The Fred Light Museum houses a collection of more than 330 firearms, some dating back as far as the 1600s, and a local donation has increased the colleciton.
Joyce Vany, a descendent of North West Mounted Police members Cst. Richard Guthrie and his nephew Cst. John Guthrie, has donated items the museum has found to be valued at $6,200.
Vany's grandfather, John Joseph Guthrie, born in Tipperary, Ireland, came to Battleford in 1882 to visit his uncle Richard. Richard Guthrie had joined the NWMP in Ottawa 1876 and was part of the first detachment to serve at Battleford, serving until 1888. He was given a land grant of 160 acres in 1879 and again in 1884.
John joined the North West Mounted Police in 1884. He was involved in the infamous Craig Incident, a precursor to the rebellion, and then in 1885, during the Northwest Resistance, he was drafted from Battleford to Fort Carlton and after the Duck Lake battle went to Prince Albert. He was also one of the detachment members who made the trip to Green Lake in the attempt to capture Big Bear, according to his published obituary.
In his retirement documentation, it was certified the "Constable John Guthrie joined the North West Mounted Police on 27th February, 1884, and served continuously until 27th February, 1905, thus having completed 21 years service was entitled to retire and receive a pension for life; that his conduct was 'exemplary,' that his pay during the three years preceding his discharge was at the rate of $273.75 per annum, and that under Section 4, sub-section (b) he is entitled to an annual sum equal to twenty-two fiftieths of that amount, viz $120.45 per annum." Following his service, he went into the saddlery business.
The Fred Light museum has had the Guthrie items appraised by bonafide experts and one item, an Adams Mk II revolver ser. no. 8250, proved to be consistent with the Adams Mk II revolvers issued to the NWMP. Its value was estimated to be $3,400 and $3,000 by a second opinion. (The Adams Mk II was the third revolver issued to the North West Mounted Police in 1874.)
A Webley "British Bulldog" revolver, ser. no. 2164 was estimated at $450 by one collector and $500 by another. The British Bulldog was designed to be carried in a coat pocket.
Also donated was a NWMP cartridge belt and holster. The evaluator said it appeared to be the kind issued to the NWMP for carrying .45-75 cartridges for the Model 1876 Winchester carbine and .476 (or .455) cartridges for the Enfield Mk II revolver. (The .476 calibre Enfield Mk I and Mk II revolvers were the official sidearm of both the British Army and the North West Mounted Police, as well as being issued to many other Colonial units throughout the British Empire.)
In regard to the NWMP mark reported to be on the reverse of the belt, for the purposes of the evaluation, the mark was considered to be genuine. The holster appeared to be of the type issued for the NWMP Enfield revolver. In regard to the NWMP engraved on the flap of the holster, for the purposes of its evaluation, it was deemed to be genuine. The estimated value was $2,350.
A pair of binoculars and case were also evaluated, coming in between $800 and $1,000. These new addition to the collection are now on display at the Fred Light Museum on the top floor.
Vany will be receiving a tax-deductible receipt for the pieces.
The Fred Light Museum is located in a Municipal Heritage Property constructed in 1911; a two and a half storey, stucco-clad building that reflects a modified Second Empire architectural style.
Owned and financed by the Town of Battleford, the museum is named after Fred Light, who was part of a local pioneer North West Mounted Police family. He dedicated years to collecting and displaying local artifacts, which in turn developed into a museum. Since 1980 the museum has been housed in the former St. Vital School building constructed in 1914.
Within the museum is a firearms collection known across Canada as the Fred Light Collection. Light's collecting efforts exceeded 40 years of his life. At one time, he displayed his firearms on the walls and ceiling of his Lighthouse Service Station. Now, the collection is housed in the museum he founded, and is one of the largest firearm collections on display in Western Canada, interesting guests of all ages.
Museum manager Bernadette Leslie, who has been with the museum for 33 years and who worked closely with Light when he was alive, says the museum has had more visitors than usual this year, although donations are down somewhat. One highlight, however, was a $120 donation from a Speers area family.
They dropped in, paid $20 for a tour (donations are optional) and when it was over, they offered another $100 because they had enjoyed it so much. They said it was one of the best museums they have seen.
Another family toured the museum, apparently enjoying it, and left $1.30. You never know, laughed Leslie.
The visitor count for July was 466, up from 350 in 2012. Donations amounted to $864, as compared to $1,203 in 2012.
Some of the locations from which visitors have come include most of the Canadian provinces, plus the American states of Oregon, Missouri, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida and Washington, plus the countries of the Netherlands, Ireland, England, Ukraine, Philippines, El Salvador, Korea, China, Norway, Germany and South Africa.
