Ah Sigh
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.
*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person.
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[Coroner] INQUISITION Chase River Coal Mine District of Nanaimo, V.I. Province of British Columbia
An Inquisition indented taken at Chase River, British Columbia, the 3rd day of August in the 40th year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Victoria, before me, Warner Reese Spalding, gentlemen, one of the Coroners for our Lady the Queen, for the District aforesaid, upon the view of the body of Ah Sigh, a Chinaman, then and there and within the jurisdiction of the said Coroner, lying dead, upon the oaths of
Frederick Winborne Foreman Henry McRadie William Reed John Dickson Eli Lutz John Hunter, Jurors
Good and lawful men of Nanaimo aforesaid, in the said District, who being now here sworn and charged to enquire, on the part of our said Lady the Queen when, how, and after what manner, the said Ah Sigh, Chinaman, came by his death, do say upon their oath, that Ah Sigh, Chinaman, came to his death
BC Archives, GR-0431 Box 2 File 1 / BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. / Inquisitions / inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.