Dictionary of Family Biography – Harold Paulin

Harold Ernest Paulin

(1888-1913)

Harold Ernest Paulin was born 5 March 1888 in Victoria, BC. He was the third child and eldest son of Ernest Alfred Paulin and his wife Emma Jane Jennings. Ernest worked as a journalist and accountant at the time of Harold’s birth. Harold had seven siblings, five sisters and two brothers. Two of his sisters and his youngest brother died in infancy.

Ernest and Emma had immigrated to Canada from Birmingham, England just a couple of months after their marriage in 1886. They had joined two of Ernest’s brothers in Victoria, and had emigrated with Emma’s sister Amy, and Ernest’s brother Herbert. Ernest’s parents and other siblings joined the family in Victoria the year Harold was born.

Despite a large family network in Victoria, according to many of her grandchildren, Emma Jane was not happy in Victoria. Emma left Victoria in 1896 travelling back to England with her daughters Irene and Grace. Ernest soon followed, and the family settled in Acock’s Green, in Birmingham, near Emma’s family.

Harold was left behind in Victoria, and appears to have lived either with his aunt Amy Jennings, who was now married to William Thomson, or with a Mrs Archibald. Both women were mentioned in letters written to family in Victoria, in association with Harold, and his care.

While in Victoria, Harold attended Oak Bay School. In 1895 he won a prize for a story he wrote called “Harold’s Dog.”

Many of the letters Ernest wrote to his brother Frederick in Victoria are extant, and he regularly stated how he and his wife missed Harold, and asked that someone escort Harold back to England. In a letter from 1898 he admitted that he could not afford the passage and asked Frederick to help. A January 1899 letter shows that he was successful, as he mentioned that Harold was in Birmingham, and on that day visiting his Uncle Sidney Smith. In the 1901 Census he is shown as living with his family, age 13. He had no occupation, but was not listed as a student either.

In November 1904 Harold set off for New York on the “Oceanic.” On arrival he stated that he was last employed as a waiter in London, and that his parents paid his passage. He joined his friend Herbert Dunblane, who lived at 344 North Houston Street.

No trace can be found of his life in the United States. He reappears in the records on a ship from New York, heading to the United Kingdom in May 1907. He does not stay in England long. In October 1907 Harold was on board another ship, this time bound for Valparaiso, Chile. In Chile he obtains work as a clerk. His father wrote of his employment in a letter to Victoria, stating he worked for Weir Scott and Co, on a 3 year contract, being paid £150 a year. The company were provisioners and importers. He later worked for WR Grace and Co, an American fertilizer (chemical) and machinery company. They had offices in Valparaiso, London, New York, Lima and San Francisco.

In March 1911, Harold married Alice Lumsden Jeffreys, a native of Scotland. Their only son George Ernest was born 15 January 1912. That same year Harold joined the Freemasons – Bethesda Lodge.

Harold’s father Ernest died in November 1912, and plans were hatched to bring his siblings out to Chile to work. This however never came to fruition. Harold died 12 June 1913 of an abscess of the liver. He was buried there.

Harold’s widow Alice and his son George (know as Ernest by his family) returned to the United Kingdom in August 1913. They settled in Aberdour in Scotland, near her parents.

Source

Birth certificate, Harold Ernest Paulin, British Columbia

Death certificate, Harold Ernest Paulin, Valparaiso, Chile

Barnett family – emails October 2021

Birth certificate, George Ernest Paulin, Valparaiso, Chile.

US Landing/shipping arrivals, 1904

UK arrivals, 1907

UK Departures, 1907

Correspondence, Ernest Alfred Paulin to Frederick Pauline, Cormack family collection

US Bethesda Lodge records, Ancestry

Victoria Times Colonist newspaper

UK 1901 Census, Acock’s Green

UK arrivals, 1896

October 19, 2021 1

25th Wedding Anniversary of Mrs and Mrs Gardiner, 1915

The Victoria Daily Times, 11 Sep 1915

Personal

Mr and Mrs Charles F Gardiner last evening celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding. They were married, as the news of twenty-five years ago, in another column, narrates, on the evening of Sept 10, 1890, in Christ Church Cathedral. The bride was Miss Amy Pauline, who still resides here. Her bridesmaids were Miss AF Gardiner, sister of the groom, and Misses Florence, Violet, Sarah, Marion and Nellie Pauline, her sisters. CP Lowe was the best man and Harold Pauline was page. The ceremony was performed by Rev Henry Kingham, a brother of Joshua Kingham and Mrs EG Miller.

January 16, 2021 0

Marriage Nellie Paulin and Benjamin Bantly, 1951

Times Colonist 26 July 1951

Well-known Victorians wed

Victoria friends will be interested in the announcement that Mr Benedict Bantly and Mrs Nellie Hickey were married in Burlingame, Calif on July 18.

Now on an extended honeymoon, Mr and Mrs Bantly will spend a brief time in Victoria Friday, arriving on the Seattle boat at noon and leaving again on the afternoon boat for Vancouver, en route to England.

Both wedding principals are well known here, Mrs Bantly being the former Miss Nellie Pauline of Victoria, and Mr Bantly being one of the city’s outstanding music teachers some years ago.

January 8, 2021 0

Mr Pauline comes home, 1931

Times Colonist, 6 March 1931

Mr Pauline Comes Home

When Frederick A Pauline went to London as British Columbia’s Agent-General six years ago he renewed an association stretched across a gap of more than forty years. He was born at Henley-on-Thames, educated at St Mary’s College, Peckham Rye, and came to try his luck in Canada as far back as 1883. Now, “after many years spent largely depicting the wonders of this province, its might mountains and fertile valleys, its great lakes and noble rivers, its forest wealth and mineral riches, its fish, its fruit and scenic beauties,” he has returned to that part of Canada in which he first made his home nearly half a century ago.

Victoria extends a hearty welcome to Mr Pauline on his arrival home. Our citizens will wish him long years of health and comfort. He has been an excellent Agent-General; he provide himself to be a very worthy successor to the able officials who preceded him. It is not always possible to assess the value of work done in Great Britain by the province’s official representative. It is a form of advertising service that does not produce such visible returns as cash sales over the counter. But from time to time in the last six years the public of British Columbia has had forceful reminders of the untiring activities of the office at the foot of Regent Street. The invisible dividend – and, of course, there have been many visible results in the form of new settlers and new capital of no mean volume – must have been very considerable and worth a great deal more than the outlay required to produce it.

The financial aspect of the Agent-General’s office, incidentally, is of more than passing importance to the taxpayers of the province. At one time this fine building, of which all British Columbians who go to London are justly proud, was regarded as a very costly luxury; but all that has changed in the last ten years. Mr Pauline told the Canadian Club in Vancouver the other day that the revenue from BC House – a great part of it is rented – pays interest, sinking fund charges, maintenance and running expenses, and contributes $20,000 a year to the cost of work carried on. Indeed, the entire cost to the taxpayers in 1929-1930 was less than five thousand dollars – less than the price of three legislators for seven weeks’ work! Since the substantial change in this regard has been made during Mr Pauline’s regime, there is additional justification for saying he has been an excellent Agent-General.

January 4, 2021 0

Amateur Exhibition, Victoria, 1890

Victoria Daily Times, 24 Sep 1890

A Pronounced Success

The first amateur art exhibition in Victoria now open

Yesterday afternoon a party of a hundred or so of artists and their personal friends, who had been invited to be present at the opening of the British Columbia Art Exhibition, held in the spacious rooms in the upper story of the city hall, gathered there. Hon John Robson, who was present by request, formally opened the exhibition, and in doing so made a few remarks congratulating the members upon the fine showing made. He spoke of the fact that such exhibitions as these did much to refine and elevate the public taste. At the close of his remarks he presented the treasurer of the Association with a cheque of $25 to further the work so well begun.

The exhibition was to-day thrown open to the public, and for the next two weeks will prove an attraction to all lovers of the beautiful in art. By night the display is even more beautiful than by day, sixteen powerful electric lights having been placed in position about the room, which has been made cosy by the decorating committee. During the day time the light is also first rate, two large skylights and the windows having given the hanging committee an opportunity to place the pictures in the best possible way. The following ladies and gentlemen are the exhibitors, with the number and class of pictures contributed by each:

OIL PAINTINGS

Mr T Bamford, 57 landscapes and views; Mr ES Shrapnell, 31, still life and landscapes; Mr Frederick Pauline, 8 landscapes; Mr Roland Lee, 15 figures and portraits; Mr MH Bainbridge, 7 landscapes and cattle scenes; Mr AC West 8 landscapes; Mr Wm Wilson, 9 landscapes; Mr O Chapman, 6 landscapes; Mr GT Fox, Mr S McClure and Mr H Carmichael also contributed.

WATER COLORS

In this line Messrs J Carpenter, TS Gore, C Soule, TB Norgate, TS Sorby, N Carmichael and R Bayne contributed some excellent work.

VARIOUS

In this class the ladies come out in strength. Oil and water colors sketches in black and white, crayons, etc, were plentiful. Some fine painting on china is also noticeable. The exhibitors are Misses Christie, Brady, McMicking, Woods, Campbell, Twiss, Sorby, Spring and Wylde.

MODELLING

In this branch there was only one exhibitor, but the excellence of his work is worthy of mention. Mr EA Harris sends in a cast from a model in clay of Venus Anadyomene. The work is perfect although small, there being evidence of genius in the work.

To give each exhibitor a criticism, or even to mention each picture and its subject would take a page of this paper, and would be a hopeless task. All are of high order and many of an especial character. To unduly praise one would seem like favoritism. The best advice that can be given is to go and see the exhibition of nearly 400 pictures. The treat will be a rare one, and will doubly repay the visitor any expense of time being made. A few hours passed among these works of art is time well spent. To-night and for two weeks to follow, the exhibition will be open in the evenings as well as from 11 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. The evening hours are from 6:30 to 10:30 pm. Many of the views are for sale, and several have already been disposed of.

January 2, 2021 0

Marriage Charles Gardiner and Amy Pauline, 1890

Victoria Daily Times, 11 Sep 1890

Married

Gardiner-Pauline – In this city, the 10^th instant, at Christ Church Cathedral, by the Rev Henry Kingham, Charles Frederick, third son of the late Capt JA Gardiner to Amy, third daughter of Frederick Pauline, Esq of Birmingham, England.

Birmingham Gazette and Daily Post please copy.

December 26, 2020 0

Obit, George Frederick Paulin, 1968

Times Colonist, 23 July 1968

Travel, Transport Pioneer Dies

George Frederick Paulin, a Victoria native son associated for many years with travel and transport in the Pacific Northwest, died Monday in Veteran’s Hospital. He was 72.

Retired for three years, he was president of downtown Victoria travel agency George Paulin Ltd, and former president of Black Ball Ferries Ltd, before it became BC Ferries.

He had been in the travel business in Victoria since 1940.

Born in March 1896, Mr Paulin left the Boy’s Central School in 1911 to work. At the outbreak of the First World War he joined the army and served overseas with the Canadian Field Artillery.

Between the wars he formed the Vancouver Island Rapid Transit Company, which he later sold to another trucking company. He later went into the securities and shipping business.

On Harbour Committee

He took over agencies for the Northern Pacific Railway and Black Ball Ferries in 1940.

During the Second World War he served with the 5^th BC Coast Regiment, RCA and in 1943 was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.

Mr Paulin was a member of the Union Club and for many years headed the harbor development committee of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. He was elected president of the BC Tourist Association in 1961, and served as a Rector’s Warden at Holy Trinity Church, Patricia Bay.

He is survived by his wife, Muriel, at the Deep Cove home, one brother, CW Paulin, and a number of nephews and nieces.

Funeral will be held Thursday at 2 pm at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, the Rev Canon FC Vaughan-Birch officiating. Other arrangements by Sands Chapel of Roses funeral home in Sidney are pending.

December 14, 2020 0

Frederick Paulin to his son, April 23, 1886

Acock’s Green, Good Friday Apr 23 – [1886]

My dear Fred,

We have no news yet from your side as to the Emigrants movements since the cablegram from New York + Ernest saying “All well.” This was very welcome intelligence and we speculate now daily as to the contents of the next letter which we think will be either from Ernest giving us an account of the voyage or one from George or yourself as to your meeting and may be as to the prospected arrangements as to allotment in the way of lodging + boarding whether together in 1 household or apart in sections. Strauss + Leydel of 80 Chartlotte St promised me to send you their illustrated sheet of Hammocks (portable) as to whether they will be of any use to you in the way of business amongst

The touring camping part is in your district. Let me know if there is anything likely to be of pecuniary service to you on this side so that it can be made available for you. We are projecting some gardening next week, Jack has his holidays to help me with, and I intend having Mansfield to plough our patch for potatoes only this year. The season is a very late one with us and very cold draughty winds sneak between the rifts of sunshine and make the weather influences very trying to one’s system. I am not quite right somehow but perhaps when the summer really arrives I may improve. Business continues bad on this side though the immediate front is brightened by the expected result.

From the Colonial Exhibition to open with the May month. Our gracious Queen will come out to a first or to make the opening day London is jubilant with expectation and as the Queen has lately more frequently been seen there, the grumbling about her constant seclusion is less frequent. One or two on dailies have recently contained leaders on the great future of your country. The Canadian Pacific uses at 67, but with the increased intended dock facilities at Halifax and the contemplated new lines of pacific steamers +c +c The development of your port of the world will assuredly become an accomplished fact in spite of the doings a Cape Court, and

You no doubt being on the spot see this more distinctly than we are able to here. So that our all round conclusion is one of much promise + hope for you all and that if may prove so is on united fervent wish. I have a quotation of L8 Saloon her head on the “Eggplant” National Line which is very low she has lately had £4 000 spent on her Saloon portion + I suspect the rail rate from Atlantic to Pacific will be welcome no quotation yet very tempting to moderate. I am still pegging away but the results are not with the labours pro rata – we all united in affection and hope for the prospects + health of our northwest contingent.

From your affectionate father.

September 28, 2020 0

Frederick Paulin to FA Pauline, Easter 1886

Acock’s Green Easter Sunday [not stated – but 1886]

Dear Fred

Two days since Good Friday I wrote you + your brother George both in one envelope the contents were in general expectation +c of hearing of the safe arrival at your end of Geo and of Ernest’s details as to the ship’s expenses between Liverpool and N York. All these details came to hand yesterday, Saturday in letters from George, Ernest, Herbert + Ernest’s wife so that we are now more at ease and know enough to afford us a considerable amount of comfort that thus far all is well with ours away. We have a reminder of George’s letter of the great kindness W Hawkins exhibited to us in his most thoughtfully disinterested letters

Of precious information which he sent us respecting your illness at a time when the outcome of result was in no way assured or certain and we confess it that amongst the many mental [illegible] appertaining to the despatch of voyagers W Hawkins was entirely overlooked. And now we learn is endeavouring to secure George an organist’s position! We trust this peculiarly handsome behaviour will be fittingly recognized.

Herbert seems to have escaped the ordinary amount of trying that sickness and unites in confidence we hope now soon to hear from Ernest + party that they too

Are with you and what you agreed plans are and to what extent the agencie Ernest has one likely to serve the “Paulin Syndicate” in BC, also whether there is anything else I can move on this side across to your side. Let Ernest + wife

Habberfield Short 91 Queen Victoria Street London

When he has l[illegible] on business + the general outlook, because they if sufficient encouragement exists, be of value to the said “Paulin Syndicate”

And Habb + Short wishes to learn more as to the new colony +c. I have as think in the way of news to tell you beyond what I have written on Friday. 2 days ago.

And I fully expect that the news will rest in a great proportion with your side from which we shall frequently expect to hear. I am attending a few days gardening in the next week – Easter week = and hope the weather will permit it. I am sending you Goddard’s newspaper “The Period” by their post also “The Weekly Mercury”. We are greatly consoled by George telling us he found you jolly and trust all will be jolly yet. The clouds do seem to be rolling by really! Our united love to all

From your affectionate father.

September 26, 2020 0

Obituary – HN Short 1902

Victoria Daily Times, 20 Feb 1902

Well Known Citizen died this Morning

HN Short passed away at his residence, Oak Bay, this morning – He was a pioneer

Death this morning removd one of Victoria’s most widely known pioneers in Henry Short, the Douglas Street gunsmith. His demise was not wholly unexpected, as he was in the merciless grip of a malady which could have none other than a fatal termination. He has been ill for many months, but he never recovered from the shock caused by the death of his daughter a short time ago, which, it is believed, hastened his end. Previous to his last attack of illness, a fortnight ago, he was able to get out for a few days, but was shortly afterwards confined to his bed again, growing gradually weaker until this morning, when he expired at his residence, Ross Bay.

Henry Short was a native of Cork, Ireland, where he was born fifty-nine years ago. He came to Victoria in 1862, having left London on the ship Tynemouth, which brought out a large number of well known pioneers, the majority of whom have already passed into the great beyond.

Unlike many of the early comers, he did not fall a victim to the gold fever, and consequently did not embark in mining enterprises. Instead, he engaged at once in the gunsmith business, his first establishment being a little structure near the corner of Pandora and Government streets. Subsequently he removed his business to Fort Street, where he built up a thriving trade. He removed to Douglas street about ten years ago, and until his illness was always to be found in his premises as enthusiastic as when he first embarked in business in this city in the early sixties. Mr Short was an active sportsman and an energetic, skillful votary of both the gun and rod. He was full of life and hearty spirits, of a benevolent disposition, and will be greatly missed by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

He was a past master of Victoria Lodfe, AOUW and a member of the Pioneer Society.

He was an ardent lover of music, and many a time in the good old days delighted the pioneers by his splendid voice. He was a leader of Christ Church Cathedral Choir for many years, and subsequently recently conducted the choir of the Reformed Episcopal Church.

He leaves a widow, a daughter and two sons, Nugent and Richard. Further notice of the funeral will be given.

Victoria Daily Times 20 Feb 1902

Died

Short – At his residence, “Pineville”, Ross Bay, on the 20^th instant, Henry Short, a native of Cock, Irleand, aged 59 years. Due notice of the funeral will be given.

September 6, 2020 0