William Alexander Mouat facts for kids

William Alexander Mouat (born April 9, 1821 – died April 11, 1871) was a British ship captain. He was born in London, England. He spent most of his career working for the Hudson's Bay Company in British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada. He became the captain of several trading ships, including the Otter and the Labouchere. His last job was at Fort Rupert, where he died in a canoe accident. He was married to Mary Ann Ainsley, and they had eight children.

Early Life and Sailing Adventures

William Alexander Mouat was born into a family of sailors. His father, William Mouat, was also a ship captain. William Alexander started his sailing career as an apprentice in 1835 when he was 14 years old.

In 1844, he worked as a second officer on the Hudson's Bay Company ship Vancouver. He sailed to North America and arrived at Fort Vancouver in what is now Washington state on March 27, 1845. This fort was an important trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company. From 1845 to 1847, he was the first officer on another ship called the Cadboro. Later, he worked as a pilot on the Columbia River and captained a Californian ship.

The Ship Mary Dare

In 1849, William Mouat became the first officer of the ship Mary Dare. During this time, he had a disagreement with his captain, James Scarborough. Captain Scarborough put Mouat "under arrest" and treated him badly. Mouat left the ship and sought help from another captain, William Henry McNeill. The Hudson's Bay Company supported William Mouat, and in 1850, he became the captain of the Mary Dare.

In 1851, the Mary Dare and another ship, the Beaver, were stopped by American customs officers near Olympia, Washington. The officers said the ships had broken some rules about what goods they could carry and where they could stop. After a court case, the Hudson's Bay Company paid some fees, and the ships were released. This event was part of bigger arguments between Canada (then British territory) and America about their borders. These arguments even led to a small conflict called the Pig War, which famously started because a pig was shot!

In 1854, the Mary Dare needed to be checked and registered again. Since there were no places in British Columbia to do this, William Mouat sailed the ship all the way back to London, England. He arrived in May 1854.

Marriage and Family

While he was in England, William Mouat married Mary Ann Ainsley on August 8, 1854. Mary's father was also a ship captain. Many captains, including William's father and father-in-law, attended their wedding.

William and Mary Mouat sailed back to Victoria as passengers on another ship. Mary Ann was described as a "gentle, educated lady" and a talented musician who brought her piano with her on the ship! They arrived in Victoria in April 1855. William and Mary had eight children between 1855 and 1867.

Captain of the Labouchere

The Hudson's Bay Company gave William Mouat command of the ship Otter in 1854. He was later promoted to a chief trader. In 1862, he became captain of the Enterprise.

In 1865, gold was found in the Big Bend Gold Rush area. William Mouat was asked to see if steamships could travel on the Kamloops Lake, Shuswap Lake, and Thompson River. He said it was possible, so the Hudson's Bay Company built a new steamship called the Marten.

In 1866, the Hudson's Bay Company won a contract to carry mail between Victoria and San Francisco. William Mouat was chosen to command the Labouchere. He sailed the ship to San Francisco to get it ready for passengers.

On April 14, 1866, the Labouchere left San Francisco in thick fog. It hit some rocks. After trying to pump water out for hours, Captain Mouat ordered everyone to leave the ship. Eighteen men were left on board without boats. Captain Mouat calmly told them, "Gentlemen, we are now on a sinking ship without boats. Let us do something to save our lives." They started building rafts. Captain Mouat even offered cigars, saying "if they had to go down, they might as well go down smoking." Luckily, another ship, the Andrew, rescued them before the Labouchere sank.

People praised William Mouat for his "admirable coolness, bravery and forethought" in saving his passengers. However, an official investigation found that he had been careless by not checking the ship's compasses properly before leaving San Francisco.

Later Life and Death

After the Labouchere incident, William Mouat took command of the Marten. This ship became the first steamer to travel on the Thompson River in May 1866. However, the gold mines were not as successful as hoped, so the Marten was put out of service.

William Mouat was then sent to Fort Rupert, where he was in charge until he died. He passed away on April 11, 1871, during a canoe trip from Knight Inlet to the fort. He was buried in Victoria. His tombstone can still be seen in Pioneer Square.

William Mouat was survived by seven of his children and his wife, Mary Ann. One of their daughters, Ethel Margaret, married Dr. James Douglas Helmcken, who was the grandson of Sir James Douglas, a famous governor of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. William and Mary Ann Mouat are remembered in Victoria. The Fort Victoria Brick Project has bricks engraved with the names of pioneers, including theirs, outlining the original fort.