School Name History
Location
33130 Bevan Avenue, Abbotsford, BC
Opened
1958
The School
The original school was a one-room school that opened in 1958. A second room was completed in 1960. By 1963, the school had grown into a six-room building. Only three years later, there were plans to complete six more classrooms, as well as a library, staff room, and kitchen. In 1970 an open area activity room and gravelled parking lot were added. A full-size gym and a fully equipped library were completed in 1975.
Origin of the Name
John Godson’s widow, Molly, sold four acres of their property to the school district in 1952. She asked for the school to be named John Godson in honour of her husband. She also asked that the school would not cut down a large maple tree on the pasture land. The school district did not fulfil either condition. They named the school Godson, omitting his first name. In 1964, the maple was cut down because its roots were pushing up land on the playground and interfering with sewer lines. A disappointed Molly refused to sell more property to the district later when it asked to buy more of her land. In 1985, she sold some of her land to be developed for housing. When she died, much of her remaining land was given to the Trethewey Museum. In 1988, her son Ralph Godson asked the district to change the name of the school to John Godson Elementary as a mark of courtesy and respect for his father. The name was not changed.
John (Jack) Godson (1888-1935)
John (Jack) Godson was born in Worcester, England in 1888. He emigrated to Canada and eventually settled in Abbotsford. In 1917, he married his wife Mary, who was known as Molly. At first, the couple lived on property next to Molly’s father. In fact, her father cared for their cows when they went on their honeymoon.
Around 1920, John and Molly bought five acres on Ware Road, where the school was later built. John mostly rented out his property to other farmers while working at the Abbotsford Lumber Company Mill. The mill was on what was first known as Bais Lake, now called Mill Lake. The mill was owned by the Trethewey family, who lived near the Godsons. John eventually became foreman at the mill.
The Abbotsford School District graciously acknowledges the Abbotsford Retired Teachers Association for collecting the histories and stories of our schools as part of their "What's in a name?" 50th-anniversary project.
Images courtesy of The Reach P984, P1212, P6184, P2668