Early Days on Thetis ~

Recently this memoir came into the hands of the writer's descendant by marriage (Rosie Anketell-Jones, wife of Andrew ~ grandson of the writer), who in turn has offered to share it with islanders.  

Rosamond Anketell-Jones, the writer of this memoir, was born in 1893 in Manitoba, but her father Harry E Donald (born Folkestone, England 1866) followed his best friend, a Sitwell (also of England) to Cowichan Bay, the Sitwells being already settled on Thetis Island. Eleanor (Nellie) Sitwell visited her brother on Thetis in c1890 (age 18) with her parents. She was from a wealthy family. She & Harry fell in love on this trip & wanted to marry. Her father said she had to return to England, but if in two years she felt the same he would give his permission. Harry & she married in 1892 in Manitoba. They settled finally around Chemainus clearing the land to build their home with infant Rosamond & later a brother, Colin. Nellie was quite someone leaving a very large comfortable home in Leamington Hastings for initially a 2-room shack in Canada. Rosamond married Edward M Anketell-Jones in Nanaimo in 1921. Her memoir written to her daughter Susan in c1980 is from family history.

Click here to continue ~