Overlooked Family Connections: Remembering Richard Dennis Matthew

This week’s post suggestion is ‘Overlooked’. I had a very tough time trying to find a relative in our family tree that I had overlooked, taken my time researching or just haven’t found.

Something came up on my Facebook newsfeed that caught my eye. It was posted by my cousin, Lynn. Lynn is my 1^st cousin 1x removed on my father’s side through his mother. Lynn and I met through my ancestry research. We got together a couple of years ago and just haven’t been able to reconnect since then (not for lack of Lynn’s trying!). She was in my area earlier this month, but again, we were not able to get together. She did reach out to me last May hoping I could meet her father and possibly do an interview for the blog. And, once again, life got in the way.

For this blog post, overlooked to me means not making those connections when you’re given the chance. Unfortunately, Lynn’s father, Richard Dennis Matthew, passed away earlier this month. I regret not taking the time to meet with him. However, I do know that Lynn will keep his memory going with her family ancestry work.

I have been given permission from Lynn to post her father’s obituary:

Richard Dennis Matthew

Born: 26 May 1935 in New Westminster, BC

Died: 05 Jan. 2025 in Surrey, BC

He is survived from his first marriage with Ruth Bedard by daughters Valerie Lynn Carr (John Braak), Deidre J. Matthew and son Darryl W. Matthew. 5 grandsons Adam, Darcee, Travis, Rhyse, Gage.

Margueritte O’Niell, his second wife passed in 1985.

Adella Davis, his third wife passed in 2018. He is survived by stepdaughters Anita Davis and Brenda Holt (John Holt) and grandchildren Laurissa, James, and Evan.

His brother John Matthew and sister Valerie Parks have both passed on. Survived by his brother and sister Jeff and Nola Bedard.

Richard graduated from Duke of Connaught high school in New Westminster in 1954.

He joined the RCAF in 1955 and was stationed in Germany during the cold war, working as a radar technician. It was there he was in a serious car accident that gave in a titanium hip and a painful limp for the rest of his life.

He was stationed in Cold Lake, Trenton and Summerside before retiring as a master corporal.

Richard had a passion for stamp collecting and was a 58 year member of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada. He and his friend Clair could spend hours combing through his collection. He was also an avid watcher of movies and TV series and kept a written record of thousands of shows he watched. We were regularly over for Pizza and Picard on the Sci Fi Channel.

He gave his energy to several charities, most notably the Implant Awareness Society where he and Adella spent countless hour supporting the cause.

Richard passed quietly after a brief residency at the Fleetwood Place care home in Surrey BC.

These are Lynn’s words from her post: “I would also like to add at 89 yrs old, a pacemaker and a titanium hip he did really well.”

Lynn & family, I’m so sorry I didn’t get the chance to meet Richard – my sincerest condolences on losing your father, brother and grandfather. Please remember to keep the stories alive.

For everyone else, remember to take the time to make those connections, gather the stories and make some memories – you never know what could happen.

Exploring Family Nicknames

On January 19, 2025 By Vicky BriggsIn 2025, Beatrice Eileen Matthew, Evelyn Briggs, Hartford, Henry Clarendon Briggs, Jan 2025, Richard Briggs, Stanley Briggs, Stella Hartford, Thomas A. BriggsLeave a comment

As I had mentioned in my blog post of December 30^th, I’m following the program of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks wherein they provide weekly prompts to give ideas for genealogy writing. This week’s prompt is ‘Nickname’. This was a tough one for me as we do have several nicknames in our family tree but some are difficult to determine why they have those nicknames.

The first one that comes to mind is my great-grandfather, Thomas Albert Briggs. Newspaper articles I have found, use the nicknames ‘Dick’ and ‘Dixie’. Having asked a couple of family members if they knew why, they were just as stymied as myself.

All articles are from Newspapers.com: image numbers 63307641, 775512106, 775779796 (missing one)

Other family members I have found to have nicknames are the following:

Henry Clarendon Briggs: Harry
Beatrice Aileen Matthew: Lena
Stella Hartford: Tilla
Hazel Evelyn Veronica Tillman (wife of Alfred Penner (Pen) Briggs): Minna
Eliza Gregory (wife of John Thomas Herbert Matthew): Lila
Helen Frances Jackson (wife of William Irving Briggs): Nell
Margaret Henry (wife of Albert James Briggs): Mattie

There are several that have a shortened version of their Christian names:

Ernest → Ernie Stanley → Stan Ronald → Ron

We also have some that use their middle names instead of their given first names:

My Aunt Ev whose given first name is Irene after her mother
My Uncle Rich whose given first name is Stanley after his father

And finally, there is me! My given Christian name is Veronica and I go by Vicky – to this day, I’m still not sure how I received that nickname.

Nicknames are a part of every family – some you know why and some you just have to scratch your head.

If you know of others in our family, please let us know – bonus if you know why!

My Favourite Photo

On January 12, 2025January 12, 2025 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 48^th Victoria Battalion. He was transferred to the 3^rd 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 29^th 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 239^th 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 93^rd 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 January 5, 2025January 12, 2025 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 (6^th of 8 children/4^th 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!