Ah Soy
As part of the Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative, we’ve digitized a small selection of inquests and inquiries from 1872 to 1934, found in series GR-0431. These were chosen to reflect the experiences of early Chinese immigrants to B.C. – their living and working conditions, and their unfortunate accidental or unusual deaths. They range from a woman working in a brothel in Barkerville who died of natural causes to three sawmill workers who died from malnutrition. Learn more.
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Information of Witnesses,
Canada Province of British Columbia District of Yale To wit:
Information of Witnesses severally taken and acknowledged on behalf of our Sovereign Lady the Queen, touching the death of Ah Soy of the Town of hope in the District aforesaid on the twenty fifth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eightieth hundred and eighty four before me James Wardle Esquirre one of Her Majestys Cornoners for the said District on our inquisition then and there taken on view of the body of the said Ah Soy then and there lying dead as follows to wit:
Ah Chaw of the Town of Hope in the said District of Yale being sworn saith as follows On Friday last Ah Leong who is employed by me went to Tefas Lake in charge of some Rice and Potatoes _ He returned to Hope about six or seven O’clock in the evening of the same day _ The following morning (Saturday) The deceased Ah Soy and Ah Leong went to my ranch to work. They were employed there to dig my potatoes about noon on that day. I think it was about a quarter after twelve Ah Leong came to my house for dinner