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HELLO MEMBERS
MY NEW FINDS






OTWAY JOHN JAMES WILKIE MAILED TO HIS WIFE NO LETTERS


7119 PTE. OTWAY JOHN JAMES WILKIE
JOINED RCR OCT 20 1899 IN VANCOUVER B.C.
AGE 38



HISTORY
WILKIE WAS BORN IN HOWTH, IRELAND ON OCTOBER 4, 1861 AND CAME TO CANADA IN 1878, SETTLING IN LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA. IN 1887 HE JOINED THE PROVINCIAL POLICE FORCE. HE RESIGNED FROM THE POLICE IN 1896 IN ORDER TO TAKE THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT MANAGER OF THE PROVINCIAL ASYLUM. IN 1899 HE WENT TO SOUTH AFRICA AS PART OF THE CANADIAN CONTINGENT IN THE BOER WAR AND HE RECEIVED THE QUEEN’S MEDAL WITH FOUR BARS( PAADEBERG, DRIEFONTEIN, JOHANNEBERG, CAPE COLONY ) . HE RETURNED TO B.C. ON NEW YEARS EVE OF 1900. HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE CHIEF OF THE PROVINCIAL POLICE FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW WESTMINSTER AND THE FRASER VALLEY. HE ORGANIZED THE POSSE WHICH WENT AFTER THE BILL MINER GANG OF TRAIN ROBBERS
WILKIE RESIGNED FROM THE POLICE IN 1912 AND STARTED A REAL ESTATE BUSINESS. ENLISTED IN WWI . HE WAS A MEMBER FOR TWO YEARS OF THE LANGLEY TOWN COUNCIL. WILKIE WAS A MEMBER OF L.O.L. NO. 1150 IN NEW WESTMINSTER. DIED AUG 12 1945 FORT LANGLEY B.C.

Caninf,

Thank you for sharing the envelope. It is in great condition and the post mark is so clear.

It was also fascinating to read his biography whic is so often not available.

Best wishes
David

Otway Wilkie was my grandmother's father. Here with my father's older sister around the time of WW1.