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Archival description
Esquimalt (B.C.) Series
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Scrapbooks

The series consists of scrapbooks made by Naval Officer Alfred Charles Wurtele, containing clippings and memorabilia of the 1951 provincial by-election in Esquimalt and his career as Reeve.

Files relating to defense policy in British Columbia

Files from National Archives of Canada, RG 9 (Dept. of Militia and Defence) relating to defence policy in British Columbia. Files contain information on militia organization and equipment, defence plans (including defences against submarines), and uniforms, badges, honours, etc., for the 31st Regiment, British Columbia Horse, the 5th Regiment, British Columbia Light Horse, and the British Columbia Hussars. There is also a file on the transfer of the B.C. Horse from Salmon Arm to Eburne.

Canada. Department of Militia and Defence

Esquimalt graving dock specifications and other material

  • GR-0141
  • Series
  • 1875-1882

The series consists of contract records created by the Dept. of Lands and Works in regards to the Esquimalt Harbour Graving Dock. The files include specifications, bills of quantities, forms of tender, etc. for contracts 1, 2, 4, and 5.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works. Works Branch

Charge book, census of householders and daily report book

  • GR-0428
  • Series
  • 1862-1866

This series includes records of the Colony of Vancouver Island Police. Volume one is a charge book, 1862-1866; this volume also includes complaints of the Victoria Police Office, July - September 1866, and a census of householders in Victoria by street, 1871. Volume 2 is a daily report book, April 26, 1863-Dec. 23, 1864.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Police and Prisons Dept.

Indentures of Conveyance

  • GR-1066
  • Series
  • 1874-1878

Indentures of Conveyance of church lands by the Bishop of British Columbia to Charles Thomas Wood, Archdeacon of Columbia, Henry P. Wright, Archdeacon of Vancouver, and John Foster McCreight; includes lands and church sites at Victoria, Esquimalt, Saanich, Cowichan, Comox, and New Westminster.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Accounting cash books

The series consists of cash books from the Lands and Works Dept. The series includes records regarding department expenses, land sales, the lighthouse department, and the building of a hospital in Esquimalt.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Office of the Surveyor General

Register of auction sales of lots

  • GR-1166
  • Series
  • 1889-1894

This series contains a register of auction sales of lots at Esquimalt, Hastings, Lulu Island, New Denver, Nelson, New Westminster, Vancouver, and Victoria. The register shows the name of the purchaser, a legal description, the amount paid and the terms of payment.

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

Legal opinions offered by Attorney General

  • GR-1459
  • Series
  • 1864-1879

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.

British Columbia. Dept. of the Attorney-General

Esquimalt by-laws

  • GR-3065
  • Series
  • 1913-1957

By-laws of the Corporation of the Township of Esquimalt (indexed).

British Columbia. County Court (Victoria)

Vancouver Island Road Tax Commissioner records

  • GR-4112
  • Series
  • 1861-1875

This series consists of records created by Road Commissioners from various road districts in the Colony of Vancouver Island, from 1861-1875. This includes the Victoria, Esquimalt, Esquimalt Town, Lake, Saanich, Metchosin, Sooke and Highlands Road Districts.

The records include financial records such as cash books, account books, road tax assessment rolls and ledgers. These track the fines and taxes collected for each district, and the expenses for road construction and maintenance. Some records indicate the individuals who paid for and worked on specific roads in the Victoria area that are still in existence today.

Other records include correspondence and minute books recording the decisions and priorities of the commissioners. These indicate where and how roads were constructed as the colony was growing.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Road Commissioners

Records related to the Esquimalt graving dock and naval station

  • GR-4215
  • Series
  • 1860-1895, 1923

This series consists of a variety of records related to the navy base and graving dock in Esquimalt from approximately 1860-1923. The majority of the records appear to have been created or received by the naval storekeeper and relate to the administration of the Esquimalt dockyard and the naval canteen at the Esquimalt navy base. This includes staffing, construction and the lease and purchase of the canteen land. records include correspondence, memoranda and plans of the canteen land.

The series also includes a list of orders-in-council related to the graving dock; a history of the graving dock; a receipt and account book for the graving dock created by the British Columbia Minister of finance; a report for the Canadian Governor-General related to the disposition of records regarding the North Pacific Naval Station, Esquimalt; and several records created by the Vancouver Island Lighthouse Board providing information and statistics on the Race Rocks [Racerocks] lighthouse and Fisgard Lighthouse.

Great Britain. Royal Navy

Account books

Series consists of account books of the Thoburn Grocery, Esquimalt, proprietor, Philip David Johnston.

Survey notebook

The series consists of a surveying notebook (cover labelled "Trigonometl. Memda."). It contains 51 pages of sketches, instructions, notes, drafts of letters, etc. covering Victoria, Esquimalt, Nanaimo and Metchosin districts.

Pemberton, Joseph Despard, 1821-1893

Peters, Hugh. Victoria.

Peters was an officer in the 1st Battalion Pioneers, an engineering/construction battalion which was organized in Esquimalt in 1915. Late that year, the battalion was shipped overseas for service in France and Belgium. In 1917 the unit became the 9th Battalion Canadian Railway Troops and constructed the narrow gauge railways for the Battles of Arras. This body of papers consists of Peters' history of the Battalion and his supporting notes correspondence, maps, etc. Xerox copies of photographs replace the originals which have been transferred to Visual Records accession 198308-26.

Presented by Hugh Peters, Victoria, 1966.

Peters, Hugh

Kenneth McKenzie family personal and business papers

The McKenzie Family collection consists of the business and personal papers of Kenneth McKenzie (1811-1874), his ancestors and descendants, including correspondence, notebooks, diaries, and other papers. It documents over one hundred and fifty years of family history. The collection is divided into those records relating to Vancouver Island (Boxes 1-19) and those relating to Scotland (Boxes 20-25). The Vancouver Island papers contain correspondence and documents pertaining to Lakehill Farm, the settlement of estates, official appointments, and other family matters. They also chronicle the organization and operation of Craigflower Farm and, to a lesser extent, the other farms operated by the Puget's Sound Agricultural Company on Vancouver Island. The Scottish papers document family events, relationships and property from 1779 to 1852. Included is an extensive record of the protracted settlement of the estate of William Blair (Boxes 22-23). William Blair was the father of Janet McKenzie (Blair).

Born in Edinburgh October 5, 1811, the son of Dr. Kenneth McKenzie (1786-1844) and Janet Blair (1784-1820), Kenneth McKenzie was raised and educated in the same city. Later he moved to his father's estate of Rentonhall, Haddingtonshire, East Lothian where he managed the operations. The estate was sold in 1851 and McKenzie, his wife Agnes Russell (1823-1897) and their six children emigrated to Vancouver Island in 1853. McKenzie had been hired by the Puget's Sound Agricultural Company to oversee the establishment and operation of Craigflower Farm near Victoria. In 1866 the family, now with eight children, moved to Lakehill Farm just north of Victoria. Kenneth McKenzie died there April 10, 1874. A comprehensive biography of Kenneth McKenzie by William R. Sampson is in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, X, pp.477-479. A rough genealogy of the McKenzie Family is provided in the hardcopy version of the finding aid.

Numbers appearing at the upper left corner of documents are references to the old catalogue system and should not be used for citation.

Boxes 1-4: Kenneth McKenzie (1811-1874) and family: correspondence inward
Box 5: McKenzie, Kenneth (1846-1906): correspondence inward
Box 6: Kenneth McKenzie (1811-1874) and Kenneth McKenzie (1846-1906): correspondence outward
Box 7: Kenneth McKenzie (1811-1874): notebooks and personal papers
Box 8: McKenzie Family: notebooks, diaries, correspondence and personal papers
Box 9: McKenzie Family: material relating to Lakehill property
Boxes 10-18: Craigflower Farm
Box 19: Puget's Sound Agricultural Company
Boxes 20-25: McKenzie family: material relating to Scotland. N.B. See also box 25 for further material relating to the estate of William Blair, d.1800

Frederick Longstaff papers

Diaries, 1897-1961, correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks and household accounts. The collection reflects Longstaff's interest in military affairs, naval history, mountaineering, the Anglican Church, various youth organizations and the history of British Columbia in general.

Records include: diaries, 1897-1961, correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks and household accounts. The collection reflects Longstaff's interest in military affairs, naval history, mountaineering, the Anglican Church, various youth organizations and the history of British Columbia in general.

Approximately 1,200 photographs of ships, mountains, family, and a world cruise of the Empress of Britain were transferred to Visual Records accession 198504-001. The photographs are arranged alphabetically as organized by Longstaff. Other photographs are in accession 198001-002. The photos are not included in this series file list. Request the blue Longstaff photo binders from Archives staff to see descriptions of the photographs and photo albums in this series.

Maps were registered as M889132. A list of maps from the Longstaff collection is available in Map documentation file M856030, also known as finding aid CM/Z43. Please request this file from an archivist.

Longstaff, Frederick Victor, 1879-1961

Ker family business and personal records

Series includes correspondence, diaries, personal and business records of R.H.B. Ker, including papers of his grandfather, Robert Ker, and father, David Russell Ker.

The records consist chiefly of correspondence arranged by Ker alphabetically by subject. In addition, R.H.B. Ker preserved some of the papers of his grandfather, Robert Ker, who served as Auditor General in the colonial Government of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and his father David Russell Ker, who was president of Brackman and Ker Milling Company Limited, and who retained some of the records of this company. These records are contained in boxes 25, and 30-33.

Diaries

Diaries, February 28, 1904 - March 10, 1905, and August 11 - December 22, 1909. The diaries describe Gelsthorpe's journey from Malta to Esquimalt, where he was employed at Dockyard; his life there from April 19, 1904 to February 28, 1905; his return to England across the U.S.A.; a visit to Victoria from August 11 - August 15, 1909; and his return to England via the C.P.R. and ship.

Record of account for the Esquimalt operation

Originally the Esquimalt Marine Railway Co. the British Columbia Marine Railways Company (inc. 1898) was purchased by Sir Alfred Yarrow in 1913. This was a ship repairing and ship building enterprise with slips in Esquimalt Victoria and Vancouver. Essentially a multi-tracked railway bearing a large cradle capable of supporting a ship the marine railway provided an alternative to dry-docking. This volume entitled Record of Cost is an account book for the Esquimalt operation. Costs listed include jobs as well as costs incurred by plant expansion and repair.

Diaries, letters and notes

Diaries (1854-1883), covering travels from Lachine to Red River (1854-1855), Lachine to Honolulu (1859), the voyage to Victoria (1860), travel in British Columbia (1864, 1867, 1868, 1870), journeys to Europe (1865 and 1880), travel from Montreal, where he was Chief Factor (1872, 1875, 1877, 1879), and a journey to Japan and China (1882-1883). The British Columbia diaries cover travel on the North West Coast (1870) to the Kootenays via the Dewdney Trail (1868) and to French Creek, McCullough Creek, Kamloops, Clearwater River, etc. (1867), and life in Victoria (1864). Letters and notes, including one letter written by his son Edwin to his mother, 7 June 1914, Winnipeg, describing his visit to Victoria and Vancouver.

Ships and shipping

Series consists of 103 photographs of ships and shipping attributed to Richard or Hannah Maynard. Other photographers are also likely. Images depict views of Esquimalt, the Victoria Inner Harbour, a variety of ships and boats, and portraits of crew members.

The Great War album

The series consists of a photo album with 267 pages and 1437 b&w photographs that cover the period 1914 to 1919. The album measures approximately 32 cm x 42 cm x 10 cm and the average photograph measures 9 cm x 14 cm. The album has been annotated in pen, presumably by the photographer.

The pictures in the album are from a variety of military-related events that took place in or near Victoria, B.C. There are also a couple of photographs that were taken in England. It is not known who took these photographs in England or how they were acquired as it does not seem that Crocker went to England at any time during the Great War. It is also not known if these prints were sent to Crocker or if he developed his own copies of the original negatives, as the paper, quality and size of these photos are consistent with the other ones in the album.

Topics range from departures and arrivals of soldiers in downtown Victoria, to pictures taken at camps of soldiers, political dignitaries, and nurses, pictures of parades, recruitment offices, a military funeral and other events in which the military was present such as the opening of parliament, tag days, provincial holidays, royal visits and the anti-German riot.

Photographs are mainly of crowds at public events, soldiers marching in the street, soldiers drilling or being inspected at camp, soldiers posing with family and friends, and ships leaving the harbour. Photographs are primarily taken in Victoria (particularly Government and Belleville streets), Willows Camp, Beacon Hill, and Work Point Barracks, Esquimalt.

The following events and subjects are represented in the album. They are listed here in order of appearance and are transcribed directly from annotations that appear in the album:

Arrival of 7th Scottish Battalion Party, April 26th 1919
Arrival of 2nd CMR [Canadian Mounted Rifles], April 2nd 1919
Arrival of Troopship Empress of Asia at Outer Deck, January 24th 1919
Battalion Parade, Siberian Forces, December 7th 1918
November 7th 1918 [“The False Armistice”]
Arrival of Draft for Siberian CEF, October 12th 1918
Arrival of Draft for Siberian Unit, October 3rd 1918
Departure of Infantry Draft, September 21st 1918
Departure of Infantry Draft S/S Princess Patricia, August 26th 1918
Artillery at Work Point, June 15th 1918
Artillery, June 17th 1918
Infantry Draft 2nd Depot Battalion June 9th 1918
Departure of B.C. Special Services Company
Departure of Infantry Draft S/S Princess Alice, April 19th 1918
Departure of Infantry Draft, April 8th 1918
Departure of Infantry and Artillery Draft, March 31st 1918
Opening of Parliament Guard of Honour 1918
Departure of Draft S/S Princess Charlotte, January 15th 1918
Departure of Draft S/S Princess Charlotte, January 9th 1918
Departure of Willows Base Company, November 15th 1918
Departure of Drafts from Army Medical Corps and Artillery
Royal Flying Corps Draft, September 22nd 1917
Military Funeral, Lieutenant Walker R.F.C, August 17th 1917
Army Medical Corps Draft “Presentation to Sergeant May”, August 12th 1917
Departure of Army Medical Draft S/S Princess Victoria, August 12th 1917
Departure of Army Medical Draft S/S Princess Adelaide, July 5th 1917
Departure of Artillery Draft S/S Princess Charlotte, July 4th 1917
Confederation Day Celebration, July 2nd 1917
Departure of Army Medical Draft, June 13th 1917
Aviation Draft, June 2nd 1917
Royal Athlete Park, Red Cross Sports etc., May 24th 1917
Returned Soldiers at Beacon Hill, May 1917
Departure of Overseas Draft, 50th Gordon Highlanders S/S Princess Adelaide, May 18th 1917
Church Parade, April 23rd 1917
Army Medical Corps and Artillery Drafts S/S Princess Victoria, April 20th 1917
Departure of Foresters Draft, March 22nd 1917
Forestry Draft at Willows Camp, March 21st 1917
Recruiting Office, Forestry Battalion, March 6th 1917
Guard of Honour, 88th Regiment, Opening of Parliament, March 1st 1917
Departure of 143rd B.C. Bantams, July 9th 1917
Departure of Army Medical Corps Draft, January 17th 1917
Departure of Yukon Company on S/S Princess Victoria, January 16th 1917
Battalion Parade – Bantams, January 12th 1917
Group of returned soldiers at Military Hospital Esquimalt, October 1916
Parade of Ammunition Column, 5th Regiment Band, January 5th 1917
143rd Battalion “Bantams” Parade, November 15th 1916
5th Regiment Church Parade, October 8th 1916
15th Brigade
Mechanical Transport Parade, July 26th 1916
Guard of Honour R.C.R. [Royal Canadian Regiment], Arrival of Duke and Duchess of Connaught, July 20th 1916
Departure of 103rd Battalion “Timber Workers”, July 15th 1916
103rd Battalion Parade, June 28th 1916
Review at Willows by H.R.H. Duke of Connaught, September 17 1915
B.C. Pioneers Departure, September 23rd 1915
Parade of Western Scots (67th Battalion), September 25th 1915
Mascots of the 67th Battalion “Romeo and Juliette”
Western Scots 67th Battalion, October 14th 1915
Garrison Parade for Drum Head Service at Beacon Hill Park, October 31st 1915
Girl Guides, October 21st 1915
Trafalgar Day Parade and Tag Day for Canadian Red Cross Society, October 21st 1915
Departure of 5th Regiment Draft for St. Lucia
Battalion Parade, 88th Fusiliers, December 2nd 1915
5th Regiment Draft December 11th 1915
Departure of Staff for B.C. Base Hospital, August 21st 1915
B.C. Horse, 88th Fusiliers, 50th Gordons
Detachment of B.C Horse from Vernon
B.C. Horse off to Vernon, August 20th 1915
Detachment from 88th Fusiliers and 50th Highlanders en route to Vernon Camo, July 24th 1915
Princess Patricia Reserves and Army Medical Corps, January 10th 1915
Review by Major-General Hughes, January 23rd 1915
Naval Reserve Draft en route to Halifax, July 26th 1915
“Some Victoria Boys in England”
First Contingent, August 26th 1914
Departure of 30th Battalion, February 14th 1915
Nurses from Victoria and Vancouver for duty in France, taken at Work Point, August 4th 1915
Patriotic Demonstration Parade (1 year of war), August 4th 1915
B.C. Base Hospital, August 21st 1915
Part of Camp at Willows, January 1915
Inspection by Major General Steele, February 27th 1915
Victoria Boys in Salisbury, England
Officers of 2nd CMR (B.C. Horse)
Anti-German Riot, May 8th 1915
Garrison Parade, May 24th 1915
Victoria Day Parade, May 24th 1915
Inspection of 48th Battalion by Lieutenant-Governor, June 15th 1915
Souvenirs from HMS Kent, December 8th 1914
Church Parade 48th Battalion
103rd Battalion, June 28th 1916
143rd Battalion, June 28th 1916
Untitled [artillery]
Departure of 11th CMR, June 20th 1916
No. 11 Company, Army Medical Corps off to Vernon, June 7th 1916
Departure of 15th Brigade CFA [Canadian Field Artillery], May 28th 1916
Departure of 88th Battalion CEF [Canadian Expeditionary Force], May 23rd 1916
15th Brigade CFA Parade, May 15th 1916
Farewell Parade, 88th Battalion, May 12th 1916
15th Brigade CFA, May 6th 1916
Church Parade, 88th Battalion, April 30th 1916
No. 1 Company, 88th Battalion, Belmont House
11th CMR [Canadian Mounted Rifles], April 7th 1916
143rd Battalion B.C. Bantams, April 2nd 1916
Departure of 67th Battalion Western Scots, May 24th 1916
103rd Battalion Parade, March 4th 1916
Opening of Parliament, 88th Battalion Guard of Honour, March 2nd 1916
11th CMR Parade, March 15th 1916
67th Battalion Western Scots Final Parade, March 14th 1916
67th Battalion Western Scots Farewell Parade through the City, February 21st 1916
103rd Battalion Parade, December 1915
Garrison Battalion Parade and Tag Day, December 21st 1915
Departure of Mechanical Transport Draft and “Pioneers”, December 25th 1915
Departure of First Contingent, August 28th 1914
Church Parade 48th Battalion, June 20th 1915
HMS Kent, June 1915
Untitled [Red Cross Bull Dog Mascot]

The album was originally arranged in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent photographs, though there are instances when this order is not followed. Additionally, it appears that the album’s original order may have been altered due to deterioration and handling. The album is currently broken into two separate pieces. The first piece which includes the front cover is entirely separate from the rest of the album and currently sits on top of it. It is unmodified and the last pages are exposed to handling and are therefore quite damaged and deteriorated.

The second piece of the album has been retrofitted with a cardboard cover to protect the first pages while the back of the album is protected with the original hard cover. It also appears that at some point in time another bulk of pages were wedged in between the last page of the album and the back cover. Most of the photographs, if not all, do not have original glass plate negatives within our collections. However, many of the events represented in the album are also represented in MS-3356, albeit from different angles. It is possible that the photographs in this album were taken by an assistant working with Ernest Crocker.

Correspondence relating to the Royal Navy

This series contains reports and despatches between the Senior Naval Officer (Esquimalt, B.C.) & the Secretary of the Admiralty, Whitehall (London, Eng.). The correspondence includes letters from colonial governors and despatches from Deputy Adjutant General (B.C. militia district). The records also include lists of naval stores storekeepers' accounts, sketch maps of naval reserves and stations, and printed reports.

Great Britain. Admiralty