Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Multiple media
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title is based on the name of the donor, and the name of the family who created most of the records.
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)
-
1883-1994 (Creation)
- Creator
- Lavington (family)
- Place
- Quesnel
Physical description area
Physical description
74.5 cm of textual records
8 binders of 2,878 photographs and other graphic material
42 film reels
30 objects
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
The Lavington family, English-Canadian and Scottish-Canadian homesteaders, lived south of Baker Creek, 65 km west of Quesnel, from 1931-1972. Harold “Dude” Lavington and his brother, Art, built a cattle ranch on the property, registered as the Lavington Co. Ranch until 1945. When Art moved with his wife, Emma, and children, Eva and Bill, to a ranch of their own in the Nazko Valley, Dude renamed the ranch the Bar HL Ranch.
In 1946, Dude married Ruth Rennie of Courtenay, who moved to the ranch, and gave birth to their child, Jean, in 1947. Ruth died during the birthing process due to heart damage caused by rheumatic fever. A single parent, Dude raised Jean with the help of several community members in Quesnel, and fellow ranching families who boarded with him in the winter. In 1952, Dude married Margaret Paul of Vancouver, who joined the family on the ranch. She brought innovative ideas along with skills in drawing and singing. Margaret became a mother to Jean while extending the family’s correspondence to her vast network of family and friends. In 1972, Dude and Margaret moved to the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District, living briefly in Shuswap Lake and Salmon Arm before settling in Sorrento in 1974. Margaret died in 1975.
Jean Lavington became an active artist and poet while helping out with ranch operations. After graduating from Quesnel Secondary School in 1966, she earned a B.S. in Agricultural Studies from the University of British Columbia in 1971. In 1971, she married John Tibbles, who was also raised in Quesnel, and moved with him to Clearwater, BC, where they had two children: Michael and Alan.
In 1976, Dude married Florence Montgomery (née Marsh) of Quesnel, who joined him in the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District, where she remained until her death in 2022. Dude died in 1993. Dude’s records were passed to Jean and John Tibbles, who returned to Quesnel later in life. Jean died March 1, 2023.
Custodial history
The records were in the custody and control of John Tibbles prior to their transfer to the Quesnel and District Museum & Archives in August 2022.
Scope and content
Fonds consists of the personal records of Margaret and Harold “Dude” Lavington and their daughter Jean Tibbles (née Lavington), including records passed to them by other members of the Lavington family. It also includes records they retained from administrative involvement with local and regional organisations, as well as magazines and newspaper clippings.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The records were donated to the museum on August 26, 2022.
Arrangement
Items were obtained with no discernable order, and have been arranged into series based on format and subject matter. Files and items have been ordered chronologically where possible. File titles have been supplied based on their contents, with exceptions noted. An exception is Series 10, where original file titles are preserved, with added title information written in [square brackets]. Files in Series 10 with supplied titles have been noted.
Language of material
- English
- German
Script of material
Language and script note
All records are in English, with the exception of a single unknown document in German in File 2022.24/2/0/2.
Location of originals
Quesnel & District Museum and Archives, Archives, RS-8, Bay 3, Shelves D-F
Availability of other formats
561 photographs have been digitized and catalogued at the Quesnel & District Museum & Archives.
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Use of items in publication cannot be made without written permission of Quesnel & District Museum & Archives.
Finding aids
A finding aid is available.
Associated materials
Objects donated by John Tibbles alongside the fonds are available in the Quesnel & District Museum & Archives with accession number 2022.24.
Archival collections related to the Tibbles-Lavington family beyond the Quesnel area were transferred to the following institutions:
Yellowhead Museum in Clearwater, BC, received a collection of materials related to the Jean and John Tibbles family during their period living there, from 1970-1984.
The South Peace Regional Archives in Grande Prairie, AB, received a collection of materials related to the Jean and John Tibbles family during their period living in Sexsmith, AB, from 1984-1988.
The Exploration Place in Prince George, BC, received a collection of photographs related to the Jean and John Tibbles family during their period living there, beginning in September 1988.
R.J. Haney Heritage Village & Museum in Salmon Arm, BC, received a collection of materials related to Dude and Florence Lavington’s life in the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District from 1972-1993.
Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin in Williams Lake, BC, received spectator photographs and films of the Williams Lake Stampede taken by the Lavington family.
The Falkland Museum Heritage Park Info Centre in Falkland, BC, received spectator photographs and films of the Falkland Stampede taken by the Lavington family.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Conservation
Staples and metal prongs have been removed and replaced with plastic paper clips. Cards and pamphlets have been unfolded. Letters held in envelopes have been removed and unfolded, with envelopes placed in front of the letters they contained. Individual postcards and photographs enclosed within envelopes alongside textual records have been placed in sleeves. News clippings have been photocopied. Magazine clippings have been photocopied or placed between sheets of interleaving paper. Oversize items have been placed in Miscellaneous Archival / Ephemera Oversized 2 Box 9. A paper insert has been placed in all files containing oversize items, indicating an item has been removed. Photo albums with removable photographs and no unique markings have been photocopied to preserve the original arrangement. The photocopied pages have been retained in file folders, and a paper insert has been added to the file indicating that original prints have been placed in Series 9 with other photographs.