I am grateful for the opportunity to visit my City's namesake and to bring greetings from those who visited last summer. Mayor Harcourt and his wife remember fondly the hospitality that was shown by the citizens of beautiful Coevorden and again I extend an invitation to your distinguished city council to join us in Vancouver for our centennial next year. All of you will be welcome and I know pround of your city's participation in our celebration.
In my remarks I wish to touch on three important aspects of our joint history. I will do so briefly however I think the matters covered are of some interest and I intend to provide copies of some significant research material to the City Clerk for inclusion in your library and museum. One curious aspect of the link between Coevorden and Vancouver is the lack of documented evidence that exist to support the family relationship between the Captain George Vancouver and the Great van Coevorden family of Holland.
As you are aware the Van Coevorden family is possibly the oldest in the Netherlands. In the middle of the Twelfth Century they were appointed viscounts and charged with the responsibility of defending this castle and the adjoining town. They discharged this responsibility for 2 1/2 centuries until around 1400.
The bishops of Utrecht then appointed an official to administer the area and relieved the Vancouver Coevordens of the honour and obligations. The family left the area of Coevorden and settled elsewhere in Holland and what is now Germany where they thrived, accumulating many lands, manor houses and castles. There were several branches of the family, the less affluent of which joined the army.
One of these descendants was Reint Wolters van Coevorden, a farmer and captain in the Dutch republic army. He married an English lady of the court named Jane Lillingston in 1699. They had one son Lucas Hendrik and a daughter. Reint and wife traveled to the West Indies and ultimately settled in England where the wife died. Following her death Reint returned to Holland, remarried, and lived to a ripe old age.
It is believed but is not documented that Reint's son Lucas Hendrik van Coevorden anglicized his name to Luke Henry Vancouver and married Sarah. Many Dutch immigrated to England during this time as the king of England, William III was also chief of the Netherlands. It was common practice to anglicize Dutch names. Luke Hendrik Vancouver remained in England until his death.
It is documented that a Mrs. Vancouver, his likely widow, was a resident of King's Lynn to 1759. She was the mother of John Jasper Vancouver, the father of captain George.
John Jasper Vancouver, resident of King's Lynn - Deputy Collector of Customs and collector of town dues. Married in 1749 and had six children the youngest of whom was George born june 22, 1757.
The most important evidence to prove that the foregoing is true is that captain George, who knew his grandfather well, believed that he was of Dutch descent from the Coevorden family. This was shown when he named various points and islands in the pacific Northwest Coevorden after his family and this city.
George Vancouver's mother died in 1768. Sea life began in 1772 when the young cadet was 15 years old. I remind you that Captain George, one of the world's great explorers completed his entire work prior to the time he was forty. Vancouver joined captain Cook on Cook's second and third voyage in 1776 which came to the Pacific Northwest. In 1790 Vancouver had his first command (the Discovery.) His orders were to make an accurate survey of the Northwest Coast and to establish a political presence in the area of Vancouver/Vancouver Island/Nootka sound. The area was subject to conflicting to claims of Britain and Spain.
The Discovery arrived April 17, 1792 and stayed until October 16, 1794. Vancouver showed his Dutch heritage during this period. He was very much like your burgemeester Spahr van der Hoek in that he was diplomatic, careful, and courageous with the result that he accomplished all his goals and firmly established the British presence in the resource rich Pacific Northwest. He devoted his life to the sea and the pursuit of knowledge. His journals contain over a million words of observation and conclusion.
Vancouver's final years were not happy ones. He suffered from tuberculosis and was in great pain. An unhappy incident hounded his final years. During his last voyage he found it necessary to discipline a young sailor for insubordination and failure to contribute to the ships well-being. Upon their return to England it was discovered that the sailor had inherited a noble title, lord Camelford. This nobleman, obviously mentally unbalanced, spread vicious gossip and slander about Captain George with the result that he was plagued by ridicule even in his home town of King's Lynn.
The final area of concern is the description of the development of modern Vancouver. After Captain George returned to England the area was developed for the benefit of fur traders and over-land explorers who would seek refuge in the temperate climate and safe fiords of the pacific Northwest. North America was seen as a land bridge between the Orient and Europe with the result that shipping and port activity became important. The huge forests surrounding present day Vancouver provided wood for ships and their tall masts and spars. In 1886 a railway was built which linked the various parts of what is now Canada and provided access to the Pacific ocean. In that year on April 100 years ago next year, Vancouver was incorporated as a collection of the frontier buildings and lumber mills. In june of that same year the entire city burned to the ground and had to be rebuilt. The city lies in a river valley surrounded by the sea and high mountains. It is the industrial and commercial centre of Canada Pacific Rim. The population of the area is approximately 1.000.000 people, who have come to Canada from all corners of the world. We are very proud of our city and look forward to seeing many of you there next year.
The Discovery arrived April 17, 1792 and stayed until October 16, 1794. Vancouver showed his Dutch heritage during this period. He was very much like your burgemeester Spahr van der Hoek in that he was diplomatic, careful, and courageous with the result that he accomplished all his goals and firmly established the British presence in the resource rich Pacific Northwest. He devoted his life to the sea and the pursuit of knowledge. His journals contain over a million words of observation and conclusion.George Vancouver's mother died in 1768. Sea life began in 1772 when the young cadet was 15 years old. I remind you that Captain George, one of the world's great explorers completed his entire work prior to the time he was forty. Vancouver joined captain Cook on Cook's second and third voyage in 1776 which came to the Pacific Northwest. In 1790 Vancouver had his first command (the Discovery.) His orders were to make an accurate survey of the Northwest Coast and to establish a political presence in the area of Vancouver/Vancouver Island/Nootka sound. The area was subject to conflicting to claims of Britain and Spain.
Vancouver's final years were not happy ones. He suffered from tuberculosis and was in great pain. An unhappy incident hounded his final years. During his last voyage he found it necessary to discipline a young sailor for insubordination and failure to contribute to the ships well-being. Upon their return to England it was discovered that the sailor had inherited a noble title, lord Camelford. This nobleman, obviously mentally unbalanced, spread vicious gossip and slander about Captain George with the result that he was plagued by ridicule even in his home town of King's Lynn.
The final area of concern is the description of the development of modern Vancouver. After Captain George returned to England the area was developed for the benefit of fur traders and over-land explorers who would seek refuge in the temperate climate and safe fiords of the pacific Northwest. North America was seen as a land bridge between the Orient and Europe with the result that shipping and port activity became important. The huge forests surrounding present day Vancouver provided wood for ships and their tall masts and spars. In 1886 a railway was built which linked the various parts of what is now Canada and provided access to the Pacific ocean. In that year on April 100 years ago next year, Vancouver was incorporated as a collection of the frontier buildings and lumber mills. In june of that same year the entire city burned to the ground and had to be rebuilt. The city lies in a river valley surrounded by the sea and high mountains. It is the industrial and commercial centre of Canada Pacific Rim. The population of the area is approximately 1.000.000 people, who have come to Canada from all corners of the world. We are very proud of our city and look forward to seeing many of you there next year.
csm_kasteel-vancouver_32590eb768.jpg
I am grateful for the opportunity to visit my City's namesake and to bring greetings from those who visited last summer. Mayor Harcourt and his wife remember fondly the hospitality that was shown by the citizens of beautiful Coevorden and again I extend an invitation to your distinguished city council to join us in Vancouver for our centennial next year. All of you will be welcome and I know pround of your city's participation in our celebration.
In my remarks I wish to touch on three important aspects of our joint history. I will do so briefly however I think the matters covered are of some interest and I intend to provide copies of some significant research material to the City Clerk for inclusion in your library and museum. One curious aspect of the link between Coevorden and Vancouver is the lack of documented evidence that exist to support the family relationship between the Captain George Vancouver and the Great van Coevorden family of Holland.
As you are aware the Van Coevorden family is possibly the oldest in the Netherlands. In the middle of the Twelfth Century they were appointed viscounts and charged with the responsibility of defending this castle and the adjoining town. They discharged this responsibility for 2 1/2 centuries until around 1400.
The bishops of Utrecht then appointed an official to administer the area and relieved the Vancouver Coevordens of the honour and obligations. The family left the area of Coevorden and settled elsewhere in Holland and what is now Germany where they thrived, accumulating many lands, manor houses and castles. There were several branches of the family, the less affluent of which joined the army.
One of these descendants was Reint Wolters van Coevorden, a farmer and captain in the Dutch republic army. He married an English lady of the court named Jane Lillingston in 1699. They had one son Lucas Hendrik and a daughter. Reint and wife traveled to the West Indies and ultimately settled in England where the wife died. Following her death Reint returned to Holland, remarried, and lived to a ripe old age.
It is believed but is not documented that Reint's son Lucas Hendrik van Coevorden anglicized his name to Luke Henry Vancouver and married Sarah. Many Dutch immigrated to England during this time as the king of England, William III was also chief of the Netherlands. It was common practice to anglicize Dutch names. Luke Hendrik Vancouver remained in England until his death.
It is documented that a Mrs. Vancouver, his likely widow, was a resident of King's Lynn to 1759. She was the mother of John Jasper Vancouver, the father of captain George.
John Jasper Vancouver, resident of King's Lynn - Deputy Collector of Customs and collector of town dues. Married in 1749 and had six children the youngest of whom was George born june 22, 1757.
The most important evidence to prove that the foregoing is true is that captain George, who knew his grandfather well, believed that he was of Dutch descent from the Coevorden family. This was shown when he named various points and islands in the pacific Northwest Coevorden after his family and this city.
George_Vancouver_03.jpg
The Discovery arrived April 17, 1792 and stayed until October 16, 1794. Vancouver showed his Dutch heritage during this period. He was very much like your burgemeester Spahr van der Hoek in that he was diplomatic, careful, and courageous with the result that he accomplished all his goals and firmly established the British presence in the resource rich Pacific Northwest. He devoted his life to the sea and the pursuit of knowledge. His journals contain over a million words of observation and conclusion.
Vancouver's final years were not happy ones. He suffered from tuberculosis and was in great pain. An unhappy incident hounded his final years. During his last voyage he found it necessary to discipline a young sailor for insubordination and failure to contribute to the ships well-being. Upon their return to England it was discovered that the sailor had inherited a noble title, lord Camelford. This nobleman, obviously mentally unbalanced, spread vicious gossip and slander about Captain George with the result that he was plagued by ridicule even in his home town of King's Lynn.
The final area of concern is the description of the development of modern Vancouver. After Captain George returned to England the area was developed for the benefit of fur traders and over-land explorers who would seek refuge in the temperate climate and safe fiords of the pacific Northwest. North America was seen as a land bridge between the Orient and Europe with the result that shipping and port activity became important. The huge forests surrounding present day Vancouver provided wood for ships and their tall masts and spars. In 1886 a railway was built which linked the various parts of what is now Canada and provided access to the Pacific ocean. In that year on April 100 years ago next year, Vancouver was incorporated as a collection of the frontier buildings and lumber mills. In june of that same year the entire city burned to the ground and had to be rebuilt. The city lies in a river valley surrounded by the sea and high mountains. It is the industrial and commercial centre of Canada Pacific Rim. The population of the area is approximately 1.000.000 people, who have come to Canada from all corners of the world. We are very proud of our city and look forward to seeing many of you there next year.
The Discovery arrived April 17, 1792 and stayed until October 16, 1794. Vancouver showed his Dutch heritage during this period. He was very much like your burgemeester Spahr van der Hoek in that he was diplomatic, careful, and courageous with the result that he accomplished all his goals and firmly established the British presence in the resource rich Pacific Northwest. He devoted his life to the sea and the pursuit of knowledge. His journals contain over a million words of observation and conclusion.George Vancouver's mother died in 1768. Sea life began in 1772 when the young cadet was 15 years old. I remind you that Captain George, one of the world's great explorers completed his entire work prior to the time he was forty. Vancouver joined captain Cook on Cook's second and third voyage in 1776 which came to the Pacific Northwest. In 1790 Vancouver had his first command (the Discovery.) His orders were to make an accurate survey of the Northwest Coast and to establish a political presence in the area of Vancouver/Vancouver Island/Nootka sound. The area was subject to conflicting to claims of Britain and Spain.
Vancouver's final years were not happy ones. He suffered from tuberculosis and was in great pain. An unhappy incident hounded his final years. During his last voyage he found it necessary to discipline a young sailor for insubordination and failure to contribute to the ships well-being. Upon their return to England it was discovered that the sailor had inherited a noble title, lord Camelford. This nobleman, obviously mentally unbalanced, spread vicious gossip and slander about Captain George with the result that he was plagued by ridicule even in his home town of King's Lynn.
The final area of concern is the description of the development of modern Vancouver. After Captain George returned to England the area was developed for the benefit of fur traders and over-land explorers who would seek refuge in the temperate climate and safe fiords of the pacific Northwest. North America was seen as a land bridge between the Orient and Europe with the result that shipping and port activity became important. The huge forests surrounding present day Vancouver provided wood for ships and their tall masts and spars. In 1886 a railway was built which linked the various parts of what is now Canada and provided access to the Pacific ocean. In that year on April 100 years ago next year, Vancouver was incorporated as a collection of the frontier buildings and lumber mills. In june of that same year the entire city burned to the ground and had to be rebuilt. The city lies in a river valley surrounded by the sea and high mountains. It is the industrial and commercial centre of Canada Pacific Rim. The population of the area is approximately 1.000.000 people, who have come to Canada from all corners of the world. We are very proud of our city and look forward to seeing many of you there next year.