African Americans migrate to British Columbia 1858

Date: 1858 to 1861
Location: British Columbia

Wishing to consolidate British Control over the Colony of Vancouver Island (soon part of the province of British Columbia), Governor James Douglas invited African Americans to escape discriminatory laws and treatment and migrate north. The first group of 35 sailed from San Francisco on the Steamship Commodore and arrived in Victoria on 25 April 1858. Several hundred families followed. This wave of migration continued until about 1861.

Migrants

Carter/Alexander family (connected)

• Charles Alexander (1824-1913)
• Nancy Elvina (Carter) Alexander (1834-1912)

Coonees/Clooness family (connected)

• Stacey (Coonees) Clooness (abt.1815-1908)
• Emily Rebecca (Coonees) Estes (abt.1848-abt.1889)

Francis/Dandridge family

• Sydna Edmonia Robella (Dandridge) Francis (abt.1815-1889)
• Abner Hunt Francis (abt.1812-abt.1872)

Gibbs/Alexander family

• Mifflin Wistar Gibbs (1823-1915)
• Maria Ann (Alexander) Gibbs (1826-1904)
• Donald Francis Gibbs (abt.1860-1906)
• Ida Alexander (Gibbs) Hunt (1862-1957)
• Horace E Gibbs (abt.1863-1956)
• Wendall D Gibbs (1865-1885)
• Harriet Aletha (Gibbs) Marshall (1868-1941)

Moses

• Wellington Delany Moses (abt.1815-1890)

Stark/Estes family (connected 10 Jun 2022)

• Howard Estes (abt.1809-1892)
• Louis Stark (abt.1816-1895)
• Andrew Jackson Estes (abt.1834-aft.1880)
• Sylvia (Estes) Stark (abt.1840-1944)
• Emma Arabella (Stark) Clark (1856-abt.1890)
• Willis Otis Stark (abt.1858-1943)
• John Stark (abt.1860-1930)
• Abraham Lincoln Stark (1863-abt.1908)

Sources

• Sir James Douglas: History Written by Crawford Kilian, author of Go Do Some Great Thing: The Black Pioneers of British Columbia. Accessed 11 Mar 2022
• Why They Came and the Pioneer Committee BC Black History Awareness Society. Accessed 11 Mar 2022
• 1858 - First Black Settlers Arrive in Victoria Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Accessed 11 Mar 2022
• Commodore's arrival set the stage daveobee.com Accessed 11 Mar 2022