2 records – page 1 of 1.

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
Less detail

Patterson family subseries

https://search.heritageburnaby.ca/link/archivedescription32
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1898-1952
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Description Level
Subseries
Physical Description
Textual records and photographs
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of documents and photographs pertaining to the Patterson family.
Repository
City of Burnaby Archives
Date
1898-1952
Collection/Fonds
Burnaby Historical Society fonds
Series
Community Archives Collection series
Subseries
Patterson family subseries
Physical Description
Textual records and photographs
Description Level
Subseries
Accession Number
BHS1986-19
BHS1986-20
BHS1988-13
BHS1995-16
BHS1996-05
BHS1996-11
Scope and Content
Subseries consists of documents and photographs pertaining to the Patterson family.
History
Frances Mabel "May" Webb was born in Cradley, England on December 5, 1872. She sailed from England to Victoria, BC with her parents, Joseph William Webb and Frances Jane Webb (nee Yapp) on the SS Lake Winnipeg in 1889. One of the few possessions that she brought with her was an old wood-rimmed bicycle which she found quite useful after her move to Burnaby. She would ride it all the way from Patterson’s Trail and Westminster Road (today’s Patterson Avenue and Kingsway) to the Woodward’s store in Vancouver where she would place her grocery order. She packed a pearl handled revolver with her in order to scare any bears she might see along her ride. In 1890, Frances married Dugald Campbell Patterson (b. 1860, d. 1931) in Victoria, BC. In 1894, the couple built a pioneer homestead and farm on five acres at what would become the north east section of Central Park. Dugald founded Vulcan Iron Works (later Dominion Bridge Company) in New Westminister in 1903, and the couple settled in the Central Park district. By 1904, the family moved to the Edmonds district where in 1909 she operated the post office that her husband founded. In 1910, they began construction of a new house, complete with tennis courts and a gazebo, on 14 acres purchased for $720. The house is now located at 7106 18th Avenue and is a dedicated heritage building. The couple had seven children: William H. "Bill", Jean, Frances Mabel Lili., Dugald C. Jr, Mary, Charles Bruce, and Alice. The Pattersons were community-minded citizens that served Burnaby through their involvement with local municipal affairs and politics. In 1909, Dugald became the first postmaster of Edmonds. He also served as a School Trustee from 1912-13 and was one of the first residents to lobby Burnaby City Council to preserve the local ravines as parks. They also helped build the Central Park Presbyterian Church, along with other pioneer families. The family name is remembered and honoured by the naming of Patterson Avenue and the Patterson SkyTrain Station located in the Metrotown area. Frances Mabel assisted her husband with an insurance and real estate company that he founded in Burnaby and New Westminster. This experience would prove invaluable, as she would later become an insurance agent for the Wawanesa Insurance Company (founded in 1896). Frances never owned an automobile, so she met her insurance clients all over Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver by using the Lower Mainland’s street car system. The insurance profession continued to provide her with a steady income long after her husband’s death. Frances Mabel died in New Westminster, BC on August 30, 1960. Frances Mabel Lili Patterson was born on June 9, 1905 and was the fifth child born to Dugald Campbell and Frances Mabel Patterson. She became the first PBX switchboard operator for the Municipality of Burnaby in the early 1920’s. PBX, or Private Branch Exchange, was the term used for an internal telephone system. Frances later became president of the Professional Women’s Association of New Westminster, and volunteered her time with the May Day celebrations in New Westminster. She was also a dedicated member of the Rebekah Lodge (the women’s division of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows). While in the lodge, she met her future husband, Walter Duke and they married on July 12, 1939. They couple moved to Wenatchee, Washington after getting married, and Frances relocated to Victoria after her husband died. Frances died on January 13, 1974. Doreen Nettie Patterson was born December 12, 1927, the youngest daughter of Charles Bruce Patterson and Elva Eleanore Patterson (nee Elliott). At age 23, Doreen became the first woman from BC to enlist in the new Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service and by the fall of 1951, she had become a Wren in the Royal Canadian Navy. She received her basic training at HMCS Cornwallis and became a radio intelligence operator for the wireless communications base at Naval Radio Station Coverdale near Moncton, New Brunswick. In 1953, she was chosen to serve a term at the naval base in Churchill, Manitoba. She was one of only eleven women to ever serve there. After her career in the navy, Doreen worked in the accounting division for Simpsons-Sears in Burnaby near her grandparent’s original family home at Patterson Avenue and Kingsway. Doreen married Gerard Reitsma on August 18, 1960. Doreen died on April 30, 2000.
Media Type
Textual Record
Photograph
Creator
Patterson, Frances Mabel Webb
Patterson, Dugald C. Sr.
Notes
Title based on contents of subseries
PC171, PC213, PC322, PC326, MSS024, MSS039
Less detail