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Cardivan Petroleum Company Limited fonds
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62.5 cm of textual records. -- 35 photographs
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Biographical history
The Mitford Syndicate, a group of London investors organized by William Bertram Mitford, Ralph Slye and Scott Lings, made a number of attempts at oil exploration in Alberta during First World War. In 1916 it acquired lands from the Old Colony Oil Company and drilled unsuccessfully south of Cardston. The syndicate formed a subsidiary, Cardivan Petroleum Company Limited (registered in Alberta in July 1918), to take over the rights the syndicate had acquired in Viking, Birch Lake, Pigeon Lake, and the "Gap" near Lundbreck, and it provided the capital for the development work. Wells had been put down at Viking in 1916 and the Gap in 1917. Hugh Donnan was manager of the Gap and Viking drilling operations in 1919. In November 1918, Mitford assembled a group of his associates in England into the Canadian Leasehold Syndicate Limited to raise more money. The Board of Directors consisted of W.B. Mitford, R.F. Howson, Ralph Slye and H.H. Cragg. The office for the new syndicate and other Mitford Syndicate subsidiaries was in the Calgary Herald Building. Mitford had difficulty forwarding large amounts of money to Alberta, and both the Viking and Gap wells were plagued with drilling problems. Mitford and his associates abandoned their attempts in 1920. Cardivan Petroleum Co. Ltd. was struck off in 1925, and the Canadian Leaseholders Syndicate Ltd. and the subsidiaries Gap Oil Company Ltd. and Montrose Oil Fields Ltd. (a holding company) were struck off in 1926.
Custodial history
These records were salvaged from the Hollinsworth Building, owned by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, before the Bankers Hall renovations were begun. The company's representatives probably had offices in the building.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of Cardivan Petroleum Company records (1918-1920): correspondence (primarily with the Viking field), schedule of oil and gas leases, financial records, equipment inventories, photographs of Viking and Gap wells and workers, expense accounts, supply quotes, workers compensation records, well logs and reports, work schedule, Dominion land plans, and maps. Also consists of Mitford Syndicate records (1916-1920): correspondence, legal agreements, lists of syndicate members, cashbook, expense accounts and reports. Includes Old Colony Oil Co. Ltd. stock book and shareholders' register (1915-1916) and financial statement (1919-1920); list of W.B. Mitford's assets (nd); and Hugh Donnan's personal correspondence, invoices and legal agreements (1911-1920).
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Gift of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Ralph Slye, 1985, 1987.
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- The material is in English.
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No restrictions on access.
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No finding aid.
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Record No. M 7078;PA 2961;NA 5092<br><br>
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- Cardivan Petroleum Company (Subject)