Henry Kelsey - Later Life

Later Life

Kelsey returned to England in 1693, reenlisted in 1694 and returned to York Factory. In 1694 and again in 1697 York Factory was captured by the French and Kelsey returned again to England, on the second occasion as a prisoner of the French. In 1698, he went back to the New World, this time to Fort Albany on James Bay. In 1701 he became master of a trading frigate, the Knight, in Hudson's Bay and traded with the Indians for beaver pelts. In 1703 he returned to England and in 1705 went back to Fort Albany as chief trader. In 1712, he returned again to England, and in 1714 he made his sixth journey across the Atlantic Ocean to become Deputy Governor of York Factory which had been recaptured from the French. In 1717 he became Governor of York Factory and in 1718 Governor of all the Hudson's Bay settlements. In 1719 and 1721 he undertook missions to the arctic where he met with Inuit people and searched for copper deposits.

In 1722, Kelsey was recalled to England where he died. He was buried on Nov 2, 1724. He seems to have been distinguished for his ability to establish good relations with Indians, which enabled him to be mostly successful as a trader.