BFH: Jack Gardner Boultbee (1907

Jack Gardner Boultbee (1907 - 1980)

(written by the Editors)

GARD BOULTBEE
1907 - 1980

     He was named after his great uncle Gardner Johnson, and was known as Gard. He was the firstborn child of William and Florence Boultbee, and was born April 23, 1907. He was educated at Brentwood College, a boys' boarding school on Vancouver Island.
     He married Stephanie Hope Barbara Hespeler on August 4, 1931 and they had two sons, William Michael and John Jeremy. The marriage broke down in 1938, and Stephanie took the two boys with her to Sydney, Australia in January 1939.
     About 1937/38, Gardner took ill and was advised to take some time off work, perhaps a few years, and to move away from the stress of urban living. He chose to update the family history by travelling and visiting those who kept some of the records. He visited Horace Boultbee in Toronto in April 1938 who supplied him the names of the descendants of Felix of Ancaster. He visited the Reverend H. Travis Boultbee in Evesham, England in the Spring of the next year who had a copy of TPB's history, and Travis allowed Gardner to copy it. He travelled to Australia in November of 1939 to endeavour to patch up his marriage matters, and to visit and record the many family members living there. He failed in the first endeavour, and succeeded in the second. His most useful project for our family was the duplicating of photographs of Australian Boultbee men, including Edwin Boultbee, the first to emigrate from England. The duplicating was professionally done by the Kodak branch in Sydney.
     Gardner's daughter Helen tells of her father's several ocean trips, when he would sign on as Ship's Writer and went around the world for $40.00. In every port they docked in, he contacted any known relatives and they in turn would put him in touch with those they knew.
     Gardner sailed for home on March 1, 1940 aboard a petrol freighter bound for Los Angeles. He was the only passenger, and made this note in his diary:
     The great thing about travelling on a ship like this is the informality of it all. Have worn the same shorts and sandals for the last two weeks -- not even a shirt -- no more passenger ships for me. The Captain is most entertaining & never tires of telling of his experiences. Have read about ten books & written numerous letters -- it's grand chance to finish the things I've started.
     He arrived home in Vancouver on April 6th. Within a few weeks, he was arranging to lease some property in the Cariboo District of British Columbia. He had seen the property in the Spring of 1939, and must have considered that it represented the change in life-style that his doctor had recommended. The property was about 300 miles by road northeast of Vancouver, and was 13 miles from the home of Mr. & Mrs. Larsen, whose daughter Mabel later became Gardner's second wife. The nearest post office was at Bridge Lake.
     Gardner kept his diary until June 1, 1940, and returned to making entries on January 1, 1942, with this note:

Since my last entry in this book I have been busy developing the ranch. The most eventful happening in the past year was my marriage to Mabel Larsen on August 1st. My life is at last complete.

He continued the diary until March 29, 1942 and did not pick it up again. There are three significant entries of family history:

     Saturday, January 3, 1942: These three men are working on Mother's house and still have a lot to do before she can move in. [Gardner's mother was having built a new summer-house at the ranch.]
     Tuesday, February 24, 1942: A letter from Mother says that Stephanie has arrived in Los Angeles with Michael & Jeremy -- thank God the kiddies are safely on this side of the Pacific.
     Saturday, March 21, 1942: Ole gave Mabel a milk cow -- we are most grateful because when the baby arrives we will need a lot more milk than our one cow is giving.

Gardner & Mabel had five daughters. He was an active family historian and corresponded with the Family worldwide from 1939 to 1948, and from 1977 to 1980. During the latter period, he corresponded regularly with Patrick Boultbee in Willowdale, Ontario, and upon Gardner's death, his widow, Mabel, gave his genealogical files to Patrick. It was a most considerate gift for the Family, and has aided greatly in the preparation of this book.
Gardner died August 2, 1980 while vacationing in Barbados. He was cremated, and his ashes distributed at Lac des Roches at the place where he proposed to Mabel. She died in 1987.

A lifelong member of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Gardner took up sailing in the 1920s and was selected, alongside Kenneth Glass, Philip Rogers, and Gerald Wilson, to represent Canada in the 6 metre class at the 1932 Summer Olympics. There they lost the first four races and, with no hope of catching up, dropped out of the last two. As there were only three nations competing, however, the Canadians took home a bronze medal. From the 1940s on he operated a cattle ranch in British Columbia and later served as an alderman on the city council of Kamloops, British Columbia during the 1960s. [RHB 2024]