Adopted 14 January 1946 on C.3450, as labelled on British Admiralty Chart 2840, 1861 et seq, and as identified in a 1901 survey plan, and as identified in BC Pilot, 1913, vol 1, p.169, and as labelled on BC map 2A, 1913, and as identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer.

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

Presumably named 1858-1860 by Captain Richards, RN, in association with Horton Bay. Both names appear on Richards' corrected chart #2840, 1861. William Horton entered the Royal Navy about 1 month after Richards, and they passed their examinations within 3 months of each other in 1839-40. In 1857 Commander William Horton had charge of HMS Curlew, a screw steam sloop built at Deptford in 1854; as far as we know, this vessel was never in British Columbia waters. Curlew Island is Lot 19, Cowichan District; first pre-empted 15 February 1893 (Pre-emption Record 849) by James C. Campbell; surveyed 1901; identified by name on Survey plan 8T2 (Islands), 66 acres, Crown Grant 1464/127, gazetted 2 May 1901 for J.C. Campbell. Campbell's obituary published in Vancouver Province 5 March 1933.

Source: Provincial Archives of BC "Place Names File" compiled 1945-1950 by A.G. Harvey from various sources, with subsequent additions