Author: Vicky Briggs

My Favourite Photo

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2025, Briggs, Jan 2025, Stanley Kingston Briggs, Thomas A. Briggs2 Comments

Since starting on my genealogy research pathway, there have been a lot of photos I have come across both old and new. It was very difficult to think about which one would be my favourite (there are a lot of favourites!!). Over the past couple of days, I’ve been scrolling through all the photos and this one kept coming back to me.

I look at this picture quite a bit as it tells a story of one family at a very difficult time – four brothers all coming home from WWI and sitting for a photo in their uniforms. This photo was posted in the local newspaper with a wonderful article that summarizes their WWI story:

Briggs Family Has Fine Record For War Service

NEW WESTMINSTER, May 1 – There was a great reunion at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Briggs, 302 Royal avenue, when the four sons of this pioneer New Westminster Family returned from overseas all physically fit after long months of active service.

Major John A. Briggs, M.D.C.M., went overseas as medical officer with the 48th Victoria Battalion. He was transferred to the 3rd Canadian Pioneers in France, then served with No. 10 Canadian Field Ambulance. It was in this unit that he won the Military Cross and his majority. He is seated at the lower right of the picture.

Seated opposite is Capt. Stanley K. Briggs who went overseas with Vancouver’s famous 29th Battalion as a non-commissioned officer and won his commission as lieutenant and later caption, on the battlefield.

Corp. T. A. Briggs, standing behind Major Briggs, enlisted in the 239th Railway Construction Company and saw considerable active service. He returned home some months ago and is a fireman at No. 1 hall.

Corp. Errol C. Briggs, the youngest of the four, was studying electrical engineering at the University of Washington when the United States declared war and he immediately joined the 93rd Aero Squadron. He is now in Portland, Oregon.

All four are native sons of British Columbia. Major Briggs was born in Victoria and the others at the family home on Royal avenue. Mr. Briggs, the father, has ben retired for some years. In earlier days he was a well-known figure in business circles as superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company, which for years operated a line of river and gulf steamers from this city.

http://www.newspapers.com/image/498234647 The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) Wed, Apr 30, 1919, Page 20

The article pretty much sums up where they were and what they did. What it doesn’t tell are the hardships they endured after coming back. As with most stories of war veterans, there are many that we do not hear about. Some I have heard, but there are still more questions than answers.

Corp T. A. Briggs is my great-grandfather. He had a very tough tour during WWI starting in a hospital in England, going onto France, back in a hospital in England and then being sent home medically unfit and discharged February 1919. I have his military records – they tell of his hardships during his time overseas. One day I’ll document all in a blog post (hopefully later this year).

I’m very proud to be part of this family and to carry the Briggs name. There are family members on my mother’s side as well that have joined and served our country with pride and dedication – thank you.

In the meantime, I love this  picture for the story it tells but also for the stories it doesn’t tell.

If you have a favourite photo, please share telling us why – I look forward to seeing your photos!

In The Beginning…..

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2025, Jan 20251 Comment

In the beginning of the We Are Family Briggs blog, the purpose was to compile research and share with the family (certainly more than just the Briggs’ family!) everything that I have learned. Now I feel it’s time to mix things up by not just doing the research, but also sharing my thoughts, doing more family interviews, and hoping to inspire other family members to collect and continue the stories they have gleaned from conversations, gatherings and journals.

The subject for today’s post, ‘In the Beginning’ can start anywhere from the beginning of time to the beginning of this post. I’m going to begin from as far back as I can go with the Briggs line (so far). Keep in mind, this is not confirmed information but rather a starting point as to where the Briggs family ‘may’ have begun. We all know it goes back much further (and it does) however, we need to start somewhere!

Thomas Briggs – this is a very common name throughout the Briggs line. For example, we have Thomas Albert Briggs (great grandfather), Thomas Lasher Briggs (2x great grandfather) and Thomas Briggs, Jr. (3x great grandfather) – you see what I’m talking about. There are several other Thomas’, but we will get to those another time.

The Thomas Briggs I’m referring to was born in the year 1751 in Armley, Yorkshire, England (5x great grandfather). This is unsubstantiated information, however, I’m pretty sure we’re on the right path and it will take a lot of time and work to gather the information needed (also might require a trip to England!) to substantiate the connection. Further information gathered indicates that his father’s name was Thomas but again, Thomas Briggs in England during that time is a very popular name.

My confirmed research shows five generations of Thomas’ up to Thomas Albert Briggs or as he was commonly known amongst his peers in New Westminster, Dixie (not sure where that came from however, another research trip!). This is in my direct line. There are, however, other Thomas Briggs’ going down from the Thomas Lasher and Mary Briggs (nee Irving) line through Stanley Kingston Briggs (6th of 8 children/4th of 5 sons).

One of the good things to come out of doing this blog is the chance to meet newfound family members. I had the opportunity to visit a distant cousin of my father in April 2023 – Thomas (Tom) Briggs! I’m hoping to do another visit sometime in 2025, to do an interview with him and his family, and a visit with his sister, to add to the stories and the blog. Oh, and he has a son named Thomas!

Here is a photo of Thomas and I sitting at a family heirloom once belonging to an ancestor from Irving House. It was a wonderful visit, and I look forward to another one.

Here’s looking forward to much more research, many more stories and anticipated visits!

Welcome to the beginning of 2025!

Back to Blogging: Family Stories Await!

On By Vicky BriggsIn 20242 Comments

As I look back over the We are Family Briggs blog posts, it has been a couple of years since my last one.

Things have been very busy in my work life causing me to put in a lot of overtime. Because of this, I was too tired to put in the work for the blog posts. I did not want to just throw something together just for the sake of doing so – it just didn’t seem right. I have found that if you’re not into doing the writing, then the posts would not be worth it for people to read.

Fast forward to the present, we have hired another full-time person in our office thus taking a huge workload off me. It’s only been two and a half months, but I know this person will stick around for the long haul – fingers crossed!

My mind has been going around and around as to how I would ‘begin’ again on blog posts but wasn’t too sure where to begin. I found something on Facebook a couple of weeks ago that caught my eye and basically gave me a way to get started. Let’s just say it’s ‘prompting’ me on what to write about but doesn’t really have to be too engrossed to get me going.

I’d like to give credit to Amy Johnson Crow’s program, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-new/) for getting We Are Family Briggs back on track and hopefully back into digging into our family history!

I will also give credit to my cousin’s son, Bradley, for giving that extra push – he knows why. Family is the key, and the stories need to be recorded for the future – great job on the Christmas presents for your family, Bradley!

Time to start writing – stay tuned for the first of many more to come in the next couple of days (what have I gotten myself into?!?!) – I’m looking forward to it, hope you are as well!

Happy New Year everyone!!

Vicky

Who Shares Your Birthday – February

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2023, Briggs, Feb 2023, Grant Briggs3 Comments

2023 is the year for consistency for me – consistency in my home life, my work life and in my blog life!  My commitment is to do at least one blog post a month and work up to two by mid-year. So, keeping that in mind, here is the next entry for Who Shares Your Birthday!

For all the Who Shares Your Birthday blog posts, they have been ancestors. This time, I decided to focus on someone that is still in our presence and always makes himself known when he is in your presence – my dad, Grant Irving Briggs.

The reason I decided to do this is two-fold: first, because it’s been 3 years since his open-heart surgery, and we are so thankful it was done so he’s still making his “jokes”; second, because I really could not find an ancestor interesting enough to make themselves known (really, there wasn’t anyone with a birthday in February!).

I should also mention, we do have another family member in our midst with a birthday in February – Happy Birthday to Bradley!

Now, let’s get to know my dad. Grant Irving Briggs (Dad) was born February 6, 1940, in New Westminster, BC to Stanley Leonard Briggs and Irene Stella Hartford Matthew (Grandma & Grandpa).

At the time of Dad’s birth, Grandma and Grandpa made their home at one of two addresses: 1716 London Street, New Westminster or 1591 16th Avenue, Burnaby, BC. The reason why I say this is the 1939 City Directory for Stanley Briggs listed the first address, the 1940 City Directory listed the second address. Sometime between the two City Directories (not sure when the information was collected and when the City Directory was produced), they had moved.

Dad has two siblings. His sister, Irene “Evelyn” was born in 1943, and his brother, Stanley “Richard” was born in 1944.

Dad started Grade 1 at Stride Avenue Elementary School. According to Dad, they moved sometime during that year (about halfway through the school year) to 830 Henley Street, New Westminster, and then he went to Lord Kelvin Elementary School in New Westminster. He then went to Vincent Massey Junior High School and Lester Pearson High School where he graduated in 1957.

After Dad graduated from high school, he continued his education going to the School of Psychiatric Nursing at Essondale.

Grant’s first daughter, Cristine Godwin, was born January 29, 1959. Cris was given up for adoption to wonderful parents at that time. Fortunately, for our family, she reached out to Dad after her adoptive parents had passed away. We are so blessed to have her and her family in our lives!

In 1960, he moved to 11705 – 72nd Avenue, Nth Delta with his parents.  Grandma and Grandpa still owned the house on Henley Street as a rental property.

Dad graduated from the Psychiatric Nursing program March 1961:

6th row, 3rd from right

During the summer of 1960, Dad met my mother, Jeannette Marguerite Marie Gobin. They married June 30, 1962.

Dad did start his professional career in psychiatric nursing but felt there was such an influx of female nurses into psychiatric nursing that he would not be able to progress as he had hoped. They had a visit from their life insurance agent that began the start of his new career in life insurance. It didn’t last very long as he did not feel right about trying to sell insurance to people that may not be able to afford it. So, he had a relative that was a truck driver and so as they say, the rest is history! Dad was a truck driver until he retired from Aggressive Transport as an owner-operator. In his own words, it was the best decision he made!

Mom and Dad made their homes in many places until they finally settled with their young family in Port Coquitlam, BC. They had three children:  Veronica (Vicky), Ronald and Shawn.

One of the things I can remember about Dad as I was growing up, is he was a hard-working husband and father, having hardly ever missed a day of work. He did have a couple of times when he was sidelined from work, and it really did drive him nuts as he loved to keep busy. He still does to this day.

Having open heart surgery in November 2019, the recuperation was hard for Dad. He just wanted to get outside and continue with the day-to-day activities he was doing before surgery. It took a while to recover, however he is still out and about puttering around.

Dad is an aspiring musician and I say that light heartedly! He has an ear for music which is something I wish I had been able to pick up. There was always music in the house (much to Mom’s chagrin!) for as long as I can remember. He plays the piano, guitar and steel guitar (and probably some others!), and still practices the guitar daily.

Mom and Dad have made their home in 100 Mile House having moved there several years ago. Just this past year, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. First picture is from their 25th wedding anniversary:

I hope you have gotten to know my dad a little bit more. Trust me, he is quite the character and loves to show it!

Please help me in wishing my dad a Happy 83rd Birthday! Hoping to go visit Mom and Dad soon so I can wish him a happy birthday personally.

Have a great week everyone – take care and be safe!

Happy New Year & Birthdays!

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2023, Albert Thomas Briggs, Briggs, Jan 20231 Comment

It’s a new year – 2023! This is the time when some will look for new and different ways to change or make their lives better for themselves and those around them. These occurrences historically have been called “resolutions”. Personally, I do not like to set resolutions as I figure if there is a need to make changes, don’t wait for the one day a year – do it right then and there (although sometimes it does take longer).

Instead, let’s start the new year by wishing several from our family a happy birthday! There’s Nichelle (5th), Taylor (11th), Levi (13th), Mike (27th) and last but not least, my big sis, Cris (29th)!

Now, onto who shares your birthday. This is a bittersweet one and you will see why as we get to know Albert Thomas Briggs, born January 26, 1890, to Albert James Briggs (2x great-granduncle and brother of my 2x great-grandfather, Thomas Lasher Briggs) and Margaret (“Maggie”) Henry.

Albert was one of three children born to Albert and Maggie: Alice Maude born in 1891, and Bernard Henry born in 1892. Unfortunately, Bernard passed away less than a year later in 1893.

At the time of Albert’s birth, the family lived at 1 George Street, Victoria City. The 1891 Canada Census lists the family in the Johnson Street Ward of Victoria City, and the City Directory for 1891 list their address as 1 George Street, Victoria.

The 1901 Canada Census list the family still living in Victoria, only showing a District Number of 4 which is the same district as listed in the 1891 Census.

The next City Directory I have found was for 1905 which shows the family still living at 1 George Street. The 1906 & 1907 City Directories did not show Albert James Briggs, but the 1908 did show him living at 1203 Chambers Street, Victoria. So, sometime between 1905 and 1908, the family moved to their new home. Coincidentally enough, Albert Thomas Briggs was listed in the 1908 and 1909 City Directories for Victoria. Both directories listed him as a clerk working at R.P. Rithet Co., Ltd. (same company his father worked for) and living at 1203 Chambers Street.

Sadly, Albert Thomas passed away from an accidental drowning June 3, 1909. There were several newspaper articles depicting the mystery of how he had come to be in the water and drown.

As a result of the number of questions, a coroner’s inquest was conducted. The results of the inquest were accidental drowning. It is noted that he may have hit his head on the way down, which rendered him unconscious, thus being unable to rescue himself.

The obituary was in the Evening Post, June 8th. Reading through, it showed he was a popular young man.

There are no individual markers on the BRIGGS Family plot in the Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, BC – only the surname curb inscription.

There will not be a lot of posts like this one as most of those who died young did not have as much paperwork or newspaper articles. As Albert’s father was a well know figure in Victoria at that time, and because of the mystery behind his death, this was one of those ones that I was able to find information on his death.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know Albert Thomas Briggs throughout his short life.

Take care and be safe!

Sources for pictures:

  1. Canada, British Columbia Birth Registrations, 1854-1903,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-X4NC-28?cc=1307731&wc=9XRV-4WL%3A1072807501 : 14 May 2014), 004401547 > image 837 of 3002; Vital Statistics Agency, Victoria
  2. Newspapers.com; The Victoria Daily Times, Friday, June 4, 1909
  3. Newspapers.com; The Evening Post, Friday June 4, 1909
  4. Newspapers.com; The Evening Post, Saturday, June 5, 1909
  5. Newspapers.com; The Victoria Daily Times, Saturday, June 5, 1909
  6. Newspapers.com; The Evening Post, Monday, June 7, 1909
  7. Newspapers.com; The Victoria Daily Times, Monday, June 7, 1909
  8. Newspapers.com; The Victoria Daily Times, Tuesday, June 8, 1909
  9. Royal BC Museum, Albert Briggs, Registration Number: 1909-09-022987; BC Archives Mfilm Number: B13081; GSU MFilm Number: 1927291; Victoria
  10. Find A Grave: Albert Thomas Briggs; https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117738271/albert-thomas-briggs
  11. Family Search; Albert Thomas Briggs profile; unknown official source.

‘TIS THE SEASON

On By Vicky BriggsIn Dec 20222 Comments

As I look back on the We are Family Briggs blog stories over the past year, I have to wonder how my relations celebrated the holiday season those many years ago.

Every family has traditions with some being carried forward from generation to generation. One tradition I remember from my childhood is always having to eat a full breakfast before we opened presents so our tummies wouldn’t get sick from all the junk food we would be having throughout the day. We were allowed to open our stockings before breakfast, but the rest had to wait. And trust me, it was a full breakfast and cleanup afterwards! I did that with my two sons while they grew up and they still remember it to this day.

Having young children around during Christmas seems to make it that more magical. The magic tends to fade as we get older. The one thing I try to remember is whether you’re with family or surrounded by wonderful friends, it is being together that is the most important part of the season.

I will be spending Christmas with my two sons. The one tradition that we look forward to is on Christmas Eve. We have a lot of snacks, watch a movie and play a game. This year, we’ve invited some special friends to join us.

For Christmas day dinner, we are going away from the traditional turkey and having salmon (which is always a treat for us), and visiting family on Boxing Day for the turkey dinner which we are very much looking forward to. **UPDATE – Boxing Day dinner is now New Year’s Day dinner – can’t wait!

So, from my family to yours, please have a safe and wonderful holiday season, carry on your family traditions and always remember the magic of the season.

Who Shares your Birthdate – December

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2022, Dec 2022, William Irving BriggsLeave a comment

It’s the month of December and the season of giving! For me, it’s always the season of giving – you don’t need to wait for Christmas or birthdays to give. My gift to you is the celebration of family and getting to know another member of our family.

Before we meet that person, let’s wish Tyler a happy birthday!

Last December, we met Mary Irving Briggs who is my paternal great-great grandmother and born on December 25th.  Here’s a link to her story if you missed it:

https://wearefamilybriggs.ca/category/irving/mary-irving/

Now let’s see who shares your birthday in December. Allow me to introduce you to William Irving Briggs born to Thomas Lasher Briggs and Mary Irving on December 26, 1875, Victoria, BC, a day after Mary’s 23rd birthday.

The birth registration shows some interesting items:

  • William’s full name
  • Date of birth
  • Names of parents, Thomas Lasher Briggs and Mary Irving
  • Profession of father, Thomas, as merchant
  • Original signature of Thomas Lasher Briggs
  • Street the family lived on in Victoria – Gordon Street

It’s amazing how much information you can get with one document!

William is the oldest of nine children. One of them being my great-grandfather, Thomas Albert (“Dick”) Briggs. So that makes William my great-granduncle.

The Briggs family lived in Victoria from about the beginning of 1875 to 1881, at which time they moved to New Westminster. The 1881 Canada Census shows the family in New Westminster. A City Directory for New Westminster from 1882 shows Thomas L. Briggs’ residence as “Royal Avenue” – presumably Irving House.

This picture is from the New Westminster Archives which shows William as a student at a school in Portland:

William had eight siblings (five brothers/three sisters), and all were raised at Irving House.

William married Helen “Nell” Frances Jackson April 8, 1896, in New Westminster. One interesting item to note in the Marriage Registration (although there are a lot of interesting items!), is William’s profession is noted as “Student-at-Law”. Before this, I have not been able to find anything to verify this information. The only indication of his being a law student is noted is his obituary as having graduated from Osgoode Hall in 1897. Osgoode Hall is located in Toronto, Ontario and was a very prestigious law school at that time. Hopefully, with a little bit more digging, I hope to find more to confirm this information.

The 1901 Canada Census shows William and Nell, along with their son, Lemuel, living with her mother. Not sure why this is the case as the City Directories for 1900 up to 1905, show William’s home at Irving House. Although the address does say 248 Royal Avenue – this was the original address until 1909 which showed 302 Royal Avenue. I’m guessing this is because of growth in the area where addresses did tend to change to accommodate other residential growth.

I have found several newspaper articles and City Directories which show William’s journey throughout his life. Rather than doing a paragraph for each article, let’s take a look with a timeline:

DATE NEWSPAPER/ CITY DIRECTORYCONTENTS
1897City DirectoryStudent-at-law, Lorne, h 248 Royal ave.
1900 October 20 The Victoria Daily TimesHolidaying with friend J.B. Kennedy in Kamloops, BC, “for the good of their health”
1901City DirectoryStudent-at-law, h 248 Royal ave.
1901 April 03The Chilliwack ProgressMr. Alex Henderson & Mr. W. I. Briggs, eldest son of Mr. T.L. Briggs, have formed a legal partnership in New Westminster. Mr. Briggs is comparatively new in the profession, having recently been called to the bar, after studying in the office of Messrs. Morrison & Dockrill.
1901 November 7 The ProvinceYoung Men’s Liberal Club was formed. W. I. Briggs was elected as an officer and appointed the position of secretary.
1901-1902City DirectoryHenderson & Briggs; h. 248 Royal
1902City DirectoryMorrison, Whiteside, McQuarrie & Briggs, h 248 Royal
1903City DirectoryMorrison, Whiteside, McQuarrie & Briggs, h 248 Royal
1903 August 13Daily News AdvertiserMr. W.I. Briggs, the well-known barrister of this city, was up at Pitt Lake yesterday afternoon with a small party in the yacht Night-hawk. While coming down the lake on the return trip and below the stone quarry, Mr. Briggs signed an object to warrant further investigation which was later to be determined as a corpse.
1903 December 24Daily News AdvertiserLost – “Cap”, the liver and white spaniel owned by Mr. W.I. Briggs was lost last week while on a shooting trip with his master down river.
1904City DirectoryBarrister, Bank of Commerce block, h. 248 Royal ave.
1904 March 26The ProvinceMr. W.I. Briggs has severed his connection with the legal firm of Morrison, Whiteside, McQuarrie & Briggs and has opened offices for himself.
1905City DirectoryBarrister, Bank of Commerce block, h. 248 Royal ave.
1905 March 23Vernon NewsMr. Briggs was a partner of Aulay Morrison K.C., before his election to the Supreme Court Bench several months ago.
1905 July 07The Victoria Daily TimesWilliam Irving Briggs, of Revelstoke, barrister and solicitor, to be a notary public within and for the province of British Columbia.
1907 November 2B.C. Saturday SunsetW.I. Briggs of the firm of Scott & Briggs, Revelstoke…..
1908 April 18B.C. Saturday SunsetMr. and Mrs. W.I. Briggs have moved into their new residence on McKenzie Avenue.
1910City DirectoryRevelstoke; barrister and solicitor, First St
1916 October 31Daily News AdvertiserYesterday afternoon at the high school Trustee W.I. Briggs on behalf of the School Board, presented Ernest Frey with the Governor-General’s medal…..
1917 January 5The Victoria Daily TimesWilliam Irving Briggs, of the same city (Revelstoke) has been named as a coroner for the province.
1917 February 1Vernon NewsA.E. Kincaid, who was appointed acting police magistrate at Revelstoke after Dr. J.H. Hamilton, the magistrate, left for the front, has been replaced by W.I. Briggs.
1928City DirectoryBarrister, h 400, 1041 Comox
1928 December 6The Surrey GazetteMr. W.I. Briggs has opened a law office in the new Parr block, recently completed and expects to reside in Cloverdale. Mr. Briggs has been connected with the law business in Revelstoke for the last 20 years, and has held during that time, almost continuously the office of City Solicitor, and for a number of years was coroner, also acting as deputy policy magistrate for some time.
1929City DirectoryBarrister
1930City DirectoryRetired; 806 W. 18
1933 – 1938City DirectoriesBarrister retired; 1286 W. 14

Sometime in 1905, William and his family moved to Revelstoke, BC (determined by newspaper articles, city directories and the 1911 & 1921 Canada Census). It is said he was in Revelstoke for approximately 20 years (as noted in December 6, 1928, newspaper article.

William and Nell had five children – Lemuel (1899), Helen (1904), Mary (1909), Kenneth (1911 and Beryl (1917).

William passed away March 17, 1938, at the age of 63. The cause of death is unknown as I’ve been unable to obtain the death registration (working on it!):

As you can see, William had a very full if not short life. A sad part of his death is he was unable to attend his youngest daughter’s wedding (to John Farthing) in 1941.

Here are some more pictures for you to enjoy:

First picture (abt 1900) – William; second picture (abt 1909) – (back) Lemuel (son) and William, (seated) Elizabeth Irving Ryan (grandmother) and Mary Irving Briggs (mother); third picture (abt 1914) – (back) William Irving Briggs, John Briggs, Mary Irving Briggs, Thomas L. Briggs, (seated) Nell Briggs (wife), Kenneth Briggs (son), Elizabeth Dixon Irving, (on the grass) Lemuel, Helen and Mary Irving (William & Nell’s children). All pictures are from the New Westminster Archives.

Thank you for joining me in getting to know William Irving Briggs!

It’s November with More Birthdays!

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2022, Frederick William Press, Nov 2022, Press1 Comment

November is upon us with changes in weather, changes in time and changes in age! The weather is becoming cooler (yay!), time change is happening (boo!), and it’s another birthday for me (it’s just a number!).

Let’s start by wishing those in our family whose birthday is in November. Happy birthday to Dennis, Cole and Braydon! And an extra special mention to my great-nephews Ezra and Elliott – one day we will meet.

On to more family connections – who shares your birthday?  Born November 15, 1863, to Edward Albert Press and Elizabeth Mary Beevor is Frederick William Press. Frederick is my great, great grandfather:

Frederick was born in North Walsham, Erpingham, Norfolk, England, a small village in northeast England. I do not have a copy of his birth registration but will hopefully be able to order one soon as I have the registry information. However, I do have the baptism registration showing his birth date, and baptism on October 13, 1972, in Worstead, Norwich, Norfolk, along with his siblings (Edward, Bertha, Walter, Frank, Arthur, Sydney and Percy). This was not an uncommon practice as priests travelled from community to community doing mass baptisms (along with marriages and funerals).

  Baptism Date    Name & Birth Date        Parents           Last Name                District         Father’s Profession

Frederick and his family lived in a few places in this area (as noted by the ‘7’ in the map below). The 1871 Census of England and Wales shows the family of eight (parents and six children) on Langate in Smallburg, Worstead. The 1881 Census of England and Wales has the family located at Spa Common, Muckle Hill House, North Walsham, Erpingham, Norfolk.

A marriage licence was applied for by Elizabeth Barnard with the consent of her father, Daniel, for marriage to Frederick William Press, on September 27, 1886, and they were married on October 1, 1886. Their first child, a son (Frederick William Bond Press Jr.), was born on April 6, 1887. We can only guess why they married; however, the math says it all! The marriage took place in the Parish Church of Mutford in the County of Suffolk.

The 1891 Census of England and Wales shows the following information for the household of Frederick W. Press:

  • Address:  Cromer Road, Overstrand, Erpingham, Norfolk, England
  • Age:  26
  • Occupation:  Miller
  • Wife:  Eliza Press, age: 23
  • Son: Frederick W.B. Press, age 4

Norfolk Electoral Registers for the period 1889 to 1907, puts the family in these areas:

  • 1889 to 1892 – Roughton, house on Callows Farm
  • 1893 – Roughton near Joy’s Mill from Cromer Road
  • 1894 – Roughton near Joy’s Mill
  • 1895 – Overstrand, Suffield Park from Roughton
  • 1896 – Overstrand, Suffield Park
  • 1897 to 1898 – Cromer, Station Road
  • 1899 to 1907 – Roughton, Mill House, from Cromer

The 1901 Census of England and Wales shows a move happened sometime between 1891 and 1901. It lists the family’s last name as “Prep” which made it a little more difficult to find:

  • Address:  Thorpe Road, Roughton, Erpingham, Norfolk, England
  • Age:  36
  • Occupation:  Miller
  • Wife:  Eliza “Prep”, age 33
  • 4 children: Frederick W.B. (13), George E. (7), Effie (5) and Leonard A. (3).

1904 Kelly’s Directory (Norfolk) shows Frederick’s occupation as Miller/Merchant at Roughton Mill. He is also listed under the “Corn & Flour Merchants” section at Roughton Mill. On June 5, 1907, Frederick left his family and England via Liverpool on the ship Lake Manitoba landing in Montreal, Canada on June 16th. Leaving the family would have been a very hard decision to make but it was for the benefit of their family as a whole.

Frederick’s wife, Elizabeth (“Eliza”), and their five children (Frederick, George, Effie, Leonard and Bertha) followed in October 1907, coincidentally on the same ship, Lake Manitoba!

Within four years, the family settled in New Westminster, BC at 1316 – 10th Avenue as shown in the 1911 Canada Census. In the 1909 City Directory, I have found both Frederick and his son, Frederick Jr., listed at 826 1st (presumably 1st Avenue in New Westminster).

1921 Canada Census’ show Frederick and his wife still living at 1316 – 10th Avenue, as well as the City Directories for the period 1925 – 1937 and the Elector’s List for the year 1935.

Frederick passed away November 3, 1937. At this time, it is not known the cause of his death as I’ve been unable to obtain the death registration.

The Vancouver Sun, Nov. 4, 1937; Newspapers.com

Frederick was buried on November 6th, at Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster.

Frederick, at the age of 35, his wife and family immigrated to Canada in 1907. This is the first of the Press family in our line to come to Canada . The family has been in Canada for over 115 years spanning four generations. Thank you for taking the hard journey across the ocean and across Canada (probably by train) to bring our family here.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Frederick. We are truly blessed to have such brave members of our family for immigrating to a strange country where our family now calls home. 

Take care, everyone!

Who Shares Your Birthday?

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2022, Briggs, Irving House, October 2022, Stanley Kingston Briggs2 Comments

October is upon us, Fall is in the air and Summer is behind us, although the weather does not indicate it as it is still unseasonably warm. Well, we’ll just have to make do – who could say no to a little bit more sun in our lives, of course!

In the meantime, let’s begin by congratulating those family members with birthdays this month. We’ll start with my mother, Jeannette and my son, Jeremy. Also celebrating are Amanda, Lauren, Shia, Elodie and Moiya. Special birthday wishes to my dearly departed cousin, Donna.

Let’s see who shares your birthday! Last October, we featured my great grandfather, Thomas Albert Briggs. There is so much more to his story than what we have seen so far and I’m still working on it. In the meantime, let’s highlight another family member – Stanley Kingston Briggs.

Stanley Kingston Briggs, born October 25, 1888, in New Westminster, BC, to Thomas Lasher Briggs & Mary Irving. Stanley is a younger brother of my great grandfather, Thomas Albert Briggs, which makes him my great granduncle.

ca 1888

Stanley is listed in the 1891, 1901 and 1911 Canada Census as a son in the home of Thomas Lasher Briggs located at 302 Royal Avenue, New Westminster. In the 1911 Canada Census specifically, his occupation is listed as “salesman” at a “grocer” earning $900 per year (at the age of 23.

In a newspaper article (Oregon Daily Journal) dated June 11, 1908, it indicates Stanley Kingston Briggs graduated from Hill Military Academy (Newspapers.com). This was not a surprise to me as several of the children of Capt William and Elizabeth Irving (parents of Mary Irving, Stanley’s mother) did go to Washington, Oregon and California schools for their education. It seems the Briggs family carried on that tradition.

Stanley enlisted in WWI – another interesting item as noted in his Attestation papers, is that he had been in the military for the prior three years in the 6th D. C.O.R. I have yet to figure out what it means – another mystery to delve into! He enlisted November 13, 1914, and discharged January 23, 1919. I do have copies of his military records which I’m still transcribing – another story for another time.

This following picture is of Stanley Kingston Briggs (lower left), along with his brothers, Errol, Thomas (standing), and John. Not sure when the picture was taken but can be assumed it was late 1918 or early 1919 as that is when they had all returned from overseas and it was in a newspaper article in The Province, April 30, 1919 (Newspapers.com):

Upon returning to Canada, it is unsure as to where he lived. I’m sure he stayed with his parents for a period of time.

On June 1, 1920, Stanley married Laura Victoria Towns in Vernon, British Columbia. There is a lot of information in the Marriage Certificate the most interesting that the marriage took place in Vernon, and his occupation is listed as “Engineer”:

Laura was from Edmonton, Alberta and it seems they may have returned there as their first son, Stanley Kingston Jr. was born May 1921 in Edmonton. They had a daughter, Mary Louise, born in 1924 in New Westminster, BC – It seems they had returned to his Stanley’s hometown. Their next and last child, Thomas Irving was born in 1926 in Woodfibre, BC (located northwest of Squamish).

Noting the birth places of Stanley and Laura’s three children, it seems they did move around to different areas between Alberta and BC – could be because of work – not sure. I have been unable to locate any of Stanley, Laura or Stanley Jr in the 1921 Canada Census so not sure if they were still in Alberta or not. I would assume that they were as the Census was taken as of June 1, 1921, which would have been shortly after Stanley Jr. was born.

The is another document I have found dated 1949 which shows Stanley’s occupation as “Storekeeper” and still living in Woodfibre (#49 & 50). It also shows a Thomas (#72) living and working in Woodfibre (millhand), which could be his son but unable to verify:

Another document I found shows Stanley and Laura living in North Vancouver. The document is rather large so I will not show it here. It is from the 1954 BC City Directories for Vancouver, BC.

Sadly, just a little over a year after retiring as a grocery store manager, Stanley passed away November 10, 1954:

I’m not sure who the brother, Earl (Portland) is but I’m going to hazard a guess that it may be “Beryl”, who is a sister of Stanley’s, living in Portland, Oregon at that time with her husband, Walter Edmonds. It is common to see these kinds of errors in newspaper reporting so we can’t always assume that the information is correct. The information is the same in the funeral home record. I have been told by other genealogists that some of the information in the funeral home record is taken from the newspaper obituary.

Another interesting item to note, my grandfather, S.L. Briggs (Stanley Leonard) is shown as one of the pallbearers. S. Briggs could be Stanley Kingston Jr.

This is just a little peak into Stanley Kingston Briggs’ life as there is a lot of information still to be found, including what is contained in the military records. In the meantime, it seems he was quite the photogenic young man as evidenced in these pictures – enjoy!

(All pictures are between 1891 & 1894 – the young girl is his sister, Manuella)

Who Shares Your Birthday

On By Vicky BriggsIn Beatrice Eileen Matthew, Matthew, Sept 20225 Comments

September is a very quiet month for birthdays in our family – there’s not one birthday! Well, I guess that means I must find someone in our family tree that would cover that for us. Let’s see who we can come up with……..

Beatrice Aileen Matthew, also known as, Aunt Lena! Great-aunt Lena is the sister of my grandmother, Irene. There are a couple of reasons I wanted to bring Aunt Lena’s memory back into our lives.

Beatrice Aileen Matthew was born on September 19, 1897, and passed away on September 19, 1983 – on her birthday.

Aunt Lena was the only sibling of my grandmother’s that I remember knowing. This is because at one time, she had lived with Grandma, and we spent many family dinners visiting with her.

Beatrice Eileen Matthew was born to Alfred Henry Poltair Matthew and Stella (“Tilla”) Evalina Hartford on September 19, 1897, in Cloverdale, British Columbia, as indicated on the BC Archives Birth Index below. She is the 5th of 10 children (Grandma was the last child). In all other documents I have found, her middle name is indicated as “Aileen”, as well as her signature found on two documents. I do not have a copy of the actual Registration of Birth, not sure if a copy can be ordered – something to look at in the future. But for now, I will continue with “Eileen” until proven otherwise.

In the 1901 Canada Census, it shows the family living in Langley Village (unincorporated) – the electoral maps for 1901 are not available. We can only assume it is the Cloverdale area.

Interesting enough, the family is listed in the 1905 Kansas Census as living in Quindaro, Wyandotte, Kansas. Her father’s occupation is listed as “Carpenter”. Other residences around their home, list occupations like that of Alfred. Talking about the history of the area could take up a couple of posts so I’ll let you do the research – I suggest you do as it has some very interesting history!

I’m not sure how long they stayed in Kansas. The 1911 Canada Census shows the now growing family of nine back in British Columbia specifically in the Maple Ridge/Port Haney district.

At the age of 24, Beatrice married Gordon Miller Cowell at St. Paul’s Church, Vancouver. Here’s a copy of the Certificate of Registration of Marriage. I really like her occupation – chocolate dipper! At this time, the residence is shown as 715 – 5th Avenue, New Westminster.

A lot of speculation can happen at this point. There is no indication Beatrice and Gordon ever had children. Also, I’ve been unable to locate either of them in the 1921 Canada Census. However, I did find a Border Crossing record for Gordon dated April 1934 which shows their residence to be in East Vancouver.

Unfortunately, Gordon was unwell having had an operation in 1929 to remove a brain tumour, admitted to the Provincial Mental Hospital (Essondale) in 1935, and passed in 1949 from bronchopneumonia due to cerebral defect due to operative removal of brain tumor due to psychosis with somatic disease. To say the least, he was an unwell man. I’m sure it’s safe to say life may have been difficult for Aunt Lena.

As I had mentioned earlier, Aunt Lena lived with Grandma for a little while – not sure on the time frame. However, there came a time when Grandma was unable to care for her sister and had to put her in a home.

This picture was taken by my mother shortly before Aunt Lena’s death in 1983, on her birthday from a cardiac arrest.

As indicated on the Registration of Death, Beatrice was cremated and she is at Victory Memorial Park, Surrey.

I remember little of Aunt Lena other than at the family dinners. But I do remember she had a great smile as evident by her picture.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Lena, and I’m happy we get to know you a little more 39 years after your passing.

Take care, everyone!