The Vincent Family Collection - Part Five:
Capt. George Cleveland of Hudson Bay Company
The Vincent Family Photo Album, Vineyard Haven, Mass.

Capt. George W. G. Cleveland (1871-1925), known to the Inuit as Suquortaronik, .

Dorothy Harley Eber, in When the Whalers were Up North, continues:

"Joe Curley elaborated on his career: 'Oh, I knew George. He was one of the Americans, but because he was such a thief, he was just left behind among the Inuit people. He was fired. Eventually he was adopted by Harry and his family. They were concerned for him and looked after him.

"'He had stolen quite a bit of equipment, mainly perhaps liquor. He stole from the ship and the crew. So they just left him here. The Inuit looked after him, fed him, and gave him clothing. They treated him as one of themselves. They didn't want him starving.

"'While he was stranded, he adopted the Inuit lifestyle. He ate among us and lived with us in the camps. In winter he stayed in the igloos and in summer he went out camping in the tents. He did everything the Inuit did. I don't know if he had his own dog-team, but he went out hunting. He learned all the techniques, all the things Inuit used to do, and finally he could keep himself alive. After a while he got taken up by the Scottish whalers. But they weren't satisfied either, and it ended up that he was given back to the Inuit people. He kept being handed back and forth.

"'When the HBC started up in the North, he began working for the company. Finally he got his own building and ran a store.'"

These images are from the collection of Charlie Vincent. Can you identify something in one of these photos that is not noted - a person, building, location, or event? Please Let us know!

Thumbnail Index to Photographs
Click on the image for enlargement.

"Ice in Repulse Bay - August. Taken from ship. Two boys + mounted policeman on ice."	"Coprol Small / C. R. M. Police[?]" (Crossed out) "Canadian Mounted Police at Cleveland's Post" (in a different hand)	"Native woman in summer dress"
"Native Skin Tents"	"My power boat and coast boat"	"Native Stone House"
"White fox in trap"	Unmarked snapshot	Unmarked snapshot
Unmarked snapshot	Unmarked snapshot	Unmarked snapshot
Letter from home: 1925 letter from his sister Rose (Cleveland) Vincent. Pages 1; 2-3; 4-5; 6-7; 8	Capt. George Cleveland	Funeral card of Capt. George Cleveland, 1925

Continue on to Part Six

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