d. 1863
Pallrick and his wife Semallee were Lamalcha (now known as the Hwlitsum First Nation;
their village was located on
Kuper Island) people implicated in the murder of
Frederick Marks and
Caroline Harvey. After committing the crime, they reportedly boasted to other Lamalcha people of
their actions. Accounts claim that Pallrick shot
Marks, and Semallee may have stabbed
Harvey. They then looted the boat and sunk the bodies in the ocean.
1 An attempt by the British to hunt down the perpetrators led to the Lamalcha war; when
the Lamalcha villagers did not divulge the location of the murderers, the HMS
Forward exchanged fire with the villagers resulting in the death of one British serviceman,
Charles Gliddon.
2 Pallrick and Semallee fled British authorities with
Ul-whan-uck, who was also implicated on the murder. Semallee was captured and openly admitted
to the crime, under duress she provided additional information that aided the British
in locating other suspects. Pallrick was shot and killed by a First Nations person
working for the British while trying to escape capture.
3
- 1. Arnett, Chris. 1999. The Terror of the Coast: Land Alienation and Colonial War on Vancouver Island and
the Gulf Islands, 1849-1863. Burnaby, B.C.: Talonbooks, p. 133-136.
- 2. Ibid.
- 3. Ibid., p. 231-232.