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In 1939, I was bought by the Province of British Columbia to become the first Historic Site in B.C. But my story begins a long time ago in the middle of the last century. Let's meet some of the cast of people important to my story. |
Continue right, to the large photograph over the fireplace.
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Pictured here is an older, much more mature looking Dr. Helmcken. |
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James Douglas |
Amelia Douglas |
Helmcken House |
John Sebastian Helmcken |
Cecelia Helmcken |
Harry Helmcken |
Edith Louisa Helmcken |
James Helmcken |
Catherine Cecelia Helmcken |
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Here is James Douglas - later Sir James Ah, he's posed as stiff and pompous as "Old Square Toes" usually looked. Way back in 1842, he was a prominent Hudson's Bay Company official. It was James Douglas who chose the original site of Fort Victoria. He was the first governor of Vancouver Island and later he became governor of British Columbia.
To his right, is Lady Amelia Douglas, his wife. In the picture above, that's my old friend the Douglas house. The Douglas house stood right next door to me - exactly where the Royal B.C. Museum is now. I couldn't bear to watch, that day in 1906 when this stately home was torn down.
Then there is the Douglas's oldest daughter Cecilia. With her - with Cecilia my story - my life - began.
You see, a handsome young doctor fresh from graduation at Guy's Hospital in London - Doctor John Sebastian Helmcken - well, he arrived at Fort Victoria in 1850 to work for the Hudson's Bay Company. And as fate would have it, these two fell in love and married in eighteen hundred and fifty-two.
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They needed a place to live - and raise a family and Mr. James Douglas wanted his daughter Cecilia to live near her family - so he gave this land to the newly married Helmcken's. |
Here are photographs of yours truly - I've grown quite a bit over the last 140 years. At first in 1852, I was just three small rooms.A few years later, the two story middle section was added to offer the growing Helmcken family a little more room. And just over a hundred years ago now - the bigger two story section on the left - including this room - was added.
A little to your right, in the photograph above the piano - you see the young Helmcken Children. Sadly and quite unexpectedly, Cecilia Helmcken - their mother and the good Doctor's wife - took a bad chill and died in 1865. Dr. Helmcken never re-married, Oh dear no - but managed alright to raise his four surviving children: Amy, Jim, Harry and Dolly.
A little further to your right are photographs of each Helmcken child all grown up.
There's Amy. She was the oldest. And next, that's Jim the oldest boy. He followed his father into the medical profession. The next son along is Harry. He became a lawyer - wouldn't you know - he entered politics.
Ah. yes these next photographs - they show Dolly Helmcken at various times in her life. She was the youngest. Her real name was Edith Louisa, but almost everyone called her Dolly or Aunt Dolly. Widowed in 1896, Dolly moved back here under my roof to look after her, by then quite aged father. I was her home until her death in 1939.
Now that you've met the Helmckens, it's time to visit my other rooms. Continue through this doorway and across the hall into the Dining Room, maybe you're in time for supper.
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Now that you've met the Helmckens, it's time to visit my other rooms. Continue through this doorway and across the hall into the Dining Room, maybe you're in time for supper.
