Members of the British Association held their Annual Convention in Canada in 1884. On Sept. 6th they, along with some family members and a few others, left Sarnia, Ontario and headed into the Canadian West. While the total number of people in the party was 117, only about 30 of them signed the Bell Farm Visitors Register.
The party stopped at the Bell Farm on September 14 while travelling on a special CPR train from Winnipeg to the Rockies. The train included seven sleeping cars.
Images are presented in alphabetical order.
Among the members of that party were the following:
Lawrence Parsons, the 4th Earl of Rosse, Sir Richard Temple, Major General Laurie, Dr. Ashe, The Bishop of Ontario, Prof. J.P. Sheldon, Prof. Fream, Prof. B. Dawkins, Dr. Royle, Dr. W. P. Cheadle, Prof. H. Shaw, E.B. Elliott, Miss Winch, C. Calder, W.M. Beauford, A.S. Reid, G. Johnson, V. Kinaham, J. Symes, Professor J. Macoun, M. Rivard, G. Slater, R.C. Pilling, T. Hare, S. Bourne, A. Robertson, R.S. Broker, R.M. Barrington, A. Kinnear, H.M. Muller, E. Frankland, C.C. Prance, W.H. Pallows, M. Blair, A.W. Scott, H. Marsh, S.S. Turner, Prof. Macadam, G. Chatterton, G.P. Hughes, Miss Stalker, H.T. Menwell, A.W. Bennett, J.A.W. Oliver, W.A. Blackhouse, C.C. Leach, R.C. Brown, J. Cameron, C. Swanford, M.C. Clark, R.G. Brook, W.J. Sollas, Rev. H.H. Winwood, J. Robbins, Rev. H. A. Pickard, E.F. King, D.A Louis, W.H. Leach, J.H. Handle, Rev. H. Swanzy, F.H. Stockwell, Dr. McNab, Edgbert de Hamel, J. Bourdas, R.A. Robinson, H. Bowerman, H. Dubois, W. Hurst, A.D. Ottwell, S.E. Donson, S.W. Blowman, J. Frewson, C. Lawrie, T.H. Thomas, W.H. Merritt, J.F. Taylor, C.H. Kelmand, S. McIntyre, A. Desjardines, G.H. Longstaff, W.H. Leach, W. Unwin, W.S. Fellow, E. Withers, S.F. Harmer, Mrs. McIlrie, F.W. Harmer, C.A. Hirshfelder, Dr. A.C. Maybury, O. Jones, M. Brown, E. Fransworth, T.W. Newman, A. Traile, W. Brownshard, W. Topley, J.D. Crawford, J.W. Leahby, B. Williamson, W. Whitaker, Rev. Canon Ellegood, E.W. Jollas, R. Hazzard, W. Anderson, Mrs. Anderson, George and Jasper Anderson, Grace and William Anderson, F. Fargeau, F. Cummings, M. Argue, C.M. Pitman, A. Tate, Rev. H. Jones. (Mr. Alexander Begg, General Immigration Agent for the CPR in London, England, was also with the party.) Dr. Thorburn and Miss Thorburn of Toronto were also on the trip.
At least one male member (Robert G. Brook) had a camera along and took photos; while artist Thomas H. Thomas, who accompanied the tour, made illustrations for "The Graphic" newspaper - including a sketch at the Bell Farm.
SOURCES:
https://archive.org/stream/cihm_12442#page/n9/mode/2up - "British Association: Report of their Visit to the Canadian North-West" by R.L. Richardson, Winnipeg, 1884.
https://archive.org/stream/cihm_17071#page/n29/mode/2up - passenger list pg 13
Robert Brook, England - personal communication.
https://archive.org/stream/cihm_09228#page/n45/mode/2up Bell Farm visit by Alfred Pegler includes a great description of his hotel stay at Indian Head.
pgs 24,36,37-39,50,52,60 and 83
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana and Hannah-Rose Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask.
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001 - British Association Visit - 1884
The British Association visitors arrived on several different ships- the SS Parisian,SS Polynesian and the SS Oregon of the Allan Line among those. It seems about 800 members decided to take advantage of the offer of reduced ocean fares and free railway trips on the CPR-the Canadian government contributing $25,000 to offset costs. The Montreal meeting was the first BA meeting to be held outside of the United Kingdom and therefore garnished a lot of interest.
SOURCES:
https://archive.org/stream/jstor-1759804/1759804#page/n1/mode/2up 1883/proposed meeting for the BA in Canada ***** https://archive.org/stream/britishassociati00lefr#page/6/mode/2up $25,000 towards the BA Meeting ****** and various Steam Ship Lines that sailed at that time http://books.google.ca/books?id=4lEpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=%22Montreal+meeting%22+%22british+association%22+%221000%22&source=bl&ots=T8YumtnTZJ&sig=Idl-yip4LyYJRjVQEsdjhMVy2Bs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=YumMUo2PHcXGqwHZqIHwBw&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Montreal%20meeting%22%20%22british%20association%22%20%221000%22&f=false possible 1000 members for BA meeting https://archive.org/stream/cihm_04771#page/n0/mode/2up - British Association program
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
002 - British Association Passenger List - 1
SS Parisian List provided by Clara Lady Rayleigh - Passenger List - Part 1 -
003 - British Association Passenger List - 2
SS Parisian List provided by Clara Lady Rayleigh - Passenger List - Part 2 -
004 - British Association Passenger List - 3
SS Parisian List provided by Clara Lady Rayleigh - Passenger List - Part 3 -
005 - S. S. Oregon (1883-1886)
Transported British Association members between England and Canada in 1884 - The British Association visitors arrived on several different ships - the SS Parisian,SS Polynesian and the SS Oregon of the Allan Line among those. It seems about 800 members decided to take advantage of the offer of reduced ocean fares and free railway trips on the CPR-the Canadian government contributing $25,000 to offset costs. The Montreal meeting was the first BA meeting to be held outside of the United Kingdom and therefore garnished a lot of interest.
SOURCES:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=N-tQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA161&lpg=PA161&dq=%22Parisian%22+%22british+association%22+%221884%22&source=bl&ots=YT3Zfq_4V5&sig=h7oVszYNvU-9BaINYyOngypK52s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xdmMUsL0L8iQyQGenoHACg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22Parisian%22%20%22british%20association%22%20%221884%22&f=false - Parisian, Oregon and Polynesian ships http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=1306 SS Oregon http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1986IrAJ...17..185W SS Oregon/Professor Ball
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
006 - S.S. Parisian (1880-1914)
Transported British Association members between England and Canada in 1884 - The British Association visitors arrived on several different ships- the SS Parisian,SS Polynesian and the SS Oregon of the Allan Line among those . It seems about 800 members decided to take advantage of the offer of reduced ocean fares and free railway trips on the CPR-the Canadian government contributing $25,000 to offset costs. The Montreal meeting was the first BA meeting to be held outside of the United Kingdom and therefore garnished a lot of interest.
SOURCES:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=N-tQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA161&lpg=PA161&dq=%22Parisian%22+%22british+association%22+%221884%22&source=bl&ots=YT3Zfq_4V5&sig=h7oVszYNvU-9BaINYyOngypK52s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xdmMUsL0L8iQyQGenoHACg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22Parisian%22%20%22british%20association%22%20%221884%22&f=false - Parisian, Oregon and Polynesian ships http://books.google.ca/books?id=do0tAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=%22parisian%22+%22british+association%22+%221884%22&source=bl&ots=2AF-ZR6Jqy&sig=lTCp6QXEsq9rTfdWP_8VuvQvKAw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PtqMUo72PIHQrgHI-ICwCw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=%22parisian%22%20%22british%20association%22%20%221884%22&f=false - Parisian http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/Wrecks/ParisianCollision.shtml photos - Parisian http://nswrecks.net/ns-datapages/parisian-dat.htm - Parisian http://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/kate-sarah--jamie-stewart.html - Parisian https://archive.org/stream/cihm_17071#page/n29/mode/2up List of Saloon passengers/SS Parisian August 16th 1884
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
007 - S.S. Polynesian (1872-1909)
Transported British Association members between England and Canada in 1884 - The British Association visitors arrived on several different ships - the SS Parisian,SS Polynesian and the SS Oregon of the Allan Line among those . It seems about 800 members decided to take advantage of the offer of reduced ocean fares and free railway trips on the CPR-the Canadian government contributing $25,000 to offset costs. The Montreal meeting was the first BA meeting to be held outside of the United Kingdom and therefore garnished a lot of interest.
SOURCES:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=N-tQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA161&lpg=PA161&dq=%22Parisian%22+%22british+association%22+%221884%22&source=bl&ots=YT3Zfq_4V5&sig=h7oVszYNvU-9BaINYyOngypK52s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xdmMUsL0L8iQyQGenoHACg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22Parisian%22%20%22british%20association%22%20%221884%22&f=false - Parisian, Oregon and Polynesian ships http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cin/001065-119.01-e.php?&nl_id_nbr=4016&brws_s=1&&PHPSESSID=8gj04eaeknec2373bft58dbp32 - Polynesian
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
008 - British Association members on board the Parisian - 1884
Group on board the ship Parisian containing Lord Rayleigh, Sir Frederick Bramwell, Earl of Rosse, and thirty five other members of the British Association. (Robert Goldthorp Brook, Photographer, provided courtesy of R.G. Brook.) - Group on board the ship Parisian containing Lord Rayleigh, Sir Frederick Bramwell, Earl of Rosse, and thirty five other members of the British Association. Robert Goldthorp Brook, Photographer, provided courtesy of R.G. Brook. The owner of this photo, Robert Brook writes: "I have copies of the group pictures taken on board the ships of passengers and BA members, many of whom he travelled with. From setting sail in England to returning there a couple of months later, it appears that he left nothing out, including what he ate, where he visited, and so much more. The journals include copies of his photographs, maps, receipts, menus, itineraries etc." Bob Brook has looked through the two surviving journals of his great grandfather's 1884 trip for Bell Farm references and photos - turns out that information would have been in the third journal which went missing long ago. People identified to date: Front Row L-R: Admiral Sir Erasmus Ommanney Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse John Henry Lefroy Sir Frederick Joseph Bramwell Lord Rayleigh Sir Henry Swire Smith John Hall Gladstone (unknown/Sir James Nicholas Douglass??) Second Row L-R: Rev Henry Jones Joseph Henry Gilbert Back Row-2 men - on the right: John Prince Sheldon
SOURCES:
Robert Goldthorp Brook, Photographer, provided courtesy of R.G. Brook, England.
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
BEGG, Alexander - Accompanied the British Association Tour - 1884
General Immigration Agent and promoter for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Alexander Begg (1839-1897)was born in Quebec, and was primarily a writer and journalist. He moved West in 1867 and was present for the 1870 Red River Rebellion. He also undertook various business ventures, including publishing. Begg was impressed with the Hudson's Bay Company and the Canadian Pacific Railway, and extolled the virtues of both corporations in his writings. Consequently, he became the General Immigration Agent for the CPR in London from 1884 until 1888, when he moved to Seattle, Washington. Begg returned to Canada in 1892, settling in Victoria, British Columbia, where he wrote and published a three volume "History of the North-West".
SOURCES:
https://archive.org/stream/cihm_25858#page/n9/mode/2up - detailed report on the tour and the Bell Farm by Winnipeg “Sun” reporter R.L. Richardson http://archive.org/stream/cihm_30012#page/n17/mode/2up -- Alex Begg’s 1884 report on the Bell Farm – "17 Years in the Canadian North-West" - p. 12 http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/begg_alexander_1839_97_12E.html "Dictionary of Canadian Biography" – detailed biography for Alexander Begg Photo Source: McCord Museum, Montreal
REEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
CHEADLE, Dr. Walter Butler - British Association Member - 1884
A medical doctor who had previously explored the West in 1862 with Vicount Milton - A pioneer in children's medicine, Dr. Cheadle had explored Western Canada in 1862 with Viscount Milton.
SOURCES:
http://www.hharp.org/library/gosh/doctors/walter-butler-cheadle.html photo source http://archive.org/stream/cihm_13410#page/n29/mode/2up pg 18-Cheadle **
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
CRAWFORD, Col. James David - General Secretary to the British Association in Montreal
Colonel James David Crawford (18__-1920), general secretary of the British Association in Montreal, accompanied the BA excursionists to the North-West and the Bell Farm in 1884. He was the first Commanding Officer of the 5th Regiment, also known as the Royal Scots of Canada Highlanders, serving from 1875 until 1882.
SOURCES:
https://archive.org/stream/5thregimentroyal00chamuoft#page/12/mode/2up - page 12 - photo source and history of the 5th Regiment: Royal Scots of Canada Highlanders. https://archive.org/stream/unitedempire11royauoft#page/142/mode/2up obituary notice, but little detail https://archive.org/stream/cihm_30626#page/n3/mode/2up BA/Rockies report of Thomas Henry Thomas/ - mentions Col. Crawford – also includes greater reference to the Bell Farm on p. 8: https://archive.org/stream/cihm_30626#page/n13/mode/2up https://archive.org/stream/cihm_12442#page/n9/mode/2up - 1884 British Association Trip report, by R. L. Richardson – includes names of the travellers (p. 5 and 6) and some comments by Major Bell re British farmers. (p. 25) : https://archive.org/stream/cihm_12442#page/n29/mode/2up/search/bell
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
DAWSON, George Mercer - Travelled with the British Association in 1884
Director of the Geological Survey of Canada: 1895-1901 - George Dawson (1849-1901), another member of this illustrious group, he is very well known for his presence in this photo at “Fort Misery” (Fort McLeod), B.C., 1879: He is the short fellow standing in the centre. His small stature is less evident when he is seated. In 1895 he succeeded Dr. Alfred Selwyn as Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, and held that post until his death in 1901.
SOURCES:
Biography: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/dawson_george_mercer_13E.html The Canadian Encyclopedia: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/george-mercer-dawson Photo at: Fort McLeod: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/roc/021018-4300-e.html Seated: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/trailblazers/george-mercer-dawson/485
RESEARCH BY:
Frank Korvemaker, Regina, Sask. -
De Hamel, Egbert - British Association Member - 1884
A manufacturer from England, Egbert de Hamel was born in 1844 and was the last tenant of Middleton Hall. De Hamel was a wealthy manufacturer of industrial tape and webbings and perhaps more excitingly a noted breeder and exhibitor of the Tamworth pig.
SOURCES:
http://www.middleton-hall.co.uk/ https://archive.org/stream/cihm_17071#page/n29/mode/2up passenger list pg 13
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
ELLIOTT, Edwin Bailey - British Association Member - 1884
Mathematician at Oxford University, Edwin Bailey Elliott (1851-1937) was an Oxford Mathematician.
SOURCES:
http://learn-math.info/historyDetail.htm?id=Elliott photo source and biography http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1938MNRAS..98R.246. obit - page 246 https://archive.org/stream/advancingscience029066mbp#page/n65/mode/2up reference to EB Elliott at the Montreal Meeting – p. 62 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/37806/37806-h/37806-h.htm - details below EDWIN BAILEY ELLIOTT, M.A., F.R.S., F.R.A.S. Waynflete Professor of Pure Mathematics, and Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. Formerly Fellow of Queen’s College, Oxford. President of London Mathematical Society, 1896-1898. Author of Algebra of Quantics; &c.
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask. -
FREAM, Professor William - British Association Member - 1884
Professor of Natural History at the Royal Agricultural College, Dr. William Fream paid visits to Canada in 1884, 1888, and 1891, to examine agricultural conditions, describing his findings in a series of papers. These include the pamphlet "The Gates of the West" (1892), A"cross Canada: a Report on Canada and its Agricultural Resources", written for and published by the Government of Canada (1885), and, in two parts, ‘Canadian agriculture’, which appeared in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1885. In 1888 Fream received an honorary LLD from McGill University. Fream was a professor of Natural History at the Royal Agricultural College, a founder of the College of Agricultural at Downton and a correspondent for The Times. His book: "Elements of Agriculture", first published in 1892, has proved to be one of the most enduring of all textbooks in his time. He died in May 1906, at age 51. Professor Fream also signed the Bell Farm Visitors' Register on Sept. 14, 1884 (entry # 103)
SOURCES:
https://archive.org/stream/cihm_30147#page/n5/mode/2up http://books.google.ca/books?id=3pkuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA9&dq=%22Brick%22+%22assiniboia%22+%22bell+farm%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nc6nUq3-GJXmoASgtYHYCQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22Brick%22%20%22assiniboia%22%20%22bell%20farm%22&f=false http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://faculty.ed.uiuc.edu/westbury/paradigm/GODDARD1.JPG&imgrefurl=http://faculty.ed.uiuc.edu/westbury/paradigm/goddard.html&usg=__M7IAp8QL_CDneORIWmXBQBJ_Pvo=&h=1925&w=1331&sz=179&hl=en&start=8&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=fbvLK9akQQ0gOM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522William%2BFream%2522%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GFRE_en%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1 A Report on Canada and its Agricultural Resources 1885 http://books.google.com/books?id=spkuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=%22William+Fream%22+%22Qu'appelle%22&source=bl&ots=c0IcIBnnq2&sig=Rc-NL8rNLlHWfvTXYjYnb-DXKK0&hl=en&ei=MkduS6CPPIyh8Ab4t7ChDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAcQ Obituary: https://archive.org/stream/wiltshirearchaeo34arch#page/436/mode/2up
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Sask.