Ethelbert Olaf Stuart Scholefield


Ethelbert Olaf Stuart Scholefield

 

Scholefield House was the residence of Ethelbert Olaf Stuart Scholefield when he was a bachelor in his early twenties. His father, the Rev. Stuart Clement Scholefield, brought the family to British Columbia in 1887, when he was appointed clergyman at New Westminster, and later at Esquimalt. Ethelbert, one of seven boys among the 12 children was, like some of his older brothers and sisters, born near Ryde, Isle of Wight.

Scholefield took up librarianship in 1894 and became assistant to R. F. Gosnell, the first provincial librarian. Four years later, when Gosnell was transferred to other duties, Scholefield succeeded him. Over the next 11 years, he acquired more than 10,000 books mostly relating to the history and development of the Pacific Northwest. The collection provided the nucleus for the present-day holdings of the legislative library and of the archives.


Much like his predecessor, Scholefield performed secretarial duties for the lieutenant-governor from time to time. He accompanied James Dunsmuir, who was premier of British Columbia at the time, to the coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in England in 1902. In 1910, Ethelbert Scholefield assumed the additional position of provincial archivist, again taking over from Gosnell who was the first to fill the position in 1908.


As librarian and archivist, Scholefield travelled through the interior of British Columbia gathering historical material. His enthusiasm knew hardly any bounds. He and Judge F. R. Howay produced a history of British Columbia and he helped plan the new library wing of the legislative building which was opened in 1915.



Sadly, Scholefield died Christmas Day, 1919, aged only 41, leaving his wife, Lillie, and four young sons. A lovely copper beech tree near the east wall of the library, planted in his memory by premier John Oliver, still flourishes.