Pender Islands Historical Timeline

Albert Menzies organizes the first Presbyterian student minister, his younger brother George Menzies, to serve Gulf Island parishioners by boat.

Arthur Stanford and Elijah Pollard (1875-1963) pre-empt land on South Pender.

Washington Grimmer, James Auchterlonie, and Andrew Davidson apply for a teacher for the island’s eight school-aged children.

Albert (1857-1950) and Henrietta Menzies (1859-1925) and their family arrive on North Pender to work for Washington Grimmer.

Andrew Angus Davidson and his family arrive on North Pender and buy 300 acres at Clam Bay.

James Auchterlonie (1867-1912), son of Helen and Lawrence, takes over management of the the family farm at Hope Bay.

Englishman Leonard Higgs, nephew of Arthur Spalding, settles permanently on South Pender with his wife Emma and son Tom.

The first Government wharf is built at Port Washington.

Washington and Elizabeth Grimmer build a house at Port Washington, now known as the Old Orchard Farm.

A Post Office is established in Washington Grimmer’s home, with himself as Postmaster.

Lawrence Auchterlonie builds a house on Hooson Road for himself and his second wife, Julie Roach.

A seasonal bag limit of 10 deer is enacted for the deer-hunting season. It’s reduced to 5 in 1905. Venison was integral to islanders’ diet for many years.

The first BC-born settlers on Pender, brothers Robert and Sweany Colston, take up land in the Armadale area near Hope Bay.

The first Community Hall is built midway between Port Washington and Hope Bay.

Elizabeth Grimmer gives birth to Neptune Navy Grimmer, aka “Nep”,  in a rowboat en route to the midwife on Mayne Island on April 11th.

Arthur Spalding and Lilias Mackay (daughter of Métis business leader Joseph McKay) marry on Saturna Island. They come to a new home on South Pender by dugout canoe.

Englishmen William Hooson and son Evan arrive and open a quarry and forge at Hope Bay.

Hugh Hamilton, age 19, comes to Pender from Scotland to help “improve“ the property owned by his brother Alexander at Browning Harbour.

The first permanent settler on South Pender, Arthur Reed Spalding (1863-1932), acquires 800+ acres of land.

The first settler child born on Pender, Nellie Grimmer, arrives on September 24th. Midwife Mrs Bennett attends from Mayne Island.

Washington Grimmer (1851-1930) marries Elizabeth Auchterlonie (1869-1945), daughter of Helen (née Hope) and Lawrence Auchterlonie.

While working at the Mortimer quarry on Pender, Alexander Hamilton (1862-1942) is so taken with the area that he acquires 160 acres on Browning Harbour.

Royal Navy Staff Commander Daniel Pender, after whom Pender Island is named, retires to Britain. He will be best known for his meticulous 1857-70 survey maps of the BC coast.

The Canadian government criminalizes the potlatch tradition among coastal BC First Nations. The ban would not be lifted until 1951.

Brothers Oliver and Washington Grimmer arrive and acquire a 840-acre property from Noah Buckley. (One source says 1,400 acres.)