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John Sebastian Helmcken, surgeon, politician (b at London, Eng 5 June 1824; d at Victoria 1 Sept 1920).
Helmcken, John Sebastian
John Sebastian Helmcken, surgeon, politician (b at London, Eng 5 June 1824; d at Victoria 1 Sept 1920). In 1847 Helmcken sailed to York Factory and back as surgeon on the Hudson's Bay Co supply ship Prince Rupert and in 1848-50 was appointed surgeon and clerk to the HBC at Fort Rupert and then at Fort Victoria. Son-in-law of Sir James DOUGLAS, he was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island from 1856-66, when he was elected to the Legislative Council of BC. In 1870 he was one of 3 CONFEDERATION delegates to Ottawa from BC. When BC entered Confederation in 1871, Helmcken retired from politics and devoted himself to medicine and his reminiscences. In 1885 he became first president of the BC Medical Society.
