Annual Report and Transaction No. 20 (1919–1920) — Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Toronto
Founded in 1895, the Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Toronto aimed to safeguard Canada’s past through the preservation of documents, artifacts, and the publication of original research. Each annual volume offered reports on the Society’s work alongside contributions on topics of national or regional interest.
This issue opens with the customary proceedings: the President’s address, followed by the Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports. A short introduction by Miss S. Mickle leads into the volume’s principal feature—the “Journal of Chief Factor Anderson, Commander of the H.B.C. Expedition in Search of John Franklin.” Running for roughly twenty-eight pages, the journal is drawn from manuscripts and letters supplied by James Anderson of Ainslie Hill, West Sutton, Ontario, likely Anderson’s son. The volume concludes with an essay by Professor John Squair, “Temple of Peace; David Wilson of Sharon, 1778–1866.”
James Anderson (1812–1867)
Anderson was a senior Hudson’s Bay Company officer, born in Calcutta and raised partly in Upper Canada. Rising through the HBC ranks to chief factor, he became known for firm administration, difficult northern postings, and effective management of distant districts.
Anderson and the Search for Franklin
In 1855 Anderson was appointed to lead the HBC’s overland expedition down the Great Fish (Back) River to verify reports concerning Sir John Franklin’s lost party. Battling late ice, poor maps, and hazardous water, he reached the Arctic coast and recovered scattered relics confirming the expedition’s fate. His leadership earned official commendation, the Polar Medal, and a place in the history of the Franklin search
