This information was sent to me from Allan Lewis from Bytown or Bust that he has asked me to share. Please visit their site and their Facebook page.
NB–With files from the (Ottawa Branch) Ontario Genealogical Society, and Michael W Doyle
Al sent me an email this morning about Michael W Doyle in Arizona who is researching the Lanark Doyles. So, I thought this might be of interest to quite a few people in and outside the area.
The notes I have collected include the following about Leo Doyle. Leo G. Patrick (1894-1955) was the last child of Michael J., and he operated the Leland Hotel in Carleton Place.
Doyle was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Carleton Place and lived in the Leland Hotel with Bridget Duggan for the rest of his years after his father died, although there is doubt of any personal relationship between them.
Leo was 22 when his father died and Bridget was 34. Bridget predeceased Leo when she was 69 and is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery beneath a lovely head stone that informs us she was born on June 6th, 1882, at the ‘Leap Enniscorthy Co, Wexford, Ireland’ and died on November 17th, 1951. (In fact, what should probably have been inscribed on the head stone was ” Born at The Leap, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland”.
There are some interesting stories told about Leo and Bridget and the Leland Hotel. It seems that Carleton Place continued to be dry after the prohibition period of the 30′ s, right through until after WWII. Yet the Leland Hotel continued to operate, serving liquor to the population at large and certainly to the Findlay Foundry workers, who used to come in the back door of the hotel (the Foundry was located on High St., right behind the Leland, which is on Bridge Street). Part of the cost of doing business for Leo and Bridget were the fines they had to pay, and the occasional jail time served for the illegal sale of liquor. The few days ‘time’ would be served by Leo in the Perth jail.
Leo served in the Canadian Army during the war and received a full military funeral when he died. Leonard Doyle, his nephew, who was a pallbearer at the funeral, remembers that it was raining and one of the Honour Guards slipped and very nearly fell in the grave before they got the coffin in, in spite of the fact that Leo was a relatively small man, as the Doyles went.
Leo is also remembered as having worn glasses and keeping his hair slicked straight back, not unlike his nephew, Roundy. The Leland Hotel was sold in an estate sale after Leo’s death to Vic Bennett (who owned a garage on the corner of High and Bridge Sts., and it still stands today, housing Lanark Conservative Rep Scott Reid on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors.
Carleton Place Historical Notes
This is a photograph of Bell Street heading towards Bridge Street c.1870. The photograph features some of our first hotels in Carleton Place! On Bridge Street facing the camera is the “Waterloo Hotel”, which was built in the late 1830s for innkeepers Robert and James Bell.
Napoleon Lavellee took over in 1846, later renaming it the “Carleton House Hotel” after building a third floor in 1856. He operated until 1870. It was then renamed the “Leland Hotel” by Peter Salter in 1900. Levi Brian then bought the hotel and sold it to Leo Doyloe in 1907. In 1904 Michael Doyle managed the hotel and his son, Leo, took over in 1916. On the right side of the street is “McCaffrey’s Hotel”, operated by Absolam McCaffrey from 1863 to 1870. Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum
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