Donald Manson

Donald Manson (1796–1880) was a Scottish-Canadian fur trader of the Hudson's Bay Company and a pioneer of British Columbia. He was the founder, along with Chief Factor James McMillan and metis François Annance, of Fort Langley, British Columbia.

Biography

Donald Manson was born on April 6, 1796, at Thurso Caithness, Scotland, the son of David Manson and Jean Gunn.

Manson would also work at Fort Alexandria with explorer Donald McLean. In 1833, with Mr. Anderson, Manson conceived a circulating library among the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, being the first of its kind on the Pacific Slope. In 1837, Manson was promoted to the rank of chief trader within the organization, which gave him a share of the HBC's profits.

He was given mission to find the murderers of John McLoughlin Jr., but could not find any evidence related to the event.

Donald Manson was married in October 1828, to Félicité Lucier, daughter of fur trader Étienne Lucier, by whom he had 8 children.

His daughter Anne Manson married Isaac Ogden, son of pioneer explorer Peter Skene Ogden. Isaac's uncle was Premier of Canada East, Charles Richard Ogden, the son-in-law of Gen. John Coffin, brother of Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin, 1st Baronet. Another son, fur trader John D. Manson, married to Aurelia Yale, daughter of chief trader James Murray Yale, member of the Yale family. His brothers-in-law included chief trader Capt. Henry Newsham Peers and chief trader George S. Simpson, son of the Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, Sir George Simspon.