RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. Beatrice "Bea" Freeman discusses her father Arthur Reed Spalding; her father purchased property from John Tod; her mother [McKay] was from Saturna Island; her home life; visiting by row;boat; childhood activities; visitors; her father was well-educated and cultured; her mother was a very competent person; met many young wealthy Englishmen; story of Lord Loughborough; more on Pender Island settlers and landowners. TRACK 2: Mrs. Freeman discusses sheep rustling; "Old Burke" the smuggler; interaction with the American islands; visitors and strangers; more social contact with Saturna Islanders than those on North Pender; life too easy for young men; rum-running; building of the Pender Island canal in 1903; mail delivery; boat travel; comments about Sidney, BC.

The item is an hour-long sound program produced for the Provincial Archives' Sound Heritage Series under contract, about pioneer days on the Gulf Islands. It includes the impressions and stories of early residents of Galiano, Saturna, North and Sound Pender, and Mayne Islands, emphasizing the arrival of new settlers, lighthouse life, and the joys and tribulations of island life.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-09-30 SUMMARY: Miss Ida New compares the types of settlers on North and South Pender Island; Saturna Island and Galiano Island; the Payne family of Saturna Island; social life and customs; Scoones family of Galiano Island; the arrival of Miss New and her brother Donald on Galiano Island in 1913; education on the islands. At the end of T0781:0002 track 1, Freda New discusses Mayne Island.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1966-01-31 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. G. Stanley Harris describes circumstances of his birth in Ontario; came to BC in 1900; went to Atlin District in 1900; worked in the gold mines in the Atlin District; traveled to Dawson ;City in the Yukon; took a boat trip down the Yukon River; describes Dawson City and Bennett and the Atlin District as he remembers them at the turn of the century; the Reverend John Pringle is described; a description of Whitehorse. TRACK 2: Mr. Harris describes gambling incidents concerning his friend Harold Stone; adventures in the goldfields; moving to Pender Island in 1902; Pender Island pioneers and pioneers on Mayne Island.

Diary of R.G. Grey, 1879-1881, giving account of two voyages from London to Melbourne, typescript extracts from diary, 1906-1913, diary 1923-1932, papers on family history, re Josephine Butler (aunt), drafts of essays and letters to editors on world affairs, socialism; reminiscences of Winnifred Grey, 1895-1946, mainly re life on South Pender and Samuel Islands, school exercise books; letter to Evelyn (Grey) Smith, 1917, from army officer.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Herbert Spalding's father, Arthur Reed Spalding, settled on Pender Island in 1886. Mr. Spalding describes: Pender settlers; relations between whites and Indians; details about the family farm; childhood; hunting; life on the islands; visitors. Mrs. Spalding relates details about growing up on the island. Mr. Spalding continues the interview and describes Indians; "Big Tom"; World War I; early telephones; transportation to and from the islands. [TRACK 2: blank.]

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-05 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mrs. Margaret Smith discusses early agriculture and settlement on Pender Island, 1885 to 1925. Her father, Alexander Hamilton, purchased land on Browning Harbour in 1885; he was a stone mason and had a business in New Westminster. The family moved permanently to Pender in 1898. Mrs. Smith discusses various aspects of island life: agriculture; sheep farming; her childhood on the island; dredging the Pender Island canal; domestic chores; fruit farming; land clearing; shipping cream; chickens; herding sheep; sheep thieves; smuggling and "Old Burke"; the Brackett family; schools; social and political life; Mr. Pollard; rum running; subdivisions; recollections of other Gulf Islands. [TRACK 2: blank.]

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Neptune "Nep" Grimmer recalls his life on Pender Island. His father, Washington Grimmer, was born in London, England, grew up in Australia, and came to BC in 1877. He then worked in the Cariboo with sheep before settling on Pender in 1882 and marrying Elizabeth Auchterlonie in 1885. Neptune Grimmer describes some of the early island settlers, including David Hope, Mr. Buckley, the Hope family, the Auchterlonie family, and the Davison family. He describes the type of small boats used for transportation; fishing and farming on the island; and his parents operation of a guest house; from 1910 to 1920. Neptune Grimmer was born in a boat while crossing Navy Channel; his older sister was the first white child born on Pender. He recalls childhood activities; schooling and the family; farm. In 1908 he attended the Agricultural College at Guelph; the family exhibited at the local agricultural fairs and supplied cream to the Salt Spring Creamery. He describes the evolution of farming on the island from sheep to dairy and later beef cattle. There is discussion of the early fruit farming and land settlement on the island. [TRACK 2: blank.]

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Robert "Bertie" Roe reminisces about Pender Island. He describes his father, who came from Scotland as a marine engineer, and settled on Pender Island in 1896. He describes Port Washington; the Hope Bay rivalry; clearing land and building up a farm; in 1918 he started a resort; a visit of Premier McBride and a Conservative party picnic; a political speech; sea serpents; the Shingle; Bay fish plant; rum running; Cannonball Baker. [TRACK 2: blank.]