check, bank
Document/Book
Accession Number
2024.006Alternate Name
banker's chequeDescription
A paper bank cheque bearing the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway’s logo and drawn on the Bank of British Columbia, numbered B-1160, and dated 17 December 1900, in the amount of $98.69 and payable to A. Gilfillan. The cheque is signed “Jas. Dunsmuir” (James Dunsmuir). A small, rectangular blue ink stamp bears the initials M.B. OF H. Nanaimo, B.C. and handwritten within is the number 2800. The cheque is endorsed on the back with A. Gilfillan’s signature and the front bears a teller's 'paid' stamp, dated 27 Dec. 1900.
The cheque is pasted into a folded piece of light cardstock which serves as a filing envelope for Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway records. Written on the front and back is a mix of pre-printed and handwritten information. Narrative
This cheque will aid in the interpretation of Dunsmuir family business activities, in particular the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway.
The identity of the cheque’s recipient, A. Gilfillan, is not known, but may be one of two men named Alexander Gilfillan living in BC at the time. Either a farmer, identified in the 1901 census as living in the Wellington and mountain district north of Nanaimo, or a carpenter/general contractor based in Vancouver. In May 1907, an Alex Gilfillan discovered coal on a ranch west of the old Wellington townsite, which was presumed to be part of the old Wellington coal seam. It was successfully mined for a few years.
Since the cheque was cashed at the Merchant's Bank of Halifax in Nanaimo, B.C, as indicated by the blue ink stamp on the front, it is likely that A. Gilfillan was local to the area. The Merchant's Bank opened in Nanaimo in 1898 and was located in the Gibson Building on Commercial Street. Just a few days after this cheque was cashed, the bank changed its name to the Royal Bank of Canada, on January 2, 1901.
The surrounding envelope for the cheque, used to file the document as part of the Esquimalt and Railway records, records the $98.69 amount to be charged to “Renewal of Dues”. It is yet to be determined what exactly those dues were for.History of Use
The cheque was a divestment from the Royal BC Museum’s Modern History Collection in 2024 as part of their preparations to move all collections to a new facility. There is no further information available about previous owners of the cheque.Date
December 17 1901Material
Paper; Paper, cardstockInscription
On the cheque front:
"Dec17, 1900
Pay to A. Gilfillan, $98.69
Ninety eight -69/100 Dollars
Jas. Dunsmuir"
On the cheque verso:
"A. Gilfillan"
On the envelope front:
“Form No. 68.
Expenditure for December 1900
VOUCHER NO. 20 – CHEQUE NO. 1160
Paid 17th December 1900
To A. Gilfillan
AMOUNT $98.69
FOR Dues”.
On the reverse side is written
“CHARGE TO Renewal of Dues 98.69”.
Country of Origin
Canada