Fathers and Sons

Businessmen, Craftsmen, Entrepreneurs, Farmers, Soldiers, and Community Leaders. Here are brief accounts of six families: Alexander, Carter, Pierre, Smith, Spotts, and Wood.

Charles Alexander and four of his eight sons — Thomas, Charles, Fred, and Henry

Charles and Nancy Alexander arrived in the British Colony of Vancouver Island in July 1858 with 2 children. The family settled in the farming community of Saanich, building a profitable farming enterprise. Their family grew to 12, which included 8 sons: James, Thomas, Charles Jr., William, Fred, Henry, Edward, George, and John. Charles was also a skilled carpenter. He and Nancy rallied their community to build a school and church. Charles was one of the school trustees and a lay preacher at the church.

Sepia toned photo, man in senior years sitting in a chair with a cane leaning against his leg. In the background is a house and ivy hedge — Charles Alexander. Image M01016, courtesy of City of Victoria Archives.

B&W portrait, man in suit seated beside coffee table, legs crossed, holding his hat and walking stick — Thomas Alexander. Image A-09460, courtesy of Royal BC Museum and Archives.

Thomas is the 2nd son, 4th child. He was born in Victoria in 1859. On February 2, 1887, at the age of 27, he married Corinthea Pierre, daughter of Thomas Whiting Pierre. His occupation at the time was Expressman.

Charles Jr., the third son, worked as a Teamster. On December 1, 1892 he married Ada Barnswell, a daughter of another noted and respected pioneering family.

Fred, the fifth son, born in 1867, worked as a carpenter and as a tally-ho driver, one of the first in Victoria. He also worked as a hack driver at night. He too married a Barnswell daughter, Mary Louisa. In 1980, Alexander Park on Bay Street in Victoria was dedicated in honour of Fred and Mary Louisa.

Henry Wilson, born in 1870, served in the First World War. He enlisted on September 25, 1916 at age 46. His address was 1159 Yates Street and he listed his occupation as logger. He lists his brother Thomas as his next of kin, living at the same address. Pte. Henry Wilson Alexander, Regimental Number 1049233, served with the 242nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was deployed to England from November 1916 to May 1919. He was awarded the War Service Badge Class “C” “FOR HONOURABLE SERVICE.”

Paris Carter and son George

Paris Carter was born in Kentucky on January 1, 1820. When he came to Victoria he advertised as a rent and debt collector and also made a profitable livelihood as a real estate agent. He was also a captain with the volunteer Victoria Pioneer Rifle Corps. In Paris’s obituary in the Times Colonist, it says he was survived by three sons: John William, living in Seattle; George Paris and Anthony Oswald, in Victoria.

Advertisement in Colonist by Paris Carter, General Agent, Collector of Rents and Debts

On April 11, 1930, p. 23, the Times Colonist published an article about George: “Coloured Pioneer is 70 Years of Age.” When George was born in 1860, the family home was on Fort Street. George had a varied career and ventured into a number of occupations including plasterer, shoemaker, and express driver. In 1902 George began work as a watchman for the Blue Funnel Line and the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line — “George is well known and esteemed along the waterfront.” In 1930, retired, his home was on St. Lawrence Street in James Bay. George died February 2, 1934 and is buried at the Royal Oak Cemetery. George was survived by two sons and a daughter.

Senior man standing with arms at side in suit and hat

Gray granite tablet military grave marker on base, set in grassy area with flowers blossoming

On Wednesday, November 11, 2020 a new grave marker for Captain Paris Carter (1820–1890), and his wife Mary, was unveiled at the Ross Bay Cemetery. Image courtesy of BC Black History Awareness Society.

Thomas Pierre and sons John, Joseph, and Samuel

One of the first business families in Victoria was the Pierre family. Thomas Whiting Pierre started the tailoring business in 1858 as T.W. Pierre, Tailor and Dyer. The business was on Yates Street.

B&W professional studio portrait of middle-aged man, seated, dark hair and trimmed dark beard, wearing formal suit — Thomas Whiting Pierre. Image M01021, courtesy of City of Victoria Archives.

His sons were born in Victoria: John Thomas on April 16, 1865, Joseph Robert on September 16, 1869, and Samuel Deal on March 15, 1871.

In 1892 John is 27 and he posts a notice in the Times Colonist announcing the legal partnership between him and his father, operating the business as “JOHN T. & T.W. PIERRE” at 100 Douglas Street. It’s John we see in the photo above.

B&W photo, large shop with several tables with many folded bolts of fabric on them. There is a counter at the rear of the room with a man standing behind it, slightly stooped, working with fabric — Son John Thomas in his tailor shop. Behind the partition are two workers at sewing machines. Image A-09462, courtesy of Royal BC Museum and Archives.

His two other sons, Joseph and Samuel (image at right), also became tailors and had a business, Pierre Bros., in Tacoma, Washington. But it seems Joseph fell ill and died on March 27, 1894, age 24. He is buried in the family plot at Ross Bay Cemetery.

John Thomas operated his tailoring business in Victoria until about 1900, then moved to Nelson, where he opened and operated another business until the end of 1936. He returned to Victoria because of failing health and died in April 1938.

Samuel died on November 21, 1940, age 69, and is buried in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, USA.

B&W photo, man with moustache, seated, wearing fedora-style white hat and formal white suit, tie — Samuel Deal Pierre. Image M01019, courtesy of City of Victoria Archives.

Moses Rowe Smith and sons Hamilton and Garrett

The Smith family operated businesses in Victoria for an estimated 7 to 8 decades. While the majority of the first Black incomers were from the US, the Smith family were from Ontario. Moses Rowe Smith arrived in BC in 1859 and headed to the Cariboo gold fields, then settled in Victoria. His wife Sarah Anne and daughter Selina Frances arrived in 1866. In Victoria they had 2 more children, sons Hamilton, born February 22, 1867, and Garrett, born September 25, 1869.

Sepia-toned photo of storefront, three men in suits in the foreground, middle man has a dog on a leash — Moses Rowe Smith (far right) in front of his “Victoria Bakery,” ca. 1870. From “Hamilton Smith Photographs – M.R. Smith Employees,” courtesy of Royal BC Museum and Archives.

Smith started with a biscuit factory on Niagara Street in James Bay, Victoria. He proclaimed it was the largest north of Portland. He had contracts to supply the navy, and was listed as a bread, biscuit, and fancy cake maker in the 1869 edition of the First Victoria Directory.

The first bakery sales business was near Waddington Alley, then on Yates Street. By about 1870 he was at 57 Fort Street.

Tragedy struck the business in September 1909 when the Niagara Street biscuit factory was destroyed by fire. Following this, the sons wound up M.R. Smith & Co., Limited but carried on their own businesses. A Victoria Historical Society publication (Number 28, Summer 2011) explains that Garrett acted as the liquidator and then opened the Garrett Smith Candy Company. Hamilton incorporated the H. Smith Biscuit Co. Ltd. in January 1910, with Garrett as a partner and company secretary.

Fielding Spotts and son Fielding William

Fielding initially pre-empted land on Salt Spring Island, then settled in Saanich, a rural community north of Victoria. In 1860 Fielding was joined by his wife Julia, their oldest child Charles, and 2-year-old Fielding William Jr. The family acquired 98 acres of land sometime before 1865. In 1883 he pre-empted 50 acres immediately west of his main holding. He was a cooper and farmer. He served as a school trustee, and is perhaps the first recognized Baptist to arrive in Western Canada.

Senior man seated facing camera holding what is likely a bible with two hands at his lap — Fielding Spotts Sr. Image F-00651, courtesy of Royal BC Museum and Archives.

B&W portrait, middle-aged man wearing casual suit, buttoned-up shirt, western-style straw hat — Fielding William Jr. Image A-02475, courtesy of Royal BC Museum and Archives.

Black History Month commemorative stamp — In 1902, Fielding William Jr. moved to Vancouver and owned a business in Hogan’s Alley until his death in 1937 at age 79. On January 30, 2014, Canada Post issued the Canadian Black Heritage Stamp, honouring the Hogan’s Alley community. Pictured with Fielding William Jr. is Nora Hendrix — in 1918 she was tenacious enough to spur the community to raise funds to purchase a building that would become the African Episcopal Fountain Chapel; she is also the grandmother of famed musician Jimi Hendrix.

Robert Wood and sons James and Robert

Robert Wood was born on Salt Spring Island in 1893. He is the 4th generation of the Gwynne family, who were originally from Missouri. He married Emily Whims on December 28, 1913. They had 6 children; the 4th and 5th were sons, James (“Jim”) Robert, born April 27, 1921, and Robert (“Bob Jr.”) Arthur, born February 3, 1926. Robert Sr. managed a farm for the Mouat’s Trading Co. on Tripp Road for many years. When WWII started, Robert was too old to enlist, so he wore the uniform of the Gulf Island Rangers / Pacific Coast Militia Rangers, formed to guard the Pacific coast. James did enlist for World War II, but unfortunately became ill with tuberculosis while training in Victoria and ended up hospitalized in Esquimalt. James returned to Salt Spring Island and continued to help his father at the farm; he and his brother Robert later owned and operated Wood Brothers Trucking.

B&W middle-aged man standing in military uniform — Robert Wood. Image 2004032034, courtesy of Salt Spring Island Archives.

B&W young man standing hands behind back in military uniform — James “Jim” Wood. Image 2004032033, courtesy of Salt Spring Island Archives.

Links to their full stories:

Charles Alexander
George Carter
The Smith Family
Fielding Spotts