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Simon Fraser (20 May 1776 – 18 August 1862) was a Scottish fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.). He also built the first European settlement in B.C.. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains. He was responsible for building that area's first trading posts, and, in 1808, he explored what is now known as the Fraser River, which bears his name. Simon Fraser's exploratory efforts were partly responsible for Canada's boundary later being established at the 49th parallel (after the War of 1812), since he as a British subject was the first European to establish permanent settlements in the area. According to historian Alexander Begg, Fraser "was offered a knighthood but declined the title due to his limited wealth"〔(''History of British Columbia from its earliest discovery to the present time'', p. 97 ), Alexander Begg, publ. William Briggs, Toronto, 1894. In 1965, a university was built and named Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Today, the university has three campuses within Metro Vancouver (Surrey, Vancouver and Burnaby).〕 ==Early life== Simon was born on 20 May 1776 in the village of Mapletown, Hoosick, New York.〔 He was the eighth and youngest child of Captain Simon Fraser (d.1779), of the 84th Highland Regiment, and Isabella Grant, daughter of the Laird of Daldregan. Captain Simon Fraser grew up at his family's seat, Guisachan, as the second son of William Fraser (d.1755), 8th Laird of Guisachan and 3rd Laird of Culbokie, by his wife Catherine, daughter of John McDonell, 4th Laird of Ardnabie.〔(Family of Simon Fraser )〕 The Frasers of Guisachan and Culbokie were descended from a younger brother of the 10th Chief of the Frasers of Lovat.〔(THE FRASERS OF GUISACHAN )〕 Simon's father came with his regiment to North America in 1773 and died in prison after being captured during the Battle of Bennington.〔〔 After the war ended, Simon's mother was assisted by her brother-in-law, Captain John Fraser, who had been appointed Chief Justice of the Montreal district, and was settled near present-day Cadillac, Quebec.〔 ==Fur Trade== At the age of 14, Fraser moved to Montreal for additional schooling, where two of his uncles were active in the fur trade, in which his kinsman, Simon McTavish, was the undisputed leading figure. In 1790, unsurprisingly, he was apprenticed to the North West Company. Between 1792 and 1805, it would appear that Fraser spent most of his time working in the company's Athabasca Department. While little is known of his activities during this time, Fraser seems to have done well, as he was made a full partner of the company in 1801 at the relatively young age of 24. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Simon Fraser (explorer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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