LANGFORD 1858 to December 31, 1871
Mark Corbiniere, aged 30, eldest Son of Mr P Corbiniere, merchant of Victoria, Vancouver Island, was most unfortunately drowned Aug 9, 1865 at Langford lake. About 50 of our French citizens went out to the lake to enjoy a picnic; the party partook of lunch, after which dancing was resumed, and while this was going on Mr Corbiniere left the company and went to the water edge where some boys were bathing. He then appears to have taken off his clothes, entered the water and swam to near the middle of the lake. Afterwards the boys noticed that he had not appeared, but do not seem to have been apprehensive of danger, and did not join the rest of the party for about � hour, when they related the circumstance to a few of the party. There was nothing in the shape of a boat or canoe on the lake, and although some friends went into the water they failed to detect the missing man. Shouts were raised, and fancying that they heard a reply further search was abandoned, and the seekers returned to the festivities. The missing man, however, did not appear, and the alarm then became general. On returning to the lake the party found the clothes still lying upon the bank, and it was evident to them that the unfortunate man had met with a watery grave. Information was at once conveyed to town, and several friends of the deceased left during the evening for the lake, taking with them a boat and grapples to endeavor to find the body; Aug 11, 3 � Search for Mr Corbiniere�; Aug 14, 3 � Mr Corbiniere's Body Found; Inquest � Aug 15, 3. [Colonist, 1865-08-09*]
Died suddenly at Langford Farm, Victoria District, Mar 22, 1868, Mrs G F Hawkins, an old resident of Esquimalt. [Colonist, 1868-03-24*]
Died at Victoria, Vancouver Island, May 12, 1871, P F Corbiniere, Native of St Savin, France, aged 65. Funeral will take place from French Hospital, Victoria. Native of France, a pioneer of California and resident of Victoria since 1858. He had the misfortune, some years ago, to lose a son - a fine young man - by drowning at Langford's Lake, since which occurrence his health failed. [Colonist, 1871-05-09*]
Transribed by
Leona Taylor and Dorothy Mindenhall, "Index of Historical Victoria Newspapers,"
Victoria's Victoria, http://www.victoriasvictoria.ca/, 2007.