H.B.C. The letters stand for Hudson ’s Bay Company, the current name for an enterprise that began life as the “Company of Adventurers of England tradeing into Hudsons Bay,” to use the title and spelling in the royal charter. These stalwart adventurers received their charter from Good King Charles II in the year of our Lord 1670. Trappers, traders, and indigenes who often had no choice but to deal with the monopoly and with the not-always-honest factors of H.B.C. posts had their own interpretation of those HBC initials: Here Before Christ. The so-called Hudson’s Bay Hymn Book was a bit of brusque irony from the days of the fur trade in northern Canada, when the factor of a trading post would record in a ledger (the hymn book in question) the debt owed to the company by trappers going out on the line to see and collect the fur-bearing animals caught in their various and nefarious traps. If they had a record of bringing back to the post good commercial fur, the company would provision their trip by lending to these trappers the value of goods taken against the value of furs brought in later.
An HBC post at Athabasca Landing, Alberta Factor and Moose Factory What precisely in seventeenth century North America was an HBC factor? It is only fitting that an agent noun like factor (for such a noun is so called in English grammar) should signify an agent, one who transacts business for another, either for a commission based on sales or for a salary. The factor in charge of a trading post of the Hudson 's Bay Company controlled not only the business of the post but was the steward charged with care of the company's surrounding territory. The factor often functioned as a policeman, and in many cases was a stern and unforgiving constable, soundly hated by both local aboriginal people and by white and Métis trappers.
Hudson's Bay trappers ca. 1880 The noun entered Middle English as factour, borrowed from Middle French facteur, itself from Latin factor ‘maker’ or ‘doer,’ ultimately from the Latin verb facere ‘to make, to do.’
Origin of The Motto of HBC
Pro Pelle Cutem Chartered in 1670, the Hudson ’s Bay Company selected its official motto shortly thereafter. The 17th century writer of this motto was actually acquainted with literature in Latin, and so the motto reverberates with a satisfying Latinity not found in recently fabricated Latin mottoes, such as the clunky unLatin stamped on Order of Canada medals. Pro pelle cutem echoes a phrase from the Book of Job in the Vulgate: pellem pro pelle. In Job 2:4 God and Satan chat about how best to tempt the piety of the ever-faithful, never-blaspheming Job. God proclaims Job an upright man. But Satan chuckles, adding “Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.” This is truly an outrageous source for the self-serving motto of a fur company with a centuries-long tradition of greed and rapacity! Another possible influence on the writer of the Hudson’s Bay Company motto was the Roman satirist Juvenal who in his Satires 10.192 has “pro cute pellem” ‘a hide in place of a skin.’ But this citation seems a mere coincidence of similar words being used. Although most reference texts say the HBC motto means ‘a skin for a skin’ a better translation takes into account the generality being expressed, where—as in many languages of the world—the singular may suggest general plurality. The obvious meaning intended by the writer of the Latin was ‘hides for fur.’ Latin admits of this meaning. Why Canadian reference texts do not says more about their lack of Latin than the original motto-writer’s skill. Sometimes an ironic translation is offered, viz. ‘animal skins at the cost of human skins’. While that may have historical validity, it is nonsense as a rendering of the Latin.
The Original HBC Charter You may read the complete original royal charter from 1670 creating the Hudson ’s Bay Company at a web address menrtioned below. We present part of the opening of the charter:
The Royal Charter for incorporating The Hudson's Bay Company, A.D. 1670.Charles the Second By the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith &c To All to whome these presentes shall come, greeting Whereas Our Deare and entirely Beloved cousin Prince Rupert Count Palatyne of the Rhyne Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland &c Christopher Duke of Albemarle William Earle of Craven Henry Lord Arlington Anthony Lord Ashley Sir John Robinson and Sir Robert Vyner Knightes and Baronettes Sir Peter Colliton Baronett Sir Edward Hungerford Knight of the Bath Sir Paul Neele Knight Sir John Griffith and Sir Phillipp Carteret Knightes James Hayes John Kirke Francis Millington William Prettyman John Fenn Esquires and John Portman Cittizen and Goldsmith of London have at theire owne great cost and charge undertaken an Expedicion for Hudsons Bay in the North west part of America for the discovery of a new Passage into the South Sea and for the finding some Trade for Furrs Mineralls and other considerable Commodityes and by such theire undertaking have already made such discoveryes as doe encourage them to proceed further in pursuance of theire said designe by meanes whereof there may probably arise very great advantage to us and our Kingdome And whereas the said undertakers for theire further encouragement in the said designe have humbly besought us to Incorporate them and grant unto them and theire successors the sole Trade and Commerce of all those Seas Streightes Bayes Rivers Lakes Creekes and Soundes in whatsoever Latitude they shall bee that lye within the the entrance of the Streightes commonly called Hudsons Streightes together with all the Landes Countryes and Territoryes upon the Coastes and Confynes of the Seas Streightes Bayes Lakes Rivers Creekes and Soundes aforesaid which are not now actually possessed by any of our Subjectes or by the Subjectes of any other Christian Prince or State Now know yee that Wee being desirous to promote all Endeavours tending to the publique good of our people and to encourage the said undertaking have of our especiall grace certaine knowledge and meere mocion Given granted ratifyed and confirmed And by these Presentes for us our heires and Successors Doe give grant ratifie and confirme unto our said Cousin Prince Rupert Christopher Duke of Albemarle William Earle of Craven Henry Lord Arlington Anthony Lord Ashley Sir John Robinson Sir Robert Vyner Sir Peter Colleton Sir Edward Hungerford Sir Paul Neile Sir John Griffith and Sir Phillipp Carterett James Hayes John Kirke Francis Millington William Prettyman John Fenn and John Portman That they and such others as shall bee admitted into the said Society as is hereafter expressed shall bee one Body Corporate and Politique in deed and in name by the name of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England tradeing into Hudsons Bay….
Read the ganze megillah (‘the whole scroll,’ ‘the whole document’) by clicking on this website:
http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/ PreConfederation/hbc_charter_1670.html
A Hudson's Bay post at Sugluk Inlet in 1930 So ends our modest kayak paddle around the Hudson ’s Bay Company.
© 2006 William Gordon Casselman
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