20 PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW _

744-5474

RESIDENTIAL BOG/CAT WASTE
RERAQVAL SERVICE \
SERVING CUSTOMERS |
INGREATER |
reat VICTORIA, =f
‘() BRENTWOOD & SIDNEY, |
lo, WESTERH COMPUNITIES
Estabtshed Jan /96 :

common occurrence

» among the officers of

4. s.the Hudson’s Bay

Company during the 19th
century was that their chil .
dren were often married

_ within the ranks of the com-
pany. This resulted in a form
of class system, where family
ties would remain in control
of the dealings of the Com-

District of Central Saanich —

Help Guide the Future
of Central Saanich

Council invites your input at the upcoming Official

pany.
With sucha family struc.
ture, it became general prac- .
tice to influence and watch
_- OVer careers of future off
cers.
= This form of control can be

‘Community Plan Workshop. Your participation is : seen in the life of John Miles,
vital to make sure the Update truly. anes the: who, after leaving the HBC,
wishes of the whole community. — ee ~ would become associated
2. Friday, May Sth ae 1 North Seach in land
ee o0pm = ~9:00 p.m. : The son of Hudson's Bay
“Introductory Session: ; Company accountant and :
-. Dessert, and Coffee: ~~ writer, Robert Seabourne -
ia ‘Miles and his mix-blood wife =
: Saturday, May Oth ~ Elizabeth (Betsey), the

8:30.a.m. +3: 30 p.m.
mali Group. Discussions
Lunch available 7

~ daughter of William Sinclair oe
Sr. and his native wife Na
_hovway, John Miles was born
-in.1825.
-”. Like many of the Officers
of the HBC, his father’s. life:
and accomplishments are:
“~ well documented by the vast |
- number of Company letters.
- in which short personal nota-_-
tions concerning family mat-
ters are commonly found. |
- Robert S. Miles was born
in Fairford, Oxfordshire in
.1795. He joined the HBC in ©
“1818, beginning his career at
nani Fort Weddorburn: From
~, 1821 to.1833, he was sta-
tioned at York Factory. He
was promoted to Chief.
Trader in 1828, and in 1835
- “assumed control of Rupert's
~ River District at Rupert’s
~ House” until 1843, «
‘In 1844, he again was pro-

e “All events it Bayside School

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moted t to Chief Factor, and

was in charge of Moose Fac -
tory until 1857. From 1858 to
~ 1860, he was in charge of the
_. Lake Huron District at la

“ Cloche, where he retiredin  ~
1861. He moved his family to -
Brockville, Ontario, and died

therein 1870.

oughout his life,

' Robert S. Miles would
have an influence on

his son’s career, and at times

Mh hold him in high regard,

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~ John Miles career, how.

~ ever, is not as easily followed.

- ~The occasional mention of ©

~ his locations and positions

are at times noted in letters

written by his father and fam-

wily friends and colleagues. _
Little is known of his :

~ early life, other than he must”

~ have received some educa-

~ tion. In later years, John:

Miles was known for his
_, ability to write official letters

“on short notice.

His proud father wrote to
his friend and colleague Ed-

--ward Ermatinger on Aug. 31

1842, (John was about 17)

. from Moose Factory, praising

him: “...my son John, who
seems to give. very general
satisfaction here and bids fair
to beat his father at the desk
~ should God be pleased to
~ bless him: with health and
~ Jong fife...”
ohn apparently remained
at Moose Factory until
oJ) Feb. 24, 1844, when he
Was sent to Lachine under
Chief Factor James Keith,

_ and later Duncan Finlayson.

His movements for the

next eight years are not clear

at this time, but by October
1851 he was stationed at Lon:
‘ don, England, oR
His father, weiting to Chit
Factor Donald Ross on Jan. 6
1856, made the following

~~ conmments:

- “Our son John, Ywas most
~aagreeably surprised to learn,
w had got an appointnent in

~ the London House as one of
~ their clerks — his firet year .
(at) £120. I trust that him &
‘Sir George Simpson) will -
eat better together there

: _ the Country.”

than they did in the Montreal
Department.”

In the next few years, John
Miles would be sent to Fort
Victoria to investigate a prob-
lem in the Company’s ac-
counting. During the outfit
year of 1851/1852 there was
a loss of £6,754 in the West-
ern Department, against a
gain of £14,814 the previous.
year. -

Ww den Colvile, writing
, from Norway House in
4... Rupert’s Land, noted
the following concerns on

. July 21, 1852:

“From the want of detailed
accounts I find it impossible
to detect the various reasons
of this great falling off, but
the general opinion of the
gentlemen on the other side
of the Mountains, who have *,

addressed me on the subject. _ |
- is that itis to be attributed in

a great measure to the farm-

4 ing operations carried on by ~
-- the Fur Trade in Vancowver’s

Island, and the expenses in-

curred at Fort Rupert & else- :
~> where along the Coast.

“‘Itis clear that the bush

“ness must be carried on for:
_the future on some different 2

principle, or the loss in the

oy Columbia will soon devour all ae

On Nov. 2, 1852, the Lon

~~ don Office sent John Miles to”

_ investigate the problem:::

Miles arrived at Fort Van-.
‘couver on Jan. 18, 1853, and.
began his inspection of the ©

Company’s books. He eventu- ae
ally made his way to Fort Vic- |
~toria, and proceeded to exam- ©
~ ine the books there.

Miles made several lasting

acquaintances, including Dr.

John S. Helmcken, and
Joseph D. Pemberton. But
there were also those who
“seemed to fear him.”

* One example is Captain
William Brotchie, who “made
the first definite attempt to
begin a lumber export trade
from Vancouver Island,” .
wrote Dr. Simon Fraser
Tolmie, referring him as “the
notorious Mr. Miles.”

During his time at Fort
Victoria, Miles purchased -
_ two town lots for $50 apiece,
and another two, five-acre
lots In Victoria District on

. Feb. 7, 1854. They were

placed on account by order of
the Governor James Dot.
gias,.

This would account for a

_ large debt he had on the Fort

Victoria accounts. After com-
pleting his duties, Miles re-
turned to London early in
1855, Exactly how long he re-
niadived with the HBC after:

~ his return is unsure, but by

1858 he was no longer In...
their employment,
Being unemployed, and

recovering from “had health,”
he wrote (oJ, D, Pemberton,
and instructed him to sell the |...

properties he had purchased

in 1854, Miles apparently had -

borrowed money to buy the:

aon onltesed on next page