Register entry 014 - Richard Sykes
Visited the Bell Farm on August 8, 1884. In 1882, Richard Sykes (1839-1923), an English capitalist of Stockport, England, who began purchasing North American land in 1880, lived between England and the States, eventually permanently settling in Santa Barbara, California.
In Canada, Sykes established a large farm northwest of the Bell Farm, near the present town of Edgeley. He initially bought 31 quarter sections of land from the CPR, and gradually extended that to 125 quarter sections (or 20,000 ares).
Sykes was among the first group of 15 people to sign the Bell Farm Visitors Register on August 8, 1884. Sykes also established large farms in North Dakota, as well as several communities which he named after various family and places in England: Sykeston, Bowdon, Edgeley, Chaseley, and Alfred. Sykes also owned land in Iowa, Oregon and California.
Edgeley Farm in Saskatchewan was managed on Sykes' behalf by William C. Cameron, a native of Scotland, until the Farm was sold off in 1903.
Although Sykes was reportedly a regular visitor to the American farms; to date he is only known to have visited his Canadian farm on three occasions.
SOURCES:
Other Sources: "Qu'Appelle Progress" newspaper: 1885-1892, various issues, for the dates shown below: 1885 - Nov. 13 and 27 1886 - Jan. 15, April 30, Aug 8 1887 - April 28 1889 - March 8, April 12, May 3, Sept. 6 1890 - April 25 1892 - June 9 and 23
Local history: "Qu'Appelle: Footprints to Progress", p. 390-391
Edgeley, North Dakota - http://www.edgeley.com/index.asp?SEC=67C99C26-90F8-4544-A77A-13586D0B9AB3&Type=B_
BASIC Sale of Sykes Farm Lands at Edgeley, Sask in 1883 - http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1180.html
Sykes and Rugby link - http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/timeline1850s.htm
Purchase of farm machinery, with signature, 1882 - Farm Machinery purchase
Sykes & Hughes - "Jamestown Alert", June 29 1883 Sykes in Winnipeg - "Toronto Daily Mail", May 31 1883 Sykes Marriage - "St. Paul Globe", July 14 1904
Sykes obituary - "Fitchburg Sentinel", June 1 1923
Richard Sykes/ Rugby School - six Sykes sons attended - https://archive.org/stream/rugbyschoolregis02rugbuoft#page/128/mode/2up
Rugby School - http://www.rugbyschool.net/history
Rugby Football History - http://rugbyfootballhistory.com/timeline1850s.htm
Richard Sykes (now living in Santa Barbara) referencing his entry year at Rugby - https://archive.org/stream/arthurstantonam00russgoog#page/n30/mode/2up
Richard Sykes' Will/ United States Circuit Court of Appeals -
Cover of Richard's Will - USA Will / birth dates of Sykes two sons - https://casetext.com/case/burnet-v-pacific-southwest-trust-savings-bk
Richard Sykes: Wife: Fanny Eliza Walton Richard Sykes 2 sons: Richard Sykes jr Born Sept 7 1905 California; Edward Christopher Sykes born Aug 22 1907 California/ died Dec 4 1978 (San Mateo California)/ Wealthy holder of extensive ranch lands/newspaper articles record long history of violence(wife/divorced/ Marjorie,John 1953/Phillip 1956/Lorna 1957)
Richard Sykes biographical entry of the time - https://archive.org/stream/compendiumhistor00chic#page/896/mode/2up
Richard Sykes writes a sketch of Sykeston North Dakota - https://archive.org/stream/collectionsofsta01stat#page/382/mode/2up
Manchester Geographical Society / Richard Sykes is a member/ Edgeley and Bell Farm - https://archive.org/stream/journamanl01mancuoft#page/266/mode/2up MGS/presentation by Richard Sykes - https://archive.org/stream/journamanl02mancuoft#page/n93/mode/2up
Richard Sykes pg 263 and pg 109 - http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt/search?q1=sykes;id=mdp.39015070241032;view=2up;seq=116;start=1;sz=10;page=search;orient=0
Richard Sykes/Wells County - https://archive.org/stream/earlyhistoryofno01loun#page/340/mode/2up
Oral History Collection/North Dakota- Richard Sykes - http://history.nd.gov/archives/manuscripts/inventory/10157counties/10157%20Wells.html
Richard Sykes/ land in North Dakota and Canada pg 321-322
North Dakota: Counties, Towns and Peoples - Sykes land in North Dakota & Canada
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask.; Margaret Hryniuk, Regina, Sask.; and Frank Korvemaker, Regina.