Report 3 of the Public ^Archives for the Years 1953-1954

REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ARCHIVES

63766—1

CANADA

REPORT

of the PUBLIC ARCHIVES

FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954

EDMOND CLOUTIER, C.M.G., OA., D.S.P. QUEEN'S PRINTER AND CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY OTTAWA, 1956

Price 25 cents

OTTAWA, August 1, 1955.

The Honourable J. W. PICKERSGILL, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Ottawa. Sir,—I have the honour to submit herewith the Report of the Public Archives for the years 1953 and 1954. Extensive additions have been made to the collections, and arrangements have been completed that should make it possible for the Archives to function soon as a public record office for Canada. Details of these and other developments are given in the pages that follow. Respectfully submitted, WM. KAYE LAMB, Dominion Archivist.

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Report of the Public Archives: 1953 and 1954 Developments of great importance to the Public Archives took place in this two-year period. An agreement was concluded under the terms of which the personal papers of the late Rt. Hon. W. L. Mackenzie King will become the property of the nation; other notable additions were made to the department's collec­ tion of post-Confederation political papers; the Archives, in association with the Brome County Historical Society, carried out an experiment in the cataloguing and microfilming of manu­ scripts; large shipments of microfilm copies of documents were received from London and Paris; and, lastly, the contract was let for the construction of a large new Records Centre at Tunney's Pasture, in Ottawa West.

MANUSCRIPT DIVISION The Mackenzie King Papers The importance of Mr. Mackenzie King's papers requires no emphasis here. They form by far the largest collection of cor­ respondence, memoranda, etc., ever assembled by any political leader in this country, and they document in a quite extra­ ordinary and detailed way Mr. King's long career in public life. The papers proper, not including a mass of supplementary mate­ rial, consist of over one and a half million documents. They will be a major source for historians and political scientists for many years to come. In his will Mr. King gave his Literary Executors powers to deposit his papers in the Public Archives. With this end in view an agreement was concluded on June 7, 1954, between Her Majesty the Queen, represented by the Rt. Hon. Louis S. St. Laurent, Prime Minister of Canada, and the Literary Executors. Under its provisions the papers were placed immediately in the custody of the Dominion Archivist, but they will continue to be the property of the Executors until July 22, 1975, the twenty- fifth anniversary of Mr. King's death. Until January 1, 1964, access to the papers will be controlled directly by the Literary Executors; between that date and July 22, 1975, access will be

63765—21 8 PUBLIC ARCHIVES subject to conditions laid down by the Executors. On the latter day "all right, title and interest in and to the documents . . . shall vest in Her Majesty absolutely." In accordance with the provisions of Mr. King's will, his diaries are specifically excluded from the papers to be transferred to the Crown. Owing to the great size of the collection many of the less important papers and much of the supplementary material have not yet been sorted. Amongst them will be found many items of no historical value that should be discarded, and provi­ sion for this is made in the agreement. As the sorting proceeds the Literary Executors may withdraw material that appears to them to be useless, but no document is to be destroyed without the consent of the Dominion Archivist. The cataloguing of the more important papers is now well advanced, and I should like to take this opportunity of acknowl­ edging the most generous assistance given in this work by the Rockefeller Foundation. It will be recalled that the Foundation made a grant to assist Mr. King in the preparation of his memoir» This project was not carried very far, and after Mr. King's death the balance outstanding and a further grant were made available to enable the Literary Executors to commission a life of the late Prime Minister. The staff engaged to assist the biog­ rapher has done a great amount of sorting and cataloguing, and;; the Archives will eventually fall heir to the results of their labours.

Other Post-Confederation Political Papers Important political papers continue to reach the Archives in a steady flow, and the volume of material available is growing in a most satisfactory way. Collections received in 1953-5Ï included the following: Foster Papers. Sir George E. Foster (1847-1931) had a long and distinguished career in public life. He was Minister of Marine and Fisheries (1885-88) and Minis­ ter of Finance (1888-91) in the second Macdonald administration, and held the latter portfolio in the succeeding Abbott, Thompson, Bowell and Tupper cabinets (1891-96). In 1911 he joined the Borden government as Minister of Trade and Commerce, and held the same office in the Union Government and the first Meighen cabinet. He was a member of the REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 9 Canadian delegation to the Paris Peace Conference, and chairman of the Canadian delegation to the First Assembly of the League of Nations. In 1921 he was appointed to the Senate. Foster's extensive and valu­ able papers, which occupy more than 30 feet of shelving, include correspondence, diaries, subject files, note books, etc. Relatively few of the papers are dated earlier than 1900. The collection was acquired by the Archives through the kindness of Dr. W. Stewart Wallace and Dr. George W. Spragge. Sifton Papers. Sir Clifford Sifton (1861-1929), Minister of the Interior and a very influential member of the Laurier Cabinet from 1896 to 1905, was largely res­ ponsible for the vigorous immigration policy that brought great numbers of settlers to the Canadian West at the turn of the century. His papers were presented to the Archives by his son, Lt.-Col. Victor Sifton, C.B.E., of Winnipeg. The collection is exten­ sive, consisting of over 166,000 pages. The period covered is 1889 to 1926, but more than three-quarters of the material relates to the years 1889-1905. Dafoe Papers. John W. Dafoe (1866-1944), editor of the Winnipeg Free Press for over forty years, exercised a major influence on Canadian political life over a long period. His papers were sent to the Archives on loan for microfilming by Lt.-Col. Victor Sifton, after which the original documents were presented to the Univer­ sity of Manitoba Library. Purely personal letters and letters relating to the business affairs of the Free Press axe not included in the microfilm copy. The papers consist of about 8500 pages. Woodsworth Papers. J. S. Woodsworth (1874-1942), social service pioneer and first leader of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (C.C.F.), unfortunately burned most of his papers in 1940, when he moved from his old home in Winnipeg. With the help of members of his family and friends, the Archives is attempting to assemble a collection that will in some measure document his life and work. Six scrapbooks, valuable because they contain cuttings from many journals that have disappeared, came from Woods- worth House, Ottawa; the letters Woodsworth wrote PUBLIC ARCHIVES from Oxford in 1899-1900, a further series written to his mother in the period 1891-1901, and other corre­ spondence and memoranda were presented by his daughters, Mrs. Angus Maclnnis and Mrs. R. S. Staples. Of kindred interest was a group of papers presented by Mr. H. E. Spencer; these consist of memoranda, etc., relating to the United Farmers of Alberta, and to political matters about the time the C.C.F. came into being. Tupper Papers. The main body of the papers of Sir Charles Tupper, Bart. (1821-1915), one of the Fathers of Confederation and Prime Minister of Canada in 1896, was presented to the Archives many years ago. Through the kindness of his grandson, Mr. R. H. Tupper, Q.C., of Vancouver, and the University of British Columbia, about 500 additional letters have been added to the collection. At the same time the Archives catalogued and microfilmed a collection of the papers of Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper; the originals were then returned to the University of British Columbia. The Hibbert Tupper papers relate chiefly to the Bering Sea arbitration, in which he was agent for Great Britain, and to the Provincial Party of B.C., a "third party" that was active in the election of 1924. Magrath Papers. The papers assembled by Charles A. Magrath (1860-1949) while he served as a member of the Newfoundland Royal Commission appointed by the British Government in 1933, have been transferred to the Archives by the Department of External Affairs. After the Commission reported, it was agreed that Mr. Magrath's papers should be deposited with the Cana­ dian Government; but they will not be available for research until records of the period are opened for use by the British Government. Cohan Papers. This small collection, occupying 14 inches of shelf-space, appears to be all that remains of the papers of the Hon. C. H. Cahan (1861-1944), Secretary of State in the Bennett Cabinet, 1930-1935. The papers consist of correspondence, speeches and memo­ randa relating to the years 1933-1939. They include REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 11 some interesting letters on proposed amendments to the B.N.A. Act, and memoranda on other constitu­ tional matters and on copyright. The collection was presented by Miss Gladys Dudley. Ballantyne Papers. Mr. Murray Ballantyne, son of the late Senator C. C. Ballantyne, presented to the Archives the contents of two of his father's despatch boxes. These contained memoranda, etc., relating to the Imperial Conference of 1921. Mr. Ballantyne held the portfolios of Minister of Marine and Fisheries and Minister for the Naval Service, 1917-21. The gift included photostats of a series of letters addressed to Ballantyne by Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Sir Robert Borden. Gibbons Papers. The papers of Sir George Christie Gibbons were presented to the Archives in 1952 by his grandson, Mr. Allan Gibbons, who has since made important additions to the gift. These include a series of letters from Chandler P. Anderson, who represented the United States in the negotiations that led to the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, and the papers of George Sutton Gibbons relating to the general election of 1917. McLennan Papers. John McLennan sat in the House of Commons as Conservative Member for Glengarry, 1878-1882. The papers acquired consist of about 900 pages and relate mostly to the years 1877-79. They are interesting because they illustrate the activities and problems of a private member at election time, and reveal many of the links that connected business and political interests of the day. Twenty-four original letters written by Sir John A. Macdonald, and a facsimile of a twenty-fifth, were acquired. Eighteen of the originals were addressed to Senator John O'Donohoe in the period 1879-1885; they were presented by Miss Mary Rennie, of New York. The other six originals were written to H. E. Clarke, M.L.A., in 1886-1887. They were the gift of Mrs. H. J. Cody, of Toronto. Mr. Harold Daly, Q.C., presented a copy of Macdonald's will, and allowed the Archives to photostat a letter written by Macdonald to his father, Thomas Mayne Daly, in 1886. 12 PUBLIC ARCHIVES Ten letters written by Sir Wilfrid Laurier to Henri Bourassa during the years 1895-1904 were presented by the latter's daughter, Miss Anne Bourassa, of Montreal. They throw interesting light on the relations between these two great leaders of French Canada. Equally interesting is a collection of miscellaneous papers relating to the Laurier family acquired from Madame Mozart Desmarais, a granddaughter of Sir Wilfrid's half-brother, Charlemagne Laurier. They include items by Charles Laurier, Sir Wilfrid's grandfather, relating to surveying and mathematics, and various commissions issued to his father, Carolus Laurier. Two small groups of letters slightly earlier in date may be mentioned here. The first consists of copies of seven letters written by Thomas D'Arcy McGee to John (later Senator§| O'Donohoe in 1859-1861. The originals appear to have been destroyed; the transcripts were the gift of Miss Adele Spry, of Barrie, Ontario. The second group includes two letters written by Joseph Howe in 1863 to his half-sister, and two others writt^H| in 1865 to her daughter. The originals are owned by Mr. A. J. MacCallum, of Gleichen, Alberta; he was kind enough to allow the Archives to borrow and photostat them. All four letters were printed in the Report of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia for the year 1953.

Papers of Colonial Secretaries The Archives has in its collections the papers of a number of persons who held either the office of Secretary of State for the Colonies or that of Governor General of Canada. These have been so useful to historians that a systematic attempt is now being made to secure in some form (original, transcript or micro­ film) the papers of all holders of these offices, insofar as they relate to Canadian affairs. Microfilm copies of selected papers from two important collections were received late in 1954: Derby Papers. Three successive Earls of Derby held thé office of Colonial Secretary. The 14th and 15th Earls each held the post twice (the 14th Earl in 1833-1834 and 1841-1845, and his son in 1858 and 1882-1885). The 16th Earl served first as Secretary of State for the Colonies (1885-1886) and then as Governor General (as Lord Stanley, 1888-1893). In 1954 the 18th Earl of Derby very kindly allowed the Dominion Archivist to examine the papers in the strong room at Knowsley REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 13 Hall, and to select papers of Canadian interest for microfilming. Approximately 3000 pages of docu­ ments were photographed. These are all from the papers of the 14th and 15th Earls. The papers of the 16th Earl have not been found. Cardwell Papers. The papers of the Hon. Edward (later Viscount) Cardwell, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1864-1866, have been deposited in the Public Record Office in London. Thanks to the courtesy of the authorities there it was possible to examine them and select the items that related to Canada. These have since been microfilmed. The period covered is from 1864 until Cardwell's retirement from public life in 1874. Selected documents from the papers of two other Colonial Secretaries were being microfilmed in the Public Record Office at the end of the year: those of the 4th Earl of Carnarvon (Colonial Secretary 1866-1867 and 1874-1878) and the 2nd Earl Granville (Colonial Secretary 1868-1870 and 1886). Further additions to these collections are in prospect.

Military and Naval Manuscripts The earliest item acquired was a report on Newfoundland, with particular reference to its fortifications, prepared in 1711 by Col. Christian Lilly, R. E. (Original manuscript, 23 pages.) Three other items relate to the War of 1812-15. Mr. M. T. Mulcahy, of Orillia, presented an original letter written by Lt. Robert Stanton at York on December 5, 1812 (4 pages). From England came a series of original letters written in the period 1803-1813 by Lt.-Col. Cecil Bisshopp, together with a letter from the surgeon of the 8th Regiment describing Bisshopp's death from wounds, sustained in the action at Black Rock on July 11, 1813 (61 pages). A memoir recording the services of Lt.-Col. Sir Andrew Pilkington devotes much of its space to his service in Nova Scotia, and to the expedition against the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay in July 1814 (84 pages, typewritten copy). The memoir was compiled from letters and memoranda preserved by his daughter. The Archives has acquired the original manuscript of the narrative written by Léandre Ducharme, one of the men exiled after the Rebellion of 1837, and also his pardon, signed in 1844 63765—3 14 PUBLIC ARCHIVES by Queen Victoria. The narrative describes his experience while a political prisoner in Australia. It was published in 1845, after his return to Canada. The Provincial Archives in Victoria very kindly copied two volumes of correspondence relating to the operations of the Royal Navy on the Pacific Coast in the period 1848-1860. These records came originally from the Esquimalt Naval Base, and it will be a convenience to scholars to have copies of them beside the other records from the same source that have found their way to the Archives in Ottawa. (Microfilm, 85 feet.) Many awards of the Canada Service Medal were made to British naval and military commissioned and non-commissioned officers who served at the time of the Fenian Raids of 1886-1870 and in the Red River Expedition, 1870. A useful list of these awards was acquired (76 pages, typewritten). Mr. H. Strange, of London, England, presented the file of original telegrams received by his grandfather, Maj.-General T. B. Strange, in April and May of 1885, during the Northwest Rebellion. These are of considerable interest and form a very useful supplement to the telegram books of the Minister of Militia, which constitute a graphic day-to-day account of military events of the time. A few letters were also included in the gift. (267 pages) Two collections call for more extended comment: Denison Papers. These are in great part the papers of Col. George Taylor Denison III (1839-1925), a member of an old Toronto family remarkable for its military tradition. His activities were many-sided. As a soldier he commanded the Governor General's Body Guard, saw active service at the time of the Fenian Raids and the Northwest Rebellion, and published a History of Cavalry that won an international reputa­ tion. A lawyer by profession, he served for over 40 years as a Police Court Magistrate. He was an ardent advocate of Imperial Federation, and his correspon­ dence includes personal letters from many prominent people. The collection, which occupies eight feet of shelving, includes correspondence files (1857-1925), diaries (1864-1923), and much subsidiary material. It was the gift of Col. Denison's daughter, Mrs. W- Langmuir, who had arranged it in excellent order. REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 15 Scholars may care to note that another large collection of Denison family papers covering the long period 1779 to 1900 is in the Manuscript Collection of the Toronto Public Libraries. Ross Papers. The papers of Brig.-Gen. A. E. Ross, M.D. (1870-1952), of Kingston, were presented in 1954 by his widow. General Ross gained prominence both in the Army and in public life. He served as a private in the South African War, joined the Canadian Medical Corps in the First World War, and in 1918 was Direc­ tor of Medical Services for all Canadian troops in France. He was active in civic, provincial and federal politics and sat in the House of Commons for Kingston, 1921-1935. His papers (1 foot) include the series of remarkable and informative diaries that he kept during the First World War. Through the kindness of Col. C. P. Stacey the Archives received the original manuscript of the biography of General Sir Arthur Currie, written by the late Col. H. M. Urquhart. This will be useful to scholars since it includes some material not found in the published volume.

The Fur Trade An acquisition of exceptional interest was the original manuscript journal of Philip Turnor, recording the details of a journey from York Factory to Cumberland House and return in the period September 9, 1778 to September 15, 1779. The document, which consists of 56 pages, is in excellent condition. The text was published by the Champlain Society in 1934 from a contemporary copy in the Archives of the Hudson's Bay Company. Three old volumes kept by Angus Mackintosh, agent for the North West Company at Detroit, were purchased in 1954. They consist of a large letter book (1798-1803), a petty ledger (1806-1815) and a volume of inventories (1819-1822). The correspondence gives a great deal of information about the Company's trade and shipping, and is particularly interesting because it covers the transfer of the North West Company post from Detroit, which had been taken over by the United States, to Sandwich, in Canada. The first letter written from Sandwich is dated October 13, 1799. 63765—3* 16 PUBLIC ARCHIVES Mrs. A. H. Moss, of Cobalt, Ontario, kindly permitted the Archives to make photostatic copies of a number of fur trade records in her possession. The earliest of these is a North West Company invoice book listing the furs forwarded to Temiskam- ing in 1814-1822. The later pages are occupied by lists of furs sent to Moose Factory, 1823-1827, after the union with the Hudson's Bay Company. The most interesting item is probably the post journal kept at Matawagaminque in 1838-1839. There are in addition accounts, inventories and an Indian debt book kept at other posts in the same general region in the period 1826- 1829. Many years ago the Archives secured transcripts of a number of important items in the Provincial Archives in Victoria. Unfortunately the copies were full of inaccuracies, and the Provincial Archives has kindly made it possible to replace them with facsimiles. The items copied were the following: letters written by Simon Fraser to James McDougall and one letter to John Stuart, 1806-1807 (photostat, 12 pages); the journal kept by John Stuart at Rocky Mountain House, 1805-1806 (photo­ stat, 35 pages); and the complete text of the long series of journals kept by John Work in the period 1823-1835, and in 1851 (microfilm, 2 reels). In co-operation with a number of other institutions the Archives has financed the microfilming of the records of thjp American Fur Company, many of which refer either directly or indirectly to Canada. The period covered is 1803 to 1848. .The last seventeen reels of microfilm, bringing the total received to thirty-seven reels, arrived late in 1953. A calendar published in 1944 by the American Historical Association covers most of the documents that have been photographed. Reference should also be made to the microfilms received from the Archives of the Hudson's Bay Company; these are described elsewhere in this report.

Exploration and Settlement Copies of a series of documents relating to Cartier and Roberval, dated in the period 1541-1573, were secured from the Archivo General de Indias, in Seville, Spain. The text of many of the items was printed by H. P. Biggar in The Precursors of Jacques Cartier, published in 1911 ; but it is useful to have the series complete, and to have photocopies of them. (Microfilm, 30 feet.) REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 17 Sixty-three original documents, 1652-1720, concerning the Contrecoeur family were acquired; they relate chiefly to a suit between Antoine Pécaudy de Contrecoeur (1596-1683) and the heirs of his first wife, Anne Dubois. Contrecoeur came to Canada in 1665 and commanded a company in the famous Carignan-Salières regiment. Two groups of papers relating to Nicolas Denys and his family have been copied for the Archives. The first of these, comprising 281 documents ranging in date from 1654 to 1860, was assembled about eighty years ago by Jean Charles Amédée Denys de Bonaventure, a descendant of Simon Denys, brother of Nicolas. The papers earlier in date than 1780, about 120 in number, contain many references to Canada. The original papers are preserved in Tours, France. (Microfilm, 45 feet.) The second group was found by the Rev. René Baudry at Rennes, in the Archives Départementales dTlle-et-Vilaine. These relate to Nicolas Denys himself, and vary in date from 1654 to 1674. Father Baudry very kindly secured photographs of 24 of the most interesting items in the collection for the Archives. It may be mentioned at this point that the Archives of the Seminary of Quebec has microfilmed the well-known "Saber- dache" of Jacques Viger (1787-1858), and the Archives has pur­ chased a print. Viger, a noted antiquarian, collected a great mass of miscellaneous documents, maps, etc., relating to the history of Canada. A partial inventory of the "Saberdache" is included in the general inventory of the Archives of the Seminary, a copy of which is available in Ottawa. (Microfilm, 8 reels). Sir Joseph Banks visited Newfoundland in the summer of 1766 and recorded his impressions in a diary. The original journal is now the property of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch, in Adelaide. Thanks to the courtesy of the Society the Archives received a copy of the journal in 1953. (Microfilm, 25 feet.) Banks's handwriting is difficult to read, and perhaps for this reason a fair copy of the Newfoundland diary was made by his sister, Sarah Banks. This is now in the Library of the Natural History Museum, London, and a photostat of it was made for the Archives in 1954. The famous diary of Simeon Perkins, of Liverpool, N.S., which covers the eventful years from 1777 to 1812, is one of the most important single sources for the history of Nova Scotia. In order to make the complete contents readily available 18 PUBLIC ARCHIVES without wear and tear to the original, and to guard against the contingency of loss or damage, the Archives asked the Town of Liverpool to allow the diary to be copied. The town authori­ ties very kindly consented, and sent the original to Ottawa for microfilming. The text up to March 31, 1780, was published in 1948 by the Champlain Society, and the Society hopes to print additional instalments at a later date. (Microfilm, 2 reels.) Notable additions to the collections included the following: Hamilton Papers. This large collection of original docu­ ments (20 feet) consists primarily of the papers of the Hamilton family (after whom Hamilton, Ontario, is named) from 1809 to 1840. Most of them relate to Alexander Hamilton, who was postmaster at Queenston, 1820-1839. Many details of the postal arrangements of the time can be studied in his papers. McNeilledge Diaries. These comprise the diaries of Captain Alexander McNeilledge, who retired early from the sea and settled at Port Dover. The period covered is 1837 to 1875. The diaries contain an interesting chronicle and commentary on local people and events. The original journals are the property of the Norfolk Historical Society. (Microfilm, 3 reels.) Patrick Bell Diaries. The Rev. Patrick Bell came to Upper Canada in 1833, and served for a time as tutor in a family residing near Hamilton. His journals, in two volumes, give a detailed account of the conditions of life of the time, including long descriptions of imple­ ments, machinery, housing, agricultural methods, flora and fauna. The descriptions are illustrated by sketches. This Journal of Travels between Great Britain and the Province of Upper Canada, 1833-34, is now the property of the Library of the University of Aberdeen, and the Librarian very kindly sent the original to the Archives on loan in order that a photo­ stat could be made. H. P. Hill Collection. This very valuable collection relating to the early history of the By town (Ottawa) and Hull area was assembled by the late Hamnett Pinhey Hill, K.C, of Ottawa, and presented to the Archives by his son, H. P. Hill, Jr. The greater part of it consists of the papers of Dr. Alexander Christie and Hamnett Pinhey. REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 19 Other items include notes by Mr. Hill himself and a unique file of the Bytown Gazette. This is undoubtedly the most important regional collection acquired by the Archives in recent years. (Shelf-space, 12 feet.) DougaU Papers. John Dougall founded the Montreal Witness in 1845; he was suceeded in turn by his son, John Redpath Dougall, and his grandson, Frederick E. Dougall. The Dougall Papers consist primarily of correspondence received by these three men. The main series begins in 1870 and extends to recent years. The letters contain much of interest about Canadian affairs and conditions; they include political cor­ respondence of some note with Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Sydney Fisher, and others. The papers also include an unpublished life of John Dougall's daughter Lily, who achieved some fame as a novelist. The collection was presented to the Archives by Mrs. Temple, a grand­ daughter of John Dougall. (Shelf-space, 2 feet, 4 inches.) Taylor Papers. James Wickes Taylor is a figure of some interest to Canadians because he served as a special agent and consul for the United States in Winnipeg, and took a lively interest in Canadian affairs over many years. The papers, which cover the period 1842 to 1894, consist of correspondence, speeches, clippings, etc., and touch upon such topics as the proposed annexation of Canada, the Red River insurrection of 1869-1870, the Fenian Raid of 1871, and so on. The original papers are the property of the Minnesota Historical Society, which arranged to have them photographed for a group of interested institutions. (Microfilm, 8 reels.) A wide variety of personal papers were acquired or copied in the period under review. They included the account books of Dr. William Case, the first medical practitioner in Hamilton. He came to the district in 1807 ; the surviving accounts cover the period 1825-1867. These were copied by kind permission of the owner, Mr. Hugh Reid. (Microfilm, 1 reel.) A diary kept by another citizen of Hamilton, George Robinson, records his tragic voyage to Canada in 1832, in the course of which cholera broke out and his father, William Robinson, died. This was copied through the kindness of Miss Freda Waldon, William 20 PUBLIC ARCHIVES Robinson's great-great-granddaughter. The Bytown Museum, in Ottawa, allowed the Archives to copy an interesting "Sketch Book"—actually a diary including many rough charts—kept by John Burrows while working on the Rideau Canal surveys in 1827. Three interesting letters written by the Rev. Abraham Cowley from the Red River Settlement in 1842, 1847 and 1854, to a friend in England were acquired (12 pages). Brief remini­ scences written by Sir Hugh Allan in 1880 under the title "Some sketches of events in an active life" were borrowed from Sir Hugh's grandson, Mr. J. C. Routledge, for copying. (Photostat, 15 pages.) A much longer autobiography, 1851-1914, written by Charles Cobbold Farr, of Cobalt, and owned by Mrs. A. H. Moss, was also copied; the text deals mainly with the history of the Cobalt area. (Microfilm, 25 feet.) Two brothers, Arthur and Joseph Robinson, journeyed from England to the Yukon at the time of the gold rush of 1898. A letter from one brother and a diary kept by the other throw light on conditions of travel, freighting arrangements, etc., at the time. The original documents were presented to the Archives by Mrs. Eva Davies, of Littlehampton, England. Three accounts of journeys into little known parts of Labra­ dor were copied. The first of these is by Leonidas Hubbard, who lost his life on an expedition in 1903. Two years later his widow made a similar journey, accompanied by George Elson, an Indian guide. Both she and Elson kept diaries of the trip. The copies were secured through the courtesy of Mrs. Hubbard, who is now Mrs. N.B.H. Ellis, of London, England. (Microfilm, 45 feet.) Mr. S. C. Ells, for many years a member of the staff of the Geological Survey of Canada, gave to the Archives a collection of correspondence and other papers relating to the bituminous sands of Alberta, one of the great undeveloped resources of Canada. To this correspondence he has added a narrative and photographs. From Mr. Ells the Archives also received a manuscript entitled Stern-wheel Saga, a history of the stern-wheel river and lake steamers that have now all but disappeared in Canada.

Microfilms from the Public Record Office, London The most important single file of documents in the Public Record Office that relates to Canada is series CO. 42, in which is found the correspondence exchanged between the various REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 21 Governors and the Colonial Office. The microfilming of this series began in 1952. In 1953-1954 a total of 559 volumes were photographed, and the copying was carried as far as volume 691. The intention is to copy the series to the end of 1902; Colonial Office records beyond that date have not yet been released for use by the public. Two hundred volumes remained to be copied at the end of 1954, but these should be covered without difficulty in 1955. A second series which the Archives is anxious to copy as far as 1902 is CO. 194, the main series of papers relating to New­ foundland. A few volumes have already been photographed; copying was resumed late in 1954, and should be completed in 1955. Other material microfilmed in the Public Record Office included the following: Adm. 1, Vols. 2736-2738. Admirals' despatches, New­ foundland, 1766-1824. (7 reels) W. 0.12. Muster Rolls and Paylists as follows: 11960-11972: De Meuron Regiment, 1795-1816. (4 reels) 12018-12033: De Watteville Regiment, 1801-1816. (6 reels) A selection of captains' logs, masters' logs, ships' logs and captains' letters, all relating to activities of the Provincial Marine in the period of the War of 1812-1815 were also micro­ filmed (2 reels). Selections from the Derby Papers and the Cardwell Papers, to which reference has already been made, were filmed in the Record Office in 1954, and the staff of the London office of the Archives supervised the microfilming of missionary and other records borrowed for copying from other sources.

Microfilms from the Archives of the Hudson's Bay Company / Microfilming of the archives of the Hudson's Bay Company continued steadily in 1953-54. Over 600 reels of film were received in Ottawa. The complete records of the Company for the period 1670-1870 are to be photographed, and this pro­ gramme is now nearing completion. The master negatives are placed for safekeeping in a vault on this continent, and before they go into storage the Public Archives is permitted to make a 22 PUBLIC ARCHIVES positive print from them. Use of this print is governed by the same regulations that apply to the use of the original docu­ ments in London, and applications for permission to consult them should be sent direct to The Secretary, Hudson's Bay Company, Beaver House, Great Trinity Lane, London, E.C 4, England. Copies of the Company's regulations may be obtained either from the Company or from the Archives. The contents of the 508 reels of film received before 1953 were summarized in the Report of the Archives for 1952. The following notes describe the microfilms received since that time : Class "A" This consists of the records of the London office of the Company. Copying was completed in 1953. The later part of the series (146 reels) consists for the most part of fur trade indents, servants' contracts, stock ledgers, transfer books and accounts of fur sales. Class UB" This comprises the records of individual trading posts. The first subdivisions of this extensive series consist of post journals and correspondence books (252 reels). Each sub­ division is arranged alphabetically by the name of the post. Copying of class "B" is continuing. Class llD" Records of the Canadian headquarters of the Company. The correspondence of Sir George Simpson is by far the largest item in the collection. Other governors represented are William Williams, Eden Colvile, Alexander Grant Dallas and William MçTavish. (128 reels) Class "E" This relatively small but most interesting series includes many records relating to the Red River Settlement and the Council of Assiniboia, and journals and correspondence of such figures as Pierre-Esprit Radisson, James Isham, Peter Fidler, Colin Robertson and Nicholas Garry. Records relating to the Colony of Vancouver Island are also found here. (30 reels) Class "F" Records of organizations not officially connected with the Hudson's Bay Company, but which happen to have found their REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 23 way to its Archives, have been grouped together in this class. The most important subdivision consists of a substantial collec­ tion of North West Company minutes, accounts and mis­ cellaneous papers. The records of the Puget's Sound Agricul­ tural Company rank next in importance. (50 reels)

Missionary Records The records of the older missionary societies include a wealth of correspondence and reports that contain much informa­ tion about conditions and events in the countries in which their missions were established. With a view to tapping this source, the Archives has from time to time borrowed volumes of records from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, in London, and copied items that relate to Canada. Recently arrange­ ments were made to examine and copy missionary records on a much larger scale. By the end of 1954 material from the follow­ ing sources had already reached Ottawa: Colonial and Continental Church Society. This Society was active in both Newfoundland and Rupert's Land. Unfortunately its correspondence files were almost completely destroyed by bomb damage during the Second World War, but most of its annual reports and minute books have survived. Microfilms of the follow­ ing have been made: Minute books: 1839-1872. (3 reels) Annual reports: 1823-1870. (6 reels) Church Missionary Society. The principal activity of this Society in Canada was the North West America (Rupert's Land) Mission ; a great amount of correspon­ dence relating to it, going back in date to 1821, has been preserved. The Society also sponsored a North Pacific (British Columbia) Mission in 1857, and many files relating to it survive. An effort has been made to copy all incoming letters, journals and reports, and all letter books that relate to both these missions. The microfilm copies fill 52 reels. Methodist Missionary Society. Some years ago Victoria University, Toronto, arranged to have the main file of incoming letters from Methodist missionaries in Canada microfilmed. A copy of these films (26 reels) has been purchased by the Archives, and additional documents 24 PUBLIC ARCHIVES at the head office of the Society in London will be copied later. The correspondence already photo­ graphed falls chiefly in the period 1831 to 1867. In 1954 the voluminous records of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel were surveyed, and arrangements completed whereby all material of Canadian interest not already copied would be microfilmed. These films should be received in 1955. Records of Hunt, Roope & Company The firms of Newman, Hunt & Company, London; Hunt, Roope & Company, London and Oporto; and Newman & Com­ pany, Newfoundland, are the present members of a network of companies that have been engaged in the port wine and codfish trade since the end of the 16th century. For many years port wine has been taken across the Atlantic to Newfoundland, there to remain for a time to mature ; and the result has been a com­ plicated pattern of trading between Great Britain, Portugal and Newfoundland, that has on occasion extended to the United States and other countries as well. In 1954 Sir Ralph Newman kindly allowed the Dominion Archivist to examine the older records of the associated com­ panies. Many of the earlier papers have disappeared, but the records for the period from 1775 to about 1810 are surprisingly complete, and an extensive series of letter books carries the story on to the end of the 19th century. The Napoleonic Wars, the War of Independence and the War of 1812 all affected the opera­ tions of the various companies deeply, and that influence is reflected in the correspondence and accounts of the time. With Sir Ralph Newman's permission, seventy-three volumes of records were microfilmed, and to these were added some special items and individual documents. Sir Ralph's own catalogue of the collection was also copied. In all, 29,000 pages were photographed, and the microfilm copy consists of 40 reels of film. Microfilms and Transcripts from Paris The microfilming of the records relating to Canada in the Archives des Colonies continued steadily in 1953 and 1954. Documents copied included the following: B, Vols. 1-149. This is the main file of outward correspon­ dence from the King, the Secretaries of State, etc., to Canada, Cape Breton and Louisiana. The entire REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 25 series, consisting of over 200 volumes, covers the period from 1663 to 1789; but references to Canada virtually disappear a few years after the fall of New France, and the microfilming has been carried only as far as volume 149. C-ll-E, Vols. 1-16. Les Limites et les Postes. The whole series, dating from 1685 to 1787, has been microfilmed. F-3. Collection Moreau St. Méry. Vols. 2-16, 24, 50-51. This series consists of a great mass of papers relating to colonial affairs collected by Moreau St. Méry (1750- 1819), statesman and historian. With the filming of these volumes the Archives now has copies of all the material in the series that relates to Canada. Through the courtesy of the Library of the Seminary of St. Sulpice, in Paris, the Archives was permitted to borrow and have microfilmed at the Archives Nationales the correspondence of M. Louis Tronson. 1675-1699, and of M. François Leschassier, 1670-1708, which relate to Canada. The Archives already had transcripts of most of the documents, but it is convenient to have the series complete, and to have photocopies of all its contents. Some copying by hand is still being done in Paris, as it is not always practicable to photograph documents. Transcripts received in 1953-1954 included the following: Colonies E. This consists of miscellaneous papers relating to personnel. Only papers relating to persons connected with Canada are copied. Extracts from volumes 51 to 80 were received. Archives Nationales, F-12 (Commerce et Industrie). Tran­ scripts of selected items from volumes 1-48 were received. This completed the examination of the series, since extracts from the later volumes had already been copied. Margry Collection, Vol. 9283 (Bibliothèque Nationale, Nouvelles Acquisitions). This volume consists of mis­ cellaneous documents, 1605-1787. Most of them relate to the history of Acadia and Newfoundland. (334 pages) 26 P UBLIC ARCHIVES Departmental Records Owing to the virtual impossibility of accommodating fur­ ther departmental records in the existing Archives building, no transfers of any size were made in 1953 and 1954. Transfers on a very large scale are expected to begin about the end of 1955, when the new Records Centre at Tunney's Pasture is completed. Three items received should perhaps be noted for purposes of record : From the Department of Transport the Archives received two additions to its large collection of shipping registers. These were a register from the port of Saint John, covering first regis­ trations of the period 1841-1843, and an alphabetical list of ships registered at that port during the period 1840 to 1923. The Department of External Affairs sent to the Archives records and scrapbooks relating to the visit paid to Brazil iri 1948 by Field Marshal the Earl Alexander of Tunis. Lord Alexander was then Governor General of Canada, and it was the first occasion upon which a Governor had visited a foreign country, other than the United States, during his term of office. The Manuscript Division received a copy of a most useful History of the Administration and Sale of Dominion Lands, of claims under the Manitoba Act, of half breed claims and those of original settlers, and of the issue of letters patent, 1871-1930. This was prepared by N. O. Coté in 1931 for the use of officials of the , Department of the Interior.

Regional Collections of Manuscripts For some time past the Archives has been much concerned about the future of the collections of manuscripts that have been assembled through the years by various regional historical societies in Canada. While it is true that many of the docu­ ments they contain are primarily of local interest or signi­ ficance, many of them include correspondence, diaries, account books, church records and municipal records that are of much wider importance. Safety and accessibility are the points that have caused the Archives most concern. Very few of the regional collections are housed in fireproof buildings, or are in the keeping of full- time custodians. The danger of loss or damage is therefore constant. Equally serious, from the point of view of the re­ search scholar, is the fact that few of the societies have been able REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 27 to prepare complete or systematic catalogues of their manu­ scripts. Many interesting and important papers are undoub­ tedly being overlooked because there is no ready means by which historians and others can learn of their existence. The Brome County Historical Society is keenly aware of these problems, and in co-operation with the Public Archives has carried out a programme that offers at least a partial solu­ tion of them. This programme consisted of four parts. First, the Society classified and arranged its manuscript collection according to a plan worked out in consultation with the Archives. Secondly, a detailed inventory of the collection was compiled by Homer A. Mitchell, M.A., President of the Society. Thirdly, this inventory was edited and printed by the Archives, and issued as a joint publication of the Archives and the Society. Lastly, the Society's manuscript collection was microfilmed by the Archives. When the filming was done, great care was taken to see that the documents were photographed in the same order in which they were listed in the inventory. The latter thus forms a complete key to the contents of the microfilm. This experiment in co-operation has been highly satisfac­ tory. Scholars can now ascertain very easily whether or not the collections of the Brome County Historical Society include documents of interest to them, while the microfilm provides both additional means of consulting the documents and a safe­ guard against the serious loss that would be suffered if the original papers were damaged or destroyed. It is to be hoped that other regional organizations that have valuable historical documents in their possession will be interested in following the precedent set by the Brome County Society.

RECORDS CENTRE The contract for the construction of a Records Centre for the Public Archives was signed in 1954 and the building should be completed about the end of 1955. The opening of the Centre will mark a great step forward, since the space and facilities provided will make it possible for the Archives to develop into a full-fledged public record office. The structure is being built at Tunney's Pasture, in Ottawa West. It will be approximately 200 feet square and will con­ sist of five storeys—a full basement and four floors. The total floor area will be well over four acres. When the 35 file rooms are all fully equipped, they will provide about 62 miles of 28 PUBLIC ARCHIVES shelving. It will take some time for the Centre to develop its operations fully, but there would seem to be a good prospect that, over a period of a few years, it can absorb all departmental records that are not required for day-to-day consultation. A disposal programme will be carried forward in co-operation with I the departments, and experience suggests that it will be possible to discard as much as two-thirds of the records .that departments classify as "dead". The Centre will be a fully-equipped branch of the Public Archives, complete with reading rooms and all necessary reference and research facilities. MAP DIVISION The number of inquiries received by the Map Division continues to grow. Inquiries entered in the register in 1953 numbered 529; in 1952 the total had been 459. In 1954 it rose to 558. Teachers seeking material for classroom use, authors and publishers wanting illustrations for books and articles, and makers of films and filmstrips all made extensive use of the collections. Some of the most interesting inquiries reflected developments of the day. For example, considerable interest was shown in maps and plans of areas and properties along the St. Lawrence River that will be affected by the construction of the new Seaway. Whenever time permitted, work continued on the cata­ logue of 16th-century maps relating to Canada. The text of the catalogue proper was completed in draft form in 1954, and the introduction, notes and bibliography are in preparation. The whole volume should be ready for publication about the end of 1955. Several 16th-century atlases were added to the collections in 1953-54. These included a copy of Ptolemy's Geographia, with annotations by Sylvanus, printed in Venice in 1511, and a later edition, edited by Munster, published at Basle in 1542. The Division also acquired a copy of the edition of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum of Ortelius printed by Christopher Plantin in Antwerp in 1584. A fourth acquisition was a Venice edition of Waldseemuller's Cosmographiae Introductio, published in 1554. Modern works received that deal with early maps of America included a set of the Monumenta Cartographica Vaticana, by Roberto Almagia, the three volumes of which contain descriptions and reproductions of some of the map REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 29 treasures in the Vatican. From Spain, came a copy of Mapas Espanoles de America, edited by the Real Academia de la Historia. The quality of its reproductions is outstanding. Prince Youssouf Kamal very kindly sent to the Archives the latest volume of his great work, Monumenta Cartographica Africae et Eegypti. The Division received good photocopies of a number of early maps of special interest. The earliest of these is the map in the Royal Library, Copenhagen, entitled Indicatio Gron- landiae & vicinarum regionum. Prepared by Bishop Resen and others in 1605, it purports to be based upon rough sketches dating back many years, perhaps to the days of the Vikings. Its representations of Helluland, Markland and Vinland are of great interest. Our photostat was kindly provided by the Royal Library. Dr. Lawrence Wroth gave to the Archives a fine photograph of the remarkable 1616 Champlain map which he has added to the treasures in the John Carter Brown Library, in Providence, R.I. Through the kindness of Mr. Norman Clarke, of Barrie, Ont., the Archives acquired a good copy of the map entitled Novae Franciae Accurata Delineatio, the original of which is in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. This map is dated 1657. A fourth item of unusual interest is a fine repro­ duction of the map of the St. Lawrence River drawn by Jean Deshayes in 1686. This was published in Paris in 1715. It was the first map to show the course of the river with general accuracy, and its compilation was a landmark in the mapping of Canada. Some further progress was made in the gathering of mate­ rial for the projected catalogue of maps of Acadia in the French period (1600-1763). The Quebec Seminary kindly provided a list of its maps of Acadia. Father René Baudry, who has made a careful examination of all maps relating to Acadia and the Maritime Provinces in the collections of the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, gave the Archives a copy of his check list, and enabled us to secure photographs of many of the items listed. An interesting unsigned French plan of Halifax was found in the Public Record Office, London, and photo­ graphed for the Division. It was intended to be used in an attack on Halifax in 1755. This is the earliest plan in the Archives that shows every building in the town. The forti­ fications are also clearly shown, and the principal buildings are identified. 30 PUBLIC ARCHIVES There has been a noticeable increase in recent years in the use made of the remarkable county maps and historical county atlases that were published in Canada in the period 1850-1890. Many of these show important areas in great detail. In addi­ tion to concession lines, roads, rivers and streams, the location . of every house is frequently shown, together with the names of individual property owners. Many sketches of buildings— both public and private—are a feature of most of the maps, and they furnish much data for students of the history of architec­ ture in Canada. While it is gratifying to see these maps and atlases appreciated, their use by the public presents some difficulties. They are becoming scarce and relatively expensive, and few of them will stand much wear and tear. The time is clearly approaching when photostatic copies will have to be made of the whole series, and the originals withdrawn from ordinary use for safekeeping. The collection of county maps in the Archives is not yet complete, but about a dozen items were added to it in 1953-54. The new acquisitions included gifts from the American Geo­ graphical Society, the Geological Cartography Division of the Geological Survey of Canada, the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests, and the University of Western Ontario. Other maps were acquired by purchase, and a photostat was made of one rare original, borrowed for the purpose. These new acquisitions included fine examples of the county maps produced by George Tremaine, the leader in the field, and others from the rival series compiled by H. F. Walling. Jones & Moore, who published maps of Ontario counties, and A. F. Church & Co., of Bedford, N.S., whose special field was Nova Scotia, were also represented. A number of interesting maps relating to Ottawa happened to come to the Archives while the capital was celebrating its centenary year. The H. P. Hill Collection includes blueprints or photostats of some fifteen early Bytown manuscript plans dating back to the period 1820-1850. Original manuscripts trans­ ferred to the Archives by the Department of Public Works included plans of Rideau Hall and of the Mackay estate, upon which Rockcliffe was later built. Dates of the plans vary from 1864 to 1876. Another interesting item was a plan of Earns- cliffe, later the home of Sir John A. Macdonald and now the residence of the British High Commissioner to Canada. This was prepared in 1869, when it was proposed to use the house as a military hospital. Most interesting of all, perhaps, is a large REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 31 insurance map of the city of Ottawa, dated 1878 and consisting of 49 sheets. This is a remarkably complete record of the city of that day. Not only is every building indicated, and the type of construction (wood, stone, brick or stucco) recorded, but even such details as doors, windows and shutters are carefully noted. From the Library of Congress the Archives secured a photostatic copy of the Map of the Northwest Part of America compiled by Alexander Henry the elder, and inscribed by him to Sir Guy Carleton. It was intended to be "a chart of such parts of the Indian territory as he [Henry] had travelled through." The Department of Public Records and Archives of Ontario kindly supplied photostats of two other items relating to the fur trade. These are plans of Fort William, dating from about 1815. One shows the lands and farms surrounding the post; the other is a detailed ground plan of the fort itself. Acquisitions of military interest included photostats of seven plans of Fort William Henry, and one plan of Fort Ontario, at Oswego, presented by Dr. A. B. Corey, of the New York State Library. The University of Pittsburgh Library kindly presented a facsimile of a letter from Robert Stobo dated July 28, 1754, which was accompanied by a plan of Fort Duquesne. Transfers from the Department of National Defence included nineteen large-scale manuscript plans of the fortifications at Esquimalt, 1887-1905; seventeen plans of the fortifications at Levis as they were in the 1870's, and a very detailed "fortifica­ tions survey" of the city and environs of Kingston. Drawn in 1867-68, this consists of no less than 83 sheets. It is one of a series that were a remarkable cartographical achievement in their day. Another valuable city plan received was a finely executed engraved map of Hamilton. Dated 1850-51, it was the work of Marcus Smith. In 1951 the Archives asked the Hydrographie Department of the Admiralty to make photostatic copies of all maps relating to Canada that were listed in its catalogue entitled A Summary of Selected Manuscript Documents of Historic Importance preserved in the Archives of the Department. Several substantial shipments of photostats were received in 1952; the rest arrived in 1953. Most of the latter came from the remarkable series of original charts and plans relating to the Arctic. There were in all 82 items. A dozen of them are large, detailed, first-hand records made by parties searching for Sir John Franklin. One group 32 PUBLIC ARCHIVES was compiled by members of the Collinson-M'Clure expedition of 1850-54; another by officers of the Belcher expedition of 1852-54. They are frequently superior to any available printed maps, and in sum total constitute a most welcome and valuable addition to the resources of the Map Division.

PICTURE DIVISION During the past two years the activities of the Picture Division were maintained at a high level. Aid was again given to many historians, writers, journalists, artists, university students and film producers. Television producers have dis­ covered the wealth of pictorial material available in the Division, and the number of inquiries received from them is rising rapidly. The increase in the demand for photographic copies has made it necessary to limit the number of prints that are supplied free of charge. The free quota is still sufficiently high to meet ordinary requests for assistance, but a moderate charge is made for photographic prints, photostats and microfilms when these are ordered in quantity. In 1954, at the request of the Historical Society of Ottawa, the Division produced a modest black-and-white filmstrip entitled Bytown in Pictures. This consisted of reproductions of fifty documentary sketches, paintings and prints that recorded the emergence of the little settlement of Bytown, and its pro­ gress year by year to the end of 1854, when it became the City . of Ottawa. Many interesting additions were made to the collections in 1953-54, but only a few of them can be mentioned here. Portraits acquired included a painting of Admiral Fitzroy Lee, Governor of Newfoundland, 1735-38. It is unsigned, but is understood to be an excellent likeness. Portraits of Sir Etienne P. Taché and Lady Taché were received from the estate of Miss Harriet Kane, of Montreal. Taché headed several administrations in the confused pre-Confederation period, and presided at the famous Quebec Conference in 1864. Mrs. M. D. Freeland, of Victoria, presented portraits of Admiral H. W. Bayfield and his wife. Bayfield is remembered for his remarkable pioneer surveys of the Great Lakes and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Mrs. Bayfield was something of an artist, and thirteen of her water-colour drawings are in the Archives* Another portrait of note is a pastel of the first Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal; this hung in the dining room of Laurier REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 33 House when it was the residence of Sir Wilfrid and Lady Laurier. The Division also acquired a portrait in oils of the late R. V. Sinclair, M.P., by the Canadian painter, Henri Fabien. A gift of special interest was a fine daguerreotype of Mrs. Hugh Macdonald (née Helen Shaw), the mother of Sir John A. Macdonald, presented by Miss H. M. Armour, of Toronto. A number of valuable documentary paintings were received. The earliest of these is a water-colour sketch entitled "Spring View of Fort Franklin," dated 1834. From England came a series of thirteen monotint water-colour drawings, executed in 1844, depicting scenes at various points from Trois-Rivières to Lake Ontario. The appearance of each locality is recorded in minute detail. In 1859 Prince Arthur of Connaught (later Duke of Connaught and Governor General of Canada) travelled to Weston, Ontario, to turn the first sod of the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway. His arrival is depicted in a contemporary water-colour painting by William Armstrong. Later pictures include a sketch of the old Rideau Canal basin at Ottawa dated 1895, and presented by Colonel C P. Meredith. Miss Sophy L. Elliott, of Westmount, gave the Archives nine of the water- colours that were used to illustrate her book, Women Pioneers of North America. Photographs of two paintings of great historical interest were acquired. The first is a water-colour sketch of Fort William, executed by Robert Irvine in 1811 or 1812, when he was serving as captain of the North West Company's schooner Caledonia. The photocopy was the gift of Dr. W. Stewart Wallace. The other is a photograph of a water-colour by Cockburn showing a view of Bytown in 1832. The original is in the Coverdale Collection and hangs in the Manoir Richelieu, at Murray Bay. A number of excellent photographs of Quebec City and Ottawa, taken in the 1860's by Samuel McLoughlin, a pioneer photographer, were presented by his granddaughter, Miss L. M. Moir, of Los Angeles, and by another member of the family, Mrs. F. W. Carson, of Aylmer, P.Q. Of related interest was a further group of photographs taken by another well-known Ottawa pioneer, the late S. J. Jarvis. They were the gift of his daughter, Miss Beatrice Jarvis. Mr. J. A. Brooke, of Long- ridge, England, presented a collection of photographs of Montreal taken in 1883, and another group of pictures, mostly views of Quebec City, were given to the Archives by Mr. D. M. Chorley, of Toronto. 34 PUBLIC ARCHIVES In 1953 Mr. Roderick Kennedy, of Montreal, presented an interesting series of ten photographs of officers who served during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. Colonel C. P. Stacey kindly added to this collection a photograph of Dr. James Bell, Medical Officer at the time of the Rebellion. Other items of Northwest interest included a view of Old Fort Garry, presented by Miss Florence Bissett, and a photograph of Fort Edmonton, taken shortly before it was demolished. The latter was the gift of Mr. G. H. MacDonald, the Edmonton architect, who has since published a remarkable series of views and plans of the fort in his book entitled Fort Augustus-Edmonton. A fine collection of over 250 photographs taken during the construction of the Crow's Nest Pass line was presented by the Canadian Pacific Railway. They were originally the property of the late M. J. Haney, who superintended construction of much of the line. From Miss Eva Davis, of Little Hampton, England, the Archives received a series of earlier photographs taken by Notman along the main line of the Canadian Pacific in construction days. Through the kindness of Rear Admiral H. F. Pullen the Division received a series of photographs showing in detail the the remains of the ship raised in Penetanguishene Bay in September 1953. The vessel has been tentatively identified as H.M.S. Tecumseh, built at Chippewa, on the Niagara River, in 1815. In 1953-54 the Archives acquired from Mr. F. C. Swannell, of Victoria, a selection of his valuable photographs, sketches, field notes and reports relating to various surveys in the interior of British Columbia. Perhaps the most interesting of these relate to the Finlay River, along which Mr. Swannell found his perilous way in 1914. MUSEUM In 1954 the Archives received a replica of the magnificent vase presented to Her Majesty the Queen, in commemoration of Her Majesty's Coronation, by the British Pottery Manu­ facturers' Federation. The vase was first shown at Government House in November 1954, on the occasion of the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Subsequently it was placed on display in the Archives museum. Of kindred interest is a special Coronation Album, issued in England in an edition limited to 52 copies. The introduction is signed by the Marquess of Aberdeen, whose father was Governor REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 35 General of Canada. The album includes sets of the Coronation stamps issued in Great Britain and in all the countries of the Commonwealth, and specimens of the Coronation coins struck in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia. By agreement with the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources all records and relics of historic interest found in the Arctic are sent to the Archives for safekeeping. A variety of garments, equipment and documents were found in 1953-54, and the more interesting items have been placed on display. Some of the articles are connected with Captain Sir G. S. Nares' expedition (1875-76), and were found on an old camp site twelve miles south of Cape Sheridan, on the north coast of Ellesmere Island. Others, related to Commander R. E. Peary's 1909 dash to the North Pole, were picked up at Cape Sheridan itself. A sledge, left in a cache for Peary's use, was received from the Defence Research Board. With other relics it was dis­ covered in 1954 by members of a Canada-United States expedi­ tion on Ward Hunt Island, off the north coast of Ellesmere Island, in a cache left by Commander D. C MacMillan, who was associated with Peary in his explorations. Other souvenirs came from another remote part of the Arctic and recall the M'Clure expedition of 1850-54 and Stefansson's explorations of 1913-18. The Stefansson relics were recovered at Knight Harbour, on Banks Island, and the M'Clure souvenirs were brought back from Mercy Bay, also on Banks Island, but further north-west. The Stefansson articles included a well-preserved sledge, paddles and skis; the M'Clure relics consisted of barrel staves, a piece of coal and some canned food. A large model of the liner Lady Nelson was deposited in the museum through the good offices of Mr. R. A. Clarke, General Manager of Canadian National Steamships, Montreal. The Lady Nelson was one of four sister-ships built specially to imple­ ment the Canada-West Indies Trade Agreement, and her maiden voyage from Halifax in December 1928 was the first sailing made under the terms of the agreement. Mr. L. R. Gisborne, of Ottawa, presented a sterling testi­ monial piece given by the people of St. John's, Newfoundland, to his grandfather, Frederick Newton Gisborne, in 1856, in recognition of his energy and perseverance "in traversing the previously unexplored parts of the island." Mr. Gisborne also 36 PUBLIC ARCHIVES gave pieces from the first Atlantic cable, an enterprise in which his grandfather was greatly interested. In making these gifts Mr. Gisborne was carrying out the wish of his father, the late Dr. F. H. Gisborne, who was anxious that they should be placed in the Archives. Numismatics Section The most notable acquisition was a remarkable collection of Canadian communion tokens, consisting of some 300 items. Originally assembled at the beginning of the century by the late Charles Gordonsmith, for many years editor of the Family Herald and Weekly Star, it was presented to the Archives by Mrs. Jean Ritchie Anderson, of Montreal. It will be recalled that another extensive collection of these interesting tokens was acquired in 1952, and the museum's holdings are now almost complete. Mrs. Anderson's gift also included a number of interesting medals, and pamphlets and newspaper articles on numismatic subjects. The Hudson's Bay Company very kindly presented two sets of the notes issued by the Company for use on this con­ tinent between 1820 and 1870. The denominations were one shilling, five shillings and one pound sterling. These notes circulated in Rupert's Land and in other areas in North America where the Company traded. They remained in circulation until June of 1870, when Rupert's Land was surrendered to the Crown and transferred to Canada. Canadian currency became the medium of exchange thereafter. The Bank of Canada gave the Archives two specimen sets of the new notes issued in 1954. The Bank kindly helped the Archives to acquire a large collection of banknotes in 1950, when the issuing of notes by private banks ceased in Canada. The museum's collection also includes complete sets of the first notes issued by the Bank of Canada itself in 1935. A dozen other items of interest were presented by as many donors. They included: a £2 gold-piece dated 1823, bearing the effigy of George IV, presented by Mr. W. Vickers, of Wanekana, N.Y.; a $2 bill issued in 1833 by the Commercial Bank of the Midland District, with headquarters in Kingston, given by Mr. L. J. Purcell, of Ottawa; a £100 bond issued by the Cobourg & Peterborough Railway in 1854, presented by Mr. E. C Guillet, of Toronto; four advertising bills issued by S. Zimmerman upon the occasion of the opening of the Victoria Bridge in 1860, a gift from Mr. J. D. Ferguson; and a silver REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 Peruvian one-sol piece dated 1894, presented by Dr. Gustave Lanctot. Mr. G. W. Cowan, of Ottawa, gave a bronze medal struck in honour of John Graves Simcoe. Miss Norah Story presented a large bronze medal issued in commemoration of the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. An anonymous donor in Saskatoon sent to the Archives medalets struck upon the same occasion, and examples of similar medalets issued in connection with the Confederation Jubilee Celebration of 1927 and the visit to Canada of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939. A small brass medallion dated 1837 and bearing the effigy of Queen Victoria was placed in the Archives by the Rt. Hon. Louis S. St. Laurent. It had been presented to the Prime Minister by Mr. Arthur Ménard, of Rouyn, P.Q. PUBLICATIONS DIVISION Twelve titles were added to the Preliminary Inventory series in 1953-54. The series is proving extremely useful, both to the staff of the Manuscript Division and to the many persons who have occasion to use documents in the Archives. By the end of 1954 a total of eighteen of the inventories were in print, and three or four others were in preparation. Published in 1953: Record Group 1: Executive Council, Canada, 1764-1867. Record Group 4: Civil and Provincial Secretaries, Canada East, 1760-1867. Record Group 5: Civil and Provincial Secretaries, Canada West, 1788-1867. Record Group 7: Governor General's Office.* Fonds des Manuscrits No. 2: Archives de la Marine. Fonds des Manuscrits No. 3: Archives nationales. Fonds des Manuscrits No. 4: Ministère de la Guerre. Published in 1954: Record Group 8: British Military and Naval Records. Record Group 19: Department of Finance. Manuscript Group 18: Pre-Conquest Papers. Fonds des Manuscrits No. 18: Documents antérieurs à la Cession. Manuscript Group 19: Fur Trade and Indians, 1763- 1867. 38 P UBLIC ARCHIVES It may be well to explain again that the inventories are not being published in numerical order. New additions to the series are noted in each Report of the Department, and a complete list to date is printed on the inside back cover of each new title. The text is in French or English, according to the language of the original documents. The only exception so far has been the inventory of Manuscript Group 18, which consists of pre- conquest papers. Both languages are so well represented in this group that the inventory has been compiled and printed in both French and English. In addition to the titles added to the regular series, the Division published a preliminary inventory of the Collections of the Brome County Historical Society (1954). This appeared with the joint imprint of the Public Archives and the Society. The arrangements which led to the compilation of this inventory are described elsewhere in this Report. The Report of the Public Archives for the year 1952 was published in 1953. LIBRARY Lack of space continues to handicap the Library, but completion of the new Records Centre should help somewhat, if only indirectly. Staff changes have slowed down the cata­ loguing programme, but in most respects the condition of the Library has continued to improve. Good progress has been made with binding and rebinding, a vast amount of sorting has been done, less essential material has been put to one side, and duplicates have been boxed and placed in storage. LAURIER HOUSE Laurier House was placed under the control of the Dominion Archivist by the Laurier House Act, and has been open to the public as a museum since August 1, 1951. It is the former home of two prime ministers of Canada, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Rt. Hon. W. L. Mackenzie King. About 35,000 persons visited the building in 1953. In 1954 the total was about 26,500. Many groups from schools and conventions visit Laurier House, but the substantial number of visitors who come during the winter months are largely from Ottawa and its vicinity. Laurier House is open on weekdays, except Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. REPORT FOR THE YEARS 1953-1954 39 OTHER SERVICES The Archives continues to give an extensive reference service in answer to inquiries received by mail. Although it is impossible to undertake long searches, very considerable assis­ tance is frequently given to scholars and others who are unable to come to Ottawa. In addition to notes and memoranda, thousands of photostats and many microfilms are furnished in the course of each year. It is perhaps worth noting that special arrangements within the Archives Building make it possible to keep the Students' Room open for research by authorized scholars day and night throughout the year. While it is true that papers of special value cannot be made available except when the building is fully staffed, a locker system enables us to allow properly accredited students to use a great many of the files at any time. These facilities are greatly appreciated by many research workers, particularly those who have come a great distance and who may have only a very limited time at their disposal. The Bindery has had two busy years. A total of 2,135 volumes were bound, 853 maps were mounted on cotton, and over 22,000 manuscripts were repaired. The quality of the work done is very high, and many difficult and delicate jobs of repair and restoration have been carried through with great skill and ingenuity. The staff of the Photographic Section has been increased to three, but the volume of work to be done still taxes the Section's capacity to the limit. The demand for photographs, photostats and microfilms increases steadily from year to year ; the placing of a strict limit on the amount of work that could be done free of charge seems to have had no effect upon the volume of requests and orders received.