Persona

Beatrice Muriel May Thacker

1871 - 1953

Beatrice Muriel May Thacker (née Sprague) was an English settler and pioneer who lived in Hope, British Columbia. Thacker was born in 1871 in Kent and grew up in Scotland, prior to travelling to Canada to meet her fiancé and visit British Columbia. After marrying Thomas Lindsay Thacker in 1908, she had four children and maintained the homestead together with her spouse. Both of the Thackers were keenly interested in wildlife and were considered naturalists of the area, as they frequently travelled backroads to collect bird and other animal specimens. An amateur naturalist, scientist, and archaeologist, Thacker occasionally published in scientific journals. She also collected samples of various animals including salamanders and owls, with many of her samples being donated to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and the Royal BC Museum. Together with her spouse Thomas, she also engaged in amateur archaeological and ethnological work in and around the area of Hope. Thacker passed away at the age of 81 on October 13, 1953.

Thomas Lindsay Thacker (1878 - 1961)

Sources of information come from the following:

• UBC Beaty Biodiversity Museum
• The Sprague Project website
• The Vancouver Sun Obituaries Page for October 15, 1953