The Douglas Family

Sir James Douglas and his wife Amelia had a lengthy association with the fur trade.  They met and where married while James was stationed at Fort St. James in 1821.  Amelia was the daughter of Chief Factor William Connelly and married James in 1828.  They moved to Fort Vancouver in 1830 and then in 1849 to Fort Victoria.  James grew in reputation and responsibility with each move.  In 1858 he was appointed Governor of both the independent colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, a position he held until he retired in 1863.  It was Cecelia, their eldest daughter who caught the attention of newly arrived Dr. John Sebastion Helmcken.  Upon their marriage Sir James gave Doctor Helmcken land adjacent to the Douglas home where the Helmckens built their home.

Sir James Douglas, c. 1863.
BC Archives, A-01228

The small Church of Our Lord still stands today at Blanshard and Humboldt, on land donated by Sir James Douglas.  On 6 August 1877 people gathered here for his funeral.  BC Archives, A-01265

Lady Amelia on the porch of her home with four generations of descendants.
BC Archives, A-00840

Wedding of Martha Douglas, James and Amelia’s youngest daughter, and Dennis Reginald Harris, 1878.
BC Archives, A-01236