A Website Dedicated To The Collection And Preservation Of Information About Those Who Are Buried In The BC Penitentiary Cemetery
|
|
|
|
|
|
About This Website
Who Am I?
Who Are The Interred?
What I'm Looking For & How You Can Help
The Information You'll Find Here
This Project Would Not Be Possible Without
Contact Information see: Times Colonist article - Monday March 22, 2004
" Ancestral researcher tracks restless spirit"
Who Am I?
Candy-Lea Chickite
I am someone who simply can't bear to see the cemetery at the former BC Penitentiary site left in its present state (June 2003), or anticipate its further decline. I have recently discovered, and researched, a connection to a person buried in the cemetery. I am an amateur genealogist/historian drawn to this cemetery through researching this topic.
Back to top
Who Are The Interred?
At the outset, it's fairly safe to assume the interred were all prisoners of the BC Penitentiary (1878-1980). But to me, they weren't prisoners; they were people, the same as you, and I. They had parents, family, maybe a wife and kids, and possibly descendants that might be wondering about their ancestor. YOU may even be a descendant.
The men interred in that plot of ground may have been behind the prison walls for some real reason or maybe not. I'm not here to judge their character; I just believe that people deserve the right to a decent resting place.
Back to top
What I'm Looking For & How You Can Help
There are 48 “lost souls” outlined on the plot plan. These people surely had some family at one time, and we hope they are still out there today - maybe you're one of them.
I'm requesting help from the public in the way of the names of the people interred in the BC Penitentiary Cemetery, their date and place of birth, marriage and death, and any other information you may want to see placed on this website to memorialize them. I will also post transcribed newspaper articles, obituaries, photographs and genealogical information.
You are invited to send any information as an attachment to an e-mail (preferably in Word format, but I'll work with anything I get), or you may write a conventional letter and send by snail mail. Contact information is listed below.
Donors of information may publicize their name and address on the memorial page enabling other researchers to establish contact. If you prefer, I'll keep your identity private
Back to top
The Information You'll Find Here
A separate memorial page for each person I obtain data on will be accessible from this website. It will be indexed by surname and will include prison ID number, when known, to enable researchers to correlate the deceased with his place of burial on the plot plan.
As information, time, and money become available, I hope to post the following, to aid researchers in their quest for information about BC Penitentiary inmates:
Census return transcriptions (1881, 1891, 1901)
Photographs of inmates
Photographs of the cemetery (historical and current)
Historical documents pertaining to the cemetery
Links to information published about the cemetery and/or those interred there
Transcribed newspaper articles of the Court trials of the interred
Back to top
This Project Would Not Be Possible Without
Tony Martin: The Unofficial Historian of the BC Penitentiary. Without his foresight, priceless information and documents would not exist today. I am SO thankful for you, Tony.
Dennis Finlay and Randie Scott: Corrections Canada personnel who put Tony in my grasp!
Margaret Chapman: A member of the Campbell River Genealogy Society who originally found the obituary for an inmate, buried in the BC Penitentiary Cemetery. He ended up being a relative. Thanks to Margaret, we're going to have him brought home where he belongs
Pam Aarnoudse: Licensing Administrator at Cemeteries and Funeral Services, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Thanks for taking such an interest in this cemetery.
Katy Hughes and all the other archivists at the BC Archives: Their help in looking up and copying information has been wonderful. Their knowledge has been truly tested and appreciated, and keeps the thirst for more information ever present. However, Im sure Im not finished with you yet
Archie Miller: A partner of A Sense of History Research Services Inc. whose knowledge of the New Westminster area history is unsurpassed.
Jennifer Roberts, Assistant Archivist, at Irving House (New Westminster Museum & Archives) and Rosemary at the New Westminster Public Library: Your kindness in answering requests by phone and e-mail spurred the research on in the beginning stages when it would have been SO easy to give up. Without even knowing it, you didnt let it happen.
Back to top
Contact Information
Candy-Lea Chickite
1451-A N. Island Hwy.
Campbell River, BC
V9W 2E4
candylea@telus.net
Back to top
Last revised: August 25, 2005