They were hired by the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company to settle outside Cowlitz Farm and Fort Nisqually in modern Washington state. This was an attempt to get the northern bank of the Columbia River awarded to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in any potential settlement in the Oregon boundary dispute.
The individuals were employed by the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company to establish a new location outside Cowlitz Farm and Fort Nisqually in present-day Washington state. This was an attempt to secure the northern bank of the Columbia River for the United Kingdom as part of any potential settlement in the Oregon boundary dispute.