"Houston Stewart Channel (not Ibbertson nor Barrell)" adopted in the 18th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924, as identified in Sailing Directions, Queen Charlotte Islands - Western Coast of North America, 1853; remarks by George H. Inskip, Master, RN. (British Library 10496.i.29).

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Named in 1853 by Commander Prevost, after Commander William Houston Stewart, his predecessor aboard HMS Virago.... (see Walbran for extensive additional biographical detail)

Source: Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)

Captain Dixon called this Ibbertson Sound in 1787 (significance not cited). This was the "Barrell Sound" of the Boston traders, so-named 11 June 1789 by Captain Kendrick and Captain Robert Gray, after Joseph Barrell, one of the owners of the ship Columbia, and the sloop Washington. Identified at one point as "Koya's Straits" according to notation on BC name card.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office