Lett, William Pittman

William Pittman Lett, son of Captain Andrew Lett of the 26th regiment, an Irishman who served in Canada, was born on 12 August 1819, and came to Bytown, where he edited the Advocate, a newspaper founded by Dr. J.G. Bridges in Aylmer and later transferred to Bytown. In July of 1849, he founded the Orange Lily, a semi-monthly literary journal [Welch 1979a]. In 1850, Lett organized Bytown’s first amateur dramatic company, which provided popular entertainment in the old city hall [Lett 1993]. In 1855, Lett was appointed Ottawa’s first city clerk. He died on 15 August 1892 [Welch 1979a].