Samuel Lawrence Bedson
Encyclopedia
Samuel Lawrence Bedson (February 3, 1842 – July 17, 1891) was a British-born military man who gained notability in Canada.
Bedson came to Lower Canada
with the 16th Regiment of Foot
in 1861 as a private and stayed on, joining the 2nd Quebec Rifles in 1870. With the rank of quartermaster sergeant, he traveled west with the Wolseley Expedition
in response to the Red River Rebellion
at the Red River Settlement in present day Manitoba
.
In 1871, the Lower Fort Garry
based regiment was disbanded and Bedson became warden of the provincial jail established in the old barracks. In 1874 the provincial jail moved to Winnipeg and the first federal penitentiary in Manitoba operated at the fort with Bedson as warden. He also held this position at the new federal facility in Stony Mountain, opened in 1877.
Bedson's career in the prison system was interrupted in March 1885 by the Northwest Rebellion. He was named chief transport officer by Major-General Frederick Dobson Middleton
. Although this was officially a non-combatant role, Samuel was involved in scouting activities.
Bedson came to Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
with the 16th Regiment of Foot
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army originally formed in 1688...
in 1861 as a private and stayed on, joining the 2nd Quebec Rifles in 1870. With the rank of quartermaster sergeant, he traveled west with the Wolseley Expedition
Wolseley Expedition
The Wolseley Expedition was a military force authorized by Sir John A. Macdonald to confront Louis Riel and the Métis in 1870, during the Red River Rebellion, at the Red River Settlement in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba...
in response to the Red River Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
at the Red River Settlement in present day Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
In 1871, the Lower Fort Garry
Lower Fort Garry
Lower Fort Garry was built in 1830 by the Hudson's Bay Company on the western bank of the Red River, north of the original Fort Garry, which is now in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Treaty 1 was signed there....
based regiment was disbanded and Bedson became warden of the provincial jail established in the old barracks. In 1874 the provincial jail moved to Winnipeg and the first federal penitentiary in Manitoba operated at the fort with Bedson as warden. He also held this position at the new federal facility in Stony Mountain, opened in 1877.
Bedson's career in the prison system was interrupted in March 1885 by the Northwest Rebellion. He was named chief transport officer by Major-General Frederick Dobson Middleton
Frederick Dobson Middleton
General Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton KCMG, CB was a British general noted for his service throughout the Empire and particularly in the North-West Rebellion.-Military career:...
. Although this was officially a non-combatant role, Samuel was involved in scouting activities.