Files consist of correspondence and other documents related to a SSHRC grant for the acquisition of the William S. Gray Research Collection in Reading for the E.L. Christie Education Library at Brandon University.
Storage Location
RG 6 Brandon University fonds
Series 8: Library Services
8.2 S.J. McKee Archives
Box 2
Professor John Weldon Grant was born 12 March 1919 in Sunnybrae, Nova Scotia, son of Alec and Linda Grant. He was raised in Sunnybrae and graduated from Pictou Academy in 1937. Prof. Grant entered Pine Hill Divinity School to study Theology. During his ministerial internship, he taught and preached in Rabbit Lake and Biggar, Saskatchewan. He graduated from Pine Hill in 1943 and entered the mission field with the United Church.
Professor Grant moved to Trinidad & Tobago in the 1940s. There he taught in both San Fernando and Siparia, towns located in the southwest tip of the island. Weldon Grant was the first head master off the Iere High School School in Siparia when it opened in 1955. Professor Grant is recalled by Kenneth Ramchand in his _The West Indian Novel And Its Background_ as “his beloved English teacher” reading from an early Sam Selvon novel in a “Saskatchewan version of Trinidad dialect.” That he was teaching Selvon – a West Indian writer - testifies to Grant’s cultural pluralism. See Kenneth Ramchaud, _The West Indian Novel and its bachground_ (London: Faber and Faber, 2001 edition).
Professor Grant and Bernice Emma Moats were married in Gray, Saskatchewan 30 June 1954. They adopted three children in Nova Scotia and returned to Trinidad.
In 1961, the Grants returned to Canada. Weldon taught for one year at Vincent Massey High School and then joined the English Department at Brandon University where he taught in the English department until his retirement on August 31, 1984.
During a sabbatical he spent six months exploring Ireland and the poets that had been inspired by its countryside. He also loved stories of the sea and read many varied authors, both factual and fiction.
Custodial History
Records were collected by Weldon Grant during his teaching career in Trinidad and Canada.
Scope and Content
In the course of his teaching career in Trinidad & Tobego and at Brandon University Professor Grant acquired and retained a number of items with cultural, scholarly and sentimental value. These incude The First Folio of Shakespeare, prepared by Charlton Himan, [Academic ed.]. Imprint New York : W.W. Norton, 1968. xxvii, 928 p. : port. ; 37 cm. Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies. Published according to the true original copies. London, Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount, 1623.
The facsimile is described as "an ideal copy in which each page represents the best page selected from one of the 29 most satisfactory copies of the 80 copies in the Folger Shakespeare Library."
1 Self prononcing Holy Bible, Oxford 1910.
1 print 22.4" x 17," "Baking in a Clay Oven," by Trinidad artist David Moore, June 1977 printed in Trinidad by the College Press.
2 water colour paintings 17.5" x 12" by artist "AM." One titled San Fernando (1961) one titled Royal Palm, Trinidad (1960).
1 black and white portrait 10" x 13" of Governor general Roland Michener and his wife (No: A-2) copyright Karsh dated 1970.
1 Asian art work, 12.5" x 18" embroidery on silk.
Notes
Weldon Grant history/bio from Weldon Grant obituary Brandon Daily Sun c. April 14, 1999.
Stella Madge McPhee Grant (nee Freeborn) was born on March 27, 1897 on the family farm near Wellwood, MB. Stella married William P. McPhee (1893-?) on January 17, 1920 in Carberry, MB. The couple lived at Minto when William returned from the First World War, then moved to Wellwood. Together they had three children: Ross, Myrtle and Kathleen. Stella married Allan James (AJ) Grant (?-1960) on May 24, 1952 in Wellwood, MB. In 1960, Stella moved to Winnipeg be closer to family. Stella Freeborn Grant died on December 8, 1994 in Winnipeg, MB. She is buried at Carberry Plains Cemetery.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocassette tape containing an interview with Stella Freeborn Grant about early pioneer life, life as a homemaker and the Village of Wellwood, MB. Interviewer is Isla Kennedy.
Notes
History/bio information from the records, the Wellwood local history "Wellwood, then and now" and Grant's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Audio Tracks
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The Anglican Church first became active in Virden in 1882. At that time services were held in the home of one of the parishioners. In August of 1885, the Canadian North West Land Company gave the Anglican community a parcel of land at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Queen Street. In December of 1885, a wood frame Church was constructed on the property. The parish of St. Mary the Virgin was officially created on April 20, 1886
The original church remained on the site until 1891, at which time it was sold and removed. The present church was then constructed on the site using field stones from the Assiniboine River valley. The stones were hauled to the site, split and put in position.. Construction began in 1892, with the corner stone being laid by Mrs. Nina Gertrude Watts, wife of the rector. A tin box containing newspapers, building plans and other items was also placed in the foundation at that time.
It is believed that the building's architect, Walter Chesterson of Winnipeg, designed St. Mary's from a small church located on the Isle of Wight.. The resulting structure is a basilica styled Church with a large stone tower at the south east corner, numerous stained glass windows and beautiful woodwork throughout.
It took some years to completely pay off the debt incurred in building, but the congregation persisted and as a result, the church was consecrated in 1905 by the Archbishop of Rupert's Land, the Right Reverend Samuel Prichard Matheson.
Since then, there have been additions built onto the original building, but during each expansion, great care was taken to preserve the look and feel of the original building. Included in these expansions were a fieldstone fence, the addition of a clostier and a entension of the roof to protect the sidewalk. The last major work done was upgrading the foundation under the tower. This was finished in the late 1970's.
The church is located at 633 9th Avenue South.
Scope and Content
Photograph shows the church and manse.
Notes
Corresponds with negative RA - CPR Broadview Sub [41a]. There is a common misconception that this house was the Anglican manse. Although it was built around the same time, it was never owned by the church and was always a private residence. (Source: Natalie Griffith, Virden resident). History/Bio information taken from the St. Mary's Anglican Church history page on the Community of Virden website, available at: http://virden.cimnet.ca/cim/187C2_3T178T4T628T5T1176.dhtm (August 7, 2008).
Repro Restriction
The McKee Archives is the copyright holder for the Stuckey materials.
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