Descendants of Frederick and Mary Paulin gather here
Received an interesting email from someone who lives in Oak Bay about a table they bought. When they bought it they were told it was from the Tod House, and she was wondering if it was a table from the Paulin family. I have no way of knowing, but thought hey – ask family members if…
It is a lovely table, English made, circa 1870s….
So if you think it was in the house, contact me.
Victoria Daily Times, 2 Jan 1895
Harold Fleming and Miss Mary Edith Mesher were joined in wedlock on December 29th at the residence of Frederick Pauline. The officiating clergyman was Rev Percival Jenns, and the couple received the congratulations of a number of friends who were present.
Daily Colonist, 16 June Dec 1975
Oak Bay Seeks Help to fix historic house
Vancouver Island residents are being asked to check their parlors and bookshelves for artifacts or information that would assist Oak Bay Municipality in its proposed restoration of the recently-acquired Tod House.
The request came Monday after Ald Doug McLelland told council of receiving a phone call from a Tod family member with information on the original furnishing of the 125-year-old house built by John Tod, chief trader with the Hudson’s Bay Company.
McLelland said he hoped others would come forward with similar assistance.
The Heron Street house was jointly purchased by the province and the municipality for $65,000.
Daily Colonist, 25 Jun 1974
Tod House Owner won’t tell plans
‘None of your businesss’
It’s the oldest private house in western Canada, even reputed to be a ghost house – but the present owner says its fate is nobody’s business but his own.
Controversy arose over Tod House, 2564 Heron, when owner Fred Massie appeared at Oak Bay council Friday night to protest its designation as a heritage landmark not be tampered with.
Massie, who bought the house in 1971, refused to say what he intended to do with it.
“It’s my property, and none of your business,” he told council, “I figure it’s worse than Hitler, worse than expropriation, for you to tell me what I can do with my own property.”
Council, however, apparently thought historical interest in the house outweighed whatever considerations Massie had in mind, and it passed a motion “to proceed immediately to designate the Tod House as a heritage landmark.”
The house was built in 1851 by John Tod, trader, for the Hudson’s Bay Company. It is the oldest house in Canada west of the lake-head.
It was also, by reputation, Victoria’s only haunted house with self opening doors, rattling chains, self-propelled objects and a ghost reported to look like Tod’s young Indian wife. The strange happenings came to a sudden end several years ago when the bones of a young Indian woman were unearthed and removed from a garden on the property.
[Note there were a few errors in the obituary regarding her age – corrections are in square brackets]
Daily Colonist, 13 March 1959
Mrs Sarah Short Rites
Death Severs Link with Pioneer Days
Victoria lost another link with its past with the burial yesterday of Mrs Sarah Short, last surviving member of the well-known pioneer Pauline family.
For many years the family lived in the old Tod House, one of Victoria’s earliest homes. The Heron Street residence now modernized, is still standing.
It was the object of considerable publicity a few years ago, with reports that it was haunted after residents of the day reported latched doors mysteriously opening and other inexplicable incidents.
One of Mrs Short’s brothers, FA Pauline was Speaker in the BC Legislature at one time and also served as BC Agent General in London. Another brother was organist at the old Christ Church cathedral for many years.
Mrs Short was the youngest of 13 children [incorrect] of Mr and Mrs Frederick Pauline who came to Victoria in the 1880s. She could recall the days when she was a child in the old Tod House and the Indians camped on the beach below the house.
Her husband, the late Henry N Short, was a pioneer gunsmith in Victoria. Born in Birmingham [incorrect – Peckham London] she was only three when her family came to this city. [incorrect – 14]
She is survived by four sons, Henry F and John C in Vancouver, Joseph R and Edward N in Victoria.
Funeral service was held at Hayward’s funeral home. Burial was in family plot, Ross Bay Cemetery.
In an email from Oak Bay today:
I thought you might be interested to know that Oak Bay Council has approved $240,000 over the next two years to renovate Tod House and bring it back to its original glory. As a designated heritage property great care will be taken to ensure that improvements respect the property’s history and heritage.
Regards,
Warren Jones
The Amazing Paulin(e) Family 