History Pre-confederation (to 1867)
The Silver Chief
Lord Selkirk and the Scottish Pioneers of Belfast, Baldoon and Red River
- Publisher
- Dundurn
- Initial publish date
- May 2003
- Category
- Pre-Confederation (to 1867), Genealogy & Heraldry, Emigration & Immigration
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781770704381
- Publish Date
- May 2003
- List Price
- $24.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781554883547
- Publish Date
- May 2003
- List Price
- $8.99
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781896219882
- Publish Date
- May 2003
- List Price
- $24.95
Add it to your shelf
Where to buy it
Description
Belfast, Prince Edward Island, founded in August 1803, owes its existence to Lord Selkirk. Its bicentennial is a timely reminder of Selkirk's work in Canada, which extended beyond Belfast to Baldoon (later Wallaceburg) in Ontario, as well as to Red River, the precursor to Winnipeg. Aptly named "The Silver Chief" by the five Indian chiefs with whom he negotiated a land treaty at Red River, the fifth Earl of Selkirk spent an immense fortune in helping Scottish Highlanders relocate themselves in Canada.
Selkirk has been well observed through the eyes of the rich and powerful, but his settlers have been neglected. Why did they leave Scotland? Which districts did they come from? Why did they settle in Canada? Why did Selkirk help them? How successful were their settlements? What impact did they have on Canada’s early development? Did Selkirk realize his ambitions for Canada?
In answering these questions, Lucille H. Campey presents a new and powerful case for re-assessing the achievements of Selkirk and his settlers. Using a wealth of documentary sources, she reconstructs the sequence of emigration from Scotland to the three areas of Canada where settlements were founded. She shows that emigration took place in a carefully planned and controlled way. She reveals the self-reliance, adaptability and steely determination of the Selkirk settlers in overcoming their many problems and obstacles. They brought their rich traditions of Scottish culture to Canada and, in doing so, helped to secure its distinctively Canadian future. Together, Selkirk and his settlers succeeded against overwhelming odds and altered the course of history.
About the author
Ottawa-born Dr. Lucille Campey is a well-known writer and historian who began her career as a scientist and computer specialist, having obtained a degree in chemistry from Ottawa University. In 1967 she moved to England, where she gained a masters degree at Leeds University based on a study of English medieval settlement patterns. Inspired by interest in her Nova Scotia–born father’s Scottish roots and love of history, she studied Scottish emigration to Canada and was subsequently awarded a doctorate at Aberdeen University. Campey is the author of eight books on early Scottish emigration to Canada. More recently, Lucille has turned her attention to English emigration to Canada with her ninth book, Planters, Paupers and Pioneers. She lives near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England.
Other titles by
Ontario and Quebec’s Irish Pioneers
Farmers, Labourers, and Lumberjacks
Atlantic Canada's Irish Immigrants
A Fish and Timber Story
The English In Canada Historical 3-Book Bundle
Planters, Paupers, and Pioneers / Seeking a Better Future / Ignored but not Forgotten
Ignored but Not Forgotten
Canada's English Immigrants
Seeking a Better Future
The English Pioneers of Ontario and Quebec
Planters, Paupers, and Pioneers
English Settlers in Atlantic Canada
An Unstoppable Force
The Scottish Exodus to Canada
With Axe and Bible
The Scottish Pioneers of New Brunswick, 1784-1874
After the Hector
The Scottish Pioneers of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 1773-1852
After the Hector
The Scottish Pioneers of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 1773-1852