Thompson, David

(1770-1857). Born in the parish of St. John's, Westminster, England. Educated at the Gray Coat School; and entered the service of the Hudson's Bay Company, 1784. The first of his voluminous journals opens at Fort Church ill in that year. The last is dated 1850. The journals fill forty-five volumes of manuscript, and cover a period of sixty-six years. Remained in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company until 1797, and in that period carried on explorations and surveys of the Nelson, Church ill, and Saskatchewan Rivers, and the intervening territory. In 1797 joined the North West Company, and in the years that followed, explored the upper waters of the A iniboine; made a journey overland to the Mandan villages on the Mi ouri; and another to the head waters of the Mi i ippi; and surveyed portions of the upper waters of the Saskatchewan, Athabaska, and Peace Rivers. From 1807 to 1811, explored the entire system of the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers, from source to mouth. Left the North-West in 1812, and from 1816 to 1826 engaged in surveying and defining the international boundary. Afterwards carried out several minor surveys, in what is now eastern Canada. Died at Longueuil, near Montreal. Index : MS Referred to in Mackenzie's letters, 58; his explorations, 103; leaves Hudson's Bay Company, and joins North West Company, 103; visits the Mandan Indians, 104; further explorations, 105; sent to explore the Columbia, 106; cro es the Rocky Mountains, 1806, and builds post on Columbia, 106; descends the Columbia to its mouth, 106-107; builds other posts west of the mountains, 107; leaves service of the North West Company, 107; prepares his great map, 107; Thompson River named after, 109. D Completes his western work, 1811, 58; returns to eastern Canada, 58; ends his days in poverty, 59; astronomer of North West Company, 57; previously in service of Hudson's Bay Company, 57-58; extent of his travels, 58; visits Mandan country, 58; enters Bow River Pa , 1805, 58; discovers Howse Pa , 58; builds Fort Kootenay, 58; first to explore Kootenay district, 58; discoverer of Athabaska Pa , 58; proclaims British sovereignty, at junction of Spokane and Columbia, 58. Bib. : Tyrrell, Journeys of David Thompson ; Henry-Thompson Journals , ed. by Coues; Laut, Conquest of the Great North-West ; Burpee, Search for the Western Sea ; Bryce, Hudson's Bay Company .