 |  Visitors Attractions and Heritage Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Leaskdale Manse MuseumLucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario (LMMSO) History
Celebrating 100 Years of Anne of Green Gables in Uxbridge
Please visit our website for event information: www.100yearsofanneinuxbridge.ca DID YOU KNOW - The Leaskdale Manse has been designated as a national as well as a provincial historic site.
- Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote 11 of her 22 books in Leaskdale.
- Maud came to Leaskdale as the bride of Rev. Ewan Macdonald and raised her family of two boys, Chester and Stuart, here. A third son, Hugh, was stillborn and he is buried in what is now called Foster Memorial Cemetery.
- Maud was active in the community as the minister's wife, teaching Sunday School and Young Peoples, visiting the congregation, helping with missionary work, and supporting her husband. She also worked with the local Red Cross supporting the war effort during World War I.
- In the summer of 1997, the unrestored manse was open to visitors. In 46 days, there were over 500 visitors from Canada, the USA, Europe and Japan.
- Now, with the co-operation of Heritage Uxbridge, Uxbridge-Scott Museum Board, Parks Canada, and others, restoration efforts are underway. It will take time, but in the end, there will be a fully restored manse which will honour its most famous resident, and Canada's most famous author Lucy Maud Montgomery.
- Visit the LMM Interpretive Centre at the Uxbridge-Scott Museum, for further information.
HOBBIES\INTERESTS
Sewing/ Crafts
Whenever she did pastoral visiting Lucy Maud Montgomery always had her hands busy with some form of needlework, often crocheting. Some samples of her children's clothing remain in the collection on loan to Leaskdale Manse Museum Committee, from Wilda Clark. Several boxes of Lucy Maud Montgomery's handiwork are preserved at University of Guelph Archives.
Victorian ladies enjoyed needlecrafts of all sorts. Ribbon embroidery was used to decorate household items such as napkins and tablecloths. Clothing could be embellished with button and beads. Darning and pulled threads were used to repair clothes instead of throwing damaged articles in the garbage.
Quilting was used for fundraising in the community as well as recording town history. Quilts were made to record church history. Property of Uxbridge-Scott Museum, the Red Cross signature quilt has a contribution from Reverend Ewan McDonald and other members of the community.
Leaskdale Manse Museum Committee is raising money to restore the manse by making a signature quilt, which will be displayed. SEE CORDIALLY YOURS
Photography
One of the most interesting and fascinating interests Lucy Maud Montgomery pursued was photography. The Leaskdale Manse Museum Committee is fortunate to have access to these photos for research purposes, in order to restore the manse, between the journal descriptions and Maud's photographs. Some of the pictures were double exposed and included aspects of time lapse photography. At a talk at the University of Prince Edward Island conference in 2000, Dr. Epperly talked about Lucy Maud Montgomery 's focus on curves in many of her pictures, and her use of keyholes of light. An extended version of Dr. Epperly's fascinating observations about Lucy Maud Montgomery's photographic techniques will be included in an exhibition catalogue, yet to be published. An interesting section in the Lucy Maud Montgomery album from LMM's " Cynthia " newspaper column gives photographic advice to anyone wishing to start photography as a hobby, including techniques for special effects. Some include set up shots with her included as a self-portrait. Much later on she received a movie camera as a thank-you for having judged a Canadian photography contest. Her favourite shots throughout the years included her children, flowers and her cats, and landscapes.
Church Activities
As the wife of the Reverend Ewan Macdonald, Lucy Maud Montgomery had a busy life. She took part in all the societies centred in the church, visited families in the congregation with Ewan, and trained children for the annual Sunday school concert, and rehearsed young people's plays. Ewan and Lucy Maud are fondly remembered in Leaskdale as a ministerial couple who worked very hard for young people and enjoyed their company.
Japan
After World War II " Anne of Green Gables " translated by Hanako Muraoka, was eagerly embraced by the Japanese people in order for them to learn English. This is the most popular and recognized LMM book throughout the world. Many groups in Japan get together as do book clubs in North America, to discuss LMM's books and go on field trips. One of these groups " The Buttercups " has become Kindred Spirits to those of us at the Leaskdale Manse Museum. A group came here July 24, 1998 for a tour of the Leaskdale area. A Victorian tea was held in the church at Leaskdale, and the Buttercups presented us with copies of LMM's " Anne " books in Japanese. We will treasure the memory of that wonderful day forever.
Gardening
A favorite pastime, Lucy Maud Montgomery's gardens included flowers and vegetables. At Leaskdale, her garden photographs clearly show that she interplanted flowers and vegetables in the Prince Edward Island style. Through her photos and journal entries we have a very good idea of what was planted. Original to the manse, a Virginia creeper was discovered on the north side of the house. Cuttings were taken and transplanted to grow up the posts of the veranda, to replicate the manse appearance 1911- 1926.
Two circle gardens at the front of the manse were reproduced. Have you ever read Lucy Maud Montgomery's sprightly journal entry regarding the uppity young sprig of a student minister who oh-so- helpfully " weeded those circle gardens pulling out all her newly sprouted alyssum plant? Anne of Green Gables Plants include alyssum around the border, King Alfred daffodils (spring) and cosmos (summer). The Uxbridge flower is cosmos. (Happy accident!)
Many varieties of bulbs do not exist today as they did 100 years ago. One example is the hyacinth- in Lucy Maud Montgomery's time there used to be over 130 kinds of hyacinth, now there are only a few.
When work on the manse building was frozen it also included the gardens. Maintenance of the grounds continues by volunteers.
Lucy Maud Montgomery took great joy in harvesting fresh produce, because convenience stores did not exist then. She deliberately planted an eye-catching row of cosmos opposite her dining room window to provide " a feast for the eyes as well as the palate." Anne of Green Gables
The display of Lucy Maud Montgomery's photos at the Stratford- Perth Museum featured a lovely reproduction of the trellised fence and archway into her Leaskdale garden. After years of writing about her ideal garden in poems and in the article " A Garden of Old Delights ", Maud finally had an opportunity to create her own small Eden at Leaskdale. She delighted in the early Ontario springs, as compared to Prince Edward Island, and despaired when a "violent Ontario thunderstorm " washed out all her hard work. A photograph with her young sons proudly displays giant sunflowers cut to dry the seed heads. Tied up to the back post, the heads stand as tall as the eaves! Surely those unforgettable gardens of her imagination at the Barry farm The House of Dreams, at New Moon, Lantern Hill and Silver Bush inspired and was inspired by her lovely Leaskdale garden.
Historic Sites
Train Station - Lucy Maud Montgomery used the train to go back and forth to go to Toronto. Sometimes to visit or conduct business with the publishers the train was the main transportation before electric cars. If you have read the lovely children's book " Lucy Maud and the Cavendish Cat, " you will know that Daffy arrived via the Uxbridge Train Station.
Thomas Foster Memorial - LMM son Hugh is buried in the cemetery 2 kilometres from the manse
General Store/ Post Office - This is where the manuscripts were mailed from and sent to the publishers in Toronto
We appreciate all inquiries and questions. We are old-fashioned folks that respond to regular old snail-mail as well as e-mail, which might take time, but we'll get it! Addresses are on our brochure or as below.
Telephone:
Mail to: Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario
P.O. Box 84
Leaskdale, Ontario
L0C 1C0
Fax Committee 905- 852- 4320
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