Henry Kelsey
Encyclopedia
Henry Kelsey aka the Boy Kelsey, was an English
fur trade
r, explorer, and sailor
who played an important role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company
. Kelsey was born and married in East Greenwich
, south-east of central London. He is the first recorded European to have seen the present-day provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well as the first to have explored the Great Plains
from the north and encountered numerous Plains First Nations, as well as vast herds of their prime game, the American bison
.
During the years 1690 to 1691, Kelsey travelled with the Cree Nation and explored what is now northern Manitoba
from Hudson Bay
to the Saskatchewan River
. He is traditionally believed to be the first recorded European man to see the land of the present-day provinces of Alberta
and Saskatchewan
.
He is the first European travelling from the north known to have seen the prairies, the great buffalo
herds, grizzly bears, and the many Great Plains
First Nations
tribes. (Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
had reached Kansas from New Mexico in 1540-42.)
After years in Canada, Kelsey returned at age 55 to England in 1722. He died two years later, and was buried in St Alfege's Church, Greenwich
. A commemorative plaque to his name was installed there.
refers to in his song "Northwest Passage
".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
r, explorer, and sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
who played an important role in establishing the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. Kelsey was born and married in East Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, south-east of central London. He is the first recorded European to have seen the present-day provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well as the first to have explored the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
from the north and encountered numerous Plains First Nations, as well as vast herds of their prime game, the American bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
.
Career
Kelsey started working before he was 20 for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). He moved to North America, where he worked with First Nations people.During the years 1690 to 1691, Kelsey travelled with the Cree Nation and explored what is now northern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
from Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
to the Saskatchewan River
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada, approximately long, flowing roughly eastward across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to empty into Lake Winnipeg...
. He is traditionally believed to be the first recorded European man to see the land of the present-day provinces of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
.
He is the first European travelling from the north known to have seen the prairies, the great buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
herds, grizzly bears, and the many Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
tribes. (Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...
had reached Kansas from New Mexico in 1540-42.)
After years in Canada, Kelsey returned at age 55 to England in 1722. He died two years later, and was buried in St Alfege's Church, Greenwich
St Alfege's Church, Greenwich
St Alfege Church is a Church of England place of worship in the town centre of Greenwich in the eponymous London Borough.-History:The church is dedicated to, and reputedly marks the place where Alfege , Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed by Viking raiders on 19 April 1012.The second church built...
. A commemorative plaque to his name was installed there.
Representation in popular culture
He is the 'Brave Kelso' that Stan RogersStan Rogers
Stanley Allison "Stan" Rogers was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his finely crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing...
refers to in his song "Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage (song)
"Northwest Passage" is one of the best-known songs by Canadian musician Stan Rogers. An a cappella song, it features Rogers alone singing the verses, with several guest vocalists harmonizing with him in the chorus...
".
Honours
- Henry Kelsey Senior Public SchoolHenry Kelsey Senior Public SchoolHenry Kelsey Senior Public School is a school in the Toronto District School Board located in Scarborough, Ontario.It is named after Henry Kelsey, the first European known to see the prairies, the grizzly bears, the great buffalo herds, and the many Plains tribes. Currently, there are about 500...
in ScarboroughScarborough, OntarioScarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, now part of the City of Toronto. - Kelsey Park in Saskatoon.
- Housing residence at the University of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in Edmonton. - Canada PostCanada PostCanada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
issued a 6¢ postage stamp entitled "Henry Kelsey, first explorer of the Plains". - The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and TechnologySaskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and TechnologySaskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology is a diploma-granting college that has four campuses across Saskatchewan. More than 12,000 students are enrolled in its programs and has approximately 29,000 additional individual registrations....
or SIAST (abbv.) named its Saskatoon campus for Kelsey. - The call letters for CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
radio in Saskatchewan are CBKCBK (AM)CBK is a Canadian clear-channel station, broadcasting the CBC Radio One network at 540 AM to most of southern Saskatchewan. The AM transmitter is located in Watrous, the city of licence, but the studios are in the CBC Regina Broadcast Centre, 2440 Broad Street in Regina. This facility also houses...
; the K stands for Kelsey. - The French-immersion Kelsey Elementary School (K–8) in Saskatoon.
- The Henry Kelsey roseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
, developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was named in his honour. - Big Game Records, the Henry Kelsey Awards are the official Big Game records of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada.