William Lees

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• _UID: F890D990AAE74DCEBD20537EE5BF15E0E44E

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Peter McLaren married Sophia Lees, daughter of the late William Lees, Lanark, Ont., and Granddaughter of the late Col. Playfair, of the old Canadian Parliament.

William married Mary Playfair on 22 Nov 1867 in Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. Mary (daughter of Col. William Playfair and Sophia Cherry) was born about 1826; died about 1855. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FindaGrave Memorial ID: 45829223
• _UID: E0910A6D76724572AA33379C94E5F631D7DD

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FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45829223

Died:
Another esteemed resident of Perth for over half a century passed out of this life on Tuesday evening, May 29, 1923, in the person of Mrs. (Hon) Peter McLaren at the family home "Nevis Cottage" on Drummond Street, West. Although in uncertain health for some time, her death was sudden and unexpected and came as a severe shock to her relatives and wide circle of acquaintances. The Late Mrs. McLaren was formerly Sophia Elizabeth Lees, a daughter of the late Mr. William Lees, ex-MP and Mary Playfair of Playfairville, an officer in the Imperial Army and once a noted man in this locality, and she was born in Fallbrooke 78 years ago.
In 1867 she was married to the late Mr. Peter McLaren, then a pioneer lumberman and afterwards Hon. Senator McLaren. After their marriage they came to Perth to reside. In 1916 they celebrated their golden wedding. In all the years of their married life Mrs. McLaren was a true and loving helpmate to her husband. Four years ago last month, May 23rd 1919, Senator McLaren passed away. The late Mrs. McLaren was of a quiet manner and happy disposition which made her many friends in St. James Church of which she was a member, and in the community, she took an active interest in everything that contributed to the community's well-being. She was of valuable assistance in various ways to St. James Church and her deeds of kindness and charity to many in the community were freely given.
The late Mrs. McLaren is survived by three daughters, Mrs. F. W. Hall; Miss Kathleen, of Perth; Mrs. Benedict, of Toronto; two sons, Messrs. James L. P., of Perth; William L., of North Burgess; a sister Miss Lees of Perth; three brothers, Messrs. William, of Pincher Creek, Alta.; Dr. Frederick and Andrew, of Vancouver; a half-sister, Mrs. Inderwick, of Perth and three half brothers, Messrs. James, Guy and Albert of Vancouver.
The funeral was held on Thursday afternoon to Elmwood cemetery with Rev. Dr. Bedford-Jones, Rector of St. James Church, officiating at the services at the home and grave.

Sophia married Sen. Peter McLaren on 22 Nov 1867. Peter (son of James McLaren and Margaret McLaren) was born on 22 Sep 1831 in Lanark Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; died on 23 May 1919 in Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: 057100CA6EF74157A0AF350B2E552EFA77DA

Margaret married Francis William Hall about 1803. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• _UID: BC6979C260F242A685BF63EA9C2DCD4C0DD1

Mary married Charles Lewis Beurid about 1897. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FindaGrave Memorial ID: 45711739
• _UID: 073B6B8FF94D4FE594F7AE1C92FDF46EFCB6

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Daughter of Senator Peter McLaren. Kathleen was an invalid and cared for by a nurse throughout her life.

FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45711739

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• FindaGrave Memorial ID: 45706976
• _UID: 2723228EBCFA4E5EBC437DE7D44A6A95DC34

Notes:

FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45706976

Died:
Transcribed from The Perth Journal:
J.P.L. McLaren Dies At His Home
Former Perth Man Only Ill For Short Time in Springfield.
Special to The Journal.
PERTH, Ont. Sept. 15.-Deep regret was caused today to friends in Perth and district, by news of the sudden death of James L. P. McLaren, which occurred late yesterday in Springfield. Mass. Mr. McLaren was 56 years of age and a native of Perth, having been the son of the late Senator and Mrs. Peter McLaren. For the past few years he had resided in New Hampshire.
He is survived by his widow; one son, Peter Gay McLaren, of Oshawa; one daughter. Mrs. George Verral. of Toronto; and two sisters. Mrs. T. W. Hall, of Oshawa, and Miss Kathleen McLaren, of Perth.
The illness which resulted in Mr. McLaren's death was brief and the news of his death came as a great shock to his many friends here. He last visited Perth a few weeks ago to attend the wedding of his daughter. Members of his immediate family are bringing the body here where the funeral will be held from Nevis Cottage, Drummond street, home of the late Senator, on Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock standard time.

James married Isabel Frances Geddes about 1906. Isabel (daughter of Charles Gamble Geddes and Selena F. Sweetland) was born about Sep 1882 in Saskatchewan, Canada; died about 1971; was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FindaGrave Memorial ID: 45702440
• _UID: D1F0B86810FB4486838BBBDD60E8D05CD02B

Notes:

William was the second son of Peter McLaren and Sophia Elizabeth Lees. He received his early education at Trinity College, Port Hope, Ontario. From there he traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland with his brother James to be educated at a boy's secondary school. Upon his return to Perth as a young man, William became the owner and operator of a mica mine located at the northwest end of Otty Lake, in Burgess township. This mine was widely known as simply "McLaren's Mine," and was the basis of operations for William and eventually, his wife Anna Gemmill. At the peak of operations at the mine, whose mica was used extensively for insulation of electrical motors, generators and home appliances, fifty men were employed, all of whom boarded and ate at the mine.
During a ten year period and due to his intense involvement with his mine, William took courses from the International Correspondence School of Mining and Engineering, with headquarters at Scranton, Pennsylvania. His studies further accentuated his fascination with historical artifacts, an attraction that had its beginning in his boyhood.
While he was a young boy, William spent his summers in and around the Perth area, including a cottage located on the Rideau Lakes. At this time (the late 19th century), there were many old Indian relics lying on the surface of the ground. Fascinated by these relics and artifacts, William began a journal (in the possession of the Perth Museum, along with the bulk of his collections) and recorded meticulously every artifact that he found. Many of them are accompanied by his own hand-drawn facsimiles of the artifacts. The journal represents an invaluable record of Indian artifacts that were found in the Perth area.
William's fascination with these artifacts, the material shards of a culture, did not end with his boyhood. His interest, if possible, grew as he aged, and he became involved in the study of the migratory patterns of different tribes, probably in order to determine more exactly the origins of his own artifacts, and to put his collection into some kind of overall perspective.
When William died in 1932, he left behind not only warm and cherished memories in those people who knew and loved him personally, but also a priceless collection of Indian artifacts, a physical reminder of the culture of a people who inhabited this country centuries before any organized settlement. His collection is a very representative and superlative one, surely a reflection of the man himself.

FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45702440

William married Anna Lees Gemmell about 1910. Anna (daughter of Lawrence James Gemmell and Elizabeth Margaret Kellock) was born on 6 Jun 1884 in Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; died about 1975 in Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FindaGrave Memorial ID: 45706468
• _UID: 15E73BD9D7E84A229B66C1BDC9B7BDCCC3A2

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FindaGrave Memorial ID:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45706468

Family/Spouse: Dorothy Jane Hicks. Dorothy was born about 1907; died about 1999; was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]