Official papers, including his commission, warrant and instructions as Governor of Vancouver Island; correspondence inward (1851); a list of passengers from England on the "Harpooner" (1849); will (1894). Richard Blanshard was born on 19 October 1817. He received his education from Christ Church, where he matriculated in 1835 and went on to receive his B.A. in 1840 and M.A. in 1844 from Queen's College, Oxford. He also studied law at Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar on 22 November 1844. Interested in pursuing a career in the colonial service, Blanshard accepted his commission for the position of Governor of Vancouver Island in July 1949. Blanshard finally arrived in Victoria in March 1850. Delays in the completion of a governor's residence, a misunderstanding between Blanshard and the Hudson's Bay Company over a promised land grant, and the high cost of living were all factors that contributed to a rift between Blanshard, who had not been provided a salary, and James Douglas, chief factor for the Hudson's Bay Company in Victoria. Blanshard quickly became an opponent of the Company and with the failure of the new colony to develop as Blanshard and the Company had anticipated, the governor quickly grew disillusioned, and suffering from chronic ill health, tendered his resignation to the Secretary of State for the Colonies,* Blanshard arrived in England in May 1852. He gave evidence to the Select Committee on the Hudson's Bay Company on 15 June 1857, and a week later attended a lecture on Vancouver Island by Captain W. Colquhoun Grant presented by the Royal Geographical Society. He inherited a substantial fortune and spent the remainder of his life living between London and his estate in Hampshire. He died in London on 5 June 1894. The collection consists of Blanshard's official papers, including his commission, warrant, and instructions as Governor of Vancouver Island; correspondence inward (1851); a passenger list (1849); and will (1894). For details of his career see W. Kaye Lamb, "The Governorship of Richard Blanshard," British Columbia Historical Quarterly, xiv, nos. 1 and 2 (January - April 1950), 1-40.

Series contains a variety of official documents in regards to the governing of the west coast, documents regarding official governing appointments for James Douglas, an address on the occasion of Douglas' retirement, a certificate commemorating Douglas' retirement, a condolences letter for Lady Douglas after James Douglas’ death, bound private notebooks, records of financial transactions, and several journals.