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This storyline will introduce you to a rural man and his family who have a love of history. Mr. Roland Clegg, better known as Rollie, turned a hobby into a remarkable contribution to the preservation of Canadian transportation history before the automobile. See the photos of all of the Clegg Carriage Collection and the story behind each piece in Rollie's words. All the restoration that took place, was done with Rollie's expertise. He researched a great many catalogues to capture the essence of many of these carriages, and to build the ones he pictured in his mind. Many parts and pieces were donated, made by Rollie, or made by a carpenter in Waterloo and Elmira, Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Clegg should be commended for all the work that went into these restorations. It is truly one of Manitoba's greatest treasures.
(K. Luhowy, Community Memories Co-ordinator)

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Mr. Roland Clegg's Family.
1900

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This photo is of Rollie's family approximately 1900 in Guelph, Ontario. Rollie's parents, Norma and Morely Clegg are standing in the back row with Morley's parents, Robert and Fanny Clegg sitting.

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Roland and Gladys Clegg's Wedding Photo
1936

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Rollie met his wife Gladys Johnston of Rocanville, Saskachewan in the early thirties and they were married in 1936.

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Rollie and Gladys Clegg with their children Faye and Jim.
1940

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Rollie and Gladys raised two children; Jim and Faye who both have now raised family of their own. Jim and his wife Norma live at the museum site south of Arrow River. Faye married George Brown and live near Brandon, Manitoba.

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World War I horse drawn ambulance with a brass plate dated 1915.
1915
Clegg's Carriage Museum, Arrow River, Manitoba

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I heard about a WWI horse drawn ambulance from Les Brown of Lenore, who was working for a community pasture out near Kayville, Saskatchewan. He found this old box lying in his field yard with buggy axles under it and four plow wheels were attached. He asked me if I was interested and since I was, I paid him to bring it out here when he was coming home sometime. It looked pretty sad, but the original brass plate was still on it, which said the following....."Wagon Ambulance M.D. / #4 / Built by CC & Co. / 1915 / Serial #1556".

I sent a picture of this plate to the war museum in Ottawa, but they gave me nothing to help me to restore this vehicle. I was talking to Dr. Ed Hudson and he suggested that I write to the local Member of Parliament. So I wrote to Charlie Mayer of Minnedosa as soon as he became our new MP. There is a cute story about this, but I won't put it on paper. In about a week I got an answer from Mr. Mayer and he sent my letter on to the Honourable Allan McKinnon, Minister of Defence (we found out later that his sister Mary was married to my cousin Bob Pengilly of Olds, Alberta). But Allan was away on holidays so his Deputy took it up and in about two weeks, I had five pages of photocopies and details about the ambulance, so after about five months I was able to start to restore it.

I found wheels and a fifth wheel under gear with springs at an auction sale at Virden almost identical to what was called for by the detail, but I paid dearly for them, $320.00. While I worked at it a few people became interested and one day Bill and Ted Little of Decker, Manitoba, came along with bows from their old van that I could use for the bows for the top - real good oak. Four inches too wide, but I soon remedied that with a saw and some glue. Robinson's Tent and Awning of Brandon did the canvas for the top, sides and ends and everything fit like a glove. The two stretchers I purchased from Princess Auto in Winnipeg and the upholstering of the three seats I did myself. In 1980, we took the ambulance to an antique car show in Brandon. The ambulance has been in several parades at the hospitals in Hamiota and Birtle where they will be outfitted with a driver, a nurse and some patients. I have also equipped it with lamps but they are not the original types. The war museum in Ottawa wrote a while ago and wanted me to donate it to them, as they don't think that there is another one in Canada.

(This carriage is Rollie's prize of his collection.)

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Watkins Peddlers Wagon used between 1900 and 1920.
1900
Clegg's Carriage Museum, Arrow River, Manitoba

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While at the Russell Centennial, I heard of a Watkins Peddler's Wagon up north of Inglis, Manitoba at C. Bezo's farm. It had no under gear and the body was just sitting on the ground all rotted out. I bought it from him and went up the next day to pick it up. It nearly fell apart before I got it loaded and home. Then I went to the Armitages at Miniota and got two axles from an old school van and two hubs for wheels and used two more of my own. I built four wheels and assembled the under gear, then started on the body. The wheels I painted yellow and the body (which was tin covered) I painted black. The top was a hardwood roof covered with waterproof canvas. I have written to Watkins in Winnipeg, Manitoba but they have not been able to come up with stencils for the original name and advertising that was on them.

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Horse Drawn Summer Hearse
1900
Clegg's Carriage Museum, Arrow River, Manitoba

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Our summer hearse was purchased from E. Fouillard of St. Lazare. I offered him $1,000, but until he needed to borrow the stagecoach, he wouldn't sell. The hearse had no roof, no floor, no glass, no doors and the ornate hubcaps had been stolen. They seem to think it was in Winnipeg until 1920 when the got the first motorized ones. Then it went to Grandview, Manitoba until Ernie Fouillard got it. It was in rotted out condition. We restored it and put plate glass in the sides and black curtains inside. There was very little chrome left. The chrome that has been added to the top of the hearse is actually fence post tops. They worked out well. We got black plumes for the sides of the drivers, but none for the horses heads yet. We didn't expect it to go out but it has been to seven or eight real funerals now. Two near Neepawa (one military funeral), two near Langenburg, Saskachewan and it has been to Yorkton. It has always come back in good shape.

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Horse Drawn Winter Hearse
1900
Clegg's Carriage Museum, Arrow River, Manitoba