Charles Alexander (1824 - 1913)

Born 16 Aug 1824 in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Husband of Nancy Elvina (Carter) Alexander — married 25 Dec 1849 in Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 31 Jan 1913 at age 88 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Morgan Mulligan [send private message]

Biography

Charles Alexander is a part of US Black heritage.

Charles Alexander is/was a significant British Columbian.

Charles was born as a free black in 1824 at St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri, the son of an indigenous father and a black mother.

Charles Alexander and his wife, Nancy Carter Alexander, married in Springfield, Illinois on December 25, 1849.

A carpenter by trade, Charles had built and ran a grist mill in St. Louis in his early years. In early 1857 left Missouri, traveling west to the gold fields in California via the Oregon Trail. Charles was not very successful in the gold fields and so on 1 Jul 1858 he and Nancy boarded the ship “Oregon” to Fort Victoria, as it was called at the time.

They were Black pioneers of B.C., helping to build Victoria and area during the 19th Century. They had 12 children.

They successfully farmed for gold on the Fraser River after their arrival to BC, prior to establishing a home and large farm in South Saanich. They eventually also owned prosperous businesses in Victoria. Charles helped to build the first school in South Saanich and was a trustee, while Nancy was very active in the church community. Alexander Park in Victoria bears the Alexander name in recognition of their many contributions to the area.

Charles died of stomach cancer 31 Jan 1913 at his residence at Rocabella Garden, N. Quadra Street, Victoria.

Charles built the original church where he and Nancy are buried, called Shady Creek Church, Saanich, BC, Canada (now known as the Central Saanich Baptist Church). He was one of its first preachers.

Sources

• Birth family: "Go do some great thing : the Black pioneers of British Columbia"; by Crawford Kilian, 2008.
• Birth family: "Black Colonists: The First Non-British Settlers"; 2020 by May Q. Wong.
• Marriage: BCBlackHistory.ca ; Black History Month - Canada.
• "Canada Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV63-9FR : 2 March 2021), Charles Alexander, Saanich, British Columbia, Canada; from "1881 Canadian Census." Database with images; citing Charles Alexander, citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
• Page 1 and Page 2 - 1891 Census of Canada; Year: 1891; Census Place: Esquimalt, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; Roll: T-6292; Family No: 86.
• [Year: 1901; Census Place: Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia; Page: 4; Family No: 30 1901 Census of Canada]; Year: 1901; Census Place: Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia; Page: 4; Family No: 30.
• "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9P-YGLR : 16 March 2018), Chas Alexander, 1911; citing Census, Nanaimo Sub-Districts 1-28, British Columbia, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,417,660.
• "British Columbia Death Registrations," online database with images. Entry for Charles Alexander; Registration Number: 1913-09-028287, Victoria, 1913-01-31, Age at Death: 88. Death certificate Royal British Columbia Museum: BC Archives (royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/genealogy : accessed 14 Jun 2021).
• Find A Grave: Memorial #118584106.

See also:

• Pioneering Alexanders Reunion - 1995: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76812701/
• Pioneering Alexanders Reunion - 2001: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76814489/
• Unknown child birth 1875: "Canada Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4GSC-YVZM : 1 February 2020), Charles Alexander in entry for U Alexander, 1875.
• African Americans migrate to British Columbia 1858