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JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

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gnstill
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JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by gnstill » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:41 am

New Family Page: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Please post comments and queries about John Edward HARRIOTT and his family here.

kprudenshirley
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by kprudenshirley » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:48 pm

Hi Gary, There's another change needed here -

Child by Margaret PRUDEN ["Elizabeth", rather than Margaret]:
1. Jun 5, 1831 MARGARET "PEGGY" HARRIOTT (m1. John ROWAND JR; m2. Hugh S DONALDSON)

** MORE ABOUT JOHN ROWAND JR

Children by Nancy ROWAND:
1. Oct 1, 1836 CHRISTINE HARRIOTT
2. Feb 2, 1838 FLORA HARRIOTT (m. Henry McDERMOTT)
3. June 9, 1840 RACHAEL HARRIOTT (m. Thomas BUNN)

gnstill
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by gnstill » Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:02 am

Thanks Karen! Fixed.

kprudenshirley
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by kprudenshirley » Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:06 am

How about this one, Gary? Is this correct? (Rowland v. Rowand)

"In 1832 HARRIOTT returned to the Saskatchewan District to take charge of the Piegan Post on the Bow River but, from 1834 onwards, his principal posting was Rocky Mountain House. He was John ROWLAND's right-hand man in the Saskatchewan District and often had charge in ROWLAND's absence. ** MORE ABOUT JOHN ROWAND (1787-1854)"

gnstill
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by gnstill » Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:28 am

Fixed - Thanks again.

EdmontonTom
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by EdmontonTom » Mon Jan 13, 2014 5:34 pm

Gary I have archival pictures of some of the Harriott kids. Would you like me to send them to you? I think Christy, Victoire and Alexander.

EdmontonTom
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by EdmontonTom » Mon Jan 13, 2014 5:43 pm

Here is a wonderful quotation from John Edward Harriott, who is one of my heroes and a man I had the luck to portray to visitors at Fort Edmonton Park in 2006.

"When I say married, I mean according to the custom of the country, which was by an agreement between the father of the girl and the person who was going to take the girl for wife.... I consider it as binding as if celebrated by an archbishop. I was married thid way myself.... The marriage according to the custom above described, was considered a marriage for [life]. I considered it so. I know of hundreds of people living and dying with the woman they took in that way without any other formalities....

"A servant of the company is obliged to obtain permission of a superior officer before he takes a wife. A superior officer acts from his own sense of propriety; he may do what he likes. When I took a wife as above mentioned, I made a solemn promise to her father to live with her and treat her as my wife as long as we both lived. I kept this promise until her death which occurred in the North West in 1830. Had I come to civilized community, I believe I should have married according to the civilised form of solemnising marriage. I should have done so to please people and to conform to the custom of society. I would not consider myself more strongly bound to that woman as before." Quoted in Edmonton in Our Own Words by Linda Goyette and Carolina Jakeway Roemmich (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2004) from Revue Legale (Decisions des Tribunaux), vol. 1 (Montreal: Wilson and Lafleur, 1869). I believe he was testifying in a case that dealt with 'country marriages.'

kprudenshirley
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by kprudenshirley » Mon Jan 13, 2014 7:56 pm

Hi Tom, The case in which JEH testified was CONNOLLY V. WOOLRICH AND JOHNSON ET AL. (1867), 17 R.J.R.Q. 75 (also reported. 11 L.C.Jur. 197). Quebec Superior Court, Monk J., 9 July 1867. The facts of the case are discussed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concubinage_in_Canada. I'd really appreciate it if you would post pictures of the Harriott children. The only Harriott child I've seen a picture of so far is Margaret. Thanks! Karen

gnstill
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by gnstill » Tue Jan 14, 2014 7:03 am

Tom: Yes, please do send those pictures to me via an Email attachment.
I do have one of Victoria HARRIOTT who married Roderick ROSS (from Glenbow Archives) but was saving it in case I did a Page for his family.

EdmontonTom
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Re: JOHN EDWARD HARRIOTT (1797-1866)

Post by EdmontonTom » Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:04 am

In 1822 the HBC was keen to open up trade in the southern part of Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) territory. That year, John Edward became a member of the Bow River Expedition which established a small post below the forks of the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan rivers. The expedition was led by Donald McKENZIE (1783-1851) and John Edward was second in command
I believe John ROWAND was second-in-command of the Bow River Expedition, not John Edward Harriott. Harriott was a promising young clerk, but Rowand was definitely his senior in experience. It might just be because of long service, but many of the former members of the Bow River Expedition ended up under Rowand and Harriott's command in the Saskatchewan District of the 1840s.

Another useful quotation about Harriott:

In 1832, George Simpson described him in his private ‘character book’: "About 40 Years of Age. A finished Trader. Speaks Cree like a Native and is a great favourite with Natives: has much influence likewise with the people and is generally esteemed by his colleagues. Strong, active and fit for Severe duty. Mild tempered, well disposed, and bears an excellent private character. Came to the Country when quite a Boy so that he is deficient in regard to Education, but in every other respect he is a very effective Man."

Everybody seems to have loved Harriott, including Rev. Rundle, the Niitsitapii (Blackfoot) chiefs, and his employees. William Gladstone, a young boat-builder of the late 1840s who had terrible things to say about John Rowand, thought the world of Harriott - whom he says lent out his books and tipped his hat or had friendly words for post inhabitants at all times.

Harriott also apparently wrote a short set of memoirs about his time in the Company service. An historian acquaintance of mine is working on and off on editing it, but says it is unfortunately very boring! I can't imagine he lived a boring life, so he must just be a poor writer.

In 1846, Harriott was promoted to Chief Factor and had charge of the Saskatchewan during one of Rowand's furloughs.

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