Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday, James Chapman, Whonnock BC Canada


James Chapman, died in British Columbia, Canada.
According to his WW I Canadian Over-Seas Expeditionary Force attestation papers, he was born in Parry Sound, Ontario 18 January, 1872. He was living in Whonnock, BC in 1911 with his mother, Ann, his brothers, George and Abel, and his sister, Fannie. He died 27 February, 1940. (Library & Archives Canada CEF file: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 1627 - 6. Ancestry.com: 1911 Canadian Census database on-line, Whonnock, Dewdney Riding, Maple Ridge Municipality, New Westminster, British Columbia, Enumeration District #40, Page 4, Family No 30. Ancestry.com. 1911 Census of Canada. BC Archives Death Registration: 1940-09-568688. )

Fred Braches has researched and transcribed the Whonnock Cemetery, Whonnock, British Columbia and information on the burials there is on-line - Whonnock Notes #2 Spring 1997 (see link there to a .pdf file).

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Cemetery Tours - Vancouver and Burnaby - August-September 2009

Woodward Mausoleum, Masonic Cemetery, Burnaby, British Columbia. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers.


Front column detail, Woodward Mausoleum, Masonic Cemetery, Burnaby, British Columbia. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers.

Cemetery tours are coming up soon in the Lower Mainland - at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver this Sunday, August 23rd, and on September 13th at the Masonic and Beth Israel cemeteries in Burnaby.

The Vancouver tours will be led by Lorraine Irving of the BC Genealogical Society and John Atkin. John is a local historian and Lorraine has been researching in Mountain View Cemetery for many years and is a very active member of the BCGS. Their tours are on Sunday, August 23rd at 10 am. Meet at 33rd and Fraser Streets on the south west corner - look for the red flag. $10. each. Pre-registration is not necessary.

These are the first in a new series of regular walking tours of Mountain View Cemetery.

The Burnaby cemetery tours are led by Maurice Guibord of the Burnaby Village Museum. Tours start at 10 am. $10.50 each. Please pre-register. You'll be given details then. Register on-line through the website or by phone. Burnaby Village Museum: 604-293-6500.

Maurice is a local historian, the Programme Co-ordinator at the Burnaby Village Museum, and also a BC Genealogical Society member. The Masonic and Beth Israel cemeteries are side-by-side in the Brentwood area. At the Masonic Cemetery, for instance, you'll learn about the architecture and the history of the Woodward Mausoleum shown in these photographs, while at the Beth Israel Cemetery, Jewish burial traditions and graves will be shown and discussed.

Watch for more information about future cemetery tours in the Lower Mainland.

Maurice Guibord discussing the Woodward Mausoleum in the Masonic Cemetery in Burnaby. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers






Tuesday, August 11, 2009

What would be an appropriate epitaph for Julia Child?

I've just finished reading Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, about the year the author, Julie Powell, cooked every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blogged about it all. I did find the book funny, although even Julia Child in person couldn't get me cooking some of these things (and perhaps Julia Child wasn't impressed with Julie's project anyway).

After Child's death, Julie Powell at first envisioned Julia with her husband Paul again toasting "whatever comes next" but at the end of Julie and Julia, she
says she thinks Julia's in a grave with a "cool headstone" and she gives her readers a guess what the epitaph is. Well, I immediately thought 'The End' since Julia Child was an author. No, that's not right.

According to Find A Grave, Julia Child's body wasn't buried. Her ashes were scattered instead, perhaps in Santa Barbara and Maine, USA. I see there are over 700 messages there on the Find A Grave memorial pages for Julia Child. That's quite a memorial in itself.

Now what would be a good epitaph though?
Maybe this - often attributed to Julia Child - "Life itself is the proper binge."

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell (New York: Back Bay Books, 2005).

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Somber Sunday - 2 August 1888 - British Columbia Canada

Somber Sunday - 2 August 1888

For Sombre Sunday, I post deaths from British Columbia, Canada from the date of the first Sunday of each month as published in a selected newspaper or other source.

Today these are from the Victoria Daily Colonist, published in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Thursday, 2 August, 1888. See below for the link to the British Colonist Online website to read the entire articles.

Deaths Mentioned from British Columbia –

A report from the Donald Truth newspaper about the inquest into the death of William ARCHER, shot near Golden, B.C., and the arrest of Michael KENNEDY for the murder. Both were married men and ranch owners. Kennedy had apparently been a witness in a case against Archer which had involved a Mrs. WILLIAMS. Page 1

~~~
Johnny KLA-QUOT-SI “discharged from custody” in the DRING and MILLER case. [James MILLER and W.H. DRING were murdered near Chemainus in February, 1886.] The judge ruled the witness was not credible and also ruled Kla-quot-si’s confession inadmissable. QUAMLET, "the principal murderer,...[had] died in prison.” Page 1

~~~
Mr. T. ARGYLE returned from searching the Race Rocks area for the bodies of his son Tom and others recently drowned. Page 4

[Thomas Argyle, H.E. Leavitt SMITH, Arthur WILLIAMS and Abraham VANDERSLUSE were reported drowned while rowing to the lighthouse at Race Rocks where Thomas’s father was lighthouse keeper. See Victoria Daily Colonist, 31 July, 1888, page 4, for the initial report.]

~~~
“The funeral of the unfortunate Cyprian took place yesterday afternoon and was attended by a long line of carriages containing the ‘demi monde’ element, and some of their male friends.” Page 4

[This, I believe, was the funeral of Mabel Vaughan, who died 30 July, 1888. The newspaper reported her death on 31 July 1888, p. 4, saying she “for some years has been an inmate of a house of ill-fame on Broad Street...]

~~~
Impressive Funeral Ceremonies – a very full description of the funeral of the Very Rev. John J. JONCKAU, 1 August, 1888 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, including pall bearers’ names, etc. The funeral procession included the St. Joseph’s Society, Young Men’s Institute, Acolytes, Cross Bearer, The Clergy, Bishop-Elect LEMMENS, Rt. Reverend Bishop LOUTTENS, Pall Bearers, The Sisters of St Ann and The Orphans, then the General Public (shown in a diagram in this order). At the end of the service the casket was laid in the vault beneath the church – alongside the casket of the late Bishop Demers.

“Up to the time that the casket was closed, the features retained the calm, placid appearance of one in a gentle sleep, and showed not the slightest sign of decay....Mr. Chas. HAYWOOD had charge of the funeral arrangements throughout.” Page 4

~~~
Also rumour of a murder at Hequiot. Page 4


Deaths from Elsewhere –

Clarke River. Ontario – A report from Kingston that two men, Joseph and Louis ROSEL, had killed another man. “Drink was the cause.” Page 1

China – A report from Montreal – Dr William YOUNG of Montreal died in China. Dr YOUNG had left Montreal to practice in Hong Kong in 1878. He later accepted a position as “chair of chemistry” in Montreal for “one season”, but returned to Hong Kong. Page 1

“Frank HALL, the celebrated painter, is dead.” Page 1

Dublin, Ireland – "Aug 1 - Patrick BERRY, only recently returned from America, and now residing near Listowel, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Farmer FORARN on Saturday." Page 1

Kentucky, USA – Dr. Robert MORRIS, the “poet-laureate of Masonry and the most distinguished Mason in the world”, died “on Tuesday morning.....Dr. MORRIS will be well remembered for his visit to Victoria about a year ago...” Page 2

Brooklyn, New York, USA – Dr Winslow I PRICE, “died on Sunday, aged 60 years.” Page 4

Bloomington, New York, USA - Bartley CAMPBELL, “the well known playwright, died at the Bloomington N.Y., assylum [sic] for the Insane.....” Page 4

Estate Notices

Re estate of W.E. BLACKETT, Nanaimo, Contractor – J.C. BLACKETT, Administrator. Page 3

Re estate of William Francis MORRISON, New Westminster, Hotel Keeper – W.H. FALDING, Administrator. Page 3

Related Advertiesements

Chas. HAYWARD – Funeral Director and Embalmer – Langley Street Victoria. Page 3

Ladies who wear Black by choice will always find the most varied selection at the City House. Page 4


This issue of the newspaper can be read at The British Colonist Online 1858-1910: http://www.britishcolonist.ca/

Somber Sunday, or, as we spell it here in Canada, Sombre Sunday, is a day to post obituaries or sad stories - the idea of Brenda Kay Wolfgram Moore who writes at Day-ly Genealogy Blogposts .