DCHP-3

country marriage

DCHP-2 (Aug 2016)

Spelling variants:
"country marriage"

n. — Fur trade, historical

a common-law marriage between a European man and an Aboriginal woman.

Type: 1. Origin — Country marriages were a widespread and common phenomenon in Canada during the fur trade (see Van Kirk 1980). They were essential in forming alliances between indigenous groups and traders. In French, the term is "à la façon du pays", 'in the fashion of the country'. The practice goes back to the late 18th century (see the 1829 quotation under country-born), yet the term country marriage, while used at the time (see the 1900 quotation), is difficult to track in written sources.
See also COD-2, which labels the term "Cdn hist."

Quotations

1900
The name of Finlay was a famous one among the traders. As we have seen, James Finlay was one of the first to leave Montreal, and penetrate among the tribes of Indians, in search of fur, to the far distant Saskatchewan. His son James was a trader, and served in the firm of Gregory, McLeod & Co. As was not uncommon, these traders had children by the Indian women, having a "country marriage,", as it was called. As the result of these there was connected with the Finlay family a half-breed named Jaceo, or Jacko Finlay, who took his part in exploration in the Rocky Mountains in company with David Thompson. Besides these, there was a well-known trader, John Finlay, who is often difficult to separate from the other traders of that name.
1939
In earlier days they [traders] had handled the situation more conveniently by contracting a so-called "country marriage" which in reality, was no marriage at all. . . .
1981
The mixed-blood children of country marriages provided the succeeding generations of fur trade society. Their loving fathers did their best to Europeanize these children.
1985
Country marriages were the preferred life-style, but prostitution also flourished around the Hudson Bay, as did various forms of venereal disease.
2003
Soon after the first sustained contact between First Nations and European explorers in the 1600s, there were "mixed-blood" offspring - - typically the result of French and English settlers having "country marriages" with aboriginal women.
2006
He retired from the fur trade to Upper Canada where he died in 1862. Letters indicate stipulations that any needs of children from country marriages be addressed.
2010
Colour Photo: Charlotte Small and David Thompson's wedding, a "country marriage," at Isle a la Crosse. The nuptuals were later legalized back east.

References

  • COD-2
  • Van Kirk (1980)