Home Contacts
Main Sections:
Introduction
Westray Grays
Papa Westray Grays
Eday Grays:
    John Gray
    Margaret Gray
Barbara Allan:
    Westray Allans

Site Maps:
Introduction
Westray Grays
Papa Westray Grays
Eday Grays
    John Gray
    Margaret Gray
Westray Allans

Related Websites:
Fea
Pharay

Other website:
The Glasgow Orkney and Shetland Benevolent Society
Introduction / Barbara Allan / Westray Allans / Isabella Allan and George Gullion / James Gullion and Janet Scott / George Gullion and Marguerite Brazeau

Gullion Brothers in the Northwest Territories of North America

Both George and James Gullion immigrated to the Northwest Territories of Canada, near Edmonton, about 1850. As did many others, they worked several years for the Hudson's Bay Company that hired many Orkney men to work in their operations throughout Canada and the northern United States.

George and James, as well as their children, worked in the Edmonton area and further north around Athabasca Landing and on other rivers and lakes of the Northwest Territories. George and James both married near Edmonton: George's wife Marguerite is believed to have been a Cree Indian and James' wife Flora was the daughter of a Scottish immigrant and his Indian wife. As such, the children of George and James were described as "Metis," derived from a French term and originally used to describe children of French Canadian and Indian parents. It came to refer to descendants of Indian and non-Indian parents.

Metis people were entitled to remuneration in the form of land or cash in lieu of land. This remuneration was referred to as "scrip." Applications for Metis scrip provide one source for genealogical information about the Metis people. There are many scrip applications relating to the children of George and James.

It is known that George and James had a brother William Young Gullion. This William was found in Pierce County, Washington in the late 1800s and is buried there. It is possible he was previously in the Northwest Territories of Canada.

Gullion descendants are still found throughout this vicinity of Canada, with a concentration in northern Alberta.



Printer Friendly Version Return to top of page