John Haldane
| John Haldane | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1775 Scotland |
| Died | 1857-10-11 Haddington, Scotland |
| Occupation | Fur trader |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Partner | |
John Haldane (c. 1775 – 11 October 1857) was a Scottish fur trader who served as a wintering partner in the North West Company and later as a chief factor in the Hudson's Bay Company, with postings across the Lake Superior and Athabasca regions of what is now Canada.
Early life
Haldane was born around 1775 in Scotland, the son of George Haldane, a manufacturer, and Katharine Murray.[1] He began his fur-trading career on the Saskatchewan River around 1798, likely in the employ of the New North West Company (also known as the XY Company).[1] After approximately four years with that organization, he joined as a wintering partner in 1802 and was stationed at Lake Athabasca, where he competed against Peter Fidler of the Hudson's Bay Company and James MacKenzie of the North West Company.[1]
Career in the North West Company
When the two rival North West companies merged in 1804, John Forsyth signed the agreement on Haldane's behalf, and Haldane entered the North West Company as a winterer with one share.[1] That same year he attended the annual meeting at Kaministiquia — present-day Thunder Bay, Ontario — and in 1808 served on a committee with Roderick McKenzie and Donald McTavish to investigate company finances.[1]
From 1805 to 1811, Haldane directed the Monontagué department, situated west of Lake Nipigon, conducting trade campaigns against the HBC.[1] In 1812 he replaced Pierre Rastel de Rocheblave as proprietor at Pic (present-day Marathon, Ontario), then managed the Athabasca River department in 1813 and the Saskatchewan River department in 1814.[1] Following a period of leave in Great Britain from 1815 to 1816, he undertook his first Rocky Mountains expedition in 1819 alongside Peter Skene Ogden.[1]
Career in the Hudson's Bay Company
After the 1821 merger of the HBC and North West Company, Haldane became a chief factor, assuming command of the Columbia district together with John Dugald Cameron.[1] His subsequent HBC career was marked by persistent conflict with George Simpson, the newly appointed governor of the Northern Department. The two men first met at Norway House in Manitoba in 1822.[1]
At the Northern Department council meetings that year, Haldane joined James Bird in leading traders who sought to resist Simpson's management proposals, particularly plans involving salary reductions.[1] Simpson moved to have Haldane removed permanently, describing him as more devoted to "Legislating than to business." Haldane was granted leave for 1822 and was subsequently assigned to the Lake Superior district under Southern Department Governor William Williams, with whom he maintained considerably better relations.[1] Simpson believed that Haldane effectively "ruled" both Williams and the entire department.
When Simpson became governor of both the Northern and Southern Departments in 1826, Haldane submitted his resignation in August of that year, citing reasons of health, effective in 1827.[1] In September 1826 he met Simpson at Michipicoten on the eastern shore of Lake Superior to discuss expense reductions and transport arrangements, maintaining a cordial public demeanour throughout.[1] Upon his retirement in 1827, Haldane received £2,665 9s. from the HBC as payment for his company interest and returned to Haddington, Scotland.[1]
Personal life
Haldane's country wife, Josette Latour, had previously been "turned off" by William McKay upon McKay's retirement in 1808.[1] According to George Keith, Haldane promised Josette an annuity of £60 before departing Michipicoten in 1827, but failed to honour that commitment.[1] Josette survived into the 1850s in conditions of real hardship. Former colleagues including Keith and Charles McKenzie protested Haldane's conduct, some reportedly severing long-standing associations with him over it. By the end of his life, Haldane's connections with his former fur trade associates in North America had largely dissolved.[1]
Death
Haldane died of jaundice on 11 October 1857 in Haddington, Scotland.[1]
References
External links
- ↑ Elizabeth Arthur."Elizabeth Arthur, "HALDANE, JOHN," Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 8."[website].Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 8 (University of Toronto/Université Laval).1985.University of Toronto/Université Laval.Link.(Rights: copyrighted | Access: open)
- ↑ "Register of Deaths, Haddington, 11 October 1857."[record].Haddington, reg. of deaths, 11 Oct. 1857.General Register Office for Scotland (GRO), Edinburgh.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ "MG 19, A21, ser.1, 17."[record].MG 19, A21, ser.1, 17.Public Archives of Canada (PAC).(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ "Hudson's Bay Company Archives records."[record].A.44/3: f.116; B.107/a/2; B.135/k/1; B.231/e/3; B.239/c/1: ff.292, 330–30d; D.1/5: f.5d; D.2/1; D.4/8: ff.27–28; D.4/82: f.46d; D.4/86: f.27d; D.4/89: ff.22–22d, 69d, 105–5d; D.4/92: ff.1–57; D.5/1: f.219; D.5/6: f.85; D.5/8: f.142; D.5/13: f.71; D.5/20: f.307d; D.5/43: f.225.Provincial Archives of Manitoba (PAM), Hudson's Bay Company Archives (HBCA).(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Andrew Amos."Report of trials in the courts of Canada, relative to the destruction of the Earl of Selkirk's settlement on the Red River; with observations."[book].1820.London.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Cox."Adventures on the Columbia."[book].(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Wallace."Documents relating to the North West Company."[book].Docs. relating to NWC (Wallace).(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Daniel Williams Harmon."Sixteen years in the Indian country."[book].Harmon, Sixteen years in the Indian country (Lamb).(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ "Hudson's Bay Record Society publications."[book].HBRS, 2 (Rich and Fleming); 3 (Fleming); 26 (Johnson).Hudson's Bay Record Society.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Mactavish."Letters of Letitia Hargrave."[book].Letters of Letitia Hargrave (MacLeod).(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ R. A. Pendergast."The XY Company, 1798–1804."[record].1957.PhD thesis.University of Ottawa.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ George Simpson."Fur trade and empire."[book].Simpson, Fur trade and empire (Merk; 1968).1968.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ James Tate."James Tate's journal, 1809–1812."[book].HBRS, 30 (Williams), 95–150.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Van Kirk."Many tender ties."[book].(Rights: unknown | Access: open)