John Black

John Black (11 March 1817 – 3 February 1879) was a Scottish-born figure who acted in the politics of both the future Canada and the fledgling Australia. Black resided in the Canadian territories from 1839 until 1854, then returned to Scotland. He resided in New South Wales, on Australia's East Coast, from 1857 to 1861. He returned to England, where he was promptly (April 1862) assigned a post in Assiniboia, remaining in North America until 1870. He returned to Scotland, where he died (at St. Andrews) in 1879 at age 61. Career Black was born in Fife County in Scotland in 1817. He became a lawyer by working as a clerk for seven years in the office of an Edinburgh solicitor, although he never became a member of the bar. Black traveled to the Red River Colony, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba in 1839, having been appointed clerk to the General Quarterly Court of Assiniboia. His duties as deputy to Adam Thom, the recorder of Rupert’s Land, were soon superseded by his active employment in the offices of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1848 the company appointed him chief trader.