William Mactavish (29 March 1815 – 23 July 1870) was a Scottish Hudson's Bay Company clerk, accountant, and chief trader.

[1] With Sarah, William had four "country-born" children,[1] two boys, and two twin girls, named James, Mary and Florence, and Andrew.

Finally, Mactavish seldom talked about his marriage; in fact, he neglected to discuss the news of his wedding in any prompt manner.

His uncle, John George Mactavish, was a chief trader in the HBC, and was the reason that he was able to get his original job as a clerk.

[1] Mactavish had a pessimism for his future in the company and his advancement, because he did not like politics, however John George, Hargrave, and Simpson all had high hopes for him.

[2] Mactavish believed that the HBC had dim prospects, because eventually the government would end the monopoly that had been created out of the fur trade, and therefore he saw little gain in the advancing in the company.

[1] Further, the HBC was an unpopular administration at the time, because the rising popular interest was in the annexing of Red River, and Mactavish just simply did not want to deal with it.

[1] Being the governor of both Assiniboia and Rupert's Land created an issue in Mactavish's career, as he believed that the fur trade and the settlement should not fall under the same political sphere, much less one single person.

[8] As well, Mactavish asked the rebels to leave peacefully, because the conflict could result in "incalculable good or immeasurable evil.

"[8] This proclamation was the only thing that Mactavish did in regards to the Red River Rebellion, which is where the controversy surrounding him lays, because he did very little, if anything, to exercise his power.

[2] Rather than putting his power as Governor into use, he focused instead on smaller minute details, aud this was the cause for his eventual demise.

[2][1] Many chief traders, and other high up men in the HBC, mad very public their aversion to how Mactavish handled the political situation that was the Red River Rebellion.

[4][1][2] Mactavish was both physically imprisoned, as well as simply bed ridden from his deteriorating health, as he was battling advanced tuberculosis at the time.

"[6][7] As a governor, he was viewed by the citizens of Red River as having, "admirable traits," "kind considerations," and "great wishes.

"[7][6] Further, his reception is summed in a sense of "general satisfaction - so much so that the Red River [population] would be loathe to exchange him for any other.

When he died, the flags in Fort Garry and Winnipeg flew at half mast, in mourning of Mactavish.