dge's garden. The man admitted he had been brought there by
certain parties, their names being known to Mr. Cridge. I asked Mr.
Cridge why they had brought the man to him, and clandestinely, too?
"Oh, they thought I was the proper man, and I suppose I was under the
circumstances." He continued: "We set to work at once to meet the
case, and temporarily rented a cottage owned by Mr. Blinkhorn, on the
corner of Yates and Broad Streets, now occupied by the B. C. Hardware
Company (the first patient's name was Braithwaite), and placed W. S.
Seeley, afterwards of the Australian House, at the north end of James
Bay bridge, in charge as steward, and Dr. Trimble being appointed as
medical officer in charge." This was the beginning. Afterwards
there was a wooden building erected on the Songhees Reserve, on the
site of the Marine Hospital. Later on the hospital was again moved
to Pandora Hill, and by the exertions of Mrs. (Senator) Macdonald,
Mrs. Harris (wife of Mayor Harris) and Mrs. Cridge, a female
infirmary was built there, but afterwards merged into a general
hospital. It will be seen from this that my dear old friend, Bishop
Cridge, as also Mrs. Cridge, were first in this most important
work for the relief of the suffering humanity of Victoria. Nor
was this all.
I might state that Mrs. (Senator) Macdonald, with Mrs. Cridge, were
the founders of the Protestant Orphans' Home, through Mrs. Macdonald
having a family of orphan children brought to her notice by some
friend. She first of all found homes for the individual children;
then as other cases were brought to her notice she, with Mrs. Cridge,
took the matter up and rented a cottage, putting a Miss Todd in
charge of the children. In course of time, the children increased, so
that a larger building was rented on the corner of Blanchard and Rae
Streets. Even these premises in time became too small, and another
and final move was made through the munificence of the late John
George Taylor, a member of Bishop Cridge's congregation, who left all
his property, some thirty thousand dollars, to the founding of the
present home.
Mr. Taylor, whom I had known for many years, told me of the great
interest he took in these orphans. He paid daily visits to the home,
and assisted in many ways to help it along. Bishop Cridge and Mrs.
Macdonald have seen these institutions grow from the smallest
beginnings to their present state of usefulness, which must be a
source of congratulation to
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