GIFTS FOR THE KING

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20786, 22 April 1939, Page 22 (Supplement)

GIFTS FOR THE KING

ELK HEADS AND BEAVER PELTS HUDSON BAY COMPANY CHARTER (Special to Times) WINNIPEG, April 2 When His Majesty King George VI passes through Winnipeg in. May he will be presented with two elk heads and two black beaver pelts in fullilling the annual obligation of the Hudson Bay Company under its charter dated May 2, 1670. This section of the Charter, in its early English spelling, deals with territory granted it "in free and common Soccage and not in Capite or by Knightes Service yielding and paying yearly to us our heires and succesi sors for the same two Hikes and two [ Black beavers whensoever and as often as Wee our heires and succesI sors shall happen to enter into the ' said countries Territories and Re- ! gions hereby granted." This will be only the second occasion that the Hudson Bay Company will have been able thus to fulfil its obligations to the Crown. In 1927, two elk heads and two black beaver skins were presented to the Prince of Wales. For the Royal visit of 1939, two magnificently branched elk heads have been procured without much difficulty. Black beaver are, however, now extremely rare and of 16,000 pelts examined only one was found that satisfied the fur graders. AtI tempts are now being made to match I this skin. i The Hudson Bay Company, originally known as “ The Company of Adveni turns of England- trading in the lludI son Bay," was granted by its charter i.r i 670 "sole trade and commerce of ; all those seas streightes haves rivers lakes ereekes and soundes in whatsoever latitude they shall bee that lie within the entrance of the streightes commonly called Hudsons Streightes." Tlie original charter remained unchanged until during the reign of Queen Victoria, when it was amended j to conform to changing conditions I . -