Harriet Richards Carne (27 February 1831[1] – 15 October 1931) was a British-born Canadian businesswoman and philanthropist in Victoria, British Columbia. She was one of the three founders of the city's Aged Women's Home.[2]
Harriet Carne | |
|---|---|
 Harriet Carne in her nineties | |
| Born | Harriet Richards 27 February 1831 Cornwall, U.K. |
| Died | 15 October 1931 Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Hotelkeeper, philanthropist |
Early life and education
editHarriet Richards was born in Redruth, Cornwall, and raised by her grandparents in Devonshire.[3][4]
Career
editShe joined her husband in British North America in 1853, and they moved to Victoria in 1864.[4] They ran the Angel Hotel for 37 years, beginning in 1873, and catering to prospectors by offering reliable storage as well as rooms and meals.[3] When her husband was out of the province in 1886, he announced that she was legally empowered to handle his affairs.[5]
Carne was a longtime attending member of the Metropolitan United Church in Victoria,[6] a charter member and president of the local Rebekah Lodge,[7] and, in 1898,[8] one of the three founders of the Aged Women's Home.[9][10][11] She sold the hotel and retired in 1911.[10] She remained active in events at church and the Aged Women's Home into her nineties.[12][13][14]
Personal life
editHarriet Richards married Cornish copper miner Frederick Carne. They had six children, four of whom survived her.[15] Her husband died in 1904.[16] Carne died in 1931, at the age of 100, while living with her daughters Amelia Whittier and Elizabeth Crimp, in Oak Bay.[4][17]
References
edit- ^ Carne's reported age was not consistently recorded. According to newspaper stories cited elsewhere in this article, she celebrated her 90th birthday in 1923, her 91st birthday in 1924, her 95th birthday in 1926, and her 100th birthday in 1931. However, she was listed as 60 years old in the 1891 census of Vancouver Island, which supports an 1831 birth year.
- ^ "Letters of Mimi: A Visit to the Aged and Infirm Women's Home". Times Colonist. 1932-06-29. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Oldest Victoria Resident Near Century Mark; Mrs. Harriet Carn Attains One Hundredth Birthday on Friday". The Victoria Daily Times. 1931-02-23. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Death Calls Centenarian Pioneer; Pioneer Woman is Called to Last Rest". Times Colonist. 1931-10-15. pp. 1, 11. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Power of Attorney". The Victoria Daily Times. 1886-04-03. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Was Ninety-One Years Old Yesterday". The Victoria Daily Times. 1924-02-28. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rebekah Lodge Entertains Friends". Times Colonist. 1926-02-27. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Contract Let for the Home; New Premises for the Infirm Women". The Victoria Daily Times. 1908-05-08. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-08-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Harriet Carne is Congratulated by Home Committee". The Victoria Daily Times. 1926-03-03. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Mrs. H. Carne Reaches 90th Year; Has been Active in Business and Social Life of the City". The Victoria Daily Times. 1923-03-03. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Social and Personal". Times Colonist. 1926-02-27. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Annual Meeting of Aged Women's Home; Mrs. Carne Elected Honorary President". The Victoria Daily Times. 1918-06-06. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Book Shower Met Generous Response; Over 200 Volumes Donated at Opening of Aged Ladies' Home Sunporch". Times Colonist. 1925-11-18. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hundreds of Books Given at Shower". The Victoria Daily Times. 1930-10-30. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Fred Carne Dies in South; Was Resident of Victoria Sixty Years Before Leaving for Berkeley". The Victoria Daily Times. 1933-06-24. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "F. Carne, Sr., Dead; Another Pioneer Passed Away at an Early Hour To-Day". The Victoria Daily Times. 1904-04-07. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-08-27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Centenarian of Victoria Passes; Mrs. Harriet Carne Had Been Resident of Victoria for 67 Years". The Province. 1931-10-16. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-08-26 – via Newspapers.com.