Memorable Manitobans: Elizabeth “Eliza” Louise McKenney Mair (1849-1905)

Postmistress.

Born in Ontario in 1849, daughter of Augustus McKenney, a niece of John Christian Schultz, she married Charles Mair in Red River in 1869. Shortly after their honeymoon, the couple were imprisoned together in Upper Fort Garry by Louis Riel. After the Rebellion, she accompanied Mair west to Portage la Prairie and then to Prince Albert (in present-day Saskatchewan). When the poet travelled in the 1890s, she remained in Prince Albert as postmistress to assure the family finances.

Grand-aunt to Mary Emma Frances “Molly” Phair McLennan.

Sources:

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

We thank Janis Wigginton for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 26 February 2024

Memorable Manitobans

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.

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