FIVE FERRIES and SIX COUSINS in SEVEN DAYS Part I

I found some on Facebook.  Some of them Googled their surname and found me through this family history blog. I found out more about them in my Grandmother's photos, diaries and poems. I knew some of them as children but we lost touch for decades.  I thought of them as my “lost cousins”.

Unfortunately my grandmother and her siblings sometimes held grudges and played their family members against each other.  These rifts rippled across the family, up and down the generations.

When I started connecting with my family members online, I had a strong desire to see them again and after a cousin from British Columbia visited me in Toronto, we started planning an old fashioned road trip to see our West Coast cousins.

I found so much more than I had lost, and am so happy that they agreed to meet me and share their stories, art and photos!

We were able to put aside the battles of our parents and grandparents – it felt like our family feuds could finally be put to rest.  I am sad for those who went before us but hopefully we will change the future of our families.

I have been fortunate and happy to have re-connected with my Canadian West Coast cousins.

It began with a visit to my Aunt Eileen with my mother and sister Betty about six years ago. During those few days we were able to spend time with her as well as her husband Ernie and two of her children, Gayle and Colin. We also had a brief visit with my mother`s cousin Patricia and some of her family. I had previously connected with my cousin Roger and his wife Mavis over the internet while working on a family history project.

While Gayle was visiting me in 2014, we had some time to talk about all the lost connections in our family stories. When I told her I was interested in visiting her and others, she suggested she would lead a road trip that would include visits to Salt Spring Island, Nanaimo, Powell River, Sechelt and Surrey. My sister Betty planned to join us and after contacting all the cousins we planned a very ambitious itinerary. We could not be away too long as our mother was 98 years of age and in declining health.

Unfortunately just two days before we were scheduled to leave for Victoria, our mother had a medical issue that would likely require a hospital stay. We could not be sure until after our scheduled flight because we could not get test results back in time being as it was a three day holiday weekend. Generously Betty decided to stay back and be with Mom while I went ahead with our plans.

Gayle met me at the Victoria BC airport then we drove to the first ferry to travel to Salt Spring Island. After we docked it was a lovely scenic drive to her home in Ganges with Gayle telling me about the size and culture of the Island.

On arriving at Gayle`s I was impressed with the amount of her needlework she had decorating her home. It is beautiful with very intricate and detailed designs. At first glance from the doorway I thought they were paintings. It was my first look at the large amount of family art I would see throughout my visit.

I soon noticed the large numbers of deer everywhere on the Island – from roadside to backyards. Also for the first time, I saw a family of Quail walking down the road in front of Gayle`s kitchen window as we had breakfast.

As we toured the Island I was surprised by the amount of mountainous terrain as well as the narrow and winding roads. Many of the homes were difficult to reach which I suppose is what their owners like about them. I was a somewhat disappointed by the lack of sea views due to the very tall tree growth as well as the tall fences and hedges, however we did get a close up view at the north end of the island.

In the evening we walked to town and had a lovely dinner outside the Treehouse. As shown in the photo it is quite small with a tree growing up through the middle. It was a warm night with a great meal of Pacific Salmon and live entertainment. We also enjoyed watching the people wandering through the town. It was so relaxing and I enjoyed seeing ``hippies`` of all ages.

On our return we found a telephone message from another cousin Jennifer who lived along our route up the coast to suggest that we meet her in Ladywood for a coffee on Friday morning. Jenny was not sure just how we were related to her but she had heard about our trip, from her brother Roger. 

After enjoying blueberry muffins kindly sent over by Gayle`s neighbour we were soon on the second ferry ride, leaving Salt Spring Island for Vancouver Island.

With Jennifer and Gayle in Ladywood

We had a very enjoyable coffee break in Ladywood sharing some family history and our regrets that we hadn`t known each other before. We took a couple of photos and traded phone numbers and the family blog site information before driving on to Nanaimo where we had lunch with a childhood friend of mine. 

Later in the day we took our third ferry -  to Powell River and found the beautiful resort where we spent two nights.

The next day we were warmly greeted by Roger & Mavis at their beautiful glass and wood home in the forest. They explained they had built it themselves over the preceding five years reminding me that our grandparents and my parents did the same in the 1940s. The house is surrounded by many trees which Roger uses in his building and wood carvings. 

Mavis is also a wood carver and both paint. I knew Roger`s mother painted but did not know that his father had as well. There is a long list of artists in our families past and present. We were excited to see some of Roger and Mavis`s work. As well as the work displayed in their home, Mavis showed us her large beautiful carved boxes and Roger took us down to his workshop to see a magnificent, very large door he has carved. It is wonderful work.

We enjoyed a delightful lunch in their garden. They explained the fence surrounding the living area of their property was to keep out the bears, deer and cougars that had previously destroyed their plants and trees.

We shared our family history research and talked about the numerous artists in our families. Roger had not seen many of the photos in my Grandmother’s album and I agreed to send him a scanned version along with the details of a couple of books written about our artist ancestor, Walter Langley. We shared warm goodbye hugs and agreed to keep in touch. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and hope to see them again.

After a very comfortable sleep and a good breakfast we set off down the Sunshine Coast to our fourth ferry. This one would take us to Sechelt and the next cousin, Gayle`s brother Colin and his family.

After lunch in town we visited Colin`s home, yet another house high up above the water. It was down a steep driveway to the house and the house overlooked a very deep-down backyard and a great water view. I was happy to meet Colin`s wife Melanie, their son Sebastian and daughter Amelie.

Exciting ride with Colin and Gayle

In the afternoon Colin and Melanie took us on a cruise along the shore and many inlets of their neighbourhood. We were able to see their house and some others high up and almost hidden by the high trees.  We also saw an abandoned oyster farm and cabin built by a friend of theirs. We stopped there for a cold drink, a tour of the cabin and great conversation.

On the way back we stopped to check Colin`s lobster trap and later we had a great meal of lobster claws, lobster cakes, all the trimmings and dessert, which we enjoyed along with the kids.

We spent some time looking at all our old photos, sharing stories and promising to share copies. I had made a small family history book for Colin`s family which I left for them. They live a very interesting, close to nature, lifestyle and it suits them. After dark we sat out on the deck talking and star gazing. I was delighted to see the Milky Way as well as many other stars. In the absence of city light, they seemed almost within reach.

We enjoyed breakfast together before Melanie left for work. We talked a little more with Colin while he showed us some of his photos of camping with his children on one of their many adventures. Another artist in the family, Colin is a professional photographer. He then advised us what time to leave in order to catch our fifth ferry suggesting we allow enough time to visit a small park on the way to see the salmon run. Sometimes the bears come to feed as well. We had a wonderful visit.

Salmon fishing 

We did stop at the park and as we started down the trail we met a man returning with his small child who was crying because he was afraid of the bear. Well, I could not resist going on, so very slowly, quietly and carefully I walked down the winding trail watching around each curve. I was rewarded with a close encounter with a bear eating salmon, albeit a small bear. It was exciting as I snapped my photo and returned quietly to Gayle who was beginning to worry about where I was. 

That photo topped off my list of wildlife I had seen on the trip, deer, quail, rabbits, seals, salmon spawning, and a glimpse of a whale from a ferry then finally a bear.

To be continued.................

HARRY BLANEY

As mentioned in my February entry, I am now pleased to post Part I of Harry Blaney's story written primarily by my cousin Patricia Blaney Koretchuk. We have very much enjoyed our long distance collaboration and hope it will be enjoyed by other family members. As always any additional information or corrections would be welcome.

Harry Blaney

Born January 23, 1876 in Birmingham, England

Married Martha Jane Elcocks (1877-1961) on July 9, 1895 

Children – William, Elizabeth, Edwin, Albert, Stanley, Louise and Alfred

Died March 13, 1955 in Birmingham

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INTRODUCTION:

As fathers go, Harry Blaney was an exceptionally good one in the eyes of his children, Elizabeth (Bess), Stanley and Albert. Throughout the 1920’s, all three of them eventually physically left England separately and immigrated to Canada, each for their own reasons, leaving their parents behind. They carried their memories of him and their mother Martha Jane and their memories of their childhood in Victorian England with them. Their adult names were Elizabeth Welch, Harry’s eldest daughter, and two of his sons, Albert James, and Stanley Eric.  Much later, in the mid 1950’s, his youngest daughter, Martha Louise Darby also immigrated to North Vancouver, B.C. Canada with her family. 

 This story has been written by two of Harry’s Canadian descendants, a granddaughter, Patricia Koretchuk (Stanley’s daughter), and one of his great-grandchildren Margaret (Peggy Atkinson) Boot (granddaughter of Elizabeth).  His story also includes contributions by John Blaney (a grandson living in England), Peter Blaney (a great-grandson to Harry and son to John Blaney) and Roger Darby (a great-grandson of Harry’s and son of Louise). His story, including public record research by Peggy and the remembered details of Harry’s life, is a truly group effort informed by family lore and culled from the memories of his adult children (our parents), who rarely saw him after they left England.  Travel took much longer and retaining a job to fund their own family needs intervened to prevent their returns.  Times were tough and money was scarce, in spite of their hard work. The Great Depression, hardships, World War II, life adjustments, aging and illness all combined to prevent or strictly restrict return visits to the home country, England. 

For all four of Harry and Martha’s children, their admiration of Harry never faltered. Harry’s humour, his talent for telling stories, his kindness and the survival skills that Harry taught served them all well, as demonstrated in this collection of family remembrances. For those Blaneys and others who read about Harry, we writers hope his life and actions will add to knowledge of the times and cultural influences in which he lived.  He was a worthy man, an intelligent, talented, working-class father who taught his children by example the contradictions of physical abuse, mental strictness, kindness, and the joys of singing, whistling, music and friendships. He was a man who, though strict, aroused enduring love, laughter, and respect in his children and also in their descendants. Though he died, as we all must, hopefully this writing will continue his legacy and reveal his true nature to his wide-ranging family, today.

For those Blaney extended family members who might read this, we writers hope you, too, will experience Harry Blaney’s laughter, his willingness to share his attitudes, his strengths, his love, helping his family, friends and neighbours to survive what we now know was a “caste system”  in Victorian England. We think Harry would have liked that to happen.

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Harry was the second youngest of eight children. He had three older brothers, three older sisters and one younger sister. He lost his father Edwin Blaney at the age of nine and his mother Ellen Elizabeth Langley never remarried, raising the family by working as a self employed dressmaker. 

Harry worked in the leather trade, a popular trade in the city of Birmingham, England coming from a long line of Blaney leatherworkers; his father, his father’s uncle and his grandmother. He also worked for some years as a granite set layer, lifting and setting granite blocks (or sets) measuring about 4 inches square and 4 inches deep (forming a cube). At age 15 he was working as a clock case maker, at age 25 working in a lumber mill and the 1911 census records his occupation as a leather worker. In his later years until retirement about 1946, he was a foreman in the cutting room of Lycett Saddles, making bicycle saddles and the tool pouches that used to be standard on bicycles.

In his younger days, sports were his interest. He achieved the title of “English Individual Champion” in air rifle target shooting and was awarded a gold medal (which he sold because he needed the money). Although he was only about 5’4”tall, his friends nicknamed him “Hack”, after a German fairground strongman named “Hacklesmith” because, like him, Harry had big biceps and superior strength, probably developed as he lifted the sets of granite and built roads. 

Harry had many interests throughout his life.  He bred wire-haired fox terriers, nicknamed “rough haired” terriers. His favourite wire-haired terrier was called “Roger”. He also had a Jack Russell bitch called “Spot”. A story is told about him training another bitch, “Floss,” to “fetch” a choice piece of meat from a nearby butcher’s outside slab, on command – meat for free. As well, Harry bred Border canaries, raced pigeons and was probably a boxer, because he taught his children to box – including his daughter Elizabeth. She told a story about knocking her brother “Ted” (Edwin) senseless by winding up and hitting him on the chin during one of these sessions.

The reason he taught his daughter to box was probably for protection. Harry’s son Stanley taught his daughter Patricia to box when she was being bullied at school, in Canada. In England, the Blaneys lived in tough British working-class neighbourhoods. Yet, Harry trained his children to settle their own differences with honourable conduct according to the 1876 Marquess of Queensberry Rules, in the family boxing ring, located in the attic of their house.  In those days, males could also occasionally use their skill at boxing to earn extra money, to pay for rent or food when times were tough.  So, he was actually teaching his sons a survival skill.  (Promoters paid volunteer boxers a tiny percentage of the money the promoters made by collecting from unsuccessful betters, betting on the outcomes of the fights.) 

Though Harry was poor and he could be a devil, he was also compassionate and a good citizen.  For example, he could repair shoes and he did so not only for his own family but also for neighbours’ children, when he noticed they needed it. He could make shoes as well. He was a keen gardener having a great love of: first – roses; then carnations; then pansies - all of which he grew with great success. He raised chickens for the eggs, bred rabbits, grew vegetables and had ferrets and terriers to hunt wild rabbits and catch rats. (Terriers were originally created as a breed to kill rats). 

Harry loved fishing and was a good fisherman. His favourite river was the river Severn, a 220 mile river, the longest in the United Kingdom.More than once he took his grandson, John along for a fishing outing in the Pearlswood Lakes area, another favourite.  They reached the lakes by bicycle, a long ride.

As much as Harry loved fishing, he hated: decorating the house; doing any cleaning, any fetching of groceries or other shopping. Like most men of his time, Harry considered these tasks “women’s work.”

As an illustration of this last statement, grandson John remembers a time when his grandmother, Martha Jane Blaney, went to stay in the town of Battle, for a two-week visit with her sister.  While she was away, Harry used every cooking utensil in the house, until he had used them all. As well, he raked the ashes out of the fireplace onto the hearth, then left all those ashes AND all the cooking utensils (The whole mess!) for his wife to clean up when she returned.Yes, Harry was a 100% Victorian man, who thought women were put on earth to serve men.  (He wouldn’t get away with this today, in 2013!)

Having said that, he made sure he worked hard at men’s work, though he was only 19 when he married Martha Jane Elcocks, on July 9, 1895. To the best of his ability, he would do anything necessary to make sure his family was cared for. He was about 73 years of age before he finished work, retiring on a pension of about 10 shillings a week (about half a dollar in Canadian money – a pittance, even in 1946).  By WWII he was too old to serve in the army. When his youngest son, Alfred was killed at Dieppe, 19 August 1942, Harry grieved for a long time. 

As you can see so far, Harry Blaney's working-class family life in Victorian England is not as "staid" as pictured in recent popular movies and T.V. shows.  Do read the second half of Harry's blog entry to discover more about the complexities and challenges this well-loved father and friend met and triumphed over, in Victorian England.

To be continued shortly..........