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Administrative history
The Legion of Frontiersmen is a volunteer paramilitary organization that was founded in 1905 by Roger Pocock (1865-1941) to take up the call to protect the British Empire in times of need and remain vigilant in times of peace. The organization soon expanded across the British Empire and, by WWI, there were more than 10,000 men enrolled. Pocock had served in the North West Mounted Police and fought in the Boer War, but he envisioned the Frontiersmen as being "civilian, self-supporting, and self-reliant," not under any specific police or military organization. Although the British War Office would not recognize the Frontiersmen during WWI, members were able to serve together by enlisting en masse to specific regiments, including the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The Frontiersmen Collection is organized by country—Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, and India—and includes correspondence, financial and legal records, meeting minutes, newsletters, and a variety of military forms, as well as photographs, maps, banners, and medals. It is home to the official Charter Certificate for the founding of the Legion of Frontiersmen Canadian Division, whose headquarters are located in Edmonton. The highlight of the collection is a group of nine field diaries penned by Roger Pocock dated 1905-1917. This collection is closely related to several others housed in Bruce Peel Special Collections, specifically the Sir Samuel Benfield Steele Family Archive and the Roger Pocock Archive. It continues to grow thanks to ongoing donations.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The Legion of Frontiersmen Collection was acquired by Bruce Peel Special Collections through acquisitions and significant donations from Stephen Gallard, Geoff Pocock, and William Shandro.
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Location of originals
The collection is housed in Bruce Peel Special Collections, located in the Rutherford South building on the University of Alberta North Campus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Bruce Peel Special Collections is part of the University of Alberta.
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
The materials in this collection are held in Bruce Peel Special Collections. We strongly recommend that researchers refer to https://bpsc.library.ualberta.ca/ for our hours of operation, and be attentive to periods of limited services. To request an appointment, please email us at bpsc@ualberta.ca well in advance, listing the requested materials, and we will accommodate your request accordingly.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
In November 2023 the Legion of Frontiersmen Unprocessed Box Inventory of more recent donations was compiled.
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Finding aid was written by Paul Gifford, with assistance from Rachel Osolen, 2016-2017 and Jeff Papineau.