File consists of personal and legal papers of Bert Riggall's parents, grandparents and English relatives, 1905-1956, 2 cm; and Fanny Neave diary, 1877-1880, [ca.1948], 1 v. (1 cm). Diary was written at age 17; later notes and footnotes were written in advance of being mailed to her son, Bert Rigga…
File consists of personal and legal papers of Bert Riggall's parents, grandparents and English relatives, 1905-1956, 2 cm; and Fanny Neave diary, 1877-1880, [ca.1948], 1 v. (1 cm). Diary was written at age 17; later notes and footnotes were written in advance of being mailed to her son, Bert Riggall, ca.1948. File also includes Doris (Babe) Riggall's notes on Riggall extended family
File consists of personal papers, 1884-1959; school compositions, ca.1893; autobiography, after 1920; obituaries and funeral records, 1959
Title Source
Title based on contents of file
Content Details
* Personal papers, 1884-1959, 1 cm, consist of birth, marriage and death certificates; homestead, fire arms, game, drivers, licences and permits, visa and passport, memberships; list of property including guns, cameras, books, equipment, photographs, furniture and effects; Riggall family tree, Golden Jubilee Senior Citizen Award, 1955 (M376/54)
* School compositions, ca.1893, 2 items are by Bert Riggall, aged nine, and titled Half the Bargain and Christopher Columbus (M376/55)
* Notes on life of F.H.R. : [autobiography], after 1920, 16p (M376/56)
* Obituaries and funeral records, 1959, 1 cm, consist of two tributes, one by son-in-law Andy Russell; also funeral flower cards (M376/57)
Items from file: Personal papers. -- 1884-1959. -- 2.5 cm of textual records. -- File consists of personal papers, 1884-1959; school compositions, ca.1893; autobiography, after 1920; obituaries and funeral records, 1959. -- Title based on contents of file. -- Includes 3 oversize items. Some material in fragile condition. -- Location: M376 / 54 to 57.
Oversize items held in "B" (Certificates)
Publications pertain to home, school and travel, including Bert Riggall's early life at Grimsby, Lincolnshire prior to emigration; also in Switzerland where he vacationed prior to 1904. Most items are annotated
Publications pertain to home, school and travel, including Bert Riggall's early life at Grimsby, Lincolnshire prior to emigration; also in Switzerland where he vacationed prior to 1904. Most items are annotated
Title Source
Title based on contents of file
Content Details
LIST OF ITEMS :
* Terry's Theatre : [programme], 1894; annotated
* Bacon's county map and guide, ca.1901; annotated
* Plan of an estate at Gayton-Le-Wold and Welton-Le-Wold Lincolnshire belonging to the late Mr. Jabez Riggall for sale October 25, 1905; annotation: "F. H. Riggall's birthplace"; also annotated with Bert Riggall's notes and geographic names
* Grimsby Fish Market, The Times, June 8, 1914
* The Govian, October 1914; annotated
* Switzerland, 1921
* One hundred years, 1847-1947 : George Street Chapel; annotated
Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959. Personal and pro…
ca.13,100 photographs: ca.7080 prints, ca.5310 negatives, ca.700 transparencies. -- 9 photograph albums. -- ca.2 m textual records, print material and graphic records. -- 33 cartographic records
History / Biographical
Frederick Herbert (Bert) Riggall, 1884-1959, was a mountain guide, outfitter, hunter, trapper, rancher, naturalist, photographer, writer and gunsmith/loader in southern Alberta. Born in 1884 at Gayton-le-Wold Grange, Lincolnshire, his family moved to Grimsby where his father was an auctioneer and, in 1905, served as Mayor. In England, Riggall was an athlete, avid sportsman and naturalist. He was exposed to alpine country on school holidays in Switzerland and, determined to visit Canada, left for North America in 1904.
Upon arriving in western Canada, Riggall worked for a year at Craighurst Farm near Calgary. There he met Dorothea (Dora) Williams, 1877-1951, an Irish Quaker ranch cook who had emigrated with her sister Anna in 1902. In 1905, Bert worked on the Correction Land Survey in southwestern Alberta and explored Waterton Lakes. Bert and Dora married in 1906 and until 1946 they homesteaded and ranched adjacent to Waterton Lakes National Park.
Initially, Bert and partner Jack Hazzard built boats and guided fishing parties on Waterton Lakes. In 1909, with partner Cyril Watmough, the Riggalls began guiding and outfitting summer and fall hunting and fishing trips for numerous repeat clients, especially, after 1913, four Minneapolis, Minnesota families: Bovey, Crosby, Bennett and McKnight. Hunts involved Big Horn Sheep, goats, black and grizzly bears. Bert served as chief guide and Dora as camp cook. Prior to 1911, the Riggalls worked at Gloyne's oil camp and Oil City to supplement their income. In 1911, Bert and partner Cyril Watmough made a 1000 mile (1600 km) exploratory trip from Fort Steele, B.C. to the Yellowhead Pass and beyond. Following that trip, Riggall concentrated guiding activities on the continental divide as far north as the Highwood region, but primarily in the upper Oldman River Valley and Gap in the Livingstone Range. Their outfit grew to include numerous saddle and pack horses.
Of five children, only two daughters survived infancy. Kay Riggall (Russell), 1909-1984, and Doris (Babe) Riggall (Burton), 1910-1999, were both able riders, markswomen and packtrain workers. They accompanied their parents on summer back country trips starting in 1918. Bert Riggall was renowned for his knowledge of botany, geology, zoology, wilderness life and lore as well as literature and current affairs. He was especially endeared to his clients for his skill as a raconteur and campfire storyteller. He wrote articles for magazines such as: Arms and the Man, American Rifleman, Field and Stream and the Boone and Crockett Club's book: North American Big Game. Riggall was an accomplished semi-professional photographer who specialized in wildlife studies, panoramic landscapes, Dufaycolor and later Kodachrome transparencies. His photographs appear in Department of Interior Reports and other publications.
Bert's heart problems forced the Riggalls to move to Pincher Creek in 1947. Daughter Kay and son-in-law Andy Russell continued the packtrain and guiding business until 1960. After Dora's death, Bert experienced medical problems and lived with or close to Doris.
Scope & Content
Fonds includes seven series: I. Personal and professional, 1884-1959; II. Business and financial, ca.1910-1959; III. Professional photography, 1900-1955; IV. Writing, 1906-1957; V. Natural history, 1904-1954; VI. Other interests, 1913-1956; VII. Riggall family, ca.1865-1959.
Personal and professional series consists of diaries and notes, correspondence and personal papers.
Business and financial series consists of guiding and ranching records, gunsmithing, shooting and loading records; and legal and financial records.
Professional photography series consists of standard photographs, panoramas, transparencies and textual records
Writing series contains manuscripts, published magazines, book outlines, newspaper articles and letters to the editor
Natural history series contains bird and plant records, and other natural history papers
Other interests series consist of clippings, annotated books and collected material
Riggall family series contains Bert and Dora Riggall family papers and photographs, Williams family photographs, Frederick W. and Fanny Riggall papers and photographs, and Allan Riggall papers and photographs. Negatives and transparencies pertain to Andy Russell as a young man with Bert Riggall.
Notes
Some transparencies in V110 Dick Russell are marked Andy Russell, some marked 64 dup; V110 - original transparencies have full set of duplicates (2 sets were made, 1 for Dick Russell and the other is part of this accession)
File pertains to Bert Riggall's birth, childhood and education in England; travels and emigration to Canada; personal hunting; portraits. Album pertains to Riggall's activities and also includes photographs by his parents on their voyage to Canada and visit to the Riggall ranch in 1907, 1902-[ca.1…
File pertains to Bert Riggall's birth, childhood and education in England; travels and emigration to Canada; personal hunting; portraits. Album pertains to Riggall's activities and also includes photographs by his parents on their voyage to Canada and visit to the Riggall ranch in 1907, 1902-[ca.1909]