This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives (HBCA) being shipped from London, England to Canada. Four years earlier, in 1970, the Hudson’s Bay Company had moved its head office to Winnipeg to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the province and the 300th anniversary of the company.
Twenty years ago, in January 1994, the Archives of Manitoba became the permanent home of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives.
Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, Ogden. ca. 1800. Historic image from the Hulton Archive.
The archival records from 1670 to 1920 hold some of Canada’s early history and the collection has been designated as a “memory of the world” by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The records are available for viewing and research purposes at the Archives of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
According to the Archives of Manitoba website, “The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) compiled the first catalogue of its archives in 1796. In 1973, HBC agreed to place its records on long term loan with the Archives of Manitoba in Winnipeg. The archives were shipped to Canada in 1974 and opened to the public the next year.”
A recent Winnipeg Free Press article, History abounds in HBC Archive, reports, “The archive is the record of a unique business, but parallels those of a nation because it covers every aspect of life and living from medical journals, ships’ logs, maps, paintings, photographs, scientific data, census data, dictionaries of aboriginal languages, hunting practices, business activities, books and beyond.
HBC insisted on meticulous record-keeping and most of its records remained in its possession. The result is a documentary archive remarkable for its size — more than 3,000 linear metres — and its continuity. The earliest HBC record in the archives is a minute book dating from 1671, recording decisions made at the meetings of the HBC’s Governor and Committee.
Biographical sheets a source for genealogists
A good first stop for genealogists are the online biographical sheets that have been created by HBCA staff to provide employment information on individuals who were employed by HBC and/or the North West Company. “Biographical sheets outline the person’s employment history and may also include the parish of origin or place of birth; positions, posts and districts in which the person served; family information, if available; and references to related documents, including photographs or drawings. Please note that biographical sheets have not been created for every employee and that the conversion of existing biographical sheets to the website is ongoing.”
The HBCA library contains more than 10,000 titles (books, articles, periodicals, videos and CD-ROMs) on the HBC, especially its fur trade, Aboriginal peoples of North America, and the history of western Canada, the US, and the Arctic. The library can only be accessed onsite, but the catalogue is online.
The Winnipeg Free Press describes the importance of this collection: “Mackenzie King said Canada’s problem is too much geography and not enough history. The archives prove we have lots of both. The 40th anniversary event is another opportunity to make Manitobans and Canadians more aware of their priceless legacy — a true memory of their world.”
For more information about the HBCA, visit the Archives of Manitoba website.
