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The North West Company to 1821

The Montreal-based North West Company was the Hudson's Bay Company's most successful and fierce competitor. Common sense eventually prevailed over the long standing animosity between the two companies when they merged in 1821 under the name and charter of the Hudson's Bay Company.

The largest known collection of North West Company records is in the HBCA. It is not extensive. The bulk of material dates from a few years before the union. Researching an individual employed by the North West Company can thus be a difficult and frustrating task.  Many NWC employees went to work for the united company after 1821. These individuals can be traced in HBC records. To view a complete listing of the NWC records, please visit the HBCA web site.

Title: North West Company Servants' Contracts

Ref: F.5 / 1 - 3
Microfilm: 5M12
Dates: 1798, 1803 - 1805 and 1815 - 1821
Content: Includes terms of employment. Later contracts may provide the employee's parish.
Finding Aids: yes, organized in alphabetical order
Type of Material: textual
Access Conditions: none

Title: North West Company Account Books

Ref: F.4 / 1 - 61
Microfilm: 5M2 - 5M6, 5M9 - 5M13
Dates: 1795 - 1827
Content: records includes: individual servant accounts, with name, parish or origin, cash advances, payment for work, expenditures; summaries of men at posts; Iroquois accounts, names of individuals; inventories taken at posts; lists of medicines used to treat ailments.
Finding Aids: yes
Type of Material: textual
Access Conditions: none

Title: North West Company Ledger

Ref: F.4 / 32
Microfilm: 5M7 - 5M8
Dates: 1811 - 1821
Content: Information on where and when an individual worked for the NWC. Employees west of the Rockies do not appear to be listed. The ledger was not filmed in page order because of its size. Odd-numbered pages are on Microfilm 5M7. Even-numbered pages are on Microfilm 5M8.
Finding Aids: yes - original index is at the front of each reel.
Type of Material: textual
Access Conditions: none

Title: North West Balances

Ref: F.4 / 46
Microfilm: 5M11
Dates: 1821
Content: List of employees, showing department or post where they were stationed, salary, balances due to or from, and amount forming Capital Stock.
Finding Aids: yes - organized in alphabetical order by employee name
Type of Material: textual
Access Conditions: none

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