Edward Mallandaine

by Lucas Maikapar

Member of the Grand Jury that Heard the Trial of Tshuanahusset

Edward Mallandaine first came to Victoria on October 12, 1858, but did not settle immediately. Instead, Mallandaine went gold mining up the Fraser River. He returned to Victoria in 1860, at which time he did settle. Mallandaine is known as a pioneer teacher, the first architect in British Columbia, and the author of Victoria's first directory.

He was born in Singapore on August 10, 1827 to English parents, Major John Mallandaine and Mary Smith. Edward's sisters were Caroline, Harriet, and Charlotte. Edward's little brother Charles died at three days. John Mallandaine was acting governor of Straits settlement. Edward Mallandaine had a Protestant upbringing due, overwhelmingly, to his mother Mary who was a very religious and sabbatarian woman. Mary died in 1832 of Asiatic cholera when the family was travelling to Madras. Edward was only four years old. The Mallandaine's moved to Fairhill, England where Mr. Mallandaine married Miss Cecilia Hawkes. Before leaving Fairhill in 1836, Edward had a half-sister Fanny and a half-brother Henry. John Mallandaine lost the family's small fortune of £6,000, the consequence of which was for the family to move to France where the cost of living and education was more affordable.

Edward returned to London to further his education. First, he got a job bookkeeping and doing errands, then worked for a successful shipping company. He left the lucrative shipping business to study as an architect and joined the Architectural Association.

In 1851 he was engaged to a talented young woman who was about nineteen or twenty at the time of their engagement. Shortly thereafter, Mallandaine went to Australia to try his hand at mining for an unknown length of time. The young couple were married May 5, 1855. Sadly, she died on January 29, 1856 shortly after the birth of their premature baby girl. The motherless child was moved from place to place until the child became very sick and died on November 1, 1856.

It was then that Mallandaine decided to go to Vancouver Island and the Fraser River to mine for gold, and leave behind his recent hardships. He landed in Victoria about October 12, 1858, but shortly thereafter went up the Fraser River. He returned to Victoria in 1860 where he bought a school for $250 and turned to teaching. He advertised: "Select School, Broad Street — Mr. E. Mallandaine, architect of over three years experience intuition [sic],...." ¹ He also opened a night school for adults.

In March 1860, Mallandaine published Victoria's first directory, which contained business advertisements, a list of residents, an official voters list, and postal arrangements. Four other issues followed, the last being in 1874, all of which contained the names of the residents of New Westminster, Nanaimo and the country districts. It was for Victoria's first directory that he is most well known.

While still a bachelor, Mallandaine went to Salt Spring Island, took up land and found himself in public affairs when he ran to be the representative for the electoral district in the 1863 Salt Spring election. Mallandaine did not win the election and moved back to Victoria to pursue architecture once again. In his book of reminiscences Edward wrote, "On December 28th, 1863, tired of irregularity of occupation, I opened an office as an architect in Moores Building Yates Street." He was hired immediately to build a brick and stone building on Store Street. According to The Daily Colonist , Sunday, March 29, 1964, Mallandaine was not able to acquire enough business as an architect, in 1864 was a collector of debts and rents, and in 1870 became the city tax collector. This information suggests how busy Mallandaine kept himself in the new colony and the initiatives he took.

In 1862, the bride ship Tynemouth arrived from England, and among the passengers was Louisa Townsend. Edward and Louisa were married at 8 a.m., September 1, 1866. They had five children and were able to live quite adequately. They first lived on Fort Street, and later at 54 Government before they moved and retired at 560 Simcoe Street. Their oldest daughter Louisa was married in December 1888, while their second son Fred drowned in 1895.

Edward Mallandaine wrote frequently to The Colonist between 1860 and 1899. Everything interested him: the muddy Metchosin road that prevented settlers from marketing their produce, the dying sealing industry, the Alaska boundary, and hypnotism. He spoke out against annexation to the United States, and favoured Confederation.²

Mallandaine died at 78 years of age in the spring of 1905. Mrs. Mallandaine died in 1925. She was 94.

Notes:
1. The Daily Colonist, May 17, 1953.
2. Ibid., March 29, 1964; British Columbia Archives, Edward Mallandaine Papers, Add. MSS 470, Box 1, Files 2- 3, Diary/Reminiscences; British Columbia Archives, Vertical Files, Edward Mallandaine, "Old Homes and Families," The Daily Colonist, Sunday, May 17, 1953; "Frustrated Architect," Ibid., Sunday, March 29, 1964; "Victoria's First Directory," Ibid., Sunday, September 26, 1972.