James and Constance Daniells sous-fonds
- Sous-fonds
- 1884-1957
James MacFarlane Daniells was born in England in 1867. He came to Canada before the turn of the century but returned to England after a short time. In 1910, after some business reverses, he emigrated with his family to Victoria, B.C. where he worked as a builder, first in James Bay, then on Cook Street, and eventually he built a home on Cochrane Street where he lived until his death in 1951. Mr. Daniells was an overseer in the Gospel Hall and was a devout student of the Bible. Constance Maynard Daniells, nee Stevens, was born in England in 1876. In 1901 she married James Daniells, and they had one son, James Roy Daniells, who was born in 1902. She died in 1957. Constance and James joined the Plymouth Brethren in Victoria. The Plymouth Brethren were a sect of Christian believers originating in the early 19th century in Ireland. Brethren ideas of baptism were differing (RD was baptised by immersion) and they expected the second coming of Christ. The Lord's Supper was observed each Sunday. The Brethren had a tendency to follow new leaders and to divide to form new congregations. They were basically fundamentalist and considered the Scriptures the only true guide. There were no officers in the Victoria Hall. James Daniells was one of the "overseers" for a time. The privileges and duties of the ministry depended on the ability of the members.
The sous-fonds consists of correspondence (including many letters from Roy Daniells), journals, legal documents, financial papers, maps, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, verses and family information of James and Constance Daniells. There is also a series of records relating to the Plymouth Brethren, both in London and in Victoria, B.C. including incorporation documents, tracts, sermons, notes, hymn books, bibles, booklets etc. Photographs and postcards have been kept with the Roy Daniells collections.