Cecelia Douglas  1834 - 1865

Born in Fort Vancouver, Oregon, Cecilia was the eldest daughter of James and Amelia Douglas. She was educated privately in Oregon City and moved with her parents to Victoria in 1849. Dr John Helmcken described how they met: “The room of Mr. Douglas, partly an office and partly domestic, stood open, and there I saw Cecilia his eldest daughter flitting about, active as a little squirrel, and one of the prettiest objects I have ever seen; rather short but with a very pretty graceful figure of dark complexion and lovely black eye – petite and nice. She assisted her father in clerical work, correspondence and so forth – in fact a private secretary. I was more or less captivated.” Cecilia was gravely ill in 1851 and 1852, possibly from tuberculosis. During this time, Helmcken courted her during his visits to the Douglas residence. They married in a snowstorm in December 1852 and moved into this house, then a small log cabin. Cecilia called the cabin "Arbutus Lodge" in her letters. In 1865 she died of pneumonia at the age 30, shortly after the birth of a son, who also died. Dr Helmcken never remarried.

Cecelia Helmcken (nee Douglas)
BC Archives, A-02837

Cecelia Helmcken (nee Douglas)
BC Archives, A-01682