See the Wellburn Album pages offered so far in our Auctions
Gerald Wellburn’s 45 page 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush collection is featuring in All Nations’ auctions 2019
“First there were natives trading furs with the Hudson’s Bay Company. Then gold flakes starting changing hands for trade goods at Fort Kamloops. Governor James Douglas knew that gold could transform Vancouver’s Island and British Columbia as it did California. When the Hudson’s Bay Company sent 200 ounces of gold to San Francisco for minting into trade tokens, the California gold seekers raced northward and overran Victoria and the Fraser River canyon.
“The Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection tells the story of the transformation of the twin colonies of Vancouver’s Island and British Columbia, as American gold miners clashed with natives and colonial authorities, through original documents, contemporary ephemera, and postal history, never before offered at public auction. Starting 10 November here at All Nations

Brian Grant Duff holds up a unique ‘broadsheet’ from 1858 advertising a ship travelling from Australia to the ‘new gold region’ on ‘Vancouver’s Island.’ FRANCIS GEORGIAN / PNG
“1858 There’s gold in this collection of early B.C. ephemera! Gerald Wellburn, legendary collector, put together 45 pages of letters, posters, maps and illustrations of B.C.’s gold rush period in the 1850s and 1860s.”
John Mackie has written a detailed article in the Vancouver Sun read here
“Gerald Wellburn died in 1992, and most of his collection was auctioned off for $1 million. But his family held onto his Fraser gold rush collection, including the Cooke letter. Finally the gold rush collection is being sold as well.
Wellburn put the collection into a 45-page booklet, which Brian Grant Duff of All Nations Stamp and Coin is selling one page at a time through his weekly online auction.”
“It’s almost like he was making it to exhibit, so you could show it somewhere, show the history” said Grant Duff.
Flipping through the booklet is like taking a crash course in early B.C. history. Wellburn annotated the collection with historical notes that puts them in context. On the Cooke letter page, for example, he writes “gold was first discovered at Fort Colville on the Columbia River in 1855.”
“The Fort Colville discovery didn’t set off a gold rush. But when gold was discovered on the banks of the Fraser and Thompson rivers in 1858, an estimated 25,000-30,000 miners came to B.C. to try their luck. Alarmed at the prospect of so many Americans flooding into New Caledonia, the mainland region controlled by the Hudson’s Bay Company, the HBC’s James Douglas created the Crown colony of B.C. on Aug. 2, 1858. (Vancouver Island was a separate colony until they were joined in 1866; Douglas was governor of both.)” ~John Mackie, Vancouver Sun article
Preview

Brian Grant Duff of All Nations Stamp and Coin with a Royal Engineers map of Fort Hope from 1860. JOHN MACKIE / PNG

Closeup of an 1862 letter to James Cooke in Fort Shepherd, an old Hudson’s Bay Company outpost. PNG “Fort Shepherd, near the mouth of the Pend Orielle River, in Vicinity of Colville Mines on Columbia River, British Columbia, North America.”

Page from Gerald Wellburn’s Fraser Gold Rush collection featuring a letter about the death of a prospector from a bear attack, dated Oct. 23, 1859. PNG

Letter about the death of a prospector from a bear attack, dated Oct. 22, 1859 PNG
The bear attack letter reads: “1859 Portage Oct 22nd. Half way house twenty four mile. To the resident magistrate at Port Douglas; Sir, Mr G. M Montanys of the Lillooet Meadows arrived at & stopped at this place on his return from Anderson Lake on the evening of the twentieth & left for home on the morning of the twenty-first. About one hour after an Indian arrived & informed us that a man had been killed on the trail below. We hastened to the place about one mile from this & found the above person dead beside the trail. We examined the body & found it badly bitten in the right thigh, one wound having cut the artery which had caused his death. His hands were also scratched as well as two wounds lower on the right leg. On examination we found the tracks of three bares (sic), also where they had twice attacked him, the tracks of one of them were covered with blood after leaving the man. We found upon the body one five dollar coin, one twenty franc coin & a one dollar & twenty five cents silver coin & one pocket memorandum book, pencil case, also a pocket knife. About two hundred yards from the body we found a rubber coat. The above articles have been delivered to his partner Mr Jones who arrived this evening from the Meadows. We buried the body near where it was found as well as the circumstances would permit. There was a party of fourteen Chinamen on the ground at the time of our arrival on their way to Port Douglas whose testimony could be procured should it be required. Yours respectfully CA Yurby John Priety Robert Blair William Herdson.”

Page from Gerald Wellburn’s Fraser Gold Rush collection featuring James Murray Yale, whose name inspired Yaletown. PNG

B.C. Gov. James Douglas’s signature on an 1861 real estate document. PNG
1859 British Columbia Proclamation revoking Hudson Bay Company’s trading rights, one of the highlights of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection >
“A modest postal service was introduced which allowed express companies to carry mail to the mining camps” >
Gerald Wellburn
Gerald E Wellburn was a collector and a person who collected because he was deeply interested in history and wanted to preserve historical things. Spending days researching such things as who was that unknown young fellow in the famous picture of the CPR’s driving of the last spike. He wanted to know the people behind the history and to tell their stories, that was Gerald E Wellburn.. visit our Gerald Wellburn page here

February 10, 1988. The late B.C. collector Gerald Wellburn holds a magnifier to a stamp postmarked 1866 Victoria Vancouver Island. John Yanyshyn/Province John Yanyshyn / PNG
Cover of the 45 page Album

Page 1 Frontispiece of the album
“In 1858 the discovery of gold on bars of the Fraser River led to the founding of the Colony of British Columbia..

Page 1 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection (lot 91) sold for $700 in our 10th November 2018 auction
Gerald Wellburn’s Fraser River Gold Rush album binder by Roedde in Vancouver
Gerald Wellburn's Fraser River Gold Rush album binder was made for him by Roedde in Vancouver. Lot 81 in 25 January auction #geraldwellburn #historicvancouver #roeddehousemuseum #auctions See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 45 (last page), Hope, B.C. 29 May 1862 Capt. Grant Royal Engineers Third Bill of Exchange,Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Hope, B.C. 29 May 1862 Capt. Grant Royal Engineers Third Bill of Exchange, Page 45 (last page) Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 74 in our auction Saturday 14th December 2019
Page 44, Judge O’Reilly 1867 11c Walla Walla/New Westminster Cover, Fraser River Gold Rush collection
"Politeness of Mr. Lean" Judge O’Reilly 1867 11c Walla Walla/New Westminster Cover, page 44 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 80 in our auction Saturday 7th December 2019
James Douglas Signed 1861 Peter O’Reilly Land Grant, page 43 of the Gerald E. Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
James Douglas Signed 1861 Peter O’Reilly Land Grant, page 43 of the Gerald E. Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 91 in our auction saturday 23rd November 2019
Page 42, Fort Hope, B.C. 1860 Royal Engineers Tracing of Town Lots, Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Fort Hope, B.C. 1860 Royal Engineers Tracing of Town Lots, Page 42 of the Gerald E. Wellburn 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 72 in our auction saturday 16th November 2019
Page 41, Omagh 1862 three-colour franked O’Reilly Cover to Fort Hope, Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Omagh 1862 three-colour franked Peter O’Reilly Cover to Fort Hope, no backflap.
Page 41 Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Lot 91 in our auction saturday 9th November 2019
Page 40, Captain Luard 1861 22d Bath incoming Officer’s Mourning Cover, Fraser River Gold Rush
Captain Luard 1 Nov 1861 22d Bath incoming Officer’s Mourning Cover to Royal Engineers, New Westminster. 64 days in transit. Page 40 Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 85 in our auction Saturday 2nd November 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page...
Page 39, Col. Moody 11 Oct 1870 Recommendation Letter & stampless Cover to H.P.P. Fraser River Gold Rush
Col. Richard Moody 11 Oct 1870 Recommendation Letter & stampless Cover to H.P.P. Crease, page 39 Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Lot 73 in our auction Saturday 19th October 2019
Page 38, 27 Oct 1863 4-pg signed Col. Moody Letter & Cover to Peter O’Reilly, Fraser River Gold Rush collection
27 Oct 1863 4-pg signed Col. Moody Letter & Cover to Peter O’Reilly page 38 of the Gerald E. Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 93 in our auction A1231 saturday 12th October 2019
Page 37, Colonel Moody 1863 Field Marshall Burgoyne Free-Franked War Office O.H.M.S. Cover, Fraser River Gold Rush
Colonel Moody 23 Mr 1863 Field Marshall Burgoyne Free-Franked War Office O.H.M.S. Cover page 37 Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 91 in our weekly auction Saturday 5th October 2019
Page 36, San Francisco 9 Feb 1865 3c Due 7 Cover to Victoria, V.I. Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
San Francisco 9 Feb 1865 3c Due 7 Cover to Victoria, V.I., page 36 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection, punch mark Lot 79 in our auction Saturday 21st September 2019
Page 35, Victoria, V.I. Missent 10c Washington 1860 Cover, Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Victoria, V.I. Missent 10c Washington 1860 Cover, repaired tears, Page 35 (of 45) of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 70 in our auction Saturday 14th September 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 34, 1860 10c Washington cover duo to Victoria, V.I., Gerald E. Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
1860 10c Washington cover duo to Victoria, V.I., Page 34 of the Gerald E. Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 80 in our auction Saturday 7th September 2019
Page 33, 1868 10c Washington Covers to Victoria, V.I. duo, Fraser River Gold Rush collection
1868 10c Washington Covers to Victoria, V.I. duo, Page 33 of the Gerald E. Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Estimate: $250 Lot 84 in All Nations' auction 24th August 2019
Page 32, Wells Fargo 1860 Victoria receipt & 1852 Concord Coach Cover, Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Wells Fargo 1860 Victoria receipt & 1852 Concord Coach Cover, page 32 Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 79 in All Nations auction Saturday 17th August 2019
Page 31, Wells Fargo 1866 San Jose Route Double Weight Paste-up Cover to Victoria, Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Wells Fargo 1866 San Jose Route Double Weight Paste-up Cover to Victoria, page 31 Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 98 in our auction Saturday 10th August 2019See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Gerald Wellburn
Gerald E. Wellburn Gerald Wellburn was a legendary collector of British Columbia Stamps, Postal History, B.C. history through all kinds of documents, and locomotives. Wellburn's San Juan Islands collection (including letter from John A. Macdonald) is in our milestone...
Page 30, Wells Fargo 1862 uprated San Francisco Covers to Victoria, Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Wells Fargo 1862 uprated San Francisco Covers to Victoria, Page 30 Gerald E. Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 88 in our auction A1221 Saturday 3rd August 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 29, Fraser River Gold Rush, Wells Fargo 1860 SFR Paste-up
Wells Fargo 1860 SFR Paste-up to H.P.P. Crease, reduced, Page 29 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 77 in our auction A1219 Saturday 20th July 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 28, Fraser River Gold Rush, May 1860 Frank Claudet SFR Wells Fargo Cover to Victoria
May 1860 Frank Claudet SFR Wells Fargo Cover to Victoria page 28 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection, torn b/f Lot 88 in All Nations' Auction 13th July 2019
Page 27, Wells Fargo 1858/59 San Francisco/Victoria Paste-up to H.P.P. Crease, Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Wells Fargo 1858/59 San Francisco/Victoria Paste-up to H.P.P. Crease, page 27 Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection, faults Lot 87 in All Nations' Auction 6th July 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 26, Freeman & Co. 1858 Express Cover duo to Victoria, Fraser River Goldrush collection
Page 26, Freeman & Co. 1858 Express Cover duo to Victoria, Read more about the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Goldrush collection Lot 67 in this week's Auction A1215 Saturday 22nd June 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 25, Alta & Freeman & Co. 1858 SFR dual Express Cover to Victoria, V.I. in Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Alta & Freeman & Co. 1858 SFR dual Express Cover to Victoria, V.I. page 25 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 71 in All Nations auction Saturday 15th June 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 24, Reynold’s Express 1853 paste-up Cover to Mormon Gulch
The California Forty-Niners – 1853 letter by Reynold’s Express – the first in California – to Mormon Gulch, Southern Mines. Page 24 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Page 23 – July 26 1857 10c U.S. Postal Stationery Cover & Letter to John Boyd
July 26 1857 10c U.S. Postal Stationery Cover & Letter to John Boyd, Page 23 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 81 in our Auction Saturday 1st June 2019
Page 22 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection, Gayton 1864 1/- incoming Cover to Four Mile House, B.C.
Page 22 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection open 3 sides Gayton 1864 1/- incoming Cover to Four Mile House, B.C. Lot 88 in our Auction 18th May 2019 23 Sept 1864 From England to Mr Henery Gaydon, Four Mile House, Near Mouth of Quesnele, British...
Page 20, 17 Sep 1864 G.P.O., P.O. Paid Victoria folded letter to Clinton
September 1864 letter to Clinton on the Cariboo road Sep 1864 G.P.O., P.O. Paid Victoria folded letter to Clinton, Page 20 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection Lot 79, All Nations weekly auction - Saturday 4th May 2019
Page 19, March 1864 Victoria Paid Blue Oval Cover to Four Mile House, Douglas Portage, B.C.
March 1864 Victoria Paid Blue Oval Cover to Four Mile House, Douglas Portage, B.C. page 19 Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Page 18, 28 Oct 1859 Killed by Bears letter from Port Pemberton to Fort Douglas
Page 18 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection, 28 Oct 1859 Killed by Bears letter from Port Pemberton to Fort Douglas Lot 68 in our Saturday auction on 13th April 2019
Page 17, 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush Gerald Wellburn Page
Lot 108 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush Gerald Wellburn Page 17 in All Nations' auction 6th April 2019 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 16, incoming 1863 Hanover to Fort Hope Cover to Theodor Kruger
Page 16 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection incoming 1863 Hanover to Fort Hope Cover to Theodor Kruger, Lot 100 in All Nations’ auction Saturday 23rd March 2019
Page 16, incoming 1863 Hanover to Fort Hope Cover to Theodor Kruger
Page 16 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection incoming 1863 Hanover to Fort Hope Cover to Theodor Kruger, Lot 100 in All Nations’ auction Saturday 23rd March 2019
Page 15 Germany 1862 incoming stampless Cover to A.T. Kruger Fort Hope
Germany 1862 incoming stampless Cover to A.T. Kruger Fort Hope, page 15 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Page 14 1858 Two Covers from the USA to Fort Hope, Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Page 14 1858 U.S. 3c & 10c Cover duo to Fort Hope Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Page 13 1848 H.B.C. Statement to James Murray Yale from the Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Page 13 1848 H.B.C. Statement to James Murray Yale from the Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Page 12 H.B.C. 1830 Account to James Yale officer in charge of Fort Langley
Page 12 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection H.B.C. 1830 Account to James Yale officer in charge of newly founded Fort Langley on the Fraser River
Page 11 1858 Act to Provide for the Government of B.C. in Victoria Gazette
Page 11 of Wellburn’s historical journey through the Fraser River Gold Rush is the 2nd August 1858 Act to Provide for the Government of B.C. published in Victoria Gazette
Pages from the 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush collection by Gerald Wellburn
The Albums Pages from Gerald Wellburn’s Fraser River Gold Rush collection that have featured in our auctions to date.
Page 10 British Columbia 8 Feb 1859 Proclamation of Duties Payable by Miners
British Columbia 8 Feb 1859 3-page Proclamation of Duties Payable by Miners Page 10 of the Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 101 in our Auction Saturday 2nd February 2019 On the Wellburn page "8 Feb 1859 - Proclamation by Governor douglas re...
Page 9 Fort Hope 1858 Lot Lease from James Douglas, Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Fort Hope, B.C. 1 Dec. 1858 Lot Lease from James Douglas, Governor of Vancouver's Island Page 9 Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection, folds, faults Lot 79 sold for $3,000 in our Auction Saturday 19th January 2019 View and Bid in this week's Auction Visit...
Page 8 1863 cover to B.C. Gold Fields, North America, Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Page 8 March 1863 incoming Greenslade & Son Cover to B.C. Gold Fields Wellburn notes: "Delighfully vague address: British Columbia, Gold Fields, North America" Lot 72 realized $1,100 in our Auction Saturday 12th January 2019 The second British Columbia gold rush...
Page 7 1862 London 2.5d Cover to Fort Shepherd, Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Page 7 1862 London 2.5d Cover to Fort Shepherd British Columbia "This envelope eloquently conveys the very vague geographical knowledge of Britsh Columbia at this early period.." Lot 66 realized $1,600 in our Auction A1191 5th January 2019 View and Bid in this week's...
Page 6 Revocation of H.B.C. Royal Licence in 1858 Proclamation, Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Revocation of H.B.C. License 3 November 1858 Proclamation by Governor James Douglas page 6 in Gerald Wellburn's Fraser River Gold Rush collection Sold for $1,800.00 in our A1190 22nd December auction PROCLAMATION By His Excellency, JAMES DOUGLAS, Governor and...
Page 5 Invoice for goods supplied to H.B.C. at Fort Langley 1859, Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Invoice for goods supplied to H.B.C. at Fort Langley 1859 – Page 5 of Gerald Wellburn’s Fraser River Gold Rush sold for $5,000
Page 4 The Miners’ Ten Commandments, Fraser River Gold Rush collection
1858 - The Miners’ Ten Commandments - The code of the California gold seekers folded to fit page 4 of Gerald Wellburn 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush collection Lot 80 sold for $1,320 in our Auction A1188 8th December 2018 #bchistory #fraserrivergoldrush unfolded sheet...
Page 3 Orestes broadsheet from 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush collection
Australian Broadsheet for Barque Orestes to Vancouver's Island 1858 realized $10,000 Lot 80 in our Auction A1188 8th December 2018 See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
1858 Fraser River Gold Rush by Gerald Wellburn
1858 Fraser River Gold Rush by Gerald Wellburn has moved to here
Page 2 of Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection
Lot 79 Page 2 of Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush Collection realized $247.50 in our Auction A1185 on 17th November 2018 See more of Gerald Wellburn Fraser River Gold Rush collection See Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album1858 Fraser River Gold Rush
Page 1 Frontispiece of the 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush collection by Gerald Wellburn
1858 Fraser River Gold Rush Gerald Wellburn Frontispiece, Lot 91 in our auction Saturday 10th November sold for $700 The rest of the 45 page album will follow in All Nations auctions See more of Gerald Wellburn's 45 page album 1858 Fraser River Gold...