William Holmes fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription10416
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [1841]-1994
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (calotype) + 1 photograph : b&w + 6 photographs : col. + 5 p. textual records + 1 newspaper clipping
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the William Holmes family, family grave markers in cemetery in Ireland along with original correspondence, land title certificates and a newspaper clipping. Fonds is arranged in series: 1) William Holmes family photographs series 2) William Holmes family…
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- William Holmes fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photographs (calotype) + 1 photograph : b&w + 6 photographs : col. + 5 p. textual records + 1 newspaper clipping
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs pertaining to the William Holmes family, family grave markers in cemetery in Ireland along with original correspondence, land title certificates and a newspaper clipping. Fonds is arranged in series: 1) William Holmes family photographs series 2) William Holmes family records series 3) Holmes family cemetery photographs series
- History
- William Holmes was the first non-Indigenous resident of Burnaby and was born in Kilkenny Ireland January 4, 1812. In 1833, at the age of 20 yrs, William Holmes immigrated to Canada from Ireland in with his parents, Joseph and Jane (McCullough) Holmes and ten other family members including two of his married brothers and their wives, two sisters with their husbands and two unmarried brothers. This was the first group of thirteen to leave Ireland and set up homesteads in Canada near the shores of Lake Huron. The family settled on land concessions in Huron County, Ontario about 14 km southeast of Goderich. The area in Huron County was first founded in 1832 by John and Samuel Holmes and the community was known as Holmes Hill before becoming Holmesville [ca. 1850]. In 1837, William Holmes is noted as owning Lot 23, Concession IX, Goderich Twp. Much of the village of Holmesville grew up around the five road concession near the border of his brother’s farm so William decided to open a store. The Holmesville post office opened on March 1, 1855 and William was appointed the first post master which he operated until May 1857. William met and married Mary Richardson in 1841 and the couple had three daughters: Jane (1844-1926) (married Charles Studdert Finlaison in New Westminster in 1863); Anne Maria (Annie) (1846-192?) (married John Gunther Jennings in New Westminster in 1865 and married Robert Johnson in New Westminster in 1877) and Elizabeth (1848-1934) (married Thomas Carrington of Lakes District in 1867). William’s wife, Mary (Richardson) Holmes died in Holmesville sometime between 1848 and 1853. Following the death of his first wife, Mary, William married Charlotte McCullough (McCulloch). The couple had four daughters; Arabella Charlotte Amelia (1854-1943) (married Arthur Robert Green in 1887); Laura (1855-1867); Arabella Henrietta (1857-1929) (married Clark Wesley Gillanders in 1880) and Mary (1863-1864). During the late 1850s, William became aware of the gold rush and opportunities opening up in British Columbia so left for the west coast in 1858 at the age of 46 yrs. In preparation for his move to the west coast of Canada, William obtained a letter of introduction from top government officials of Canada. William Holmes arrived in British Columbia in 1859. Upon arriving, he first worked running pack trains from Harrison Mills to Lillooet. After earning some money, he decided to re-invest it in land. His first pre-emption of land occurred on January 21, 1860 for 160 acres situated on North Road from the Military Camp to Burrard Inlet and distancing 25 chains south of the Brunette River and 20 chains south of the river with the land extending in a westerly direction. On March 17, 1860, Holmes received a Crown Grant for this and other land in the immediate area totalling 415 acres of which was known as Lot No. 1, Group 1, Rural Land, New Westminster District. The balance of land was situated on the east side of the Brunette River – Lot 13, with 344 2/3 acres of which he made an application to purchase on June 26, 1860, and a Crown Grant dated March 16, 1861 covering 86 acres. Holmes also pre-empted land in Port Moody and Pitt Meadows in 1860 and 1861. The name of “Brunette River” is officially attributed to William Holmes who referred to the river as “Brunette” due to it’s dark colour originating from the peat lands above the lake. Following his purchase of property, he sent for his wife Charlotte, their three daughters and her three step daughters (from William’s first marriage). Charlotte and the six children made the long trip to B.C. by ship and rail, crossing the Isthmus of Darien at Panama. They arrived in B.C. in October 1861 and moved into a one room log cabin built by William. The cabin stood on the North Road at the foot of Sapperton, on a bluff overlooking the Brunette River. Eventually the family moved to a larger dwelling but the original cabin remained on the site until the 1890s when it was burned after being used as a sick house. Mr. Holmes was instrumental in organizing the first Orange Lodge in British Columbia. He was a prominent Orangeman who joined the order in 1840 and was the first master in the order of the City of New Westminster when the Lodge No. 1150 was established there. Charlotte Holmes died in New Westminster in 1893 at the age of 70 years and William Holmes died in New Westminster September 11, 1907 at the age of 95 years.
- Responsibility
- Holmes, William
- Accession Code
- HV971.46
- BV997.50
- Date
- [1841]-1994
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Textual Record
- Related Material
- See also: Reference file: Persons - Holmes, William
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
Florence Hart Godwin fonds
https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/museumdescription14283
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- 1893-1923 (date of original), copied 1976
- Collection/Fonds
- Florence Hart Godwin fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photograph albums (60 photographs)
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographic reproductions of two photograph albums. One album was owned and created by Florence Hart Godwin and the other by Florence Hart Godwin's mother, Alice Hart (nee Chapman). The albums consist of photographs of the Hart family and members of the Chapman family while they …
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Collection/Fonds
- Florence Hart Godwin fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 2 photograph albums (60 photographs)
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographic reproductions of two photograph albums. One album was owned and created by Florence Hart Godwin and the other by Florence Hart Godwin's mother, Alice Hart (nee Chapman). The albums consist of photographs of the Hart family and members of the Chapman family while they had residences in New Westminster, Deer Lake and Kerrisdale along with time spent at Pitt Lake, Mayne Island, Stanley Park and Victoria. Albums are described at file level and album pages are described at item level.
- History
- Florence Elizabeth Hart Godwin was born in New Westminster in 1898 to parents, Frederick John Hart (1884- 1945) and Alice Hart (nee Chapman) (1885-1935). Alice and Frederick Hart were married in Yale in 1895 and had five children, Kingsley (1897-1916), Florence (1898-1999), Alice Fredricka “Freda” (1903-1905), Edwyna Jane (1907-1997) and Frederick John “Jack” (1908-2001). Alice Hart (nee Chapman) was the daughter of Edward Chapman and Jane Chapman (nee Isbell) born in Birmingham England and Frederick John Hart was born in Trinity, Newfoundland. Florence’s father Frederick J. Hart owned a successful real estate business in New Westminster from 1891. His real estate company managed many of the property sales in the lower mainland including Burnaby and he was involved with a number of economic development companies in the area. Frederick also served as alderman with the City of New Westminster. In June 1905, the family was heartbroken by the sudden death of Florence's younger sister Freda who died at age two of meningitis. In that same year, Frederick purchased 13 acres of land abutting the north east end of Deer Lake and built a small summer house "Avalon". Florence, her siblings and mother spent the summer months on the lake. Her father, Frederick worked in New Westminster during the week and joined them on the weekends. In 1910, Florence’s father built a larger permanent family residence at this location also named "Avalon". Mr. Frank W. Macey designed the house which is now the home of “Hart House” restaurant. While living in Burnaby, the family attended St. Alban’s Church and Florence was taught by Miss Harriet Woodward who had a small private school inside her home. Florence later attended Douglas Road school before being placed in Crofton House School in Vancouver. The Hart children found many playmates on the lake, including members of the Hill and Peers families. During World War One, in December of 1916, Florence's brother, Kingsley Hart was killed while serving overseas. This tragedy devastated Florence's parents and prompted them to sell "Avalon" in 1917 and move to Kerrisdale in Vancouver. In August 1922, Florence married Harold Ward Godwin at St. Mary's Church in Kerrisdale and they moved into their own home in Burnaby. That same year, Florence joined the auxiliary to the Victorian Order of Nurses. Florence made rounds as a nurse travelling from home to home on a bicycle. Florence and Harold had one child, Elizabeth Joy Hart (1929-1978) who later married Robert Carl Freyman (1925-2011) and worked as a nurse. In 1950, Florence was awarded a life membership to the V.O.N. along with her husband, making them the only husband and wife in Canada to be accorded this honour. By 1973, Florence had served more than 50 years as a member of the Board of the V.O.N. in Burnaby. In that same year, Florence was presented a life membership by the I.O.D.E. for her many contributions to the work of the organization.
- Creator
- Godwin, Florence Hart
- Accession Code
- HV976.168
- HV976.169
- Date
- 1893-1923 (date of original), copied 1976
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- 60 b&w copy prints + negatives accompanying