1

Government

The rules that Yale lived by were made by individuals such as Governor James Douglas and Peter O'Reilly. The people sent on behalf of the government to Yale were sent to ensure that this hub of activity followed the rules. But, it was not just the people who enforced these rules that impacted the area, but the rules themselves. This included the impact of colonization on the First Nations people.

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Governor James Douglas
1860
Victoria, B.C.

Credits:
B.C. Archives

3

Governor James Douglas
1803 - 1877
B.C.'s Founding Father

There have been many sweeping statements regarding Governor James Douglas, some exaggerated and others remarkably reflective. But for the most part it is safe to say that he was a man that overcame all odds and became a well respected member of society. He was said to be haughty of presence and often critical as a father.

A complex man who held true to his beliefs and devotion to Queen Victoria and all she represented throughout his reign and retirement. The founder of Victoria, Governor of Vancouver Island and later British Columbia, promoter of transport routes, upholder of law and order. His presence and importance in British Columbia's history is nearly unparalleled.

James Douglas was born in 1803 in British Guinea. His mother was a free black woman, possibly the descendant of an African slave woman, and his father was a Scottish sugar planter. The first nine years of his life were spent in a society where there were clear distinctions between planter and slave. At the age of nine James was sent to attend school in Scotland by his father. Scotland did not hold him for long and he became part of the fur trade seven years later.

At the age of 16 Douglas embarked upon a career that would intricately link him to the province of British Columbia. Douglas was posted at the northern HBC station of Fort St. James. There he met and married Amelia, the daughter of the Chief Factor William Connolly and a Cree woman, in 1828.

In 1830 he was sent to Fort Vancouver to serve under John McLouglin. Douglas became Chief Trader in 1835 and Chief Factor in 1839. In 1843 he began constructing Victoria, which became the main Pacific depot head for the Hudson Bay Company. In 1845 Douglas became the head supervisor of the fur trade and in 1849, when Britain leased Vancouver Island to the HBC for ten years in fear of American expansionism, Douglas became the HBC agent for the island.

In 1851 Britain made Douglas the Governor of Vancouver Island, after the appointed governor had resigned in less than a year. By 1857 gold had been discovered. When the Fraser River Gold Rush began in 1858 he sent a letter off to England, but ultimately took action without permission in the interests of Britain. Self appointing himself to deal with the gold rush and prevent the high possibility of the colony of New Caledonia becoming part of the United States.

In this effort he ordered all miners to pay 21 shillings a month to the British crown and $6 for every rowboat and canoe that entered British Territory while establishing taxes for the mainland. In November of 1858 he was officially appointed Governor of B.C. by Judge Begbie. Douglas' time as governor was primarily spent in relation to the gold rush, such as the construction of the Cariboo Waggon Road and the Harrison Trail. In 1863 Douglas retired as governor, but was knighted in recognition of his work.

Sir James and Lady Douglas had a total of 13 children, only six of which lived to adulthood. Douglas was a devoted father and grandfather, instilling his morals and principles into his children. The ‘Father of British Columbia' died in 1877, two weeks before his 74th birthday, surrounded by family.

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Mrs. Amelia Douglas
1862
British Columbia

5

Colonel Moody
1859
British Columbia

Credits:
B.C. Archives

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Colonel Richard Clement Moody
1813-1887
Lieutenant General of B.C.

Colonel Moody arrived in B.C. on December 25, 1858 aboard the Asia. Moody was in charge of the 165 Royal Engineers that had recently come over from England to help further develop B.C. Upon arriving he was given the title of lieutenant governor and commissioner of lands and works in B.C, in addition to being the commander of the Royal Engineers.

On board the Asia was his wife and growing family. They would make the emerging colony and the Engineer's camp in New Westminster their home for five years.

The town of Derby was originally marked out by Governor Douglas to be the Engineers camp and from wherein the capital of B.C. would be established. Moody vetoed Douglas' decision to make Derby the capital in the belief that it would be unprotected from possible threats to B.C.'s security and therefore posed the risk of allowing the Americans to take over the colony. New Westminster was considered by Moody to be a secure place and therefore better situated to become B.C.'s capital.

This was the beginning of tensions between Moody & Douglas that would last for the whole time of their public relationship. The naming of the capital is one such example of this tension as Moody suggested 'Queenborough' and Douglas felt it needed an 'S' in the middle, 'Queensborough.' Queen Victoria finally settled the matter by choosing to call it New Westminster.1

One of the first duties he was called upon to perform also enabled him to get a sense of the colony. Ned McGowan was causing trouble in Hill's Bar and the magistrate, Captain Whannell in Yale called forth for help. The help was in the form of Colonel Moody and his Royal Engineers. The trouble quickly dissipated and in the end Moody "had received his first introduction to the new mainland colony of B.C. to the Fraser River and the gold miners."2

While receiving his first taste of the land and its inhabitants he and his wife, Mary, were experiencing life with few or no luxuries. The accommodations provided for them and their four children were small. On top of this, the Colonel was expected to do most of his paper work from the minimal space available in their house. The reality of adapting to the New World proved to be a trial at first for many of the engineers, but by the end of five years the majority of the Royal Engineers were sad to depart the colony, with many opting to stay and make B.C. their home.3

Despite the initial appearances of a sense of equal duty and responsibility towards the colony, tension continued to develop between Governor Douglas and Moody. Colonel Moody desired the position of Governor should Douglas ever revert to being only the Governor of Vancouver Island. However, this was not the direct cause as tension did not arise until Douglas was informed that the title Lieutenant-Governor would only come into effect should the current governor could no longer perform the duty. Therefore, the title of Lieutenant-Governor was considered inactive or dormant. Douglas' attitude from therein changed in regards to Moody, treating him as a subordinate with little actual influence in England and therefore over him.4

The engineers were very focused on perfectionism and militarism, a fact that further bothered Douglas who desired to make the colony more accessible as a whole. Although Douglas took charge of much of the road building from Moody, the need for the engineers to perform the more daring feats of engineering was obvious. Being called in for heavy blasting and surveying work they gradually opened up the colony for more rapid transport of goods, and reinforced Yale's importance as the gateway to the interior of B.C. via the Fraser Canyon.

In 1858 Governor Douglas had urgently sought troops from England in order to combat possible threat of U.S. invasion and to help open up the interior of B.C. With that job completed and the threat of U.S. invasion dissipating Douglas wrote to England to request their removal. "The expense of the Royal Engineers is overwhelming, if relieved of, that costly ornament we should be better able to cope with other difficulties."5 Colonel Moody and his men were recalled. A Banquet was held in their honour on November 5, 1863 in which Moody was the primary speaker, thanking his fellow officers and paying a tribute to Captain Grant.

In whole, the colony was sad to see them depart for England; the colonists recognized that the work that they had put so much energy into would forever be a part of B.C. They stayed only five years but their regal presence still graces the countryside.

1 Adams, John. Old Square-Toes and his Lady, Horsdal & Schubart, Victoria, 2001, page 129, 150-3
2 Akrigg, G.P.V. British Columbia Chronicle, 1847-1871. Gold and Colonists. Vancouver; Discovery Press, 1977. Pg 153
3 Hill, Beth. Sappers. The Royal Engineers in British Columbia. Ganges; Horsdal & Schubart Publishers Ltd, 1987. Pg 44
4 British Columbia Chronicle, Pg 200
5 Governor's Private Official Letter Book, cited in British Columbia Chronicle, pg 282

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Edward Howard Sanders
1859
Yale B.C

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Edward Howard Sanders
1831-1902
Gold Commissioner, Crimean War Veteran
An Influential Man of Yale

Yale, during the Gold Rush, had a reputation close to that of the infamous American 'wild west.' In reality, the legend behind the wildness of the west was the same logic behind the unruly nature of Yale in the 1860's. In short, what community would not possess this reputation when it is seething with anxious, single men out to seek their fortune yet possessing enough courage and innovation to survive in a remote area?

Despite its wildness, and the ultimate duty of the Gold Commissioner to retain a semblance of order within his jurisdiction, the job must have seemed a welcome relief for Edward Howard Sanders from his past occupations.

E.H. Sanders was a cavalry man; he advanced on the enemy, while mounted on a beast that is capable of going in upwards of 30 miles per hour, brandishing a sword and a loaded musket. The noise must have been deafening, the screams of terror from the horses as their legs were cut out from under them, the pounding of cannons as they rendered the terrain into seething pits of death and destruction, filled with the terrifying moans and inhuman shrieks from man and beast alike. It is little wonder that it was a well known fact in the booming Gold Rush town of Yale that Edward Sanders was hard of hearing.

Sanders, at the age of 28, was appointed Gold Commissioner in Yale in 1859. 1 One can speculate that it was due to his military background that he received this position. He served in a number of different European units before coming to New Caledonia. The Austrian Cavalry, Europe's Crack Cavalry, and the Second Hussars are some of cavalries that he was enlisted in. During the Crimean War, 1854-56, he fought as part of the British-German Legion. Over 800, 000 soldiers died in the Crimean War, a daunting number considering that the war was fought in close hand-to-hand combat against the enemy.

Born in Hampshire, England around 1831, Sanders was 23 years old when the Crimean War began and he rode into battle. What Sanders did following the completion of his services in the Crimean War until he made his way to Yale is not known. What we do know is that upon receiving his position as Gold Commissioner he went above and beyond the call of duty, keeping abreast of events that could impact or enhance not only Yale, but the emerging province of British Columbia as well.

One such concern for his chosen place of residence was in 1860 when he accurately predicted that the reports of gold in the Cariboo country would result in a drop in Yale's population. Another incident occurred in 1861 when Sanders did not hesitate to take action when he feared that the mining would lead to negative consequences. This occurred on "Fort Yale Bar, which lay at the foot of the high bank of Water Street, in front of the Hudson's Bay Company's property. The miners were, in 1861, prohibited by Mr. E. Howard Sanders, the Assistant Gold Commissioner, from further mining operations owing to the danger of undermining the wagon road. At that time the ground was paying an ounce a day to the man." 2

While in Yale, Sanders was Police Magistrate for Yale and Lytton, Gold Commissioner, Justice of the Peace, Treasurer of the Yale Steam Navigation Company, and he would also become a member of the colonial legislature. Edward met and married his first wife while in Yale.

Sanders had been a resident of Yale for almost four years when he married Annie Moresby, eldest daughter of William Moresby in 1863. 3 Little is known about Annie prior to her marriage to Edward. Ironically, while the marriage certificate has been lost to history, the events surrounding their wedding have not.

It is said that Sanders kept a "pet in his back yard, a bear cub that had grown to almost adult size. Every morning he fed the animal himself. Saunders was almost stone deaf. On the morning of his wedding, he went out to feed the bear, but being deaf, he missed the warning that the bear was in a bad temper. When Saunders put the food out, the bear grabbed his nose instead of the food and bit part of it off. Dr. Fifer was able to reattach the piece and suture it in place. Thus the Yale Justice of the Peace and Gold Commissioner had to be married with a plastered nose. The bear was killed on the same day." 4

While in Yale Annie gave birth to two sons, Gilbert Edward Sanders in December of 1863 and Charles William Henry Sanders in 1865. In 1867 Edward moved his family to Lillooet and became Gold Commissioner there until 1870.

The next record of Edward is the death of his wife, Annie, in 1877 at the age of 32. 5 At the time of her death they had been residing in the Clinton district. In 1879 Edward remarried, to a young woman by the name of Essie Cranstonn Coulter, who was more than twenty years his junior. While residing in Clinton, Saunders held the position of County Court Judge.

Edward Howard probably died in Bath, England in 1902 as this is where the letter and report of his death came from. He had been a soldier, a businessman, a lawman, and a family man. While residing in B.C. he devoted himself to the future well being and prosperity of the colony he chose to call home.

1 April 19, 1859
2 Howay, F.W. British Columbia: From the Earliest Times to the Present. Vol II. Vancouver: The S.J.
Clarke Publishing Company, 1914. Pg 78.
3 January 8, 1863
4 Asche, Gerd A. "Government says 'no' to Medicare (1858)" BC Medical Journal, Vol 37, No. 5. May, 1995. Pg 367.
5 August 19, 1877

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William Dodd
1914
Yale B.C.

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William Dodd
A Lifetime of Service

William Dodd's contribution to B.C. was of such grandeur that his mere presence in Yale has lent the old town a level of distinction. Dodd held the position of government agent and assessment collector in Yale for 25 years.

Born in 1837, he made his way to B.C. in the 1860's from his home in Newcastle, England. Arriving in Yale in 1862 he walked the distance to Barkerville and engaged in mining for nine years. Perhaps realizing that few lasting fortunes were made through mining he headed back to Yale.

At Yale he met with a quiet success, the likeness of which still quietly stirs the morning breeze as it blows through the canyon. He joined the British Columbia Express Company, formerly Barnard's Express, and took charge of their interests at Yale. Shortly after joining up with the express he met Miss Clara Louise McCall. They were married in 1879 in the district of New Westminster. They had three children together.

His time with the B.C. Express Company lasted for 12 years and throughout this period he demonstrated his foresight and proved successful in the majority of his business dealings. In 1886 he resigned his position with the company and became the government agent. In 1905 he added the position of justice of peace to his title. He resigned from the former position in 1911 while retaining his place as the Justice of Peace.

Clara passed away in Vancouver in 1909 at the age of 54. William outlived his wife by 12 years; she was more than 15 years his junior. William Dodd passed away in Victoria in the spring of 1921 at the age of 84. To this day he is remembered as a man who "is numbered among Yale's most representative and highly respected citizens." 1

1- "British Columbia. From the Earliest Times to the Present." Biographical, Vol.IV. Vancouver: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1914. pg 564.

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Walter Dewdney
1837-1892
Surveyor, Government Agent, Devout Church Participant

There is not enough known about his life to say for certain what caused his ultimate downfall in 1892. The few records that do exist on him do not point towards a career of disrespect or poverty. But, one cannot read what is not recorded: Perhaps what drove him to such drastic measures will never be known.

Walter Dewdney's first appearance in our records is in the 1876 Voters List for Hope and Yale as a surveyor. His career within Yale only increased after this point, although he retained his chief occupation as a surveyor.

By the late 1870's he had added the occupation of Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works to his qualifications. By 1882-3 he was the Justice of Peace and government agent in Yale, as well as the church registrar from 1880 to 1884.

With the gradual depopulation of Yale following the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Fraser Canyon, Walter moved on to Enderby where he once again engaged in surveying. His name appears in Priests Valley as a government agent in 1891. Here is the first mention of a family, listing a wife, Clara and children. A Walter Dewdney was married in 1876 to a Carrie Leigh, which corresponds somewhat with the above information.

He was a man that took an active interest in local politics, particularly while residing in the Yale area. In Yale he appears to have been at his most successful, holding an active position within the community, married with children and a devoted Anglican church member. It is after his departure from Yale that things become more sketchy. It appears that he traveled from place to place obtaining employment as a surveyor wherever he could.

His last job was probably as a government agent in Priests Valley in 1891. The events leading up to his death are not known. What we do know is that he committed suicide on January 1, 1892 while residing in the Vernon area. His condition was listed as 'temporary insanity leading to suicide'. 1

A respected and remembered citizen of Yale's past populace with a life that may remain, for the most part, a mystery.

1- BCVI - Death Record, Walter Dewdney

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Gilbert Sproat
First Surveyor of BC Indian Reserves

Gilbert Sproat was a man who attempted to see the aboriginal side of the situation while others were looking towards the settlers needs. Sproat was the sole Indian Reserve Commissioner after Confederation and he retained this position until 1880.

In regards to Indian policy he shared much of the same views and ideals as former Governor Douglas. Sproat was also aware of native discontent versus the increasingly heard voice of the settlers. With the colony of British Columbia joining with Canada, Sproat feared that native people would be even less represented than they had been prior to Confederation and volunteered to take on the Indian Reserve Commissioner's job alone.

The proposal to make Sproat the sole Indian Reserve Commissioner in B.C. was accepted by the Commissioner of Lands and Works in Victoria. At the time that the government approved the proposal they were unaware of Sproat's increasing tendency to side with the aboriginal peoples in issues relating to reserves and representation.

From the outset Sproat viewed the new government as "an inefficient and obstructive provincial government."1 The list of complaints against them ranged from the government's tendency to ignore Douglas' treaties; the granting of land that he had already allocated as reserves; to their tendency toward procrastination in replying to Sproat's inquiries and not heeding his recommendations.

As he settled into his singular role as commissioner he increasingly began to feel that his position was being undermined and that the native people were growing increasingly hostile as a result of broken promises made to them.

Sproat initially accepted his new position with the feeling that "he had the power to resolve the native land question in British Columbia as he saw fit."2 However, the Indian policies at that time were not on the same wavelength as that of Sproat. The goal was to assimilate the native population as rapidly as possible so they could engage in the labour force. Sproat wished to allow them a chance to adapt and assimilate with time. In this regard he advocated for self government amongst the Natives, and a school system. In short, Sproat was "out of tune with the settler mentality of his day."3

With these increasingly radical views on the part of Sproat, the government in Ottawa stopped their support of his position and power. The powers closer to home felt that he had "engineered a 'combination of semi-civilized natives' that posed a military threat to the province."4

Facing increasing censure and growing exhaustion through his attempt to single-handedly correct native land policies, he resigned in 1880. With his resignation came the return of power to Joseph Trutch, a man who heeded the settler's requests over that of the aboriginal people. In his willingness to stand up for the natives of BC at a period in history when it was not popular to do so he stands today "as a brave and remarkable figure."5

1- Harris, Cole. "Making Native Space" Colonialism, Resistance, and Reserves in British Columbia." Vancouver: UBC Press, 2002. Pg 134.
2- Harris, 136.
3- Harris, 137.
4- Harris, 162.
5- Harris, 137.

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The O'Reilly's house in Victoria as it looks today.
1870
Victoria, B.C.

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Peter & Caroline O' Reilly
1828 - 1905
18 - 1899
B.C. Lawman and Victoria's Elite

Peter O'Reilly and his wife Caroline would become renowned for their British gentility and the social gatherings held in their home, Point Ellice House. Despite this distinction his life was remarkably similar to thousands of others that immigrated to Canada around the time of the Fraser River Gold Rush.

Peter O'Reilly was born in England in 1828, educated at Trinity College and immigrated to Canada in 1859. Before he was married, he had an illegitimate child with his housekeeper, Gertie Jennie, a native woman of Vancouver Island. Their daughter was Monique O'Reilly, who was raised and educated in both languages and worlds. Peter found her employment as a court interpreter for a time, before she married Martin Castle Junior and moved to Yale.

Caroline Trutch, the sister of Joseph Trutch, moved to Victoria from England. Peter and Caroline met and married in Victoria in 1863. By 1867 they had had their second child, O'Reilly, and had moved into Point Ellice House.

Prior to coming to Canada, Peter had served in the Royal Irish Constabulary; shortly after arriving in Canada he received his first appointment from Governor Douglas. From there he served a number of positions in various localities. "He held the posts of Gold Commissioner, Collector of Revenue, Assistant Commissioner of Lands, Indian Agent, and Coroner." 1

In the Yale and Hope area he was the Justice of Peace and Stipendiary Magistrate for Hope and Yale from 1859 to 1862. During this time he was also the High Sheriff for the Mainland Colony of B.C.; he held this position until 1866.

One thing O'Reilly is well-known for is his hand in the laying out and surveying of more Indian Reserves in BC than anyone else. The only problem was, he did this work in haste and poor judgement, as well as under the influence of his brother-in-law Joseph Trutch, who had a bias against native people. He supervised the layout of the Fraser Canyon reserves in 1870 by his other brother-in-law John Trutch, "that had caused so much native anguish and which Sproat had worked so hard to adjust." 2

Peter O'Reilly took over as Indian Reserve Commissioner when Gilbert Sproat resigned in 1880, and held this position until 1898. In those 18 years he laid out over 600 Indian reserves, but refused to consult with the people he was affecting, and left out many houses and cultivated properties. The repercussions of that policy can still be felt to this day.

Peter also served as the County Court Judge for the Yale District from 1867 to 1870, and he resumed this position for Yale and New Westminster in 1872-1881. He retired as a judge in 1881.

At home in the O'Reilly house things progressed smoothly with their social status recognized and their children merging into respectable society within Victoria. One way that their wealth was conveyed was through the use of photography, being an expensive endeavour at the time. "By exploiting their wealth in such a fashion Caroline O'Reilly would have seen photography [as] an opportunity to secure their position with the upper classes." 3

The O'Reilly's suffered sadness as well as joy and success in Canada; one tragedy was the death of their eldest daughter in 1876. In her daughters Caroline tried, and generally succeeded in raising them in such a fashion that they became "an unwavering symbol of good order on a solid foundation." 4

The O'Reilly's appear to have had a very close relationship with their children. A suitor after their daughter Kathleen, who was the eldest surviving daughter, wrote to Peter of his daughter's love of her life and all it embodied at Point Ellice. For "how could she be expected to look with anything but shudder at a prospect so uncertain, and give up her home and her horse, and all the other things, and leave her parents, who are so devoted to her, & she to them, in complete uncertainty as to when or how she would see them again." 5

Kathleen, prior to the death of her mother, enjoyed a very active social life, she was presented to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Cadogen at Dublin Castle. Caroline died in 1899. Her death required "Kathleen to take on the responsibility of caring for her father at Point Ellice, which resulted in fewer trips overseas. In 1905, Peter dies, leaving Kathleen to tend the home for her brother and his wife." 6

As for the daughter, Kathleen, she never forgot the love and devotion of her parents. She remained at Point Ellice house until her death in 1945, belonging to a "minority, unmarried, a woman of independence having rejected a proposal for marriage." 7

Peter and Caroline O'Reilly's existence is intricately linked to not only Victoria but to the mainland of B.C. as well. Their presence within B.C. helped take her one step further to gradually come into her own: British with a unique flair of colonialism!

1- "Peter O'Reilly." Gold Rush Town of Yale - People -Internet: http://www.tbc.gov.bc.ca/culture/schoolnet/yale/people/oreilly.htm.
2-Cole Harris, "Making Native Space" p 169
3- Walton, Liberty. "How Shall I Frame Myself?" BC Historical News, Vol 35 # 4, Fall 2002 Pg.27
4- Walton, Liberty. Pg 29
5- Henry Stanhope letter to Peter O'Reilly. From Walton, Liberty, pg 34.
6- Walton, Liberty. Pg 36
7- Walton, Liberty. Pg 36