Daniel “Dan” Wishart Mainguy (1842-1906) was the son of the Reverend (there were lots of clergy in the Mainguy family) James Mainguy of Guernsey (1804-1883). James had 13 children but many died at an early age and only Dan and his brother lived to have children of their own. James was known to have been very strict with his children and this may be the reason that Dan left Guernsey for England and then on the 11th of January 1863 he set sail on the bark “Strathallan” for Canada – he was only 21 years old. Not content to just sail across the Atlantic, they went non-stop for more than four months around Cape Horn on the sailing ship Strathallen and then up the Pacific West coast all the way to Victoria, British Colombia – after 18 weeks at sea!.
He then traveled partway up the east coast of Vancouver island and built himself a small cabin in the Chemainus area. This is really being adventuresome.
A couple of years later he was starting to become prosperous and built a two story house on a small island in the same area. It is still called Mainguy Island on maps. Later, he could paddle a canoe to the shore and then take a steam train to Victoria to buy supplies, etc. We have a number of details of his life at this time
which can be sent to anyone who is interested.
It is not clear what he did for a living but he described himself as a farmer. He seemed to have enough to live on but took jobs from time to time which one included being a constable in Chamainus.
In 1876 he was still not married and took a steam ship down to San Francisco and then on to New York by train which took 8 days. He then went by steamer in December 1876 to Ireland where he met his brother.
We will leave out all the part back in Europe but he visited many friends and relatives in Ireland, England, Guernsey and France whom he had not seen for 15 years.
It was not until August 1878 that he set sail by steamer again back to Halifax in Canada. What a change this must have been for him. The first trip taking 18 weeks by sail and this by steamer in just 10 days! He took the train back to California and then by ship again up to Victoria to once again reach home.
Dan married Mary Elizabeth Fry in 1884 and had five children. They first lived in the house on Mainguy island but around 1890 built a larger home on the south bank of the Chamainus river where the All Saints church was later built on the opposite side of the river.
Click on to see Daniel Wishart Mainguy (1842-1906) family tree for 6 generation.
Click on to see Danial Wishart Mainguy descendants descriptions and pictures.
