Cuthbert Grant facts for kids
Cuthbert James Grant (born 1793 – died July 15, 1854) was an important Métis leader in the early 1800s. His father was also named Cuthbert Grant.
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Who Was Cuthbert Grant?
Cuthbert James Grant was born in 1793. This happened at Fort Tremblant, a trading post of the North West Company. Today, this place is near Togo, Saskatchewan. His father was a partner in the North West Company. His mother was Métis.
When he was about 8 years old, in 1801, he went away for school. He might have gone to Scotland. We don't know exactly when he came back to Western Canada. But by 1812, at age 19, he started working for the North West Company. He traveled to the "high country" of the northwest.
A Leader for the Métis People
Cuthbert Grant became known as a leader for the Métis people. He got involved in a big conflict. This was between two fur trading companies: the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company.
The Pemmican Proclamation
The conflict grew because of something called the Pemmican Proclamation. This rule said that no one could take pemmican out of the Red River Colony. Pemmican was a very important food for fur traders. It was made from dried meat, fat, and berries.
In 1816, the North West Company's Fort Gibraltar was captured and destroyed. This made the North West Company and the local Métis very angry at the Hudson's Bay Company.
The Battle of Seven Oaks
This anger led to a fight known as the Battle of Seven Oaks. During this battle, Robert Semple and 21 settlers from the Red River Colony were killed. Cuthbert Grant was involved in this event.
Life After the Fur Trade Wars
In 1821, the two rival fur trading companies joined together. They became one big company called the Hudson's Bay Company. The new governor, Sir George Simpson, asked Cuthbert Grant for help. He wanted Grant to lead a Métis settlement.
Grantown Settlement
This settlement had about 2,000 people. It was located about 16 miles west of the Red River Colony. It was on the Assiniboine River. For many years, this settlement was known as Grantown. Later, it was renamed St. François Xavier. This name came from the town's patron saint.
Building Mills
By 1825, wheat was becoming an important crop. There were already some windmills in the area. But Cuthbert Grant was the first to build a watermill. His mill was finished in 1829 on Sturgeon Creek.
The dam for his watermill was washed away by spring floods for three years in a row. So, Grant moved his machinery to Grantown. There, he built a successful windmill instead. Today, there is a mill called Grant's Old Mill in Winnipeg.
Community Roles
In 1828, the Hudson's Bay Company put Cuthbert Grant in charge of defending the Red River Colony. He later became a sheriff. He also served as a magistrate in the District of Assiniboia. These were important roles in keeping law and order.
On July 15, 1854, Cuthbert Grant died. He had fallen from his horse and was injured.
Cuthbert Grant's Family
Cuthbert James Grant was married three times. He had many children.
His first wife was Elizabeth "Bethsy" McKay. They married on May 22, 1814. They had one son named James. Sadly, Bethsy and James disappeared. We do not know what happened to them.
In 1820, Cuthbert had a daughter named Maria with Marie Desmaris. Maria later married Pascal Breland. He was also a magistrate in St. François Xavier.
Around 1823, Cuthbert married Marie-Marguerite McGillis. They had 11 children together. These included Elise, Charles, Pierre, Elizabeth, and others. Marie-Marguerite lived for 18 months after Cuthbert died. She was buried in St.-Francois-Xavier in 1856.
In 2012, the head of Clan Grant, Lord Strathspey, officially recognized Cuthbert Grant as a member of his clan. This created a new group of his descendants in Canada.
Legacy
Cuthbert Grant is remembered in several ways:
- Grant Avenue in Winnipeg is named after him.
- The Cuthbert Grant rose is a type of rose. It was developed by Agriculture Canada and introduced in 1967.
In the 1960s, a Canadian film producer named Harry Saltzman tried to make a movie about Cuthbert Grant. He was known for producing James Bond films. The movie was planned to star Sean Connery as Grant.
