James Charles Stuart Strange facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Charles Stuart Strange
Born	August 8, 1753 London, England
Died	October 6, 1840 Airth Castle, Airth, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Occupation	East India Company, Maritime fur trader, MP
Spouse(s)	(1) Margaret Durham (died 1791) (2) Anne Dundas
Parent(s)	Robert Strange and Isabella Lumisden

James Charles Stuart Strange (born August 8, 1753 – died October 6, 1840) was an important British figure. He worked for the East India Company, traded furs by sea, was a banker, and even a member of Parliament. He was known for his adventurous spirit and for exploring new trade routes.

Early Life and Family

James Charles Stuart Strange was born on August 8, 1753. His birthplace was London, England. His parents were Robert Strange and Isabella Lumisden.

A Special Name

James's father, Robert Strange, was a former Jacobite. This means he supported Charles Edward Stuart, also known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie." Robert fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie in a rebellion in 1745. Robert Strange named his son James Charles Stuart Strange after Bonnie Prince Charlie. Bonnie Prince Charlie was even James's godfather!

Robert and Isabella Strange moved to London in 1750. A few years later, James Charles Stuart Strange was born. James went to school in Paris, France, in 1770.

Working for the East India Company

In 1772, James Strange got a job with the East India Company (EIC). This powerful British company traded goods from India. He started as a "writer" in Madras, India. He got this job with help from Sir Lawrence Dundas, a relative of his grandmother.

Many people from Jacobite families, like James and his brother Thomas, went to India for work. James arrived in 1773 and quickly moved up in the EIC. He also made money through his own private trading. By 1778, he became a "Factor" for the EIC.

Returning Home and Back to India

In 1780, Strange returned to England. He had made a lot of money. He was promoted to a "Junior Merchant" in the EIC in 1782. On February 18, 1785, Strange married Margaret Durham. That same year, he went back to India with his new wife.

From late 1785 to early 1787, he went on a special trip. He sailed to the Pacific Northwest Coast. He hoped to be the first to profit from the new maritime fur trade. After this trip, he continued his career with the EIC in India. He became a "Senior Merchant" in 1790.

In 1795, he was made Collector and Paymaster for the EIC in Tanjore, India. Later that year, he retired from the East India Company. He then returned to England.

Later Years with the EIC

Later, James Strange rejoined the EIC. He became a Magistrate Collector in Puducherry in 1806. Then, he was a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 1807. From 1813 to 1815, he worked as Postmaster General. He was also a Senior Member of the Board of Trade.

In 1816, he retired for good and went back to Great Britain. On his way home, he stopped at Saint Helena. There, he played a card game called piquet with the famous exiled leader, Napoleon. Strange won the game!

Voyage to the Pacific Northwest

In 1785, James Strange was sailing back to India. He read new books about Captain Cook's third voyage. These books talked about the huge profits Cook's crew made. They sold sea otter furs in Guangzhou (Canton), China. These furs came from Nootka Sound on the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Captain James King, who sailed with Cook, wrote about these possible profits. He mentioned how much money could be made selling furs from the Northwest Coast in China.

Planning the Expedition

When Strange returned to India in 1785, he talked about this idea. He spoke with David Scott, a big merchant in Mumbai (Bombay). Scott and his partners got support from the East India Company in Bombay. They planned an expedition of two ships from Mumbai to the Northwest Coast of America.

Strange invested 10,000 pounds in this adventure. He borrowed the money from David Scott. The cost of preparing the trip was very high. Only a huge success in fur trading would make it worth it.

They bought two ships built in Bombay. They were the Captain Cook (350 tons) and the Experiment (100 tons). Henry Laurie commanded the Captain Cook. Henry Guise commanded the Experiment. Strange was in charge of the goods and the whole voyage. The EIC saw this as a private project. They hoped it would find new trade routes and stop rivals.

Goals of the Voyage

Strange's instructions from the East India Company had two main goals. First, to explore for better navigation. This included sailing through the Bering Strait and the Arctic Ocean. Then, they were to go to Kamchatka and China. Second, to create a new trade route. This route would go from the Pacific Northwest Coast to China and India.

However, the actual trip was mostly about trading furs. It was like other early fur trading trips to the Northwest Coast.

Challenges on the Way

Strange's expedition left Bombay in December 1785. They couldn't find goods to trade in Macau on the Malabar Coast. So, Strange sailed straight for the Pacific Northwest. The Experiment got a hole in the Indian Ocean. This forced them to stop in Batavia (now Jakarta) for repairs. This cost them time and money.

After a seven-month journey, they reached Vancouver Island on June 25, 1786. This was late in the trading season. On June 28, Strange entered Nootka Sound. It took nine more days to reach Yuquot, where Captain Cook had anchored. Strange named the harbor at Yuquot "Friendly Cove." This name was used for a long time. He spent about a month trading furs around Nootka Sound. He traded with the native Nuu-chah-nulth people. Strange did the trading himself. Like other traders, he found the Nuu-chah-nulth to be very clever at trading.

Meeting the Nuu-chah-nulth

Strange did not interact much with the native people beyond trading. Alexander Walker, an officer who sailed on the Experiment, spent a lot of time with the Nuu-chah-nulth. He had studied their language from Cook's notes. He could talk with them. He was surprised to learn that another British fur trader, James Hanna, had been at Nootka Sound a year before. Strange and his crew thought they were the first fur traders there.

Walker wrote good things about chiefs Maquinna and Callicum. These chiefs later became important in the Nootka Crisis. Both Walker and Strange were confused about the rank of Maquinna and Callicum. They did not fully understand the Nuu-chah-nulth's social system. Maquinna was the highest-ranked chief. Callicum was the leading chief of the second-ranked group. The visitors did not understand these things.

Walker and Strange showed more favor to Callicum. Strange even gave gifts to Callicum before Maquinna. These actions offended Maquinna. They caused tension and unease, which Walker did not understand. Still, Walker's writings about the Nuu-chah-nulth are very valuable. They are the earliest detailed records, besides Captain Cook's journal from 1778. This is because no first-hand account of Hanna's 1785 visit to Nootka Sound still exists.

Leaving a Trader Behind

Strange was told to build a trading relationship with the natives. So, he left John Mackay, a surgeon from the Experiment, at Nootka Sound. Strange hoped to make a second trip. This trip would benefit from Mackay's time with the Nuu-chah-nulth. But a second trip never happened.

Mackay stayed with Maquinna's Nuu-chah-nulth for about a year. At first, Mackay was happy. But one day, he accidentally broke a rule. This made Maquinna angry. After that, Mackay was treated poorly and had a difficult winter. In June 1787, Charles William Barkley arrived at Friendly Cove. Mackay helped Barkley get 700 sea otter furs from the Nuu-chah-nulth. In August, another fur trader, George Dixon, arrived. Mackay, eager to leave, sailed away with Dixon.

Exploring the Coast

Leaving Mackay behind, Strange left Nootka Sound in late July 1786. He sailed north. He stopped near the northern tip of Vancouver Island. He named it Cape Scott, after David Scott, his supporter in Mumbai. He also found and named the Scott Islands. Strange explored the waters north of Vancouver Island. He named this area Queen Charlotte Sound. They met a group of Kwakwaka'wakw people off the north coast of Vancouver.

Continuing east and south around Vancouver Island, Strange noticed the narrower waters of Queen Charlotte Strait. Strange's discovery of Queen Charlotte Strait made people wonder again about the famous Northwest Passage. Strange himself thought he had found the entrance to this fabled strait. But fur trading was more important, so he did not explore it further. Furs were not easy to find in this area. So, Strange sailed north, heading for Prince William Sound in Alaska, just as Cook had done.

On the way north, land was seen, probably Haida Gwaii. But Strange stayed far out at sea and passed by. On August 29, 1786, Cape Hinchinbrook was sighted. This was the entrance to Prince William Sound. The two ships entered and sailed to Snug Corner Cove, where Cook had anchored. They stayed for about two weeks, until September 16. Strange tried to get furs, but it was late in the season. There were not many furs available. Also, the native people there were less interested in trading than the Nuu-chah-nulth.

While at Prince William Sound, Strange met William Tipping of the Sea Otter. After their meeting, Tipping's Sea Otter was never seen again. It might have been attacked and destroyed, or it might have been lost at sea.

The Outcome of the Voyage

In September 1786, Strange left Prince William Sound. He sailed to Canton, China. He sold his furs for about £5,600. This was not nearly enough to cover the costs of the trip. It didn't even cover his own personal investment.

Even though his trip lost money, Strange was one of the first trader-explorers on the Pacific Northwest Coast. He was among the first, along with James Hanna, Charles William Barkley, and George Dixon.

Political Career

In 1796, James Strange became a member of Parliament (MP). He was part of the Whig political group. He was supported by John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset. Strange represented the area of East Grinstead.

In 1802, Strange was elected as an MP for Okehampton. His father-in-law, Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, helped him get this position. Strange faced a challenge to his election from two rich London merchants, but he won. Strange was not a very active MP. He spoke only once. He argued against being too harsh on someone who had broken election rules.

Banking Business

After leaving the East India Company in 1795, Strange became a partner in a bank. The bank was called Strange, Dashwood & Company. It was located on New Bond Street in London.

In 1803, Strange's bank failed. This meant he lost all his money. Because of this, he had to return to India. His brother, Sir Thomas Andrew Lumisden Strange, helped him get a job again with the East India Company.

Personal Life

James Strange's first marriage was in 1785. He married Margaret Durham. She was the daughter of James Durham from Largo, Fife, Scotland. Margaret's brother was Philip Charles Durham, who later became a famous Admiral in the Royal Navy. James and Margaret had one daughter, Isabella Katherine Strange (1785-1847). Margaret died in 1791.

In 1798, Strange married Anne Dundas. She was the daughter of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Anne was also the widow of Henry Drummond, an English banker. They had three daughters: Mary Anne Strange (born around 1806–died 1889), Louisa Strange (1810-1895), and Isabella Strange (1816-1879).

In 1816, after his second time working for the EIC in India, Strange retired. He moved back to Scotland.

After being sick for five months, James Strange died on October 7, 1840. He passed away at Airth Castle, Airth, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Legacy and Namesakes

Several places in British Columbia were named after James Strange. These include Strange Island, in Nootka Sound, and Strange Rock, near Cape Scott. Other places are named for Strange's captains, Guise and Lowrie, and his ships, Captain Cook and Experiment. For example, near Cape Scott, you can find Experiment Bight and Guise Bay. In Fitz Hugh Sound, there is Guise Point and Experiment Point.

A TV show called Taboo features a fictional character based on Strange. This character is played by Jonathan Pryce. The show aired on BBC One and FX.