William Grant (fur trader)
Encyclopedia
William Grant was a Scottish
-born fur trade
r and businessman in Lower Canada
.
He was born in Kirkmichael, Scotland in 1743 and came to Quebec
shortly after 1759, and became involved in the fur trade in the regions near Michilimackinac
, Lake Superior
and Lake Nipigon
. Grant became partners with Gabriel Cotté and Alexander Shaw. In 1791, he formed Grant, Campion and Company with Étienne-Charles Campion and Samuel Gerrard
; the firm played an important role in the development of the fur trade in the region, becoming share-holders in the North West Company
and coming to an agreement with that company regarding access to trading territories. In 1787, he married Marguerite Fafard, dit Laframboise, at Trois-Rivières
. He was named justice of the peace for Trois-Rivières district in 1792. Grant was also involved in importing goods from Britain
. In 1795, he retired from the fur trade.
He died at William-Henry (later Sorel) in 1810.
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...
-born fur 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...
r and businessman in Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
.
He was born in Kirkmichael, Scotland in 1743 and came to Quebec
Province of Quebec (1763-1791)
The Province of Quebec was a colony in North America created by Great Britain after the Seven Years' War. Great Britain acquired Canada by the Treaty of Paris when King Louis XV of France and his advisors chose to keep the territory of Guadeloupe for its valuable sugar crops instead of New France...
shortly after 1759, and became involved in the fur trade in the regions near Michilimackinac
Michilimackinac
Michilimackinac is a name for the region around the Straits of Mackinac between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Early settlers of North America applied the term to the entire region along Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Today it is mostly within the boundaries of Michigan, in the United States...
, Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
and Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon is the largest lake entirely within the boundaries of the Canadian province of Ontario . It is sometimes described as the sixth Great Lake. Lying 260 metres above sea level, the lake drains into the Nipigon River and thence into Nipigon Bay of Lake Superior...
. Grant became partners with Gabriel Cotté and Alexander Shaw. In 1791, he formed Grant, Campion and Company with Étienne-Charles Campion and Samuel Gerrard
Samuel Gerrard
Samuel Gerrard was a Canadian fur trader, businessman, militia officer, justice of the peace, politician, and seigneur. He was the second president of the Bank of Montreal.-References:...
; the firm played an important role in the development of the fur trade in the region, becoming share-holders 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...
and coming to an agreement with that company regarding access to trading territories. In 1787, he married Marguerite Fafard, dit Laframboise, at Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières is a city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It is situated in the Mauricie administrative region, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour...
. He was named justice of the peace for Trois-Rivières district in 1792. Grant was also involved in importing goods from Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
. In 1795, he retired from the fur trade.
He died at William-Henry (later Sorel) in 1810.