ARCHITECTURE:
When the Priors commissioned Teague to design their new mansion on four acres of woodlands, it was to be set well back from, but facing, Rockland Av, then known as Belcher St. The Priory is a Victorian Italianate Villa which was later modified by Maclure. An engraving in West Shore magazine shows a two-storey house. A shallow hipped roof surrounds a flat roof with a large widow’s walk, giving commanding views all around. A narrow hip-roofed extension on the right façade has an octagonal bay on the lower floor. To its left is an elegant recessed porch with slim columns, scrollwork, and a pedimented hood under a balconet. In 1913 for $3,500, Maclure redesigned the right façade by extending the bay to two storeys, and enclosing and widening the porch area as a two-storey addition with a sunroom on the main floor. The main entrance, now centrally located, was moved around the corner to the left of the new addition. He added a Georgian Revival porch with Classical pedimented portico, double columns, pilasters, and a balconet above. An elaborate stained glass window is located above the balconet. Maclure also extended the eaves and replaced Teague’s brackets with more ornate ones. After the modernization, the house faced Pemberton Av. The house has been stuccoed.
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS:
1884-1913: Hon. Col. Edward Gawler Prior (b. Dallowgill, Ripon, Yorks, ENG 1853-1920) was educated at Leeds Grammar School, articled to J. Tolson White Engineering of Wakefield, Yorks, and arrived here in 1873 as assistant manager, engineer and surveyor for Vancouver Coal Mining & Land Co in Nanaimo. In 1877 he moved here as BC Inspector of Mines, and in 1878 married Suzette Work (1854-1897), youngest daughter of HBC chief factor and Victoria pioneer John Work of Hillside Farm Suzette died of cancer. [Their daughter Helen “Nellie” married Hon. Col. Francis Hood (809 Linden Av).] In 1899 Edward married Genevieve Boucher Kennedy (née Wright, b. Victoria 1863-1955) in Vancouver. They moved to a new mansion at the top of St. Charles St hill known as Prior House (620 St. Charles St) in 1913 and he continued to pay taxes on Pemberton until at least 1916.
In 1880 Prior entered the hardware business, first on Yates St with Alfred Fellows, who had opened the business with his brother Arthur (633 Government St) in 1859, then partnered with Francis Roscoe (Ross Bay Villa, 1490 Fairfield Rd) in 1862. When the Fellows returned to ENG, Prior established E.G. Prior Co, now 606-614 Johnson St (Downtown). After Prior’s death, the firm continued to grow and in 1928 became McLennan, McFeeley & Prior, “Mac & Mac” (Robert Purvis McLennan, 260 Gorge Rd E), for decades the largest hardware company in BC. The building now houses Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) at 1400-1480 Government St (Downtown).
Col. Prior’s military career began in 1874 when he joined the Rifle Company at Nanaimo, and on removing to Victoria, joined the old No. 4 Co, BC Garrison Artillery. He commanded the 5th Regiment, Canadian Artillery in 1888-96. In 1886 Edward Prior was elected MLA for Victoria. His political career began with his election in 1886 as MLA for Victoria. He resigned in 1888 and ran federally becoming Conservative MP for the city until 1902. In 1895 he entered Cabinet as Comptroller of Inland Revenue. He was Minister of Mines from 1902-1903 and appointed Premier of the Province from Nov 1902-May 1903. He was BC’s Lt-Gov from 1919 until his death in 1920.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1913-24: Herbert Payne Heming (b. Hamilton, ON 1864-1932) married Elizabeth Aileen (née Domville, b. Belfast, IRL 1869-1933) in Wentworth, ON in 1900 & came here c.1907. She emigrated to ON with her family in 1876. He had many jobs from promoter to timber broker.
1927-30: Widow Evelyn Every-Clayton (née Yeates, b. Dorset, ENG 1883-1961) ran a boarding house here. She married George Frederick William Every-Clayton (b. Barrowford, Lancs, ENG 1871-1927) in Vancouver in 1913. They had lived near Courtenay, BC, for many years. George was found dead on Skirt Mountain in Langford, BC, in 1927. Evelyn later returned to the Courtenay area as a private nurse.
1931-74: William Lloyd Morgan (b. Oakesdale, WA, USA 1894-1974) and Mary Ellen (née O’Brien, b. Spokane, WA 1896-1969). Mary came to Victoria at a young age, and attended St. Ann’s Academy (835 Humboldt St), Victoria High School (1260 Grant St), and Provincial Normal School in Saanich. She taught for a year at Willows School, then in 1917 married William. During the 1930s she organized and wrote plays for the Priory Players and helped organize Victoria Operatic Society. She was a founding member of Craigdarroch Castle Preservation Society in 1959. Supporters of Multiple Sclerosis Society, she and her husband opened their gardens to the physically challenged and to YMCA for Tea & Linen Showers. During WWII Mary ran The Priory as a guesthouse. William sat on Victoria City Council for 10 years, chairing the finance committee. He and his wife were proprietors of W.L. Morgan Fuel Co for many years. William lived at The Priory until his death.