Title: Rev. James T. Blackford Fonds
Dates: 1918- 1938
Extent: .25m textual records
Repository: United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference
Retrieval Numbers: Accession: Ex-88; I.D.: 3040; Location: PP2
James Blackford spent 25 years working with First Nations people in Manitoba, here at pulpit in Nelson House United Church. UCArchivesWpg album 3 018
Historic Note
Reverend James T. Blackford worked as a missionary for the United Church of Canada for several years. Blackford spent more than twenty-five years amongst the Aboriginal people of northern Manitoba and was also employed by the federal government as a chief forest ranger. He was the principal of the Norway House Residential School from around 1925 to 1930. From 1938 to 1943, Blackford served at Nelson House, Manitoba. James T. Blackford passed away around 1943. (see Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Fonds 509/2/2-8-9 file 2)
Scope and Content
The surviving records of James T. Blackford include: Manuscripts and narratives, pertaining to life in the north (including the fur trade, native communities, and the church), dates unknown; Notes, correlating to manuscripts, sermons, literature reviews,native history, Canadian history and other topics, dates unknown; Letters and correspondence, dating from 1918 to 1935; Scrapbooks, one containing clippings and articles regarding Robert Burns and one containing rough drafts of short stories, dates unknown; Notebooks, containing notes and stories regarding Aboriginal people (one specifically titled ‘Stories of Indians, Blackfoot-Crees’), date unknown; and Newspaper clippings, pertaining to Aboriginal people, dating from 1932 to 1938.
Custodial History
The records of Rev. Blackford came to the archives of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Archives as part of a transfer of records around 1970.
Documentation Digitization
Relevant items in this fonds related to Indian Residential Schools are included in The United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference 2014 Index of IRS Related Records and were digitized for submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Contact the Keeper of the Archives for more information.
Language
The records are in English.
Restriction on Access
No restrictions apply.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.