University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections Finding Aid - Oscar Orr collection (RBSC-ARC-1761) Generated by Access to Memory (AtoM) 2.2.1 Printed: December 08, 2017 Language of description: English University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall Vancouver BC Canada V6T 1Z1 Telephone: 604-822-8208 Fax: 604-822-9587 http://www.library.ubc.ca/spcoll/ http://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca//index.php/oscar-orr-autograph-collection Oscar Orr collection Table of contents Summary information ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Administrative history / Biographical sketch .................................................................................................. 3 Scope and content ........................................................................................................................................... 4 Arrangement .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Notes ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Access points ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Series descriptions ........................................................................................................................................... 5 , British Columbia records, 1903 - 1990 ..................................................................................................... 5 , American records, 1761 - 1985 ................................................................................................................. 9 , Canadian provinces and politics, 1806 - 1988 ......................................................................................... 12 , Britain and Europe, 1698 - 1974 ............................................................................................................. 18 , Books and miscellaneous records, 1760 - 1992 ...................................................................................... 23 - Page 2 - RBSC-ARC-1761 Oscar Orr collection Summary information Repository: University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections Title: Oscar Orr collection ID: RBSC-ARC-1761 Date: 1698-1992 (date of creation) Physical description: 59 cm of textual records and other materials Language: English Language: French Dates of creation, revision and deletion: Note [generalNote]: Photographs stored in box 5 Administrative history / Biographical sketch Note James Oscar Fitzalan Harley McConnell Orr was born July 27, 1892, on the Red Pheasant Cree Reserve, which is south of North Battleford in Saskatchewan. He was the first son and fifth child born to Oscar Fitzallan Orr and Alvretta McConnell. At 10 years old, Oscar ran away for 3 years and joined the circus and rode the rails down to Galveston, Texas. In 1908 he joined his mother in Vancouver and would become a lifelong resident of the city. In 1914 Oscar married Marjorie McMillan with whom he had two sons, Oscar Jr. and Alexander. When war broke out Oscar enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy but due to seasickness he was discharged. However shortly after he joined Tobin's Tigers, the 29th Battalion based out of Vancouver. In September 1915 The Battalion went to Belgium and on July 16, 1916, Oscar was hit by shrapnel and evacuated from Ypres, France, to England. During this time he spent time at the King Edward VII Hospital in London and also at the homes of the Duke of Norfolk and Mrs. Margaret Greville, the richest woman in England at the time. He had tea with King George V and Queen Mary at the palace. In October 1916 he returned to Canada and was called to the bar in November. What followed was an extensive career in law, becoming Vancouver's City Magistrate and serving on the Canadian War Crimes Commission in Japan in 1946. In 1945 Oscar became a King's Counsel and the next year was made a member of the British Empire. He retired in 1962, and Vancouver made him a Freeman of the City and Oscar served on the Oakalla Prison parole board for many years. In 1988, he became the second person to receive the Law Society Begbie Award from the Law Society of British Columbia and in 1990, he became a member of the Order of British Columbia. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections Page 3 RBSC-ARC-1761 Oscar Orr collection Oscar was very interested in history, keeping an extensive library of historical documents and his family history. He lived until he was 101, and died November 1, 1992. Custodial history The records were kept by Oscar Orr's daughter, who donated the collection to UBC Rare Books & Special Collections in September 2016. Scope and content The collection contains records related to Oscar Orr’s career in law, his professional and political affiliations, and records relating to his role as a prominent resident in the province of British Columbia. There are also historical records that Orr gathered as part of his collection. The collection consists of five series: British Columbia records; American records; Canadian provinces and politics records; Britain and Europe; and Books and miscellaneous records. The series contain correspondence, autographed clippings and notes, invitations and miscellaneous documents of prominent political individuals, businessmen, and royalty. The series British Columbia records contains Orr’s correspondence with prominent and political members in British Columbia in the early to late 1900s. The series includes the autographs of BC political members as well as prominent BC court officials. Also includes a letter from Dan Cranmer of Alert Bay regarding a possible potlatch. The series American records contains documents and autographs of prominent US political, literary, and war figures. Records in this series date back to the 18th century and were part of the collection Orr gathered as part of his interest in history. The series Canadian provinces and politics records include early 19th century documents relating to the Canadian political landscape as well as Orr’s own correspondence with Canadian politicians and court officials. The series Britain and Europe contains records and autographs of British and European political, literary, and military figures, dating back to 1698. Books and miscellaneous records include books, newspapers, photographs and other records from Orr’s collection that relate to his interest in history. Notes Title notes Arrangement The records in this collection were arranged by the archivist but mostly follows the geographical arrangement that the records arrived with at RBSC. File names were created by the archivist. Related material Books that arrived with this collection will be catalogued separately. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections Page 4 RBSC-ARC-1761 Oscar Orr collection Orr also donated materials related to the 29th Vancouver Battalion CEF to the City of Vancouver Archives. Accruals An accrual of one box was gifted to UBC in 2017. Other notes • Publication status: published • Status description: Final • Physical description: Includes 15 photographs Access points • Cranmer, Dan (subject) • Alert Bay, B.C. (place) Series descriptions British Columbia records Date: 1903 - 1990 (date of creation) Scope and content: This series contains Oscar Orr’s correspondence with prominent members of British Columbia, including letters and invitations received by Orr and autographed clippings and notes. There are legal records from the early 1900s with the signatures of early BC Premiers and Ministers; Members of the Legislative Assembly and Members of Parliament; Mayors of Vancouver throughout the 1900s; the Lieutenant Governor and BC Attorneys General. The series also contains correspondence from and autographs of members from the Vancouver Police Department and RCMP; Vancouver Sun reporters and columnists; BC lawyers and judges; Orr’s 29th Battalion comrades, sergeants and officers. Notably, the series contains the records or autographs of Supreme Court Chief Justice Mr. Aulay Macaulay Morrison; early Mayors of Vancouver Louis D. Taylor and G.G. McGeer; Chief Justice of the BC Court of Appeal, Gordon M. Sloan; and Hon. Howard Green. Physical description: 11 cm of textual records File / item list Ref code Title Dates Access status Container RBSC-ARC-1761-1-01 File - [ To Alexander Henderson / from 1903 Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière ] University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections Page 5 RBSC-ARC-1761 Oscar Orr collection RBSC-ARC-1761-1-02 File - [ To Alexander Henderson / from 13 Jun. 1917 John Duncan MacLean ] RBSC-ARC-1761-1-03 File - [ To Alexander Henderson / from 1936 Sir John Buchan, Baron of Tweedsmuir ] RBSC-ARC-1761-1-04 File - [ E.J. Lemaire ] 1922 RBSC-ARC-1761-1-05 File - [ To F. G. Waddington / from Price 14 Jan. 1911 Ellison ] RBSC-ARC-1761-1-06 File - [ To W.M. McKay / from W.J. 1913 Bowser ] RBSC-ARC-1761-1-07 File - [ To W.M. McKay / from W.J. 20 Feb. 1917 Bowser ] RBSC-ARC-1761-1-08 File - [ To H.J.S. Muskett / from Sir 4 Oct. 1915 Richard McBride ] RBSC-ARC-1761-1-09 File - [ To Joseph Oliver, Esq. / from 19 Apr. 1918 John