John Pelly
Sir John Henry Pelly, 1st Baronet | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | August 13, 1852 (aged 75) Upton House, West Ham, Essex |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Years active | 1822–1852 (Governor of Hudson's Bay Company) |
| Known for | Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, Governor of the Bank of England |
Sir John Henry Pelly, 1st Baronet, DL (31 March 1777 – 13 August 1852), was a prominent English entrepreneur best recognized for his thirty-year leadership as Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Additionally, he held the position of Governor of the Bank of England and was honored with a baronetcy.
Early years
John Henry Pelly was born to Captain Henry Hinde Pelly, an officer in the East India Company, into a family with strong maritime and commercial roots. As a fourth-generation seafarer, he is believed to have had early service in the Royal Navy.
Career
In 1823, Pelly became an Elder Brother at Trinity House and subsequently advanced to Deputy Master. His public service roles included Commissioner to the Lord Lieutenant of the City of London, magistrate duties, and Deputy Lieutenant of Essex. He gained election as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1835. Between 1841 and 1842, he acted as Governor of the Bank of England and from 1847 served as vice-president of the Marine Society.
As a businessman, Pelly owned timber estates in Norway and was a partner in Norway Merchants alongside Charles and Henry Boulton. He also held co-ownership in the ironmongery business Jukes Coulson & Co., together with Jukes Coulson and Paul Malin.
Hudson's Bay Company
Before ascending to Governor, Pelly was a Director at the HBC. He became the company’s 17th Governor, serving from 1822 until 1852. During his tenure, he facilitated major exploratory missions such as those led by Peter Warren Dease and Thomas Simpson, contributing to the quest for the Northwest Passage. Moreover, he supervised the colonization efforts on Vancouver Island in 1849.
Pelly collaborated closely with Sir George Simpson, who was Governor-in-Chief of Rupert's Land and an HBC official. Together they managed enterprises including Pelly, Simpson & Co. in London and Pelly & Co. based in Norway.
Personal life
In 1807, Pelly wed Emma Boulton (1786–1856) from Leatherhead, Surrey; she was the daughter of Henry Boulton, governor of Scotland’s Corporation of Working Mines and Metals. Their family included ten children: eight sons—Sir John Henry (his heir), Raymond, Charles, Albert, Richard-Wilson, Edmund, Octavius, and Percy-Leonard—and two daughters named Juliana-Sally and Emma-Eugenia.
His nephew Sir Lewis Pelly served both as a Conservative Member of Parliament and an officer in the East India Company.
On the recommendation of Lord Melbourne, Pelly was granted the title Baronet Pelly of Upton in Essex on 6 July 1840.
He maintained homes at Warnham Court near Horsham in Sussex and Upton House in West Ham, Essex. Pelly passed away at Upton House in 1852.
Among his descendants is his four-times great-granddaughter Laura Kyrke-Smith, who serves as Labour MP for Aylesbury.
Honours
Numerous Canadian geographic features bear John Henry Pelly’s name as recognition for his role in fur trading and exploration. In the Northwest Territories are Pelly Island and Pelly Lake; Nunavut includes Mount Pelly, Pelly Bay, and Pelly Point. Saskatchewan hosts Fort Pelly—an HBC post—and the town named Pelly. The Yukon region features several landmarks such as Pelly Banks, Pelly Crossing, Pelly Formation, Pelly Lakes, Pelly Mountains, and the Pelly River.