Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
McTavish, Simon
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Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
Simon McTavish, ca. 1750-1804, was born in Strath Errick, Scotland. In 1764 he emigrated to New York, USA and apprenticed in business. By 1772 he formed his own fur trade business, operating in the Great Lakes region, and became wealthy. In 1779 he joined several Montreal partners to form the North West Company, and in 1787 he took over its management. Under his leadership, the company sent exploration expeditions into western Canada, and aggressively pursued the inland fur trade, becoming a serious rival to the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). For further information see the entry in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. -- vol. 5, p 559.