Throughout his career in
British Columbia, Gosset was praised and reviled. Did he deserve either or both reputations? Please read on and judge for yourself the
enigma of William D. Gosset.

The parents and siblings of William
Driscoll Gosset*
and other Vital Statistics
Father: |
John
Noah Gossett OR Gosset
born 1793,
London, London, England
died 30 Aug 1870, London, London, England
son of Matthew
Gossett and Margaret
Durell |
Mother: |
Maria
Margaret Driscoll
born 26
SEP 1805, London, London, England
died 03
OCT 1883, London, London, England
daughter of Thomas
Driscoll and Unknown |
|
|
Children: |
|
1. |
William
Henry Gossett
born About 1819, London, London, England, Pedigree |
2. |
William
Driscoll Gossett*
born
13 APR 1822, London,
London, England,
Pedigree |
3. |
Caroline
Anna Gossett
born About 1824, London, London, England, Pedigree |
4. |
Louisa
Henrietta Gossett
born About 1826, London, London, England
died 1838,<London,
London, England>Pedigree |
5. |
Louisa
Henrietta Gossett
born 18 JUN 1828, London, London, England, Pedigree |
6. |
Elizabeth
Marie Gossett
born 18 JUN 1828, London, London, England
died 21 FEB 1868, <London,
London, England>, Pedigree |
|
Gosset, like all Royal Engineer
officers, was a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal
Military Academy, Woolwich, where he learned his trade as an
engineer, obtaining his commission upon completion
"From
June to September 1843, about 8 men under Lt. Gosset,
RE., assisted in the undertaking for determining the
longitude of Valentia by transition of chronometers. Thirty
chronometers were conveyed in every transition; and to
privates Robert Penton and John M'Fadden was entrusted
the service of bearing the chronometers, and winding them up
at stated times and places. On receiving the chronometers
from Liverpool the reciprocations took place repeatedly
between Kingston and Valentia Island. Professor Sheepshanks
and Lieutenant Gosset carried out the scientific purposes of
the service, while the sappers not engaged with the
chronometers attended to the main duties of the camp and
observatory at Feagh Main, under the subordinate
superintendence of Corporal B. Keen Spencer."
-- History of the Royal
Sappers and Miners : from the formation of the corps in
March 1772 to the date when its designation was changed to
that of Royal Engineers in October 1856. Pgs. 425-425 Volume
1
|

"A party of 16
non-commissioned officers and men, afterwards increased to
nineteen of all ranks, under Serjeant James Steel, was detached
on the 1st May 1849 with sufficient camp-houses, equipage,
and stores, to carry out the re-measurement of the base line
on Salisbury Plain, last done in 1794, by means of the
compensation bars invented by General Colby. No man of
officer on the survey had ever seen the apparatus in
position before; and Serjeant Steel, therefore, has the
credit of acquiring a full knowledge of the adaptation and
the uses of the various instruments belonging to the
apparatus, unassisted by the teaching of any practitioner. This he achieved by more than three months unwearied study
of some manuscript records on the subject, and by closely
observing the results of a series of experiments which he
conducted.
On the completion of
the service corporal Jenkins was entrusted with one of the
great theodolites, and removed with a camp party from the
base detachment to a mountain station. The remainder were
soon dispersed on the general duties of the survey, and Serjeant
Steel, after again comparing the bars and microscopes with
the standard measures, returned with the compensation
apparatus, etc, to Southampton.
While on Salisbury
Plain Serjeant Steel was visited by the Lieutenant-General
Sir Charles Pasley, frequently by Colonel Hall and Captain
Yolland, and by about fifty other officers of the royal
engineers; also by Professors Airy, Sheepshanks, and Cape. The last gentleman was very free with his inquiries. The
mode of aligning the instrument did not, at first, satisfy
him, but eventually the process having been minutely explained
by the Serjeant, he went away convinced and gratified. Captain Gosset was present at the laying of the first bar
and Captain Hawkins at the last."
-- History of the Royal
Sappers and Miners : from the formation of the corps in
March 1772 to the date when its designation was changed to
that of Royal Engineers in October 1856. Pg.40
|
On the personal side, Captain Gosset
married his cousin, Helen Dorothea Gosset in June 1852, at Eton.
"The
principle survey of Cobham Camp of 1853, comprising of four
large sheets, was compiled, lithographed and colored under
the direction of Captain W. D. Gosset, RE. Corporal Sinnett drew
the 12-inch plan of the encampment furnished for the use of
Colonel Vicars."-- History of
the Royal Sappers and Miners : from the formation of the
corps in March 1772 to the date when its designation was
changed to that of Royal Engineers in October 1856.
pgs.130-131.
|

"Serjeant Donald
Geddes possessed varied ability both as a surveyor and a mechanic. He was also a clear-headed and suggestive clerk of works. When discharged in the summer of 1853, he was in subordinate
charge of the electrotype apparatus and copper-plate
printers at the ordnance map office at Southampton, under
Captain W. D. Gosset."-- History of the
Royal Sappers and Miners : from the formation of the corps
in March 1772 to the date when its designation was changed
to that of Royal Engineers in October 1856. Page 514
|

"Three
non-commissioned officers with Serjeant Winner in charge,
sailed for Ceylon on the 8th October 1856 in the
"Sumatra": from London. This little party of observers,
surveyors and draftsmen, were asked for by captain W. D.
Gosset, the surveyor-general, who having for many years been
the executive under the superintendent of the national
surveys, knew the varied qualifications of the sappers and
the value of military organization in conducting the duty
'in a country chiefly wooded and excessively rough in many
districts". While he sought to obtain subordinates with
the amplest qualifications for colonial survey duty, Captain Gosset took care to secure, as an equivalent for their
employment in a hot climate, an income which has far
exceeded any remuneration ever offered to a soldier. According to their merits and exertions, he has the power to
reward each with a daily pay ranging from 5 shillings to 15
shillings, exclusive of imperial pay and other colonial
allowances."
-- History of the Royal
Sappers and Miners : from the formation of the corps in
March 1772 to the date when its designation was changed to
that of Royal Engineers in October 1856.Pg. 491
|
Captain Gosset, upon
completing his surveys in Ceylon returns to England and is immediately
posted to British Columbia as the Colonial Treasurer. He brings with
him his wife, who is quite pregnant, on the ocean voyage that they
share with Colonel Moody and his family.
On the sailing, Gosset met Robert Burnaby
(who would soon become Col. Moody's secretary). It appears that
Burnaby recognized Gosset as an enemy of his brother, Richard Burnaby.
"Gosset is an old
Marplot of Dick's, and promises to keep up his character.
I think there will be a row between him and Moody before they
have been in Columbia very long: but he may get better, tho' at
present he is queer. I soon levelled him, he was rather
high and mighty at starting, but we came to an understanding
very shortly and no doubt shall pull along."
--
Robert Burnaby, 12th November 1858 |
"Captain Gossett, who is to my mind an odious man, full of self
conceit and irritability, and who, in my opinion has got "a tile
off". His first greeting to me was queer. He said
something to somebody about Ceylon, so I knew my man and
introduced myself. "Ah", he said, "I know your brother. He
and I are not very good friends". "Sorry to hear that," I
answered, "But that's no reason you and I should not be", and so
we gradually got on, he reserved and bearish, I quiet and civil.
When he swaggered and talked as tho ' he would patronize me in the
new country I made a point of showing that Gov't business was bad
and we didn't care for it: but if I could do anything to give him
a lift in the way of getting stores over for him I would.
So,
bye and bye we got to understand each other and are now very fair
friends. He is a very clever man, but he was queer when Dick
knew him and Ceylon has finished him off. -- 15th November 1858,
Letters of Robert Burnaby |
Mrs. Moody, who, with
her children and husband Colonel Moody, also traveled in the
same vessel.
Mrs. Gosset, and Mrs. Crickmer (the clergyman's
wife) are wretched sailors, they have been ill the whole time.
- 10th November, 1858 - Letters of Mary S. Moody |
Burnaby had this to say
about Mrs. Gosset.
"Mrs. Gossett is a very tall
woman, coarse as a cook maid, tolerably pleasant now she is not
sick, which she was from Holyhead to Sandy Hook. They have
as fine a boy as was ever seen, who has been in the four quarters
of the globe before he is a year old. If he doesn't turn out
to be a traveller, who should?" -- 15th November 1858,
Letters of Robert Burnaby |
"We are not on very intimate terms with the
Gosset's, I am sorry to say." -15th November,
1858, The Letters of Mary S. Moody |
"I do not know what the Gosset's mean to do, we
are not very thick with them. He is very trying and she is rather
uppish a fine lady, not fit for roughing it. However she has not
been well and she may "shine in the bush". -
6th December, 1858, The Letters of Mary S. Moody |

In the first days of the new year of 1859, the "Ned McGowan War" breaks
out. Moody is dispatched out to see what is afoot and soon sends a
letter to Derby for reinforcements.
HMS "Plumper"
Langley, Fraser River
17th January 1859Sir,
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 15th Instant from Fort Yale, desiring that the force may be
immediately dispatched to you
I therefore send by steamer "Enterprise", a party of 80
Officers, seaman, and Royal Marines, with one Field Piece 12 Pon.
the party supplied with 10 days provisions, ammunition etc. 50 men
of the "Satellite" are under Lieut. Gooch RN, Mr. Hall,
Midshipman, and Lieut. Jones, RM - and 30 men from the "Plumper"
under Lieutenant Moriarty, and Mr. Pender of this ship.
Captain Gossett RE doing duty as Commissary Officer to the
Force, and Captain Parsons RE accompanying the expedition as
Volunteer.
I have much pleasure in placing Lieut. Mayne's services at
your personal disposal, according to your desire.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your Most obedient Servant,
George Henry Richards
Captain |
This appears to be his second temporary position as
Commissary as he has been also working as Commissary to the Boundary
Commission Royal Engineers.
After completing surveying trips to British
Columbia, Moody returns to Victoria to draw up plans for the new
Capital.
"The Site of the new Town of B.C. is settled, the
Capital and Port of Entry, the name is Queenborough, proposed
by Captain Gosset and we think a very appropriate one..."
- 18th February, 1859, The Letters of Mary S. Moody |
New Westminster Times
24 Sept 1859
Commissariat
Tenders are invited for supplying the following
articles, in such quantities as may be required during
the next three months at each of the places named.
The prices to be stated in English currency.
All duties and carriage to be paid by the trader.
Address, with samples, duly numbered to correspond
with the Tender to me at this Office. British weights
and measures.
At Commissariat Store, New Westminster:
Tea - black per 1000 lbs.
Sugar - brown per 1000 lbs.
Coffee - ground per 1000 lbs.
Soap - English yellow per 1000 lbs.
Pepper - black, ground per 100 lbs.
Mustard - ground per 100 lbs.
Candles - Palmer's English per 100 lbs.
Matches - box per 1 gross
Oil - lamp per 100 gallons
W. DRISCOLL GOSSET
Acting Commissary
|

Lt. Anderson, who had arrived in the Colonies
in December of 1859, met Gosset upon arriving at Esquimalt.
"...I have seen Captain Gosset and Mr. Dundas and
they have both been very kind." - 4th
December, 1859, Letters of Lt. Anderson |
Based on his time with
Gosset at Esquimalt, this is what Anderson had to relate to his
family.
None of them (The Officers of the Boundary Commission) seem to like the Colonel [Hawkins] as he is said to have
rather a petty and mean disposition. One bad trait in his character
and particularly Gosset's is running down that unfortunate man Col.
Moody. The latter (Gosset) calls Moody a drivelling idiot. He told me
so the very first time I saw him, and that is rather a strong term for
one officer to use towards another so much older. I could not help
taking a dislike to Gosset from that very fact.
Gosset had rather an eye towards
this Commissionship in the event of Hawkins not returning but I am
delighted to say that that is not to be. He has also an eye on Moody's
appointment, if he gets it, I pity the officers under him.
- 6th January, 1860, The Letters of Lt. Anderson |
Gosset has been ordered up the country to New Westminster, and as he had made himself snug in an iron house in Victoria, he is rather disgusted and Mrs. Gosset
talks of going home. Gosset's pay is not even so good as mine. He gets only 500 pounds a year and has to provide himself and family with house and food, so his is not a very lucrative post."
-- 7 Feb 1860, Lt. Anderson RE |
According to Woodward,
Gosset received, in Regimental Pay, 202 Pounds per Annum plus
Colonial Allowance, though the amount of the Colonial allowance is
unknown. He was treasurer and postmaster for the Colony of
British Columbia. Treasurer for the Colony of Vancouver's
Island.
CAPTAIN GOSSET,
R.E., Treasurer of British Columbia is, we regret to learn,
suffering from an attack of nervous debility, induced, we
believe, by t too close application to official duty. He is at
present on a visit to Victoria, testing the vaine of change of
air and temporary relaxation from the harassing cares of
official life. We heartily wish our Treasurer a speedy
convalescence and return amongst us. -7th November,
1861 - The British Columbian |
He left on sick leave Sept 1862.

 |
Captain William Driscoll Gosset
(standing) and other members of the boundary commission, circa
1860.
Photos courtesy of BC
Archives;
top image call number A-02095
bottom image call number A-02096
|
 |
Died June 1879 |
Helen Dorothea Gosset, age 49, Kensington |
Died June 1899 |
William Driscoll Gosset, age 77, Fulham |
Died June 1933 |
Ernest A. G. Gosset, age 75, Ploughley |
|