Amelia Douglas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amelia Douglas
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Amelia Connolly
1 January 1812 Manitoba, Canada
|
| Died | 8 January 1890 (aged 78) James Bay Community, British Columbia, Canada
|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Other names | Amelia Connolly Douglas |
| Occupation | Trapper, midwife |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 13 (6 lived to adulthood), including James W. Douglas |
Amelia Douglas (born Connolly; 1 January 1812 – 8 January 1890) was an important Métis woman in early Canada. She was the wife of James Douglas, who became the first governor of the Colony of British Columbia.
Amelia was born to a French-Irish fur trapper and his Cree wife. She moved often between fur trading posts when she was young. Later, she met James Douglas, a fur trapper of Scottish and Caribbean heritage. He became her husband. As James became a powerful leader, Amelia worked as a nurse and midwife at his posts. She had thirteen children, and six of them lived to be adults. She made sure her children learned about their First Nations heritage.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Amelia Connolly was born on 1 January 1812, likely near Thompson, Manitoba. Her mother was Miyo Nipiy, a Cree woman and daughter of a tribal chief. Her father was William Connolly, a trapper for the North West Company. Even though her father was partly Irish, the family spoke French.
It was common for European fur traders to marry Indigenous women. These marriages, called à la façon du pays (meaning "according to the custom of the country"), helped build strong relationships in the fur trade.
Moving Around Canada
Amelia's family moved often between fur trading posts. In 1818, her father became a partner in the North West Company. They moved to Cumberland House in Saskatchewan. Amelia and her five siblings learned many languages. They spoke Swampy Cree and probably Saulteaux from their mother. They also spoke French with their father.
In 1821, two big fur trading companies, the Hudson Bay and North West Companies, joined together. Amelia's father became a chief trader. In 1825, he became the main manager, called a Chief Factor, at Fort St. James in New Caledonia. The family moved there again.
Meeting James Douglas
Soon after they arrived at Fort St. James, James Douglas came to work for William Connolly. James was born in New Amsterdam in South America. His mother was a free Black woman from Barbados, and his father was a Scottish merchant.
On 27 April 1828, Amelia and James got married in a traditional ceremony. Amelia's father led the ceremony. There is a famous story about Amelia saving James. A powerful chief named Kwah was angry and attacked James. Amelia quickly threw valuable trade goods to the chief. This helped calm him down and saved her husband.
Life as a Governor's Wife
In 1829, James was moved to Fort Vancouver. This fort was the main base for the fur trade in what is now Vancouver, Washington in the United States. Amelia joined him the next year, after their first child sadly passed away.
Over the next eighteen years, Amelia and James lived at Fort Vancouver. She gave birth to ten more children there. People described Amelia as quiet but friendly. She often spent time with other wives who were also of mixed heritage. These women did not mix much with the European wives at the fort. This was partly because of language differences and partly due to unfair treatment.
Nurse and Mother
Amelia was a busy mother, caring for her own children. She also worked as a nurse and midwife, helping both Indigenous and white women. In 1836, some religious leaders and their wives arrived at the fort. They did not approve of the traditional marriages. To avoid problems, Amelia and James had a formal wedding ceremony on 28 February 1837. It was held at Fort Vancouver by a Church of England minister.
Amelia learned to read and write, possibly from her father or James. She enjoyed reading. She taught her children until a school opened at the fort in 1844. She also taught her daughters skills like beadwork, embroidery, and sewing. Amelia made sure to share stories of her Cree ancestors with her children.
Moving to Fort Victoria
In 1848, James was transferred to Fort Victoria. He was made the temporary governor of the new Colony of Vancouver Island. Leaving Fort Vancouver was hard for Amelia. Five of her children who had died were buried there. Their youngest child, Rebecca, was very sick during the journey. Amelia cared for her, but Rebecca died a few months after they arrived.
The family bought land and built the first private home on the island. Amelia became friends with Josette Work, a Métis woman of Nez Perce heritage. Josette was the wife of the Chief Factor, John Work. In 1851, Amelia had her twelfth child. She became very ill herself. The next year, she moved into their new home.
Just like at Fort Vancouver, there was unfair treatment and social challenges at Fort Victoria. These problems continued even after James became the official governor in 1851. In 1854, Amelia had her thirteenth and last child. Sadly, this baby also did not survive. Out of her thirteen children, only six lived past the age of four, and only four outlived Amelia.
Lady Douglas
In 1858, James became the first governor of the Colony of British Columbia. This meant Amelia was more in the public eye. She preferred to let James handle the official duties. The Douglas family faced a lot of criticism. People complained about their social gatherings, saying they entertained too little, too much, or the wrong people.
Amelia continued to serve as a nurse. She also loved gardening and preserving food from the harvest. In 1862, Amelia's older brother, John Connolly, started a lawsuit. Their father, William Connolly, had left Amelia's mother and married another woman. This made Amelia and her siblings' birth status unclear under European law. John won the first case. After this, Amelia started to take part more in society.
James retired in 1864 and was given the title of "Sir." After this, Amelia became known as Lady Douglas. She was honored at a special dinner held just for her.
Later Life and Legacy
The lawsuit about her parents' marriage went through several appeals. Between 1867 and 1869, while the case was ongoing, Amelia stayed out of the public eye. She spent her time raising the children of her daughter Cecelia, who had recently passed away. Eventually, the court upheld her parents' marriage. A settlement was reached, which improved Amelia's health and made her more social.
Amelia learned to be a proper Victorian wife. She wore European clothes and took part in activities common for ladies of that time. These included nursing the sick, helping the poor, and playing parlour games. Her youngest daughter, Martha, went to England for school. When James died in 1877, Martha returned to live with her mother.
Amelia then retired from public life. She spent her last years with her family. She shared legends and stories from her Cree ancestors with her grandchildren.
Death and Remembrance
Amelia Douglas died on 8 January 1890 in the James Bay Community in British Columbia, Canada. Flags were flown at half-mast the day after she died. Her funeral on 15 January was attended by many people. She was buried in the Ross Bay Cemetery.
In 1992, Douglas College in New Westminster opened an art gallery named in her honor. Amelia Douglas's life helps us understand the history of mixed-blood women in Canada. It also shows the social challenges and unfair treatment that Métis women faced, even at the highest levels of society.
See Also
