Simon McGillivray,
FRS ( – 9 June 1840), played an intricate role in merging the family owned
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great weal ...
with the rival
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
. From 1835, he co-owned the ''
Morning Chronicle
''The Morning Chronicle'' was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London. It was notable for having been the first steady employer of essayist William Hazlitt as a political reporter and the first steady employer of Charles Dickens as a journalist. It ...
'' and the ''London Advertiser''. He was Provincial
Grand Master of
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...
(1822–1840);
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
at London; a member of the
Beaver Club
The Beaver Club was a gentleman's dining club founded in 1785 by the predominantly English-speaking men who had gained control of the fur trade of Montreal. According to the club's rules, the object of their meeting was "to bring together, at sta ...
at
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
and a member of the Canada Club at London.
Early years
In 1785, McGillivray was born at Dunlichity, near
Daviot in the
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...
. He was the youngest son of Donald Roy McGillivray (1741–1803),
tacksman
A tacksman ( gd, Fear-Taic, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society.
Tenant and landlord
Although a tacksman generally paid a year ...
of Achnalodan in
Dunmaglass and later of Dalscoilt in
Strathnairn
Strathnairn (Gaelic: ''Srath Narann'') is an area of the Scottish Highlands approximately 8 miles southwest of Inverness, bordering the Monadhliath Mountains. The Strath's borders reach to the north where Clava cairn and the Battle of Culloden lie, ...
. His mother, Anne (1740–1807), was the daughter of Lieutenant John McTavish (1701–1774), of Garthbeg. The McGillivrays had traditionally held the
Dunmaglass estate since the fourteenth century, and Simon's grandfather was a first cousin of the Chief of
Clan McGillivray, Captain William McGillivray of Dunmaglass. However, on his side of the family, the land had dissipated so that Simon's father was a small tenant on what had become part of the
Lovat estate, and he was unable to provide secondary schooling for Simon and his brothers
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
and
Duncan. Instead, their education was paid for by their wealthy uncle
Simon McTavish Simon McTavish may refer to
* Simon McTavish (kayaker) (born 1996), Canadian sprint kayaker
* Simon McTavish (fur trader)
Simon McTavish (1750 – 6 July 1804), of Montreal was a Scottish-born fur trader and the chief founding partner ...
, of
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, who also provided each of the boys with careers within his fur trading empire.
Representing the family firm in London
Simon McGillivray had a lame foot and was slightly blind in one eye, so instead of coming to
the Canadas
The Canadas is the collective name for the provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada, two historical British colonies in present-day Canada. The two colonies were formed in 1791, when the British Parliament passed the '' Constitutional Act'', ...
and being put through an apprenticeship with the
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great weal ...
as his brothers had, he was sent down to London to work for another branch of his uncle's business, McTavish, Fraser & Co. This company was set up to maximise profits for the
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
firm. The company supplied the Canadian firm with trade goods, obtained credit for it, looked after shipments and sold the
pelts
Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket ...
at the best price on the London market.
He became a partner of the firm in 1805 and in 1811 he was made a partner of the parent company in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. From London, Simon worked closely with his brother,
William McGillivray
Lt.-Colonel The Hon. William McGillivray (1764 – 16 October 1825), of Chateau St. Antoine, Montreal, was a Scottish-born fur trader who succeeded his uncle as the last chief partner of the North West Company. He was elected a member of the Leg ...
, in his struggles to overcome
Lord Selkirk and the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
. He made various business trips to
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
when needed but otherwise remained in London where his authority had steadily grown to supersede his cousin John Fraser, the financial expert in
Simon McTavish Simon McTavish may refer to
* Simon McTavish (kayaker) (born 1996), Canadian sprint kayaker
* Simon McTavish (fur trader)
Simon McTavish (1750 – 6 July 1804), of Montreal was a Scottish-born fur trader and the chief founding partner ...
's time.
Merging the NWC with the HBC
In 1820, when
William McGillivray
Lt.-Colonel The Hon. William McGillivray (1764 – 16 October 1825), of Chateau St. Antoine, Montreal, was a Scottish-born fur trader who succeeded his uncle as the last chief partner of the North West Company. He was elected a member of the Leg ...
realised that the collapse of the
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great weal ...
(NWC) was imminent unless an agreement could be made with their rivals, the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
(HBC), Simon took a leading role. Together with his friend
Edward Ellice, they devised a plan to merge the two giant fur companies. During the discussions that followed,
Colin Robertson remarked: "I like Simon much better than his friend the Member of Parliament (Ellice); there is a sort of
highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
pride and frankness about the little fellow that I don't dislike". The merger was completed by 1821, and having broken the news to the partners in Canada, Robertson again commented, "Simon McGillivray has carried everything without even the semblance of opposition. The first day he opened the business, the second the Deed and Release was signed, and the third all was peace and harmony".
Simon and
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
were placed on the board of the new organisation after investing £164,000 between them, but the peace did not last long and by 1825 their
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
and London firms, McTavish, McGillivrays & Co., and (since 1822) McGillivrays,
Thain Thain is a name.
Surname
Notable people with the surname include:
* Bradley Thain (born 1997), South African rugby union player
* Caryl Thain (1895–1969), English cricketer
* Colin Thain (born 1959), political scientist
* Gary Thain (1948–1975 ...
& Co. went bankrupt. They were left in debt to the sum of £200,000. Blame for the failure is generally accredited to the dealings of the Ellice family, who since the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
had made ambitions on gaining control of the riches in North West Canada.
Family and final years
McGillivray was forced to sell his valuable art collection, but his talents had not gone unnoticed in London and his career continued to prosper. In 1829, Simon was chosen by the United Mexican Mining Association of London to go to Mexico to help reorganise the administration of the company's
silver mine
Silver mining is the extraction of silver from minerals, starting with mining. Because silver is often found in intimate combination with other metals, its extraction requires elaborate technologies. In 2008, ca.25,900 metric tons were consumed ...
s. In 1835, he was back in London, becoming a co-owner of the ''
Morning Chronicle
''The Morning Chronicle'' was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London. It was notable for having been the first steady employer of essayist William Hazlitt as a political reporter and the first steady employer of Charles Dickens as a journalist. It ...
'' and ''London Advertiser''. A
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
in London, from 1822 he held the position of Provincial
Grand Master of
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...
, a position he held until his death. In 1838, he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
.
In 1837, at London, he married Anne Easthope (1808–1869), the eldest daughter of his business partner
Sir John Easthope, 1st Bt., M.P., of Firgrove,
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, by his first wife, Ann, daughter of Jacob Stokes, of Leopard House,
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
. The McGillivrays kept two houses. Their London home was at 13 Salisbury Street,
The Strand, and they also kept a residence on Dartmouth Row,
Blackheath Blackheath may refer to:
Places England
*Blackheath, London, England
** Blackheath railway station
**Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England
*Blackheath, Surrey, England
** Hundred of Blackh ...
, which was then in
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
.
Royal Society Records
/ref> Simon was the godfather of John Auldjo
John Richardson Auldjo (26 July 1805 – 6 May 1886), FRS, FRGS, was a Canadian-British traveller, geologist, writer and artist. He was British Consul at Geneva. He was a close friend of Edward Bulwer-Lytton and a member of Sir William Gell's i ...
. The McGillivrays were the parents of two daughters, and they were survived by one.
*Mary Louisa McGillivray (1840–1897), married Rear-Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...
Richard Dawkins (1828–1896), of Stoke Gabriel
Stoke Gabriel is a village and parish in Devon, England, situated on a creek of the River Dart. The village is a popular tourist destination in the South Hams and is famous for its mill pond and crab fishing (known colloquially as ''crabbing'') ...
, Devon. They were the parents of five children, including Richard MacGillivray Dawkins
Richard MacGillivray Dawkins FBA (24 October 1871 – 4 May 1955) was a British archaeologist. He was associated with the British School at Athens, of which he was Director between 1906 and 1913.
Early life
He was the son of Rear-Admiral
...
References
External links
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
Simon McGillivray Fonds at ''Rare Books and Special Collections, McGill University.''
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGillivray, Simon
Canadian people of Scottish descent
1780s births
1840 deaths
Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
Fellows of the Royal Society