Selkirk, Thomas Douglas (1771–1820)

Scottish-Canadian administrator. His life was mainly concerned with the welfare of Scottish crofters evicted as a result of the Highland Clearances; he helped many to settle in Canada.

In 1803 he founded a settlement at Prince Edward Island, and in 1811 he became the owner of a large amount of stock in the Hudson's Bay Company. The following year he formed a settlement of Highland Scots on the banks of the Red River in Manitoba.

Selkirk was born at St Mary's Island, Kirkcudbrightshire. He was educated at Edinburgh University, where he became a friend of the novelist Walter Scott.

In the Red River settlement, Selkirk's work was hampered by the hostility of the Northwestern Company, which opposed settlement by the Hudson's Bay Company in what they considered to be their territory. A battle took place 1816 at Sevenoaks, followed by lengthy legal disputes. Ordered to pay heavy damages, Selkirk left Canada.