Joseph James Hargrave
Encyclopedia
Joseph James Hargrave was a Hudson's Bay Company
(HBC) trader, author, and journalist. He wrote the 1871 book, Red River, a history of the Manitoba
Red River Settlement.
. He was the oldest son of York Factory's Chief Trader James Hargrave and his wife Letitia MacTavish Hargrave. His family took him to Scotland
in 1846 where he studied at Madras College
, St. Andrews, and completed his studies as a surveyor in 1859. He returned to North America in 1861, where he became an apprentice clerk in the HBC and a secretary to his uncle William Mactavish
, the governor of Rupert's Land
and Assiniboia
. In 1869, he began writing a series of articles for the Montreal Herald about the anticipated transfer of land from the HBC to Canada. In 1871, he published the book Red River describing the history of the Red River Colony
prior to the 1869–1870 Red River Rebellion
of Louis Riel
.
Before his retirement, he became a Chief Trader in the HBC. He died in 1894 in Edinburgh
, shortly after returning to Scotland.
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...
(HBC) trader, author, and journalist. He wrote the 1871 book, Red River, a history of the 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...
Red River Settlement.
Biography
Joseph James Hargrave was born and raised at York Factory, a fur trading post on Hudson BayHudson 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,...
. He was the oldest son of York Factory's Chief Trader James Hargrave and his wife Letitia MacTavish Hargrave. His family took him to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1846 where he studied at Madras College
Madras College
Madras College is a secondary school in St. Andrews, Fife in Scotland.-History:Madras College, founded in 1832, takes its name from the system of education devised by the school's founder, the Rev Dr Andrew Bell....
, St. Andrews, and completed his studies as a surveyor in 1859. He returned to North America in 1861, where he became an apprentice clerk in the HBC and a secretary to his uncle William Mactavish
William Mactavish
William Mactavish or McTavish was a Scottish-born representative of the Hudson's Bay Company, who acted as governor of Rupert's Land and Assiniboia prior to the transfer of Rupert's Land to Canada and the creation of the province of Manitoba in 1870.-External links:*...
, the governor of Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
and Assiniboia
Assiniboia
Assiniboia refers to a number of different locations and administrative jurisdictions in Canada. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation.- District of Assiniboia:...
. In 1869, he began writing a series of articles for the Montreal Herald about the anticipated transfer of land from the HBC to Canada. In 1871, he published the book Red River describing the history of the Red River Colony
Red River Colony
The Red River Colony was a colonization project set up by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1811 on of land granted to him by the Hudson's Bay Company under what is referred to as the Selkirk Concession. The colony along the Red River of the North was never very successful...
prior to the 1869–1870 Red River Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
of Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
.
Before his retirement, he became a Chief Trader in the HBC. He died in 1894 in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, shortly after returning to Scotland.