A fur hunter who worked for the Russian American Company (RAC) in North America, Iakov Babin was the Russian overseer of an Alaska Native hunting crew on San Nicolas Island in 1814. Babin’s group massacred a large number of Nicoleños after one sea otter hunter was killed. Babin was held responsible for the actions of his Alaska Native hunting crew by three RAC chief managers. Following his return to New Archangel (Sitka) he married a baptized California Indian woman.
DATE OF BIRTH: Unknown
PLACE OF BIRTH: Tobol’sk, Russia
DATE OF DEATH: About 1840
PLACE OF BURIAL: Kodiak Island, Russian Alaska
References
Gibson, James R. and Alexei A. Istomin, with the assistance of Valery A. Tishkov. Russian California 1806-1860: A History in Documents, Vol. 1. London: Ashgate (2014): 336–338.
Istomin, Alexei A., James R. Gibson, and Valery A. Tishkov. Russia in California: Russian Documents on Fort Ross and Russian-Californian Relations in 1803–1850. Moscow: Nauka, 2005: 267, 269.
Morris, Susan L., Glenn J. Farris, Steven J. Schwartz, Irina V. L. Wender, and Boris Dralyuk. “Murder, Massacre, and Mayhem on the California Coast, 1814–1815: Newly Translated Russian Documents Reveal Company Concern Over Violent Clashes.” Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 34, 1 (2014): 81–100.
Pierce, Richard A. Russian-America: A Biographical Dictionary. Kingston, Ontario: The
Limestone Press, 1990: 14.
DATE OF BIRTH: Unknown
PLACE OF BIRTH: Tobol’sk, Russia
DATE OF DEATH: About 1840
PLACE OF BURIAL: Kodiak Island, Russian Alaska
References
Gibson, James R. and Alexei A. Istomin, with the assistance of Valery A. Tishkov. Russian California 1806-1860: A History in Documents, Vol. 1. London: Ashgate (2014): 336–338.
Istomin, Alexei A., James R. Gibson, and Valery A. Tishkov. Russia in California: Russian Documents on Fort Ross and Russian-Californian Relations in 1803–1850. Moscow: Nauka, 2005: 267, 269.
Morris, Susan L., Glenn J. Farris, Steven J. Schwartz, Irina V. L. Wender, and Boris Dralyuk. “Murder, Massacre, and Mayhem on the California Coast, 1814–1815: Newly Translated Russian Documents Reveal Company Concern Over Violent Clashes.” Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 34, 1 (2014): 81–100.
Pierce, Richard A. Russian-America: A Biographical Dictionary. Kingston, Ontario: The
Limestone Press, 1990: 14.
Last updated: November 17, 2018