Category: Nov 2021

We Are Family Briggs – Update

On By Vicky BriggsIn Nov 20215 Comments

Well, the month of November is almost over. To say the least, it has been a very eventful month in my hometown of Abbotsford, BC. While a large portion of our city is under water, I have been blessed with safety in my home. While other family members live in Abbotsford and surrounding communities, none have been flooded out of their homes, at least to my knowledge.

Taken from City of Abbotsford FB Page – November 16, 2021

Just an update when it comes to the blog and the family members’ video interviews I have been organizing. I had scheduled an interview with Dad, Aunt Ev and Uncle Rich together in 100 Mile House, BC. The day I was to travel to 100 Mile, the torrential rainfall across BC created floods and mudslides that caused major highway damage and closures. I had thought of leaving on the Sunday but decided not to as I had take my son to an appointment the following day. If I had, I would have been stranded in 100 Mile House and unable to get home to my sons and work.

Well, the interview was cancelled, and we will re-schedule sometime next Spring. It could have been done virtually but the dynamic would have been different than what I was looking for during the in-person interview. In the meantime, I have been working towards a couple of new interviews. One is with my half-sister, Cris and the other with my cousin, Sandy.

Just so everyone in the family is aware, interviews are being arranged based on the oldest working my way down to the youngest. By the time I get to the youngest, hopefully they will be able to chat with me. The youngest in our family is not even a year old yet!

I want to thank everyone for doing the interviews and contributing to the Blog and family history. If I haven’t interviewed you yet, I am really looking forward to doing so!

On another note, are there any takers out there to do my interview for the Blog?? I would welcome a family member to step up and take the ‘microphone’! Now, don’t all jump at once but will need to get something arranged as it’s fast coming up. You will be the interviewer (even come up with questions) and a guest on the We Are Family Briggs blog. I’m really excited to see who steps forward and am looking forward to being on the other side of the interview – well, maybe not so much….. let me know as soon as possible so we can start having some fun!

Next post will be another segment of Who Shares Your Birthday with a special ancestral family member – I can’t wait to share it!

Stay safe everyone – Vicky

Briggs Ancestry Family Trees

On By Vicky BriggsIn Nov 2021Leave a comment

I have mentioned in several of the blog posts that a lot of the information I use is through my subscription with Ancestry.ca. In my account there are four family trees. I initially started with one tree, but it quickly grew and split it into different tree branches!

The four family trees are:

  • Briggs – Irving – Lasher
  • Briggs – Press
  • Briggs – Matthew
  • Briggs – Hartford

If you would like to be able to access the information in the trees, you are able to do so by creating a free Ancestry.ca guest account! You can do that through this link:

https://support.ancestry.ca/s/article/Creating-a-Free-Ancestry-Account?language=en_CA

After the free account has been created, send an email through the Contact page here on the Blog (last tab) and I will send an invite through Ancestry.ca to have access to the Briggs’ family trees. Only people I know (i.e. family members) will be granted access as there is personal information contained within the trees that will remain private within the family.

This is a great way to share the information that I have found with all my family! As well, any information and/or pictures you would like to share, you can add on yourself instead of sending it all to me to add in and upload. It is very easy to do! Although I am more than happy to have a visit with you to get some pictures and information.

Also, I’m looking for someone to help me with a couple of projects for the blog. One of those projects is to add a “Birthday Calendar” page which will note all the ancestors’ birthdays.  I have already started the calendar but there are many birthdays that need to be entered before we add the calendar to the Blog.

So, it’s as easy as that for you to see what I see!

Any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.

Lest We Forget

On By Vicky BriggsIn Briggs, Nov 2021, Press, Thomas A. Briggs4 Comments

On this day, I would like to acknowledge and remember those ancestors

who served in WWI.

Thomas Albert Briggs (my great-grandfather):  L/Col; 239th Railway, 5th Battalion; Served August 30, 1916 – February 4, 1919:

Errol Chandler Briggs:  Pvt; 93rd Aero Sqn, US or 374th Aero (Service) Squadron ASSC (Aviation Section Signal Corp), Served December 13, 1917 – April 2, 1919:

Stanley Kingston Briggs:  Capt, 29th Battalion, 104th Bengal Fusiliers; Served November 7, 1914 – February 17, 1919 (general demobilization):

Dr. John Alfred Briggs:  Major, #10 Cdn Field Ambulance, Served March 5/15 – February 7/20 (general demobilization), awarded Military Cross, continued in service at Esquimalt, drowned at sea (details unknown):

William Alexander Irving:  Acting Major, 10th Brigade, Cdn Field Artillery, 1st Heavy Battery, Served September 24, 1914 – October 11, 1916; KIA – “While returning from his battery observation point east of Pozieres {France} in company with a battery telephonist, about 10 am on October 11, 1916, he was severely wounded in the back by splinters from an enemy high explosive shell which landed about 100 yards from the battery position. He expired while being conveyed to the dressing station.”:

Frederick William Bond Press:  231st Battalion Overseas, Served April 6, 1916 – February 4, 1919 (no image available).

I know this may not be all our family members that have served; however, these are the ones that I have found so far.

Please remember our family members who have served for us and our country today at 11 am.

Errol, Thomas, Stanley & John Briggs (brothers) – 1918

Thank you.

Who Shares Your Birthday!

On By Vicky BriggsIn Capt John Irving, Irving, Nov 2021Leave a comment

It’s November!  Well, I think it’s a great month, but I may be biased. So, to begin with, “Happy Birthdays” to Dennis and Cole – oh, and to me today! 

A special mention to my great-nephews whom we never got a chance to meet. They hold an extra special place in my heart (and many others) as we share birthdays.  You will always be remembered, Ezra and Elliot.

Now, let’s find out who shares your birthday – let me introduce you to Capt John Irving.  John was born November 24, 1854, to Capt William James Irving and Elizabeth Jane Dixon. He was born at sea on board the ship Robert D. Carter, under charter to his father, shortly before it arrived in Portland, Oregon. He is the only son of William and Elizabeth, and the brother of my 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Irving Briggs.

His father, William, passed away when John was only 17 years of age.  A very enterprising young man, John took over the “family business” with the help of his mother, Elizabeth and an uncle (unknown).

1880

I guess having been born on a ship, John really did have the sea in his blood. As noted in Dictionary of Canadian Biography:

He developed a name for being a skilled, aggressive captain and businessman. In competition with other owners, he frequently outmanoeuvred them by expert piloting, shrewd business strategies, or both; on other occasions he purchased their operations, adding to his reputation for boldness. Historians Norman Rupert Hacking and William Kaye Lamb describe him as having a “naturally reckless disposition.” According to Hacking, the captain was also colourful. “Well over 6 feet in height, handsome John Irving was a great social favourite, a mighty drinker, and the soul of generosity.

http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/irving_john_16E.html

John married Jane Munro June 12, 1883 (daughter of Alexander Munro, chief factor for Hudson’s Bay Co.), in Victoria, BC. 

They built a home in the James Bay area and called it Irving Place.  Apparently, the home was the talk of the town!  For the full story, click on this link:  https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/victoria-mapping-project/history/irving-park/.

Later in 1883, with other investors, John formed Canadian Pacific Navigation Company (CPNC). Well, let’s just say, this was just the continuation of his determination with all his shipping and ship building endeavours! 

Between 1884 and 1888, John and Jane had three children, daughter Elizabeth (Beth) born December 10, 1884, son William born September 17, 1886, and daughter Genevieve born July 6, 1888, all born in Victoria, BC.

In July 1894, John was elected as a Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of BC, and again in July 1898 for Cassiar, losing to his seat in 1900.

Beginning in 1901, John’s business endeavours began to waver.  With the sale of CPNC, his fortune declined despite his investments in mining and other ventures.

Even though John had a passion for shipping, he did tackle the real estate world as an agent.  However, he lost or gave away much of his wealth.  According to historian, Norman Hacking, who knew John later in life, he remembered him as “poor in everything but friends.”

With the death of his son, William, killed in action during World War I, John was never the same after. John passed away at his home (1047 Eveleigh Street, Vancouver, BC) August 10, 1936.

There is much more that I could share with respect to John’s career but the majority of that can be found in the two links I shared.

I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know another of our ancestors. I look forward to seeing your comments – take care!

Richard Briggs

On By Vicky BriggsIn Briggs, Nov 2021, Richard BriggsLeave a comment

It’s that time again for the next video interview of a member of the Briggs family – Stanley “Richard” Briggs.  Richard is the youngest child of Stanley and Irene Briggs, and my uncle.

Uncle Rich and I met up the week before the interview to have a chat about the questions.  As I had mentioned in my Video Alert post, he had a ton of stories to share!  I knew the interview would be longer than the others that I had done but I was able to “rein” him in a couple of times and we kept it to a short 50 minutes.  I just wanted to ensure there were more stories to share so we can get together again – I’m very much looking forward to it!

During the interview with my Aunt Evelyn, we had issues with the recording so this time we decided (as in my son, Jeremy and I) to use my cell phone hoping the visual would be better.  I do have a new laptop but according to Jeremy, the video would look way better coming from the phone. Well, the visual was immensely better but unfortunately the sound was not (something he happened to mention just before the interview started).  I sincerely apologize for the fact that it is very hard to hear – I found if I used my headphones at full level, it was easier.  We are in the process of trying to get better equipment in the very near future to do this better for everyone to enjoy.

The video will have a blip in the middle as it stopped recording and started again about half way through. I learned something new putting two videos together to make one!

During my visit to Uncle Rich’s home, he shared with me a couple of treasures he had in the spare bedroom – needless to say, I was in awe!  Hoping one day to share pics in future posts.

Any questions or comments for myself or my Uncle Rich, please post them, I would love to hear from you!