Spotlight: HBCA in words and images

Philip Turnor's Map

map by Philip Turnor's with illustrations of trees, a bison, beavers, and deer and decorative text “To the Honourable the Governor, Deputy Governor, And Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company This Map Of Hudson's Bay and the Rivers and Lakes Between the Atlantick and Pacifick Oceans Is most humbly Inscribed By Their most obedient & dutiful Servant, Philip Turnor”
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Cartouche from Turnor's map, HBCA G.2/32

In 1794, Philip Turnor created a large composite map, inscribed To the Honourable the Governor, Deputy Governor, And Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company This Map Of Hudson's Bay and the Rivers and Lakes Between the Atlantick and Pacifick Oceans Is most humbly Inscribed By Their most obedient & dutiful Servant, Philip Turnor. This was at the end of his career as the Hudson’s Bay Company’s (HBC’s) first official surveyor, and the map exhibited most of the first inland exploratory knowledge collected by the HBC at the time.

Detail from Turnor's map showing an illustration of a waterway near Whale Island. It is labelled: “The Sea. Seen by W. Alex McKenzie 12th July 1729. He was upon Whale Island two days, Whereupon he erected a Post with his Name, Latitude of the Island 69.1 degrees, Number of Men Canoes Etc. He saw numbers of Animals resembling peices of Ice supposed by him to be Whales. Probably the Sea Horse described by Cap. Cook Val 2 Page 457. The Tide was Observed to Rise 16 or 18 Inches, Variation 36 Easterly, Water Fresh. Not a Tree to be seen. In July the Sun don't Set”
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Detail from Turnor's map, HBCA G.2/32

Philip Turnor started his career with the HBC in 1778. At this time, the HBC desired to expand its presence into the interior of North America. After completing his first task of surveying the grounds of York Factory, Turnor was charged with inland surveys branching out from York, Albany and Moose Factories, resulting in six survey maps of the river routes emanating from these posts. From 1782 until 1787, Turnor settled into the role of HBC postmaster at Brunswick House, then Frederick House, before leaving for England. He returned to North America in 1789 and spent the winter teaching surveying to his successors, David Thompson and Peter Fidler. In 1790, Turnor once again set out on a survey expedition, destined for the Athabasca region.

The end result of Turnor’s survey work was creation of the composite map, which was received by the HBC’s Governor and Committee in London in January 1795. In thanks, Turnor was paid £100 for this work. Moreover, the London directors ordered that the case of Turnor’s watch which he used in his surveys be engraved with the HBC’s coat of arms. The map became the basis for Aaron Arrowsmith’s A Map Exhibiting all the New Discoveries in the Interior Parts of North America, published that same year.

Shortly after submitting the map, Philip Turnor retired from the HBC. He died on 1 March, 1800.

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