Quesnel River

The Quesnel River outflow begins at Quesnel Lake and flows 100 km west to its confluence with the Fraser River at the city of Quesnel. Simon Fraser named the river after Jules Maurice Quesnel, a young guide who accompanied Fraser on his journey of the Fraser River.1 It was also known as Swift River.2

Quesnel River became known for its gold deposits. In this despatch, Douglas reports that Alluvial diggings of extraordinary value have been discovered on Quesnel River…. Some adventurous Miners have ascended this Stream as far as the lake of the same name from which it rises, and have been rewarded with rich strikes; as much, it is reported, as £40 a day having been made to the hand.

1. G. P. V. Akrigg and H. B. Akrigg, British Columbia Place Names (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997), 221.
2. Ibid.

Mentions of this place in the documents

Quesnel Lake
Quesnel
Churchill, James D.
Lowhee Creek
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer 23 August 1859, CO 60:5, no. 10049, 71.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 18 October 1859, CO 60:5, no. 12499, 174.
Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes to Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James 28 October 1859, LAC RG7:G8C/8, 303.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 24 January 1860, CO 60:7, no. 2749, 67.
Murdoch, Thomas William Clinton and Rogers, Baron Blachford Frederic to Merivale, Herman 7 February 1860, CO 60:9, no. 1299, 58.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 21 April 1860, CO 60:7, no. 5823, 187.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 23 April 1860, CO 60:7, no. 5827, 198.
Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes to Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James 20 June 1860, LAC RG7:G8C/9, 260.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 6 July 1860, CO 60:7, no. 8322, 340.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 16 August 1860, CO 60:8, no. 9596, 36.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 9 October 1860, CO 60:8, no. 11678, 196.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 25 October 1860, CO 60:8, no. 85, 232.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 28 November 1860, CO 60:8, no. 915, 343.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 4 June 1861, CO 60:10, no. 6744, 264.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 16 September 1861, CO 60:11, no. 9801, 18.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 24 October 1861, CO 60:11, no. 10961, 94.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 13 August 1862, CO 60:13, no. 9898, 378.
Douglas, Chief Factor Governor Vice-Admiral Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 13 November 1863, CO 60:16, no. 12536, 281.
Munro, Henry [Donald] to Layard, A. H. 17 November 1863, CO 60:17, no. 11444, 489.
Kennedy, Arthur to Cardwell, Edward 8 October 1864, CO 305:23, no. 10964, 325.
Churchill, James D. to Cardwell, Edward 20 September 1865, CO 60:23, no. 9137, 253.
Seymour, Governor Frederick to Grenville, Richard 22 November 1867, CO 60:29, no. 1204, 366.

People in this document

Douglas, James

Fraser, Simon

Places in this document

Fraser River

Quesnel

Quesnel Lake

Colonial Despatches

The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871

Quesnel River