relations predecessor successor death_date birth_place death_place children nationality office birth_date term_start spouse article_title term_end name occupation alma_mater
andrew colvile -lrb- father -rrb- george joachim goschen donald alexander smith 2 april 1893 langley farm , beckenham , kent lustleigh , devon none british governor 's bay company of rupert 's land governor of the hudson 12 february 1819 1849 1880 anne maxwell eden colvile
 1852 1889 eden colvile administrator , company director trinity college , cambridge
eden colvile

eden colvile -lrb- 12 february 1819 -- 2 april 1893 -rrb- was born at langley farm , part of the langley park estate , near beckenham , kent , england , son of andrew colvile and mary louisa eden .
his father was a merchant and member of the hudson 's bay company 's board of governors .
colvile was educated at eton and trinity college , cambridge .
after graduating from cambridge in 1841 , he travelled overseas to lower canada to manage the seigneury of beauharnois for the north american colonial association of ireland , of which his father was deputy governor .
he served one year in the legislative assembly for beauharnois in 1844 .
his relationship with the hudson 's bay company began in 1848 when he accompanied george simpson to rupert 's land , travelling as far as the red river colony .
after his return to england , he was soon appointed governor of rupert 's land , relieving simpson of his obligations inland .
after seeing the troubles which rocked the red river colony in the late 1840s with the guilleume sayer trial , the foss-pelly slander trial and the difficulties between the presbyterian scots and the anglicans , the company needed someone like colvile who would wield a firm hand in the settlement .
he spent his first winter on the pacific coast , sorting out the affairs of the troubled pugets sound agricultural company .
in august 1850 , he arrived in the red river colony with his wife , anne maxwell .
they took up residence in the `` big house '' at lower fort garry .
he quickly took charge of the affairs at the red river colony .
he took over as president of the council of assiniboia , removed adam thom from his position of power , and arranged a compromise between the presbyterians and anglicans .
solving the difficulties which arose from the foss-pelly slander trial took more delicate manoeuvering , but he succeeded by removing the major players in the trial from the settlement .
after accomplishing the tasks he was sent to fix , he and his wife returned to england in 1852 .
he took on many of his father 's directorships which included the chairmanship of the board of the royal mail steam packet company .
he joined the london committee of the hbc in 1854 .
after a reorganization of the hbc in the mid-1860s where he was only one of two to remain , he became deputy governor in 1871 , governor in 1880 and retired in 1889 .
he died in lustleigh , devon , on easter sunday 1893 .
