Maitland Avenue

George Forbes Maitland, photographer

George Maitland was born on March 24, 1835, in Belhelvie, a village about eight miles north of the City of Aberdeen, Scotland, In his early 20s, he left Scotland to seek his fortune in Canada. That may have been as late as 1857.

He initially settled in the Hamilton, where he worked as a photographer. It was there he met Mary Ann Davidson a gifted poet (see below), and they married in 1861. One of their six children was George Henry, who became editor of the Stratford Herald in the early 1900s. 

The Maitland family lived in Hamilton (1861-1865), St. Catharines (1869-1874), Stratford (1876-1916) and St. Marys (1916-1928). Further details below. 

In the late 1860s, George and Mary Ann moved their young family from Hamilton to St. Catharines, where he established a photography studio. In about 1876, they came to Stratford, where they rented a newly built house at 205 Albert St. They remained in the house for two years, before moving to North Street, then John Street, and then to a house at 151 Norman St.

Maitland developed a reputation of producing fine photographs and experimenting with photographic techniques to advance the art. He established his photographic business on Market Square, and at a number of locations through the years, finally settling at 48 Ontario St. He was an important photographer in Stratford for more than 30 years. Upon his retirement, he and Mary Ann moved to St. Marys. In Stratford, the Maitland photography studio was also in the Myers Block on Downie Street near Market Square.

George Maitland died on Jan. 16, 1928 and is buried with his wife, Mary Ann, in Avondale Cemetery, Stratford. Source: Historic Plaque