Municipal official, auctioneer, farmer.
Born in Ontario on 12 March 1955, son of James Brett, he married Elizabeth Scott (1855-1943) around 1876 and moved to Manitoba in 1889. They lived in the Dugald area and had nine children; Annie Brett (1879-?, wife of Robert McLean), Norman Ewart Brett, Edgar Wyman Brett (1883-1975), Newton Percival Brett (1889-1969), William Herman Brett, Amelia Adelaide “Ada” Brett (1891-?, wife of Herbert Edwin Hooper), Lillian Florence “Lily” Brett (1893-?, wife of Albert Edward Holland), and Ena Violet Brett (1893-1974, wife of Robert Alexander Hoey), and Wesley Arthur Brett (1894-1918).
He farmed and worked as an auctioneer, as well as serving as Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Springfield (1904, 1906, & 1914), Trusteee of the North Plympton School District, and President of the Springfield Agricultural Society (1906-1922). He was also a member of the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Dugald United Church. He retired around 1935 and moved to British Columbia in the years following his wifes death. He died at his Saanich residence on 7 October 1953 and his body was returned to Manitoba for burial in Brookside Cemetery.
Birth, marriage, and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Marriage and death registrations [William Brett], British Columbia Vital Statistics.
1891 & 1901 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
“Auction sales,” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 6 March 1903, page 5.
“By William Brett,” Manitoba Free Press, 7 December 1918, page 2.
“Engagements [Mr. and Mrs. William Brett ...],” Winnipeg Tribune, 9 November 1935, page 9.
“Wed in New Westminster,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 January 1936, page 11.
“Social and personal [Williwm Brett],” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 July 1946, page 8.
Obituary [Mrs. William Brett], Winnipeg Free Press, 8 May 1943, page 4.
“Mrs. E. Brett of pioneer Dugald family, dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 May 1943, page 4.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 9 October 1953, page 42.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 October 1953, page 6.
Obituary [Violet Hoey], Ottawa Journal, 16 January 1974, page 46.
Obituary [Edgar Wyman Brett], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 January 1975, page 26.
Brookside Cemetery burial transcriptions, City of Winnipeg.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 20 January 2021
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