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Archival description
Vancouver Island (Colony)--Politics and government
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Ship's journal

Ship's journal, January 1 - June 13, 1865; also contains random diary entries [R. Colston], 1873, 1874, 1882, 1883. Blank pages not filmed.

Leviathan (Ship)

Executive Council meeting minutes

  • GR-1223
  • Series
  • 1864-1866

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.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Executive Council

Drafts of bills and other material

  • GR-1527
  • Series
  • 1860-1865

This series contains drafts of bills, ordinances, and regulations from 1860-1865. The series also includes covering correspondence from the Clerk of the Council to the House of Assembly, 1860-1864.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Legislative Council

Speeches by and addresses to colonial governors

  • GR-1717
  • Series
  • 1860-1865

Opening and closing speeches of Governors Douglas and Kennedy to the Legislative Council and House of Assembly of Vancouver Island, 1860-1864; closing speeches of Governor Seymour to the Legislative Council of British Columbia, 1865. Also addresses from the Legislative Council of British Columbia to Governor Douglas (1864) and Governor Seymour (1865).

British Columbia (Colony). Governor

Colonial Office correspondence outward to Vancouver Island

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).

Great Britain. Colonial Office

Helmcken family papers

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.

Legislative Council records

  • GR-1529
  • Series
  • 1854, 1864

This series contains messages to the Governor from the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly, with draft replies, 1864. It includes a draft of an Act to Prohibit Sale of Alcohol to Indians, 1854.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Governor (1851-1864 : Douglas)

Henry Labouchere papers

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.