James Anderson + Mary Saulteaux De Moran

by Barbara Doduk

My 5th Great Grandfather James Anderson was born May 07, 1774 in Firth & Stennes, Orkney, Scotland. He died before October 15, 1856 in Red River Settlement, NWT=Manitoba. 

He was the son of James Anderson and Christine Seatter. (According to my records.)

Rev. John West married James Anderson and Mary Suzette DeMoran February 21, 1821 in Brandon House, Ruperts Land, Canada.

My 5th Great Grandmother Mary Suzette DeMoran was born about 1789 in Red Lake Saulteaux (Ojibway) Indian Settlement, Red River Settlement. She died May 25th, 1854 in St Andrews, RRS.

James Anderson + Mary Saulteaux De Moran

From the HBC Archives:

James Anderson entered HBC service in 1796 (age 22) and served in the following capacities:

Outfit year / Position / Post /  *an Outfit year ran from June 1 to May 31

  • 1796 Travelled to Churchill
  • 1796-1799 / Tailor / Churchill
  • 1799-1812 / Company Tailor / Albany
  • 1812-1819 / Company Tailor / Brandon House Winnipeg
  • 1819-1823 / Company Tailor / York Factory
  • 1823-1828 / Freeman / Upper Red River District

From Red River Ancestry.ca

In 1796, at the age of 21 James was hired by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) as a Tailor. He left Orkney on June 29 that year, sailing on the Prince of Wales, and arrived at Albany on Hudson Bay two months later.  For the next two years he worked as a Tailor at Albany House, or at its dependencies on the Albany River, Martin Falls and Osnaburgh House. He sewed cloths (usually coats) and made shoes (moccasins) for the men. He made the captain coats that the Company gave to leaders of the Native bands with whom they traded. In addition to his tailoring duties he also worked as a Labourer cutting brush, sawing wood, and hunting.

In March of 1799, James was sent to Brandon House, a post on the Assiniboine River, in what is today western Manitoba. It was while he was at Brandon House that he took a very young 12 year old native girl as his wife: Mary DEMORAN, an Ojibway or Saulteaux Indian. 

Since there were no clergy in the Hudson’s Bay Company at this time, they were married ‘a la facon du pays, according to the custom of the country’.  By Indian tradition, they danced around a fire to seal their union and James presented her with many gifts, including a silver wedding ring.  Their marriage was documented in the book Many Trails to Manitou-Wapah.

They had 14 children, with the first being born when Mary was 13 years old.

In 1812 daughter Euphemia (“Effie”) was born at Fort Ellice (near the confluence of the Assiniboine and Qu’Apelle Rivers, now St Lazare, MB, east of the SK border). (She is my 4th Great Grandmother.)

James & Mary are Legally Wed and their children Baptized by Reverend John West February 21, 1821 in Brandon House, Ruperts Land, Canada.

In 1821 union of the North West Company (NWC) and the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) occurred, ending years of bitter rivalry for dominance of the fur trade in Western Canada. After the merger, almost 1,300 employees lost their jobs since the single HBC organization that emerged had no need for most of the voyageurs and retired fur traders.

In 1823 James (about 48 years old) retired from HBC service and became a Red River settler.

In the 1827 Red River Census James and his wife were recorded on Lot 147-48 probably in the vicinity of Lambert’s Point. He had a house and stable; two horses, three cows and two calves; two oxen and one pig. He has a plough and harrow and a canoe. He had three acres under cultivation.

In 1837 daughter Effie married Richard FAVEL, son of Sarah TROUT & Richard FAVEL SR (1812-1873).

In 1854 Suzette died at the age of 65 and in 1856 James died at the age of 82 years, both in St Andrews.

Children of James Anderson and Mary DeMoran are:

  1. Elizabeth Anderson, born 1800 in Brandon House, or Osperburh Post; died June 14, 1872 in St Johns, Red River Settlement; married William Sinclair January 31, 1826 in St Johns Anglican Church, Red River Settlement; born 1792 in Scotland; died July 16, 1876 in RRS, MB, CAN.
  2. John Anderson, born September 04, 1804 in RRS, NWT = MB, CAN; died December 23, 1884 in Prince Albert, SK, CAN; married Mary Anne * Desmarais January 31, 1826 in St John’s, RRS, NWT = MB, CAN; born Abt. 1804 in Brandon House, Rupert’s Land; died December 14, 1892 in Prince Albert, SK, CAN.
  3. Thomas Anderson, born June 15, 1806 in Brandon House or Turtle Mountain, NWT = MB, CAN; died Unknown; married Catherine Landry October 05, 1828 in St Johns Anglican Church, RRS; born December 25, 1809 in Lac Qu’Appelle, NWT = SK, CAN.
  4. James Anderson, born 1808 in Fort Ellice District, Rupertsland; died 1900 in St Andrews District, MB, CAN; married (1) Jane Truthwaite February 21, 1832 in St Johns Anglican Church, RRS; born 1816; died October 18, 1843; married (2) Harriet Smith August 31, 1844 in St Andrews Church, RRS; born October 11, 1825 in St Andrews Parish, RRS = MB, CAN; died Unknown.
  5. Hannah “Ann or Anna” Anderson, born 1810 in Brandon House, Rupert’s Land; died Unknown; married James Corrigal November 24, 1829 in St John’s, RRS = MB, CAN; born 1810 in Northwest Territories, Rupert’s Land; died February 10, 1887.
  6. Euphemia Anderson, born 1812 in Fort Ellice, NWT = MB, CAN; died May 05, 1881 in MB, CAN; married Richard * Favell January 17, 1837 in MB, CAN.
  7. Marie Polly Anderson, born 1811 in Brandon House, Rupert’s Land; died May 26, 1890 in Portage la Prairie, MB, CAN; married (1) Henry Norquay; born 1810 in Northwest Territories; died May 25, 1874; married (2) James Johnston January 23, 1821 in Brandon House, Rupert’s Land; born Abt. 1810 in NWT; died June 01, 1857 in RRS; married (3) Francois Desmarais Bef. 1831; born Abt. 1807; died Unknown.
  8. Christiana/Christine Anderson, born 1816 in Red River Settlement; married Robert Hourie November 28, 1837 in St Andrews Church, RRS; born 1815 in Red River Settlement; died 1911 in St Catherine’s District, NWT = SK, CAN.
  9. Catherine Anderson, born 1820 in RRS, NWT = MB, CAN; died May 29, 1851 in St Paul’s, RRS, NWT = MB, CAN; married Charles “Reverend” C Cook March 13, 1844 in St Andrews Church, RRS; born 1806 in Nelson River, Rupertsland; died July 20, 1881.
  10. Charles Anderson, born 1826; died Unknown; married Angelique Ann Nancy Birston December 30, 1847 in St Andrews, Red River Settlement; born Bef. April 10, 1831 in RRS = MB, CAN; died Unknown.
  11. Peter Charles Sr Anderson, born 1828 in RRS; died 1879 in Westbourne, MB, CAN; married Letitia Marguerite McKay 1850 in Portage la Prairie, RRS, NWT; born March 12, 1833 in Fort Ellice, NWT; died December 22, 1920 in Kinesota, MB, CAN.
  12. Caleb Anderson, born 1833 in St Andrews, Red River Settlement; married Isabella Dennett July 03, 1856 in St Andrew’s, Manitoba; born December 25, 1838 in St Andrews, Red River Settlement.
  13. William Anderson, born 1815; died August 10, 1874 in St Andrew’s, MB, CAN; married Nancy Saunders September 14, 1841 in York Factory, NWT = MB, CAN; born 1825; died April 12, 1900.

Euphemia (“Effie”) Anderson become my 4th Great Grandmother.

Reference Links:

  • https://digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca/islandora/object/uofm%3A2397653#page/1/mode/2up
  • https://www.redriverancestry.ca/ANDERSON-JAMES-1775.php
  • https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/_docs/hbca/biographical/a/anderson_james_b1775.pdf
  • Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • Anglican Archives, Synod Office, Winnipeg Manitoba
  • The Orkney Library
  • “The Red River Settlement”, by A. Ross
  • “The Andersons, a Hudson’s Bay Company Family”, by Theresa (Young) Schenck
  • “The Anglican Church From the Bay to the Rockies” by T.C.B. Boon
  • Research and Papers of Thomas Rennie “Pat” McCloy
  • Anderson Family Research by Eileen Horan, Kimberly Hodgson, Theresa Schenck, Family Records, Interviews with living descendants —who stated there was a son William who married Nancy, in addition to the 13 identified children of James Anderson & Mary Saulteaux