MS-0455 C.H. Meares, Originals cm; microfilm (neg.) mm [A00747]

Transcription

1 MS-0455 C.H. Meares, Originals cm; microfilm (neg.) mm [A00747] Cecil Henry Meares was an adventurer, explorer and British naval officer. In he was part of Scott s British Antarctic Expedition. He moved to Victoria in the 1920s where he died. Son of a British Army officer, born in Ireland, educated in Scotland and England, Meares left school at the age of 17 and travelled extensively in Europe and Asia, picking up languages as he went, driving dog teams and engaging in the fur trade in Siberia, in Peking (Beijing) during the Boxer Uprising, serving in the Boer War, observing the Russo-Japanese War and surveying Manchuria, during which time he may or may not have been engaged in intelligence and diplomatic work. In December 1907 he joined [Lieut.] J.W. Brooke in an expedition to the largely unexplored mountainous Chinese-Tibetan borderland of western Sichuan province. A year later, Brooke was killed by members of the Lolos tribe (Xi ethnic minority) and Meares returned to England where Scott was organizing the British Antarctic Expedition. Meares volunteered. Scott sent Meares to Siberia to obtain dogs and ponies and transport them to New Zealand. As the expedition s dog handler, Meares also engaged in depot-laying, scouting, running stores from camp to camp and putting in a telephone line. He accompanied Scott s Polar Party as far as Beardmore Glacier. [R]ecalled by family affairs, he left in 1912, shortly before Scott s party perished. When World War I broke out in 1914, he served in the Corps of Interpreters and as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve officer in the Royal Naval Air Service. In 1915 he married Annie Christina Spengler. After the war he went to Japan as part of the British Air Mission, advising the Japanese Naval Air Service, for which he was presented with the Order of the Sacred Treasure Third Class and a sword. Sometime thereafter he and his wife decided to move to Victoria although they also maintained a cottage in Santa Barbara. A 1939 article in the Victoria Colonist credits Meares with introducing the Himalayan blue poppy (Meconopsis baileyi) to Victoria. He died in Victoria in After the death of his wife, in 1974, souvenirs of his travels were put up for auction. His sword, medals, books, a sled flag, and papers went to the BC Provincial Museum. The papers were transferred to the Provincial Archives in The records consist of letters and a postcard, , relating to the British Antarctic Expedition; letters written to his future wife from the trenches, in 1914; a letter and certificates re his service with the British mission in Japan, ; a bound and illustrated manuscript entitled "The Land of the Budorchus" and printed articles re his travels in Western China, ca The records also contain documents relating to his wife, Annie Christina Meares. Photographs transferred to Visual Records, accession Books transferred to the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge. G:\RSD\@ORCS09\ \MS-0455.DOC:2003/06/03 Page 1

2 Most but not all of the records have been microfilmed on Reel A They do not necessarily appear in the order shown below. There are also some documents on the microfilm which are not among the originals. Box File Contents Date 1 1 Chronology of life of C.H. Meares, ; handwritten, 6 pages 1 1 Seal: "The seal of the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury" 1 1 Envelope: Addressed to Commander C.H. Meares, room 238. Embossed crest on back with "Admiralty SW" printed underneath 1 1 Letterhead: "British Antarctic Expedition, 1910" bearing 1910 the message "With Captain Scott's Compliments." No enclosure 1 1 Meares to his father, Nikolievsk 18 Mar Meares to his father, New Guinea (postcard) 1 Aug Meares to his father, Prinz Waldeman, Jap Caroline 22 Aug 1910 Islands 1 1 Meares to his father, New Zealand (envelope containing six New Zealand 1d stamps over printed "Victoria Land" 3 Mar 1912 Microfilm only 1 1 D. Geroff to Meares, Cape Evans; postscript by [Frank 2 Jan 1913 Debenham] 1 1 Christmas card, R.N.A.S., Flanders, signed Lieut. Commander & Mrs. Meares 1 1 H.G. Ponting to Miss Spengler 2 Nov 1 1 Meares to Miss Spengler, A Chateau [ca. 1914] 1 1 Meares to Miss Spengler, Brugge, (two 9 Jul 1914 postcards) 1 1 Meares to Miss Spengler, Lyndhurst, Tuesday, [29 Sep 1914] postmarked 29 and 30 Sep Meares to Miss Spengler, Wednesday, postmarked 1 [1 Oct 1914] Oct Meares to Miss Spengler, Lyndhurst, Friday, [2 Oct 1914] postmarked 3 Oct Meares to Miss Spengler, Saturday, postmarked 3 Oct [3 Oct 1914] Meares to Miss Spengler, Ostende 9 Oct Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 19 Oct Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 29 Oct Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 7 Nov Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 9 Nov Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone], postmarked 19 Nov Nov 1914 G:\RSD\@ORCS09\ \MS-0455.DOC:2003/06/03 Page 2

3 1 1 Meares to Miss Spengler same afternoon [war zone], [13] Nov 1914 postmarked 19 Nov Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 15 Nov Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 19 Nov Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 26 Nov Message to the troops from General Sir Douglas Haig, 21 Nov 1914 enc. with letter 26 Nov Message to the 7th Division from Lieut.-General H.S. 23 Nov 1914 Rawlinson, enc. with letter 26 Nov Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 7 Dec Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone], Sunday, [13 Dec 1914] postmarked 13 Dec Meares to Miss Spengler [war zone] 14 Dec Meares to Mrs. Meares, No. 4 Wing, R.N.A.S., c/o Naval [3 May 1916] Mail Officer, Dover, post marked 3 May Certificate of conduct, signed by Wing Commander, No. 19 Jan Wing, R.N.A.S. 1 1 Certificate of conduct, signed by Wing Commander, 1 Apr 1918 H.M.S. President II, R.N.A.S. 1 1 Christmas card from E.A. Masterman & No. 22 Group, 1918 R.A.F., Stirling 1 1 Post card: photograph of banquet for English and [Sep 1921] Japanese officers Sep Typed text of speech delivered by Rear Admiral T. Tajiri, 17 Nov 1921 Rear Admiral commanding K.N.A. Training Station, in appreciation of Meares' service 1 1 Typed list of names of Japanese officers who presented 17 Nov 1921 a sword to Meares 1 1 British Embassy, Tokyo to Meares, re the bestowal upon 19 Nov 1921 Meares of the Third Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure 1 1 License to wear the above decoration, Court of St. 17 Jul 1922 James 1 1 [?] to Meares, Kasumigaura, Imperial Japanese Naval Air Station, Tsuchiura 29 Nov 1921 O/S 1 Certificate in Japanese (oversize) O/S 1 Document granting Insignia of the Third Class of the Order of the Golden Seal? (oversize) 1 1 Newspaper clipping with text of message from Byrd to [1929] Meares 1 1 Geo. A. Wendt to Meares, Montreal (telegram re message to Byrd expedition) 2 Apr 1929 O/S 1 Certificate of membership in the Antarctic Club (oversize) 13 Jun Seating plan [dinner party?] Admiralty House, Chatham 5 Sep Post card: photograph of Scott s ship, the Terra Nova G:\RSD\@ORCS09\ \MS-0455.DOC:2003/06/03 Page 3

4 1 1 Undated note re: contribution to King George s Jubilee Trust, signed Edward Manuscripts 1 2 J.W. Brooke [?] "Description of caves of Western Szechwan explored by the late J.W. Brooke, Esq., Typescript, 5 pages. Enclosures in Chinese and plan. On cover: "Written for the British Museum" 1909 Material relating to Annie Christina Meares (Mrs.) 1 3 Canadian passport Will Letter from Mrs. C. Spengler, 11 Manorcroft Rd., Egham, Surrey 16 Jan 1961 Clippings 1 4 Re Antarctic: 5 clippings (1913-ca.1958), copy of The Daily Mirror, 21 May Re World War I: 5 clippings 1 6 General: 6 clippings Captain Scott s Antarctic Expedition [1910]; For the South Pole: Terra Nova s departure from the Thames [Daily News], 26 May 1910; Nootka the storm center, Daily Colonist, 18 June 1939 (reference to C.H. Meares as descendent of John Meares and introduction of Himalayan poppies to Victoria); Adventures of British expedition of which a member was murdered, n.d.; Charm of Santa Barbara abd liquor situation impress British diplomat, Santa Barbara Daily News, n.d.; Waters not prohibited magazine photo of Col. and Mrs. Meares at Aix-les- Bains, 24 May Obituary notices: 3 clippings, including one from the London Times 1913, 1937, [1958] [1937] G:\RSD\@ORCS09\ \MS-0455.DOC:2003/06/03 Page 4

5 1 8 Photographs re Antarctica and Siberia: photocopy of album Some of the S. Pole dogs in full swing, Mr. Rodgers & Bielchik [dog], Asman [dog], An old Orechon (fish skin Indian), No caption female native, carrying wood, beside building, Korean fishing through ice, Sturgeon for caviare [sic], A dog sledge, A store house for dry fish (dog food), On the Amur. One of my teams in foreground, Tied up for the night [dogs], Pronga fishing station & cannery, A halting place for dog-teams. Mine in foreground, My dog team in the woods, One of the leaders [dog], Mr. Rodgers team, The entrance to the house at Pronge, A halt for tea [buildings], Tungus with reindeer, My trial team. Mr. Rodgers team, Trial teams. Mr. Rodgers team, [Street scene- same as main street near my house with less snow], A side street, The main street near my house, The main street of Nikolievsk, The officers club and carriages, A typical Post-station, A Russian settlement on the Amur, A Siberian village, A Post-station on the Amur, A halt in the woods [horse and sled], A halt in the woods [similar to previous], My sleigh on the Amur, At the first Post-house [with horse and sleigh], Starting from Habarsvsk [horse and sleigh in front of buildings] Published articles 1 9 Badminton Magazine, no. 171, n.s., October C.H. Meares "Reminiscences of a pleasant visit to a littleknown people, pp Also includes clippings re: expedition to Chinese-Tibetan borderland and Scott Antarctic expedition 1 10 The Wide World Magazine, Vol. XXV, April 1910, "Among the unknown tribes I," pp ; The Wide World Magazine, "Among the unknown tribes II," May 1910, pp ; The Wide World Magazine, "Among the unknown tribes III,"June 1910, pp Badminton Magazine, no. 159, n.s., October 1908, J.W. Brooke, "Sport in Wassaland," pp The Badminton Magazine, no. 161, n.s., December 1908, J.W. Brooke, "Hunting the Takin on the borders of Tibet," pp Bible [very small published version] 1 13 Photocopies of inscription pages from books sent to Scott Polar Research, Cambridge G:\RSD\@ORCS09\ \MS-0455.DOC:2003/06/03 Page 5

6 2 C.H. Meares, The land of the Budorchus. Typescript with photos, 54 pages in large wooden case. Loose insert at front of volume: The King s Message to the Royal Air Force, 11 Nov Loose pages at back of volume: Typescript of speech on expedition to Chinese- Tibetan borderland with J. W. Brooke, 7 pages. G:\RSD\@ORCS09\ \MS-0455.DOC:2003/06/03 Page 6