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Only top-level descriptions British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works
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Crown land grants

  • GR-3139
  • Series
  • 1851-1878

The Crown land grants in this series have been recorded in registers covering particular districts or towns. Those registered after 1869 overlap with a centrally registered series of Crown land grants (GR-3097,1869-1930). Included in this series is an indexed volume of Hudson's Bay Company deeds to lands on southern Vancouver Island granted between 1851 and 1858.

Records from 1860-1878 have been indexed in the Historic Crown Grants database (http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/gator/crowngrantsearchrequest.do). Unlike the records in GR-3097, no volume or grant number is provided, only a reel number.

Crown land grants in this series are documented with a land grant registration form and, in many cases, related records. Most of the forms originally consisted of "a" and "b" parts; the latter was given to the grantee, and the former (a long, narrow "counterfoil" ) was kept by the government. These counterfoil records describe the sale or transfer of specific parcels of Crown land; some also describe the terms and conditions governing these transactions. Some counterfoils contain very little information. Registration forms generally document the following: registration number; grantee name; location, acreage, and lot number of the land; and the amount paid. Registration dates are in most cases distinguished on the forms from the dates land was initially acquired; this reflects the fact that purchase of land may not have been finalized until months or years afterwards, when all required improvements had been made. In rare cases, no registration or acquisition date is recorded. Attachments (usually glued to the relevant counterfoil) include sketches of land, applications for Crown grants, receipts, certificates of purchase and title, conveyances recording sale of granted land to other persons, state of title forms, court documents, and related correspondence and other documentation.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Yale District water rights records

  • GR-0845
  • Series
  • 1857-1906

This series consists of three volumes of records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Yale District, relating to water rights. Volume 1 contains Irrigation Water Records for Yale and Ashcroft Water Districts, 1873-1885, Book No. 4. Volume 2 is an index to Water Records, 1859 to 1900, Books 1, 2, 3, 4. Volume 3 is a list of Water Records, Yale District, 1857-1906.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Land sale records

  • GR-0567
  • Series
  • 1858-1868

This series consists of receipt books and miscellaneous land sale records. Records consist largely of receipts for the sale of town lots, suburban and country lands, and unsurveyed rural lands, issued by Assistant Commissioners of Lands and Works for Cariboo District, Lillooet District, Yale District, and New Westminster District. The series also includes land sale records pertaining to Lytton, Seymour, Douglas, Port Moody, Fort Langley, and Similkameen district, and a trading licences receipt book issued by Frank Trevor, Collector at Quesnel.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Yale District

  • GR-0826
  • Series
  • 1859-1886

This series consists of the records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Yale District, 1859-1886. Records include five volumes of pre-emption records. Volume 1, nos. 1-392 (1859-1872); Volume 2, nos. 275-312 and 1-24 (1870-1871); Volume 3, nos. 25-279 (1871-1884); Volume 4, certificates of record of unsurveyed land, nos. 250-294 (1874-1885); Volume 5, certificates of record of unsurveyed land, nos. 292-295 (1883-1886). Volumes 1 and 4 have nominal indexes.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Certificates of purchase

  • GR-1521
  • Series
  • 1859-1944

This series contains acknowledgements of moneys received by the Lands Department pursuant to the pre-emption or sale of crown land. These certificates of purchase include district, legal description of land, acreage, date and terms of payment, name of payer, pre-emption record number, certificate of improvement number, crown grant number and departmental file numbers. The certificates are divided into four series.

SERIES 1. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE BY LAND DISTRICT, 1859-1913. Volumes have alphabetical indexes.
SERIES 2. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE, 1874-1890. TOWN LOTS AND MISCELLANEOUS DISTRICT CERTIFICATES. Volumes have alphabetical indexes.
SERIES 3. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE, SERIES 4. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE, 1907-1944. Vancouver Island certificate books.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Comiaken Land District land register

  • GR-2626
  • Series
  • 1859-1885

This series consists of a Comiaken Land District land register for Range 1, Section 1 to Range 3, Section 19 on Vancouver Island. The volume date 1859-1885.

The register is arranged numerically by Range and Section and records the alienation of land from the Crown (by purchase, pre-emption, etc.). Information may include the name of the purchaser, dates and numbers of certificates issued (including Crown Grants), dates and amounts of payments and reference numbers to correspondence and field books. The volume includes an alphabetical name index.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Bills and other material

  • GR-1157
  • Series
  • 1859-1889

This series contains miscellaneous bills, paid and unpaid, and a statement of personal expenses for liquor and alcohol, by John Boles Gaggin of Quesnellemouth (modern day Quesnel).

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Pre-emption correspondence and applications, Lytton District

  • GR-1150
  • Series
  • 1859-1874

The series consists of correspondence and applications made to the Colonial Dept. of Lands and Works between 1859-1871, and its successor agency, the Provincial Dept. of Lands and Works between 1871-1874 regarding land pre-emptions in the Lytton district.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Sale book of rural lands

  • GR-1040
  • Series
  • 1859

This series contains a sale book of rural lands entitled: October 5th, 1859, Records of lands sold to Sgt. Wm. McColl and Sgt. Major George Cann of the Royal Engineers and a Capt. MacLean, Charles Good and Governor James Douglas (Manson Island lands).

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Account records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works

  • GR-1042
  • Series
  • 1859-1863

Series contains account records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works Lytton. Account of H.M. Ball with Lands and Works Department, 1862-1863; list of horses purchased for the Lytton district by the government, 1860; list of permanent stores of the Lytton department, 1859-1860.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Certificates of title of country lands

  • GR-1398
  • Series
  • 1860-1861

This series contains certificates of title of country lands in B.C. (2 vols.) Volume 1 contains nos. 1-35 (1860-1861). Volume 2 contains nos. 36-39 (1861). The records are counterfoil books containing name of purchaser, acreage and description of lands.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Pre-emption records

  • GR-1182
  • Series
  • 1860-1874, 1884

This series contains records relating to pre-emptions in the Cariboo, Lillooet, Lytton and Kootenay Districts recorded by various Gold Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners of Lands and Works. The records consist of correspondence, notices of claim, sketches and affidavits and pertains largely to records in the vicinities of Quesnel, Alexandria, Williams Lake, Lytton and Cache Creek. The series also includes a detailed account of town lot sales at Quesnellemouth held on 13 October 1863 as well as an application for wages due, correspondence on various land disputes, several water records, and proposed leases of government reserves.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Lillooet District

  • GR-0827
  • Series
  • 1860-1874

This series consists of records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Lillooet District. Records include four volumes of pre-emption records. Volume 1, Records of Pre-empted Lands in the Lillooet District, nos. 1-330 (1860-1869); includes notices of water records nos. 1-114 (1865-1869) and later notices of cancellations and Crown grants. Volume 2, pre-emption claim certificates, nos. 331-418 (1870-1874, 1881). Volume 3, pre-emption claims, nos. 89-128 (1862-1863) consisting of sketches pasted into ledger of cash collected for road tolls, 1862-1865. Volume 4, preemption claims, nos. 20-88 (1861-1862), no. 120 (1863) and nos. 187-200 (1865-1866), including sketches.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Pre-emption records for west coast land

  • GR-0766
  • Series
  • 1861-1886

This series consists of pre-emption records for west coast land relating largely to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The records consist of pre-emption registrations, certificates of pre-emption, pre-emption sketches, certificates that certain lands are unoccupied and open for settlement, some certificates of improvement, and correspondence.

West Coast land districts and areas these records relate to include:

Alberni District, Cedar District, Chemainus District, Comiaken District, Comox District, Cowichan District, Cranberry District, Darcy Island, Denman Island, Departure Bay, Descanos Island, Discovery Island, Englishman River, Esquimalt District, Fanny Bay, Fort Rupert, Galiano Island, Hedley Islets, Highland District, Hornby Island, James Island, Jedidiah Island, Kennedy District, Koksaila River, Kuper Island, Lake District, Lake Matheson, Lasqueti Island, Mayne Island, Metchosin District, Moresby Island, Mountain District, Mousquito Island, Mudge Island, Nanaimo District, Nanoose District, Nootka Sound, Otter District, Oyster Bay, Pender Island, Piers Island, Point Home, Portland Island, Prevost Island, Qualicum, Quamichan District, Rocky Point, Saanich Districts, Saltspring District, Samuel Island, San Juan Island, Saturna Island, Shawnigan District, Sister Bay, Somas River, Alberni, Somenos District, Sooke District, Stikeen, Stuart Island, Stubb's Island, Thetis Island, Ucluelet Arm, Victoria District, Village Point, Wellington District.

Includes pre-emption records for Cassiar, Stikine, and Queen Charlotte Islands, 1873-1874, arranged numerically. Contains one pre-emption from Osoyoos District, 1884.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Day book of expenditures and correspondence

  • GR-1029
  • Series
  • 1862-1865

This series consists of a day book of expenditures of road and bridge construction, surveys and transport, 1862-1864; goods received from grocers, Hope, B.C., 1865; correspondence and specifications relating to the construction of the Burrard Inlet road, 1864-1865.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Merchandise accounts and sales register

  • GR-1065
  • Series
  • 1862

Store Book, Boston Bar Waggon (sic) Road, July 1862- November 1862, Rocky Camp (1 vol.). Merchandise accounts and sales register.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Pre-emption correspondence and applications, Cariboo district

  • GR-1151
  • Series
  • 1862-1873

The series consists of correspondence and applications made to the Colonial Dept. of Lands and Works between 1862-1871, and its successor agency, the Provincial Dept. of Lands and Works between 1871-1873 regarding land pre-emptions in the Cariboo district. Some of the correspondence regarding mining interests originated with William Cox, the Gold Commissioner for the Cariboo district.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Public Works contracts, plans, and correspondence

  • GR-0087
  • Series
  • 1862-1909

The series consists of records created by the Dept. of Lands and Works between 1862 and 1909. The records include contracts, specifications, plans, correspondence, returns of work performed, reports and accounting material pertaining to the construction, maintenance, and repair of diverse roads, bridges, dams, wharves, and buildings. The records are arranged roughly by district.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Correspondence and other material, Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works

  • GR-1381
  • Series
  • 1863-1896

This series contains miscellaneous records of the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works. The records consist of correspondence, receipts, accounts, petitions relating to pre-emptions, ferries, roads, public works, leases, and tax assessments. Includes (1) Metchosin District assessment roll, 1863; (2) pre-emption correspondence with William G. Cox and Peter O'Reilly, 1865, 1869; (3) receipt book for rental of crown lands, including waterfrontage and timber cutting, 1868-1869; (4) indenture for ferry charter at Omineca, 1872; (5) accounts relating to roads and bridges 1872-1873; (6) an 1880 petition re the graving dock; (7) report on Thompson River Bridge, 1876, 1882; (8) an 1892 pre-emption of Allison, Carefoot and Cameron in Yale District; (9) copy of a letter re road to Montgomery Landing, Kootenay District, 1896.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Certificates of improvement

  • GR-0765
  • Series
  • 1863-1878

This series consists of certificates of improvement nos. 1-276, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Missing certificates are listed.

Certificates from before 1868 are created by the Colony of Vancouver Island Office of the Surveyor General.
Certificate from 1869-1871 are created by the Colony of British Columbia Department of Lands and Works. Certificates created after 1871 are created by the Province of British Columbia Department of Lands and Works.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

List of Title Deed books

  • GR-1056
  • Series
  • 1863

List of Title Deed Books, etc. in the Land Office handed over by the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works to C. Brew, Esq., J.P., November 10, 1863.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Cariboo District

  • GR-0824
  • Series
  • 1863-1893

This series consists of 11 volumes of records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Cariboo District, 1863-1893. Records include certificates of pre-emption, certificates of improvement, lot register of Group 1, Cariboo District, sale of town lots of Richfield, Barkerville, Cameronton, and Quesnellemouth, and certificates of purchase. Also contains water rights recorded for irrigation purposes and an accounts book.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Accounts payable ledger

  • GR-1083
  • Series
  • 1863

This series contains an accounts payable ledger from 1863, relating to wages paid and construction costs of the Cariboo road. Includes an alphabetical index.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Lands records

  • GR-0829
  • Series
  • 1864-1868; 1876-1879

This series consists of three volumes of miscellaneous land account books. Volume 1, Land Revenue, receipts paid into the Treasury, 26 December 1864 to 30 December 1865. Volume 2, Cash Book, receipts and payments, 8 January 1866 to 2 July 1868. Volume 3, Ledger Book, expenditures for roads, furniture, buildings and government offices generally, 1876-1879. Index in front of vol. 3.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Accounts ledger

  • GR-1171
  • Series
  • 1865-1866

This series contains one volume of an accounts ledger, receipts and payments. It also includes a ledger of expenditures for road construction, surveys and explorations, salaries, supplies, etc.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Register of land pre-emptions and other material

  • GR-0514
  • Series
  • 1867-1884

This series consists of one volume entitled "Mr. Morley's Old Book Land Records - List of Squatters on Railway Lands p. 51". The volume is a register of land pre-emptions, certificates of improvement, purchases and transfers, 1867-1879. Entries include a date, pre-emption or certificate number, district name, personal or corporate name, number of acres, range and section or "unsurveyed" and name of land recorder, John. Morley. The districts include Comiaken, Somenos, Quamichan, Cowichan, Shawnigan, and Salt Spring Island, Portland Island, Thetis Island, Pender Island, Mayne Island and Saturna Island. Entries on pages 51-54 list squatters on Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway land, 1877-1884 indicating the date, name, district (includes above plus Chemainus), section and number of acres. There is also a single sheet letter from Chad Wallader Blayney, June 13, 1876, requesting land.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Crown land grants

  • GR-3097
  • Series
  • 1869-1930

This series consists of crown land grant files for BC crown land grants issued from December 1869 - when all such grants have been centrally registered, regardless of location or type - to 1930. They are arranged by volume and registration number. Earlier registrations, organized by district or town and not centrally indexed, are found in GR-3139.

Crown land grants are issued when land owned by the government is conveyed to private persons and organizations under the authority of the senior official responsible for Crown lands.

Several different types of grants are inter-filed in the Crown land grant series. Under a process known as "pre-emption" (which continued until 1970) individuals could purchase land which had not been fully surveyed. However, grants to these lands were not issued until the applicant had made specified improvements, satisfied residency requirements, and had the lands fully surveyed. Other types of grants have included those for the purposes of mineral claims, town lots, mill sites, schools, returning soldiers' homesteads, and railway rights-of-way.

Each Crown land grant is documented in this series with a land grant registration form and related records. These records describe the sale or transfer of specific parcels of Crown land and the terms and conditions governing these transactions. During the period covered by these records, each registration form documents the following: registration number; grantee name; location, acreage, and lot number of the land; and the amount paid. Attachments include sketches of land lots, applications for Crown grants, receipts for land and fees, certificates of purchase, and related documentation.

Alphabetical indexes for these files are found in GR-3096. An online index, albeit incomplete, is available at: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/gator/crowngrantsearchrequest.do.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Crown land grant indexes

  • GR-3096
  • Series
  • 1869-1930

Indexes to and registers of colonial and provincial crown land grants. Excludes crown land grants (letters patent) issued by the federal government for the Railway Belt and Peace River Block lands, 1885-1930. See GR-0436 for more information about Dominion land grants.

While crown land grants were issued from 1857 on, no comprehensive indexes were compiled before 1869. Copies of the crown grants and related documents can be found in GR-3097 and GR-3139. The indexes are recorded in bound volumes, each containing an alphabetical index to one or more annual volumes of crown land grant registers. The arrangement and content of the indexes has evolved over time.

From 1869 until 1912, each index volume consists of two sections. The first section is an alphabetical listing of surnames of grantees and of lots (in cases where a lot was given a name, for example "Copper King" ), with corresponding lot registration numbers. The second section, arranged by registration number, records additional information used for tracking the crown grant registration process. From 1869 until 1901, each index volume spans two or more years of grants. From 1902 onward, each index volume corresponds to one calendar year of registrations. Starting in 1908 (overlapping with the earlier indexing system for five years), a new indexing system was implemented and at first entitled "General Index to Crown Grants." These indexes consist of only one section, organized alphabetically by the first letter of the grantee's surname. Within each letter section, grants are recorded in order by date of registration. The first volume of the General Index includes grantees from 1908 to 1911; the second volume covers 1912. From 1913 on, when the first indexing system was discontinued, each index volume corresponds to a calendar year of registrations.

The following information is recorded in the indexes: district name, grant number and name, grantee name, amount charged for the grant, date of the grant, surveyed designation, acreage, how the land was acquired (including the method of purchase, such as at auction or by pre-emption, or the type of grant, such as mineral claim or returning soldier homestead) assessment district, surveyed designation, and location. An online index to crown grants issued between 1860 and 1930 is available at http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/gator/crowngrantsearchrequest.do. Note that the online index is incomplete.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Lands and Works correspondence

  • GR-2013
  • Series
  • 1870-1871

Correspondence with the Dept. of Lands and Works regarding applications to pre-empt land on the Skeena River, 1870-1871. Also on the microfilm is a February 1896 letter to Ezra Evan at Manson Creek appointing him to the position of Mining Recorder for the District of Omineca.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

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