Victoria McVicar
| Victoria McVicar | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1838 Montreal area, Lower Canada |
| Died | 1899-09-29 Port Arthur, Ontario |
| Occupation | Teacher, postmaster, businesswoman |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
Victoria McVicar (c. 1838 – 29 September 1899) was a teacher, businesswoman, and landowner who spent much of her life in the Thunder Bay district of Ontario, where her family became prominent early settlers at Prince Arthur's Landing and Fort William.[1]
Early life
Victoria McVicar was born in the late 1830s in the Montreal area, the daughter of Robert McVicar and Christina McBeath.[1] Her father had been employed by the Hudson's Bay Company before leaving that service in 1830, and the family subsequently moved through settlements near the Huron Tract in Upper Canada while Robert sought work. In 1860 the McVicars relocated to the Lake Superior shore, settling at Prince Arthur's Landing on what became known as McVicar Creek.[1]
Career
Victoria's sister Christina McVicar served as postmaster from 1864 to 1895, and after the post office moved from McVicar Creek to Fort William, the two sisters made their home in Fort William.[1] During this period Victoria tutored children of Hudson's Bay Company employees in the district, a role that later earned her recognition as Fort William's first teacher.[1]
In 1867 the sisters acquired 600 acres of land near their original settlement, and in 1878 they secured an additional 50 acres at Fort William.[1] Victoria also inherited properties through bequests from her mother in 1878 and from her sister Christina upon Christina's death in 1895.[1] In 1883 she negotiated contracts with the Canadian Pacific Railway regarding land at the family's holdings, and subsequently pursued protracted litigation over land and water rights that reportedly resulted in a settlement of $90,000.[2][1]
Red River visit
During 1869–70, Victoria travelled to the Red River settlement in Manitoba to visit relatives during a period of considerable political tension.[1] She was present during events connected to the Red River Resistance, and the journalist and diarist Alexander Begg recorded her conduct on 20 February 1870 when she sought an audience with Louis Riel.[3] According to Begg, Victoria entered the room where Riel was present having clearly resolved to make a dramatic impression. She had an interest in Spiritualism and later claimed an aspiration to communicate with Riel after his execution in 1885, though her efforts in that regard came to nothing.[1]
Personal life
Victoria McVicar never married and had no children.[1] She held strong royalist convictions and supported the Imperial Federation League.[1]
Death
Victoria McVicar died on 29 September 1899 in Port Arthur, Ontario.[1]
In the Papers of the Thunder Bay Historical Society
Victoria McVicar was the daughter of Captain R. McVicar, postmaster at Fort William.[4] As early as 1860 she was acting as tutoress to the children of the Hudson's Bay Company's officers located at Fort William, representing the earliest known effort at formal instruction in the area.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Elizabeth Arthur."Elizabeth Arthur, "McVicar, Victoria," Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12."[website].Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 12 (University of Toronto/Université Laval).1990.University of Toronto/Université Laval.Link.(Rights: copyrighted | Access: open)
- ↑ "Contract of the CPR with the McVicar family, 9 August 1883."[record].City of Thunder Bay Records Centre and Archives, Thunder Bay, Ontario.(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ Alexander Begg."Red River journal."[book].Red River journal (ed. W. L. Morton).(Rights: unknown | Access: open)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Fort William."[book].Papers of the Thunder Bay Historical Society.1913.p. 279.Link.(Rights: public_domain | Access: open)