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Francis Jones Barnard

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were ill-conceived, changing the route twice, and Barnard was forced to sit on a large investment in steamboats, packtrains, supplies, wire and other supplies until 1874, when a new government (that of A.C. Elliott) cancelled the contract altogether, as its predecessor had commissioned the clearing of a right-of-way for telegraph and railway before even confirming the route. Barnard pursued a large claim for compensation, but the strain to his health from the losses incurred in this venture and the previous road-steamers misadventure contributed to a failing constitution. Barnard had his first paralyzing stroke in 1880, which left him invalid until his death on July 10, 1889.
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campaigning in the legislature and "on the stump". Nevertheless, he resigned just before Confederation for British Columbia was achieved due to the circumstances of a private members' bill he wished to see pass. Although active in politics by way of his business activities, Barnard did not re-enter electoral politics until 1879, when he was elected with a large majority to the
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with the result that his company's coaches, equipped with armed guardsmen, would be fully in charge of the movement of gold from the Cariboo to the Coast. In 1866 Barnard bought out Dietz and Nelson and so came into control of the bulk of business connecting Victoria to Barkerville, as he was now in
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In 1874 Barnard won the government contract to build the Edmonton to Cache Creek section of the new transcontinental telegraph line (all telegraph communications between BC and the outside world had until then gone through the United States). This proved to be disastrous, as the government's plans
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and obtained a licence from the legislature to operate them for one year. Six were brought from their place of manufacture in Scotland but proved unusable on the steep grades and rough road surfaces of the colony, which they made even rougher thanks to their bulldozer-like treads, and all but two
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began that year, and Barnard's new company prospered from a buys trade in services for passengers, freight, letters, newspapers and gold dust, and in 1864 was able to expand his business further with the purchase of more rolling stock and also in winning the government contract to carry the mail.
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one of the most important companies in the early history of the Colony, and which would remain in business for decades. He began by carrying mail and newspapers, on foot, all the way from Yale to the goldfield towns of the Cariboo, a 760-mile roundtrip journey, charging $ 2 per letter and selling
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Barnard was first elected to the colonial legislature in 1866, as the member for Yale, in which position he served until 1870. Barnard, along with others such as John Robson, Hugh Nelson and Dr. Carrall, is considered to have been a "prime mover and father of confederation" in British Columbia,
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and couriered reliably from there to Barkerville. On his return journeys, he became entrusted with shipments of gold dust, and managed to reliably and safely convey earnings from the goldfields to Yale despite the ever-present risk of robbery, in addition to the difficulties posed by distance,
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on its next-to-last voyage, as it was blown up just below Hope in a boiler accident on its next voyage. Though most others were killed, Barnard had been sitting at the dining table and was thrown out of the vessel by the explosion, and was rescued by local
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at the federal level and winning re-election twice. Because of his worsening health, he did not seek re-election in the general election of 1887 and in 1888 declined appointment to the Canadian Senate for the same reason.
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with only a $ 5 gold piece in his pocket. He survived his first season there by chopping cordwood and delivering it on his back, and in staking and working a gold claim, and then selling it. He was appointed as the
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control of shipments between Victoria and Yale as well as from Yale northwards. In 1868 he moved his family to Victoria, though himself continued to live in Yale, which was the focus of his business operations.
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newspapers in the goldfields for $ 1 a copy. In 1861 and 1862 he also carried packages between Yale and New Westminster, a distance of 200 miles, and in 1862 established a one-horse
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people. Shortly after he was awarded a contract to grade and "stamp" (the pre-asphalt equivalent of paving) Douglas Street, one of the principal streets of Yale.
139: 129: 161: 77:. The family business in Québec City was in hardware, but when his father died when he was twelve it fell upon him to support his mother and siblings. 364: 189: 206: 198: 369: 232: 89: 160:, with himself as sole rider, serving the Cariboo from Yale, where he met with services from New Westminster and Yale provided by 253: 252:, also known as Frank Barnard, continued the family business operations and also entered politics, becoming an MP and eventually 54: 374: 354: 106: 236: 165: 110: 302: 88:
and started his own business. Unsuccessful in Toronto, he left his wife and young children there and emigrated to
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with fourteen six-horse coaches and a famous team of "crack whips" to drive them, including legendary drivers
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freighting company ("Barnard's Express"), which was the main cartage and passenger services company on the
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were sent back to Scotland, with Barnard absorbing heavy financial losses from the failed enterprise.
100:. He arrived in Victoria at one of the peaks of gold rush frenzy in the early colony, and arrived in 273: 249: 70: 50: 359: 145: 297: 264:, also notable as a pioneer as well as an MP, and another son George Henry Mara, of Victoria. 114: 101: 117:
after the prisoner had attempted to murder him with his own revolver after overpowering him.
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It was his next enterprise, begun in the fall of 1860, that would grow to become the
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Biographical Dictionary of well-known British Columbians, with a historical sketch
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in 1862, Barnard used his own acquired capital and found a backer to launch
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Barnard went into partnership with a J.C. Beedy to invest in the use of "
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In 1853 he married Ellen Stillman of Quebec City and in 1855 moved to
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of Yale that summer. He was assigned to escort two prisoners to
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Members of the House of Commons of Canada from British Columbia
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Barnard was also able to encourage the government to end the
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sat as both an MP and a senator. His daughter Alice married
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Francis Jones Barnard – Parliament of Canada biography
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climate, and the difficult canyon and plateau trails.
209:", which resembled a railway steam engine) on the 22:(18 February 1829 – 10 July 1889), often known as 341: 172:With the completion of the first section of the 306:. Vol. XI (1881–1890) (online ed.). 41:Most famously, Barnard was the founder of the 321:. Vancouver: Kerr & Begg. pp. 91–94. 164:(one of the partners in which was the later 365:Pre-Confederation British Columbia people 254:Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia 248:Barnard had three children, the eldest 55:Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia 342: 295: 314: 370:Canadian people of American descent 221: 73:in 1642 and was one of that city's 13: 14: 396: 326: 300:. In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). 303:Dictionary of Canadian Biography 182:Barnard's Express and Stage Line 166:Lieutenant-Governor Hugh Nelson 96:and San Francisco in 3rd class 92:in the spring of 1859 via the 1: 289: 375:Politicians from Quebec City 355:Interior of British Columbia 296:Ormsby, Margaret A. (1982). 233:Conservative Party of Canada 7: 308:University of Toronto Press 267: 10: 401: 229:House of Commons of Canada 243: 298:"Barnard, Francis Jones" 274:Francis Stillman Barnard 250:Francis Stillman Barnard 71:Deerfield, Massachusetts 51:Francis Stillman Barnard 60: 231:as a candidate of the 113:and recaptured one at 20:Francis Jones Barnard 315:Kerr, J. B. (1890). 258:George Henry Barnard 32:Member of Parliament 256:. His younger son 235:, representing the 53:, later became the 38:from 1879 to 1887. 16:Canadian politician 162:Dietz & Nelson 120:In 1860 he became 26:, was a prominent 279:Barnard's Express 194:Cariboo Gold Rush 24:Frank Barnard Sr. 392: 322: 311: 262:John Andrew Mara 222:Political career 174:Old Cariboo Road 90:British Columbia 49:. His son, Sir 30:businessman and 28:British Columbia 400: 399: 395: 394: 393: 391: 390: 389: 340: 339: 329: 292: 270: 246: 224: 111:New Westminster 65:Though born in 63: 17: 12: 11: 5: 398: 388: 387: 382: 377: 372: 367: 362: 360:Cariboo people 357: 352: 338: 337: 332: 328: 327:External links 325: 324: 323: 312: 291: 288: 287: 286: 281: 276: 269: 266: 245: 242: 223: 220: 94:Panama Railway 62: 59: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 397: 386: 383: 381: 378: 376: 373: 371: 368: 366: 363: 361: 358: 356: 353: 351: 348: 347: 345: 336: 333: 331: 330: 320: 319: 313: 309: 305: 304: 299: 294: 293: 285: 282: 280: 277: 275: 272: 271: 265: 263: 259: 255: 251: 241: 238: 234: 230: 219: 215: 212: 208: 207:road steamers 203: 200: 195: 191: 187: 186:Steve Tingley 183: 179: 175: 170: 167: 163: 159: 154: 149: 147: 146:First Nations 142: 141: 136: 132: 131: 127: 123: 118: 116: 112: 108: 103: 99: 95: 91: 87: 83: 78: 76: 72: 68: 58: 56: 52: 48: 44: 39: 37: 33: 29: 25: 21: 317: 301: 284:Cariboo Road 247: 225: 216: 211:Cariboo Road 204: 190:Billy Ballou 171: 158:pony express 153:B.X. Express 150: 138: 128: 126:steam vessel 119: 79: 64: 47:Cariboo Road 43:B.X. Express 40: 23: 19: 18: 385:1889 deaths 380:1829 births 199:gold escort 86:Canada West 67:Quebec City 344:Categories 290:References 178:Soda Creek 135:Boston Bar 107:constable 75:selectmen 268:See also 98:steerage 124:of the 82:Toronto 244:Family 122:purser 36:Canada 237:Yale 188:and 140:Yale 130:Yale 115:Hope 102:Yale 61:Life 176:to 34:in 346:: 84:, 57:. 310:.

Index

British Columbia
Member of Parliament
Canada
B.X. Express
Cariboo Road
Francis Stillman Barnard
Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia
Quebec City
Deerfield, Massachusetts
selectmen
Toronto
Canada West
British Columbia
Panama Railway
steerage
Yale
constable
New Westminster
Hope
purser
steam vessel
Yale
Boston Bar
Yale
First Nations
B.X. Express
pony express
Dietz & Nelson
Lieutenant-Governor Hugh Nelson
Old Cariboo Road

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