COWICHAN 1858 to December 31, 1871

Died by execution at Victoria, Vancouver Island, Feb 8, 1862, 'Charley', a Cowichan Indian, found guilty of murdering Thomas Holmes of Cowichan...page 3 [Colonist, 1862-02-07*]

Married at Woodbine Cottage [residence of Mr W P Sayward], Victoria, Vancouver Island, Dec 10, 1863, Ralph Borthwick, Victoria, to Miss Isabel Keir, 3rd Daughter of Mr A R Keir, Cowichan. This is the 3rd wedding which has taken place at the same hospitable roof within the year. Guests were regaled with all the good things which Victoria could afford. [Colonist, 1863-12-09*]

� A coroner's inquest on body of Edward Brant Fisher, who was recently killed at Cowichan was held at John Bull hotel, and after viewing the body and hearing testimony of the wife, jury returned a verdict of accidental death. [Colonist, 1865-09-26]

Inquest at Cowichan, Vancouver Island, on body of man named Hamilton, who was discovered dead in a potato field a few days ago [Oct 18, 1865, 3]. According to evidence taken Hamilton was chasing pigs and suddenly fell down and expired. There being no medical testimony to assist the jury they returned a verdict of 'death by visitation of God.'; Nov 1, editorial, 2 - Intestate estates... [Colonist, 1865-10-17*]

Killed at Cowichan, Vancouver Island, Dec, 1865, an elderly man named William Cooper [by Charles Caldwell] . It appears that 2 men were engaged in removing goods from a canoe at Harris' when an altercation arose through one of them having split the canoe by dropping a bag of flour into it. The parties seem to have become incensed at one another and in a paroxysm of anger the man who caused the trifling accident was struck by the other on his face with a gun. Dec 27, 3 - The Cowichan Tragedy...; Dec 28, 3 Inquest - died from effects of a blow, but how the blow was caused there is no evidence to show.' The feeling prevalent among settlers is that Caldwell acted purely in self-defence. [Colonist, 1865-12-23*]

Drowned at Cowichan, Vancouver Island, Jul 1, 1866, Thomas Henry Botterell [Botterill?], 4th Son of John Botterell, Brother of Matthew Botterrell, butcher of Victoria, Vancouver Island, late of Weston, Yorkshire, England, aged 27. Drowned while attempting to ford the river on horseback, after some cattle. The horse having got beyond his depth commenced plunging, throwing its rider and kicking him in the back. The accident was witnessed by a man in the deceased's employ, who was further up the river, but, not being able to swim, he could not give the drowning man any help. Body was recovered by Indians diving for it. Funeral from residence of Mathew Botterill, rear of Mr Finlayson's, nr Douglas. [Colonist, 1866-06-28*]

Married at Parsonage, Cowichan, Vancouver Island, Sep 29, 1866, William Drinkwater, farmer, Cannon House, Cowichan, to Frances Knowles Douglas, of Bristol, Somerset, England. [Colonist, 1866-10-03*]

Died at Royal Hospital, Victoria, Vancouver Island, Nov 21, 1866, Richard Roe, a farmer of Cowichan, native of England, aged 37. [Colonist, 1866-11-17*]

Died at Cowichan, British Columbia, c Nov 20, 1866, a young man named Jordan, native of Gloucester, England, of consumption. This was first interment in Protestant ground, and was 1st death from natural causes occurring in the District. [Colonist, 1866-11-28*]

Drowned at Cowichan, British Columbia, Jul 8, 1867, James B Dougherty, aged 38. Mr Dougherty was an experienced farmer and was for a long time in employ of Dr Tolmie as manager of that gentleman's farm. He was native of Galway, Ireland and unmarried. Friends and acquaintances are respectfully requested to attend the funeral, immediately after arrival of Sir James Douglas, from her landing. [Colonist, 1867-07-09*]

Married Apr 14, 1868, at Cowichan church, W Harry Lomas, eldest Son of W R Lomas, Esq, Belper, Derbyshire, England, to Jane, eldest Daughter of David Alexander, of Cowichan, British Columbia. [Colonist, 1868-04-24*]

a drowning case of man named Clark - a stout, able-bodied fellow, well known in the district, but we believe, following the pursuit of goldminer when at Cariboo - called at a settler's house to borrow a flour bag, remarking that he wished to 'put something into it.' The settler, little imagining the tragic purpose the bag was destined to serve, loaned it, and Clark, who appeared in good humor, walked away. Next morning, early, some person walking on Harris' wharf [Cowichan], observed a pair of boots sticking, soles up, out of the water. A closer examination revealed the boots formed part of the apparel of a man, the upper part of whose body was under water. A boat was procured and the remains brought ashore, when it was found that the head of the person was encased in identical flour bag, Clark had borrowed the evening before. Upon removing the bag, which was tied tightly about the neck of deceased, the remains were recognized as those of Clark. Between bottom of sack and dead man's head was found a large stone, which had served as a weight to sink the body head down. Inquest... [Colonist, 1869-02-27]

Died at Victoria, Vancouver Island, May 11, 1869, at his residence, James Bay, John Chapman Davie, Sr, of Victoria, surgeon, aged 58, native of Lyme Regis, Dorset, England, and MLC of British Columbia. The honorable gentleman passed away after an illness of less than 48 hr's duration, produced by over-exertion in riding to town from Saanich a few days ago...Born in 1811, Dr Davie emigrated to this Colony 7 years ago, and took up his abode in this city, where he has since resided, gathering around him several members of his family, and he had the very great satisfaction of knowing long before taking his departure that all were comfortably settled and highly respected in the land of their adoption... Remains of Hon Dr Davie will be interred in the cemetery at Cowichan, to which place they will be conveyed by ster SJD on her next trip...deceased gentleman having expressed a wish to be buried near his farm. [Colonist, 1869-05-11*]

Married at Victoria, Vancouver Island, Sep 30, 1870, Mr J Habart, farmer, of Cowichan to Mary ??well, of Victoria. [Colonist, 1870-09-29*]

Died at Cowichan, British Columbia, Oct 1, 1871, William Frederick Crate, aged 64, for 43 years a resident of Pacific Coast. He crossed the Rocky Mts 43 years ago in Hudson's Bay Company service. 22 years afterwards he crossed the Rockies again in company with Sir James Douglas and several of the now leading men of Hudson's Bay Company. Mr Crate has seen frontier life in all its phases, and built a saw and grist mill near Fort Vancouver, Washington Territory, long before Sutter had commenced his mill at Coloma, California. Mr Crate's former associates will be pained to learn that the poor old pioneer died in very indifferent circumstances. [Colonist, 1871-09-30*]

Leona Taylor and Dorothy Mindenhall, "Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers," Victoria’s Victoria, http://www.victoriasvictoria.ca/, 2007.

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