THE ELLAS OF WENTWORTH VILLA
When it was built in 1863 Wentworth Villa was one of the largest and most elaborate houses in Victoria, comparable only to the private residence of the colonial governor. This exhibit shares the story of the first family of the Villa – the Ellas – and how they came to build and occupy the prominent and remarkable building which now houses the Architectural Heritage Museum.
From England to Victoria
The story of Wentworth Villa begins with the meeting of Henry Ella and Martha Cheney in the mid-1850s in the far-flung colonial outpost of Fort Victoria. Both born in England, Henry and Martha came separately to Vancouver Island. Henry arrived in 1847 while working as second mate on the Hudson’s Bay Company ship Mary Dare. Martha arrived in 1851 aboard the Tory with her aunt and uncle, Ann and Thomas Blinkhorn, whom she accompanied to help run a farm in the neighbouring community of Metchosin. It wasn’t long before the two met, and soon they were married in an outdoor ceremony at the Metchosin farm, attended by Victoria luminaries such as Governor James Douglas.
New Life
Together with Martha’s Aunt Ann (Uncle Thomas had since passed away), the Ellas began to look for a place to build a home. Eventually they purchased two adjacent lots on upper Fort Street, which was then a dirt track on the outskirts of the growing town. They engaged the premier architect in the colony, John Wright, to draw up plans for a stately Carpenter Gothic mansion large enough to accommodate the rapidly expanding family. In total, seven children were born to the Ellas: Elizabeth, Louisa, Thomas, Marion, Frederick, Henry, and Mary.
Social Life and Quiet Tragedy
The Wentworth Villa household was crowded, lively, and well known in Victoria society. The house became something of a landmark, frequently appearing in the local newspapers. In 1882, when Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise became the first member of the British Royal Family to visit the city, a ceremonial arch was erected in front of the Villa in her honour.
The later decades of the nineteenth century were also marked by quiet tragedy. In 1873 Henry Sr. drowned while crossing Burrard Inlet in a canoe. The following year the eldest daughter, Elizabeth, died of tuberculosis at only seventeen years of age. Legend holds that her spirit still lingers on the second floor of the Villa. The Ellas hosted an eclectic array of boarders in order to help cover expenses after Henry’s death. These boarders included long-time family friend Captain William Mitchell, who himself died at the Villa in 1876. Ann Blinkhorn’s eightieth birthday in August 1884 was the occasion for a grand party at the Villa, with dancing and conversation until dinner was served at midnight. Two weeks later, she died of dysentery. Her old friend Dr. John S. Helmcken wrote in his Reminiscences: “There was no one more liked or respected in Victoria than this ever-industrious kind-hearted old lady….” It was the end of an era for the Ella family, but only the beginning for Wentworth Villa.