William Inkster & Mary Todd (DRAFT)
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Rewrite from album to include full bio & details -- use photos from album and etc as with George's story.
The history of this album suggests that it was owned by Mary Todd Inkster (b.1839), wife of William Inkster, and their daughter Bella. William was a prominent individual in the Red River Settlement who worked as a trader, helped found the local Masonic lodge, and held various public offices until he died on his 33rd birthday in 1869. The family's home and trading post was known as "Redwood" because of its distinctive red roof. Their estate became a landmark, giving its name to Redwood Avenue and the Redwood Bridge. After William's death, Bella and her mother continued operating the family business. The 1881 census recorded Bella's profession as "fur trader" -- a surprising note that shows she followed in her grandmother's unconventional footsteps as a businesswoman. 
Drewry’s “Ale and Lager Beer Brewery” by the present Redwood Bridge (circa 1884) Source: Archives of Manitoba, Winnipeg - Buildings - Business - Drewry’s Brewery 2, N16512.
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In the 1880s, Mary Inkster Todd took her children west and settled in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, where they established a farm called the Redwood Ranch. Their first property would be developed into the Redwood Brewery (Drewry's).
William associated with people like John Christian Schultz, who formed The Canadian Party and opposed Louis Riel during the 1869-1870 Red River Resistance. These men came to dominate the new Manitoban government. While the Inkster & Todd families would both be considered Metis today, they were part of the local elite and owed their wealth to the HBC's colonial power structures. This album also shows that Mary or her daughter were fans of the British royal family, and that they either travelled to the UK or had an active correspondence with extended family members there. In a sadly ironic note, a descendant speculated that one of the reasons Mary moved west was because she "was not white enough" to maintain her status in Winnipeg's new social order, and faced discrimination. A family story relates that Bella Inkster was courted by NWMP officer Sam Steele (the archetype of Canadian settler colonialism) in the 1870s, but he rejected her because "her eyes were too dark for his family to approve". This album was donated to the museum in 1971 by Mary Frances Ann Hughes Freeman (1906-1976), who married William George Freeman of Victoria, BC. Her father was Owen William McKay Hughes (1882-1953), son of Mary Isabella 'Bella' Inkster Hughes (1857-1938). Bella was the daughter of William Inkster & Mary Todd. |
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Clicking on a page will open a detailed view. You can see both sides of every photo along with any information we have about them. Click on underlined text to read more in-depth articles.
The album is divided into two sections. Scroll down to see both sections and an index.
