10 Facts About Simon McGillivray

Simon McGillivray was Provincial Grand Master of Upper Canada ; Fellow of the Royal Society at London; a member of the Beaver Club at Montreal and a member of the Canada Club at London.

In 1785, McGillivray was born at Dunlichity, near Daviot in the Scottish Highlands.

Simon McGillivray was the youngest son of Donald Roy McGillivray, tacksman of Achnalodan in Dunmaglass and later of Dalscoilt in Strathnairn.

However, on his side of the family, the land had dissipated so that Simon McGillivray's father was a small tenant on what had become part of the Lovat estate, and he was unable to provide secondary schooling for Simon McGillivray and his brothers William and Duncan.

Simon McGillivray supplied the Canadian firm with trade goods, obtained credit for it, looked after shipments and sold the pelts at the best price on the London market.

From London, Simon worked closely with his brother, William McGillivray, in his struggles to overcome Lord Selkirk and the Hudson's Bay Company.

Simon McGillivray made various business trips to Montreal when needed but otherwise remained in London where his authority had steadily grown to supersede his cousin John Fraser, the financial expert in Simon McTavish's time.

In 1820, when William McGillivray realised that the collapse of the North West Company was imminent unless an agreement could be made with their rivals, the Hudson's Bay Company, Simon took a leading role.

Simon McGillivray was forced to sell his valuable art collection, but his talents had not gone unnoticed in London and his career continued to prosper.

In 1829, Simon McGillivray was chosen by the United Mexican Mining Association of London to go to Mexico to help reorganise the administration of the company's silver mines.