Document Record

Creator

Herchmer, L. W. (Lawrence William), 1840-1915

Title

Royal Canadian Mounted Police : Letterbooks of Commissioner L.W. Herchmer
Registres de copies lettres du commissaire L.W. Herchmer

Identifier

lac_mikan_158588
164533
RG 18 B 3
oocihm.lac_mikan_158588

Document source

Library and Archives Canada / Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Language

English

Description

The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a parliamentary police force created in 1873. It was meant to keep law and order among incoming settlers to the region west of Ontario, help Aboriginals make the transition to Indian reserves, and act as a symbol of Canadian sovereignty against American annexation. The police force was partially created in response to Fenian invaders who nearly made it to Manitoba in 1871. During the Klondike Gold Rush from 1897 to 1903, the NWMP would establish a presence in the Yukon to maintain order amongst the saloons, dance halls and gambling dens that sprung up to entertain gold prospectors flooding into the region.
In 1886, Lawrence William Herchmer (1840-1915) was appointed to succeed Acheson G. Irvine as Commissioner. He was succeeded by A. Bowen Perry in 1900.
This collection consists of the private letterbooks of Commissioner L.W. Herchmer dealing with discipline, promotions, misunderstandings arising between individual members of the force and the numerous clashes that took place among L.W. Herchmer, senior officers and constables of the force. During this period W.M. Herchmer was Assistant Commissioner and many of these letters are signed by him. Each volume includes an index.

URL

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_158588