The wife of Hudson's Bay Company trader James Hargrave, MacTavish-Hargrave travelled across the Canadian frontier, mainly staying at the York Factory settlement south of Churchill, Manitoba and in Sault Ste.

The dramatic and bleak change of scenery led Letitia to write a series of letters to family detailing life as a pioneer in the Northwest of Canada on the Hudson's Bay amongst traders and Indigenous peoples.

The already prominent family was given further opportunity through the children's uncle, John George MacTavish who, through his connections as an officer in the Hudson's Bay Company, convinced the eldest brothers, William and Dugald, to join the HBC in British North America (BNA).

As Letitia MacTavish's brother William experienced great political success in the HBC, he was introduced to one James Hargrave, a Chief Trader based in Rupert's Land.

[2] James Hargrave returned to Britain on medical leave in 1837 where—at the behest of his good friend, William MacTavish—he visited the MacTavish family.

[4] Following their marriage, Letitia and James Hargrave were invited to stay with sir George Simpson, Governor-in-Chief of the Hudson's Bay Company, in his home in London.

[6] York Factory, located in the far Northern expanse of modern-day Manitoba, was a major trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company.

At the mouth of the Hayes River, the trading post gave access to the vast waterways protruding from the Hudson's Bay throughout the Northwest.

Making the most of her situation, Letitia held on to the societal and material comforts to which she was accustomed, wearing elaborate, beautiful gowns and retaining a host of servants in the manor in which they lived.

[8] Letitia adapted quite effortlessly to the new world in which she lived by holding on to the lifestyle to which she was accustomed, approaching life with a fair bit of optimism.

Letitia, as the only permanent white female resident at York Factory, enjoyed a life of privilege and reverence from the native inhabitants of the settlement, developing unique relationships with local "Squaw" women, who referred to her as a Chieftainess in their own language.

[6] The Hargraves would spend the next ten years at York Factory, bearing four children (Joseph James, Letitia Lockhart, Mary Jane, Dugald John) and bringing future scholars a unique perspective to the frontier.

The birth of Joseph James in 1841 and the subsequent persuasion of her husband to build a nursery began this focus on the new generation of Hargrave children.

The family remained in Edinburgh for Letitia's recovery until the following year, in which they separated from their son, Joseph James, so he could receive an education.