Thomas Simpson (explorer)
Thomas Simpson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 July 1808 Dingwall, Ross-shire, Scotland |
| Died | 14 June 1840 (aged 31) |
| Education | King's College, Aberdeen |
| Occupation(s) | Arctic explorer, fur trader |
| Years active | 1829–1840 |
| Employer | Hudson's Bay Company |
| Relatives | Sir George Simpson (cousin) |
| Awards |
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Thomas Simpson (2 July 1808 – 14 June 1840) was a Scottish Arctic explorer, fur trader and cousin of Governor Sir George Simpson of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). He is known for helping chart the northern coasts of Canada as well as his mysterious death by violence while traveling near the Turtle River in what was then part of the Territory of Iowa (now the U.S. state of North Dakota). The circumstances of Simpson's final hours—in which he allegedly killed himself after gunning down two companions—have long been a subject of controversy.