David Thompson (explorer)
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| David Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1770-04-30 Westminster, London, England |
| Died | 1857-02-10 Longueuil, Lower Canada |
| Occupation | Fur trader, surveyor and cartographer |
| Partner | |
David Thompson (30 April 1770 – 10 February 1857 (aged 86)) was a fur trader, surveyor and cartographer with the North West Company whose great map of the North-West hung for years in the Great Hall at Fort William.[1]
Early life
- Born 30 April 1770 in the parish of St John the Evangelist, Westminster, in London, to a family of Welsh origin.[1]
- Trained as a surveyor while in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company.[1]
Fur-trade career
- Left the Hudson's Bay Company and joined the North West Company in May 1797.[1]
- Became a partner in the company at the annual meeting held in July 1804 at the Kaministiquia post, the depot soon renamed Fort William.[1]
- Served as a wintering partner, managing the trade of the Muskrat country from 1806 to 1808.[1]
- Surveyed the Columbia River from its source to its mouth between 1807 and 1811.[1][2]
The great map
- Completed in 1814 a large map of the North-West stretching from Lake Superior to the Pacific.[1]
- The map was forwarded to the North West Company and hung for many years in the Great Hall at Fort William (the Kaministiquia depot was renamed Fort William in 1807).[1]
Family
- Married Charlotte Small, daughter of retired North West Company partner Patrick Small; the two were joined in a country marriage on 10 June 1799 and formally married on 30 October 1812.[1]