Catalogue description Colonial Office: British Columbia, Original Correspondence

Bound volumes arranged chronologically within the following subject headings: Despatches (letters of the Governors), Offices (letters of government departments and other organisations), and Individuals (arranged alphabetically). Each volume with a contents list, or a précis of each letter giving name of correspondent, date of letter and subject matter.

British Columbia is an amalgamation of four colonial jurisdictions. Vancouver Island, granted to the Hudson's Bay Company, became a Crown colony in 1849. In 1852 the Queen Charlotte Islands were made a dependency of Vancouver Island. As a result of the large migration to the region on the discovery of gold on the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in 1858, the crown colony of British Columbia was constituted comprising roughtly the southern half of its present mainland area. In 1862 the northern half of the area, including part of the present Yukon Territory, was established as the Territory of Stikine. In 1863 the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia and the Stikine Territory were united under the name of British Columbia. In 1866 Vancouver Island became part of British Columbia, and in 1871 British Columbia became a province of the Dominion of Canada.