Was this the beginning of technology? On July 23rd, 1829, William Austin Burt patented the “typographer,” later to be known as the typewriter. The very first patent for a “writing machine” was given to one Henry Mill in 1714, but nothing survived to prove its existence. For this reason, Burt’s typographer in 1829, which printed …
“GO WEST, YOUNG MAN, AND GROW UP WITH THE COUNTRY.” This well-known quote has been spoken many times, but do you know who first said it? It was a man named Horace Greeley, a journalist, editor, and political leader, who wrote those words to his readers on July 13th, in 1865. He had a passion for …
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A Scandalous Love Affair Today we are accustomed to scandals in the news, but this was not case in early Victoria. Rumours surrounding one young woman during the 1890s, for instance, were therefore thought to be quite shocking. The lady in question was Bertha de Miranda Genn who led a very unorthodox life. Born in …
The Lady who knew “next to nothing” about Gardening. Jeanette Foster Kennedy was born in Toronto, Ontario, on February 26th, 1868, one hundred and fifty-five years ago, but her presence on Vancouver Island is still very much alive. Although her ancestry was both Canadian and Irish, she was destined to become famous on the Saanich …
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CRAIGFLOWER SCHOOL The Oldest School Building in Western Canada Craigflower School in the City of Victoria, British Columbia, opened its doors in March of 1855 to twenty-six students. The first teacher was Charles Clark, who lived in the accommodation upstairs with his family and a few boarders from outlying areas. This little school, alongside the …
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From Small Hamlet to Provincial Capital Today I would like to talk about the history of Victoria, British Columbia, my home town, which is featured in my novel Providence (Book One in the McBride Chronicles), recently released by Hancock House Publishers in Vancouver. On March 13, 1843, James Douglas (a Chief Factor with the Hudson’s …
(This post was originally published in February 2022) February is the month when thousands of people around the world will send or receive sentimental or humorous greetings cards from their sweethearts, friends or family members. So, let’s take a step back in time and examine the history of this unique ‘giving-of-cards’ tradition which apparently all …
Tonight is the last night of the old year and will be observed as the oldest of all holiday celebrations, first celebrated in Babylon about 4,000 years ago. At that time, however, the New Year began after the vernal equinox which was the first day of spring. It seems more logical to begin a new …
A Christmas Eve Miracle At least once in everyone’s life we need a miracle. The story of the one that happened over 180 years ago on a cold, crisp Christmas Eve in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has been told many times before but, in today’s world of unrest and uncertainty, it still bears repeating. It …
I am just coming out on the other side of a bout with Covid and am feeling very grateful! Two years ago after we had been in lockdown for a while, I wrote a blog about the things I was learning about isolating in a “bubble” and the strange new world to which we all …
