b. 1802
d. 1882
Jeremiah Nagle was born in
1802 in Cork, Ireland, to a Protestant family.
1 He was a Master Mariner whose reputation in Canada was solidified by his highly regarded
character and adept ability as a navigator and leader; however, in a letter attached
to this despatch,
Governor Douglas presents Nagle in a much less favourable character.
2 In the despatches, Nagle is referred to as the owner of
Thetis Island, but the CO staff imply that he never took possession of the island.
3
Nagle began his extensive nautical career commanding ships in New Zealand and Australia,
eventually proceeding northwest.
4 His journey allowed him to stop on different continents, spend a few years in California,
and finally, settle in
Victoria in
1858.
5 Upon his arrival, Nagle, alongside
Governor Douglas, returned to California to encourage African-Americans to immigrate to
Vancouver Island.
6
Nagle lived a rather publicized life due to the nature of his role in the community.
He acted as Harbour Master for the Port of
Victoria beginning in
1859, and, in the same year, was appointed Justice of the Peace.
7 His professional appointments as well as personal events were regularly documented
in the media. One report in the British Colonist describes a horrifying scene in which
Nagle was attacked by a group of Indigenous peoples and left in critical condition.
8
Nagle was married and had a number of children. The number and location of Nagle’s
children is uncertain, though, in his obituary, the British Colonist mentions that
two of his sons moved to California, and his daughter, who was married to
Phillip Hankin of
Cowichan, remained on
Vancouver Island. His wife, Catherine Nagle, outlived him, but was described as
feeble and bedridden
at the time of his death.
9