Mabel Ada Fleetwood
June 30 1908 – December 31st 2001

The Society is saddened to report the passing on December 31st 2001 of Mabel Ada Fleetwood, beloved wife of Jack Fleetwood (1914-1998). Mabel’s father’s family, her grandfather, John David Chapman, had migrated from Ontario in 1885 and settled on Telegraph Road, Cobble Hill. They had built a house there but this burned down in 1893. Her mother was Bella Mae Cameron who later married William Thomas Chapman. She was nine when, with her father and brothers, she came out to Cobble Hill from Nova Scotia upon the death of her mother. Her father was John David Cameron, the Cameron of Cameron-Taggart Road, Cobble Hill. Mabel was born on June the 30th 1908 and raised at the Chapman family home. Her father turned out not to be very reliable and, as the oldest of four daughters, Mabel was thrown into taking care of her sisters at an early age. At 14 she was milking cows and shearing sheep, with the wool mainly being bought by the Cowichan Indians (Quw’utsun’ First Nations). Chapman Road and Chapman Motors in Cobble Hill are named for the family and their property. Later, as a young woman, Mabel was a bookkeeper in Kitwanga for a short while. She and Jack met at a dance for visiting British Warships at the CAAC (Cowichan Amateur Athletic Club) hall on First Avenue, Cowichan Station. They were married in 1936. The Fleetwoods were generous supporters of the Society and contributed many hours of valuable taped interviews on cassette. Unfortunately these cassettes still languish, and are not transcribed due to lack of funding.

The following is Bella Mae Cameron’s Christmas Pudding recipe, copied out by her on June the 6th 1949. It is the only recipe used by Mabel Fleetwood and was passed down to her daughter Marie Skertchly who continued to use it until quite recently.

Xmas Pudding. Scotch.
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup suet (not too full)
1 cup currants, well washed
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped apple, not too fine
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 half teaspoon salt
Juice of lemon
2 or 3 eggs

Mix all together. Tie in a cloth-covered bowl and boil for 2 or 3 hours.

Note: this is substantially different from (and much less complicated) than the Christmas Pudding Anne Ballantyne makes that also uses suet. Consequently Anne says she will be trying this one this year.

Mike Ballantyne, B.C.F. No. 17, p. 3.