James Douglas
James Douglas was a significant historical figure born in 1803 in the Dutch-controlled colony of Demerara, now part of Guyana. He was the son of a Scottish planter and a Creole woman, and his early education took place in Scotland, where he likely learned French. Douglas moved to Canada to work as a fur trader, primarily with the Hudson's Bay Company, where he climbed the ranks to become a chief factor. His career took a pivotal turn in 1849 when he was appointed as the agent for Vancouver Island and later became the governor after the island was leased by Britain.
In the late 1850s, following the discovery of gold, Douglas played a crucial role as the governor of the newly declared colony of British Columbia. He actively promoted demographic balance by encouraging free blacks to settle in the region, sending representatives to offer incentives for migration. After retiring in 1864 and receiving a knighthood, he settled in Victoria, British Columbia, where he lived until his death on August 2, 1877. Douglas was married to Amelia Connolly and fathered thirteen children, six of whom survived to adulthood. His contributions to the development of British Columbia and his efforts to shape its community dynamics are notable aspects of his legacy.
Subject Terms
James Douglas
Colonial governor
- Born: August 15, 1803
- Birthplace: Demerara
- Died: August 2, 1877
- Place of death: Victoria, British Columbia
Contribution: James Douglas was a fur trader, officer of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and colonial governor of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, Canada. He influenced the development of trade in the region and helped stave off various Russian and American attempts to encroach on the area.
Early Life and Education
Douglas was born in 1803 in the Dutch-controlled colony of Demerara (now part of Guyana) to Scottish planter John Douglas and Martha Ann Tefler, a Creole woman from Barbados. Douglas’s parents never married. He and his brothers were sent to a preparatory school in Lanark, Scotland, in their youth. It is likely that Douglas also learned French from a French Huguenot teacher in England.
Douglas’s formal education and knowledge of French served him well when he left for Canada to work as a fur trader. He worked for much of his career for the Hudson’s Bay Company, where his strong business ethic led to his rapid rise through the ranks. At the height of his career, Douglas became a chief factor, or head agent, for the company.
Political Career
In 1849, wary of Americans attempting to gain a foothold in the territories of the Pacific Northwest, Britain leased Vancouver Island to the Hudson’s Bay Company for the next decade. Douglas became the company’s agent on the island and two years later was appointed governor. When gold was discovered on the mainland near the end of the 1850s, the British government declared British Columbia a colony, and in 1858, Douglas became governor of the new colony as well.
Douglas introduced free blacks to balance the demographic situation in the area. When gold was discovered, Douglas sent a representative to the community in San Francisco, California, to offer them incentives to move to Victoria. In 1858, a ship with thirty-five free blacks arrived, followed later in the year by hundreds more.
In 1864, Douglas retired as colonial governor and was given a knighthood. After some traveling in Europe, he settled down with his family in Victoria, British Columbia, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Personal Life
Douglas was married to Amelia Connolly, the daughter of the chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post in British Columbia. The couple had thirteen children, only six of whom lived to adulthood. Douglas died on August 2, 1877, in Victoria, British Columbia. He was buried in the Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria.
Bibliography
Adams, John D. Old Square-Toes and His Lady: The Life of James and Amelia Douglas. Victoria: Horsdal, 2001. Print.
Coats, Robert Hamilton, and R. Edward Gosnell. Sir James Douglas. Toronto: Morang, 1908. Print.
Ferguson, Julie H. James Douglas: Father of British Columbia. Toronto: Dundurn, 2009. Print.
Kilian, Crawford. “Sir James Douglas and the Black Pioneers.” Library and Archives Canada. Govt. of Canada, 2 Jan. 2008. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.
Ormsby, Margaret A. “Douglas, Sir James.” Dictionary of Canadian Biography. U of Toronto, 1972. Web. 1 Aug. 2013.