Ermatinger, Lawrence, approximately 1736-1789

Lawrence Ermatinger was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and was baptized there on 29 October 1736. He was the son of gunsmith Laurentz Ermatinger and Anna Maria Buhl. Ermatinger became a merchant and was a partner in the London firm of Trye and Ermatinger. He migrated to Montreal some time in the 1760s, after the end of the Seven Years' War. There, he shipped goods to Michilimackinac and Grand Portage and provided transportation for goods and passengers going to England. Soon after arriving, he married Jemima Oakes, sister of his later partner Forrest Oakes. They had eight children together. After James Trye died in 1767, Ermatinger was required to return to London to settle some financial issues and, though he had to declare bankruptcy in 1769, he was able to return to Montreal and continue his business in 1770. Despite two fires and harassment by American administrators during the American Revolutionary War, Ermatinger managed to do consistent business in the fur trade and held a share in the North West Company through his partnership with Forrest Oakes (as Oakes and Company). He also continued to do business in shipping to and from England. He was very involved in lobbying for policy change in Canada to benefit the business community. He was also an early member of a Montreal Masonic organization. Over the years, Ermatinger amassed significant debt and in 1783 mortgaged all of his assets, eventually selling his house and withdrawing from business. He died on 6 October 1789.

Dates of activity and biographical details based on content of the collection and an entry in the Canadian Dictionary of Biography: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/ermatinger_lawrence_4E.html.