Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, Earl of

(1771-1820)

   MS Influenced by Mackenzie's Voyages, 7, 94; gains controlling interest in Hudson's Bay Company, 7; organizes colony, 7, 8, 100; dies, 1820, 8; Canadian places named after, 115; his lineage, 115, 116; birth, June, 1771, 116; educated at University of Edinburgh, 117; influenced by French Revolution, 117-118; becomes Baron Daer and Shortcleugh, 1797, on death of his brother, and Earl of Selkirk, on death of his father, 1799, 118-119; philanthropic interest in the Highlands and emigration policy, 119-120; his scheme for national defence, 120-121; made Fellow of Royal Society, 122; his Sketch of the British Fur Trade in 1806, 122; earlier pamphlets on the North American Indians, attributed to him, 122; his pamphlet on Parliamentary Reform, 123, 124; character sketch, 125; his memorial of 1802, on the proposed colony in Rupert's Land, 127-128; his Prince Edward Island colony, 129-132; visits United States and Canada, 132-133; the Baldoon Settlement in Upper Canada, 133; the Moulton Settlement, 134; visits Montreal, 1803, 137; entertained by the partners of the North West Company, at the Beaver Club, 139-140; takes advantage of his opportunities to obtain knowledge of the fur trade, 140; genesis of the Red River project, 141-142; obtains legal opinion on the Hudson's Bay Company, 143-145; purchases controlling interest in the Hudson's Bay Company, 145-146; buys Red River property from the Company, 146; opposition of Mackenzie, Inglis, and Ellice, 146; area of the tract, 147; plans for the colony, 149; terms of settlement, 149-150; sends for Miles Macdonell and puts him in charge of the colony, 150; sends him out to Hudson Bay with colonists, 151; sends second party of colonists, 159; sends third party of colonists, 1813, 162; sends Robert Semple with a fourth party, 1815, 164; arrives in Montreal from Scotland with his family, 1815, 185; makes representations to Lord Bathurst, and Sir George Drummond, 186; brings the De Meurons, disbanded Swiss soldiers, to Fort William, 189; winters at Point De Meuron, 190; reaches Red River, June, 1817, 191; makes treaty with Indians, 192; returns to Upper Canada, 193; faces trial at Sandwich, 198; and at York, 199; brings charges against North West Company, 199; his letter to Duke of Richmond, 200; returns to England, 201; the Bluebook of 1819, 201; letter of Sir Walter Scott, 202-203; his health breaks down, 202; death, April 8, 1820, at Pau, 204; sketch of his life in Gentleman's Magazine, 204-206; his family, 206; compared with Alexander Mackenzie, 209. See also Red River Colony.

   Bib.: Works: Sketch of the British Fur Trade in 1806; Observations on a Proposal for the Civilization and Improvement of the North American Indians within the British Boundary; Parliamentary Reform; Civilization of the Indian in North America; On the Necessity of a More Efficient System of National Defence; Observations on the Present State of the Highlands of Scotland, with a View of the Causes and Probable Consequences of Emigration. For biog., see Morgan, Cel. Can.; Dent, Can. Por.; Dict. Nat. Biog.; Bryce, Manitoba, Hudson's Bay Company, and Romantic Settlement of Lord Selkirk's Colonists; Laut, Conquest of the Great North-West. See also Red River Colony; Baldoon.