Sir Samuel Hughes was born January 8, 1853 at Solina near Bowmanville, Canada West. He was educated at the Toronto Model and Normal School and also attend the University of Toronto. He received honour certificates in English, French, German and History. While he was still in his teens he took part in the second Fenian Raid and from this battle he received a medal. He had 3 brothers and 7 sisters. His father and one brother were school teachers and with their encouragement he became a teacher in Belleville, Lifford and Bowmanville. He also taught at the Old King's Grammar School in Toronto as English and History Master from 1875 to 1885. He was the author of a school geography and a County and Railway Map of Ontario. In 1872 he married his first wife, Caroline J. Preston, at Lifford, Ontario. She died a year later. In 1875 Sam married again. He married Mary E. Burk, daughter of Harvey W. Burk who was liberal M.P. of West Durham, Ontario. Samuel started the Millbrook lacrosse team. Throughout this time he participated in the militia and politics in which he had a long career. At age 32 he moved his family to Lindsay where he had bought the newspaper The Victoria Warder. He was publisher from 1885 to 1897. He was a Member of Parliament for Victoria North in 1892 and in 1899 went to the Boer War in South Africa from which he was dismissed for military indiscipline. In 1911 he won the militia portfolio of the Borden government. He foresaw the World War I and he helped Canada prepare for it by building armouries across Canada. He stepped up the training program for the Canadian Militia and he was able to place in the field four divisions, complete with artillery, and all details. In August 1915 he was knighted by King George V. After the Ross Rifle fiasco he was forced to leave the Borden government in 1919. He stayed in politics for the Victoria/Haliburton Region until his death on October 24, 1921 in Lindsay, Ontario.
William O. Mitchell (W.O.) was born in 1914 at Weyburn, Saskatchewan. He grew up in Florida and came back to Canada in 1931 to study at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. After travelling around North America and Europe he finished his BA at the University of Alberta and became a rural school teacher. He gave this up in 1944 to write full-time and was published in 1947 with Who has seen the wind. From 1948 to 1951 he was the fiction editor for McLeans Magazine and lived in Toronto, Ontario. He published a number of books, radio shows and poetry. Mitchel died in 1998. (Taken from: The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1993.)
Miss Marjorie McLean Oliver was born 8 October 1909 and lived in Bobcaygeon, Ontario. Her parents were James McLean Oliver and Margaret Chase. Oliver attended the Normal School in Peterborough and received her BA from Queen's University. She became a school teacher and taught in Whitby and Peterborough. In October 1998, Oliver donated the Bobcaygeon property which her family had operated as a tourist resort, to Trent University in memory of her father, James McLean Oliver. This 270-acre property is now known as the James McLean Oliver Ecological Centre. Marjorie McLean Oliver died 28 November 2003.
Mary Quarrie Ollerhead's family originated in Liverpool, England. She had a sister named Elizabeth Walker Ollerhead and she never married. In 1920 she visited Naples in Italy and in 1921 she visited England. She worked as a teacher in Toronto's Public Schools for a number of years. Mary was retired from the Toronto School Board 19 May 1933 after which she received monies from the Teacher's Superannuation Commission. She lived at Homewood Avenue while she was teaching. She was an active member of the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. Around the 1940's or 1950's she started to live at 55 Belmont Street, a residence for seniors. In July of 1952 she became quite ill and required professional nursing care. Mary Ollerhead died in the autumn of 1952 and was buried in the family plot in Brampton, Ontario.
Glenn Madill was a scientist employed by the federal government to undertake research on the “magnetic north.” He was educated at Queen’s University and was an assistant magnetician for the Dominion Observatory taking measurements at the north magnetic pole. He was also a canoeist, farmer, teacher and amateur photographer. He and his wife Olive were married in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1921 and lived in Lakefield, Ontario.
Joyce Anderson (nee Grant) was born 13 May 1938 in Bobcaygeon, Ontario. She married Douglas Anderson in 1960 and they lived in Bobcaygeon on their farm, “Sunnybreeze,” The Andersons had two children, Kim and Mark. Joyce Anderson worked as a music and piano teacher. Her mother was a Cairnduff.
Prentice Gilbert Downes, born in 1909, was a school teacher from Concord, Massachusetts. He often travelled to the north during the summer and one such visit is chronicled in his book "Sleeping Island: the Story of One Man's Travels in the Great Barren Lands of the Canandian North" (1943). He died in approximately 1978.
Ethelwyn Campbell (1926-) was a typing teacher in the Fort Frances, Ontario area in 1972. By 1976 she was living in Islington, Ontario and taught business at the Central Commerce School in Toronto. In 2002 she was living in Perth, Ontario. She is a world traveler.
Susan Burnham Greeley was the daughter of Aaron Greeley, a surveyor and cousin of Zacheous Burnham, and Margaret Rogers. She was born in Haldimand Township, about two miles from Grafton, Ontario. Greeley was a school teacher, and operated a Sunday School from her home for over eighty years. She was a member of the Colborne Presbyterian church. Greeley died in 1904 and is buried at Grafton Presbyterian cemetery.
Gladys Gertrude Stacey (nee Devlin) was born October 4, 1883 in the province of Quebec and, in early adulthood, worked as a teacher and a reporter in Montreal. She married Frederick Harold Stacey (1880-1944), formerly of England and Alberta, in Montreal in 1910 and had five children (see below). Documents reveal that the births of two of the children, at least, were registered in Peterborough, Ontario in 1911 and 1915 and that the family moved to Toronto in the early 1920s. Frederick Stacey, an engineer, worked briefly beginning in 1917 at Canadian General Electric in Peterborough, as did one son who moved to Peterborough and then Lakefield in the 1950s. Gladys Stacey continued her writing career into the 1960s and published in church publications for children, in the Canadian Bookman, Maclean’s, Canadian Home Journal, Canadian Magazine, and in various newspapers in Toronto and Montreal. Her writings appear under several pen names and name variations: Dolly Dimples; Gladys G. Devlin; Gladys Devlin; Gertrude Woodard; Jo Joan; Christie Carew; Mary Burke; Millicent Moore; Laura Greenwood; Gladys Devlin Stacey; Gladys D. Stacey; Gladys Stacey; Gladys G. Stacey; Gladys Stacey; Mrs. S.; G.G. Stacey; G.D.S.; G. Stacey; and G.G.S. Information about Stacey is included on the website [Canada’s Early Women Writers]: https://ceww.wordpress.com/?s=stacey%2C+gladys&search=Go (site last visited 27 August 2015). She died in New Jersey in 1977.
Regarding the children of Gladys and Frederick Stacey, there were five, born between the years 1911 and 1921. They are listed as follows:
Harold Gordon Stacey (1911-1979): a noted Toronto silversmith and teacher of metalsmithing at Ontario College of Art and Humber College; married Margaret Ellen West Jefferys (1915-2008), daughter of the Canadian artist and historical illustrator Charles William Jefferys (1869-1951); had two children, one of whom is the donor of this fonds, Clara (Callie) Jeanette Stacey;
William “Bill” Arthur Stacey (1915-1959): served in Canadian Air Force during WWII; died of a bee sting in Peterborough, Ontario; married Beryl Bernice Benham (1909-1984);
John “Jack” Frederick Stacey (1916-1995): served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, 400 Sqd, City of Toronto (later renumbered 110 overseas) during WWII and worked for Canadian General Electric in Peterborough from the early 1950s; lived above T.J. Cavanaugh’s appliance store on Charlotte Street (Peterborough), Henry Sharp's farm 4th line of Smith Township, Hamilton Street (Peterborough), and Water Street (Peterborough) before moving to 7th line of Smith Township; married Delysia Alice Ward [1920-2008];
Clifton David Stacey (1917-2010): served in the USA Army; stenographer; married Ruth Gaskin (1917-2002);
Dorothy Joan (1921-2005): secretary and office manager; married Reginald Wray (1928- ).
(Taken from information supplied by the donor).
The family of Walter Nichol Davidson resided in Brighton, Ontario. Walter Davidson (?-1936) was a merchant-tailor. He married Isabella Massie D. McDonald (?-1946). They had two daughters: Annie Helen (1878-?) and Jessie Isabella. Annie wasa school teacher and she studied through correspondence courses from the University of Toronto Extension Branch. She married dentist by the last name of Harnden. This Davidson family maybe related to the Davidson family [(77-003)]: https://www.trentu.ca/library/archives/77-003 of Cobourg, Ontario. One letter in the 86-015 fonds is addressed to a W.N. Davidson and speaks of a "Lizzie", perhaps Elizabeth, and a "Jim", perhaps James. Both collections are similar in that they contain large number of deeds and mortgages.
Bruce Mickleburgh was a teacher, journalist and social activist interested in the peace movement, socialism and Marxism. He was Dean of English at Seneca College and founder of the educational publication, Monday Morning.
Fern Alma Rahmel was born in Peterborough in 1914. She attended Peterborough Normal School in 1932-1933 and was editor of the 1932-1933 year book. She taught in elementary and later secondary schools. In 1970 she had been a Peterborough teacher for 20 years with the English Department of the Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School (PCVS). She was Department Head before she retired. She was also assistant to Gwyn Kinsey, editor of Saturday Night. She was an active participant in theatre and writing. Fern aided Robertson Davies in research while he was editor of the Peterborough Examiner. She wrote children's educational radio plays for CBC. In the 1970 Spring Convocation, Trent University awarded her a honorary Doctor of Laws degree. She was a sustaining member of the Friends of the Bata Library and had been since its inception. She gave talks to the Peterborough Historical Society and published an occasional paper on F.M. de la Fosse, Peterborough's first librarian. Fern Rahmel died 28 November 2009.
Thomas Watson was a school teacher in 1858 for the Grammar School at Port Hope, Canada West, which was established in 1853. (Taken from: Hope and its Port. East Durham Historical Society, 1992.)
Paul James Delaney was born in 1944 and lived at Gore's Landing, Lakefield and Midland. He was a student at Trent University from 1964 to 1968 and is listed in the first student register. A member of Trent University’s first graduating class, Delaney became a teacher and went on to win numerous awards, including the Alumni Spirit of Trent Award, TVOntario Teacher of the Year, Pope’s Medal, YMCA Peace Medal, and the Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching History. He was the first Director of Ste. Marie Among the Hurons and taught summer courses in India and Sierra Leone. “Uncle Paul”, as he became known to Trent University's international students, served as Alumnus-in-Residence at Trent, volunteered his time with the Trent International Program, and became a mentor to hundreds of Trent students. Delaney died in 2012.
Pat Bolger ( - 2007) was a teacher/librarian at Renfrew Collegiate.
Robert E. Bowley was born in Hagersville, Ontario and moved to Peterborough in 1963. He married Kathleen Richmond Barclay and was a chemistry teacher, author, and historian. Bowley had an avid interest in stamp collecting and postal history, and was a volunteer postmaster in 1980 at Lang Pioneer Village, Keene. He was also president of the Peterborough Historical Society, and established Rebel Publishing in 1995 in order to publish his version of Mutiny on the Bounty.
Doris M. Hancock attended teacher training courses in the late 1920s offered through St. John's Church of England in Port Hope, Ontario.
Karen Carter-Edwards was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario where she attended Adam Scott Collegiate and Vocational Institute and became interested in history. She attended Trent University from 1967 to 1971 graduating with a degree in history. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in history at the University of British Columbia. Carter-Edwards became a teacher and Department Head at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Cornwall, Ontario, and in 2000, won Carleton University’s annual High School Teaching Award. She also served on the Trent Valley Archives’ Board of Directors, 2007-2009, and is author of Cornwall Electric: 100 Years of Service, published in 1987. According to Sunshine Sketches, Trent, Karen Carter-Edwards “credits her enthusiasm for history and teaching to the dedicated teachers she had as a student at Trent.” (Sunshine Sketches, Trent, Vol. 32 No. 2, Spring 2001: https://www.trentu.ca/trentmagazine/vol32no2/sunshine.html).
M. Margaret (Marnie) McCulloch was born in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1912. Known to her family and friends as “Marnie,” she was the daughter of Dr. Joseph Malcom McCulloch and Etta McCulloch (nee Eager). McCulloch attended Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational Institute and graduated in 1934 in "Moderns" from Trinity College, University of Toronto. She avidly supported the arts in Peterborough and funded a number of scholarships and awards for local secondary and post-secondary students attending educational institutions in the City. McCulloch was involved in the cultural life of Peterborough, becoming a member and supporter of several clubs, organizations and venues: Peterborough Golf Club, University Women’s Club, Women’s Art Association, Showplace Peterborough and the Shakespeare Club. She was also a founding member of the Peterborough Theatre Guild and of a Peterborough Civic Affairs Study Group comprised of local women who took turns attending City council meetings; the Group is credited with smoothing a path for the election of the first three women to municipal government in Peterborough. McCulloch enjoyed traveling and her many hundreds of slides attest to the places visited. McCulloch married John G. Edison Q.C. in 1994; she died in Peterborough in 2003 at the age of 91. Her obituary, published in the Peterborough Examiner, 25 March 2003, describes McCulloch (Edison) as a “life long active participant, supporter and many times catalyst of art, culture, religious and educational pursuits in Peterborough.”
Mary Margaret McCulloch and her parents were long-time contributors to Trent University. In 2001, they were honoured in a room-naming event held at the University’s Otonabee College. The plaque, hanging in Room 204, includes additional information about McCulloch and reads as follows:
“This room is named in honour of Mrs. Margaret (McCulloch) Edison and her parents Dr. J. Malcolm and Mary Etta (Eager) McCulloch. Margaret Edison served as Private Secretary to the Director of Naval Intelligence, Division 3 in Ottawa. “Marnie” returned to Peterborough after the war and was the Deputy Local Registrar at the Peterborough Court House. The community and her church were enriched by her commitment to volunteer work. Dr. McCulloch was a public school principal and then became a medical doctor. He practiced for 59 years in Peterborough and was a founding member of the Peterborough Clinic. Mrs. McCulloch was a teacher. She and her husband were both actively involved in their church and the community.”
Patrick Daniel was a teacher in Ottawa, Ontario until he retired in the 1980s. At the time of his retirement, Daniel purchased a farm that had been bought by his grandmother and uncle near Campbellford, Ontario in the 1920s, and operated it until 2002. In 1979-1980 and 1984 he was a NDP candidate for Victoria Haliburton.
David Brown was a teacher and collector of historical documents and books who resided in Hamilton, Ontario.
Wayland Drew was born in 1932 in Oshawa, Ontario. He graduated with a B.A. Honours in 1957 from Victoria College at the University of Toronto. He majored in English Language and Literature. He married Gwendolyn Parrott in October of 1957. They had four children, Scott, Marda, Paula and Cindy. Drew raised his family in Port Perry, Ontario and Bracebridge, Ontario. Drew began to write short stories and poetry in high school and university. Drew's first published novel, "The Wabeno Feast," was released in 1973 by Anansi. Drew's interest in Canadian history, Native culture and social ecology comes through in this novel and his other works. "The Wabeno Feast" was republished in 1985 by General Publishing. Since "The Wabeno Feast," Drew has written eleven other books of fiction and non-fiction. These include the non-fiction books, "Superior: The Haunted Shore" (1975), "A Sea Within: the Gulf of St. Lawrence" (1984), both with photography by his friend, Bruce Litteljohn, and "Brown's Weir" (1983) with photography by his wife, Gwen. In the late 1970s, Drew was approached by a friend, Matthew Robbins, to write a novelization of the film script, "Corvette Summer." The novelization was released in conjuction with the film in 1978. Drew proceeded to write the novelizations of three other film scripts: "Dragonslayer" (1981), "Batteries Not Included" (1987), and "Willow" (1989). Drew produced a science-fiction trilogy, "The Erthring Cycle," in the mid-eighties. The titles include "The Memoirs of Alcheringia" (1984), "The Gaian Expedient" (1985), and "The Master of Norriya" (1986). His final novel, "The Halfway Man," was published in 1989 by Oberon. Drew wrote and published works of short fiction and non-fiction. Some of his early stories were published in "The Tamarack Review" and "Acta Victoriana." Later short fiction was published in collections such as "New Canadian Short Stories," "Anthology," "Islands of Hope," and "Once Upon a Time." Drew also wrote scripts for CBC radio and for a Ministry of Natural Resources film called "Places Out of Time" (1994). He also wrote short non-fiction for a variety of publications such as "Ontario Naturalist," "Alternatives," "The Illustrated Natural History of Canada," and "Green Teacher." Drew began teaching high school in Port Perry, Ontario, in 1961. He earned a teaching certificate by taking summer courses at the Ontario College of Education while teaching during the school year. As a teacher, he also worked at the Ministry of Education and Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School. Drew took leaves from teaching in order to write full time, though he also wrote part-time while teaching. He retired from teaching in 1994. In addition to writing and teaching, Drew was active in the community. He was president of the Historical Society of Bracebridge, and chair of the "Signs of Hope" environmental conference in 1991. Drew also gave numerous guest lectures and facilitated workshops. Drew's acomplishments were recognized formally twice in 1991. In October of that year, Drew was honoured with the Lieutenant-Governor's Award from the Conservation Council of Ontario. Later that month, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Trent University. Wayland Drew died on December 3, 1998.
Verna Burgess was the daughter of Dr. John Burgess and Emma Burgess and was the second oldest of four daughters. Her father operated a drug store and had a medical practice in Lakefield and the girls received their early schooling there, coming to Peterborough to finish high school, and in Verna's case, to attend the Peterborough Normal School. Burgess taught for the Peterborough Board of Education at King Edward and Queen Alexandra Public Schools, and was also associated with the Normal School as a practice and critic teacher. A tobogganing accident confined her to bed for a considerable time, during which she began extramural studies through Queen's University, eventually going to Kingston to complete an Honours B.A. in English and History. Subsequently she finished her M.A. She joined the staff of the Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School where she taught history until her retirement. She was an excellent and inspiring teacher and a public-spirited citizen. She was a member of the original committee set up to study the feasibility of the establishment of Trent University. (Taken from a typewritten note by Fern A. Rahmel, which accompanied the fonds, and from information supplied by Gordon Young. The Rahmel note is located in the Rahmel donor file, Trent University Archives).
Gertrude Duncan was a school teacher who taught in Coboconk, Ontario from 1924 to 1925.