Simon McTavish
Encyclopedia
Simon McTavish was a Scots-Quebecer
entrepreneur and the pre-eminent businessman in Canada
during the second half of the 18th century.
, Inverness
, in the Scottish
highlands
, his father had been a lieutenant in Fraser's Highlanders
, a Scottish unit fighting the French and Indian War
in what was then British North America
.
Though his family was well-connected in the Highlands, prospects there were poor, and in 1764, at the age of thirteen, young Simon accompanied his sister and brother-in-law to the colony of New York. Once there, he quickly recognized the opportunity offered by the fur trade at Detroit
, made a few key contacts, and by 1769 was actively involved in the industry. It was later said of him that he traded first in deerskins and muskrats, and only later became involved with the more valuable furs.
Over the next few years, McTavish prospered in the trading of furs, and in 1773, with a new partner, James Bannerman, he extended his operations to Grand Portage on Lake Superior. At that important fur trade rendezvous, he understood that he would have access to fur pelts that were found in much greater quantity and were of better quality in the colder climate north of the Great Lakes
.
Although at the time the Hudson's Bay Company
controlled the prime north-westerly areas for fur trapping, there was still a relatively lucrative route from Montreal westward via the Ottawa River
and out across Georgian Bay
and the Great Lakes Region and into Manitoba
. Most of the trade at Grand Portage went through Montreal
.
In 1775-76, McTavish had the great fortune to winter at Detroit, well stocked with trade goods for the next season. The American Continental Army occupied Montreal that winter, preventing the Montreal traders from getting their goods to Grand Portage in the summer of 1776. McTavish, with little competition, was able to trade a large amount of valuable furs that summer, which he took to England and sold in a high market. In the meantime, the Americans had withdrawn from Canada, and McTavish transferred his operations to Montreal. He continued to trade on his own through the Revolutionary War, supplying goods both at Grand Portage and Detroit, and speculating in rum for the British soldiers at Detroit and Niagara. By the end of the war, he was able to put together a group of business investors and trapper/explorers to create the North West Company
. With the Frobisher brothers he owned 37.5% of the company's shares and upon the death of Benjamin Frobisher
in 1787 McTavish became the man in charge of the business.
A restructuring of the company a few months later saw the shrewd McTavish gain control of eleven of the company's twenty shares. Most important, he was managing partner of a new Montreal firm, McTavish, Frobisher and Company, which imported the North West Company's goods and forwarded its furs to the London market, taking commissions on all transactions. The vertical integration
of the business was extended in 1792, when the firm of McTavish, Fraser and Company was established in London itself, to procure the trade goods at source and sell the furs. From his headquarters in Montreal, over the next sixteen years McTavish built a business empire that stretched from the Labrador coast to the Rocky Mountains and in the process made himself a wealthy man.
In October 1793 Simon McTavish married Marie-Marguerite Chaboillez, daughter of an established French Trader. Directly after the marriage, they moved to London, where McTavish hoped to live permanently. They returned to Canada in the spring of 1795, however, Marie-Marguerite having apparently become seriously depressed. The couple had six children, two of whom died as infants, and the rest in their twenties.
During his time in Britain, Simon McTavish had befriended the chief of Clan MacTavish
, and on the chief's death, Simon brought one of the sons into the North West Company. In 1799, McTavish did something that gave him great personal satisfaction: the acquisition of the Dunardary estate in North Knapdale
, Argyll
, which had been the ancestral home for the heads of the McTavish (MacTavish) clan
for several hundred years. Although Simon's own family had been closely associated with clan Fraser, it is believed that his ancestors were a branch of the McTavish clan of Dunardary, who had settled in Stratherrick
some generations before.
As an astute businessman with great vision, McTavish recognized the need for industrialization of Montreal and that need presented opportunities to make more money. In 1802 he purchased the seigneury
of Terrebonne
where he built two modern flour-mills and a bakery and established a sawmill, encouraging other entrepreneurs to begin the manufacturing of wooden barrels.
Simon McTavish died in Montreal in 1804. In the same year the McTavish Column was built. In his will he bequeathed funds to a number of people as well as the Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal and the Montreal General Hospital
. McTavish Street, bordering the westerly side of McGill University
was named in his honor.
Scots-Quebecer
The Scot-Quebecers , are Quebecers who are of Scottish descent.-Background:Few Scots came to Quebec before the Seven Years War. Those who did blended in with the French population...
entrepreneur and the pre-eminent businessman in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the second half of the 18th century.
Biography
Born near Loch NessLoch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
, Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, in the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
, his father had been a lieutenant in Fraser's Highlanders
78th Fraser Highlanders
The 78th Regiment, Regiment of Foot otherwise known as the 78th Fraser Highlanders was a British infantry regiment of the line unit raised in Scotland in 1757, to fight in the French and Indian War.-History:...
, a Scottish unit fighting the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
in what was then British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
.
Though his family was well-connected in the Highlands, prospects there were poor, and in 1764, at the age of thirteen, young Simon accompanied his sister and brother-in-law to the colony of New York. Once there, he quickly recognized the opportunity offered by the fur trade at Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, made a few key contacts, and by 1769 was actively involved in the industry. It was later said of him that he traded first in deerskins and muskrats, and only later became involved with the more valuable furs.
Over the next few years, McTavish prospered in the trading of furs, and in 1773, with a new partner, James Bannerman, he extended his operations to Grand Portage on Lake Superior. At that important fur trade rendezvous, he understood that he would have access to fur pelts that were found in much greater quantity and were of better quality in the colder climate north of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
Although at the time the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
controlled the prime north-westerly areas for fur trapping, there was still a relatively lucrative route from Montreal westward via the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
and out across Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
and the Great Lakes Region and into Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Most of the trade at Grand Portage went through Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
In 1775-76, McTavish had the great fortune to winter at Detroit, well stocked with trade goods for the next season. The American Continental Army occupied Montreal that winter, preventing the Montreal traders from getting their goods to Grand Portage in the summer of 1776. McTavish, with little competition, was able to trade a large amount of valuable furs that summer, which he took to England and sold in a high market. In the meantime, the Americans had withdrawn from Canada, and McTavish transferred his operations to Montreal. He continued to trade on his own through the Revolutionary War, supplying goods both at Grand Portage and Detroit, and speculating in rum for the British soldiers at Detroit and Niagara. By the end of the war, he was able to put together a group of business investors and trapper/explorers to create 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...
. With the Frobisher brothers he owned 37.5% of the company's shares and upon the death of Benjamin Frobisher
Benjamin Frobisher
Benjamin Frobisher was born in England, the son of Joseph Frobisher and Rachel Hargrave and immigrated to Canada about 1763...
in 1787 McTavish became the man in charge of the business.
A restructuring of the company a few months later saw the shrewd McTavish gain control of eleven of the company's twenty shares. Most important, he was managing partner of a new Montreal firm, McTavish, Frobisher and Company, which imported the North West Company's goods and forwarded its furs to the London market, taking commissions on all transactions. The vertical integration
Vertical integration
In microeconomics and management, the term vertical integration describes a style of management control. Vertically integrated companies in a supply chain are united through a common owner. Usually each member of the supply chain produces a different product or service, and the products combine to...
of the business was extended in 1792, when the firm of McTavish, Fraser and Company was established in London itself, to procure the trade goods at source and sell the furs. From his headquarters in Montreal, over the next sixteen years McTavish built a business empire that stretched from the Labrador coast to the Rocky Mountains and in the process made himself a wealthy man.
In October 1793 Simon McTavish married Marie-Marguerite Chaboillez, daughter of an established French Trader. Directly after the marriage, they moved to London, where McTavish hoped to live permanently. They returned to Canada in the spring of 1795, however, Marie-Marguerite having apparently become seriously depressed. The couple had six children, two of whom died as infants, and the rest in their twenties.
During his time in Britain, Simon McTavish had befriended the chief of Clan MacTavish
Clan MacTavish
-Origins:The MacTavishes and Campbells are thought to share a common origin. Clan MacTavish claims to descend from Taus Coir, illegitimate son of Colin Mael Maith and a daughter of Suibhne Ruadh . Nothing certain is known of Taus Coir other than he is listed in traditional genealogies...
, and on the chief's death, Simon brought one of the sons into the North West Company. In 1799, McTavish did something that gave him great personal satisfaction: the acquisition of the Dunardary estate in North Knapdale
Knapdale
Knapdale forms a rural district of Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands, adjoining Kintyre to the south, and divided from the rest of Argyll to the north by the Crinan Canal. It includes two parishes, North Knapdale and South Knapdale....
, Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, which had been the ancestral home for the heads of the McTavish (MacTavish) clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
for several hundred years. Although Simon's own family had been closely associated with clan Fraser, it is believed that his ancestors were a branch of the McTavish clan of Dunardary, who had settled in Stratherrick
Stratherrick
Stratherrick is a strath, a wide and shallow valley, situated above the south-eastern shore of Loch Ness, in the Scottish Highlands, Scotland. Much of the strath is covered by Loch Mhòr...
some generations before.
As an astute businessman with great vision, McTavish recognized the need for industrialization of Montreal and that need presented opportunities to make more money. In 1802 he purchased the seigneury
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
of Terrebonne
Terrebonne, Quebec
Terrebonne is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shores of the Rivière des Mille-Îles and of the Rivière des Prairies, North of Montreal and Laval....
where he built two modern flour-mills and a bakery and established a sawmill, encouraging other entrepreneurs to begin the manufacturing of wooden barrels.
Simon McTavish died in Montreal in 1804. In the same year the McTavish Column was built. In his will he bequeathed funds to a number of people as well as the Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal and the Montreal General Hospital
Montreal General Hospital
The Montreal General Hospital is a hospital in Montreal, Canada, established on May 1, 1819 and an early teaching hospital. First located on the corner of Craig and St-Lawrence Streets with only 24 beds, it moved in 1822 to a new 72-bed building on Dorchester Street. It is currently situated on...
. McTavish Street, bordering the westerly side of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
was named in his honor.