Thomas George Naylor Anderton, known as George Anderton is said to have been born in 1848 in Leeds, Yorkshire, however he is not to be found on the 1851 census index for Leeds Township so he may have been born in one of the many outer parts, each with their own census, thus making it more difficult to locate him. He had a younger brother called Alfred H. Anderton who would have been born in about 1862.

T.G.N. Anderton must have emigrated to Canada in the early 1870�s, the first reference to him there is from 1876 when he is employed by an agent of the West Canada Mining Company of Montreal. George joined the North West Mounted Police in 1876 in Ottawa. He was later posted to Fort Walsh in Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan and this is where Anderton started his life-long occupation of photography. He became the first resident photographer in the North West Territories, working around Fort Walsh from 1876-1879. Fort Walsh was a Mounted Police Post built in 1875 by men under the command of Major James Walsh to enforce peace and order along the Sakatchewan border with the U.S.A. After the Battle of the Little Bighorn, "Custer's Last Stand" in 1876, Walsh and his Mounted Police at the fort were in charge of mediating with the Sioux refugees who had followed Chief Sitting Bull across the U.S. border.

About 3,000 Sioux and Cheyenne Indians crossed the border into Canada, led by Chief Sitting Bull and stayed in the vicinity of Forth Walsh until about 1880. Anderton photographed many of the Indians, including Sitting Bull himself. His pictures are now held by several different archives and museums in Saskatchewan and Alberta and a selection of 50 of his photos can be viewed on the Glenbow Gallery Website by searching for "Anderton". Photo # 47 is of particular interest as it shows his Indian wife.

George Anderton was discharged from the Mounties in May 1880 at Fort Mcleod and moved south of the border to the USA where he set up a photographic studio with an American photographer, William Culver. Together they were able to cover both the North �West Territories of Canada and Montana. They are credited with taking the first photographs of the Great Falls of the Missouri River.

The partnership did not last long, however, as Anderton is back at Fort Walsh on the 1881 census of Canada. By May 1883 George had set up a studio in the boom town of Medicine Hat and in Summer 1884 he opened a branch of his studio at Fort Mcleod (a prosperous ranching district). The September issue of the Mcleod Gazette mentions Anderton & his brother Alfred H. Anderton (his assistant). However it seems that he could not live from photography alone. In April 1885 he handed over the management of the studio to his brother Alfred and opened a saloon. In Winter 1885 a cyclone blew the roof off studio, an event which is mentioned in the papers of the time.

George dedicated his time to running the Saloon and had his own brewery but the wild brawls and general lawlessness of the town led to the prohibition of alcohol and in April 1889 he returned to his photography, running a photographic studio and bath house!

On the 1901 census of Alberta we find a George Anderton, age 53, with his place of residence being Standoff. This is one of the Indian Reservations in Southern Alberta. No occupation is given. There are other Anderton's listed at Fort Macleod.

Andertons on the 1901 Census of Alberta:

In 1913 George took over the running of the Depot Hotel, but died on 5th October 1913 aged 65 years.