Educator, School Inspector, author.
Born in Ontario on 1 January 1858, son of Lauchlin MacLean (1815-1892) and Isabella Stewart (1815-1895), he lived at Lucknow and was employed as a school teacher by the early 1880s. On 26 December 1882, he married Annie L. Brown (c1860-?) at East Wawanosh, Ontario but her whereabouts after the marriage are unknown. He taught mathematics at Clinton Collegiate Institute (Clinton, Ontario) before heading west.
Arriving in Manitoba, he was Principal of Central School (1888-1890) in Portage la Prairie. There, he met fellow teacher Annetta Louise “Nettie” Gunne (1867-1953, daughter of Robert Gunne, sibling of Beatrice Drake Gunne and John Robert Gunne). On 18 December 1890, they were married at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Portage la Prairie by Reverend Samuel MacMorine. They had four children: Marguerite Louise MacLean (1892-1984), Alexander Stewart MacLean (1893-1923), Hugh Gordon MacLean (1896-1972), and an unnamed daughter who died at birth (1895).
In May 1890, he succeeded John D. Hunt as School Inspector (1890-1893) for the southwestern district based at Brandon, after which he worked as a teacher and Assistant-Principal of the Central Normal School (1893-1901) in Winnipeg. He wrote at least three textbooks that were used in provincial curricula in Ontario and Manitoba, including The High School Book-keeping (1887), Introductory Geometry (1895), Hints on Teaching Arithmetic (1895), and Appendix to High School Book-keeping (1896).
His teaching career concluded with a return to rural Manitoba schools as School Inspector for the south-central district based out of Killarney (1901-1904). He suffered a medical incident in June 1902 which, despite 18 months of convalescence, left him incapable of performing his duties. In January 1904, he resigned and moved to California. He later resided in British Columbia before returning to Oakland, California where he died on 23 August 1924.
Birth [Unnamed MacLean, Alexander Stewart MacLean, Hugh Gordon MacLean] and death [Unnamed MacLean] registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1891 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
Ontario marriage and death registrations [Lachlan McLean], Ancestry.
“Our schools,” Weekly Review [Portage la Prairie], 28 January 1887, page 4.
“The following is the report of the monthly examination ...,” Weekly Review [Portage la Prairie], 2 December 1887, page 8.
“Local news [A review representative ...],” Weekly Review [Portage la Prairie], 10 February 1888, page 8.
“Portage la Prairie,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 10 November 1888, page 2.
“The Public Schools Act,” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 5 May 1890, page 1.
“From the Saturday night [Appointed School Inspector],” Weekly Review [Portage la Prairie], 7 May 1890, page 3.
“From the Saturday night [Professor Caldwell has taken ...],” Weekly Review [Portage la Prairie], 14 May 1890, page 3.
“Portage la Prairie,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 17 July 1890, page 5.
“Inspector M'Lean married,” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 18 December 1890, page 3.
“Portage la Prairie,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 19 December 1890, page 5.
“From the Saturday night [Miss Nettie Gunne ...],” Weekly Review [Portage la Prairie], 24 December 1890, page 5.
“City topics [As was intimated ...],” Brandon Weekly Sun, 25 December 1890, page 87.
“From the city of the plains ,” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 4 January 1892, page 5.
“Killarney kernels [Mr. H. S. McLean ...],” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 6 January 1892, page 2.
“From the Saturday night [Mr. H. S. McLean ...],” Weekly Review [Portage la Prairie], 16 March 1892, page 5.
“Normal School teachers,” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 25 August 1893, page 8.
“Teachers in session,” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 13 January 1894, page 5.
“Local brevities [H. S. McLean ...],” Manitoba Daily Free Press, 11 June 1895, page 8.
“Reportorial round [H. S. McLean],” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 February 1895, page 7.
“The Normal School,” Manitoba Free Press, 11 April 1901, page 7.
“Certificates granted teachers,” Manitoba Free Press, 27 March 1902, page 3.
“School Inspector severely attacked,” Manitoba Free Press, 3 June 1902, page 6.
“Personal,” Manitoba Free Press, 6 August 1903, page 12.
“Inspector resigns,” Manitoba Free Press, 9 January 1904, page 3.
“Death of Mrs. Davison,” Manitoba Free Press, 20 October 1913, page 22.
Obituary, Winnipeg Tribune, 27 August 1924, page 5.
Obituary, Manitoba Free Press, 27 August 1924, page 7.
“Social and personal [Mrs. Hugh S. MacLean ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 11 July 1927, page 6.
“Dr. A. M’Intyre dies from sudden attack,” Manitoba Free Press, 16 February 1928, page 2.
Creator [H. S. MacLean], Internet Archive.
Lovat Cemetery burial transcriptions [Lachlan MacLean & Isabella MacLean], FindAGrave.
MacLean family tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 16 December 2020
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