Memorable Manitobans: George Bird (1795-1856)

Fur trader.

Born in Rupert’s Land in 1795 , the son of James Bird Senior, Chief Factor in the Saskatchewan district, and of Ooemenahowish, a native woman. On 23 August 1825, he married Anne Thomas, daughter of Thomas Thomas, a principal settler of Red River, and his native wife, Sarah. The baptisms of nine children were recorded in the registers of St. John’s Parish between 1824 and 1826. He was apprenticed in 1805 to the Hudson’s Bay Company in the York Factory district, and was made an Assistant Trader in 1812 in the Saskatchewan district. After a year in England he was assigned as Company clerk at Carlton House (1815-1818) and at Edmonton House (1818-1821). Following the coalition of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company in 1821 he served as interpreter. Bird retired to the Red River Settlement in June 1825, where he died 18 October 1856.

Sources:

Pioneers and Early Citizens of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Manitoba Library Association, 1971.

We thank Darrin Brager for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 29 July 2022

Memorable Manitobans

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 Search

Browse 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 | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
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.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!