By Greg Scott
Richard Blanshard: The Reluctant Governor of Vancouver Island
In the history of British Columbia, where larger-than-life figures such as James Douglas and W.A.C. Bennett dominate the landscape, the name Richard Blanshard often appears as a footnote—a brief, almost forgotten chapter in the story of a province’s birth. Yet, his tenure as the first governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island is a tale worth telling, a story of ambition thwarted, of ideals clashing with harsh realities, and of a man who found himself caught in the crosscurrents of empire and commerce.

For the comprehensive, story of Blanshard – read Barry Goughs new book:
The Curious Passage of Richard Blanshard: First Governor of Vancouver Island
Origins: From England to the Edge of Empire
Richard Blanshard was born in 1817 into a respectable English family, the son of a clergyman. Educated at Cambridge, he pursued a career in law, establishing himself as a barrister in London. Blanshard was a man of modest means but considerable ambition, drawn to the opportunities presented by the expanding British Empire. In the mid-19th century, as the British government sought to assert its control over its distant colonial outposts, Blanshard saw an opportunity to advance his career and secure a place in the imperial administration.
In 1849, the British government created the Colony of Vancouver Island, a remote and sparsely populated territory on the edge of the Pacific. The Hudson’s Bay Company, which had long dominated the fur trade in the region, was granted a lease to govern the colony, but the Crown needed a formal representative to establish British sovereignty and ensure that the company’s interests did not go unchecked. Blanshard, with his legal background and imperial aspirations, was appointed as the first governor of the new colony.
The Arrival in Vancouver Island: A Governor’s Disillusionment
Blanshard arrived on Vancouver Island in March 1850, full of the optimism and determination that often accompanies new beginnings. However, his hopes were quickly dashed by the harsh realities of life on the island. He found himself in a land that was far more isolated and undeveloped than he had anticipated. The colony’s population was minuscule—comprising a few hundred settlers, most of whom were employees of the Hudson’s Bay Company or their families. The infrastructure was almost nonexistent, with little in the way of roads, public buildings, or even a proper capital.
The situation was further complicated by the presence of James Douglas, the Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company and de facto ruler of the region. Douglas was a man of considerable influence, both in the colony and within the company, and he viewed Blanshard’s arrival with a mix of skepticism and resentment. To Douglas, Blanshard was an outsider—an inexperienced administrator sent by London to meddle in affairs that Douglas believed he understood far better.
Blanshard quickly realized that his authority was largely nominal. The Hudson’s Bay Company, with its established network of forts, trading posts, and relationships with the Indigenous peoples, effectively controlled the colony’s economic and political life. Douglas, who was both a company man and the colony’s most powerful figure, held the real reins of power, leaving Blanshard with little more than the trappings of office.
The Struggle with James Douglas: Power and Authority
The relationship between Blanshard and Douglas was strained from the start. Blanshard, a man of principle, believed in the importance of establishing a proper civil administration and ensuring that the colony was governed in the interests of all its inhabitants, not just the Hudson’s Bay Company. He saw himself as the representative of the Crown, charged with bringing British law and order to the frontier. Douglas, on the other hand, was focused on maintaining the company’s monopoly over trade and land, and he had little patience for what he saw as Blanshard’s interference.
Blanshard attempted to assert his authority by convening the first legislative council of the colony, composed of Hudson’s Bay Company officials and a few settlers. However, the council was little more than a formality, with Douglas and his allies ensuring that company interests remained paramount. Blanshard’s efforts to establish a judicial system and impose British law met with similar resistance. Without the support of the Hudson’s Bay Company, he had no means of enforcing his decisions, and his attempts at governance were largely ineffective.
The tension between Blanshard and Douglas came to a head over the issue of land distribution. Blanshard, concerned about the concentration of land in the hands of the Hudson’s Bay Company, sought to implement a more equitable system that would allow settlers to acquire land and establish farms. Douglas, however, was determined to maintain the company’s control over the most valuable land, and he used his influence to block Blanshard’s proposals. Frustrated and increasingly isolated, Blanshard found himself unable to effect any meaningful change.
The Role in the Colony and Relationship with the Foreign Office
Blanshard’s position as governor was further undermined by his lack of support from the British government. The Foreign Office, preoccupied with other imperial concerns, offered little in the way of guidance or assistance. Blanshard’s reports to London, in which he detailed the difficulties he faced and the obstruction he encountered from the Hudson’s Bay Company, were largely ignored. The government seemed content to allow the company to continue its de facto rule over the colony, provided that British sovereignty was nominally maintained.
Feeling increasingly sidelined and powerless, Blanshard began to question the wisdom of his appointment. He had come to Vancouver Island with high ideals, believing that he could bring order and progress to the colony. Instead, he found himself a figurehead, unable to fulfill the responsibilities of his office. His relationship with Douglas remained tense, and the lack of support from London left him isolated in a remote and challenging environment.
After less than two years in office, Blanshard had had enough. In 1851, he resigned as governor and returned to England, disillusioned and frustrated by his experience. His departure marked the end of the colony’s first experiment with civil governance, leaving James Douglas as the undisputed ruler of Vancouver Island. Douglas would go on to become the colony’s second governor, a position he would hold until the colony was merged with British Columbia in 1866.
The Committee Hearings in England: Blanshard’s Testimony
Upon his return to England, Blanshard did not simply fade into obscurity. His experience on Vancouver Island had left him with strong opinions about the Hudson’s Bay Company and its role in governing the colony. In 1857, Blanshard testified before a select committee of the British Parliament that was investigating the company’s activities in North America.
Blanshard’s testimony was damning. He described the Hudson’s Bay Company as a monopolistic and self-serving entity that prioritized its own profits over the well-being of the settlers and the development of the colony. He recounted his struggles with Douglas and the company’s officials, emphasizing how their control over the colony had rendered his position as governor effectively meaningless. Blanshard argued that the company’s monopoly should be ended and that the colony should be brought under direct Crown control, with a proper civil administration established to promote settlement and development.
Blanshard’s testimony contributed to the growing criticism of the Hudson’s Bay Company in Britain and helped to pave the way for the eventual transfer of Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory to Canada in 1870. However, by that time, Blanshard had withdrawn from public life, having returned to his legal practice in London.
Legacy: A Cautionary Tale of Empire
Richard Blanshard’s tenure as the first governor of Vancouver Island was brief and largely unsuccessful, but it offers important insights into the challenges of colonial administration and the complexities of empire. Blanshard was a man of principle and ambition, but he found himself caught between the ideals of British governance and the realities of life on the frontier. His struggles with James Douglas and the Hudson’s Bay Company highlight the tensions between corporate interests and civil authority, tensions that would continue to shape the history of British Columbia for decades to come.
Blanshard’s legacy is one of unrealized potential and a cautionary tale about the difficulties of imposing British law and order in distant, sparsely populated colonies. He arrived in Vancouver Island with the best of intentions, but he was ultimately undone by the entrenched power of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the lack of support from the British government. His experience serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by those who sought to bring the ideals of British governance to the far-flung corners of the empire, and of the ways in which those ideals were often compromised by the realities of colonial life.
Today, Richard Blanshard is remembered as a footnote in the history of British Columbia—a well-meaning but ultimately ineffective governor whose brief tenure paved the way for the more assertive leadership of James Douglas. Yet, his story is worth recalling, not only for what it tells us about the early days of the colony, but also for what it reveals about the broader dynamics of power, authority, and governance in the British Empire.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download