Hay Strafford Stead (1872-1924)

Journalist, cartoonist.

Born at Eccles, England on 26 October 1872, son of George Strafford and Rachel Agnes Stead, he was educated at College Institute (Eccles) and the Grammar School (Manchester, England). He came to Gilbert Plains, Manitoba in 1889. After working as a secretary to the Superintendent of the Great North West Telegraph Company at Winnipeg, in 1890, he worked as a clerk for the Hudson’s Bay Company from 1892 to 1905.

He married Emily Bertha Earle in 1897. He worked as a cartoonist of the Manitoba Free Press from 1900 to 1909. Later he was a member of the editorial staff of the Winnipeg Telegram, and an associate editor of the Winnipeg Saturday Post. When the Telegram was absorbed by the Winnipeg Tribune, he joined its staff where he remained until 1922, when he joined Maclean publications. In 1923 he left Winnipeg to become telegraph editor at the Montreal Star. Stead also painted although little of his work appears to have survived.

He died at Montreal in February 1924 and was buried at Mount Royal Cemetery.

More information:

Vistas of Promise by Virgina G. Berry (1987).

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, 1911. C. W. Parker, editor. Canadian Press Association, Vancouver.

“Former Local News Man Dead: Hay Stead Passes Away in Montreal After Long Illness” Newspaper clipping (source and date unknown). [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B7]

Profile revised: 1 February 2009

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