Old Photograph Children School Auchterless Scotland

Old photograph of children outside the school in Auchterless, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Alexander Ellice was born in Auchterless in 1743, the was eldest of five sons of a successful miller, also named Alexander Ellice, and was baptised on 28 May 1743. In 1765, he and his four brothers moved to Schenectady, New York, America. The next year, he entered into a partnership to engage in fur trading and general merchandising in upstate New York and the lower Great Lakes region. The firm of Phyn, Ellice and Company prospered, and his brother Robert became a partner in 1768, The Company imported goods, first from Scotland, then from London. However, tensions mounted between the American colonies and Britain. An embargo in 1770 forced the company to bring in its imports through Quebec. Finally, in October 1774, the colonies broke off commercial ties with Britain. The committee of correspondence in Schenectady subsequently reprimanded Ellice for trying to sneak goods in by way of Montreal. A decision was made. Partner James Phyn left to establish an office in London. Ellice himself left for England in October 1775. Some of the business assets were transferred to Ellice's brother James, and the remainder was liquidated. Ellice returned to North America and established Alexander Ellice and Company in Montreal in 1776. He became a major financier, supplier and middleman of the fur trade, amassing most of his fortune this way. He traveled frequently back and forth between Montreal and London. He retired in 1802 due to poor health, though in 1804 he and his son Edward attempted to buy controlling interest in the Hudson's Bay Company. He married Ann Russell around 1780. They had ten surviving children at the time of his death in 1805. Tolly Castle, once a Barclay stronghold is located two miles north east of this Scottish village. It was built in the 14th century, but the bulk of the remains are from the 16th century. This Scottish railway station now closed served the area known as Kirkton of Auchterless. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



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