Manitoba Historical Society |
- About Us
- Programs
- Manitoba History
- MHS Resources
Members Area PublicationsFeaturesManitoba 150
Historic Sites of Manitoba
Memorable Manitobans
War Memorials in Manitoba
History in Winnipeg Street Names
History in Manitoba School Names
Manitoba Communities
Manitoba Photographers
Walking Tours
Personal Memoirs
Manitoba Bricks and Blocks
Events in Manitoba History
1911 Census Data
Other Features
Education
- Contact Us
LG History
Awards
2020
MHS
Fundraising
Dinner
2020
Endangered
Top 10
2019
Field Trip:
Churchill
2020
Manitoba
History
No. 90
Memorable
Manitobans
of 2019
War
Memorials
in Manitoba
This Old
Elevator
Abandoned
Manitoba
Memorable
Manitobans
Historic Sites
of Manitoba
Memorable Manitobans: James Thomson (1859-1933)
Fur trader.
Born at South Ronaldshay, Orkney on 6 October 1859, he apprenticed as a lawyer for five years before emigrating to Canada and entering the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Garry in 1880. He worked for the company over 50 years, managing its facilities at Portage la Prairie, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria before returning to Winnipeg in 1911 as Land Commissioner. Seven years later, he also assumed the position of Trade Commissioner with jurisdiction over all fur trading posts from Labrador to the Arctic Ocean. He became a Chief Factor at the same time. In 1920, he asked to be relieved of these responsibilities and retired from active management of the departments, being appointed instead as a member of the company’s Canadian Advisory Committee, the first employee from the ranks to be so.
In 1886, he married Helen Flett (1863-1944) of Kirkwell, Orkney. They had three children: Inga Thomson, Thelma Thomson, and Eric Rognvald Thomson. He was a member of the St. Andrew’s Society and the Manitoba Club.
He died at his Winnipeg home, 39 East Gate, on 23 April 1933 and was buried in St. John’s Cemetery.
Sources:
Death registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Jas. Thomson, pioneer westerner, expires,” Manitoba Free Press, 24 April 1933, page 1.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 3 August 2016
Back to top of page
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z | 2017
Send corrections and additions to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca
Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Our Inspiration | Acknowledgements
Support the MHS and
|
To report an error on the above page, please contact the MHS Webmaster. Home | Terms & Conditions | FAQ | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Donations Policy © 1998-2020 Manitoba Historical Society. All rights reserved. |