William McGillivray: 'Some account of the trade carried on by the North West Company'
Scope and Contents
Manuscript account, 58 pages in total, divided into sections and with crossings-out and corrections. The rear page is marked 'Sketch of the Fur trade of Canada. 1809'. This account formed the basis of the publication 'On the origin and progress of the North-West Co.' (London, 1811) and has variously been attributed to Duncan McGillivray or David Thompson.
Dates
- Creation: 1809
Conditions Governing Access
Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).
Biographical / Historical
The McGillivray family played a leading part in the operations of the North West Company. William McGillivray (1764-1825) was born in Inverness-Shire, Scotland. He succeeded his uncle, Simon McTavish, as the last chief partner of the North West Company before it merged with its main rival, the Hudson Bay Company. His subsequent career was as a member of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council of Lower Canada. During the War of 1812, he was given the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Coprs of Canadian Voyageurs. He was a member of the Beaver Club and a prominent figure in Montreal Society. He died in 1825 during a trip to London. His brother, Duncan McGillivray (c. 1772-1808), was an explorer and fur trader.
Extent
1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Other Finding Aids
Donald H. Simpson, ed., 'The manuscript catalogue of the library of the Royal Commonwealth Society' (London, 1975), p.135.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The provenance of this item is unrecorded.
Bibliography
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Cambridge University Library Repository
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