Orkneymen to Rupert's Landers: Orkney Workers in the Saskatchewan District 1795-1830

• Author / Creator

  Purdey, Cheryl Ann

• The majority of workers in the Hudson’s Bay Company, up until the mid-19th
  century, originated in the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland.
  Historians have characterized these workers as an homogenous group—thrifty,
  sober, suited to work in cold weather and in the boats. Most worked for the
  Company for several years, saved their money and returned to their home islands.
  My research into the lives and work of the Orkneymen of the Saskatchewan
  district, however, has revealed that a significant portion of these men remained in
  the North West. They adapted well to the environment of Rupert’s Land, acquired
  useful skills including learning aboriginal languages, and, above all, many
  married native women and raised families, ultimately putting down roots in
  western Canada. My thesis focuses on this subset of men and the contribution
  they made to life in the early Canadian West.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Orkney

• Graduation date

  Spring 2010

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3PK8Z

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.