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Alexander Caulfield Anderson was born near Calcutta, India in 1814 and died at Saanich in 1884. He was educated in England and joined the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in 1831 as an apprentice clerk. After a year of service at Lachine, he was assigned to various HBC posts throughout the northwest, including Fort Vancouver, Fort McLoughlin, Fraser Lake, Fort George, Fort Nisqually, Fort Alexandria and Fort Colvile. He was promoted to chief trader in 1846, and would have been made chief factor had he been willing to accept a post in New Caledonia. Between 1846 and 1847, in response to the Oregon boundary issue, Anderson led three exploring expeditions in an attempt to find a route, from the HBC post at Kamloops to the HBC post Fort Langley, which would fall entirely within British territory. Two of the routes that he identified were used at various times by the HBC brigades between the interior posts and the ocean. He retired from the Company in 1854, and settled with his wife Eliza Birnie, whom he married in 1837, in Cathlamet, Washington. They eventually had 13 children. In 1858 Anderson was persuaded by James Douglas to accept the position of postmaster of Victoria; he later served briefly as collector of customs, and also had various business interests in Victoria. In 1876 he was appointed as both Dominion inspector of fisheries and the federal representative on the Dominion-Provincial Joint Commission on Indian Land in British Columbia. His appointment to this commission ended in 1878. Anderson was considered scholarly, and wrote several reports, articles and manuscripts about the history of the northwest coast.

Records include: A.C. Anderson's correspondence in and out (box 1), including letters from Peter Skene Ogden, 1837-1839, Sir George Simpson, 1836-1839, and letters to Alexander Grant Dallas, 1852, and William Fraser Tolmie, 1854; journals, certificates, notes and diaries and a manuscript "History of the Northwest Coast". Some of these records were previously catalogued in the Old Manuscript Collection of the BC Archives; a conversion list of old call numbers and a subject index are in the hard copy finding aid in the reference room. Box 1, file 1-4 consists of correspondence inward; Box 1, file 5 consists of correspondence outward; Box 1, file 6-7 consists of miscellaneous fur trade papers and appointments; Box 1, file 8-9 consists of certificates and will; Box 2, file 1-9 consists of notes, diaries and histories; Box 2, file 10 consists of the draft of Notes on North-Western America; Box 3 and 4 consist of miscellaneous records

The series consists of accounts and bills kept by Humphrey O'Sullivan, 1862-1890. Included in the unit is the hiring contract between O'Sullivan and the Hudson's Bay Company, 19 January 1886.

This series consists of transcripts of correspondence with the Hudson's Bay Company relating to the conveyance, settlement, and reconveyance of Vancouver Island. Correspondence is arranged chronologically.

Volumes:
Volume 1: 1822-1851
Volume 2: 1852-1856.
Volume 3: 1856-1858
Volume 4: 1858-1860
Volume 5: 1860-1863
Volume 6: 1863-1880

Series consists of seven letters from James Douglas (1851-1858); two letters from Robert Clouston, Honolulu (1855); letter from P.S. Ogden, Fort Hope (1858); fragment in writing of Paul Fraser, Thompson River (1855); HBC work agreement between Richard Baily, Virginia, and J.M. Yale (1851).

The series consists of a microfilm reel, two bound volumes of transcripts of correspondence, and several original inbound letters to Ermatinger from various Hudson's Bay Company officials and their families.

This microfilm is a copy of the original material held by the National Archives of Canada (MG 19 A 23). John McLeod (or MacLeod) entered service with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1811 and rose to the rank of chief trader in 1821. This microfilm includes letters received from friends and associates in the Hudson's Bay Company's service (1825-1837), a report on occurrences at Kamloops in 1822 and a rough journal of a trip from Kamloops to Edmonton in 1826. The material is in chronological order. Index to correspondence is on the film. Spelling of names may vary.

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.

Series consists of correspondence between Donald Ross and other Hudson's Bay Company officials and employees, private correspondence between Ross and members of his family, and a variety of other documents, including accounts, invoices, memoranda, marriage certificates, and trade reports. All items are letters inward to Donald Ross unless otherwise indicated in the finding aid. Also included are typewritten transcripts prepared by the BC Archives (BCA).

Diaries, account books, letter books [reports], miscellaneous papers, relating to service with Hudson's Bay Company in British Columbia 1883-1928; record of placer claims, Peace River District 1916-1936 under British Columbia Placer Mining Act 1891; sundry mining receipts; correspondence, receipts; documents concerning sons, clippings, 1927-1943. Printed pattern bed quilt in crochet transferred to BC Provincial Museum.

Correspondence with Edward Ellice, Lord John Russsell, Sir George Grey, Baron Panmure, John McDonald, and James Booth on colonial affairs, including trade and militia matters affecting British North America and the HBC fur trade; memorandum concerning Vancouver Island Colony.

Photocopies 1849-1857 91 p

Henry Labouchere, first Baron Taunton was born in 1798, obtained his early education at Winchester and received a B.A. from Christ Church, Oxford in 1821. In 1828 he received his M.A. He was first elected as a liberal Member of Parliament in 1826 and served in a variety of posts including Lord of the Admiralty (1832); Master of the Mint, privy councillor, and Vice-President of the Board of Trade (1835); and Undersecretary of War and the Colonies (1839). He was appointed President of the Board of Trade in Lord Melbourne's cabinet, 1939-1841, and served in the same capacity under Lord John Russell's ministry, 1847-1852. He became Secretary of State for the Colonies under Lord Palmerston from 1855-1858 and it is to this period of his career that this collection of papers pertains.

Source: MS Finding Aids

Photocopies presented by the Public Archives of Canada, which holds the originals in MG 24, A58, 1975.

Finding aid.

John Douglas Leechman, anthropologist and author, was born in London, England on December 20, 1890. Educated in the United Kingdom, Egypt and Switzerland, Leechman emigrated to Canada in his youth, served with the Canadian Mounted Rifles in the First World War and, after demobilization in 1917, apprenticed at the Victoria Public Library. In 1918, Leechman enrolled at the University of Washington to pursue a degree in Library Science but left the university prior to completing his degree. In 1924, while residing in Victoria, he applied for and won a position with the Anthropology Division of the National Museum of Canada in Ottawa, where he remained until 1955. During his thirty one years in Ottawa, Leechman spent part of his free time teaching evening courses in journalism at Carleton University and acquiring his BSc., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. In 1955 Leechman left the National Museum to become the first Director of the Glenbow Foundation in Calgary. He retired from this position in 1957, moved to Victoria and was shortly thereafter engaged by the Federal Government to aid in the restoration of Fort Langley and Fort Prince of Wales. When asked of his recreational activities and favorite pastimes, Leechman replied "writing". His years teaching journalism at Carlton and his extensive bibliography of about five hundred titles, attest to his leisure time pursuits. Leechman's co-authorship of the Dictionary of Canadianisms (1967), his activities, since 1968, as a Canadian consultant for the Oxford English Dictionary and his compilation of an extensive glossary of fur trade terms, found within this body of papers, are further testimony to his recreational pursuits and lexicographical interests. Dr. Leechman, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, died in Victoria in 1980. The bulk of the records consist of Leechman's theses dealing with native peoples and literature, his personal correspondence files (1925-1978) and typescripts of material submitted for publication including articles, books, radio scripts, and reviews. The records also include an extensive unpublished glossary of fur trade terms, the "Dictionary of Canadian English" which never appeared in print as a unit but became part of the Dictionary of Canadianisms; glossary notes for the Oxford English Dictionary and journalism lecture notes. Historical subject files which include material relating to Fort Langley, domestic files, diplomas, certificates, and some of his wife Ruth's general correspondence and committee files have been preserved. The records also contain some archaeological field notes relating to Leechman's study of the Cape Dorset Inuit culture as well as his field notes of archaeological sites in B.C. and the Yukon. Artwork comprising 157 pieces was removed from the fonds in 1987 and moved to the PDP collection under the PDP number 06180. In 2023 they were intellectually moved back to the fonds and added to this description. The artworks consist of drawings of Indigenous tools, botanical subjects and Indigenous peoples; many of which were used for the books, 'Edible Wild Plants' and Native Tribes of Canada'. Some of the artworks were done by artist Ted Noram. The BC Archives library has catalogued some of Leechman's publications.

Mackay's papers include: correspondence regarding Hudson's Bay Company matters, Indian affairs, etc., journal (1865) of Mackay's telegraph exploring expedition to the Cariboo, his recollections as a Chief Trader for the HBC, Commission as Indian Agent, notes regarding ceremonies, traditions, religious and astronomical beliefs of Indigenous people of BC, as well as separate notes on the Tsimshian, various contracts and agreements. Material includes Mackay's posthumously published biography of Walter Colquhoun Grant, W.D. Mackay's school examination paper, etc.

These records relate to McKay's career as a chief trader for the Hudson's Bay Company including correspondence, a journal, notes regarding ceremonies and traditional beliefs of Indigenous people of BC, and his recollections as Chief Trader.

This series includes miscellaneous land sale vouchers, issued at Victoria, B.C. by Joseph D. Pemberton, Colonial Surveyor. It includes vouchers pursuant to the sale of fur trade lands of the Hudson's Bay Company and vouchers signed by various Vancouver Island treasury clerks.

This series contains legal opinions offered by Attorney General on a wide range of subjects. For more information on the subjects covered, please consult the attached finding aid.

Malcolm McLeod was a barrister and writer.

MS consists of correspondence, manuscripts and notes relating to the Puget's Sound Agricultural Company in Oregon, the Northwest Territories and the selection of a route for the Canadian Pacific Railway accumulated by McLeod in his attempt to secure recognition of the value of the information on the west provided to the Canadian government, CPR, etc., by his father, John McLeod, and himself; includes letters from fur traders, information on the McLeod family, manuscripts by M. McLeod on the Hudson's Bay Company's territories and the location of the CPR. Also includes correspondence with Ranald Macdonald, who taught English in Japan, 1848-1849; reminiscences and Japanese glossaries by Macdonald, manuscripts by McLeod entitled "Japan, story of adventure of Ranald Macdonald."

Autobiographical note, letters inward from T.C. Elliott, 1938, 1941, two to Provincial Librarian, 1911 and 1912; memorandum and text of speech on La Perouse; journal of trip from Winnipeg to McDame Post, 1890; back of volume contains information re H.B.C. deed poll, including calculation of value of shares up to year 1872; MS. on winter travel with pen and ink sketch; "Not Forgotten (non oblitus)" [reminiscences of H.B.C.]; correspondence with Buckingham Palace, 1940; letter to A.S. Morton re "Not Forgotten".

The series consists of correspondence and miscellaneous documents regarding all aspects of Colony of Vancouver Island and the Hudson's Bay Company. The series includes correspondence, documents, and accounting records from the office of the Surveyor General including the departments of lands and works.

Correspondence and pamphlets pertaining to the naming of Ladysmith, B.C.; photocopy of a Hudson's Bay Company bank note.

Presented by A.N. Mouat at various dates.

The series consists of copies of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials kept at Fort Vancouver, Fort Victoria, Fort Langley, and the Parish of Victoria. The original dates of the records are 1836 to 1886 while the photocopies and transcripts were probably made around 1950.

The first mission of the Church of England on the northwest coast of North America was established by Rev. Herbert Beaver when he arrived at Fort Vancouver, the Pacific Headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company, in May 1837. With the establishment of Fort Victoria, the Hudson's Bay Company employed Rev. Robert John Staines to replace Rev. Beaver who had resigned his Fort Vancouver post in 1838. Staines arrived in 1849 and initiated construction of Victoria's District Church in 1853. Unhappy with the company's land policies, Staines sailed for England in 1854 carrying the grievances of other settlers. His ship foundered and Staines perished. His replacement was Edward Cridge who arrived at Fort Victoria on 1 April 1855. With the issuance of an ordinance by Governor Douglas "establishing regulations for the arrangement of the affairs of the Colonial Church" Cridge could hold his first regular services in August 1856. An endowment of £25,000 from Baroness Burdett-Coutts provided for the establishment of the Diocese of British Columbia and on 12 January 1859 Letters Patent were issued creating a Bishopric and appointing Rev. George Hills as Bishop. His church was consecrated on 7 December 1865 and Edward Cridge was appointed Dean. In September 1869 the Cathedral was destroyed by fire to be replaced by a second wooden structure consecrated on 5 December 1872. This was replaced with the existing stone cathedral consecrated 28 September 1929.

The series consists of registers of chronometer readings made at Fort Victoria. The series includes records probably created by or for the Colonial Surveyor for the Hudson's Bay Company (1851-1858). Arranged chronologically.

Series consists of private correspondence and personal financial accounts of James Hargrave and his family and descendants, which include the family of John Lockhart Schofield. Records include correspondence referring to life at York Factory and in mid-nineteenth century Britain; accounts; wills and marriage contracts; correspondence regarding publishing of family papers; school reports; papers relating to the Trail Creek News; and copies of newspapers.

The series consists of correspondence, letterbooks, diaries, commissions, notes and memoranda relating to his work with the Hudson's Bay Company and the Puget Sound Agricultural Company at Fort Nisqually, and later, Victoria. Some published materials from the library of the Tolmie family not related to the history of the northwest have been included in the collection.