Edward George LEE

Edward George LEE

Male 1851 - 1927  (75 years)

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  • Name Edward George LEE 
    Birth 11 Oct 1851  Ross Twp., Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Census-Household Member 1871  Ross Twp., Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1901  Fitzroy Twp, Carleton, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Death 28 Aug 1927  Fitzroy Twp, Carleton, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Burial Indian Hill / St Peter's Celestine Rc Cemetery, Pakenham, Lanark Co., Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I40159847  Whitewater Region Early Families
    Last Modified 12 Jan 2024 

    Father John LEE,   b. Abt 1827, , , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown 
    Mother Elizabeth DOBSON,   b. Abt 1831, , , , Ireland Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown 
    Marriage 8 Oct 1851  Clarendon Twp., Pontiac, Quebec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Family ID F7134  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Mary BODIE,   b. 27 Jan 1851, Fitzroy Twp, Carleton, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Abt 1908, Fitzroy Twp, Carleton, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 56 years) 
    Marriage 22 Apr 1884  Pakenham, Lanark, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3, 4
    Children 
     1. Alice Jane LEE,   b. 26 Mar 1886, Bromley Twp., Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Mar 1939, Pembroke, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 52 years)
     2. William James Joseph LEE,   b. 1 Nov 1887, Ross Twp., Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 14 Dec 1887, Ross Twp., Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 0 years)
     3. Margaret Ellen LEE,   b. 14 Nov 1888, Ross Twp., Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 23 Jun 1981, Royal Oak, Oakland, Michigan, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 92 years)
    Family ID F13297335  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Jun 2021 

    Family 2 Alice CLEALOUX,   b. Abt 1855, Chateauguay, Quebec Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Yes, date unknown 
    Marriage 16 Jan 1913  Arnprior, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5, 6
    Family ID F13311715  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 19 Jun 2008 

  • Documents
    CHx-Letter to editor about BC residents formerly of Renfrew County
    CHx-Letter to editor about BC residents formerly of Renfrew County
    The Cobden Sun, Feb 26, 1931 p. 5
    CHx-Lee, Edward G. found astrolabe
    CHx-Lee, Edward G. found astrolabe
    Newspaper Clipping from the 1951-52 Scrapbook of Irene McLaren,
    provided to Fay Bennett by Jack McLaren
    Lee Descendants help with plight to return the Astrolabe
    Lee Descendants help with plight to return the Astrolabe
    Newspaper Clipping from the Scrapbook collection of Irene McLaren,
    provided to Fay Bennett by Jack McLaren
    Lee descendants encourage the return of the astrolabe
    Lee descendants encourage the return of the astrolabe
    Newspaper Clipping from the Scrapbook collection of Irene McLaren,
    provided to Fay Bennett by Jack McLaren

  • Notes 
    • !Source: 1. 1871 Census Ross Twp with parents In her book "Memories of my Grandfather Edward George Lee" Margaret Halver son states that Edward George Lee was born in 1852 in County Clare, Irela nd and he came to Canada with the rest of his family in 1853. However, we find John Lee, born in Canada & Elizabeth Dobson born in Irela nd living together in the 1851 census of Ross Twp., and a marriage betwe en John Lee & Elizabeth Dobson across the Ottawa River in Clarendon, Queb ec also in 1851. So unless John & Elizabeth returned to Ireland to have Ed ward George the year after they were married & then came back to Canad a, we have some doubts about this story. There are two reports in the Renfrew Mercury about his death, as follows: 1) Sept 9 1927 - "Edward George Lee of Fitzroy, whose death occurred in th at township recently, was born in Cobden in 1852. Most of his life was spe nt in Fitzroy, near Arnprior. His wife, Mary Boddy, died 19 years ago. Sur viving him are two daughters, Mrs. Alice Sheedy of Fitzroy and Mrs. J.J. O 'Malley of Detroit." 2) Sep 23 1927 - "There died near Arnprior last week an old resident of th is township, E.J. (sic) Lee. He was born nearly 75 years ago on a farm abo ut two miles from here. His early manhood was spent in this vicinity. He m arried Mary Boddy about 40 years ago and shortly after moved to Fitzroy".

      Finally, his death certificate states that he was born in Cobden in 185 2, that he had lived in Fitzroy Twp. 40 years, his occupation was farme r; and that his mother was "Jane" Dobson born in Ireland and his father w as John Lee, born in Ireland. Informant was his daughter Margaret O'Malle y, who gave her place of abode as Arnprior. Cause of death was Acute Gastr itis (Primary) and secondary cause Myocarditis. Edward George Lee earned himself a place in history by finding Champlain 's astrolabe in 1867.

      The story goes that In May 1613, Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer- cartographer, travelled up the Ottawa River. To avoid the rapids, he cho se a course through a number of small lakes near Cobden, Ontario. Champla in and his men were forced to portage and to climb over and under fallen l ogs at one particularly difficult point by Green Lake, now also known as A strolabe Lake. It was here, according to several nineteenth-century author s, that Champlain lost his astrolabe.

      If this is correct, the astrolabe remained where it had fallen for 254 yea rs. Eventually Edward George Lee found it in 1867 while helping his fath er clear trees by Green Lake.

      Captain Cowley, who ran a steamboat on nearby Muskrat Lake, offered Lee t en dollars for the astrolabe. Lee never received the money nor saw the ast rolabe again. Cowley sold the astrolabe to his employer, R.W. Cassels of T oronto, President of the Ottawa Forwarding Company. He in turn so ld it to a New York collector, Samuel Hoffman. The astrolabe was will ed to the New York Historical Society in 1942 where it remained until Ju ne 1989, when it was acquired by the Department of Communications for t he Canadian Museum of Civilization.

      A story appears in "The Upper Ottawa Valley" by Clyde C. Kennedy, publish ed 1n 1970 by the Renfrew County Council. On page 74 of this book is a pic ture of Edward George Lee taken in 1919 by one Charles McNamara. Accordi ng to the book he (Lee) told McNamara ""I had to dig away the moss and ma rl that the old tree lay in so as to get the chain around the log, and wh en the log swung around it rolled back the moss like a blanket and the re on the ground I saw a round yellow thing, nine or ten inches across, wi th figures on it, and an arm across it, pointed at one end and blunt at t he other..........I showed the compass to pa and he put it on a stump....J ust then Captain Roverman (Overman) came along to see how the work was goi ng and old Captain Cowley was with him. Pa showed them the compass and th ey took it away and pa said they promised to give me $10.00 for it, b ut I never got a farthing nor saw hide nor hair of the compass since. Po or pa let them have it, but if I had got it up to the house, ma would n ot have given it to them that easy." __________________________________________________________________________ _______

      The Renfrew Mercury of June 24, 1921 reports on an interview he gave to t he Cobden Sun, which is worth repeating here as essentially it confirms t he story in Clyde C. Kennedy's book: "Mr. Edward G. Lee of Fitzroy Harbour is visiting friends and renewing acq uaintances in Cobden after an absence of thirty-three years, says the Su n. Mr. Lee is in his seventieth year but yet he is as sprightly and as act ive as one many years his junior. He has a wonderful memory and can reci te experiences of over sixty years ago with accuracy. The story of his li fe is practically the history of Ross Township and to Mr. Lee is accord ed the honor of finding Champlain's Astrolabe, an act which carries wi th it great historical significance. Mr. Lee has in his possession a sma ll book containing photographs of the astrolabe, the exact place whe re it was found and other interesting scenes. The story relative to the f inding of the astrolabe dates back over three hundred years ago. It w as on June 7th, 1613, that Champlain was on his exploring expedition and a ccording to Mr. Lee's version of the story his route lay along through th is part of the country which at that time was mostly forests and lakes. T he sailing vessels carried the great explorer and his crew must have drift ed off Chats Lake into the chain of lakes that were between Haley's and Po rtage du Fort. These emptied into Olmsteads Lake and thence into Muskrat L ake, to the Grand River. About three miles from Cobden Champlain lost an a strolabe which was used by all mariners. Fifty-five years ago Mr. Lee, wi th his parents was living on a farm next to lot 12 concession 2, Ross town ship, about where Mr. Kohlschmidt now lives. At that time Mr. Lee was four teen years of age and with a team of oxen was striving to clear the lan d. He was in the act of hauling out some logs and had by chance overturn ed one which ploughed up about a foot of moss and thus unearthed the astro labe. It is made of brass, with a heavy glass case over the face of it a nd measures about 5 3/8 inches in diameter. He took his find to his fath er and went on about his work. Neither he nor his father knew the wor th of the instrument but in a short time Captains Cowley and Roverman of t he Jason Gould boats came along and they at once endeavored to secure t he find. They offered Mr. Lee Sr. $10 for it, promising to pay said s um to the boy afterwards. They drove off with the astrolabe and never aga in returned. It was then sold to Cassels, foreman of the Union Forwardi ng Co. and shortly afterwards found its way to the museum. From one pla ce of interest to another it travelled and at present it rests in a muse um in Chicago. Huge fortunes could not buy it now and Mr. Lee looks ba ck to the day he found the curio and regrets that it was ever allowed to l eave his hands. He can yet show any person the exact spot where he pick ed it up. It is at the foot of Green Lake on a farm where Mr. Thomas Sammo n, former proprietor of the Copeland House, Pembroke was raised. Some o ld frame buildings are in ruins close by the place."

      from Dave Lee

    Census-Household Member:
    • Role: Household Member

  • Sources 
    1. [S673] Lee, David, Lee and McDonald Family Information.

    2. [S466236] Lee, David, Lee and McDonald Family Information.

    3. [S466580] Ancestry.com, *BMD-Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1747-1967 ", ((Ancestry.ca)), Pakenham Parish. (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S466322] FamilyTree.Com, "Ontario Marriage Registrations online at Ancestry.com", (subscription www.ancestry.ca), 005858 Pakenham, Lanark, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada (Reliability: 3).

    5. [S779] FamilyTree.Com, "Ontario Marriage Registrations online at Ancestry.com", (subscription www.ancestry.ca), # 013376 Arnprior, Renfrew co., Ontario (Reliability: 3).
      Name: Alice Dupont Birth Place: Chateauguay Age: 58 Father Name: Michel Chaloux Mother Name: Marguarite Mccoard Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855 Spouse Name: Edward George Lee Spouse's Age: 61 Spouse Birth Place: Cobden Spouse Father Name: John Lee Spouse Mother Name : Lisa Dopson Marriage Date: 16 Jan 1913 ARnprior, Renfrew Co., Ontario
      FamilyTree.Com, "Ontario Marriage Registrations online at Ancestry.com", subscription www.ancestry.ca, # 013376 Arnprior, Renfrew co., Ontario, Name: Alice Dupont
      Birth Place: Chateauguay
      Age: 58
      Father Name: Michel Chaloux
      Mother Name: Marguarite Miceard
      Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
      Spouse Name: Edward George Lee
      Spouse's Age: 61
      Spouse Birth Place: Cobden
      Spouse Father Name: John Lee
      Spouse Mother Name : Lisa Dopson
      Marriage Date: 16 Jan 1913 ARnprior, Renfrew Co., Ontario
      .

    6. [S466322] FamilyTree.Com, "Ontario Marriage Registrations online at Ancestry.com", (subscription www.ancestry.ca), # 013376 Arnprior, Renfrew co., Ontario (Reliability: 3).
      Name: Alice Dupont Birth Place: Chateauguay Age: 58 Father Name: Michel Chaloux Mother Name: Marguarite Mccoard Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855 Spouse Name: Edward George Lee Spouse's Age: 61 Spouse Birth Place: Cobden Spouse Father Name: John Lee Spouse Mother Name : Lisa Dopson Marriage Date: 16 Jan 1913 ARnprior, Renfrew Co., Ontario
      FamilyTree.Com, "Ontario Marriage Registrations online at Ancestry.com", subscription www.ancestry.ca, # 013376 Arnprior, Renfrew co., Ontario, Name: Alice Dupont
      Birth Place: Chateauguay
      Age: 58
      Father Name: Michel Chaloux
      Mother Name: Marguarite Miceard
      Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
      Spouse Name: Edward George Lee
      Spouse's Age: 61
      Spouse Birth Place: Cobden
      Spouse Father Name: John Lee
      Spouse Mother Name : Lisa Dopson
      Marriage Date: 16 Jan 1913 ARnprior, Renfrew Co., Ontario
      .