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Archival description
Fur traders.
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Samuel Mathewson Baylis Fonds

  • CA RBD MSG 399
  • Fonds
  • 1895, 1899, 1921-1941

Correspondence 1921-1931 concerning Simon McTavish; official copies of legal documents including estate inventories, lawsuits over the McTavish estate, and Simon McTavish’s will; notes for Baylis’ study of McTavish; numerous petitions and newspaper clippings on the state of the McTavish monument and tomb (Peel St., Montreal), and a typescript of his text concerning Simon McTavish. Also two letters from Ignatius Donnelly, 1899, and a letter 1895, from J. Middleton to John Doyle about 19th century gardening in Montreal and the funeral of Judge James Reid.

Baylis, Samuel Mathewson, 1845-1941

Jean Orillat Fonds

  • CA RBD MSG 55
  • Fonds
  • 1779

Fonds contains an inventory of joint property between the late Jean Orillat, a French Canadian merchant, and his wife, Thérèse-Amable Viger. Inventory signed by notary Mesière. ("Inventaire des biens de la communauté d’entre feu Mr Jean Orillat à dame Thérèse Viger son épouse, 19 juin. 1779.)

Coppenrath Collection of Voyageur Contracts

  • CA RBD MSG 1108
  • Collection
  • approximately 1732-1821

The Coppenrath Collection of Voyageurs Contracts for the North West Company partners contains 52 contracts for the period from approximately 1800 to 1821. These document the terms of engagement for men going into the North West . Voyageur contracts are of particular interest for study of the fur trade, Canada's first major industry, because they document the conditions of employment for many of the journeymen ("engagés") involved in the trade, both those who worked on the Ottawa River and those who "wintered" in the North West. The contracts are dated from 1800 to 1821 with printed forms from before 1800 being used in some cases. A significant number of outfitters are included namely the firm of McTavish, McGillivrays & Co. with various partners including John Ogilvy and Thomas Thain, Pierre de Rocheblave and earlier partnership – McTavish, Frobisher & Co. As well, there are contracts with lesser known outfitters. These contracts provide not only the names of the "engagés" but usually their place of residence and the conditions and terms of their employment.