McLeay, John

(submitted by Donna Pullman)

John McLeay (1797–1853) married Margaret McKenzie (1804–1877) in 1832. They emigrated from Scotland to Warwick Twp. in 1834, settling on Lot 18, Con. 1. They had five sons: Philip, Murdo (1833–1923), Robert, John Jr., and William.

John McLeay became an employee of the Hudson’s Bay Co. He then accompanied Sir John Franklin on two of his historic voyages in the Far North in search of the North Pole and later settled in Canada, having received land grants of 200 acres for services rendered under Franklin and 1,000 acres for his services with the Hudson’s Bay Co.
John’s son Murdo came to Canada with his parents. He became a prominent business man in Watford, erecting the first store building in 1859, a business block, and the Taylor Hotel. He married Janet Glendenning (1839–1909) in 1857. Murdo and Janet McLeay had four children: Margaret Grace (1859–1886), Dr. John Alexander (1862–1936), Franklin (1864–1900), and Florence (1873–).

Franklin McLeay was named after Sir John Franklin, the Arctic explorer and friend of his father Murdo. Athletics and politics were Franklin’s hobbies. Actor James E. Murdock changed Franklin’s whole future career and he adopted the stage as a profession. Franklin McLeay made a special study of English literature and was a Shakespearean scholar of some authority. Clement Scott, the foremost English dramatic critic of the day, had this to say upon the death of Franklin:

He was the most prominent actor on the English stage, and would soon have taken the first rank in Shakespearean and romantic drama. The place was his by right of genius and attainment and it was almost within his grasp when he passed away. He was a graduate of Toronto University, a profound Greek scholar and a Professor of Elocution.

Franklin married Grace Warner in 1898, just two years before his death.

Dr. John A. McLeay, first born son of Murdo and Janet, graduated in medicine from Toronto University, did post-graduate work in Edinburgh, London and Paris, then returned to Watford to commence his practice. He built a private telephone line of 26 miles so farmers needing a doctor could go to the nearest telephone and get Dr. McLeay promptly, either day or night. He was active in promoting the building of the Watford High School. He built the first electric light plant for Watford and developed a waterworks system in the town. During the epidemic of black diphtheria in Watford, he served as the local medical officer, undertaker and, at times, even minister. Leaving Watford after fifteen years, he settled in the southern United States, but made many visits back to his home town of Watford. At his death he was survived by his wife and one daughter.

(submitted by Donald McLeay, 17 January 2015)

John McLeay was born in the Highlands of Scotland (Ross-shire), in 1794 1. Starting at the age of 24 and for a period of six years, he worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company (1818 to 1824 inclusive).4‎ On the 5th of May 1818, John “signed”4 an Agreement with the HBC to serve for them in Canada for 5 years at an agreed salary of 15 British Pounds per year. During that time, John worked as a dry stone mason in Manitoba (1818-1821), a Labourer in Swan River, Manitoba (1821-1822), and later as an unindentured Freeman on the Lower Red River, Manitoba (1822-1823). In 1823, John “signed” another Agreement with the HBC to serve as a Bowsman 5 for one year (1823-1824), with an annual salary of 20 British Pounds. This was John’s first assignment as a boatsman.

On August 30, 1824, while stationed at HBC’s York Factory 6, John McLeay “signed” an Engagement to serve Captain (“Sir”; knighted in 1829) John Franklin during his second overland expedition in search of the North West Passage. This Engagement reads as follows 7:

“I, John McLea, … engage to serve in the Capacity of Steersman or Bowsman on the Expedition about to proceed into the Interior of America along its Northern coast, under the orders of Captain Franklin of the Royal Navy, for the wages to which Captain Franklin may consider me entitled on joining the party, and I do engage for these considerations, to continue in my Station throughout this service, or during the term of two years, and to use my utmost exertion in performing all the usual duties and collecting wood, building houses, and in fact doing whatever may be required of me. I do also stipulate faithfully to obey all orders that I may receive from Captain Franklin, or any other Officers attached to the Expedition, or in the absence of Captn Franklin and the Officers of the Expeditions, such Officers of the Hudson’s Bay Company as Capt. Franklin may appoint to take charge of the party, or Canada may direct. The wages, which are to be paid by His Majesty’s Colonial Department, to Commence from the first of September, of the Year One Thousand, eight hundred and twenty four, and to be Continued until my return to England.”

Being a member of Captain John Franklin’s second (1825 – 1827) overland expedition to find the North West Passage was undoubtedly the most exciting and physically demanding period of John’s life. The challenges and human toll can only be appreciated by reading the journals and correspondence7 where Franklin describes in detail the events that unfolded, along with the narratives by John Franklin and his second-in-command Dr. John Richardson 8, that detail this expedition.

In the Fall of 1824, John McLeay and other members of the Expedition that were hired on at York Factory travelled by paddling and portage in small boats designed for the Arctic exploration, until reaching Cumberland House where they overwintered. On June 15, 1825 they resumed their 1200-mile journey to Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca, before which they met up with Franklin’s party, travelled subsequently to Great Slave Lake, and from there to Great Bear Lake where they overwintered at Fort Franklin. In June 1826, the Expedition descended the Mackenzie River (only the second European explorers, Mackenzie being first, to do so) to the head of its delta, where two parties were formed and separated. The western party under Franklin charted the Arctic coastline westward from the mouth of the Mackenzie to the Return Islands, while the eastern party under John Richardson explored and mapped the Arctic coast east to the Coppermine River.

The boats used in this Expedition were as follows:

• for the western party – two boats (the Lion and the Reliance) made of mahogany, each 26 feet long and five feet four inches broad, adapted for six rowers, a steersman, and an officer. Each boat was capable of carrying three tons weight in addition to the crew, and could be borne on the shoulders of six men.
• for the eastern party – two boats (the Dolphin and the Union) made of mahogany, each 24 feet long and four feet ten inches broad. Each boat was capable of receiving a crew of five men plus a steersman and an officer, with an additional weight of 2.5 tons.

John McLeay served as Cockswain (steersman) in the Union (part of the eastern party under the command of John Richardson). Dr. Richardson’s Narrative of the proceedings of the Eastern detachment of the Expedition under his command is included in John Franklin’s Narrative of the Second Expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea8. Accounts include encounters with Eskimos who initially were friendly (“…bringing back the Union’s seep-oar, which had slipped from the coxswain’s [John McLeay’s] hands…” but later became aggressive, pilfering whatever they could lay their hands on, and would only back off from an apparent attack by a display of firearms from the men in the two boats. Richardson’s Narrative also describes John McLeay as their best hunter, and sent him off on many occasions with a hired Eskimo of their party to bring back deer for food. Richardson closes his Narrative by stating that, after an absence of 71 days, his Eastern detachment had travelled 1,980 statute miles and that “…the pleasing duty remains of expressing my gratitude to the party for their cheerful and obedient conduct. Not a murmur of discontent was heard throughout the voyage, but every individual engaged with alacrity in the laborious tasks he was called upon to perform.”

Franklin’s party joined Richardson’s party at Fort Franklin (Great Bear Lake) in September 1826, for their second overwintering there. On February 20, 1827, Franklin “…quitted the Fort, accompanied by five of our men [including John McLeay] and the sledges…. The rate of walking depended on the depth of snow; where the track was good, we made about two miles in the hour…. On the evening of the second day, we were deserted by our Indian companions… We travelled fifty miles through a swampy level country… We crossed several rivers which flow into the Mackenzie, and some considerable lakes which are laid down in the map…we were short of provisions, in consequence of the Indians having made off with the pemmican…On the 21st [of March], …had the pleasure of meeting two Canadians on their way to Bear Lake [Fort Franklin, where Franklin’s small group had vacated a month earlier], with a packet of letters from England, and retained one of the Canadians in his stead. After breakfast next morning I dispatched the packet to its destination, under the charge of McLeay, who had accompanied me from Bear Lake…” So John was sent back to Fort Franklin (a one-month arduous journey, retracing the route that Franklin and party had followed) to guide one of these Canadians back to the Fort. Thereafter, John set out eastward again with the remaining members of the Expedition, travelling to Great Slave Lake (Fort Resolution), Lake Athabasca (Fort Chipewyan), and on to the East Coast. On September 21, 1827, Franklin and party (presumably including John) arrived back in Liverpool, England. According to Franklin’s calculations, the distance travelled by the Expedition in going and returning, including the excursions of detached parties, was 14,185 statute miles! Consider that along with the often severe conditions of extreme cold, ice and snow, limited food rations, and not-so-friendly Indians and Eskimos that they endured during their travels.

Upon completion of this epic adventure with Sir John Franklin, John received the following honourable certificate 3: “This is to certify that John McLeay served as steersman in the Land Arctic Expedition under my command, from the 30th of August 1824 to 1st November 1827, during all of which time his conduct was steady, correct and exemplar; and he actively performed the duties of his station”. “Given under my hand this day (Signed) John Franklin, Capt. R.N., Commander of the Land Arctic Expedition.” Admiralty, 1st Nov., 1827.

John returned to Ross-shire Scotland, where he married Margaret McKenzie 9 in 1832. The following year, John and Margaret emigrated to Canada where they settled in the Township of Warwick, Ontario, Canada on Lot 18, Concession 1 S., on 200 acres of land located 4 miles north of the Village of Watford 10 that was “borne” some 40 years later. Additionally, John McLeay possessed 100 acres of land at Lot No. 16 Concession 1 N, and a further 100 acres of land at Lot No. 17 Concession 1 N. Some of this land was purchased by John for 10 shillings per acre. 2 , and some was granted by the Government in recognition of the service he rendered Sir John Franklin during his second expedition to the Arctic. He received a further grant of 1,000 acres from the Hudson’s Bay Company, a portion of which is now part of Winnipeg. However, this (HBC) land was never taken up by Uncle John.3

John and Margaret had six children: Phillip (born 1830; died Jan 1868 at 37 years)10, Murdo (born April 15, 1833; died ), Robert C. (born December 1, 1835; died April 10, 1899 at 63 years), Dugald (born 1838), Dr. John D. (born 1842; died Jan 4, 1878 at 37 years) and William (born July 2, 1846; died Aug 20, 1930 at 84 years). Phillip (eldest son) was a farmer on the old homestead. He “…was an elder of the Presbyterian church, and was highly respected…for his correct principles and Christian deportment”. Son Murdo went to Normal School in Toronto for a year and taught in Warwick Township for a year before moving to Watford in 1859 where he erected various buildings, was postmaster, and served on the School Board for 30 years. Besides being a farmer, Robert C. McLeay operated a sawmill in Watford (destroyed by fire on Nov 20, 1885). An old photo of a building with “R.C. McLEAY, LUMBER&COAL” is found in the Watford Centennial booklet 11. Dr. John D. was a physician in Lobo, ON. William installed a telephone system in Watford. Notable grandsons of John and Margaret were Dr. John A. McLeay and Franklin McLeay (sons of Murdo and wife Janet Glendenning). Available records indicate that John and Margaret had 28 grandkids.
John McLeay prepared a Will on August 20, 1853, leaving his land to various family members including his brother Donald McLeay I (our Great Great Grandfather), to whom he left 50 acres of Lot No. 18, Concession 1 N. Uncle John died on August 30, 1853. His tombstone resides in St. Mary’s Anglican Church cemetery (Warwick Township, Concession 1, Lot 10, Lambton County), along with that of his wife Margaret McKenzie. It reads as follows:

“SACRED To the Memory of JOHN McLEAY. A native of Ross Shire Scotland Who Emigrated to this Country in 1833 & departed this life Aug. 30, 1853 aged 59 yrs. He was a loving husband and affectionate father. A kind friend and useful patern in sincere Christian and in his sphere an active promote of the cause of God. This stone is erected by his widow and family who deeply mourn the loss, but do not mourn as those without hope. Close by here and interred three of his children.”
Following John’s death, his wife Margaret McKenzie (born 1804 in Ross-shire Scotland) initially lived with her son Robert and wife Wilhelmina, at Lot No. 17 Concession 1 N, Warwick Township. This 100 acres of land was sold on November 12, 1866 for $1900. The 1861 Census shows Margaret (age 57) residing with son Robert, his wife, and their children Donald (age 19) and Andrew (age 28). In 1871, she lived with her son William on Lot No. 18 Concession 2. Margaret died at Warwick Ontario on May 29, 1877. Her gravestone is in St. Mary’s Anglican Cemetery, Warwick ON alongside that of her husband John McLeay and her son Dr. John D. McLeay. It reads “Margaret McKENZIE wife of John McLeay died May 28, 1877…Native of Rossshire Scotland”.

Location of John McLeay’s Scottish Homeland

John’s HBC employment records state that his domicile was “Ardross, Rosskeen, Co. Ross”. Ross is part of the historic county of Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands, and is one of the 34 traditional counties into which Scotland was divided for administrative purposes. It includes most of Ross as well as Lewis in the Outer Hebrides Islands. In 1889, Ross-shire was combined with Cromartyshire to form Ross and Cromarty, which continued until 1975. In 1975, Ross and Cromarty was itself replaced by the Highland region and the Western Isles.

Rosskeen is a historic parish in the county of Ross (Ross-shire). It is about 20 miles long from south-east to north-west, and comprises an area of 54 square miles. At the south-east, this land is bounded by the northern shore of the Firth of Cromarty (coastline some 6 miles in length), and Inverness is located ~20 miles to the south. There are three or four small lakes in the parish. The soil is of average richness in the lower portions, but poor where the cultivation extends from 600 to 1,000 feet above sea level. The highest ground, in the centre of the parish, is about 3000 feet. In 1831, the population of the parish was 2916. The old Roskeen parish church was established in 1833, and was situated in the centre of the parish so that all members of the parish could walk the distance of no more than 4 miles to and from. In 1868, the land of Rosskeen was described as “in healthy pasture and sheep walks”. This parish, which was established for religious and civil purposes in the 16th century AD, remained in effect until 1975.

Ardross means, in Scottish Gaelic, the high-point of Ross. The total area of Ardross comprises about 30 square miles. Ardross is a historical hamlet within the centre (high point) of Rosskeen parish. Its present-day population is estimated to be about 150. The largest concentration of buildings is in the village of Dublin, where Ardross Castle is located. This castle was built by Sir Alexander Matheson between 1838 – 1846, in the Scottish baronial style. It required much local labour, perhaps including Donald (I) McLeay and/or other members of this McLeay family living within the region. Ardross is still recognized today as a Highland locale; for instance, the Weather Channel reports weather for Ardross.

Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands situated on the southern shore of the Moray Firth, at the mouth of the River Ness. It is some 30 miles south of the historic parish of Rosskeen, but still within the southern boundary of Ross-Shire. Inverness is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland, and is the northernmost city in the United Kingdom. Prior to 2001, its status was as a town rather than a city. In 1801, the population of Inverness was 8,732; by 2013, it had grown to over 54,000.

Closing comments

John McLeay was a gritty man from the stark Highlands of Scotland, who was extremely robust and adventurous. His nine years spent trekking across Canada and to and from the Arctic (1818 to 1827), during his 20s and early 30s, were epic journeys. His 1833 emigration to Warwick Township, Lambton County, Ontario, brought the first member of this McLeay family to Canada. The 1840 arrival in Warwick of John’s sister Elizabeth, along with the later (~1852) arrival of John’s brother Donald and family, added further to the McLeay family roots in this region and, later, in other parts of Canada.

1. This date is according to his tombstone, which states that he died on August 30, 1853 at the age of 59. Other sources of information (2, 3) state that he was born in 1797.
2. Nielsen, P. (1993). The Egremont Road. Incomplete reference; have only a few pages.
3. Watford – The Early Years to 1900 – Individuals and Families. Incomplete reference; have only a few pages.
4. Google “HBC archives biographical sheets” and then click on “Mc/Mac” where you will find the HBC record for “McLea, John”. This is John, with last name spelled “McLeay” in his first (1818) “signing” Agreement with HBC as provided by the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives (www.manitoba.ca/archives; Winnipeg, Man.). In his second (1823) “signing” Agreement with HBC, John’s name is spelled “McLea”. The various historic spelling of our surname includes “McLea”, “McLeay”, “MacLea”, and “MacLeay”. It is noteworthy that John “signed” his name with an “X” adjacent to “his mark”, which indicates that he was illiterate at this time of his life.
5. In the 1820s, the HBC manned birchbark canoes (usually ~25in length, four feet in the beam, and a depth of 2 feet) with a Bowsman in the bow, a Steersman in the stern, and four middlemen whose duty it was to paddle and pole, track and portage, and do what they were told.
6. Google “Hudson Bay York Factory” and select Wikipedia. York Factory was a large settlement and trading post of the HBC, situated on the southwestern shore of Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba.
7. Champlain Society, 1998. “Sir John Franklin’s Journals and Correspondence: The Second Arctic Land Expedition 1825-1827”, page 345. The Champlain Society, Toronto, Ontario.
8. Franklin, John. 1828. ”Narrative of a Second Expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea in the Years 1825, 1826, and 1827”. John Murray, Publisher. London, England. Available online (Gutenberg ebook) and at the library.
9. Margaret was born in Ross-shire Scotland in 1804, and died in Watford Ontario on May 29, 1877.
10. This birth year pre-dates the marriage of John and Margaret by threeIts accuracy is unknown, although the possibility exists that John and Margaret had a child well in advance of their marriage.
11. Watford Centennial. 1873 – 1973. Multi-page (un-numbered) booklet depicting the history and pioneers of Watford Ontario.

Chapter 24 of 25 - McLeay, John

Back Next