All the recent discussions about members of the Oliver family settling in Canada, particularly Vancouver Island, has made me wonder about my own Grandparents move to Canada in 1913. What made them choose Vancouver Island? Was it just coincidence or was it because they knew the Oliver's already there and had been told of available work ?
My Grandfather sailed from Liverpool on the 17 June 1913 on the White Star Steamship 'Teutonic' bound for Montreal. His occupation was listed as 'Gardener'. Whether he had a job to go is unknown but his journey ended on Vancouver Island. My Grandmother and their son aged 3 followed on the 29 November 1913 sailing from Liverpool on the Canadian Pacific Railway Atlantic Steamship 'Empress of Ireland' bound for Halifax, Canada and then travelled on the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada to join my Grandfather on Vancouver Island.
(A few months after my Grandmothers journey the Empress of Ireland sank in the Saint Lawrence river in May 1914 after a collision in fog and many lost their lives)
They returned to England in 1915, leaving New York on the American Line SS St Louis and arrived in Liverpool on the 15 August 1915.
My Grandmother's brother Jack(John) Oliver and sister Elsie Oliver also went to Vancouver Island at around the same time. My Grandparents and Jack worked for Sir Clive Phillips Woolley at a house called 'The Grange', a timber framed hunting lodge especially built for St Clive on Norcross Road (now called Drinkwater Road?) in Duncan designed by the architect Samuel Maclure. I'm not sure whether Elsie worked for him too. Sir Clive was a writer and former game hunter who was originally born in Dorset and there is a great deal of information available about him online.
Samuel Maclure designed another house for Sir Clive in Oak Bay, which I understand has now been demolished, and it is this connection between Sir Clive and Oak Bay which makes me wonder whether the Oliver's already in Oak Bay told my Grandparents that Sir Clive was looking for staff.
My Grandparents loved their time in Canada and maybe if it had not been for WW1 they may have stayed. My Grandmother told me wonderful stories of travelling on the train through the Rocky Mountains, of the cold and snow so different to the winters we have in England, seeing big brown bears and huge birds and visiting native American tribes with Sir Clive where she was told not to speak as they were savages! They settled back in Oxfordshire and eventually bought a cottage which they named 'Somenos' after the lake near to where they lived in Duncan.
If anyone can add more to their story in Canada I would be so please to hear from you.
I will try to attach some photographs.
Linda
Elizabeth/Lizzie Rogers (nee Oliver) and her son Phil at the Grange
Lizzie and Fred Rogers with Phil at the Grange. Lady far left is probably Elsie Oliver - Lizzie's sister
