Wellesley Island Wellesley Island Wellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, United States is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria. The island was named Wells Island but during his 1815 survey of the US-Canada border renamed by Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen to the current name to honor Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Several prominent points in and around the island were named after the Duke's victorious battles. None of those names stuck. The large bay around which the island folds is called Lake of the Isles, not Lake Waterloo. The island is located in
Arthur Wellesley Hughes Arthur Wellesley Hughes Arthur Wellesley Hughes (1870–1950) was a Canadian musician and composer. Born in Kingston, Ontario, he separated from his family at a young age, spending many years in the United States as an itinerant circus musician. He was a performer on piano, calliope, and alto horn. His circus associations on record include: Mighty Haag Circus, Downie & Wheeler Circus (1912); Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus (1922); Sells-Floto Circus (1923); and Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows (1924-26). He was with Robbins Bros. Circus (1928–29) whence his "Robbins Bros. Triumphal March" arose, and Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West Show,