company's business, which continued under his management until his death by his own hand in 1846.[1]
John McLoughlin, junior, second son of Dr McLoughlin, was but a young man to be placed in charge of a fort, and appears to have been in no way worthy of the name he bore. About a year after Mr Rae left him at Stikeen he was murdered by his own men, Canadians and kanakas. An account of the affair is given in the History of the Northwest Coast. One who knew him called him too young and hot-headed for such service; but there is reason to think that he brought about his own death by his debaucheries.[2] Sir George Simpson, who investigated the murder, treated it in such a way as to incur the life-long displeasure of Dr McLoughlin. This, however, was not the only cause for offence,[3] a tacit disagreement having existed for at least ten years between the resident governor of the Hudson's Bay Company and the 'emperor of the west.' Sir George was of humble though respectable origin, a Scottish family of Caithness, and his father was a school-master. He was in the possession of no personal qualities that could awe McLoughlin.
- ↑ Mrs Rae had three children when she returned to Oregon on the death of her husband, a son and two daughters. The son inherited a large property in the Orkney Islands, but died early. The daughters became Mrs Theodore Wygant and Mrs Joseph Myrick of Portland. Mrs Rae was married again to Daniel Harvey of Oregon City, who was in charge of McLoughlin's mills at that place, and by whom she had two sons, Daniel and James, both becoming residents of Portland. Roberts' Rec., MS., 24, 57; Harvey's Life of McLoughlin, MS., passim.
- ↑ Doctor McLoughlin had three sons; the eldest, Joseph, was uneducated. He settled at the mouth of the Yamhill River, and died there. His widow, who was a daughter of Mr McMillan of the Hudson's Bay Company, in early Astoria days married Etienne Grégoire, a French settler. David McLoughlin, the younger son, was sent to Paris and London for education, and was some time at Addiscombe, where young men are trained for the East India Company. He returned to Oregon, spent his inheritance, and became a resident of Montana.
- ↑ 'I don't know how the feud between the doctor and Sir George originated. The doctor was "at outs," I think in 1831, and threatened to retire; and Duncan Finlayson, who afterwards married a sister of Lady Simpson, and cousin of Sir George, came to supersede him. The doctor did not leave for England till March 1838, and returned still in the employ of the company. It was said that Sir George had prepared the governor and committee to give the doctor a "whigging," but that when he came into their presence his fine manly appearance and bearing was such that they had no heart for the fight.' Roberts' Recollections, MS., 22–3.
