Orcadians (and some Shetlanders) who worked west of the Rockies in the fur trade up to 1858 (unedited biographies in progress) As compiled by: Bruce M. Watson 208-1948 Beach Avenue Vancouver, B. C. Canada, V6G 1Z2 As of: March, 1998 Information to be shared with Family History Society of Orkney. Corrections, additions, etc., to be returned to Bruce M. Watson. A complete set of biographies to remain in Orkney with Society. George Aitken [variation: Aiken ] (c.1815-?) [sett-Willamette] HBC employee, British: Orcadian Scot, b. c. August 20, 1815 in "Greenay", Birsay, Orkney, North Britain [U.K.] to Alexander (?-?) and Margaret [Johnston] Aiken (?-?), d. (date and place not traced), associated with: Fort Vancouver general charges (l84l-42) blacksmith Fort Stikine (l842-43) blacksmith steamer Beaver (l843-44) blacksmith Fort Vancouver (l844-45) blacksmith Fort Vancouver Depot (l845-49) blacksmith Columbia (l849-50) Columbia (l850-52) freeman Twenty one year old Orcadian blacksmith, George Aiken, signed on with the Hudson's Bay Company February 27, l836 and sailed to York Factory where he spent outfits 1837-40; he then moved to and worked at Norway House in 1840-41 before being assigned to the Columbia District in 1841. Aiken worked quietly and competently in the Columbia district mainly at coastal forts and on the steamer Beaver as a blacksmith until March 1, 1849 at which point he went to California, most certainly to participate in the Gold Rush. He appears to have returned to settle in the Willamette Valley and had an association with the HBC until 1852. Aiken's family life or subsequent activities have not been traced. References : Primary Sources Orkney roots: baptism in Old Parish Registers, Orkney-Birsay, Baptisms, 1645-1819, August 20, 1815, Orkney Archives, microfilm 13/1; service with HBC: initial contract in HBCA Servants' Contacts, 1820-1925, A.32/20, fo. 86, 87; Fort Vancouver [Columbia] Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1841-42] B.223/g/6, [from Orkney, 6 years of service] fo. 4d; [1842-43] B.223/g/7, [from Orkney, 7 years of service] fo. 5d; [1843-44] B.223/g/8, fo. 4d; York Factory Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1844-45] B.239/g/24, p. 63; [1845-46] B.239/g/25, p. 66a; [1846-47] B.239/g/26, p. 67a; [1847-48] B.239/g/27, p. 67a; [1848-49] B.239/g/28, p. 67a, [retired, California] p. 67b; [1850-51] B.239/g/30, p. 106a; [1851-52] B.239/g/31, p. 106a; District Statements: York Factory [1848-49] B.239/l/19, p. 40; employment record east of Rockies in HBCA biography extract; James Anderson (c.1798-1830) [died] HBC ship's carpenter, British: Orcadian Scot, b. c. 1798 likely in Stromness, Orkney, North Britain [U.K.], d. December 25, 1830 at Fort Vancouver, associated with: Fort Vancouver (l829-30) ship carpenter/ship builder James Anderson, from the port of Stromness, Orkney, joined the fur trade likely to give himself capital to start a new life but instead became one of its casualties. Likely born in Stromness, James appears to have drifted into the ship-building trade like many others at that port. His father having died, James appeared to be the sole supporter of his family and in 1821 he was found working with Andrew and Marjory Skea and living with his widowed mother, Catherine Anderson. Six years later, on July 7, 1827, and having met Isabella Scott, he began a new life as a married man in Stromness. Possibly in an attempt to acquire capital to begin a successful married life, the following year, on April 21, 1828, he signed on with the Hudson's Bay Company as a carpenter/ship builder on a three-year contract. Soon the Stromness shipbuilder sailed (What route did he take?????) arriving at Fort Vancouver in the Fall of 1829. There, James was engaged in repairing rather than building ships and was in the process of "giving a thorough repair to the Cadboro ", when on December 25, 1830 at the age of 32, he died of "the fever" at at that large Columbia River fort. He was likely buried in the graveyard behind the fort. (When did Isabella write the letter?????) References : Primary Sources 1821 Census, Orkney-Stromness; Old Parish Registers, Stromness Marriages 1820-1837, July 7, 1827, Orkney Archives, OPR 30/4; service with HBC: HBCA Servants' Contracts, 1820-1925, A.32/20, fo. 254; York Factory Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1829-30] B.239/g/9, [32 years old, from Stromness, 2 years in service] p. 32a; [1830-31] B.239/g/10, [33 years old, from Stromness] 35a, [died at Fort Vancouver, December 25, 1830] 35b; Fort Vancouver [Columbia] Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1830-31] B.223/g/2, fo. 18d, 19; Published Primary Sources service with HBC : McLoughlin's Fort Vancouver Letters, 1825-38 , The Champlain Society, [death of Anderson in McLoughlin's June 16, 1832 letter to Simpson] pp. 99-100; Robert Anderson [b] (fl. 1833-38) [?] HBC employee, British: Orcadian, b. (date not traced) likely in or near Birsay, Orkney, North Britain [U.K.], d. (date and place not traced), associated with: Fort Vancouver general charges (1834-37) laborer or middleman Fort Nez Perce (l836-38) middleman Robert Anderson, from Birsay, joined the Hudson's Bay Company on April 29, l833 as a laborer for five years and appears to have spent his Columbia Department career at forts on the Columbia River. In March, 1838, he left the Columbia for the east side and on September 29, 1838, at the end of his first contract, he renewed for a further three years as a laborer for work east of the Rockies. References : Primary Sources service with HBC: HBCA Servants' Contracts, 1820-1925, A.32/20, fo. 289, 290; York Factory Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1833-34] B.239/g/13, p. 37a; [1834-35] B.239/g/14, p. 37a; District Statements: York Factory [1834-35] B.239/l/5, p. 143; [1836-37] B.239/l/7, p. 71; Fort Vancouver [Columbia] Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1836-37] B. 223/g/3, [from Birsay, 4 years of service] 4d; [1837-38] B.223/g/4, fo. 4d; [1838-39] B.223/g/5, [left Columbia for East side, March 1838] fo. 29d; James Baikie [variation: Bakie ] (fl. 1851-52) [deserted?] HBC employee, British: Scottish, b. (date not traced) likely in or near Walls, Shetland, Scotland, d. (date and place not traced), associated with: Fort Vancouver general charges (1851-52) steward Fort Vancouver Depot (1852) James Baikie, from Walls, Shetland, worked for the Hudson's Bay Company as a steward around 1851. He deserted, however in 1852. According to the district statements, however, he was dismissed by Mr. Ballenden from the Fort Vancouver Depot on July 10, 1852. Ref : HBCA York Factory Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1851-52] B.239/g/31, [from Walls, 2 years of service] p. 69a; [1852-53] B.239/g/32, p. 68a; District Statements: York Factory [1851-52] B.239/l/22, p. 66; Fort Vancouver [Columbia] Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1853-54] B.223/g/9, fo. 13d, [deserted in 1852] fo. 14; District Statements: Fort Victoria (V.I.) [1852-53] B.226/l/1, fos. 2d, 3; John Baikie [variation: Blaikie ] (?-1866) [died] HBC sponsored settler/PSAC employee, British: Orcadian Scot, b. (date not traced) likely in or near Evie, Orkney, North Britain [U.K.], d. February 16, 1866 in Victoria, B. C., associated with: barque Norman Morison (1852-53) passenger Fort Victoria (1853-60) laborer Western Department (1860-61) Uplands farm (1861-66) John Baikie, from Evie, Orkney, received a cash advance in England in outfit 1852-53 for his 1852- 53 Hudson's Bay Company sponsored journey on the Norman Morison to Vancouver Island. He worked around Victoria until his death on February 16, 1866. (F.Vic. 1865-66, fo. 7) References : Primary Sources service with HBC: HBCA Ships' Logs, Norman Morison [1852-53] C.1/615, [voyage out] fo. 3; York Factory Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1852-53] B.239/g/32, p. 100a; Fort Victoria [V.I.] Abstracts of Servants' Accounts [1853-54] B.226/g/1, fo. 5d; [1854-55] B.226/g/2, [from Evie, Orkney] fo. 4d; [1855-56] B.226/g/3, fo. 5d; [1856-57] B.226/g/4, fo. 5d; [1857-58] B.226/g/5, fo. 6d; [1858-59] B.226/g/6, fo. 4d; [1859-60] B.226/g/7, fo. 6d; [1860-61] B.226/g/8, fo. 6d; [1861-62] B.226/g/9, fo. 5d; [1862-63] B.226/g/10, fo. 5d: [1863-64] B.226/g/11, fo. 6d; [1864-65] B.226/g/12, fo. 5d; [1865-66] B.226/g/13, fos. 6d, 7; [1866-67] B.226/g/14, fo. 9d; James Baker [2] (c.l804-?) [settled-Will.] HBC employee, British: Orcadian Scot, b. c. 1804 possibly on South Ronaldsay, Orkney, North Britain [U.K.], d. (date and place not traced), associated with: Fort Vancouver (1826-27) Fort Langley (1827-28) laborer Fort Vancouver (l828-33) laborer (1833-36) middleman/personal servant (l836-37) steward, (1837-39) steward (1839-40) blacksmith Willamette [French Prairie] (1840+) settler James Baker [2], from South Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands, joined the Hudson's Bay Company on May 15, 1824, originally on a five-year contract, as a middleman and appears to have spent the majority of his career in the Fort Vancouver area. He was in on the building of Fort Langley and in 1827-28 was given extra wages by order of George Simpson.