Frederick Musgrave Lee was born in 1860, at Knockduff Estate, County
Cork, Ireland. He came to canada in the spring of 1882 with the late John
Langford of Shellmouth. Enroute they met Charles Peyton
and Charles Phibbs, who were cousins, and Fred Thompson.
The five boys agreed to stay together in the new land. They arrived
in Fort Garry the last week in April, 1882. Their experiences on the trip to Russell are
recorded in the article, entitled, "My First Two Years In The West", written by
Charles Peyton.
Fred Lee married Margaret Arma Peyton
in 1886. For the ceremony, they drove to Whitewood, Saskatchewan, where there was an
Anglican Church.
Margaret Anna Peyton, who was Charles Peyton's only
sister, with a younger brother and their Mother, came to Canada in 1885. They came via
rail to Moosomin and were met by Charles with a team of oxen and wagon. Mrs. Peyton, then
over 60 years of age, was afraid of the oxen and preferred to walk behind the wagon from
Moosomin to Shellmouth. "Granny Peyton". as she was called, lived at Shellmouth,
Swan River and Harrowby, experiencing the many hardships of pioner life, including being
burned out at Shellmouth. She died in 1911 at home and was the first one to be buried in
the Harrowby cemetery.
The first few years that Fred Lee spent in Canada, he did very little
farming. He spent most of his time freighting with oxen from Birtle and Moosomin and as
far north as Pelly. He and his partner, Fred Archers contracted to move
the mill from Shellmouth to Millweed.
After the railroad switched from Shellmouth to Harrowby, Mr. Lee moved
to the S.E. 14-21-30, five miles north west of Harrowby. He farmed here until 1899 when he
purchased the S.E. 12-21-30 on which Jephson (later a land surveyor) and Reginald
Power (a race horse enthusiast) had built a very fine house. A number of bales of
clothing and furnishings were sent from Ireland for the new home. However, 21 days later,
all was lost by fire. The neighbours formed a bee and they built another home using the
logs from the house they had vacated just a few weeks earlier, and a sod roof. Here they
lived, growing with the country and adding to the house and their land holding. At the
time of his death in 1925, Fred Lee was fanning two sections of land with a ten-room house
and a herd of Purebred Angus cattle which took many prizes at various fairs. Mrs. Lee
predeceased him in 1923.
Dung these years the Lees took a prominent part in community affairs
and a very active part in Church and Sunday School work. Sunday School classes were first
carried on in the Lee home and later Mrs. Lee was Superintendent of the Harrowby Union
Sunday School and the Church organist. Mr. Lee was Rector's Warden of the Anglican Church
from the time it was built in 1910 until his death. Sports were also in evidence. For many
years two tennis courts at their home were kept up where a Club comprising mainly the Lee
family used to compete with Clubs from the surrounding towns. Friends and neighbours
gathered in numbers at their home for social evenings of sing songs and dancing.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lee had a family of twelve children, four boys and
eight girls There are now over one hundred descendants from this branch of the Lee family.
Laura, the eldest attended the Manitoba Agricultural
College for two years. (A homemaker's course). In 1916 she married Percival
Leighton, barrister. He was seriously wounded in the First Great War. They had
five children. Their two eldest boys, Fred and Lee, gave their lives in World War II.
Their daughter Margaret has an R.N. degree. Charles is a Commander in the Royal Canadian
Navy. John is an attorney in Vancouver, B.C.
Ernest took one year at the Manitoba Agricultural College.
He married Eileen Exam, of Victoria, B.C. He farmed at Marchwell until
1938. Then he engaged in business at Makaroff, Basswood and Neepawa where he now lives.
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Lee had four children: Dud ley was Pilot Navigator in World War II; he
and his brother Desmond carry on the business at Neepawa. Lloyd is a salesman in Winnipeg
where Esme is a stenographer.
Amy - Much of her early life was spent with
Granny Peyton at Swan River. She attended the Manitoba Agricultural College for one year;
then qualified as a registered nurse at the Children's Hospital, and was a public health
nurse. She now resides in Victoria, B.C.
Edna was a school teacher. She married Russell Boulton in
1915, who was an attorney who was killed in the First Great War. They had one son,
Charles, who was lain Army Officer in World War II. Edna was married in 1927 to the Rev.
N. C. Smith. They had two children: Paul, an Anglican minister; and Nancy Lee, who is a
registered nurse.
Freda was a school teacher. She married R. H. Lyon, a
Winnipeg business man. They had six children, including two sets of twins: Dr. Peyton, a
navigator in the RCAF in World War 2, won Rhodes Scholarship and is now Professor of
Political Science in Ottawa; Kathleen and Vivienne, stenographer; Geoffery, a salesman and
historian; Frederica, a registered nurse; and Kenneth, a journalist on the staff of the
Vancouver Sun.
Meta attended Manitoba Agricultural College. She
attained her B.Sc. degree and was a Dietician in the Winnipeg General Hospital. Meta died
in 1941.
Charles was killed in action in the First Great War. (1st
C.M.R.)
Lucy was a school teacher. She was married in 1925 to Dr.
Donald M. Black, Medical Missionary. They were stationed at Formosa and
Manchuria. They had two children: Francis, who is a medical degree for Research; Meta,
R.N., won the B.C. proficiency award. Donald, an aeronautical engineer in Toronto;
Douglas, medical doctor; and Harold, a United Church Minister.
Elsie was Lucy's twin. she died in infancy.
William attended Manitoba Agricultural College for
two years. He married Miriam Struthersw school teacher and daughter of E.
A. Struthers, manager of Dr. Barnardo's Home. They farmed at Marchwell, Saskatchewan until
1933. He then entered the grain buying business and was Divisional Superintendent when he
retired in 1965 at Winnipeg. They have two children: Ted, a medical doctor, won numerous
scholarships, including the Dr. Stewart memorial and also won the F.R.C.S. degree; and
Patrick, an Anglican Minister.
Iris was a school teacher and a registered nurse. She
went overseas during World War 2 as a nursing sister with the American Air Force. She
married Albert Stokes, railroader, retired in Victoria.
Eric attended Manitoba Agricurtural College for three years.
He married Shelagh Peyton, of Winnipeg, a daughter of A. N. Peyton. They
now farm the original home farm of the Lee family. They have four children: Monica,
Pamela, Deborah, and Timothy.
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