Fonds - Alexander Garrett fonds

Alexander Charles Garrett belonged to one of the oldest families in Ireland. His father, the Reverend John Garrett of Ballymote, County Sligo, was rector of the parish church. Alexander Charles, the youngest of fifteen children, graduated from the school for clergy sons at Lucan, close to Dublin. He attended Trinity College in Dublin and entered the Divinity School. After graduation in 1855, he and his wife moved to England where, after a short teaching career, he was ordained deacon and undertook clerical duties in Surrey. In 1859 he was ordained priest. The same year Rev. G. Hills was travelling through England to find men and money for the establishment of the Diocese of British Columbia. A.C. Garrett was accepted and was engaged as a missionary and sailed to the New World. After a journey which took seven months instead of two weeks, A.C. Garrett and his family arrived in Victoria Harbour. Unfortunately he then learned that there was no prospect of clerical employment, as the expected clergy position had been already filled. At that time, there was an Indian reservation across the harbour and A.C. Garrett was impressed with their sad life condition. He appealed to the Bishop and permission was given to open a school. He also travelled around into the country for missionary duties. As British Columbia became better known and large number of families arrived, A.C. Garrett proposed that the land around Cowichan Bay to be opened for settlement (1860). With the Governor's permission the lands were assigned and Mr. Garrett expanded his missionary work among the Indians. The Rev. A.C. Garrett extended his missionary work further North, around William's Creek (1865), which attracted many people for its gold mining deposits. His next appointment brought him back to Esquimault Harbour (1866-1868). He took a new position in Nanaimo and continued his missionary work in an Indian village nearby (1869). In his capacity as Secretary of the Indian Improvement Committee, he solicited the B.C. Governor for a site for a school house and master's residence upon the Indian reserve (1860). Convinced that his missionary work in the region was nearly done, Rev A.C. Garrett accepted the position of rector of St. James' Church in San Francisco, California (1869-1972), then as Rector and Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Omaha, Nebraska (1872-1874). He was consecrated Missionary Bishop of Northern Texas in 1874.