Herbert Harris and Sarah Jane Holmes Family History Collection

Vital Events Certificates can be obtained from British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency . The microfilms referenced by this online index can be accessed free in Victoria, at the Vancouver Public library and probably other places. The ones shown here were obtained by going in person and making copies for the cost of photocopying.

The Herbert Harris and Sarah Jane Holmes family in Vancouver, British Columbia

• July 20, 1892, Registration of Marriage of Sarah Jane Holmes (born in Seldom-Come-By, Newfoundland) and Herbert Harris
  
  Other names mentioned on the certificate:
  • John Harris (father of groom)
  • Elizabeth Reider (mother of groom)
  • James Holmes (father of bride)
  • Jane Diamond (mother of bride)
  • Bingley Bayley
  • Rosanna Bayley (sister of groom)
  • J. F. Betts

• May 10 1893, Registration of Birth of Ethyl May Harris.

• May 14, 1895, Registration of Birth of Olive Gertrude Harris

• August 15, 1898, Registration of Birth of Laura Jane Harris.

• July 15, 1900, Birth of Hilda Louis Harris (Don's maternal grandmother). Her Registration of Birth is not yet available. A chart of her ancestors, that we know of is attached here.

• 1902, newspaper article about the 10th Anniversary celebration of Herbert & Sarah Harris. Some interesting facts contained in the article:

  "A few years ago, after others had failed he pulled the big steel main across the Narrows for the waterworks with a team of horses - and a good deal of tackle. He was also one of the successful of the importers of dogs during the early Klondike days, and brought back thrilling stories of escapes from the hands of eastern Humane Societies who objected to the howlings of the 140 Newfoundland sleigh dogs that he brought through in 1897 from his old home."

  Other names mentioned in the article:

  Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Mr. and Mrs. Shook Mr. and Mrs. Elliott T. Harris Mr. and Mrs. J. Horner Miss Brown Miss Worthall Mr. S. Kinselar Mr. J. March

  Mr. and Mrs. Price Mr. and Mrs. Mentions Mr. and Mrs. Clare Mr. and Mrs. Richardson Mr. Crockett Mr. and Miss Reynolds Miss Holmes Mr. J. C. Holmes Mr. Thomson

• before 1905, photo of Herbert Harris's family.

• Death of Sarah Jane Harris April 11, 1906, funeral announcement of Sarah Jane (Holmes) Harris in Vancouver, British Columbia.

  Other names mentioned in the funeral announcement:

  Mr. Herbert Harris Her mother, Mrs. J. Holmes her brother Mr. S. Holmes brother, W. F. Holmes two other brothers, Nathaniel and Alfred Mr. J. Smith Mr. S. Coffin Mr. Bert Goss Mr. J. Spacklen Mr. W. Bartlett Mr. and Mrs. Smith Mr. and Mrs.Melville Mr. and Mrs. Noseworthy Mr. and Mrs. Davis Capt. and Mrs. Freemanm Mr. and Mrs. J. Abbott Mr. and Mrs. Spracklen Mr. and Mrs. H. Diamond Mr. and Mrs. D. Harris Rev. and Mrs. Newton Powell

  Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Holmes Mr. and Mrs. L. Marsh Mr. and Mrs. Bailey Mrs. W. J. Butler Mrs. F. Shook Miss Holmes Mr. and Mrs. W. Harris Mr. and Mrs. T. Harris Mr. and Mrs. C. Richardson Mr. and Mrs. Kinsaler Mr. and Mrs.McGillvray Mr. and Mrs. Donahue Mrs. Joyce Mr. and Mrs. Kemp Mr. and Mrs. J. Saint (New Westminster) Mr. and Mrs. A. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. J. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. St. Denis Mr. and Mrs. F. Dominy Mr. Charles Harris and family

• 1905, photo of Harris girls (Ethyl, Olive, Laura and Hilda) at their mother's grave.
  Photo of same headstone taken in 2000.

• Aug 24, 1910, Registration of Marriage of Ethyl May Harris and Robert James Town in Majuba Hill (now known as Yarrow, BC).

• 1917, photo of Hilda Louise Harris with her husband-to-be Robert Lyle Sproul.

• April 21, 1919, Registration of Marriage and marriage announcement of Hilda Harris and Robert Lyle Sproul

  Other names mentioned in the the announcement:

  • Mrs. W. L. Pulsifer (sister of groom)
  • Rev. John A. Logan D. D
  • Mrs. W. R. Sproul (Una Sears)
  • Miss Laura Harris (sister)
  • Mr. Norman Sproul (brother of groom)

• October 15, 1919, Registration of Marriage and marriage announcement of daughter Olive Gertrude to John William Gillis, at the home Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Shook, 1602 Union Street, Vancouver, BC

  Other names mentioned in the marriage announcement:

  • Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Shook
  • Mr. Murdoch and Mrs. Gillis of Prince Edward Island
  • Rev. J. H. Miller of Cedar Cottages Presbyterian Church
  • Miss Edith Shook
  • Miss Marion Burns
  • Mr. D. J. MacKay of Prince Edward Island
  • Miss Isobel Holmes
  • Miss Woods

• early 1920's, photo of (L to R) Hilda Harris, Olive Gillis and Edith Shook.

• about 1933, newspaper article reporting Herbert Harris' illness.

• January 1933, death notice of Herbert Harris. Some interesting facts contained in the article:

  "Mr. Harris can to this city from his native Newfoundland shortly after the fire in 1886. He became interested in halibut fishing and for a brief time operated a number of small boats in the trade. In 1897 he brought 140 Newfoundland sleigh dogs to Vancouver and when the Yukon rush occurred the following year he had little difficulty in disposing of the animals to north-bound argonauts."

  Other names mentioned in the the death notice:
  • Mrs. J. W. Gillis of Vancouver (daughter)
  • Mrs. R. L. Sproul of Vancouver (daughter)
  • Mrs. Laura Hughes of Los Angeles (daughter)
  • Rev. W. E. Galloway

• January 1933, death notice of Herbert Harris

  Other names mentioned in the death notice:

  • George Davis
  • Charles Taylor
  • D. Strathie
  • Jack Abbott
  • E. Noseworthy
  • H. Harris

• January 1933, funeral announcment of Herbert Harris

  Additional names mentioned in this funeral notice:

  • Mrs. B. Bailey (sister)
  • Mrs. L. March (sister)

• October 1942, death notice of John William Gillis. Photo of headstone taken in 2000 (same headstone and plot as Herbert and Sarah Harris).

  Other names mentioned in the death notice:

  • John W. Gillis (son)
  • Audrey D. Gillis (daughter)
  • Hector Gillis of Prince Edward Island (brother)
  • Mrs. A. Compton of Prince Edward Island (sister)
  • Miss Etta Gillis of Prince Edward Island (sister)
  • Miss Belle Gillis of New York (sister)
  • Rev. R. Moses

Contact us:

Don and Jeanne Ross Duncan, BC Canada

phone: 250-715-1857