Caroline "Mother" Fulham (1852–unknown) was an Irish-born Canadian known for raising pigs in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, and impacting city bylaws regarding the care of animals within city limits. Fulham was born in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

and moved to Calgary in 1889. Her husband John Fulham was a rancher. He spent much of his time living and working outside of town and only occasionally visited the city. As a resident in the city she was known for disorderly behaviour and run-ins with the police. She was known the only woman to drink at the Alberta Hotel, which otherwise had an all-male clientele, and for frequent arrests while under the influence of alcohol. Fulham lived at 612-6th Avenue SW. She raised pigs and other animals in her backyard. Her pigs were fed using waste from local hotels and restaurants. She collected waste in a

swill Swill is liquid (or partially liquid) food for animals. The term can also be used as a derogatory label for any drink meant for human ingestion perceived as unpalatable or nearly so. Pig swill Pig swill, hog swill, or hogwash is kitchen refuse ...

barrel, traveling around town on a horse-drawn cart. At the time, there were no laws against raising

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

within city limits.

James Alexander Lougheed Sir James Alexander Lougheed, ( or ; 1 September 1854 – 2 November 1925) was a businessman, lawyer and politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a senator for 35 years, and held a number of Cabinet positions. Early life Lougheed was bor ...

complained to the city that the value of land he owned was negatively impacted by Fulham's pig raising activities. In response, city council introduced the first set of building restrictions in Calgary's history. Fulham was frequently represented in court by fellow Irish-Canadian,

Paddy Nolan Patrick James Nolan (March 3, 1862 in Limerick, Ireland – February 10, 1913 in Calgary, Alberta) was an early Canadian 'frontier' lawyer, whose fame as "the greatest wit in the west" has led to stories and legends in Canadian folklore about his ...

, and was known for theatrics in the courtroom. Following the death of a cow following a collision with a

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

vehicle, she had Nolan sue the company for damages. The company argued it was not responsible due to the posting of "No Trespassing" signs along the rail line. In response Fulham yelled "You fools! What made you think my cow could read?". Fulham left Calgary in 1904. She sold her property following the death of her husband in 1903. Fulham lived briefly for a time in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

before returning to Calgary in 1905. Her whereabouts after that time are unknown. The building where she lived was eventually torn down to accommodate development in the city. Sarah Carter has argued that Fulham's behaviour was noteworthy because it went against and tested social norms related to the behaviour of women. Linda Kupececk echoed the assessment stating that Fulham "pushed the boundaries of what women could be in frontier Calgary."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulham, Caroline 1852 births Canadian farmers Irish emigrants to Canada Year of death unknown