Francis Ermatingers oldest child, Mary Ermatinger Bird Mary Ermatinger (MRS. DAVID BIRD). The daughter of Francis Ermatinger, and a Cree woman. The mothers and daughters names were unmentioned by Frank in his letters. She was born in the Severn District of Canada under Hudsons Bay. She was born prior to 1825. Frank left her and her mother when he went to the Columbia Department in 1825. He never saw them again, although he did provide for them. She eventually married David Bird in March of 1841. Not much is known about her. Frank had originally believed the mother and daughter had frozen to death in a blizzard. It was some years before he discovered the truth. From THE FUR TRADE LETTERS OF FRANCIS ERMATINGER: page 239, footnote 102- On March 11, 1841, John Hargrave wrote to John Cromarty at Churchill Fort that he gave permission for Bird to marry the daughter of Mr. Ermatinger. LETTERS OF LETITIA HARGRAVE, Margaret Arnett MacLeod, Champlain Society of Canada, Publications, 1947, p.lii. David Bird was probably the son of Chief Factor James Bird and a native woman. The elder Bird was retired to Red River. Mrs. Hargrave had marvelled that Bird educated some of his sons to be nobility at the colony, while one who had worked as a voyageur at York sat at table with the house servants. She added, I daresay the heathen is the happiest of them as the father is constantly upbraiding the others with the ransom they have cost him. Hargrave to John Cromarty, March 16, 1841: I observe what you say about David Bird having taken to wife the daughter of Mr. Ermatinger. As he is a decent man, and a good servant I can have no objection, to permit of this arrangement provided he signs the enclosed papers consisting of a promise of marriage in duplicate - one copy so signed to be given to the young woman or her mother; the other is to be forwarded to me on the first opportunity to this place. This being done you will receive her into the fort and furnish her with the customary rations to men’s wives. LETTERS, p.84. If David Bird was James son, he was undoubtedly one of the heathens. LETTERS, page 293: Ermatingers eldest daughter, Mrs. David Bird, may be presumed to have lived out her life on the shores of Hudson Bay. From the Hudsons Bay Company Land Tenure: Lot No. 493 was given to the Widow of David Bird. Letter from Charles Durham Bird, Box 22, Erskine, Alberta, Canada T0C 1G0 15 October 1993 to David Courchane: You inquire if I have a record of the marriage between a David Bird and an Ermatinger. I am sorry that I do not. I do, however, have a James Bird that married a Mary Ermatinger and with her had a son James Bird that was born 28 Jan 1848 [this according to the latters application, Affadavit 2200, in the 1876 Manitoba Metis Scrip Index]. I am assuming that James Bird, the father, was a grandson of James Curtis Bird the HBC Chief Factor but I do not have proof of this. Similarly, I would think it highly likely that Mary Ermatinger was a descendant of Francis Ermatinger. Perhaps you know. If so, I would be interested in the details.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 06:08:59 +0000
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