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Home for the Aged and Infirm
extracted from 'The Annual Reports of the Corporation of the
City of Victoria for the year ending 31 Dec 1900 (1901 Report) and 31 Dec 1901 (1902)

Home for the Aged and Infirm Committee's Report

1901 Report     1902 Report

1901 Report

VICTORIA, B.C., Jan. 14, 1901. To HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN: Gentlemen. - Your Committee having the oversight of matters connected with the Home for the Aged and Infirm during the past year have pleasure in stating that the affairs of the institution have, in their opinion, been conducted satisfactorily. And although there has been, at times, an unusual amount of sickness and a large number of inmates, there have been few complaints. We beg to impress upon the incoming Council the importance of taking such steps as will result in a change of location and increased accommodation for the Home at an early date. We submit herewith the Report from the Manager. All of which is respectfully submitted. J.L. Beckwith, A. Stewart, H. Cooley. VICTORIA, B.C., Jan. 9, 1901. To HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN: Gentlemen: - I have the honor to submit to you the Annual Report of this institution. During the year 1900 ten men were received into the Home, viz.: NAME AGED ADMITTED Henry Rudge 62 10th January Samuel Goodwin 58 31st January Charles Saulay 72 28th February Kirk Jackson 85 7th March Chas. P. McCormack 70 3rd May Mahlon Cooper 67 15th May Clark H. Lambkin 73 27th June John B. Frear 75 8th November John Crabb 76 14th November Thomas Shakespeare 65 18th December Seven inmates died last year as follows: NAME DIED AGED J.F. Silva Pernash 14th Jan 72 Henry Rudge 9th March 62 Frank Devoe 5th July 60 James Sewell 6th Sept 80 John Wagnar 10th Sept 56 Sewall Simpson 14th Nov 70 William Raby 29th Nov 65 In addition to the above, three men left the Home, viz. NAME DATE LEFT John McLeod on 24th April. William Monks on 23rd May. Thomas Shakespeare on 28th December. McLeod went away to join a mining party. William Monk's, who had been an inmate nearly four years, said he would not remain because he was afraid of being poisoned - a delusion he had suffered from nearly the whole time he had been in the Home. Thomas Shakespeare was with us only a few days. He went off a few hours after he was admitted. The police brought him back on 25th December, but be finally left the Home by jumping through the sitting room window about 7 p.m. on the 28th. It was a very dark, stormy night and we could lot find him. He has since been removed to the lunatic asylum at New Westminster. The seven deaths and three inmates who left the Home exactly counterbalance the ten admissions during the year. I had, therefore, the same number of old men on 31st December, l900, as on the corresponding date of the previous year. There are 24 men at present in the Home, viz.: NAME AGED   NAME AGED Gilbert Brabant 80   William Bell 73 Duncan Cameron 72   Mahlon Cooper 67 John Crabb 76   William Fairbairn 77 William Fraser 71   John B. Frear 75 Samuel Goodwin 58   William Griffiths 73 Thomas B. Hicks 73   George Hughes 72 Kirk Jackson 85   Darius P. Kingsbury 74 Clark H. Lambkin 73   Chas. P. McCormack 70 William Muldoon 67   Frederick Rodgerson 53 John Ross 72   William Stark 74 Charles Sawlay 72   James Tallard 65 James Thomas 64   Augustus Van Sickle 74 Although several of the above are very feeble both in body and mind. I am glad to say that none are confined to their beds; in, fact, since the death of Raby on 29th November the whole of the inmates have been able to take their meals in the Dining Room. The House in Lover's Lane has proven a most useful acquisition to the Home. It is now occupied by six men. Without this extra accommodation I could not have dealt satisfactorily with the numerous cases of sickness during last year, or housed the other inmates comfortably. We had some good vegetables very early - later on the cut worms gave us some trouble near the house, but the crops in the field were not damaged by these pests. The yield of potatoes was very good - it was not necessary to purchase any after the month of June, and I estimate we have 1 1/4 tons on hand at the present time. Four social entertainment's were given at the Home during 1900 - the first on 5th January by Mr. Gideon Hicks and friends from the Metropolitan Methodist Church Choir; the second on 24th January by the Young People from Spring Ridge Methodist Church; the third on 6th February was organized by Mr. Kitto and family, Mr. W.P. Best attending with his excellent magic lantern: the last on 27th March was given by the members of the Epworth League. Christmas and Year's Day passed off very happily - the old men greatly enjoyed the good things provided for them, and much appreciated the liberality of the Home committee and the kindness of friends who sent presents and good wishes for their welfare.

The expenditure for the year 1900 was as under: -- Salary of Manager $ 600 00 Provisions 2,798 67 Fuel 250 07 Clothing 966 50 Furniture 180 52 Rent 157 95 Medicines 122 80 Sundries 200 35 Repairs to Building 44 50 Total $4,621 36 I remain, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, Henry H. Hobbis, Manager

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1902 Report

VICTORIA, B.C., January 13th., 1902. To HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN: Gentlemen. - I beg to submit my fifth annual report of this Home. During the year 1901 eight men were admitted, viz: NAME AGED ADMITTED John Bings 60 25th March Thomas Waterhouse 83 10th May George Thompson 66 27th May James Smith 63 5th June Samuel Arnold 60 on 16th August George Parry 70 3rd October John Leach 71 15th October John E. Westerman 54 17th October Four inmates died last year as follows: NAME DIED AGED William Fairbairn 11th September 76 William Stark 1st October 73 Samuel Arnold 31st October 60 Kirk Jackson 10th December 86 In addition to, above deaths five men left the Home as under :- NAME DATE LEFT Thomas Waterhouse on 29th May. John B. Frear on 3rd June. John Crabb on 10th August. James Smith on 19th December. George Thompson on 23rd December. Waterhouse was removed at his own request by his grandson. Frear went to Hamilton, Bermuda, to take a situation. Crabb returned to Vancouver. Smith was removed to the Jubilee Hospital for treatment. Thompson was dismissed because he refused to hand over his pension to the City Treasurer. There are 23 men at present in the Home, viz: NAME AGED   NAME AGED Gilbert Brabant 81   William Bell 74 Duncan Cameron 72   Mahlon Cooper 69 John Bings 60   William Fraser 73 Samuel Goodwin 59   William Griffiths 73 Thomas B. Hicks 74   George Hughes 73 Davins P. Kingsbury 72   Clark H. Lambkin 75 John Leach 75   Chas. P. McCormack 72 William Muldoon 69   George Parry 70 Frederick Rodgerson 64   John Ross 73 Charles Saulay 73   James Tallard 66 James Thomas 65   Augustus Van Sickle 75 John E. Westerman 54   James Thomas has been almost entirely confined to his bed since the middle of last February, but lately has somewhat improved in health. Van Sickle is extremely weak and feeble, with these two exceptions the other inmates are enjoying their usual health. During the year five social entertainment's were given, the first on 30th January by the Spring Ridge Young Peoples Society, the second on 19th March by Mr. Yeo and friends, and the other three on 14th November, 6th and 25th December by Mr. William H. Kent and family. Christmas and New Year were very pleasantly spent by the old men, they had an abundance of good things and seemed to greatly appreciate all that was done to promote their happiness. We were, as usual, very successful with our vegetables, excepting potatoes, which did not yield satisfactorily the ground in the Cemetery being very poor and sour and altogether unsuitable for raising vegetables of any kind. I may state that we have not had any manure brought to the Home since February 1898, if we are permitted to cultivate any of the ground round the house this year it will be necessary to have a supply of manure as soon as possible. Although the number of inmates during 1901 has been nearly equal to that of 1900, I am glad to be able to state that last year there was a reduction in the expenditure amounting to $414.66 as compared with the year 1900.

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