Salt Spring Island Archives
| Accession Number | |||
| Date | 2005 | ||
| Media | digital recording | Audio | mp3 √ |
| duration | 71 min. |
337_Sue-Mouat_Photo-History-of-the-Mouat-Family_2005.mp3
otter.ai
15.02.2024
no
Outline
Unknown Speaker 0:00
I'm going to introduce myself, because I know most of you people here, but but not everybody. And it happens every once in a while. Every few months, somebody comes up to me and say, your name is Toynbee, what have you got to do with the bullets? So I'll explain it to you. I'm the Tom Toynbee the youngest son of Jesse more Toynbee and Richard Toynbee and grandson of Jean Matson, Mowat and Thomas mullet. So having gotten that out of the way, I'll carry on with just a very short introductory remarks. My cousin Isabel told me warn me not to make long speeches, which is very good because Isabel I'm not even going to make a speech. I'm gonna make a few introductory remarks, and nothing more. And then we'll get on to the real program. In February 2005, marked the 100th anniversary of the arrival on Saltspring of Thomas mullet, his wife, Jane, and three children. Over the past three over the next 13 years, eight more children were born. But in 1898, Thomas died leaving Jane and her children to make their way of the 11 children seven survive to become married and raise families of their own. And we're pleased to have representatives of six of those seven families here today. Actually had this been next week we'll probably have a representative from the seventh family. But now I'm going to ask just to see how many how much of the crowd we've accounted for today. I'm going to ask members of family to stand up and just remain standing so we can make a visible impression on the group here for I'm going to name it Oh sit down I got the name of family by family Okay. Our family of Thomas mode and spouses of course. Nice to see you Louise you just grade WM board. There we are. Small contingent but a very good one. I can tell you that. Gilbert mullets. There we are. Well done. Mary Clinton, Marie would marry more would thank you. Gavin, no. Come on. Kate, you too. Get up to get Carolyn. Jessie more Toynbee. There we are, Barbara, after you've got and there we are, as I say a six out of seven and glad to have such a good turnout here today. The had the great January snowstorm not delayed this presentation. My dear cousin Ivan would have been here to add his special knowledge and experience. But that was not to be. However, Ivan has left a written record of some of his experiences and we will hear from one of them a little bit later. I'm now going to ask su to present a photo history complete with commentary starting in the Shetlands and carrying on through to the 50s on Saltspring. Following this there'll be plenty of time for questions and various family members will be here to share their memories I don't know how many of them are going to share them but I'm sure they've got memories to share and it will be an open session and informality is certainly got to be the order of the day. So Sue.
Unknown Speaker 4:16
Happy I think Tom mentioned that we would just rather you didn't ask any questions during the showing of the pictures that stayed till the end? Because there's a lot of people here now this is the know what crest an oak tree growing out of a rock. The family name most is a normal origin and went through a number of changes as the family moved slowly through Wales and England. Ivan was trying to find an early form of a name was mod and always assured And Alison that she was a cousin. I will refer to the first most couples who came to Salt Spring as Thomas and Jane because it was accustomed to call and told his son after the Father. To avoid confusion, I will refer to their oldest son of Tom. He's the father of all of them, Bobby, who many of you will remember
Unknown Speaker 5:27
doesn't want to do. Thomas and Jane came from another island private lasers thing here up there. This map shows where their ancestors had settled in the Shetlands in the 16th century.
Unknown Speaker 5:50
All the Shetland Islands are bleak countries. Very reminiscent of our own barren lands, that the weather is tempered, tempered by the Gulf Stream. This is a slide of the area where both Thomas and Jane grew up sand parish, that was an area of small holdings. Most families supported by herring fishery, a few animals and chickens and a peat bog, where they can cut their peat, their only source of heat. Here you see the fishing boats large enough of the stormy Atlantic. By the 1880s. The Norwegian fish boats were bigger and quickly taking over the fishing through the area. The women were noted for this spinning, weaving and knitting cross that provided a little extra income. A true Shetland Shaw was said to be fine enough to be pulled through a wedding ring. This is the earliest picture we have of Jane and her family, standing here between her parents, William and Janet Manson. In 1871. Jane was 14 years old. All the family eventually moved to British Columbia. Jane's parents are buried in Nanaimo where they lived after their arrival. The child on Janet Manson's lap we have Manson later became an MLM VC. No doubt the spirit he's wearing was a cast off on one of his three older sisters. There doesn't appear to be an early mode picture of Thomas Mowat. He was one of a large family, several of whom had preceded him to North America. We have an old account book of Thomas's father. There is an entry in 1869. My son Andrew Wu mode to cash putting him to America, 14 pounds. Thomas's brothers had settled in Eastern Canada, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Washington territory. As there was no train across Canada at the time of Jane and Thomas's emigration, they took the train across the US to Spokane, where Thomas's brother Gavin lived. They arrived in the spring of 1880 8am Sorry 1884. The griffin shuttling included not only Thomas and Jane, but their two year old daughter Margaret, known as many promises son Tom, age nine, whose mother had died some years before. Tom's maternal grandmother also came and Jane's younger sister Barbara in Spokane, another child was born. This was William mounts and the father of items on William was a few months older than your family continued on to their destination. The Nymo were Jane already had mounts and cousins. Thomas got a job driving and delivery wagon in the mountain Woodford grocery store owned by Joel Broadwell. Joel told the family about a farm and joining one he owned on Saltspring Island. Thomas and Jane came to Salt Springs liked what they saw and bought the farm from Mr. Copeland. Mr. Copeland's grandson Ernest would become a lifelong friend of the family. This slide shows the Amelia approaching Vesuvius dock it was the Amelia the Vasa moment group to Saltspring young Tom remember the Bittencourt store the head of the dock adjustment finished when they arrived. This slide shows the view they would have had the Soviets looking so showing some of Mr. Betancourt's rental cabins similar to the one which is now the museum at the farmers Institute poverty on Rainbow Road. This is a copy of Tate's map John and 1859 or 1860 showing the Copeland preemption which is highlighted in yellow. This is with a three 100 And I'm sorry 153 acre property the moment family bought from Mr. Copeland, at least 15 acres were cleared. The Copeland's have been part of the colored group of people who had left California for Victoria seeking a better life. There was a story and a half clapboard in his cabin on the property. The moments lived in it for seven years. One of the few stories about the house recorded James sorrow when a shelf collapsed and broke all but one piece of her China she had bought from Shetland. This picture was taken in 1888. The family group Sean's sitting, a boat where Portlock car park is today with Jane Are her first two children. Kind of hard to see them there but that many and young William later known as Wm. Next to Jane is Tom's grandmother. She must have been a very brave old lady to read everything and everyone she knew all her life for the sake of her young grandson Tom. She died later in Nanaimo. I think it's interesting to mention that Ivan was a teenager before he discovered that Tom was not just bad mother James eldest child. There was a deep affection between young Tom and his stepmother and he always called her mother. The boys sitting on the snake fence, or Joel Broadwell is present their parents on the store and the post office behind and Louella Llewellyn Wilson, whose father was the Anglican Rector. The rectory at that time was on the site of the presence of ring golf club house. It was between their two houses that these boys strung the first telephone line on the island. To the right in the backbone is St. Mark's Church, where it still stands today. This is the barn that Thomas and young Tom built in 1890. The lumber had come from Nanaimo and was pulled by Augustine from Vesuvius. Thomas is quoted and Reverend Wilson's 1895 handbook is saying I consider my farm have more value to me than a salary of 80 to $85 a month in the city. My poultry alone pay their own cost and find us in flour and groceries which is pretty well for a family of 10. Poultry raising and dairying I consider to be the most profitable line. We have Jersey cows and Leghorn and Spanish bowls, I dispose of my produce chiefly in Nanaimo. Here's a picture of student sheets of rain on the farm with St. Mary's lake in the background. And these haystacks are drying in the sun and again St. Mary's Lake is visible in the background. When the barn was finished work commenced on the House John here. The family moved into it in 1892. That was very fortunate as the winter of 1892 93 was the longest coldest winter that the family endured. That February, the baby born in Spokane, remember that? Well. He told me January was bitterly cold and all of February it snowed each day, Thomas would take the team of hawks and out onto the ice on St. Mary Lake and cut a fresh hole for water for the stock. Thomas and young Tom worked all February cleaning, clearing the endless snow off the house and barn roof. Many farmers lost all their stock in their buildings that winter. It was made before the snow finally disappeared and the farmers were able to plow. There had been at least four feet of snow on the ground. This is a picture of the house taken last month on trip. This is a photo of the Madison store and home in Nanaimo where most of them are at farm produce was sold. The building still stands on Halliburton Street. After the store closed years ago, I believe much of the stock was still in the store and is now part of the merchandise on display and one of the reconstructed stores in Barkerville. Think I got ahead of myself here Frank.
Unknown Speaker 14:43
Okay, thank you. Although the farm flourish Thomas was not well, one winter Jane's parents who are now settled in Nanaimo came to Salt Springs to look after the family. Jane and Thomas who have to bounce with a higher elevation was believed to help people Have we chest a problem Thomas's had even in Shetland. It was to be of no avail and he died in 1898 at the age of 45. Thomas left his widow Jane and 11 children. Jane was 39 years old. Her youngest daughter died a few months after Thomas's death. For more for children, which were to pre deceased Jane. By the time of Thomas's death, young Tom was already working in Nanaimo. It has some smells, so sending all his salary homes, Jane, Jane and the children continue to run the farm. As they have ahead of myself, I still, I shouldn't be still on that butter wrapper. Sorry about that. Jane and the family, children continue to run the farm. The younger children now fill the roles of Thomas and Tom as far as the farm work was concerned. Many at age 17 appeared to have contracts, contracts and TV like her father, and had been sent to Spokane to recuperate. These letters were written a few months after the death of Thomas and baby grace. I will read an excerpt from a letter Jane wrote to Minnie in 1899. We are selling a gallon of milk each day to Mr. Betancourt just now. To the count men who brought their families to the island. They're saying Mr. Betancourt's cottages and they're buying milk and butter farmers. The strawberries are beginning to ripen and I think we will have some to send away next week. We have to take the milk to the camp every morning as they want the new milk in the morning. Then he goes right on to the war for the Milton Mr. Betancourt and the two camp families in the cottages. He gets up at five as Milton is ready to start with the milk at six. I'm not with him, but I'm hoping when Gilbert comes home I will not need to milk to Laurie melts one cows all the time. We separate at night now instead of the morning, as we sell so much of the morning milk and getting 30 cents a pound for butter in Nanaimo. I sell it here for 25 cents is I have no fruit to pay. And the butter the cream is only 20 cents. I sent really to the camp man as soon as I heard the price had gone down, but told him I would not sell it for less than 25 cents. He said they wanted ours because it was such good butter. The camp Jane mentioned was at the quarry on the shore of Boothbay or sandstone was being blasted and shipped to shipped down to Victoria for the Esquimalt drydock. At the time she wrote this letter Gilbert was in Nanaimo at high school. When he was 15, running the farm and Laurie who was milking one cow was nine. And for younger children were at home probably looked after by their elder sister Jane aged 11. To one when Mary, I'm sorry, probably looked after, by Mary Jane, this 11 year old sister when Jane was helping with the milk. Jane Mary was 11 years old, the little one she looked after her 865 and three at the time. Now here's another excerpt from a second letter. I'm sorry, I didn't write you on Tuesday, but we were sipping a lot of black currents. And it was late before we got through the work. But picking takes a lot of time. We spent 550 pounds and I think we have another 50 more to ship on Saturday. They're getting 68 cents a pound. We also have quite a lot of raspberries and sold one dollars worth of the camp today. Neil is working and managing things. Well. He was at Mr. Arthur Walters yesterday, calling in Hey, he got $3 for the day. He has mentored Dr. Baker's for half a day to day and got $1.50 So he's feeling good tonight
Unknown Speaker 19:13
there will be one more tragic death. Well, Jane and the children were at the farm. Many had come back from Spokane feeling well. She went to Nanaimo finished high school and then graduated as a teacher in 1902. Many taught school for two years and then died of pneumonia and nice you know for After rescuing a cousin who got into difficulties swimming and booth canal. She was 24 years old. Close friends of the mullet family with a Malcolm and Purvis families who farmed on the President's side of Brink where the these two families have bought the Broadwell store central that you saw on an earlier slide that you that they decided Ganges was going to be the center of the island commerce. So they purchased point of land by the public war and build a store with attached living quarters. This one here, a barn and the blacksmith shop. They did well. With the store a launch the ship charges to Vancouver Island, the post office, the Dominion Telegraph and Telephone office with the first line to Vancouver Island and and the smithy. These buildings were about with a Bank of Montreal is today. This slide taken the 1905 shows the store the smithy in the background, and an ox team and horses waiting to the Vancouver voted Ganges. Despite the success of the business tragically, Joe Malcolm died at age 44. In 1906. The services and Mrs. Malcolm decided to leave the island. They gave Gilbert Smollett who who was working at the store if you would like to buy the business. With the help of his mother who mortgaged the farm for $5,000 He became the owner of the business at age 21. This picture was taken the day the family left the farm for Ganges and Jesse Toynbee told me it was the saddest day of her life, and they don't look happy. It was not long after many deaths. The two boys on the left also died as a result of TB in their teens, Laurie in 1909, and Jerry in 1913. When this is Malcolm left the island Jane replaced her as postmasters in 1908. Here is a letter from a federal Member Mr. Smith. Jane held the position until her death in 1935. There was more leisure without the endless farm work and here you see three younger happier more girls on the veranda of the store with their cousins from Nanaimo. The boys to hidden one more time for sports. Here's a photo of an early soccer team which included Gavin and will. Here's a photo of the old Malcolm Purvis store now with the moment sign on it. Originally GJ Moulton company, the name was changed Amok brothers limited when we'll joined the company in 1909. The woman standing on the veranda is Ft. Wayne. She's getting ready to take a pony and trap to the Soviets with the Nanaimo male. She later married well north.
Unknown Speaker 22:48
This slide was taken from about where Calvin's is today, it shows the back of the first mullet store the barn on the dock. Standing off the dock as the brothers boat the Ganges and read Betancourt's vote the victor is in the foreground. This is a happy event in Nanaimo 1908. It was the golden wedding of Janet and William Manson James parents. Now there's somewhere back there on the table will show you the names of all those people who are in that picture.
Unknown Speaker 23:29
The moment share certificate shown here was issued to fund the building of a new mod store share number one was bought by Peter Blackburn. It was later cancelled and a few years ago, Ivan was able to give us certificates to Peter's grandson, who lives in Oregon. The funding drive was successful and in 1912, a new mode store was built adjacent to the old building. That building became the Ganges in that was more commonly known as Granny's boarding house. Here, Jane lived until her death with her with her sister Maggie, who moved here from Nanaimo after her parents died. Here's a later picture also taken from about where Calvin's is today. There's a generator shed. You can sort of see it there on the left behind the new store. This building later became part of the butchering business, then Jane's sister Maggie's home after Jane's death, then Miss beans home, and is now still going strong as tree house to say. With the advent of Moloch cars to the island in 1911 notes acquired the Ford agency and here you see 11 local Ford cars getting ready to drive to a picnic at the beach in the studio.
Unknown Speaker 24:58
Here's the Ford Motor Club they provided some fancy stationery for them. Saltspring on suffered great in the dirty 30s As to the rest of Canada. Another letter that I found with some apartments Institute and that was addressed to the ladies at the United Church, asking if they would support it fall fair one more house. It was held and here are four ladies showing their skills at spinning. Jane has on the far left. And Mrs. Stanley Robinson This is William Deacon. This is Lt. Charles was the judge standing behind him as Mrs. Simmons Mrs. Burke mother, the Berkut for the family who got the moat farm and the soldier settlement after the First World War. Despite the depression, there was still a lot of fun to be had on the island. And here's the picture of Ivan in 1932, with three firms fishing on the beach at steady point. Jane died in 1935 at the age of 75. A tremendous loss to her family. I have put in a picture of the Methodist Church, which did where highways department now stands just across the road here. It was often called the mullet church, as Jane did most of the fundraising for its construction. The church and everything that stood for was central to Jane's life. The Creed she lived by was love the sinner Hate the sin. The building was moved to Ganges in 1926 and is embedded in the building where the quilt shop is on Hereford Avenue. With the CPI service from Vancouver to Ganges docks offering began the practice in Vancouver residents and tourists. And this is a 1941 tourist brochure from Salt Springs. And on your lower left just the Mr. Betancourt's store and then beside it and on the lower right is layers out of court at Rainbow Beach.
Unknown Speaker 27:16
Here's an early aerial shot of Ganges taken before Ganges elementary schools built on the fairgrounds man Hall
Unknown Speaker 27:30
laser I can't make the laser work. Oh there it is. That building right there is with Turner store when I first came to be Ireland and the old trading company and the driving sheds behind it. And you can see up at the top there which is now I'm imagining pretty well Atkins common and Meadowbrook you could see the rows of fruit trees there. Your Scott property
Unknown Speaker 28:10
more than declared 1939 and National Registration came into effect soon after. We have to carry our cards at all times. Rationing came into effect. And here's one of Adam's mother's ration cards. And there were the coupons we used to teros every week meat was rationed butter, sugar, gasoline alcohol. Here are four of Jane and Thomas's grandsons, all from Saltspring Island. Meeting in England during the war. Bruce Drake is on the far left. He was killed in action. Next to him is calling mode. Then that mode then it was over in the first Alzheimer's reunion was held at Harbor house 1950 And here are some of the mullet family genes system Maggie and her brother will sneezes in the center. There's also a copy of that over on the table prize of becoming available again after the war and tourism was stepping up and you can't really see it but there was an so tank right beside that to find on front of moment store was still here after the war. Another old timers reunions some of the pioneers who lived on the island for many years are shown with the Minister of Agriculture, mute and Stacy left to right standing John whims. Henry Rachael calm lowered the honourable Newton peace, Stacy Very moles. Dave Max and Vic Maxwell seated our DC betters of mode. Sophie King. This is Dave Maxwell and this is Rick maxim is another aerial photograph of Salt Springs, and Jason sees a beginning down here in the corner. If I can find this laser thing Oh, am I fair it is at the beginning of gasoline alley just starting there. And I think it was Bill trophys garage at first. Art Young. Okay, thank you. Okay, thank you. Notice the opening of Moloch Park in 1961. The 80 acre property was donated by Gavin Mowat. He also donated the land for St. George's Anglican Church, and the current lady mental hospital. This photograph was taken in 1992. At a moment reunion at Dickon barber 20s. Sean are many of Jane and Thomas's grandchildren and their spouses.
Unknown Speaker 31:18
This slide was taken the same day and so as the grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren of Jane and Thomas. Now, this is my last slide. But in closing, I want to thank thank Newman were his hours of help putting a slide presentation on the CD as expertise boggles my mind. I have not told you the countless hours of community service Jane and many of her descendants have given to the island through organizations, such as the hospital, Sunshine guild, Lions Club, Rotary Club rod and Gun Club, school board, Royal Canadian Legion United Church, the IoD II and the farmers Institute. I'm proud to bear the me. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 32:18
And thank you a special thank you, to you, Frank, for this presentation. I think I don't think I need to say anything more about Sue's contributions, she knows what she has been having to deal with over the past months and managing to put together this wonderful presentation. It's really a great tribute do to her. So I'm going to give you another special thank you I
Unknown Speaker 32:53
also like to extend my thanks to Carolyn Boyd, who's been working diligently on updating the family tree and the notes continued to be quite prolific. And that turns out to be quite a job to do this. Now. We didn't intend this to be a terribly long presentation because we wanted the opportunity for people here to to ask questions. But we also have a number of my cousins in the audience and spouses of cousins. And we have plenty of resources here to answer questions. But we also have family members who might want to say a few words. And I'm looking at my cousin Peggy over there and see are you in the mood bag? To say a few words? No, here or here
Unknown Speaker 33:55
I am pegging Noah Johnston and I'm the youngest child of Gilbert and Gilbert Murad. And there are more. And I'm not exactly sure what you'd be most interested in. But I just say a little bit about my parents. Gilbert actually left though, went to work for Malcolm Purvis at the age of 14 First, as I understand, and that is what he told me and he worked there for approximately seven years and before he initially purchased the business with the help his mother and then Gilbert married my mother, who was actually Belle Nightingale and Belle Nightingale was the only daughter of Joseph Nightingale and Fanny Aiko, and Nightingale and Fanny acre Minh was the oldest child of Martha clay Kremen and Joseph I guess I should have done the other way round of Joseph Baker went and Martha clay Kerman. So that's the connection for our family. They had lived first in the Scott house and the Scott which is adjacent to the Scott orchard, which I think he saw in Sue's pictures. And then in 1911, they moved to Rainbow Road in 1911. Rainbow Road was apparently a bachelor's Haven. And I think Mother was the first person to go to that road to live. But her father, Joe Nightingale, had bought a fair amount of property on Rainbow Road, and he had given part of it to his son, William, who was the second of the four children of a third of the four children of the nightingale. And the other to my parents is a wedding gift. And in so in 1911, there were all these bachelor that some of them were what they called remittance men. And among these remittance men were two of the Churchill, first cousins of Winston. And they became all these people became sort of friends of the family. I know mother fed a lot of them along the way. But But after the war was very sad, because a number of them didn't return after World War Two, just a little aside. World War One, I'm sorry. Then, in 1914, shortly after the fourth child was born to my mother and father, they had first three sons. Laurie was the oldest and Bill and then Colin was the first to be born in the Rainbow Road properties. And there's a long story about him, which I won't go into here, except that he was born three months premature and weighed. According to my father, one and a half Tom, I don't believe that, as much as I would love to believe. But he did weigh two and a half and it was DC status, who was the Savior at that stage, he was very, very respected in the community, as the midwife. And then the one my father contacted polio and I think working he was unable to work for two years. That was and at that time, uncle will and grandmother worked very, very hard to wade with the business sell on them. Then he was returned to the store and that was at that time that a lift was still so for many years, monster had pulled on it lifts that went to the second floor and all the children in the family and all the other children in the community that could love to ride that lift. And that it's not really that after my father has polio, Max was born in 1970s. And then I came along in 1920. We completed our family tree as a boy and a longtime a lot of their life in this store contributed greatly to development over the years. Colin was there for quite a few years through the packaging itself but Laurie.
Unknown Speaker 38:13
What else? Well, I wrote a long history for our members. There were some very interesting people that worked in during those early years and I haven't gotten to hear about some of them Mr. Walton was a real fan of fitness for many years. And he is well known. Walter Allen was a very staunch member of the business and Alan was actually functioned as known
Unknown Speaker 38:56
my local they sold real estate, they had a lot of lautering so it wasn't it was really sort of community service.
Unknown Speaker 39:23
I feel sort of alone now because all my brothers are gone and we have a large family. We were counting the small
Unknown Speaker 40:02
Would you like to know a little bit? Can I say something about them? Well, as Sue mentioned, there were 11 children in the mullet family. Now, my grandmother was Jane Manson. And so that's where the Manson's actually come in. Are there any specific Manson members here? Yeah, so that was the connection with the Manson. But in addition, the mountains have been in Nanaimo. We're cousins. first cousins. Laurie was the first test of my grandmother was Laurie man from the Catholic big old. That's not big, but the old store on Halliburton Street, that we did that answer the connection? Oh, the trainees will aunt Jessie. My father's youngest sister was the Mrs. Toynbee and Tom Tom should tell you about this. But his his his dad and his uncle and Uncle Charlie, who we called Uncle Charlie to came to Salt Spring and when did you only have to tell about the meeting of your father and mother that's not nice.
Unknown Speaker 41:28
I can tell this story. I won't try and get into too much about the the, between the sides of the family but you're aware of where Toynbee road is on the island. My uncle's, my uncle's ended up with a grant of land up there and built a cabin of sorts up there, which they named Liberty Hall. And they thought they'd come to the land of milk and honey, because there was free venison and free salmon and that sort of thing. But they weren't particularly well equipped for. For, for working. That's right. It's brought up quite well in England, but certainly not talking about too much about work except my father who was the youngest. And my grandfather has lost most, if not all the family fortune on poor investments in England. By the time my dad came along, he got an apprenticeship with Vickers and he learned to do something practical, which was the a machinist. And anyway, getting on to how doing this in the notes came together. That can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I think the best story we heard was that my dad came over to visit his brothers on Saltspring and came over by vote, bought the service the service and then went by a carriage wagon of some sort up to the cranberry to Liberty Hall. And with and and I guess going through Ganges Jane or Jesse Molad boarded this because she was then teaching school in the cranberry, a one room school up there. And they went together up to the knobs property where Mother was boarding during the week. And apparently, after she got a buggy my father said that's the girl I'm going to marry. And about three years later it came to pass he moved his business over to Salzburg and started the Ganges garage and that's the way it was. We were talking about Uncle Charlie and I was reminded, as Charlie Toynbee was reminded a little story that when when piggy talked about the Undertaker, mullets provided undertaking services. They actually went further than that, and provided people to grieve at the wedding to or the funeral I should say. And as a matter of fact, Deke Deke tells the story that Uncle Charlie was in Ganges as Charlie Toynbee. And he was, he wasn't the black sheep of our family. He was our beloved uncle. We loved him, but Charlie was a bit of a flake. That's all I can say. And my dad rather looked after him. I think that's, and my mother, and everybody loved him. And it's not true. He couldn't. You couldn't you couldn't help it. But anyway, this day, he was dressed up in his suit, and he could look pretty good when he was dressed up and here he was. And so somebody said, Well, Charlie, what are you doing? He said, Well, I'm going to a funeral he said, well, for whom he said, Well, I don't know he said some no account. He said your uncle Gilbert got me to. To do this. He said, given some important person WM goes or Gavin or but A couple of lessons on no account they get Charlie to say anyway Oh carry on we have a million stories I can tell you and I don't want to try and get into too many of them but I'm happy to hear some some more questions if there are questions but yes
Unknown Speaker 45:23
yes and Charles you said you found fun the remnants down there
Unknown Speaker 45:47
build an investor development
Unknown Speaker 46:04
team for a model
Unknown Speaker 46:15
the cabinet on the ground
Unknown Speaker 46:26
and there was nobody
Unknown Speaker 46:40
Yes 1904
Unknown Speaker 47:16
Thank you, buddy and are you on board now, and we said anything that isn't correct here today
Unknown Speaker 47:43
I think it duty awfully well. I've been through an awful lot of that myself even worked for grandmama Oh,
Unknown Speaker 47:52
my God. Yes. And then of course, we lived above the store for so many years. So, and had to do the rounds every night at midnight. And I don't know who was scared or call him or me to go into the feature down there in the horse because we're all kinds of people in there at times. But I was still alive from a bunch anyway. And we survived. But it's it's been a wonderful family. There's no getting away from that
Unknown Speaker 48:30
it was good. Gilbert, just want to remind you about me reaching out when we first came because my dad was a United Church minister here. The first minister residents on the island. So naturally grandmother took us in with open arms. But I wouldn't dare get into an awful lot of those stories. It might shock everybody and I'm still I'm still a member of the family. And I'm going to be very discreet.
Unknown Speaker 49:00
I would like to share on behalf of my mother, the mother's speaks about mother speaks about coming down from the Kitimat terrorists area in the 1920s and coming over to Saltspring and they didn't know where Saltspring was at that time. There was a church opening up place called Ganges. And in tears they thought that was the Ganges River in India. But anyway, it was a place for for my mother to come down and get to a more modern facilities. But when they arrived in Vancouver they got on the CPR boat and motored across to Ganges Harbour. And she talks about the first lady that she ever saw was Jane Mowat. Quite a large lady just all in black, but very welcoming. and took the Allen family in which was my grandfather, my grandmother and three children. And said, just walk in the wall are welcome to Saltspring and said, This is where you're going to church is going to be, and so on and so forth. This is where you're going to live. And we went up to the corner of that booth and Rainbow Road is where the first layer and mother says, What a long, long ways to go through the trees, and was very, very lonely. But that was your first introduction to Jane Molitor. It was very important to the island at that time and has a great history.
Unknown Speaker 50:46
Thank you, Joe. The reason he got a few words to say on behalf of the time
Unknown Speaker 50:56
code. Now I've got to tell you, Louise has just returned from a holiday in Albania in Lebanon, the people here could say they've tried that she actually went to visit his sister in Albania and got back yesterday afternoon and just managed to get here today from Vancouver.
Unknown Speaker 51:14
ferries are actually not too good today because they're not running. So we were in line at 830. And nine o'clock was already full. And the 11 o'clock was too late to come over. So we transferred to this was a little late, but we're really glad to be here. I was just going to talk a little bit about my grandfather who was actually the eldest son, not gene more. Gene Manson's noise, son, but Mary Manson, that boy, so we can't see that the two medicines are related. So I think somehow they must be because they came from the same kind of Shetland Islands. He was born in 1875 in just a little hamlet of cobblestone Shetland Islands, and his mother died when he was three. So Jane Madson was really probably the the mother that he knew, because he was such a young boy. And his sister Minnie was born in Shetland. And two came out with the family. And I think he was very fond of your system. And in very upset when she passed away at such a young woman, that he came to the island he was educated here, went as far as he could in school. And then at that point, his father wasn't well, and he was quite busy working the farm. I think when they looked at realize he built that helped build the bar and then had them there, they understood that he and one of his brothers went out, making extra money. They had oxen, or maybe just cows, but they use them to plow other people's lands. And he would get I think, $1 a day for this work. And it went back into the family to try to keep things going as well as possible. His mother's sister offered him a university education back in Ontario. But at that point, his father had passed away. And so instead of doing that, he went over to Nanaimo, and he works and has one smell. I think he was sort of a carpenter and bookkeeper there. But he also was an eight. He did the certain night watchman, he stayed in a piece of a cabin, I think on the property and kind of kept an eye on things. That way. He could send his whole salary back to his family, because, of course, there was no breadwinners, each of the children doing a little bit and helping out. Then what's the story got going? I guess he, he felt there was little more money. Anyway, he married he met my my grandmother, who had been born up in coma, and be married in 1907. In Sandwick, which is the name of the parish in Shetland. But her family had also come out from Shetland. And she was a big wall. But her mother had been a Duncan. So Duncan's up in in komak, so related, and also the mountains and my grandmother used to laugh and say she was more closely related to the mountains than my grandfather was. Because the Duncan's in the Manson's head hadn't very quite often up in the shed was they were all Shetland families. My, my aunt all of Mowat, who I think probably many of you met. I was born in Leeds well in the nine ball, but they were living in lady Smith, and then they moved to Nelson, where my grandfather went to class in the customs office up there. And that sounds great. He was always really close to his heart, they would come back some loose if they could. And my father, another Thomas, William Morris, was born in Nelson and his sister, Barbie, Mary Robina, and spread the gap and was born in Nelson, that when my aunt uncle was old enough to go to university, the family transferred down to Vancouver and my grandfather continued to work for the customs department. And his job was to assess how much customs had to be paid on any used machinery, which came into the province anywhere from Chicago to San Francisco. So he did quite a bit of traveling. It's quite a responsible job, I think. Anyway, they lived in Vancouver, well, his four children went to university. And then he continued working a little longer than retirement age, because at that point, it was World War Two. And so many of the young men were off at the front, they asked him to stay longer. As soon as the war was over, he came back to his first love, which was Saltspring. He retired on the island to well, Bree Bay, built his house and lived there until he was 93 years old, gardening and doing various things on the island.
Unknown Speaker 56:27
Thanks, Larry.
Unknown Speaker 56:33
Really pleased to have representative of the red family. And I don't want to say anything bad about your grandmother, but I haven't used avenues to say that he was one bullet who always told the truth. And there was some suspicion that was at Mary told tall tales. I'm sure that won't be part of your presentation.
Unknown Speaker 56:56
My sister lives made a summary of this for me. Mary Jane Mowat was born in January of 19, or 1888, sorry, on Saltspring Saltspring. And she was the first mullet born on the islands. She was the second eldest daughter and she had to work very hard for the family. She cooked, sewed, cleaned and looked after the children. Because Jane was busy with the store. And, and she was also active, as nurses as a family. I remember her talking about Laurie she loved Laurie, her brother, she was she was there was some connection. And somehow I reminded her of him. So she had fond memories of Laurie and she, when he went through TV, she remembers nursing him. For some reasons. She was allowed to be near him while he had TV. I don't know how that happened. But anyway, she was nursing him. And she remembers, you know, how she never got over the loss of her brother. And she's very close to Aunt Jessie as well. And I remember Jesse coming up and visiting quite often when I was in my teens and visiting grandmother. Anyways, Mary Jane was she was in charge of the post office in 1907 and met my grandfather Clinton. When he picked up his mail. He had moved to Salt Spring in 1907, to teach school in Fernwood. And he he he worked with Joe Ackerman at that time. In the summer, he worked for the mullet brothers during various jobs, helping with the books working in the feed shed butchering. skippering, the Ganges grandmother and grandfather were became engaged in 1908. Grandmother went to Columbia College for a year, and grandfather went to Toronto to study engineering, grandmother and grandfather were married on Saltspring in October 1911 and then moved to Vancouver in 1913. They moved to Courtney, together with their four sons, Stuart, Arthur, Norman and Gavin. They built an owned and built owned and operated the forbidden plateau Lodge and had the first skiing in the Comox Valley for 11 years from the mid 30s to the mid 40s. And then, then in their later years, they moved to all their points just south of Campbell River on the beach, and they lived and enjoyed the visits of their children and 15 grandchildren at that site. And they lived in that same home until they death grandfather in 1967. And grandmother in 1984. And she was 96 when she when she passed away
Unknown Speaker 59:43
any questions at the moment we're getting getting near the end I did want to i We touched on very briefly or if Sue did on go Gavin's contribution woman's father, but it would be hard to make a presentation here without taking the whole afternoon to talk about Gavin and his contribution to so many things on the island from getting the power here of the hospitals. Parks very system, which certainly wouldn't be what it is today. I'm sorry for all that background. Is that okay now? Just an amazing, amazing contribution. Can you hear it Yvonne? Is it okay? It says it's on but okay. And I think most of you are many of you know, of that contribution. And certainly those of us in the family know what I will say my brother Madson, who unfortunately died a year ago, it would have been great to have him here almost a year ago. You remember just over for Gavin did drive a fairly hard bargain. Because when Matson had just gone to Normal School in Victoria, he came here and unfortunately, finance and on his normal rollout now remember, his first year of schooling was teaching us and it was a rough introduction. So anything he stayed in the profession after, after one year, but he felt my father had died. And he felt he had to come home and be with mother. So uncle Gavin was Chairman the school board at the time and called him in and told him he was going to receive the princely sum of $75 a month. Now, this was 1947. And he was lucky to get it. And that's an always remembered that afterwards. So you had to make your way in the family.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:00
I'm going to
Unknown Speaker 1:02:04
I have so many stories that I have here in the background, but I I'm not going to start telling them. But but I'm going to finish off with a little story that was written by Ivan. And if you'll excuse me, pardon me, I'll sit down for it.
Unknown Speaker 1:02:27
Think you'll understand I start reading it, you'll know who the boy was. It's called the grocery counter. In a very busy morning, the boy was spending his first summer working in the store. He spent several summers working for Mr. Page in the food shed but not someone who was working in the store. The store was a large burden right liverworts at Ganges harbor. When we came in the front door, there was a great open space stretching across to a wide staircase. The staircase went halfway up to the second floor and then the stairs divided from this landing, and led up to the offices in dry goods section on the second floor. downstairs on the right was a grocery section, where there's a long time to stretch from the full length of the store with just one breakeven about halfway through let the clerks have access to the shelves. On the other hand side was the ice cream and pop counter, and then the drugs and some hardware. On the side of the store. Behind the counter there was a ladder to get the start from Irish shelves. There were all sorts of interesting things in the grocery section, a large round of cheese with a great hinge cleaver to slice it, a big block of dates that were loosened with a spike a coffee grinder and by turning and having you could grind the coffee beans, and there was almost always a large bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling. It was much better working here than in the future. When the decision was made for the transfer to the store, the board thought it would he wouldn't be waiting on customers and revenue charged slips. He could write legibly, he could multiply and he could add with a great degree of competency. Mr. Stacy, a clerk in the grocery section explained the intricacies of writing a charge slip. But the boy read all about these. He also knew there was a list of people to whom no credit was extended. He was told most explicitly that under no circumstances was he to charge anything to anybody on that list. Yes, you asked them to sue his lawyer spotter in the office. But most of the time instead of waiting on customers and waiting charge slips he was sweeping dusting running errands or filling shelves. Putting shelves was best where he could roll the ladder along and climb up to the top and look all around the store. Now it was telling me that Mr. Norton and Mr. Stacy were going to lunch. The boy wants to tend to the grocery counter on his own. He hoped somebody would come into shop, but please not one of those people on the mailing list. He wanted someone to come in with a good A large grocery list and charge everything. Then you can record the whole transaction on the charge slip. He stood behind the counter and waited. There was work to do, he still hadn't finished filling the shelves. There was a case of cornstarch and two cases of cereal, one Roman meal and one cream of heat to go on the shelves. He could do that later if only a customer would come in. He had better start to work. He really should have those three kids on the shelves before Mr. Norton and Mr. Stacy came back from lunch. He pulled the flaps back on the first case and rolled the ladder on to go to work. He was just about to let the last two boxes on the shelf when a customer came through the door. It was Mrs. Ransom and she was carrying her cloth shopping bag. You could recognize this as ransom she was always dressed in the same way she was wearing her tweed suit, and the hat was pretty fixed with a large happen. A lot of ladies wore hat pins and the boy wonder how they managed to push them in without going straight through their heads. This is what he'd seen kept house for Mr. Porter. She could have been a very good housekeeping because the boy recalled hearing his father tell his mother that Mrs. Ronson was not working as Mr. Quarters housekeeper and his mother had said housekeeper indeed.
Unknown Speaker 1:06:22
Mrs. Ransom came right over to the grocery counter rodeo. You're all on your own. Yes, Mrs. Ransom Mr. Munger Mr. Stacy you're having lunch and I'm in charge of the grocery counter. Well dear, I'm going to make a lot of lemon pies and I want a large bottle of lemon extract. Mother was right Mrs. Williams who could it be a very good housekeeper everyone who is fresh lemons to make lemon pies for some reason on Monday and the extracts are always kept them to the character. So he reached down and got a large bottle of lemon extract and put it on the counter. Would you like to charge that to your account? Mrs. Ransom if you pleased here. Oh good. He could write a charge slip July 7 1932 Mrs. Ransom one bottle lemon extract 75 cents. As ransom put the bottle of lemon extract in your shopping bag and left in the boy return the shocking stocking the shelves. You had just finished putting the last of the Roman meal on the shelf when Mrs. Ranson retune. I was just turning to on to Window word when I met poor old Mrs. Ward. When she told me she was coming all the way down to me to get a bottle of lemon extract I gave her mind so she wouldn't have the extra long walk. So dear, would you please give me another bottle of lemon extract and add it to my bill. So the bill was changed to bottles of lemon extract that 75 cents $1.50 He had no sooner started to put the landscapes on the shelf and Mrs. Williamson returned a deal I just got out of the store when I got my bottle of lemon extract, so you'll have to let him have another and add it to my bill. The boy felt sorry for his ransom, but she would have to pay for the broken bottle so the day was changed again three bottles lemon extract at 35 cents to 25. Shortly after Mrs. Ransom left Mr. Norton Mr. Stacy returned when is the boy would not be waiting on any more customers for the day he pulled out the one charge slip and send it up to the office. He was just about to go out to work in the store where he saw his father come down the stairs and his hand here the sales slip and dressed the boy and pressing the bar he asked What do you mean by selling that woman three large bottles of lemon extract? Well that she bought one nice bottle because she was going to make a lot of lemon pies. Then she started at home and that Mrs. Ward coming down to the very same thing so she gave us his Wordle say this is what a long walk she gave her hers. Then she broke the second bottle and had to have another one rubbish that his father returned to the office. Standing beside the boy Mr. Norton, that hardness exchange, the boy looked at him. Mr. Norton had a habit of making a log clicking sound with his tongue and his back teeth. He now made a very loud clicking sound and looking down at the boy said she's drinking it
Unknown Speaker 1:09:31
i think i think you can tell from this that I haven't had a great affection for the store. And he promised me faithfully that he was going to live for the 100th anniversary of the store which is 19 107 He wasn't able to keep that promise. But I think as you can tell from that reading. I know that when that every day's date comes Ivan spirit will certainly Ed in minutes and I'm going to extend an invitation to everybody here for two years from now in August to be coming to mullets, because it's going to be Cueto celebration that we managed to get out even even half of the family that spread around the island is going to be the swelling of the month of August whenever next for Jack can, thanks very much, everybody.
Unknown Speaker 1:10:41
Thank you, Tom, and soon, and although we appreciate it very much, you come in this afternoon and eight dimension to that Ivan with a life member of our association, as it's appreciated his contributions to do the Historical Society. So through all of the lights, and all of us, thank you very much for a pleasant afternoon.
