Hugh Laird McGillis

He was the 5th son of Donald McGillis & Mary McDonell-Lundy (his father is sometimes refer to as Sgt.Donald Ban Mor McGillis), born at Munerighie, Iverness-Shire, Scotland. In 1773 the family crossed the Alantic on the "Pearl" and settled in Tron Co., N.Y. Donald remained a Tory Loyalist during the Revolution and they were forced to become refugees, moving to Ontario, Canada (his estate was confiscated by the American's). Hugh married a yet unknown Native woman and was reported to have had seven children.

Hugh began his trading career with the Northwest Co. as a clerk and by 1801 he was a partner in that company. From 1806 to 1812 he was their Chief Agent of the Fond du Lac Department with the headquarters at Leech Lake. He was replaced by James Grant at the beginning of the War of 1812 and from 1812 to 1815 he was trading at Ft.William, Michipicoten and Lesser Slave Lake. In 1816 he was arrested by Lord Selkirk who invaided northern Minnesota & southern Manitoba with his army, brought from the east. Hugh was tried & acquitted of all chargers at York (Toronto), but he felt it was time to retire from the fur-trade and settled at Williamstown, Ontario that same year. He died there on 23 July 1848.

After retirement Hugh purchased the Sir John Johnson House (National Historic Site of Canada).

http://www.patriotes.cc/portal/fr/docs/revuedm/01/revuedm01_5.pdf