Series GR-0752 - Attorney General correspondence to the Governor

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Attorney General correspondence to the Governor

General material designation

  • textual record

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.

Level of description

Series

Reference code

GR-0752

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)

  • 1864-1870 (Creation)
    Creator
    British Columbia (Colony). Attorney-General

Physical description area

Physical description

11 cm of textual records

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

(1859-1871)

Biographical history

In 1859, the Colonial Office appointed George Hunter Cary as the first Attorney-General of the Colony of British Columbia. Prior to that, Governor James Douglas had appointed Judge Matthew Begbie as his acting Attorney-General in 1858 to provide legal advice in the drafting of laws pertaining to the administration of justice in his jurisdiction. At the time of Begbie’s appointment, Douglas requested that the Colonial Office appoint a permanent Attorney-General. The Colonial Office responded by appointing Cary. As an officer of the Crown, the Attorney-General of the Colony of British Columbia represented the Crown and the public in the courts, was the official legal advisor to the government, and was responsible for the organization of the civil justice system. In 1861, Cary resigned from his position in the Colony of British Columbia, although he remained as the Attorney-General of Vancouver Island until 1864. He was succeeded as Attorney-General of the Colony of British Columbia by Henry Crease who retained the position until 1870. Crease was followed briefly by George Phillippo, Edward Alston, and then John McCreight who served jointly as the first Attorney-General and the first premier of the Province of British Columbia in 1871.

Custodial history

Scope and content

This series consists of letters and copies of letters from the Colonial Attorney General to the Governor forwarding ordinances and commenting on bills and ordinances, 1864-1870.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

History unknown. Records accessioned as GR-0752 in March 1980.

Arrangement

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

Associated materials

Related materials

Accruals

General note

Accession number(s): GR-0752

General note

This series was previously described by the BC Archives under the title "correspondence".

Alternative identifier(s)

Standard number area

Standard number

Access points

Place access points

Genre access points

Control area

Description record identifier

Accession area

Related places

Related genres

Physical storage

  • Box: GR0752-0001