This bakery business offered an extraordinary variety of biscuits, fancy breads and baked goods for many decades.
Moses Rowe Smith arrived in Victoria in 1858 from London, Ontario. He had been engaged in the bakery business there. He set up his bakery on the south side of Johnson Street, but shortly moved to the north side of Yates Street between Store and Government St. It is reported he was also a partner in the Ericson claim which was one of the richest claims in the Cariboo. An article in the Cariboo Sentinel in July 1865 reported that more than $160,000 was taken out in 7 weeks.
He was joined in 1866 by his wife Sarah Anne and daughter Selina Frances.
In Victoria, they had 2 more children, sons Hamilton on February 22, 1867 and Garrett, born on September 25, 1869.
Smith won the contract to supply the Navy ships anchored in the harbour and also the prison ships. This required him to bake 3500 loaves of bread a day!
To do this he installed 4 large ovens in his Victoria bakery and opened a branch in Esquimalt. Mr. Smith then obtained a contract to supply bread to the navy which he held for many years.
In 1860 he built a large warehouse in Esquimalt and sold not only baked goods, but groceries and provisions.
When the naval presence in Esquimalt declined in 1863, he sold this part of that business and turned his attention back to Victoria. He moved to a location on Fort Street between Broad and Douglas Street. He described his establishment as a “bread and fancy cake bakery, tea and coffee saloon, etc.”
Mr. Smith also expanded his clientele to include Fiji and Australia as well as the Northwest Territories. His dog biscuits fed the pets of Victoria as well as the sled dogs in the Klondike! The sealing fleet accounted for a considerable business in the 1880’s. He maintained a delivery force of 14 wagons and horses and took orders for places as “far away” as Esquimalt and Work Point.
This 3 story building with a basement had the most up-to-date machinery available, including an elevator. Mr. Smith proclaimed that his factory to be the largest north of Portland with 35 employees.
Moses brought a property in 1890 at 140 Dallas Road and built a home for his family that he called “Seaview”. There were also barns and stables for their horses.
Image B-02690
Image B-02692
The youngest son Garrett was an avid photographer and many of his photographs are in the B.C. Archives; including this one of his sister Selina’s music studio on Fort Street.
Selina was a talented pianist, studying in Toronto in 1892 and then Leipzig, Germany. She returned to Victoria and established a studio on Fort Street. She is remembered as “highly esteemed musician, one of the oldest professional musicians in the city, enviable reputation as a teacher. Image H-02519 Courtesy of Royal BC Museum and Archives.
When Moses Rowe Smith died on January 24, 1896, his sons took over the business. They added a confectionary plant, and in 1906, turned the firm into a limited company. At that time the company employed 26 women, 21 men and 5 boys and the annual payroll was $24,500.00.
On December 13th, 1908 the Colonist published its 50th Anniversary Special Edition with a full-page article about the Smith business, “The Oldest Established Biscuit Manufactory in Western Canada”.
The full page advertisement explains “The firm of M.R. Smith & Co. Ltd. holds twelve medals, six silver, four gold and two bronze, awarded their goods at exhibitions in the New and Old world. It holds Medals and Diplomas won at the Colonial and London Exhibition, 1886 Medals and Diplomas, British Columbia Exhibitions 1891-92-93-94-95-96-97-98, and Gold Medals, 1895-96-97-98. First Prize and Diploma at Dominion Exhibition at New Westminster 1905.
But within a year of this anniversary, tragedy struck the business in September 1909 when the Niagara Street biscuit bakery was destroyed by fire. Following this, the sons wound up the M.R. Smith & Co., Limited but carried on their own businesses. A Victoria Historical Society Publication, Number 28, Summer 2011 explains – Garrett Smith acted as the liquidator and then opened the Garrett Smith Candy company. Hamilton Smith incorporated the H. Smith Biscuit Co. Ltd., in January 1910, with Garrett as a partner and company secretary. In 1911 the company acquired the Okanagan Flour & Feed Company Limited of Armstrong, B.C.
Remembered for their benevolence and generosity …
Moses Rowe Smith (Mar 1833 – Jan 24, 1896) “noteworthy for his liberality and charity, being accustomed to contribute towards the maintenance of all the benevolent institutions in the city – he was never known to turn the hungry form his door …”
Sarah Anne (nee Hamilton) Moses (Sep 25, 1841-Sep – Apr 21, 1913) “highly respected for her kindly and charitable disposition and devotion to family”.
Moses, Sarah and their three children, Selina, Hamilton, and Garrett are all buried in the family plot in Ross Bay Cemetery. (B 25/26 E32).
Credits and References
Old Cemeteries Society. Thank you!
All images courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives.
Item A-02398 – The Christmas tree at the M.R. Smith home, 104 Dallas Road, Victoria.
Item B-02035 – “Victoria Steam Bakery”; the M.R. Smith and Company Biscuit Manufacturers; on the northside of Niagara Street between Montreal Street and St. Lawrence Street, Victoria.
Item B-02690 – The M.R. Smith home at 104 Dallas Road, Victoria
Item B-02692 – The dining room of the M.R. Smith home at 104 Dallas Road, Victoria.
Item C-09695 – Display of M.R. Smith’s Biscuits
Item H-02519 – Selina’s Smith’s studio
Item H-03569 – Display of Mr. Smith’s biscuits; possibly at the Willows fairgrounds, Victoria.
The Willows Fair began in 1891 when the provincial agricultural exhibition relocated from Beacon Hill Park to Oak Bay. An exhibition hall was constructed adjoining an existing racetrack. With the incorporation of Oak Bay as a municipality in 1906, urban growth soon started to encroach upon the exhibition grounds; by 1948 all the buildings were gone.
Sherry Edmunds-Flett, PHD thesis on the history of African Canadian women in British Columbia from 1858-1938. Chapter 3 (draft) “A Home for our Children in the Right Place”
– Robert Clanton worked as a bookkeeper at M.R. Smith and Company. He was born in Ohio on October 31, 1834 and arrived in Victoria in 1858. He married Victoria Richards on Boxing Day, 1866 at St. John’s Anglican Church. Victoria had emigrated to Victoria as a young woman with her family. She was part of a nucleus of families who moved to California from Florida and then later to Vancouver Island. The Clantons became moderately wealthy and influential within the Black community. Before working as the bookkeeper, Robert owned a clothing store in Victoria in the 1870’s.
Ronald Greene. “M.R. Smith & Co.” Victoria Historical Society Publication, Number 28, Summer 2011
– 1863-October-08 Daily Colonist Pg. 6: Tax Assessment: Smith. M.R. Baker Esquimalt Assessed: 800.00; Taxes: $7.28
– 1893:Victoria Daily Colonist, Wednesday September 27th, 1893 pg. 2. Want ad for bakers for the Smith steam bakery and biscuit factory.
– 1899: Victoria City Directory. Page 456: Smith, M.R. & Co. Biscuit manufactures. Factory 91 Niagara Street, offices at 57 and 59 Fort Street.
