William Kennedy (explorer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Kennedy
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | April 1814  Cumberland House |
| Died | 25 January 1890 (aged 75–76) Manitoba |
| Occupation | Explorer, fur trader, sailor, magistrate |
William Kennedy (born April 1814 – died January 25, 1890) was an important Canadian explorer, fur trader, and politician. He was known for his Arctic expeditions and for speaking out against the Hudson's Bay Company's control over Rupert's Land.
Contents
Early Life and Fur Trading
William Kennedy was born in April 1814 at Cumberland House, Saskatchewan. This area was then known as Rupert's Land, a vast territory controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). His father, Alexander Kennedy, was a Chief Factor for the HBC. His mother, Aggathas Margaret (Mary) Bear, was of English and Cree heritage. Her father, Philip Turnor, was a cartographer for the HBC.
As a child, William traveled a lot with his family. They lived at many HBC posts and forts, including Fort Spokane and Fort Astoria. When he was thirteen, William was sent to Scotland for his education. He returned to Canada after his father passed away. William wanted to become a surgeon like his older brothers, but he couldn't find someone to support his studies. Instead, he started working as a fur trader for the Hudson's Bay Company.
In 1834, William worked as an apprentice clerk for the HBC at Coulange House. He later moved to different posts in northern Quebec and Labrador, including Fort Chimo. He left the HBC in 1846 because he disagreed with their policy of selling alcohol to Indigenous people.
Arctic Expeditions
William Kennedy became famous for his work as an Arctic explorer. He led two important expeditions to search for the lost explorer Sir John Franklin.
The Prince Albert Expedition
In 1851, Lady Franklin sponsored an expedition to find her husband, Sir John Franklin. William Kennedy was chosen to lead this mission using a small ship called the Prince Albert. His second-in-command was Joseph René Bellot, a French Navy officer.
Kennedy was very good at planning northern trips. He made sure his crew was well-prepared and used experienced men. They wore clothing similar to what Indigenous people wore to stay warm. Even though they didn't find Franklin, the expedition learned a lot about the Canadian Arctic.
They used smart survival techniques, like adapting the clothing and methods of the Inuit people. Kennedy brought a special kayak for exploring away from the ship. They also stopped in Greenland to buy a dog-sled team and asked local people for the best routes and information. The expedition returned to Britain in October 1852 without losing any crew members. They had recorded information about the plants, animals, and maps of the area, which was a first for Arctic exploration at that time.
The Isabel Expedition
Lady Franklin then asked Kennedy to lead another search for Franklin in 1853. This time, he was in charge of a steamship called the Isabel. The plan was to search the Arctic by going through the Bering Strait.
However, most of the crew, including his sailing master, refused to continue the mission in August. They were in Valparaíso and claimed the ship was too small for such a journey. After two years of trying to find a new crew and trading along the South American coast, Kennedy gave up. He returned the Isabel to England in 1855.
After his expeditions, Captain Kennedy wrote a book about his experiences. This book brought him more recognition. The British Historical Society invited him to share his drawings and discoveries with their members.
Public Life and Activism
When William Kennedy returned to Canada in 1856, he became very active in public life. He helped set up a mail service between Toronto and the Red River Colony.
Challenging the Hudson's Bay Company
Before and after his Arctic expeditions, Kennedy wrote many letters to the Globe newspaper. These letters were published and got a lot of attention. He questioned why the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was allowed to govern Rupert's Land. He believed they no longer had the legal right to do so.
Captain Kennedy worked with his nephew, Alexander Kennedy Isbister. Isbister was a surgeon and lawyer in the British Parliament. He was also a former HBC employee and a Métis person who strongly criticized the company. Isbister used his access to original company documents in the Parliament's archives. He found that the agreement giving the HBC authority to govern had actually expired many decades earlier. The HBC had continued to govern simply because no one had challenged them.
Kennedy spoke out against the HBC's authority in Canadian newspapers. Isbister challenged it directly in the British Parliament. Isbister even delivered petitions from the people of Rupert's Land, asking for the right to govern themselves. He presented these requests twice in the British Parliament.
Both Kennedy and Isbister risked their reputations and used their own money to share this important information with the public. After ten years of petitions and campaigns, the British Parliament finally agreed to make changes. Instead of letting Rupert's Land govern itself, they decided to unite it with Upper and Lower Canada to form the country of Canada. One of the petitions presented by Isbister is still kept in the National Gallery today.
Later Years in Red River
By 1860, Captain Kennedy settled at his family home in the Red River Settlement. He lived there with his wife, Eleanor Cripps. During this time, he ran a store with his brother George. He also became an important member of the community, serving as a magistrate and a member of the Board of Education of Manitoba. In 1879, he was invited to share his Arctic findings at the first scientific meeting of the newly formed Historical and Scientific Society of Manitoba.
In the 1880s, his niece's husband, John Norquay, who was the Premier of Manitoba, asked Captain Kennedy to support building a railway from Winnipeg to Churchill. This railway was important because it would help break the Canadian Pacific Railway's control over supplies in the region. William Kennedy passed away before the railway could be finished.
Kennedy supported the Canada party. He did not take part in the Red River Rebellion of 1869–70 because he was ill with arthritis and confined to his bed.
Legacy
In the 1910s, the Women's Canadian Club held a ceremony to honor Captain Kennedy. A plaque was placed at St. Andrews church. The inscription on the plaque reads, "To William Kennedy, Arctic Explorer, by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the famous Antarctic explorer."
In the 1860s, Kennedy rebuilt his family home at Red River using a special river-stone style. He named it The Maples. Today, this home is still standing and is known as the Red River House Museum at St. Andrews. It shows off the unique architecture from that time and displays some of his belongings.
See also
