DCB/DBC Mobile beta
+

As part of the funding agreement between the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and the Canadian Museum of History, we invite readers to take part in a short survey.

I’ll take the survey now.

Remind me later.

Don’t show me this message again.

I have already taken the questionnaire

DCB/DBC News

New Biographies

Minor Corrections

Biography of the Day

ROBINSON, ELIZA ARDEN – Volume XIII (1901-1910)

d. in Victoria 19 March 1906

Confederation

Responsible Government

Sir John A. Macdonald

From the Red River Settlement to Manitoba (1812–70)

Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Sir George-Étienne Cartier

Sports

The Fenians

Women in the DCB/DBC

The Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences of 1864

Introductory Essays of the DCB/DBC

The Acadians

For Educators

The War of 1812 

Canada’s Wartime Prime Ministers

The First World War

MARSH (March), JOHN, HBC governor in Hudson Bay; d. 1688/89.

Recommended by Lord Churchill (later Duke of Marlborough), Marsh was appointed governor of James Bay in 1688 when the Company’s three forts had been for two years in French hands. He was instructed to build a new settlement on Albany River to re-establish the HBC’s trade but in doing so to avoid “annoyeing” the French, for a truce was in effect between the two nations.

For the new fort Marsh chose an island in James Bay and began building operations. The ships Churchill (Capt. William Bond) and Yonge (Capt. John Simpson) were to winter with him and assist him. He was to take strong measures against private trading and interloping (trespassing on the Company’s monopoly). On the way out his party did meet an interloping ship, the Mary, which had become jammed in the Hudson Strait ice and they took its captain and 20 men on board before the ship sank next day.

The expedition was ill-fated. While out hunting, Bond and his colleagues became careless of their safety and were surprised and taken prisoner by the French. Marsh, who was ill at the time, died on 30 Jan. 1688/89 (HBC Arch. A.15/3, L158). He was succeeded by Capt. Andrew Hamilton, his deputy, who shortly afterwards surrendered to the French, under Pierre Le Moyne* d’Iberville. Marsh left a widow, Elizabeth, who received settlement of his account in May 1690.

Maud M. Hutcheson

General Bibliography

Cite This Article

Maud M. Hutcheson, “MARSH, JOHN,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed March 19, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/marsh_john_1E.html.

The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:


Permalink:   http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/marsh_john_1E.html
Author of Article:   Maud M. Hutcheson
Title of Article:   MARSH, JOHN
Publication Name:   Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1
Publisher:   University of Toronto/Université Laval
Year of publication:   1966
Year of revision:   1979
Access Date:   March 19, 2024