Memorable Manitobans: David Harmon Lent (1858-1938)

Cleric, educator.

Born at Hamilton, Ontario on 18 June 1858, son of John B. Lent (1834-1913) and Margaret Rebeckah Coons (1835-1912), he became a school teacher by the late 1880s and lived at Bradford. On 14 August 1888, he married Annie Eleanor Francey (1865-1930) at Baltimore, Ontario and had a dozen children: Louis Llewellyn Lent (1889-1971, husband of Mary Orlo Pullar), Mary Velma Lent (1890-1973, wife of Donald Ferguson McDonald), Verna Luella Lent (1892-1947, wife of Aubrey Clifford Dennill), Lillian Frances Lent (1894-1981, wife of George Frederick Duncan), Maida Victoria Lent (1896-1987, wife of Richard Herbert Duncan), Freida Viola Lent (1898-1992, wife of Edwin John Woollard), Ada Alberta Lent (1900-1996), Jennie Alexandra Lent (1902-1976, wife of Laurence William Jackson), David Frederick Lent (1904-1980), Royden Lent (1906-1977, husband of Joan Elizabeth Curry), Irene Eleanor Lent (1910-1913), and Lee Arba Lent (1915-1996, husband of Mary Isabella Lawrie). He became a lay Methodist minister in 1900.

He and his family moved west just before the turn of the century, taking up residence in what would become Alberta, near White Whale Lake [Wabamun Lake] and was appointed an issuer of marriage licenses In November 1902. In 1903, he acquired a land grant for SW4-53-3 W5 near Wabamun Lake and established a homestead. He was a Temperance candidate in the 1914 Alberta provincial election. From his work in ministry, he would return to working in rural western Canadian classrooms, obtaining a First Class Certificate (1913) in British Columbia, was School Principal at Cupar, Saskatchewan (1916-1917), and in Manitoba as Principal of Beausejour School (1920-1921) and Balmoral School (1922-1923).

He died at Smithfield, Alberta on 19 August 1938 and buried in the Smithfield Cemetery.

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

1906, 1916, & 1921 Canada censuses, Library and Archives Canada.

Western Land Grants, Library and Archives Canada.

“Northwest appointments,” Manitoba Free Press, 27 November 1902, page 4.

“Teachers added to Provincial list [First Class Certificate],” Victoria Daily Colonist, 1 August 1913, page 14.

“Platform suggestions,” Winnipeg Evening Tribune, 8 December 1916, page 7.

Death registrations, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Wm L Schwab family tree, Ancestry.

Smithfield Cemetery burial transcriptions & Memorial ID #133004911, FindAGrave.

We thank Ken Duncan for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 16 October 2022

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!