Born near Cobourg of Methodist parents, Letitia Youmans, nee Creighton, was educated at local schools and at Burlington Ladies' Academy. In 1849, she moved to Picton and taught briefly at a girls' school. Deeply religious and believing that a well-ordered Christian family was fundamental to a prosperous, moral society, she viewed with alarm the threat presented to this ideal by intemperance. She became active in temperance reform and in 1874, formed a "Woman's Christian Temperance Union" in Picton. Quickly becoming a leader in women's agitation for prohibitory legislation, she traveled extensively organizing "unions" throughout Canada. Letitia Youmans was the first president of the W.C.T.U. of Ontario (1877-82) and of the Dominion organization (19883-89). She died at Toronto and was buried in this cemetery.

Location

At Glenwood Cemetery (where her grave is located), Grove Street, Picton

Themes

• Education
• People
• Women's history