John McLeod

John McLeod

John McLeod (born 1795 - died sometime after 1842) was a Scottish-born explorer of Canada, in his capacity as a fur trader with the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company. He is remembered primarily for his explorations of several major rivers of the southwestern Northwest Territories, southern Yukon Territory, and northern British Columbia.

McLeod arrived in Montreal, headquarters of the North West Company, in 1816. From there, he was assigned to the Churchill River area as a clerk. Following the merger of the two fur trading companies in 1821, McLeod served at various posts in the Athabasca and Mackenzie River Districts of the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1823, McLeod was assigned as manager of the Fort Simpson fur trading post, located at the junction of the Liard and Mackenzie Rivers, where he would remain nine years as deputy to the Chief Trader. In 1823-24, McLeod completed explorations of nine mountain ranges adjacent to the South Nahanni River, during which he opened trading relations with the Kaska First Nation.

McLeod's most important expedition took place in the summer of 1831. Leaving Fort Simpson on June 28, 1831, McLeod and eight others became the first known Europeans to ascend the Liard River, a major tributary of the Mackenzie River. This expedition also included a partial ascent of the Dease River and ascent of Frances River to Frances Lake (which McLeod mistook for the main branch of the Liard). In sum, McLeod's expedition covered close to 1000 km, and established contact with five First Nations.

Following this trip, Governor George Simpson briefly transferred McLeod to the Montreal Department, and then back to the Mackenzie River District. He was named Chief Trader of Fort Halkett, located near the junction of the Liard and Coal Rivers in 1834. From there, McLeod undertook a second expedition up the Liard as far as the Dease, ascending the Dease to Dease Lake. Journeying over the Arctic-Pacific divide, McLeod also partially descended the Stikine River, encountering coastal First Nations tribes, engaged in trading with the Russians.

After a brief stint at Fort Liard, NWT, McLeod was transferred to Fort Vancouver in the Columbia District in 1835. While there, he undertook a number of assignments, including negotiations with American and Russian fur trading interests. These travels took him as far afield as Northern California and Wyoming.

After twenty-six years as a fur trader in far-flung remote regions of the continent, the forty-seven year old McLeod retired from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1842 and returned to Great Britain, where the subsequent course of his life is unknown.

Mount McLeod, west of Dease Lake, British Columbia, is named for him.

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=3551 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography" online]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John McLeod (disambiguation) — John McLeod (1795 ndash;1842 or later) was a Canadian fur trader and explorer.John McLeod may also refer to: *John McLeod (New Brunswick politician) (1825 ndash;), former shipbuilder and member of the New Brunswick assembly *John McLeod… …   Wikipedia

  • John McLeod Campbell — (May 4, 1800 February 27, 1872) was a nineteenth century Scottish minister who has also been called Scotland s most creative Reformed theologian of the same century. Through sustained reflection on Scripture and the pastoral questions of his… …   Wikipedia

  • John McLeod (New Brunswick politician) — John McLeod (1825 ndash; ) was a Scottish born ship builder and political figure in New Brunswick, Canada. He represented St. John County in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1892 to 1903 as a Liberal member.He was born in Greenock… …   Wikipedia

  • John McLeod (composer) — John McLeod (b. 1934 Aberdeen, Scotland) is a contemporary composer based in Edinburgh, who writes music in many media including film and television. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Sir Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley.His Clarinet… …   Wikipedia

  • John McLeod Murphy — (14 February 1827 ndash; 1884) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.Murphy was born in Westchester County, New York, and was appointed midshipman 10 August 1841. Resigning as a passed midshipman 10 May 1852,… …   Wikipedia

  • John McLeod (politician) — John McLeod (September 20 1833 ndash; ) was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Durham West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal member from 1867 to 1871 and from 1872 to 1879.He was born in Lancaster… …   Wikipedia

  • James John McLeod Innes — VC CB (February 5 1830 December 13 1907) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.He was 28 years old, and …   Wikipedia

  • John Tannatt Ussher — John Tannatt Ussher, usually known as Johnny Ussher, was a settler, provincial magistrate and Gold Commissioner in the Thompson Country of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada in the 1870s. John Tannatt Ussher was the son of Samuel… …   Wikipedia

  • John MacLeod — may refer to:*John MacLeod of MacLeod (1935 ndash;2007), 29th chief of the Scottish clan Clan MacLeod *Sir John Lorne MacLeod (1873 ndash;1946), Lord Provost of Edinburgh, 1916 ndash;1919 *John James Richard Macleod (1876 ndash;1935), Scottish… …   Wikipedia

  • John Stuart McCaig — (sometimes styled as John Stuart McCaig of Muckairn and Soroba) was the second son of Malcom [ sic ] McCaig (a farmer) and Margaret Stewart and was born at Clachan, Isle of Lismore, Argyll, Scotland on 11th July 1823 and baptised at St Moluag s… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”