Happy With His Little Lamb: Theodore Maynard Moilliet, June 1886

How cute is this little fellow?

According to the inscription on the back of this carte de visite that I found in Victoria, BC, Theodore Maynard Moilliet is 2 years and 9 months old in this picture.  He was born on the 15th of September, 1883 in Hawkhurst, Kent, England, son of Francis Albert Moilliet, a Gentleman, and Dora Louisa Maynard¹.  This means the photograph dates to approximately June of 1886.

Theodore had three other siblings:  Louisa J., (b. 1881), Francis K., (b.1884), and Erskine L (b.1890).  I also found a photograph of Theodore's brother, Francis Keir Moilliet, taken at 11 months of age, in the same shop.   In 1891, the family lived in Eastbourne, Sussex in the home of Francis Albert Moilliet's mother, Louisa Moilliett².  Frances Albert does not appear in the census for this year, but shows up in later censuses. The Moilliets seem to have been fairly well-to-do. Not only does her son Francis's family live with her, her other son, Charles Moilliet is also living there.  The family employs six servants.

In 1911,  Theodore is living with his parents and siblings at Puxtye House, Sandhurst, Kent.  Theodore is 27 years old, single and employed as a "Canadian stationary Engineer."  His younger brother, Erskine, is a "student, surveyor and going to Canada³."

Theodore also leaves for Canada, and in Cloverdale, BC in 1926 marries Margaret Reade, from Moosomin, Saskatchewan⁴.  I was pleased to find the following biography about Theodore and his brother Erskine Lind Moilliet which provides details about the brothers' World War I experience and their life on Vancouver Island.  As it turns out, Theodore lived only 10 miles from here, and later moved to Victoria, where I found the images.

http://www.moilliet.ws/Island_Moilliets.html

Be sure to browse the entire website  ( http://www.moilliet.ws )  if you have Moilliet connections.  There are family trees, stories and images (including pictures of the Moilliet manors in England).  It's a fabulous resource for Moilliet researchers.

Theodore Maynard Moilliet passed away on July 19, 1968 in Victoria, BC⁵.

August 12, 2012 Update:  I just realized where I have seen the surname Moilliet before.  As I was driving through Parksville, BC last night, I turned onto Moilliet Street.  Of course the street was named for someone in the Moilliet family.  Was it named after Theodore?  Francis?  The Moilliet family in general?  I will have to do some inquiring.  Will keep you posted.

August 11, 2016 Update: I donated the Moilliet photographs mentioned in the post above to the Parkville Museum & Archives.

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1 Baptismal Record for Theodore Maynard Moilliet, Saint Mark's United Reformed Church, Greenwich South Street, Greenwich, Register of baptisms; Reference Code: LMA/4393/B/010. London, England, Non-conformist Registers, 1694-1921, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2012). ^↩
2 "England and Wales Census, 1891," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/4Z13-RZM : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodor M Moilliet, England; citing (http://Findmypast.co.uk : 2010); PRO RG 12, Sussex county, Eastbourne registration district, Eastbourne subdistrict, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.^↩
3 "England and Wales Census, 1911," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XWDY-F14 : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodora Maynard Moilliet, Sandhurst, , Kent, England; citing (http://Findmypast.co.uk : 2011); PRO RG 14, Kent county, Cranbrook registration district, Hawkhurst subdistrict, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.^↩
4 "British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JD82-HGB : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodore Maynard Moilliet and Margaret Reade, 10 May 1926.^↩
5 "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLB8-WMP : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodore Maynard Moilliet, 19 Jul 1968.^↩