Hi cousin,
I am descended from James Brass, son of Thomas Brass and Anna Linklater of the Orkneys.
James married Cathrine Stanger and had 9 children, one named William, my gggrandfather.
William emigrated to Canada in 1845 to work for the Hudson's Bay Company in Northwest Canada. He married an "Esquimaux" woman from the MacKenzie Delta. Her name was "Attingarek" but she was baptised Maria Ross by the Chief Trader's wife (Christina Ross)before marrying in 1863 in Ft Simpson, NWT.
Details of their family are in the 1881 Canadian Census. They were living in Ft Nelson at the time.


John Brownlee