Surgeon, fur trader, Arctic explorer, discoverer of the fate of the ill-fated Franklin expedition, and author. Born 30 September 1813 in Orphir, Orkney Islands, Scotland; died 22 July 1893 in London, England.
John Rae holds a special place in the history of the Hamilton Association. In 1857, while living in Hamilton, he was one of the Association's founding members. Our first Vice-President, he later became our second President.
Here you will find biographical information on Dr. Rae, including photographs from both his era and our own. We have also included audio and video recorded for, and/or at, our September 2013 meeting, when we celebrated the 200th anniversary of Rae's birth and enjoyed a surprise visit from the great man himself.
Biographical Essays
Dr. John Rae, 1813–1893. By the Association Webmaster. A brief account of Rae's life, with images and links to related online resources. © 2009-2023 HAALSA.
Dr. John Rae, the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Association. By Ludvik Prevec PhD, Association President 1996-1998. Explores Rae's involvement in the social life and business affairs of Hamilton. © 2007 Dr. Ludvik Prevec. Reproduced with permission.
The Hamilton Years. By Stephen Threlkeld. Remarks delivered at the John Rae Symposium, Hamilton, Ontario, 2 Dec. 1993. HAALSA President Threlkeld reviews aspects of Rae's time in Hamilton. © 1993 Dr. Stephen Threlkeld. Reproduced with permission.
"Dr. John Rae". Performed by `The Gumboots`. Lyrics by Bob MacQuarrie. Music by Bill Gilday. March 1989. © 1992 The Gumboots. Reproduced with permission from their CD, Spirit of the North. (4 min; "mp3" file; 4 mb)
The John Rae Box
Created by the John Rae Society in Orkney, Scotland, the box is a mixed-media educational resource that the Society loans to local schools to foster student interest in Dr. Rae and the Canadian North.
Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Rae's Birth (30 September 1813)
Greetings from Orkney. An audio message to the Association from BBC Radio Orkney, spoken by Cameron Stout. Reproduced with permission. With accompanying photos provided by the Association Webmaster (3 min; "mp4" file; 5.4 mb). A voice-only version (3 min; "mp3" file; 5.7 mb).
A Surprise Guest. Dr John Rae speaks to the Association, Sat. 14 Sep 2013, the Ewart Angus Centre, McMaster University. Reproduced with permission. (3.3 min; "mov" file; 17.4 mb)