Talk:HMS Topaze (1858)

Topaze Harbour et al.
This and other placenames on the BC Coast were named in association with the Topaze's presence in the region. See this item on Mount Spencer. Typically BCGNIS refs include information on commanders and sometimes also crews, and there's a LOT of entries associated with Royal Navy ships and officers. The following material from the Mt Spencer article is typical of such content:
 * ''Named in 1863 by Captain Pender, RN, after Captain the Hon. John Wellbore Sunderland Spencer, RN, (1816-1888), HMS Topaze, on this station 1859-1863. Spencer was the 6th son of Francis, 1st Baron Churchill, who in turn was the youngest son of the 3rd Duke of Marlborough. Appointed Rear Admiral 1879; retired as Vice Admiral, 1874; later ADC to Queen Victoria. [note that adjacent Topaze Harbour, Wellbore Channel and Sunderland Channel were named by Capt. Pender at the same time; 3 years earlier Captain Richards had named Mount Churchill, Marlborough Heights and Mount Spencer southwest of here in Jervis Inlet.], Source: Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)

Note that while BCGNIS is directly searcahble by placename, if you use "BCGNIS Topaze" as a google, it will turn up items which only mention the Topaze as well...similarly the Virago, Zealous and all others....Skookum1 (talk) 15:16, 23 February 2009 (UTC)