Court papers, police charges and related documents.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

University of British Columbia, owner.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Actions and defenses.

Affidavits.

Arrest.

Claims.

Courts.

Criminal jurisdiction.

Debt.

Law.

Promissory notes.

Sealing.

Wages.

British Columbia--Victoria.

Great Britain.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Production:

[Place of production not identified] : [producer not identified], 1891-1893.

Summary:

Court summons and associated papers relating to Charles Spring defaulting on debts and unable to honour promissory notes.

Notes:

AMDigital Reference: rbsc-arc-1705-1-18

Collection: Charles E Spring Fonds

This information is adapted from a description of the Spring Archive devised by Stephen C Lunsford (bookseller) under the title: 'Archive of Nineteenth-Century Arctic, Alaska, and British Columbia Seal-Hunting Logbooks, Manuscripts, and other Documents mostly from Captain Charles Spring - Ecology, Ethnology, Economy on the Northwest Coast'.Charles E. Spring (1859-1938) was the oldest son of William Spring, a sealer in Victoria, British Columbia. William had established a thriving sealing fleet and in 1884 Charles joined the family business. William died later that year and Charles began running the business, adding considerably to the fleet and developing the Behring Sea sealing routes from the West Coast of Vancouver Island stations he owed. However, between 1885 and 1891 he, like many sealers, suffered due to ship seizures by the United States. The US Government wished to protect sealing monopolies granted in its new Alaskan territory and to prevent pelagic sealing (the practice of killing seals at sea, which resulted in many breeding females dying, thus damaging seal populations). In 1891, Charles' business was again hit, this time by the modus vivendi agreement, which temporarily restricted sealing while the US and Great Britain negotiated a long-term settlement. The sealers themselves were not informed of this until they returned to port and had their catches confiscated. Charles was ruined and the northern sealing industry collapsed. He became an active spokesperson for sealers, and was prominent in pushing tribunal claims that sought compensation for sealers' losses due to the ship seizures and modus vivendi.This collection contains documents on the growth of the northern sealing industry, its business workings, the method and practice of hunting, the extent of native involvement, the effect of the modus vivendi agreement and subsequent tribunal claims, and the financial and personal consequences suffered by Charles Spring.

Title from publisher's website.

Description based on publisher metadata (viewed October 30, 2024).