Archives of Manitoba

1938-1983

The Hudson's Bay Record Society published volumes of records found in the Hudson's Bay Company Archives.

The Hudson's Bay Record Society (HBRS) was incorporated on April 29, 1938 in order to publish the records of the Hudson's Bay Company Archives. The HBRS operated on a membership basis, in which members paid annual dues and received the publications. The volumes were published annually until 1959, when the HBRS shifted publication to every other year. The first twelve volumes were published by the Champlain Society with E.E. Rich as general editor. Under an agreement reached in 1936, the Champlain Society published a limited number of volumes for distribution to HBRS members, as offprints of the Champlain Society's Hudson's Bay Company series. In 1949, due to postwar increase in printing costs, this double printing became impossible for the Champlain Society and its agreement with the HBRS ended.

E.E. Rich continued to act as the society's general editor, often co-editing volumes with HBC archivist, Alice M. Johnson until 1959. In 1961, with the publication of Volume XXIII, K.G. Davis assumed the position of general editor. Reprint editions of the first twelve volumes were issued by Kraus Reprints between 1960 and 1968. Glyndwr Williams became editor in 1969 and published four volumes, XXVII to XXX.

In 1976, following the Hudson's Bay Company's move to Winnipeg, the administration of the HBRS was transferred from the English subsidiary Hudson's Bay Record Society Ltd. to the HBC's Winnipeg head office. Hartwell Bowsfield took over the role of editor.

In 1983, the Hudson's Bay Record Society was dissolved. Its last publication was Volume XXXIII, Letters of Charles John Brydges, 1883-89, published in 1981.

HBRS

1938-1983 Hudson's Bay Company. Governor and Committee