Richard Dobie: (abt.1731-1805)
He was in Montreal as early as 1761 and soon
after establishing himself, entered into the fur trade. In the 1760's Richard
was acting as a trader in partnerships with Lawrence Ermatinger, Pierre
Montbrun & Benjamin Frobisher at times, trading at Fort Timiskaming,
Green Bay & Michilimackiac. During the 1770's and 1780's he was acting
as a outfitter & financier of trading ventures primarily to the Great
Lakes with traders like Etienne Campion, William Grant, Jean Bte.Tabeau,
John Grant, Robert Griffin & James Grant and to a lesser extent backed
trade expeditions beyond Grand Portage as in the case of Etienne Wadden
& Venance Lemaire dit St.Germain. Richard became a man of political
influence in Canada and was a member of the Montreal militia, holding the
rank of captain (1788-97) and major (1798-1805).
Richard accumulated a fortune, beginning shortly
after the British conquest of Canada and acquiring much of his wealth before
the formation of the North West Company. He lived a comfortable life in
Montreal after his retirement from the trade in about 1790 and died in
Montreal on 23 March 1805.
BACK TO MAIN PAGE