Munro, Alexander
Alexander Munro is a Scotchman, born in Ross-shire, Scotland, in the year 1824. In 1850, after having served for a number of years in offices in his native county, he went to London as clerk in a bank, and remained there nearly seven years. In 1857, under agreement to go out to Vancouver's Island, he left London in February and reached Victoria on the 7th of May in that year. For the first few years he was accountant and general overseer in Vancouver's Island for the Puget Sound Agricultural Company (and offshoot from the Hudson's Bay Company), who had several large farms and establishments in full operation in Esquimalt District, adjoining the District of Victoria. Afterwards he took up his residence in Victoria, and became accountant there for the Hudson's Bay Company's western department, which comprised the whole of what is now known as the province of British Columbia, continuing also his charge of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company's affairs.
At that time and for many years subsequently the Hudson's Bay Company's extensive business throughout the western department was conducted from Victoria by a board of management, consisting usually of two and sometimes three chief factors. The goods required for the trade of the country were brought from London to Victoria around Cape Horn yearly in the company's ships, the same ships taking to London return cargoes of furs and other products from the many outlying posts, all of which had been collected at Victoria as the depot, and there prepared for shipment; while the "Brigades", on their return to the interior, took with them by various modes of conveyance, such as boats, canoes, horse, mule and ox trains, etc., the goods which had been prepared at Victoria for the several districts. Those were busy years and called for strenuous effort, especially at certain seasons. Besides the fur trade there was an increasing commercial and shipping business carried on at Victoria.
In 1872 Mr. Munro obtained his commission as a factor in the Hudson's Bay Company's service, and in 1874 his commission as chief factor, charged with the leasing and selling of the company's lands in and around Victoria and Esquimalt on Vancouver's Island and at Langley and other places on the mainland, until 1890, when he retired from the service, enjoying the confidence and good will of the governing board in London and their representatives in British Columbia, etc.
In 1862 he built the dwelling house in Victoria which he and Mrs. Munro still occupy, now known as No. 6 Michigan street. Victoria was then but a small town. In the James Bay quarter, southward between his site and the Straits of Fuca, there were only two or three buildings of any kind, one of them being a farm house of the company, and the other owned and occupied by one of the company's officers.
Mr. and Mrs. Munro were married in Scotland on the 1st of November, 1860, and they have reared a family of three girls and four boys, all now living, and grown up years ago.
R. E. Gosnell, A History of British Columbia, (Vancouver, B. C.: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906). pp. 692-693.