William Leonard Baynes-Reed
ID # 3229, (1871-1939)
| Father | Edmund Baynes-Reed (1838-1916) |
| Mother | Margaret Ann Phoebe Lawrason (1840-1917) |
| Birth | William Leonard Baynes-Reed was born on 4 September 1871 at London, Middlesex Co., Ontario. |
| Marriage | He married Violet Winnifred Gretchen Gilbert on 4 September 1907 at St John's Norway, Norway, York Twp., Ontario. Mrge reg. 023158-07 York Twp., York County William Leonard Baynes-Reed, 36, bachelor, Clerk in Holy Orders, Anglican. Born London, Ont., residing Norway (Ontario). Parents Edmund Baynes Reed and Margaret Ann Lawrason. Violet Winnifred Gretchen Gilbert, 25, spinster, born Sherbrook, Que., residing Toronto. Baptist. Parents Harry Lang... Gilbert and Ellen Margaret Ambery. Witnesses W. Kurtamen, Toronto, and illeg Hopkirk, Toronto. On September 4, 1907, at St. John's Norway, banns, by Robert Gay. There are three marriages listed on this registration page, of which William and Gretchen's is one. The other two were performed by William Baynes-Reed in November of 1907. In September, at any rate, William is shown as a 'Clerk in Holy Orders'. Either this title enabled him to perform marriages, or he only came into his authority as a marrying clergyman after his own September marriage. The full name, The Anglican Church of St. John the Baptist, has with time been simply called St. John's Norway. It is located in what was the village of Norway and which was eventually amalgamated into the city of Toronto in 1908. Norway had it's own post office which opened in 1866 and closed in 1901 (see Floreen Carter's Ghost & Post Offices of Ontario, 1986). |
| Death | He died on 27 January 1939 at Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, at age 67. |
| Burial | He was buried on 31 January 1939 at St John's Norway Cemetery, Toronto. |
| Note | William Leonard Baynes-Reed's biography is extensive. For some 40 years he was rector of St. John the Baptist Church (Norway) Toronto, better known as St. John's Norway. In August of 1915, according to his attestation papers, he joined the Canadian Army. He is shown as a widower and a clergyman and, possibly, also because of previous active militia service, he is accepted as a major. He served with the 75th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (apparently later known as the 75th Scottish) and was awarded the DSO (Distinguished Service Order) for his actions in removing wounded men from the battlefield. He was the battalion's chaplain and one newspaper account tells that he was popular with the men for acting as such in the trenches. A search for his name in the archives of the Toronto Star and the Toronto Globe bring up many records, most to do with his performance of marriages, but also for his services on behalf of veterans. The Cleveland Plain Dealer edition of July 1, 1928, has a photo on page 11 of four officers of the 75th Scottish Highland Regiment of Toronto who were attending a veterans jubilee in Cleveland. All of the officers were in uniform and the photo shows Major Baynes-Reed, Chaplain, in his kilt. This is probably the best photo found of the man. William must have been reasonably well as late as 1937, for he appears on a list of passengers who arrived at Liverpool, England, on the Andania on the 2nd of May of that year. It's a guess, but he may have been going to join in the celebrations for the coronation of King George VI which was on May 12. According to his gravestone in St. John's Norway Cemetery, William died 27 January, 1939. His stone reads: In Memory Of Canon Wm. Leonard Baynes-Reed D.S.O. Sept. 4, 1871 - Jan. 27, 1939 Rector of this Parish for forty years Also recorded on this stone is the name and death date for his brother Codrington who died exactly one week earlier. William was said to be unwell, but attended his brother's funeral. Death reg. 001078-39 Toronto, York Co. Rev. William Leonard Baynes-Read died January 27th, 1939. Place of death York Co., York Twp., Toronto, Private Patient's Pavillion, Toronto General Hospital. Residence 156 Kingston Rd., Toronto. Widowed, born Ontario, age 68. Clergyman, Church of England. Father Edmund Baynes-Reed, born Canada; mother Margaret Ann 'Lawarson', born Ontario. Informant Mellor Dunham, 182 Kingston Rd., friend. Burial St. John's Cemetery, Jan. 31, 1939. |
| Last Edited | 9 Nov 2020 |