Alfred Waddington
Encyclopedia
Alfred Penderell Waddington was born in 1801 in the Brompton, Kensington
, district of London, England. During his later years, Waddington was actively involved in the Colony of Vancouver Island
in what later became the province of British Columbia
, Canada
.
From 1860 to 1861 he was a representative of the Victoria District in the House of Assembly
of the Colony of Vancouver Island
. He was also the first colonial Superintendent of Education from 1865 to 1867 and was an advocate
of free public education
.
Waddington is also remembered for planning the ill-fated Waddington's Road at Bute Inlet
. The road was intended to be a shorter route to the Cariboo Gold Rush
goldfields and was intended to run from the Pacific Coast
via Bute Inlet to Fort Alexandria, but instead resulted in the tragedy of the Chilcotin War
.
and then attended the University of Göttingen in Germany
.
In 1850, he moved to California
and joined a partnership of wholesale grocers.
In 1858, Waddington moved north to Victoria, British Columbia
. Although the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
was in full swing, Waddington was not interested in gold seeking. Instead, he wanted to encourage settlement in the colony and wrote Fraser Mines Vindicated, the first book ever published in the Colony of Vancouver Island that was not from a government source.
In 1860, he was elected to the House of Assembly on a platform of religious equality, women's rights
and small government.
In 1861, he resigned from the House and in 1862, he helped draft the charter of the City of Victoria, but declined a nomination
to be its first mayor.
to Fort Alexandria where it would connect to the Cariboo Road
and continue on to the goldfields at Barkerville. He received approval for the construction early in 1863.
In spring 1864, when members of the Tsilhqot'in
(Chilcotin) First Nations learned of the plans to build the road through the Homathko River Valley
, they feared both infringement on their territory and the increased threat of smallpox
, an epidemic that had already killed many of their people. Eight Tsilhqot'in men, led by Klatsassin, attacked one of Waddington's work camps, killing fourteen road construction workers.
Waddington's Road was never completed because of the war, but was examined in later years
as one of the main possible routings for the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway
. However, the railway chose Burrard Inlet
, which as a result became today's Vancouver.
.
Waddington resigned in 1867 and the rest of the Board decided to close all of the schools on Vancouver Island. By 1868, all of the Board members had resigned to protest against the new government's attitudes towards free public schools.
Meanwhile, Waddington had never forgotten his Bute Inlet route and began campaigning for a transcontinental railway to be built along that route, selling his rights to the federal government in 1871. He was in Ottawa
lobbying for this very purpose when he died of smallpox on February 26, 1872.
Brompton, Kensington
Brompton is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is roughly defined by a triangle formed by the Brompton Cemetery, Old Brompton Road/Brompton Road and Walton Street/Fulham Road.-Development:...
, district of London, England. During his later years, Waddington was actively involved in the Colony of Vancouver Island
Colony of Vancouver Island
The Colony of Vancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Dominion of Canada through Confederation in 1871...
in what later became the province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
From 1860 to 1861 he was a representative of the Victoria District in the House of Assembly
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....
of the Colony of Vancouver Island
Colony of Vancouver Island
The Colony of Vancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Dominion of Canada through Confederation in 1871...
. He was also the first colonial Superintendent of Education from 1865 to 1867 and was an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
of free public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
.
Waddington is also remembered for planning the ill-fated Waddington's Road at Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet
Bute Inlet is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is 80 km long from its head at the mouths of the Homathko and Southgate Rivers to the continental headlands at its mouth, where it is nearly blocked by Stuart Island, and it averages about 4 km in width...
. The road was intended to be a shorter route to the Cariboo Gold Rush
Cariboo Gold Rush
The Cariboo Gold Rush was a gold rush in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Although the first gold discovery was made in 1859 at Horsefly Creek, followed by more strikes at Keithley Creek and Antler Horns lake in 1860, the actual rush did not begin until 1861, when these discoveries were...
goldfields and was intended to run from the Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
via Bute Inlet to Fort Alexandria, but instead resulted in the tragedy of the Chilcotin War
Chilcotin War
The Chilcotin War, Chilcotin Uprising or Bute Inlet Massacre was a confrontation in 1864 between members of the Tsilhqot'in people in British Columbia and white road construction workers...
.
Early years
Alfred Waddington completed his early education in England, attended a school in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and then attended the University of Göttingen in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In 1850, he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and joined a partnership of wholesale grocers.
In 1858, Waddington moved north to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. Although the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
Fraser Canyon Gold Rush
The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River. This was a few miles upstream from the Thompson's confluence with the Fraser River at present-day Lytton...
was in full swing, Waddington was not interested in gold seeking. Instead, he wanted to encourage settlement in the colony and wrote Fraser Mines Vindicated, the first book ever published in the Colony of Vancouver Island that was not from a government source.
In 1860, he was elected to the House of Assembly on a platform of religious equality, women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
and small government.
In 1861, he resigned from the House and in 1862, he helped draft the charter of the City of Victoria, but declined a nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
to be its first mayor.
Waddington's Road
In 1862, Waddington began lobbying the press and his political allies for support for a wagon road from Bute InletBute Inlet
Bute Inlet is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is 80 km long from its head at the mouths of the Homathko and Southgate Rivers to the continental headlands at its mouth, where it is nearly blocked by Stuart Island, and it averages about 4 km in width...
to Fort Alexandria where it would connect to the Cariboo Road
Cariboo Road
The Cariboo Road was a project initiated in 1860 by the colonial Governor of British Columbia, James Douglas...
and continue on to the goldfields at Barkerville. He received approval for the construction early in 1863.
In spring 1864, when members of the Tsilhqot'in
Tsilhqot'in
The Tsilhqot'in are a Northern Athabaskan First Nations people that live in British Columbia, Canada...
(Chilcotin) First Nations learned of the plans to build the road through the Homathko River Valley
Homathko River
The Homathko River is one of the major rivers of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and one of the few rivers that penetrates the range from the Chilcotin Plateau to the coastal inlets, entering the sea at the head of Bute Inlet adjacent to the mouth of the Southgate River, just to...
, they feared both infringement on their territory and the increased threat of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, an epidemic that had already killed many of their people. Eight Tsilhqot'in men, led by Klatsassin, attacked one of Waddington's work camps, killing fourteen road construction workers.
Waddington's Road was never completed because of the war, but was examined in later years
Canadian Pacific Survey
The Canadian Pacific Survey or Canadian Pacific Railway Survey consisted of a large number of distinct geographical surveys conducted during the 1870s and 1880s designed to determine the ideal route of the Canadian Pacific Railway...
as one of the main possible routings for the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. However, the railway chose Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...
, which as a result became today's Vancouver.
Superintendent of Education
In 1865, Alfred Waddington was appointed Superintendent of Education for the colony Vancouver Island, but when the Island was annexed into British Columbia in 1866, the Board of Education no longer had any authority. He also served two terms as a member of the Vancouver Island AssemblyLegislative Assembly of Vancouver Island
The Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island was the colonial parliamentary body that was elected to represent voters in the Colony of Vancouver Island. It was created in 1856 after a series of petitions were sent to the colonial office in London protesting the Hudson’s Bay Company’s proprietary...
.
Waddington resigned in 1867 and the rest of the Board decided to close all of the schools on Vancouver Island. By 1868, all of the Board members had resigned to protest against the new government's attitudes towards free public schools.
Meanwhile, Waddington had never forgotten his Bute Inlet route and began campaigning for a transcontinental railway to be built along that route, selling his rights to the federal government in 1871. He was in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
lobbying for this very purpose when he died of smallpox on February 26, 1872.
Places named after Alfred Waddington
- Mount WaddingtonMount WaddingtonMount Waddington, once known as Mystery Mountain, is the highest peak in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Although Mount Fairweather and Mount Quincy Adams, which straddle the US border between Alaska and British Columbia are taller, Mount Waddington is the highest peak that lies...
- Waddington RangeWaddington RangeThe Waddington Range is a subrange of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is only about 4000 km² in area, relatively small in area within the expanse of the range, but it is the highest area of the Pacific Ranges and of the Coast Mountains, being...
(named after Mount Waddington) - Mount Waddington Regional District (named after Mount Waddington)
- Waddington Range
- Waddington Drive in KamloopsKamloops, British ColumbiaKamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River and near Kamloops Lake. It is the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the location of the regional district's offices. The surrounding region is more commonly...
- Waddington Alley in Victoria
- Waddington Crescent in NanaimoNanaimo, British ColumbiaNanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
- Waddington Channel, divides EastEast Redonda IslandEast Redonda Island is a coastal island in British Columbia, Canada, part of the Discovery Islands archipelago. It lies just to the north of Desolation Sound Marine Park, which is located off the north end of the Malaspina Peninsula at the mouth of Toba Inlet...
and WestWest Redonda IslandWest Redonda Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, an archipelago between Vancouver Island and the mainland, and between the Strait of Georgia and Johnstone Strait....
Redonda Islands - Waddington Harbour, at the mouth of the Homathko RiverHomathko RiverThe Homathko River is one of the major rivers of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and one of the few rivers that penetrates the range from the Chilcotin Plateau to the coastal inlets, entering the sea at the head of Bute Inlet adjacent to the mouth of the Southgate River, just to...
, which was the basecamp for the road-building party, also known as Port Waddington
Further reading
- High Slack: Waddington's Gold Road and the Bute Inlet Massacre of 1864 Judith Williams ISBN 0-921586-45-0