Salt Spring Island Archives

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Furness Family

The Furness Family

Furness Children

from left

George, Kate, William, Annie

circa 1886

George Furness

Taken in Norfolk pror to emigrating.

Kate Williams (Later Furness).

taken in Camborne prior to emigrating.

Burgoyne Valley

Left

School, Manse, Church

Notes on Kate Furness

Furness Family History

They had four children, Kate, born September 14, 1876, in Nanaimo, Annie born September 2, 1878 in Wellington near Nanaimo, George born February 15, 1880, and William James born February 4, 1882, both boys were born in Victoria.

George and Kate settled on Salt Spring Island and remained on the Island for the rest of their lives. They had over 200 acres of farmland land spanning the Ganges-Fulford Highway.

George, Sr. died on October 27, 1898. Kate, sr. passed away October 4th, 1932, both on Salt Spring Island.

George, Jr. and William lived on Salt Spring Island their entire lives. George left the Island once. to visit their sister, Kate in Kamloops. He had a severe stutter and became very reclusive in his latter years. He passed away July 22, 1952.

William was very astute with his money , never had a bank account and kept money hidden in the house. One story about William, is when he went to Victoria in the early 1900s to purchase a Grey Dort automobile. He was dressed in overalls and looked the part of a poor farmer. He was ignored by the sales staff, until one salesman finally approached him and asked if he could show him any cars. William’s reply was that he wanted to buy a new car at which point, he took him into his office and asked how he would like to finance it. “Finance it!”, exclaimed William, “I pay cash”, at that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash and paid on the spot. And drove off the lot.

William sold the farm in the late 1950s. He passed away on April 26, 1976.

George and Annie, as well as George, Jr and William along with Annie’s mother Kate Williams, are all buried at Union Cemetery, Ganges.

Kate Katherine was actually registered as KATE on her birth certificate.

Katherine Furness qualified as a teacher from normal School on July 28, 1893. Her certificates were upgraded from third class to second in 1895 and to first in 1901. She taught school on Saltspring Island, BC, first at Beaver Point School for the 1893-94 year, then at North End School. After attending Normal School for one year she taught at Burgoyne School from 1900 until 1902 or 03 (where she had been a student) and in 1905 moved to Kamloops to teach at Stuart Wood School.

In the January 1903 Salt Spring Island Church Monthly, it states that, "A concert was held at the Burgoyne Bay School, where Miss Furness is teacher, Friday, December 12. The object was to raise money to provide an organ for the school. About $30.00 was collected.

Katie moved from Salt Spring Island to teach in Kamloops. There she met Walter George Lloyd and they married in Victoria on July 2, 1905. They lived their entire married life in Kamloops and had four sons, all born in Kamloops.

Katherine remained in Kamloops until 1949 when she moved to Vancouver to reside with her son William Ernest Woods Lloyd, first at 771 East 30th Avenue, then at 3204 West 29th Avenue, where she passed away on May 21, 1955. She is buried in Kamloops.

Annie Married Robert McGuffie on July 20, 1907 at the family home on Salt Spring Island. They had two sons. Sadly Annie passed away of stomach cancer on August 2nd, 1910, when their youngest child was only six months old. She is buried at Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria.