The majority of labourers and tradesmen hired by McKenzie to work at Craigflower were young married men; there were, however, six single men, one of which was John Bell.¹

Like the other labourers he had contracted to work for the Puget Sound Agricultural Company at f17 per annum for five years. Accompanied by his unmarried sister, Christina, Bell arrived at Fort Victoria on board the Norman Morison, January 16, 1853.² His dissatisfaction with conditions at Craigflower was soon evident; three months after his arrival Bell had "stricken work" and was imprisoned in the bastion of the fort for thirty days for refusing to work.³ Following his release he commenced work again at Craigflower; however, two weeks later, unable to abide the situation he "made his escape to America."⁴ It is not clear whether his 'escape' was successful at the time or whether he was apprehended as his friend James Tait and his wife had been.⁵ Nevertheless, possibly inspired by his action, Bell's sister, Christina, and her newly acquired husband, Thomas Abernathy, 'escaped' to America two days later, June 29, 1853.⁶

It would appear from Melrose's final entry regarding Bell, that at some time he returned to Victoria or was apprehended: June 28, 1856. Melrose noted:

This does not necessarily mean that Bell returned to Craigflower; as with others such as Robert Anderson and George Deans who could not abide McKenzie, Bell may have been allowed to fulfill his contract by working for the Hudson's Bay Company. Nevertheless it appears that as soon as his contract expired, Bell and his wife, Ann, returned to farm in Washington Territory.⁷ They returned briefly in the spring of 1859, in order that Cridge could baptize their two children, Maria Jane Tait and Thomas Abernathy.⁸

Endnotes:

1 List of men, women and children engaged to go to Vancouver's Island with Mr. K. McKenzie August 1852", McKenzie's daybook 1867-68. The other single men were John Instant, James Deans, John and Robert Weir and Thomas Russell. Bell's agreement with PSACo. is not included in the PABC collection; consequently those details which that document provides are not presently available.

2 Log of Norman Morison, HBC Arch. c.1/615 fos. 2-3. In the ship's log she is listed as Miss s. Bell; Christina married Thomas Abernathy April 8, 1853. Abernathy was under contract to the Hudson's Bay Company and had come to Victoria on the Norman Morison on the trip commencing May 24, 1851 and arriving Oct. 30, 1851. The Marriage Register, Ft. Victoria shows that Christina was not literate (signed her name by her mark) and was originally from Haddington, Scotland.

3 Melrose, Diary, April 19 and 28, 1853 .

4 Ibid., June 7 and 20, 1853. Melrose's term "America" probably refers to one of the San Juan islands. A document regarding Bell, 1859, names 'Washington Territory' as place of residence.

5 See Tait's file; in 1859 John Bell was to name his first child after Tait: Maria Jane Tait.

6 Melrose, loc. cit.

7 Christ Church Baptismal Records, May 19, 1859.

8 Ibid.

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