Born in Victoria in 1888, Violet was the youngest daughter of Dr. Israel Powell and his wife Jane. Dr. Powell was an influential and well-connected member of the Victoria elite. He was active in politics and was a founding member of the Freemasons lodge in the city. As such, the entire Powell family, including Violet, enjoyed a certain degree of social status in Victoria. Violet loved music, and she was an accomplished pianist and songwriter. She wrote the popular World War I-era piece “Canada for Empire.” In 1906, with the support of her mother, Violet helped to form the Victoria Ladies Musical Club, which was founded to help support local artists and showcase other performers from all over the world. Violet was married to English-born lawyer Conyers Bridgewater in 1910. They had their first and only child, a son they named Bentley, in 1911. The family relocated to England after the First World War, where Violet died in 1972.
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.