John George McTavish
# John George McTavish

John George McTavish (c. 1778 – 20 July 1847) (also spelled Mactavish) was a Scottish-born fur trader who played a significant role in the North West Company's activities in North America during the early 19th century.

## Early life

Born around 1778 in Dunardary, Argyll, Scotland, he was the son of Lachlan MacTavish, who held the title of Chief within Clan MacTavish. In 1798, he was recruited by Simon McTavish, a prominent figure in the fur trade and a distant relative, and he subsequently spelled his family name as McTavish.

## Fur trade career

McTavish worked as a clerk at the North West Company's headquarters in Montreal before taking part in an expedition to contest the monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1803. This was done by establishing posts on James Bay. He was stationed at Fort St. Andrews on Charlton Island, where he developed friendly relations with the Hudson's Bay Company personnel. When there, he married Charlotte, who was the daughter of John Thomas, the chief of the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Moose Factory. However, the North West Company decided to abandon its James Bay enterprise in 1806, forcing McTavish to return to Quebec, leaving his wife in distress.

Subsequently, McTavish was assigned to posts in the interior, including Fort Dunvegan in 1808–1809. He attended meetings of the Beaver Club (a gentlemen's dining club in Montreal) in 1810–1811 and later joined an expedition led by John MacDonald of Garth, crossing the Rocky Mountains to supply the explorer David Thompson on the upper Columbia River. Following this, McTavish stayed at Spokane House for the winter, before accompanying Thompson back to Fort William in 1812. He played a crucial role in the North West Company's triumph over the Pacific Fur Company, negotiating the purchase of the American company's assets in 1813.

During his time at Fort Astoria (in Astoria, Oregon), McTavish faced conflicts over management and tensions with local Indigenous groups. In 1814, he led an armed retaliation against a group that had attacked his company's canoes at the Cascade Locks in Oregon. While taking a short time on furlough, in the following years he continued his involvement in the fur trade, participating in expeditions and engaging in the conflict between the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company.

After the union of the two companies in 1821, McTavish became a chief factor and was entrusted with managing York Factory, the main centre for the Hudson's Bay Company's Northern Department. He gained the respect and praise of the Governor George Simpson for his business acumen and efficient management.

## Marriages

Although involved with several Indigenous women from 1800–1830, McTavish married Matooskie (also known as Nancy) in 1813 à la façon du pays (a type of common-law marriage between European male fur traders and Indigenous women, which was practised in the fur-trade society). However, in 1830, while on furlough in Scotland, McTavish abandoned Matooskie and married Catherine Aitken Turner. Despite criticism, Governor Simpson defended McTavish abandoning Matooskie and arranged for Matooskie's marriage to another man. However, the abandonment of Matooskie by McTavish was widely condemned, even by those who did not agree with marriage à la façon du pays. Rumours spread among the white settlers alleging McTavish's abusive behaviour and drinking habits.

## Health decline and death

In the early 1830s, McTavish's health declined due to excess weight gain, and he was put on furlough in 1835–1836. He was re-assigned to the Lake of Two Mountains post, situated near Montreal. In 1837, he bought a farm at Lac des Chats in Lower Canada. After Catherine Turner died in 1841, he entered into a second marriage in 1843 to Elizabeth (Eppie) Cameron, a niece of Angus Cameron, who was a chief factor.

After a career spanning almost half a century in the fur trade, McTavish died in 1847 following a brief illness. In his last will and testament, he divided his estate – valued at approximately £6,000 – among the daughters from his marriages to Turner and Cameron.

