Ronald William Agg was born at Badsey on 16th January 1906, the youngest of five children (but fourth surviving child as an older brother had died at just a month old) of Joseph Foster Agg and his wife, Emma (née Wilkes). He was baptised in St James’ Church, Badsey, on 18th March 1906. The family lived at 11 Bullybrook Terrace (current-day No 54 Willersey Road, Badsey).
Ronald was a pupil at Badsey School from April 1909 to 7th August 1913. Twenty days later he emigrated with his family to Canada, setting sail on 27th August 1913 from Liverpool.
Ronald and his family lived first at 640½ Euclid Avenue, Toronto, then, by March 1916 had moved to Palace Road, Whitby, Ontario, a town in Durham region, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, about 35 miles from Toronto. At the time of the 1921 census, Ronald lived with his parents and brother at 115 Dundas Street, Whitby.
On 27th July 1920, Emma arrived at Liverpool with her youngest son, 13-year-old Ronald, having sailed from Montreal. He sailed from Liverpool for Canada on 19th November 1920, accompanied not only by his mother, but also by his cousin, Harold Agg, who was the same age as him. The address for all three was given as Sands Lane, Badsey, which was where Harold lived with his widowed father.
Ronald and his brother, Lawrence, were both grocers. Their first grocery store was started at Dundas Street West; later, they moved to a larger building on Brock Street North.
Ronald married Beatha Carswell Cardiff; they had no children. On the Voters’ list for 1945, they were living at Byron Street, Whitby, Ron described as a soldier. By 1957 they lived at 417 Henry Street South; Ronald was a salesman and Bethea a clerk. By 1972 they were both retired and still living at Henry Street.
In the archives at Whitby Public Library, there is a photograph of Ronald Agg with a colleague demonstrating a new meat saw for Agg Brothers Grocery Store. According to the Archive notes:
Ron Agg enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1942 and went overseas with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. In 1945 Ron returned and resumed work in the grocery business. He continued to operate Ronald W. Agg Groceries, Meats and Fruits until selling the business and building in 1954 to the Stroud Fruit Company of Oshawa. Ronald Agg subsequently worked with Gordon Osborne Realty and the Whitby Public Utilities Commission. He was a devoted member of All Saints' Anglican Church and served as member of the choir, treasurer and rector's warden. He was a director of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce, member of the Whitby Public Library Board, charter member and past president of the Whitby Kinsmen Club and was also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Ronald died at Whitby, Ontario, on 1st July 1985. Bethea died on 19th January 1993.