Rattenbury

Ratz" Francis Mawson Rattenbury was only twenty-five years old when he was commissioned to design the new Parliament Buildings for British Columbia, and soon became the most sought after architect in the province. He designed almost every important building of his time in British Columbia, including the Empress Hotel; British Columbia's Government House; court-houses in Vancouver, Nanaimo and Nelson; and Victoria's Crystal Gardens. Rattenbury courted the press his entire career; he thrived on publicity and notoriety, yet in 1930, he left British Columbia and settled into unhappy obscurity in England after a scandalous affair and subsequent marriage to a much younger woman. In 1935, Rattenbury was murdered by his second wife's lover the chauffeur. Released in time to celebrate the centennial of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, this revised edition examines previously unknown details about Rattenbury's involvement with the Empress Hotel. Terry Reksten also discloses the aftermath of the infamous Rattenbury murder trial, including what happened to the architect's children and George Stoner, the chauffeur convicted of his murder.

A full-time writer and lecturer, Terry Reksten has produced six books of history and biography. She is also active in civic affairs and in 1985 was named an Honorary Citizen of the City of Victoria in recognition of her writing and her work in heritage preservation. When not exploring archives and libraries for forgotten stories from British Columbia's past, Terry Reksten works at restoring the gardens at "Carrigrise," her cottage in the countryside of County Cork, Ireland.