Soldier, pioneer Swiss settler.
Born in the canton of Berne, Switzerland on 25 December 1785, he was seized by soldiers and conscripted at the age of 15. He was in Canada with the Des Meurons regiment when it disbanded after the war of 1812. In 1816 he joined the forces recruited by Lord Selkirk to protect the Red River colony. Nearly all the Swiss soldiers recruited for the Settlement left for the United States after the 1826 flood. Kauffman remained, married Elizabeth McKay of the Selkirk colony, and settled on lot 64 in Kildonan. There were several children. He died at his home on 27 February 1869.
Obituary, Daily Nor’Wester, 6 March 1869, page 2. [manitobia.ca]
Pioneers and Early Citizens of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Manitoba Library Association, 1971.
We thank Kathy McPhail for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 7 March 2023
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
