Early life

William Alexander Mouat was baptised on 9 April 1821 in Eastcheap

Eastcheap

Eastcheap is a street in the City of London. Its name derives from cheap, market, with the prefix "East" distinguishing it from the other former City of London market of Westcheap . In medieval times Eastcheap was the City's main meat market, with butchers' stalls lining both sides of the street...

, in the City of London

City of London

The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...

. He was born into a seafaring family. His father William Mouat - born 1774 in Kirkwall

Kirkwall

Kirkwall is the biggest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046 when it is recorded as the residence of Rögnvald Brusason the Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his uncle Thorfinn the Mighty...

, Orkney - was a master mariner and later a coal merchant and a coal meter in the City of London. William Alexander’s mother was Elizabeth Ingles born 1796 in East London. He had two older siblings: Elizabeth Ann Mouat who married John Edward Foster a master mariner and John Ingles Mouat who, according to a statement by his great nephew, drowned at sea off the coast of Madagascar. Captain Foster and his wife Elizabeth Ann were early settlers in New Zealand.

William Alexander Mouat began his sailing career as an apprentice in 1835 at the age of fourteen. In 1844 he served as second mate of the Hudson's Bay Company

Hudson's Bay Company

The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...

 steam bark Vancouver

Vancouver (steamboat)

The Vancouver was a steam-run bark built and operated by the Hudson's Bay Company to serve on the route to and from London, England to Fort Victoria on Vancouver Island in what is now the province of British Columbia, Canada...

 under the command of Captain Andrew Cook Mott. He sailed to North America and arrived in Fort Vancouver

Fort Vancouver

Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...

, in what is now Washington state

Washington State

Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...

 and then the "capital" of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia District

Columbia District

The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century. It was explored by the North West Company between 1793 and 1811, and established as an operating fur district around 1810...

, on 27 March 1845. From 28 April 1845 until the end of February 1847 he was first officer of the Cadboro

Cadboro (schooner)

The Cadboro was a schooner in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in its operations on the Pacific Northwest Coast in the early 19th century. The 71 ton vessel carried 4 guns and had a crew of 12 men...

 under Captain James Scarborough. In 1848 he acted as a pilot on the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

 and in early 1849 he was master of a Californian ship.

The Mary Dare

Later in 1849 he served as first officer of the Mary Dare, again under James Scarborough. In the summer of 1849 he was at Beaver Harbour, British Columbia, where Captain William Henry McNeill

William Henry McNeill

William Henry McNeill was best known for his 1830 expedition as the captain of the brig Llama, which sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 12,000 miles around Cape Horn, to the Pacific Northwest on a fur trading expedition.Boston merchants owned the brig whose cargo consisted of...

 of the SS Beaver was establishing Fort Rupert, British Columbia

Fort Rupert, British Columbia

Fort Rupert is the site of a former Hudson's Bay Company fort which was built and first commanded by William Henry McNeill in 1849 and later by John Work. It is located near present-day Port Hardy, British Columbia on Vancouver Island....

. On 30 July 1849 Charles Beardmore of the Hudson's Bay Company reported to Dr William Fraser Tolmie

William Fraser Tolmie

William Fraser Tolmie was a Canadian surgeon, fur trader, scientist, and politician....

 that Scarborough had kept Mouat “under arrest during his whole stay here” and that by 25 July Mouat had been “so driven and bullied that he left the ship putting himself under Captain McNeill’s protection”. Scarborough then “declared him as a deserter and broke open his chest and proceeded to the extremity of the law… We shall be anxious to hear how it is settled as this officer is a favourite with us all”.

Presumably the Hudson's Bay Company exonerated William Mouat as in 1850 he became master of the Mary Dare. On 28 November 1851 the Beaver, under the command of Captain Charles E Stuart towed the Mary Dare, under William Mouat’s command, to Budd Inlet

Budd Inlet

Budd Inlet is the southernmost arm of Puget Sound. The city of Olympia, Washington is located at the southern end of Budd Inlet. A deepwater shipping channel has been dredged providing deep water access to the Port of Olympia which is from Tacoma and from Seattle.Budd Inlet was named by Charles...

, on which the American Olympia

Olympia, Washington

Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...

 custom-house was situated. The customs inspectors reported that the Mary Dare had a packet of refined sugar on board weighing two hundred and thirty pounds in violation of American laws which stated that refined sugar cannot be imported in packages of less than six hundred pounds. Beaver had on board “a quantity of Indian trading goods not upon the manifest, to the value of $500; also that both vessels before reaching the port of entry, had anchored at Fort Nisqually for fifteen hours; that six passengers and their baggage had been landed without permit”. Charles Stuart fled in a canoe to avoid being prosecuted for the infringement. After a court case and the payment of customs duties by the Hudson's Bay Company the two ships were released.

This was one incident in several concerning disputes over the territorial boundaries between Canada and America. These territorial disputes eventually led to the Pig War

Pig War

The Pig War was a confrontation in 1859 between the United States and the British Empire over the boundary between the US and British North America. The territory in dispute was the San Juan Islands, which lie between Vancouver Island and the North American mainland...

 between America and England - a conflict started by the shooting of a pig.

In 1854 the Mary Dare was due for renewal of her twelve-year registration and as no facilities existed for her inspection in British Columbia, William Mouat took her back to England. He left Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

 in December 1853 and arrived in London on 27 May 1854. During the voyage he was accused by his first officer, Mr Williams, of disgraceful conduct in making a physical assault on the second officer of the Mary Dare in the presence of the crew. The outcome of the accusation is unknown.

Marriage

Whilst in England, on 8 August 1854, he married Mary Ann Ainsley at St Dunstan's, Stepney

St Dunstan's, Stepney

St Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican Church which stands on a site which has been used for Christian worship for over a thousand years. It is located in Stepney High Street, in Stepney, London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-History:...

, East London. Mary’s father was a master mariner from Tyneside and at least three captains attended their marriage – William Alexander’s father William Mouat, his father-in-law Matthew Ainsley and his brother-in-law John Foster. William Alexander and his new wife left England on 1 September 1854 and travelled back to Victoria as passengers on the Marquis of Bute. Fellow passengers included the Reverend Edward Cridge, chaplain to the Hudson's Bay Company and his new wife also called Mary. Mary Ann Mouat was described as “a gentle, educated lady” and “an accomplished musician … who brought her piano with her on the ship”. They arrived back in Victoria on 1 April 1855. William and Mary Mouat had eight children between 1855 and 1867.

Edward Cridge became dean of the Anglican cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia, and later withdrew with about three hundred and fifty of his congregation (of whom William Mouat was one) and joined the Reformed Episcopal Church

Reformed Episcopal Church

The Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...

. Cridge was consecrated a bishop in 1876.

The Labouchere

The Hudson's Bay Company gave William Mouat command of the Otter

Otter (steamship)

The Otter was the second steamship to operate in the Pacific Northwest of North America, following its sister ship and twin, the much more famous Beaver...

 on 16 April 1854, appointed him as a chief trader on 27 February 1860 and made him master of the Enterprise on 3 April 1862. Gold was discovered in 1865 on the Big Bend of the Columbia River (the Big Bend Gold Rush

Big Bend Gold Rush

The Big Bend Gold Rush was a gold rush on the upper Columbia River in the Colony of British Columbia in the mid-1860s....

) and William Mouat was asked to investigate the possibility of steam navigation on the Kamloops Lake

Kamloops Lake

Kamloops Lake in British Columbia, Canada is situated on the Thompson River just west of Kamloops. The lake is 1.6 km wide, 29 km long, and up to 152 m deep...

, Shuswap Lake

Shuswap Lake

Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...

 and the Thompson River

Thompson River

The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...

 between the lakes. His findings were favorable and the Hudson's Bay Company built the steamship Marten at Savona's Ferry, British Columbia on the Thompson River at the west end of Kamloops Lake.

In 1866 The Hudson's Bay Company won the contract for taking mail between Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

 and San Francisco. William Mouat, “one of the most careful and reliable men that ever handled a wheel”, was given command of the Labouchere

Labouchere (paddle steamer)

The Labouchere was a paddle steamer in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company,built in 1858 at Green's in Blackwall, London, England. Under the command of Captain J. Trivett it was mostly in service in British Columbia and the rest of the Pacific Northwest in the 1850s and 1860s...

, which he took to San Francisco on 15 February 1866 to be fitted out for the accommodation of passengers. The British Colonist newspaper reported “The steamer Labouchere, under the command of Captain Mouat, the popular captain of the Enterprise, is announced to sail for San Francisco direct, carrying Her Majesty's mails under the new contract, on the 15th instant”.

The Labouchere left San Francisco, after her refit, at six o’clock in the evening on 14 April 1866 in thick and foggy weather. She struck rocks off Point Reyes

Point Reyes

Point Reyes is a prominent cape on the Pacific coast of northern California. It is located in Marin County approximately WNW of San Francisco. The term is often applied to the Point Reyes Peninsula, the region bounded by Tomales Bay on the northeast and Bolinas Lagoon on the southeast...

. After several hours trying to pump the water out, Captain Mouat issued the order to abandon ship. After all the available boats were launched eighteen men were left on board. Captain Mouat addressed them: “Gentlemen, we are now on a sinking ship without boats. Let us do something to save our lives”. Accordingly they began to make rafts. Captain Mouat produced some cigars and remarked that “if they had to go down, they might as well go down smoking”. Before the ship sank the men were rescued by the sailing ship Andrew.

William Mouat had displayed “admirable coolness, bravery and forethought” in saving his passengers but the official enquiry censured him for “very gross negligence…in not swinging the Labouchere to ascertain the deviation of the compasses before leaving San Francisco the steering apparatus having been shifted from aft forward” during the refit, and also for not having taken sufficient care of Her Majesty’s mail.

Death

William Mouat now took command of the Marten which became the first steamer to ply the Thompson River

Thompson River

The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Fraser River, flowing through the south-central portion of British Columbia, Canada. The Thompson River has two main branches called the South Thompson and the North Thompson...

 making her maiden trip on 26 May 1866. However, the Big Bend mines were a failure and the Marten was laid up. William Mouat was posted to Fort Rupert, British Columbia

Fort Rupert, British Columbia

Fort Rupert is the site of a former Hudson's Bay Company fort which was built and first commanded by William Henry McNeill in 1849 and later by John Work. It is located near present-day Port Hardy, British Columbia on Vancouver Island....

, where he remained in charge until his death on 11 April 1871 while on a canoe trip from Knight Inlet

Knight Inlet

Knight Inlet is one of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast, and the largest of the major inlets in the southern part of the Coast...

 to the fort. He was buried in Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

, and his tombstone can still be seen in Pioneer Square, adjoining Christ Church Cathedral.

William Mouat was survived by seven of his children and by his wife Mary Ann (who died 1 July 1896). One of their daughters, Ethel Margaret, married Dr James Douglas Helmcken, grandson of Sir James Douglas

James Douglas (Governor)

Sir James Douglas KCB was a company fur-trader and a British colonial governor on Vancouver Island in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company officer...

, colonial governor of Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...

 and British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. William and Mary Ann Mouat are commemorated in Victoria. The Fort Victoria Brick Project has outlined the boundaries of the original fort with a double row of bricks, each engraved with the name of a pioneer.