Colonial Despatches

Reverend Henry Press Wright (1816-1892) was the first Archdeacon of Columbia and went on to become the Archdeacon of Vancouver Island.1

Wright actively maintained connections between the colonies and London. On 29 March 1862, Wright penned a letter to Queen Victoria expressing sympathy at the loss of Prince Albert on behalf of the Bishop and Clergy of the United Church of England and Ireland in Vancouvers Island and British Columbia.2 He also served on a panel of judges for a controversial essay contest about the resources and capabilities of British Columbia. The panelists took issue with the fact that the winning essay was altered without their knowledge to remove criticism of the colonial government.3 The newspaper the British Columbian published a passage of the essay as it was received by the panel alongside a passage of the essay as it was finally published.4 According to James Douglas, it was merely condensed to serve as a more useful tool to garner immigration to the colony.5 In a letter to the other judges of the contest, Wright remarked, I observe that the Essay has been greatly changed, some passages very interesting to the Colonists have disappeared, and others far from acceptable to them, have been introduced.6

Wright wrote two books: Leprosy and Segregation and Leprosy: an Imperial Danger in which he outlined the possibility of leprosy being introduced into the British population by way of their tropical colonies.7