Home | Peter Fidler | Ancestors Index | History | Forum |

Fidler Lake; Henry and John Fidler

Please feel free to post your questions or exchange information.
Post Reply
Allan Jacobs
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:23 am
Location: Toronto

Fidler Lake; Henry and John Fidler

Post by Allan Jacobs » Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:50 pm

I'm interested in the connection, if any,
between Peter Fidler and Fidler Lake (in Nunavut, tributary of the Back River), and
between Peter Fidler on the one hand, and John and Henry Fidler on the other; the latter two accompanied James Anderson on his 1855 expedition to search for remains of the Franklin expedition.
Best respond by email.
Thanks for your assistance, Allan Jacobs

gnstill
Site Admin
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:24 am
Location: Edmonton, Alberta

Post by gnstill » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:07 pm

Welcome to the Forum Allan

John (b-c1825) & Henry FIDLER (1831-1908) were half-brothers, sons of Thomas Jonathan FIDLER (1795-1875). Peter FIDLER of Bolsover (1769-1822), HBC surveyor, explorer and fur-trader, was their grandfather.

John FIDLER was a canoe-middleman during Dr John RAE’s expedition of 1850-51.

On Feb 19, 1853, Henry FIDLER agreed to join Dr RAE's Arctic Expedition of 1853-54 as a middleman and laborer. He accompanied RAE as far as Chesterfield Inlet and when arrangements had to be made to winter at Repulse Bay he was one of the men sent back to York Factory. His share of the Government's reward made to Dr RAE for first ascertaining news of the fate of Sir John FRANKLIN's Expedition amounted to 30 pounds.

Both John (as a steersman) and Henry (as a middleman) were with James Green STEWART & James ANDERSON on their journey down Back (Great Fish) River in 1855.

I haven’t seen anything connecting John or Henry to ‘Fidler Lake’, but if there was a link it would most likely be one of them rather than their grandfather (Peter)

Allan Jacobs
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:23 am
Location: Toronto

Post by Allan Jacobs » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:20 pm

Many thanks!
I'll post that information at Canadian Canoe Routes http://www.myccr.com
The thread is
http://www.myccr.com/SectionForums/view ... 13&t=31348
I had guessed that Fidler Lake (NU) was named for one/both of them, seeing that Peter (grandfather) had not gone near that area, whereas they had gone right by the lake, and it was the custom around that time (I guess later) to name lakes by the men on the expedition.
By the way, Toporama lists five Fidler Lakes in Canada, two in MB and one each in NU, ON and SK.
There is also Fidler (unincorporated area in AB), Fidler River (ON), Fidler Bay (SK), plus Fidler's Hill (ON), Fidler's Island (SK) and Fidler Point (AB).
Glad to see that Peter is being recognized.
Best wishes, Allan

Post Reply