Frederick McLeod Pt. 1: Early Life

Frederick McLeod, son of George McLeod and Isabelle McBean, was born on October 9th, 1893, into the vibrant and historic Métis community at Moose Factory.

In 1905, when Frederick was at the impressionable age of thirteen, his father, George, was one of six Métis of Moose Factory, “born & brought up in the country”, to sign a petition to the government on behalf of their families and communities for “that scrip has been granted to the Halfbreeds of the North West Territory”.

As a young adult, Frederick began working for the Hudson’s Bay Company, first as a boat builder and, later, as a clerk. He married fellow Moose Factory resident Annie Caroline Iserhoff, and they had their first three children, Ernest Robert, Alice Margaret, and Dorothy.

By January 1916, at the height of the First World War, Frederick made the brave choice to leave the life and family he had built in Moose Factory to voluntarily enlist in the military, joining the 228 Battalion CEF. Frederick spent one year training with his battalion in Canada before embarking for England on February 16, 1917, marking the beginning of his service overseas, far from his young family and community.

See Our Sources

• Frederick McLeod CGWP

• Frederick McLeod Service File

• McLeod-Turner VMFL

• 1905 Moose Factory Métis Petition

Mini Word Search

Have fun with the facts by completing today's mini word search.