John McLoughlin Jr., who could have had a promising medical career, was only reluctantly let into the service of the Hudson Bay Compnay and was eventually shot in the back by his own men who rebelled against his tyranny.
He spent the early part of his life in Terrebonne with his great-uncle Dr. Simon Fraser and in 1834 he was sent back from his medical studies in Paris for some unexplained offece. Because of John's conduct, George Simpson blocked him from Hudson Bay Company employment or passage to the Columbia. In 1837, however, in an effort to curb his rebellious activities at Red River, Simpson offered young John the position of surgeon at Fort McLoughlin, but crossing the mountains with his father in 1838 he chose instead to serve at Fort Vancouver. For two years he accompanied the express across the mountains until June 1840 when he was sent to Fort Stikine under William Glenn Rae.
In 1841, he was placed in charge with Roderick Finlayson as his assistant but when Finlayson was removed to Fort Simpson, McLoughlin was left without proper support. According to dispositions taken in 1842, his drinking and violent streaks became more pronounced and, in drunken stupors, he would pummel his servants with his fists and whip them until the blood ran. One night, after being threatened by William Lassert and Urbain Heroux, a drunken John Jr., armed with his own rifle tried to find the hidden pair to either punish them or kill them. Failing to find them, he rushed into the centre area yelling "Fire! Fire!" but four shots rang out, the fatal one entering his shoulder and exiting his throat. Coincidentally, Simpson arrived five days later and,after a brief investigation, deemed it "Justfiable Homicide", a verdict for which Dr. John McLoughlin never forgave the governor.
Conflicting dispositions taken at the time indicate McLoughlin to have been a moderate man who was assassinated without reason. The truth lies somewhere in between as in 1840 Rae found future assassinators Heroux a "good man" and Lasserte "a smart lad," whereas he spoke scornfully about others at the same time.
After his death, McLoughlin was taken to the main house, quite likely on the initiative of the Kanakas, (although Pierre Kanaguasse claimed he initiated the process), and his body was washed and dried. Kanaguasse took McLoughlin's ring, which Powpow took back and gave to McLoughlin's wife. A coffin was then built and the corpse removed from the main house to the bath. On the third day, the corpse was carried to an open grave by Lasserte, François Presse, Louis Leclaire and some Kanakas. The remains of the young surgeon were later disinterred and brought to Fort Vancouver for burial on October 10, 1843 and he was finally laid to rest on October 12.
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HBC Surgeon, Fort Vancouver (1838); Surgeon and clerk disposable, Fort Vancouver (1838-1839); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Vancouver general charges (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Stikine (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, and assistant to W.G. Rae, Fort Stikine (1840-1841); Clerk in charge, Fort Stikine (1841-1842).
Source for information: Rootsweb tree of Explorers, Conquistadores, Pioneers, Settlers, and Indians, by Kenneth Henry Robinson. He cited "Lives Lived West of the Divide" - vol. 2 "A Biographical Dictionary of Fur Traders Working West of the Rockies, 1793-1858" by Bruce McIntyre Watson.
He spent the early part of his life in Terrebonne with his great-uncle Dr. Simon Fraser and in 1834 he was sent back from his medical studies in Paris for some unexplained offece. Because of John's conduct, George Simpson blocked him from Hudson Bay Company employment or passage to the Columbia. In 1837, however, in an effort to curb his rebellious activities at Red River, Simpson offered young John the position of surgeon at Fort McLoughlin, but crossing the mountains with his father in 1838 he chose instead to serve at Fort Vancouver. For two years he accompanied the express across the mountains until June 1840 when he was sent to Fort Stikine under William Glenn Rae.
In 1841, he was placed in charge with Roderick Finlayson as his assistant but when Finlayson was removed to Fort Simpson, McLoughlin was left without proper support. According to dispositions taken in 1842, his drinking and violent streaks became more pronounced and, in drunken stupors, he would pummel his servants with his fists and whip them until the blood ran. One night, after being threatened by William Lassert and Urbain Heroux, a drunken John Jr., armed with his own rifle tried to find the hidden pair to either punish them or kill them. Failing to find them, he rushed into the centre area yelling "Fire! Fire!" but four shots rang out, the fatal one entering his shoulder and exiting his throat. Coincidentally, Simpson arrived five days later and,after a brief investigation, deemed it "Justfiable Homicide", a verdict for which Dr. John McLoughlin never forgave the governor.
Conflicting dispositions taken at the time indicate McLoughlin to have been a moderate man who was assassinated without reason. The truth lies somewhere in between as in 1840 Rae found future assassinators Heroux a "good man" and Lasserte "a smart lad," whereas he spoke scornfully about others at the same time.
After his death, McLoughlin was taken to the main house, quite likely on the initiative of the Kanakas, (although Pierre Kanaguasse claimed he initiated the process), and his body was washed and dried. Kanaguasse took McLoughlin's ring, which Powpow took back and gave to McLoughlin's wife. A coffin was then built and the corpse removed from the main house to the bath. On the third day, the corpse was carried to an open grave by Lasserte, François Presse, Louis Leclaire and some Kanakas. The remains of the young surgeon were later disinterred and brought to Fort Vancouver for burial on October 10, 1843 and he was finally laid to rest on October 12.
~
HBC Surgeon, Fort Vancouver (1838); Surgeon and clerk disposable, Fort Vancouver (1838-1839); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Vancouver general charges (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Stikine (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, and assistant to W.G. Rae, Fort Stikine (1840-1841); Clerk in charge, Fort Stikine (1841-1842).
Source for information: Rootsweb tree of Explorers, Conquistadores, Pioneers, Settlers, and Indians, by Kenneth Henry Robinson. He cited "Lives Lived West of the Divide" - vol. 2 "A Biographical Dictionary of Fur Traders Working West of the Rockies, 1793-1858" by Bruce McIntyre Watson.
John McLoughlin Jr., who could have had a promising medical career, was only reluctantly let into the service of the Hudson Bay Compnay and was eventually shot in the back by his own men who rebelled against his tyranny.
He spent the early part of his life in Terrebonne with his great-uncle Dr. Simon Fraser and in 1834 he was sent back from his medical studies in Paris for some unexplained offece. Because of John's conduct, George Simpson blocked him from Hudson Bay Company employment or passage to the Columbia. In 1837, however, in an effort to curb his rebellious activities at Red River, Simpson offered young John the position of surgeon at Fort McLoughlin, but crossing the mountains with his father in 1838 he chose instead to serve at Fort Vancouver. For two years he accompanied the express across the mountains until June 1840 when he was sent to Fort Stikine under William Glenn Rae.
In 1841, he was placed in charge with Roderick Finlayson as his assistant but when Finlayson was removed to Fort Simpson, McLoughlin was left without proper support. According to dispositions taken in 1842, his drinking and violent streaks became more pronounced and, in drunken stupors, he would pummel his servants with his fists and whip them until the blood ran. One night, after being threatened by William Lassert and Urbain Heroux, a drunken John Jr., armed with his own rifle tried to find the hidden pair to either punish them or kill them. Failing to find them, he rushed into the centre area yelling "Fire! Fire!" but four shots rang out, the fatal one entering his shoulder and exiting his throat. Coincidentally, Simpson arrived five days later and,after a brief investigation, deemed it "Justfiable Homicide", a verdict for which Dr. John McLoughlin never forgave the governor.
Conflicting dispositions taken at the time indicate McLoughlin to have been a moderate man who was assassinated without reason. The truth lies somewhere in between as in 1840 Rae found future assassinators Heroux a "good man" and Lasserte "a smart lad," whereas he spoke scornfully about others at the same time.
After his death, McLoughlin was taken to the main house, quite likely on the initiative of the Kanakas, (although Pierre Kanaguasse claimed he initiated the process), and his body was washed and dried. Kanaguasse took McLoughlin's ring, which Powpow took back and gave to McLoughlin's wife. A coffin was then built and the corpse removed from the main house to the bath. On the third day, the corpse was carried to an open grave by Lasserte, François Presse, Louis Leclaire and some Kanakas. The remains of the young surgeon were later disinterred and brought to Fort Vancouver for burial on October 10, 1843 and he was finally laid to rest on October 12.
~
HBC Surgeon, Fort Vancouver (1838); Surgeon and clerk disposable, Fort Vancouver (1838-1839); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Vancouver general charges (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Stikine (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, and assistant to W.G. Rae, Fort Stikine (1840-1841); Clerk in charge, Fort Stikine (1841-1842).
Source for information: Rootsweb tree of Explorers, Conquistadores, Pioneers, Settlers, and Indians, by Kenneth Henry Robinson. He cited "Lives Lived West of the Divide" - vol. 2 "A Biographical Dictionary of Fur Traders Working West of the Rockies, 1793-1858" by Bruce McIntyre Watson.
He spent the early part of his life in Terrebonne with his great-uncle Dr. Simon Fraser and in 1834 he was sent back from his medical studies in Paris for some unexplained offece. Because of John's conduct, George Simpson blocked him from Hudson Bay Company employment or passage to the Columbia. In 1837, however, in an effort to curb his rebellious activities at Red River, Simpson offered young John the position of surgeon at Fort McLoughlin, but crossing the mountains with his father in 1838 he chose instead to serve at Fort Vancouver. For two years he accompanied the express across the mountains until June 1840 when he was sent to Fort Stikine under William Glenn Rae.
In 1841, he was placed in charge with Roderick Finlayson as his assistant but when Finlayson was removed to Fort Simpson, McLoughlin was left without proper support. According to dispositions taken in 1842, his drinking and violent streaks became more pronounced and, in drunken stupors, he would pummel his servants with his fists and whip them until the blood ran. One night, after being threatened by William Lassert and Urbain Heroux, a drunken John Jr., armed with his own rifle tried to find the hidden pair to either punish them or kill them. Failing to find them, he rushed into the centre area yelling "Fire! Fire!" but four shots rang out, the fatal one entering his shoulder and exiting his throat. Coincidentally, Simpson arrived five days later and,after a brief investigation, deemed it "Justfiable Homicide", a verdict for which Dr. John McLoughlin never forgave the governor.
Conflicting dispositions taken at the time indicate McLoughlin to have been a moderate man who was assassinated without reason. The truth lies somewhere in between as in 1840 Rae found future assassinators Heroux a "good man" and Lasserte "a smart lad," whereas he spoke scornfully about others at the same time.
After his death, McLoughlin was taken to the main house, quite likely on the initiative of the Kanakas, (although Pierre Kanaguasse claimed he initiated the process), and his body was washed and dried. Kanaguasse took McLoughlin's ring, which Powpow took back and gave to McLoughlin's wife. A coffin was then built and the corpse removed from the main house to the bath. On the third day, the corpse was carried to an open grave by Lasserte, François Presse, Louis Leclaire and some Kanakas. The remains of the young surgeon were later disinterred and brought to Fort Vancouver for burial on October 10, 1843 and he was finally laid to rest on October 12.
~
HBC Surgeon, Fort Vancouver (1838); Surgeon and clerk disposable, Fort Vancouver (1838-1839); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Vancouver general charges (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, Fort Stikine (1839-1840); Surgeon and clerk, and assistant to W.G. Rae, Fort Stikine (1840-1841); Clerk in charge, Fort Stikine (1841-1842).
Source for information: Rootsweb tree of Explorers, Conquistadores, Pioneers, Settlers, and Indians, by Kenneth Henry Robinson. He cited "Lives Lived West of the Divide" - vol. 2 "A Biographical Dictionary of Fur Traders Working West of the Rockies, 1793-1858" by Bruce McIntyre Watson.
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