William James McLean (1841-1929)

Fur trader.

Born on the Isle of Lewis, Rothshire on 27 October 1841, he entered the services of the Hudson's Bay Company in June 1859. Arriving at York Factory, he worked as an apprentice clerk at York Factory, Lower Fort Garry and Fort Norman before being appointed clerk-in-charge at Fort Liard. He then spent the period from 1873 to 1882 at Fort Qu’Appelle, first as clerk-in-charge and later as junior Chief Trader and finally Chief Trader. He later served at Fort Ellice, Ile-a-la-Crosse and Fort Pitt, at the latter during the time of the 1885 North West Rebellion. There he was taken captive by Big Bear and held captive for 63 days. He related his experiences in a series of articles published posthumously by the Manitoba Historical Society.

He served as Chief Trader at Fort Alexander and Lower Fort Garry in Manitoba, retiring to Winnipeg in October 1892. He then spent 15 years working for the federal government, paying treaty money and distributing supplies to aboriginal peoples. In 1908 he was a member of a party that walked nearly 2,500 miles distributing treaty benefits.

Father of author Amelia Paget.

He died at Winnipeg on 12 November 1929.

His articles for the Manitoba Historical Society:

Notes and Observations of Travels on the Athabasca and Slave Lake Regions in 1899
MHS Transactions, Series 1, No. 58, Read 12 February 1901

Tragic Events at Frog Lake and Fort Pitt During the North West Rebellion, Part 1
Manitoba Pageant, Vol. 17, No. 2, Winter 1972

Tragic Events at Frog Lake and Fort Pitt During the North West Rebellion, Part 2
Manitoba Pageant, Vol. 17, No. 3, Spring 1972

Tragic Events at Frog Lake and Fort Pitt during the Northwest Rebellion, Part 3
Manitoba Pageant, Vol. 18, No. 1, Autumn 1972

Tragic Events at Frog Lake and Fort Pitt during the Northwest Rebellion, Part 4
Manitoba Pageant, Vol. 18, No. 2, Winter 1973

Tragic Events at Frog Lake and Fort Pitt during the Northwest Rebellion, Part 5
Manitoba Pageant, Vol. 18, No. 3, Spring 1973

Thirst Dance of the Cree Indians
Manitoba Pageant, Vol. 19, No. 1, Autumn 1973

Sources:

“Big Bear” M’Lean, pioneer factor, dies” Manitoba Free Press, 13 November 1929, page 4.

Hudson's Bay Company Archives, Biographical Sheets.

Profile revised: 8 October 2009

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