Coleman Road

by Lori Treloar

 THE COLEMANS

October 27, 1881

Elizabeth Coleman was born in Cirencester, England.

Before 1906

Elizabeth was a fourth-generation needlewoman. She grew up in a household where the girls were trained in the art of “superlative” stitchery. The family business catered to gentlemen who sought embroidered frilled and ruffled shirts and to ladies who wanted fine lawn underwear and Christening gowns for their infants. The women also supplied countless churches with altar cloths and vestments for the clergy. In a world without factories, the family was much in demand.

1906

William Coleman and his brother Jasper (Jessie) Coleman came to Shawnigan Lake. Soon after their arrival they wrote to the family in England that Shawnigan Lake was “absolute paradise, beautiful and new and unspoiled”. The brothers built a log cabin and were happy to work at whatever they could find, including labour-intensive lumbering and railroad work.

1906 — First cabin

According to an informal chat with Bert Luckovich, the existing Coleman cabin was the first one. It was built in 1906, as noted on the building in cartridge shells, along with the Coleman brothers’ initials.

1914

The source gives two related details concerning 1914. It states that the Luckovichs, who had lived on Thain Road, bought the property including the first cabin. It also states that the Colemans built a second log cabin along the Silvermine Trail. This second cabin was built of vertical logs and was about 1½ miles beyond the Luckovich property, near the Copley Lakes.

1914–early 1920s

The second, vertical-log cabin was home to the Colemans for a good many years between temporary moves and trips abroad. Another account says the Colemans lived there for a few years and then moved to Vancouver.

1920

Elizabeth joined her brothers in Shawnigan. She was carrying on a family tradition of four generations of tapestry workers and designers. She wanted to enhance her skills in embroidery and studied art and design in London and Toronto. She became a clever designer and craftswoman and was at one time an interior decorator.

Early 1920s

The Colemans returned to Shawnigan. William, Jasper and Elizabeth lived in the second cabin, described elsewhere in the source as being about 1½ miles up the Silver Mine Trail, near the Copley Lakes. They fixed the cabin up considerably, even installing a lighting plant. The source’s reference to Green Branches and Fallen Leaves also describes the Colemans’ return to Shawnigan in the 1920s and their return to the #2 cabin, dealing mainly with Elizabeth’s artistic career.

1920s — Elizabeth’s work

Elizabeth and her brother Jasper worked together for a time in the interior-design business in Canada. Elizabeth also taught art and design in Victoria with the late John Kyle. Examples of her work are said to have been given to B.C. Government House and the Victoria Art Gallery; another account says examples may be seen in many places, including the present B.C. Government House.

During the Shawnigan years

William made Her Majesty’s (Victoria) Navy and the Baden-Powell Constabulary his career. Jasper worked with Elizabeth in her crafts for a time, but was versatile and also turned his hand during his lifetime to gardening, soldiering, dairying, cooking and tailoring.

About 1936

The second cabin burned down mysteriously. The Colemans then moved back to the first cabin, which the Luckovichs made available to them.

Late 1940s

The Colemans moved into the Shawnigan village to retire. They first lived on Heald Road in the old Heald house, now owned by Mr. & Mrs. W. Hill. They then moved to Hartl Road and later to the old Sam Finley house on Shawnigan Lake Road, across from Mr. and Mrs. W. Bishop’s.

During the Hartl Road period

Elizabeth made a lasting friendship with Mrs. Forrest of Renfrew Road. Mrs. Forrest remarried in later years and became Mrs. Thompson. She died a year or two before the source note was written, approximately 1979 or 1980. It is said that she was storing a lot of Elizabeth Coleman’s effects. The source recommends that this be followed up.

Later years

William and Jasper both died before Elizabeth. One account states that William died at the advanced age of 91. Elizabeth survived both brothers.

August 1983

Elizabeth Coleman died at the age of 101.