The Honourable Edmund Burke Roche was born in County Cork, Ireland in 1859. Edmund’s family was aristocratic, but as the youngest son there was no title for him to inherit. In the 1890s, he moved to Wyoming in the United States and pursued farming for several years. By the turn of the century, Edmund was working in British Columbia as a prospector. In 1912, at age 53, he moved to Victoria and became engaged to Elizabeth Blanche Clapham. A lavish description of their December 1912 wedding, published in the Victoria Times, points to the status and wealth of the couple. Having arrived in Victoria after the deaths of Peter and Caroline O’Reilly, Edmund may have called on their son Jack, who was then living at Point Ellice House. Edmund lived in Victoria until his death in 1948.
List of Calling Cards
The Point Ellice House collection contains hundreds of calling cards left for the O’Reilly family by visitors. This initial research was conducted by Public History students at the University of Victoria, and these biographies constitute only a portion of the individuals represented by the calling cards within the collection.