Ignatius Nicholas Bond (1871 - 1950)

Born 8 Aug 1871 in Bootle, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Mary Murphy — married 11 Feb 1904 in British Columbia, Canada

Died 19 Nov 1950 at age 79 in British Columbia, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: B Winter [send private message]

Biography

I.N. was born during the reign of Queen Victoria, and embodied Victorian values^[1]. He was adventurous, entrepreneurial and particular about his person and surroundings. His family characterised him as one for whom 'everything he touched turned to money'.

His birth is listed in the Q3 1871 Birth Index^[2].

Ignatius Nicholas was living with his family at 9 Ash Grove Road in Litherland, Seaforth at the time of the 1881 census. His father Nicholas was 38, a clerk to a general merchant, born in Waterloo, Lancs. His mother Elizabeth was 40, from Litherland. Their children were Mary Elizabeth, Age 11; Ignatius Nicholas, age 9; Vincent, age 8; Edward B., age 6, Francis Joseph, age 4; Philip, age 3 and Clara May, 11 months^[3].

In 1891 I.N.'s father Nicholas was 45, an Accountant, living in West Derby, Litherland, Liverpool, Lancashire with his spouse Elizabeth, 51. Their children were Mary Bond, 21; Ignatius Bond, 19; Vincent Bond, 16, a Baker's Apprentice; Edward Bond, 15; Francis Bond, 14; Philip Bond, 13; Clara Bond, 10; Austin Bond, 8 and Harold Bond, 5^[4].

Various of the brothers attended St Francis Xavier College, Liverpool: I.N.-1882, Vincent-1883, Edward-1883, Frances Joseph-1887, Philip-1888 and Harold-1899. Note, Austin is not listed^[5].

The tradition in his family was that the oldest son would become a priest, therefore he was named after Popes. I.N. didn’t want to become a priest so he left home in 1887, at age 16. He was born in Bootle, a suburb to the north of Liverpool, a major port on the Irish Sea. This may have influenced him as he became a cabin boy, eventually coming to Vancouver on one of the Empress liners in 1891. Both the Empress of India and the Empress of Japan sailed into Vancouver in that year, but as an employee, he is not present in passenger lists. He apparently liked what he saw in Vancouver and jumped ship.

After farming for several years on Lulu Island, he heard about the Yukon gold strike between 1896 and 1899 and followed the rush northward. He became postmaster at Glenora Landing, a Hudson's Bay Post on the Stikine River, 13 miles downstream from Telegraph Creek. Glenora was named for the Gaelic "Glen" or valley and the Spanish "oro" or gold. A great grand-daughter has a mail bag lock, key and hasp from him.

He married Margaret Mary Murphy on 7 Feb 1904 ^[6]. Margaret and I.N. lived at 449 Walker Road, Coquitlam, on the corner of Austin, across from the entrance to the Vancouver Golf Club.

He returned to Lulu Island and operated a large dairy farm until 1907 when he moved to Vancouver and formed the billboard company of Bond & Ricketts. He had shares in, owned or managed a fleet of 3 sailing vessels, trading between Vancouver, San Francisco and Canton, this in an age when sail was almost finished and steam vessels were common. Unfortunately all three foundered. The family has several photos of one, the 'Amy Turner', a three mast sailing ship registered to the Amy Turner Shipping Co. Ltd., Master J. Bennet, out of Prince Rupert.

According to Connie Winter he lived at 2804 West 3rd Ave. in Kitsilano; she remembers him carefully kneeling in the front yard, with an exact square foot staked out with string as he hand weeded the grass, moving slowly across the lawn. Decades later in the 1970s one of his great grandaughters lived next door. He is also reputed to have had land on Burnaby Mountain and Nicomen Island.

He retired in 1911 and took Margaret Mary and May on a round the world trip, leaving Vancouver for San Francisco. By the time they arrived in Honolulu 16 year old May was fed up with travel with her mother and step father. She stayed in Honolulu for many months while I.N. and Margaret continued, later joining them in Vancouver.

The diary they kept describes their travels, comments on erotic temple sculptures in Burma, their visits to the Taj Mahal and Bombay (Mumbai). Details to follow. I.N. and Margaret returned to Canada on the vessel ‘Lake Manitoba’ of the CPR Ocean Lines, arriving in Montreal on 12 Oct 1912^[7]. His occupation was listed as 'Agent'. The passenger cargo ship was built by CS Swan & Hunter Ltd in Wallsend, launched in 1901, with accommodation for 122 1st class, 130 2nd class & 500 x 3rd Class passengers. It was capable of crossing the Atlantic in 7 days^[8].

I.N. was active in the Vancouver Golf and Country Club. He was 14th in the Second Round of the Burquitlam Golf Tournament in May 1914^[9] and qualified for the first round in the golf championship in June^[10].

I.N. died in Royal Columbia Hospital, New Westminster, of prostate cancer, age 79^[11]. His obituary states, 'Mr. Bond has lived in Burquitlam for the past 38 years, where he became an enthusiastic raiser of guinea fowl. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. J. G. Jervis, Langley Prairie; three brothers, Vincent, San Francisco; Austin, New York, and Harold, Preston, England, and a sister, Mrs. A. Andrews. (The author of the obituary must have been unaware of I.N.'s other siblings. Were Harold and sister A born after the 1881 Census?) Requiem mass will be celebrated in Our Lady of Fatima Church, Maillardville. . . Father G. Le Duc . . . burial will be in Ocean View Burial Park." Burquitlam is a region near the boundary of Burnaby and Coquitlam at North Road, which was a major road connecting New Westminster to Port Moody. The 449 Walker Road address is in Coquitlam, and is now (2021) the site of four houses. I.N.'s memorial plaque in Ocean View Burial Park listed three relatives: Margaret Mary Bond, who died June 11, 1937, wife of I.N. Bond, R.I.P. Francis Bond, Died Sept 29, 1922, R.I.P. and Philip Bond Born Jan 15, 1878, Died July 26, 1920^[12].

Sources

1. ↑ Birth information from an email May 30, 2000 from Lorraine Toleikis
2. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 for Ignatius Nicholas Bond 1871, Q3-Jul-Aug-Sep, 8B 431
3. ↑ Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881, Class: RG11; Piece: 3698; Folio: 17; Page: 28; GSU roll: 1341885
4. ↑ 1891 England Census, Class: RG12; Piece: 2986; Folio 7; Page 8; GSU roll: 6098096
5. ↑ Catholic Ancestor, Feb 2004, Vol 10, No.1, Journal of the Catholic Family History Society, pp. 24 & 27
6. ↑ Marriage reg, Film B11382, record 1904-09-118818
7. ↑ Canada, Arriving Passengers Lists, 1865-1935, Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: T-4792
8. ↑ http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/L-Ships/lakemanitoba1901.html,. Retrieved 1 May, 2021
9. ↑ The Vancouver Sun, 5 May 1914, P. 6
10. ↑ The Vancouver Sun, 8 Jun 1914, P. 8
11. ↑ Province of BC Death Resgistration 50-09-010793
12. ↑ Find a Grave ID: 183016504