Benjamin Frobisher
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Frobisher was born in England, the son of Joseph Frobisher and Rachel Hargrave and immigrated to Canada about 1763. Two brothers also immigrated to Canada and all three were involved with the fur trade
and its expansion into the northwest.
In 1770, the three brothers, partnered with Richard Dobie
, had a successful fur trading expedition which went up the Saskatchewan River
well past Fort Bourbon
situated near the mouth of that river. More successful expeditions followed and in 1779 the Frobishers set up a company that owned two of the sixteen shares in the North West Company
established that year. They were among the shareholders who got their fur trade goods from the London merchant John Strettell
.
At the time of Benjamin's death, the northwest was beginning to be the most important region in the fur trade and a time when the North West Company was on the point of having almost total control of the area's trade.
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
and its expansion into the northwest.
In 1770, the three brothers, partnered with Richard Dobie
Richard Dobie
Richard Dobie was a merchant from Scotland who came to Canada about 1760 and by 1764 was actively involved in the fur trade around Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes...
, had a successful fur trading expedition which went up the Saskatchewan River
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada, approximately long, flowing roughly eastward across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to empty into Lake Winnipeg...
well past Fort Bourbon
Fort Bourbon
Fort Bourbon was one of the important northern forts that La Vérendrye had built during his long tenure as commandant of the western forts of New France. This was during the earliest exploration of the northwest of North America...
situated near the mouth of that river. More successful expeditions followed and in 1779 the Frobishers set up a company that owned two of the sixteen shares in the North West Company
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 was to become Western Canada...
established that year. They were among the shareholders who got their fur trade goods from the London merchant John Strettell
John Strettell
John Strettell of London, England, was one of the most important merchants providing trade goods to the Canadian fur trade in the period between the Conquest of Canada and his death in 1786....
.
At the time of Benjamin's death, the northwest was beginning to be the most important region in the fur trade and a time when the North West Company was on the point of having almost total control of the area's trade.