1812-1890+Amelia+Douglas



Amelia Douglas (1812-1890): Fur trade pioneer

Amelia Douglas was one of the founding mothers of British Columbia - and one of the most well-known women in fur trade society. She was born at Fort Churchill to a furtrader of Irish and French Canadian ancestry called William Connolly, and his Cree wife Miyo Nipiy

Amelia grew up in a household where her mother commonly spoke Swampy Cree and her father (born in Quebec) usually spoke French. Amelia was raised in fur trading posts.

she met an enterprising young Scottish clerk who worked for her father (at the time chief factor of the post). In the spring of 1828 sixteen-year-old Amelia married James Douglas, who was twenty-five. Douglas was a competent man who rose quickly in the fur trade, becoming a chief factor by November 1839. The couple settled at Fort Vancouver and Douglas later became chief factor and governor of Vancouver Island. He eventually became governor of British Columbia Early in their married life the courageous Amelia risked her life trying to rescue Douglas from an attack by some angry natives

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