Sarah McLeod (Ballenden)
Encyclopedia
Sarah McLeod was born in Rupert's Land
.
Sarah was one of eight children of chief trader Alexander Roderick McLeod
and a mixed-blood mother and grew up at HBC
trading posts in the Mackenzie River and Columbia areas. She was sent to the Red River settlement (now part of Manitoba
) at a point to receive a formal education.
At Red River she met John Ballenden
, a newly named Scottish accountant at Upper Fort Garry, whom she married in 1836. This type of mixed marriage was still considered socially acceptable at this time. The Ballendens began to raise a family, took a career transfer and returned to Red River in 1848, John having been named chief factor. He was in poor health but recovering and they were active in leading the social life of the community.
In 1850, Sarah Ballenden found herself involved in a situation which became known as the Foss-Pelly scandal. In short, she was accused of being involved with a Captain Foss. Leading the defamation campaign was a couple named Pelly. It appears that the motivation was jealousy over the social status of Sarah given her Métis
heritage. A three day trial ruled in favour of Foss and awarded heavy damages but the apparent racial tensions where brought into the open.
The family never recovered from this and a subsequent incident and John Ballenden took a posting at Fort Vancouver
, his wife being too ill from childbirth to accompany him. In 1853 the husband arranged leave in Scotland and had his nephew, Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne accompanied his family to Edinburgh. There the family was reunited briefly before Sarah Ballenden died.
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...
.
Sarah was one of eight children of chief trader Alexander Roderick McLeod
Alexander Roderick McLeod
Alexander Roderick McLeod was a fur trader and explorer who began his career with the North West Company in 1802.McLeod became a chief trader with the Hudson's Bay Company after they joined with the NWC in 1821...
and a mixed-blood mother and grew up at HBC
HBC
- Medical terminology :*Hepatitis B virus#Genome, the Hepatitis B core protein*Hemoglobin C*Hormonal contraception , hormonal methods for preventing pregnancy- Companies and organizations :...
trading posts in the Mackenzie River and Columbia areas. She was sent to the Red River settlement (now part of 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...
) at a point to receive a formal education.
At Red River she met John Ballenden
John Ballenden
John Ballenden was one of the Scottish fur traders that the Hudson’s Bay Company recruited to administer that trade in North America....
, a newly named Scottish accountant at Upper Fort Garry, whom she married in 1836. This type of mixed marriage was still considered socially acceptable at this time. The Ballendens began to raise a family, took a career transfer and returned to Red River in 1848, John having been named chief factor. He was in poor health but recovering and they were active in leading the social life of the community.
In 1850, Sarah Ballenden found herself involved in a situation which became known as the Foss-Pelly scandal. In short, she was accused of being involved with a Captain Foss. Leading the defamation campaign was a couple named Pelly. It appears that the motivation was jealousy over the social status of Sarah given her Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
heritage. A three day trial ruled in favour of Foss and awarded heavy damages but the apparent racial tensions where brought into the open.
The family never recovered from this and a subsequent incident and John Ballenden took a posting at Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
, his wife being too ill from childbirth to accompany him. In 1853 the husband arranged leave in Scotland and had his nephew, Andrew Graham Ballenden Bannatyne accompanied his family to Edinburgh. There the family was reunited briefly before Sarah Ballenden died.