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The series contains records pertaining to the care of indigents and destitute persons created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1911 and 1925.

Files consist of applications for relief, supporting documents from police constables and government agents, case files, administrative reports, and general correspondence. Reports on unemployment in specific communities in British Columbia, ca. 1911-1918 are also included.

Records created prior to 1923 were filed numerically and constituted a separate records series within the Provincial Secretary's office. Records created after 1923 were kept alphabetically, by name of applicant. Regrettably, contemporary registers and indices for these records have not survived.

Although it was "the duty of every city and district municipality to make suitable provision for its poor" [Municipal Act, RSBC 1911, c.170 s.526], the Department of the Provincial Secretary was largely responsible for the care of indigents and other destitute people in British Columbia. In fact, prior to the creation of the Department of Health and Welfare in 1946, the Provincial Secretary's office was often the only source of support for deserted wives and children, indigent widows and elderly persons, disabled workers and others in need of public welfare.

The Provincial Secretary administered funds to such groups through charitable accounts, the Workmen's Compensation Board, the Provincial Board of Health, and other agencies. At the local level, relief payments were often distributed by Provincial Police constables or Government Agents.

This series consists of 5 volumes of indexes to letterbook correspondence outward of the Provincial Secretary, 1919-1924.

This series consists of 31 volumes of the Provincial Secretary's indexes and registers to letters inward, 1872-1910 and 1918-1924.

This series consists of 11 volumes of letter book correspondence outward of the Provincial Secretary, 1919-1924.

This series consists of indexes, lists and oaths of office of Justices of the Peace, Stipendiary Magistrates, Police Magistrates, Police Constables, Commissioners, Coroners, and other government officials from 1874-1923.

The series consists of correspondence of the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary with the Civil Service Commissioner from 1920 to 1922 regarding interpretation of the Superannuation Act and representations made by the Provincial Civil Service Association on various matters.

The series consists of records created by the Provincial Secretary between 1916 and 1920, in his capacity as chairman of the British Columbia Returned Soldiers' Aid Commission. Appointed by Order-in-Council on 29 Nov 1915, the Commission was established to help with the resettlement of soldiers, sailors, and airmen who had served in the First World War.

The records include daily orders issued by Col. J.S. Harvey, Commander of Unit "J", Military Hospitals, No. XI District Depot Casualty Company and Hospital Section (Victoria, B.C. and Hastings Park, Vancouver, B.C.). The series also includes lists of B.C. men who served in the armed forces of Canada and Great Britain during the First World War. The lists are arranged by servicemen's former civilian occupation.

The records are arranged into two subseries:
A. Daily orders
B. Lists

The series consists of financial statements solicited by the Provincial Secretary's office in 1920. Forms were sent to hospitals throughout the province requesting that each hospital provide the cost of constructing and equipping their hospital for the period 1903 to 1920. Some of the completed forms are accompanied by correspondence.

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 registers and indexes of individuals appointed to positions in the government service, 1871-1919.

This series consists of correspondence from the Department of the Provincial Secretary regarding government employees on military service, record of government employees on military service, 1914-1919.

This series consists of three volumes: a List of notaries, 1872-1906; index of appointments of notaries public, 1881-1914; and register of notaries public, 1884-1918.

The series consists of a minute book of the Provincial Committee for the Care and Provision of Returned Soldiers created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1915 and 1918.

Proclamations and related records from the colony and province of British Columbia, 1858-1918.

This series consists of 104 volumes of letter book copies of correspondence outward from the Provincial Secretary, 1873-1918. The index to correspondence missing.

This series consists of correspondence inward with replies, of the Provincial Secretary, 1914-1918. Correspondence is arranged by year then alphabetically by subject. Some subjects included in the correspondence:

Canadian Explosives, Ltd., Prince Rupert; Curfew Law in Creston; Dominion Royal Commission Publications; Doukhobors; Congregation of Emanuel, Victoria; flags of foreign consulates; parliamentary franchise be extended to women; Industrial School for Boys; Provincial Jail jury lists; Japanese Consulate; Immigration Branch; marine and fisheries; Marriage Act; Walter Moberly; Observatory; railways; cemetery - Quesnel; Colonial Lumber and Paper Mills Co. Ltd.; Drainage, Dyking and Irrigation; Dyking Districts - Dewdney, Island West, West Langley; jury list; Mission City; Regimental Fund (British Columbia Regiment): British Columbia Electric Railway (Jitney Bus Competition); H.D. Ruggles (Commission-Police Magistrate); Water Works - Sidney; census and statistics office; cemetery-Hazelton; Dyking Districts Projects; Japanese memorial; Workmen's Compensation Act; application to Land Dept. for agricultural development; Census and Statistics Office; Cemeteries; Coroners' inquests; juror lists; jails; Indian Rights Association of British Columbia; Sir Richard McBride's funeral; Public Health Journal (mental health); British Columbia Prohibition Act - Woman Suffrage and Military Forces voting Acts; Returned Soldiers Commission; J.A. Russell regarding taxation; Tupper in respect to Western Power Co. of Canada Ltd. (Water Act); Mary Velleuoweth estate: Vancouver Joint Sewerage and Drainage Board; University of British Columbia Library; Alberni Pacific Lumber Co.; agriculture; Cattle Rangers Act; Cemeteries - Chinese; College Dental Surgeons; Johnson re Chinese camp at William Head; Public Inquiries Act; prohibition; Dept. of Soldier's Civil re-establishment; establishment of steel industry; Special Surveys Act; Vancouver Island Settler's Right.

This series consists of one volume of a roll of coroners, 1899-1917.

This series consists of applications for admission to the Provincial Home for the Aged and Infirm (Kamloops), comprised of forms pursuant to the Provincial Home Act, 1893, and related correspondence, 1895-1917.

This series contains letters inward to the Department of the Provincial Secretary, 1892-1917. During the period covered by GR-1330 (1892-1917) the Provincial Secretary was variously responsible for the departments of Mines, Education and Immigration. Within these departments he was responsible for the Legislative Library and Archives, the Queen's Printer, the Bureau of Statistics, the Civil Service Commission, and various agencies concerned with health and social welfare. The multiplicity of his duties accounts for the range and diversity of the records in GR-1330.

Among the records are correspondence to, and from, the Lieutenant-Governor and the Executive Council, correspondence from Dominion officials concerning colonization and settlement, applications from organizations wishing to register under the Benevolent Societies Act, memoranda of association from businesses seeking to be incorporated under the provincial Companies Act, petitions from community groups requesting schools and improved municipal services, plus letters from private persons applying for appointments in the civil service. Also included are records arising from the administration of the provincial elections, hospitals, and asylums.

This series contains a mailing list for provincial government publications.

This series contains schedules of returns of convictions.

This series consists of correspondence from the Provincial Secretary concerning the Guarantee Insurance Company of North America, 1895-1916.

The series consists of correspondence, 1913-1916, that was originally a part of the Provincial Secretary's Central Registry. The records include grant applications from charitable organizations (e.g. Salvation Army Rescue and Maternity Home, Vancouver); petitions from various citizens groups and trades organizations (e.g. re: Pacific Great Eastern railway, prohibition, and Weekly Half Holiday Act); plus files on diverse topics such as the Belgian Relief Fund (which was administered by the Provincial Secretary), the Progress Club of Vancouver, the provincial coat-of-arms, prohibition, half-day closing, the Provincial Archives and W.W. Walkem's "Stories of Early British Columbia".

This series consists of correspondence inward from the Royal Commission on Indian Affairs (also known as the McKenna–McBride Commission) transmitting interim and draft reports, progress reports, minutes of decision, and confidential report to the Department of the Provincial Secretary, 1913-1916. The bulk of this record comprises a manuscript copy of the Commission's published report.

This series consists of a clipping book containing prospectus, scrip certificates and various newspaper advertisements announcing a stock issue of the Government of the Province of British Columbia for a 4 1/2% loan.

This series consists of 10 volumes of Jurors' Rolls and Lists entitled "Lists of all persons selected as competent, qualified, and liable to serve as Grand Jurors for Victoria (B.C.) District". Vol. 1: 1884; vol. 2: 1885; vol. 3: 1886; vol. 4: 1887; vols. 5 & 6: 1888; vol. 7: 1890; vol. 8: 1899-1902; vol. 9: "Grand & Petit Jurors Rolls Lists," Victoria District, 1903-1906; vol. 10: 1913-1914.

Correspondence replying to the invitation of the Premier and Executive Council to dine with the Captain and officers of H.M.S. "New Zealand."

This series consists of 8 volumes of birth, marriage, death and naturalization records from the Department of the Provincial Secretary from 1872-1913 for various parts of the province. The volumes are:
Vol. 1 - Record of naturalization, Lillooet, B.C. (1913)
Vol. 2 - marriage register, Yale, B.C. (1911)
Vol. 3 - index to register of births, Hope, B.C. (n.d.)
Vol. 4 - index to register of marriages (1872-1886)
Vol. 5 - index to register of deaths (1872-1877)
Vol. 6 - marriage register, Cariboo district (1874-1905)
Vol. 7 - birth register (1913)
Vol. 8 - death register (1913)

The series consists of a scrapbook created by the Dept. of Provincial Secretary from 1911 to 912. It contains accounts submitted by provincial newspapers for payment of advertisements of government notices.

This series consists of a variety of records related to hospitals, including voucher books; records of salaries; and an index to hospitals, with correspondence relating to the disbursement of grants to hospitals under the terms of the Hospital Act, 1902.