Roderick Finlayson (March 16, 1818 – January 20, 1892) was a Canadian

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trade, fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake b ...

officer, farmer, businessman, and politician. Born in

Loch Alsh Loch Alsh (from the Scottish Gaelic ''Loch Aillse'', "foaming lake") is a sea inlet between the isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also used to describe the surrounding country and the feuda ...

(

Kyle of Lochalsh Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Gaelic ''Caol Loch Aillse'', "strait of the foaming loch") is a village in the historic county of Ross-shire on the northwest coast of Scotland, located around west-southwest of Inverness. It is located on the Lochal ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

, Finlayson came to North America in 1837. He moved to

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec ...

into an apprentice clerk position with the

Hudson’s Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

(HBC). As an HBC clerk, Finlayson worked under Charles Ross in the building of Fort Victoria in 1843–1844. Upon Ross's death, which he mentions with sympathy in his autobiography, Finlayson was promoted to command of the HBC's Fort Victoria in 1844. After

Chief Factor A factor is a type of trader who receives and sells goods on commission, called factorage. A factor is a mercantile fiduciary transacting business in his own name and not disclosing his principal. A factor differs from a commission merchant in ...

James Douglas arrived from

Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading post that was the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department, located in the Pacific Northwest. Named for Captain George Vancouver, the fort was located on the northern bank of the ...

in 1849, Finlayson was reassigned to second in command. Also in 1849 he married Sarah Work, one of John Work's Metis daughters. In 1850 Finlayson was promoted to the rank of Chief Trader, and in 1859 to

. Finlayson retired from the HBC in 1872. In 1878 he was elected mayor of Victoria. Finlayson was one of the few to see

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

grow from bare ground to the Capital of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

. He was called the "father of Victoria" by chronicler of BC history, John Walbran. Finlayson Arm, Finlayson Point, and

Mount Finlayson Mount Finlayson is a mountain located on the border of Highlands and Langford, British Columbia, about 14 km northwest of Victoria. It is located within the Gowlland Range (part of the Vancouver Island Ranges). It is bordered by Goldstrea ...

are named for Roderick Finlayson.

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* 1818 births 1892 deaths Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec Settlers of Canada Pre-Confederation British Columbia people Hudson's Bay Company people Canadian fur traders Mayors of Victoria, British Columbia Immigrants to Lower Canada Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation British Columbia {{BritishColumbia-mayor-stub