[Buildings in Piers Island compound with tree stumps in foreground]
- 11
- Item
- [between 1932 and 1934]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Buildings in Piers Island compound with tree stumps in foreground]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Fence and buildings at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Large group of female prisoners with two matrons at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
Correspondence and other documents
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
Series documents the imprisonment of Sons of Freedom convicts at Piers Island Penitentiary between 1932 and 1934, from its initial stage in search for an island to set up the prison to determining the conditions for release of the prisoners. The records, the majority of which consist of correspondence between senior officials, shed light on the construction and management of the prison, as well as the problems that the federal prison system encountered regarding both personnel and prisoners.
Series consists of textual records including correspondence, telegrams, and memoranda, most of which were written to or by H. W. Cooper. The remainder of the records were created by other authorities, prisoners, and relatives of prisoners. Series also contains a warrant written by J. Cartmel and a chronology written in shorthand by H. W. Cooper. Also included in the series is an empty manila envelope. The records in this series have been arranged into the following three files: 1932; 1933; and 1934.
[Twenty-six male staff and five matrons in front of gate at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Canadian Pacific Railway “Princess Mary” at Piers Island wharf with people on board]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[“Narsapur” patrol boat near Piers Island with one male visible standing on left side of boat]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Gate and fence with two men at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Fence and yard looking towards Piers Island wharf]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Building and orchard with Piers Island compound fence visible on the right]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Trees, fence, and buildings at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Four buildings and fence at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Building, fence, and cleared perimeter at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[“Narsapur” patrol boat at Piers Island]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[“Narsapur” patrol boat close-up with guard on deck at Piers Island]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
The collection offers insight into the imprisonment of the “Sons of Freedom” between 1932 and 1934 at Piers Island Penitentiary. The “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobors began as a small, radical movement to reinvigorate the faith, restore traditional Doukhobor values, and protest the sale of land, education, citizenship and registration of vital statistics. They would achieve infamy through civil disobedience, nude marches, and burnings. In 1932, over 600 Sons of Freedom protestors were convicted of public nudity. As B.C. Penitentiary was unable to handle such a rise in inmate population, a satellite prison under the authority of B.C. Penitentiary was constructed on Piers Island to house these prisoners. The records document how the prison was set up and run and the problems that the federal prison system encountered regarding both staff and prisoners. The correspondence and telegrams shed light on the internal discussions of senior officials concerning the management of the prison and its prisoners.
Fonds consists of correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, and other textual records pertaining to the Piers Island Penitentiary created or accumulated by H. W. Cooper during his career as the warden of B.C. Penitentiaries. The fonds also contains photographs which were all taken at Piers Island. The textual records predominantly consist of letters to and from H. W. Cooper regarding the penitentiary, staff, and prisoners. The records have been arranged into the following two series: Correspondence and other documents (1932-1934); and Photographs ([between 1932 and 1934]).
[Thirty officers and guards and seven matrons in front of building at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Twenty-six male staff and five matrons in front of gate at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
This photo is the same as MsC 147.2, but in a different pose and darker lighting.
[Gate to Piers Island compound showing fence]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Piers Island Penitentiary buildings, one male facing photographer, one male in background]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[“Narsapur” patrol boat off-shore in river with Piers Island buildings in background]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
Series displays photographs taken on Piers Island showing the officers, guards, and matrons; male and female prisoners visiting through a fence that separates men’s and women’s compounds; female prisoners working; penitentiary buildings; penitentiary perimeter; vessel used for transferring prisoners; and a patrol boat. As there are no dates recorded for these photographs, it is not possible to determine the exact dates they were taken; however, based on the subject matter, it is assumed that dates of creation are between 1932 and 1934.
[Thirty officers and guards and seven matrons in front of building at Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Queue of prisoners entering a building in Piers Island Penitentiary]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection
[Yard and fence at Piers Island Penitentiary with one male visible on the right]
Part of Piers Island “Sons of Freedom” Doukhobor Imprisonment collection