Slee family of Devon – Wales – Solihul – Canada

As noted in other posts, Charles Kirby (1880-1944) married Elizabeth Helen Radley Slee (1883-1955)  in Broadview, Saskatchewan.   So, I need to say a little about the Slee family.  The Slee family name was, and is, very common in Devon, Britain.  Elizabeth, however, was born in Swansea, Wales where her parents James Slee (1850-1918) and Ellen Radley (1852-1919) had moved from Devon around 1880.  Their last child was born in Solihul, Warwickshire in 1895.  In 1901 they are in parish of Sparkhill St. John Evangelist,  in Solihul.
It was here that Charles and Elizabeth met and made arrangements to emigrate to Canada and marry upon arrival.  (They may have met at the 1907 marriage of Eliza Kirby and James Radley Slee.)  Charles already had a sister, Daisy (Kirby) Trigg, living in Broadview, SK until 1910, and another sister and her husband (Eliza Kirby and James Radley Slee) moved to Broadview, Canada in 1910-1911.

A note on the Radley family.  Ellen Radley was the daughter of James Radley (1811-1880) and Eleanor Westacott  (1815- 1888) who married in 1841 and  had 5  children:  Mary Radley (1842-) , John Radley (1843-), Elizabeth Radley (1849), Ellen Radley (1851) and James Radley  (1854).  In 1841 James and Eleanor are living in the toll house at Cooks Cross, South Molton, Devon.  He an agricultural labourer and toll keeper.   In 1871 Ellen Radley and James Slee are living next door to her parents.  (Thanks to Ian and Pat Burtonshaw for this info.)

Here is a brief family tree:

• John Slee (1780s-) married Mary X (1786-)
  • Mary Slee (1813-)
  • Elizabeth Slee (1815-)
  • Maria Slee (1820-) married James Leworth (had 14 kids)
  • William Slee (1822-) married Charlotte Cornish
  • James Slee (1826-) married Elizabeth Harding
  • John Slee (1819-1853)  See below.
  • Susan Slee (1834-)

• John Slee (1819-1853) married Mary Ann Facey (1822-) in Devon. After the death of John, Mary Ann married Charles Blackmore.
  • Henry Slee (1846-1912).  Was a quarry owner in Wales.   Henry married (1) Matilda Francis (1852-1895) and they had several children  living in Wales:  Henry (1875-1947), Alice (1892-), Matilda (1887-),   Beatrice (1886-), Mary Ann (1884-),  Florence (1881-), James Edward (1877-1909), and Eva (1874-).  (2) Bessie Rapson (1863-)
  • Emily Slee (1848-1904)
  • James Slee (1850-1918).  Married Ellen Radley (1852-).  In 1911 they are both living in Solihul.
    • John Henry Slee (1872-before 1901)
    • Emily Alice Slee (1875-1884). Born in Devon and died  in    Swansea.
    • James Radley Slee (1878-1958). Moved to Saskatchewan around 1910 with his wife Eliza Kirby (1874 -1928) and in 1925  they moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he died in 1958.
      • Edna Slee (1918-) born in Saskatchewan.  Married Jack Shelby.
    • Archibald Stanley Slee (1881-1911).  Born in Swansea and married in Solihul in 1909 to Mabel Ann Lewis (1881-1965).  After Archibald’s death she remarried and had several children.
    • Elizabeth Helen Radley Slee (1883-1955).  Born in Swansea, died in Broadview, Saskatchewan.  Married Charles Kirby, the brother of Eliza Kirby.  See the Kirby posts.
    • Emma Alice Augusta Slee (1885-1946).  Married Albert Hancox (1885-1950).  They had Alec Hancox (1913-1930), Albert Sidney Hancox (1919-2000) married Joyce Evelyn Neale (1922-2007) and they had 4 kids
    • Sidney Slee (1887-).  Married Annie Nichols in 1908.
      • Winnifred Emma Marion Slee (1909-1979))
      • William James Slee (1913-1977)
      • Jenny Slee
      • Sidney Patrick Slee (1913-1985
      • Thomas Slee
    • Stuart Slee (1895-) Born in Solihul, Warwickshire. Married Ellen Masterson (1893-1980).
      • Margaret Millicent Slee (1924-2006).  Married Walter John Pepper (1924-1988)
      • Ellen Veronica Slee (1926-1932)
      • Annie Mary Slee (1930-1975).  Died in Washington, DC.

    Robert Blackmore (1856-)

  • Charley Blackmore (1858-)
  • Edwin Blackmore (1861-)
  • Philip Blackmore (1864-1895)

  * Thanks to Ian and Pat Burtonshaw of Swansea for some of this material.

  This is a photo ofJames Slee.

Below:  a photo of Ellen Radley and James Slee with their daughter Emma Slee Hancox.