William J. Devitt papers
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1901-1996 (date of originals)
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 1 file of textual records
- Scope and Content
- File consists of photocopied photographs, newspaper articles and correspondence pertaining to William J. "Bill" Devitt, who served as Burnaby Police Chief from 1921 to 1936. These pages were compiled by the Burnaby Village Museum when researching information for the writers of "Follow that Fire."
William J. Devitt subseries
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1901-1996 (date of originals)
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Subseries
- Physical Description
- Textual records
- Scope and Content
- Subseries consists of papers compiled by the Burnaby Village Museum pertaining to the life of former Burnaby Police Chief William J. "Bill" Devitt.
William John Beamish genealogical records
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1861-1942
- Collection/Fonds
- William Randolph Beamish fonds
- Description Level
- File
- Physical Description
- 0.5 cm. of textual records and 1 large b&w print.
- Scope and Content
- File consists of family history records related to the Beamishes, William Randolph Beamish's adopted family, including a letter certifying the birth and baptism of William John Beamish on December 13, 1860, and June 9, 1861, respectively; a certificate for William John Beamish for the Probationers'…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1861-1942
- Collection/Fonds
- William Randolph Beamish fonds
- Series
- William Randolph Beamish scrapbook series
- Physical Description
- 0.5 cm. of textual records and 1 large b&w print.
- Description Level
- File
- Record No.
- 66674
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2023-03
- Scope and Content
- File consists of family history records related to the Beamishes, William Randolph Beamish's adopted family, including a letter certifying the birth and baptism of William John Beamish on December 13, 1860, and June 9, 1861, respectively; a certificate for William John Beamish for the Probationers' Course of Study of the Methodist Church of Canada; sermon notes written by W.J. Beamish, as well as "his life as he wrote it”; a financial statement of Newington Circuit; his ordination picture; and obituaries for W.J. Beamish.
- History
- William John Beamish was born in Prescott, Ontario, on December 30, 1860. He was brought up and confirmed in the Anglican Church. While in his teens, he was attending a Methodist Church, became converted, and entered the same church as a candidate for the ministry. His probationary years were spent in the Northern Ontario lumber camps, ministering to the men on Lake Tallon Mission and Nipissing Junction. Mr. Beamish attended McGill College and after ordination at Smiths Falls, Ontario, on June 2, 1896, was appointed to Locksley circuit near Pembroke, then followed pastorates at Hammon, Mille Roches, Moulinette, Morewood, and Berwick. In 1905, while at Morewood, he married Miss Agnes Crabbe, a nurse from Ottawa, formerly Pembroke. Together, they served Wakefield, Quebec, Newington, and Easton's Corners, Ontario.
Coming to British Columbia in 1911, they settled first at Kaslo, then Salmon Arm, Vancouver (Dundas), and Maple Ridge. In 1918, Mr. Beamish superannuated and bought a home in Burnaby where he resided until his death on July 26, 1942.
During his period of superannuation, Mr. Beamish served for about seven years as minister of East Burnaby Methodist Church and until his death, was a valued member of this congregation, now known as East Burnaby United.
He was ever a true friend of the minister and his presence in the congregation was an inspiration. While in good health, he gave his time freely to sick visitation and, in a word, "he went about doing good."
Funeral services were conducted by Rev. W.R. Walkinshaw, with Rev. H.E. Horton representing Westminster Presbyterian assisting. Four retired ministers and two laymen acted as pall bearers. His reamins lie in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
He was survived by his wife; one son, Randolph; two daughters, Ethel (Mrs. Paul B. Derrick) and Ilma (Mrs. William Dunn). He was a good husband, a loving father, a dutiful son, and a faithful minister of the Gospel.
-- This text was composed and written by Rev. R.W. Walkinshaw and later published in The Observer, the United Church magazine. It has been lightly edited here for grammar and punctuation.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
Less detail
William Martin family fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1927-1940 (date of originals)
- Collection/Fonds
- William Martin family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 26 photographs : 1 original photograph + 19 jpegs + 6 copy prints
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of the William and Ellen Martin family, pioneers of Burnaby.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1927-1940 (date of originals)
- Collection/Fonds
- William Martin family fonds
- Physical Description
- 26 photographs : 1 original photograph + 19 jpegs + 6 copy prints
- Material Details
- 2 copy prints + 1 jpeg are duplicates to the original; 3 copy prints are duplicates to a larger copy print
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2011-11
- 2006-03
- 2012-03
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of photographs of the William and Ellen Martin family, pioneers of Burnaby.
- History
- William Martin and Ellen Ward met while attending school in Glasgow, Scotland. They married in 1916 while William was on leave from the Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force. After the war, they immigrated to Canada with their two-year-old daughter, Margaret.
They spent a few years in Vancouver where three more daughters were born: Barbara (later Punnett); Juanita (later Safarik); and Sally (later Forbes). With their four small daughters, they moved to Los Angeles where William worked as a craftsman for Samuel Goldwyn Studios.
In 1926, they returned to B.C., where William purchased five acres of land on Spruce Street in Burnaby. Much of the land had been logged but not cleared. Dynamite was used to remove the large, burnt stumps. While William prepared the land for a new house, the family lived in a temporary building that was later used for a garage. The seven-room house that William built was one of the first houses on Spruce Street. During this time, William and Ellen’s two sons, Bill and Jackie, were born.
The Martins made good use of their property. They kept chickens, ducks, and a goat, planted fruit trees, and had a large raspberry patch. The children enjoyed their large playground, much of it still heavily forested. In the winter they walked to Deer Lake to ice skate. They hiked Burnaby Mountain and sometimes walked to Capitol Hill where there was a recreation centre.
All six children attended Douglas Road School and South Burnaby Secondary School. Margaret became a schoolteacher; Juanita and Barbara did office work after attending Sprott Shaw Business School; Sally became a public health nurse; and Bill and Jackie became doctors. Margaret taught in Burnaby schools for 27 years. Before her marriage, Sally served as a public health nurse in Burnaby for three years. Bill had an ophthalmology practice in Burnaby until his retirement.
Margaret married Jack Greenall, the eldest son of another Burnaby family who lived on Nursery Street on a large property with a garden, greenhouse, and chicken house. Margaret and Jack had three children: Dr. Martin Greenall, Sharon (later Ingalls), and Diane (later Macnair). Margaret later married Peter Andrusiak and had two sons: Gordon and Peter. All of her children were raised in New Westminster. Margaret was active in her community and was awarded the New Westminster Citizen of the Year award in 1992. She died July 26, 2006, at the age of 89.
- Formats
- Records from accession 2011-11 exist only in electronic format - copied 2011
- Media Type
- Photograph
- Creator
- Martin family
- Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds
- Photo catalogue 525
Less detail
William Parker with shovel
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [between 1930 and 1940] (date of original), copied 1998
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Village Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia print ; 13 x 9.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of William Parker digging with a shovel on the grounds of the Love farmhouse. There is a barn and tree behind him. In 1928 after Sarah Parker's father, Jesse Love died, William and Sarah (nee Love) Parker purchased the Love farmhouse located at 1390 Cumberland Road. They lived there unt…
William Parker with shovel
- Repository
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Date
- [194-]
- Collection/Fonds
- Love family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : sepia ; 12 x 7.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of William Parker standing and holding a shovel in the garden of the Love farmhouse. He is standing next to a trellis for sweet peas and there is a barn and trees behind him.
William Randolph Beamish fonds
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1861-2009
- Collection/Fonds
- William Randolph Beamish fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Physical Description
- 3.5 cm. of textual records; 17 small b&w prints; 10 med. prints; and 6 large b&w prints.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of materials related to both Ran's personal life and his professional life as Reeve of Burnaby. Included in the materials are records related to his biological family as well as his adopted family, including records related to his reunion with his birth mother. Notable among his prof…
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1861-2009
- Collection/Fonds
- William Randolph Beamish fonds
- Physical Description
- 3.5 cm. of textual records; 17 small b&w prints; 10 med. prints; and 6 large b&w prints.
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Record No.
- 66671
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2018-08
- 2023-03
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of materials related to both Ran's personal life and his professional life as Reeve of Burnaby. Included in the materials are records related to his biological family as well as his adopted family, including records related to his reunion with his birth mother. Notable among his professional records are photographs and newspaper clippings documenting his meeting with Queen Elizabeth II during an official visit prior to her coronation.
- History
- William Randolph "Ran" Beamish was born in Warren, Ontario, on November 11, 1908. He was the child of Gertrude Applegate (nee Pearce) and Randolph Applegate, but when he was put in an orphanage at birth, he was adopted by William Beamish and Agnes Crabbe and raised as their only son. Agnes Crabbe was the daughter of James Crabbe and Emily Widger; Emily Widger was the daughter of Henry Widger and Agnes Oldridge. When Agnes Oldridge passed away, Henry Widger remarried Jessie (maiden name unknown) and had Gertrude, who later went on to give birth to Ran, meaning he was eventually adopted and raised by his first cousins. Ran married Marjorie Davies and had two children, Joanne Beamish and Donna Beamish.
Ran served as the Reeve of Burnaby from 1950 to 1953. He died on January 2, 1965, in New Westminster at the age of 56.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
Less detail
William Randolph Beamish scrapbook
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1861-2009
- Collection/Fonds
- William Randolph Beamish fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- Physical Description
- 3.5 cm. of textual records; 17 small b&w prints; 10 med. prints; and 6 large b&w prints.
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records that were compiled into a binder as a scrapbook by Ilma Beamish Dunn, the adopted sister of William Randolph Beamish. Scope and content notes at the file- and item-level have been drawn from the thorough recordkeeping Dunn employed in creating the scrapbook.
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- 1861-2009
- Collection/Fonds
- William Randolph Beamish fonds
- Series
- William Randolph Beamish scrapbook series
- Physical Description
- 3.5 cm. of textual records; 17 small b&w prints; 10 med. prints; and 6 large b&w prints.
- Description Level
- Series
- Record No.
- 66672
- Access Restriction
- No restrictions
- Accession Number
- 2023-03
- Scope and Content
- Series consists of records that were compiled into a binder as a scrapbook by Ilma Beamish Dunn, the adopted sister of William Randolph Beamish. Scope and content notes at the file- and item-level have been drawn from the thorough recordkeeping Dunn employed in creating the scrapbook.
- Media Type
- Textual Record
- Photograph
Less detail
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- March 16, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.0 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4200 block of William Street with several houses under construction and a sign in the distance reading "Willingdon Heights." This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- March 16, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.4 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of a cleared site at the 4100 block of William Street. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 2, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4100 block of William Street at the beginning of house construction. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 2, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.1 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of house construction at the 4100 block of William Street. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 2, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the construction of several houses at the 4600 block of William Street. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 16, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the the 4100 block of William Street, rear section E, with houses under construction and a car parked out front. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 16, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.3 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4100 block of William Street, rear Section W, with houses under construction. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- April 20, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.4 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4200 block of William Street with houses under construction and lumber in the foreground. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- July 31, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.5 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4300 Block of William Street. A man is in foreground beside the road, and construction site buildings can be seen in the background. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- August 12, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.4 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4100 block of William Street with houses under construction nearing completion on left side of street. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- August 12, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4200 block of William Street with completed houses on the street. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.
William Street
- Repository
- City of Burnaby Archives
- Date
- August 12, 1947
- Collection/Fonds
- Burnaby Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph : b&w negative ; 6.8 x 11.2 cm
- Scope and Content
- Photograph of the 4300 block of William Street with completed houses on the street. This is part of the Willingdon Heights subdivision site.