Lascelles, born
1835 to Henry Lascelles the Third Earl of Harewood, arrived at
Esquimalt Station as first lieutenant of the HMS
Topaze and was shortly after promoted to commander of the HMS
Forward. His contentious involvement in the investigation of several white settlers' murders
is discussed in
this despatch. Lascelles, who had a fearsome reputation among the First Nations along the Northwest
Coast, suspected that the offenders were Lamalcha, and characterized them as
the terror of the coast.
According to his report, upon arriving at the village on
Kuper Island he had dispatched an interpreter to speak to the chief, but the chief had
returned an answer that he would not come, nor would he give up the murderers.
Lamalcha oral history states a different story: a canoe had attempted to speak to
the gunboat but was turned away. Lascelles claimed he hoisted the ship's flag, giving the Lamalcha tribe fifteen minutes
to offer up the suspects, and upon their continued refusal he fired into the village. Lamalcha tribesmen retaliated by firing at the
Forward, killing
Charles F. Gliddon. Lascelles returned the following day to
[knock] the village down as much as possible.
Although Lascelles passed off the
sharp skirmish
as a success on the colonial side, the rare victory on the natives' part - especially
by such a small group, who according to Lamalcha oral histories could not have numbered
more than twenty-two men - was a severe blow to Lascelles' reputation and ego.
Lascelles also faced criticism from his fellow settlers, including editor of the
Daily Evening Express,
Charles William Allen.
Allen wrote a scathing editorial, mentioned in
this despatch, which criticizes Lascelles' handling of the situation. Enraged, Lascelles had
Allen board the
Forward and confined him at sea and subjected him to physical abuse.
Allen, who escaped by diving overboard, filed suit against Lascelles and won.
Despite the criticism against him, Lascelles was regarded as an honourable commander
by officials in the Colonial Office. In
this despatch, his services were recommended to the newly appointed
Governor Frederick Seymour, who was conveyed on the
Forward with full military pomp to
British Columbia. Lascelles died on
15 June 1869, and was buried with full naval ceremony at the Naval Cemetery.