Blog Archives

Mary Robinson COATES (1827-1905) - #13 (52 Ancestors)

3/29/2015

Theme: Different | Images: Click on many to enlarge

Mary Robinson (COATES) COMPTON, my great-great- grandmother

Mary was different from her other 5 siblings. They remained back in south-east England, while she journeyed across the Atlantic to start a new life in the Canadian colony of Prince Edward Island. Mary Robinson COATES was my adventurous maternal great-great-grandmother.

Mary was the eldest daughter of James COATES (1790-1862) and Sarah ROBINSON (1795-1862) who where married in 1824 by license in the town of Holton By Halesworth, Suffolk (inland from Southwold on England’s east coast). She was born 22 Mar 1827 in South Elmham Suffolk where a month later she was baptized in All Saints and St Nicholas Church. Mary had 1 older brother and 4 younger sisters: George Louis, Harriet Elizabeth, Sarah Abbott, Anna and Fanny. The family was not without means or property in Suffolk according to Mary’s grandfather’s will of 1819.

By 1841 James had moved his family to Kirby-Le-Soken, Essex (on the coast east of Colchester almost 100 km to the south). It is possible that some of their children were born there (baptisms have not been found for the youngest 2). George, Mary and Harriet (the oldest 3) were no longer living with their parents in 1841, and so far their exact location in 1841 has eluded me. Perhaps my Mary was the one attending school in Woodbridge Suffolk and boarding with other girls in the household of governess Louisa Foster. In 1851 Mary's parents were still in Kirby-Le-Soken, no children in sight, and by 1861 her parents and 2 of her sisters had moved to Weeley, Essex. But where was Mary?

Family stories say that Mary was brought out to Canada from Suffolk, England by her Uncle William COATES, who was a school teacher to the COMPTON family and others in St Eleanors PEI. William was her father’s older brother who emigrated to PEI in 1827 about the time Mary was born. Twenty years later, Mary also made the hard journey to Canada. A notice was published on 5 Nov 1847 in the “Islander” PEI newspaper listing the arrival of a passenger Miss Coates. I believe this was my Mary.

I sometimes wonder if Mary was “brought out” for the express purpose of meeting and marrying into the prosperous COMPTON family who were considered to be the proprietors of Lot 17. Although marriage records have not been found, events obviously moved very quickly. Just 16 months after immigrating, Mary gave birth to her first child, my great grandmother Harriet Washbourne COMPTON on 8 Mar 1849. Presumably in 1848 Mary had married Albert Harry COMPTON. He was usually known as Harry after his grandfather Harry Childeroy Compton as were others - it was a popular name among his descendants! Perhaps their religious differences had something to do with where or how they married, or the lack of a record. Mary was Anglican, whereas Harry had been baptized a Catholic (his father had converted after immigrating to PEI years earlier). This would usually be quite the obstacle against marriage, yet they must have found a way.

Mary’s family flourished, and over the next 23 years she had a total of 11 children (6 girls and 5 boys), all christened in St Johns Anglican church in St Eleanors, PEI. In the 1861 census (which only lists the head of household by name), it states that Harry's household contained 10 members of the Church of England, and 1 Roman Catholic. I am assuming Harry was the 1 Catholic. So perhaps it was Mary who saw to their children's religious upbringing. Harry was busy farming their own 175 acres in North St Eleanors. And as his family had a place of prominence in the area, one would hope that affairs in the community and in the family were amicable.

Painting of St Johns Anglican Church, St Eleanors, PEI, Canada, c1860, where Mary's children were baptised, and Mary & Harry are buried. Courtesy of http://peiheritagebuildings.blogspot.ca/2011/07/st-johns-anglican-church-st-eleanors.html

During this period, PEI was going through rapid growth thanks to a booming economy (agriculture, fishing and ship building etc.). It was the British Colony that hosted the Charlottetown conferences that lead to confederation and the formation of Canada in 1867. Yet PEI didn’t join Canada as a province until 1873. Therefore PEI was not included in the first Canadian federal census of 1871. How unfortunate for family research!

By 1881, Mary and “Albert” were listed with 6 children, all Church of England. In 1889 at the age of 66 Albert Harry Compton wrote his will and on 20 September that same year he was buried in the St Johns Anglican churchyard (in spite of the records being kept at St Mary’s in Summerside). Mary was only 62. According to his will, their son William Henry (called Henry) inherited the farm but widow Mary was considered the head of the household in 1891. Shortly thereafter Henry married his cousin Kate Compton, and although they didn’t have any children of their own, they adopted their niece Katherine Compton. By 1901 Henry was the head of household, with Mary and her unmarried daughter Fanny still living with them on the farm.

I’m not sure what prompted Mary and her daughter Fanny to move to Manitoba, but it was probably to live with (or be close to) her youngest son Horace Melville COMPTON (called Mel). [Have you noticed the annoying habit in this family of calling people by their middle names?] But this move made it more difficult for us to trace Mary’s final days. As she was buried in St Eleanors PEI with her husband “Harry C”, and there were no dates on the tombstone, it had long been assumed she died there. Thanks to another talented and persistent family researcher in PEI, we learned that Mary died in Winnipeg Manitoba on 20 Mar 1905 at the age of 77. We also learned that she wrote a will late in 1901, leaving her estate to her daughter Fanny and her son Mel. The will wasn’t probated until 1907 in PEI, no doubt hampered by the distances involved and the difficulty in taking inventory and other legal requirements. Mary was returned to PEI for burial.

So we know that Mary had a long and hopefully happy life in Canada. But was it any different for her relatives back in England?

In 1862 Mary published an obit for her father in her local PEI newspaper:
Coates, James from The Examiner [PEI, Canada] July 7, 1862 pg. 3.
"Death on the 5th of Jun at Ipswich, Suffolk, England, greatly respected, James Coates age 72 years, beloved father of Mrs. Harry Compton of St. Eleanors.”
There was a corresponding death registration for James Coates in the second quarter of 1862 in the Ipswich Registration District in Suffolk England. He was 72.

This was not the end of the family misfortune. Mary had also published an obit for her brother George a short time earlier, in March 1862:
Coates, George Louis from The Islander [PEI, Canada] Mar 14 1862 pg 3.
“Death on the 17th Jan. of consumptions at Weely, Essex, England age 37 years, Mr. George Louis Coates only brother of Mrs. Harry Compton of St. Eleanors.”
How tragic that he succumbed to tuberculosis at too young an age.

And there were more. In the first quarter of 1862 I found a death registration for Sarah Coates in the Tendring Registration District of Essex, which includes the parishes of Kirby-le-Soken and Weeley where the family lived. I’m fairly sure this was Mary’s mother. In trying to trace Mary’s other sisters, I have sadly found probable death registrations for Harriet (1861), Sarah (1862) and Fanny (1861) as well. I’m not sure what happened to Anna, but there is a chance that she died as a young child in 1841. I have had no success finding marriages or families for any of Mary's siblings.

Looking more closely at the sequence of these family deaths (potentially 6 within a 2 year span), it would seems probable that Mary's father James was the last to die. Left all alone, in sickness and in grief, it makes sense that James would have moved away from Weeley in Essex and back to his native Suffolk to die. Because we know his son died from tuberculosis, it's probable that others did as well. People didn’t understand how this disease was transmitted back then, or how contagious it was. It was a prolific killer.

All of this still needs to be proved, of course, but it does paint a very bleak picture of her family’s plight back in England. It is certainly in stark contrast to the relative life of plenty that Mary enjoyed in PEI. Very different indeed. Mary's decision to emigrate to PEI could very well have been a life saver!

References and Further Reading

History of South Elmham, All Saints (Suffolk, England) - British History Online, and Suffolk Churches sites
History of Kirby-le-Soken (Essex, England) - A Vision of Britain Through Time, and History House sites
History of Weeley (Tendring, Essex, England) - A Vision of Britain Through Time, and History House sites
Canada’s Historic Places - St John’s Anglican Church, St Eleanors, PEI (now part of Summerside)
PEI Heritage Buildings - St John's Anglican Church, St Eleanors, PEI
PEI PARO Record Search - Prince Edward Island Public Archives and Records Office, baptisms etc.
The Island Register - PEI lineages and resources
Manitoba Vital Statistics - record search
TB in America, 1895-1954 - An excellent PBS documentary on tuberculosis. Much can be applied to the epidemics in England.

"52 Ancestors" is a reference to the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge I am participating in.
Reference the No Story Too Small blog by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow for more details.
It is giving me the much needed incentive to write and publish my family stories.

0 Comments

Eleanor Louise “Nell” RICHARDSON (1894-1992) - #12 (52 Ancestors)

3/25/2015

0 Comments

Theme: Same | Images: Click on many to enlarge
Updates: Added recipes 27 Mar 2015

Nell RICHARDSON, about age 16

Other relatives have told me that I, of all her 21 grandchildren, look the most like my maternal grandmother Eleanor Louise (RICHARDSON) ANDREW. While this is debatable, I certainly share her love of family history and have inherited her nature of being “particular”. Gotta love her choice of words on this! We both believe that doing things thoroughly and correctly is very important; some would call this being a “perfectionist”, and we were both certainly "detail focused”. While we don’t consider this a criticism, the down side is that we take a long time to complete things, and are sometimes late on delivery. Our similarity was made clear to me when I taped an interview with my grandmother back in 1987, and this delightful story emerged ….

“When I was 16 I wanted to train for a nurse but Mother wouldn’t let me so there was nothing else to do but learn dress making. My sister [Lulu] was a milliner. But if I had stood out, mother would have given out, I guess, but you didn’t disobey your parents. And I hated dressmaking, but I was [laugh] too particular, and when I finished the year’s dress making, I had all the finishing touches to do because [laugh] I was too particular! And she always took me in to try the brides’ dresses on, and one day she took me in 4 times. And I said “Miss Higgins, why do you always take me instead of my cousin?” And she said, “Well, you have muscles here in front of your shoulders.” I used to do physical culture, you see. And do all the exercises. So she said 'You will find out when you start dress making.' And I did.”

RICHARDSON family home, St Eleanors PEI, 1946

My darling Granny went by the name of Nell and was the youngest daughter of Sydney RICHARDSON (1862-1951) and Isabella Harriet “Ella” COMPTON. Nell was born on the Ides of March in 1894 in Sherbrooke, a small community in Lot 17, Prince County, PEI and was baptized later that year in St Johns Anglican Church in nearby St Eleanors. She had 3 older siblings, and the little brother who was born after her sadly died as an infant when Nell was almost three. Her father was the first cheese maker in the area and her mother a nurse and midwife, who was probably just trying to protect Nell from the more gruesome realities of her calling when she forbade Nell to become a nurse. Yet Nell ended up taking care of her ailing mother and aging father in later years, and I think she was called on to help others in a nursing capacity as well, in spite of having no formal training. As to her education in dressmaking, that likely took place in Charlottetown, as Nell mentioned she had spent a winter there at some point before her marriage. And as to her earlier education, she must have been a good student, because according to one family story, she received an award one year of a signed copy of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “Ann of Green Gables”. Unfortunately it has long since disappeared.

Unlike me, Granny preferred the outdoors over working inside, and she liked working with animals. She was also a skilled horse woman like her mother. Her Richardson grandfather had been a games keeper in Norfolk England, and so her father had been raised to manage the land and animals and was a skilled hunter. Nell said that her father came to rely on her help to run their farm. I also found mention of Nell and her father in some old newspapers, winning prizes at the fall fairs for their chickens and produce. Of course there was always lots of hard work to see to, both inside and out. In later years my Aunt Harriet once told me that she would often be put on house duty so that her mother Nell could see to the outside work. Apparently it was a win-win situation for them both!

Nell and her father took turns winning first prize for their chickens at the Fall fairs in Summerside:

1911 S’side Exhibition Races and Prize List, published in the Charlottetown Guardian, 25 Sep 1911, pg 3, col 2 “Poultry-Class VII.
Orphington Buff Cock and Hen - 1, Sydney Richardson, St. Eleanor’s; 2, John Jenneth McKenzie, Summerside. …
Pair Orphington buff Chickens - 1, Miss E. L Richardson, St. Eleanor’s; 2, Sydney Richardson, St. Eleanor’s.”
1912 Summerside Exhibition prizes, published in the Charlottetown Guardian, 21 Sep 1912, pg 9, col 5 “Poultry. Class VII.
Orpington Buff Cock and Hen - 1, Sydney Richardson, St. Eleanors.
Pair Orphington Buff Chickens - 1, Sydney Richardson, St. Eleanors; 2, Miss E.L. Richardson, St. Eleanors”

Nell & Harry picnic with their 3 daughters, 1943, Cavendish Beach

Nell and her growing family worked hard to preserve as much food as possible for the long hard winter months. In addition to all the canning and preserving, my Uncle Alan once told me of Granny’s big crock pot that stood in the corner and contained her ample supply of sauerkraut made from home grown cabbages - quite the staple during the winter. Molasses was used a lot as a sweetener, and Harry loved to drizzle it over his morning porridge. I have recipes for Granny’s gingersnaps and oatmeal cookies, both of which used molasses as an ingredient. Nell of course baked her own bread as well, which in later years contained very little salt as per doctors orders. Sometimes she would use potato water in the bread for added starch and moistness. Out of necessity she learned to be thrifty and waste nothing.

Food was also the focal point for all social and family gatherings, whether it be at picnics, church bazaars and teas, community events, entertaining visitors or celebrating birthdays and holidays. As one of my cousins so ably said when writing about Granny and her daughters: "food was a very important element of get-togethers, and provided the glue that kept the family in touch with one another”. My mother and her sisters were taught to make cakes and cookies and, as my Aunt Harriet would say, “endless jelly rolls”. It became their way of life to prepare plenty of food and generously share it.

Nell & Harry ANDREW and their 7 children, 1930s, N St Eleanors PEI

I have written more in a previous post about Nell's husband Harry Charles ANDREW, her engagement ring, their marriage in 1915 in St Eleanors, and their life together. The Richardsons had known the Andrews since Nell’s father Sydney first came to PEI to start a cheese factory in about 1883. And because Sydney married Ella Compton, a first cousin of Harry Andrew’s mother, they were also related. The two families also socialized, as Nell’s older brother Melbourne remembered “winter parties, where the young people learned to dance, waltz and two step. [He had] fond memories of parties at the Andrew family, the patience of the girls, trying to get us to keep in step to the music.”

Nell and Harry married during the time of the first world war, when Harry was needed on the home front for agricultural purposes - he continued to grow food on his father's farm in North St Eleanors, PEI. Nell and Harry soon started a family and my mother Mabel, born in 1918, was the second of their seven children.

The world was a changed place after the first war, and in the 1920s people on PEI had to adapt to the downward trend of its peace-time economy. In part this was caused by their dwindling supply and lower market prices for its natural resources, higher freight costs, and increased tariffs and competition. In 1921, one third of the island’s population was engaged in agriculture. Federal government subsidies helped for a while, but life only got more difficult during the depression years of the 1930s. The higher unemployment caused many to leave the island.

Nell and Harry also had plans to move off the island after this first Great War, perhaps to join Nell’s older brother Mel in the west. However, when Harry’s father became ill (he later died in 1920), the family convinced them to stay and take over the running of the family farm. It was very hard work, often with very little monetary reward. I remember hearing stories about the backbreaking work to grow crops of potatoes (PEI spuds!), turnips and other produce only to find that the only price they could get for them wouldn’t even meet their costs, so were not worth the labour to harvest. Times must have been very lean.

Harry & Nell Andrew outside their home at 5784 Garden St, Duncan BC, 1959

This was the start of Nell’s family’s migration, and most would end up settling on Vancouver Island on Canada’s Pacific coast. Nell had a hard choice to make, and she decided to stay on PEI to nurse her mother and father. How hard it must have been to watch her husband and children leave PEI, a few at a time. And by 1947 when my mother made the cross-Canada journey alone, Nell only had her daughter Harriet CLARK, now married and with children, remaining to provide her support.

All this took its toll on Nell’s health and she developed heart problems and high blood pressure. It was probably in 1950 when the doctor practically ordered her to go and join her husband and the majority of her children in Duncan BC. It still must have been very difficult for her to say goodbye to both her parents and leave them behind in the care of other relatives (they died in PEI in 1951).

So Nell made the journey west, and the reunion with her family in Duncan must surely have been a joyous occasion. Also welcoming her were her sister-in-law Mabel and her husband Fred MAY, who had moved out with Harry. When daughter Harriet and family joined them in 1953, only George (in Ontario) and Alan (probably in Manitoba in the Air Force) remained "away". Her brother Melbourne RICHARDSON was now much closer in Seattle. After Mel's wife died in 1960, Nell even played matchmaker (successfully), introducing him to my grade 1 teacher on one of his visits. He married Kay in 1963.

Nell resided in the Duncan BC area for the rest of her life, first in a house on Herd Road which she really liked, particularly the large veranda. I don’t think the family was there very long, needing to move closer into town to be closer to work. Their next house was at 5784 Garden Street in Duncan where they remained for many years. It backed onto a lane along side the lumberyard and near the train tracks. It was a very short walk into town, and the dairy was at the end of the street.

The years of the second world war brought Nell another set of challenges. Her mother had already suffered a serious stroke in about 1935 and Nell provided at least some of her nursing. After the war started, the government (seized) many of the farms in North Saint Eleanors to build an air base. Granny, who “negotiated” with the government men while Grandpa was confined to bed after an accident, probably felt there was no room for haggling, and got a very low price for the land. In 1940 Nell lost her only sister Lulu. They were likely quite close as I was told they could talk together for hours about family history. Then her brother George, a WWI veteran living in Seattle Washington, died in 1943. Her oldest brother Melbourne, also in Seattle, was the only sibling she had left, but he was so far away.

Nell’s three older sons enlisted in the Canadian forces, and Dean was critically wounded overseas. I can only try to imagine the extreme anxiety and stress that his parents Nell and Harry went through when they first got news and then had to wait for delayed news of his condition and latest circumstances. Fortunately, Dean returned to PEI once he was able to travel, but the doctor then advised him to move to a milder climate where he could better convalesce.

Nell never seemed idle. She was active for many years with St Johns Anglican Church, and with activities at the seniors centre. She helped nurse Harry's sister Mabel (and probably her husband Fred as well) when they became ill. She entertained visitors and helped out her family. My mother, sister and I lived with them for a few years in the 1950s. They grew a plentiful garden (I loved the raspberries) and of course she cooked and baked with long practice. Nell also enjoyed making hooked rugs. Not just small ones, but room-sized carpets that she designed herself and made out of strips of rags. Harry was enlisted to cut strips and was probably the one who made her a large room-sized hooking frame. As a child I can remember her very colourful rug in their front room, patterned in squares with inner shapes traced from dinner plates and with various flowers at the centre of each square. And as luck would have it, each square was slightly bigger than a child's foot, making it the perfect accessory for indoor hopscotch! This rug got a lot of mileage and lasted a lot of years before becoming threadbare. I wish I had a picture of Granny's "rug of many colours".

Later in life and after Harry entered extended care, Nell moved in with her daughter Harriet, just 2 doors down on Garden Street. Then she lived for several years at the Cowichan Lodge on Tzouhalem Road where, in the 1980s, we would visit her. In 1987 I recorded one of our conversations on cassette tape (since digitized by my son) - how I wish I had done this more often and with greater skills as an interviewer. But how wonderful it is to hear her voice again. Granny lived to be 97 years young, dying on 22 Feb 1992 in Duncan BC. Miss you and love you, Granny!

0 Comments

Rest in Peace, Uncle Alan ANDREW

3/23/2015

2 Comments

Alan Earle ANDREW (1924-2015)

When my mother's brother Alan Earle ANDREW turned 90 on 17 Dec 2014 he was already in hospice in Maple Ridge BC with pancreatic cancer. His two sons visited often. Then, on 18 Mar 2015, we got word that Uncle Alan had slipped away at 3:15 that morning. It has been a hard time for his family. We can be thankful that he is now at peace.

At Uncle Alan's request there is to be no funeral, and so far I have not found any obituary or tribute for him online. While a memorial may still be published, I would also like to honour his life here as best I can.

Alan was the fifth of seven children born to Harry Charles ANDREW and Eleanor Louise "Nell" RICHARDSON in North Saint Eleanors, PEI, Canada (near Summerside). Like many of his siblings he was quiet, considerate and caring by nature, with an understated sense of humour. Growing up a farmer's son during the depression, he learned to become resourceful and to work hard. He was also skilled with his hands and machinery. When the Second World War broke out, he was not yet 15, so had to wait until near the war's end before enlisting. He didn't see any action as he was in a motorcycle accident while still at home; by the time he recovered, the war was over and he was discharged.

At the end of 1945 Alan traveled with his younger sister across Canada to join their father and other relatives who were still getting settled in Westholme in the Duncan area of Vancouver Island. Alan also worked in Duncan with his brother Dean and delivered milk for Sunny Brae Dairy. In 1948 he decided to re-enlist in the Air Force, and was stationed in Winnipeg for training as an aircraft engine mechanic. He was later stationed at Rockliffe, Ottawa. By 1971, WO and Mrs Alan E Andrew were living in Edmonton Alberta. They settled next in Maple Ridge BC and, after retirement from the Air Force, he took on the civilian job of school custodian there for many years.

In 1949 in Vancouver, Alan married Robertina Renee PIOLAT, a French girl who was known in the family as "Bobby". They later adopted two wonderful sons. Bobby sadly died in 1990 while on holiday in France. In 1993 Alan remarried Doreen Townsend, and they lived in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. Doreen too passed away from cancer in 2005, and Alan moved into a trailer park near the Cassidy airport. He continued his gardening, growing bumper crops of grapes and tomatoes, preserving and sharing his bounty with neighbours and friends. For the last few years Alan lived with his older son in Maple Ridge.

Alan was also predeceased by his four older siblings: George in 1976, Mabel in 2000, Dean in 2005 and Harriet in 2009.

As Alan did not live on Vancouver Island while I was growing up, and not until much later in his life, I only got to know him and his family on their infrequent visits. Yet he was without doubt a very special man and a darling uncle to me. Uncle Alan was involved for a time with our family history research after his mother passed her research onto him. Then in the 1980s when I showed great interest in our family tree, he willingly passed the gauntlet to me and was very encouraging and supportive.

I will remember Uncle Alan with love, and will miss his wonderful spirit.

2 Comments

James Irvine JOHNSTON (1843-1900) - #11 (52 Ancestors)

3/16/2015

0 Comments

Theme: Luck of the Irish | Images: Click on many to enlarge
Updates 3 Apr 2015: added Christiana & Ezekial Evans, 1871 census, credits to Kerry Johnston

Johnston, Kerfoot & Co. were outfitters for those seeking their fortunes in the Klondike Gold Rush, 1898

Terry’s paternal grandmother, Daisy Louise Johnston was Irish, the daughter of James Irvine JOHNSTON and Deborah Sophronia KERFOOT. Both James and Deborah (also of Irish heritage) were born in Canada West (Ontario). For this “luck of the Irish” segment I would like to focus on Terry's Great-Grandfather James Irvine Johnston because, in the late 1890s, he seized the opportunity of the Klondike Gold Rush and became a Klondike outfitter in Vancouver BC. Was it Irish luck that put him in the right place at the right time?

James Irvine JOHNSTON was probably born in Cartwright Township, Durham County, Ontario in 1843. His father James Elden Johnston, born in County Fermanagh, Ireland, was enumerated in Cartwright Ontario as head of household in both the 1841 Canada West census and the 1848 Cartwright Township census. By 1851 when all name in the household were listed for the first time, , James Elden and his wife Elizabeth (nee DEVER) were living in Cartwright and already had 8 children. Their fifth child James Junior was said to be born in Canada, age 9 on his next birthday.

In 1854 the family moved to Wallace Township in “Canada West” (Ontario). Throughout these years, their extended family also owned property nearby, including James Jr’s grandparents Richard and Christian(a) JOHNSTON, and his father’s siblings Robert, John, Jane (who married a James ARMSTRONG) and Christiana (who married Ezekial EVANS). About 1856, and certainly by 1861, James Sr (merchant) and his family had moved to Maryborough Ontario. Nine children are itemized including 17-year-old James Jr who was already working as a carpenter.

At this point I would like to acknowledge the kind assistance of Kerry Johnston, a distant cousin and excellent researcher who has provided me with much information on these Johnstons in Ontario and in Ireland. When I wasn't able to find James Irvine Johnston in the 1871 census (too many Johnstons to choose from, I thought), Kerry found him working as a carpenter in Wallace County, Ontario. He knew of other close relatives working in this area by 1874, so perhaps they were all helping to build the town of Palmerston. James' parents James and Elizabeth were living in Colborne Township Ontario in 1871. According to Kerry Johnston, the family had moved to Toronto by 1879 :

"The 1879 City of Toronto Directory lists the firm of Johnston, Winters and Co., a mercantile agency at 22 Adelaide St. East, Toronto and also lists Benjamin B. Johnston, James E. Johnston and James "J" Johnston (probably James Irvine Johnston) of the firm Johnston, Winters and Co., all residing at 7 Maitland St., Toronto. James E. [father] and Benjamin B. [youngest brother] also appear in the 1880 Directory and although the firm of Johnston, Winters and Co. appears in the 1881 Directory, only James E. is listed as living at 7 Maitland.”

This was excellent news, and provided valuable information about the family's entrepreneurial and business skills as well as their shifting locations. The only points I can add is that, according to the list of Mercantile Agencies in the 1881 Toronto city directory, another company "Winters & Clarke (retail)" was operating at 22 Adelaide E, the location previously occupied by Johnston, Winters & Co. Was this the same Mr Winters with a new partner? It seems that by 1881 the Johnston & Winters partnership had ended. James E Johnston was still living at 7 Maitland, but his 2 sons James and Benjamin were no longer listed in Toronto. As directories are generally prepared at the end of the previous year, it is possible that some entries were out of date even before they were printed, and certainly they wouldn’t contain changes that occurred in the given year. The Johnstons had left town.

It’s amazing how many life changes can happen in just a few years. Nationally, it was certainly a time of rapid development. Canada had just become a new nation of four provinces in 1867 following confederation. Canada West was renamed as the new Province of Ontario. In 1870 Manitoba joined Canada as its fifth province, and British Columbia followed suit in 1873. The West was expanding and was rife with new opportunities and free land for homesteaders. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that James, having severed ties with Mr Winters and the family business in about 1880, decided to head west.

By the time of the 1881 census, James was found living in Emerson Manitoba, a small prairie community first settled only a few years earlier in 1874, and located on the east side of the Red River at the Canada-US border. He was probably kept very busy working as a cabinet maker. Surprisingly he has already married to Deborah Johnston (nee KERFOOT), living with her and his brother Benjamin B Johnston (also a cabinet maker). Deborah's brother William "Cerfoot" was boarding next door. Other researchers claim that James and Deborah were married on 27 Jan 1881 in Emerson Manitoba. I am also assuming that the couple first met in Emerson because they came from different regions of Ontario. But it must have been a whirlwind romance if the entire relationship blossomed in Emerson! Children were soon on the way.

Probably in 1888 or 1889, after their fourth child Daisy Louise JOHNSTON was born, James and his family decided to move west again, this time to Vancouver on the Pacific coast. Deborah’s brother William John KERFOOT also decided to move. James’ fifth child Della was born in Vancouver in December 1889, which helps establish the date of their migration.

CPR Terminus, Vancouver BC, 1884

Why did they choose Vancouver? Once again the national landscape had changed. Only 4 years before on 7 Nov 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed between Ontario and BC, making it much easier for people to travel west. In 1886 the community of Granville (where the CPR ended on the west coast) incorporated as the City of Vancouver. Word got out that this port city was booming, and the new business opportunities were likely irresistible to young entrepreneurs. Considering his past experience as a merchant, James may have had dreams of opening his own store in Vancouver, and found a willing partner in his brother-in-law William Kerfoot.

It seems likely that they traveled west by train. If so, they would have arrived in Vancouver at the CPR terminus and docks at the foot of Cordova Street. It was also on Cordova, only a few blocks away, where James and William decided to set up their own store.

Speaking of fast growing populations, this is a most enlightening excerpt from the 1887 directory for the "City of Vancouver - Terminus of the CPR" in their introduction:
“The population of the city at the present time is about 5,000, and train and steamer are adding their quota to it daily. In the same month last year the population was not over 300, giving an increase in twelve months of sixteen hundred per cent."

Clipping from a 1899 Vancouver Street Directory for Johnston & Kerfoot

Still trying to pinpoint their date of arrivable, I was unable to find our James in the 1889 Vancouver directories. But the year before in 1888, a "Johnson & Tyson clothiers" is listed on Carrall, headed by an A G Johnson and J C Johnston (who may also have had a boot and shoe store on Cordova). They both lived on Westminster Avenue, as did a James Johnston (no occupation listed). It seems quite the coincidence that some of the names and occupations match, but I do not yet know if these Johnston entries are connected in any way to our James.

We do know that by 1890 James and his brother-in-law William had established "Johnston, Kerfoot, and Co.", a clothing store at 140 Cordova. Also in 1890, James Irvine Johnston is listed as a tailor living at 433 Hamilton with William John Kerfoot as his partner. Business must have been good because they already had 8 employees: 3 clerks (William Grover, James Osborne Johnstone and Charles Davis, 4 tailors (LA Peterson, George Alexander Mills, A W Milne, and Cathel Kier), and 1 tailoress (Miss Jennie Allen). Over the next several years the company is listed at various addresses on Cordova (140, 104, 114, 108, 104-106), sometimes showing conflicting addresses in the same year. So either they moved frequently, had multiple storefronts, the street numbers on the buildings changed, and/or there were typos in the directories!

James I Johnston - Vancouver Residence

1890: 433 Hamilton

1891: 329 Hamilton
1892: 527 Hamilton
1894: 449 Westminster
1895: 449 Westminster
1896: 831 Burrard
1897 : 831 Burrard
1898: 831 Burrard
1899: 831 Burrard
1900: 831 Burrard

Johnston, Kerfoot & Co - Vancouver Store Location

1890: 140 Cordova

1891: 108 Cordova
1892: 104 Cordova
1894: 104 Cordova
1895: 104 Cordova
1896: 104-106 Cordova
1897: 104-106 Cordova
1898: 104-106 Cordova | 308 Cordova
1899: 104-106 Cordova & 326 Cordova
1900: 104 Cordova & 127 Hastings

Over this decade Vancouver continued to grow, with new ventures and established businesses coming and going. With the competition increasing, Johnston & Kerfoot expanded the scope of their store, starting as clothiers who focused on custom tailoring, and later adding “gents furnishings", hats, caps, trunks and valises to their merchandise. There was naturally some turnover in employees, and in 1899 "George W Kerfoot" was working for them. Although this was probably William's brother George, the middle initial should have read "B" for Benjamin.

The Klondike gold rush of 1897 and 1898 was a golden opportunity for merchants to further diversify by supplying the hordes of prospectors heading to the Yukon to make their fortune. Johnson & Kerfoot was not to be left behind, and by 1898 they had opened a second location at 308 Cordova under the name of Johnston, Kerfoot & Cross, specializing as Klondike outfitters. It looks like they financed this expansion by going into partnership with a Mr A S Cross who in 1898 lived at 806 Hornby Street, Vancouver. I couldn't find either Mr Cross or this new business listed in other years, so it was probably a short term but hopefully profitable venture for them all.

Many other outfitters also climbed on the Klondike band wagon, and at least four were in their immediate vicinity: Club & Stewart at 408 Cordova, Klondike Outfitting & Trading Co. at 17 Cordova, RA Muskett at 326 Cordova, and Thomas Dunn Co at 8 Cordova who supplied a lot of the necessary hardware. This competition generated a flurry of marketing and publicity tactics to try and gain a bigger share of the market.

As luck would have it, a wonderful photo of Kerfoot & Johnston has survived, taken in 1898 during a promotional event outside their store at 104-106 Cordova Street location (I would have expected them to promote their outfitters store at 308 Cordova). The photo shows a large banner across their store front, a mule train loaded up with supplies ready for the Klondike, and crowds of curious people. Some even managed to gain access to the upstairs windows for a better view. Just imagine the excitement all this would have generated!

Johnston & Kerfoot Klondike Outfitters - 104-106 Cordova Street, Vancouver BC - 1898 publicity event

While the company was still riding high on this gold rush boom, James became ill with cancer. We don't know for how long he suffered, but tragically James died on 16 September 1900 at the age of 57, leaving his widow Deborah and 6 young children to mourn his passing: Howard, Russell, Morley, Daisy Louise, Della and Irene (ages 8 to 17). The luck of the Irish had run out for James.

His death also had an affect on the business. Although the Klondike Outfitters location had already closed, the company of Johnston & Kerfoot continued on for a number of years. In 1910, they were located at 125 and 127 West Hasting under the names of Mrs J I (Deborah) Johnston & Wm J Kerfoot. Deborah's son Oliver Morley Johnston was also working for them as a clerk. Deborah was living at 1419 Harwood along with sons Morley and Russell, and perhaps others. And they would have been a very busy getting ready for two family weddings. Deborah's daughter Daisy Louise was married in May 1910 to Harry BOORMAN, and then her son Morley married Gertrude COCKBURN in October.

Yet by the very next year there was no further trace of the Johnston & Kerfoot store. All the Cordova addresses had long been left behind and another company had already taken over their 127 West Hastings location. I don't know why 125 West Hastings wasn't even listed as a valid street address, but elsewhere Morley was still said to be working as a salesman at 125 West Hastings (his employer's name not mentioned). Interestingly a Johnson Clothing House business appeared at 131 West Hastings, sharing the premises with the Tavern Cafe and the Union Pool Rooms. Could this have been a related yet smaller liquidation site? Deborah's business partner and brother William John KERFOOT was also missing from the Vancouver directories, so perhaps he moved to the United States sooner than I thought? More research on this is needed for another story, I think!

It was an end of an era for the James Irvine JOHNSTON family, with new beginnings already in motion. The store had closed and the partnership dissolved after a good twenty year run, with James at the helm for half that time. And perhaps along the way they even found or earned their own pot of gold, as the Irish yearn to do!

References and Further Reading

BC City Directories
BC Archives and Royal BC Museum - BMD database
History of Vancouver - Tourism Vancouver
History of Canadian Pacific and Port Metro Vancouver
Historical Maps and History of Canada - Canadian Geographic site
History of the Canadian Pacific Railway - CPR site
Klondike Gold Rush - Yukon Government site
Klondike Gold Rush - Canadian Encyclopedia
Vancouver Exposed: A History in Photographs
Changing Vancouver, Then and Now Images

See my JOHNSTON Genealogy page for more family photos and an overview of this JOHNSTON line.
Our JOHNSTON Family Tree has even more details.

0 Comments

Bill BOORMAN - WWII Naval Officer - #10 (52 Ancestors)

3/10/2015

2 Comments

Theme: Stormy Weather | Images: Click on many to enlarge

Sub-Lieutenant William Irvine BOORMAN, RCNVR, Naval Officer Training Program, Graduating Class No 2, HMCS Royal Roads, Victoria BC

Last week I posted an overview of my father-in-law's life - William Irvine "Bill" BOORMAN - focusing on the homes he lived in and touching on his career in real estate in Victoria, BC. I would now like to touch more on Bill's military service in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) during the Second World War. I have spent the last several days reviewing some of his military documents and photos, as well as his Military Personnel file from LAC (which took over 9 months to arrive last year). I find myself inundated with partially digested information and research possibilities, and in the process have gained further insight into his contributions and service in the war effort. Bill certainly endured "stormy weather" in more ways than one. Here are some highlights.

Bill Boorman & his big catch, 1929

Canada joined the WWII Allies on 10 Sept 1939 at the start of WWII, and Bill Boorman considered enlisting. Perhaps because he had ancestors and relatives (including his father) who had served in the army, he first joined the 5th BC Coast Brigade, RCA (Royal Canadian Artillery) Active Militia on 14 Aug 1940. His training included "a gunnery school for 9 weeks on gunnery, ammunition, equipment, map reading, etc.". He attained the rank of Sergeant. But Bill was soon looking more favorably upon the Navy, and took "a rough course in navigation at night school". As he lived on the Pacific coast, Bill was fond of fishing and boating, having "considerable yachting experience over the last 10 to 12 years having during this period owned and navigated a 40 and 34 foot boat." So on 13 Dec 1940 he completed an officer's application for enrollment in the Canadian Naval Service. His subsequent attestation form dated 28 Dec 1940 shows him entering the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR), (Temporary) as a Probationary Sub-Lieutenant.

Hatley Castle, Victoria BC = HMCS ROYAL ROADS, c.1941

Bill was first stationed at HMCS NADEN, a Naval facility in CFB Esquimalt, located in the greater Victoria BC area on Canada's Pacific coast. His 3-month officer training program started on 12 May 1941 at the newly established HMCS ROYAL ROADS training facility at Hatley Castle, previously owned by the prominent Dunsmuir family. This is still a very impressive and picturesque location; perhaps the pleasant surroundings helped compensate for all the hard work the trainees had to put in there. We have a binder filled with Bill's handwritten class notes, diagrams and graphs, proving that he learned subjects like maths, pilotage and navigation, torpedo, seamanship, signals, gunnery and "divisional courses" which covered naval history, customs, organization, administration, discipline, conduct, allotments etc.

At the end of Bill's training, his commanding officer wrote that Bill's conduct at ROYAL ROADS had been "to my entire satisfaction. Has worked with zeal and energy." Bill's grades also passed muster, with his highest marks in Signals (91.5) and Anti-Submarine (86). He was recommended for sea appointment and his name was entered on the list for the "Graduating Class No. 2" of 1941. He became a full Sub Lieutenant.

Sub-Lieutenant William I Boorman, RCNVR (T) - centre, front row - and other sailors aboard HMCS MIRAMICHI, c.1942

In November 1941, Bill was assigned to his first ship the HMCS MIRAMICHI, a Bangor-class minesweeper. His duties were watch keeping, signals and "Asdic", an anti-submarine detection device. Based out of Esquimalt BC, the ship and its crew protected the waters off the west coast of Canada. The ship was quite small which caused it to bounce more in the ocean swells. Many suffered from seasickness although Bill said he wasn't affected.

In May 1942, Bill was promoted to Lieutenant and took a short Anti-Submarine course before returning to the MIRAMICH for another tour. In September 1942, Bill returned to HMCS NADEN (Victoria) and was land based for a while, in part assisting the Port Signal Officer.

Starting in June 1943 and for the next 11 months he was back aboard ship, this time on HMCS PRINCE ROBERT (F 56), an armed merchant cruiser built in the UK (built originally as a passenger ship), and newly refitted as an anti-aircraft cruiser. Bill's duties were "Officer of the Watch at Sea & Signals Officer". By August 1943 he was in the Atlantic; by October he was in the Mediterranean near Italy. It was critical that Britain and its allies maintain possession of Gibraltar to control naval traffic entering the Mediterranean, and of Malta at the foot of Italy. Malta was in the middle of enemy-controlled territory and in a strategic location for controlling traffic between Europe and Africa. Using Malta as a base for Allied offensive missions allowed them to hamper the Axis supply chain while defending their own. Ships in the area were threatened by bombers from above and German "U-boat" submarines from below, so they needed protection. According to Naval Archive records, the HMCS Prince Robert was involved in escorting and defending 17 different convoys between December 1943 and September 1944. Bill would have been involved in 7 of these convoys.

Two personnel appraisals exist for this time period. In Aug 1943 Bill is described as "A conscientious and capable officer with a keen interest in the service in general and in the signal branch in particular. Quiet in manner yet manages to get things done without undue "fuss" or delay. Not very forceful as yet but in improving is this deficiency. A trustworthy officer of the watch and a good organizer." Recommendations included a long sea deployment and accelerated promotion. Then in Apr 1944 he is also described as zealous, capable and efficient with a quiet nature, and "Possesses ability as an instructor. Keen to qualify in [Signals] for which he is well suited. A good mess-mate."

Lieutenant William Irvine BOORMAN, RCNVR (T), taken aboard ship on "Nov 3"

Lieutenant Bill BOORMAN, RCNVR (T), 1944, aboard the HMCS PRINCE ROBERT

However, Bill was having health problems and he was also hit hard by his traumatic experiences in the middle of these active "theatres of war". So at the end of Apr 1944 he was assigned to HMCS NIOBE, a RCN manning establishment in Greenock Scotland, where he remained for 3 months. These facilities included a hospital which is likely where Bill had all his teeth removed and where he partially recovered from stress. On returning home to NADEN (Victoria, Canada) he was granted "QO" status which lasted another 7 months or so. In a letter addressed to Bill dated 16 November 1944, it says "I sincerely hope that your cold is all better and that you are completely recovered from the effects of your very hard life."

It was during this time that they utilized some of Bill's public relations skills to raise money for the war effort. Bill was involved in a "War Loan Drive" in Alberta, as mentioned in one of his last appraisals. Several letters also exist from November 1944, including a "Commendation for Work in the Seventh Victory Loan". After that, but prior to May 1945, Bill promoted Victory Bonds in New Westminster as well.

In a letter from the Vice-Chairman, Payroll Savings Section, National War Finance Committee, Calgary Alberta, dated 15 Nov 1944, to the RCN Naval Officer In Charge, HMC Dockyard, Esquimalt BC:

"I am very pleased to advise that Lieutenant W. Boorman, RCNVR, who was loaned to the National War Finance Committee of this city as a speaker in the Seventh Victory Loan Campaign, has spoken to a large number of mass meetings of employees held in the larger establishments covered by the Payroll Savings Section of National War Finance this city and has also made official presentations of Victory Flags to a large number of such establishments, including large groups in the Dominion Civil Service.
"He also spoke on a number of occasions from a platform erected on the street in the centre of the business section of our city to large groups of citizens, and was always enthusiastically received and highly respected by the public. Lieutenant Boorman did an excellent job on all such occasions and we wish you to know that we are very highly pleased with him.
"Please accept our sincere thanks for permitting him to assist us."

In a similar letter from the Supervisor Stamp Sales in Alberta, dated 21 Nov 1944, to Bill directly:

"I [received] a notice from [the] Principal of Sunalta School that the children had sold $133.00 worth of War Savings Stamps on their 'Bill Boorman War Savings Stamp Day'. This amount in stamps is 532 which is over a stamp for each child in the school. I think you will agree that was a well worthwhile effort on your part and shows the interest the children took in your visit. ...
"I've heard many complimentary remarks about you and the good job you did here."

Lieutenant W I Boorman, RCNVR giving a speech in support of the Seventh Victory Loan Campaign, Nov 1944, Calgary Alberta Canada

In Feb 1945 Bill took some additional seaman's training, followed by SO Signals duties with the Commander in Esquimalt BC. He remained land based for the rest of the war. His signal duties gave him access to naval messages for distribution, including those from the Admiralty. Can you imagine the excitement and extreme relief that Bill, as Signal Officer, felt when he received official word of Germany's surrender and the cease fire? Here is a clipping from what looks like a carbon copy or perhaps the original message received on 8 May 1945:

When Bill was demobilized on 10 Sept 1945 he was credited with 24 months at sea. For his service he received the 1939-45 Star, the Atlantic Star, the Italy Star, the CVSM (Canadian Volunteer Service Medal) & clasp and the 1939-1945 War Medal. After the war he returned to civilian life in Victoria.

References and Further Reading

Canada's Role in World War II
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) - Military Heritage
Rybak, Stephen (2011) The Royal Naval Canadian Naval Reserve 1914–1919. Nauticapedia.ca 2011
CFB Esquimalt, including Naden, HMC Dockyard - wikipedia
CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum
Royal Roads, Hatley Castle, Victoria BC
Ships of the Canadian Navy
HMCS Miramichi - ReadyAyeReady site
HMCS Prince Robert - For Posterity's Sake site
HMCS Prince Robert Tribute
HMCS Niobe - RCN headquarters in Scotland
Victory Loans and War Savings Bonds - Wartime Canada site

See my BOORMAN Genealogy page for more family photos and an overview of this BOORMAN line.
Our BOORMAN Family Tree has even more details.

2 Comments

William Irvine "Bill" BOORMAN - #9 (52 Ancestors)

3/4/2015

0 Comments

Theme: Close to home

Bill Boorman as a young man in Victoria BC Canada

As the theme this week suggests that I stick "close to home", I've decided to venture over to my husband Terry's tree and talk about his father Bill BOORMAN, who I never had the good fortune to meet. Not only did Bill live most of his adult life "close to home", but his life's work was finding and selling homes to people.

Why Terry's tree? Both Terry and I were born in Victoria BC Canada and have lived all our married lives here, but none of my direct ancestors have lived in Victoria. On the other hand, Terry's family was sighted here as early as 1894, and they still have a strong presence here in Victoria several generations later. Considering these facts, I was surprised to realize that Terry is actually the first generation of his direct Boorman line to be born here. How could that be?

If events had progressed as expected, Terry's father Bill could also have been born in Victoria, or at the very least in Vancouver Canada. Terry's great-grandfather William Scoons BOORMAN came from Wandsworth London England and emigrated with some of his family to Victoria sometime between 1891 and 1894. His youngest son Harry Eustace (Terry's grandfather) also made the long journey from England (but perhaps in 1895?), and by 1900 he was living at the family home at 129 Michigan Street in the James Bay area of Victoria and working for the Board of Trade. But sometime before his father's death in 1909, Harry moved to the bigger city of Vancouver on the BC mainland. There he met and married Daisy Louise JOHNSTON (called Louise) on 30 May 1910.

4 generations: Deborah, baby Bill, Daisy & Eliza, 1911

Bill was their first born child, and although all four of his younger brothers and sisters were born in Vancouver, Bill was born in Los Angeles, California, across the border in the USA. This was totally unexpected. The family story goes that Harry and Daisy Louise were there on holiday when Bill was born on 16 Jan 1911. I suppose it is possible that he was premature, but family has speculated that the newlyweds decided to go elsewhere for the birth to camouflage the early arrival away from censorious eyes. We don't know why they picked California. But the young family was back in Vancouver with their new baby in time for the 1911 census.

We have 3 lovely pictures taken when Bill was a young baby in his baptismal gown, showing 4 generations of Louise's JOHNSTON family. I particularly love this photo of baby Bill in the arms of his maternal grandmother Deborah Sophronia (KERFOOT) JOHNSTON, with his mother Louise sitting close by and his great-grandmother Eliza Jane (NEELAND) KERFOOT sitting on the right holding a white-covered book titled "Evening Thoughts". It looks well thumbed!

The family certainly moved around a lot. By 1912 they were living at 1419 Harwood Street in Vancouver, and in 1914 they had moved to 1040 Denman. It was war time and in 1915 they were back on Harwood. According to his father Harry's WWI Officer Declaration Papers (dated 1916) they were then living at 6787 Davie Street in Vancouver. In the 1921 census, Bill's family was living in Victoria on Vancouver Island, renting a house at 1318 Beach Drive in Oak Bay. Harry was still working in finance and bonds.

By 1930 Bill was old enough to be listed for the first time in the Victoria city directory, living at 2021 Runnymede in his father's home, a student at Victoria College. For the next 2 years he was paying rent to his father and working as a "board marker" for Logan & Bryan, stock brokers.

In 1933 his father Harry founded and became president of their family business "Boorman Investment Company Ltd.". In 1934 their offices were located at 215-620 View Street in downtown Victoria. By 1936, both Bill (salesman) and his brother Jack (broker) were working for their father at 1124 Government Street; all lived at 430 St Patrick. The business had moved to 614 View Street by 1940. Bill's brother Ken also became involved in the family firm, and at some point all 3 brothers became partners. For the rest of his life Bill continued to work as salesman or realtor for Boorman Investments which had just moved to 1111 Government when he died.

Sandowne house under construction ca 1951, Victoria BC

In 1939, just after the start of WW II, Bill married Joyce THOMAS. He enlisted in the Navy and at the end of 1940 attended their officer training program at the newly created Royal Roads Military College. Bill was in their 2nd graduating class of 1941, and then served in the Navy on the Pacific coast and in the Mediterranean, engaged in mine sweeping and convoy escort, perhaps between Gibraltar and Malta. To his horror he witnessed ships being destroyed from mines or torpedoes, burned bodies being fished out of the water, and men dying from fire and shock waves caused by sinking ships. This was all too traumatic and he succumbed to a nervous breakdown. He also lost his teeth due to illness and poor nutrition during the war. Bill rarely talked about these awful wartime experiences. In the later part of WWII he was assigned to selling war bond on the home front, and he was good at it.

During the war and beyond, Bill's growing family continued to live in Victoria. They continued to move fairly frequently within the greater Victoria area - this might have been a consequence of the war, if not an occupational hazard! Here is a list of many of their addresses:

1940: 2451 Bersford
1941: 2310 Lee Street
1945: 749 Island
1947: 2258 West Thompson, and then
1949: 907 Oliver
1952: 2135 Sandowne
c1964: 3484 Cardiff Place

Bill Boorman home at 2135 Sandowne, Victoria BC, c 1952.

When a new subdivision was being developed on the Lansdowne slopes on lands previously used by Chinese for their market gardens, they decided to build a new house. By 1952 they were living on the new Sandowne Road. They stayed there until both children had finished high school, and then moved to Cardiff Place on the other side of Lansdowne and close to where the new Gordon Head campus of the University of Victoria was being built.

The focus of this story has been homes - where Bill lived and where he worked selling homes to others. Having only outlined other facets of Bill's life, I hope to expand on these in future stories. But what was Bill like? That surely can't wait until next time.

One of the first stories I heard about Bill was that he wasn't particularly fond of his middle name: Irvine. This family name most likely came from his mother's side: Daisy Louise's father was named James Irvine JOHNSTON (I don't yet know the originating source of Irvine, which was likely a maternal surname further back in their tree). His mother obviously thought the name was worth perpetuating. But Bill insisted on using just the initial "I", claiming it was his "private I". He obviously had a sense of humour about it, at least! And it was a measure of his personality that he could gain rapport with others by including them in the joke while retaining a tantalizing bit of mystery about himself.

Bill Boorman & his convention poster, May 1964, Victoria BC Canada

By all accounts Bill was very personable, cared for others and was well liked. He went out of his way to help people and some became lifetime friends. Of particular note was Miss Frances Harper, a home economics teacher with no family of her own. Bill made her a nice profit when he oversaw the subdivision of her property in Gordon Head, and subsequently included her in his family's activities and celebrations and made sure she was properly cared for. Bill's people skills were also put to good use during his tenure as president of the Victoria Real Estate Board. He enjoyed organizing their conferences and campaigns, thriving in the realm of public relations. Terry says this was his true calling.

And of course, Bill was a family man, often taking his extended family on Sunday drives around the southern Island; Metchosin seemed to be a favorite destination. Summer holidays often involved renting a rustic cabin at Deep Cove (near Sidney) or Saltair (near Chemainus). Swimming, water skiing, picnics on the beach and fishing were always enjoyed.

Bill was also dedicated to his work, and his hours were never restricted to 9 to 5 on weekdays. He was known to commute to town as needed during family holidays. On one particular Sunday morning in September 1966, as he was rushing to the phone to answer a real estate call, Bill collapsed on the kitchen floor with his third heart attack, dying suddenly at the age of 55.

REFERENCES

British Columbia City Directories
Boorman Investment Company Limited

See my BOORMAN Genealogy page for more family photos and an overview of this BOORMAN line.
Our BOORMAN Family Tree has even more details.

0 Comments

Mary Robinson COATES (1827-1905) - #13 (52 Ancestors)

References and Further Reading

Eleanor Louise “Nell” RICHARDSON (1894-1992) - #12 (52 Ancestors)

Rest in Peace, Uncle Alan ANDREW

James Irvine JOHNSTON (1843-1900) - #11 (52 Ancestors)

References and Further Reading

Bill BOORMAN - WWII Naval Officer - #10 (52 Ancestors)

References and Further Reading

William Irvine "Bill" BOORMAN - #9 (52 Ancestors)

REFERENCES

Authors

Categories

Blogroll

Archives