Eden Colvile
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Eden Colvile | |
|---|---|
| Governor of Rupert's Land | |
| In office 1849–1852 | |
| Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company | |
| In office 1880–1889 | |
| Preceded by | George Joachim Goschen |
| Succeeded by | Donald Alexander Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 February 1819 |
| Died | 2 April 1893 (aged 74) |
| Spouse | Anne Maxwell |
| Relations | James William Colvile (brother) Margaret Agnes Colvile (sister) Eden Paul (nephew) |
| Parent |
|
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Administrator, company director |
Eden Colvile (12 February 1819 – 2 April 1893) was a businessman primarily notable as the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, a huge organisation set up for the North American fur trade but also instrumental in the early history of Canada.
Colvile was born at Langley Farm,[1][2] part of the Langley Park Estate, near Beckenham, Kent, England, son of Andrew Colvile and Mary Louisa Eden. His father was a merchant and member of board of the Hudson's Bay Company. His mother was fifth daughter of William Eden, 1st Baron Auckland, and thus connected to an influential family of politicians and diplomats.
Eden Colville was one of four brothers and 12 sisters:[3]
- Eleanor Colvile (1808–1824)
- James William Colvile (1810–1880) was a lawyer, civil servant and then judge in India, and a judge on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the court of last resort for the British colonies.
- John Colvile (1811–1830)
- Isabella Colvile (1812–1896) married a clergyman in rural England and was the mother of Francis Marindin, a key figure in early football.
- George Colvile (1813–1814)
- Louisa Colvile (1815–1836)
- Emily Colvile (1817–1889)
- Eden Colvile (1819–1893) was appointed Governor of Rupert's Land and also governor of the HBC.
- Jean Colville (1820–1895)
- Georgiana Mary Colvile (1822–1889) married Frederic Rogers, 1st Baron Blachford, a mandarin of Whitehall.
- Charlotte Colvile (1823–)
- Isalen Mary Colvile (1825–)
- Caroline Colvile (1827–1846)
- Margaret Agnes Colvile (1829–) in 1858 married the writer and publisher Charles Kegan Paul.
- Alice Douglas Colvile (1830–1845)
- Katharine Colvile (July 1834 – November 1834)
The son of his sister Margaret was named after him; Eden Paul became a socialist physician and translator.[4]
Education and early career
Colvile was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.[5] After graduating from Cambridge in 1841, he travelled to Lower Canada (Quebec) to manage the seigneury of Beauharnois for the North American Colonial Association of Ireland, of which his father was deputy governor. He served one year in the Legislative Assembly in 1844. [6]
