~~~~Amelia was born in 1812 at one of the largest fur trading posts of the Northwest Co. at Fort Assinboine. Her mother, the daughter of a Cree Chieftain, her father an Irish Canadian fur trapper, employed by the Hudson's Bay Company. When Amelia was 12 her father William was promoted to the rank of Chief Factor at the fur trading post, Fort St. James, located on the southern tip of Stuart Lake.
~~Amelia was referred to as "Little snow bird", by the men of the fort for her light skin, grey eyes & dark hair.
~~The year of 1825 saw a promising young company employee, James Douglas, posted to St. James. Before Amelia had reached 16 years of age she and James had fallen in love. On April 27, 1828 they were married according to the "Custom of the Country", since Christian Clergy were scarce, instead of the marriage being a sacrament of the church, it was done with the consent of the parents of the bride and an offering of dowry from the groom.
~~Twelve years later Amelia and James were again married, this time inside a church. This might be a result of the controversy surrounding her father's abandonment of her mother Suzanne, a Cree Chieftain's daughter. When Amelia's father retired from the Company, and moved from St. James he had his wife and mother of his six children put away in a Convent, he than married his cousin,Julia Woolrich and had a girl and a boy, so that when he died there was a court case between the children of both mothers, concerning the estate. The children of Suzanne, Amelia's siblings won the case where the Court decided that any marriage preformed according to the "Custom of the Country" was to be considered a legal marriage.
~~*~~Amelia is described as being shy and reserved. The fact that she was of native origin and never saw what life was like outside the Fort until she was 40, most likely played a part in this and she was very embarrassed by her father's activities. Amelia had twelve children ten of whom were born inside Fort confines.
----------------------------------------------------
BC Archives list 3 Baptism
Baptism of Ellen Douglas on 1837-03-05 at Fort Vancouver - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of James William Douglas on 1851-08-17 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of Martha Douglas on 1857-10-13 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Governor of Vancouver Island
NOTE- Baptism dates are not birth dates
~~Amelia was referred to as "Little snow bird", by the men of the fort for her light skin, grey eyes & dark hair.
~~The year of 1825 saw a promising young company employee, James Douglas, posted to St. James. Before Amelia had reached 16 years of age she and James had fallen in love. On April 27, 1828 they were married according to the "Custom of the Country", since Christian Clergy were scarce, instead of the marriage being a sacrament of the church, it was done with the consent of the parents of the bride and an offering of dowry from the groom.
~~Twelve years later Amelia and James were again married, this time inside a church. This might be a result of the controversy surrounding her father's abandonment of her mother Suzanne, a Cree Chieftain's daughter. When Amelia's father retired from the Company, and moved from St. James he had his wife and mother of his six children put away in a Convent, he than married his cousin,Julia Woolrich and had a girl and a boy, so that when he died there was a court case between the children of both mothers, concerning the estate. The children of Suzanne, Amelia's siblings won the case where the Court decided that any marriage preformed according to the "Custom of the Country" was to be considered a legal marriage.
~~*~~Amelia is described as being shy and reserved. The fact that she was of native origin and never saw what life was like outside the Fort until she was 40, most likely played a part in this and she was very embarrassed by her father's activities. Amelia had twelve children ten of whom were born inside Fort confines.
----------------------------------------------------
BC Archives list 3 Baptism
Baptism of Ellen Douglas on 1837-03-05 at Fort Vancouver - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of James William Douglas on 1851-08-17 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of Martha Douglas on 1857-10-13 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Governor of Vancouver Island
NOTE- Baptism dates are not birth dates
~~~~Amelia was born in 1812 at one of the largest fur trading posts of the Northwest Co. at Fort Assinboine. Her mother, the daughter of a Cree Chieftain, her father an Irish Canadian fur trapper, employed by the Hudson's Bay Company. When Amelia was 12 her father William was promoted to the rank of Chief Factor at the fur trading post, Fort St. James, located on the southern tip of Stuart Lake.
~~Amelia was referred to as "Little snow bird", by the men of the fort for her light skin, grey eyes & dark hair.
~~The year of 1825 saw a promising young company employee, James Douglas, posted to St. James. Before Amelia had reached 16 years of age she and James had fallen in love. On April 27, 1828 they were married according to the "Custom of the Country", since Christian Clergy were scarce, instead of the marriage being a sacrament of the church, it was done with the consent of the parents of the bride and an offering of dowry from the groom.
~~Twelve years later Amelia and James were again married, this time inside a church. This might be a result of the controversy surrounding her father's abandonment of her mother Suzanne, a Cree Chieftain's daughter. When Amelia's father retired from the Company, and moved from St. James he had his wife and mother of his six children put away in a Convent, he than married his cousin,Julia Woolrich and had a girl and a boy, so that when he died there was a court case between the children of both mothers, concerning the estate. The children of Suzanne, Amelia's siblings won the case where the Court decided that any marriage preformed according to the "Custom of the Country" was to be considered a legal marriage.
~~*~~Amelia is described as being shy and reserved. The fact that she was of native origin and never saw what life was like outside the Fort until she was 40, most likely played a part in this and she was very embarrassed by her father's activities. Amelia had twelve children ten of whom were born inside Fort confines.
----------------------------------------------------
BC Archives list 3 Baptism
Baptism of Ellen Douglas on 1837-03-05 at Fort Vancouver - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of James William Douglas on 1851-08-17 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of Martha Douglas on 1857-10-13 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Governor of Vancouver Island
NOTE- Baptism dates are not birth dates
~~Amelia was referred to as "Little snow bird", by the men of the fort for her light skin, grey eyes & dark hair.
~~The year of 1825 saw a promising young company employee, James Douglas, posted to St. James. Before Amelia had reached 16 years of age she and James had fallen in love. On April 27, 1828 they were married according to the "Custom of the Country", since Christian Clergy were scarce, instead of the marriage being a sacrament of the church, it was done with the consent of the parents of the bride and an offering of dowry from the groom.
~~Twelve years later Amelia and James were again married, this time inside a church. This might be a result of the controversy surrounding her father's abandonment of her mother Suzanne, a Cree Chieftain's daughter. When Amelia's father retired from the Company, and moved from St. James he had his wife and mother of his six children put away in a Convent, he than married his cousin,Julia Woolrich and had a girl and a boy, so that when he died there was a court case between the children of both mothers, concerning the estate. The children of Suzanne, Amelia's siblings won the case where the Court decided that any marriage preformed according to the "Custom of the Country" was to be considered a legal marriage.
~~*~~Amelia is described as being shy and reserved. The fact that she was of native origin and never saw what life was like outside the Fort until she was 40, most likely played a part in this and she was very embarrassed by her father's activities. Amelia had twelve children ten of whom were born inside Fort confines.
----------------------------------------------------
BC Archives list 3 Baptism
Baptism of Ellen Douglas on 1837-03-05 at Fort Vancouver - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of James William Douglas on 1851-08-17 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Chief Fur Trader
Baptism of Martha Douglas on 1857-10-13 at Fort Victoria - James listed as Governor of Vancouver Island
NOTE- Baptism dates are not birth dates
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
Advertisement
