Walter Miles (abt. 1832 - 1872)

Husband of Mary Selina Hollins — married after 1863 in Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Descendants

Died 12 Nov 1872 at about age 40 in Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

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Biography

Walter was a ‘58 Pioneer of the Frazier Gold Rush.

Not much is known about the early life of Walter Miles. According to his obituary in The Times Colonist of Victoria, Vancouver Island, Walter was a “58 pioneer”, arriving for the Frazier Canyon Gold Rush of 1858 in British Columbia, Canada.^[1]

Thousands of these miners arrived in the summer and fall of 1858 with a majority of them coming from the gold fields of California. Perhaps California would be be a place to look for a young Walter Miles in the mid-1850s. Or perhaps he came from abroad to Victoria as a man about 26 years old.

According to his grave details at Quadra Street Cemetery in Victoria, BC, CAN, Walter was born about 1832 and died Nov 12, 1872.^[1][2]

Walter was a Saloon Owner and Spirits Dealer.

While he was living in British Columbia, we can trace outlines of his activities. He was listed in the First Victoria Directory in 1860 as Walter Miles & Co., wine and spirits, Johnson and Government Streets.^[3]

Sometime in the early 1860s, Walter became a partner with John Wilson of the drinking establishment and hotel, The Australian House, located at the north end of the bridge on James Bay in Victoria. Together the partners added 9 rooms, 2 waterfront cottages, and a saloon to the structure in 1863. The partnership was not a long one, as they sold the establishment in 1864 to William Seeley.^[4][5] John Wilson had come to Vancouver Island from Melbourne, Australia.^[6]

It was about this time that Walter married Mary Selina Hollins. Mary Selina was born in Sydney, Australia, though her family was originally from Staffordshire, England. Mary Selina was the daughter of John Talbot Hollins and Charlotte Fowell who were farmers living at Salt Spring and Moresby Islands. Walter and Mary Selina were likely married before 1866 or 1867 when their first child, Selina Alice Martha Hollins was born in Victoria.^[7]

Walter was listed in the Victoria City Directory in 1868 as the proprietor of a saloon on Government and Fisquard Streets. His old partner John Wilson was operating a saloon on Government and Humbolt Streets. ^[8]

In 1869, Walter was not named in the Victoria City Directory, but was found at Salt Spring Island at Admirals Bay along with H Hollins. ^[9] Perhaps Walter and Mary Selina were living temporarily with a member of Mary Selina ‘s Hollins family or nearby. Their son George Walter Miles was born in 1869. Perhaps Mary Selina wanted to be with family for this birth.

Walter was a Provisions Dealer.

By 1871, Walter and Mary Selina were back in Victoria. Walter was listed as a provision dealer.^[10] The 1871 census shows the family living with another adult couple at Johnson Street with children Selina Alice and George Miles.^[11]

Walter and Mary Selina had their last child, Charlotte Ann Miles Sep 16, 1871. ^[12] She would unfortunately never know her natural father because he would die just a year later of a lung inflammation on Nov 12, 1872.^[2]

Research Notes

Walter Miles in Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, CAN;

• Article by Glen A Mofford names Walter Miles as a proprieter of The Australian House from before 1863 to 1864. The Australian House was a saloon and hotel on James Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.^[4][13]

There IS a Walter Miles in San Francisco in the 1850s. Are these records for THIS Walter Miles?

• San Francisco City Directory, 1852-1853; Walter Miles, produce, 65 Davis St.(https://archive.org/details/sanfranciscodire185253park/page/76/mode/2up?q=Miles)

• LeCount & Strong Directory for San Francisco 1854; Walter Miles & Co. , flour and grain, 3 Sacramento; (https://archive.org/details/lecountstrongssa1854sanf/page/94/mode/2up?q=miles)

• San Francisco City Directory, 1856; Walter Miles & Co, produce dealers, 38 Clay;(https://archive.org/details/sanfranciscocity1856harr/page/82/mode/2up?q=miles)

• Covilles Directory, 1856; Miles Walter, produce com mcht, Clay near Davis, res S. s Taylor near Turk; (https://archive.org/details/colvillessanfran1856colv/page/152/mode/2up?q=Miles)

• San Francisco City Directory, 1858; Water Miles, produce, 38 1/2 Clay, dwl Mission nr Price;(https://archive.org/details/sanfranciscodire1858lang/page/204/mode/2up?q=miles)

• The Maritime Heritage Project - San Francisco 1846-1899; August 5: Br. brig Frederick, Rudman, 50 days from San Blas. Produce to Mr. Miles, on board: 300 crates onions, 450 dozen eggs; (https://www.maritimeheritage.org/inport/1851.htm)

Note the use of “Walter Miles & Co” as a business name for both the Walter in San Francisco and also the Walter in Victoria.

In 1858, we find a John Hollins, ships carpenter(correct profession for our John Hollins) living at 204 1ST St., San Francisco.

• San Francisco Directory, 1858; (https://archive.org/details/sanfranciscodire1864lang/page/208/mode/2up?q=Hollins)

This is just 6 blocks from Walter of SF at Clay and Davis Streets. We know John’s son William A Hollins arrived in Victoria, BC in 1858… as did Walter Miles of Victoria. When in 1858 was the census taken?

Also note that our Walter Miles would be about 19 years old in 1851. Would this be too young to recieve a produce cargo and be a merchant in downtown San Francisco. ? It seems he appears in San Francisco in 1851 and sets up shop. No directory for 1851 due to a large city fire. He appears in the city directory for 1852-1853. He disappears in late1858, (after the census?). Our Walter shows up in Victoria, BC as a “58-er”.

Logistics make sense, but how would he get set up that young? Where did he get the money? A company sponsor? Or is SF Walter a different, older man?

UPDATE on SF Walter Miles…

Additional records were found for a marriage of a Walter Miles to Martha Gibbons of Troy, NY at San Francisco in 1856. Was this a first marriage?

• UCR, California Digital Collection, Daily Alta California, Volume 7, Number 122, 12 May 1856, (https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18560512.2.18.3&srpos=566&e=------185-en--20--561--txt-txIN-Walter+Miles+-------)

If this is SF Walter’s first marriage, his age is consistent to also be OUR Walter, being about -24 years. But the marriage doesn’t last. Martha filed for divorce in San Francisco in May of 1858. It was finalized in Aug, 1858.

• UCR, California Digital Collection, Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 15, Number 2235, 26 May 1858, (https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU18580526.2.9.1&srpos=146&e=------185-en--20--141--txt-txIN-Walter+Miles-------)

• UCR, California Digital Collection, Daily Alta California, Volume 10, Number 168, 20 June 1858, (https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18580620.2.6&srpos=176&e=------185-en--20--161--txt-txIN-Walter+Miles-------)

• UCR, California Digital Collection, Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 15, Number 2292, 2 August 1858, (https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SDU18580802.2.4&srpos=1058&e=------185-en--20--1041--txt-txIN-Walter+Miles+-------)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} http://web.uvic.ca/vv/newspaper/search.php?start=0&form=basic&show=n

   Online search page for Index to Historical British Columbia Newspapers 1858-1936. Has citation and credit to Leona Taylor vane Dorothy Mindenhall, 2007. Times Colonist Newspaper of Victoria, BC, CAN: Search term: Walter Miles

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGJ-SVFV : 10 September 2021), Walter Miles, ; Burial, Victoria, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada, Quadra Street Cemetery; citing record ID 122915443, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
3. ↑ Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906; 1860, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.(https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/3789/images/40403_107047-00016?pId=1224978 )
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Article: Rain Coast History Blog ; The Australian House 1861-1885; By Glen A. Mofford; (https://raincoasthistory.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-australian-house-1861-1885.html)
5. ↑ British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955; 1863 Victoria Names A-Z, Walter Miles (https://bccd.vpl.ca/title/1863/British_Columbia_Guide_and_Directory.html)
6. ↑ RootsWeb; Victoria January 1, 1860 to December 31, 1861; “Died at Victoria, Vancouver Island, Oct 4, 1861, Eliza, Wife of John Wilson, late of Melbourne, Australia, aged 28. Funeral from her late residence corner of Government/Humboldt streets.” [Colonist, 1861-09-27*] (https://sites.rootsweb.com/~bcvancou/vict18601861.htm)
7. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGH-2QG7 : 12 May 2022), Celina Alice Martha Miles, ; Burial, Victoria, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada, Ross Bay Cemetery; citing record ID 121316931, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
8. ↑ British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955; 1868 Victoria Names A-Z, Walter Miles (https://bccd.vpl.ca/title/1868/First_Victoria_Directory_2nd_Issue.html)
9. ↑ British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955; 1869, Names A-Z, Supplemental, Salt Spring &Yale; (https://bccd.vpl.ca/title/1869/First_Victoria_Directory_3rd_Issue.html)
10. ↑ British Columbia City Directories 1860-1955; 1871, Victoria Names A-Z, Walter Miles; (https://bccd.vpl.ca/title/1871/First_Victoria_Directory_4th_Issue.html)
11. ↑ Vancouver Island Census 1871: Where The Record Is Found (Citation): viHistory (https://hcmc.uvic.ca/~taprhist/search/censusfull.php?id=1230&year=1871); Describe The Record (Notes): Family of Walter Miles and 2 additional adults.
    • • 6 persons.
      • 2 adult males.
      • 2 adult females.
      • 1 male child.
      • 1 female child. Adults would be Walter and Selina with two unidentifiable additional adults. Children would be Selina and George. Charlotte not born yet.
12. ↑ "Washington, Western District, Naturalization Records, 1853-1957", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGPL-MRX3 : 20 February 2021), Charlotte Ann Irwin, 1935.
13. ↑ The Australian House described on Facebook by Glen A Mofford. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/312703430332/posts/10161640800500333/)

Other Sources

• *"Canada, British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932; 1937-1938," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDZC-4W3 : 22 February 2021), Daniel Romain Young and Charlotte Ann Miles, 13 Oct 1891; citing , British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia Archives film number B11367, Vital Statistics Agency, Victoria; FHL microfilm 1,983,524.

• "Canada, British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932; 1937-1938," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDZK-R6N : 22 February 2021), Walter Miles in household of George Walter Miles and Ada Alberta Morris, 27 Aug 1893; citing Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia Archives film number B11380, Vital Statistics Agency, Victoria; FHL microfilm 1,983,708.

• Open Collections: BC Historical Books, First Victoria directory, third [i.e. fourth] issue, and British Columbia guide, comprising a general…,Mallandaine, Edwd. (Edward), 1827-1905, 1871, P.55 (https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcbooks/items/1.0221894#p53z2r0f:provisioner); Miles Walter, provision dealer, Johnson Street

• Royal BC Museum Online Search Results for Mary Selina Hollins:

4 records: Baptism at Nanaimo 1870-02-28 for Selina Alice Martha Miles born 1866-06-19, Baptism at Nanaimo 1870-02-28 for George Walter Miles born 1869-06-08, Marriage record for Mary Selina Miles and Henry Charles Lawson 1873-04-17, and death record for Selina Alice Martha Miles 1885-08-27 in Victoria.(https://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/Results?search=Search&as.type_birth=true&as.type_marriage=true&as.type_death=true&as.type_baptism=true&as.type_colonial_marriage=true&as.first_name=&as.last_name=miles&as.male=&as.age_start_str=&as.age_end_str=&as.place=&as.registration_num=&as.bc_mfilm=&as.gsu_mfilm=&as.start_year_str=&as.start_month_str=&as.start_day_str=&as.end_year_str=1885&as.end_month_str=&as.end_day_str=&as.bride_first_name=&as.bride_last_name=&as.groom_first_name=&as.groom_last_name=&as.mother_first_name=&as.mother_last_name=&as.father_first_name=&as.father_last_name=&as.denomination=&as.church_name=&as.other_location=&as.birth_location=&as.birth_year_str=&as.birth_month_str=&as.birth_day_str=&as.affiliation=&as.comments=)