Voyages of Hope: The Saga of the Bride-ships

Ann Turner is the financial and budget manager of the University of
British Columbia Library.

Between 1862 and 1870, four ships brought cargos of marriageable young
women from Britain to the west coast of British Columbia to become wives
for the single men pioneering and seeking gold there. The Anglican
Church missionaries and colonial government were strong supporters of
the bride-ships, in the hope that the women would be a steadying
influence in the colonies and encourage permanent settlement. In
Britain, emigration was seen by the Victorian government and early
feminist organizations as a solution to the lack of opportunities for
single women there, where women far outnumbered men and jobs for them
were in short supply.

Voyages of Hope is the story of the social and political forces and
individuals that prompted over a hundred women to seek a better life
half a world away. It tells of their frightful sea voyages to reach the
new colonies and the women’s experiences as they established
themselves in their new home. The author has painstakingly pieced
together the details of this little-known chapter in B.C.’s history
from public and personal records of the time, and has created a
colorful, cohesive, and well-documented narrative.