Viewing Object

Object Description

Object ID

2019.003.001

Title

Morrison house, known as "The Grove".

Date

[1916-1919].

Description

1 b&w photograph showing four people posing outside of a house; the house is the Billy Morrison house in Glen Valley, known as "The Grove"; the house was located near the Morrison's Barvis ranch; a porch can be seen wrapping around two sides of the house; there are three steps up to the porch, and large windows are open on either side of the front door, revealing lace curtains; according to the donor, this was before Billy Morrison came home from the war, and the man in the photo was a friend of Billy’s who was visiting, perhaps wounded and waiting for his recovery and re-assignment. Janet Spalding Wilkie Morrison might be the woman seated, with three of her daughters. The girls in the photo could be the Morrison girls from oldest to youngest - Irene, Janet (Bunny), Alice (Tucker), and Vioelt (Toody).

People/Subject

Barvis Hill

Morrison property.

Morrison, Janet Spalding

Janet Spalding (Spaulding?) Wilkie was born in 1869 at Bellgrave House, Monkstown, Dublin, Ireland. She came to Fort Langley with her family in 1887. She married Billy (William) Morrison. The couple had seven children: Irene, Kenneth (Jerry), Janet (Bunny), Alice (Tucker), Joseph (Rorry), Violet (Tooty), and Henry (King). She took an active part in community affairs: she was the Secretary of the Fort Langley Women's Auxiliary of the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League, and was the first female school trustee in Langley. She supported St. George's Anglican Church and was a member of the Delta-Surrey-Langley Pioneers' Association. She died on February 1, 1951, at the age of 82, after a stroke, and was buried in the Fort Langley Cemetery.

Morrison, William (Billy)

William (Billy) Morrison was born on October 15, 1871 in Fort Langley to parents Kenneth and Lucy (nee Allard) Morrison. Kenneth was a Hudson Bay employee at the Fort, and Billy ended up staying in Fort Langley his whole life. He married Janet Spalding Wilkie, and the couple had 7 children : Irene, Kenneth (Jerry), Janet (Bunny), Alice (Tucker), Joseph (Rorry), Violet (Tooty), and Henry (King). Billy spent many years working for the CNR, and served with the Canadian Armed Forces during WWI. Billy passed away June 3, 1959, and is buried in the Fort Langley Cemetery.

Wilson, Violet Angel "Toody" (nee Morrison)

Violet Angel Morrison was born on October 11, 1908, at Fort Langley, to William and Janet Morrison, nee Wilkie. Violet was nicknamed "Toody" by her father. Toody passed away in early October 2008, just shy of her 100th birthday.

Argus v4.3.6.40 - Langley Centennial Museum