Franklin Wellington Wegenast was a third-generation German Canadian but intensely loyal to Britain. After an early career as a music teacher, he became a lawyer and the author of several books on Canadian law. Wegenast had broad interests that encompassed French architecture and the history of religion; he also kept wild ducks and bred sheep. He travelled many times throughout Europe before his last trip in 1938.

Margaret E. Derry is a historian, artist, and livestock breeder. She writes about the history of agricultural breeding and has given lectures on the subject around the world. Derry has also written about the history of Georgian Bay. Her work on the Wegenast papers has taken her into the field of German history.