271_Byron-Family-History.mp3

otter.ai

19.04.2023

no

Unknown Speaker 0:00
A very nice introduction. Thank you. Bob did say this is going to be an interesting presentation. I don't know how he knows that. He hasn't seen it yet. The first thing he did was turn the lights out on me. Anyway, welcome and I hope you enjoy this presentation. The presentation basically is on the buyer and family when they hit Saltspring Island. I didn't go back too far into England because we could probably be here until this time next year. It's very large family. So from when we was a little bit of history from when they left Saskatchewan. So I hope you enjoy this. Byron family parents, Jessie and Elizabeth and their five sons, Kenneth Terrence Howard, Colin and Franklin forever known as Mike arrived on Saltspring on November the 17th 1934. That'll be 80 years ago, this coming November. It also happened to be their wedding anniversary. They possess very few belongings having escaped the drought and depression of the prayers. They had few clothes and very little furniture. Their largest possession was a wood cookstove that Jesse had purchased in Vancouver, as he was unsure if they could purchase one on salts tonight and they had lost most of their livestock due to drought and severe weather on their corner section of land in Stockholm, Saskatchewan. Stockholm was a small farming community in southeastern Saskatchewan on the edge of the Capelle Valley. Jessie Elizabeth had turned their form over to a local businessman to sell and pay down their debts. After a long weary train ride, they arrived in Mission BC. They then took the day coach to Abbotsford where they checked into an auto court be a first war vet. Jessie visited the local Legion to get some information. He met a gentleman who told him of a farm for sale on Saltspring Island. Returning to the audit court he exclaimed his family by God will go they arrived in Ganges Harbor on November the 17th 1934. Aboard the Princess Mary. The first person they met when they got off the boat was Gavin Moy. Both the first war veterans Jessie and Gavin struck up a conversation. Jesse told Gavin about his plans to look at a farm that he'd heard was for sale. That would be the Hicks place Gavin said but that house is just a couple of chicken coops pulled together. No place to raise a family. I'll show it to you. But I'll show you a property on the north end road with a house a barn full of hay and several outbuildings. The next day, November the 18th. Gavin showed the buyer and family both places. My father Terry told me the story of how Gavin ma offered the North End fund to Jessie for $3,000. My grandfather explained to Gavin that he didn't have $300 Do which Gavin Moore replied. You take this form for your family. Mr. Byron, you seem a very honest man to me. You pay me when you can. My grandfather Jesse would later tell others that he had more respect for Gavin law than he did for King George the sixth. They chose the North End farm on that pond road where my Uncle Ken still lives today. The other fun that Hicks place is now the Malibu subdivision. Guide Cunningham moved the Byron Zander belongings to the farm on November the 19th 1934. And life began at the fun named wood roughy named after a roughly wooded area that they knew in England. They purchased a cow from their neighbor Harry knew and marketed the milk. It wasn't long before they were able to add poultry hogs and sheep to their operation. They were starting to make money and pay off the farm. They were soon able to afford a cream separator and sell butter and cream. The older boys can in Terry I worked on the farm, but also found work with the neighbors. They pick berries and put up hay for the chandeliers, John and his sisters Simone and Paulette. My father has told me how Simone could throw loose hay on the hay wagon faster he that he and brother can, can stack it. Anybody that knew Suwon knew how she could work. She was mentally strong, and just a small lady. They also worked for Jesse bond. Malcolm's father in his market garden was just still under production today. Four generations of violence have worked at the bond, the bond a respond. Mary doll, who was a friend of Jesse and Elizabeth had come to visit from Stockholm, Saskatchewan. During her visit, she met Jesse, who she later married to boys put up firewood for the neighbors using an old crosscut saw. They delivered milk cream and eggs to their customers, some of which were Tommy Greer and Judge Henry Costello. The old cowboy judge, Judge Costello had bought land here in 1931. On the North Beach Road in the area of what is now Castilian way. The farm was making money So Elizabeth was able to purchase some real furniture some of which came out of the old Vesuvius in dining room and is still in use today. Situated at the junction of North End Road and Fernwood road, the boys attended North Vesuvius school until the end of grade eight, go school sat to the right up on the hill. And my uncle Colin actually later bought that property.

Unknown Speaker 7:05
They attended high school in Ganges at the old chicken house, located I believe somewhere in the vicinity of the man Hall. My Uncle Ken told me of the first students that went there, spent more time pinching lice than they did hitting the books. In night 1939 When war was declared on Germany, Ken and Terry were already in the militia with the 13th Platoon Canadian Scottish regiment. There was a Canadian Scottish had a 13th Platoon on Saltspring. And I think most of the young fellows that grew up here for lack of things to do, join the militia. They went off to Victoria with many other island boys to train and get ready to go overseas. One of their first missions was to man the heavy artillery battery at Mary Hill in the chosen to protect the entrance to Victoria Harbour. My father terriers pulled me it was there that he received his credentials for pick and shovel. After that came another defense mission in UQ lives for several months. On their way back by ship to Port Alberni. The captain became very intoxicated and nearly put them on the rocks. Then it was back to Victoria and off to the training depo and divert Nova Scotia. It was October and very cold. The barracks weren't finished yet. No doors, no windows and no latrines. The locals turned the tarpaper shacks into moneymakers by installing coffee urns and Wurlitzer to get the truck to something to do and make up. As my dad said there was nothing else to do not long after they went overseas on the troop ship strapped even. It was a long trip as he spent a lot of time dodging U boats. They spent a great deal of time training in the lead up to D Day. Ken landed in Normandy on June the sixth 1944 and tear Terry followed on D plus five with a number one replacement unit. Of all the Salt Spring Island boys who joined the 13th platoon and went overseas. Only one day at home. That was a young fella by the name of Ronnie hula. And Rodney hold live for a while, grew up on a farm at the end of trip road which later became my uncle Kempson where I know that. After the war ended, Ken went on to complete a 40 year career in the army, where he was stationed at various locations. including Europe, Korea, and even some spent some time in the US. One about the Kim's most memorable moments in his militia military career was when he was with the Black Watch the Royal College regimen. The queen mother, who was the colonel in Chief of the regiment, arrived in Montreal to prep present the regimen with its new colors. And Ken was selected as the senior Warrant Officer to attend. This meant that he was the center of the parade, marking commands to 2000 troops in front of 20,000 spectators at Molson Stadium in Montreal. There was no room for error, and they pulled it off without a single mistake. I remember as a young boy sitting in front of the television, watching it on CBC. On one of his visits home, Ken was urged by his father. By property, the day will come when you won't be able to afford to buy on salt stream. That's when he bought the property at the end of trip wrote.

Unknown Speaker 11:22
In 1976, upon his retirement can return to the original Biron homestead, where he started his second career. Funny. He still resides at his farm today at the age of 93. He is very well known for his produce, vegetables and fruit from his well manicured orchard, and for his beef, which he still raises. After the war, Terry settled in Victoria, and found work at the dockyard in 1948, he went with the Canadian Scottish to the Fraser Valley to fight floods. He met and married his wife, Marjorie and Victoria, where they have four children. Darryl, can Darlene and Barbara in 1955, Terry came home to Salt Spring with his young family. They would go along to have six more children, Linda, Ian, Michael, Berry, Teresa, and Vivian for route of 10. They bought a small farm at the top of hedger road. He was employed for a time by mullet brothers. He also worked for tech gear at bhaker fields feed store, which was on the dock in Ganges. He went on to a 30 year career with the BC Ferries system, retiring in 1986. All this time, he ran a herd of beef cattle, a milk collar to a flock of sheep, usually border cheviots as they were his favorite, and a source and an assortment of poultry. Terry still lives on the farm today at the age of 92 and still goes to the barn each day to feed his cows. Howard I'm doing these in order of their age so Howard joined the Canadian Infantry Corps as soon as he was old enough. He served the time and be suckered this time in BC. But the war ended before he ever got overseas. Back on Saltspring. He found employment in logging, selling real estate, land development and of course, fun. Back in the 60s, he operated leisure lanes bowling alley, along with his wife for several years. How will name which is up past the old bowling alley, was named after Howard and his wife Elena. He and Ellen also raised 10 children. Charlie, Rhonda Jesse, Susan Patrick, Pamela, Jennifer Keating, colon and Sunday. Howard passed away on October the 24th 1991 after suffering a heart attack. Dogs had chased a flock of his sheep and ran them into the water down at Beaver point. Asked for rescuing them from the water. He had gone home and then gone to bed. The next morning his good friend, Colonel Jack Clancy, who used to stop and have coffee with him I think every morning for many many years, discovered him unresponsive in bed. He had just turned 65 and never got the cash or pension check. Calling it is said could pull across that saw which they call the Swedish fiddle as good as Ford better than any sweet. That's he got the nickname polling. He started his career as a father when he was just 16. His plan was to save enough money to buy his own farm. He to like all his brothers, has asked the love of farming call and spent much of his time working on the family farm. I remember him shearing sheep cutting firewood, putting up buildings built from Cedar poles that he had in the bush. He also did a lot of farm fencing, cutting and splitting posts in the bushes he needed them. He logged in many areas of the province, but mostly it camps up and down the coast with his friend, neighbor and falling partner Dave McLaughlin. Dave's grandson Paul Smith, has worked for me now for about 30 years. Colin's dream of owning his own farm was realized in I think 19 5960 When he purchased beaver point font that had once belonged to Jim increment. It is the farm that Mike and that they have eventually settled on. Colin's intention was to quit falling and take up farming full time. However, it was not meant to be as he was killed in a logging accident at Kelsey Bay on December the 21st 1961. He was 32 years old. My grandmother found a notebook amongst his possessions in which he had written a list under the heading. What I like and what I want was an insight into columns character, and read as follows. Number one, to be equal, not better. Number two, to be trusted and respected. Number three, to fulfill promises. Number four, to help others by telling them what I know. Number five, to have property specifically a farm and the home. And lastly, number six, freedom. I was 10 years old when he died but to this day, I can still hear his laugh as he would sit in our kitchen and tell my mother's corny jokes over a cup of tea. He had a terrific sense of humor unless he was dressed up to go out somewhere. His day to day attire consisted of this court boots is falling pants cut off at the top of his boots. And a white Stanfield sweater with the sleeves cut off halfway between his wrist and his elbows. And he wore those things, I think 365 days a year. Winter selling he was truly a real character. Franklin, or Mike as everyone except his mother called him. completed all his schooling on Saltspring. He was three years old when the family arrived here. He graduated in 1949. An enrolled in teacher training at age 19. He was hired by the Surrey school district where he taught for 11 years 10 of those his principal met his future wife Deb there. In 1961. Mike accepted a job at the Saltspring Elementary Secondary School as Pe instructor and the two of them came home to Salt Springs settling on the beaver point fun. There they raised three daughters, Frances, Jacqueline and Nadine. In his 38 year teaching career on salt straight he taught physical education, social studies English law, science, community rec. But the one subject that he was probably best known for was the one that he created who set up the hot after school because that Aggie program, agricultural program that all the students knew by April.

Unknown Speaker 19:29
He retired from teaching in 1988 and continued operating his farm with his wife Beth. They ran a substantial herd of cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry and spent countless hours cutting and wrapping and eat in their basement. Mike loved agriculture and worked tirelessly to promote it. In 1976, he was instrumental in reinstating the islands fall fair that had locks for several years since the 50s. Over the years, Mike received countless awards and accolades for his contributions to community and agriculture locally and provincially. Mike passed away on July the 14th 2013. His wife Ben is still operating the fund. Might also, as a lot of you know, was a real character. And any of you that attended his service would be called a lot of the young people up there telling stories about Mike. But the one that sticks out in my mind was he used to coach he was always the guy who was coaching the soccer teams or volleyball or basketball, driving kids. So that's before everybody had to have a seat belt. So there weren't a lot of volunteers around to drive and they have to go off island so he loaded all these kids in the back of his pickup truck and away they go. Anyways, this one this one time they were on their way home, there was a farmer out in this field putting truck hauling his hay in the barn, and it was starting to rain while Uncle Mike veered into the field, all or that the boys get that, hey loaded up boys. So they miss two or three berries, but they got all the hay in the barn to the front. After that, he fed the ball. That's the kind of guy Uncle Mike was. As I mentioned previously, my father Terry lived in Victoria for about nine years before purchasing his farm and moving back to Saltspring. My first memories of Saltspring were weekend visits to my grandparents farm when I was three or four years old. I remember they had an all cranked telephone and a party line, but no electricity. That didn't come until 1956 or 57. I remember that big tall kerosene lamps sitting on the kitchen table. And they always intrigued me. At that time. My mother was a smoker. But these lamps were quite weird to me as a young boy, they seemed like they were about this big. But I was always intrigued because my mother would lean up over the top of that glass and Lakers cigarette.

Unknown Speaker 22:30
Water came from the shallow hand dug well and was pumped with an old gas pump to the water tank the tower to both the house from where it would gravity feed to the house. My grandfather Jesse would go outside in the morning, fire up the pump, fire up his old pipe and wait until he heard the water splashing over from the water tank and then he would shut the pump off. He had a habit of sticking his pipe in his back pocket. One day he came into the house, sat down in his chair and proceeded to give Elizabeth hell for burning something. However, it wasn't long before he realized that it wasn't Elizabeth who was burning something. It was the seat of his pants on fire

Unknown Speaker 23:19
Jessie Elizabeth we're both terrific gardeners. He with his fruits and vegetables, and she with her magnificent flower gardens. Being as busy as she was baking bread, baking sweets for all the grandchildren, cooking and canning everything from meat to fruit to vegetables. I don't know how she found the time for her flower garden, but they resemble the mini Butchart Gardens. They were true English folks. So always had your big meal of the day at two or three in the afternoon. I can still taste that greasy old English cooking to this day. But the one meal I never ever forgot was in the early summer when the new piece of potatoes were ready. And we would have them with a roasted leg of spring land. Even at four years old, it was to die for. I remember watching uncle colon and Uncle Mike sharing my grandfather's sheep with a set of wool hand shears. They must have had a incredibly strong hands that I have a set of little shears that I occasionally use to train my own sheep. After a couple of minutes. My hands are cramped and eating, but they seem to be able to share sheep all day long. Later on the ladies from the couch and tribes would come and visit Elizabeth and buy her wool to make college and sweaters. They especially like the silver and brown wool and would pay dearly for it. Jesse's chickens were almost free range. They have to run out the barnyard during the day But we're locked up at night so the raccoons wouldn't get them. On one occasion I remember he had a prize white Leghorn rooster. As a kid, that rooster scared the daylights out of me. He had spurs on him about two inches long. And he was mean. Every Sunday, Elizabeth would walk to St. Mark's Church at Central. I don't believe she ever missed a Sunday as long as she was mobile. She would usually get a ride home to F Ron road. And from there walk to the house. This particular Sunday morning, she was intercepted by that labor and rooster. I was standing at the gate watching as the route booster launched this attack. I was horrified. Elizabeth almost walked with a cane. So with the aid of her cage, she finally managed to beat him off and make it to the gate. She had wounds on her legs and her nylons were shredded. And I think she was in tears. Well, it wasn't long before Jesse appeared. accident happened. It was doomsday for that old rooster and went on the chopping block and he never attacked another person. Being the two oldest in our family, Darrell and I would stay with Jesse and Elizabeth in the summertime. We would sleep in the list of this big old iron bed with her. It probably wasn't that big, but to me, it's a child that seemed huge. She always slept the thunder mug under the bed at night just in case. early every morning, Jessie would appear at the side of the bed with a cup of tea almost as big as that Thunderman they called it the Pope. We would all sit up in bed and she would pour tea in the saucer and pass it together on the meter great. They were fond memories. Later on as teenagers on Saltspring Island, Daryl and I would go hunting, strike off through the back of our font on hedger road go up across the page road app through the bush as far as starts Roden Walker hook road none of that land was developed back then. You only houses along Starks road belong to miles Atchison, the Starks family and later on in the 60s Oscar Wallace. We will then walk back home down the main road with our rifle slung over our shoulders. We seldom ever saw a deer. The deer population back then was controlled by the residents as most of us funded for me. No one complained of gunshots. Another memory that sticks in my mind was riding the school bus in inclement weather. As the bus struggled to make it up some of the slippery slippery hills, our bus driver Graham shows would order all the boys off the bus where the bus got stuck on the hill. He then back down, take a run up the hill and no boys were ordered to get behind the bus to push them over the hill.

Unknown Speaker 28:20
Over the past 80 years, the Byron family has had an impact on Saltspring on Jesse Elizabeth couldn't have imagined what they started. They had a passion for farming. And it's evident in the four generations who have fallen out. They came from humble beginnings. And they worked hard. They were honest and possessed a determination to succeed. That made me proud to be a buyer. Thank you

Unknown Speaker 29:07
we can feel some questions. I think my brother Darrell now is going to I haven't seen anything that he's done. So it's going to be a surprise. He's going to show you some pictures. Thank you very much.

Unknown Speaker 29:22
That was great. Good afternoon. My name is Carol. I'm the eldest of Terry Moore boys and girls. I left Saltspring in 1965. And Kenny mentioned in his narrative about some of the Bible and humor and a couple of stories that come to mind right away was Uncle Mike he Annette Bev would routinely take in borders And it wasn't about six months or so ago that my wife was at a dog show on Vancouver Island and Bruce McEwen came up, Jordan said, yeah, he says my assuredness uncle money. You said, I'll tell you a funny story. He said, My brother and I decided that we were going to go drinking on a Friday night. So they headed out, and they started drinking. While they close down the pub, and then somebody similar to host party here, somebody else's place the way they went. Anyways, they ended up getting home about four o'clock in the morning. But before they went in, they said Let's be quiet, not wake anybody up. So to get to the door, turn the handle, step inside and Uncle Mike's daddy not dressed in jeans in the plaid red shirt. Oh, hi, guys. She says Nice to see up bright and early. We can start chores now.

Unknown Speaker 31:09
There was another story. I've skipped my mind. But anyway, a little bit on these photos. I have a lot of stuff lined up in thanks to him for patience and spending the day with me. I'm not a computer geek and I hit the wrong button when I was having sleep and lost it all. So I had to start from scratch scratch. And I saw bench when I could I didn't get everybody in. There's a lot of Byron pictures out there. But that's a project that we collectively have to work to get this together and make sure that our archives are stored for future reference. So a skirt. Oh, I guess, action

Unknown Speaker 31:57
this is the Byron family credit. This is where graded bartering was raised in Lincolnshire, in England. No, we weren't going to dwell too much on England, but it was there and I wondered what are them this is what grandma Byron was raised in this area here. And it was the house. The head gamekeeper lady Pilkington's estate. Were Harry Davis died in 1904. And then Davies married Shapley. Anyways, that's that areas still look the same as it basically back then except the buildings have changed a little bit. This is another view of granddad Byron's property where he was raised. And this is now a shopping center. These photos came to me from Byron's in England

Unknown Speaker 33:12
alternative but that's okay. This is Brandon Byron's mother and dad William and Ellen. At the top. William was born in in Wexford, Ireland. And Ellen was born in England. They had Kenny Williams, Thomas, Helen. Herbert, Polly, Bessie, Jesse, Harold, and there's one more Reuben, which a lot of the family members to this day were not aware of. Anyways, that said, and that was told to me by Uncle Ken, that Mary or Polly at a club blood and there's a I guess there is a connection to Lord Byron, the famous poet and he had a club foot so somewhere in there there there's possibly a connection. We haven't proven it yet but

Unknown Speaker 34:16
course granddad's and grandmas in their uniforms, can you give you some details on both of them? About their, their military, or which units they belong to? That photo was their wedding day. Looks like you'll see some Byron resemblance here that's for sure. Anyways, granddad was a sapper, he attained the rank of sapper. And grandma, she rose to the rank of regimental Sergeant Major. That was the story the other story is getting tell you. We come sneaking into the house up at the farm and grind wouldn't be natural in a way to granddad and he'd be in the back room reading. Anyways, you'd hear all of a sudden, for Christ's sake, Mother piped down, hold her back. You'd be quiet. I rank you

Unknown Speaker 35:20
this is the Sunday school book that grandma Byron used to get started in her Sunday schools at the north end there was a lot of people that went to the school. That was her tour in the living room where the piano was. And singing the old songs all things break the beautiful and, and grandma taught us a lot from from that book. All her teachings came from that look. This is a picture of Pamela Byron right here and grandma, one of her church fates. This is the old Byron homestead in Stockholm, Saskatchewan and Coachella Valley. This picture was taken by our sister late sister Darlene. The farm house, I guess from what I've heard is on its last legs, and I think they were going to push it over with a bulldozer because it was dangerous to cattle livestock.

Unknown Speaker 36:30
Elizabeth Davies born 1885 and died in 1974. She was the seventh child of Margaret Burton Davies and Mr. Davies. She spent her younger years in the boldest states and that's the picture I showed you earlier when we started. At the outbreak of World War One she joined the WAC the women's army until record the signing to Aldershot. She would have tended to the military business on the base and instructed young recruits in their duties. And here she is Sergeant Major Elizabeth Davies. There's another picture. I hope I've got it included and we may come across it Jesse and Elizabeth sitting in the garden now grandma Byron had an excellent garden there was people came from all over to come and look at her garden. The rock work we would look at her hands and her fingernails were all black and blue and her fingernails were dented because of moving those big rocks around. Sometimes she get us young kids to help her help maneuver them. granddad was a gardener as well. This is a picture of grandma Byron right here and Jesse. Jesse Byron. They're laying the wreath every November the 11th She would parade out their coat or brown Oxfords in parades and place the wreath on behalf of the Byron family that's does cropped and right there as the pre commander

Unknown Speaker 38:09
here's the original sign we're dropping out uncle Kansas place the old farm and it translates as Kenny said roughly would here's a picture of grandma in later years and she's holding our her niece Darlene his daughter Cynthia

Unknown Speaker 38:36
seen in passing this is it very difficult to read. But I'm just telling you basically, grandma had gone to Victoria I guess to visit when the Queen the Princess Royal was there. Now the Princess Royal was the honorary colonel of the Canadian Scottish regiment that dad and uncle kin belong to and I guess at her visit and grandma went along to visitor and of course grandma had connections with the Princess Royal Mother during wartime. So they had a long chat. This is the picture grammar Byron and Semaan shares live. Taking a deal. This came off the archives as a matter of fact. In Byron, there's a little bit of a bio. We'll get a clearer version of that. And then you'll be able to read that in the archives. The station gauge Tommy Brunswick Wainwright, Alberta Grossman, rancor regimental Sergeant Major retired Saltspring in 1970 7am. I going too fast. Can y'all hear me twice one bid seeks action again. This is key most of the Times columnist years ago and there's a write up about Uncle Ken and how we help how and where he got wounded. And then it goes on to Korea. And there's a book that came out and he tells a little bit of the story about Uncle Ken landing in a in a shell holding of an A bomb rolling in beside him. He says he's lucky to be here today didn't explode.

Unknown Speaker 40:35
Excuse me. In the previous clipping. It says that he went to Powell river. I think he told me he went to Campbell.

Unknown Speaker 40:44
That's a group that

Unknown Speaker 40:45
he bought. It was called the N F. P National Forest. Something. Yeah. Campbell River is called the ninth fret.

Unknown Speaker 40:59
Well, you probably right. But I don't have anything. I never talked okay in about this. This is Uncle Kenny. He's wearing the rank of regimental Sergeant Major. And there's grandma and are familiar great Kotor. Notice your Oxford's they were always nice and shiny. And I don't know how she did it. But she used her and I when I went whether it would walk all the way from the North End Road into Ganges pick up our groceries at the Trading Company, walk all the way back home on the gravel road. And sometimes we'd never get a ride get home after dark. But that's she was strong. She was strong willed. That picture of Uncle Ken Canadian Scottish flash and the Canadian Scottish hat match. They were they were augmented by the Seaforth Highlanders when the Canadian Scottish first became came into being. This is face to Frank. This is a picture that was segment and zankel kin up 13th of June in front of the man Hall.

Unknown Speaker 42:27
Did I hit the wrong button? Oh. One other point. Dad's regimental number was SK 6302. And at the time uncle Ken's was SK 62301.

Unknown Speaker 42:53
That's a picture you'll see in the Royal Canadian Legion. This is Pat Croft and right here on the left that Harry Nichols right there. Who won Harry Nichols. He played a major part in my life as a young man growing up here in the early days of school. Uncle Ken was transferred after the war to the Canadian to the Black Watch royal Highland Regiment of Canada. anywhere else in the race to the regimental Sergeant Major. This picture was taken in world Germany, what is with a battalion over there

Unknown Speaker 43:44
was another article difficult to read? I'm sorry, but hopefully we'll be able to get it clarified on later edition. This article came out. It was one of those press pictures from during the war on rehab and keeping the morale up and how the troops were doing. Uncle King on the left and this was taken in England. And Roger shoulder of Courtney, a well known soldier on the right that article was done by Jack Knox Jack came to enjoy doing this military thing he told me a couple of times as well you better talk to the boys with the level to fill you in on some details and it was good that it came to be this again as a as a blurry picture but this is I believe there's more metals but he's got about 14 Metals uncle King has right here and now there's an old picture of them in paxville right along the side this is a commemorative Break. The Logan family who very close to the Byron family through Uncle Mike, when keeping Onkel cam the rest of us they they used to camp every summer at Kenny's place and salts over across the lake. Well, Darryl Logan, one of their boys went overseas to Normandy and Juno Beach in fact, and whilst their purchase of brick in uncle kins name and when he got that they made up this replica brick to bring home

Unknown Speaker 45:41
this is a picture of dad and Canadian Scottish uniform. The color dogs here say the 16 This was taken I believe last year, November the 11th you had chatting with with a young lady there

Unknown Speaker 46:10
of course I joined the military. And this was taken a couple of years ago and Lady Smith. My wife tonight this was a tribute to the missing soldier and the empty table

Unknown Speaker 46:27
there's a picture of brother Ian Ian's kind of a comfortable home I love to hunt and fish

Unknown Speaker 46:34
that fencing farming all that sort of stuff. But that was his his This is an early picture of mum Marjorie This was taken in Victoria about 1949 another picture of dad on parade nurse Kenny and in behind deadlift dispersible. Went back there was a picture of dad at the they had their first veterans dinner at the Royal Canadian Legion this last November picture of dad their dad by the way it's now like member of the Royal Canadian Legion and this pin that he's got here as as a special commemorative medal that he got for landing normative kitty and deadly wreath

Unknown Speaker 47:48
this these these are Scarlett uniforms Is not this the court the picture was taken black and white. But dad is right here. And this dad's good friend a fella by the name of Ronnie bland and every Tuesday night and Victoria and the the greens are in front of the parliament building the Canadian Scottish Woodmark marched down Douglas street and they do what they call the sunset ceremonies. And if it was good whether the mum would take us down there we watched that on parade hall or he commands and humans think their daddy Ronnie bland taken at the backside of our house on Chamber Street when we lived there this picture was a blown up picture but it's the talk headshot of dad attached to the Provo core when he was in ED Holland single picture dad full regalia somewhere in Victoria same picture different angle or a little bit closer this is divert Nova Scotia the uniform changed a little bit and you see that we're living in tents. No barracks. I remember the day this picture was taken. A little story here. Dad been in the mess all night. There was a big function. So he came home and he was a little bit wobbly. But he was bound and determined mum was going to take his picture. So they go out in the loft and he's all lined up and he says well take the damn picture. Take the picture. So she takes the picture and after they get it developed, the clothesline is running.

Unknown Speaker 49:58
Nobody noticed it in Nova Scotia doing probably century there there isn't field dress uniform. I don't know where that was taken probably in the prairie someplace.

Unknown Speaker 50:18
Their dad told us you fold your Bible dress sidearm at home I don't know where this was taken. You see he's got his rifle slung over his shoulder there from the back.

Unknown Speaker 50:41
Course carrying his white coveralls everybody in Duncan knows who he is it goes like cover all through the little Gumball and his faithful dog we believe.

Unknown Speaker 50:58
dad at home

Unknown Speaker 51:07
very joined the service. Before finishing high school he served with the Canadian Scottish regiment started his training on Saltspring he was stationed in England saw active combat a few days after knee day and severely wounded in Holland that was wounded the Leopold Canal. After discharge he worked for the post office in capital iron in Victoria. There a met married Marjorie they moved to Salt Spring in the mid 50s. Jerry worked on the ferry and farm that also remained in the in the in the Army Reserves. This is a picture of dad night in chumminess 2009 on carrying dad's drill stick right there so it stays in the family this is another article community profile I'm assuming that came from Saltspring.

Unknown Speaker 52:16
Dad on parade here in Ganges

Unknown Speaker 52:25
dad and Teresa Teresa lives in St. Louis Missouri and she has her degree in horticulture that particles

Unknown Speaker 52:43
this is I believe, a wedding picture yep the wedding picture of mom and dad March 1948 Here's another picture of dad had wavy curly hair

Unknown Speaker 53:07
picture of mom this is this was taken at the Legion when Dennis Howard's daughter passed away oh fortunate to find this mom with her five girls. This is barely nappy see. Barbara Vivian sister Linda and Teresa

Unknown Speaker 53:33
and of course mom on the bottom dad growing up baler twine This is the only picture that I can get But long story short. Mom's family mom's dad couldn't look after them when they were young. And so Family Services or somebody stepped in the government stepped in and removed three of the girls from from granddad. They were placed in this conference St. Anne's convent in Nanaimo. So I went on the chase and I tracked this one down and they found it they sent it to me. And this is this is some kind of a ceremony that they had. Anyway, this is mom right here and she was 16 years older. This is her sister Dory and another sister dot

Unknown Speaker 54:47
this picture was taken a moment Victoria on Douglas street member by the roving photographers, snap your picture. mom loved the boat. She got to be she Mostly got a strike here. Look pretty pleased with yourself ending is. Mom was a grandson Dylan means that says Darlene. Darlene daughter Gert granddaughter Howard. Howard did in school on Saltspring Island temporary tid. He worked as a carpet guild carpenter until he joined services. Trading in Canada and the USA and jungle warfare, worked as an oiler on the WH Stewart hydrographic surveying ships later he returned to the island and farmed in love. In the 60s he sold real estate on August 1 1949. He married Ellen Lowe, they had 10 children. Charles Rhonda Jesse Susan Patrick Pamela, Jennifer kitty Coleman and Sunday. Ellen died in 1977. Sister Darlene born St. Joseph's Hospital on in Victoria on the 14th of July 50. June she spent a year living in Ontario around in the ombre Ontario

Unknown Speaker 56:20
bone a picture of the previous there's another school picture of Darlene uncle Howard the uniform I believe there's a picture somewhere with all three boys in the frame. That may be one of them. I'm not sure.

Unknown Speaker 56:45
Of course, Howard. Florida calling pup. I just received this via email this morning. And this is a painting of uncle Howard here and Matt Robley. They were sharing that she

Unknown Speaker 57:08
there's a tribute to the 100 Saltspring Island fair is dedicated to Howard by written an article there about

Unknown Speaker 57:22
Uncle, uncle Howard, that's uncle Howard they're holding the big salmon just above as big as that tree stump. This is Aunt Ellen. And Ellen was a character too. She had a contagious laugh

Unknown Speaker 57:47
This is uncle Howard Ellen's children. That's Pamela and Patrick and this is Auntie Ellen's sister. Joyce law. Once you married I don't know what if Susan and colon Sunday I can't remember them all because I don't see them every day. But I have a list of the names here. Charlie Byron. Of course. Charlie was tragically taken from us at up Island Black Creek Black Creek. In a freak logging accident. It started to snow and something happened Charlie got wedged between the logs and a tree. This is an uncle cola. And he's fishing off the big rocks at the north end of Saltspring island where the old East camp used to be. And Kenny told what was the story he got pitch for having no fishing license

Unknown Speaker 58:57
local call a couple of raccoons we were always raised around guns it was always guns there and never bothered us at all. We go out and shoot deer with a 22 did the trick for us. I don't know who these people are

Unknown Speaker 59:25
that's a great picture.

Unknown Speaker 59:33
And of course, Florence Hepburn and Uncle Mike received the centennial medals for their achievements

Unknown Speaker 59:49
write up Mike arrived in Salford family at 34 and h two and a half started school on seventh birthday when consolidated school funding gave his teacher in teacher 39 bucks to gauge each graduated in the 49 role in Victoria Normal School. One year teacher training course on Uncle Mike used to live live with us or bored with us in Victoria on Chamber Street when he was going to normal school. also says here, it's kind of hard for me to read it from this angle, but it mentions that Uncle Mike and Andy did a lot of barbecue and that was a fact they would travel all over the place in the barbecue for some of these big private club yacht clubs and whatever but they did a lot of that they had a great recipe and they brought a good name to Saltspring Island through their their land. This is a picture of Uncle Mike and a fella by the name of Bill Thorne. He was the janitor at the school where Uncle Mike was teaching or he was principal is that correct? Yeah. And anyway, they became good friends. And here they are climbing for a pitcher I've never seen this before but Uncle Mike's wearing a mustache hearing good leaders equate a little story where he helped a young fella he hurt himself so Uncle Mike gives him a ride home and then found out when he gets home that the kid at a newspaper wrote so Uncle Mike helps him deliver the newspapers and that brings them home safely so the parents and the little boy but a write up in the paper this week this is the story of the three Mike's might senior might fire alarm brother and Mike Coleman

Unknown Speaker 1:02:20
This is local Mike here Dad and uncle Ken on the right side looks like they're only Christmas this was picture drew me in Camborne in 1966 in I can't remember what the name of that park was. But if you're if you're scared and you're standing you stood to attention if you were at ease, you are properly at ease and if your walk you got shit, you were you were merging or doing another thing properly. You're not the parade's Oscar Worthington Park, that's you that was monitored steady all the time. 24/7 1966 This is 1967 in the barracks in Cold Lake Alberta. Graduating Class 1966 in this important truth but it's actually St. John come back. That was my basic training. There I am right there and of course there's another course that I was on right we're right there

Unknown Speaker 1:03:55
this is a picture and I'm sorry, it's not clear. We'll get we'll get this one replaced by a better one. But I was taking a picture of a picture with the camera and of course you get the shakes and but it was the best I could do. Even Daryl Kenny and Barry in the top row Teresa on the left here. Barbara Vivian, Linda and Darlene and Michael this is the old house the original house at the end of hedging road. That's Ian right there. leaned up Barbara. Or Lee? Barry that's must be Theresa right there and Vicki there or touch making you

Unknown Speaker 1:04:57
this came out of the archives as well. There's a picture of me with the old dog and so it helped me I can't remember the name of that dog but pretty faithfully look after me when I was outside I think maybe Jessie Bond took some of these pictures I'm not correct and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he was wrong there. There's a picture of my wife and I in Cold Lake Alberta when we lost our son

Unknown Speaker 1:05:24
on his bachelor night in college and got killed. Here I am the Sergeant at Arms it should mean us.

Unknown Speaker 1:05:40
That was taken in Comox. We incorporated a mascot my wife breed raises and breed Shetland sheepdogs, and this little guy fit the spot. So we had a shamrock made for him and he went on parade with us all over the place met the governor, the Governor General of Canada Government House, he prayed it all over picture of mom and I in Victoria and I believe I don't recognize the gate from from Chamber Street. So this must have been James Baker. You know, there's music in the family. Now, Kenny, you might be able to help me out here, but I know that's me. And I think that's Kenny. That's even a Michael. But all that might be Paul. Of course, some of you remember the band Kenny got here The Tragically Hip. This is Kenny's brother in law, Tony Richards. Mike's defensive the lumber company. Paul Kenny in the back here. Here's another picture of us

Unknown Speaker 1:07:14
this is the picture of dad at Christmas. Dang man with that Kenny and Kenny one. I think that's Josh I'm not sure. And Tasha son JD James, Jaden. Jaden. Joshua the son Jaden for generations. There you go. There our sister Linda my wife Linda. And Seamus sister Linda. Sister Linda again. This is a picture of Ian and Christina

Unknown Speaker 1:07:58
that's em as a young boy Maybe Bob would remember that. urging you in the land barbecues and just so happened that Uncle Mike and Eddie Bebo are keeping a keen eye on the operation that

Unknown Speaker 1:08:16
it was a wedding that they were doing. And Sister Linda again in myself and Michael in front of the Legion dou G and like the hunting fish that the set of mule antlers that he shot. This is another big set Michael and Trish

Unknown Speaker 1:08:55
another picture of Michael and Trish this was at Amanda's wedding in collagen nice picture of sister Teresa on the left Linda in the middle and mom on the right. I think that was taken a seashell sister Teresa. I don't know where that was taken. But that's down in the states someplace. She is the outdoorsy type it's a picture of her again. There again I don't know where. For me.

Unknown Speaker 1:09:36
I would say that was the Grand

Unknown Speaker 1:09:37
Canyon Grand Canyon. Okay. Or dog Teresa and Vicky in grammar Byron's Gertie do better wasn't in color. This is a picture of you Debbie or Vicki was our old dog baby

Unknown Speaker 1:10:11
Teresa with very two girls back to the picture again

Unknown Speaker 1:10:30
we got to just about the end

Unknown Speaker 1:10:40
this is the this is a view from the farmhouse from the old farmhouse as well as the new farmhouse now. And that's what we retreated to every day we looked out the kitchen window was that beautiful view. People used to come and admire that's Dalian on the back, and of course on the other side, on a clear night, you can see the chair lifts the lights on the chair lifts over on gross mountain and mount Seymour, Tripoli. And I remember in the old days in the wintertime, you see the herring boats out there and they would just vote to vote to vote. And you could hear them all hollering and yelling at each other. It was quite interesting. I wish I'd had a movie that we neglect and say earlier dad liked his mini horses well areas with some of his he's got a few over the years. We got our first horses from Lloyd Loiselle on North Beach Road. That was the start of it. Now, this is Pamela Featherston. Tamlyn can Featherston boy. And his first name is Byron. And believe it or not, he's joined the Canadian Scottish and he's going to university right now. So he's going through for officer candidacy.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:09
That's it.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:19
I hope that you've enjoyed that. I would like to thank Bob and frank here for inviting Kenny and I here to present the Biron family history. I know we haven't hit on on some of it. But we'll certainly work at filling out more of it in the future. Thanks to the Society for accepting us and we're open to a few questions. Kenny and I so if you have anything, yeah, yes.

Unknown Speaker 1:12:54
Beautiful Hayfield from your farm. They say that that he is the most nourishing on the island.

Unknown Speaker 1:13:00
Is that right? Well, I remember one year dad put oats in. And that oats I guess was what seven, eight feet high. Dad was on a tractor a Massey Harris pony. Going around the field cutting hay you couldn't see. It produced some good crops.

Unknown Speaker 1:13:17
There was there was something in the soil in there. Used to make it whatever you planted in there would go crazy.

Unknown Speaker 1:13:23
Willy Palmer bury the dead sheep there. That's

Unknown Speaker 1:13:29
one story I do remember is on that same field, Bill Palmer, who was one of Henry rate, Bullock's boys, along with Jesse bond and others. Bill Palmer came up and cut the oats in that field with it all binder. And you could barely see the top of his head going around the field because the oats were so high. But you could hear Bill cursing a blue streak down there. And every time he came along, my dad would say how's it going belly say good good till he got around the other side and you'd hear him cursing again. That was, I guess the just about the last of the old stationery thrashing machines. We got to be part of a we used to put it up with a binder, Darrell and I would put it in the sheaves and Stokes and we'd haul it over to the axis and farm along with Jesse bonds and whoever else put up grain and put it through the old fashioned machine.

Unknown Speaker 1:14:29
Cool. Do you remember playing at my son's wedding? And Mike did the barbecue. We're so blessed. Oh, great. Thank you.

Unknown Speaker 1:14:39
We had a we had a lot more funny stories. I'm sure that one story sometimes leads to another and there was a lot of laughs in the family. grandma and granddad were comical as well. They I remember one time years ago when granddad would had a friend come from England and they'd find out in the trenches in passion Dale. And anyways, they they keep this fella came from England to visit grandma and granddad and they were sitting on under on the seat under the old shanty there and these two old fellows, and I could see and it's clear day sitting there telling Bill unhealth jokes. I don't know Does anybody remember that any of that era, in the old days, that was the comic strip mill and elf in the First World War, and they're sitting there totally, and rolling on their seats going back and forth. They have made a heck of an impact. But they were they were comical.

Unknown Speaker 1:15:41
Couple of memories, I was fortunate. I am fortunate enough to know Kevin Byron and senior very well. And he told me a couple of stories. There was one picture there of the old house in Saskatchewan, you're gonna see it's full of holes and cracks. And Kevin said that their dev kit bees there has the micro bees, of course for pollination was honey, they kept the honey upstairs. And it was Terry and Kansas job to get straws straw of the field and go off and try to discuss the straw in the holes to keep the bees from comprehending and that was partly the reason there's one other one that's a bit unusual. When they bought the house on that problem road. It belongs amendment, Percy apparently versus reserved. And he was a soldier who had come to Canada who had married an English girl. They had a son or some kids, she couldn't stand the isolation, went back to England and left him there. And he kind of broke down after that. And apparently, when Ken and his wife bought that farm just before Percy left, he threw everything out sort of in the garden and just left it and disappeared. And for years after when the boys were digging in the garden made find like toys and things that had belonged within the previous. Yeah. But the mom I've never made Karen's wife was a stickler for propriety. And they were using the mailbox and Percy had us when he lived there. And Elizabeth can be the wife says she didn't think that was right. They had to get permission for the person to you use failed that one somebody is allowed to do that. And he came to the farm one day, and he told them he said you can use the mailbox sure the only people that ever asked me if I could use anything

Unknown Speaker 1:17:52
the grandma Byron used to tell us about times when the there was a native lady used to roll her canoe from from Cooper Island and come in around Fernwood. And she'd bring salmon and whatever to trade for eggs milk and butter and whatnot. She even though neither one of them could communicate, they somehow managed to pull the trade off and everybody was happy. Grandma was great at making breads and Eccles cakes and how she did that I'll never know but she was very good at it. granddad had grafted an apple or created an apple one time. I don't know whatever happened to it, but there was something that perhaps he'd created a Biron Apple, so I don't know the the rest of the story on that. But the agriculture certainly what's first before the horticulture as well. Yes.

Unknown Speaker 1:19:00
You know exactly how many environs live on Saltspring

Unknown Speaker 1:19:06
I've walked by Byron's I don't know who they are. I sat beside a Byron on the on the ferry about a month ago. And the lady said to me, how are you DeRose Who are you know I don't know you're not sure? No. You figure that out. Well, I am I do genealogy. Doesn't give a face

Unknown Speaker 1:19:36
No, I just wanted to say that the the apple, the Jessie virus apple that ran that was propagating. I haven't Oh.

Unknown Speaker 1:19:47
The Apple has been discovered. Well, thanks very much, boys. I know you can do it. And I think that there will you particularly back about 1965 When you came into the office I school at the time and he said I'm quitting school and joining the army. Here we are

Unknown Speaker 1:20:11
the boys be glad to answer any other questions you have.

Unknown Speaker 1:20:14
I retired after 22 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force and decorated three times. And I'm just finishing his career now with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police over and dark couching. Duncan I'm a full time civilian employee