I am a great-great-grandson of Robert Campbell. I enjoyed reading your article Unearthing the Secrets of Fort Selkirk (Yukon News, Jan. 13).
Further to it, there were females at Fort Selkirk during Robert’s tenure there, one being his First Nation housekeeper, who was most likely his country wife, as well as his daughter Mary, who was born well before Robert established Fort Selkirk. Mary eventually married another Hudson Bay Company employee who was at Fort Selkirk, Andrew Flett. There are descendants of Mary alive today. I am not one. I am descended from Robert’s Scottish wife, Elleanora Stirling.
Robert never mentioned his country wife or wives or the offspring of those relationships in his journals or correspondence, for reasons unknown.
As a matter of fact, after he left the company, he spoke poorly of those Hudson Bay Company employees who did take First Nation wives.
Glen Campbell
Victoria, B.C.