Heritage Register
Rockland
911 Linden Avenue (ex-16 Linden Av)
Built
1904
Heritage-Designated 1988
For: Janet Clay
Architect: Francis Mawson Rattenbury
ARCHITECTURE:
This British Arts & Crafts-style house is dominated
by a signature Rattenbury roof (534 & 582 St. Charles
St, Rockland): multiple, deep, ridged hips, with three tall,
ribbed Queen Anne chimneys. A full two storeys, the house
has stucco and half-timbering in the upper storey, and
shingles below the high belt course. The Rockland façade
has two full-height angled bays, overlooking a garden. The
small entry porch on the Linden façade has a hipped roof.
The gabled extension on the right side has Arts
& Crafts leaded lights and connects to what may
be the original carriage-house. The foundation is
of split fieldstone. The second floor balcony to
the left of the entry now provides egress from the
upper suites via fire escape stairs; a rail above
the balustrade was added to meet Building Code.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1904-07: Widow Janet “Jessie” Clay
(née Strachan, b. Guelph, ON, 1856-1933)
paid $4,500 for this house, but lived here only
briefly, possibly because of financial troubles,
as she had been inveigled by Frank Rattenbury
into investing in one his schemes. Janet was
married in 1878 in Mount Forest, ON, to
Henry Ballantyne Clay (b. Niagara, ON. 1852-
1898). They came to Victoria in the 1880s and
opened a bakery that became one of the city’s
most popular catering establishments, the
Metropolitan Bakery & Tea Room, then Clay’s Bakery &
Confectionery on Fort St. Henry died shortly after returning
from a trip to eastern Canada. Jessie moved down the street
to 810 Linden Av, Fairfield, and continued running the
business until c.1913.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1907-28: Edward Everett Blackwood (b. California,
1860-1933) and Eliza Jane (née Wallace, b. Victoria, 1864-
1924) bought the property in 1907. Edward came here in
1888 and that year married Eliza, daughter of Catherine
and Charles Wallace (2616 Pleasant St, Burnside), and
granddaughter of the Hon. John Work and his wife Josette.
Edward served aboard several steamships in the 1880s
between Victoria and the Puget Sound area. He came
to Victoria as a representative of the Northern Pacific
Fairfield), the BC Parliament Buildings (501 Belleville
St, James Bay), Hatley Park in Colwood and Work Point
Barracks in Esquimalt.
John Hedley Sampson (b, Chilliwack, BC 1902-1948)
and Marion (née Perton) lived here 1943-45. John was a
salesman at the Brackman-Ker Milling Co. He was made
manager of the Nanaimo office in 1948, but died soon
after. Robert C. and Eva St. Clair lived here 1947-52.
Robert was BC Assistant Chief Forester.
Railway, a position he maintained for many years. He was
a representative of the Puget Sound Steamship Co when
the SS Clallam sank in 1904, killing 54 people. Eliza
died suddenly in 1924. Edward continued to live here
until 1928. Daughter Eliza Vivian (1890-1944) married
Charles Harold Chaytor Payne (1884-1949) in 1912. They
lived in this house until the mid-1920s and then moved to
Vancouver. Charles married Barbara Molyneux Dash after
Eliza died in 1944.
1929-71: Dr. Joseph Douglas Hunter (b. New
Westminster, BC 1881-1970) and Anita Alice
Matthews (née Hunt, b. London, ON 1885-1949)
married in 1912 and bought this house in 1929.
Joseph was the son of Joseph Lawson Hunter
(1843-1935), pioneer surveyor, Victoria alderman
and BC MPP (514 Government St, James Bay).
His mother was Francis “Fannie” Robson (1858-
1944), the daughter of Susan and the Hon. John
Robson, BC Premier 1889-92 (506 Government
St, James Bay).
Joseph attended Corrig College in James Bay
and graduated from McGill University in 1907.
He began practising medicine near Fernie, BC. In
1908, he was badly burned when a fire broke out
which destroyed the town. His efforts to awaken
people resulted in burns, and he returned to
Victoria to recuperate, then went back to Fernie to
help in the relief effort. He served as ship’s doctor
on one voyage of the Empress of Japan, then completed
post-graduate work in England, and returned to Victoria to
establish a private practice.
During WWI, Joseph was the medical officer of the
second battalion at the Willows Army Depot until this
disbanded, then he moved to Esquimalt Military Hospital
until the end of the war. Shortly after WWI, Joseph retired
and entered the political field. He was a city alderman
1932-37 and a Conservative MLA 1937-41. During WWII,
he was president of the Army Medical Board in Victoria.
Their only son, Sandy, was killed overseas in WWII.
After Anita’s death, Jospeh married Hilda Lawrence.
He lived at this house until his death; Hilda sold it in 1971.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & IMAGES:
• Map of Victoria's Heritage Register Properties
• Rockland History
• Rockland Heritage Register
• This Old House, Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods,
Volume Three: Rockland, Burnside, Harris Green,
Hillside-Quadra,
North Park & Oaklands
