in Connecticut [sic, actually born in Moncton]. The family soon after moved to Shediac since arthritis had forced Captain Givan to retire. They lived in a large house called "Idlewild" [sic, Idlewylde], situated on the shore. In the summertime it operated as a boarding house for young men who came from Boston. He and my mother became childhood friends, both attending the "Inkbottle" school. When they reached the age for high school, he drove her to Moncton in a buggy pulled by Dan. There their paths separated. My mother went to Waterbury, Conn. to study nursing, while my father moved to Moncton to work in a machine shop.”4
- listed in the 1891 Moncton Census as age 1 8/12 which probably means rounded to 1 year and actual age 8 months.6 The death certificate and gravestone say 1890 as year of birth as does the 1901 census. Census data from 1881,1891 and 1901 all list his place of birth as New Brunswick.5,6,9 Kathleen Givan thought her father was born in Connecticut4 but her own birth certificate lists his place of birth as Moncton.8
- His family moved to Fall River, Massachusetts after 1892 (after sister Myrtle was born) and then back to Shediac Cape, New Brunswick sometime between 1897 and 1901 (after his father was naturalized in the U.S. in 1897 and before the 1901 Canadian census).
- He’s listed as a boarder in Hartford Connecticut, occupation chauffeur of a private family, in the 1910 U.S. census. It states he came to the U.S. in 1809 or 1807 (hard to read).10
- He probably worked as a mechanic in his cousin Ernest Givan’s Pierce Arrow dealership in Moncton where he would have acquired the knowledge to start up his own dealership years later in Toronto.
- he was a Service Pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War I and there is a photograph of him in his uniform. We still have his wings and his Aviator’s insignia pin which appear to be American issue so perhaps he was on loan to the USAF?
- on his service record, he was stationed at the Training Depot Station 26 at Edzell, Scotland from Aug 14, 1918 to April 26, 1919 with a one month interlude at what looks like “1. Fight School” (?) from Nov. 11 to Dec. 11.
- moved to Toronto in 1921
- listed in Toronto Directory 1921-23, vice president, H. E. Givan Ltd. motor cars and trucks, 120 King E.
- by 1924, H.E. Givan, Ltd. was the Pierce Arrow car dealership on 684 Yonge St.; was living in No. 5 Earle Apts.
- from 1926, was living at 88 Walmer Rd.11
- ads for the dealership started appearing in the Toronto Star regularly from 1927 onwards.
- married in 1929 and they lived at 86 Manor Rd E.
- moved to 73 Harper Ave.
- commissioned the construction of the architecturally impressive building at 1140 Yonge St. and moved his Pierce Arrow and Studebaker dealership there in 1930 (see attached photo).
- we have a photocopy of a letter from Harry to Dr. James A. Givan, his 1st cousin once removed, the father of J. Hamilton Givan written July 25, 193812
- died of cancer; cremated in St. James crematorium, Toronto and buried in Moncton

They were married in Trinity Church which was on Prospect Street in Waterbury. This church was dissolved in December, 1998. Its 1550 pipe, 1917 E.M. Skinner Organ was donated to a non-profit organization whose mandate is to build a performing arts centre. The organization carefully documented, removed, and stored all the components of the organ and is currently working on cleaning and repairing the components. The plan is to reconfigure the instrument as an interactive display, fully functional, that will be used for performance and educational purposes, hopefully in downtown Waterbury, CT.

The couple honeymooned in New Hampshire before driving on to Quebec, the St. Lawrence and Ontario as documented in the family photo albums.