History Helps Volume Two, Number 7, June 2002
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• June in History
• The Chinese in British Columbia
• Other Immigrants to Canada
• Election History on the Internet
• 19th Century Directories for B.C.
• Annieville, North Delta
• Ladner in Summer
• Something to Think About
• Privacy, Subscription Policy

June in History

The end of the Boer War (now referred to also as the “South African War”) was reported in The Delta News, 07 June 1902, with a perspective showing the impact on this community:

"PERCY L. DEVEREAUX DEAD

Died From Injuries Received Day Before Peace Was Declared
The many friends of Mrs. Devereaux and family will learn with regret the death of Percy Leonard Devereaux which took place in South Africa, on May 31st, caused by wounds received the day before ..."

The Chinese in British Columbia

In last month’s “History Helps,” I included an item from the 1898 Vancouver Daily World which described the scene when a large group of Chinese men were leaving B. C. to return to their homeland. The following article continues in the same vein, extracted from the Vancouver Daily World, 12 October 1899, page five:

“CHINESE GOING HOME

Exodus of Orientals For Their Old Homes
The Empress of India, leaving Victoria yesterday for Hong Kong, carried a large contingent of Chinese. There were over 400 all told, and it is likely that over 1,000 will leave by the next couple of steamers for the Orient. The same condition exists at Seattle and San Francisco. Next year is to be a big one in the history of China, and this is the chief cause of the great exodus. It is then that the “Six Companies” in America will superintend the shipment of the bones of dead Chinese to China. Representatives of the Empire will be sent to all foreign lands for the same purpose, and the beginning of 1900 will witness impressive ceremonies connected with the reinterment of the bones in the soil of the Flowery Kingdom on a more elaborate scale than ever before. During a period beginning about the middle of January and lasting until the middle of March or April 1, the people in all parts of the Empire will observe a sacred holiday. During its progress fasts and symbolic rites will be observed, and during all this time the task of laying the bones in new resting places will be carried on. It is to witness these ceremonies that a large number of Chinese are journeying across the Pacific.

Another class is going home, never to return, and among these, it is said, are many of the better class of Cantonese to be found in this country. They are those who have grown rich in America, and finding old age coming on, are anxious to go home and spend the remainder of their days in ease and comfort. Many of these are worth several thousands of dollars. The Chinamen of the middle western states, as a class, are better off than those on the coast, because eastern people are less prejudiced against the race and more freely patronize them.”

Other Immigrants to Canada

In past issues I have quoted here a number of articles from newspapers dealing with Home Children and other immigrants viewed as less than ideal. The following article through its title immediately conveys an attitude to similar arrivals. The item appeared on the front page of The Vancouver Daily World, Tuesday, 03 May 1892.

“Are They Desirable Classes?

A London despatch states that 50 stalwart lads, whose ages range from 13 to 17 years, have just started for Canada, under the auspices of the Children’s Aid society, which defrays the cost of clothing and passage, something about 13 [pounds sterling], for each boy. The majority of the youths go direct to Winnipeg, whence they will distribute themselves, it is understood, throughout the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. Cynics predict, however, that the most [sic] of them will speedily find their way to the large cities of Canada and the United States, where they will be likely to resume the kind of life that has indirectly led to their expatriation. Nearly all the boys have been inmates of industrial schools, either as a consequence of crime or parental neglect. Critics of this sort of assisted emigration argue that Canada is entitled to have a better class of persons sent out from the Mother Country. They also complain that nobody thinks of helping lads of stainless character to get homes in the new world, the efforts of the charitable in this respect being almost exclusively lavished on persons from whom it is unreasonable to expect good results.”

As a matter of interest, if you search the National Archives site, under “Home Children,” at this link http://www.archives.ca/02/020110_e.html, you can find the names of all these boys, 57 in total, most of whom were shown as destined for Winnipeg. The name of the ship is the SS Numidian. This is an invaluable website, but it can get very busy, so you might have to persist in trying to access it.

A Website to Explore

I came across this one in a search for something else (isn’t that often the way?) and thought some readers might enjoy this website called “Elections B.C.”, subtitled “A non-partisan Office of the Legislature.” Its web address is http://www.elections.bc.ca/index.html

Choosing from a number of options on the site map, I clicked on the button “Election/By-election” which led me to all sorts of interesting history. I limited myself to looking into “Electoral History of British Columbia 1871 - 1986” and here one can choose from the list of elections to explore the results of a number of other areas of curiosity. Anyone interested in the “Women Members of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia” (an alphabetical list with some details) or “Plebiscites and Referenda” (including definitions)?

Old Directories as a Source of Information

Whether we're doing genealogy, family research or historical research, we tend to think of city and regional directories as sources of information about people at a given time. We typically want to know whether John Doe resided in a certain place and for how long and what his occupation was.

In a previous issue I referred to a collection of 19th century B. C. Directories that I had come across in the Koerner Library at the University of British Columbia. The call number is AW 1 R 7757.

It was a revelation to discover, in a perusal of randomly selected directories, that there was a great deal more to be uncovered from such sources. The Index to the collection indicates quite clearly on which reel individual directories are located. Here’s a sampling of some of those discoveries:

Reel Two

“First Victoria Directory Second Issue and British Columbia Guide” 1868 By Edwd. Mallandaine Architect - included officers aboard H.M.S. Zealous.

“Cubery’s Visitors Guide to Victoria” 1875.

“Guide to the Province of British Columbia For 1877-8,” T. N. Hibben & Co., Publishers - included a “dictionary” of Chinook jargon (page 222 ff.).

Reel Three

“Pacific Coast Directory” for 1880-81
containing Names, Business and Address
L. M. McKenney & Co., Publishers, 43 Clay Street, San Francisco, Cal.

“Entered ... in the year 1880 ... in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington”
includes California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Arizona and British Columbia
***Largely a business directory***

Reel Four

“Disturnell’s Business Directory ... of the West Coast,” 1882-83
includes California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Mexico.
British Columbia is poorly represented -- mostly a coverage of California, especially San Francisco (over 200 pages).

Reel Five

“McKenney’s Pacific Coast Directory” 1883 - 84;
date of publication is December 1882
includes San Francisco, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico.
Don’t miss the addenda for British Columbia on page 1489.

Reel Seven

“City of Vancouver Handbook” 1887, Compiled by M. Picken
Published and Printed at the Daily News Office 1887 - included an interesting map at the beginning.

“The New West” Extending from the Great Lakes across Plain and Mountain to the Golden Shores of the Pacific. Wealth and Growth. Manufacturing and Commercial Interests. Historical, Statistical, Biographical. Illustrated. Published in Winnipeg, Man., Canadian Historical Publishing Co., 1888. -- includes some good photographs (Notman) and excellent sketches.

To be continued in “History Helps,” July 2002.

Annieville, North Delta

An example of the kind of relevant historical information that can be found follows:

“PORT KELLS
INCLUDING BARNSTON ISLAND AND ANNIEVILLE

Port Kells is situated on [the] left bank of [the] Fraser River, about 10 miles above New Westminster ...

At Annieville, a mile or so below Port Kells, is a large brickyard. The proprietors of the brickyard intend going fully into the manufacture of Pottery, as the clay there is of the very best quality, experts claiming that it is equal in quality to that used in the great potteries in England...”

The individuals in the list that were employed at the brickyard were:
“Embrough, A. H., brick maker, Annieville”
“Popperwell, _____, head potter, Annieville”
“Vascoe, _____, brick maker, Annieville”
“Wenger, F J, brick maker, Annieville”
“Williams, _____, brick maker, Annieville”

The above information comes from Williams Directory, 1891, pp. 98-99.

For anyone interested in the brick manufacturing plant at Annieville, I found this item in The Delta Times, 20 April 1912, page three:

“BRICK-MAKING INDUSTRY
Plant at Anniville [sic], Across the River, Being Put in Modern Shape -- Good Market

ANNIEVILLE, April 17 -- Within 20 minutes gasoline boat run of New Westminster, situated in a ravine on the south bank of the Fraser river, and about midway between Annieville and Sunbury, lies the Western Canada Brick Company’s brick works. It is an ideal spot for an industry of the kind, plenty of raw material in the splendid clay banks of the bluffs overlooking the river in close proximity to the plant, and transportation facilities in excelsis [sic] by road, water and rail.

The present company only acquired the property in February last from the Fraser River Brick & Tile Company, and since the weather conditions became propitious , have been chiefly engaged in renovating the sheds and outside buildings ...”

The remainder of the article describes the brick-making process and the plant’s capacity.

Summer is Coming

... and the Ladner Village Market’s 7th season will kick off on Sunday, June 9th at 10 a.m. on 48th Avenue in the original village. If you live in the Lower Mainland, a trip to Ladner is a Sunday outing that offers not only interesting shopping (food items and crafts), but also some charming scenery and a relaxed small-town atmosphere.

I’ll be selling my books, as well as postcards of local scenes and heritage buildings, from my usual spot on Haviland Street. However, I’ll be attending on only three days this year: opening day (Sunday, June 9th), and the two Sundays in August (August 11th and 18th). Do stop by and say hello.

Something to Think About

From the Vancouver Daily World, 24 April 1899: "Man's experience is like his spectacles -- seldom a good fit for any other man."

Reminder

These newsletters are all dated. Consequently, some of the websites recorded therein may no longer be operating at the stated web address.

Subscription, Privacy Policy

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Gwen Szychter, M.A.

P.S. Here's a favour you can do for me: If you liked this newsletter and found it helpful or just interesting, please pass it on to a friend or colleague. Thank you.

Newspaper Obituary Database coming to

History of Delta, British Columbia On-line

Delta History On-Line

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