William Henry McNeill | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1803-07-07)July 7, 1803 |
| Died | September 4, 1875(1875-09-04) (aged 72) Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Burial place | Ross Bay Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | Master mariner, HBC chief factor, and pioneer |
| Employer | Hudson's Bay Company |
| Spouse | Mathilda (died 1850)Martha (after 1850) |
| Children | 6 |
William Henry McNeill (7 July 1803 – 4 September 1875) was an American marine captain and explorer, best known for his 1830 expedition as the captain of the brigLlama (also spelledLama), which sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 12,000 miles (19,000 km) aroundCape Horn, to thePacific Northwest on amaritime fur trade expedition.[1]
Boston merchants owned thebrig whose cargo consisted of trading merchandise. The Chief Factor of theHudson's Bay Company for the region,Roderick Finlayson, purchased theLlama and its cargo inHonolulu in 1832 and retained McNeill as captain.[2] In order to work for the company, it made an exception to its policy of requiring that all of its employees beBritish subjects.[3]: 267 McNeill was an American, born in Boston. He provided the company for the first time with a ship commanded by a man who knew the north west coast well.[3]: 268
In 1834John McLoughlin had McNeill takeLama toMakah territory to rescue three Japanese sailors whose vessel, theHojunmaru, had wrecked nearCape Flattery after being damaged in a storm near Japan and drifting across the ocean for over a year, with all but three of the crew dying of scurvy. The three survivors, Iwakichi, Kyukichi, andOtokichi, were ransomed by McNeill from the Makah who had enslaved them. After living at Fort Vancouver for several months, the three Japanese were taken to London in hopes they might help open trade between Britain and Japan. From London they were taken toMacau, but attempts to return them to their homeland were rejected by Japan, and they lived their lives in Macau and elsewhere in the Far East. They were the first Japanese to visit what is nowWashington andLondon.[4]
In 1836, the Hudson's Bay Company vessel,S.S. Beaver, the first steamship on thePacific Northwest Coast, arrived atFort Vancouver. McNeill took over as the second captain of theBeaver in 1837 and remained so until 1851.[5]: 392
In 1837, the company was concerned that a site be found to replaceFort Vancouver in case they were ever driven out of that area, and directed McNeill aboard theBeaver to explore for a suitable location for the operations of the company with a safe harbour and land suitable for cultivation.[3]: 299 On 10 August that year, he located, according to his log, " . . an excellent harbour and a fine open country along the sea shore, apparently well adapted for both tillage and pasturage . . ." The location he found becameFort Victoria.[5]: 392
On 11 May 1841, along withAlexander Caulfield Anderson, McNeill greetedUnited States NavyLt. Charles Wilkes of theUnited States Exploring Expedition when Wilkes anchored his sailing ship,USS Porpoise in southern Puget Sound nearFort Nisqually, a Hudson's Bay Company trading post near the present town ofDupont, Washington.
On 14 March 1843 Captain McNeill anchored off Vancouver Island inMcNeill Bay to scout the location forFort Victoria.[citation needed]
He resigned command of theBeaver in 1843 following which, in 1849, he establishedFort Rupert, near modern-dayPort Hardy. McNeill was promoted to Chief Factor atFort Simpson in 1856 and retired from the Hudson's Bay Company from that post in 1863.[5]: 393 He retired to his farm onVancouver Island nearVictoria, British Columbia. He died there of pneumonia in 1875.
Port McNeill, British Columbia is named for Captain McNeill.[2]
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