Series GR-0767 - Lands records

Sale of Town Lots in Langley (25 Nov. 1858 - 19 Jan. 1859) Langley Register.  List of town lots, purchaser, amounts, etc. Register of Purchasers of Town Lots at Langley Register of grantees of Town Lots at Langley, arranged numerically. (counterfoil book) Register of grantees of Town Lots at  Langley, . Arranged numerically. (counterfoil book) Deeds issued for Town Lots at Langley Correspondence and other materials relating to the exchange of Langley Town Lots for Lots at Quee... Receipt book for transfer of Lots to credit for payment of Lots at Queensborough. (counterfoil bo... Towns, Day Book Alphabetical index of Langley credits for Town Lots at Queensborough Receipts for partial payments for Town Lots at Langley Receipt book for sale of Town Lots at Queensborough (Counterfoil book) Sale tickets for cash payments and Langley transfer credits for Queensborough/New Westminster Tow... Register of New Westminster Town Lots.  Includes name of purchaser, price, Langley credits, insta... Register of New Westminster Town Lots.  Includes name of purchaser, price, Langley credits, insta... Register of New Westminster Town Lots, Book 2 List of purchasers at the Queensborough sale and lot register of accounts New Westminster Town and Suburban Lots and country lands, deeds issued, preemptions, and miscella... New Westminster Town Lots and Suburban lands; receipts for Crown Grants issued Queensborough Lot Sales; receipts for purchases and payments towards Town Lots, suburban and coun... Return of preempted lands recorded at New Westminster, in April 1863. (Includes all Fraser Valley... Douglas Town Lot records.  Deeds issued, lots sold, payments Hope Town and Suburban Lot records.  Sales, lots leased, account records of Lots sold, deeds issu... Return of Town Lots and suburban lands sold Yale Town Lot records- deeds issued, suburban lands sold, etc. Lytton, return of Town Lots. (Includes tracing of Lytton) New Westminster Town and Suburban Lots and country lands, deeds issued, preemptions, and miscella...

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Lands records

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  • textual record
  • cartographic material

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  • Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.

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Series

Reference code

GR-0767

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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1858-1863 (Creation)
    Creator
    British Columbia (Colony). Lands and Works Dept.

Physical description area

Physical description

42 cm of textual records; 1 plan

Publisher's series area

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1859-1871)

Biographical history

The Lands and Works Dept. of the Colony of British Columbia was established in 1859 when Colonel Richard Clement Moody, commanding officer of the Royal Engineers, was sworn in as Chief Commissioner and Surveyor-General for the Colony of British Columbia. Prior to 1858, the territories of the new colony, known then as New Caledonia, were under grant to the Hudson’s Bay Company. Moody and the Royal Engineers were sent to the lower Fraser Valley by the Colonial Office in England to provide a military presence in the new colony, and also to survey land for settlement and to provide engineering expertise and manpower for the building of roads and bridges.

In 1863, the Colonial Office implemented constitutional changes to the Colony of British Columbia to encourage more settlement and a representative government. The contingent of Royal Engineers was disbanded and Chartres Brew, Chief Inspector of Police for the colony, was designated as Acting Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works until Joseph Trutch was appointed to the position of Surveyor-General in 1864.

From 1864 to 1871, the Surveyor-General was an elected official who also held the title of Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works and was a member of the Executive Council. Trutch continued the job Moody had started, with a personal emphasis on Crown lands and aboriginal claims. Trutch was the Surveyor-General when British Columbia joined confederation in 1871, at which time he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the new province.

Most of the colonial officials remained in their positions, under his authority, until an election was held in November and a new government was sworn in. During this transitional period, first Peter O’Reilly and then Benjamin Pearse, served as Acting Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works and Surveyor-General.

After the election, 1871, Henry Holbrook was appointed the Acting Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works and Surveyor-General in the first ministry. A few months later, George A. B. Walkem took over as the first Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works and Surveyor-General in the new Dept. of Lands and Works.

Custodial history

Scope and content

This series consists of land records from the Colony of British Columbia Lands and Works Department, 1858-1863. Most records are related to the sale of town lots at Langley, 1858-1859, and New Westminster, 1860-1862, including records of exchanges of lots at Langley for lots at New Westminster. The series also include various other land records related to New Westminster, Douglas, Hope, Yale, Lytton and Lillooet, including pre-emptions, lot registers, accounts for sales of town and suburban lots, and lists of deeds issued.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Transferred from Land Management Branch per D. Preston, 1980.

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Script of material

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Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

There are no access restrictions.

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Accruals

General note

Accession number(s): GR-0767

General note

This series was previously described by the BC Archives with the creator as British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works.

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Physical storage

  • Box: GR0767-0001
  • Box: GR0767-0002
  • Box: GR0767-0003
  • Box: 913430-1029
  • Box: GR0767-0005
  • Box: GR0767-0006
  • Box: GR0767-0007
  • Box: GR0767-0008
  • Box: 002340-1075