Barnston, George, approximately 1800-1883

George Barnston was born about 1800 in Edinburg, Scotland.

He was an HBC fur-trader and naturalist. He was educated as a surveyor and army engineer. He joined the North West Company in 1820 and was retained by the Hudson’s Bay Company after the 1821 amalgamation. He began his HBC career at York Factory (Manitoba) and from there, he helped outfit two forts in the south; Lower Fort Garry and Fort du Bas de la Rivière at the mouth of the Winnipeg River. From 1826-1832, his postings took him to various posts on the Pacific coast and subsequently to Fort Albany, Ontario. During his time with the HBC, Barnston was a student of the natural history of the various areas and his specimens are in the Smithsonian Institution, the British Museum, and the Redpath Museum at McGill University. He wrote regularly for the Canadian Naturalist and for the Ibis. In 1882, he became a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

He died on March 14, 1883, in Montreal, Quebec.