Fonds consists of records spanning the period 1888-1937 relating to Charles Spring’s claims for financial losses as a result of the renewal of the “Modus Vivendi” banning pelagic sealing in the Bering Sea for the 1892-1893 season, and supporting documentation both prepared by and compiled by Spring. Records relating to Spring’s pursuit of his claims include draft and final statements of claim; draft and final petitions, memorials, statements, memoranda, and declarations; incoming and outgoing correspondence; notebooks; accountings and lists of expenses; Pelagic Sealing Commission oaths; reports; newspaper clippings, receipts, and other ephemera; and related notes and documents. Supporting documentation compiled by Spring was generated by the sealing industry, his own sealing enterprise, and as a result of the collapse of his business. These records include ledgers and journals; log books; certificates and licenses; sales, ownership, and insurance documents; receipts and financial documents; reports; court papers and police charges; correspondence and notices; and related notes and documents. The fonds also consists of personal papers not directly related to Spring’s sealing claims, including correspondence, copies and originals of photographs, and other documents.

The file contains originals and copies of photographs of Charles Spring and his wife, Agnes Dowdall.

File contains a personal letter from Spring to his son-in-law, Leslie A. Smith, who married Spring's daughter, Loretta.

The file contains a journal recording revenues and expenditures of the Donald Urquhart estate accounts from May 1894 to October 1905, including entries relating to shares owned by Urquhart of schooners "Venture," "Penelope," and "Sayward." Large sections of the journal also contain drafts of stories, notes, and recipes written in a different hand.

The file contains the agreement and account of crew for the schooner "Penelope," owned by Donald Urquhart. The document serves as an employment contract for the voyage and provides a list of crew members and particulars of engagement, discharge, and release. Notes the release of crew members due to sickness and the engagement of new crew members.

The file contains the agreement and account of crew for the schooner "Venture," owned by Donald Urquhart. The document serves as an employment contract for the voyage and provides a list of crew members and particulars of engagement, discharge, and release. Notes the desertion of three crew members.

File consists of letters and documents relating to Captain Donald Urquhart. The files includes letters to Captain Owen Thomas of schooner "Venture" from an unknown party regarding restrictions on entering the Bering Sea and referencing Captain Urquhart. The files also contains Spring's notes regarding and drafts of letters to Urquhart's family, as well as documents from Customs and Excise, Canada regarding Urquhart's ownership of vessels "Venture," "W.P. Sayward," and "Penelope."

File consists primarily of correspondence between Spring and Captain Cereno Jones Kelley that references exchanges of statements, information, and figures relating to claims for vessels "Kate" and "Favourite." The file also includes a copy of Kelley's letter to F.B. Marvin & Co. upon the seizure of the steamer "Coquitlam," and a document regarding the "Modus Vivendi" on C.J. Kelley & Co. stationery in an unknown hand.

File contains the daily log book for the sloop "Nymphe," of which Spring was master. Log covers a sea lion hunting trip from April 23, 1913 through October 4, 1913. The file also contains the Commissioner of Fisheries Report for 1913 in which Charles F. Newcombe and William A. Newcombe summarize the same trip in a report on sea lions on the coast of British Columbia.

The file contains three copies of a 1914 petition prepared by Spring and brought forth by owners and masters of sealing vessels during the 1892 season. The petition requests an enlargement of the scope of the Pelagic Sealing Commission to include their claims for compensation. One of the copies is signed and two are unsigned. The petition is addressed to the House of Commons of Canada.

File contains a memorial regarding compensation owed for the loss of revenue following the seizure of the schooner "Favorite" by the U.S.S. "Mohican" in 1894. A 1922 newspaper clipping regarding sealing schooners is interleaved. The memorial is addressed to the Governor-General of Canada.

File contains declarations of eight individuals or organizations regarding compensation owed following the seizure of the steamer "Coquitlam" by the U.S. revenue cutter "Corwin" in 1892. Declarations request compensation for losses of seal skins, good shipped, legal fees, etc. Claimants include Cereno J. Kelley.

File contains a memorial regarding regulations restricting the sealing industry brought forth by 25 owners of a number of vessels, including the "Venture," "Penelope," and ships formerly owned by Spring, "Favourite" (or "Favorite") and "Kate." The memorial is addressed to the Governor-General of Canada in Council.

File contains a memorial regarding reimbursement for financial losses brought forth by 19 owners of a number of sealing vessels, including the "Venture," "Penelope," "Favourite" (or "Favorite)," and "Kate." The memorial is addressed to the Governor-General of Canada.

File contains declaration by John Clark, owner of the schooner "Enterprise," regarding his claim for revenue lost as a result of the sealing prohibition.

File contains letters regarding Spring's attempts to reengage the government on the issue of the "Modus Vivendi" claims. The file also includes drafts of letters to Richard Bedford Bennett, Prime Minister of Canada, a draft of a 1934 petition to the Chairman of the Senate Committee of the Pelagic Sealing Treaty of 1911, and a copy of October 6, 1931 clipping from the "Daily Times" and "Daily Colonist" in Victoria regarding settlement of the "Coquitlam" claim. Notable correspondents include Alan Webster Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox-Alberni; D'Arcy Britton Plunkett, Member of Parliament for Victoria; Henry Herbert Stevens, Minister of Trade and Commerce; Alfred Duranleau, Minister of Marine and Minister of Fisheries (Acting); Ian Mackenzie, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre; Albert Edward Munn, Member of Parliament for Vancouver North; A.W. Merriam, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister; W. Stewart Edwards, Deputy Minister of Justice.

File primarily contains replies to Spring in response to a memorandum synopsis of the "Modus Vivendi" sent to various officials. The file also includes a draft of a memorial addressed to Sidney Webb, Secretary of State for the Dominions, and a typed copy of a 1895 letter that H. Paxton, owner of the schooner "Wanderer," wrote to Joseph Chamberlain, member of the British Parliament. Notable correspondents include Lucien Cannon, Solicitor General; Hewitt Bostock, Senator from Kamloops; Alan Webster Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox-Alberni; William A. Found, Director of Fisheries; Pierre Joseph Arthur Cardin, Minister of Marine and Fisheries; John Hosie, Provincial Librarian and Archivist.

File contains correspondence relating to the prospects for the settlement of sealing claims under the current government and correspondence with R.E. Gosnell of the Legislative Press Gallery, who agreed to lobby for Spring in Ottawa. Notable correspondents include James Horace King, Minister of Soldiers Civil Re-Establishment; C.H. Gibbons, Vice President, Legislative Press Gallery; Lucien Cannon, Solicitor General; A.M. Manson, Attorney General; Hewitt Bostock, Senator from Kamloops; W. Stewart Edwards, Deputy Minister of Justice; Simon Fraser Tolmie, premier of British Columbia. The file also includes a draft of 1928 memorial to J.H. King requesting an investigation of sealing claims.

File primarily contains correspondence related to a 1927 petition by Spring and others to William Lyon Mackenzie King requesting the establishment a royal commission inquiring into damages suffered by sealers due to the extension of the "Modus Vivendi." A copy of the petition is also included in the file. Notable correspondents include William A. Found, Director of Fisheries; Alfred Duranleau, Minister of Fisheries; C.H. French, Fur Trade Commissioner; Lucien Cannon, Solicitor General; L.C. Moyer, Private Secretary of the Prime Minister; George Warren, Managing Secretary of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce; W.E. Payne, Executive Secretary of the Vancouver Board of Trade; Alan Webster Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox-Alberni; Hewitt Bostock, Senator from Kamloops.

File contains sporadic correspondence regarding sealing claims from 1917-1918, 1921-1922, and 1925-1926. Notable correspondents include Wilfrid Laurier; Ward Fisher, Deputy Minister of the Naval Service; the Deputy Minister of Justice; Fred A. McGregor, Private Secretary to the Prime Minister; Pierre Joseph Arthur Cardin, Minister of Marine and Fisheries; Thomas Mulvey, Under Secretary of State; R.A. Sargent, barrister.

File contains letters related to "Modus Vivendi" claims for the schooners "Kate" and "Favorite" and correspondence in response Spring's 1914 petition and memorial to Parliament. Notable correspondents include George Henry Barnard, Member of Parliament for Victoria City; John Douglas Hazen, Minister of Marine and Fisheries; Charles Edmund Kingsmill, Director of Naval Services; Martin Burrell, Minister of Agriculture. The file also includes typed copies of the notice of liability to interruption issued to sealers in March 1892, a copy of a letter received from L.A. Cattaliar, Under Secretary of State, in 1895 regarding the sealers' unsuccessful claims for losses, and estimates of losses incurred during the season.

File contains letters related to Spring's requests for the appointment of a commission for the final settlement of Modus Vivendi claims. Notable correspondents include Louis-Philippe Brodeur, Minster of Marine and Fisheries; William Templeman, Acting Minster of Marine and Fisheries; A. Johnson, Deputy Minister of Marine and Fisheries; Martin Burrell, Minister of Agriculture; Charles J. Doherty, Minister of Justice; John Douglas Hazen, Minister of Marine and Fisheries; W.T. White, Victoria Board of Trade. File also includes an index created by Spring of select letters from 1892 to 1928, entitled "List of letters, referring to correspondence on Modus Vivendi Claims for Season 1892."

File contains a journal of expenses and payments related Spring's business with entries from March 12, 1888 to October 20, 1898 (page 217). Entries include expenditures for good and services for vessels, wages, and other expenses. Some entries are out of chronological order. No entries exist between September 1892 and October 1898. Many of the pages in the journal are loose.

File contains correspondence and receipts related to the payment of Spring's debts in 1898 from monies received under the Bering Sea Claims Commission Award.

Files contains writs of summons, subpoenas, orders, writs of fieri facias, default summonses, etc. against Charles Spring issued between 1892 and 1894 for non-payment of monies owned. The papers originate from the Supreme Court of B.C., Exchequer Court of B.C. Admiralty District, County Court of Victoria, Provincial Police Court, etc. Funds were primarily owed to tradesmen for goods and services rendered for Spring's sealing vessels, as well as to crew members for unpaid wages. The file also contains copies of police charges brought against Charles Spring by sealers for non-payment of wages in 1892, a list of court judgments against Spring, and related notes and documents.

File contains handwritten copies of the oath sworn by those giving evidence to Pelagic Sealing Commission in English, Nootka, and Chinook Jargon, as well as a note regarding the meaning of the word "Nootka."

File contains documents relating to the schooner "Henrietta." Documents include accounts and expense sheets, including an accounting of expenses to outfit the vessel, lists of improvements and repairs, and payments to crew; promissory notes / receipts for advances to the crew.

File contains notes of credit for expenses to be charged to schooner "Lily," also called "Lilly," as well as receipts of funds received by "Lilly."

Log book contains a list of crew and report of character, as well as entries regarding the warning received from H.M.S. "Daphne" against entering the Bering Sea and the transfer of a crew member to another vessel.

Log by commander A. J. Taylor contains entries on conditions, location, and activities of the crew on "Kate" from March 5, 1892 to August 4, 1892. The June 21 entry notes the arrival of H.M.S. "Daphne." The log also contains a list of crew and provisions taken on board.

File contains a log of the number of seal skins taken, crew names, positions, conditions, provisions used, etc. on board "Kate" on sealing trips between March 1890 and July 1892. The log also includes financial transactions against the ship's accounts.

File contains documents relating to the schooner "Kate." Documents include exhibits to support claim of losses; account and expense sheets, including vessel inventories and lists of repairs and improvements; vouchers for expenses incurred by "Kate;" statements and declarations by Spring regarding "Kate;" insurance policy; related correspondence, a copy of the warning letter from H.M.S. "Daphne" against entering Bering Sea; claim to Pelagic Sealing Commission.

Log book contains a list of crew and report of character, draught of water on leaving Victoria harbour, and entries regarding the taking on of a new crew member. Log also notes the warning received from H.M.S. "Daphne" against entering the Bering Sea.

File contains documents relating to the schooner "Favourite," also called "Favorite." Documents include statements and declarations by Spring regarding "Favourite;" insurance policy; vouchers for expenses incurred by "Favourite;" account and expense sheets, including list of improvements and repairs, provisions purchased, and wages earned; claim to Pelagic Sealing Commission; statement from captain Amos Ellis; and other documents.

File contains ledger, with index, of accounts related to "Winifred" from 1891 to 1892. Includes payments to persons and businesses from "Winifred" account.

File contains journal of "Winifred" account transactions from February 1891 through March 1892. Journal also contains multiplication exercises in pencil.

File contains documents relating to the schooner "Winifred," also called "Winnifred." Documents include typed copies of the title, statements of the captain and a crew member, and notice of vessel detainment; draft declaration by Charles Spring regarding "Winnifred;" documents related to the Bering Sea Claims Commission claims; bill of sale for shares of "Winifred" to Spring; repair and improvement receipts; transcript of the record and proceedings of the United States court case against "Winifred;" and other documents.

File contains documents relating to the S.S. "Mist." Documents include the registry certificate for the vessel, coasting license, and receipts for duties and fees paid.

File contains accountings of losses and damages sustained by Charles Spring, W. Walker, owner of the S.S. "Mischief," and H. Paxton, owner of the schooner "Wanderer."

File contains draft declarations by Charles Spring regarding loss of property. Declarations cover losses of City of Victoria lots, a residence on Kingston Street, stores in Ucluelet and Hesquot [sic], and the sloop "Annie."

File contains memorandum of information required for cases presented to the Pelagic Sealing Commission.

File contains typed and handwritten draft copies of the declaration of Charles Spring, with index. Supporting exhibits provide an accounting of monetary losses during the 1892-1893 sealing season.

Notebook contains drafts of Spring's letters primarily regarding attempts to settle his "Modus Vivendi" claims. Notable correspondents include Alan Webster Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox-Alberni; Secretary of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States; R.E. Gosnell, Legislative Press Gallery; A.M. Manson, Attorney General; James Horace King, Minister of Soldiers Civil Re-Establishment. Loose notes, drafts, and newspaper clippings are interleaved throughout the notebook.

Notebook contains drafts of Spring's letters and documents and notes regarding attempts to settle his "Modus Vivendi" claims. Notable correspondents include R.B. Bennett, Prime Minister; D'Arcy Britton Plunkett, Member of Parliament for Victoria; Senator J.D. Taylor; Hugh Guthrie, Minister of Justice; W. Stewart Edwards, Deputy Minister of Justice. The notebook also contains drafts of a resolution to a standing committee on pelagic sealing. Loose notes, drafts, and newspaper clippings are interleaved throughout the notebook.

Notebook contains drafts of Spring's letters and documents and notes regarding attempts to settle his "Modus Vivendi" claims. Notable correspondents include James Horace King, Minister of Soldiers Civil Re-Establishment; Alan Webster Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox-Alberni; Captain H. Paxton; Sidney Webb, Secretary of State for the Dominions; F.A. Pauline, Agent General for British Columbia; Richard Bedford Bennett, Prime Minister of Canada; William A. Found, Director of Fisheries; William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada; Captain Walter E. Adams; Senator Andrew Haydon; Wilfred Hanbury, Liberal party candidate; Simon Fraser Tolmie, Premier of British Columbia. The notebook also contains a handwritten transcript of the May 6, 1929 exchange regarding sealing claims in the House of Commons and Spring's response, as well as a draft memorial to Sidney Webb. Loose notes, drafts, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera are interleaved throughout the notebook.

Series consists of drafts, working papers, and support material relating to Charles Spring’s efforts to recoup financial losses as a result of the “Modus Vivendi.” The series includes drafts of letters and documents; notes; newspaper clippings and other ephemera; accountings of losses; declarations, petitions, and memorials; incoming correspondence; a daily log book; a Commissioner of Fisheries Report; and receipts. The series is arranged into subseries based on the creator’s arrangement of material into three separate groupings.

Series consists of correspondence related to Spring's attempts to reengage the Canadian government on the issue of monetary settlement for losses sustained due to the renewal of the “Modus Vivendi.” The series includes incoming letters from various government officials to Charles Spring, as well as copies of incoming letters to other parties acting in collaboration with or on behalf of Spring. Incoming correspondence is frequently annotated by Spring with notes or drafts of replies. In addition, the series contains drafts and fair copies of Spring’s outgoing letters and related petitions, memorials, and other documents. The first file of the series contains an index created by Spring of select letters from 1892 to 1928 entitled, "List of letters, referring to correspondence on Modus Vivendi Claims for Season 1892." The letters included in this index are scattered throughout the series files. The correspondence is arranged in chronological order.

The series consists of documents relating to Captain Cereno J. Kelley and Captain Donald Urquhart (later the estate of Donald Urquhart), and their involvement in the sealing industry during the period of the “Modus Vivendi” and later. The series also documents the later involvement of Kelley and the estate of Donald Urquhart in pursuing claims for losses as a result of the “Modus Vivendi” and vessel seizures. Documents include correspondence, notes and drafts, proof of vessel ownership papers, agreements and accounts of crew for Urquhart’s schooners, and an account journal for the Urquhart estate.

Series consists of personal correspondence and documents, as well as photographs (copies and originals) of Spring and his wife. The series includes correspondence with Spring’s son-in-law and an English language correspondence course, correspondence course booklet, a manual on preparing manuscripts, and other documents and ephemera.

Series contains material relating to claims for financial losses as a result of the “Modus Vivendi” and supporting documentation prepared and compiled by Charles Spring. Material relates to claims submitted to the 1896-1897 Bering Sea Claims Commission, the 1913-1915 Pelagic Sealing Commission headed by Louis Arthur Audette, and later efforts at settlement. Material includes instructions for submission of claims, drafts of claims and declarations by Charles Spring, statements from vessel captains, crew, and other involved parties, and accountings of losses and damages. Supporting documentation includes material originally used in the course of business during the 1888-1892 sealing seasons, complied by Spring as evidence. Supporting documentation includes ledgers and journals for sealing business accounts; receipts for expenses, including goods and services, duties and fees, repairs and improvements; vessel registries, licenses, insurance policies, and bills of sale; official vessel log books; transcript of court proceedings against the schooner "Winifred,” and other documents. The series also contains court papers, police charges, and related documents resulting from Charles Spring’s debts, as well as a list of court judgements against him and receipts for payment of monies owed following the receipt of the Bering Sea Claims Commission award in 1898. The series is primarily arranged into files by vessel.