Rice, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Rice was the mother of Bernard Rice, an Irish-born miner working in British Columbia.1 Peter Brunton Whannell, Justice of the Peace at Fort Yale, informed Elizabeth of her son's murder in a letter sent on 14 January 1859.2 The despatch indicates that Bernard's body was found with a Bill for £20… a Bag Containing Gold Dust value 69 Dollars and 50 Cents--In Silver Coin One Dollar & 85 Cents and a Colt Revolver, along with his other possessions that were sold for 91 dollars.3 Whannell told Elizabeth that he would retain the possessions until he should hear from [her].4 Elizabeth wrote back to Whannell immediately but received no response.5 She tried instead to contact Whannell through Simpson Musgrave and Thomas Williams, two friends of Bernard's who had also sent her a letter regarding his death, so that she could acquire her son's property.6 There is no record in the despatch collection of a response from the Colonial Office to Elizabeth.
  • 1. Magee to Newcastle, 5 May 1860, 4611, CO 60/9, 347.
  • 2. Ibid.
  • 3. Ibid.
  • 4. Ibid.
  • 5. Ibid.
  • 6. Ibid.
Mentions of this person in the documents