Wah Sing “Frenchy”
Birth Year:
1842
Death Year:
1913
Wah Sing was born in Canton, China (now Guangzhou). Wah could speak many languages. In addition to his mother tongue, he spoke English, German, Chinook, and French. His ability to speak French earned him his name everyone knew him by, Frenchy.
Remarkably, according to the obituaries, in his younger years he was a pirate captain on a Chinese junk.
In about 1863, while sailing in the Sunda Strait, Sing’s ship was sunk by the gunboat HMS Terror. His crew was captured, taken to Hong Kong and hung. However, Frenchy escaped.
Arriving at Granite Creek to participate in the 1885 gold rush, Frenchy was an prospector and later a market gardener providing vegetables to miners in the area.
He was also a respected member of the Granite Creek community. In the March 31, 1909, edition of the Similkameen Star, Granite Creek proclaimed its own unofficial government with Frenchy as Mayor. Sadly, on February 19, 1913, Frenchy died. He was buried in the Granite Creek Cemetery, most likely in the Chinese section. After his death, gold dust valued at about $500 was found at his cabin.
Obituaries from The Inland Sentinal June 25, 1913 and The Vancouver Sun March 22, 1913.
References:
Similkameen Spotlight October 18, 2023.