Fur Trade Scotsmen

[Todd Bradshaw]

Wow! He was certainly a busy man. That resume kind of makes the rest of us look like total slackers.

[ThistleDown]

Todd, you might contact Hudsons Bay Archives for more information https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/.

Most of the HBC employees were Lowlanders, Orkneymen and Quebecers, so unlikely there would be kilts among them. They did sell blue bonnets with red touries through their stores after amalgamation; I was present when an original 1872 case of them was opened at Fort Langley in British Columbia years ago. The NWCo was comprised mainly of Highlanders under Partner William Mcgillivray who was born at Dunlichity, not too far from my home.

Can you identify the portrait for us?

[Liam]

From the research that I have done there is very little evidence of kilt wearing in the fur trade in either the USA or Canada. I was hoping to find a plausible example of kilting associated with the early exploration and settlement of the Canadian West. I volunteer at Calgary's Heritage Park, but alas my attire is in denim bib coveralls and a tweed flat cap at the grain elevator. If any XMarkers find themselves in Calgary on a Thursday or a Saturday please find the time to visit our wonderful village and seek out the grain elevator. I will enlighten you as to it's operation and importance to a developing prairie town.

[IsaacW]

From the research that I have done there is very little evidence of kilt wearing in the fur trade in either the USA or Canada. .

Liam, is there any particular period that you are needing to fit? I do have a few items but they are quite late.

Isaac

[416 Rigby]

Gorgeous boat, and interesting history!

[Matty Ross]

I just thought I would throw this one in for the fun of it. I spent 3 days on this boat with these boys a few years ago. 95 miles on the upper Columbia in Canada and Washington

[Liam]

Liam, is there any particular period that you are needing to fit? I do have a few items but they are quite late.

Isaac

Isaac... Heritage Park represents 3 distinct time periods, the 1860 fur trading period, an 1880 pre-railroad settlement and a 1910 Western Canada town.
I would appreciate any pictorial evidence of kilt wearing during these periods that anyone has in Western Canada.
Slainte....

[IsaacW]

Well... I have been digging through books in my library as I thought I had a few images of HBC families that were wearing kilts and tartan jackets ca. 1860-80s. All I came up with was the following image from Sylvia Van Kirk's book, Many Tender Ties. It is of the Bannatynes of Red River around c 1870. She is Metis and her hubby is Scottish. Interestingly, there are many comments about the Metis of Rupert's Land and how the French/Native Metis usually gravitated more towards the native mothers' culture whereas the Scottish/Native Metis tended to have staunch British attitudes and connect much with their Scottish roots.



I am sure I have seen other photos like this, but I am currently not finding any. There are, however, plenty of examples of tartan skirts by women and plenty of mentions or tartan items in HBC store records from this later period. Of course, tartan clothing was not overly uncommon during this period, especially among women.

Christina McDonald ca. 1861, the daughter of Chief Factor Angus McDonald...


Helen ‘Nellie’ Smith-Isbister-Badger (a.k.a. “Widow Isbister” of St. Clement’s Parish) and daughter (possibly Elizabeth), photographed at Red River during the 1860s. https://casualtyofcolonialism.wordpress.com/table-of-contents/settling-in-to-capitalize-on-farming-re-viewing-colonial-era-red-river/




As mentioned earlier... Scots Bonnets were huge. In my blog, I mentioned some among working men, but this is an image of Chief Factor Donald McTavish of the Hudson's Bay Company, Keewatin district, Manitoba.

[Liam]

Thanks for posting these...