Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Pre-confederation marriage records
General material designation
- textual record
- microform
Parallel title
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Title statements of responsibility
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Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1859-1872 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia (Colony). Colonial Secretary
Physical description area
Physical description
Originals, 40 cm (8 volumes), microfilm (neg.), 1859-1872, 16 mm [B09707]
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The first Colonial Secretary of the Colony of Vancouver Island, William A.G. Young, was appointed by Governor James Douglas in 1859. Prior to that, the territories known as New Caledonia were under grant to the Hudson’s Bay Company and were administered by the chief factor (Douglas) and employees of the company. The Government of British Columbia Act (21-22 Vict., c. 99) provided for a legislature with a council and an assembly, but from 1858 to 1864 absolute power and authority for the colony was invested by the Crown in the Governor James Douglas. The Colonial Secretary was the administrative assistant to the Governor as well as keeper of the official record for the council, and later, of the Executive and Legislative Councils.
From 1859 to 1863, one Colonial Secretary (William Young) served both the Colony of British Columbia and the Colony of Vancouver Island under Governor Douglas. In 1863, the Colonial Office in England instituted constitutional changes that required a separate government for each colony. Along with James Douglas, Young relinquished his position with the Colony of British Columbia but they kept their positions with the Colony of Vancouver Island. Douglas appointed Young, as Colonial Secretary, to the Executive Council, along with the Attorney-General, Treasurer, and Surveyor-General. The Governor was the presiding member, but in the event of his incapacity or absence from the colony, the Colonial Secretary became the officer administering the government.
In November 1866, the Colony of Vancouver Island was united with the Colony of British Columbia, after which time there was a single Colonial Secretary for the united colony. Edwin Nesbitt served briefly as Colonial Secretary during the transition period. Arthur N. Birch was the first Colonial Secretary for the united Colony of British Columbia, serving from 1864-1867. He was appointed by the Colonial Office in England where he had been private secretary to Edward Lytton, Secretary of State for the Colonies.
During the 1865/66 term, Birch was replaced by Henry M. Ball in an acting position while Birch acted as the officer administering the government in the absence of Governor Seymour. Ball was a County Court Judge in Lytton and a member of the Legislative Council. In 1867, when Victoria was designated the capital of the colony, Birch left the colony and William Young took on the dual appointments of Acting Colonial Secretary and Acting Treasurer, and served as the Acting Colonial Secretary until 1869. Philip J. Hankin, former secretary to Arthur Kennedy, Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island, and also Superintendent of Police (1864-1866), was appointed by the Colonial Office, over Young, as the last Colonial Secretary for the Colony of British Columbia. Hankin served in the position from 1869 to 1871, except for a few months when Charles Good, chief clerk in the office of the Colonial Secretary, was acting in the position.
In 1871, the Colony of British Columbia joined confederation as a province of the Dominion of Canada. The position of Colonial Secretary remained as a provincial office and, in 1872, was renamed to Provincial Secretary.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Records of marriages occurring in the Colony of British Columbia and the Colony of Vancouver Island, submitted to the Colonial Secretary by clergy, 1859-1872, prior to the entry of British Columbia into the Confederation of Canada. The records are bound into eight volumes in two accessions. The volumes contain certified copies of marriage certificates, or returns of marriages, submitted by clergy of various, but not all, denominations. Absent, for example, are the records of the Church of England/Anglican Church. See MS-0520 for Victoria’s Christ Church Cathedral records and H/A/Sa21 for St. Stephen’s Church register of marriages, 1863-1880.
Also includes a letter from Rev. John B. Good.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Volumes A1 to A5 are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the groom. Each marriage record contains a record number, information about the bride and groom including: the name; age; condition (marital status); rank or profession; residence, place of birth; father's name; and profession of father. Also included are: the date of the marriage; place of marriage; names of witnesses; the name of the officiating clergyman; and the church denomination.
Volume A6 is arranged chronologically. Each marriage record contains the names of the bride and groom; their ages; residences; places of birth; names of parents; names of witnesses; date of marriage; place of marriage; name of officiating clergyman; and church denomination.
Volume A7 is arranged alphabetically by the grooms' surnames, and volumes X7 and X8 are arranged first by year and then alphabetically. Each marriage record contains information about the bride and groom including: name; age; condition (marital status); and rank or profession. Also included are: residences; date of marriage; place of marriage; names of witnesses; name of clergy; and church denomination.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no access restrictions.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
- Finding aid: reel/volume list.
- http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Document/Finding_Aids_Atom/GR-3001_to_GR-3500/gr-3044.pdf
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): 89-0404; 91-3528
General note
The records in volumes A1 to A6 are hand written and often difficult to read.
General note
An index was created by volunteers shortly before filming of the records. It appears at the start of the microfilm reel (B09707) and consists of two parts: one sorted alphabetically by the surnames of individuals, and the second alphabetically by the place of marriage. For each marriage the index contains the surnames and given names of individuals; the record and volume number of the marriage; the date of the marriage (format is year/month/day); the marriage place (name of community and/or church); and the district. Note that Volume A1, due to its unavailability at the time, was not indexed.
While every effort was made to ensure accuracy of transcription, the final authority for spelling of names is the individual registration, not the index. Aboriginal names may prove especially difficult as, in addition to difficulties arising from the transcription of handwritten records, the names are spelled according to how the persons completing the marriage certificates thought they sounded, with the addition of diacritical marks.
General note
Index data can also be found and searched in the Colonial Marriages database (part of BC Archives Genealogy Search http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy).
General note
Due to its unavailability at the time of filming, the contents of Volume A1 were not indexed and are included in the index, either on microfilm or online. Volume A1 has now been digitized.