Holdings Information

Bibliographic Record Display

• Title:Alexander Manson fonds
  
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• Author/Creator:Manson, Alexander Malcolm, 1883-
  
• Published/Created:1854, 1887-2017
  

• Holdings

  Holdings Record Display

  • Location:RBSC ASRS - (Confirm availability: email rare.books@ubc.ca) Where is this?
    
  • Call Number: RBSC-ARC-1350
    
  • Number of Items:95
    
  • Status:c.1 Box 5 Requested
    c.1 Box 7 Requested
    c.1 Box 8 Requested
    
  • Location Has:Box 1-95
    
    

   
• Library of Congress Subjects:Manson, Alexander Malcolm, 1883-
  British Columbia. Supreme Court
  Freemasons.
  Liberal Party in British Columbia.
  Pacific Great Eastern Railway.
  
• Description:11.5 m of textual records and other material
  73 photographs : b&w
  
• Summary:The fonds consists of records related to British Columbia politician and judge Alexander Malcolm Manson's life. The records in this fonds encompass all aspects of Manson's life and were produced both through his career and in his personal life. Notably, the fonds contains extensive records from Manson's political career, his judicial career, and the investments and trusts he managed. Many areas of Manson's life overlapped considerably, including overlapping careers, and records related to one area of his life may be found among records related to another area. The contents of this fonds consist predominantly of correspondence, including carbon copies of correspondence sent by Manson. This correspondence pertains both to Manson's career as well as to various parts of his personal life and has been arranged according to the file names used by Manson wherever possible; correspondence that has not otherwise been sorted by Manson has been sorted as "general correspondence," a designation which also includes personal correspondence. Other types of records in this fonds include meeting minutes, court proceedings, financial statements, newspaper clippings, governmental reports, shareholder reports, certificates, invitations and event programmes, and photographs. The fonds has been arranged into eight series: legal career; political career; judicial career; finances; personal life; Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; general correspondence; and photographs, scrapbooks, and ephemera.
  
• Biography/history note:Alexander Malcolm Manson, a British Columbia politician and judge, was born October 7, 1883 in St. Louis, Missouri. Following the death of his mother in 1889, Manson moved to Ontario to live with his grandparents. He attended the University of Toronto, graduating in 1905 with a Bachelor of Arts. He then studied law at Osgoode Hall and graduated in 1908. Manson was called to the Ontario Bar in June 1908 and to the British Columbia Bar in July 1908. He settled in northern British Columbia, and became the first lawyer to practice in Prince Rupert. He established a law firm in Prince Rupert with William Edward Williams, Williams & Manson. The firm would later become Williams, Manson & Gonzales with the addition of another lawyer, Milton Gonzales. Manson practised law at this firm until 1922. Soon after beginning his career as a lawyer, Manson expressed an interest in politics. He first ran for office in the Skeena riding in 1912 as the candidate for the British Columbia Liberal Party, but was defeated in the general election. He ran again in the 1916 election, this time successfully. Manson was elected to the provincial legislature in the Omineca riding in 1916, 1920, 1922 (a by-election), 1924, 1928, and 1933. Manson held a number of positions in Premier John Oliver's government. He served as the Deputy Speaker from 1918-1920 and was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on February 8, 1921. He was appointed as Attorney-General on January 28, 1922, also becoming King's Counsel, and as Minister of Labour on April 12, 1922. He would serve in this dual capacity as Attorney-General and Minister of Labour for 6 years. During this period, Manson was involved in the high-profile and controversial Janet Smith murder investigation and trial (1924-1925). His handling of the Janet Smith case would irreparably damage his political career. Manson resigned as Attorney-General and Minister of Labour on August 20, 1928, following the Liberal defeat in the 1928 general election. Manson also relocated to Vancouver in 1928, where, in addition to his political commitments, he resumed work as a lawyer. Although the Liberals won the 1933 provincial election, Manson was not given any cabinet appointments in Premier Duff Pattullo's government. Manson shifted his focus to federal politics and ran as the Liberal candidate for the Vancouver South riding in the 1935 federal election, but was defeated. On November 27, 1935, Alexander Malcolm Manson was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. As a Supreme Court judge, Manson delivered over 400 judgements, including more than a dozen death penalties. He became known for his harsh sentences and his rulings would be changed on appeal more often than those of any other judge. During the Second World War, Manson also served as chairman of the War Services Board. Manson served on the Supreme Court of British Columbia for 26 years. He retired on March 1, 1961, when a new law requiring judges retire at 75 years came into effect. Manson invested heavily in industry throughout his life, including becoming a shareholder in several mines operating in British Columbia. Manson was a member of several social societies and was particularly involved with the Freemasons. Alexander Malcolm Manson died of cancer on September 25, 1964 in Vancouver.
  
• Indexes and finding aids:Online inventory available.
  
• Notes:Title based on the contents of the fonds.