Colonial Despatches

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, 133-136.
• 2. Ibid.
• 3. Ibid., 231-232.