Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Register of land pre-emptions and other material
General material designation
- textual record
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Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.
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Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1867-1884 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works
Physical description area
Physical description
1 cm of textual records (1 volume plus one leaf)
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Dept. of Lands and Works was established in 1871 under the Constitution Act (SBC 1871, c. 147). Prior to that, the origins of the department were in the offices of the Surveyor General for the Colony of Vancouver Island (1859-1866) and the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works and Surveyor General for the Colony of British Columbia (1859-1871).
The mandate of the department was to grant permission for the pre-emption of unoccupied, unsurveyed, and unreserved Crown lands, issue Crown grants and grant leases of Crown lands, oversee all survey and map functions, and construct and repair roads, bridges and buildings for public services. It was also responsible for promoting immigration. The Dept. of Lands and Works was headed by the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works and Surveyor General.
By 1899, the department was organized into two branches: Lands Branch and Works Branch. In 1908 the Dept. of Lands and Works was disestablished with an amendment to the Constitution Act (SBC 1908, c. 12). Its functions were assigned to two new departments: the Dept. of Lands (SBC 1908, c. 31) and the Dept. of Public Works (SBC 1908, c. 41).
Custodial history
Scope and content
This series consists of one volume entitled "Mr. Morley's Old Book Land Records - List of Squatters on Railway Lands p. 51". The volume is a register of land pre-emptions, certificates of improvement, purchases and transfers, 1867-1879. Entries include a date, pre-emption or certificate number, district name, personal or corporate name, number of acres, range and section or "unsurveyed" and name of land recorder, John. Morley. The districts include Comiaken, Somenos, Quamichan, Cowichan, Shawnigan, and Salt Spring Island, Portland Island, Thetis Island, Pender Island, Mayne Island and Saturna Island. Entries on pages 51-54 list squatters on Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway land, 1877-1884 indicating the date, name, district (includes above plus Chemainus), section and number of acres. There is also a single sheet letter from Chad Wallader Blayney, June 13, 1876, requesting land.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
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There are no access restrictions.
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General note
Accession number(s): GR-0514
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Morley, John, 1812-1883 (Subject)
- British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works (Subject)