Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1913-1975 (Creation)
- Creator
- Lavington, Margaret
Physical description area
Physical description
5 cm of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Margaret Lavington was born Margaret Paul to a Scottish-Canadian family in Vancouver, BC, in 1913. After a childhood in major cities, including Winnipeg, Victoria, and Sydney, Margaret became involved in the artistic and journalistic communities in Victoria and Vancouver, working for the Vancouver Sun, in a library, in art and secretarial roles, and later for the Workmen’s Compensation Board. In 1942, she joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, serving as an Intelligence Officer until 1945.
After returning to Vancouver, Margaret met Dude Lavington during his travels to the area in search of a wife and co-parent. The two maintained correspondence, and after her visit to Quesnel and the Bar HL Ranch, they decided to marry. Margaret and Dude were wed at Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver on June 17, 1952, with Margaret’s friend Edith Weir serving as matron of honour, and Dude’s friend Ron Kolterman serving as best man. As she navigated major lifestyle changes in her transition to the ranch, Margaret quickly began providing ideas and learning new skills to improve operations. She also developed a close relationship with Jean, to whom she became a mother.
Margaret continued to express herself by drawing, singing, and crafting with Jean. Despite the ranch’s isolation, she maintained correspondence with hundreds of friends and family members throughout Canada. Her closest connections, including her mother, her father, John Ferguson Paul, her aunts, and her friend Edith Weir, visited the ranch. She also travelled regularly to Vancouver to stay with the Pauls, often bringing Jean along. Margaret became ill later in life, and after a scenic road trip to Cleveland, Ohio for a new treatment, she died on October 2, 1975. She was buried in the Quesnel & District Cemetery.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Series contains records pertaining to Margaret’s life prior to her move to the Bar HL Ranch, her ongoing relationships beyond Quesnel, and her independent activities. Records of her life in Vancouver include a flyer showing her connection to the Vancouver Art Gallery, a certificate of her completion of a class, and inserts previously inside a scrapbook of her time with the Wrens. The scrapbook itself is in Series 8, File 2022.24/8/0/7. The inserts include greeting cards, telegrams, and letters, as well as an unknown document, a church service document, a newsletter, ship booklets, and a poem. Records of Margaret’s relationships include letters and greeting cards she sent to her husband, Dude, after their marriage, and letters and postcards shared between Margaret and her loved ones, where Margaret is sometimes referred to as “Cuddly.” After her 1952 move to the ranch, these letters sometimes addressed Jean or Dude. The series includes photocopied pages from an album Margaret kept of Paul family photos, as well as her original drawings and a leaf rubbing.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
- German
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
Conservation
A bound scrapbook has been moved to Series 8, with inserts retained in Series 2 in order to prevent dissociation. A photo album with significant mould growth has been photocopied and discarded. Original prints have been discarded due to mould.