British Home Child, Canadian Soldier and Adventurer

British Home Children, Library and Archives Canada   By Bonnie Hartup Are you among the ten percent of people of British heritage who are descendants of  British Home Children? A British Home Child was an impoverished, disadvantaged child from England sent to other countries between 1869 and 1948, often to become a farm labourer or domestic servant. Over thirty organizations -- including Dr Barnardo’s and the Salvation Army -- scooped up these vulnerable children and hoped to give them better lives in Canada. Over 100,000 children were sent to Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.  About 60,000 children provided a work force in Canada; some were just 5 or 6 years old. Many children experienced exploitation and or abuse.   My step-grandfather was a Home Child. He was not an orphan but was a poor child whose mother died when he was four years old and whose father sought [...]

2025-12-01T04:59:33+00:00December 1st, 2025|

Adventurous Cousins

We're sharing this well-researched (and sometimes humorous) story about two cousins who came west for the gold rush and further adventures. They began new lives in what would become British Columbia and were leaders in Langley and Quesnel. Jeff Brown of Ottawa wrote the story. "I am a descendant of a William Burnette Maxwell and Jane McMillan, who settled in Wakefield, Quebec, north of Ottawa, in 1832. William's siblings also settled in Canada, all but one of them within a few kilometres of one another. Two of his nephews, James Reid (son of his sister, Ann, and her husband James) and John Maxwell (son of his brother, Thomas, and his wife Catherine McVeigh) ultimately settled in British Columbia. James settled in Quesnel (and later Vancouver), where he became a prominent business person, Member of Parliament and Senator. John settled in Langley, where he was one of the settlers to [...]

2025-11-21T19:00:19+00:00November 21st, 2025|

James Houston: Scottish Adventurer & Langley Pioneer

Above photo of James Houston courtesy of salishan Place by the River James Houston stands out as a remarkable figure in the history of Fort Langley, British Columbia.  Born December 8, 1823 in  Dunfermline Fife, Scotland, to Alexander Houston, a mason,  and Mary Shaw, Houston’s adventurous spirit led him across oceans, shaping not only his own destiny but also in part, the future of our region. Early Life and Epic Journey Houston’s background was marked by privilege — history has it that his brother Robert was an engineer and his nephew, Sir Robert Houston, was a wealthy ship owner, inventor,  Member of Parliament,  and a titled Baron.  James Houston knew a young, 12 year old Andrew Carnegie, also born in Dunfermline and counted him among his friends.  Carnegie was to be of Carnegie Hall fame and noted builder of hundreds of libraries. James chose adventure over comfort, setting out from [...]

2025-11-21T01:01:47+00:00November 21st, 2025|

The Simpson Legacy

Built in 1915, Fort Langley's historic Canadian Northern Railway station was the centre of development and creation of broader markets for Langley.  Just in time to operate the new station, fifty-nine old agent Richard Charles Simpson and his wife Josephine ”Mary” Simpson arrived in 1918 via Rosedale, BC and Dauphin, Manitoba. They set up home on the Trunk Road (now Glover) near the intersection of McClughan Road (today's 88th Avenue). The Simpson home on Trunk Road (Photo: salishan Place by the River) Richard was the son of William Simpson (born about 1808 in Scotland) and Matilda Hanlin (Hanlyn) born about 1825 in England.  Richard’s mother’s family had arrived in North America from England about 1833, first landing in New York, and then on to Upper Canada (Brant, Ontario). Most of his siblings were born in Brant, but all censuses indicate Richard was born in the USA.  His parents [...]

2025-11-24T22:44:22+00:00October 12th, 2025|

Dubious Distinction?

Landscapes, streets and buildings are often named to honour a person of distinction, but sometimes the story of why that happens is fuzzy. Bonnie Hartup is a volunteer with the Langley Heritage Society who did a deep dive into the man that Bedford Channel is named after.   Have you wondered for whom Bedford Channel is named for?  Langley's archives tell us it was for Charles John Riland Bedford, born in  August 1828 at Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. His family held position in Warwickshire, many of his relatives, including his father and brother, were clergy in the parish of Holy Trinity Warwickshire. Charles Bedford (born 1828) and sibling  His father sent him to Westminster private school ( 1842-1846)  and then in 1849 purchased his entry officer position in the Warwickshire Militia as an Ensign.  He resigned  in 1850, rejoined in 1852, and was promoted to Captain. Charles spent some [...]

2025-07-30T01:13:55+00:00July 30th, 2025|

Man Behind the Name

Over time, names associated with streets, parks and landmarks can lose their relevance unless we carry their stories forward. Indeed, some streets and community names (e.g. Trutch, Queen Charlotte City) have been eliminated, or changed, as our understanding of the impact of colonization evolves. This has generated much debate among the general public and academics. Sir James Douglas was certainly one of BC's most significant figures during the transition from fur trade territory to British colony. He also forged relationships with the original Indigenous inhabitants and signed BC's first treaties. Langley Heritage Society assisted in developing content for new signs in Langley City’s Douglas Park that remind us of his contributions and multicultural background. Our society continues to acknowledge the contributions of Sir James during the annual Douglas Day Dinner in November.  

2025-05-07T15:24:12+00:00May 7th, 2025|

Stories in Stone

The Murrayville cemetery was established by Cloverdale's Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1891 on land donated by the pioneer Murray family. The first person to be buried there was homesteader John Jackson, killed by a tree that he was falling on Christmas Day 1892. Notice that the letter "N" in John's name is engraved backwards; historian and author Warren Sommer suggests in his book, Frail Memorials: The Cemeteries of Langley, that an apprentice may have done this. He also points out that the "ominous text" at the bottom of the marble stone was common on markers in eastern Canada where John Jackson was born. The Odd Fellows sold the cemetery to the Township of Langley in 1904 and it remains a beautiful final resting place with mountain views to the north and surrounding forest. The cemetery includes a cenotaph with a Celtic Cross (a duplicate to the one erected [...]

2025-03-05T02:24:22+00:00March 5th, 2025|

Black Porters on the Railway

When passenger rail travel was a critical part of Canada’s transportation system, Black porters were essential to its operation. They were responsible for everything from shining shoes to setting up sleeping berths and even looking after children. Blacks faced discrimination, and this was one of the few jobs they could find. Wages were low, they had to pay for their own uniforms and supplemented their wages through tips. A new installation in the passenger car at the Fort Langley CNR Station tells their story. Pay a visit during our public season between Victoria Day and Thanksgiving.        

2025-02-19T22:49:55+00:00February 19th, 2025|

Loucks Legacy

Sometimes we receive questions about the story behind the houses that Langley Heritage Society has helped restore. We received a query from Kamloops about the Loucks Family home on 0 Avenue. Fortunately LHS member, the late Maureen Pepin, prepared a profile. “William Markley Loucks was born in Ontario in 1865 and settled in Langley about 1908 after working in Atlin, B.C. and trying his luck in the Yukon gold fields. He and his wife, Wilhelmina (Minnie) Pillath, were married in 1907 and after the birth of their first son, Frederick Williams, bought a property on Zero Avenue between 272nd and 276th Streets where they lived in a log cabin while their larger house was built on the hill. The house is particularly noted for its curved wraparound verandah with turned columns and decorative newel posts as well as the wonderful view looking south over the U.S. border. Their farm was [...]

2024-11-27T07:02:01+00:00November 27th, 2024|

Cornock House

The Cornock home in Glen Valley is a beautiful farmhouse built by John and Eliza Cornock in 1905. They lived in a log cabin on the property with four children until the house was completed (they would later have another child).  John was born in Erin, Ontario in 1853 and his wife Eliza nee Sawyers also came from the province.  John first came to BC in 1880 to farm on a quarter section (160 acres) at Glenn Valley; he returned to Ontario after his father's death in 1885, and later returned with his young family to BC. In 1924 the family donated land for the second Glen Valley School, which closed in 1935. Students were then bussed to Fort Langley schools. The two storey home has a cross gable roof, a second floor porch to the south, and a wraparound veranda to the south and east. Today it's owned by [...]

2025-05-07T15:26:59+00:00November 27th, 2024|

Subscribe to our newsletter






    By submitting your email address you agree to receive communications from us.

    Go to Top