James Murray Yale

James Murray Yale (c. 1798 – 7 May 1871) was a clerk, and later, a Chief trader for the Hudson's Bay Company, during the late North American fur trade, as they were competing with the Northwest Company and the American Fur Company of John Jacob Astor.

James Murray Yale
Bornc. 1798
Lachine, Quebec, Lower Canada
Died7 May 1871(1871-05-07) (aged 72–73)
Saanich, Colony of British Columbia
NationalityCanadian, Anglophone Quebec
OccupationChief trader, Clerk
Spouse(s)Unknown
Children3

Biography

Yale was born in Lachine, Lower Canada in 1798. He joined the HBC in 1815, and served first at Fort Wedderburn on Lake Athabasca. This post had just been built by John Clarke in an effort to secure a foothold for the HBC in Athabasca, the great stronghold of the North West Company. In April 1817, Yale was kidnapped by the North West Company men and taken to Great Slave Lake for five months. In 1821, Yale was moved to New Caledonia and put in charge of Fort Astoria (renamed Fort George) until 1824. He then served at Fort Alexandria and Fort St. James. When he was unwell in 1827, he was sent to Fort Vancouver where medical care was provided to him.[1] Later in that year, he accompanied Governor George Simpson on his exploratory trip down the Fraser River. At the end of the journey, Yale remained in Fort Langley, where he worked as a clerk until he replaced Deputy Governor Archibald McDonald, husband of Princess Raven and daughter of King Comcomly, as Chief trader on February 20, 1833. As a Chief trader, after the merger of the HBC and the Northwest Company, he now had a share of the profits of the Hudson Bay company during the monopoly years, which were distributed among the 25 Chief factors, the 28 Chief traders and the shareholders in London.[2] He continued there until his retirement in 1859.

He had three daughters, one of which married one of the sons of Sir George Simpson, the Canadian Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and later, the Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land.[3]

James was also distantly related to Governor Elihu Yale, being a descendant of his uncle, Thomas Yale (stepson of Governor Theophilus Eaton), who was a landowner and one of the founders of the New Haven Colony[4][5]

Legacy

When the city of Yale (British Columbia) was founded in 1848, it was named after him. First as Fort Yale, then as Yale, which eventually gave its name to the Yaletown district of Downtown Vancouver.

Yale was known as “Little Yale” because of his short stature about which he was sensitive. Chief Factor James Douglas, his superior in the HBC, a big man, took a quiet delight in standing near Yale and observing his discomfiture. In his famous “Character Book” Governor Simpson devoted an entry to Yale: “A sharp active well conducted very little man but full of fire with the courage of a Lion. Deficient in Education, but has a good deal of address & Management with Indians and notwithstanding his diminutive size is more feared and respected than some of our 6 feet men.”[6]

References
  1. "Biography – YALE, JAMES MURRAY – Volume X (1871-1880) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".
  2. Galbraith, John S. (1957) Hudson's Bay Company As an Imperial Factor 1821–1869. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Retrieved 13 april 2022
  3. "Biography – YALE, JAMES MURRAY – Volume X (1871-1880) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".
  4. I0764: c29 (____ - ____)
  5. https://www.worldcat.org/title/yale-genealogy-and-history-of-wales-the-british-kings-and-princes-life-of-owen-glyndwr-biographies-of-governor-elihu-yale-for-whom-yale-university-was-named-linus-yale-sr-and-other-noted-persons/oclc/1102359364
  6. "Biography – YALE, JAMES MURRAY – Volume X (1871-1880) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography".


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