It was customary for the "chain gang" to emerge every morning from a side gate of the jail yard on Bastion Street and march to Government Street to the music of their chains, with two guards in the rear with loaded shotguns. The gang often contained seamen from the ships at Esquimalt who were serving sentences, usually for desertion. This in course of time caused such indignation that the practice of putting men-of-warsmen in the chain gang was discontinued. The gang worked on the streets, on the Government ground and at other Government work. The uniform consisted of moleskin trousers with V.P., a checked cotton shirt and a blue cloth cap. It was thought a wrong to put a Jack Tar with malefactors of all grades, such as Indian murderers, thieves and whiskey sellers to Indians. It was the custom when a fire of any dimensions took place to telephone or send word to Esquimalt, and squads of Jacks were soon on the way to town, running all the way. After working maybe all night in saving property they would walk back to their ship, tired out and wet through, and all for nothing in the way of recompense. All the time they were at work they sang and joked as they do now. Is it any wonder that we have a soft place in our hearts for Jack? I know I shall not forget them and the days that have gone by, and I think we all shall regret the late change that takes him away, and his merry laugh and joke are things of the past.
To return to the directory. Of those remaining whose names are recorded, there are, alas! only sixty-two to-day with us. I have been carefully over the list from A to Z and sixty-two is the number. Of course there may be others that I did not know, and doubtless there are some; there are omissions also, I am sure, and several I have added to make up the sixty-two. There is one thing sure, that as a rule only the head of a family was recorded, male or female, as there are many residents to-day who were young men or youths, or young women or girls, when this directory was compiled. I shall give here the names of these sixty-two who are still privileged to be residents of this beautiful city that we old residents are so proud of, as well as those of two living abroad and one in Kamloops.
The list alphabetically is:
- Adams, Daniel F., contractor.
- Anderson, E. H., variety store.
- Alport, Charles (in South Africa).
- Anderson, J. R., agricultural department.
- Barnett, Josiah, in United States.
- Barnswell, James, carpenter.
- Bauman, Frederick, confectioner.
- Beaven, Hon. Robert.
- Botterell, Mat., butcher.
- Blaguiere, Edward.
- Bullen, Jonathan, bricklayer.
- Boscowitz, Joseph, fur dealer.
- Borde, August, Chatham Street.
- Burnes, Thomas, saloonkeeper.
- Carey, Joseph W.
- Cridge, Edward, rector Christ Church.
- Crowther, John C., painter.
- Davie, Doctor John C.
- Dougall, John, iron moulder.
- Drake, M. W. T., solicitor.
- Elliott, W. A., engineer Labouchere.
- Fawcett, R. W., house decorator.
- Gerow, G. C., carriagemaker.
- Helmcken, Honorable John S., M.P.P.
- Geiger, Thomali, barber.
- Gilmore, Alexander, clothier.
- Glide, Harry, with Plaskett & Co.
- Harvey, Rout., commission merchant.
- Higgins, David W., publisher Chronicle.
- Kelly, Samuel, tinsmith.
- Kent, Charles, hardware, K. & F.
- King, J. H., Mousquetaire saloon.
- Kinsman, John, contractor.
- Levy, H. E., special officer.
- Levy, Joseph, fruit store.
- Lissett, James, painter.
- Macdonald, W. J., Reid & Macdonald.
- Maynard, Richard, bootmaker.
- Marvin, Edward B., sailmaker.
- McMillan, J. E., publisher Chronicle.
- Monro, Alexander, accountant Hudson’s Bay Company.
- Nuttall, Thomas C., book-keeper.
- Pearson, Edward, tinsmith.
- Porter, Arthur, brickmaker.
- Powell, Doctor I. W.
- Richardson, George, proprietor of first brick hotel.
- Roper, S., Kamloops.
- Styles, S. T., plasterer.
- Shotbolt, Thomas, druggist.
- Stockham, F., baker.
- Sparrow, J. M., post office.
- Stewart, John, plumber.
- Sylvester, Frank.
- Turner, John H. (Todd & Turner), Victoria Produce Market.
- Vowell, Arthur, Indian superintendent.
- White, Edward (late Brown & White).
- Wilson, Alexander, messenger, Bank British North America.
- Wilson, William, draper.
- Wilson, Thomas Sidney, cabinetmaker.
- Wriglesworth, Joseph, London Hotel.
- Wylly, C. G., accountant.
- Welch, George, Esquimalt Waterworks.
Many of these since died.
List of those deceased, but whose descendants are residents here now, or living elsewhere:
- Barron, David F., cabinetmaker, widow, son and two daughters.
- Belasco, Abraham, tobacconist, two sons.
- Broderick, R., coal dealer, widow and two sons.
- Cameron, Thomas, blacksmith, two daughters and sons.
- Chadwick, Thomas, hotelkeeper, two sons and daughter.
- Courtney, H. E., solicitor, sons.
- Cotsford, Thomas, sons.
- Davies, J. P., auctioneer, several sons.
- Doan, J. H., captain, daughter.
- Duck, Simeon, carriagemaker, sons.
- Ella, Captain H. B., Hudson’s Bay Company, all family, two sons and two daughters living in Victoria.
- Flett, John, Hudson’s Bay Company, several sons.
- Gowen, Charles, brewer, widow, several sons and daughters.
- Hall, Richard, agent, two sons—Richard and John.
- Hall, Philip, several sons.
- Harris, Thomas, mayor, two daughters.
- Heal, John, boarding-house, two sons.
- Heathorn, William, bootmaker, three sons and three daughters.
- Heisterman, H., Exchange reading room, sons and daughters.
- Heywood, Joseph, butcher, wife and daughter.
- Hibben, Thomas Napier, widow, two sons and two daughters.
- Huston, Guy, gunsmith, two daughters.
- Irving, William, captain steamer Reliance, son and daughters.
- Jackson, Doctor William, three sons and daughters.
- Jungerman, J. L., watchmaker, daughter (Mrs. Erb).
- Jewell, Henry, sons.
- Leigh, William, second Town Clerk of Victoria, who held the position from about 1863, to the time of his death. He was in charge of Uplands Farm (1859) for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and under the supervision of Mr. J. D. Pemberton, built Victoria District Church, and as an amateur musician helped at charitable entertainments. Son in San Francisco, granddaughter in Victoria (Mrs. Simpson).
- Leneven, David, merchant, son and daughters.
- Lewis, Lewis, clothier, son and daughter.
- Lindsay, Daniel, son and daughter.
- Loat, Christopher, sons and daughter.
- Lowen, Joseph, brewer, widow, sons and daughters.
- Lowenberg, L., estate agent, a nephew.
- McDonell, R. J., captain, a widow.
- Mason, George, brickmaker, a widow.
- McKeon, William, hotel, wife, son and daughter.
- McLean, Alexander, son.
- McQuade, Peter, ship chandler, son and two daughters.
- Meldram, John H., two sons.
- Moore, M. (Curtis & Moore), widow and two sons.
- Mouat, William, captain Enterprise, sons and daughters.
- Nesbitt, Samuel, biscuit-baker, two sons.
- Nicholles, Doctor John, one son.
- Pitts, John H., son and daughters.
- Rhodes, Henry, merchant, sons and daughters.
- Sayward, William, sons.
- Sehl, Jacob, sons and daughters.
- Short, Henry, sons and daughters.
- Smith, John, carpenter, Mears Street, sons and daughters.
- Smith, M. R., baker, sons and daughters.
- Stahlschmidt, Thomas L., son.
- Stemmler, Louis, upholsterer, son (spice mills).
- Thain, Captain John, son and daughter.
- Todd, J. H., sons and daughters.
- Tolmie, Doctor W. F., sons and daughters.
- Waitt, M. W., stationer, widow and two daughters.
- Williams, John W., livery stable, widow and daughters.
- Woods, Richard, Government clerk, sons and daughters.
- Wootton, Henry, postmaster, sons and daughters.
- Workman, Aaron, daughters.
- Yates, James Stewart, two sons.
Many deaths since this list was made.
I must again repeat that this list of sixty-two may be augmented by others who were heads of families even at that time. I might take our own family for an example, although it does not prove the rule. It consisted of my father, mother and three brothers, and is represented in the directory by my father, Thomas L. Fawcett, and my eldest brother, Rowland W. Then, again, there is the Elford family, of father, mother, three sons and two daughters. This family is not recorded, and to-day there are two sons, John and Theophilus, and two married sisters.