Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

REFEREE VEST

Date Range From

1915

Date Range To

1924

Materials

COTTON

No. Pieces

1+

Length

54.4

Width

45

Description

COTTON VEST WITH VERTICAL BLUE-GREY STRIPES AND RED DOTS ON FRONT PANELS. WHITE COTTON LINING AND BACKING. TWO POCKETS ON EACH SIDE OF FRONT, WITH FIVE SHANK BUTTONS WITH COTTER PINS ALONG FRONT CLOSURE. HALF BELT AT BACK, WITH STEEL ADJUSTING FIXTURE. SOME EDGES OF FABRIC FRAYED.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

SPORTS

History

BELONGED TO GRANDFATHER OF DONOR, ALBERT ARNOLD, WHO WORKED FOR CITY OF LETHBRIDGE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND WAS KILLED JULY 30, 1924 WHEN HE FELL FROM A TREE AND HIT CEMENT. VEST MADE BY HIS WIFE, AND WORN AS HE REFEREED FOOTBALL. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A VEST DONATED BY GLADYS CLAY. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND A FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MARTIN BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME. GLADYS CLAY WAS RAISED ON A FARM OUTSIDE OF LETHBRIDGE AND ATTENDED SCHOOL IN A ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE IN CRYSTAL LAKE. AT THE AGE OF 14 SHE WAS SENT TO LETHBRIDGE TO LIVE WITH HER GRANDMOTHER SO THAT SHE COULD ATTEND LETHBRIDGE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE. ON NOVEMBER 17, 1945 GLADYS WAS MARRIED TO DONALD “DON” CLAY. GLADYS WAS THE DAUGHTER OF OSCAR WILLETS AND ALICE LUCY EMILY WILLETS (NEE ARNOLD). GLADYS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 93 ON FEBRUARY 14, 2014. HER HUSBAND DON CLAY PASSED AWAY ON NOVEMBER 8, 2008 AT THE AGE OF 93. OSCAR WILLETS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ENGLAND, MOVING TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1910. IN 1915 HE JOINED THE 39TH BATTALION AND SERVED OVERSEAS DURING WWI. HE WORKED AS A MINER AT NO. 6 MINE FOLLOWING THE WAR, THEN AS A FARMER IN THE SUNNYSIDE DISTRICT STARTING IN 1926. HE RETIRED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1954. OSCAR PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 83 ON MARCH 22, 1975. ALICE LUCY EMILY WILLETS (NEE ARNOLD) WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LONDON, ENGLAND, AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1910. ALICE WAS MARRIED TO OSCAR WILLETS ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1919. SHE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ALBERT ARNOLD AND ALICE MATILDA ARNOLD (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). ALICE WILLETS PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 85 ON AUGUST 26, 1982. ALICE MATILDA ARNOLD (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN) WAS BORN IN HAVERSHAM, KENT, ENGLAND AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1910. SHE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 82 IN AUGUST 1957. ALBERT ARNOLD PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 50. AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE HERALD ON JULY 31, 1924 RECOUNTS THE ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED HIS DEATH: “THE DEATH OF ALBERT ARNOLD … AN EMPLOYEE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, OCCURRED LAST NIGHT AT 9:45 AT THE GALT HOSPITAL. MR. ARNOLD WAS ENGAGED IN TRIMMING TREES IN FRONT OF 649 12TH ST., WHEN HE FELL FROM THE LADDER ON WHICH HE WAS WORKING AND STRUCK THE SIDEWALK WITH HIS HEAD, BEING RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS, FROM WHICH STATE HE NEVER EMERGED. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE GALT HOSPITAL WHERE AN EXAMINATION REVEALED A SLIGHT FRACTURE OF THE SKULL. HE WAS OPERATED ON IN THE AFTERNOON IN AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF HIS BRAIN CAUSED BY THE FRACTURE, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS, AND HE DIED AT 9:45PM. MR. ARNOLD, WHO WAS FIFTY YEARS OF AGE, HAD BEEN IN THE CITY THIRTEEN YEARS AND HAD BEEN EMPLOYED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ON AND OFF FOR SEVERAL YEARS. ONLY THE DAY BEFORE HE HAD CELEBRATED THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS MARRIAGE.” ANOTHER ARTICLE FROM AUGUST 1, 1924 DISCUSSES THE ACCIDENT FURTHER: “AT AN ENQUIRY HELD ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE MAGISTRATE BARKER AS TO WHETHER AN INQUEST ON THE DEATH OF ALBERT ARNOLD WOULD BE NECESSARY, THE MAGISTRATE DECIDED THAT IT WAS A CASE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH. ACCORDING TO THE EVIDENCE GIVEN, DECEASED ON HAD A 13 FOOT FALL FROM THE POINT OF THE LADDER ON WHICH HE WAS STANDING AT THE TIME HE WAS CUTTING TREES ON TWELFTH ST. SOUTH. GEORGE EDWARDS, WHO WAS HOLDING THE LADDER FOR THE DECEASED, DEPOSED TO HIS HAVING A STRONG GRIP ON IT AND TO ITS NOT SLIPPING. THE DECEASED WAS PRUNING OFF THE LIGHT BRANCHES WITH A PRUNING HOOK AND WAS NOT USING A SAW. ANYTHING OF THE THEORY OF HIS BEING ELECTROCUTED BY THE ELECTRIC WIRES WAS DISSIPATED BY THE EVIDENCE OF ED THEOBALD OF THE CITY ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT, WHO SAID THAT THE WIRE WAS AWAY ABOVE THE TOP OF THE TREE. IT IS PRESUMED THAT DECEASED, WHO HAD NOT BEEN VERY WELL LATELY, HAD A SUDDEN FIT OF VERTIGO. DEATH, ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL EVIDENCE, RESULTED FROM HEMORRHAGE OF THE BRAIN CAUSED BY THE HEAD OF THE DECEASED STRIKING THE CURB.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND A FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MARTIN BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME.

Catalogue Number

P19940034004

Acquisition Date

1994-11

Collection

Museum

Less detail