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Henry Wilfred Lawson Laferre was born in Londonderry, Ireland on November 6, 1869. He graduated from College in Dublin and came to B.C., working as a school teacher in Surrey Centre. He met Annie Elizabeth (Bessie) Churchland there, and the couple married on January 8, 1901. On March 11, 1900, Henry had been ordained to the Diaconte, and took charge of the mission of Langley before St. George's Anglican was built in Fort Langley. He held services in Fort Langley, Langley Prairie (St. Alban's), Otter and Aldergrove. Henry and Bessie ended up having six children: Elizabeth, Olive, Doris, Alice, Richard, and Marion. The first three were born in Langley. The family left Langley and St. George's, perhaps in early 1908, when Henry became the Vicar of Holy Trinity, Cumberland, B.C. He retired from the ministry in 1912, and the family moved to Vancouver where he continued his former career, teaching Latin, before finally retiring in 1936. Henry and Bessie Laffere both signed the guest book at the 50th anniversary celebration of St. George's in 1951. Henry passed away in New Westminster in 1958 at the age of 88.
Term Source: Bob Puls, "Reverend Henry Wilfred Lawson Laffere".