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Correspondence with his son, family correspondence, certificates, will and related documents, appointment to Vancouver Island Council, indentures, share certificates and receipts.

The series includes personal correspondence; collected correspondence including an 1860 letter from Sir James Douglas to Pemberton; historical articles; drafts of historical articles; research notes including notes on Southam Company, biographical notes on Israel Wood Powell, and Ernest F. Jordan, sealer; unpublished typescript of "Saga of sealing" written by McKelvie and based upon E.F. Jordan's recollections; 1951 diary; scrapbooks on British Columbia politics and T.D. Pattullo.

This series contains the correspondence inward to the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, Colonel R.C. Moody. The records consists largely of letters from Governor James Douglas and the Colonial Secretary pertaining to town lots, other lands, trails and roads, and other public works in the vicinity of New Westminster. The series includes letters on the Harrison River road and pack trail.

British Columbia: Entry Books of Correspondence, 1 July 1858 - 11 August 1871 (C.O. 398, Vols. 1 - 7). Unit consists of letter-book copies of despatches to the governors of British Columbia from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, along with copies of letters from the Colonial Secretary to other departments of the British Government and to individuals, on matters relating to British Columbia. Indexes to correspondence appear at the end of each volume. A series of duplicate original despatches (hardcopy) is catalogued as C/AB/10.2/1. This series of duplicate original despatches often includes copies of enclosures, which are absent from letter-books which comprise this unit.

Vancouver Island: Entry Books of Correspondence, 1849-1867, (C.O. 410, vols. 1-2). This unit consists of letter-book copies of despatches from the Secretary of State for the Colonies (i.e. the Colonial .Secretary) to the governors of Vancouver Island. Subject indexes appear at the end of the volumes. Original duplicate copies of these records are catalogued as C/AA/10.2/1. Other copies, but of inferior quality, may be found on microfilm reel B00004 (1).

Correspondence from American government officials and British embassy in Washington, D.C., concerning diverse matters pertaining to U.S. - British Columbia relations. Includes correspondence from U.S. Military re: Indian population in Alaska (1867) and despatches British minister re: San Juan Island dispute, 1859-1870.

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).

Seven letters from Edward Ellice, M.P. and members of the committee appointed to look into the affairs of the Hudson's Bay Company, discussing HBC interests in British Columbia and on the prairies; scrapbook containing miscellaneous clippings, etc. Photographs, sketches, and water colours transferred to Visual Records accession 197910-6; 198006-4.

Correspondence inward from James Douglas (1850-1858) and others (1850- 1859); papers (1845-1871); and receipts.

Series consists of correspondence inward, reminiscences, diary of a trip through the Cariboo to Stuart Lake (1913); research notes and drafts of Howay and Scholefield's History of British Columbia.

Henry Pering Pellew Crease (1823-1905) was born at Ince Castle, near Plymouth, England, educated at Cambridge, and called to the bar in 1849. He traveled to Upper Canada with his family and explored the Great Lakes area for mining potential before returning to England in 1851 or 2. He then worked briefly as a conveyancing barrister before becoming manager of the Great Wheal Vor United Mines in Cornwall. Following business difficulties, he emigrated to British Columbia in 1858, practicing law in Victoria and becoming a member of the Vancouver Island Legislative Assembly in 1860. In 1861 he was appointed Attorney General of the mainland colony and moved to New Westminster; he was appointed Attorney General of the united colonies in 1866 and returned to Victoria in 1868 when it became the capital of the colony of British Columbia. In 1870, he was made a supreme court judge. Crease was knighted in 1896. British Columbia. His family joined Crease in Victoria in 1860 and four more children, one of whom died in infancy, were born in British Columbia. Crease was interested in business and politics as well as the law. Both as a barrister and a supreme court judge he traveled throughout British Columbia on circuit. His wife accompanied him on some of these journeys. The Creases were prominent socially, and their house, Pentrelew, was a centre for Victoria society. Five of the Crease children lived into the 20th century, and three, Lindley (1867-1940), Susan (1855-1947) and Josephine (1864-1947), never married and lived at Pentrelew until their deaths. Susan was involved with the local Council of Women and Josephine with the Island Arts and Crafts Society. Both painted in watercolours, as did their mother. The two Crease sons, Lindley and Arthur, were sent to school in England and then practiced law in Victoria. Arthur served in France in the Canadian Army in the First World War.

The collection includes diaries, 1834-1900, correspondence inward, 1830-1904, and outward, 1830-1903, miscellaneous records and notebooks, including the minute books of the Colonial Securities Co., 1866-1868, of Sir Henry Crease; diaries, 1872-1913, correspondence inward, 1851-1922, and outward, and miscellaneous notebooks and records of Lady Crease; diaries, 1877-1937, correspondence inward, 1877-1940, and outward, 1893, and miscellaneous records of Lindley Crease; diaries, 1890-1960, account books, 1909-1954 and miscellaneous records of Arthur Crease; diaries, 1865-1943, correspondence inward, 1862-1891, 1902, and 1937, and miscellaneous records of Susan Crease; diaries, 1878-1942, correspondence inward, 1883-1890 and miscellaneous records of Josephine Crease; some correspondence inward of the other two Crease daughters, Mary Maberly (Walker) Crease and Barbara Crease; diaries, 1853, 1870, and 1898, and correspondence inward, 1847-1899, of Emily Howard Crease, Sir Henry Crease's sister, who taught school in British Columbia, and correspondence between members of the Crease and Lindley families in England and the Crease family in Victoria.

MS-2879 is an extensive collection of family papers which, in addition to the information it provides on the lives, activities and opinions of individual writers of letters and diaries, is a rich source of information on such topics as family life, childhood and the lives of women, and a major source on the economic, political, legal and social history of post-1858 l9th century British Columbia. The correspondence inward series to Sir Henry Crease includes letters from important figures in colonial and post colonial British Columbia. The collection contains some records relating to Sir Henry Crease's legal and business interests. It includes transcripts of Crease's private letter book, 1870-1873, Sarah Crease's diary of her trip to Cariboo, 1880, and her letters to her husband, 1849-1859. MS-2879 may be used in conjunction with MS-0054, MS-0055, MS-0056, and MS-0573.

This series contains minutes of Executive Council meetings, Colony of Vancouver Island. The series contains 2 volumes each of which cover the periods 26 March 1864 - 27 June 1865 and 18 July 1865 - 19 November 1866.

Series consists of a diary, 1868; correspondence, 1898-1910, with R. Gosnell, E.O.S. Scholefield and R. Mohun; oaths of office; printed vita to accompany application to be appointed Governor of British Columbia, 1869; notes and drafts on history of British Columbia, history of Alaska boundary dispute; memos on Kootenay district and immigration; miscellaneous notes and clippings.

Papers of J.S. Helmcken and members of his family, including correspondence, 1848-1920, account books, 1871-1903, deeds, contracts, certificates, 1825-1890, medical notebooks, case books and account books, 1845-1890, notes and papers concerning the Beacon Hill Park Bowling Club, 1898-1914, rough notes and drafts for articles in newspapers, speeches, and reminiscences. Account books pertaining to the estate of Arthur Thomas Bushby, 1875-1901. Papers of Harry Dallas Helmcken, 1866-1894, and William Ralph Higgins, 1890-1903. J.S. Helmcken's confederation diary and reminiscences are also on microfilm. John Sebastian Helmcken was born in Spitalfields, London on 5 June 1824, the fourth child and eldest son of Claus Helmcken and Catherine Mittler. After attending St. George's German and English school from 1828 to 1839 Helmcken apprenticed himself to Dr. W.H. Graves as a chemist and druggist. On 2 October 1844, Helmcken registered as a student at Guy's Hospital, London, and in March 1848 was admitted as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. Two months later he was serving as surgeon aboard the Malacca until, on 12 October 1849, he received an appointment from the Hudson's Bay Company as surgeon and clerk for a five year term. Helmcken arrived at Esquimalt on 24 March 1850 and was first posted to Fort Rupert before being ordered to return to Fort Victoria in December 1850. On 27 December 1852 he married Cecilia Douglas, eldest daughter of Governor James Douglas. In 1856 Helmcken was elected to represent Esquimalt and Victoria District in the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island and served as Speaker of the Assembly until union with British Columbia in 1866. Governor Musgrave appointed Helmcken to the Executive Council of British Columbia in December 1869 while he was also serving as a member of the Legislative Council of B.C., and in the summer of 1870 he travelled to Ottawa as one of three confederation delegates from the colony. With the entry of British Columbia into Confederation in 1871, Helmcken retired from active politics. Helmcken also served as president of the Board of Directors of the Royal Hospital, remained physician to Victoria's jail until 1910, and contributed numerous articles on the early history of Vancouver Island in his later life. Dr. Helmcken died on 1 September 1920. The records include the papers of J.S. Helmcken and members of his family: correspondence, 1848-1920, account books, 1871-1903, deeds, contracts, certificates, 1825-1890, medical notebooks, casebooks and account books, 1845-1890, notes and papers concerning the Beacon Hill Park Bowling Club, 1898-1914, rough notes and drafts for articles in newspapers, speeches and reminiscences. There are also account books pertaining to the estate of Arthur Thomas Bushby, 1875-1901, and papers of Harry Dallas Helmcken, 1866-1894, and William Ralph Higgins, 1890-1903. J.S. Helmcken's Confederation diary and reminiscences are also on microfilm [A00810]. An index to the records is available as part of the hard copy finding aid kept in the reference room.

This series consists of an original and transcript of the instrument establishing Executive Council of Vancouver Island, 27 August 1851 signed by Governor Richard Blanshard naming James Cooper, James Douglas and John Todd as councilors of Government for Vancouver Island and its dependencies.

Invitation to luncheon to celebrate the birth of the son of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

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

Correspondence outward (1864, 1868) and inward (1861-1871) of Robert Ker, Colonial Auditor for Vancouver Island, with some of his commissions (1864, 1865, 1868), an indenture (1844), miscellaneous notes; correspondence of R.H.B. Ker and David Russell Kerr with General Crerar, 1944 (two letters), and of D.R. Ker with General Currie, 1917, and H. Joly de Lotbiniere, 1903 (two letters); clippings and photographs which have been transferred to Visual Records accession 198210-007. The Ker family lived in Victoria, B.C. Robert Henry Brackman Ker was an executive with a number of British Columbia business firms, including Ker and Stephenson Ltd. and Brackman-Ker Milling Company. He served on Victoria City Council, as President of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and as Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. The records include correspondence inward and outward, miscellaneous notes, clippings and photographs. Photographs transferred to Visual Records accession 198210-007. Related records in MS-0793 and Visual Records accession 198208-038, 22 albums. Additional records are also available at the City of Victoria Archives, PR 48. Biographical sketch taken from BCAUL. Source: MS Finding Aids Presented by R.H.B Ker, Victoria, 1971. Finding aid: file list.

This series contains letterbook copies of despatches from Governor Douglas to the Senior Naval Officer of Esquimalt during the period 6 July 1863 to 15 February 1864. Most of the correspondence herewith concerns measures taken against possible attacks from indigenous populations on Vancouver Island.

This series contains a letterbook copy of despatches from Governor Douglas to Colonial Secretary, Duke of Newcastle, 8 June 1853, concerning expedition of HM Steam Sloop Virago to Queen Charlotte Islands. There is also a draft despatch, 26 July 1853, concerning the capture of vessel Susan Sturgis by Indians of Queen Charlotte Islands and Fort Simpson.

Photocopied memorandum by Colonial Office officials entitled "The Royal Engineers in British Columbia."

The series consists of a bound, typed, transcript copy of a letter book kept by Joseph W. McKay at Fort Nanaimo, 1852-1853. The letters are between McKay and James Douglas, who was based at Fort Victoria. The first letter in the book is dated August 24, 1852 and is from Douglas who directed McKay to proceed to Wentuhuysen Inlet, commonly known as Nanymo Bay, to formally take possession of the coal beds on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company. The correspondence then continues between the two men until September 27, 1853 and is mostly concerned with the coal mining operations taking place. Missing letters, most notably the section from November 6, 1852 to April 4, 1853, are listed with a note from Judge Howay explaining that "the letters were left blank in the original book, it evidently having been Mr. McKay's intention to copy them later."

Series consists of correspondence; petitions; registers of births, marriages; etc. all relating to the Red River Settlement. Includes minutes, proceedings, etc. of the Council of Assiniboia; papers relating to legal suits involving Griffith Owen Corbett; abstracts of Hudson's Bay Company accounts re various outfits, Oregon and Western Departments.

Microfilm (neg.) 1813-1894 35 mm [A01220A01222]

Correspondence; petitions; registers of births, marriages; etc. all relating to the Red River Settlement. Includes minutes, proceedings, etc. of the Council of Assiniboia; papers relating to legal suits involving Griffith Owen Corbett; abstracts of Hudson's Bay Co. accounts re various outfits, Oregon and Western Departments.

Source: MS Finding Aids

Purchased from Gertrude Rhodes in 1942 and 1950.

Finding aid: reel/file list

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).

This series contains schedules of despatches sent to and received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

The series consists of 8 volumes of transcribed copies of despatches from the Governor of British Columbia to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1858-1859. Originally numbered CO 60/1 to CO 60/4.
Volume 1: C.O. 60 vol. 1 part 1, 1858
Volume 2: C.O. 60 vol. 1 part 2, 1858
Volume 3: C.O. 60 vol. 2 part 1, 1858
Volume 4: C.O. 60 vol. 2 part 2, 1858
Volume 5: C.O. 60 vol. 3 part 1, 1858
Volume 6: C.O. 60 vol. 3 part 2, 1858
Volume 7: C.O. 60 vol. 4 part 1, 1859
Volume 8: C.O. 60 vol. 4 part 2, 1859

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