PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

on October 31, 1823, to Hannah Maxfield, a daughter of Timothy Maxfield, to which union were born seven children: Ann, married on January 1, 1844, to William Moore; Eliza, married on January 16, 1849, to Bertram Moore; Richard, born on Febru‘ ary 11, 1828, died on March 10, 1855; Jo- seph, moved to Ontario, married Margaret Shaw on October 23, 1856; John, married Clara R. Deans on September 26, 1856; VVi-lliam C., the subject; Mary, married James Barrett, of Charlottetown, on Feb- ruary 7, 1866. John Lea, Sr., losing his first wife by death, on January 23, 1837, married a second on March 17, 1839, be- ing united on this occasion with Miss Jane Thompson, and to them were born the fol- lowing children: Hannah, born on Decem- 29, 1839, married on November 17, 1865, to Henry Harvey, and died in September, 1888; Hiram, born on August‘8, 1841, mar- ried on January I, 1866, to Miss Isabella Lea, and died on November 12, 1877; Ar- temus, born on May 15, 1843, died on March 15, 1861; Paul, born on May 2, 1845, married in 1873 to Annie McEach- em and now in business in Moncton, New Brunswick; Jabez, born on September 4, 1847, married to Miss Eliza Lea in 1869, and now living on the old homestead in Lot 28; Bertram, born on January 11, 1850, married on April 21, 1875, to Miss Mary Jane Smith, and now a farmer of Vernon River, this Island; Harry, born on January 23, 1853, married in 1885, and now living in Stockton, California. Mrs. Jane Lea, second wife of John Lea. Sr., (lied on April 16, 1884. Her husband was a member of the Methodist church, of which he was a trustee, and was also actively interested in politics, being a member of the Liberal

party.

_two sessions and then resigned.

697

William C. Lea, the immediate subject of this. sketch, was, like his father, unable to secure a public school education, but was most assiduously devoted to the perusal of such books as came to his hand. At the age of twenty-one years he settled on fifty acres of land, where he now lives, and where he has since followed farming, buying one hun- dred acres additional in 1872. He has taken a deep interest in the welfare of the farmers of the Island, and some years ago formed a farmers’ club for the purpose of bettering the selling of farm produce. This was op- erated until its usefulness ended. For many years he has made trips to Cape Breton Is- land, where he disposes of cargoes of prod- uce procured from the general merchants. One hundred and twenty acres of his farm are in cultivation and have been brought up to a high standard, the place being well im- proved in every respect and being considered one of the most productive farms in this locality. He is practical and progressive in his ideas and methods and is achieving a distinctive success in his vocation. In poli— tics Mr. Lea has given a hearty support to to the Liberal party and in 1872 was elected by a majority -of 901 votes a member of the Legislative Assembly, in which he served In 1876, when the free school question was the is- sue, he was again elected and served three sessions. In religion he is a member of the Methodist church of which he is a trustee and is also a teacher of the Sunday school.

On November 23, 1858, Mr. Lea mar- ried Miss Rebecca Reid, a daughter of Wil— liam Reid, and they had the followng chil- dren: Charles Herbert, who is now filling (by election) the city treasurer’s oflice at Eureka, California; Artemus, who died in childhood; John, who was twice married,