John Pelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir John Henry Pelly
Bt DL
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| 17th Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company | |
| In office 1822–1852 |
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| Governor of the Bank of England | |
| In office 1841–1842 |
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| Preceded by | Sir John Rae Reid |
| Succeeded by | William Cotton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Henry Pelly
31 March 1777 England |
| Died | 13 August 1852 (aged 75) West Ham, Essex, England |
| Citizenship | British |
| Spouse | Emma (nee Boulton) |
| Children | 10 |
| Parents | Henry Hinde Pelly, Esq. and Sally-Hitchen Blake |
| Known for | Governor, Hudson's Bay Company; Governor of the Bank of England |
Sir John Henry Pelly (born March 31, 1777 – died August 13, 1852) was an important English businessman. He spent most of his working life with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). He was the Governor of the HBC for 30 years! He also held other big jobs, like being the Governor of the Bank of England. He was given the special title of Baronet Pelly.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
John Pelly was born on March 31, 1777. His father was Captain Henry Hinde Pelly. Captain Pelly worked for the East India Company, which was a powerful trading company. John's grandfather also worked for this company. His mother was Sally-Hitchen Blake.
The Pelly family had a long history of working on ships. John was the fourth generation in his family to be a sailor. He might have even served in the Royal Navy when he was young.
Sir John Pelly's Career and Roles
Sir John Pelly held many important positions during his life. In 1823, he became an Elder Brother of Trinity House. This group was in charge of lighthouses and helping sailors. Later, he became their Deputy Master.
He also helped manage public money and projects. He was a Commissioner for the Lord Lieutenant of the City of London. He also worked for the Loan Office of Public Works and Fisheries. This office helped fund big building projects.
Pelly served as a magistrate, which is like a judge for smaller legal matters. In 1810, he became a Deputy Lieutenant for Essex. In 1835, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group for scientists.
From 1841 to 1842, he was the Governor of the Bank of England. This is a very important role in the country's money system. In 1847, he became a vice-president of the Marine Society. This group helped train young people for a life at sea.
Business Ventures and Partnerships
Besides his public roles, Pelly was also a successful businessman. He owned forests in Norway that produced timber. He was a partner in a company called Norway Merchants. He ran this business with Charles Boulton and his father-in-law, Henry Boulton.
Pelly was also a partner in an ironmonger and iron merchants company. This company was called Jukes Coulson & Co. His partners were Jukes Coulson and Paul Malin.
Leading the Hudson's Bay Company
One of Sir John Pelly's most important roles was with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). The HBC was a very large fur trading company in North America. Pelly was a Director of the company before becoming its 17th Governor.
He served as Governor for 30 years, from 1822 to 1852. During his time, he helped organize several important exploration trips. These included trips by Peter Warren Dease and Thomas Simpson. Their work helped discover parts of the Northwest Passage. This was a sea route through the Arctic.
Pelly was also in charge of the colonization of Vancouver Island in 1849. This meant helping people settle and build communities there.
He worked closely with Sir George Simpson. Simpson was the Governor-in-Chief of Rupert’s Land, a huge area controlled by the HBC. Pelly and Simpson were also business partners. They had a company in London called Pelly, Simpson & Co. They also had a company in Norway called Pelly & Co.
Sir John Pelly's Family Life
In 1807, John Pelly married Emma Boulton (1786–1856). She was from Leatherhead, Surrey. Emma's father, Henry Boulton, was also an important businessman.
Sir John and Emma Pelly had ten children together. They had eight sons: Sir John Henry (who later became the next Baronet), Raymond, Charles, Albert, Richard-Wilson, Edmund, Octavius, and Percy-Leonard. They also had two daughters: Juliana-Sally and Emma-Eugenia.
Sir Lewis Pelly, a Conservative politician, was Sir John's nephew. Lewis Pelly also worked for the British East India Company.
In 1840, Sir John Pelly was given the title of Baronet Pelly. This special title was given to him by Lord Melbourne, who was the Prime Minister at the time.
Sir John Pelly had homes in different parts of England. He lived at Warnham Court near Horsham, Sussex. He also had a home called Upton House in West Ham, Essex. He passed away at Upton House in 1852.
Places Named in His Honour
Many places were named after Sir John Pelly because of his important work.
In the Northwest Territories, you can find Pelly Island and Pelly Lake. In Nunavut, there is Mount Pelly, Pelly Bay, and Pelly Point.
In Saskatchewan, a trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company was named Fort Pelly. There is also a town called Pelly there.
In the Yukon, many places bear his name. These include Pelly Banks, Pelly Crossing, Pelly Formation, Pelly Lakes, Pelly Mountains, and the Pelly River.
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