Accession number(s): 74A-721
Sir James Douglas (1803-1877) was an HBC Officer and the Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island and of the Colony of British Columbia.
James Douglas was born in British Guyana in 1803 to a woman of mixed European and African ancestry and a Scottish merchant named John Douglas. Along with the birth of James, John Douglas and James’ mother would have two other children, Alexander and Cecilia. John Douglas started a second family with Jessie Hamilton whom he married in Glasgow in 1809.
At a young age, James Douglas attended a preparatory school in Scotland. When he was 16, Douglas and his brother were hired by the North West Company and eventually found themselves at Fort William in 1819. When the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company merged in 1821, Douglas managed to enter the HBC’s employ as a second clerk. In 1825, Douglas took charge of Fort Vermilion in Peace River for the summer, and crossed the Rockies in 1826 to bring supplies to New Caledonia from Fort Vancouver. Douglas worked around the area until he was asked to establish Fort Connolly on Bear Lake for the HBC.
In 1828 Douglas married Amelia Connolly, the daughter of William Connolly and a Cree woman. In 1830, he became an accountant under John McLoughlin at Fort Vancouver and for nine years Douglas steadily worked and gained the trust of his colleagues. After several smaller job advancements, Douglas was promoted by the HBC to Chief Factor in 1839. In 1842 he received instructions to establish a fort at the south of Vancouver Island and in 1843 he started the construction of Fort Victoria.
When the Oregon Treaty was signed in 1846, and the 49th parallel border was further extended from the Rocky Mountains to reach the west coast, Douglas knew that Britain needed to make a bigger claim on the land north of the 49th parallel. To do this, Douglas started a new brigade trail on British territory along the lower Fraser River to further establish control over the area and Britain set finances for the Colony of Vancouver Island to be established.
Douglas was expected to be Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island but he was overlooked for Richard Blanshard. As it turned out, Blanshard only lasted as governor from 1849 – 1851; Douglas took over when Blanshard stepped down and held the position until 1864. As governor, Douglas oversaw and directed a lot of the growth of the west coast. Towns, roads, business, and communities were being built to establish a larger British colony. Douglas advised people to embrace the end of fur trading and encouraged farming, fishing, and coal mining instead.
The Colony of British Columba was created in 1858 and James Douglas was made Governor. Douglas remained Governor until 1864, and was knighted with 2nd level of the Order of the Bath around the same time as when he stepped down. After leaving his position Douglas spent the remainder of his life traveling around England and living in Victoria to connect with his family. James Douglas passed away 1877.
Published
Title based on content
Series contains several sets of individual letters sent between James Douglas, his family members, and their acquaintances. Includes a letter-book used from 1854-1857; a letter-book used from 1867-1870; a collection of dinner invitations and hymn sheet music; and an excerpted transcript of James Douglas’ private letters from an otherwise professional letter-book.
* KHUGHES 2014-04-15
*EFEDUK 2017-04-20
File contains copies of two different letters regarding James Douglas' claim against the US.
Published
Published
File contains two letters sent from James Douglas to Martha Harris (née Douglas).
Published
File contains a letter sent from James Douglas to Thomas Fraser in regards to Douglas’ retirement from the HBC and a letter from James Douglas to William Young in regards to the execution of a murderer.
Published
File consists of personal correspondence from James Douglas going outward to other Douglas family members and acquaintances.
Item is an excerpted transcription of James Douglas’ private letters from an original Fort Vancouver letterbook, see
PR-1682, A/B/20/V.
Published
File contains letters sent from James Douglas to Martha Douglas during her time spent in Europe for her education, and includes some letters sent from James Douglas to other acquaintances.
Transcript is available B/40/4A
Access is restricted for conservation reasons.
Available in other formats.
Published
File contains an envelope addressed to Lady Douglas; a Letter from James Douglas Jr to Lady Douglas, and a Letter from an acquaintance.
Published
File consists of Sir James Douglas' observations on the Oregon Treaty of 1846 and accompanying letters written to Lieutenant Governor Trutch on the matter.
Published
File contains various dinner invitations from and for Sir James Douglas and Lady Douglas, envelopes - some addressed to Sir James Douglas and Lady Douglas and some blank, and the sheet music for two hymns.
Contains some preserved items, including a photograph of an invitation from Sir and Lady Douglas to celebrate the birth of a royal son and the negatives of two images of invitations.
Published
Item is a letterbook containing scrap-bookings and correspondence between James Douglas and various acquaintances. The book was used from 1854 -1857.
No photocopying, researchers can photograph
Published
Item is a letterbook containing correspondence between James Douglas and his acquaintances and family. The book was used from 22 Mar 1867 - 11 Oct 1870
Transcript B/40/2A
Microfilm 738A
No Photocopying, original can be photograph
Archives code: F/52/D74
Published
Item consists of one letter (copy) written by James Douglas to Israel Wood Powell, Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Douglas' letter is in response to a letter from Powell (9 October 1874) inquiring whether, during Douglas' tenure a Governor of British Columbia, there was a specific basis of acreage used in setting apart reserves.
Old MS catalogue
Digitized in 2018