Fonds PR-0275 - Mouat family fonds

William Alexander Mouat was born in London, England in 1821. A master mariner and employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), Mouat came to Victoria in 1845. Following his arrival to the area he served on various HBC vessels and also worked as a bar pilot on the Columbia River. In 1853, Mouat left for England where he married Mary Ann Ainsley the following year. He returned to Victoria on the Marquis of Bute with his bride in 1855 and continued his work for the HBC as commander of the steamers Otter, Enterprise, and Labouchere (the latter of which was wrecked on the California coast in 1866 on Mouat’s watch). Mouat was also commissioned by the HBC in 1865 to investigate the possibility of steam navigation along the Thomson River between the Kamloops and Shuswap lakes and soon after commanded the first steamer to run along the river. In 1866, the Mouats relocated to Fort Rupert (near present day Port Hardy), where Mouat worked as Chief Trader for the HBC. Mouat died in 1871 in Knight Inlet during a canoe trip to Fort Rupert. He is buried in the old Quadra Street burying grounds. Mary Ann Mouat returned to Victoria after 1871 and lived at the family home on Belleville Street until her death in 1896. She is buried in Ross Bay Cemetery. The Mouats had seven children.