James Outram (mountaineer)
Encyclopedia
Sir James Outram was a British
clergyman, who made many first ascent
s in the Canadian Rockies
in the early 1900s.
Outram was born in London
, England, the son of Sir Francis Boyd Outram, Bart. of India fame. He was educated at Haileybury College and Pembroke College, Cambridge
, where he gained his degree of Master of Arts. He came to the Canadian Rockies in 1900, and devoted himself to Alpine pursuits for some years, making his headquarters in Calgary. He ascended the hitherto unclimbed Mount Assiniboine in 1901. He contested for first ascents the highest summits of the Rockies with J. Norman Collie
, including the pursuit of the mythical giants Hooker and Brown
.
His climbing accomplishments include:
Outram wrote a book about his adventures called In the Heart of the Canadian Rockies, first published in 1905 and several magazine articles, all dealing with mountaineering.
In 1920, Mount Outram in Banff National Park
was named in his honour.
In 1921 he married a daughter of the late Joseph Balfour. He had no children. He was a member of the Anglican Church, in the congregation of St. Stephens, Calgary.
Sir James Outram was a dedicated Orangeman and a member of the Vermilion, Alberta, Loyal Orange Lodge Number 2078 in 1915. In 1916 he was elected the Worshipful Master of that lodge and in 1917 and 1918 he was elected the Worshipful Master for Victoria County, Alberta. In 1918 he was elected the Right Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Alberta, and again re-elected in 1919 and 1920. He was also a member of the Vermilion lodge of the Ladies Orange Benevolent Association.
Sir Outram also belonged to another Protestant fraternal organization known as the Royal Black Knights of the Camp of Israel where he served as Grand Registrar of the Grand Black Chapter of Alberta for 1921-1925. He was a knight in the Mannville Royal Black Preceptory, Number 948.
Outram died in Victoria, British Columbia
on 12 March 1925 after several months of illness.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
clergyman, who made many first ascent
First ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
s in the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
in the early 1900s.
Outram was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, the son of Sir Francis Boyd Outram, Bart. of India fame. He was educated at Haileybury College and Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, where he gained his degree of Master of Arts. He came to the Canadian Rockies in 1900, and devoted himself to Alpine pursuits for some years, making his headquarters in Calgary. He ascended the hitherto unclimbed Mount Assiniboine in 1901. He contested for first ascents the highest summits of the Rockies with J. Norman Collie
J. Norman Collie
John Norman Collie FRS , commonly referred to as J. Norman Collie, was a British scientist, mountaineer, and explorer.- Life and work :He was born in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, the second of four sons...
, including the pursuit of the mythical giants Hooker and Brown
Hooker and Brown
Hooker and Brown are two mythical mountains, once reputed to lie on the great Divide of the Canadian Rockies in Jasper National Park, bordering the Athabasca Pass, the old passage for the fur trade...
.
His climbing accomplishments include:
- 1900 - ascent of Cascade MountainCascade Mountain (Alberta)Cascade Mountain is a mountain located in the Bow River Valley of Banff National Park, adjacent to the town of Banff. The mountain was named in 1858 by James Hector after the waterfall or cascade on the southern flanks of the peak. The mountain has also been called Stoney Chief, which is related...
(2,998 m/9,836 ft) - 1901 - first ascent (guided) of Mount AssiniboineMount AssiniboineMount Assiniboine, also known as Assiniboine Mountain, is a mountain located on the Great Divide, on the British Columbia/Alberta border in Canada....
- 1902 - first ascents of Mount BryceMount BryceMount Bryce is a mountain at the southwestern corner of the Columbia Icefield, in British Columbia near the border with Alberta. It can be seen from the Icefields Parkway....
(3507 m), Mount ColumbiaMount Columbia (Alberta)Mount Columbia is the highest point in Alberta, Canada and the second highest peak in the Canadian Rockies after Mount Robson. It is located on the border between Alberta and British Columbia on the northern edge of the Columbia Icefield. Its highest point, however, lies within Jasper National Park...
(3,747 m), Mount ForbesMount ForbesMount Forbes, the eighth tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, is located southwest of the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff National Park. The mountain was named by James Hector in 1859 after Edward Forbes, Hector's natural history professor at the University of Edinburgh during the...
(3,612 m), and Mount Wilson (3,260 m).
Outram wrote a book about his adventures called In the Heart of the Canadian Rockies, first published in 1905 and several magazine articles, all dealing with mountaineering.
In 1920, Mount Outram in Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
was named in his honour.
In 1921 he married a daughter of the late Joseph Balfour. He had no children. He was a member of the Anglican Church, in the congregation of St. Stephens, Calgary.
Sir James Outram was a dedicated Orangeman and a member of the Vermilion, Alberta, Loyal Orange Lodge Number 2078 in 1915. In 1916 he was elected the Worshipful Master of that lodge and in 1917 and 1918 he was elected the Worshipful Master for Victoria County, Alberta. In 1918 he was elected the Right Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Alberta, and again re-elected in 1919 and 1920. He was also a member of the Vermilion lodge of the Ladies Orange Benevolent Association.
Sir Outram also belonged to another Protestant fraternal organization known as the Royal Black Knights of the Camp of Israel where he served as Grand Registrar of the Grand Black Chapter of Alberta for 1921-1925. He was a knight in the Mannville Royal Black Preceptory, Number 948.
Outram died in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
on 12 March 1925 after several months of illness.