Letitia MacTavish Hargrave facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Letitia Hargrave
Born	Letitia MacTavish c. 1813 Edinburgh, Scotland
Died	1854 (aged 40–41) Sault Ste. Marie, Canada
Resting place	St. James Cemetery, Toronto
Spouse(s)	James Hargrave
Children	Joseph James Hargrave
Relatives	William Mactavish (brother)

Letitia MacTavish Hargrave (born around 1813 – died 18 September 1854) was a Scottish woman who moved to Canada. She was married to James Hargrave, a trader for the Hudson's Bay Company. Letitia traveled a lot in Canada, living mostly at the York Factory settlement in what is now Manitoba, and later in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She is famous for the many letters she wrote. These letters give us a special look into what life was like for women in Canada during the 1800s.

Letitia was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, around 1813. She came from the wealthy MacTavish family, who had connections with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Letitia met her future husband, James Hargrave, through her brother, William, who also worked for the HBC. Letitia MacTavish and James Hargrave got married in 1839.

After their wedding, the couple traveled to London to visit George Simpson, who was the Governor-in-Chief of the Hudson's Bay Company. Letitia became good friends with Simpson's wife, Frances, and her sister, Isobel.

In the summer of 1840, the newly married couple sailed from the United Kingdom to James's trading post at York Factory. The big change from city life to the wild Canadian frontier made Letitia write many letters to her family. These letters describe what it was like to be a pioneer woman in the Northwest of Canada, living among traders and Indigenous peoples. Even though it was a vast and cold place, the Hargraves lived quite comfortably. They stayed at York Factory until James was transferred to Sault Ste. Marie in 1851. Letitia and their children went back to the UK for a short time. They reunited in 1852 and lived at the HBC post until Letitia died from cholera on 18 September 1854. She is buried in Toronto.

Letitia Hargrave: A Pioneer Woman's Story

Early Life in Scotland

Letitia MacTavish Hargrave was born into an important Scottish family in Edinburgh in 1813. She was the oldest of nine children. Her parents were Dugald MacTavish and Letitia Lockhart.

Her father was a Chief Judge, so Letitia's family was wealthy. Letitia and her sisters, Florence and Mary, received the best education available to women at that time, finishing school at a ladies' finishing school. Letitia had very close relationships with her two sisters. The MacTavish family enjoyed a comfortable, upper-class life as the children grew up.

The family became even more important because of the children's uncle, John George MacTavish. He was an officer in the Hudson's Bay Company. He helped Letitia's older brothers, William and Dugald, join the HBC in British North America. Eventually, all nine MacTavish children moved to different parts of the world.

A New Adventure: Marriage and Travel

As Letitia MacTavish's brother William became successful in the Hudson's Bay Company, he met James Hargrave. James was a Chief Trader based in Rupert's Land.

James Hargrave (1798–1865) was a Scottish man who had moved to British North America. He came from a wealthy family in Scotland and was well-educated. Many of his family members also moved to British North America around 1819–1820. James Hargrave joined the North West Company when he arrived and learned a lot from John George MacTavish. Later, the North West Company joined with the Hudson's Bay Company, and James was stationed at York Factory in Rupert's Land.

James Hargrave returned to Britain in 1837 for medical reasons. While there, his friend William MacTavish asked him to visit the MacTavish family. James met Letitia MacTavish in early 1838 and quickly decided he wanted to marry her. They got married on 8 January 1840 and stayed in Scotland until late April.

After their wedding, Letitia and James Hargrave were invited to stay with Sir George Simpson, the Governor-in-Chief of the Hudson's Bay Company, at his home in London. The couple remained in Britain until the summer of 1840.

Life in the Canadian Wilderness

James and Letitia Hargrave sailed from Britain to the New World in 1840. The journey was very rough for Letitia, who was used to a comfortable life. The big change to life at York Factory was the first challenge for her in Rupert's Land.

York Factory was a major trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company. It was located in the far north of what is now Manitoba, at the mouth of the Hayes River. This location gave access to many waterways leading from Hudson's Bay throughout the Northwest.

This was Letitia MacTavish Hargrave's new, wild home. The Hargraves were in charge of a huge area, "more than twice the size of Great Britain." Letitia's experiences adapting from a socialite life in Britain to being an important woman on the frontier are described in her many letters. She wrote about life in the frozen North and her interactions with other traders' wives, local Indigenous peoples, and the dramatic weather.

Letitia made the best of her situation. She kept the social and material comforts she was used to, wearing beautiful gowns and having many servants in their home. She adapted quite easily to her new world by holding onto her lifestyle and staying optimistic.

As the only permanent white woman at York Factory, Letitia was treated with respect by the local Indigenous people. They even called her a "Chieftainess" in their language.

The Hargraves spent ten years at York Factory. They had four children: Joseph James, Letitia Lockhart, Mary Jane, and Dugald John. Their experiences offer a unique view of frontier life for future historians.

Letitia Hargrave's main concern at York Factory was the well-being of her young family. When Joseph James was born in 1841, she convinced her husband to build a nursery. In December 1842, they welcomed a second son, but he sadly died after an illness. Letitia was very sad and stayed in their home for several weeks. The Hargraves waited before having more children. On 24 October 1844, they had a daughter, Letitia Lockhart, whom her mother loved very much.

In 1846, the Hargraves returned to Britain, mainly because Letitia's health was not good. The family stayed in Edinburgh while Letitia recovered. The next year, they left their son, Joseph James, in Britain so he could go to school. The rest of the Hargraves returned to York Factory in 1847. They had another daughter, Mary Jane, on 11 July 1848, at York Factory.

Over the next two years, James Hargrave's health declined due to stress and age. In the fall of 1850, the HBC ordered James to transfer to the trading post at Sault Ste. Marie, which was a much easier place to live in Rupert's Land. James left for Sault Ste. Marie in 1851. Before he left, he made sure his family returned to Britain. Letitia enrolled her daughter Letitia Lockhart in school in Edinburgh with Joseph James. Letitia did not reunite with James until the following summer.

Later Life and Her Legacy

Letitia MacTavish and James Hargrave reunited and began living in Sault Ste. Marie in 1852. The couple and their young children lived there until 1854. Letitia died from cholera on 18 September after a very short illness. A few months later, their youngest child, Dugald John, also died. James Hargrave was heartbroken by these tragedies. He left his job at Sault Ste. Marie and returned to Scotland, resigning from the Hudson's Bay Company. Letitia's body was brought to Toronto and is buried there.

Her Important Letters

Letitia MacTavish Hargrave's letters were saved by her friends and family. Later, they were put together into a collection by Margaret MacLeod. By reading these letters, people can learn a lot about what life was like for a socialite woman living in the huge wilderness of Rupert's Land.

Letitia's letters show that she was an intelligent, funny, and interesting woman, even though she was living in a very different world. Her love for her family and her life at York Factory give us a special view. She was the only white woman in that part of the frontier, and her letters offer a more personal and detailed look into life with the Hudson's Bay Company.