THOMAS HARPER (1807-1877)

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New Family Page: THOMAS HARPER (1807-1877)

Please post comments and queries about Thomas HARPER and his family here.

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New Family Page: THOMAS HARPER (1807-1877)

Please post comments and queries about Thomas HARPER and his family here.

John Harper
Baptized: 15 Feb 1767 Stromness, Orkney Islands
Married: According to the cistom of the country at some time after 1798 in the Nelson River District, Rupert's Land
Died: 13 Mar 1810 Three Point Lake, Rupert's Land

A Cree Woman (name unknown)
Born: ?, the daughter of The Fathom
Married: A second time at some time after 1810 to Jack Donald, a Cree in the Nelson River District
Died: At some after 1830

John Harper was born in 1767 in the parish of Stromness, Orkney Islands, the son of John Harper and Margaret Loutit. He entered the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) as a labourer in 1787 and passed the first five years in the Saskatchewan River country. In 1793 he accompanied David Thompson on a journey of discovery to Reindeer Lake via the Burntwood/Churchill river system. He passed the next two years at Reed Lake and assumed the charge of that post for the 1795-1796 season. In 1796 Harper was transferred to the Nelson River district and spent the remaining years with the HBC as an Assistant Trader at Three Point Lake. He was married according to the custom of the country to a Cree woman, the daughter of The Fathom. Harper died at Three Point Lake in 1810.

Children:

1. Charles Harper
Born: At some time before 1800 in the Nelson River District
Died: About 1812?

Very little is known about Charles Harper. The only reference to him in the HBC Archives was in the Split Lake account book fr 1811-1812. He was stationed in the North (Nelson) River district and was described as "a Boy". Thereafter, there is no further record of him. It can be assumed that he either died at some time about 1812, or that he returned to live among his mother's people permanently, i.e. his future was not with the HBC.

2. Clementina Harper
Born: At some before 1800 in the Nelson River District
Married: According to the custom of the country and at some time before 1814 in the Nelson River District to John Robertson. She was married a second time according to the custom of the country and at some time after 1845 at Berens River, Rupert's land to Robert Cumming
Died: Fall 1851 Berens River, Rupert's land

The first reference to Clementina Harper in the HBC records was the entry for 21 August 1809 in the 1808-1809 York Factory post journal. On that day John Harper entered hos son and daughter (Clementina) into the school at York Factory. Her education was short-lived when the school was closed about 1812. Thereafter, she lived among her mother's people in the Nelson River district where at some time before 1814 she became the wife of John Robertson.

After her husband's death in 1828 she continued to live with her children at Berens River. According to Robertson's will he left her 200 Pounds Sterling for the support of his wife and children, of whch 10 Pounds was to be given out annually. Clementina was able to purchase goods and supplies on from the HBC. In 1850-1851 there was no further record of Clementina as an annuitant in the HBC records.

3. William Harper
Born: 1802 in the Nelson River District
Married: At some time before 1815 to an unknown Cree woman. He wsas married a second time 17 Aug 1831 at the Red River Settlement to Anne Taylor, the daughter of George and Jane Taylor.
Died: Fall 1834 Berens River

Willaim Harper began his career with the HBC in 1818 as a labourer. He was stationed in the New Churchill District and passed the 1818-1819 season at Split Lake and the following season at Net Lake, an outpost of Split Lake. He passed the 1822-1823 season at Split Lake and was described as a "useful lad". He renewed his contract in 1823 and remained in the Nelson River district until 1828. He was then transferred to the Winnipeg District and probably served at Berens River. In 1832-1833 Harper was employed as "Interpreter and Steersman". He was then given the charge of Ssandy Narrows, an outpost of Berens River. However, in the fall of 1834 Harper was sunfortunately drowned on his way down the Berens River.

4. Magnus Harper
Born: 1806 in the Nelson River District
Married: By an HBC marriage contract dated 18 Aug 1830 at Oxford House to Peggy LaPierre, the daughter of Antoine and Josephte Lapierre . He was married a second time by an HBC marriage contract dated 21 Jul 1848 at York Factory to Nancy Stevenson, the daughter of Jack Stevenson.
Died: 11 Apr 1858 Oxford House

Magnus Harper began his career with the HBC in 1821 when he was a labourer in the New CHurchill district. He remained in the Nelson River district until 1827-1828. In 1828 he was transferred to the Island lake district and was stationed at Oxford House. The next year he was promoted to the rank of Steersman. He remained at Oxford House until his death in 1858. After 1836 he assumed the full charge of the Oxfoerd House boat brigade to York Factory.

5. Thomas Harper
Born: 1807 in the Nelson River District
Married: According to the custom of the country about 1837 at Berens river to Elizabeth Cumming, the daughter of Robert Cumming and Elizabeth, a Northern Ojibwa woman
Died: 6 Sep 1877 at St. Peter's, Manitoba

Thomas Harper was born about 1807 in the Nelson River district of Rupert’s Land, the son of John Harper and a Cree woman. After the death of his father in 1810, Harper lived among his mother’s people in the Split Lake area. He entered the service of the HBC as an apprentice employee in 1826, and was then engaged as a middleman in 1829. Harper passed most of his career with the HBC stationed at Berens River in the Norway House district. He was promoted to the rank of guide in 1838, but was reduced to the rank of steersman in 1841. Despite his rank he had the charge of the Berens River outpost at the Little Saskatchewan River. Harper retired from the HBC in 1857 and settled in the parish of St. Peter’s in Red River. He died in 1877.

Could you please create new pages for Clementina Harper, William Harper and Magnus Harper

[gnstill]

Warren: I already have most of that information in what has become a massive personal collection of information and I do intend to do Family Pages for those people you mentioned eventually, but I’m sorry to say it may sometime down the road.

Due to the overwhelming responses on my website and requests to do these pages I’m busier than a one-armed paper hanger these days. I have had to create a priority list in order to manage my time, and I have an obligation to many people who make donations to work on their stuff first.
More about that at this link: SPECIAL FAMILY PAGES