Salt Spring Island Archives
John Stevens was born in the mid 1850s on a Greek island called Psara. His full name was Yianni Nikolas Yiannaris. At age 14, John began to sail all over the world. He did many odd jobs and found himself in Nanaimo in 1874. John began to sail again and jumped ship near Burrard Inlet (this became part of the city of Vancouver). John found himself in New Westminster and then Coquitlam where he learned how to cut cedar bolts. After the cedar bolt cutting, John tried his hand at fishing. He got into fishing and canning on the Fraser River. He did quite well for himself.
At this point, John was still going by Yianni Nikolas Yiannaris. He was convinced by a fellow Greek man to change it to John Stevens in order to obtain a fishing license. Stevens met another Greek man who owned a schooner. This man lived in Salt Spring, so John went with him to check it out. This man was Joseph King. John continued working for canneries over the years and managed to make a bit of money doing so. He made good friends with Joseph and ended up receiving some land from him.
Joseph King arranged for his step daughter to marry a man but she ran away. She was eventually married off to John. They got married in 1883. They went on to have eight children, one of whom died in childbirth. They owned the land next to King’s land. John was always off fishing which left Emma to take care of the land and the children.
Their marriage fell apart after the birth of their last son Peter. One of the sons remembers his mother coming to see her children sometimes but John would not allow her in his home. It is rumored that Emma had an affair with George Fisher and had twins and that is why she was kicked out of John’s house. When she was asked to leave, she returned to her mothers reserve and Chief Tsish, her grandfather, took her and her daughter Irene in. John moved himself and his children to Deas Island in 1910, but they only lived there during fishing season. The other times they were home on the farm on Salt Spring.
Emma King then went on to marry George Shepard. Two of Emma and John’s sons, Peter and Andrew, began fishing just as their father had done. They soon realized that there weren't enough fish for the amount of fisherman. So they sold their boat and returned to their four acre farm that they inherited. They bought 40 acres and another 160 acres for a grand total of $5,500. They soon ended up with 500 acres of land through inheritance. They tried their luck with cattle and sheep but realized you could only do one. So they sold their cattle and bega shearing the sheep to send off to a tannery, then the wool was shipped off to Portugal. Some land was sold over time leaving them with 160 acres.
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Emma King and George Shepherd. Emma was born 1868, and died 1968, Mr King her step father wanted her to marry a Greek. He arranged her wedding In 1883 to a Greek Turk, a friend of Mr. King’s. She was 14 years old. She ran away and the marriage was never consumated. She married John Stevens and they had 8 children.
Emma married George Shepherd around 1906.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 1909?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009001
Mary Pappenberger, Emma Shepherd and Irene Stevens. Taken at Stevens’ property, at “King Cove.”
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 1924
Extent and Physical Description: black and white
Accession number: 2005009002
Mary Tsish from the Songhees Reserve. Married Joseph King, who came to Canada from Greece
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 18?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009003
__? King, drowned when the Triumph sank.
Sophie King was to marry him, but he drowned and she married his brother, Leon.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009004
Peter Stevens, Joan Silick and Andrew Stevens. First year the Stevens grew alfalfa.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 1942
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009005
Irene Stevens, daughter of Emma and John Stevens.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009006
Irene Stevens, Andrew and Peter Stevens
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 1915?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009007
Mamie Shepherd, born Jan 22, 1906, died May 6, 1921 of typhoid fever.
Carolyn Shepherd, daughters of Emma and George Shepherd
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009008
King brothers
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009009
Sophie ( Purser) King. George Fisher, her half brother. When she was three years old she went to the convent and was there until she was 17.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009010
Angelena, first child of Emma (King) Stevens and John Stevens. She taught school in the interior when she was 16 years old.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009011
Joan Selick, daughter of Irene (Stevens) Silick and Mitchell Silick
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009012
Irene, Andrew and Peter Stevens
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: black and white
Accession number: 2005009013
Shortest lady, Irene Stevens and her friends in a field of daisys.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009015
Sophie King, George Shepherd standing. Emma Shepherd sitting beside Leon King. On beach at King Cove. Do not know childrenÕs names
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009016
Emma Shepherd. Mary Tsish her mother and believed, an Irish dad. Her step father was Joseph King. He wanted her to marry a Greek and arranged a marriage to a Greek Turk when she was 14 years old. She ran away and the marriage was never consumated. She married John Stevens and had five children, she had an affair with George Fisher and had twins. John Stevens asked her to leave and she returned to Victoria to her mother’s reserve taking her daughter Irene with her. She then married George Shepherd around 1906.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009018
Irene Stevens, daughter of Emma (King) Stevens and John Stevens
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 1899
Extent and Physical Description: sepia
Accession number: 2005009019
Irene Stevens wedding to Mitchell Sileck.
l-r Ruckle; John Stevens; George Stevens sitting in front. Behind grandfather, Mary Stevens, sister of the groom. Mary Pappenberger, bridesmaid; Mitchell Sileck, groom, Irene. Behind groon, best man, John Sileck, sitting on ground is Lasseter
Charlie Neaves, Andrew Stevens, ... Peter Stevens, Lasseter
May 11, 1925
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 1925
Extent and Physical Description: black and white
Accession number: 2005009020
John Stevens, Nicholas, Peter, Irene, and George
In the early 1920’s.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: black and white
Accession number: 2005009021
Two King brothers and Adolph Trage in center.
Collection: Joan Ingram
Location: Home of Joan Ingram
Date: 19?
Extent and Physical Description: black and white
Accession number: 2005009023
