Richard Blanshard: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Canadian politician}} |
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{{about|the first governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island| the American pastor and songwriter|Richard E. Blanchard, Sr.}} |
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⚫ | Blanshard |
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{{Use British English|date=June 2014}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} |
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{{Infobox officeholder |
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|name=Richard Blanshard |
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|image=Blanshard.gif |
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|caption=Richard Blanshard |
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|office=[[Governor]] of the [[Colony of Vancouver Island]] |
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|term_start=1849 |
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|term_end=1851 |
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|predecessor= |
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|successor=[[James Douglas (governor)|James Douglas]] |
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|birth_date={{birth date|df=yes|1817|10|19}} |
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|birth_place=[[London]] |
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|death_date={{death date and age|1894|6|5|1817|10|19|df=yes}} |
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|death_place=[[London]] |
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}} |
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== Biography == |
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⚫ | Blanshard's short tenure proved unhappy from the start, largely because of the enormous power and influence wielded by the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] and its autocratic [[factor|Chief Factor]], [[James Douglas (governor)|James Douglas]]. Indeed, prior to Blanshard's appointment, there had been serious consideration given by the [[Secretary of State for the Colonies|colonial office]] to appointing Douglas governor, but concerns over |
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⚫ | Blanshard was born in [[London]] to a wealthy mercantile family, and after reading law at [[Cambridge University]], served in the army in [[British India]]. At the age of 32, a personal connection helped secure Blanshard the post of colonial governor of Vancouver Island. Although the commission was dated in July, 1849, Blanshard did not arrive in the colony's capital of [[Victoria, British Columbia|Fort Victoria]] until March of the following year. |
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⚫ | Blanshard's short tenure proved unhappy from the start, largely because of the enormous power and influence wielded by the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] and its autocratic [[factor (agent)|Chief Factor]], [[James Douglas (governor)|James Douglas]]. Indeed, prior to Blanshard's appointment, there had been serious consideration given by the [[Secretary of State for the Colonies|colonial office]] to appointing Douglas governor, but concerns over [[conflict of interest]] prevented it. |
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⚫ | Blanshard arrived to a colony in which the land had been given as a ten |
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⚫ | Blanshard arrived to a colony in which the land had been given as a ten-year lease to the Hudson's Bay Company, with Douglas given a mandate to attract settlement. Almost the entire non-[[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] population were Company employees, answerable to Douglas, and Blanshard was prevented from setting up a colonial assembly by the fact that so few of them met the qualifications of electors, i.e., land ownership. Inevitable jurisdictional conflicts arose between Douglas and Blanshard, and the colonial office, too, took Blanshard to task for indiscriminate retributions taken against the First Nations population near present-day [[Port Hardy, British Columbia|Port Hardy]]. The absence of any real power, combined with health concerns and the enormous cost of living drove Blanshard to resign; he abandoned the colony in September 1851 after just one and a half years there. |
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== Places named for Blanshard == |
== Places named for Blanshard == |
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*[[Mount Blanshard]] |
*[[Mount Blanshard]], part of a group of sugarloaf-type peaks commonly known as the [[Golden Ears (peaks)|Golden Ears]], is located in [[Golden Ears Provincial Park]] in the [[Garibaldi Ranges]] of the [[Coast Mountains]], immediately north of [[Maple Ridge, British Columbia]]. |
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*The [[Blanshard River]] is a tributary of the [[Tatshenshini-Alsek Park|Tatshenshini River]], near the British Columbia–[[Yukon Territory|Yukon]] border. |
*The [[Blanshard River]] is a tributary of the [[Tatshenshini-Alsek Park|Tatshenshini River]], near the British Columbia–[[Yukon Territory|Yukon]] border. |
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*[[Blanshard Island]] is located among the [[Gulf Islands]] northeast of Victoria. |
*[[Blanshard Island]] is located among the [[Gulf Islands]] northeast of the [[Victoria, British Columbia|City of Victoria]]. |
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*[[Blanshard Street]] is a major thoroughfare in downtown Victoria, running northwards from the north end of [[Beacon Hill Park]] to join with [[British Columbia Highway 17| |
*[[Blanshard Street]] is a major thoroughfare in downtown Victoria, running northwards from the north end of [[Beacon Hill Park]] to join with [[British Columbia Highway 17|Highway 17]] just past the Victoria–[[Saanich, British Columbia|Saanich]] boundary. |
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* A large [[British Columbia|provincial]] government structure, '''The Richard Blanshard Building''' stands on the corner of Blanshard and Pandora Streets in Victoria. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5979 Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''] |
*[http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5979 Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''] |
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==Further reading== |
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{{Start box}} |
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*[http://nosracines.ca/page.aspx?id=786055&&qryID=934b629c-8013-457a-abab-c067226cc721 ''Governor Blanshard's Plight'', R. Gosnell and E.O.S. Scholefield, ''A History of British Columbia'', Historical Society of British Columbia (Vancouver 1913), pp. 107–114] |
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{{S-start}} |
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{{succession box| |
{{succession box| |
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before=Position Nonexistent| |
before=Position Nonexistent| |
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title=[[List of |
title=[[List of governors of Vancouver Island and British Columbia|Governor of Vancouver Island]]| |
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years= |
years=1849–1851| |
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after=[[James Douglas ( |
after=[[James Douglas (governor)|James Douglas]]| |
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}} |
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{{end |
{{S-end}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanshard, Richard}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanshard, Richard}} |
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[[Category:1817 births]] |
[[Category:1817 births]] |
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[[Category:1894 deaths]] |
[[Category:1894 deaths]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Lawyers from London]] |
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[[Category:Colonial governors of British Columbia and Vancouver Island]] |
[[Category:Colonial governors of British Columbia and Vancouver Island]] |
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[[Category:Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)]] |
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[[Category:Colony of Vancouver Island people]] |
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[[Category:19th-century English lawyers]] |
Latest revision as of 21:25, 5 June 2024
Richard Blanshard | |
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Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island | |
In office 1849–1851 | |
Succeeded by | James Douglas |
Personal details | |
Born | London | 19 October 1817
Died | 5 June 1894 London | (aged 76)
Richard Blanshard MA (19 October 1817 – 5 June 1894) was an English barrister and first governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island from its foundation in 1849 to his resignation in 1851.
Biography
[edit]Blanshard was born in London to a wealthy mercantile family, and after reading law at Cambridge University, served in the army in British India. At the age of 32, a personal connection helped secure Blanshard the post of colonial governor of Vancouver Island. Although the commission was dated in July, 1849, Blanshard did not arrive in the colony's capital of Fort Victoria until March of the following year.
Blanshard's short tenure proved unhappy from the start, largely because of the enormous power and influence wielded by the Hudson's Bay Company and its autocratic Chief Factor, James Douglas. Indeed, prior to Blanshard's appointment, there had been serious consideration given by the colonial office to appointing Douglas governor, but concerns over conflict of interest prevented it.
Blanshard arrived to a colony in which the land had been given as a ten-year lease to the Hudson's Bay Company, with Douglas given a mandate to attract settlement. Almost the entire non-First Nations population were Company employees, answerable to Douglas, and Blanshard was prevented from setting up a colonial assembly by the fact that so few of them met the qualifications of electors, i.e., land ownership. Inevitable jurisdictional conflicts arose between Douglas and Blanshard, and the colonial office, too, took Blanshard to task for indiscriminate retributions taken against the First Nations population near present-day Port Hardy. The absence of any real power, combined with health concerns and the enormous cost of living drove Blanshard to resign; he abandoned the colony in September 1851 after just one and a half years there.
Blanshard evidently did not pursue further colonial service. He married and inherited his family's estates in Essex and Hampshire. He died in London at the age of 76.
Places named for Blanshard
[edit]- Mount Blanshard, part of a group of sugarloaf-type peaks commonly known as the Golden Ears, is located in Golden Ears Provincial Park in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Coast Mountains, immediately north of Maple Ridge, British Columbia.
- The Blanshard River is a tributary of the Tatshenshini River, near the British Columbia–Yukon border.
- Blanshard Island is located among the Gulf Islands northeast of the City of Victoria.
- Blanshard Street is a major thoroughfare in downtown Victoria, running northwards from the north end of Beacon Hill Park to join with Highway 17 just past the Victoria–Saanich boundary.
- A large provincial government structure, The Richard Blanshard Building stands on the corner of Blanshard and Pandora Streets in Victoria.