Raymond Murray Patterson (1898 - 1984) was an Oxford educated writer and explorer of the Canadian northwest.

Life and career

"R.M. Patterson is recognized by many as one of the finest writers on the Canadian wilderness. While his writing skills earned him a wide and appreciative audience, he was more than a skilled wordsmith. He was also a careful and sympathetic observer, an intrepid explorer and a meticulous historian. Orville Prescott, in the New York Times, described his ''Dangerous River'' as "a modest book which betrays no indication that Mr. Patterson realizes what a remarkable man he is.” It is through his autobiographical writings, a blended mix of history, adventure and vivid description, that we can appreciate this remarkable individual. He published five books over a span of 14 years: ''Dangerous River'' (1954), ''Buffalo Head'' (1961), ''Far Pastures'' (1963), ''Trail to the Interior'' (1966) and ''Finlay’s River'' (1968)." Patterson was born in England in 1898. He was educated at

Rossall School Rossall School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for 0–18 year olds, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College ...

and later attended

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, where he trained for a career at the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...

. He served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as an artillery officer until he was captured, and he remained a

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

until the end of the War. In 1924, longing for adventure, Patterson went to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

where he obtained a homestead on the

Peace River The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River in th ...

. In 1927 he explored the

Nahanni River The South Nahanni River is a major tributary of the Liard River, located roughly west of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the centerpiece of Nahanni National Park Reserve. It flows from the Mackenzie Mountains in the w ...

in a canoe. Many years later, he wrote his most famous book ''Dangerous River'', about his two trips into the Nahanni River Valley during the late 1920s. Patterson married Marigold Portman in 1929, the same year he sold his homestead and moved to Buck Spring Ranch near

Cochrane, Alberta Cochrane ( ) is a town in the Calgary Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. The town is located west of the Calgary city limits along Highway 1A. Cochrane is one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, and with a population of 32,199 ...

. From this location, for the next four years, he completed a series of explorations throughout the region. Of particular note was his exploration of the

Highwood River The Highwood River is a tributary of the Bow River in southwestern Alberta, Canada. Course The Highwood originates in the Canadian Rockies in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, in the Highwood Pass below Mount Arethusa. It flows south and is par ...

Highwood Pass Highwood Pass is a mountain pass in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada. It lies west of Mount Rae and Mount Arethusa of the Misty Range, south of the Elbow Pass. It lies within the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park on Alberta Highway 40 Al ...

and the

Lower Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eight ...

and

Upper Kananaskis Lake Upper Kananaskis Lake is a natural lake that was turned into a reservoir in Kananaskis Country in Alberta, Canada. Upper Kananaskis Lake, along with the Lower Kananaskis Lake, is located in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park . The lake is part of a s ...

s region. In 1933 he purchased the Buffalo Head Ranch in the Highwood Valley from George Pocaterra. From this location, between 1933 and 1945 he explored the Highwood and Elk Valley region. In 1945, aggrieved over the opening of a road into the Highwood Valley and the aftermath of a 1936 fire, he sold the ranch and resettled to

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...

. Over the next twenty-five years he wrote a series of articles for ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine''. The first number appeared in April 1817 ...

'' and '' The Beaver'' and five books about his explorations and adventures. He died in 1984. His legacy includes "Patterson's Peak" which was officially adopted in 2000 by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.David Finch (2011), ''R.M. Patterson: A Life of Great Adventure'', Touchwood Editions, ] The peak is just northwest of Mount Head (Alberta), Mount Head which he is credited with making the

first ascent In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they en ...

in 1934. He made the first ascent of

Holy Cross Mountain Holy Cross Mountain is a mountain summit located in Alberta, Canada. Description Holy Cross Mountain is situated southwest of Calgary at the southern end of the Highwood Range which is a subrange of the Canadian Rockies.Dave Birrell, Ron El ...

in 1937. The information in this article can be confirmed and supplemented by referring to an article published by The Arctic Institute of North America, linked here: https://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic44-1-85.pdf

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Raymond 1898 births 1984 deaths Alumni of the University of Oxford People educated at Rossall School

Life and career

Further reading

References