Benjamin William Pearse (January 19, 1832 – June 17, 1902) was a public servant for the colonies of

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

and of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. Pearse served on the Executive Council, which was the interim government in British Columbia after it joined the Dominion of Canada. Born in London, Pearse left England in 1851 to become a surveyor for the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

at Fort Victoria on

.Cook, Ramsay, ed. ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume XIII, 1901-1910.'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1994, pg. 822. In 1855, he became a public servant and entered the employ of Vancouver Island. He became acting surveyor-general of Vancouver Island in 1859 and received the post permanently from 1864 to 1866, when Vancouver Island was united with British Columbia. In this capacity, he was a member of the colonial legislative and executive councils.Cook, pg. 822 He would also later serve as the surveyor-general and chief commissioner of lands and works for the united province from August 1871 to October 1872. He resigned from his posts as surveyor-general and chief commissioner of lands and works of British Columbia in 1872 to become the head of the British Columbia Department of Public Works, a post which he would retain until 1880. Allegations were brought against Pearse in May 1879 in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

by MPs

Thomas Robert McInnes Thomas Robert McInnes or ( Gaelic) Tòmas Raibeart Mac Aonghais (5 November 1840 – 15 March 1904) was a Canadian physician, Member of Parliament, Senator, and the sixth Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. He was the father of the ...

and

Arthur Bunster Arthur Bunster (1831 – October 8, 1891) was a Canadian entrepreneur and Member of Parliament. Bunster was born in Queen's County (now Laois), Ireland and was educated in Dublin, attending Trinity College. He came to Vancouver Island in 185 ...

over the construction of the

British Columbia Penitentiary The British Columbia Penitentiary (BC Penitentiary, commonly referred to as the BC Pen and the Pen) was a federal maximum security prison located in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. The BC Penitentiary operated for 102 years, from 1878 ...

.Cook, pg. 823 Though Pearse was found innocent of charges in an official investigation, they contributed to his resignation in July 1880. They were not the first charges of land abuse brought against Pearse; previously, allegations were made that Pearse had profited from the sale of territory during the

Fraser Canyon Gold Rush The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush and Fraser River Gold Rush) began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River a few miles upstream from the Thompson's ...

. Pearse had other varied interests as well. In 1855, he became a member of the first Canadian musical ensemble west of the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

. He was also closely tied with Britain politically and philosophically, and helped to form a branch of the British Empire Navy League in Victoria. Pearse was one of the earliest settlers of the Fernwood neighborhood in Victoria as well. Pearse died on June 17, 1902, of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

. He left money to a wide variety of philanthropic organizations and other facilities, notably contributing to Victoria College and helping to bring about the foundation of the school's

board of governors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulations ...

References

*Makie, Richard
PEARSE, BENJAMIN WILLIAM

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online The ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' (''DCB''; ) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The ''DCB'', which was initiated in 1959, is a collaboration between the University of Toro ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Pearse, Benjamin 1832 births 1902 deaths English emigrants to pre-Confederation British Columbia Politicians from Victoria, British Columbia Colony of Vancouver Island people Canadian surveyors Deaths from cancer in British Columbia Members of the Legislative Council of British Columbia Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia