The Governor was in 1839, at a time when Canada was much disturbed in both Provinces by the Mackenzie-Papineau rebellion, rewarded for the loyalty of his Company by having knighthood conferred upon him.

Sir George Simpson’s annual visits to Red River Settlement were the bright spots in the life of the Colony.  Never did a Governor get so near the people as did Sir George.  Old settlers tell how when Sir George arrived every grievance, disaster, suspicion, or bit of gossip was faithfully carried to him, and his patience and ingenuity were freely exercised in “jollying” the people and giving them condescending attention.

Sir George married in time, and on occasion brought Lady Simpson, who was a native of the country, to visit the Red River Settlement.  Her presence was taken as a compliment by the people.  Sir George Simpson, like many of the Hudson’s Bay Company, had among all his business engagements the taste for literature.  He encouraged the formation of libraries at the several trading posts, and in his letters throws in a remark about Sir Walter Scott, or Blackwood’s last magazine, or other living topic, although the means of communication made literature often months late even on the banks of the Red River.  His own effort in producing a book gave rise to a considerable amount of amusement.  After his great journey around the world, he published an account of his travels in two considerable volumes.  It is now no secret that these were prepared for him by a well-known judge of Red River Settlement, of whom we speak more fully in a later chapter.  This double authorship became decidedly inconvenient to Sir George on the celebrated occasion when he was cited in 1857 to give evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons as to Rupert’s Land.  Sir George’s experience in introducing farming into Red River Settlement had been so troublesome, and expensive as well, that he really believed agriculture would be a failure in the West, and so he gave his evidence.  Unfortunately for him his editor had indulged in his book, in a pictorial and fulsome description of the Rainy River, as an agricultural region.  Mr. Roebuck quoted this passage and Sir George was in a serious dilemma.  If he admitted it his evidence would seem untrue, if he denied it then he must deny his authorship.  He admitted that the book was somewhat too flattering in its description.

But, take him all in all, Sir George really stood for his duty and his people.  He lifted the fur trade out of a slough of despond, he was kind and charitable to the people of the Red River Settlement, he was a good administrator and a patriot Briton, and though as his book tells and local tradition confirms it, he could not escape from what is called “the witchery of a pretty face,” yet he rose to the position on the whole as a man who sought for the higher interests of the vast territory under his sway, as well as for the financial advancement of his company.