Fonds consists of ten diaries kept by James Layton, covering the years 1948-1981, and a Time Book. (Years 1967-1971 are missing.) Layton made brief daily entries in the diaries, noting the weather, activities, social interactions and, occasionally, notable external events. Typical activities included logging, fishing, working on an oyster lease, digging clams, gardening, visiting, reading and writing letters. Times of planting and harvesting the garden, sightings of wildlife, and names of people living nearby or visiting on boats are recorded.
James (Jimmy) George Layton (1897-1990) was born in Camberwell, England. He fought in World War I, was severely wounded when he flung himself on a grenade which had landed in his foxhole, and received a medal for his bravery. In 1920, Layton emigrated to Canada, where he found work in coastal logging camps. Other members of the family, including his parents and seven of his ten siblings, also moved to Canada. At the time of his father's death in 1939, Layton, his parents and three of his brothers were living on Thurlow Island. In the 1940s he moved to the head of Von Donop Inlet on Cortes Island. His float house was drawn up on the beach next to a little islet that was joined to the shore at low tide, where he cultivated a garden and orchard. Layton found work logging and caretaking for local camps active in Von Donop, and helping his brother on his oyster lease. He moved to Lund in 1972, where he passed away at the age of 92.
Custodial History
Diaries were given to Joan Bevington by her cousin Capt. Harrison Layton, the nephew of James Layton, for donation to CIMAS.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of ten diaries kept by James Layton, covering the years 1948-1981, and a Time Book. (Years 1967-1971 are missing.) Layton made brief daily entries in the diaries, noting the weather, activities, social interactions and, occasionally, notable external events. Typical activities included logging, fishing, working on an oyster lease, digging clams, gardening, visiting, reading and writing letters. Times of planting and harvesting the garden, sightings of wildlife, and names of people living nearby or visiting on boats are recorded.
Photograph of an injured logger on a stretcher, being loaded off of a logging camp launch onto the "Columbia". Photo c is in the oversize photo box and has Alan Greene's notations on the back. See #1999.001.958. (see "Anderson, Doris, "The Columbia Is Coming"; Gray's Publishing, 1982, photo inset)
3 photograph prints: b&w; a & b are 13 x 10 cm; c is 25.5 x 20.5 cm
Scope and Content
Photograph of an injured logger on a stretcher, being loaded off of a logging camp launch onto the "Columbia". Photo c is in the oversize photo box and has Alan Greene's notations on the back. See #1999.001.958. (see "Anderson, Doris, "The Columbia Is Coming"; Gray's Publishing, 1982, photo inset)
Photograph of Rev. Heber Greene sitting on the steps of a logging camp float house with three children. Greene's title is "Rev. Heber Greene and children at a logging camp with children's Sunday School papers."
Photograph of Rev. Heber Greene sitting on the steps of a logging camp float house with three children. Greene's title is "Rev. Heber Greene and children at a logging camp with children's Sunday School papers."
Photograph titled "The second "Columbia" tied up to a floating logging camp in the beautiful Knight Inlet country. When it's rough enough you can be seasick right in your own livig-room." Note: This photograph appears to be the source of the painting on the cover of "God's Little Ships" by Michael Hadley (Harbour Publishing, 1995). It was probably printed in "The Log".
Photograph titled "The second "Columbia" tied up to a floating logging camp in the beautiful Knight Inlet country. When it's rough enough you can be seasick right in your own livig-room." Note: This photograph appears to be the source of the painting on the cover of "God's Little Ships" by Michael Hadley (Harbour Publishing, 1995). It was probably printed in "The Log".
Photograph of two men on floats made of logs chained together, with the buildings, tanks and other paraphernalia of a logging camp on the floats. Location is Seymour Inlet.
Photograph of two men on floats made of logs chained together, with the buildings, tanks and other paraphernalia of a logging camp on the floats. Location is Seymour Inlet.