Clive Phillipps-Wolley

Born in Dorset, England, in 1853, Clive Phillipps-Wolley built a varied life before settling in British Columbia. He studied law, taught musketry, and wrote about hunting and travel, drawing on experiences in places including Russia and the Caucasus.

He visited British Columbia in the 1880s, was captivated by it, and eventually made it his home. His books about sport, travel, and frontier life — along with novels such as Gold, Gold in Cariboo! and One of the Broken Brigade — made him one of the better-known literary voices describing the province in that era.

Later in life he lived on Vancouver Island and became a familiar public figure as both a writer and speaker. He died in Duncan, British Columbia, in 1918.