Book description
Born in Scotland and trained as a sugar broker in London, England,
Sir George Simpson (17921860) was unexpectedly appointed in 1820 as
governor of Ruperts Land and the Indian territories, an area
encompassing all of Canada from Hudson Bay to the Pacific Ocean. By
his friendliness of manner, strict discipline, and vigorous and
constant travel, he brought peace and prosperity to the vast empire
under his control.
Simpsons explorations opened Canada from Labrador to British
Columbia and from Yukon to Nunavut. He was knighted in 1841, then
travelled around the world, predicting the fall of California to the
United States, saving the Hawaiians from colonial occupation, and
describing the mysteries of remotest Siberia. Praised as the governor
who combined the widest range of authority and the longest tenure of
power ever enjoyed by one man in North America, he stands with Sir
John A. Macdonald as one of the greatest Makers of Canada.
"Lahey's passion for his subject is obvious, and his decision to
draw upon Simpson's own writings and those of his contemporaries to give
voice and historical credibility to the biography is admirable. He makes
a compelling argument for the study of Simpson as one of the Makers of
Canada."
D. T. Lahey is a retired Ontario teacher and
department head of English. Lahey's interest in genealogy led to
research of Sir George Simpson's origins, his wives, and his children.
He has published articles breaking new ground in Simpson research in
Families: The Journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society,
and lives in Guelph, Ontario.
