Maud Donaldson SMITH
(1882 - 1967)

Maud Donaldson SMITH

b: 3 Oct 1882 Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England
("born at home, 7 Windsor St., U.S.D., Barrow-in-Furness, County of Lancaster" - Map),
daughter of Alexander Biggart Sayer SMITH (a.k.a. Alexander Biggart SAYER-SMITH),
Ship Builder's Manager
& Anne Donaldson MITCHELL (a.k.a. Annie Donaldson MITCHELL);
Baptised: 09 Nov 1882 at St George's Church, Barrow;
m: John Stewart Smith GALL 18 Feb 1902 Vancouver, BC, Canada;
d: 8 Feb 1967 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Education:
Aberdeen School
"Bears were their constant worry . . walked to Aberdeen school on forest trails"
(now site of Burrard & Smithe intersection.)

Interests:
Gardening,
Millinery (Maud wished to be a maker of ladies hats, bonnets, etc.)
She was also a gifted artist & cook.

Residences:
1882 - 1883 - 7 Windsor St., Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England (Map);
1884 - Hull, East Yorkshire, England (Map);
1888 - 1891 - 922 Hornby St.
("what would now be the 800 block, nothing but woods then"),
Vancouver, BC, Canada (Map);
1894 - Beach Avenue, English Bay (Vancouver, BC),
("One of the first plastered houses at English Bay.
All the neighbours came in to see it - & were quite impressed.");
1899 - 1902 - Beach Avenue near Denman St.;
1902 - 1914 - 958 Denman St., Vancouver, BC;
1914 - 1967 - Marguerite St., Vancouver, BC

Excerpts from Maud's notes:
"I, Maud Donaldson Stewart GALL, named after 'the Donaldson Steamship Line' -
Came to Vancouver, BC . . just after the Hotel was re-built on (Water St.)
Then . . a nice little home built at 950 ? now known as 949."
[Likely 958 Denman St., "Who's who in western Canada"
(published 1911; City of Vancouver Archives)]

Vancouver News-Herald, 31 May 1957 (excerpts):
[Maud] said she 'never really believed her father's prediction
that Vancouver would grow to a great city'
until the city literally grew up around her, far surpassing her father's forecast . .
'back in the early days we used to hold horse races
from the old Hotel Vancouver down Howe Street,' she said . .
Her early activities included 'learning to paddle a canoe, with Indians as teachers,'
playing hide & seek among the bull rushes in the harbour,
visiting the Indian camps & trying to get to sleep when the Indians held their festivities
on what is now the site of the Coca-Cola plant.
'The drums used to throb all night long,' she said.
'I was terribly disappointed when they built the first school in the West End -
the old Aberdeen School - & I was too young to go.'
The family were among the first settlers in the west end of the young city . .
early social events were often 'street dances'.
'They had a wonderful time when the first street car came down Denman Street.
It was quite an excursion then to ride down to English Bay.'
'My brothers & I used to paddle the Inlet & climb the [Grouse] mountain.
We had the whole thing almost to ourselves then.'

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Links to:
Aberdeen school (Roedde House Museum - Tour Guide Script);
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (Lancashire), England (First website);
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (Lancashire), England (Second website);
"DONALDSON Brothers" (1858-1913) or "DONALDSON Line Limited" (after 1913);
English Bay Beach (History);
Grouse Mountain (History);
Hull, East Yorkshire, England (GENUKI);
Vancouver, See Vancouver Heritage

Maps:
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (Lancashire), England (Map of Windsor Street);
Hull, East Yorkshire, England Map;
Vancouver, BC, Canada (Map of Downtown & English Bay Area)

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