Henry John Moberly

Henry John Moberly, also known as Harry or Harvey (1835–1931) was a fur trader. He entered the Hudson's Bay Company's service in 1854, and in 1862 was in charge of the post on Stuart Lake; gave his name to Moberly Lake in the Peace River country. After nearly 40 years service, retired in Saskatchewan, in 1894.

Moberly was born at Penetanguishene, Ontario, on 2 August 1835. His father was Post-Captain John Moberly, R.N., and his mother Marie Foch, a Polish lady whose ancestral home was in Alsace-Lorraine. Henry John was a younger son. Several of the Moberlys have given distinguished service in the fields of engineering and exploration of Canada.

Moberly was educated at the Barrie Grammar School and Upper Canada College. Study, however, to one of his restless and adventurous temperament, became irksome, and at the age of sixteen, his father having secured for him a position with the internationally-known English insurance house of Lloyd’s, he left school and was sent to the St. Petersburg agency of the firm. Once the novelty of a strange environment wore off, life in Russia palled on the boy and his roving nature again asserting itself, after two years he quit his employment and returned to Canada in 1853.

Soon afterwards Moberly met a member of the party sent by the overland route via the Mackenzie to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin. His account of the Saskatchewan country, the immense herds of buffalo, the droves of deer, freedom from restrictive laws, Indians on the warpath and dearth of police, fired Moberly’s youthful soul. Without hesitation Moberly wrote to Sir George Simpson then Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, requesting to be sent to the Saskatchewan, in the service of the ancient organization.

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