Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

GLASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

3.8

Length

17.0

Width

12.4

Description

HOLDS 2 CANDLES, EMBOSSED ON TOP WITH FROSTED GLASS FLORAL DESIGN.

Subjects

LIGHTING DEVICE

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

DONATED BY MRS. N.B. PEAT *UPDATE* IN 2010, NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT INTERVIEWED CAMPBELL PEAT (SON OF NORMAN BONNER AND ANNIE STAFFORD PEAT). PEAT DIDN’T KNOW WHICH ITEMS WERE HIS GRANDMOTHER’S AND WHICH WERE HIS MOTHER’S. THE CANDLESTICK WAS SELDOM USED. HE THINKS IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN HIS GRANDMOTHER’S (JANE GIBB HILL STAFFORD). IT WAS LIKELY SHE DIDN’T USE THEM BECAUSE CANDLE LIGHT WAS NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS KEROSENE LAMPS, WHICH PROVIDED BETTER ILLUMINATION. HER HOUSE WAS THE SOCIAL SPOT OF THE DISTRICT. PEAT SAID “SHE GOT A KICK OUT OF IT (ENTERTAINING).” FOR EXAMPLE, CATHOLIC SERVICES WERE HELD THERE ON SUNDAYS BY FATHER LEONARD VANTIGHEM. PRESBYTERIAN SERVICES WERE ALSO HELD THERE, DIRECTED BY REV. MCKILLOP. THE SERVICES TOOK PLACE AT THE RANCH BECAUSE THERE WERE NO CHURCHES AT THE TIME. JANE ALSO HELD TEAS AND SOCIALS FOR THE LADIES OF THE TOWN, AS THERE “JUST WASN’T ANY OTHER PLACE TO GO BACK THEN.” THE CANDLESTICK WAS PROBABLY A GIFT FROM SOMEONE WHO ATTENDED ONE OF THOSE SOCIAL GATHERINGS. ACCORDING TO PEAT, “SHE GOT AN AWFUL LOT OF GIFTS.” IT WAS ESPECIALLY COMMON FOR HER TO RECEIVE GIFTS OF CRYSTAL OR LIMOGES. ONE EXAMPLE OF THE EVENTS THAT WERE HELD AT JANE GIBB STAFFORD’S HOME WAS ANNIE STAFFORD’S WEDDING TO NORMAN BONNER PEAT. ACCORDING TO PEAT THEY MET BECAUSE SHE WAS AN ORGANIST AND HE A TENOR AT THE LOCAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. THEY WERE MARRIED IN 1911. COVERED CARRIAGES WERE BROUGHT IN FROM CALGARY BY TRAIN. IN “SOME HIGHLIGHT’S REMEMBERED: PART I (1906 TO 1929)” BY MARGARET JEAN ISABEL (STAFFORD) DEAN, THE AUTHOR RECALLS HER TIME AT THE WEDDING: “…QUITE A FEW OF THE GUESTS WERE CHILDREN. WE HAD A GREAT TIME PLAYING GAMES AND DANCING IN THE BIG HALL LOCATED UPSTAIRS. [CHARIVARIS] WERE COMMON AT WEDDING RECEPTIONS AT THAT TIME IN WESTERN CANADA. YOUNG MEN AND BOYS, NOT GUESTS, WOULD GET INSTRUMENTS OR JUST TIN CANS AND PARADE IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE MAKING A TERRIFIC CLAMOUR. WE CHILDREN ALL FOLLOWED UNCLE ELLIOT, WHO WAS THE BEST MAN, IN HIS EVENING DRESS TAILS OUT ONTO THE BALCONY IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE AND WATCHED HIM, THROW SILVER COINS DOWN TO THE CROWD BELOW. THIS WAS THE USUAL CUSTOM TO SHOW GRATITUDE TO WELL WISHING UNINVITED GUESTS. THE WEDDING GIFTS WERE ALL PUT ON DISPLAY IN THE LIBRARY OF MY GRANDMOTHER’S HOME. THE ONLY GIFT THAT REALLY INTERESTED ME WAS A DOG BASKET. IT WAS LINED WITH PALE BLUE SATIN AND HELD A TINY WHITE SPITZ PUPPY. THE CONYBEARES WHO WERE OLD FAMILY FRIENDS, A VERY INTERESTING AND ECCENTRIC PAIR, HAD GIVEN THIS GIFT…” (P. 2-3) ON A MORE SOMBER NOTE, THE FIRST FUNERAL WAS HELD AT THE RANCH. HENRY STAFFORD DIED AT 17 OF TYPHOID, POSSIBLY CONTRACTED FROM WELL WATER. AT THE TIME, THERE WERE NO MINISTERS SO WILLIAM STAFFORD PERFORMED THE SERVICE HIMSELF. HENRY WAS BURIED AT INDIAN BATTLE PARK. IT IS RUMORED THAT HIS COFFIN WAS MADE FROM GREEN COTTON WOOD BY THE MINE CARPENTERS AND LINED BY ONE OF JANE’S BLACK DRESSES. PEAT SAID ONE YEAR, FOR A PARTY, THERE WAS CAKE. USUALLY THE TRADITION WAS TO PUT COINS IN THE CAKE. IF SOMEONE FOUND MONEY IN THEIR SLICE THEY GOT TO KEEP IT. AT THIS PARTICULAR PARTY, HIS GRANDMOTHER REPLACED COINS WITH SMALL GOLD NUGGETS. ACCORDING TO PEAT, “ANYBODY THAT CAME TO LETHBRIDGE WAS IN THE RANCH ESCORTED BY E. T. GALT.” FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE KIND OF EVENTS HELD BY JANE GIBB STAFFORD, SEE “NINETEENTH CENTURY LETHBRIDGE,” BY ANNIE LAURIE STAFFORD PEAT – PAGE 33, PARAGRAPH 4. THERE IS A COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT IN THE ARCHIVES. SEE LACROSSE STICKS FOR INFORMATION ON HOW CAM’S MOTHER WOULD HAVE ACQUIRED THE CANDLESTICK AND WHY SHE DONATED IT TO THE MUSEUM. SEE P19693787000 FOR MORE INFORMATION. FOR INFORMATION ON CONSTRUCTION OF WILLIAM STAFFORD’S RANCH HOUSE, COLLECTED VIA AN INTERVIEW WITH STAFFORD GRANDSON MR. CAM PEAT, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILES OF P19693787000 OR P19694000000.

Catalogue Number

P19693996000

Acquisition Date

1969-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail