History Helps Volume One, Number 5, April 2001
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• Happy Easter and Spring
• Reminder Who Am I
• Barnardo Boys to British Columbia
• City of Victoria Archives
• Early B.C. Newspapers
• Fire Insurance Plans
• Historical Site, Ladner
• What's on Microfilm at UBC
• Technical Stuff
• Subscription, Privacy Policy

Happy Easter!!!!! Happy Spring!!!!!

REMINDER

In case anyone missed this information in my first newsletter, this is a good time for a reminder about me. I am a historian, with an interest primarily in my local area, but extending through necessity to British Columbia. My point? I'm not a genealogist and, therefore, any genealogy resources shared here are those I've come across in my travels.

Having said that, I'm naturally going to refer first to something that mingles the two.

Barnardo Boys to British Columbia

In the last issue of this newsletter (Volume One, No. 4) I included an item about British Home Children, and their presence in British Columbia history in the early 20th century.

An even earlier reference than the ones quoted in that issue comes from The British Columbian, Weekly Edition, 30 March 1887, page six, and reads as follows: "TWO HUNDRED BOYS FOR B.C. ð The Parisian, which has sailed for Canada, has about 100 saloon, 100 intermediate and 700 steerage passengers. A large proportion of the steerage passengers have through tickets to Manitoba and the Northwest. There are 200 boys for British Columbia from Barnardo's home."

The listing of all the boys on this voyage, as well as a second one made by the Parisian, carrying boys from the Barnardo Home, can be found at the National Archives - Archivia Net. Under "Finding Aids," click on the category, "Home Children". From there it is possible to search the database using various terms. If you want to access the list of passengers on the ship referred to above, the Parisian, contact me, and I will send you the internet page that contains the list.

There is also a B. C. website on the subject of British Home Children at this link, Home Children Canada (Pacific).

City of Victoria Archives

The City of Victoria Archives has recently added three searchable databases. This link will take you there, Vital Statistics Search.

A death notices index comprises obituaries that appeared in the Victoria Daily Times from 1901 - 1939. The entries indicate the location of the information, but are not the actual death notices, obituaries or funeral notices.

The marriage notices index covers the same time period and is similarly designed. However, it appears to include a substantial number of entries from other sources.

Note that these databases only contain the exact page reference for the item; they do not contain the item itself. However, they definitely shorten the search toward finding these useful newspaper notices.

Early B.C. Newspapers

This is an explanatory website, providing historical background, and not a database of early newspapers that can be searched. It can be accessed at The first newspapers on Canada's west coast.

On this website, Hugh Doherty relates a fascinating account of the rise and fall of various newspapers during the years prior to Canada's west coast becoming a province of the Dominion. The cast of characters is a motley crew of journalists and others, for whom the adjective "colourful" is an apt description. This history of early B. C. newspapers gives some background for those of us who spend most of our time reading these newspapers for their content.

Fire Insurance Plans

As a follow-up to those interested in Fire Insurance Plans, which was the subject of a recent newsletter, I came across an interesting site on the internet, called How To Read Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.

Background to a Ladner Historical Site

The property in Ladner on which sits Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic school of the same name, and a number of other buildings, including the original home of Annie and Thomas McNeely, has been in the local news recently (as well as a news item in the Vancouver Sun) because of a proposal to build a seniors' facility on site.

Few people, local and otherwise, seem to know much of this property's history. The following newspaper item, found in The Daily Columbian, 10 June 1891, should add to that knowledge:

"Mr. Ernest Hutcherson, of Ladner's Landing, arrived to-day by the [steamer] Telephone, on his way to Vancouver. Mr. Hutcherson has signed a contract with the Vancouver Canning Co. for all the strawberries on the Jubilee ranch, and his trip is [undertaken] in connection with making arrangements to ship. He expects to market between ten and eleven tons of strawberries, and the crop is now ripe enough to pick."

The original does indeed say "between ten and eleven tons" not a typographical error. Makes one think, doesn't it?

What's on Microfilm at U.B.C.

I'm a regular user of the library at the University of British Columbia (except for this temporary halt in honour of the transit strike), where I'm reading the 19th century newspapers for a forthcoming database on Delta.

However, in a browse recently, I discovered an interesting miscellany in the microfilm shelves at Koerner Library. Among other treasures, various directories are available on microfilm, which means that photocopies can be made at a reasonable price. Assuming that other people might be interested, I will compile a somewhat detailed list for inclusion in a future issue.

Technical Stuff

If there is a problem in the way this newsletter appears when it reaches you, please let me know, and I will try to make improvements. Thank you.

Subscription, Privacy Policy

To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE, send an e-mail with either SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to: gwens@dccnet.com.

Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone.

Gwen Szychter, M.A.

P.S. Here's a favour you can do for me: If you liked this newsletter and found it helpful or just interesting, please pass it on to a friend or colleague. Thank you.

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