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 A Genealogical Guide
To the Archives of Manitoba 		Manitoba
 

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The Fur Trade 1821 - 1892

Union with the North West Company in 1821 changed the Hudson's Bay Company. Some of the changes have a direct effect on biographical research.

During this period, the geographical area of the fur trade ranged far beyond Rupert's Land. In order to administer this vast domain, the Company divided its North American operations into departments which were geographical cum administrative divisions. Departments were divided into districts. Departmental boundaries varied over the years.  It is helpful for researchers to have a sense of  departmental boundaries. The following is a general guide, moving west from the Atlantic,

Department

Headquarters

Geographic Location
Montreal Montreal QC The St. Lawrence, Ottawa River, Labrador (Esquimaux Bay), later included posts in Ontario.
Southern Moose Factory ON South east and east of James Bay, (northern Ontario).
Northern York Factory MB The prairies, the Mackenzie River area, Winnipeg River System, northern Ontario.
Columbia York Factory MB (1821-1825) West of the Rockies from California to Russian America (Alaska).
  Fort Vancouver WA  (1825-1849)  
  Fort Victoria WA (1853-1860)  
Oregon Fort Vancouver WA (1853-1860)  
Western Fort Victoria (1853)  

Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Eastern Canada

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Montreal

    Ref: B.134 / g / 1 - 66
    Microfilm: 1M788 - 1M791, 1M1261
    Dates: 1821 - 1892
    Content: Organized by district - Lachine House, Lachine Depot, Fort Coulonge, Lake of Two Mountains, St. Maurice, King's Posts, Mingan, Esquimaux Bay. Additional information, such as employee 'winter residence' [post] within the district is given. This detail is not recorded in the abstracts of other Departments.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Moose Factory

    Ref: B.135 / g / 1 - 74
    Microfilm: 1M791 - 1M796, 1M1261 - 1M1262
    Dates: 1821 - 1892
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Albany

    Ref: B.3 / g / 1 - 2
    Microfilm: 1M1261 (B.3/g/1 only)
    Dates: 1846 - 1900
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Chicoutimi

    Ref: B.136 / g / 1 - 7
    Microfilm: 1M1261 (for B.136/g/6-7 only)
    Dates: 1864 - 1873
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Fort George (Chisasibi)

    Ref: B.77 / g / 1
    Microfilm: 1M1261
    Dates: 1870 - 1888
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc.  May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - North West River

    Ref: B.153 / g / 1 - 6
    Microfilm: 1M796
    Dates: 1859 - 1872
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Western Canada

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - York Factory (Northern Department)

    Ref: B.239 / g / 1 - 49
    Microfilm: 1M799 - 1M811, 1M1265
    Dates: 1821 - 1873
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Winnipeg (Northern Department)

    Ref: B.235 / g / 1 - 11
    Microfilm: 1M1262 - 1M1264
    Dates: 1873 - 1892
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc.  May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Isle A La Crosse

    Ref: B.89 / g / 1
    Microfilm: not filmed
    Dates: 1833 - 1871
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Abstract Servants' Accounts - Pacific Northwest

Please note: Abstracts for this region for the years 1821/22 to 1852/53 can be found in B.239/g/1-32. For the first three volumes, they are integrated with the other Abstracts found in these volumes (B.239/g/1-3). From B.239/g/4 on, they are in a separate part of the volume.

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Columbia Department (Fort Vancouver)

    Ref: B.223 / g / 1 - 8
    Microfilm: 1M796 - 1M797
    Dates: 1827 - 1844
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Oregon Department (Fort Vancouver)

    Ref: B.223 / g / 9 - 17
    Microfilm: 1M797
    Dates: 1853 - 1862
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Abstracts of Servants' Accounts - Western Department (Fort Victoria)

    Ref: B.226 / g / 1 - 39
    Microfilm: 1M797 - 1M799, 1M1262
    Dates: 1853 - 1892
    Content: Organized by category of person - officers, post managers, clerks, servants etc. May contain name, age, parish in which they were born, capacity, number of years of service, date contract expires and wages.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Columbia Servants' Ledgers & Indexes

    Ref: B.223 / d / 105a, 214a & b, 3a & b; B.226/d/3a & b
    Microfilm: 1M620, 1M1637, 1M1634
    Dates: 1826 - 1853
    Content: An excellent guide to locating individuals in the Pacific Northwest.  Each volume has a separate index.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Engagement Registers, Northern Department

    Ref: B.239 / u / 1 - 3
    Microfilm: 1M853 - 1M854
    Dates: 1823 - 1893
    Content: Provide similar information as Abstracts of Servants Accounts. They indicate where the contracts were signed. Many years of employment are condensed onto one page and can be traced from register to register. Arranged by alphabetical grouping, but not strictly alphabetical within each letter category. Registers continue as D.38/56-57 and then as RG3/40A/1-2.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Departmental & District Staff Records

    Ref: D.38 / 8 - 44
    Microfilm: 3M270 - 3M272
    Dates: 1871 - 1915
    Content: Information on Hudson's Bay Company employees and sometimes their families have been summarized in these records; arranged alphabetically by name of district or department.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Post Inspection Reports

    Ref: D.25 / 1 - 17
    Microfilm: 3M224 -3M230
    Dates: 1872 - 1894
    Content: An index stating the post and district for each inspection report is contained in each volume along with a detailed outline that was used as a scheme for inspection by Hudson's Bay Company inspectors. Among the headings were "Buildings" which normally included a description of buildings and a sketch of how the post was laid out; "Stock", "Furs", "Accounts", "Expenses", "Personnel", and "General Remarks".
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Records of Commissioned Officers

    Ref: D.38 / 1 - 7
    Microfilm: 3M270
    Dates: 1872-1894
    Content: Identify number of shares due to each commissioned officer. Information is organized by: rank: alphabetical order; post; years of service and salary. Subsection 6 and 7 concentrate on reports and evaluations of officers.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Records of Service for Officers, Clerks & Postmasters

    Ref: D.38 / 53
    Microfilm: 3M275 - 3M276
    Dates: 1856 - 1901
    Content: Arranged alphabetically. Contains employee name, date of birth, date of appointment with the Company, capacities and districts in which they served, periods of service and amounts paid throughout their careers.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Minutes of Council, 1821 - 1883

Title: Minutes of Council, Montreal (Montreal Department)

    Ref: B.134 / k / 1
    Microfilm: 1M1265
    Dates: 1874- 1881
    Content: Minutes of meetings of commissioned officers, including standing rules and regulations; appointments of individuals to specific posts (although appointments were not always carried through, they help to narrow down specific locations of service). May mention if an individual is planning to go on furlough.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Minutes of Council, Moose (Southern Department)

    Ref: B.135 / k / 1 - 3
    Microfilm: 1M813
    Dates: 1822 - 1875
    Content: Minutes of meetings of commissioned officers, including standing rules and regulations; appointments of individuals to specific posts (although appointments were not always carried through, they help to narrow down specific locations of service). May mention if an individual is planning to go on furlough.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Minutes of Council, York Factory (Northern Department)

    Ref: B.239 / k / 1 - 3
    Microfilm: 1M814
    Dates: 1821 - 1870
    Content: Minutes of meetings of commissioned officers, including standing rules and regulations; appointments of individuals to specific posts (although appointments were not always carried through, they help to narrow down specific locations of service).  May mention if an individual is planning to go on furlough.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Minutes of Council, Norway House (Northern Department)

    Ref: B.154 / k / 1
    Microfilm: 1M1265 - 1M1266
    Dates: 1870 - 1883
    Content: Minutes of meetings of commissioned officers, including standing rules and regulations; appointments of individuals to specific posts (although appointments were not always carried through, they help to narrow down specific locations of service). May mention if an individual is planning to go on furlough.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

Title: Minutes of Council, Winnipeg (Northern Department)

    Ref: B.235 / k / 1
    Microfilm: 1M1266
    Dates: 1874 - 1883
    Content: Minutes of meetings of commissioned officers, including standing rules and regulations; appointments of individuals to specific posts (although appointments were not always carried through, they help to narrow down specific locations of service).  May mention if an individual is planning to go on furlough.
    Finding Aids: yes
    Type of Material: textual
    Access Conditions: none

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