John Palliser

John Palliser (January 29, 1817 – August 18, 1887) was an Irish-born geographer and explorer. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was the son of Colonel Wray Palliser and a brother of Major Sir William Palliser (1830-1882), all descendants of Dr William Palliser, Archbishop of Cashel (1644-1726).

From 1839 to 1863, Palliser served in the Waterford Militia, eventually with the rank of Captain. He was also Sheriff of Waterford. His first hunting expedition was in North America in 1847 during which time, Palliser wrote "Solitary Rambles and Adventures of a Hunter in the Prairies", first published in 1853. He travelled back to Canada as leader of the British North American Exploring Expedition, which travelled over the uncharted regions of the far west between 1857 and 1861. He made a topographical delimitation of the boundary between Canada and the United States, from Lake Superior to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. He was assisted by astronomer Lieutenant Thomas Blakiston of the Royal Artillery, botanist Eugene Bourgeau and geologist Dr James Hector.

His travels took him to Canada, exploring a few rivers:

* White Fish River
* Kaministiquia River
* North Saskatchewan River
* South Saskatchewan River
* Red River

He returned to Ireland in 1862 and presented his findings to the British Parliament. The information contained in his survey was instrumental in the ending of the Hudson's Bay Company's ownership of Rupert's Land (lands encompassing all tributaries to Hudson Bay) with the Deed of Surrender in 1869. While Palliser is credited with opening up a new era of settlement and development in the Canadian West, his warnings about the unsuitability to agricultural development of the area now known as Palliser's Triangle went unheeded. Palliser reported that the region, in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, was too arid for farming. The area was nevertheless settled for farming, but was devastated in the Dust Bowl drought. [Collier, Michael and Webb, Robert H.; "Floods, Droughts and Climate Change," pp. 9–11, University of Arizona Press, 2002]

There were rumours he was working on behalf of certain Caribbean islands and the Confederate states in America but there is no evidence he was a spy.

In 1869 he travelled to Novaya Zemlya in Russia with another brother, Frederick Palliser aboard the ship Sampson.

Palliser was named a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG). He never married and retired to Ireland, where he spent the rest of his life caring for his family. He died at his house, Comeragh House, Mahon Bridge, in County Waterford, Ireland in 1887. He is buried in the graveyard of Comeragh Church, Briska, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford. The Alberta administration have placed a plaque on his grave in commemoration of his achievements.

The Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, Alberta was named after him.

Notes

ee also

*Palliser's Triangle
*James McKay

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5747 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://www.ourheritage.net/index_page_stuff/Following_Trails/Palliser/Palliser_timeline.html John Palliser Timeline]
* [http://www.waterfordcountyimages.org/exhibit/web?task=BasicImageSearch&offset=0&keywords=palliser&fromyear=000000000&toyear=200612311&lang=en Palliser photos at WaterfordCountyImages.org]