James Radley Slee (1878-1958) was the son of James Slee (1850-1918) and Ellen Radley (1852-). J. R. Slee was born in Devon but moved with his family to Swansea around 1880. The family later moved close to Birmingham and it was here that he met Eliza Kirby (1875-1928), daughter of John Kirby 1838-ab. 1883), marrying in 1907. In 1901 James R. Slee is living in Worcestershire and working as a baker, an occupation he also had for some time in Broadview. On June 19, 1910 he arrived in Canada, destination Broadview, SK. Eliza Slee arrived in 1911. In 1911 James R. began working for the CPR, and in 1916 he reports his occupation as “baker”, a skill he developed in the UK. James had a sister, Elizabeth Helen Radley Slee, who arrived in Broadview the year before to marry Charles Kirby, the brother of Eliza Kirby. James and Eliza had one child, Edna Slee, born in Broadview in 1918. In 1925 the family moved to Ohio and Eliza was to die in Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio, three years later. (She may have died of complications of hepatitis.) Eliza had a sister (Daisy Kirby) in Ohio since 1910 so one wonders if they moved to be near her or if her health was deteriorating and they were searching for medical help. See the post on the Slee family.
Edna Slee (1918-) married Jack Shelby in 1938. They had two children: Paul (about 1937) and Mary (about 1939). I can not find the family after 1940, although Edna did sign her father’s death registry in 1958.
Note on the Radley family: James Slee married Ellen Radley in 1870, the daughter of James Radley (1811-1880) and Eleanor Westacott (1815- 1888), who married in 1841, and they had 5 other children Mary Radley (1842-), John Radley (1843-), Elizabeth Radley (1849), Ellen Radley (1851) and James Radley (1854). In 1901 they are in parish of Sparkhill St. John Evangelist, in Solihul. In 1841 James and Eleanor are living in the toll house at Cooks Cross South Molton, Devon. He an agricultural labourer and toll keepeer. In 1871 Ellen Radley and James Slee are living net door to her parents.
In 1942 Edna and her husband were living with her father who was the manager of a boarding house (the house they lived in). Edna Slee married Jack Shelby and in 1945 they had a baby who died very early.
I believe this is a photo of Eliza Kirby.
