A distinctive musical event occurs locally Friday night when the Community Symphony Orchestra will play the first performance anywhere in the world of a composition by Benedict Bantly, concertmaster of the orchestra, “Valse Grotesque”. Mr Bantly wrote the composition a number of years ago for the piano solo and used it as such in concert appearances throughout Germany and England.
Recently he has rewritten the number as an orchestral composition, and in this arrangement the valse will be given its first hearing Friday night of this week. The number is scored for a very rich instrumentation – the usual strings and the brasses and woodwinds plus bass clarinet and an extensive battery of percussion instruments including typani, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tom-tom, Chinese gong and tambourine. A number of Mr Bantly’s friends from his home community, Puente, are planning to attend the concert.
Other numbers on the program include the Largo from Dvorak’s “New World Sympathy”. Tschaikowsky’s [sic] ever popular “Nutcracker Suite” and Bizet’s second suite from the incidental music to Daudet’s “L’Arlesienne”. In the minuet movement of this suite. Miss Margerete Weigel will play the famous flute solo.
An additional number which will move the great charm is a quartet by Mozart for flute, violin, viola and cello. This number will be played by Messrs Fitzgerald, Bantly, Scott and Riley.
The recital at the Presbyterian church Wednesday evening will give the people of Santa Maria an opportunity to hear again a large number of their favorite local singers and musicians and also a recent accession to the musical circles of the community in the person of Mr Benedict Bantly. Mr Bantly is a gifted musician who has had the best training and a long and varied experience in his profession.
As the family have become permanent residents of the community a few words introducing them to the people of Santa Maria will be of general interest. Mr Bantly is a native son, born in Lassen County, of naturalized German parents. At an early age he became a resident of Victoria, BC, by the removal of the family to that city. Here he passed through the high school and pursued musical studies from childhood, giving early evidence of unusual promise. Victoria is an old and cultured city, offering many advantages to the student of music, of which the young enthusiast availed himself fully. But the time came when he felt the need of larger opportunities, and soon after becoming of age he went to Germany, where he pursued his studies for four years, in the Royal Conservatory of Music in Leipsic.
This institution is one of the most famous music schools in Europe, founded in 1843 by the great Mendelsohn. Here Mr Bantley studied the violin under Arthur Nikisch, a renowned orchestra conductor, at the time head of the school. He studied the piano under equally good teachers. It was his honor to be chosen for one of Europe’s greatest musical organizations, the famous Gewandhaus orchestra, where he played under Nikisch.
Upon his graduation, he returned to Victoria, and founded the Bantly School of Music, which he conducted for fifteen years, quite a number of his pupils having since attained high rank in their calling. During this time he was organist in St Andrew’s Cathedral.
In 1922, desiring a change of climate, moved by the lure of California, the family broke the social ties and sacrificed their business interests, and came to Los Angeles. The next year, at the solicitation of the Puente school board, Mr Bantly became head of the musical department. His acceptance of this work in our own school occasioned universal regret, both in the Puente school and community.
While Mr Bantly was in Leipsic he met a young lady student of the same institution. A romance developed and their marriage followed. Mrs Bantly is an accomplished musician also, and collaborates with her husband, teaching voice and piano.
At the concert Wednesday evening Mr Bantly will play and Mrs Bantly will sing. The recital promises to be of unusual interest.
Here is the map for Frederick Arthur Paulin(e) taking into account his addresses in Winnipeg, Victoria, Skeena River, and London when he was agent general.
George Paulin is back in civilian life again and has resumed his position as head of George Paulin Ltd, custom brokers, and shipping and travel agent for the Black Ball Line. The end of this war saw the end of his service in two wars, World War I and World War II.
He joined the 5th BC Coast Regt in 1912 as a bugler, and ended this war as commanding officer of the regiment, having held every rank but that of sergeant-major. During World War I, he served 28 months in France.
On Sept 1, 1939, he assumed command of the 2nd AA Bty 5th Coast Brigade, and a month later was appointed brigade major, Esquimalt Fortress. In May 1943, he organized and was given command, as lieutenant-colonel, of the 29th AA Regt, which had batteries in Prince Rupert, Alaska and the Queen Charlottes.
In March 1945, he returned to Esquimalt to assume command of the 5th BC Coast Regiment. In June he was appointed to command the Prince Rupert Defences, and in September, was called to Victoria to disband the 5th, which ceased its active service on Oct 31.
Second Map in the series – where Frederick and Mary Paulin lived, between 1860-1920. The map is fairly large and covers both Vancouver Island and England. Enjoy the journey.
I had been looking into where the Paulin family lived when they were in Birmingham and trying to ascertain how they lived. My main focus was on their economic or social position. After Frederick’s bankruptcy in Peckham and the Anchor Brewery, I wasn’t sure if they were doing well, especially with 13 children in the home. I had seen the census – and they had two servants. So I was confused a bit – good or bad?
I started an internet search to see if I could find “Henley Lodge” which was the name of the house they lived in, which was in Acock’s Green. There was nothing extant that was called that, but I did find the website for the Acock’s Green Historical Society: http://aghs.jimdo.com/ . I decided to write them and ask if anyone knows if this place still existed. I got such wonderful assistance from Mike Byrne of the Society; it was as if my problem became his problem. Such a great collaborative research process! And as a result I have a pretty good idea of where they lived, and what kind of neighbourhood they lived in.
So here are my initial sources for the place:
1901 Census listing Ernest and Emma Paulin with their five children at “Henley Lodge” Yardley Road
1886 Birmingham City Directory listing Frederick Paulin, accountant, living at Henley Lodge, Yardley Road
And – 28 July 1888 Reading Mercury notice of the marriage of Louise Mary Paulin to Robert Rutherford, stating that she was the daughter of Frederick Paulin of Henley Lodge
Mr. Byrne first went into the sources for the 1881 Census, and looked at where the Paulins lived at that time – which was not Henley Lodge. Here is what he found:
“The 1881 census has Frederick as an accountant on the Warwick Road with his family. There are some records on the internet saying the family lived in a grocer’s shop, but whoever did this had read the previous entry and not noticed that the census was describing the property next door. Looking at the sequence of records, he would have been in quite a good house, which later became a shop, somewhere to the left of or maybe indeed the house with the tall chimney on the left in the 1936 picture and on the right in the 1953 image. However these have been replaced by modern shops as shown in the Google streetview screen shot.”
Warwick Road today – Google – courtesy of Mike Byrne
Warwick Road 1936 – courtesy of Mike Byrne
Warwick Road 1953 – courtesy of Mike Byrne
As for Henley Lodge, he wasn’t sure given what he knew of Yardley Road, so he asked for a picture, so I sent him my lone outdoor shot which I thought had been taken when they lived in Birmingham because of the age of the children in the image. Apparently this was the help he needed.
“I think I can be reasonably confident that the building Henley Lodge is now called 162 Yardley Road. It was probably built in the early 1880s, which may be why it was not on the 1888 map, which itself was surveyed over a period of time. As you can see from the 1904 map, it stands back from Yardley Road on the corner of Francis Road. This is confirmed by a directory of 1905. In 1900 it was occupied by George Perkins, a well-known local chemist from the Warwick Road near where your family lived in 1881. In 1905 it was occupied by George Hill. Today it is part of a garage business, and the front and back have been covered by extensions, but you can see that it was a large enough house to match the photograph.”
Paulin family in Birmingham, c 1890s – collection of K PaulinSmith’s Garage courtesy of Mike Byrne, where you can see the likely location of Henley Lodge with a big garage butting onto it.162 Yardley Road today from Google, courtesy of Mike Byrne. You can imagine that the house must have had a lovely yard at one point – now it is all garage really.Map of Yardley in 1904.
Needless to say this picture of how they lived could not have happened without the knowledge and assistance of Mike Byrne. Clearly they were living an upper middle class lifestyle. Not sure how they financed this completely, but most likely from sources other than his salary as an accountant. He just was not that good at money. Some of the money might have come from his adult sons working, or his wife’s inheritance from her mother, or help from his Dad. All possible! He named his home after his birthplace, and frankly the name made his place sound a bit posh.
Thank you Acock’s Green Historical Society and Mike Byrne! Thank you.
Transcription of letter to Frederick A Pauline, 4 June 1888
[1]
Acock’s Green, June 4, 1888
Dear Fred,
I think we shall all be together again in the coming autumn. Business is so trying things are so band this side. Our relations who can help without inconvenience won’t and the future is less aspiring than even the present, that I have almost decided to raise the wind and try my luck in BC. I should come with sme agencies or props divd representatives of a firm or firms or I should phaps if there is a better thing to be done on reaching you adopt a local means of I trust doing well. Anyway we have nothing to detain us we feel no ties to bind us to England in fact what connections there do not at least comprise the customary way natural instincts which we are accustomed to expect in the usual order of things. My efforts are I feel pretty well brought to an end. I am convinced a climax is reached in my residences in the old country and well it may be styled old for in forms its
[2]
Age assumes the features of upegences scene to be allrd in a degree similar to that which we have to witness in the case gage individual to a conspicuous failing or offences being I think the callous cruel indifference to the trials of their own offspring. However there is work in me yet I only want the chance to do it.
I want you to unreservedly write me without loss of time what you think on the subject. I can get the money necessary I believe here to pay us out comfortably and to sustain us for a short time while we book rooms and get settled. I intend selling off letting Henley Lodge and placing it on the hands to let. I expect Louise will be married next month about the 20 July and will reside in Birm for a while anyway. She will be married by Dr Sambourne gratuitously. Moreover it is essential that the coming young branches should have
Transcription – letter to Frederick Paulin, no date, no signature [Likely Sarah]
[1]
Henley Lodge
Acock’s Green
Sept
My dear Fred,
Very many thanks for your nice long letter received the 17th Sept. We were all very pleased to hear you are all getting on so nicely – Sorry Herbert has had a bad hand, but that it is better than having more horrid abscesses he has had from time to time. I have been having a bad time of it
[2]
I think I am most unfortunate, you will hear details again. Mrs Natts has offered the money for Bessie & I to go to Victoria, I am afraid the offer has come too late for this year so you must look forward to seeing us come next spring. I have decided to be an old maid, and keep your house, taking for granted that you intend on being a bachelor. Emmie makes a great mistake in being
[3]
All agreeable with Herbert. I am very sorry for Ernest. She thinks her spurious perfect but she has much to learn poor girl – Papa’s business is very awkward I wish we could all start afresh in Victoria. Amy is earning a little money and Bessie. I shall start up and I hope shortly but my health is very bad. I think it would save my life the journey across the sea.
I am glad your health is better – George seems
[4]
To occuoy himself pretty well – we have sent newspapers with account of H Lawley’s murder, it is such a shocking thing for the family. AF is very slow just now the church is closed to have light stained glass windows in will be opened on the 22ndHarvest Festival going to extra grand at least the choir is old Mr Watts has married his housekeeper just come back from his honeymoon in the Lakes people say never despair after that its been the latest talk.
The Amazing Paulin(e) Family 