Henry Croft
Encyclopedia
Henry Croft was an Australian-born
lumber and mining magnate on Vancouver Island
in the early 1900s. He founded the town of Crofton
, British Columbia
in 1902 as a place to house the smelter for his coal mine on Mount Sicker
.
, New South Wales
, Australia at Darling Point
, in a place called Mount Adelaide, he migrated to England
at the age of one, after the death of his mother. He moved back to Australia after finishing school in 1879, but then went to the United States
, where his brother was living. Soon after in 1882, he again moved, this time to Canada
, staying at Victoria
, British Columbia
. It was here he met Mary Jean Dunsmuir, daughter of Robert Dunsmuir
. They married on June 29, 1885.
In 1890, Croft was elected to the British Columbia Legislature with 146 votes, or 34.27% of the ballots, representing the Cowichan
region. He served this post for the next four years.
He had developed the prosperous Lenora mine at nearby Mount Sicker in 1898. By 1902, his mine was producing more ore than railway cars could load and haul away to the Ladysmith
and Nanaimo, Nanaimo
ports. Inspired by significant profits, Croft bought the townsite of Crofton
to build a copper smelter and house his workers.
On July 28, 1917, Croft died at the age of 61 at his home, Mount Adelaide, in Victoria
. His wife, Mary, died on August 15, 1928. By the time of Croft's death, his smelter had long ago disappeared, and rumours of building a large sawmill in Crofton had been raging. However, none of them ever came about.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
lumber and mining magnate on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
in the early 1900s. He founded the town of Crofton
Crofton, British Columbia
Crofton, British Columbia, Canada, is a small coastal town that is part of the District of North Cowichan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The population is estimated at 2,500 people...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in 1902 as a place to house the smelter for his coal mine on Mount Sicker
Mount Sicker
Mount Sicker is a small mountain on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is near Crofton, Chemainus and Duncan.-Mining history:In the autumn of 1895, three American prospectors—F.L. Sullivan, T. McKay and Henry Buzzard—discovered traces of copper, gold and silver on Mount Sicker and...
.
Biography
Born at SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia at Darling Point
Darling Point, New South Wales
Darling Point is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darling Point is located 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council....
, in a place called Mount Adelaide, he migrated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the age of one, after the death of his mother. He moved back to Australia after finishing school in 1879, but then went to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where his brother was living. Soon after in 1882, he again moved, this time to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, staying at Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It was here he met Mary Jean Dunsmuir, daughter of Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician. -Origins in Scotland:...
. They married on June 29, 1885.
In 1890, Croft was elected to the British Columbia Legislature with 146 votes, or 34.27% of the ballots, representing the Cowichan
Cowichan
Cowichan may refer either to:*the Cowichan peoples and their dialect of Hul'qumi'num*the Cowichan Tribes First Nation located in and around Duncan, British Columbia...
region. He served this post for the next four years.
He had developed the prosperous Lenora mine at nearby Mount Sicker in 1898. By 1902, his mine was producing more ore than railway cars could load and haul away to the Ladysmith
Ladysmith, British Columbia
Ladysmith is a town located on the 49th parallel on the east coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia, Canada. The local economy is based on forestry, tourism and agriculture. A hillside location adjacent to a sheltered harbour form the natural characteristics of the community., the population...
and Nanaimo, Nanaimo
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
ports. Inspired by significant profits, Croft bought the townsite of Crofton
Crofton, British Columbia
Crofton, British Columbia, Canada, is a small coastal town that is part of the District of North Cowichan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The population is estimated at 2,500 people...
to build a copper smelter and house his workers.
On July 28, 1917, Croft died at the age of 61 at his home, Mount Adelaide, in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. His wife, Mary, died on August 15, 1928. By the time of Croft's death, his smelter had long ago disappeared, and rumours of building a large sawmill in Crofton had been raging. However, none of them ever came about.
Association
Henry Croft was a member of many different societies as a result of his mining involvement:- Fellow of the Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical SocietyThe Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
- Member of the Institute of Mining Engineers
- Member of the Institution of Civil EngineersInstitution of Civil EngineersFounded on 2 January 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers is an independent professional association, based in central London, representing civil engineering. Like its early membership, the majority of its current members are British engineers, but it also has members in more than 150...