Fonds consists of a small collection of photographs documenting the life of Mary England (nee Gooding). Photographs include the house of Mary and Alfred England on Royal Oak Avenue; Mary England's house on Griffiths Avenue and of Mary and Alfred England ca. 1915.
Fonds consists of a small collection of photographs documenting the life of Mary England (nee Gooding). Photographs include the house of Mary and Alfred England on Royal Oak Avenue; Mary England's house on Griffiths Avenue and of Mary and Alfred England ca. 1915.
History
Mary England was born to parents Robert and Mary (nee Morgan) Gooding in Wales on March 30, 1879. Mary and her brother Robert Nathaniel Gooding came to Canada from the U.K. in 1905. While living in Canada, Mary met and married Alfred Henry England. The couple lived in a house on Hornby Street in Vancouver which they ran as a boarding house. In 1914, Mary and Alfred moved to a house located at 1906 Royal Oak Avenue and Victory Street in Burnaby (house number changed to7353 after 1958). Alfred worked in the composing room at the Vancouver Province until his untimely death in October 1917. Mary continued to reside in their home on Royal Oak until 1930 when she built and moved into a house on Griffiths Avenue in Burnaby.
Mary was employed as an office clerk with the Municipality of the District of Burnaby. Mary England was an active member of the community including becoming the first president of the West Burnaby auxiliary of the Victorian Order of Nurses between 1915 and 1917 and a founding member of the Burnaby Civic Employees Union in 1919. She often spoke out about issues that impacted female workers, and felt that the wages for the inside workers, many of whom were women, were inadequate. Often on England’s motions, the Union from time to time brought to Council concerns about the treatment of women, including behaviour of managers in the general office, suspension of a young woman for her choice of clothes, and in 1931, health issues that warranted “accommodation…for the ladies in the Hall.” Mary served as president of the union from 1922-1923 and held leadership roles in the New Westminster Trades and Labour Council. Mary served as union secretary until 1934, after losing her position as municipal employee during the Great Depression. She and the union tried to fight her dismissal, but to no avail as they were told that the reasons were purely economic. The union honoured her with a Life time membership at St. Alban's Hall a few months later.
Mary died in Burnaby in 1959 at the age of 79 years.
The Mary England Residence is a one and one-half storey, wood-frame, Period Revival cottage with a steeply pitched, cross-gabled roof. Situated on Griffiths Drive within the Edmonds neighbourhood of Burnaby, the Mary England Residence has an original attached garage.
The Mary England Residence is a one and one-half storey, wood-frame, Period Revival cottage with a steeply pitched, cross-gabled roof. Situated on Griffiths Drive within the Edmonds neighbourhood of Burnaby, the Mary England Residence has an original attached garage.
Heritage Value
The Mary England Residence, built in 1930, is valued as a representation of the period revival styles that were popular in the era between the two World Wars. At this time, it was considered the height of fashion for a house to reflect historical styles, even when combined in an eclectic manner, that expressed a domestic ideal of cozy traditionalism. The Mary England Residence is an exuberant example of this trend. Half-timbering, multi-paned and leaded casement windows and a steeply pitched, cross-gabled roof impart a storybook cottage charm. Its first owner, Mary England, was employed for several years as stenographer at the old Burnaby Municipal Hall. An original attached garage is evidence of the growing presence of automobiles in domestic life of the 1930s.
Additionally, the Mary England Residence is a testament to the continued suburban growth of the Edmonds neighbourhood. During the Edwardian era, the area experienced a housing boom. Its proximity to New Westminster, coupled with its regional transportation links, made it an attractive area for middle-class residences. Despite the economic recession of the 1930s, the Edmonds area continued to develop with modest but handsome housing.
Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Mary England Residence:
- location, in the Edmonds neighbourhood of East Burnaby
- residential form, scale and massing as expressed by its one and one-half storey height with full basement, rectangular plan and steeply pitched cross-gabled roof
- Period Revival elements such as rough-cast stucco, half-timbering, minimal eave overhangs, arched entry with glazed wooden front door, and arched-top feature window
- mixture of windows including: double-hung, multi-paned wooden sash windows in double assembly; 6-over-1 double-hung wooden sash windows in multiple assembly; multi-paned casement windows; and straight-leaded feature windows
- external parged chimney and two internal chimneys
- attached front-gabled garage
- associated landscape features including mature deciduous trees and fruit trees
Photograph of Mary England (nee Gooding) standing outside on the lawn of her home located at 2125 Griffiths Street in Burnaby. The house was built by Mary England in 1930 in a revival style and has been recognized on the Burnaby Community Heritage Register.
Photograph of Mary England (nee Gooding) standing outside on the lawn of her home located at 2125 Griffiths Street in Burnaby. The house was built by Mary England in 1930 in a revival style and has been recognized on the Burnaby Community Heritage Register.
Photograph of a Craftsman style house located at 1906 Royal Oak Avenue near Victory Street in Burnaby (address was changed to 7353 Royal Oak Aveue after 1958). The house was built in 1914 and was the home of Alfred Henry and Mary England (nee Gooding). Alfred H. England died suddenly in 1917. Mary…
Photograph of a Craftsman style house located at 1906 Royal Oak Avenue near Victory Street in Burnaby (address was changed to 7353 Royal Oak Aveue after 1958). The house was built in 1914 and was the home of Alfred Henry and Mary England (nee Gooding). Alfred H. England died suddenly in 1917. Mary England continued to live in the house before settling in a house that she had built on Griffiths Avenue in 1930.
Fonds consists of records created by the Burnaby Civic Employees' Local Union No. 23. Records include Constitutions and Bylaws (1961-1975); documents regarding contract negotiations, the "Annual Meeting" in 1962; a Shop Steward's course booklet (1963) and a document titled "History and Comments" of…
Fonds consists of records created by the Burnaby Civic Employees' Local Union No. 23. Records include Constitutions and Bylaws (1961-1975); documents regarding contract negotiations, the "Annual Meeting" in 1962; a Shop Steward's course booklet (1963) and a document titled "History and Comments" of Local No. 23 written by John Murton.
History
The Burnaby Civic Employees' Union Local No. 23 was chartered in 1919 by the Trades and Labour Congress with an outside labour force of approximately 250 employees of the Corporation of the District of Burnaby. The employees' union was formed under the chairmanship of former engineering clerk, Dick Etches. Mary England was president of the union between 1922 and 1923 and secretary between 1924 and 1934.
On September 13, 1956 the union was chartered by the National Union of Public Employees after being transferred from it's original charter given by the Trades and Labour Congress. The Union is affiliated with the National Union of Public Employees (British Columbia Division), (formerly the Joint Council of Public Employees) and the B.C. Federation of Public Employees from 1943.