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19J4  -  1915 


'DEEDS  SPEAK" 


Annual  Report 

•ad 

TRANSACTION  NO.  14 
of 

THE 

WOMEN'S 
CANADIAN 
HISTORICAL 
SOCIETY 

OF  TORONTO 


Organized  November  ipth,  1895 
Incorporated  Februarv  lAth.  1806 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

OF  THE 

Women's  Canadian   Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 
1914-1915 

Organized  November,  1895  ;  Incorporated  February  llth,  1896. 

OFFICERS 
Honorary  President         .....    LADY  HENDRIE. 


f 


MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 
*MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON. 


Past  Presidents       ... 

•  I  *LADY  EDGAR. 

l^MlSS   M.  A.  FITZGIBBON. 

Vice-  Presidents       ... 
Recording  Secretary 
Corresponding  Secretary 
Treasurer    ..... 

/MRS.  JAS.  BAIN. 
•   \  MRS.  H.  H.  ROBERTSON. 
Miss  ROBERTS. 
MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY,  46  Dunvegan  Rd. 
-     MRS.  DUCKWORTH,  142  Spadina  Rd. 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  STUPART.  MRS.  J.  B.  TYRRELL. 

MRS.  H.  H.  ROBERTSON.  Miss  ADA  PEARCE. 

Miss  TOCQUE.  Miss  MACCALLUM. 

RED  CROSS  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  HORACE  EATON.  MRS.  TYRRELL. 

MRS.  STUPART.  Miss  SANDERSON. 

MRS.  BRYDGES.  Miss  DE  BRISSAY. 

MRS.  GORDON  MACKENZIE.  Miss  ADA  PEARCE. 

Miss  J.  MACCALLUM.  Miss  HELEN  PEARCE. 

MISS   LlZARS.  MISS   AlNSLIE    McMlCHAEL. 

MRS.  HENRY  RUSSELL.  Miss  TOCQUE. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS 

G.  R.  PARKIN,  C.M.G.,  LL.D.  DR.  LOCKE. 

COL.  G.  T.  DENISON.  THE  VERY  REV.  DEAN  HARRIS. 

Miss  CARNOCHAN.  J.  A.  MACDONELL. 

W.    MACFARLANE.  W.    D.    LlGHTHALL,    F.R.S.C.,  F.R.S.L. 

JAMES  HANNAY.  BENJAMIN  SULTE,  F.R.S.C. 

SIR  GILBERT  PARKER,  M.P.  REV.  JOHN  MCDOUGALL. 

CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.S.C.  REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  Ph.D. 

Miss  LIZARS.  EDWARD  WM.  THOMSON. 

Miss  MACHAR.  JOHN  READE,  F.R.S.C.,  F.R.S.L. 

MRS.  C.  FESSENDEN.  CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 

BLISS  CARMAN.  MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 

JOHN  D.  KELLY.  DR.  ED.  MANNING  SAUNDERS. 
REV.  PROF.  BRYCE. 

CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS 

Miss  JEAN  BARR.  Windsor.  MRS.  MCLAREN,  Perth. 

MRS.  HENRY  McLEOD,  Ottawa.  MRS.    CHRISTIE   (Annie   Rothwell,    North 
Miss  C.  A.  MERRITT,  St.  Catharines.  Gower,  Ont.). 

MRS.  BACKUS,  M.D.,  Aylmer,  Ont. 

*  Deceased. 


V 


Secretary's  Annual  Report. 


The  year  1914-15  has  been  memorable;  not  only  has 
sorrow  come  to  us  individually  but  as  a  Society  we  have  lost 
our  founder  and  inspiration  in  our  late  President  Mary  Agnes 
FitzGibbon  whose  courage,  far-sightedness  and  patriotism 
have  been  an  example  to  us  all,  but  while  mourning  her  loss 
we  must  remember  the  best  way  to  commemorate  her  memory 
is  to  go  steadily  on  and  push  forward  the  work  she  loved  so 
much;  while  this  Society  was  founded  by  her  with  the  help 
of  Mrs.  Curzon  her  activities  took  her  later  on  in  other  direc- 
tions, but  always  on  the  lines  of  patriotism  and  the  better- 
ment of  women  who  came  to  Canada  to  make  their  home. 
We  feel  that  in  putting  our  best  efforts  in  Red  Cross  work  she 
so  enthusiastically  advocated  we  are  doing  what  she  would 
wish,  as  well  as  our  manifest  duty. 

The  year  through  which  we  have  passed  has  indeed  been 
an  eventful  one  to  the  world,  to  our  country,  to  our  Empire. 
The  great  and  terrible  war  is  ever  in  our  thoughts  and  has 
come  very  near  to  us.  Nearly  all  our  members  have  relatives 
at  the  front — often  their  nearest  and  most  loved — while  some, 
to  whom  we  offer  deepest  sympathy,  have  been  called  upon 
to  make  the  great  sacrifice.  We  can  but  pray  that  soon 
the  end  will  come,  victory  will  crown  our  righteous  cause  and 
that  good  will  arise  out  of  evil,  and  out  of  the  sorrow  and  the 
loss  and  the  sacrifice,  a  better  and  a  nobler  spirit  will  emerge. 
In  the  meantime  every  one  of  us  must  do  all  in  their  power  to 
help  in  the  great  work  of  alleviating  suffering. 

Eight  meetings  have  been  held,  one  of  them  a  Memorial 
Meeting  to  Miss  FitzGibbon  in  which  her  life  was  set  forth 
from  several  points  of  view;  as  a  friend  by  Miss  Mickle,  as  a 
worker  in  the  Council  of  Women  and  the  Hostel,  by  Mrs. 
Torrington;  as  a  schoolmate  by  Mrs.  Forsyth  Grant;  as  a 
writer  and  patriot  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Caswell. 

At  other  meetings  the  following  papers  have  been  sub- 
mitted : 

December. — Review    of    the    foundation    of    W.C.H.S.    by 
President.    Address  by  Prof.  Mavor  on   "Prussia,  its 
Composition  and  Ideals". 

Recitation  by  Miss  Bryan. 


January.— Paper  on  Sir  Francis  Bond  Head,  by  Prof.  Duck- 
worth. 
February.— Extracts  from  Diary,   1858,  telling  of  a  water 

journey  from   Chicago  via   Collingwood   to  Toronto, 

read  by  Mrs.  Tyrrell. 

Report  of  Annual  Meeting  of  Local  Council  by  Miss  Lea. 
Recitation  by  Miss  Mary  Tyrrell,  "Gray  Knitting". 
Recitation  by  Miss  Bryan,  "The  Wife  in  Flanders,  The 

United  Front". 
March. — "The  Domestic  Problem  in  olden  days  in  Canada," 

by  Miss  Emily  Weaver. 
April. — Letters  with  views,  by  Mr.   Robt.  Stark,   from  his 

daughter  living  in  Austria. 
October.— Memorial  Meeting  to  Miss  FitzGibbon,  by  Miss 

Mickle,  Mrs.  Torrington,  Mrs.  Forsyth    Grant,    Mr. 

E.  S.  Caswell. 

Publications  received:  United  Empire  and  Royal  Colonial 
Institute  Journal  ;  Quarterly  Western  Reserve  Historical 
Society;  Catalogue  of  books  on  Costumes  of  the  Chas.  G. 
King  Collection;  Annual  Report  and  Journals  of  Seth  Pease; 
The  Canadian  North  West;  Legislative  Record,  Vol.  I,  with 
maps  from  Archivist  of  Ottawa;  Review  of  Historical  Publi- 
cations for  1913;  The  Great  War  (a  monthly  magazine); 
Report  of  Library  of  Congress;  Report  of  Women's  Hostel; 
The  Manor  House  of  La  Colle,  by  W.  D.  Lighthall;  The 
Niagara  Historical  Society,  19th  Annual  Report;  Why  Britain 
is  at  War,  by  Sir  E.  Cook;  Annual  Report  of  York  Pioneer 
Society;  Rhode  Island  Imprints,  1727-1800. 

Donations:  A  unique  turquoise  pin  from  Miss  Shaw  (an 
heirloom)  to  be  sold  for  Patriotic  Fund.  An  envelope  for 
clippings  donated  by  Miss  Sanderson.  $5  towards  printing  of 
Transactions.  500  sheets  of  official  paper  by  Miss  Fitz- 
Gibbon. "The  Great  War",  a  monthly  magazine  donated  by 
Miss  FitzGibbon.  Canadian  Women's  Annual  and  Social 
Service  Directory,  by  Emily  P.  Weaver.  Documents  illus- 
trative of  the  Canadian  Constitution  by  Wm.  Houston,  M.A. 
Donation  from  Miss  Lizars  towards  a  fitting  memorial  to  our 
late  President,  $5.  Anonymous  donation  for  same,  $3. 

Twenty  new  members  have  been  added  to  our  list;  we 
regret  the  loss  of  six  old  and  valued  members:  Mrs.  Nixon, 
Miss  Kingsmill,  Mrs.  MacNab,  Miss  Logan,  Miss  FitzGibbon, 
Mrs.  Russell  Baldwin. 


Canada  as  well  as  our  Society  has  lost  by  death  a  valued 
life  in  the  person  of  one  of  our  Honorary  Members,  Sir 
Sandford  Fleming,  K.C.M.G.,  F.R.S.C. 

Before  closing  this  report  the  project  so  dear  to  Miss  Fitz- 
Gibbon  must  be  mentioned,  viz.,  the  raising  of  funds  to  erect 
a  Hall  to  be  called  the  Queen  Victoria  Memorial  Hall;  the 
building  to  hold  the  possessions  of  our  Society  and  be  our 
meeting  place  and  home. 

Our  late  President's  will  contains  the  following:  "The 
Historic  Pictures,  Mirror  and  Desk  and  long  table  with  iron 
trestles,  formerly  belonging  to  the  Officers'  Quarters  in  the 
old  Toronto  Fort,  in  my  possession,  (Alyn  Williams  drawing 
of  Brock,  the  Gerald  Hayward  miniature  of  Brock,  the 
ebony  framed  mirror,  and  desk,  the  last  two  formerly  belong- 
ing to  the  Wolfe  family,  and  purchased  by  my  great  grand- 
father, Thos.  Strickland,  of  Reydon  Hall,  Suffolk,  Eng.,  at 
the  sale  of  the  Wolfe  property  in  Greenwich,  1779)  to  the 
Memorial  Hall  for  which  the  Historical  Society  have  been 
raising  funds;  the  same  to  remain  in  my  sitting  room  at  the 
Hostel,  until  such  time  as  the  Hall  be  built.  If  said  Hall  is 
not  begun  within  ten  years  of  the  date  of  my  death  the  effects 
mentioned  to  be  given  to  the  Ontario  Museum." 

All  action  towards  this  end  must  remain  in  abeyance  till 
the  present  war  is  over  when  vigorous  measures  to  secure 
the  Hall  must  be  taken. 

On  the  initiative  of  Miss  Lizars,  who  sent  in  the  first 
contribution  it  was  decided  to  have  a  memorial  of  Miss 
FitzGibbon.  Though  inadequate  to  express  our  appreciation 
of  her  untiring  efforts  on  behalf  of  this  Society  in  its 
aims  of  loyalty  and  patriotism  this  memorial  is  to 
take  the  form  of  an  oil  painting  to  hang  in  our  meeting 
place  and  be  kept  among  our  possessions.  Contributions 
towards  this  will  be  received  by  Miss  Tocque,  our  retiring 
treasurer,  who  has  kindly  consented  to  act  in  this  capacity. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

LUELLA    CORLEY. 


Report  of  Red  Cross  Committee. 

Since  September,  1914,  eight  meetings  have  been  held. 
In  April  a  sheet  shower  and  tea  was  held  at  the  Canadian 
Institute  through  the  kindness  of  its  officers  for  the  University 
Base  Hospital. 

The  total  amount  raised  by  this  Society  was  $285.95,  of 
which  $48  in  cash  was  handed  in  to  the  Women's  Patriotic 
League,  the  balance  was  expended  on  material  which  was 
made  up  by  members;  the  convener  has  forwarded  to  the 
Women's  Patriotic  League  790  articles  (mostly  sheets)  and 
to  the  University  Base  Hospital  254  sheets,  163  towels,  56 
pillow  cases,  making  a  total  of  1053  articles. 

Mrs.  Stupart  has  acted  as  treasurer  and  done  all  the 
buying  in  a  most  satisfactory  and  economical  manner.  In 
September  1915,  this  committee  decided  to  concentrate  their 
efforts  on  socks,  one  generous  member  who  wishes  her  name 
withheld  having  donated  250  pairs,  which  were  sent  to  the 
Red  Cross,  King  Street. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

EDITH  TYRRELL. 

Treasurer's  Report  of  Red  Cross  Committee. 

RECEIPTS 

Balance  on  hand,  November  1914 £5 . 00 

Balance  from  presentation  to  Mrs.  Grant 1 .50 

Members'  Subscriptions  to  Red  Cross 175.95 

Sales  at  Afternoon  Tea 29 . 39 

#211. 84 
EXPENDITURES. 

Sheeting #123 .34 

Towels,  3  pieces 20.61 

Express 76 

Balance 67 . 18 

#211.84 


Contributions  at  the  sheet  shower  for  University  Base  Hospital  on 
April  10th,  1915,  are  as  follows:  Mrs.  Brydges,  14  sheets;  Mrs.  McMurtry, 
12  sheets,  2  dozen  pillow  cases;  Miss  F.  M.  Cole,  2  sheets;  Mrs.  Gordon 
MacKenzie,  5  sheets,  1  pillow  case;  Mrs.  Wm.  Davidson,  4  sheets;  Miss 
Harris,  2  sheets;  A  friend,  2  pillow  cases;  Mrs.  Sime,  2  sheets;  Mrs.  Spencer, 
2  sheets;  Miss  L.  S.  Clarke,  4  pillow  cases;  Miss  McMorrine,  2  sheets; 
Mrs.  J.  Graham,  2  sheets;  Miss  C.  E.  Shaw,  2  sheets;  Miss  Scott,  20  sheets; 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Ellis,  2  sheets;  Mrs.  Hoskin,  2  sheets;  Mrs.  Roaf,  2  sheets  and 
2  pillow  cases;  Miss  Horsey,  2  sheets;  Mrs.  W.  N.  Anderson,  2  sheets; 
Mrs.  L.  C.  Macklem,  12  pillow  cases;  Mrs.  Elliott,  2  sheets;  W.  C.  H.  So., 
30  sheets;  Mrs.  Tyrrell,  6  sheets;  Mrs.  Pangman,  2  sheets. 

Total  sent  in:  254  sheets,  211  towels  and  56  pillow  cases. 

MARION  STUPART. 


QUEEN  VICTORIA  MEMORIAL  FUND. 

Cash  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1914 $585 .12 

Bank  Interest JS'S 

Interest  on  Debentures i  -nn 

Sale  of  back  numbers  of  " Transactions" ^  l 

$799.78 

Purchased  one  $500  Debenture  of  Canada  Permanent  Mtge. 
Corporation,  December,  1914 

Balance  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1915 $299 .78 

Total  amount  of  Debentures  on  deposit o,UUU.Ul 

Total  amount  of  Memorial  Fund $5,299.78 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT. 

CREDITS 
Cash  in  Bank  ................... 


Donation  to  printing  expenses  ..............  Jj  '  22 

Sale  of  "Transactions"  ..................................  inn  nJ 

Ontario  Government  Grant  .............................. 

Bank  Interest  ..........................................  1-66 

$361.92 

DISBURSEMENTS 
Rent  for  Hall  in  Hostel  .................... 

Fee  to  Local  Council  of  Women  ..........................  *-W 

Refreshments  ................... 

Advertisements  ........................................ 

The  Wm.  Briggs  Publishing  Co.: 

"Transaction"  No.  8  .............................. 

"Transaction"  No.  13  .............................  -  l«j  gO 

The  Atwell  Fleming  Printing  Co  .........................  27.76 

Townsend's  Livery  .....................................  *  .OU 

Postage  and  stationery  .............. 

Plant  and  Wreath  for  late  Miss  FitzGibbon  ................ 

Balance  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1915  ................... 

$361.92 

Audited  and  found  correct, 
S.  E.  JOYCE. 

November  27th,  1915. 


All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 


CHAUNCEY  TOCQUE, 

Hon.  Treasurer. 


List  of  Members. 

Mrs.  H.  B.  Anderson,  186  Bloor  Street  E. 

Miss  Arnold,  52  St.  Alban's  Street. 

Mrs.  G.  A.  Arthurs,  78  Admiral  Road. 

Mrs.  Appleby,  179  Dowling  Ave. 

Mrs.  A.  W.  Ballantyne,  34  Dunvegan  Road. 

Miss  Bostwick,  2  Bloor  Street  E. 

Mrs.  Jas.  Bain,  33  Wells  Street. 

Miss  Louise  Barker,  31  Park  Road. 

Mrs.  Bascom,  1339  King  Street  W. 

Mrs.  Beemer,  37  Sussex  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Broughall,  100  Howard  Street. 

Mrs.  Behan,  Mimico. 

Miss  Behan,  Mimico. 

Mrs.  Bescoby,  Eglinton  Avenue. 

Miss  Bessie  Baldwin,  150  Dunvegan  Road 

Miss  A.  M.  Bell,  538  Ontario  Street. 

Miss  Bell,  538  Ontario  Street. 

Miss  Bryan,  Havergal  College. 

Mrs.  A.  Boddy,  235  Jarvis  Street. 

Mrs.  R.  Brydges,  613  Jarvis  Street. 

Miss  Vera  Butcher,  246  Huron  Street. 

Mrs.  Cotton,  20  Bloor  Street  E. 

Miss  Cotton,  20  Bloor  Street  E. 

Miss  Carty,  Queen's  Hotel. 

Miss  M.  Carty,  Queen's  Hotel. 

Miss  Florence  M.  Cole,  131  Avenue  Road. 

Miss  Laura  Clark,  219  Beverley  Street. 

Mrs.  G.  R.  R.  Cockburn,  13  Spadina  Road. 

Mrs.  J.  W.  Collins,  94  Spencer  Avenue. 

Mrs.  E.  M.  Chadwick,  99  Howland  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Seymour  Cor  ley,  46  Dunvegan  Road. 

Mrs.  C.  D.  Cory,  5  Deer  Park  Crescent. 

Miss  Cox,  18  Selby  Street. 

Miss  Evelyn  Cox,  7  Wellesley  Place. 

Mrs.  Willoughby  Cummings,  78  Pleasant  Boulevard. 

Miss  Cumberland,  6  Howard  Street. 

Miss  Cowan,  105  St.  George  Street. 

Miss  Amy  Cooke,  37  High  Park  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Des  Brissay,  350  Brunswick  Avenue. 

Miss  Des  Brissay,  350  Brunswick  Avenue. 

The  Misses  Doughty,  64  River  Street. 

The  Misses  Davidson,  Hampton  Court  Apartments. 

Mrs.  H.  Duckworth,  142  Spadina  Road. 

Mrs.  Douglas,  19  Roxborough  Street  E. 

Mrs.  Davidson,  22  Madison  Avenue. 

Mrs.  W.  Dixon,  28  Rowanwood  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Pelham  Edgar,  Convalescent  Home. 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Ellis,  74  St.  Albans  Street. 

Mrs.  Horace  Eaton,  631  Sherbourne  Street. 

Miss  Mary  Evans,  69  Grange  Avenue. 


Mrs.  Donald  Edwards,  107  St.  Clair  Avenue. 

Miss  Embree,  St.  Margaret's  College. 

Miss  Elliott,  29  Dunvegan  Road. 

Mrs.  Freeland,  21  Dunvegan  Road. 

Mrs.  Fotheringham,  20  Wellesley  Street. 

Miss  Eraser,  157  Robert  Street. 

Mrs.  H.  L.  Grover,  35  Spadina  Road. 

Mrs.  Graham,  510  Ontario  Street. 

Mrs.  Galbraith,  59  Prince  Arthur  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Gregory,  57  Douglas  Drive. 

Miss  Marcella  Gibson,  17  Rushholme  Road. 

Mrs.  Forsyth  Grant,  30  Nanton  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Gardner,  37  Kendall  Avenue. 

Miss  M.  Gamble,  19  Charles  Street  E. 

Mrs.  Albert  Grant,  Port  Hope. 

Mrs.  Gibson,  Araby,  Oakville. 

Miss  Holland,  307  St.  George  Street. 

Miss  Hart,  389  Dundas  Street. 

Mrs.  S.  Heward,  485  Huron  Street. 

Mrs.  R.  Stearns  Hicks,  "The  Alexandra". 

Miss  H.  M.  Hill,  20  Bernard  Avenue. 

Miss  B.  McLean  Howard,  49  Brunswick  Avenue. 

Miss  A.  Hastings,  100  Charles  Street  W. 

Mrs.  W.  Houston,  8  Elmsley  Place. 

Mrs.  H.  Hooper,  548  Huron  Street. 

Miss  Horsey,  69  Bernard  Ave. 

Mrs.  A.  Hoskin,  438  Avenue  Road. 

Mrs.  Caroline  Jarvis,  258  Jarvis  Street. 

Mrs.  Edmund  Jarvis,  258  Jarvis  Street. 

Mrs.  ^Emilius  Jarvis,  34  Prince  Arthur  Avenue. 

Mrs.  George  Jarvis,  4  Oriole  Road. 

Mrs.  W.  H.  P.  Jarvis,  31  Oriole  Road. 

Mrs.  Kelleher,  Clover  Hill  Apartments. 

Miss  Kerr,  69  Madison  Avenue. 

Miss  Kendrick,  16  Orde  Street. 

Mrs.  Geo.  Kerr,  80  Spadina  Road. 

Mrs.  J.  K.  Kerr,  Rathnally. 

Mrs.  Thos.  Kain,  19  Chicora. 

Mrs.  Kingston,  72  Admiral  Road. 

Mrs.  Keefer,  236  St.  George  Street. 

Mrs.  Herbert  Kipp,  546  Bathurst  Street. 

Miss  Alice  Lea,  5  Bedford  Road. 

Miss  Lash,  59  Admiral  Road. 

Mrs.  Edward  Leigh,  58  Eglinton  Ave. 

Mrs.  Lukes,  74  St.  George  Street. 

Mrs.  Leach,  4  South  Drive. 

Mrs.  Locke,  38  De  Lisle  Ave. 

Miss  Lizars,  Baby  Point,  Lambton  P.O. 

Mrs.  L.  Clark  Macklem,  120  St.  George  Street. 

Miss  I.  Mackenzie,  410  Dovercourt  Road. 

Mrs.  A.  B.  Macallum,  78  Albany  Avenue. 

Miss  Josephine  MacCallum,  13  Bloor  Street  W. 

Miss  McCartney,  Queen's  Court  Apartments. 

Miss  Helen  Merrill,  4  Prince  Arthur  Avenue. 


9 


Mrs.  W.  R.  Morson,  417  Brunswick  Avenue. 

Miss  Louise  Mason,  27  Admiral  Road. 

The  Misses  McKellar,  169  Madison  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Gordon  MacKenzie,  31  Walmer  Road. 

Miss  Gordon  MacKenzie,  31  Walmer  Road. 

Mrs.  W.  J.  McMurtry,  93  Jamieson  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Robt.  MacMaster,  63  Madison  Avenue. 

Miss  C.  N.  Merritt,  40  St.  George  Street. 

Miss  A.  Mairs,  40  Tranby  Avenue. 

Miss  Miller,  90  Oxford  Street. 

Mrs.  J.  A.  Macdonald,  87  Spadina  Road. 

Mrs.  A.  Meredith,  13  Beau  Street. 

Miss  S.  Mickle,  48  Heath  Street  E. 

Mrs.  Julius  Miles,  160  Cottingham  Street. 

Mrs.  Balfour  Musson,  22  Park  Road. 

Mrs.  Campbell  Meyers,  72  Heath  Street  W. 

Mrs.  G.  S.  Morphy,  316  Avenue  Road. 

Miss  Milloy,  Eglinton  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Macfarlane,  592  Jarvis  Street. 

Miss  Ainslie  McMichael,  93  Bernard  Avenue. 

Miss  Neely,  89  Highlands  Ave. 

Mrs.  Gordon  Osier,  16  Rosedale  Road. 

Mrs.  Pearce,  140  Bedford  Road. 

Miss  Helen  Pearce,  140  Bedford  Road. 

Mrs.  Pangman,  33  Elgin  Avenue. 

Miss  Parsons,  40  St.  Vincent  Street. 

Mrs.  Penman,  Paris,  Ont. 

Mrs.  Pearce,  14  Prince  Arthur  Ave. 

The  Misses  Pearce,  14  Prince  Arthur  Ave. 

Miss  Porteous,  74  St.  George  Street. 

Miss  Clara  Port,  19  Lowther  Avenue. 

Miss  Price,  19  Parkwood  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Primrose,  100  College  Street. 

Mrs.  Parker,  210  Bloor  Street  W. 

Mrs.  Playter,  77  Dupont  Street. 

Miss  Playter,  St.  Hilda's  College. 

Mrs.  Ramsey,  Niagara. 

Miss  Riddell,  20  Vermont  Avenue. 

Miss  Richardson,  210  Bloor  Street  W. 

Miss  Ridout,  Athelma  Apartments. 

Mrs.  Jas.  Roaf,  "St.  George  Mansions". 

Miss  Roberts,  509  Church  Street,  Apartment  5. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  Robertson,  49  St.  Vincent  Street. 

Mrs.  N.  W.  Rowell,  137  Crescent  Road. 

Mrs.  Henry  Russell,  292  Yonge  Street. 

Miss  Sanderson,  518  Brunswick  Avenue. 

The  Misses  Scott,  Port  Hope. 

Mrs.  Scott,  29  Dunvegan  Road. 

Mrs.  Saunders,  65  Chesnut  Park  Road. 

Miss  Symons,  68  Avenue  Road. 

Miss  Marshall  Saunders,  65  Chesnut  Park  Road. 

Miss  Shaw,  Old  Bishop  Strachan  School. 

Mr.  Robert  Stark,  50  Maitland  Street. 

Miss  E.  J.  Sibbald,  "The  Briars",  Sutton  W. 


10 


Mrs.  E.  M.  Skae,  6  Howard  Street. 

Miss  Mary  J.  Scott,  566  Sherbourne  Street. 

The  Misses  Scott,  93  Madison  Apartments. 

Mrs.  Stratford,  "The  Alexandra". 

Miss  Lamond  Smith,  31  Park  Road. 

Mrs.  Streete,  2  La  Plaza,  Charles  Street. 

Mrs.  R.  C.  Steele,  99  Crescent  Road. 

Miss  Strathy,  17  Walmer  Road. 

Mrs.  Strathy,  71  Queen's  Park. 

Mrs.  R.  Sullivan,  70  Spadina  Road. 

Mrs.  Stupart,  15  Admiral  Road. 

Mrs.  E.  J.  Thompson,  "The  Alexandra". 

Miss  Chauncey  Tocque,  350  Brunswick  Avenue. 

The  Misses  Tippett,  435  Ossington  Avenue. 

Miss  B.  Torrance,  173  Madison  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Trent,  511  Huron  Street. 

Miss  Tremayne,  Mimico. 

Mrs.  J.  B.  Tyrrell,  14  Walmer  Road. 

Miss  Mary  Tyrrell,  14  Walmer  Road. 

Dr.  Julia  Thomas,  83  Isabella  Street. 

Mrs.  Webber,  19  Meredith  Crescent. 

Lady  Willison,  10  Elmsley  Place. 

Miss  Wilkes,  23  De  Lisle  Avenue. 

Miss  Wood,  518  Euclid  Avenue. 

Miss  Whitney,  113  St.  George  Street. 

Mrs.  J.  White,  94  Jamieson  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Wadsworth,  124  Tyndall  Avenue. 

Miss  Warren,  123  Howland  Avenue. 

Miss  Emily  Weaver,  26  Bernard  Avenue. 

Mrs.  Usher,  Queenston,  Ont. 


11 


DEEDS   SPEAK" 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF    TORONTO 


TRANSACTION  No.   14 


CONTENTS 

1.  Sketch  of  Miss  FitzGibbon's  Life. 

2.  Political  Squib.     Given  by  Mrs.  Duckworth. 

3.  Old  Family  Letter.     Read  by  Mrs.  W.  H.  P.  Jarvis. 


1914-15 


Sketch  of  Miss  FitzGibbon's  Life. 

PRESIDENT  AND  FOUNDER  OF  THE 
Women's  Canadian   Historical   Society. 

Mary  Agnes  FitzGibbon,  late  our  President  and  a  founder 
of  this  Society  was  born  in  Belleville  in  1851. 

A  daughter  of  the  late  Mrs.  Chamberlin  by  her  first 
marriage,  she  inherited  from  her  mother's  family,  the  Strick- 
lands,  great  literary  ability  and  an  interest  in  history;  while 
from  her  father's  side  descended  to  her  that  unselfish  devotion 
to  public  duty  and  the  burning  patriotism  which  distinguished 
her  "Veteran  of  1812". 

Always  a  delicate  child,  much  of  her  time  was  spent  with 
her  grandmother  Susanna  Moodie,  authoress  of  "Roughing 
it  in  the  Bush",  who  was  able  to  give  her  eager  listener  a 
picturesque  view  of  the  struggles  of  the  early  settlers  in  the 
Province.  Later,  on  the  death  of  her  father  Charles  FitzGibbon 
as  eldest  child  of  the  little  family,  she  helped  her  mother  in 
the  monumental  work  of  colouring  the  illustrations  in  her 
book,  "The  Wild  Flowers  of  Canada".  Upon  her  mother's 
marriage  to  Col.  Chamberlin  in  1870,  the  family  removed  to 
Ottawa,  where  she  began  to  write,  her  first  effort  being  a 
charming  account  of  a  fancy  dress  ball  given  at  Rideau  Hall 
by  Lady  Dufferin. 

Her  first  book,  "A  Trip  to  Manitoba,  or  Roughing  it 
Along  the  Line",  was  the  outcome  of  some  months  spent  in 
that  Province.  Published  in  England  it  went  through  three 
editions  and  was  largely  responsible  for  the  emigration  to 
that  Province  from  the  Old  World.  The  story  of  its  publica- 
tion is  an  instance  of  the  determination,  which  brushed  aside 
all  difficulties.  Just  before  her  return  to  the  east,  the  shack 
in  which  she  was  staying  with  friends  was  burnt  to.  the  ground, 
the  MS.  of  the  completed  book  perishing  with  it.  Undaunted 
by  the  disaster  she  rewrote  the  book  from  memory  on  her 
return  home. 

In  the  early  "eighties"  in  response  to  a  request  from  her 
great-aunts,  Miss  Agnes  Strickland  and  Mrs.  Gwillam  nee  Jane 
Strickland,  she  went  to  England  and  remained  with  them 
throughout  their  closing  years.  This  was  perhaps  the  happiest 
time  of  her  life.  At  her  aunts'  she  met  many  distinguished 
people  and  revelled  in  the  historic  material  gathered  for  the 

15 


Queens  of  England ;  nor  was  her  own  literary  work  forgotten, 
a  book  OK  V Superstitions  as  Affecting  History"  was  begun, 
but  never  completed.  Also  during  these  years  she  gained  a 
sympathetic  insight  into  English  life  which  was  a  valuable 
asset  in  her  patriotic  work  later  on.  Soon  after  her  return  to 
Canada  she  became  absorbed  in  the  Life  of  her  Grandfather, 
Col.  James  FitzGibbon.  The  first  edition  of  this,  "  A  Veteran 
of  1812"  was  issued  in  1894,  a  second  being  called  for  in 
1898.  In  these  years  she  also  collaborated  in  the  bringing  out 
of  the  Cabot  and  Historic  Days  Calendars. 

Her  public  work  began  with  the  founding,  with  Mrs. 
Curzon,  of  this  Society.  Loyalty  at  that  period  in  Canada 
was  limp  and  apologetic,  seeming  half  afraid  to  show  itself 
and  none  can  measure  the  effect  of  her  whole-hearted  en- 
thusiasm; her  patriotism  as  a  flame  enkindled  that  of  others. 
An  eloquent  speaker,  sympathetic  and  with  a  strong  sense 
of  humour,  she  was  in  great  demand,  and  with  characteristic 
devotion  she  responded  to  every  call,  and  was  thus  enabled 
to  form  historical  Societies  in  other  places.  The  unique 
Historical  Exhibition  held  in  Victoria  College  in  1898  was 
largely  her  undertaking,  while  in  the  work  of  preserving  the 
Old  Fort,  extending  as  it  did  over  many  years,  she  was  one 
of  the  foremost  leaders. 

But  a  bare  enumeration  of  her  many  interests  can  give 
no  idea  of  the  unselfish  zeal  with  which  she  strove  for  the  good 
of  others.  The  years  were  richly  filled  with  a  service,  active, 
many-sided  and  marked  by  wisdom,  breadth  of  vision  and 
loftiness  of  aim.  Her  patriotism  was  no  idle  sentiment  but 
absorbed  her  whole  being,  and  was  the  mainspring  of  every 
enterprise.  Of  an  ardent  nature  whatever  she  undertook  she 
did  with  all  her  might,  and  too  often  she  denied  herself 
necessary  repose. 

For  her  work  in  founding  the  Women's  Welcome  Hostel 
she  really  gave  her  life.  It  was  hard  for  those  who  loved  her 
to  note  the  signs  of  intense  fatigue  and  weariness  stamped 
upon  her.  What  she  was  to  hundreds  of  these  girls  landing 
strangers  on  our  shores — the  future  alone  will  reveal.  None 
we  may  be  sure  will  forget  "The  Lady  of  the  Open  Heart". 
But  the  burden  was  all  too  great;  always  frail  she  had  suffered 
much,  and  so  after  a  brief  illness  the  end  came,  and  on  May 
the  19th,  1915,  she  passed  away,  leaving  us  the  precious 
aroma  of  a  life  that  touched  other  lives  but  to  enrich  them; 
a  life  lofty  in  its  ideals  and  spent  in  the  service  of  others. 


16 


A   Political  Squib. 

When  Sir  Charles  Bagot  died  in  1843,  Responsible  Govern- 
ment was  in  a  fair  way  of  being  established.  Sir  Charles 
Metcalfe  succeeded  him,  and  soon  created  confusion  and 
discord  in  the  political  affairs  of  Canada.  The  Baldwin- 
Lafontaine  Ministry  resigned  in  November  and  Metcalfe 
then  tried  to  govern  without  a  ministry.  Twelve  months 
elapsed  between  the  resignation  of  the  ministers  and  the 
Second  Union  Parliament.  In  the  election  of  1844  the  Con- 
servative or  Metcalfe's  Party  won  by  a  majority  of  three, 
and  what  was  called  the  Draper  Ministry  was  formed. 

The  following  poem  was  evidently  written  by  a  jubilant 
Conservative,  rejoicing  in  the  triumph  of  his  party  over 
the  Liberals,  who  had  expected  to  return  to  power  on  the 
"Responsible  Government"  platform. 

THE  NEW  YEAR'S  ADDRESS 

of  the 

CARRIERS  OF  THE  NEWS. 

January  1,  MDCCCXLV, 

Hurrah!  for  Responsible  Government! 

Hurrah  for  the  brave  thing 
That  doth  the  Radicals  lay  low, 

The  Tories  topmost  bring! 

O !  Baldwin,1  in  thy  heart  of  hearts 

Had'st  thou  but  known  the  fate 
That  thy1  loved  bantling  eke  would  bring 

On  thy  devoted  pate ! 

Then  had  thy  voice  been  raised  to  cry 

"  Responsibles !  a vaunt ! 
For  freedom  and  equality 

And  suffrage  low  I  pant! 

For  universal  suff.  I  go, 

And  the  kind  of  law  called  Lynch; 
I've  tried  Responsibility, 

I've  found  its  shoes  to  pinch". 

Then  Hurra!     Hurra!  we  now  may  cry 

For  Responsible  Government, 
That  hath  the  rampant  Radicals 

To  opposition  sent! 

O!     Patrons,  did  ye  ever  see 

A  little,  snappish  brute, 
Come  snarling  at  the  big  dog's  heels, 

And  snapping  at  his  foot. 

17 


If  not — go  to  the  Parliament 

And  look  at  Tom  Ay  1  win,3 
For  a  puppy  more  obstreperous 

You  ne'er  will  see  again! 

He  snaps,  he  snarls,  he  shews  his  teeth, 

He  runs  at  every  heel ; 
A  funny  dog  he  is,  be  sure, 

For  he  knows  how  to  reel ! 

Then  Hurrah  for  Responsible  Government ! 

That  keeps  him  out  of  place, 
And  shews  him  in  his  colors  true — 

An  Ass  with  brazen  face! 

Hurrah!     Responsible  Government 

Hath  riddled  Mr.  Hincks4 
(Baldwin's  firm  ally  and  fast  friend), 

Who  now  in  columns  thinks! 

Ho !  Beaubien6  and  Drummond 

In  Montreal  were  beat; 
The  L.P.S.'s,6  Hincks  doth  say, 

Walked  into  them  afeetl 

Prince  Rupert's  Cavaliers  were  there 
And  smashed  the  roundheads  all; 

And  the  Dolphins  wagged  their  tails  at  them, 
And  sent  them  to  the  wall! 

The  Palace  then  of  Whitehall 

Was  gloriously  lit  up, 
And  every  loyal  cavalier 

Quaffed  off  a  brimming  cup! 

Three  groans  for  Granny  Drummond ! 

Three  groans  for  Beaubien! 
They  gave  them  with  a  right  good  will, 

Once,  twice — and  then  again! 

O!  brightly  shone  the  Dolphins'  scales; 

And  the  "Lick  and  Poke  'em  ups", 
While  the  Dolphins  quaffed  strong  water, 

Were  deeply  in  their  cups! 

But  all  their  joy  was  turned  to  grief: 

Ah!  woeful  sight  to  see 
The  gallant  ship  that  man  called  Hincks 

Came  riddled  from  the  sea! 

But  their  grief  was  not  one  half  so  great 

As  that  of  Derbishire7 
Who  offered  wine  to  Sullivan,8 

Who  threw  it  in  the  fire! 

Now  Derbishire  his  gauntlet  threw 

('Twas  made  of  martin's  fur!) 
And  thus  to  Sullivan  did  say — 

Thou  art  a  monstrous  cur ! 


18 


Have  I  not  seen  thee  drunk  at  night 

And  rolling  in  the  mire? 
Have  I  not  stuffed  thee  with  good  wine 

Up  to  thy  heart's  desire? 

And  when  to  thee  the  wine  seemed  weak 

Have  I  not  given  Cognac? 
And  now  you  will  not  drink — O  Satan, 

Get  behind  my  back! 

You  are  a  monstrous  humbug, 

A  Hypocrite  most  vile! 
Come,  we're  alone — the  door  is  shut — 

Come  pitch  it  in,  in  style. 

Hurrah  for  Responsible  Government! 

Bob  Sullivan,  kicked  out, 
Had  nothing  else  at  all  to  do 

But  wheel,  and  turn  about! 

So,  being  practised  in  that  art, 
He  took  the  Temperance  vow, 

And  drove  the  nail  right  to  the  head 
At  the  very  foremost  blow. 

A  second  father  Mathew9  he 
Hath  now,  good  sooth,  become, 

And  given  up  brandy,  wine  and  gin, 
And  e'en  Jamaica  rum! 

Thus,  then,  Responsible  Government 
Hath  worked  such  wondrous  things 

That  we  must  e'en  toss  up  our  cap 
And  bless  the  luck  it  brings! 

Long  live,  say  we,  its  ups  and  downs — 
Blessed  freedom's  guarantee — 

Provided  only  that  the  Rads. 
Will  truly  loyal  be! 

They've  got  enough  upon  the  lips 

But  want  it  in  the  heart : 
When  once  they  get  it  there  'twere  well 

It  never  should  depart. 

Hurrah  for  Responsible  Government! 

So  generous  we  feel 
That  at  any  rate  on  New  Year's  day 

We  think  we'll  lift  one  heel. 

'Twere  surely  hard  to  trample  on 

A  crushed  and  fallen  foe, 
Particularly  since  its  leaders 

Have  been  sobered  by  the  blow! 

So!     Radicals,  don't  be  alarmed: 
Although  we've  got  you  down 

We're  not  much  troubled  about  our  feet- 
We  only  guard  the  Crown ! 


19 


1  Robert   Baldwin   was  born    in    1804.       The   story   of    his   family's 
coming  to  Canada  has  been  printed  as  a  Transaction  of  this  society.    No 
public  man  ever  commanded  such  respect.    Until  the  day  of  his  death  he 
was  the  idol  of  the  Canadian  people.     In  politics  he  was  a  Liberal.     He 
began  the  practice  of  the  law  in  1827.     In  1829  he  became  a  member  of 
the  Assembly  of  Upper  Canada,  and  in  1836  a  member  of  the  Executive 
Council.    In  1842  he  formed  with  Mr.  Lafontaine  the  Baldwin-Lafontaine 
Ministry.    He  was  Attorney-General  for  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  occupy- 
ing this  position  until  the  rupture  with  Sir  Charles  Metcalfe  and  resuming 
it  in  1848. 

2  Responsible  Government.' 

8  Thomas  Aylwin  was  born  in  Quebec  in  1806.  He  was  one  of  the 
highest  authorities  in  Canada  on  Criminal  Jurisprudence.  He  won  repu- 
tation as  a  caustic  and  slashing  journalist.  He  was  one  of  the  original 
founders  of  the  Const.  Ass.  of  Quebec.  Aylwin  sat  in  Parliament  seven 
years  for  Portneuf,  and  was  one  of  the  keenest  Parliamentary  debaters  of 
his  time.  Metcalfe's  biographer  thus  describes  him — "A  man  of  infinite 
adroitness  and  lawyer-like  sagacity,  skilled  in  making  the  worst  appear 
the  better  reason,  and  in  exposing  the  weakness  of  an  adversary's  cause". 

4  Editor   and   proprietor   of   the   Pilot — also   wrote  to  the    Morning 
Chronicle,  London,  against  Wakefield  who  had  defended  Metcalfe  Hincks; 
was  defeated  at  this  election  in  Oxford  county. 

5  Beaubien  and  Drummond,  members  for  Montreal  City,  were  defeated 
by  George  Moffatt  and  Dr.  Bleury. 

6  The  Loyal  Patriotic  Society  originated  in  York  in  1812.    Subscriptions 
came  from  Lower  Canada,  Nova  Scotia,  Jamaica  and  England.    England 
gave  £8,000,  and  when  the  war  was  over  £4,000  which  remained  went  to 
found  a  hospital. 

7  Steward  Derbyshire,  member  for  Bytown  (Ottawa). 

8  Robert  Baldwin  Sullivan,  mayor  of  Toronto   1834.    On  the  resigna- 
tion of  Sir  Francis  Bond  Head's  Council  he  accepted  a  seat  in  Parliament, 
and  became  Commissioner  of  Crown  Lands.     He  was  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Council  of  Sir  Charles  Bagot,  and  Sir  Charles  Metcalfe;  but 
resigned  with  his  Liberal  colleagues  because  of  the  antagonism  between 
the  Governor  and  his  ministry.    His  letters — signed  "Legion" — combined 
with  his  energy,  did  a  great  deal  towards  the  final  success  of  his  party. 

9  A  noted  Irish  priest  and  temperance  reformer. 


20 


An  Old  Family  Letter. 
READ  BY  MRS.  W.  H.  P.  JARVIS. 

Letter  by  Mrs.  R.  Hazen  (an  officer's  widow)  to  her 
brother  in  London,  Edward  J.  Jarvis,1  who  became  Chief 
Justice  of  Prince  Edward  Island.  Dated — 

St.  John,  January  30th,  1816. 

and  sent  by  the  "True  Blue"  to  Edward  J.  Jarvis,  29  Arundel 
St.,  Strand. 

"I  now  take  up  my  pen  according  to  promise  to  scribble 
the  memorandum  for  mamma,  but  in  the  first  place  my  dear 
Brother  I  will  tell  you  how  gay  your  mother  has  become. 

You  will  hardly  credit  me  when  I  say  that  she  has  within 
one  week  been  at  three  parties — namely  to  dinner  at  Judge 
Chipman's,2  to  a  jiggery  at  Mrs.  Codner's3  and  to  a  large 
dinner  party  at  Ralph  Jarvis;  but  what  is  still  more  wonder- 
ful William  joined  in  all  these  entertainments. 

Your  Father  and  myself  were  obliged  to  send  our  apologies 
in  consequence  of  indisposition,  tho*  neither  of  us  was  very 
sick — Papa's  cough  has  been  very  distressing  but  is  much 
better,  my  late  Disorder  left  me  so  weak  that  to  stay  quietly 
at  home  was  best  for  us.  I  mentioned  in  my  last  letter  to  you 
how  very  sick  Sally  Hazen  was  with  a  bilious  Fever,  since 
when  she  has  recovered — but  her  poor  father  is  extremely  low 
with  a  Dysentry,  a  complaint  that  generally  attacks  people 
in  a  consumption,  particularly  towards  the  last  stages  of  this 
melancholy  disease. 

Now  for  the  Commissions. 

A  pair  of  Bronze  Candlesticks — these  to  be  handsome  and 
if  you  could  meet  with  them  that  has  glass  drops  suspended 
from  them — such  as  hang  to  Lustres,  we  would  prefer  them. 

Two  plated  dish  stands  and  two  glass  trifle  or  Floating 
Island  Dishes  to  place  on  them — if  these  stands  could  be  got 
lower  priced  than  the  ones  you  sent  Mrs.  Parker4  do  get  them 
so,  if  not  you  must  not  exceed  a  price  what  hers  cost. 

A  glass  stand — I  do  not  know  whether  you  will  know  it 
from  this  name  or  whether  you  have  met  with  the  kind  I 
mean,  but  I  will  endeavour  to  give  you  an  idea  of  it  by  Des- 
cription— two  or  three  glass  Plates  one  above  the  other  with 
a  glass  Dish  or  Bowl  on  the  top,  which  altogether  forms  a 
Pyramid — the  common  glass  that  is  thick  through  and  pretty 

21 


clear  will  do  for  this — I  conclude  from  those  I  have  seen  and 
the  cost  of  them,  that  this  may  be  got  for  about  thirty  or 
forty  shillings,  perhaps  less  but  if  more  do  not  get  it.  We  have 
jelly  glasses  in  abundance  to  place  on  it,  of  course  none  need 
be  got. 

Two  bright,  light  blue  moreen  window  curtains — these 
to  be  made  up  and  trimmed  in  the  newest  fashion,  but  if  the 
style  for  curtains  has  not  changed  since  you  forwarded  the 
models  to  us — order  these  after  the  pattern  that  one  pole 
serves  for  both  windows — the  Room  is  rather  more  than  nine 
feet  high — the  pole  to  reach  exactly  across  must  be  rather 
more  than  eleven  feet,  one  inch  long. 

A  sufficient  quantity  of  the  bright,  light  blue  moreen  to 
cover  a  large  sofa  or  if  two  small  sofas  for  Drawing  Rooms  are 
more  stylish  send  more  of  this  stuff  to  cover  the  two. 

A  Bell  Rope  or  Riband  to  correspond  with  the  blue 
Curtains.  An  Orange  ditto  for  the  Orange  Curtains — these  go 
in  the  Dining  Room. 

A  border  for  the  Hall  oil  floor  cloth  as  follows — twenty- 
four  yards  of  bordering  between  seven  and  eight  inches  wide — 
Mamma  prefers  Flowers  for  the  pattern — she  has  a  great 
dislike  to  any  set  figure — the  colours  in  the  oil  cloth  are 
Orange,  brown,  black  and  Lemon. 

A  Coffee  urn  to  match  the  Tea  urn  you  sent  out — this 
Tea  urn  is  called  in  the  bill  "a  Flower  Pot  Tea  Urn  on  Pillars" 
— there  is  no  plate  about  it  you  will  recollect — on  the  top 
there  is  a  Crescent,  also  on  the  bottom — or  rather  in  the 
centre  under  the  body  upon  the  stretcher  that  the  lower  part 
of  the  pillars  are  fixed  on.  Your  Mother  has  given  up  the 
idea  of  sending  Home  for  a  Set  of  Dish  Covers,  as  they  can 
be  had  here.  Here  ends  my  memorandum,  I  am  tired  of 
them,  you  I  am  sure  must  be  doubly  so." 

Then  follows  "Memorandum  of  articles  to  be  purchased 
by  Mr.  E.  J.  Jarvis  for  Mrs.  R.  Hazen  and  brought  out  when 
he  returns  to  this  Country." 

"A  white  Satin  gown  genteelly  and  fashionably  made  and 
trimmed  by  no  means  extravagantly.  A  yard  and  a  half  of 
the  satin  to  alter  the  gown  in  case  it  should  not  suit. 

A  full  dress  Head  dress  to  wear  with  the  white  Satin. 
A  dress  neck  Handkerchief  to  correspond  with  the  above. 
A  ruff  or  collar  that  will  answer  to  wear  in  full  dress  as  I 
always  cover  my  neck. 

22 


A  Stuff  dress  for  the  morning  made  high  to  cover  the  Bosom 
and  neck  for  winter — the  colour  I  will  leave  to  your  taste. 
A  morning  dress  for  Summer  made  of  cheap  materials.  These 
two  Dresses  I  must  request  may  be  so  formed  that  I  can  put 
them  on  without  the  assistance  of  a  dressing  maid.  Two 
Morning  Caps  not  expensive  ones.  A  large  straw  Bonnet 
neatly  trimmed. 

A  cloth  pelisse  trimmed  with  Leopard  Skin  or  rather  the 
dyed  Skin  in  imitation  of  the  Leopard — as  I  am  informed  this 
comes  much  cheaper  and  looks  nearly  as  well. 

4  yards  Swansdown  trimming  at  about  ten  shillings  a 
yard  and  4  ditto  at  five  shillings  a  yard.  Ten  yards  of  pink 
figured  satin  (are  sent)  to  be  dyed  Crimson. 

"You  will  have  the  goodness  to  make  enquiries  of  a  Mantua 
Maker  what  number  of  yards  it  will  take  to  make  me  a  Dress 
(not  forgetting  to  inform  her  of  the  width  of  the  silk).  You 
have  a  gown  of  mine  with  you  that  will  give  an  idea  of  my 
size.  Don't  let  the  mantua  maker  have  more  than  a  pattern — 
the  remainder  being  out  unmade. 

I  wish  the  Dress  made  up  fashionably  and  trimmed  gen- 
teelly but  not  extravagantly  by  any  means — lace  flounces 
are  beyond  my  purse.  A  Full  dress  cap  or  Turban  to  corre- 
spond with  the  crimson  gown.  A  pair  of  corsettes  the  price 
not  to  exceed  forty  shillings. 

I  must  say  a  little  more  respecting  the  gowns  in  conse- 
quence of  a  report  here  that  the  present  fashion  at  Home  is 
to  have  the  skirts  very  short  so  much  so  that  half  the  Leg  is 
exposed  to  view — this  I  cannot  comply  with — the  fullness  I 
have  no  objection  to — I  wish  mine  made  fully  as  long  in  front 
as  the  one  you  took  Home  and  the  trains  of  a  fashionable 
length — the  trains  of  the  Dress  gowns  I  am  speaking  of— 
the  Morning  Dresses  of  course  will  be  round  ones — that  is 
without  trains.  After  prohibiting  Blue,  French  Grey,  Buff 
or  Yellow  for  my  Pelisse  I  will  leave  the  colour  of  it  to  your 
taste  and  the  fashion,  after  remarking  I  should  not  like  a  very 
gay  one.  A  large  black  lace  veil — say  about  a  yard  and  half 
long  and  proportionally  wide.  A  Frizette  with  a  band  of  hair 
fixed  to  it — I  send  a  lock  that  you  may  know  what  colour  to 
get.  You  will  remember  that  my  forehead  is  very  high  and 
broad,  therefore  order  the  Frizette  made  accordingly. 

A  set  of  garnet  ornaments  consisting  of  earrings,  necklace 
and  snap,  Bracelet  bands  and  snap,  Brooch,  Finger  Ring  and 
Clasp  for  the  Waist.  I  prefer  the  small  garnet  say  about  the 

23 


size  of  seed  Coral  with  16  strings  for  the  neck  and  twelve  for 
the  wrist — that  is  24  for  both  wrist  bands — the  Snaps, 
Brooch  and  Earrings  (excepting  the  wire  that  goes  through 
my  ear)  to  be  set  in  double  gilt.  The  clasp  for  the  waist  need 
not  be  of  either,  but  some  cheap  yellow  stuff  that  has  the 
appearance  of  gold.  This  gem  is  so  well  imitated  that  the 
composition  garnet  will  answer  me  better  than  the  real  should 
the  real  be  very  expensive ;  the  rather  light  shade  and  one  that 
inclines  to  red  I  give  the  preference  to. 

A  Clasp  for  the  Waist  made  with  patent  pearls.  A  Sprig 
for  the  Head  of  patent  pearls.  An  ornament  for  the  Head 
made  with  the  smallest  size  polished  steel  beads — should  it 
not  come  too  high.  A  gilt  watch  chain  for  a  Lady,  rather 
showish.  The  ring  (enclosed)  I  wish  altered  to  the  size  of  the 
wire  I  send  and  the  seal  or  plate  which  contains  the  Cross 
made  a  fashionable  size  and  shape  and  instead  of  the  Cross 
have  the  Hair  I  forwarded  put  therein  with  pearls  around  it — 
this  must  not  exceed  three  guineas.  The  Thermometer  1  will 
thank  you  to  have  repaired  and  bring  out  with  you. 

You  will  find  with  the  articles  sent  by  Mr.  Peters  a  West 
India  Pebble,  should  it  not  cost  too  much  I  will  thank  you 
to  have  it  made  into  a  watch  seal  with  the  letters  R.  F.  H.  cut 
on  it. 

On  looking  over  my  memorandum  I  find  I  have  omitted 
white  silk  velvet — an  article  I  have  had  a  great  desire  for  a 
long  time — you  will  therefore  have  the  goodness  to  purchase 
for  me  2  yards  white  silk  velvet — I  should  prefer  that  of  three 
quarters  width  to  that  of  half  yard.  A  pair  of  white  satin 
slippers.  2  pair  of  sealskin  or  kid  shoes  with  waterproof  soles 
(these  must  be  black)  either  ties  or  not  as  most  worn.  As  I 
have  no  shoes  that  I  can  conveniently  spare  to  send  as  a 
pattern  I  forward  the  shape  and  size  of  the  sole  of  one  which 
I  hope  will  answer.  I  will  thank  you  to  have  the  walking 
shoes  made  a  little  larger  than  the  pattern,  the  satin  ones  the 
same  size  of  the  pattern — my  reason  for  this  is,  with  the 
former  I  frequently  wear  two  pair  of  cotton  stockings — but 
with  the  latter  only  silk  ones  and  but  one  pair. 

I  now  enclose  my  second  (that  is  2nd  draft)  upon  Mr. 
Codd  for  a  £100,  the  first  went  under  cover  to  him  with  my 
certificate  for  December  on  the  16th  Instant — how  long  they 
will  remain  at  Halifax  is  uncertain — it's  more  than  probable 
this  will  reach  you  first.  It  is  said  Miss  Parker  will  become 
Mrs.  Duvernette  in  March  next.5  There  are  no  other  flirta- 

24 


tions  on  foot  that  I  have  heard  of.  Have  you  or  young 
Saunders  met  with  Major  Tryon  since  his  return  home? 
There  is  a  story  in  circulation  here  that  he  has  written  Judge 
Saunders  that  he  has  changed  his  mind  respecting  his  daughter 
and  shall  not  come  out  to  fulfil  his  engagement  of  marrying 
her — also  that  He  (this  noble  Major)  has  written  to  a  gentle- 
man in  this  City  that  it  would  be  a  curious  thing  for  him  to 
come  out  to  marry  Miss  Saunders  when  at  Home  at  a  moment's 
warning  He  could  take  unto  himself  an  accomplished  wife 
with  a  fortune  of  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  pounds — and 
there  were  more  than  one  stood  ready  to  become  Mrs.  Tryon 
of  this  description.  The  November  Packet  has  not  arrived 
yet — I  am  fearful  she  is  lost — it's  now  time  to  look  for  the 
December  Mail  which  I  trust  will  bring  letters  from  you  to 
us  and  I  shall  expect  certainly  to  hear  from  you  by  the  early 
spring  ships  from  Liverpool  as  young  Hamilton  said  he  would 
put  you  in  a  way  to  write  us  by  that  route.  The  family's  love 
to  you. 

Your  Affectionate  Sister, 

P.  H." 

Forwarded  with  this  letter  were  several  articles  to  be  sold. 
2  pair  of  near  sighted  spectacles  valued  at  £1  a  pair,  4  epau- 
lettes valued  at  £7  a  pair — of  these  Mrs.  Hazen  writes 
"I  do  not  expect  you  to  get  more  than  25  shillings  a  piece 
for  the  epaulettes  as  that  is  the  price  my  Husband  sold  old 
ones  for  when  he  was  in  London — tho'  they  were  not  so 
valuable  as  those  I  send  being  Captain's  epaulettes  and 
having  Bullion  only  on  the  outside  whereas  these  being  Field 
Officers  are  Bullion  throughout.  I  have  also  two  pair  of  Field 
Officers  epaulettes  which  have  never  been  worn  the  charge 
for  those  amounts  to  upwards  of  £20  sterling — they  are 
among  the  number  of  things  I  have  had  to  pay  the  Agent  for." 

1  Their  father  was  Munson  Jarvis,  a  U.E.L.,  from  Stamford, 
Conn.  Two  brothers  came  to  New  Brunswick,  the  third  re- 
mained in  the  U.S.,  and  the  last  of  his  family  married  Colt  of 
revolver  fame.  In  the  records  of  St.  John  appears  the  sale 
of  two  slaves  by  Munson,  Jarvis  to  Abraham  de  Peystre,  a 
Huguenot  Loyalist. 

His  son  Edward  James  was  educated  at  King's  Coll., 
Windsor,  and  attended  the  Inns  of  Court  of  the  Inner  Temple, 
reading  under  the  celebrated  Chitty.  In  1822,  he  succeeded 
the  Judge  Saunders  mentioned  in  the  letter,  who  was  raised 

25 


to  Chief  Justice;  and  in  1823  Mr.  Jarvis  was  appointed  Judge 
of  the  Admiralty  Court  at  Malta,  where  my  father-in-law  was 
born.  In  1827  he  was  offered  a  Chief  Justiceship  in  Australia 
or  Prince  Edward  I .  and  chose  the  latter.  In  1852  he  died.  His 
son  studied  medicine  in  Edinburgh  where  he  assisted  Sir  James 
Simpson  in  the  early  uses  of  chloroform.  The  William  and 
Ralph  mentioned  were  brothers  of  Judge  Jarvis,  and  the 
writer  was  probably  the  widow  of  Robert  Hazen  mentioned 
as  Lieut,  of  the  60th  Regt.  and  A.D.C. 

2  A  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Wm.  Hazen — member  of  the 
Council  under  Carleton  and  belonging  to  an   Eng.  family 
settled  in  N.B.  before  the  coming  of  the  Loyalists — married 
Ward  Chipman,  a  Massachusetts  Loyalist  who  drew  up  the 
Royal  Charter  of  St.  John,  was  appointed  a  judge  in  1809  and 
Govt.  Agent  in  1816,  under  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  to  determine 
the  N.  W.  angle  of  Nova  Scotia.    He  died  at  Fredericton  in 
1824  while  Administrator. 

3  Mrs.  Codner  is  probably  wife  of  James  Codner  appointed 
1793  Chamberlain  of  St.  John. 

4  Mrs.  Parker,  no  doubt  is  the  "pretty  and  agreeable  lady" 
Benedict  Arnold  mentions  in  a  letter  from  Eng.  dated  1793, 
as  having  wed  his  friend   Parker  and  sailed  with  him  to 
Halifax.     Robert  Parker  was  a  Massachusetts  Loyalist  and 
Comptroller  of  the  Customs  at  St.  John.    He  died  in  1823. 
Mrs.  P.  lived  to  the  age  of  84  and  died  in  1852.     Their  two 
sons  were  Chief  Justice  and  the  Hon.  Neville  Parker. 

5  This  marriage  took  place  in  1816;  the  Miss  Parker  men- 
tioned being  the  daughter  of  Robert  Parker  Sen.  Du  Vernet 
died  in  1832  on  a  voyage  from  Ceylon,  E.I.    to    England. 
He  was  then  Assistant  Quartermaster-General. 

The  inscription  which  follows  is  to  their  son : — 
Du  VERNET 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Robert  Parker  Du  Vernet,  who 
died  in  the  full  hope  of  a  resurrection  to  eternal  life,  January 
llth,  1837.  Aged  19  years. 

Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord. 

From  the  Loyalist  Centenial  Souvenir,  1783-1883,  pub- 
lished by  J.  and  A.  McMillan,  100  Prince  William  Street, 
St.  John,  N.B.,  1887.  Inscription  from  the  Old  Burial 
Ground,  page  108. 


26 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

OF  THE 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

1915-16 

Organized  November  1895;  Incorporated  February  14th,  1896. 


OFFICERS. 


Honorary  President 


Past  Presidents 


President 
Vice-Presidents 


Recording  Secretary         ... 
Corresponding  Secretary 
Treasurer  - 

Convenor  of  Red  Cross  Committee 


-  LADY  HENDRIE. 

(  MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 
|*MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON. 

\*LADY  EDGAR. 
*MlSS   M.   A.    FlTZGlBBON. 

-  MlSS   MlCKLE. 

/MRS.  JAS.  BAIN. 
\MRS.  H.  H.  ROBERTSON. 

-  Miss  ROBERTS,  91  St.  Joseph  St. 

-  MRS.  S.  CORLEY,  46  Dun  vegan  Road. 

-  MRS.  DUCKWORTH,  418  Indian  Road 

-  MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  631  Sherbourne  St, 


LADY  STUPART. 
Miss  MACCALLUM. 
MRS.  W.  H.  ELLIS. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  W.  H.  P.  JARVIS. 
Miss  HELEN  PEARCE. 
Miss  EMILY  WEAVER. 


RED  CROSS  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  Convenor.  Miss  HELEN  PEARCE. 

LADY  STUPART.  Miss  ADA  PEARCE. 

MRS.  FREELAND.  Miss  DES  BRISSAY. 

Miss  HORSEY.  MRS.  GEO.  JARVIS. 

MRS.  BAIN.  Miss  TOCQUE. 
MRS.  W.  H.  P.  JARVIS. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS 


G.  R.  PARKIN,  C.M.G.,  LL.D. 

COL.  G.  T.  DENISON. 

Miss  CARNOCHAN. 

W.  MACFARLANE. 

JAMES  H  ANN  AY. 

SIR  GILBERT  PARKER,  M.P. 

CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.S.C. 

Miss  LIZARS. 

Miss  MACHAR. 

MRS.  C.  FESSENDEN. 

BLISS  CARMEN. 

JOHN  D.  KELLY. 

REV.  PROF.  BRYCE. 


DR.  LOCKE. 

THE  VERY  REV.  DEAN  HARRIS. 

J.  A.  MACDONELL. 

W.  D.  LIGHTHALL,  F.R.C.S.,  F.R.S.L. 

BENJAMIN  SULTE,  F.R.S.C. 

REV.  JOHN  MCDOUGALL. 
REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  Ph.D. 
EDWARD  WM.  THOMSON. 
JOHN  READE,  F.R.S.C.,  F.R.S.L. 
CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 
MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 
*DR.  ED.  MANNING  SAUNDERS. 


CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS 

Miss  JEAN  BARR,  Windsor.  MRS.  MCLAREN,  Perth. 

MRS.  HENRY  McLEOD,  Ottawa.  MRS.  CHRISTIE,  North  Gower. 

Miss  C.  A.  MERRITT,  St.  Catharines.          MRS.  BACKUS,  M.D.,  Alymer. 


*Deceased. 


President's  Address. 


The  Society  has  passed  through  another  year,  and  I  think 
we  may  congratulate  ourselves  that  it  has  been  a  year  of  work, 
not  for  a  few  only;  for  the  members  generally  have  worked 
together  to  obtain  the  very  creditable  result  shown  by  the  Red 
Cross  Committee.  This  is  the  ideal  of  every  Society.  Whether 
we  could  have  attained  it,  in  such  measure  as  we  have,  without 
the  stimulus  to  patriotic  effort  the  war  afforded,  may  be 
doubted,  but  if  we  have  done  well  in  the  past,  we  must  do  far 
better  this  year:  the  needs  grow  all  the  time  greater  and  I 
think  we  should  consider  whether,  not  abating  our  efforts  for 
the  men  in  the  trenches,  it  is  not  possible  to  do  something  for 
the  returned  soldiers.  Let  our  watchword  for  the  year  be 
"Keep  on,  keeping  on",  and  our  aim  to  accomplish  something 
really  effectual.  These  are  great  times  in  which  we  live.  A 
great  task  is  set  before  us,  and  we  must  strive  to  answer  the 
call  and  live  worthily. 

It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  the  Civic  and  Street 
Railway  authorities  have  succeeded,  in  violation  of  the  deed 
from  the  Imperial  Government,  and  of  the.  wishes  of  the 
citizens  expressed  in  the  election  some  years  ago,  wrhen  the 
by-law  was  defeated  by  a  large  majority,  in  securing  an 
entrance  which  interferes  with  the  rampart  to  the  north  of 
the  Old  Fort.  It  is,  we  are  assured,  only  a  temporary  high- 
way, the  use  of  which  will  cease  when  the  water-front  is 
completed;  and  the  Old  Fort  Protective  Association,  with  the 
Historical  Societies  must  endeavour  to  see  that  this  agreement 
is  kept.  The  Grand  Trunk  Railway  appears  to  be  slowly 
encroaching  year  by  year,  and  I  would  like  to  see  a  small 
committee  appointed  to  co-operate  with  the  Old  Fort  Associa- 
tion and  to  urge  the  erection  of  a  commemorative  stone, 
such  as  is  common  in  Massachusetts  in  order  to  interest  and 
inform  the  public  in  the  history  of  the  place;  also  I  believe, 
that  the  Fort  should  be  surveyed  to  prevent  further  encroach- 
ments. 

There  is  much  work  to  be  done  by  our  members — looking 
forward  to  the  home  which  we  hope  to  possess  some  day — the 
Queen  Victoria  Memorial  Hall.  While  it  has  been  considered 
that  this  project  must  wait,  it  cannot  be  postponed  indefinitely 
and  there  is  much  to  be  done  in  the  way  of  preparation  in  the 


gathering  of  historical  material  and  relics,  and  the  accumula- 
tion of  a  library.  Very  little  has  as  yet  been  done  in  this  way, 
our  possessions  are  few  and  small,  nearly  everything  of  interest 
has  been  given  by  Miss  FitzGibbon.  In  this  coming  year  I 
trust  that  more  will  be  done  in  this  way  and  that  some  effort 
will  be  made  to  leave  behind  us  a  picture  of  our  life  and  our 
city  during  these  days  of  this  greatest  war. 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  the  Government  has 
at  last  moved  in  the  matter  of  the  Hearst  papers,  which  for 
years  have  been  systematically  poisoning  the  minds  of  such 
of  our  people  as  read  them,  against  Britain.  I  wish  it  were 
as  easy  to  stop,  what  one  might  call  the  local  grudge  against 
England  and  the  English.  It  is  astonishing  how  even  loyal 
and  supposedly  thoughtful  people  will  say  nasty  little  things 
about  the  Mother  Country.  All  such  talk  is  harmful — nearly 
always  untrue — and  all  our  members  should  discourage  it. 

There  is  always  a  certain  amount  of  relief  when  the 
Presidential  election  in  the  United  States  is  over.  The  idea 
of  free  choice  and  a  President  is  dear  to  democracies,  but  one 
may  well  question  whether  the  Presidentship  of  the  United 
States  is  not  too  valuable  a  prize  to  be  flung  as  a  glittering 
bauble  to  competition  every  four  years. 

The  passing  years  have  taken  heavy  toll  of  our  membership 
— not  in  numbers  only — we  have  lost  of  our  best  and  it  must 
be  one  of  our  endeavours  to  fill  up  the  ranks  and  secure  new 
members  for  service. 

It  is  the  hope  of  every  heart  that  in  the  coming  year  the 
war  may  cease;  and  the  rights  of  the  weak,  for  which,  with  our 
own  existence  as  an  Empire,  we  are  fighting,  may  be  forever 
firmly  established. 


Secretary's  Report. 


The  great  interest  of  this  Society  for  the  year  1915-16  has 
been  centred  in  our  Red  Cress  Work,  a  full  report  of  which  will 
follow,  the  success  of  the  Red  Cross  work  has  been  largely  due 
to  the  energy  and  earnestness  of  its  convenor,  Mrs.  Horace 
Eaton,  and  treasurer,  Lady  Stupart. 

Our  meetings  have  been  interesting,  the  excellent  papers 
have  been  enjoyed  by  all,  and  notwithstanding  the  many 
calls  on  the  time  of  our  members,  the  attendance  has  improved. 
This  has,  however,  been  a  year  of  tense  anxiety  to  many  of  our 
members,  whose  sons  have  responded  to  the  call  of  King  and 
Country,  to  the  mothers  of  these  sons  we  bow  our  heads  in 
humility  and  reverently  thank  our  Heavenly  Father  for  such 
mothers  and  such  sons;  may  an  abundant  blessing  be  theirs. 

The  Papers  have  been  as  follows :  Reminiscences  of  Fenian 
Raid  illustrated  by  maps  by  the  Rev. ,  Chancellor  Burwash, 
who  took  part  in  repelling  this  invasion  of  Canada. 

A  family  letter,  1816,  read  by  Mrs.  W.  H.  P.  Jarvis  has 
been  printed  as  Transaction  No.  14.  Reminiscences  of  the 
Reverend  Jas.  Richardson  D.D.,  gathered  from  traditional 
incidents  related  by  the  writers'  mother  who  settled  at  Fort 
Schlosser,  the  next  month  a  continuation  of  this  paper  was 
read,  giving  an  account  of  the  part  the  navy  took  in  the  War 
of  1812,  the  writer  being  at  that  time  a  lieutenant  and  losing  an 
arm  in  an  action  which  took  place  at  Oswego  River.  The 
reminiscences  of  Col.  Stephen  Jarvis,  U.E.L.,  relating  the 
part  he  took  in  the  Revoluntionary  War  and  after  and  the 
persecutions  to  which  he  was  subjected  as  a  Tory.  An 
Indian  Mission,  1857-60,  prepared  by  Mrs.  Jeffers  Graham, 
gave  an  account  of  pioneer  work  near  Rice  Lake  among 
Indians  living  there. 

Periodicals  received:  Story  of  the  Hurons  by  E.  J.  Hatha- 
way; The  Great  War,  speech  by  David  Lloyd  George;  The 
York  Pioneer;  The  Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Historical  Asso- 
ciation of  London,  England,  published  by  Macmillan ;  Annual 
Reports  of  the  Ontario  Historical  Society;  Annual  Report  of 
the  Niagara  Historical  Society;  Annual  Report  of  the  Women's 
Ottawa  Historical  Society;  Annual  Report  of  the  Waterloo 
Historical  Society;  Year  Book  of  the  University  of  Toronto; 


Report  of  Library  of  Congress,  Washington  ;  Maps  from 
Saskatchewan;  Washington  Historical  Quarterly^  from 
Seattle;  Report  of  Historic  Landmarks  Association;  Historical 
Publications  relating  to  Canada,  Vol.  22;  The  Crusade  of 
1383  by  the  Rev.  G.  M.  Wrong;  Report  of  Rhode  Island 
Historical  Society;  Report  of  Wentworth  Historical  Society; 
Report  of  Aryan  Society,  County  of  Brant. 

The  appointed  portrait  committee  has  collected  a 
sufficient  sum  for  an  oil  painting  of  our  late  President  and 
founder,  Miss  FitzGibbon;  the  work  will  be  proceeded  with 
without  delay.  Canon  Duckworth,  representing  the  Anti- 
German  League,  now  called  the  British  Empire  Union, 
explained  the  objects  and  need  of  this  Union.  This  Society 
agreed  to  endorse  what  he  had  said,  by  being  careful  to  pur- 
chase goods  of  Canadian  and  British  manufacture,  and  prevent 
if  possible  the  entrance  of  German  goods  after  the  close  of  this 
terrible  war  into  Canada  from  neutral  countries. 

Representatives  of  this  Society  were  present  at  a  deputa- 
tion to  the  Board  of  Education,  urging  the  benefits  of  military 
training  in  the  schools. 

Representatives  of  this  Society  together  with  representa- 
tives from  the  Ontario  Historical  Society  met  Mr.  Biggar  in 
St.  Andrew's  Institute  with  regard  to  the  preservation  of  the 
Old  Fort.  A  small  committee  from  this  was  appointed  to 
present  the  case  before  the  Ontario  Railway  Board. 

In  the  person  of  Miss  H.  M.  Hill  this  Society  has  lost  a 
valuable  worker,  her  unfailing  courtesy,  kindness,  energy,  and 
good  sense  were  always  used  for  the  betterment  of  those  with 
whom  she  came  in  contact,  her  cheerfulness  through  great 
suffering  was  an  object  lesson  to  us  all. 

In  the  death  of  Mrs.  Caroline  Jarvis,  one  of  the  first 
members  of  our  Society,  one  more  link  with  the  past  of  Toronto 
has  been  severed.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Capt.  John 
Skynner,  a  distinguished  naval  officer,  who  served  under 
Nelson;  later  he  came  to  Canada,  after  an  eight  weeks' 
voyage,  the  discomforts  of  which  made  a  profound  impression 
on  his  daughter,  and  settled  west  of  Port  Credit,  building 
there  his  home  "The  Anchorage."  His  next  neighbour  was 
Mr.  F.  Starr  Jarvis,  Usher  of  the  Black  Rod  in  Parliaments  of 
Canada.  When  quite  young,  Miss  Caroline  Skynner  married 
Mr.  F.  W.  Jarvis,  afterwards  Sheriff  Jarvis  and  went  to  live  at 
Woodlawn,  corner  of  Wellesley  and  Jarvis  Streets.  At  this 
time  the  street  named  after  the  family  was  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year  an  impassable  sandy  road  leading  from  King  Street 


to  the  wooden  church  of  St.  Paul,  with  its  belfry  tower,  formed 
by  four  pines,  lashed  together  for  support.  At  Woodlawn, 
Mrs.  Jarvis  continued  the  family  tradition  of  hospitality, 
became  a  leader  in  Society,  in  religious  and  philanthropic  work 
and  lived  to  see  her  descendants  grow  up  to  ably  serve  their 
country  and  their  church. 

Other  members  called  away  this  year  by  death  have  been 
Mrs.  Playter,  Miss  Evans,  Miss  Isobel  MacKenzie,  and  one  of 
our  honorary  members,  Dr.  Edward  Manning  Saunders, 
a  noted  writer,  author  of  "Three  Premiers  of  Nova  Scotia." 

We  are  glad  to  welcome  the  following  new  members : 

Mrs.  Wm.  Freeland,  21  Dun  vegan  Road. 

Mrs.  W.  D.  Gregory,  57  Douglas  Drive. 

Mrs.  Appleby,  179  Dowling  Avenue. 

Mrs.  R.  J.  Montgomery,  132  Balmoral  Avenue. 

The  Misses  Davidson,  Hampton  Court  Apartments. 

Miss  Ellis,  11  Rowanwood  Avenue. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

LUELLA    CORLEY. 


Report  of  the  Red  Cross  Committee. 

At  the  opening  of  the  year  it  was  decided  to  concentrate 
our  efforts  upon  securing  socks  to  send  to  our  soldiers  in  the 
trenches,  many  of  these  were  knitted  by  members  of  the 
Historical  Society,  and  their  friends.  In  order  to  raise  money, 
teas  and  loan  exhibitions  have  been  held  at  each  monthly 
meeting;  articles,  of  great  historical  interest  were  loaned  by 
members  and  added  much  to  the  enjoyment  and  success  of  the 
teas.  The  first  exhibition  was  of  miniatures,  many  of  great 
intrinsic  and  historic  value.  The  next  exhibition  was  of 
samples,  one  of  which  was  worked  in  1796;  curious  old  needle- 
work done  by  pupils  in  some  of  the  early  girls'  schools  of 
Toronto,  was  most  interesting  and  instructive. 

The  other  exhibitions  were  of  antique  silver,  brass,  jewelry 
and  china.  On  April  29th,  a  sale  was  held  of  home-made 
bread,  cake,  etc.,  with  this  was  a  melting-pot  for  old  scraps 
of  gold  and  silver,  which  realised  the  sum  of  $256.00.  Through 
this  and  other  contributions,  we  have  been  able  to  send  to  the 
trenches  2,336  pairs  of  socks.  We  have  also  contributed 
$27.00  to  H.R.H.  the  Duchess  of  Connaught's  Prisoners  of 
War  Fund;  $8.00  to  the  Belgian  Relief  Fund  and  have  on 
hand  $45.00  worth  of  wool  for  this  season's  work. 

Respectfully  submitted, 
MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  E.  M.  EATON, 

631  Sherbourne  Street.  Convenor. 


Treasurer's  Report  of  Red  Cross  Committee. 

RECEIPTS. 

Receipts  from  Nov.  1915  to  April  1916 #216.40 

Sale  and  Melting  Pot 257.65 

Tea  at  April  Meeting 11 . 35 

Contribution  to  the  Duchess  of  Connaught's  Prisoners  of  War 

Fund 26.30 

Contribution  to  Belgian  Relief 8 . 00 

Transferred  from  General  Fund .70 

Total  Receipts #520.40 

EXPENDITURES. 

Expenses  of  Sale  in  April #28 . 99 

Wool  for  knitting  socks 139 . 91 

Socks 316.50 

Duchess  of  Connaught's  Fund 27.00 

Belgian  Relief 8.00 

Total  Expenditures #520.40 

MARION  STUPART. 


THE  QUEEN  VICTORIA  MEMORIAL  FUND. 


Cash  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1916  ....................... 

Interest  on  Debentures  ..................................  i  01 

Bank  Interest  ............  -  ..............................  *J-J* 

Sale  of  Transactions  ..................................... 


Total  cash  in  Bank,  Nov.  15th,  1916  ....................... 

Total  Amount  of  Debentures  on  Deposit  ...................      5,00 


Total  to  Credit  of  Memorial  Fund  ...............  ..........       5,441.95 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT. 


RECEIPTS. 

Cash  in  Bank,  Nov.  15th,  1915 £38.67 

Fees— Current  and  Advance im'm 

Ontario  Government  Grant 

Bank  Interest 

Special  Memorial  Portrait  Fund 50 

Total  Receipts 271.49 

EXPENDITURE. 

Rent  to  Hostel #*0.00 

Fee  to  Local  Council *  ™ 

Refreshments 

Printing ^-^ 

Postage  and  Stationery '  -™ 

Flowers  sent  to  Miss  Hill *  •  «>7 

Transferred  to  Red  Cross  Fund 7U 

Sundries l_^ 

Total  Expenditure U152 

Cash  in  Bank,  Nov.  15th,  1916 _     156.97 

1271.49 

Audited  and  found  correct, 

SIDNEY  JONES, 

Bursar  Trinity  College. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

HOPE  H.  DUCKWORTH, 

Hon.  Treasurer. 
9 


DEEDS  SPEAK" 


Women's  Canadian    Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION  No.  15 


CONTENTS 

Reminiscences  of  Lieut.  James  Richardson.  Naval  Officer 
during  the  War  of  1812. 


1915-16 


THE  REV.  JAMES  RICHARDSON,  D.D., 

formerly  Lieut.  James  Richardson,  R.N. 


Incidents  in  the  Early  History  of  the  Settlements 
in  the  Vicinity  of  Lake  Ontario. 


Reminiscences  of    Lieut.   James    Richardson;    later    the 
Rev.  James  Richardson,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 


I  was  born  in  the  town  of  Kings  ton,  J^Y^on  the  29th  of 
January,  1791.  My  father,  James  Richardson,  was  from 
Lincolnshire,  near  Horncastle,  and  my  mother,  Sarah  Ashmore, 
was  from  Kings  Norton,  near  Birmingham,  in  the  County  of 
Worcester. 

In  his  early  life  my  father  served  in  the  Royal  Navy  and 
was  in  the  Ramillies,  74  gunship,  at  the  time  she  encountered 
the  ever-memorable  storm  and  diastrous  gale  September  1782. 
After  being  dismasted  and  in  a  sinking  state  for  five  days,  the 
vessel  at  last  foundered,  not,  however,  until  all  the  officers  and 
crew  had  been  taken  off  by  some  merchant  ships  which  had 
weathered  the  storm. 

The  ill-fated  ship  with  several  other  men-of-war  formed 
part  of  the  West  Indian  Squadron  under  Lord  Rodney.  At 
the  time  mentioned  they  were  convoying  a  homeward-bound 
fleet  of  merchantmen,  with  the  prizes  captured  in  the  famous 
victory,  over  the  fleet  commanded  by  De  Grasse. 

Some  of  these  prizes,  such  as  the  Ville  de  Paris,  120  guns; 
and  the  Centaur,  74  guns,  were  ships  of  the  first  class,  but 
they,  with  several  of  the  English  men-of-war,  went  down 
together  during  the  gale.  The  particulars  of  the  fearful  storm 
may  be  found  recorded  in  the  "Marine  Chronicle",  and  other 
histories  of  Marine  disasters. 

About  the  year  1785  my  father  received  an  appointment 
to  the  Lakes  of  Canada,  as  Lieutenant  in  the  Provincial  Marine 

13 


organised  for  the  two-fold  purpose  of  fighting  the  enemy  and 
transporting  troops  and  stores,  under  the  direction  oi  a 
Quarter-Master-General,  in  the  Forces  in  British  America 
the  senior  officer  for  the  time  being,  in  each  lake,  was  styled 
Commander.  This  marine  establishment  existed  coeval,  with 
the  Conquest  of  Canada. 

My  earliest  recollections  are  associated  with  it.  Old 
Commodore  Bouchette,  father  of  the  late  Surveyor-General  of 
Lower  Canada,  I  recollect  as  commanding  at  Kingston,  when 
I  was  a  boy. 

At  the  age  of  18,  in  1809,  I  entered  the  Service,  and  in  1812 
I  received  a  commission  as  Lieutenant,  being  just  turned  21 
years. 

The  war  with  the  United  States  commenced  that  year — 
our  naval  force  on  Lake  Ontario  consisted  of  the  ship  "  Royal 
George",  20  guns;  the  "Moira,"  16  guns;  the  schooner  "Duke 
of  Gloucester,"  18  guns,  and  the  schooner  '  Prince  Regent, 
afterwards  called  the  "Nettle,"  12  guns;  with  a  few  smaller 
vessels    doing    service    as    gunboats    and    transports. 
Senior  Officer  was  Commodore  Hugh  Earl. 

Our  little  squadron,  though  not  very  much  celebrated  for 
exploits  in  the  way  of  fighting,  managed,  however,  to  keep 
open  the  communication  between  the  Eastern  and  the  Western 
Divisions  of  the  Army,  and  to  facilitate  the  transport  of  men 
and  stores,  as  occasion  required;  as  likewise  the  conveyance 
of  the  prisoners,  which  from  time  to  time  fell  into  the  hands 
of  our  forces,  during  the  first  year  of  the  war.  The  importance 
of  such  services  in  the  then  uninhabited  state  of  the  country, 
and  the  lack  of  land  conveyance  owing  to  the  badness  of  the 
roads,  must  be  obvious. 

From  some  mistrust  that  the  Provincial  Marine  would  not 
be  adequate  to  the  increasing  emergencies  of  the  war,  applica- 
tion was  made  to  the  Admiralty  of  England  for  aid  from  the 
Royal  Navy,  and  accordingly,  in  the  Winter  of  1812  Captain 
Barclay,  accompanied  by  Commanders  Downie  and  Pring, 
Lieutenant  Scott  and  a  few  warrant  officers  and  sailors  were 
despatched  from  Halifax  across  the  wilderness,  through 
storms,  posts  and  snowdrifts  to  Quebec;  thence  to  Kingston, 
where  they  arrived  in  April;  weather-beaten,  exhausted  and 
all  but  done-up. 

Captain  Barclay  took  the  command  until  the  arrival  in 
May  of  Sir  James  Yeo,  direct  from  England  with  500  officers 
and  men. 


14 


I  had  the  honour  of  being  despatched  by  Captain  Barclay 
in  the  gun-boat  "Black  Snake"  to  meet  Sir  James,  with  his 
flotilla  of  unarmed  Canadian  batteaux,  and  escort  him  up  the 
river,  along  the  frontier.of  the  enemy  to  Kingston,  where  with 
the  rear  division  under  Captai^i  Mulcaster,  we  arrived  in  the 
latter  part  of  May  1813.* 

The  naval  armaments  on  the  lakes  now  assumed  a  new 
character  and  position,  no  longer  Provincial,  but  part  of  the 
Royal  Navy. 

Our  Provincial  Commissions  were  of  no  force  in  the  new 
relations,  yet  because  of  our  local  knowledge  and  experience, 
our  services  were  desirable,  and  required  by  our  new  Commo- 
dore. None,  however  of  the  Commissioned  Officers  on  Lake 
Ontario  consented  to  remain,  except  Lieutenant  George  Smith 
and  myself.  I  told  the  Commodore  that  if  my  services  were 
of  any  avail,  they  were  at  his  command,  only  I  would  not  take 
any  rank  inferior  to  that  I  held  in  the  Provincial  Marine.  He 
remarked  that  the  rules  of  the  Service  precluded  my  relation 
as  a  lieutenant  among  them,  but  he  would  be  happy  to  have 
my  services  as  a  Master,  and  would  rate  me  accordingly. 
This,  while  it  gave  me  rank  in  the  "gun-room"  with  the 
commissioned  officers,  would  be  appropriate  to  the  two-fold 
duties  of  Master  and  Pilot. 

In  this  highly  responsible  relation  I  continued  to  serve, 
to  the  best  of  my  ability,  during  the  remainder  of  the  war, 
and  for  some  time  after,  sharing  the  fatigues,  dangers  and 


*Being  then  a  young  Lieutenant  in  the  Marine,  I  was  despatched  with  a 
gunboat  to  Prescott  to  escort  the  Brigade  on  its  way  up  the  River.  The 
scenes  and  feelings  attendant  on  the  discharge  of  that  duty — having  a  small 
flat-bottomed  craft  called  the  Black  Snake  with  about  8  men  and  a  three- 
pounder  in  her  bow,  to  pass  for  sixty  miles  on  open  frontier  of  the  enemy, 
mostly  in  the  night,  called  for  a  sharp  look-out,  with  both  nerve  and 
caution.  No  enemy,  however,  appeared,  and  we  returned  unmolested. 
Here  it  was  I  first  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  officers  of  the  expedition, 
among  whom  was  the  brave  Captain  Mulcaster,  second  in  command  to  Sir 
James,  who  at  the  capture  of  Oswego  6th  May,  1814,  was  wounded  in  the 
abdomen,  while  I  suffered  the  loss  of  my  left  arm.  Great  were  his  sufferings 
for  even  after  I  had  recovered,  and  was  able  to  resume  service,  he  lingered 
in  sick  quarters,  and  although  surviving  several  years,  he  never  fully 
recovered  from  it.  He  died  in  England,  having  been  honored  by  his 
Sovereign,  the  late  William  the  IV,  with  a  standing  on  his  staff  as  Aide-de- 
camp. From  a  lecture  by  James  Richardson. 

15 


exploits  of  the  campaigns  of  1813  and   1814  of   which    the 
published  narratives  of  the  war  furnish  details. 

Some  incidents,  however,  it  may  be  proper  to  note  here. 
The  failure  of  the  expedition  against  Sackett's  Harbour,  under 
the  immediate  command  of  the  General-in-Chief,  Sir  George 
Prevost,  which  opened  the  Campaign  of  1813,  is  wholly 
inexplicable. 

Why  were  not  the  troops  landed  in  the  forenoon  of  the  day 
of  our  appearance  off  the  place,  when  the  wind  and  weather, 
and  every  other  circumstance  were  favorable,  when  none  of 
the  enemy  were  at  the  landing  place  (respecting  which.  I  had 
the  honour  of  being  consulted)  to  oppose,  when  our  men  were 
in  the  boats  and  the  anchors  were  ready  to  be  dropped? 

Instead  of  landing  and  taking  the  place,  which  probably 
could  have  been  effected  without  the  loss  of  five  men,  the  men 
were  ordered  to  embark  and  the  ships  were  hauled  to  the  wind, 
and  were  made  to  stand  off  till  midnight;  then,  in  the  dark,  at 
the  distance  of  several  miles,  the  men  were  put  into  the  boats 
and  ordered  to  find  their  way,  as  best  they  could,  to  the  same 
landing-place,  abreast  which  they  had  been  in  the  morning. 
In  the  meantime  the  enemy  had  posted  themselves,  had 
fortified  their  position,  had  received  large  reinforcements 
by  land  and  water  during  the  day,  and  were  prepared  to  give 
us  a  warm  reception. 

Why  was  it  that  after  several  hours  of  hard  fighting,  and 
great  sacrifice  of  life,  when  the  enemy  had  been  driven  from 
their  works,  and  were  in  the  act  of  abandoning  the  place,  and 
had  in  despair,  actually  set  fire  to  their  own  navy-yard  and 
store-houses,  was  a  retreat  sounded,  the  troops  re-embarked, 
and  the  dead,  with  some  of  the  wounded  left  to  the  enemy,  is 
a  question  left  to  this  day  a  mystery.  I  heard  one  of  our 
brave  colonials,  as  he  came  up  the  ship's  side,  indignantly 
exclaim;  "Oh,  if  he  would  but  give  me  my  own  regiment,  I 
would  yet  land  again  and  take  the  place." 

A  somewhat  amusing  incident  occurred  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  day;  while  our  ship  was  working  to  windward  away 
from  the  landing-place  as  above  mentioned,  and  yet  about  six 
miles  distant  in  the  offing,  a  boat  was  observed  coming 
towards  us  from  a  point  of  land  covered  with  bush,  which 
forms  the  entrance  of  a  deep  bay  called  "  Henderson's  Har- 
bour", distant  from  us  about  one  and  a  half  miles,  displaying 
a  flag  of  truce.  Lieut.  Dobbs  was  sent  with  one  of  the  ship's 
boats  to  meet  the  American  and  know  his  business.  The 
boats  met  and  after  a  short  time  we  observed  one  boat  with 

16 


Lieut.  Dobbs  proceed  to  the  shore,  while  the  American  stood 
toward  us.  Commodore  Yeo  suspected  a  Yankee  trick  of 
some  sort;  but  not  so,  it  turned  out  to  be  an  honest,  but  not 
very  brave  affair,  for  he  was  soon  alongside  and  on  being 
interrogated  by  Lieut.  Owen,  the  officer  on  duty,  as  to  his 
business,  he  said  he  was  a  captain  of  Dragoons,  and  had  come 
off  with  his  men  to  surrender  and  claim  our  protection  as  pris- 
oners of  war  against  the  savages  on  the  shore,  that  the  woods 
were  full  of  Indians,  that  he  had  had  a  fight  with  them  that 
morning;  and  rather  than  fall  into  their  hands  and  be  massa- 
cred, he  surrendered  to  us,  that  there  was  another  boat-load 
of  his  men  that  would  come  under  the  escort  of  our  officer. 
The  lieutenant  on  duty  reported  the  message  to  the  Commo- 
dore, who  was  with  Sir  George  Prevost  and  Staff  at  dinner, 
and  orders  were  given  to  receive  them  on  board.  Lieutenant 
Owen  therefore  replied,  "Very  well,  Sir",  and  the  brave 
captain,  with  his  men  were  safely  secured,  and  assured  of  our 
protection,  his  fears  no  doubt  subsided.  He  was  a  portly- 
built  man  armed  to  the  teeth,  with  a  hanger  by  his  side  and  a 
pair  of  pistols  in  his  belt,  etc.  He  was  then  ushered  into  the 
presence  of  the  Commodore  and  officers  at  the  dinner  table. 
Whether  the  countenances  of  any  present  gave  indication  of 
surprise  or  suspicion  at  this  most  extraordinary  surrender  I 
cannot  say,  but  he  must  have  observed  some  tokens  of  this 
kind,  for  it  was  reported  by  the  officer  who  introduced  him 
to  the  cabin,  that  he  uttered  this  queer  remark:  "Gentlemen 
I  confess  my  appearance  is  rather  uncouth,  but  my  heart  is 
as  square  as  any  man's."  In  a  short  time  the  other  boat  with 
his  men  were  alongside  and  safely  accommodated  with  quarters 
on  board — the  whole  mustered  about  thirty  unmounted 
Dragoons.  They  were  on  their  way  to  Sackett's  with  the 
boats  and  having  encamped  on  the  point  in  the  night,  had 
an  encounter  with  two  or  three  canoe  loads  of  Chippewa 
Indians,  perhaps  a  dozen  or  so,  who  had  accompanied  the 
expedition  from  Kingston.  The  Indians  had  got  the  worst  of 
it  and  had  retreated  from  the  place  altogether — one  of  them 
was  wounded  and  was  then  in  the  ship  with  his  thigh  shot,  so 
that  for  several  hours  the  dastardly  Dragoon  had  not  an 
enemy  near  when  he  sought  our  protection,  nor  had  we  even 
noticed,  much  less  molested  him  during  the  day — so  much 
for  the  power  of  imagination  acting  as  nervous  timidity.  The 
dread  of  encounter  with  Indian  foes  was  a  striking  feature 
among  many  of  the  Americans  and  it  evinced  itself  in  several 
instances  during  the  late  war.  To  the  effect  of  nursery  tales 

17 


and  fireside  legends  aided  by  " thrilling  narratives"  issuing 
from  a  mercenary  press  the  Americans  are  mostly  indebted 
for  this  weakness. 

Some  of  us  were  ungenerous  enough  to  think  that  this 
instance  of  pusillanimity  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  had  its 
influence  on  the  Commodore  to  induce  him  to  return  to  the 
attack  on  Sackett's,  as  before  mentioned.  But  of  this  con- 
jecture I  cannot  speak,  I  give  merely  the  facts  as  they  occurred. 

In  regard  to  Sir  James  Yeo  and  Commodore  Chauncey, 
who  though  frequently  in  the  vicinity  of  each  other,  and 
exchanging  shots  in  partial  combats,  never  came  to  any 
decisive  action,  free  opinions  and  doubts  of  fidelity  and  courage 
have  been  thrown  out,  I  may  by  way  of  explanation,  explain: 
Sir  James  Yeo  had  mostly  short  cannonades,  which  though 
adapted  to  rapid  firing,  were  not  suited  to  long  range,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  Chauncey  had  long  guns  which  gave  him  a 
decided  advantage  at  a  distance.  In  consequence  the  one  was 
anxious  to  seek  close  quarters  while  it  was  the  policy  of  the 
other  to  keep  his  distance.  As  the  closing  in^ action  with 
sailing  vessels  depends  on  the  "weather  gauge",  a  decisive 
action  was  avoided  on  each  side  as  the  circumstances  alter- 
nated. 

It  is  but  due  to  the  memory  of  Sir  James  Yeo  to  state  that 
I  heard  him  say,  on  a  certain  occasion  of  avoiding  the  enemy, 
in  reply  to  a  suggestion  of  Captain  Mulcaster,  that  if  he  had 
his  command  on  the  high  seas,  he  would  risk  an  action  at  all 
hazards,  because,  should  he  be  beaten,  it  would  be  but  the  loss 
of  his  squadron,  but  to  lose  it  in  this  lake,  would  involve  the 
embarrassment,  if  not  the  discomfiture  of  the  Western  division 
of  the  army,  whose  dependence  was  on  keeping  open  the 
channel  of  communication — so  high  a  responsibility  resting 
upon  him  he  had  to  act  with  the  more  caution  and 
prudence. 

The  building  of  ships  at  the  Kingston  dockyard  calls  for  a 
passing  remark:  During  the  season  of  1812,  while  the  Provincial 
Marine  existed,  the  " Wolfe",  a  corvette  of  twenty  guns,  was 
built  and  commissioned,  also  the  "  Melville "  of  sixteen  guns. 
These  added  materially  to  the  strength  of  our  naval  armament 
at  the  time  Sir  James  Yeo  took  command.  The  Americans 
also  kept  adding  to  their  strength.  The  fine  commodious 
ship  "Pike",  28  guns,  with  the  "Madison"  of  32,  were 
launched  in  the  Spring  of  1813,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
keep  pace  on  our  part,  and  accordingly,  in  the  Spring  of  1814, 
there  were  launched  and  fitted  out  from  the  Kingston  dock- 

18 


yards,  the  "Prince  Royal",  a  fine  ship  of  80  guns,  and  the 
"Princess  Charlotte"  of  32. 

These  were  followed  on  the  part  of  the  Americans,  by  the 
"Superior"  and  the  "Mohawk",  of  force  to  match  the  two 
last  mentioned  on  our  part.  This  led  to  the  building  at 
Kingston  of  the  "St.  Lawrence",  mounting  110  guns,  and  with 
draught  of  water  23  feet.  The  "St.  Lawrence"  took  the  lake 
in  October  1814,  and  made  two  trips,  up  and  down,  previous 
to  the  setting  in  of  Winter,  without  a  chance  to  try  her 
prowess  with  the  enemy,  as  he  very  prudently  kept  himself 
close  in  harbour,  so  that  at  the  end  of  the  season,  which 
terminated  the  war,  our  proud  ship  and  squadron  had  the 
lake  wholly  to  themselves. 

But,  although  the  fighting  terminated,  the  ship-building 
did  not,  for  the  British  Admiralty  were  so  considerate  as  to 
frame  in  the  English  dockyards,  and  to  forward  the  frames 
(perhaps  deeming  ship  timber  a  rare  material  in  Canada) 
two  frigates  of  36  guns  each,  one  of  which,  the  "Psyche",  was 
sent  to  Kingston,  set  up,  furnished  and  fitted  up  in  the  Spring 
of  1815,  besides  two  other  large  ships,  120  each,  which  were 
framed  and  partly  planked  during  the  Summer  and  afterwards 
left  to  rot  on  the  stocks.  The  ships  that  were  afloat  also 
rotted  in  Navy  Bay,  and  were  sold  under  the  hammer  when 
they  were  condemned. 

The  "St.  Lawrence,"  which  when  she  first  sailed  out,  with 
her  complement  of  men,  arms,  stores  and  provisions  for  one 
month,  cost  the  British  nation,  as  I  heard  from  our  purser, 
upwards  of  £800,000  sterling,  was  sold,  as  I  was  informed, 
in  her  dismantled  and  condemned  condition,  under  the  ham- 
mer about  the  year  1826,  for  twenty  pounds. 

Our  neighbours,  not  to  be  outdone  in  the  race  for  ships, 
set  up  two  ships  in  their  dockyards  of  120  guns  each,  which 
were  unfurnished  at  the  close  of  the  war,  but  they  took  the 
precaution  to  build  sheds  so  as  to  enclose  them  from  the 
weather,  which,  I  am  told,  has  preserved  them  to  the  present 
time. 

While  speaking  of  ship-building  I  must  not  forget  to 
mention  that  in  the  Summer  of  1812,  Mr.  John  Dennis,  then 
the  master-builder  in  the  dockyard  at  Kingston  was  ordered 
to  York  (now  Toronto)  to  build  a  ship  with  which  he  had 
proceeded  during  the  winter,  so  that  she  was  nearly  completed 
in  April  1813,  when  the  place  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
who  burnt  her  on  the  stocks.  The  officers  and  attachees  of 
the  dockyard  were  formed  into  a  Company  of  which  Mr. 

19 


Dennis,  the  master-builder  was  Captain.  This  Company 
aided  to  the  utmost  of  their  power  in  defending  the  place,  but 
being  with  the  other  forces  overpowered,  they  had  to  share  in 
the  discomfiture. 

The  memory  of  Mr.  Dennis  deserves  a  passing  notice. 
He  was  one  of  those  U.E.  Loyalists  who  suffered  and  lost 
their  earthly  all  by  the  American  Revolution.  His  father, 
Henry  Dennis,  belonged  to  the  "Society  of  Friends."  and 
resided  in  a  handsome  property,  including  some  ironworks 
he  possessed  on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware,  Buck's  County, 
Pennsylvania.  At  an  early  period  in  the  Revolutionary 
struggle  he  evinced  his  adherence  to  the  British  cause,  and 
Quaker  as  he  was,  did  something  that  favored  the  British 
troops.  For  this  he  had  to  fly  from  his  home,  taking  his  son 
John,  then  18  years  old,  with  him.  He  took  refuge  within  the 
British  lines  at  New  York,  and  died  suddenly  at  Staten  Island 
during  the  war.  The  family  estate  was  confiscated  and  for 
ever  lost  to  his  children.  John  took  up  arms  and  volunteered 
on  an  expedition  against  the  French  at  St.  Lucia. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  which  gave  the  States  their  inde- 
pendence, Mr.  Dennis,  who  in  the  meantime  had  married  in 
New  York,  Martha  Brown,  the  widow  of  Surgeon  McClany,  of 
the  Royal  Navy,  who  had  perished  at  sea  in  the  frigate  to 
which  he  belonged,  was  sent  with  other  of  the  Loyalists  to 
"Beaver  Harbour,"  Nova  Scotia.  This  proving  a  barren, 
inhospitable  place  he  could  barely  sustain  his  family  and, 
therefore  seeking  more  favorable  parts  he  at  length  migrated 
to  Upper  Canada  about  the  time  that  Governer  Simcoe  had 
surveyed  and  began  to  settle  the  fertile  land  in  the  vicinity 
of  Toronto.  He  drew  his  portion  on  the  banks  of  the  Humber, 
a  few  miles  from  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Weston. 
Here  for  some  years  he  had  to  grub  and  toil  and  suffer  the 
privations  incident  to  the  formation  of  settlements  in  the 
wilderness,  without  even  a  road  from  the  "town"  or  rather 
the  then  "town-plot"  to  his  dwelling,  having  to  "pad"  it 
along  the  lake  shore  and  banks  of  the  Humber,  carrying, 
perchance,  a  few  pounds  of  flour  or  other  necessaries,  on  his 
back,  to  keep  life  in  the  family. 

Being  a  ship-builder,  he  occasionally,  during  his  residence 
in  this  isolated  spot,  built  small  vessels  for  such  as  required 
them,  among  others  a  neat  Government  yacht  called  the 
"Toronto",  a  schooner  rigged  for  the  transit  of  officers  and 
employees  of  the  Government,  with  others,  across  the  Lake, 
which  proved  a  great  convenience  and  pleased  his  Excellency 

20 


Governor  Hunter  so  well  that  he  gave  him  the  appointment 
of  Master-Builder  in  the  King's  Dockyard  at  Kingston,  about 
the  year  1802;  where  he  continued  till  at  the  outbreaking  of 
the  war  he  was  removed  to  York  to  build  the  ship  before- 
mentioned. 

Here  he  continued  to  reside  until  August  1832,  when  he 
fell  a  victim  to  the  cholera,  in  the  73rd  year  of  his  age.  His 
son,  Joseph  Dennis,  Esquire,  and  grandson  of  Henry  Dennis, 
now  holds  and  resides  on  the  property  he  left  on  the  banks  of 
the  Humber,  not  now,  however,  in  the  heart  of  a  wilderness, 
isolated  and  forlorn;  but  a  beautiful  county-seat  contiguous 
to  the  thriving  village  of  Weston  and  surrounded  with  highly 
cultivated  farms  in  free  communication  with  the  City  of 
Toronto  and  other  parts  by  means  of  railroads  and  good 
carriage  highways. 

It  was  while  Mr.  Dennis  resided  as  Master-Builder  at  the 
said  dockyard  that  I  became  acquainted  with  his  daughter 
Rebecca  and  subsequently  made  her  the  steadfast  partner  of 
my  life. 

In  the  Spring  of  1814  word  having  reached  our  Commodore 
Sir  James  Yeo,  that  a  large  number  of  boats  were  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Oswego  River,  laden  with  cannon  and  stores  for  the 
fitting  out  of  the  two  frigates  then  being  built  at  Sackett's 
Harbour,  an  expedition  was  ordered  for  the  capture  of  the 
fort  at  that  place,  now  named  "Fort  Ontario",  our  squadron 
consisting  of  the  "Prince  Regent,"  60  guns;  "Princess  Char- 
lotte," 32  guns;  "Wolfe,"  20  guns;  "Royal  George,"  20; 
"Moira,"  16;  "Melville,"  16;  and  "Netley,"  12;  with  detach- 
ments of  troops  from  the  Royals,  Glengarry  Fencibles,  and 
other  corps,  left  Kingston  on  May  4th  and  arrived  off  Oswego 
on  the  6th,  but,  owing  to  heavy  squalls  of  wind  they  were 
obliged  to  haul  off,  and  delay  the  attack  till  next  day.  In  the 
morning  of  the  6th,  orders  were  given  for  the  "Wolfe" 
(subsequently  named  the  "Montreal")  to  stand  in  and  take 
up  position  under  the  fort  to  cover  and  assist  with  the  landing 
of  the  troops.  The  charge  of  conducting  her  to  her  anchorage 
among  the  rocks  and  shoals  that  environ  the  entrance  of  that 
river  devolved  on  me,  and  not  without  some  degree  of  diffidence 
did  I  perform  the  task;  for  not  since  I  was  a  lad  had  I  been 
there,  and  then  only  in  small  vessels;  with  very  light  draught 
of  water. 

I  resolved,  however,  on  doing  my  best,  though  sensible  of 
the  weighty  responsibility  resting  on  me. 

I  succeeded  in  securing  the  desired  position  to  the  satis- 

21 


faction  of  both  my  captain,  Stephen  Popham  and  Commodore 
Yeo,  who  were  pleased  to  commend  my  conduct  in  their 
official  despatches. 

Our  gunners  had  rather  a  warm  berth  after  the  gunners 
of  the  Fort  obtained  the  range,  every  shot  telling  on  some 
part  of  her,  a  fixed  object  at  anchor. 

The  shots  with  which  they  complimented  us  were  evidently 
"hot  "  for  they  set  our  ship  on  fire  three  times.  One  of  them 
made  so  free  with  me  as  to  carry  off  my  left  arm,*  just  below 
the  shoulder,  which  rendered  amputation  at  the  shoulder 
joint  necessary.  Our  position  was  obtained  before  the  troops 
were  ready  to  land,  the  other  vessels  keeping  in  the  offing,  so 
that  we  alone  for  some  time  had  to  be  under  fire  from  the  Fort. 

The  "Melville"  brig  and  the  schooner  "Netley"  at  length 
came  within  range  of  the  batteries  to  our  assistance.  In  the 
meantime,  while  the  troops  with  some  sailors  and  marines, 
having  effected  a  landing,  marched  directly  up  the  hill,  and 
scaled  the  fort,  under  a  galling  fire  from  the  enemy,  which  cut 
down  a  goodly  number  of  our  men,  both  officers  and  privates. 

Among  the  wounded  was  the  gallant  Captain  William 
Mulcaster  of  the  "  Princess  Charlotte,"  who  received  a  musket 
shot  in  the  abdomen,  from  which  he  never  fully  recovered, 
though  he  survived  for  several  years,  honoured  by  the  notice 
and,confidence  of  His  Majesty  William  IV,  who  placed  him  on 
his  Staff  as  aide-de-camp  at  his  Court. 

As  our  forces  entered  the  Fort  in  front,  the  enemy  aban- 
doned it  from  the  rear,  and  though  the  victory  was  thus 
gallantly  achieved  and  the  Fort  reduced,  the  object  sought 
by  the  expedition  was  not  obtained.  The  flotilla  of  boats 
laden  with  arms  and  stores,  above  mentioned,  being,  with  the 
exception  of  one,  ten  miles  up  the  river,  and  beyond  our  reach, 
as  our  force  was  not  sufficient  to  penetrate  the  country. 
Therefore,  with  the  exception  of  one  boat  and  some  other 
stores  which  fell  into  our  hands,  nothing  was  gained  with  the 
sacrifice. 

The  Fort,  after  being  reduced  and  dismantled,  was  aban- 
doned, our  troops  retiring  at  their  leisure,  not  "driven  away 
with  loss"  as  some  of  the  American  chronicles  have  recorded. 

There  is  rather  a  painful  sequel  to  the  history  of  the  said 
flotilla: — Our  Commander  failing  to  get  them  as  expected 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Oswego  River,  kept  on  the  watch  and 

*Lieut.  Richardson  always  maintained  that  at  the  moment,  in  the 
excitement  of  battle,  he  was  not  conscious  of  this;  later  wishing  to  use  his 
arm,  he  found  it  gone. 

22 


blockaded  the  place  for  several  weeks,  so  as  to  nab  them  on 
their  emerging  from  the  river,  well  knowing  that  unless  they 
could  get  into  the  lake  the  cannon  and  naval  stores  could  not 
reach  the  ships  at  Sackett's  Harbour,  as  the  roads  were  unfit 
for  the  transport  of  such  large  stores.  But  after  the  lapse 
of  some  months,  the  vigilence  of  the  blockaders  probably 
having  been  relaxed,  and  the  Americans  being  on  the  alert, 
they  stole  a  march  one  foggy  night  and  morning,  and  got 
several  miles  down  the  coast  before  being  discovered.  Cap- 
tains Popham  and  Spillsbury  with  some  armed  boats  being  on 
the  look-out  intercepted  one  of  the  enemy's  boats  in  the  fog, 
and  were  informed  by  the  prisoners  that  the  others  had 
entered  "Big  Sandy  Creek." 

The  prisoners  omitted  to  inform  them  that  the  boats  were 
strongly  guarded  by  a  body  of  riflemen  and  Oneida  Indians. 
Captain  Popham  being  in  command,  immediately,  with  more 
bravery  than  prudence,  pushed  in  after  them,  and  after  pener 
trating  the  creek  between  high  banks  of  sandy  marsh  on 
either  side,  after  proceeding  about  two  miles,  discovered  the 
boats  snugly  moored  with  their  precious  cargoes,  in  a  kind  of 
basin  formed  by  a  bend  in  the  creek.  Not  a  soul  was  visible 
near  them,  and  it  seemed  a  bon  prize,  but  alas!  just  as  they 
were  grasping  them,  up  started,  from  their  concealment  in  the 
woods  and  rushes,  the  riflemen  and  Indians  who  opened  a 
murderous  fire  on  our  poor  fellows,  cooped  up  like  ducks  in 
a  pond. 

The  result  was  the  destruction  or  capture  of  the  whole 
body,  not  one  escaping.  Those  who  survived  were  kept 
prisoners  of  war  until  peace  was  proclaimed  in  the  ensuing 
Spring.  Lieut.  Rose  now  residing  near  Cobourg,  must  be 
conversant  with  this  incident,  as  he  was  one  of  the  captured. 
I  think  that  it  was  fortunate  for  me,  that  my  wound  still  laid 
me  up  in  sick  quarters,  for  had  I  been  fit  for  duty,  I  would  in 
all  probability  have  been  ordered  to  accompany  my  captain 
— Captain  Popham — on  this  fatal  expedition. 

In  the  month  of  July  1813,  the  Americans  having  launched 
and  fitted  out  the  "Pike"  and  the  "Madison",  previously 
mentioned,  had  them  at  anchor  outside  the  point  forming  the 
entrance  to  Sackett's  Harbour.  Commodore  Yeo  conceived 
the  design  of  a  "cut-out,"  by  stealing  a  march  on  them  in  the 
night,  with  a  number  of  armed  men  in  boats  manned  by  expert 
seamen,  with  a  detachment  of  the  100th  Regiment  and  a  few 
marines,  under  the  command  of  Major  Hamilton. 

Accordingly    we    left    Kingston    about    5    o'clock    p.m., 

23 


expecting  to  reach  the  ships  before  daylight  next  morning, 
the  distance  being  about  40  miles. 

Such,  however,  was  the  sluggishness  of  some  of  the  gun- 
boats, propelled  by  oars,  that  notwithstanding  the  calmness 
of  the  night,  the  daylight  began  to  dawn  as  we  rounded  the 
point  which  opened  out  the  ships  at  anchor,  about  eight  miles 
distant.  It  would  not  answer  to  approach  them  in  daylight, 
and  to  attempt  retreat  would  have  been  equally  fatal,  for,  had 
we  been  discovered  they  might  have  overhauled  us  and  blown 
us  to  atoms.  No  expedient  was  therefore  left  us  but  to  hide  in 
some  nook  or  corner  of  the  shore,  which  was  covered  with  a 
dense  wood,  and  be  concealed,  if  possible,  till  the  next  night. 

Our  Commodore,  therefore,  proceeded  ahead  to  scent,  and 
found  such  a  place  about  two  miles  up  the  mouth  of  "  Hungry 
Bay",  to  wrhich  we  retired,  and,  having  laid  the  boats  broadside 
to  the  beach  of  a  shallow  bend  in  the  shore,  we  cut  saplings 
and  bushes,  and  placed  them  in  the  water  outside  the  boats, 
by  means  of  which  we  were  tolerably  well  screened.  Our 
force  numbered  about  700  officers  and  men,  and  strict  orders 
were  given  not  to  kindle  any  fires,  or  raise  a  smoke,  or  discharge 
any  firearm,  but  to  keep  quietly  concealed  in  the  woods  till 
darkness  should  favour  us.  During  the  day  boats  passed, 
and  the  enemy's  armed  schooners  continued  sailing  to  and  fro 
between  us  and  the  open  lake,  but  failed  to  discern  us,  which, 
had  they  done,  we  should  doubtless  have  had  our  boats 
destroyed,  and  we  left  fugitives  in  an  enemy's  land,  which  was 
covered  with  forest  trees  for  several  miles  on  either  side.  We 
were  destitute  of  firearms,  except  a  few,  as  we  were  not  per- 
mitted to  depend  but  on  our  swords,  cutlasses,  boarding-axes 
and  pikes  for  the  execution  of  the  work.  In  such  a  dilemma 
as  that  our  ingenuity  would  have  been  fully  tested,  but 
fortunately  it  was  not  put  to  the  test. 

We  escaped  the  notice  of  the  enemy,  but,  alas!  not  the 
treachery  of  some  of  our  own  party. 

Some  time  after  we  had  made  good  our  landing,  when  the 
muster  roll  was  called,  a  sergeant  and  a  private  of  the  100th 
were  discovered  to  be  missing;  search  was  made  in  the  woods 
without  avail,  and  it  became  evident  they  had  taken  them- 
selves off,  but  as  there  was  no  house  between  ten  and  twelve 
miles,  and  they  were  strangers  in  the  country,  hopes  were 
entertained  that  they  would  not  be  able  to  betray  us  before 
nightfall. 

Our  Commodore  was  evidently  much  exercised  in  mind 
through  the  day,  lest  his  enterprise  should  be  baffled,  and 

24 


conversed  with  me  as  having  more  local  knowledge  of  these 
parts,  relative  to  the  practicability  of  their  finding  their  way 
to  some  inhabitants  and  thus  giving  the  alarm. 

Just  before  sundown,  one  of  the  armed  schooners,  which 
had  been  standing  off  and  on,  about  a  mile  to  the  westward 
between  us  and  the  point,  anchored  and  sent  her  boat  to  shore, 
and  when  it  returned,  she  fired  an  alarm  gun  and  made  sail 
directly  to  Sackett's  Harbour. 

We  had  no  doubt  that  the  villainous  deserters  had  shown 
themselves  on  the  beach,  which  proved  to  be  the  case.  The 
chagrin  and  disappointment  caused  by  this  betrayal,  and  the 
consequent  failure  of  our  scheme,  within  a  few  hours  of  what 
would  probably  have  been  its  successful  termination,  may  be 
conceived.  We  all  felt  it  sorely,  but  Commodore  Yeo  could 
hardly  restrain  himself.  Nothing  could  be  done  but  seek  our 
own  safe  retreat. 

As  soon  as  night  set  in  we  were  ordered  to  embark,  and, 
putting  into  the  offing,  got  sight  of  the  ships,  which  were  fully 
lighted  up,  and  prepared  to  give  us  a  warm  reception,  if  we  had 
the  audacity  to  make  the  attack.  Orders  were  given  to  pull 
for  the  Canadian  side,  and  by  day-break  next  morning  we  saw 
the  American  squadron  under  full  sail  after  us,  but  the  wind 
was  so  light  during  the  night  that  they  did  not  come  up,  and 
we  reached  Kingston  in  safety. 

After  the  war  was  over  I  was  informed,  in  conversation 
with  an  American  officer,  that,  the  day  we  lay  concealed,  a 
pleasure  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  had  been  regaling 
themselves  on  Stony  Island  in  the  lake  some  miles  beyond 
where  we  were,  and  when  they  returned  home  in  the  evening 
and  were  told  that  a  force  of  700  Britishers  were  the  whole  day 
between  them  and  their  homes,  some  of  the  ladies  nearly 
fainted. 

Our  Commodore,  in  the  absence  of  something  to  fight, 
proceeded  to  inspect  the  enemies'  coasts  and  harbours  in 
search  of  provisions,  and  being  informed  that  the  United 
States  had  a  large  stock  of  flour,  deposited  in  the  village  of 
"Big  Sodus"  about  30  miles  west  of  Oswego,  he  brought  his 
squadron  to  anchor,  and  toward  evening  sent  in  the  boats 
with  a  few  sailors  and  a  detachment  of  about  60  of  the  Royals. 
It  became  dark  before  we  made  the  landing,  and  an  advance 
party  of  fifteen,  of  which  I  was  one,  commanded  by  Captain 
Mulcaster,  proceeded  at  once  to  the  village,  under  the  guidance 
of  one  acquainted  with  the  place. 

We  found  the  houses  deserted,  and  not  a  person  to  be 

25 


seen  but  one  in  a  tavern  so  drunk  that  we  could  get  no 
information  from  him.  After  seeking  in  vain  for  the  inhabi- 
tants, during  which  strict  orders  were  given  not  to  molest 
any  furniture  or  private  property,  and  while  our  Captain  was 
consulting  as  to  future  proceedings,  it  being  very  dark,  some- 
one hailed  us  from  some  bushes  close  by.  Captain  Mulcaster 
answered  "Friend",  but  before  the  word  was  fully  out,  they 
fired  a  volley,  which  felled  five  of  our  fifteen.  They  then  took 
themselves  off.  The  detachment  of  the  "Royals"  coming  up 
in  our  rear,  having  heard  the  firing,  took  us  for  the  enemy, 
and  also  discharged  a  few  shots  at  us  before  the  mistake  was 
discovered. 

Captain  Wilson  of  the  "Royals,"  who  was  among  the 
fifteen  in  advance,  wore  a  peculiarly-shaped  cocked  hat,  which 
a  flash  of  lightning,  happily  for  our  party,  revealed  and 
showed  whom  we  were. 

The  enemy  was  no  more  seen  during  the  night,  but  towards 
morning  some  stragglers  came  within  the  line  of  our  sentry 
and  were  arrested.  Being  questioned  as  to  the  firing,  as 
also,  where  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  were,  they  said  that 
the  inhabitants  themselves  fired;  that  on  the  approach  of  the 
ships  in  the  evening,  a  consultation  was  held  in  the  village  and 
while  some  would  have  remained  quietly  at  home,  under  the 
conviction  that  they  would  not  be  molested,  the  majority 
decided  to  arm  themselves  and  fire  on  us,  some  of  them  remark- 
ing that  they  would  have  the  satisfaction  of  killing  some 
British  anyway. 

This  word  having  come  to  the  Commodore  he  ordered  the 
place  to  be  burnt,  as  a  warning  to  all  others  along  the  coast. 

The  prisoners  being  liberated,  were  instructed  to  say  that 
wherever  we  came,  if  the  inhabitants  remained  quiet,  private 
property  and  rights  would  be  respected,  but,  in  all  cases, 
where  the  people  made  armed  resistance  and  wantonly  fired 
on  us,  they  might  expect  to  be  punished  in  like  manner. 

All  we  got  in  return  for  our  visit  was  about  500  barrels  of 
flour,  found  in  a  storehouse. 

I  have  since  conversed  with  an  American  gentleman,  who 
was  at  this  place  at  the  time,  who  said  that  about  8,000  barrels 
of  flour  belonging  to  the  United  States  were  concealed  in  the 
woods,  which  were  not  discovered  because  of  the  blackness 
of  the  night. 

I  now  come  to  remark  on  the  extraordinary  rise  in  the 
water  in  the  Lake  during  late  years. 

26 


As  near  as  I  can  estimate  it  has  been,  on  an  average, 
about  five  feet  higher  since  1815,  than  at  any  time  previous 
in  the  recollection  of  the  oldest  navigator  of  the  Lake. 

Several  years  experience  and  pilotage  on  Lake  Ontario 
enables  me  to  speak  thus. 

When  that  large  ship  the  "St.  Lawrence"  with  23  feet 
draught,  was  fitted  out,  I,  having  just  recovered  from  the  loss 
of  my  arm,  waited  on  Commodore  Yeo,  and  reported  myself 
ready  for  service,  he  pleasantly  remarked:  "What,  try  them 
again?"  I  replied,  "If  my  services  were  required".  He 
exclaimed,  "That  is  noble",  and  then  proposed  that,  instead 
of  joining  my  own  ship,  the  "Wolfe,"  he  would  prefer  taking 
me  in  the  "St.  Lawrence"  to  aid  in  piloting  her,  inasmuch 
as  her  draught  of  water  so  far  exceeded  any  former  vessel 
on  the  lake  and  it  would,  therefore,  require  the  more  caution 
and  .matured  knowledge  of  the  channel  to  conduct  her  safely. 

He  remarked  that  my  severe  wound  and  consequent 
debility  for  some  time  yet  precluded  the  discharge  of  my 
regular  active  duties  in  my  own  ship,  but  if  I  gave  my  services 
to  the  "St.  Lawrence"  as  he  proposed,  he  would  continue  my 
substitute  in  the  "Wolfe"  during  the  remainder  of  the  season, 
and  that  at  the  close  of  navigation,  I  would  be  at  liberty  to 
recruit  my  strength  during  the  winter.  This  afforded  me  an 
opportunity  of  acquiring  a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
depth  of  water  by  sounding  and  exploring  unfrequented 
channels,  and  I  therefore  speak  from  mature  experience, 
relative  to  the  rise  aforementioned. 

The  first  marked  rise  was  in  1818,  July,  when,  standing  to 
the  anchorage  at  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara  River,  I  observed 
the  leadsman  call  out  "one-half-three",  where  the  depth  had 
never  exceeded  three  fathoms.  My  attention  thus  called  to  it, 
I  looked  over  the  Quarter  at  the  marks  on  the  line,  and  saw 
that  he  hove  correctly.  I  supposed  it  might  be  local,  caused 
by  the  removal  of  the  sand  in  the  channel,  but,  on  returning 
to  Kingston,  I  found  it  to  be  general,  so  much  so  that  the 
Merchants  Wharves,  which  at  the  highest  rise  of  the  water 
previously  had  stood  three  feet  above  it,  were  now  submerged, 
and  the  plank  covering  them  was  swept  away.  They  built  up 
these  wharves  about  three  feet  higher,  but  in  1818,  they  were 
again  overflowed,  and  thus,  from  the  year  1816,  the  water 
in  all  the  large  lakes  has  been  at  least  three  feet,  and  in  several 
seasons  about  six  feet  above  what  was  ever  known  previous  to 
that  period,  or  at  least  of  which  we  have  any  word. 

This  is  a  phenomenon  yet  unexplained,  and  well  worthy 

27 


of  scientific  investigation.  The  cause  cannot  be  casual  or 
occasional  as  is  evident  from  the  sudden  rise  in  1815,  and  its 
continuance  during  the  subsequent  48  years. 

Vessels  of  considerable  draught  of  water  now  traverse,  with 
impunity,  shoals  and  enter  creeks  and  harbours  where  formerly 
a  batteau  would  hardly  float,  and  bars  of  sand  and  gravel,  and 
points  jutting  into  the  lake,  which  were  formerly  firm  and  dry, 
are  now  inundated,  and  in  some  cases  swept  away. 


TRADITIONAL  INCIDENTS. 

My  mother  came  to  America  while  yet  a  young  woman, 
along  with  the  family  of  Mr.  Stedman,  who  then  lived  at  Fort 
Schlosser,  at  the  heel  of  Niagara  Falls,  in  the  then  province, 
now  New  York  State. 

Mr.  Stedman  did  good  service  along  the  Niagara  frontier, 
in  the  time  of  the  old  French  war,  and  my  mother  would  relate 
some  striking  adventures  which  she  gathered  from  traditions 
in  the  family.  One  of  these  I  remember  as  follows:— 

Shortly  after  the  capture  from  the  French,  by  Sir  William 
Johnson,  and  the  consequent  possession  of  the  Niagara 
frontier,  parties  of  French  and  Indians  would  at  times  infest 
the  woods  between  Forts  Niagara  and  Schlosser  and  render 
the  communication  between  them  dangerous.  In  this  state  of 
things  despatches  and  parties  would  be  intercepted  and 
destroyed.  The  Government  at  a  certain  critical  period 
offered  the  grant  of  the  "carrying  place",  at  the  head  of 
navigation,  where  Lewiston  now  stands,  to  anyone  who  would 
succeed  in  safely  conveying  despatches  from  one  fort  to  the 
other.  Mr.  Stedman  undertook  to  do  so,  and  succeeded, 
having  as  companion  a  lieutenant  of  the  army.  The  woods  on 
each  side  were  full  of  Indians,  who  kept  up  an  incessant  running 
fire  on  Mr.  Stedman  and  his  companion. 

The  officer  was  shot  in  the  head  but  Mr.  Stedman  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  Fort.  The  Indians  after  that  called 
him  "The  Alligator"  and  entertained  the  belief  that  he  could 
not  be  shot.  Consequently,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  ever 
afterwards,  they  had  the  greatest  veneration  for  him  and  his 
influence  over  them  was  unbounded. 

There  is  a  well-known  chasm  in  the  bank  of  the  river  on 
the  States  side  between  Lewiston  and  Manchester,  bearing 
the  name  of  "Devil's  Hole",  which  is  celebrated  for  a  terrible 
tragedy  which  occurred  there  during  the  Indian  War. 

28 


A  detachment  of  British  troops,  with  their  baggage,  was 
interrupted  near  this  hole,  while  en  route  from  Fort  Niagara 
to  Fort  Schlosser,  everyone  perished;  those  that  escaped  the 
tomahawk  were  precipitated  off  the  bridge  over  the  chasm, 
and  into  the  chasm.  The  bridge  was  known  ever  afterwards 
as  the  "Bloody  Bridge".  I  recollect  when  I  was  a  child,  the 
horror  with  which  our  family  would  listen  to  the  recital  by 
my  mother,  of  this  and  like  incidents,  which  she  learned  from 
Mr.  Stedman  himself. 

During  the  war  of  the  American  Revolution  my  mother 
married  an  officer  of  the  Provincial  Marine,  named  Bryant, 
and  resided  on  the  west  side  of  the  Niagara  River,  then  all 
wilderness  except  a  few  acres  of  Indian  camping  ground  and 
a  square  of  barracks  called  "Navy  Hall".  I  have  heard  her 
say  that  for  some  time  she  was  the  only  white  woman  residing 
there.  Here  she  would  be  for  days  and  nights,  along  with  her 
two  small  children  surrounded  by  Indians  who  held  their 
midnight  revels  and  war  dances  around  poles  covered  by 
suspended  human  scalps  obtained  during  their  occasional 
scouting.  At  such  times  they  would  be  extra  impudent  and 
troublesome;  one  day  while  she  was  preparing  dinner,  two 
Indians,  one  of  whom  was  drunk,  came  into  the  house.  The 
drunken  one  came  at  her  with  his  knife  in  his  hand,  demanding 
what  she  was  cooking,  and,  on  being  refused  raised  his  knife 
to  stab  her,  but  his  companion  being  sober  observed  his  action, 
and  jarred  his  arm  by  a  blow  on  the  elbow,  and  so  caused  the 
knife  to  fall.  He  then  led  him  out  of  the  house.  A  captain 
of  one  of  the  King's  vessels  coming  along  at  the  time  took  off 
his  sword  belt  and  gave  the  drunken  Indian  a  sound  thrashing 
on  his  bare  hide,  for  he  had  nothing  on  but  a  "breech-cloth". 

While  my  mother  lived  at  Navy- Yard,  a  fine  vessel  named 
the  "Ontario" — Captain  Andrews — carrying  King's  troops, 
was  lost  on  her  way  down  the  Lake  from  Niagara  River,  and 
nothing  was  ever  seen  of  her,  except  a  drum-head. 

The  dep6t  of  the  Army  and  Navy,  previous  to  the  for- 
mation of  Kingston,  was  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  Lake 
Ontario,  about  15  miles  south-east  of  Kingston,  and  was  called 
Carleton  Island.  This  was  for  several  years  a  densely  peopled 
place  and  the  theatre  of  animated  military  life,  with  rows  of 
extensive  and  commodious  barracks,  and  highly  cultivated 
gardens.  It  was  kept  until  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  1812, 
when  it  was  taken  possession  of  by  the  Americans,  and  has 
since  remained  with  them  as  it  was  on  the  American  side  of 
the  line. 

29 


NOTES  ON  EARLY  SETTLEMENTS. 

The  following  narrative  relates  to  some  of  the  pioneers  of 
Upper  Canada,  who  settled  in  the  townships  of  Kingston, 
Ernesttown,  Fredericksburg,  Adolphustown  and  Marysburg, 
at  the  entrance  of  the  Bay  of  Quinte\  I  had  it  a  few  years  ago 
from  John  Grass,  an  old  and  well-known  inhabitant  of  the 
Township  of  Kingston,  near  Collins  Bay.  He  was  11  years  old 
when  his  father  settled  there. 

His  statement  was  as  follows  (as  near  as  I  can  recollect) 
my  father,  Michael  Grass  lived,  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  on  a  farm  about  30  miles  above  New 
York.  He  was  a  native  of  Germany  but  had  lived  most  of 
his  time  in  America.  When  the  Revolution  commenced, 
General  Herkimer  sent  my  father  an  invitation  to  join  the 
Americans  and  offered  him  a  Captain's  Commission.  My 
father  replied — "I  have  sworn  allegiance  to  one  king  and  I 
cannot  serve  any  other".  For  this  saying  he  was  driven  from 
his  house  and  family  and  was  obliged  to  take  refuge  within 
the  British  lines  at  New  York.  His  family  followed  shortly 
afterwards.  He  lost  his  farm  and  property,  and  was  obliged 
to  maintain  his  family  at  New  York*by  working  as  a  harness 
maker.  At  the  close  of  the  war  the  British  General  command- 
ing at  New  York,  having  heard  that  my  father  had  been  a 
prisoner  of  the  French  at  Frontenac,  in  the  time  of  the  old 
French  war,  sent  for  him  to  enquire  about  the  place  and  said — 
Mr.  Grass,  I  understand  that  you  have  been  at  Frontenac  in 
Canada.  What  sort  of  a  country  is  it?  Can  people  live  there?" 
My  father  replied — "What  I  saw  of  it  I  think  it  a  fine  country, 
and  if  people  were  settled  there  I  think  they  would  do  very 
well".  The  Governor  replied — "Oh,  Mr.  Grass,  I  am  de- 
lighted to  hear  you  say  so,  for  we  don't  know  what  to  do 
with  the  poor  loyalists,  the  city  is  full  to  them  and  we  cannot 
send  them  all  to  Nova  Scotia.  Would  you  be  willing,  Mr. 
Grass,  to  take  charge  of  such  as  would  be  willing  to  go  with 
you  to  Frontenac?  If  so,  I  can  furnish  you  a  conveyance  by 
ship  to  Quebec,  and  rations  for  you  all  till  such  time  as  you 
have  means  to  provide  for  yourselves". 

My  father  asked  for  three  days  in  which  to  make  up  his 
mind.  At  the  end  of  the  three  days  he  accepted.  Notices 
were  then  posted  throughout  the  city,  calling  upon  all  those 
who  would  go  to  Frontenac  to  enrol  their  names  with  Mr. 
Grass. 

The  company  of  men,  women  and  children  having  been 
completed,  a  ship  was  provided  and  furnished,  and  they 

30 


started  for  the  unknown  and  distant  region,  leaving  behind 
them  homes  and  friends  of  their  youth,  never,  probably  to 
see  them  again ;  the  fruits  of  all  their  former  toils  and  sufferings 
being  thus  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  their  loyalty. 

The  first  season  they  got  no  further  than  Sorel  in  Lower 
Canada  where  they  were  obliged  to  erect  log  huts  for  shelter 
during  the  winter.  The  next  spring  they  took  boats  and  pro- 
ceeding up  the  St.  Lawrence,  at  last  reached  Frontenac  and 
pitched  their  tents  on  Indian  Point,  where  the  Marine  Docks 
of  Kingston  now  stand.  Here  they  awaited  the  survey  of  the 
townships,  which  was  not  accomplished  so  as  to  have  the  lots 
ready  for  location  before  July. 

In  the  meantime  several  other  companies  had  arrived 
under  their  respective  leaders,  some  of  which  had  come  across 
the  country  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain. 

In  the  meantime  the  Governor,  who  had  removed  to 
Quebec,  paid  them  a  visit,  and  riding  along  the  lake  shore  on 
a  fine  day,  exclaimed  to  my  father — "Why,  Mr.  Grass,  you 
have  indeed  a  fine  country,  and  I  am  really  glad  to  find  it  so". 

While  the  several  companies  were  waiting  for  the  com- 
pletion of  the  survey,  some  would  say  to  my  father — "The 
Governor  will  not  give  you  the  first  choice  to  the  land  but 
will  prefer  Sir  John  Johnson,  with  his  company  because  he  is 
a  great  man".  But  my  father  declared  he  did  not  believe 
that,  and  if  the  Governor  did  so  he  would  feel  injured  and 
leave.  At  length  the  time  came  in  July,  for  the  townships  to 
be  given  out,  and  the  Governor  assembling  the  leaders  around 
him,  called  for  Mr.  Grass,  and  said — "Now  you  were  the  first 
person  to  mention  this  fine  country  and  have  been  here 
formerly  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  you  must  have  the  first  choice. 
The  townships  are  numbered  1st,  2nd,  3rd,  4th  and  5th; 
which  do  you  choose  for  your  company?"  My  father  says — 
"The  1st".  (Kingston).  Then  the  Governor  said  to  Sir  John 
Johnson — "Which  do  you  choose?"  "The  2nd"  (Ernest- 
town)  was  the  reply. 

Colonel  Rogers  took  the  3rd  (Fredericksburg),  Major 
Vanalston  the  4th  (Adolphustown),  and  Colonel  Macdonell 
the  5th  (Marysburgh). 

So  the  first  settlement  of  Loyalist  immigrants  was  formed 
in  Upper  Canada. 

Before  leaving,  the  Governor  very  considerately  remarked 
to  my  father — "Now,  Mr.  Grass,  it  is  too  late  in  the  season 
to  put  in  any  crops.  What  can  you  do?"  My  father  replied 
that  if  they  were  furnished  with  some  turnip  seed  they  might 

31 


raise  some  turnips  (which  he  pronounced  "durnips  ").  Accord- 
ingly he  sent  some  seed  from  Montreal,  and,  each  man  taking 
a  handful,  cleared  a  spot  of  ground,  about  the  centre  of  what 
is  now  the  town  of  Kingston,  sowed  the  seed,  and  raised  a 
fine  crop  of  turnips,  which  partly  served  for  their  food  for 
the  ensuing  winter. 

Among  the  parties  which  composed  the  state  of  U.E. 
Loyalists,  I  may  mention  the  following,  whom  I  have  known 
in  the  Township  of  Kingston — The  Pardees,  of  whom  there 
were  several  brothers  and  sisters  :Micah ;  Job ;  Samuel ;  David ; 
Gilbert.  The  Days:  father  and  3  sons.  The  Orsons;  the 
Knights;  the  Fevrises;  the  Waitmans;  the  Herkimers;  the 
Everetts ;  the  Bennetts ;  the  Powleys ;  the  Knapps ;  the  Ains- 
leys;  the  Beasses;  theRyders;  the  Bucks;  the  McGunns;  and 
others  whose  names  have  escaped  my  memory. 

Mr.  Grass  who  may  be  safely  styled  the  patriarch  of  the 
settlement,  received  a  park  lot  of  about  70  acres,  adjoining  the 
townplot  on  the  south-west  extending  from  the  point,  now 
called  Murney's  Point  (then  called  and  known  for  many  years 
as  Grass'  Point),  in  a  narrow  strip  to  the  north-west  upon 
which  the  new  court-house  and  handsome  park  now  stand. 
This  he  farmed  and  occupied  until  he  sold  it  to  Captain 
Murney. 

He  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him,  for  the  honesty 
and  integrity  of  his  character.  He  was  somewhat  hasty  and 
irritable  in  temper,  but  was  always  to  be  relied  upon  as  a 
friend  and  neighbor.  In  his  old  age,  he,  like  most  aged  people, 
loved  to  recite  in  minute  detail  the  adventures  of  his  youth, 
and  having  served  as  a  Provincial  in  the  war  with  the  French 
and  Indians,  and  having  been  a  captive  among  them,  he  had 
something  to  tell  that  was  worth  hearing  relative  to  the 
campaigns  of  that  cruel  border  war,  of  hair-breadth  escapes 
in  the  woods,  subsisting  for  days  on  roots  and  herbs,  and  such 
things,  both  animal  and  vegetable,  which  the  stomach  would 
reject. 

He  lived  to  a  very  advanced  age  and  died  a  victim  of 
cancer.  All  his  children  have  followed  him  except,  maybe,  his 
youngest  daughter,  Catherine,  who  married  Thomas  Graham, 
a  fanner,  living  at  Little  Cataraque  Creek. 

Next  to  Mr.  Grass  was  the  park,  lot  and  residence  of  the 
Rev.  John  Stuart,  father  of  the  Rev.  George  O'Kill  Stuart, 
Archdeacon  of  Kingston,  whose  memoirs  being  extant,  it  is 
not  necessary  for  me  to  enlarge,  further  than  to  remark  that 
no  man  in  his  place  and  day  was  more  respected  by  all  who 

32 


had  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance.  Stately  and  graceful 
in  his  person,  dignified  yet  affable  in  manner,  circumspect 
in  his  deportment,  impressive  and  diligent  in  his  ministerial 
duties,  he  maintained  to  the  last,  the  position  of  patriarch, 
counsellor,  and  instructor  to  the  settlers,  in  the  times  of  their 
privation  and  hardship. 

A  few  years  ago  I  paid  a  passing  visit  to  my  own  dear 
native  town  and  strolled  about,  lonely  and  pensive,  calling  to 
memory  by-gone  days,  and  my  early  playmates,  now  tenants 
of  the  churchyard,  the  scenes  of  my  childhood  and  youth 
filling  my  mind.  I  came  to  Stuarts  Point,  and  observing  the 
remnant  of  the  foundations  of  the  once  venerated  parsonage 
which  stood  so  many  years  among  the  lofty  pines,  I  did 
homage  to  its  memory  as  the  home  of  its  former  venerated 
inmate. 

The  old  pioneers,  the  old  father  and  mothers,  that  cleared 
off  the  forests  and  encountered  the  privations  and  hardships 
incident  to  early  settlements,  have  left  to  their  descendants, 
a  goodly  heritage,  the  fruit  of  parental  industry  and  self- 
sacrifice. 

(Signed)  JAMES  RICHARDSON. 


A  FEW  TRADITIONAL  INCIDENTS. 

Oswego  River  being  the  inlet  to  the  lake  from  the  Hudson, 
formed,  with  its  connections  the  only  route  of  travel,  for  more 
than  a  century,  from  New  York  and  the  settlements  along 
the  Hudson  and  the  Mohawk  Rivers  to  the  country  bordering 
on  the  great  lakes.  This  brought  the  place  into  note  at  a  date 
coeval  with  the  settlement  of  Canada.  The  French  first  built 
a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  tradition  speaks  of  severe 
fighting  there  between  the  French  and  the  old  British  colonists 
of  New  York  and  old  adjoining  Provinces. 

It  subsequently  fell  with  the  other  French  possessions  on 
the  Lakes,  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  who  erected  the 
Fort  on  the  east  side  of  the  River,  which,  after  the  Revolution, 
was  in  1794  surrendered  to  the  United  States. 

The  route  of  travel  was  up  the  Hudson  to  Schenectady, 
thence  up  the  Mohawk  to  Fort  Stanwix  (where  the  City  of 
Rome  now  stands),  thence  along  the  windings  of  a  sluggish 
muddy  stream,  called  Wood  Creek,  to  Oneida  Lake,  through 
said  Lake  to  Three  River  Point,  thence  down  Oswego  River 
to  the  Lake.  This  route  to  the  Hudson  was  performed  by 
Schenectady  boats  and  it  occupied  a  period  of  some  weeks, 

33 


rich  and  poor,  gentle  and  simple,  young  and  old,  families  of 
emigrants  and  others;  all  had  to  contend  with  the  storms, 
mosquitoes,  wild  animals  and  other  annoyances  along  this 
circuitous  route  in  an  open  "six  oar  boat"  for  weeks  together, 
subsisting  on  such  stores  as  they  brought  with  them  and 
lodging  as  best  they  could,  along  shore,  or  in  the  open  boat. 

Their  dangers  and  hardships  were  by  no  means  ended  on 
arrival  at  Oswego. 

The  best  craft  in  those  days  for  crossing  the  great  lakes, 
were  schooners  and  sloops,  from  30  to  100  tons,  dependent 
on  wind  and  weather  for  making  their  passage,  which  fre- 
quently occupied  a  week  or  two  to  get  to  the  western  parts 
of  Lake  Ontario.  Sometimes  when  no  rigged  and  decked 
vessel  was  in  port,  which  was  often  the  case,  they  would 
venture  in  these  open  boats  to  reach  Kingston  by  coasting 
along  the  lake  shore  to  the  eastward  of  Oswego,  and  the  foot 
of  Lake  Ontario,  at  the  imminent  peril  of  their  lives,  and, 
when  I  was  a  boy,  well  do  I  remember  hearing,  annually,  of 
one  or  more  boats  being  wrecked,  and  numerous  lives  lost 
along  that  dangerous  part  of  the  coast  between  Oswego  and 
Stoney  Point;  others  would  be  for  days  storm-bound  with 
wind,  rain  or  snow,  in  the  mouths  of  the  numerous  creeks 
along  that  part  of  the  Lake. 

At  the  termination  of  the  war,  which  eventuated  in  the 
independence  of  the  United  States,  Upper  or  Western 
Canada  was  scarcely  known  to  the  people  of  the  revolted 
Colonies.  The  only  ways  of  coming  from  the  States  were 
those  before  described,  by  Oswego,  and  another  by  a  ranch 
road  leading  through  an  unbroken  wilderness  for  more  than 
a  hundred  miles  to  Osweganski — now  Ogdensburg — by  way 
of  Lakes  George  and  Champlain,  by  an  early  unfrequented 
route;  but  this  led  into  Lower  Canada  and  communicated 
more  directly  with  Montreal. 

Several  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  "Niagara  and  Home 
District'  did  indeed  find  their  way  from  the  borders  of 
Pennsylvania,  through  the  woods  on  pack  horses,  or  per- 
chance with  wagons,  cutting  their  way  as  they  proceeded,  and 
encamping  in  the  woods  with  their  families  for  weeks  together. 
Many  of.  these  early  settlers,  however,  discharged  soldiers  of 
Butler's  Rangers  and  other  Provincial  corps,  who  were  in 
quarters  in  and  about  Fort  Niagara,  got  their  lands  in  the 
district. 

Now  it  must  be  left  to  imagine  the  destitution,  privations 
and  hardships  attendant  on  these  incipient  beginnings  of 

34 


settlement  in  an  isolated  wilderness  without  the  most  ordinary 
means  of  subsistence. 

Tradition  speaks  of  their  living  on  roots  and  fish  and 
whatever  else  came  to  hand,  and  when  they  had  without  the 
ordinary  implements  of  agriculture,  cleared  a  small  patch  of 
ground  and  raised  some  Indian  corn,  potatoes,  or  some  wheat, 
sown  in  a  burnt  fallow  and  dragged  in  with  a  branch  of  a 
tree,  instead  of  a  harrow,  there  was  no  mill  or  machinery  to 
make  meal  or  flour  short  of  30,  50,  60  or  80  miles  in  many 
cases.  I  have  heard  of  some  carrying  a  grist  of  half-bushel  of 
wheat,  15  or  16  miles  on  their  backs  through  the  woods  to 
the  nearest  mill. 

To  add  to  their  privation  they  encountered  the  "scarce 
year"  about  1793  or  1794,  when  the  products  of  the  earth 
having  failed,  and  no  means  of  obtaining  supplies  from  abroad, 
famine  stared  them  in  the  face  and  indeed,  it  is  said,  numbers 
were  actually  famished  to  death,  and  more  victims  would 
have  fallen  but  for  an  unusual  abundance  of  fish  which 
Providence  caused  the  waters  to  bring  forth.  I  have  heard 
old  people  talk  feelingly  about  "the  year  of  famine".* 

The  more  early  of  the  settlements  of  Upper  Canada  were 
made  by  the  loyal  Americans  who  held  their  allegiance  to  the 
British  Crown  during  the  eventful  war  of  the  Revolution,  in 
which  most  of  them  lost  their  comfortable  homes  and  were 
severed  from  all  their  endearing  relations  of  early  youth, 
through  their  cherished  attachment  to  the  British  Empire. 

It  was  to  labor  and  suffer  in  this,  then  remote  region  and 
among  the  settlers  in  such  circumstances  that  the  first  mission- 
aries of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  penetrated  the  woods  and 
ramps  intervening  between  the  settlements  in  the  States 
ind  Canada. 


*"The  Scarce  Season",  about  1794,  was  prolific  of  sad  traditions,  I 
heard  of  when  a  boy  from  my  Father  and  others.  Some  probably  famished, 
and  had  not  Providence  supplied  through  the  waters  an  unusual  quantity 

fish,  many  hundreds  must  have  perished.     All  the  crops  had  failed. 

anty  and  dear  supplies  were  obtained  from  the  interior  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  As  an  illustration,  the  following  incident  may  serve.  My 
father  who  sailed  Lake  Ontario,  was  fortunate  enough  when  at  the  Niagara 
River  to  obtain  5  barrels  of  flour  which  he  brought  to  Kingston,  but  could 
get  only  about  half  a  barrel  home  to  his  family.  The  people,  hearing  of 
what  he  had,  beset  him  in  the  street,  and  insisted  on  having  the  barrels 
opened,  and  under  the  supervision  of  a  magistrate  the  flour  was  dealt  out 
in  small  portions  to  the  clamorous  customers  who  paid  for  their  respective 
portions.  Necessity  knows  no  law.  From  lecture  delivered  by  Dr. 
Richardson  in  Toronto  in  the  eighteen-seventies. 

35 


I  recollect  conversing  nearly  forty  years  since,  with  an 
old  sister,  Van  Camp,  who  was  among  the  first-fruits  of 
Methodism  in  Canada.  She  told  me  that  she  had  her  residence 
at  first  in  the  township  of  Cornwall  and  in  the  winter  of  1791, 
or  thereabouts,  she  saw  through  her  window  one  exceedingly 
severe  day,  a  snowstorm  then  raging,  a  man  on  horseback 
who  knocked  at  her  door  and  asked  shelter  and  the  rites  of 
hospitality.  Being  a  stranger  and  almost  famished  she  took 
him  in,  and  accommodated  him  as  well  as  able.  He  told  her 
he  was  a  Methodist  missionary  named  Losee,  and  after  he 
had  been  refreshed,  he  would  preach  that  very  night  if  the 
people  could  be  collected.  She  seconded  the  motion  cheerfully, 
though  quite  a  stranger  to  the  Methodists,  and  sent  her  boys 
out  to  notify  the  neighbours.  Thus  was  preaching  and 
worship  introduced  into  these  parts  and  she  soon  became  a 
happy  convert  to  the  faith  taught,  and  so  strikingly  exem- 
plified, in  the  labors,  sufferings,  boldness  and  zeal  of  the 
herald  of  it. 

The  following  incident  in  the  life  of  my  father  may  seem 
to  show  the  dangers  and  difficulties  attendant  on  the  com- 
munications by  water  between  places  adjacent  to  each  other 
yet  on  opposite  sides  of  the  lake.  So  late  as  the  year  1795, 
and  at  the  time  that  the  forts  on  the  western  frontier  of  New 
York  were  surrendered  to  the  United  States,  according  to  the 
provisions  of  "Jay's  Treaty".  The  American  troops  at  Fort 
Oswego  had  to  look  to  Canada  for  flour;  and  my  father  con- 
tracted to  furnish  a  supply  in  the  fall  of  the  year  just  previous 
to  the  setting  in  of  winter.  He  took  in  the  load,  purchased 
from  the  farmers  of  Bay  Quinte  and  proceeded;  but  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  encountered  adverse  winds  which  baffled 
all  attempts  to  make  the  harbour,  no  steam  power  for  naviga- 
tion purposes  in  those  days,  being  driven  into  the  lake  and  a 
furious  storm  ensuing  he  was  wrecked  at  the  mouth  of  Sandy 
Creek,  20  or  30  miles  east  of  Oswego.  He  and  one  seaman 
swam  to  the  shore,  but  here  was  nothing  but  snow  and  woods, 
no  settlements  short  of  Oswego  to  the  west,  and  a  reported 
commencement  of  one  called  Rotterdam  about  15  miles 
through  dense  woods  and  swamps  to  the  southward.  They 
first  tried  the  woods  but  sinking  above  the  knees  in  snow  and 
mire  they  had  to  abandon  that  route  and  take  the  course 
of  the  lake  shore  to  Oswego,  intersected  as  it  was  by  several 
streams,  and  without  food  or  fire.  Providence,  however,  was 
kind  in  the  time  of  their  greatest  extremity  for  on  arriving  at 
the  mouth  of  the  " Salmon  River",  12  or  16  miles  east  of 

36 


Oswego,  they  discerned  a  boat  on  the  opposite  side  with  her 
crew  storm-bound  in  the  creek. 

The  call  being  made  the  boat  was  brought  over  and  they 
were  rescued.  My  father  proceeded  with  the  boat  to  Oswego, 
reported  the  loss  of  the  vessel  and  cargo,  and  then,  the  winter 
settling  in  and  navigation  closed  he  had  no  way  left  to  return 
home  but  by  Schenectady,  or  Albany  and  thence  by  Lake 
Champlain. 

His  home  was  reached  by  the  middle  of  winter,  my  mother 
in  the  meantime  at  Kingston  heard  nothing  of  him  further 
than  his  being  wrecked  and  getting  to  Salmon  River  and 
thence  leaving  for  Oswego.  Judge  of  her  anxiety  with  her 
little  family  during  those  dreary  winter  months  till  father 
made  his  appearance  suddenly  in  the  month  of  February. 

This  incident  may  be  taken  as  an  example  of  similar 
disasters  and  the  extreme  difficulties  attendant  on  travelling 
in  those  days. 

I  recollect  hearing  my  father  recite  several  remarkable 
occurrences  while  passing  up  the  Oswego  River,  Oneida 
Lake,  etc. 

The  following  may  be  worthy  of  record — 

The  frost  would,  in  the  night,  set  the  ice  so  strong  that  the 
boat  would  not  penetrate  it;  they  then  had  to  haul  her  over  it 
by  means  of  a  rope.  While  proceeding  in  this  way  across  the 
lake  the  ice  suddenly  gave  way  and  six  men  were  precipitated 
into  one  hole,  my  father  being  the  first  out,  while  under  the 
ice  he  heard  those  above  him  exclaim :  "  Richardson  is  gone  " — 
but  providentially  he  soon  found  his  hands  gripping  the  edge 
of  the  broken  ice  and,  giving  a  sudden  spring,  brought  himself 
out,  after  which  the  whole  six  were  rescued;  then,  before  they 
reached  a  house,  a  log  town  on  the  Lake,  their  clothes  were 
frozen  stiff  to  their  bodies. 


NOTE. 

The  traditions  of  the  old  French  and  Indian  wars  were 
fresh,  affording  much  comment  and  remark  in  my  boyhood. 
My  mother,  who  coming  from  England  when  a  girl  between 
the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war  and  the  breaking  out 
of  the  American  Revolution  and  living  at  Fort  Tucker  was 
quite  familiar  with  the  legends  of  that  day  and  would  occa- 
sionally entertain  us  children  with  details  of  Indian  warfare 
in  both  the  French  and  subsequently  the  Revolutionary  Wars. 
.  .  .  My -mother  having  married  her  first  husband,  an  officer 

37 


of  the  Marine  on  the  Lakes  named  Bryant,  had  her  quarters 
during  the  whole  of  the  Revolutionary  war  on  the  west  side 
of  the  Niagara  in  barracks  built  for  the  navy  on  the  margin 
of  the  river,  adjacent  to  the  old  Fort  George.  Here  for  some- 
time she  lived,  the  only  white  woman  on  what  is  now  the 
Canada  side,  surrounded  by  thousands  of  Indians.  .  .  .  Her 
perilous  situation  may  be  imagined,  her  husband  away  with 
the  ships  and  she  solitary  with  her  babes,  yet  she  escaped 
unhurt  and  survived  the  war,  but  suffered  widowhood  with 
two  children,  her  husband  being  the  victim  of  disease  con- 
tracted by  exposure  and  hardship  in  his  service  on  the  Lake. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  war  some  of  the  retired  military  with 
their  families  took  up  their  residence  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  and  became  intimate  friends  of  my  mother,  one  of  whom, 
Mr.  Lyon's  wife,  became  her  bosom  friend,  and  on  the  re- 
duction of  the  forces,  her  husband  Bryant  and  said  Mr. 
Lyon  took  up  land  on  a  creek  tributary  to  the  Chippawa — 
known  now  as  "Lyon's  Creek  in  the  township  of  Crow^land. 

FROM    A    LECTURE    BY    REV.    JAMES    RlCHARDSON,    D.D. 

NOTE. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812  Lieut.  James  Richardson 
received  an  appointment  in  the  Customs  and  on  the  Com- 
mission of  Peace.  In  1818  he  joined  the  Methodists,  and  at 
once  became  a  man  of  mark  in  the  infant  society,  and  was  a 
power  in  all  the  complex  questions  of  the  stormy  years  which 
followed.  Full  of  zeal  and  earnestness,  of  a  rare  and  winning 
personality,  combined  with  marvellous  energy,  he  was  be- 
loved and  respected  by  all,  "accomplishing  far  more  with  his 
one  arm  than  most  of  us  were  able  to  do  with  two,"  as  a 
contemporary  tells  us.  After  a  beautiful  old  age,  filled  to 
the  last  with  work,  he  died  on  March  9th,  1875.  His  son, 
Dr.  J.  H.  Richardson,  was  for  many  years  a  leading  physician 
in  Toronto,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Brett,  was  a  great  worker 
among  the  poor  and  in  philanthropic  circles. — Editor. 


38 


ANNUAL   REPORT 


OF  THE 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 
1916-17 

Organized  November,  1895;   Incorporated  February  14th,  1896. 


Honorary  President 


OFFICERS. 


LADY  HENDRIE. 
PO  ,  r>  L«RS'  FORSYTH  GRANT. 

Past  Presidents I  *MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON 

J*LADY  EDGAR. 

£«"*•*-  l*JJiSj?ic^HF"ZGlBB0''- 

Vice- Presidents /  MRS.  JAS.  BAIN. 

Recording  S,.,-r..t  ^  MRS.  H.  H.  ROBERTSON. 

€— "^  g=  |:  ssss-ff  sa^ 

Convenor  0,  Red  dro.s-Commmee-      I      I     SJL^o^c/^^^^^urne  S«. 


LADY  STUPART. 
MRS.  W.  T.  HALLAM. 
Miss  CHAUMCEY  TOCQUE. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 


Miss  J.  MACCALLUM. 
Miss  C.  ROBERTS. 
MRS.  W.  H.  ELLIS. 


MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  Convenor 

LADY  STUPART. 

MRS.  FREELAND. 

Miss  HORSEY. 

MRS.  JAS.  BAIN. 

MRS.  HALLAM. 


RED  CROSS  COMMITTEE. 


Miss  DESBRISSAY. 
Miss  SANDERSON. 
MRS.  GEO.  JARVIS, 
MRS.  EDMUND  JARVIS. 
MRS.  WEBBER. 


G.  R.  PARKIN.  C.M.G.,  LL.D 

COL.  G.  T.  DENISON. 

Miss  CARNOCHAN. 

W.  MACFARLANE 

JAMES  HANNAY. 

SIR  GILBERT  PARKER.  M.P. 

CHARLES  MAIR.  F.R.S.C 

Miss  K.  LIZARS. 

Miss  MACHAR. 

MRS.  C.  FESSENDEN. 

BLISS  CARMEN. 

JOHN  D.  KELLY. 

'Deceased. 


HONORARY  MEMBERS. 


REV.  PROF.  BRYCE. 
DR.  LOCKE. 

THA  V,5RY  REV-  DEAN  HARRIS. 

J.  A.  MACDONNELL. 

W.  D.  LIGHTHALL,  F.R.S.C.,  F.R.S.L. 

BENJAMIN  SULTE.  F.R.S.C. 

REV.  JOHN  MACLEAN,  Ph.D. 

EDWARD  M.  THOMSON.  F.R.S.L    F  R  S  C 

JOHN  READE.  F.R.S.C.,  F.R.S  L. 

CHAS.  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 

MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 

PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR. 


In  the  coming  year  so  critical  and  fraught  with  danger 
to  all  we  hold  dear,  let  us  each  one  resolve  that  whatever  we 
do,  or  leave  undone,  we  will  do  our  utmost  to  serve  our 
country.  It  has  been  truly  said  that  just  now  nothing 
really  matters,  except  the  holding  of  the  slender  line  on 
the  western  front,  that  swaying  and  being  swayed  yet 
stands  like  a  wall  between  us  and  unimaginable  evil  and 
sorrow.  It  is  ours  to  help  in  the  task;  nothing  that  we 
can  do  will  be  too  much,  no  sacrifice  can  be  too  great — 
and  to  do  nothing  would  be  ignoble.  Let  us  then,  working 
and  saving,  with  willing  sacrifices  upholding  those  who 
fight  for  us,  do  our  part  in  these  great  times. 

SARA  MICKLE. 


Secretary's  Report  1916-1917 

The  past  year  ending  November  1917,  has  been  marked  by 
an  increased  activity  in  Red  Cross  Work  under  the  able 
management  of  the  Convenor  whose  report  follows.  We  have 
to  report  five  regular,  eight  executive  and  two  evening  meet- 
ings which  latter  have  taken  the  form  of  lectures.  The  first 
was  given  by  Lieut. -Col.  A.  Primrose  "With  a  Base  Hospital 
at  Salonica"  in  which  he  spoke  of  the  harmony  and  efficiency 
of  the  staff  uhder  great  difficulties,  the  proceeds  of  this  was 
spent  in  socks  for  soldiers  in  the  trenches.  The  second  evening 
meeting  was  given  in  March  by  the  Rev.  C.  E.  Sharpe,  some- 
time Chaplain  to  the  British  navy,  he  described  in  a  most 
delightful  manner  life  aboard  ship,  spoke  of  the  good  conduct 
and  fine  character  of  the  men,  of  their  modesty,  bravery  and 
devotion  to  duty.  Half  the  proceeds  was  spent  in  socks  the 
other  half  for  the  navy.  We  are  indeed  greatly  indebted  to 
these  two  gentlemen  for  their  kindness  in  giving  us  both 
information  and  pleasure,  we  are  also  indebted  to  the  Univer- 
sity authorities  in  allowing  us  the  use  of  their  buildings,  the 
Physics  Building  and  Convocation  Hall. 

Many  of  our  members  have  been  called  upon  to  bear  great 
anxiety  and  sorrow;  bereavement  has  come  to  some;  to  all 
such  we  extend  our  loving  and  respectful  sympathy. 

During  the  year  this  Society  has  endeavoured  to  keep  in 
touch  with  other  societies  through  the  National  Council, 
through  acting  with  the  Ladies'  Sailors  Guild,  the  Thrift  Com- 
mittee and  the  Soldiers'  Comforts  League. 

Donations  received  have  been  a  photograph  of  Lieut.  Jas. 
Richardson  from  Mrs.  Freeland,  photographs  of  pictures  of 
Francis  I  and  Louis  XIV  from  Miss  Mickle. 

Framed  "Political  Squib"  given  by  Mrs.  H.  T.  F.  Duck- 
worth. 

The  publications  received  have  been:  Transaction  of 
London  and  Middlesex  Historical  Society;  Transaction  of 
Niagara  Historical  Society;  The  Washington  Historical 
Quarterly  (Seattle);  Publication  of  the  Landmarks  Associa- 
tion; Records  of  Ontario  Historical  Society;  Review  of  His- 
torical Publications  in  Canada,  published  by  Toronto  Univer- 
sity; The  German  Peace  Offer,  by  Col.  Geo.  T.  Denison; 
Historical  Publications,  by  his  Honour  Justice  Riddell. 


The  new  members  we  welcome  this  year  are: 
Miss  Susie  Smith,  92  College  St. 
Mrs.  J.  J.  MacKenzie,  43  Chesnut  Park  Rd. 
Mrs.  J.  C.  MacLennan,  88  Prince  Arthur  Ave. 
Mrs.  A.  B.  MacCallum,  92  Madison  Ave. 
Mrs.  W.  T.  Hallam,  89  Wilcocks  St. 
Mrs.  Warburton,  Westminster  Hotel. 
Mrs.  Embree,  33  Beatty  Ave. 
Mrs.  Landon,  569  College  St. 
Mrs.  Edgar  Jarvis,  Clarkson. 
Mrs.  Geo.  McVicar,  3  North  Sherbourne  St. 
The  papers  read  have  been  as  follows: 
January— Letters  written  1829-33  by  Mr.  Wm.  Boulton, 
1st  Classical  Master  of  Upper  Canada  College,  in  which  he 
describes  domestic  and  social  life  in  Toronto  when  wood  at 
$3.00  per  cord  was  the  only  fuel  used ;  read  by  Mrs.  Forsyth 
Grant. 

February — Continuation  of  this  paper. 
March — Notes  on  Georgina  Township,  by  Miss  E.  K. 
Sibbald,  whose  ancestors  were  among  the  early  settlers  of 
this  place,  now  better  known  as  Jackson's  Point.  The  beauti- 
ful St.  George's  Church  was  built  by  members  of  the  family 
as  a  memorial. 

April — The  King's  Mill  on  the  Humber  by  Miss  K.  M. 
Lizars,  giving  a  history  of  this  picturesque  old  mill  formerly 
an  important  place,  the  Humber  River  being  the  only  route 
used  for  travel  between  Lake  Simcoe  and  Lake  Ontario. 
Boards  made  here  were  used  in  the  first  buildings  in  York. 

October — Halifax  and  its  surroundings,  by  Mrs.  W.  T. 
Hallam,  a  charming  description  of  social  life  in  Halifax  from 
earliest  times  before  the  coming  of  the  U.E.L's.,  the  writer 
being  a  descendent  of  two  of  the  early  pioneer  families. 
All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

LUELLA   CORLEY. 


Report  of  the  Red  Cross  Committee 

Little  did  we  think  in  August,  1914,  that  we  would  have 
to  face  the  fourth  year  of  this  terrible  war,  which  is  still  being 
waged,  on  earth,  in  the  air,  on  the  water  and  beneath  thereof, 
with  cruel  devices  never  before  known.  We  in  this  Society 
have  taken  vigorous  action  in  order  to  give  comfort  to  our 
soldiers  in  the  field.  The  need  will  be  greater  than  ever,  owing 
to  the  larger  numbers  of  men  at  the  front.  So  this  year  we 
must  continue  our  work  with  renewed  energy  for  the  comfort 
and  welfare  of  our  men,  who  have  put  up  such  a  brave  fight 
with  the  Allies  to  safeguard  the  liberty  of  the  present  and 
future  generations. 

Last  year  the  W.C.H.S.  Red  Cross  Committee  concen- 
trated their  efforts  upon  securing  socks  for  our  soldiers  in  the 
trenches  and  we  were  able  to  send  forward  3,235  pairs  of 
socks.  This  year  we  have  divided  our  activities  and  have  been 
able  to  send  the  following  articles :  470  Personal  Property  bags, 
made  by  one  of  our  members,  Mrs.  E.  J.  Thompson ;  2  pairs  of 
pillowcases;  562  towels  (2  bales  of  towelling  given  by  one  of 
our  members,  Mrs.  Hicks) ;  1  hot  water  bag  cover;  62  stretcher 
caps;  2  pairs  of  slippers;  2  knitted  trench  caps;  1  suit  of 
pyjamas;  2,069  pairs  of  socks. 

In  December  1917,  Lieut. -Colonel  A.  Primrose  gave  a 
lecture  "With  a  Base  Hospital  at  Salonika"  in  the  Physics 
Building  to  a  large  and  appreciative  audience.  The  views 
were  excellent  and  the  lecturer  most  interesting.  The  pro- 
ceeds were  spent  in  socks  for  soldiers  in  the  trenches.  To 
Dr.  Primrose  we  tender  our  grateful  thanks. 

We  are  greatly  indebted  to  Rev.  C.  E.  Sharpe  for  his  ex- 
cellent lecture  on  "The  Navy"  delivered  in  Convocation  Hall 
on  March  26th,  from  the  proceeds  of  which  we  were  able  to 
send  $100.00  to  the  National  Ladies'  Guild  for  Sailors,  for  the 
building  of  a  cabin  for  entertaining  sailors  while  in  Port.  This 
cabin  will  bear  the  name  of  our  Society.  We  also  sent  $50.00 
to  Lady  Jellicoe's  Fund  for  Sailors,  and  60  pairs  of  socks 
to  Queen  Mary's  Needle  Work  Guild. 

Your  Committee  were  much  gratified  to  receive  a  request 
from  the  women  of  the  Industrial  Farm  for  wool,  in  order 
that  they  might  do  their  bit  in  knitting  for  the  soldiers  and 

6 


we  are  supplying  them  with  wool  and  have  received  from  them 
a  large  number  of  beautifully  knitted  socks. 

The  Women's  Patriotic  League  asked  us  to  decorate  the 
windows  of  their  rooms  at  80  King  St.  W.  to  show  the  work 
our  Society  is  doing.  We  were  able  to  make  an  interesting 
display  of  one  month's  work — socks,  personal  property  bags 
stretcher  caps,  slippers,  wristers,  trench  caps  and  pyjamas. 
Twenty  pairs  of  these  socks  were  knitted  by  the  women  of  the 
Industrial  Farm  and  attracted  much  attention,  as  did  also 
the  very  fine  poster  "SOX  FOR  OUR  BOYS  IN  THE 
TRENCHES"  done  by  the  well  known  artist,  Mr.  Owen 
Staples,  for  us  last  year.  This  poster  attracted  so  much 
attention  that  the  Patriotic  'League  asked  us  to  loan  it  to 
them  to  leave  in  the  window.  These  things  were  arranged 
attractively  in  the  window  with  red  and  green,  the  colours  of 
our  Society. 

The  Committee  wish  to  thank  Mrs.  Bain  for  the  splendid 
results  gained  from  her  sales  of  home-made  bread,  cake,  etc., 
each  month.  Also  we  wish  to  thank  the  Tea  Hostesses  for 
each  meeting  through  the  year.  The  magnificent  work  of 
these  two  efforts  have  increased  our  Red  Cross  funds  con- 
siderably. The  gifts  of  money  and  socks  from  the  members 
has  been  splendid.  I  know  you  all  feel  with  your  Committee 
that  the  efforts  made  in  providing  these  3,178  articles  for  our 
men  in  the  field  has  been  worth  while,  and  we  must  "carry 
on"  this  coming  year,  making  greater  efforts  and  more  sacri- 
fices than  ever  before,  and  mingled  with  our  work  we  have 
the  proud  consciousness  that  we  are  helping  our  men  who  are 
fighting  for  Liberty  and  our  Empire. 
Respectfully  submitted, 

ELIZABETH  R.  EATON. 
Convenor  Red  Cross  Committee. 


Treasurer's   Report 

NOVEMBER,  1916-17 


RED  CROSS  COMMITTEE 


RECEIPTS. 

Cash  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1916 -I  •* "         $8.35 

December  Lecture  Returns 127.25 

March  Lecture  Returns 336.75 

Donations 67.45 

Proceeds  of  Teas  and  Sales 56.45 

Bank  Interest , 1.79 

Loan  from  Memorial  Fund 208.00 

Transferred  from  General  Fund .  .  20.20 


Total  Receipts $826.25 

EXPENDITURE. 

Rent $20.00 

Donations 175.00 

Postage 4.25 

Printing 14.85 

Advertising 16.38 

Red  Cross  Supplies 548.09 


Total  Expenditure $778.57 

Balance  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1917 47.68 

All  of  which  is  respectfull  submitted, 

HOPE  H.  DUCKWORTH, 
November  15th,  1917.  Hon.  Treasurer. 

Audited  and  found  correct, 

SYDNEY  JONES, 

December,  1917. 


THE  QUEEN  VICTORIA  MEMORIAL  FUND 

RECEIPTS. 

Cash  in  the  Bank,  November  15th,  1916 $441.95 

Interest  on  Debentures 21.26 

Dividend 303.75 

Sale  of  Transactions 5.90 

Bank  Interest..  10.82 


Total  Receipts $783.18 

EXPENDITURE. 

Contribution  to  Red  Cross $10.50 

First  Payment  on  War  Loan 50.00 

Final  Payment  on  War  Loan 428.67 

Loan  to  Red  Cross  Fund .  .  208.00 


Total 697.17 

Balance  in  Bank,  November  16th,  1917 86.01 


$783.18 

Canadian  Permanent  Mortgage  Debentures $5,000.00 

War  Loan  Certificate.  .  500.00 


Total $5,500.00 


Total  to  Credit  of  Memorial  Fund $5,586.01 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT 


RECEIPTS. 

Cash  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1916 $156.97 

Fees — Current  and  Advance 93.00 

Ontario  Government  Grant 100.00 

Interest..  1.61 


Total  Receipts $351.58 

EXPENDITURE. 

Rent $30.00 

Fee  to  Local  Council • 2.00 

Refreshments 9.00 

Printing 110.20 

Postage  and  Stationery 5.55 

Donations  to  Red  Cross .  .  5.20 


Total $161.95 

Balance  in  Bank,  November  15th,  1917 189.63 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

HOPE  H.  DUCKWORTH, 

November  15th,  1917.  Hon.  Treasurer. 

Audited  and  found  correct, 

SYDNEY  JONES, 

December,  1917. 
9 


DEEDS    SPEAK 


Women's  Canadian   Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION  No.  16 


CONTENTS 

The  King's  Mill  on  the  Humber  K.  M.  Lizars. 

Notes  on  Georgina  Township.  Miss  E.  K.  Sibbald. 

Extracts  from  "A  Few  Days  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  with 
some  Hints  to  Settlers."  Captain  Thomas  Sibbald. 

Illustrations  from  Pamphlet — First  Church  1842. 

EildonHallin  1842. 

Three  Years  among  the  Ojibways  1857-1860. 

With  illustrations.  Mrs.  Emma  Jeffers  Graham. 


1916-17 


The  King's  Mill  on  the  Humber 

BY  K.  M.  LIZARS. 

[Authorities: — Toronto  of  Old ;  Scadding  Pamphlets;  Robertson's  Landmarks;  Read's 
Simcoe;  Robertson's  Diary  of  Mrs.  Simcoe;  Canadian  Institute  Transactions;  Journals 
of  Assembly;  Provincial  Archives;  Dominion  Archives;  M.S.  Journal  of  an  English  Officer 
1839-41;  Department  of  Marine  and  Fisheries,  etc.,  etc.  Illustrated  by  Maps  and  Pictures.] 

Two  years  of  painstaking  research  resulted  in  a  book  that 
I  named  "The  Valley  of  the  Humber";  and  the  authorities 
quoted  in  the  construction  of  that  book  are  necessarily  the 
same  as  the  authorities  for  this  paper. 

The  earliest  maps  of  our  lake  were  composed  largely  from 
hearsay,  and  in  the  Molyneux  map  of  1600,  which  was  filled 
in  by  hearsay  from  the  time  of  Cartier,  the  inland  sea  was  called 
Lacke  de  Tadenac.  Champlain  called  it  Lac  St.  Louis,  and 
the  Humber  was  used  by  his  interpreter  as  the  direct  route 
from  Lake  Simcoe  to  Lake  Ontario.  The  Indians,  the  first  fur 
traders,  and  later  the  priests,  furnished  the  material  to  the 
map  makers,  and  in  most  cases  the  guesswork  was  peculiarly 
accurate.  In  Sanson's  map  of  1650  we  find  a  tracing  corres- 
ponding to  the  Humber,  and  if  we  step  from  peak  to  peak 
historically  we  can  list  the  makers  of  the  lower  Humber  as 
Brule  the  interpreter,  La  Salle,  the  trader  St.  John,  Simcoe, 
Thomas  Fisher  and  William  Gamble.  The  mill,  naturally, 
owes  its  birth  to  the  Lake. 

In  1793  the  Governor  had  much  intercourse  with  St.  John, 
the  first  responsible  inhabitant  on  the  Humber;  and  the  engi- 
neering expeditions  made  at  that  date  with  a  certain  amount 
of  help  from  "Mr.  St.  John's  House"  had  one  result  in  the 
establishment  of  the  King's  Mill.  The  beauty  of  the  place 
led  people  to  make  picnics  even  then,  and  Mrs.  Simcoe  con- 
stantly found  herself  in  the  neighbourhood,  whether  picnicking 
via  boat  or  canoe,  exploring  on  foot,  or  riding  along  the  heights. 

The  historian  Lescarbot  makes  Moses  speak  for  the  land  of 
Champlain — "a  good  land,  a  land  of  brooks  and  water,  of  foun- 
tains and  depths,  a  land  wherein  thou  shalt  eat  bread  without 
scarceness,  thou  shalt  not  lack  anything  in  it" — and  the 
Governor,  farther  west,  was  of  the  same  mind.  His  prophecies 
for  the  Province  in  general,  and  for  the  valley  of  the  Humber 
in  particular  as  he  looked  across  the  site  for  the  King's  Mill, 
were  of  no  uncertain  sound.  He  believed  equally  in  the  value 

12 


of  his  ship-yard;  and  ship's  carpenters  were  imported  for 
serious  work,  men  who  lived  in  the  United  States  and  returned 
to  their  homes  for  the  winter.  It  was  proposed  to  build  gun- 
boats to  add  to  the  fleet  in  Lake  Ontario  and  Lake  Erie;  and 
had  his  plans  and  expectations  been  carried  out  and  the  naval 
yards  on  the  Humber  been  enlarged,  Ontario,  and  especially 
Toronto,  would  have  had  a  different  tale  to  tell  of  1812. 

Succeeding  their  work  for  the  navy,  the  yards  under  Joseph 
Dennis  were  responsible  for  the  building  of  the  "Toronto 
Yacht"  in  1799.  The  Gazette  of  September  14th  of  that  year 
says  in  magnificent  periods  written  by  a  landsman,  that  she 
"was  one  of  the  handsomest  vessels  that  ever  swam  upon  Lake 
Ontario  and  reflected  great  credit  on  her  master  builder".  I 
regret  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  trace  the  total  tonnage 
turned  out  by  the  yards,  but  at  any  rate  we  know  that  the 
shipbuilding  life  of  the  King's  Mill  was  an  important  if  short 
one. 

Simcoe,  the  great  roadbuilder  and  hopeful  shipbuilder  was 
also  the  first  sawmiller,  and  his  initial  care  for  his  infant  settle- 
ment was  to  decide  upon  "mill  seats".  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Land  Board  for  the  District  in  1792,  applications  were  read 
from  certain  persons  concerning  mill  seats;  but  a  year  elapsed 
before  the  first  of  our  long  line  of  experts  was  engaged,  and  in 
1793  we  have  his  Excellency  ordering  payment  of  £7.  45.  Qd.  to 
one  William  Kitchin  for  such  services. 

During  the  season,  life  at  the  King's  Mill  was  stirring. 
Boards  from  it  were  used  in  the  first  governmental  buildings 
in  York,  and  probably  at  the  Government  House  at  the  Credit, 
a  house  built  by  the  Governor's  orders  for  the  entertainment  of 
all  respectable  wayfarers.  In  Lord  Dorchester's  scheme  of 
outlay,  surveyors  were  constantly  harried  regarding  economy 
and  were  sent  minute  instructions  as  to  the  spending  of  money. 
But  the  King's  Mill  Reserve  was  the  subject  of  many  surveys, 
and  from  that  of  Augustus  Jones  down  to  1834  the  field  notes 
are  interesting.  In  that  year  William  Hawkins  surveyed  the 
Reserve  and  the  line  for  the  road  through  Mr.  Gamble's  land, 
after  which  he  was  sent  back  to  survey  the  required  road.  One 
of  the  maps  hung  in  illustration  of  this  paper  shows  part  of  the 
sequence  of  that  month  back  to  the  surveys  made  under 
Simcoe. 

The  importation  of  flour  gave  way  to  the  importation  of 
wheat  to  be  ground  at  home;  but  presently  native  wheat,  and 
corn  in  general,  supplied  the  mills.  In  1792  the  first  Provincial 
Parliament  had  regulated  the  toll  to  be  taken  at  mills,  "not 

13 


more  than  one-twelfth  for  grinding  and  bolting";  and  together 
with  the  improvement  in  gristing  came  the  first  land  boom. 
By  1794  the  quantity  of  good  timber  and  the  demand  for 
boards  made  the  owners  of  sawmills  find  their  investment  a 
good  one ;  stones  were  scarce,  and  although  brick  was  beginning 
to  be  used,  masons  were  few. 

Then  came  the  recall  of  the  Governor;  a  different  spirit 
entered  into  governmental  ownership,  and  soon  the  King's 
Mill  was  considered  useless  for  the  new  conditions.  Proposals 
for  purchase  were  asked  for;  and  of  the  few  referred  for  con- 
sideration, that  from  John  Willson  was  the  only  one  to  receive 
definite  support.  His  application  in  the  autumn  of  1797,  after 
a  period  of  leasehold,  shows  that  the  sawmills  were  much  out 
of  repair,  but  that  if  the  government  would  sell  on  reasonable 
terms  it  would  be  his  wish  to  purchase  them.  The  total  of  the 
income  of  the  sawmills  for  four  years  ending  December  31st, 
1796,  as  given  by  the  Superintendent  of  Sawmill  Accounts  is 
£229.  9s.  9>4</.,  after  the  deduction  due  the  government.  The 
Superintendent  complains  that  if  the  sawmill  had  been  occu- 
pied by  an  industrious  person,  double  the  quantity  might  have 
been  cut;  and  Willson  complains  that  the  sawmills  are  much 
out  of  repair  and  difficult  to  keep  up.  One  uses  the  singular 
and  the  other  the  plural,  the  miller  evidently  having  in  mind 
his  saws  and  the  Superintendent  the  mill. 

Thomas  Davis  in  March  1798  makes  the  next  offer ;  William 
Bates,  with  interests  in  Queenston  and  at  the  Credit,  comes 
into  the  correspondence  connected  with  Willson,  and  we  have 
various  letters  from  the  Superintendent,  John  McGill.  One  in 
August  1789,  to  his  Honor  the  President,  is  as  follows: 

"Sir,  I  have  the  Honor  to  state  for  your  Honor's  informa- 
tion that  I  am  informed  Corporal  Willson  intends  removing  to 
his  lands,  and  unless  Mr.  Bates  returns  with  his  family  from 
the  States  this  Fall  to  inhabit  the  Government  House  at  the 
Head  of  the  Lake,  it  will  be  left  without  anyone-to  take  care  of 
it.  The  Lease  of  the  King's  Sawmill  on  the  Humber  now  in 
the  occupation  of  Mr.  Willson  will  expire  on  the  31st  of 
December  next — as  both  are  reserves  of  the  Crown,  the  Leases 
must  of  course  come  through  the  same  channel  as  those  of  the 
Crown  reserves." 

The  endorsement  on  this  letter,  signed  by  Peter  Russell, 
says: 

"Sawmills,  &c.  The  subject  of  this  letter  recommended 
most  thoroughly  to  the  consideration  of  the  Executive  Council, 
and  the  President  requests  that  they  may  at  the  same  time 

14 


take  into  their  deliberations  the  propriety  of  leasing  the  Scite 
for  a  Grist  Mill  at  the  Humber  to  the  same  person  who  shall 
take  the  saw  mill." 

A  second  endorsement  reads:  "Nov.  9th,  1798.  Recomd. 
that  an  advertisement  be  inserted  in  the  Gazette  calling  on 
the  public  for  proposals  to  be  delivered  into  this  office  for  a 
lease  of  the  two  mill  seats  including  the  buildings  now  standing 
thereon  for  a  term  of  21  yrs  at  a  corn  rent.  The  advertise- 
ment to  be  submitted  to  this  Board  before  it  is  inserted  in  the 
Gazette." 

The  third  endorsement  is:  "Confirmed  in  Council.  The 
Grist  mill  to  pay  in  flour  and  the  Sawmill  in  Boards,  or  the 
current  value  in  each.  P.  R." 

Archibald  Thomson  and  William  Forfar  sent  in  an  offer  in 
1798,  which  is  endorsed  merely  "  Proposals  ".  They  make  offer 
with  suitable  bonds  for  the  reserved  land  and  Government  Mills, 
on  terms  very  good  for  themselves,  condemning  the  existing 
Log  Hutt  of  a  dwelling-house  and  the  risque  to  the  enfeebled 
frame  from  spring  floods.  They  would  have  to  build  a  com- 
fortable dwelling-house  at  once,  and  rebuild  the  mill  within 
two  or  three  years. 

Isaiah  Skinner  makes  a  proposal  in  1799  for  the  King's  Saw 
Mill  and  site  of  the  grist  mill  on  the  Humber,  "offering  to 
build  a  new  saw  and  grist  mill  with  two  run  of  stones  at  his 
own  expenses  which  will  not  cost  a  sum  less  than  from  1500 
to  £2000  NYC",  the  Government  to  furnish  him  with  mill- 
stones and  irons  and  nails,  "and  a  set  of  Good  Saws  with  the 
Irons  now  belonging  to  the  saw  mill."  He  engages  to  leave 
the  whole  in  good  repair  at  the  end  of  twenty  years.  He  asks 
the  free  use  of  the  Crown  timber  and  the  usual  quantity  of 
meadow,  for  all  of  which  he  offers  a  rental  of  two  thousand 
dollars,  a  sum  that  he  deems  ample  when  added  to  his  outlay 
for  building.  He  condemns  the  dwelling  house  on  the  pre- 
mises, and  in  a  postscript  to  his  Proposal  says  he  would  build 
a  good  and  comfortable  house  at  his  own  expense,  the  whole  to 
be  erected  within  the  space  of  two  years. 

An  offer  of  December,  1798,  in  a  flourish  of  handwriting 
and  noble  terms,  is  withdrawn  in  equally  fine  language  the 
following  January,  as  the  writer  cannot  compete  in  any  way 
with  the  Proposal  sent  in  by  Skinner. 

For  many  of  the  early  years  of  the  19th  century  the  banks 
of  the  Humber  were  studded  with  mills,  like  all  small  water- 
ways near  civilization,  and  most  of  the  buildings  met  the  usual 
Canadian  fate — burned  to  the  ground.  The  Old  Mill  as  we 

15 


have  it  to-day,  a  phoenix  of  the  Humber,  is  the  only  one  of 
royal  lineage,  a  mill  with  a  tree  that  cannot  burn,  its  line  begun 
by  the  first  Governor  in  the  King's  name,  and  the  present 
structure  made  useless  by  fire  in  the  last  quarter  of  the 
century-.  The  copies  of  maps  we  have  here  to-day  and  these 
letters  selected  from  a  number  in  the  Dominion  Archives,  show 
why  the  site  was  desirable. 

The  King's  Mill  Reserve  had  a  sleepy  life  between  the  war 
of  1812  and  the  building  of  Fisher's  Milton  House  in  1834. 
The  man,  Thomas  Fisher,  touches  the  imagination,  an  interest- 
ing figure  as  miller  and  settler,  keen  enough  in  his  desire  for 
success  as  a  miller,  but  with  the  vision  and  hope  of  the  true 
pioneer  who  is  denied  the  fruit  of  fulfilment.  He  began  life  as 
the  junior  member  of  a  cotton  firm  in  Leeds,  and  his  alert  mind 
suggested  a  visit  of  investigation  to  their  branch  house  in  New 
York.  The  senior  partners  resented  the  impertinence  of 
youth;  but  he  came  nevertheless,  with  the  determination  that 
he  retained  during  his  Canadian  life.  He  investigated  the 
New  York  branch,  found  his  fears  justified,  returned  to  Leeds 
and  made  his  report,  and  was  scoffed  at  by  his  seniors;  in 
indignation  he  withdrew  his  money  and  retired,  and  went  to 
New  York  intending  to  settle  there.  But  his  Yorkshire  blood 
could  not  stand  the  anti-British  feeling  of  those  days.  He 
heard  of  a  Canadian  county,  York;  came  to  the  country, 
found  a  Little  York,  and,  after  a  short  stay  elsewhere,  settled 
hard  by.  His  wife,  a  Sykes  of  Yorkshire,  proved  her  share  of 
the  Yorkshire  spirit  in  the  journey  up  the  St.  Lawrence  by 
bateau,  when  with  her  two  young  children  she  followed 
Thomas  Fisher. 

Some  of  Bouchette's  "broad  and  beautiful  meadows  of  the 
township  of  York"  were  in  the  King's  Mill  Reserve,  little 
changed  when  Fisher  built  the  Milton  House  and  his  first  mill 
on  the  river.  But  he  sold  his  property  amd  moved  farther  up 
the  stream.  He  had  a  keen  sense  of  beauty  and  an  ordered 
mind;  some  of  the  fine  ornamental  trees  still  standing  are  of 
his  planting,  and  the  scheme  of  his  property  made  an  excellent 
basis  for  his  successors  to  work  on.  It  is  accepted  that  a  house 
often  breathes  out  the  atmosphere  created  by  former  occu- 
pants; and  to  anyone  who  has  traced  the  life  and  'hopes  of 
this  Humber  miller  his  spirit  seems  to  speak,  sometimes  ex- 
cluding the  memory  of  later  and  more  successful  ownership. 

When  it  came  time  for  William  Gamble  to  inaugurate  his 
almost  feudal  estate  he  outbuilt  the  former  incumbents  and 
far  outran  the  humble  ideas  of  his  gubernatorial  predecessors. 

16 


The  piles  and  shoring  for  his  little  wharf  have  still  some 
evidence;  and  when  excavations  were  being  made  for  the 
present  boathouse,  many  small  parts  of  machinery  were  found, 
exquisitely  threaded  brass  nuts  and  bolts  and  other  pieces 
showing  that  they  had  been  handmade  by  the  best  workmen 
in  England. 

With  Fisher's  sale  to  Gamble  began  the  Milton  Settlement, 
a  beautiful  hamlet  in  the  eyes  of  one  who  remembers  its  later 
life.  The  house,  dating  from  1834,  was  followed  by  all  the 
industries.  Rowland  Burr's  sawmill  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river  was  acquired  and  converted  to  another  use,  and  by  the 
middle  of  the  century  Gamble's  name  appeared  in  a  directory 
as  "miller,  merchant,  postmaster,  woollen  manufacturer, 
lumber  merchant,  etc."  The  etcetera  covered  oatmeal,  nails, 
bone  fertilizer,  dry  kiln,  slaughterhouse,  blacksmith,  cooper 
and  waggon  shop,  inn,  and  dwellings  for  his  men.  The  saw 
milj,  on  the  east  side,  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
upstream  beyond  the  present  bridge.  A  plank  road  led  from 
the  village  to  the  settlement.  The  new  American  saw  mill, 
dam  devices  and  all  precautions  belonging  to  each  season  as  it 
came,  helped  to  resist  the  water,  but  Gamble  as  well  as  Fisher 
suffered  from  flood. 

But  those  were  days  of  hope  and  happiness,  of  time  for 
delight  in  the  beauty  that  surrounded  the  hamlet.  One  old 
settler  gives  an  affectionate  description  of  the  valley,  called 
by  its  dwellers  the  Garden  of  Eden,  where  everything  was 
beautiful  and  everybody  happy,  where  all  were  friends,  and 
success  and  ill-luck  were  shared  in  friendship. 

The  engineer,  MacTaggart,  had  a  facile  pen,  light,  and 
sometimes  contemptuous,  but  his  description  of  another 
settler  of  eminence,  the  head  of  a  clachan  and  the  owner  of  a 
millseat,  will  stand  for  William  Gamble  and  his  kind  fifteen 
years  later.  "But  mills  alone  by  no  means  complete  the 
finished  establishment.  A  distillery  is  quite  indispensable,  so 
that  raw  grain  whiskey  may  be  produced  at  a  couple  of  shil- 
lings per  gallon,  the  flavour  of  which  is  qualified  by  frosty 
potatoes  and  yellow  pumpkins.  ...  A  tannery  is  also  an 
appendage,  while  a  store  may  finish  the  list". 

A  bona  fide  picture  of  Milton  can  follow  that  imaginary 
sketch. 

An  English  officer  who  had  shared  in  the  Battle  of  Windsor 
and  in  some  other  chief  events  of  Rebellion  times,  devotes 
several  pages  of  his  diary  to  the  Humber.  From  Toronto,  in 
May  1840,  he  visited  two  country  mansions,  one  belonging  to 

17 


a  Mr.  Blank,  "the  proprietor  of  a  large  corn  mill.  This  mill 
is  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Humber  about  three  miles  from  the 
lake,  in  a  small  circular  valley  bounded  partly  by  abrupt 
banks  and  partly  by  round  knolls.  At  the  upper  end  the  high- 
lands approach  one  another,  forming  a  narrow  gorge  clothed 
with  the  heavy  masses  of  the  original  forests.  The  basin  of 
the  gorge  is  completely  filled  by  the  river,  which  issues  from  it 
a  narrow  stream,  flowing  musically  over  a  stoney  channel; 
but  below  the  mill  the  water  becomes  deep  and  quiet  and 
deviates  into  two  branches  to  embrace  a  small  wooded  island. 
Close  to  the  water  edge  is  a  large  mill  surrounded  by  a  number 
of  small  cottages,  over  the  chimnies  of  which  rose  the  masts 
of  flour  barges;  and  on  the  bank  above,  in  the  midst  of  a  green 
lawn  bounded  by  the  forest,  is  the  neat,  white  frame  mansion 
of  Mr.  -  — ,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  this  very  pretty  spot, 
and  of  the  large  and  prosperous  establishment  of  which  he  is 
the  proprietor.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Parliament, 
and  I  believe  a  bit  of  a  radical.  He  was  very  civil  to  Kerby, 
who  knew  his  wife,  and  to  myself,  giving  us  a  very  good  dinner 
and  showing  us  over  the  mill,  which  is  on  a  very  large  scale. 
About  one  hundred  people,  according  to  the  account  of  the 
proprietor,  derive  employment  from  it.  It  is  supplied  with 
corn  for  the  most  part  from  the  United  States." 

That  mill  was  burned  in  1847  and  rebuilt,  the  Old  Mill  of 
to-day,  in  1848.    The  remains  of  the  wharf  can  be  found  hard 
by  the  site  of  the  storehouse,  not  far  below  the  mill;  and  the 
depression  near  the  ruin,  shaded  and  not  easy  to  see,  is  the  • 
cellar  of  the  oatmeal  mill. 

With  the  decrease  of  import  of  foreign  wheat  came  re- 
turns sent  in  to  the  Board  of  Trade,  and  the  memorandum 
from  Milton  Mills  in  1846  shows  the  wheat  westward  much 
shrunk,  in  some  places  a  total  failure,  northward  good,  but  the 
yield  light.  "Flour  is  the  principal  manufacture  in  this  dis- 
trict, and  is  yearly  increasing  from  wheat  grown  in  the  dis- 
trict". 

Thus  Gamble's  scow,  a  feature  of  note  in  its  day,  was  an 
important  factor  in  the  settlement.  Later  there  was  a  wharf 
at  the  river  mouth,  with  pier  and  storehouse,  with  better 
facilities  for  loading  and  lightering;  and  the  chief  work  of  local 
import  and  export  was  done  by  the  scow.  The  latter  was  a 
source  of  great  pride  to  the  dwellers  in  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
but  its  old  age  was  a  dishonoured  one  as  it  was  swamped  in 
the  lower  river  and  its  deck,  carried  away  for  firewood  by 
chance  comers.  When  time  came  for  the  end  of  life  for  the 
I  18 


warehouse  the  building  still  did  not  leave  the  lake  shore,  for 
in  a  changed  form  it  existed  (up  to  the  last  inquiries  I  made), 
near  the  Credit  as  a  farm  barn.  From  a  short  distance  below 
Milton  the  water  was  for  years  navigable  for  vessels  of  a 
draught  not  named,  "but  even  propellers  ascended". 

The  old  trade  in  spars  had  dwindled  to  a  very  slight  one 
and  nearly  all  the  shipping  industry  came  from  flour.  A  sur- 
vivor of  the  Garden  of  Eden  tells  with  pride  of  his  share  in 
turning  out  300  barrels  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  he  dwells  on 
the  busy  life  of  the  river  with  its  schooners  and  great  scow 
near  by,  all  fed  from  the  small  scows  that  were  pike-poled  to 
and  from  the  mill.  But  drownings  occurred  even  then  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden,  and  the  small  scows  contributed  at  least  two. 

Salmon,  also,  had  some  influence  in  life  at  the  King's  Mill 
and  its  successors.  The  tales  as  to  true  salmon  in  the  tribu- 
tary streams  of  Lake  Ontario  are  verified  in  the  writings  of 
reputable  settlers  and  sportsmen  of  fifty  years  ago;  and  at 
an  earlier  date  (1825)  we  have  a  Report  from  the  Committee 
Room  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  on  the  subject  of  erecting 
Mill  Dams  on  any  rivers  or  streams  accessible  to  fish  from 
the  Lake,  in  which  the  Committee  "beg  leave  to  state  that  no 
information  has  been  laid  before  them  relative  to  any  Rivers 
or  Water  Courses  aforesaid,  except  the  Rivers  Credit  and 
Humber",  and  that  "Mill  Dams  may  be  erected  with  an 
inclined  plane  on  the  plan  of  one  foot  rise  to  four  feet  of  space, 
over  which  the  fish  may  pass  up,  and  rafts  down,  without 
obstruction."  In  1828  a  Bill  was  assented  to  concerning  the 
better  construction  of  aprons  and  dams  "to  facilitate  the 
descent  of  lumber  and  the  ascent  of  fish";  but  the  Bill  had 
alas,  little  influence  on  the  Humber.  la  its  day,  the  King's 
Mill  itself  had  been  an  enemy.  By  1833  it  was  common 
assertion  that  the  accumulation  of  sawdust  and  the  multi- 
tudes of  floating  oak  staves  were  chief  causes  in  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  salmon,  and  the  King's  Mill  had  been  the  first  to 
send  these  ills  upon  the  waters.  The  oak  staves  were  evidently 
five  and  six  feet  long  by  two  inches  thick,  and  those  found  in 
the  river-bed  within  recent  years  were  stained  the  deep  colour 
of  age.  Good  pike  and  bass  were  to  be  found  below  the  mill. 
Pike  were  easily  got  by  shooting  at  them,  without  a  hit,  when 
they  dodged  the  canoe  almost  cunningly;  but  the  concussion 
stunned  them  and  they  turned  over,  helpless,  to  be  lifted  out 
easily  by  hand.  The  son  of  a  first  settler  describes  Haines' 
fish  trap  under  Gamble's  mill,  where  householders  often  sent 
their  messengers  to  make  purchases.  The  price  was  always 

19 


the  same — for  salmon  large  or  small,  three  York  shillings;  but 
the  fish  were  invariably  of  good  size,  and  the  supply  was 
constant. 

Not  only  have  the  waters  lost  their  fish,  but  they  have  lost 
their  own  volume  in  recent  years,  unless  during  the  time  of 
freshet,  when  they  remove  banks  and  landmarks  bodily  and 
sometimes  lead  to  loss  of  life.  But  inland,  nature  is  more 
stable,  and  the  flora  of  Mrs.  Simcoe's  time  later  furnished  a 
multitude  of  specimens  for  Mrs.  Chamberlain's  work,  and 
even  now  scientists  refer  with  respect  to  the  Bur  Oak  and  wild 
crab  apple  near  the  Old  Mill.  The  scene  from  the  east  bank 
and  from  the  rising  ground  by  the  miller's  "neat  white  man- 
sion "  of  1840  discloses  a  likeness  to  portions  of  the  Thames  and 
to  Symond's  Yat  on  the  Wye,  a  scene  that  alternates  between 
gracious  panorama  and  exquisite  vignette;  the  sounds  of  in- 
dustry are  succeeded  by  the  purr  of  the  motor,  and  skiffs 
and  canoes  replace  the  scows. 

The  present  owner  of  the  mill  and  its  surrounding  property 
is  a  man  to  whom  every  line  of  it  is  valuable,  partly  for  his 
own  present  delight  and  partly  as  an  historical  asset  for 
Ontario.  The  quite  charming  tea  house  built  in  the  grounds 
leads  to  the  gathering  of  many  minds  and  diverse  spirits,  and 
on  one  occasion  I  overheard  a  group  of  people  discussing  the 
comfort  of  their  tea  and  the  pleasantness  of  the  view.  They 
were  of  both  sexes,  so  the  verdict  was  impartial.  The  decision 
was,  that  the  Tea-garden  could  be  made  a  great  attraction  if 
only  that  old  ruin  could  be  abolished. 


20 


Notes  on  Georgina  Township 

Given  at  The  Women's  Historical  Society,  Toronto,  March  8th, 
1917.     By  Miss  E.  K.  Sibbald. 

Some  time  ago  at  a  meeting  of  this  Society  I  happened  in 
course  of  conversation  to  mention  an  anecdote  of  the  early  days 
of  Georgina,  and  was  asked  to  write  some  notes  gn  the  subject. 
Now  my  difficulty  is  to  know  where  to  begin,  but  as  "Jack- 
son's Point"  is  now  so  well  known  as  a  summer  resort,  I  will 
take  it  as  my  starting  point.  It  takes  its  name  from  a  Mr. 
Jackson,  who  settled  there  in  the  very  early  days  of  the  town- 
ship, and  built  a  very  comfortable  log  house  on  the  "Point". 
I  do  not  think  any  part  of  it  now  remains,  but  I  was  told  the 
other  day,  that  in  my  very  early  youth  I  resided  there  for  a 
time.  My  memory  does  not  reach  back  to  the  beauties  of 
Jackson's  Point  in  those  days,  when  no  motors  or  electric-cars 
disturbed  the  peacefulness  of  its  wooded  solitudes.  When  on 
the  trolley,  I  often  fancy  the  horror  of  my  revered  uncle  and 
aunt,  Canon  and  Mrs.  Ritchie,  could  they  but  see  the  grounds 
of  their  once  beautiful  home  at  "Springwood"  desecrated  by 
the  trolley  with  its  load  of  summer  visitors  gaily  carreering 
through  the  sacred  precincts.  Mr.  Jackson  was  the  father  of 
the  first  wife  of  Captain  Bourchier,  R.N.,  from  whom  he 
purchased  "The  Point".  Captain  Bourchier  first  came  to  this 
country  in  1812  to  command  a  gunboat  then  in  building  in 
Penetanguishene,  at  that  time  the  head  military  quarters  in 
that  district.  The  anchor  imported  from  England  for  this 
boat,  is  still  at  the  Holland  Landing  on  the  river  bank  and 
weighs  several  tons.  After  the  "Declaration  of  Peace"  in 
1813,  Captain  Bourchier  returned  to  England  and  from'there 
went  to  India,  where  he  lost  his  wife.  The  only  issue  of  this 
marriage  was  General  E.  Bourchier,  who  was  Commandant 
at  Quebec  in  1870,  and  from  there  visited  his  relatives  in 
Sutton.  "The  Briars"  was  built  by  Captain  Bourchier  and 
was  his  residence  when  he  came  to  Canada  in  1841,  with  his 
second  wife  who  was  a  Miss  Preston.  He  and  his  daughter 
both  died  of  scarlet  fever  and  were  buried  in  St.  George's 
churchyard.  During  his  Voyages,  Captain  Bourchier  used 
to  call  at  St.  Helena,  and  "The  Briars"  was  so  called  after 
the  little  bungalow  in  which  Napoleon  spent  the  first  nine 

21 


weeks  of  his  exile  while  "Longwood"  was  being  prepared  for 
him.  About  1870,  "The  Briars"  was  bought  by  Dr.  F.  C. 
Sibbald,  late  of  Shanghai,  who  made  various  additions  to  the 
house,  and  like  his  brother  Mr.  Hugh  Sibbald,  was  a  collector 
of  curios,  the  most  interesting  of  which  is  a  set  of  cloisonne 
water  bottles,  cups  and  bowls  looted  from  the  Emperor  of 
China's  palace  in  Pekin,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  the  allied 
armies  in  punishment  for  his  treachery  in  blowing  up  their 
gunboats  about  1858.  The  Briars  has  also  the  distinction  of 
being  the  birthplace  of  the  Laura  Secord  Chapter  of  the 
I.O.D.E.,  one  of  the  first  chapters  organized  outside  of 
Toronto. 

Captain  Bourchier  had  a  land  grant  of  700  acres,  which 
included  the  Briars,  Jackson's  Point,  and  Sutton  village, 
founded  by  James  O'Brien  Bourchier,  a  Midshipman,  and  a 
brother  of  Captain  Bourchier. 

Up  to  1816,  Jackson's  Point  was  called  "  Fryingpan  Point", 
the  Indian  name  being  "QUAH-SA-QUAH-NING".  For  some 
years  it  was  called  "Bourchier's  Point".  The  Andersons  of 
Ainslie  Hall,  North  Gwillemberry,  have  pewter  dishes  marked 
"P.P."  said  to  be  Peter  Fisher,  but  there  is  no  trace  of  who 
he  was.  The  dishes  were  owned  by  Captain  Bourchier,  and 
supposed  to  have  been  intended  for  the  gunboat  being  built 
at  Penetanguishene,  which  was  never  put  into  commission. 
Two  of  these  plates  were  used  for  collection  plates  in  St. 
James'  church,  Sutton,  Ontario,  for  65  years,  and  were  re- 
placed by  others  to  meet  the  demands  of  civilization.  In  the 
village  of  Sutton,  a  sand  pit  existed  for  some  years,  in  which 
several  skulls  were  found,  pointing  to  the  fact  that  in  bygone 
years  it  had  been  an  Indian  burying  ground.  There  is  a  tra- 
dition, that  during  some  Indian  massacre  in  early  Canadian 
days,  some  Priests  managed  to  escape,  and  hid  their  treasure 
near  the  Black  River  bridge,  on  some  spot  on  the  Briars 
property,  but  so  far  it  has  never  been  found.  The  travelled 
route  about  1812,  from  Toronto,  was  by  Yonge  Street  to 
Holland  Landing,  down  the  Holland  River,  to  Lake  Simcoe. 
This  route  was  also  used  to  go  to  Lake  Huron  by  Barrie,  using 
a  small  river  flowing  into  Lake  Simcoe,  then  down  the  Notta- 
wasaga  river  to  Lake  Huron.  Another  route  to  Lake  Huron, 
was  by  the  Severn  river  and  Nipissing  Lake. 

Georgina,  was  named  after  a  daughter  of  Governor 
Simcoe,  and  the  townships  of  "Tiny"  and  "Floss",  were 
named  after  two  pet  dogs  of  the  family.  When  a  child  in 
England,  I  well  remember  a  brother  of  General  Simcoe  with 

22 


some  members  of  his  family,  calling  at  our  little  country 
parsonage  in  the  midst  of  the  Cornish  moors. 

The  "Shares"  of  Lake  Simcoe,  were  settled *by  retired 
Army  and  Navy  Officers,  amongst  whom  were  Major  Raines 
of  "Penn  Range"— now  "Eildon  Hall"— Captain  Bourchier, 
and  others.  To  the  west  of  Jackson's  Point,  is  "Land's  End ", 
a  very  suggestive  name  in  those  days  when  so  little  clearing 
had  been  done,  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  bush. 
This  property  was  settled  by  the  Mossington  family,  one  of 
whom  married  a  Miss  Coomer,  whose  father,  Mr.  John 
Coomer,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Georgina,  having  come 
out  in  the  same  ship  as  Mr.  James  O'Brian  Bourchier,  in  1814. 
This  lady  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  white  child 
born  in  Georgina,  and  by  the  then  reigning  Sovereign,  was 
granted  lot  No.  5  in  the  7th  Con.  of  Georgina.  Mrs.  Mossing- 
ton was  born  on  the  9th  of  August,  1818,  and  has  just  passed 
away  in  her  99th  year  after  a  life  full  of  strength  and  activity. 
A  few  years  ago,  when  the  "Laura  Secord"  Chapter  of  the 
I.O.D.E.  was  being  formed,  Mrs.  Mossington  was  very  anxious 
to  join,  "  if  not  too  old  ".  Of  course  we  acceded  to  her  request, 
and  for  some  years  she  was  quite  an  interested  member.  Her 
birthplace  eastward  along  the  lakeshore,  was  in  existence  till 
a  few  years  ago.  The  property  belonged  to  my  father  at  one 
time,  who  gave  it  the  name  of  "  Rotherwood",  and  it  was  one 
of  the  many  residences  in  which  I  have  been  domiciled  in  my 
rather  eventful  life.  When  living  there  in  1877,  a  wolf  was 
killed  on  the  farm,  about  the  last  killed  in  Georgina,  I  fancy. 

Following  the  lakeshore  road  in  an  easterly  direction,  we 
come  to  the  Memorial  Church,  of  which  more  anon,  and  pass- 
ing down  the  avenue  we  reach  "Eildon  Hall"  the  residence 
of  the  late  Captain  Sibbald,  R.N.,  and  now  occupied  by  his 
son  Mr.  Martyn  Sibbald.  Eildon  Hall  is  so  named  aftert  the 
family  estate  owned  by  my  great-grandfather  Thomas  Mein, 
in  Roxburghshire,  where  the  old  hall  still  nestles  lovingly 
amongst  the  beautiful  scenery  so  dear  to  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
who  mentions  these  hills  in  "The  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel". 
The  hills  are  a  group  oC  curious  formation,  the  foundation  of 
which  is  attributed  to  the  magic  of  Michael  Scott,  who 
flourished  in  the  12th  or  13th  century,  and  was  called  "The 
Wizard  of  the  North",  and  who  by  word  of  command  "Clave 
the  Eildon  hills  in  three".  So  goes  the  story.  Still  further 
east  is  Lee  Farm,  so  named  after  Captain  Lee  of  the  East 
India  Company's  Service,  who  settled  there  with  his  large 
family ;  and  after  a  time  my  father  married  the  second  daugh- 

23 


ter;  of  this  union  I  am  the  seventh  child.  One  of  my  aunts 
married  Captain  Stupart,  R.N.,  a  name,  I  think  well  known 
amongst  us. 

During  one  of  my  grandfather's  voyages,  his  ship  ran  on  a 
rock,  a  piece  of  which  stuck  in  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  and 
might  have  fallen  out  at  any  time,  however,  providentially, 
the  ship  was  safely  brought  to  land,  but  the  anxious  time  told 
greatly  on  my  grandfather's  health,  and  I  believe  he  never  was 
strong  again. 

About  the  year  1833,  my  father,  Mr.  William  Sibbald, 
came  out  from  Scotland,  and  purchased  some  property  in 
Orillia;  he  was  followed  later  by  my  uncle  Charles,  the  sixth 
of  the  nine  sons  of  Colonel  William  Sibbald,  J.P.,  of  Pinnacle, 
Roxburghshire,  who  for  many  years  commanded  H.M. 
XV th  regiment  of  foot.  During  this  period,  he  was  in  Italy, 
with  his  regiment  when  a  dispute  arose  between  the  soldiers 
and  some  Italians,  my  grandfather  being  the  only  officer  who 
could  speak  Italian,  was  sent  to  Rome  to  confer  with  the 
Pope.  They  became  such  friends  over  this,  that  Colonel 
Sibbald  asked  the  Pope  if  he  would  bless  some  rosaries  for 
him  to  give  to  his  R.C.  friends.  "I  will  bless  a  cartload  for 
you  if  you  like",  said  his  Holiness,  and  then  he  asked  my 
grandfather  to  accept  the  rosary  he  was  wearing,  as  a  personal 
gift  for  himself.  My  uncle,  Captain  Sibbald,  valued  this 
rosary  very  much  and  sent  it  to  a  R.C.  jeweller  to  find  out  if 
any  of  the  beads  were  missing.  The  jeweller  said  it  was  quite 
perfect,  and  if  it  had  not  been  so,  he  would  not  have  dared  to 
add  anything  to  such  a  valuable  relic.  He  would  have  given 
any  amount  of  money  to  my  uncle  if  he  would  have  sold  it. 
It  is  now  amongst  the  many  curios  at  Eildon  Hall. 

About  1836,  my  grandmother,  being  anxious  to  know  how 
her  sons  were  faring  in  a  new  country,  braved  the  perils  of  the 
deep  in  a  sailing  vessel,  and  bringing  another  son  with  her, 
arrived  on  the  scene. 

During  her  visit  my  grandfather  died,  and  she  waited  for 
the  spring  before  leaving  the  country.  When  the  ice  broke 
up,  a  friend  took  her  round  the  lake,  and  she  was  greatly  im- 
pressed with  its  beauty  in  its  spring  attire.  "Penn  Range" 
(now  Eildon  Hall),  the  residence  of  Major  Raines,  was  for 
sale,  and  having  a  number  of  sons,  she  thought  that  if  the 
Trustees  and  the  boys  were  willing,  it  would  be  a  good  thing 
to  bring  them  out.  Needless  to  say  the  "boys"  were  quite 
willing,  as  the  love  of  adventure  is  always  strong  in  the  youth- 
ful scions  of  our  race.  Grandmother  returned  to  the  "auld 

24 


u 


countree"  and  brought  her  family  back  in  due  time.  Thus 
"Penn  Range"  became  "Eildon  Hall". 

In  those  days  there  were  no  trades-people  driving  with 
covered  carts  or  motors,  to  bring  provisions,  but  a  steamer 
made  regular  trips  on  the  lake,  and  brought  what  was  re- 
quired. When  required  to  call,  a  flag  was  hoisted  as  a  sign. 
My  three  juvenile  uncles  went  to  Upper  Canada  College,  and 
of  course  passed  through  the  usual  experiences  of  new  pupils. 
Then  came  the  rebellion  of  1837.  My  Uncle  Frank  (known  in 
later  days  as  Dr.  Sibbald)  often  told  the  tale  of  how  he,  un- 
observed by  those  in  authority,  followed  the  older  boys  when 
they  marched  out  in  force  to  their  country's  aid,  and  was 
present  at  the  burning  of  Montgomery's  tavern,  returning 
later  to  find  his  older  brother  Hugh  in  a  fearful  state  of 
anxiety  as  to  his  fate.  Dr.  Greenwood's  house  in  Button,  in 
its  original  condition  was  the  old  schoolhouse  where  suspicious 
meetings  were  held  at  that  time,  and  in  my  father's  journal, 
he  writes  that  on  New  Year's  day,  he  and  some  others  left  from 
that  point  to  capture  the  rebels. 

The  following  story  connected  with  Eildon  Hall,  and  in 
which  my  grandmother  and  aunt  figured  as  heroines,  may  be 
interesting,  or  at  least  amusing.  "Soon  after  the  troops'  were 
withdrawn  from  the  Upper  Province,  rumours  were  rife  that 
there  would  be  an  insurrection,  and  one  morning,  a  body  of 
men  were  seen  marching  towards  the  house,  who  were  first 
supposed  to  be  rebels,  but  proved  to  be  the  militia  of  the 
neighbourhood  marching  to  the  protection  of  Toronto,  and 
who  called  on  their  way  to  ask  for  the  lady's  eldest  son,  of 
course  she  assented,  telling  them  at  the  same  time  to  take  the 
youngest,  and  if  it  would  be  of  any  service,  herself  and  maids 
would  turn  out  also.  A  pitchfork  and  pike  were  kept  in  the 
drawing  room,  and  considering  by  whom  they  were  to  be 
handled,  must  have  been  formidable  weapons;  however,  a 
Toronto  paper  had  it  that  a  widow  and  her  maid  on  Lake 
Simcoe,  had  defended  her  house  against  a  party  of  rebels. 

A  few  days  after  her  sons  had  left,  one  of  the  rebel  leaders, 
paid  her  a  visit,  at  a  time  when  there  was  a  reward  of  fifty 
pounds  on  his  head,  the  maidservants  rushed  in  from  the 
kitchen  in  great  consternation  to  say  that  Godfrey  /Wheeler, 
and  all  his  men  had  come;  very  pleasant  visitors  at  a  time 
when  the  only  inmates  of  this  house  were  females,  and  a  little 
grandchild.  The  first  idea  was  that  they  had  come  to  search 
for  arms,  and  the  widow,  who  had  a  valuable  sword  which 
once  belonged  to  her  husband,  and  which  she  was  carefully 

25 


preserving  for  a  son  (then  in  India)  with  great  presence  of 
mind  put  it  in  the  cradle  under  the  sleeping  infant.  After 
remaining  in  the  drawing  room  for  some  time,  and  hearing 
nothing,  the  daughter  (a  most  courageous  young  lady)  went 
into  the  kitchen,  where  her  indignation  was  aroused,  by 
hearing  the  rebel  chief  tampering  with  an  outdoor  servant 
who  had  just  returned  from  a  distant  flour  mill,  and  trying 
to  persuade  him  to  join  the  insurgents."  Two  grandsons 
of  this  lady,  with  several  others  of  the  family,  are 
serving  their  country  in  the  present  war,  and  certainly 
inherit  their  grandmother's  bravery.  Amongst  other  early 
settlers,  may  be  mentioned  the  Howards  and  the  Lyalls,  both 
of  whom  have  large  farms  near  Button,  "St.  Juliens,"  belonging 
to  Mr.  John  Howard,  was  built  much  on  the  same  style  as 
"The  Briars",  both  being  of  stone.  On  the  shores  of  Lake 
Simcoe  in  1837,  there  was  not  a  single  church  standing,  of 
course  now  there  are  many,  but  in  my  grandmother's  time, 
services  were  held  in  private  houses,  but  through  her  energy, 
aided  by  the  other  settlers  in  the  vicinity,  St.  George's  church 
sprang  into  being. 

So  far  had  her  fame  gone,  that  when  in  Cornwall  as  a  child, 
we  had  a  nurse  in  a  case  of  severe  illness,  who  finding  I  was 
born  in  Canada,  said  "I  knew  the  lady  who  built  the  first 
church  in  Georgina",  and  it  turned  out  that  she  came  from 
the  same  village  in  which  my  grandmother  lived  in  Cornwall. 

St.  George's  Church  was,  for  many  years  the  only  Anglican 
church  in  the  neighbourhood.  Almost  on  the  same  site,  the 
present  St.  Georges  now  stands.  It  was  built  to  the  memory 
of  my  grandmother  by  my  three  uncles,  Captain  Sibbald,  R.N., 
Eildon  Hall,  Mr.  Hugh  Sibbald,  who  spent  many  years  in 
India,  and  Dr.  F.  C.  Sibbald,  R.N.,  late  of  The  Briars,  and 
formerly  of  Shanghai,  China.  The  church  is  built  of  stone 
brought  from  Rama,  and  is  70  feet  long,  by  40  feet  wide.  On 
one  side  of  the  tower  (from  which  a  beautiful  view  is  obtained) 
is  a  tablet  let  into  the  wall  with  a  Latin  inscription  stating 
that  the  church  is  erected  to  the  glory  of  GOD,  and  to  the 
memory  of  my  grandmother  by  her  sons.  On  the  other  side, 
is  another  tablet  to  the  memory  of  my  aunt,  Mrs.  Charles 
Sibbald,  and  her  daughter  Sarah,  who  perished  in  the  "  Ba- 
varian", when  she  was  burnt  on  Lake  Ontario,  in  1875. 

The  east  window  was  transferred  from  the  old  church,  and 
is  a  matter  of  interest  as  having  been  the  handy-work  of 
certain  members  of  the  Simcoe  family. 

26 


The  beautifully  carved  altar  (also  the  hymn  board)  is  the 
work  of  the  Rev.  G.  J.  Everest,  a  son-in-law  of  Captain  Sib- 
bald,  and  for  many  years  a  resident  of  Georgina.  At  the 
present  time,  there  is  at  Jackson's  Point,  a  Mr.  Cameron,  son 
of  Lieut.  Cameron,  who  for  many  years  lived  in  the  vicinity, 
and  was  locally  known  as  "St.  Helena  Cameron"  having  been 
one  of  Napoleon's  guards  in  St.  Helena.  Napoleon  was  quite 
friendly  with  him  and  gave  him  his  violin  and  flute,  the  latter 
was  unfortunately  lost  when  the  house  was  burnt,  but  the 
violin  is  still  a  treasured  memento.  Lieut.  Cameron  had  two 
brothers,  officers  in  the  British  Army,  one  of  whom  had  two 
horses  shot  under  him  in  the  Battle  of  Waterloo.  It  is  a  far 
cry  from  St.  Helena  to  Georgina,  but  Mr.  Cameron  has  two 
brothers  buried  in  St.  Helena,  and  two  in  St.  George's  church- 
yard. 

During  the  present  war,  the  Indians  on  the  two  Reserves 
on  Lake  Simcoe,  have  given  many  of  their  best  men  in  re- 
sponse to  their  country's  call,  and  they  are  giving  their 
money  also.  Chief  John  handed  over  to  ex-warden  Pugsley, 
twenty-five  dollars  from  the  Island  Band,  to  the  Sutton 
Patriotic  Club. 


27 


Extracts  from: 

A  Few  Days  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
with  some  Hints  to  Settlers 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  a  rare  pamphlet  pub- 
lished anonymously  "A  Few  Days  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  with  some  Hints  to  Settlers". 

The  writer,  Captain  Thomas  Sibbald,  arrived  in  Halifax, 
July  30th,  1842,  and  thence  via  Boston,  Albany,  Syracuse 
and  Rochester  to  Upper  Canada. 

"August  4th.  After  breakfast  we  stowed  ourselves  in 
an  omnibus,  which  conveys  passengers  to  the  Gore 
Steamer  laying  two  miles  below  Rochester.  Whilst 
waiting  at  an  hotel  to  take  in  passengers,  we  were 
favoured  by  a  visit  from  Mr.  Montgomery,  one  of  the  out- 
lawed leaders  of  the  Canadian  Rebellion;  a  heavy,  dirty, 
butcher-looking  person,  one  of  those  men  who  persuaded  the 
ignorant  part  of  the  community  to  rise  against  a  government, 
under  which  he  himself  had  risen  from  poverty  to  riches,  and 
whose  property  is  not  at  this  moment  confiscated;  he  enter- 
tained us  with  a  long  tirade  against  government,  much  to  the 
edification  of  a  gaping  crowd  of  free  and  enlightened  citizens 
who  were  gathered  round  him;  he  spoke  long  and  loudly  of 
tyranny,  oppression  and  bayonets,  the  advantages  the  people 
had  gained  by  the  last  outbreak,  even  though  it  had  not  been 
quite  as  successful  as  could  have  been  wished.  "England", 
said  he,  "must  now  conciliate  the  Canadas  by  concessions, 
troops  are  too  expensive."  To  have  said  that  the  militia  and 
loyalists  of  the  Upper  Province  had  been  sufficient  to  drive 
him  and  his  canaille  out  of  it,  would  have  been  something 
nearer  the  truth,  and  if  he  wished  to  be  veracious  for  once,  he 
might  have  said,  that  the  greater  part  of  the  thinking  portion 
of  the  community,  were  only  in  dread  that  Great  Britain 
might  some  day  discard  such  a  troublesome  appendage,  like 
the  heir  apparent  of  some  old  uncle,  who  having  calculated 
too  certainly  on  good  nature,  plays  all  kinds  of  pranks,  and  is 
surprised  when  he  finds  himself  an  outcast  on  the  world :  such 
would  be  Canada,  left  without  railroads,  canals,  or  improve- 
ments of  any  kind,  for  as  yet  she  is  without  capital. 

28 


Our  street  orator  might  at  the  same  time  have  lauded  the 
^uccess  attending  the  exertions  of  himself,  and  those  of  his 
cloth,  in  having  put  a  stop  to  all  improvements  for  years,  the 
money  which  ought  to  have  continued  them  having  been 
expended  in  quelling  the  rebellion. 

We  were  soon  on  board  the  Gore,  bound  for  Toronto,  and 
after  running  down  about  five  miles  of  the  river,  the  banks  of 
which  are  beautifully  wooded,  found  ourselves  on  Lake 
Ontario,  one  of  those  fresh  water  seas  which  I  had  been  so 
anxious  to  look  upon.  The  water  was  as  smooth  as  glass  and 
we  went  merrily  along.  .  .  .  The  uninitiated,  travelling  in 
America,  ought  to  have  as  little  to  do  with  provincial  notes  as 
possible,  as  banks  are  constantly  becoming  insolvent;  a  small 
book  is  published  monthly,  containing  a  list  of  notes  which 
pass  current;  sovereigns  are  the  best  coin  to  take  to  the  United 
States,  as  they  always  fetch  their  full  value,  and  sometimes  a 
few  cents  more,  and  when  paying  for  anything  ask  for  the 
change  in  silver.  About  nine  in  the  evening  we  arrived  at 
Toronto,  and  I  took  up  my  abode  at  the  North  American 
Hotel.  Next  day  I  employed  myself  in  visiting  the  city, 
which  is  increasing  in  a  most  extraordinary  degree;  from 
possessing  one  of  the  best  harbours  in  the  world,  and  from 
having  such  an  extent  of  rich  back  country,  there  is  no  doubt 
of  its  prosperity;  building  lots  are  selling  at  what  one  would 
imagine  to  be  a  most  preposterous  price.  The  public  edifices 
are  fine,  and  it  has  a  capital  College,  the  students  always 
wearing  their  caps  and  gowns  in  the  street,  look  highly  re- 
spectable; the  University  now  in  progress  will  be  a  splendid 
building,  highly  ornamental  as  well  as  useful  to  the  Province, 
The  difficulty  of  educating  children,  is  considered  at  home  one 
of  the  drawbacks  to  emigration  in  the  Canadas;  there  is  no 
want  of  it  here,  and  at  a  very  moderate  rate;  Upper  Canada 
College  being  endowed,  the  whole  charge  for  board  and  educa- 
tion is  £30  per  annum.  The  masters  are  first-rate  ones,  and 
at  the  University  are  professors  from  Oxford  and  Cambridge. 
The  Cathedral  has  lately  been  burned,  and  an  Organ  belonging 
to  it,  valued  £1,300. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  I  left  in  the  stage  for  Newmarket  on 
Yonge  Street  (as  the  37  miles  of  road  from  Toronto  to  the 
Holland  Landing  is  called).  For  fourteen  miles  from  Toronto, 
the  road  is  made  interesting  by  scenes  connected  with  the 
rebellion,  vestiges  still  remaining  of  burnings  which  took 
place  there,  particularly  of  Montgomery's  large  establishment 
which  was  the  headquarters  of  the  rebel  McKenzie,  famous  as 

29 


one  of  the  leaders  in  this  province,  and  who  is  almost  the  only 
one  who  cannot  return,  on  account  of  having  robbed  Her 
Majesty's  Mail.  In  this  house  had  been  confined  a  number  of 
Royalists  captured  by  the  Insurgents,  who  on  being  liberated 
by  Sir  Francis  Head  and  his  party,  set  fire  to  the  building. 
On  either  side  of  the  road  are  fine  farms  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  and  several  gentlemen's  seats.  Newmarket  is  a 
rising  town,  near  it  I  found  a  relation,  on  a  clearing  surrounded 
by  a  high  forest.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  The  price  of  wild  land  varies  from  five,  ten,  to  twenty 
shillings  per  acre ;  rate  of  fencing  and  clearing  £3 ;  putting  in 
first  crop  of  wheat  ten  shillings  per  acre.  If  you  let  cleared 
land  properly  enclosed,  the  rent  is  ten  shillings  per  acre,  and 
if  you  lease  a  man  200  acres  of  land  with  ten  cleared,  also  a 
house  and  barn,  he  is  bound  to  clear  100  more  in  ten  years' 
putting  the  same  under  good  fence.  A  man's  wages  with 
board  is  2s.  6d.  per  diem,  boarding  himself  3s.  6d. ;  masons  and 
carpenters  5s.;  gardeners  3s.  9d. ;  farming  men,  by  the  year 
£30;  hinds  £45,  with  cows'  feed  and  house.  A  waggon  or 
sleigh  with  two  horses  and  driver,  boarding  themselves,  10s. 
a  day.  Maid  servants  varying  from  12s.  to  16s.  per  month. 

AVERAGE  PRICES  OF  GRAIN. 

Wheat  5s.  per  bushel.  Oats  Is.  per  bushel 

Barley  2s.  3d.  per  bushel  Rye  4s.  per  bushel 

Peas  Is.  3d.  per  bushel  Potatoes  Is.  per  bushel 

AVERAGE  PRICES  OF  PROVISIONS. 

£     s.    d. 

Flour,  per  barrel  of  196  Ibs 1     7     6 

Oatmeal 1     0     0 

Pork,  per  barrel  of  200  Ibs 2  10     0 

Beef,          do.         do. . . 1     2     6 

Mutton,  per  Ib 

Veal 

Butter 

Fowls  Is.  per  pair;  geese  2s.  Qd.  and  turkies  2s.  6d.  to  3s.  each. 

AVERAGE  PRICES  OF  ANIMALS. 

£  s.  d. 

A  first-rate  horse 25  0     0 

Good  farm  horse 20  0     0 

Common  sheep \  0     0 

30 


Pony 5     0     0 

Cow 5     0     0 

Yoke  of  oxen 20    0     0 

******* 

The  above  prices  it  must  be  remembered  are  all  in  current 
money,  £8  sterling  being  equal  to  £10  currency.  For  ready 
money,  land  may  certainly  be  had  cheaper,  as  there  is  so  little 
specie  in  the  country,  that  payments  in  full  at  the  time  of 
purchase  are  scarcely  known;  most  bargains  are  made  by 
barter,  a  mode  of  dealing  in  which  people  soon  become  very 
expert.  Flour  pays  in  flour  for  grinding;  a  proportion  of  grain 
for  cutting  corn ;  hay  for  cutting,  and  carting,  is  paid  in  hay ; 
and  outdoor  servants  receive  a  greater  part  of  their  wages  in 
provisions.  On  my  way  to  Newmarket  a  person  asked  the 
driver,  "what  was  the  fare"  and  asked  if  he  would  take 
payment  in  trade,  which  means  potatoes  or  flour.  Wheat  is 
considered  as  cash  in  Toronto,  in  paying  your  grocer  or  linen 
draper. 

The  average  produce  of  grain  per  acre,  is :  wheat  27  bushels, 

barley  40,  peas  25,  potatoes  300. 

******* 

Bears  too,  are  a  formidable  enemy  to  cattle ;  one  was  shot 
here  a  few  days  since  strangling  an  ox:  they  are  often  killed 
by  placing  a  piece  of  raw  meat  on  the  muzzle  of  a  loaded 
pistol.  .  .  .  When  captured  he  is  a  valuable  prize,  his  skin 
fetches  from  three  to  five  dollars,  his  flesh  2^c.  a  lb.,  and  his 
fat  which  is  like  oil,  half  a  dollar  a  quart.  .  .  .  Six  dollars  are 
paid  for  the  scalp  of  a  wolf." 

Here  follow  the  paragraphs  quoted  by  Miss  Sibbald: 

"It  is  extraordinary  to  observe  the  rapid  increase  of  churches 
in  different  parts  of  the  province — in  1837,  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Simcoe,  there  was  not  one  single  church  standing,  where 
now  there  are  many. 

On  my  return  from  the  Lake,  I  visited  a  village  called  some- 
times David's  town,  Shann  (Sharon),  or  the  village  of  Hope, 
four  miles  from  Newmarket;  it  contains  60  or  70  houses,  and 
the  inhabitants  call  themselves  "Children  of  Peace".  Their 
chief,  both  temporal  and  spiritual,  is  a  man  of  low  origin, 
named  David  Wilson  (Willson),  who  manages  to  touch  them 
up  in  a  tender  point — viz.,  their  pockets,  and  with  the  pro- 
ceeds has  erected  an  Eastern-looking  building  of  the  most 
fanciful  description,  surrounded  by  smaller  edifices,  and  en- 
closures, in  the  same  style;  these  belong  to  the  Temple  of 
David,  as  he  calls  his  place  of  worship;  what  their  creed  is  I 

31 


cannot  understand.  Another  Temple  is  in  course  of  erection, 
to  be  called  Solomon's,  it  is  to  take  seven  years  in  building. 
Though  professedly  "Children  of  Peace",  they  proved  them- 
selves to  be  a  nest  of  rebels,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the 
militia  could  be  restrained  from  destroying  their  temple. 

On  the  13th  of  September,  I  left  Newmarket  for  Toronto, 
where  I  took  steamer  for  Queenstown.  On  entering  the 
Niagara  River,  we  have  on  either  side  a  fort,  their  flags, 
American  and  English,  fly  as  if  in  rivalry:  the  Americans  are 
repairing  and  strengthening  their  batteries,  and  are  right  in 
doing  so,  considering  that  they  are  within  half  gun-shot  of 
the  opposite  shore,  and  that  it  would  be  one  of  the  first  points 
of  attack  in  case  of  a  rupture.  For  seven  miles  the  steamer 
takes  us  through  high  wooded  banks  to  Queenstown;  on  the 
heights  above,  stand  the  shattered  remains  of  a  monument, 
erected  to  the  memory  of  General  Brock,  by  the  legislature  of 
Upper  Canada.  In  1840  some  villains  came  across,  and 
attempted  to  blow  up  the  monument,  and  the  explosion  has 
rent  it  in  all  directions.  Soon  after  this  abominable  transac- 
tion, the  Governor,  principal  authorities,  a  number  of  troops, 
and  a  large  proportion  of  the  militia  assembled  here,  and 
raised  a  subscription  towards  repairing  the  monument,  but 
I  was  sorry  to  find  that  they  had  not  commenced;  surely  to 
leave  it  in  that  state,  is  a  national  disgrace. 

From  Queenstown  to  the  Falls  we  journey  seven  miles  by 
railroad,  the  train  drawn  by  horse;  at  the  terminus  a  carriage 
in  waiting  brought  me  to  the  Clifton  House.  ...  At  my  Hotel 
which  is  on  the  English  side,  I  had  capital  apartments  in  a 
style  quite  different  to  anything  I  have  been  accustomed  to  of 
late,  the  rooms  were  nicely  carpeted  and  handsomely  papered, 
besides  being  well-furnished :  the  stainless  passages  and  walls, 
told  of  a  scarcity  of  tobacco-chewing  Americans.  .  .  .  After 
seeing  all  that  the  guide  book  directs,  I  left  the  falls  of  Niagara, 
and  their  vicinity,  with  much  regret  and  found  everything 
very  dull  at  Toronto,  where  I  was  much  perplexed  about 
cashing  bills;  what  with  exchange  and  currency,  'tis  no  easy 
matter  for  the  uninitiated  to  do  business. 

September  16th,  I  commenced  my  route  en  retour  and 
began  by  starting  for  Kingston,  in  the  City  of  Toronto,  a  mail 
steamer,  and  a  remarkably  fine  vessel,  with  capital  accommo- 
dation, and  good  living  ....  As  we  pass  along  the  north  shore 
of  the  lake,  we  see  Coburg,  where  the  college  has  an  imposing 
appearance.  Every  here  and  there,  new  towns  appear  to  be 

32 


springing  up;  the  site  of  one  called  Bye-town  was  purchased 
for  £500,  and  is  likely  to  make  the  fortune  of  the  present 

proprietor. 

******* 

A  passage  of  eighteen  hours  brought  us  to  Kingston,  where 
I  determined  to  devote  a  day  to  seeing  the  town  and  its  en- 
virons; the  buildings  are  as  plain  as  English  taste  can  desire, 
though  substantially  built  of  granite.  The  Penitentiary  is  a 
large  building,  surrounded  with  high  walls;  round  them  was 
mounted  a  Burgher  guard,  in  a  great  variety  of  costume. 

Being  the  seat  of  government  for  the  present,  the  Parlia- 
ment of  the  Canadas  assemble  in  a  hospital  for  want  of  a 
better  house  of  Assembly;  it  is  said  that  Montreal  is  about  to 
have  the  honour  of  convening  them.  From  the  town  a  long 
wooden  bridge  communicates  with  Point  Frederic,'  on  which 
is  situated  the  dockyard,  and  barracks  for  the  seamen  em- 
ployed on  the  lakes.  It  struck  me  that  too  much  attention 
could  not  be  paid  to  keeping  up  this  body,  the  petty  officers 
and  seamen  of  which,  ought  to  be  well  and  carefully  selected 
as  a  neucleus  on  which  to  form  a  larger  force  in  case  of  emer- 
gency. To  be  first  in  the  field,  must  always  be  a  great  ad- 
vantage, and  the  fine  mail  steamers  now  on  Lake  Ontario, 
would  form  a  very  formidable  force,  if  efficiently  manned,  and 
properly  armed.  The  naval  establishments  are  protected  by 
Fort  Henry,  next  to  Quebec,  the  strongest  position  in  the 
Canadas.  In  the  afternoon  I  visited  the  House  of  Assembly, 
where  debates  in  broken  and  bad  English  were  very  stormy, 
several  of  the  lately  appointed  Cabinet  Ministers  were  objected 
to,  as  having  been  anything  but  loyal  during  the  rebellion; 
those  who  assisted  in  quelling  it  do  not  appear  to  have  been 
well  treated,  and  have  been  repaid  for  their  fidelity  in  much 
the  same  manner  as  a  faithful  dog  who  has  had  his  fangs 
drawn  for  destroying  a  cowardly  fox  in  the  act  of  robbing  a 
hen-roost.  .  .  . 

Sunday  18th  September,  at  eight  in  the  morning,  I  left 
Kingston,  in  a  long  narrow  propeller  canal  boat,  with  a  high 
pressure  engine:  the  whole  turn  out  had  not  a  very  secure 
appearance,  but  as  the  cabin  was  as  far  forward  as  it  could  be, 
whilst  the  boilers  were  in  the  opposite  extremity,  there  was 
some  chance  of  escaping  if  the  boiler  burst:  ,  .  .  During  the 
early  part  of  the  night  we  passed  Prescott,  the  roofless  build- 
ings, visible  by  moonlight,  tell  of  a  party  of  rebels  or  brigands, 
under  Van  Schultz,  a  Pole,  who  crossed  the  St.  Lawrence  on 
the  night  of  the  14th  November,  1838,  and  took  possession  of 

33 


a  strong  stone  windmill,  a  little  below  the  town,  the  provisional 
militia  had  kept  them  in  check,  until  troops  and  guns  could 
be  sent  from  Brockville.  On  the  morning  of  the  15th  a  simul- 
taneous attack  was  made  by -land  and  water,  and  the  result 
was  the  capture  of  the  mill,  though  the  loss  was,  very  great 
on  the  side  of  the  assailants,  considering  that  their  foes  fought 
with  halters  round  their  necks.  Many  of  the  brigands  were 
killed,  those  who  survived  were  taken  prisoners,  among  them, 
Van  Schultz,  who  with  five  of  his  officers,  was  executed  at 
Kingston.  .  .  .  '; 

We  enter  that  part  of  the  river  called  St.  Louis;  on  it  were 
several  large  rafts  of  timber,  making  their  way  slowly  down 
to  Montreal,  propelled  by  immense  sweeps,  or  if  the  wind  be 
fair,  by  a  number  of  big  sails,  scattered  in  different  parts  of 
these  acres  of  wood;  mixed  with  them  are  small  hovels  like 
dog  kennels.  The  men  who  own  the  rafts  must  have  a  hard 
time  of  it;  hewing  all  the  winter,  living  on  salt  beef,  or  pork, 
and  biscuit,  and  while  navigation  is  open  exposed  night  or 
day  with  scarcely  any  shelter.  ..." 

A  brief  visit  to  Montreal  concluded  the  writer's  Canadian 
experiences. 


34 

/ 


REV.  WELLINGTON   JEFFERS,  D.D.   (1815-1896). 

[Dr.  Jeffers  was  born  in  Cork,  Ireland,  in  June,  1815,  and  died  in  Belleville, 
Canada,  1896.  His  father,  Robert  Jeffers,  came  to  Canada  almost  a  century  ago 
and  resided  in  Kingston  and  Bath.  Dr.  Jeffers  entered  the  Methodist  ministry 
at  an  early  age  and  occupied  many  pulpits  in  Canada,  from  St.  James,  Montreal, 
to  London,  Ontario.  He  had  four  children;  his  eldest  son  J.  Frith  Jeffers,  the 
author  of  "A  History  of  Canada"  died  last  year,  as  did  also  the  younger, 
Wellington  Jeffers,  M.D.,  of  Lindsay.  The  elder  daughter.  Mrs.  James  Graham 
(the  writer  of  this  sketch),  lives  in  Toronto;  and  Mrs.  R.  C.  Wilkinson,  the 
youngest  of  the  family,  resides  in  Agassiz,  B.C.] 


Three  Years  Among  the  Ojibways  1857-1860 

By  Emma  Jeffers  Graham. 

It  was  on  an  afternoon  in  June,  1857,  that  the  Peterborough 
train,  after  crossing  Rice  Lake,  stopped  at  the  station  of 
Hiawatha,  where  our  small  party  of  travellers  from  Montreal 
alighted.  The  station  itself  was  only  a  shack,  one  end  of 
which  was  devoted  to  the  sale  of  groceries.  It  was  kept  by 
Mr.  Waters,  who  was  not  only  a  station  master  and  a  grocer, 
but  also  a  pillar  in  the  little  mission  church. 

My  father,  Rev.  Wellington  Jeffers,  had  been  pastor  for 
several  years  of  St.  James  Methodist  Church,  Montreal,  and 
had  suffered  a  severe  nervous  breakdown.  At  his  own  request 
he  had  been  assigned  to  a  mission  where  the  outdoors  life 
might  prove  beneficial.  On  leaving  the  train,  my  father  was 
surrounded  by  members  of  his  flock,  nearly  all  of  them  being 
of  the  Ojibway  tribe.  The  women  wore  plain  cotton  gowns, 
neatly  made,  and  simple  straw  hats,  while  the  men  were 
garbed  in  woollen  shirts  and  trousers,  with  red  scarfs  tied 
around  the  waist.  They  also  wore  plain  wide-brimmed  hats 
of  coarse  straw.  This  conventional  attire  was  highly  dis- 
appointing to  my  brothers,  James  and  Wellington,  who  had 
been  looking  forward  to  a  community  of  fierce,  dark-skinned 
braves,  who  might  at  any  moment  decide  to  go  upon  the  war 
path.  The  Indians  bent  with  courtesy  and  grave  decorum 
before  my  father,  who  was  a  man  of  commanding  height,  and 
seemed  to  be  impressed  by  his  greeting.  The  women,  on  the 
contrary,  laughed  joyously  at  the  stature  of  my  stepmother, 
who  was  but  five  feet  in  height,  and  took  a  great  interest  in 
my  baby  step-sister,  Helen,  whom  they  insisted  on  carrying 
in  their  arms  through  the  village  street. 

There  was  neither  carriage  nor  horse  to  carry  us  to  the 
Mission  House,  for  the  reason  that  there  were  no  vehicles  in 
the  village,  except  a  light  waggon  belonging  to  Mr.  Waters 
and  a  veritable  "one  hoss  shay"  owned  by  one  of  the  Indians. 
So  we  proceeded  along  the  street  of  the  little  settlement,  my 
father  and  the  chief,  Paudaush,  leading  the  way.  The  Indian 
women,  who  were  child-like  and  merry  in  manner,  surrounded 
my  step-mother,  while  I  who  was  twelve  years  old,  walked 
hand-in-hand  with  my  brother,  Wellington.  We  were  both 

35 


rather  nervous,  as  we  associated  Indians  with  tomahawks  and 
spears;  but  we  arrived  in  safety  at  the  cabin  of  Mr.  Gervase 
Smith,  who  was  an  Indian  of  a  superior  order,  having  a  house 
"like  white  folks",  as  the  villagers  said  when  speaking  of  him. 
Here  a  delicious  dinner  awaited  us  of  fish,  wild  rice  and  other 
dainties,  served  on  shining  dishes,  while  the  polished  cutlery 
might  have  adorned  a  city  table.  The  wild  rice  was  a  dish 
of  which  we  became  very  fond,  as  it  seemed  to  have  a  sweet- 
ness and  richness  lacking  in  the  lighter  variety. 

The  little  mission  church,  to  which  we  were  taken  after 
this  meal,  seemed  very  small  in  comparison  with  the  St. 
James  Church  in  Montreal,  which  was  then  considered  one 
of  the  largest  Protestant  churches  in  Canada.  At  the  side 
of  the  church  was  a  small  gate  which  opened  into  the  lane 
which  led  to  the  Mission  House.  To  this  we  were  escorted 
and  duly  welcomed.  It  was  a  good-sized  modern  house, 
painted  a  dark  red,  with  a  large  garden  which  was  fenced  with 
pickets.  Behind  the  church  and  just  beyond  the  garden  was 
the  burying  ground,  which  was  held  sacred  by  the  Indians,  no 
lawless  or  profane  person  being  allowed  burial  there.  It  was  a 
beautiful  and  picturesque  spot.  But  who  shall  describe  the 
lake — which  was  girdled  by  woods  and  hills  and  dotted  with 
verdant  islands?  To  the  right  of  Hiawatha,  high  on  the 
banks,  nestled  Gore's  Landing,  and  away  to  the  left,  over 
which  the  setting  sun  rested  in  glory,  was  the  important  mis- 
sion of  Alnwick. 

It  was  a  simple  yet  not  uneventful  life  which  we  lived 
among  those  friendly  folk  and  the  life  in  the  open  air  soon 
restored  my  father's  shattered  health.  One  of  the  things  I 
learned  was  the  art  of  fishing.  My  father  bought  a  punt  and 
in  this  we  would  sit  for  hours  with  our  lines  quivering  and 
jerking,  and  we  usually  went  home  with  the  basket  full  of  sun- 
fish,  white  fish  and  perhaps  a  maskinonge.  It  was  there  that 
one  had  every  opportunity  to  study  the  art  of  cooking  fish — 
and  it  proved  a  most  useful  accomplishment.  In  the  autumn 
the  Indians  went  out  in  their  boats  to  the  rice  fields  and  there 
they  carefully  gathered  in  the  grain.  The  process  was  a 
simple  one,  the  Indian  possessed  himself  of  two  shingles,  and 
with  these  scraped  the  rice  from  the  stalks  into  the  boat. 
When  the  rice  was  all  gathered  in,  it  was  poured  into  large 
wooden  pans  where  the  Indians  shelled  it  by  trampling  it 
(with  new  moccasins  on  their  feet).  The  peculiar  flavour  of  the 
wild  rice  was  remarked  by  all  of  us,  and  we  soon  came  to 
regard  the  white  rice  as  tasteless. 

36 


In  1859  the  Great  Comet  appeared,  causing  much  interest- 
ing discussion  in  scientific  circles.  Religious  fanatics  were 
sure  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  very  near,  and  talked  con- 
stantly of  the  various  signs  and  wonders  which  assured  them 
that  the  Last  Day  was  at  hand.  I  remember  going  out  into 
our  wood-yard  one  evening  and  seating  myself  on  a  log,  pre- 
pared to  watch  the  progress  of  the  comet.  As  I  looked  at  the 
great  star  with  a  tail  which  swept  across  half  the  heavens,  my 
faith  in  the  prophecies  of  direful  happenings  grew  strong.  I 
had  brought  from  my  father's  study  a  copy  of  Pollock's 
"Course  of  Time",  as  a  help  to  interpret  the  doings  of  our 
celestial  visitor.  But  the  descriptions  of  the  Last  Day,  as 
imagined  by  that  writer,  were  so  alarmingly  vivid  that  I 
sprang  from  the  log  and  ran  back  to  the  study  with  Pollock's 
"Course  of  Time",  pushing  it  down  behind  the  larger  books, 
so  that  I  might  never  see  it  again.  The  Indians  who  had 
great  reverence  for  the  mysterious,  looked  upon  the  coming 
and  passing  of  the  great  star  with  profound  awe.  Some  of 
them  believed  that  the  Great  Manitou  was  angry  with  the 
world  and  intended  to  destroy  it.  They  asked  many  ques- 
tions of  my  father  who  held  very  calming  views  of  the  "Second 
Coming"  and  who  did  his  best  to  keep  the  members  of  his  flock 
from  becoming  hysterical. 

In  their  religious  feeling,  these  Indians  were  simple  and 
sincere.  The  missionary  meeting  was  a  great  annual  event 
and  the  young  men  and  girls  were  trained  to  sing  the  old 
hymns  and  anthems.  I  do  not  think  I  have  heard  sweeter 
music  than  their  singing  of  "  O'er  the  gloomy  hills  of  darkness  " 
or  "Hark  the  herald  angels  sing!"  One  Sunday,  my  father 
asked  me  if  I  thought  I  could  teach  a  class  of  young  women 
in  the  Sunday  School.  I  was  only  twelve  years  old,  but  I  said 
I  would  try.  So,  every  Sunday  afternoon  I  knelt  on  the  seat 
of  a  pew  in  the  little  church  and  told  the  most  interesting 
Bible  stories  I  knew  to  a  class  of  about  twenty  young  women. 
When  they  became  excited  over  any  incident  in  the  story, 
they  would  give  loud  cries  like  miniature  war  whoops  and 
finally  became  so  noisy  that  my  father  questioned  me  as  to 
the  matter  of  my  teaching.  He  told  me  not  to  tell  them 
exciting  stories,  as  we  were  disturbing  the  school;  but  when 
the  war  whoops  lessened,  I  felt  that  I  had  not  been  a  success. 
When  the  hunting  season  arrived,  there  was  a  great  stir 
in  the  village,  every  able-bodied  man,  woman  and  child  pre- 
paring for  the  fray.  The  Indians  depended  largely  on  their 
success  in  hunting  for  their  support  during  the  winter  months. 

37 


When  they  returned  from  the  hunting-ground,  laden  with  the 
spoils  of  victory,  they  feasted  until  they  became  ill  with 
various  humors,  caused  by  alternate  over-eating  and  star- 
vation. Forethought  was  almost  an  impossibility  for  many 
of  them.  They  have  learned  much  in  the  last  fifty  years, 
however,  and  the  improved  physique  of  the  Indian  is  due  to 
greater  care  in  matters  of  diet. 

On  the  first  day  of  October,  two  Indians  came  to  the 
Mission  House  to  tell  my  father  that  the  day  had  come  when 
the  men  filled  the  yard  with  wood  for  the  winter.  Of  course, 
we  had  to  provide  entertainment  for  our  benefactors;  so,  there 
was  a  hurried  conference  in  the  kitchen.  We  had  to  prepare 
large  quantities  of  all  kinds  of  food — a  huge  roast  of  venison, 
a  boiled  ham,  a  bushel  of  vegetables,  and  a  vast  number  of 
pies.  We  were  very  tired  at  night,  but  our  wood-yard  was 
packed  with  many  cords  of  good  hickory  and  several  cords  of 
pine  for  kindling.  The  Indians  would  accept  no  payment  for 
this  service.  We  always  found  them  honourable,  and  even 
noble,  in  their  business  dealings.  Would  that  the  same  could 
invariably  be  said  of  the  white  man's  dealings  with  his  Indian 
brother! 

Becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  small  yearly  grant,  which 
was  given  them  by  the  Government,  the  different  tribes  in 
Canada  decided  to  hold  a  Council  of  protest  and  appeal,  and 
it  was  held  in  Hiawatha.  Intense  excitement  was  created  in 
the  village  when  it  was  known  that  the  Great  Chiefs  were 
coming  to  hold  a  pow-wow.  The  Council  Hall  was  decorated 
with  boughs  and  brilliant  hangings,  and  the  chiefs  sat  in 
Oriental  fashion  as  they  palavered.  One  day,  during  the 
Council,  two  stalwart  braves  in  red  garb  and  feathers,  with 
tomahawks  in  their  belts,  came  to  the  Mission  House  and  asked 
that  my  elder  brother,  who  was  a  handsome  and  extremely 
fair  lad  should  come  to  their  afternoon  session,  as  they  decided 
to  give  him  an  Indian  name.  He  went  with  them,  greatly 
delighted  by  the  honour  paid  him.  On  his  return,  he  related 
to  us  how  they  bade  him  sit  by  them  and  smoke  the  peace 
pipe — which  he  did  rather  reluctantly,  not  having  as  yet 
learned  to  enjoy  such  a  rite.  I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot  recall 
the  syllables  of  the  Indian  name,  but  it  meant  the  "Rising 
Sun".  I  am  glad  to  say  that  the  Government  heeded  the 
request  of  these  "wards"  and  increased  their  grants,  both  in 
money  and  land. 

'The  mission  was  frequently  visited,  especially  in  the 
summer,  by  friends  who  were  delighted  with  the  picturesque 

38 


RICE  LAKE  IX  SUMMER. 

[This  is  from  a  painting  of  Rice  Lake  by  Mr.  R.  A.  Stewart,  which  apj>eared  as  an  illustration  i 
a  recent  reprint  of  Mrs.  Mocdie's  "RouKhinn  it  in  the  Bush.") 


scenery.  Among  the  most  welcome  guests  were  Mr.  John 
Dougall,  the  Editor  of  the  "  Montreal  Witness",  and  professors 
from  Victoria  College. 

My  father  used  to  go  to  Peterborough  frequently  to  pur- 
chase dry  goods  or  household  supplies.  One  day,  he  brought 
home  a  book  entitled  "Roughing  it  in  the  Bush",  which  he 
thought  was  a  remarkable  production.  After  reading  every 
word  of  it,  I  said  to  him ;  "Why,  she  just  writes  about  everyday 
life.  I  know  people  like  those  she  tells  about".  My  father 
replied:  "That  is  what  makes  it  literature".  My  father  be- 
came a  friend  of  the  author,  Mrs.  Moodie,  and  after  the  family 
moved  to  Belleville  and  my  father  was  also  living  in  that  city, 
they  had  many  talks  on  old  times  in  Canada.  I  was  visiting 
my  father  in  Belleville  years  ago,  when  one  morning,  in  the 
course  of  a  walk,  we  met  an  old  lady  who  was  evidently  going 
to  market.  My  father  bowed  so  profoundly  that  I  asked  him 
about  the  lady  who  had  just  passed  us.  "One  of  the  ablest 
women  in  Canada",  he  said  warmly.  This  was  none  other 
than  Mrs.  Moodie,  a  member  of  the  famous  Strickland  family 
and  grandmother  of  the  late  Mary  Agnes  Fitzgibbon,  who, 
with  Mrs.  Curzon,  founded  the  Women's  Historical  Society  of 
Toronto  and  who  will  ever  be  kept  in  grateful  memory. 

An  incident  which  shows  the  complications  of  our  quiet 
existence  at  Hiawatha  may  be  related.  Our  charwoman  was 
of  Irish  parentage,  but  was  the  wife  of  Daniel  Cow,  a  rather 
riotous  Indian,  who  once  came  to  shoot  my  father,  declaring 
that  the  missionary  was  an  idle  citizen.  Biddy  Cow  came  to 
my  father  one  day  to  ask  that  her  son  be  baptized  on  the 
following  Sunday.  On  being  questioned  about  the  name  to 
be  given  the  baby,  she  said  that  it  was  to  be  named  after  my 
father  and  therefore  would  be  known  as  Wellington  Jeffers 
Cow.  Now  my  father  shrank  from  such  an  honour  in  con- 
nection with  that  prosaic  name.  So,  he  became  a  diplomat 
and  suggested  that  Dr.  Wood,  who  was  the  Superintendent  of 
Missions,  should  share  the  honour  and  thus  it  came  about  that, 
the  little  Wellington  Wood  Cow  received  his  name  and  grew 
up  to  be  a  stalwart  Irish-Indian  and  a  good  Canadian  too. 

Sometimes  the  greatest  enemy  of  the  Indian  was  the  clever 
and  unscrupulous  half-breed,  who,  in  some  cases,  seemed  to 
unite  the  vices  of  the  two  races.  Such  a  one  used  to  swoop 
down  on  Hiawatha  at  intervals  and  exercise  a  mysterious 
fascination  over  the  younger  Indians,  who  were  sadly  led 
astray,  owing  to  his  evil  influence.  Then  the  older  Indians 
would  take  their  guns  and  search  for  this  destroyer  of  the 

39 


village  peace,  who  was  so  fleet-footed  and  cunning  that  he 
easily  avoided  them.  I  saw  this  Evil  Genius  of  Hiawatha  one 
Sunday  morning,  for  he  did  not  hesitate  to  come  to  the  mission 
church  to  seek  his  prey.  He  was  a  handsome  creature  in  a 
dark  desperate  fashion,  and  I  remember  that  my  small 
brother  whispered  to  me:  "He  lookth  like  a  pirate". 

The  next  morning  the  village  was  roused  by  the  news  that 
half-a-dozen  of  the  young  people  of  Hiawatha  had  been  lured 
away  from  their  homes  by  this  rascal  and  had  spent  the  night 
in  one  of  the  hidden  drinking  places  which  the  half-breed 
frequented.  One  of  the  finest  old  Indians  in  the  church  came 
to  my  father  with  the  tears  rolling  down  his  dark  cheeks  and 
cried:  "Oh,  my  meenister,  he  stole  my  little  girl — my  papoose 
— she  sit  on  my  knee  and  sing  hymns  and  be  a  good  little  girl. 
But  he  take  her  and  I  kill  him".  But  he  did  not  kill  him,  for 
when  the  searchers  reached  an  old  barn  which  stood  in  a  deep 
wood  about  a  mile  from  the  village,  the  tempter  had  made  his 
escape  and  only  his  victims  were  found  lying  in  a  drunken 
stupor.  A  few  months  later,  the  half-breed  was  found  in  the 
same  old  barn,  lying  wasted  by  the  disease  then  called  "con- 
sumption". The  old  woman  who  found  him  took  him  to  her 
little  cabin  and  nursed  him  to  the  end.  Before  he  died,  he 
said  to  her  one  day:  "  I  see  I  very  wicked.  No  one  ever  taught 
me — no  mother — father  very  bad  white  man — sorry!"  How- 
ever, the  Indians  would  not  bury  him  in  the  sacred  ground  by 
the  mission  church — and  the  body  was  carried  far  into  the 
woods  where  it  was  given  a  resting-place  under  a  maple  tree — 
and  the  grave  was  long  regarded  with  terror  as  an  evil  spot. 

In  1860  my  father  was  appointed  editor  of  the  "Christian 
Guardian"  ano!  we  left  the  little  mission  for  Toronto.  I  have 
always  remembered  with  affection  the  simple  people  among 
whom  we  lived  for  a  very  happy  three  years  by  one  of  Ontario's 
loveliest  lakes. 


40 


ANNUAL   REPORT 

OF    THE 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

1917-18 

Organized  November,  1895;  Incorporated  Feb.  14th,  1896. 

OFFICERS 

Honorary  President  LADY  HENDRIE. 

{MRS  FORSYTE  GRANT. 
££  locAAB  CUBZ°N- 
MISS   M.   A.   FlTZGlBBON. 

President  Miss  MICKLE. 

VirP  Pr^iHpnt*  /  MRS-    J^MES    BAIN. 

1  MRS.  H.  H.  ROBERTSON. 

Recording  Secretary  MRS.  W.  T.  HALLAM. 

Corresponding   Secretary   MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY. 

Treasurer  MRS.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH 

Convenor  of  Red  Cross  Committee     MRS.  HORACE  EATON. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  W.  H.  P.  JARVIS. 


LADY  STUPART. 
MRS.  EDGAR  JARVIS. 
MRS.  GORDON  MACKENZIE. 


Miss  ROBERTS. 
MRS.  W.  H.  ELLIS. 


RED  CROSS  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  Convenor     MRS.  DUCKWORTH. 

MRS.  FREELAND. 
MRS.  ELLIS. 
MRS.  JAMES  BAIN. 
MRS.  MORGAN. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS 


LADY  STUPART. 
Miss  HORSEY. 
MRS.  EDGAR  JARVIS. 
MRS.  BODDY. 


G.  R.  PARKIN,  C.M.G.,  LL.D. 
COL.  G.  T.  DENISON. 
Miss  CARNOCHAN. 
M.  MACFARLANE. 
JAMES  HANNAY. 

SIR  GILBERT  PARKER,  M.P. 
CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.S.C. 
Miss  K.  M.  LIZARS. 

Miss  MACHAR. 
BLISS  CARMEN. 
JOHN  D.  KELLY. 
PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR. 


REV.  PROF.  BRYCE. 

DR.  LOCKE. 

THE  VERY  REV.  DEAN  HARRIS. 

J.  A.  MACDONNELL. 

W.        D.        LlGHTHALL,        F.R.S.C., 

F.R.S.L. 

BENJ.  SULTE,  F.R.S.C. 
REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  PHD. 
EDWARD  M.   THOMSON,   F.R.S.C., 

F.R.S.L. 

C.  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 
MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 
PROF.  G.  M.  WRONG. 
PROF.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 


President's  Address 


Since  we  last  met  the  many  victories  of  the  preceding 
weeks  have  issued  in  a  victorious  peace — a  peace  not 
yet  fully  established,  but,  we  believe,  assured  and  our 
foremost  feeling  is  that  of  a  great  thankfulness  to  God, 
who  has  maintained  our  just  cause.  In  simple  Bible 
words,  "The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us ;  where- 
of we  are  glad." 

How  great  has  been  the  deliverance  wrought,  we  are 
just  beginning  to  understand.  Speakers  and  writers  now 
tell  us  that  the  miracle  was  that  our  armies  and  those  of 
our  allies  were  not  destroyed  in  the  first  six  months — 
when  short  of  guns,  ammunition  and  aeroplanes,  the  old 
"contemptibles"  and  the  French  yet  managed  to  hold  the 
enemy. 

Looking  back  over  the  four  years  we  can  see  how 
great  has  been  our  development  as  a  people.  Through 
the  storm  and  stress  we  have  grown  surer  of  ourselves, 
and  with  our  capabilities,  our  patriotism,  our  self-respect 
has  grown  and  new  ideals  of  service,  will,  we  trust,  pave 
the  way  for  further,  fuller  development. 

Canada  has  done  well — her  soldiers  have  won  undying 
glory — we  can  never  repay  them;  and  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that,  unfortunately  led,  the  great  sister  Province 
proved  lukewarm — and  the  great  number  of  foreigners 
among  us,  we  realize  that  the  loyal  backbone  of  the  coun- 
try did  splendidly.  But  while  proudly  claiming  a  right 
to  stand  among  the  nations  who  have  saved  the  world,  let 
us  not  follow  any  bad  example  of  boastfulness  or  vain 
glory.  We  have  done  much,  suffered  much,  but  others 
have  done  more — still  more.  "France! — yes,  indeed, — 
France  and  England. 

Britain,  the  western  giant  smiles, 

And  twirls  the  spotty  Globe  to  find  it. 

This  little  speck — the  British  Isles, 

Tis  but  a  freckle — never  mind  it. 

He  laughs  and  all  his  prairies  roll 

Each  giant  cataract  roars  and  chuckles, 

And  ridges  stretched  from  pole  to  pole, 

Heave  till  they  shake  their  iron  knuckles. 
******* 


"But  Freedom  leaning  on  her  spear, 
Laughed  louder  than  the  laughing  giant. 
'Our  Islet  is  a  world/  she  said, 
And  glory  with  its  dust  is  blended,  eta." 

"A  little  speck,"  but  Britain  has  upheld  the  world  and 
the  glory  of  her  services  to  mankind  we  may  share.  Her 
great  navy  was  the  one  unconquerable  unit,  that  always 
made  for  victory.  Her  first  small  army  has  been  justly 
called  "the  army  of  sacrifice."  Within  two  years  she 
created  and  sent  into  the  field  an  army  of  5,000,000  men, 
since  increased  to  over  six  million.  She  has  sent  troops 
to  every  battlefront,  Egypt,  Palestine,  Mesopotamia, 
Italy,  South  Africa,  etc.,  besides  in  the  earlier  years 
pouring  out  treasure  to  help  her  Allies  and  the  Dominions. 
Ex-President  Taft  writing  in  September  said,  that  to 
equal  the  effort  of  Canada  to  that  date  per  population, 
the  United  States  would  have  to  raise  an  army  of  6,400,- 
000  men,  while  to  equal  what  England  has  done  would 
require  an  army  of  sixteen  million  men.  In  addition  to 
all  this  England  and  Scotland  have  voluntarily  rationed 
themselves  for  two  years  in  order  to  feed  the  troops  and 
their  suffering  Allies,  and  one  begins  to  have  some  idea 
of  the  stupendous  sacrifices  she  has  made — of  the  great 
debt  the  world  owes  her. 

Nor  should  the  great  services  rendered  by  Australia, 
New  Zealand,  South  Africa  and  other  parts  of  the  Em- 
pire ever  be  forgotten  by  Canadians. 

But  the  war  is  over  and  we  must  look  bravely  ahead 
and  face  the  new  problems  peace  will  bring.  The  tran- 
sition from  war  to  peace  is  always  an  anxious  period  and 
amidst  pur  rejoicing  there  is  much  to  cause  uneasiness. 
An  armistice  is  not  a  surrender,  and  the  world  will 
breathe  more  freely  when  it  knows  that  the  great  army 
beyond  the  Rhine — still  powerful — has  laid  down  its 
arms.  It  is  ominous  too,  that  to  the  last  Germany  clung 
to  every  evil,  illegal  practice  which  had  won  her  odium. 
It  will  be  long  years  before  the  world  can  trust  her — if 
ever  again.  If  it  is  true  that  she  is  ready  to  flood  the 
world  with  anti-British  propaganda,  we  must  stand  firm 
and  with  united  front  resist. 

In  our  own  land,  while  the  unselfish  and  patriotic  have 
grown  more  unselfish,  the  burden  of  giving  and  serving 

4 


has  fallen  too  exclusively  upon  them ;  and  the  selfish  and 
the  slacker  have  gone  too  free.  For  the  future  some 
way  should  be  found  of  making  all  shoulders  bear  the 
burdens.  Before  the  war  there  was  much  restlessness — 
restlessness  among  women,  too — we  have  perforce  been 
held  during  the  war,  but  that  restlessness  will  recur;  so 
we  see  that  peace  has  its  perils,  too ;  but  surely  we  have 
learned  much  and  should  face  the  difficult  period  of  re- 
construction with  courage  and  patience. 

Democracy  is  the  popular  catchword  of  the  hour, 
drummed  into  our  ears  at  every  opportunity — no  Presi- 
dent's address  could  be  complete  without  it!  Though, 
sometimes  it  seems  interchangeable  with  autocracy,  or 
worse;  and  it  was  perhaps  in  a  spasm  of  democracy — 
that  sounds  better  than  a  democratic  spasm  that  the  last 
session  of  Parliament  decided  against  titles.  Doing  so 
gave  quite  an  opportunity  for  fine  rhetoric ;  yet  it  seems 
a  pity — they  are  so  harmless — and  sentimentally  one 
would  not  wish  a  few  of  them,  as  the  Barony  De  Longueil 
—created  by  the  French  kings  and  confirmed  by  George 
III.  to  quite  vanish.  Titles,  too,  or  changes  of  name  are 
inevitable;  from  the  earliest  times  and  among  all  races 
they  have  been  given.  Abraham  and  Sarah  are  Biblical 
examples  and  the  proud  title  "Prince  of  God"  given  to 
Jacob  was,  and  is,  claimed  by  a  whole  nation  of  descen- 
dants. Even,  in  these  democratic  days,  the  journalist  fills 
a  rhetorical  column  with  the  evils  of  titles,  and  then  at- 
tends a  baseball  or  hockey  match  and  straightway  christ- 
ens an  admired  player,  "Babe,"  or  "Giant,"  so  and  so. 

For  ourselves  we  must  keep  on  with  our  work  for  sol- 
diers, we  must  try  to  do  more  for  the  returned  soldiers. 
In  every  way  we  must  strive  for  unity  and  patriotism. 
Unity  in  our  divided  country,  unity  in  our  diverse  Em- 
pire; the  strife  will  sometimes  be  difficult,  but  who  can 
measure  the  effect  of  the  quiet  strenuous  loyalty  each  one 
of  us  may  somehow,  in  some  way,  express  in  our  lives. 

The  opening  of  the  Museum  and  Art  Gallery  at  the 
Grange  marks  a  long  step  forward  in  historical  interests ; 
as  does  the  opening  of  the  Temple  at  Sharon,  really  a 
great  event  for  local  historians,  and  we  will  trust  leading 
to  the  collection  and  preservation  of  much  matter  that 
would  otherwise  be  lost. 


Secretary's  Report 

The  past  year  with  its  alarms  and  anxieties  has  prob- 
ably been  the  most  momentous  since  the  opening  of  the 
Christian  Era.  Surely  the  suffering  and  the  sacrifices  of 
our  heroic  men  cannot  be  lost,  they  must  have  an  en- 
nobling effect  on  civilization ;  the  flower  of  the  manhood 
of  Canada  has  paid  so  great  a  price  that  we  women  must 
now  strive  to  make  this  country  a  land  worthy  of  their 
sacrifice.  Our  first  thought  must  be  a  devout  prayer  of 
humble  thankfulness  and  praise  that  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness of  Germany  have  been  vanquished  and  righteous- 
ness has  prevailed. 

During  the  year  much  has  been  learned  of  the  need  of 
conservation  of  food ;  we  who  have  always  been  so  bounti- 
fully blessed,  find  it  hard  to  realize  that  whole  countries 
are  on  very  short  rations,  and  we  are  thankful  that  the 
appeals  for  thrift  have  been  heeded  with  the  result  that 
great  quantities  of  food-stuffs  have  been  sent  overseas. 

The  papers  have  been: 

December: — The  Gwynne  Homestead,  by  Mrs.  Lucy 
White  (Caltha).  Mr.  W.  H.  P.  Jarvis  gave  his  experi- 
ences as  a  private  in  France  with  the  Mechanical  Trans- 
port. 

January. — Halifax  and  the  Surrounding  Country,  by 
Mrs.  Hallam.  An  Account  of  the  Halifax  Disaster  as  seen 
by  Mrs.  Charles  Archibald,  of  Halifax. 

February. — Unveiling  of  Miss  Fitzgibbons'  portrait,  by 
Miss  K.  M.  Lizars.  "William  Wilfrid  Campbell,  poet  and 
dramatist/'  by  Professor  Horning. 

March.— Inedited  letters  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  Sir 
John  Richardson  to  Robert  McVicar,  by  Miss  Alice  Lea. 
The  letters  being  loaned  by  Mrs.  George  McVicar. 

April. — Extracts  from  old  Journals  and  Newspapers, 
by  Mrs.  W.  H.  P.  Jarvis.  A  talk  on  Food  Conservation, 
by  Mrs.  H.  S.  Strathy. 

At  our  annual  meeting  Mrs.  H.  S.  Strathy  gave  an 
account  of  war  conditions  and  war  work  in  England,  and 
we  had  the  great  pleasure  of  having  an  encouraging  ad- 
dress from  Miss  Carnochan,  the  honored  President  of  the 
Niagara  Historical  Society. 


The  attendance  at  our  meetings  this  year  has,  perhaps, 
not  been  as  high  as  usual,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  many 
calls  on  the  time  of  our  members;  the  Red  Cross  Com- 
mittee, as  their  report  shows,  has  done  excellent  work. 

We  regret  that  our  Recording  Secretary,  Miss  Embree, 
had  to  resign  owing  to  change  of  residence.  Our  thanks 
are  due  to  Mrs.  Duckworth  who  so  ably  and  cheerfully 
took  her  place,  and  also  to  Mrs.  Trent  for  her  year's  work 
as  Treasurer  of  this  Society. 

Seven  executive  and  six  regular  meetings,  besides  the 
annual  meeting  have  been  held.  The  Society  has  been 
obliged  to  change  its  place  of  meeting,  as  the  work  car- 
ried on  at  the  Women's  Welcome  Hostel  had  so  grown 
that  accommodation  could  no  longer  be  given  us.  The 
pictures  and  books  have  been  moved  to  46  Dunyegan 
Road,  the  portraits  of  Mrs.  Curzon  and  Miss  Fitzgibbon 
have  been  loaned  to  the  John  Ross  Robertson  collection 
in  the  Public  Library. 

Donations  received  have  been: — The  Four  Kings  of 
Canada,  reprint  of  a  rare  pamphlet  from  Miss  Mickle ;  and 
Landmarks  of  Canada,  a  Guide  to  the  J.  Ross  Robertson 
Historical  Collection,  by  Mrs.  G.  A.  McVicar. 

The  Society  has  lost  a  valued  member  in  the  death  of 
Mrs.  Pearce.  For  many  years  she  was  a  regular  attend- 
ant and  was  always  ready  to  help  forward  any  project. 
To  her  daughters  we  would  extend  our  sincerest  sym- 
pathy. 

We  welcome  as  new  members,  Mrs.  Dykes,  Miss  Helen 
Des  Brissay,  Mrs.  Wetherald,  Mrs.  Cameron  and  Mrs. 
Walker. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

LUELLA  CORLEY. 


Report  of  the  Red  Cross  Committee 

When  the  Red  Cross  Committee  of  this  Society  was  ap- 
pointed it  was  decided  to  send  supplies  to  our  soldiers 
in  the  trenches;  so  the  bulk  of  our  work  for  the  past  four 
years  has  gone  through  the  Women's  Patriotic  League 
to  the  Canadian  Field  Comforts'  Commission  at  Shorn- 
cliffe.  Captain  Mary  Plummer  and  Lieut.  Joan  Arnoldi 
have  been  our  representatives  overseas,  and  I  am  sure 
that  those  of  us  who  heard  Miss  Arnoldi  speak  for  the 
W.  P.  L.  in  Convocation  Hall  on  the  work  of  Field  Com- 
forts, were  proud  of  the  part  our  small  Society  has  been 
able  to  take,  helping  to  provide  comforts  for  our  noble 
men.  The  hearts  of  all  were  touched  by  her  strong  appeal 
not  to  slacken  our  efforts  in  this  hour  of  glorious  victory. 
The  work  must  continue  for  many  months,  until  all  our 
men,  who  have  fought  so  bravely,  are  home  again.  The 
need  for  comforts,  games  and  literature  will  be  as  great 
as  ever  during  the  period  of  demobilization,  upon  which 
we  are  entering. 

During  the  past  year  the  Society  has  forwarded  2,576 
articles,  including  1,103  pairs  of  socks,  and  902  personal 
property  bags.  The  other  articles  were  sweaters,  scarfs, 
wristers  and  stretcher  caps.  For  Queen  Mary's  Silver 
Wedding  we  sent,  through  Queen  Mary's  Needlework 
Guild,  100  pairs  of  socks  and  15  dozen  personal  property 
bags.  To  the  Siberian  Expedition,  100  pairs  of  socks ;  to 
the  National  Ladies'  Guild  for  Sailors,  $100.00 ;  for  Vic- 
trola  and  records  to  help  cheer  the  brave  lads  in  the  Hos- 
pital for  Tubercular  soldiers,  $100.00 ;  for  relief  work  af- 
ter the  Halifax  Disaster,  $45.00.  This  makes  a  total  of 
2,576  articles  sent  and  $245.00  given  in  cash. 

In  April  a  sale  was  held  of  home-made  articles,  cakes, 
etc.,  the  proceeds  of  which  reached  $459.00,  the  expenses, 
including  tea  room  supplies,  wages  and  cartage  amount- 
ing only  to  $19.06.  Our  thanks  are  due  to  Mr.  Hoseason, 
Yonge  Street,  who  kindly  lent  us  his  store,  and  to  all  who 
helped  to  make  it  a  success. 

Our  future  work  will  be  largely  for  our  returned  sol- 
diers. We  must  not  slacken,  but  with  the  more  energy 
let  us  help  our  Government  and  our  country  to  keep  faith 
with  our  brave  broken  heroes. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

E.  M.  EATON. 

8 


Treasurer's  Report 

November  1918 


RED  CROSS  COMMITTEE 

RECEIPTS. 

Balance  in  Bank,  Nov.,  1917 $    47.68 

Donations 214.32 

Teas  and  Sales  505.30 

Bank  Interest  .  1.85 


Total , - $    769.15 

EXPENDITURES. 

Donations  - $   245.00 

Red  Cross  Supplies _ 337.23 

Part  payment  on  Loan 108.00 

Tea  Room  Supplies - 11.31 

Printing  and  Advertising  8.02 

Wages  and  Cartage _ 7.75 


Total  .  $    717.31 


Balance 51.84 

HOPE  H.  DUCKWORTH, 

Honorary  Treasurer 
Audited  and  found  correct, 

SYDNEY  JONES, 

Auditor. 

TREASURER'S  REPORT. 

GENERAL  STATEMENT,  Nov.  15TH,  1917-Nov.  15TH,  1918. 

RECEIPTS. 

Cash  in  Bank,  Nov.  15th,  1917 $  189.63 

Fees — Current  and  Advance  69.00 

Ontario  Government  Grant 100.00 

Sale  of  Trans 5.80 

Bank  Interest  .  1.16 


Total  _ $365.59 

9 


EXPENDITURE. 

Rent  - $    32.00 

Refreshments 9.00 

Printing  and  Advertising _ - 117.10 

To  Halifax  Fund  L 8.00 

To  Red  Cross  Fund 5.00 

Cartage  ... — 5.00 

Queen  Victoria  Memorial  Fund 6.80 

Memorial  Portrait •  61.50 

Sherbourne  Fees  ....- „ : 15.00 

Local  Council  Fees 2.00 

Postage  and  Rubber  Stamp 2.73 

Balance $  101.46 

Total  balance,  Nov.  15th,  1918 $    365.59 

H.  E.  TRENT, 

Treasurer. 
Audited  and  found  correct, 

E.  W.  TRENT. 


THE  QUEEN  VICTORIA  MEMORIAL  FUND 

RECEIPTS. 

Balance  in  Bank  Nov.,  1917 $  86.01 

Int.  and  Dividends  on  Can.  Permanent  Bonds 237.75 

Bank  Interest  . 6.80 

Sale  of  Trans m 6.30 

Interest  on  War  Loans  37.50 

Part  Payment  of  Loan  from  Red  Cross  Com 108.00 

Total  $  483.72 

First  payment  on  1918  Victory  Bond $     50.00 

Balance  Nov.  15th,  1918  J 433.72 

Canada  Permanent  Mortgage  Debentures  ...$5,000.00 

War  Loan  Certificate 500.00 

Receipt  1st  Payment  on  War  Loan 50.00 

Total  to  Credit  of  Memorial  Fund  ....$5,983.72 

H.  E.  TRENT, 

Hon.  Treasurer. 
Audited  and  found  correct, 

E.  W.  TRENT, 

Auditor. 
1Q 


DEEDS   SPEAK  " 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF   TORONTO 


TRANSACTION   No.  17 


CONTENTS 

Indited  Letters  concerning  Sir  John  Franklin's  First  and  Second 
Expeditions  1819-22;  and  1825-27.  'Read  by  Miss  Alice  Lea 
March  1918.  Letters  loaned  by  Mrs.  George  Me  Vicar 

Heligoland.  Read  before  the  Society  December  1918.  By  the  Rev. 
H.  T.  F.  Duckworth.  Reprinted  by  permission  from  the 
"  Canadian  Churchman  "  January  1919 


1917-18 


Some  Unpublished  Letters  of  Sir  John  Franklin, 
Sir  John  Richardson  and  Others 

Written  during  the  expeditions  to  North-west  Canada  for  the  purpose 
of  exploration,  1819-22;  and  1825*27 

In  reading  over  these  letters  one  of  the  points  which 
seems  to  stand  out  above  all  others  is  the  great  debt  that 
we  owe  to  the  British  Navy,  or,  rather,  they  deal  with 
one  of  our  many  debts  to  the  Royal  Navy,  for  these  gal- 
lant men  were  officers  in  that  Service.  And  Canada  owes 
it  to  them  that  the  northern  shores  of  our  great  Domin- 
ion, its  rivers,  lakes,  bays,  islands  were  explored,  sur- 
veyed and  mapped.  These  expeditions  turned  the  map  of 
the  Arctic  regions  of  North  America  from  a  blank  void 
into  a  distant  representation  of  islands,  straits  and  seas. 
The  search  for  a  north-west  passage  was  the  dream  of 
every  Arctic  explorer  of  this  period.  In  the  search  dur- 
ing their  first  expeditions,  1819-22,  these  brave  men  sur- 
veyed 5,550  miles  of  our  North  Coast.  The  most  heroic 
figure  of  these  expeditions,  and  the  best  known  is  Sir 
John  Franklin,  whose  letters  are  now  presented. 

Franklin  was  born  in  Spilsbury,  Lancashire,  in  the 
year  1786.  Educated  at  St.  Ives.  Went  on  a  holiday  to 
the  sea  12  miles  away,  and  there  made  up  his  mind  to  be 
a  sailor.  He  entered  the  Navy  in  1800,  and  was  in  the 
battle  of  Copenhagen.  Later  he  joined  a  ship,  The  In- 
vestigator, under  Capt.  Flinders,  who  was  employed  map- 
ping the  coast  of  Australia.  There  he  acquired  skill  in 
surveying  which  proved  of  use  in  his  future  career.  He 
was  wrecked  and  returned  to  England  in  time  for  the 
battle  of  Trafalgar,  where  he  had  charge  of  the  signals. 
On  account  of  his  scientific  knowledge  he  was  chosen  to 
command  an  Arctic  expedition.  He  went,  accompanied 
by  Richardson,  two  midshipmen  and  a  few  Orkney  men, 
via  Hudson  Bay  and  Rupert's  Land ;  Parry  sailing  by  sea 
to  Lancaster  Sound. 

Richardson  was  a  great  naturalist,  a  Fellow  of  the 
Royal  Society,  and  as  famous  a  man  in  his  way  as  Sir 
John  Franklin.  He  left  a  great  record,  but  as  he  did  not 

12 


die  in  the  North  is  not  so  well  known  to  us.  He  was  born 
in  1787  at  Nith  Place,  Dumfries.  His  father  was  a  friend 
of  Robert  Burns.  He  went  through  the  University  of 
Edinburgh,  qualified  as  a  surgeon,  and  was  gazetted  to 
the  Royal  Navy.  He  served  with  Nelson  and  was  in  sev- 
eral battles.  He  was  appointed  surgeon  and  naturalist 
to  the  Franklin  Expedition  in  1819. 

Franklin  writes :  "To  Mr.  Richardson  is  due  the  ex- 
clusive merit  of  whatever  collections  and  observations 
have  been  made  in  the  department  of  Natural  History." 
In  the  second  expedition  he  and  Franklin  separated, 
Richardson  being  sent  to  explore  the  coast  900  miles  from 
the  MacKenzie  to  the  Coppermine,  in  boats  The  Dolphin 
and  Union.  He  accomplished  2,000  miles  in  10  weeks. 
He  also  made  a  canoe  trip  round  Great  Slave  Lake  for 
geological  purposes,  which  is  mentioned  in  a  letter.  He 
was  later  knighted  for  his  services. 

Of  his  services  during  this  expedition  his  chief  says : 
"It  is  owing  to  Richardson's  excellent  arrangements  for 
food  and  conveyance  during  the  second  expedition  that 
there  was  no  loss  of  life,  and  not  even  privation  such  as 
to  temporarily  endanger  the  health  of  the  men/* 

The  man  to  whom  the  letters  were  written  was  Chief 
Trader  Robert  McVicar,  who  was  born  in  Isla,  the  Heb- 
rides, Scotland,  early  in  the  last  century,  and  shortly 
after  leaving  college  came  to  Canada  to  take  a  post  in 
the  Hudson  Bay  Co.  That  his  geniality  and  courteous- 
ness  made  for  him  many  friends  in  the  country  to  which 
he  had  come  to  live,  and  that  his  young  wife,  still  in  her 
teens,  was  also  popular,  and  showed  hospitality  to  the 
members  of  the  Arctic  Expedition  who,  from  time  time 
visited  the  lonely  post  at  Great  Slave  Lake,  is  shown  by 
the  tone  of  these  letters.  Mrs.  McVicar  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Colonel  McBeth,  a  Scotch  officer  in  an  East  Indian 
regiment.  Her  portrait  shows  her  to  have  been  a  beau- 
tiful girl.  All  letters  addressed  to  her  husband  close 
with  the  request  that  compliments  and  regards  be  given 
to  her,  who  was  a  gleam  of  sunshine  in  the  North  Land. 

On  retiring  from  the  post  of  Chief  Trader  for  the  H. 
B.  C.,  Mr.  McVicar  bought  the  Seigniory  of  Cirgeltene, 
formerly  owned  by  Sieur  de  La  Ronde,  building  a  beauti- 
ful place  which  he  called  Silver  Heights,  where  they  lived 
for  many  years. 

13 


In  1819  the  first  Franklin  Expedition  started  by  ship 
to  Hudson  Bay,  where  it  traversed  North  America  from 
Fort  York  to  the  mouth  of  the  Nelson  River,  thence  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Coppermine,  and  embarking  on  the  Arctic 
Ocean  sailed  east,  exploring  the  coast,  returning  through 
the  Barren  Grounds  to  Port  Providence  and  York  after 
terrible  privations.  The  details  of  the  route  were  left 
to  Franklinfs  judgment,  to  be  guided  by  the  advice  he 
should  receive  from  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  who  were 
instructed  to  co-operate  and  provide  it  with  hunters, 
clothing  and  ammunition.  Franklin,  Richardson,  Hood, 
Back,  two  seamen  from  Orkney  and  boatmen,  landed  at 
York  in  August,  1819,  to  make  arrangements.  He  found 
that,  owing  to  the  rivalry  amounting  to  almost  war  be-, 
tween  the  two  rival  trading  companies  which  disputed 
the  territory,  no  supplies  were  available.  The  Expedition 
left  Fort  Chipewyan  July  18th,  with  little  more  than 
two  days'  provisions  and  a  scanty  supply  of  powder.  The 
story  of  this  first  expedition  is  one  of  the  most  terrible 
in  human  records.  Hood  was  murdered. 

The  letters  concerning  the  first  expedition  are  few  in 
number.  There  is  an  invoice  from  Robert  Miles,  head  of 
the  Stores  Department  of  the  H.  B.  C.,  dated  30th  of 
Sept.,  1820,  which  includes  three  items  for  the  expedition, 
and  from  which  is  taken  this  item,  "You  have,  of  course, 
heard  of  the  capture  of  Mr.  Robertson ;  rather  a  disagree- 
able circumstance,  but  seems  not  to  have  had  the  effect 
our  opponents  anticipated.  A  Mr.  Simpson,  from  Lon- 
don, is  come  in  that  gentleman's  place,  a  stranger  of 
course  to  this  country,  but  from  the  arrangements  he  has 
made  with  the  Montreal  agents  will,  I  hope,  enable  him 
next  year  to  meet  your  views,  and  which  he  will  explain 
fully  in  the  spring,  when  he  has  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
you." 

Thus  is  introduced  Mr.,  later,  Sir  George  Simpson,  the 
great  and  redoubtable  Governor  of  the  fur  countries, 
who,  from  the  union  of  the  companies  the  ensuing  year, 
March  the  26th,  1821,  until  his  death  in  1860,  ruled  the 
company  for  39  years  with  autocratic  vigor. 

The  animosities  between  the  H.  B.  C.  and  North  West 
Fur  Company  added  greatly  to  the  hardships  of  the 
1819-22  expedition.  Sir  John  Franklin,  who  had  been 
most  punctilious  in  courtesy  and  friendship  to  the  officers 

14 


of  each,  received  news  of  the  amalgamation  of  the  com- 
panies while  in  the  north,  and  on  the  return  of  the  expe- 
dition, the  following  letter  from  Back*  written  from 
York  Factory  July  16th,  1822,  gives  an  amusing  picture 
of  the  change  the  very  energetic  new  Governor  had  al- 
ready wrought  at  that  place.  "Oh!  vile  disgrace  to  a 
Traveller  ! ! !"  is  doubtless  a  sly  hit  at  Simpson ;  who 
prided  himself  on  his  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most 
rapid  travellers  on  record,  and  was  noted  for  the  imperi- 
ous and  impetuous  haste  with  which  he  drove  his  voy- 
ageurs  through  the  lonely  wilds. 


York  Factory,  July  16th,  1822. 
MY  DEAR  MAC: — 

To  describe  to  you  our  peregrinations  since  we  parted, 
would,  I  fear,  add  little  to  your  mirth — however,  were  I 
not  certain  that  better  information  would  reach  you,  I 
should  make  use  of  my  bungling  style  to  give  you  some 
account  of  them.  And  now  I  reflect  on  the  subject  it 
proposes,  may  not  be  amiss  that  I  should  hold  forth  a 
word  or  two.  Well,  my  bonnie  Caledonian,  the  first  is 

"to  tell  it,  and  I  dinna  think  the that  Francis 

Carror  was  fully  able  to  distance  us — but  for  sole  want 
of  a  guide  he  was  compelled  (and  I  hope  not  against  his 
inclination)  to  remain  with  us.  We  started  early  and 
encamped  late,  always  taking  special  caution  not  to 
neglect  our  "devant  canoes,"  or,  if  you  like  it  plainer,  our 
stomachs — but  notwithstanding  all  this  dispatch  and 
(certes  you  cannot  say  but  it  was  so)  Lee  Muhei  came 
up  with  us  at  Cumberland — oh!  vile  disgrace  to  a  Trav- 
eller!!! Howbeit  we  passed  him  again,  but  the  Deil  take 
all  boasters — he  arrived  at  York  before  us.  However,  I 
must  not  omit  to  state  that  some  of  your  Slave  Lake 
bonny  boys — or  bony  girls,  indifferent  to  us  which,  stole 
61  of  the  tongues  you  were  so  kind  as  to  give  me — the 
perpetrator  of  this  foul  deed  (I  am  well  informed)  was 

*  Lieut.  Back,  afterwards  Sir  George  Back.  He  was  born  in 
1796  and  died  in  1879.  He  accompanied  Franklin  in  1818  on  a 
voyage.  Explored  the  Coppermine  in  1819,  the  McKenzie  in  1825, 
in  1833-35,  on  an  expedition  in  search  of  Sir  Charles  Ross,  the 
Great  Fish  River.  In  1836  commanded  an  expedition  to  complete  the 
coast  line  between  Regent's  Inlet  and  Cape  Turnagain.  Was 
knighted  in  1839,  and  became  an  Admiral  in  1837. 

15 


Thibaut's  wife — it  is  the  more  certain  as  she  was  de- 
tected by  Lee  Muhei  stealing  our  pemican — although  I 
had  the  same  morning  given  her  a  good  quantity  of  flour 
and  a  cup  of  tea — nevertheless  /  freely  forgave  her,  and 
did  not  even  mention  the  matter.    We  spent  an  agreeable 
night  at  Ishala  Cape — at  Cumberland  we  had  a  dance  one 
evening  and  a  song  the  next — with  Heron  at  Norway 
House — the    same    in    excellent    style — maintained    by 
Robertson  and  well  aided  by  Clarke.    We  left  our  canoe 
here  and  descended  in  a  boat  (which,  with  the  exception 
of  running  high  and  dry  on  Morgan's  Rocks)  got  down 
to  the  Rock  very  well.    And  here,  you  know,  my  good  fel- 
low, we  were  determined  to  pass  a  jovial  night.    And  so 
we  did.     Bunn  was  in    excellent    spirits — drank    your 
health,  sang  divers  many  songs,  said  more  witty  things, 
and  was  in  toto  the  very  pitch  of  perfection,  and  fu' 
mony  a  time  and  oft,  was  our  gude  chiel  from  Isla  men- 
tioned.   We  were  received  with  many  kindnesses  at  York, 
but,  Oh!  what  a  change  was  there.    It  is  no  longer  the 
place  you  knew.    You  would  now  be  a  stranger  in  your 
old  habitation.     A  new  ministry  entirely.     There  is  a 
throng  of  persons  who  commence  work  at  3  a.m. — assem- 
ble three  times  a  day  to  meals,  go  away  immediately  after 
them,  and  continue  their  labors  until  1  a.m.  again.    Such 
is  the  present  scene,  and  I  am  heartily  glad  that  you  are 
not  with  us.    Private  conversation  is  out  of  the  question 
— for  time  is  yet  wanting— but  from  the  little  I  have  had 
with  Mr.  Simpson,  he  appears  to  think  highly  of  you,  and 
can  easily  discriminate  between  your  little  jeu  d'esprits 
and  your  real  qualities,  and  let  none  then  affront  you,  my 
old  friend,  for  I  have  marked  your  good  and  bad  points — 
and  ill  would  it  become  me  to  dissemble  in  either — but  on 
the  subject  I  will  say  more  when  I  get  home — in  the  in- 
terim confide  in  my  integrity  and  rest  assured  your  in- 
terest (as  far  as  in  my  power  lies)  shall  not  be  neglected. 
I  send  Margaret  and  my  dear  little  Ellen  a  few  beads 
which  my  mother  gave  me,  they  are  trivial,  but  amends 
shall  be  made  hereafter.     For  yourself  I  say  nothing — 
1823  shall  be  more  explanative.    Remember  me  dearly  to 
your  wife  and  family,  and  consider  me  to    be    in'  all 
occasions, 

Your  friend. 

(Signed)  GEO.  BACK. 

16 


Williams  is  gone  to  Moose — we  did  not  see  him.  Simp- 
son is  coming  in  the  Athabasca — Prince  River,  and  re- 
turns by  Sackuschiceine — this  he  told  me,  but  do  not  men- 
tion it.  Leith  is  to  be  at  Cumberland.  Keith  at  Isle  a  la 
Crosse.  Kennedy,  Columbia — Clark  (I  believe)  Red 
River.  Smith,  I  am  told  Athabasca — and  a  whole  string 
of  others  whom  I  do  not  know.  There  is,  however,  an 
expedition  under  command  of  W.  McKrugre.  They  are 
going  up  the  south  branch  Senkiescheisin,  I  don't  un- 
derstand what  for,  somewhere  to  the  Missourie. 

My  respects  to  Walter.     Give  Guilliam     a  dram  for 
me.  G.  B. 

435  Martain,  6s.  8d — 144.19 

31  Beaver  31. 

5  Otter  _ : 5. 

2  Wolverines  1. 

£181.19 


The  expedition  returned  in  1822  when  Franklin  pub- 
lished an  account  of  the  voyage,  which  aroused  great  in- 
terest and  enthusiasm  throughout  England,  and  the  two 
following  letters  were  written  in  the  interval  between  the 
expeditions : 

Written  in  1824. 

(To  Robert  McVicar,  Hudson  Bay  House,  London.) 
MY  DEAR  SIR  : — 

I  was  very  sorry  at  being  from  home  when  you  called 
last  evening,  as  I  am  very  desirous  to  see  you,  and  if  you 
had  left  your  address  (which,  by  the  by,  is  always  neces- 
sary in  this  metropolis)  I  should  have  been  with  you 
to-day  to  offer  my  services  in  showing  you  the  lions  of 
London.  I  shall  still  be  happy  to  do  so  whenever  you 
please.  I  am  up  to  my  ears  in  business,  as  you  may  sup- 
pose, preparing  the  stores  for  my  next  expedition,  and 
writing  letters  to  the  gentlemen  in  the  country,  but  I 
seldom  have  time  before  ten  in  the  morning.  Will  you 
come  to  breakfast  at  half-past  nine  on  Monday  or  Tues- 
day, and  we  will  go  out  together  and  return  to  dinner,  if 
you  are  disengaged.  f 

Believe  me,  ever  yours  truly, 

JOHN  FRANKLIN. 
55  Devonshire  St., 

Portland  Place. 

17 


Ill  Lawriston  Place,  Edinburgh, 

2  January,  1824. 
DEAR  McViCAR:— 

I  heard  lately  from  Capt.  Franklin  that  you  had  re- 
turned home,  and  I  could  not  avoid  doing  myself  the 
pleasure  of  congratulating  you,  on  your  safe  arrival  and 
hoping  that  you  found  all  your  friends  in  good  health. 
I  intend  to  remain  in  Edinburgh  all  the  winter,  and  shall 
be  much  gratified  in  hearing  from  you,  but  still  more  in 
seeing  you,  if  you  can  make  it  convenient  to  visit  Old 
Reeky  on  your  way  to  London.  Capt.  Franklin  goes  out 
to  Hudson  Bay  with  the  intention  of  exploring  the  coast 
to  the  westward  of  MacKenzie's  River,  but  it  is  not 
finally  decided  whether  he  sets  out  this  year  or  the  next, 
most  probably  the  latter.  The  Company  are  very  desir- 
ous of  promoting  the  expedition  and  offer  every  aid  in 
their  power.  Another  expedition  goes  out  to  connect 
Capt.  Parry's  late  discoveries  with  our  survey  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Copper  Mine  River,  and  Capt.  Parry  goes 
out  himself  in  another  quarter.  There  will  besides  be  a 
vessel  sent  by  Behrings  Straits,  so  that  the  coast  bids 
fair  to  be  completely  explored.  I  am  at  present  engaged 
in  writing  an  account  for  Capt.  Parry's  book  of  some  of 
the  animals  seen  by  him.  If  you  can  tell  me  the  Cree 
and  Northern  Indian  names  of  the  following  beasts  and 
birds  I  will  thank  you: 

Cree.     Northern  Indians. 
Ermine. 
Fisher. 
Mink. 
White  Fox. 
White  Owl. 
Raven. 

Brown  Crane. 
Snow  Bird. 

White  Grouse,  or  William  Grouse. 
Rock  Grouse. 

Ptarmigan,  small  barren  ground  white  grouse. 
Golden  Plover. 
Sand  Piper. 

Cassawee  or  long-tailed  Duck. 
Swan. 

WTiite  Goose. 
Eider  Duck. 

18 


King  Duck. 

Loons. 

White  Whale. 

Black  Whale. 

Seals. 

Sea  Horses. 

Excuse  this  trouble,  and  believe  me,  my  dear  Mc- 
Vicar,  ever  yours, 

(Signed)    JOHN  RICHARDSON. 

SECOND    LAND    ARCTIC    EXPEDITION,     1825-27. 

Early  in  1825  Franklin,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Richard- 
son, Lieut.  Back,  Mr.  Kendall,  Drummond,  and  four 
marines  again  set  out  to  explore  our  northern  coast,  but 
this  time  much  better  equipped. 

The  second  expedition  had  orders  to  proceed  overland 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie  and  then  by  sea  to  the 
north-west  extremity  of  America,  with  the  combined  ob- 
ject also  of  surveying  the  coast  between  the  Mackenzie 
and  Coppermine  Rivers.  All  points  were  most  carefully 
planned.  Some  stores,  under  the  charge  of  Robert  Mc- 
Vicar, who  was  on  furlough,  were  forwarded  from  Eng- 
land in  March,  1824.  These  stores,  with  the  addition  of 
other  articles  obtained  in  Montreal,  loaded  three  "north" 
canoes,  manned  by  eighteen  voyageurs,  were  delivered 
by  McVicar  to  Mr.  Dease  at  Athabasca  Lake  before 
winter  set  in.  Dease,  in  1825,  proceeded  to  Great  Bear 
Lake  to  make  further  preparations.  The  men  of  the 
expedition,  "five  of  them  from  Islay,"  came  out  by  H. 
B.  C.  vessel  under  the  command  of  Neil  Macdonald,  a 
man  who  had  been  recommended  to  Franklin  by  McVicar, 
and  from  whose  letters  we  learn  that  the  men  were  paid 
from  £45  to  £52  per  annum.  This  party  of  19  men  and 
three  boats  arrived  at  Cumberland  House  on  Oct.  17, 
1824. 

Franklin  and  the  officers  proceeded  by  way  of  New 
York  and  Canada  to  Penetanguishene,  then  the  naval 
depot  for  Lake  Huron,  where  two  large  canoes  were  to 
meet  them.  In  New  York  they  were  well  received,  and 
Mr.  James  Buchanan,  then  British  Consul  in  that  city, 
conducted  the  party  on  their  trip  to  Canada.  From  New 
York  they  went  to  Albany,  thence  through  Utica,  Ro- 
chester and  Geneva  to  Lewiston  in  coaches.  They  visited 
Niagara  Falls,  and  crossing  Lake  Ontario  in  a  sailing 

19 


boat,  arrived  at  York  (Toronto).  Here  they  were  re- 
ceived by  Sir  Peregrine  Maitland  and  Col.  Cockburn  and 
the  other  Commissioners  holding  an  inquiry  on  the  value 
of  Crown  lands.  From  York  they  they  passed  to  Lake 
Simcoe  "in  carts  and  other  conveyances,"  halting  for  a 
night  "at  the  hospitable  home  of  Mr.  Robinson*  at  New- 
market." Crossing  Lake  Simcoe  in  boats  and  canoes 
they  landed  near  the  upper  part  of  Kempenfelt  Bay.  A 
journey  of  nine  miles  on  foot  brought  them  to  the  Notta- 
wasaga  River,  which  they  descended  in  a  boat,  and  pass- 
ing through  a  part  of  Lake  Huron,  arrived  at  Penetan- 
guishene.  Here  while  awaiting  their  voyageurs  from 
Montreal,  they  were  entertained  by  Lieut.  Douglass. 
Passing  northward  by  Sault  Ste.  Marie  to  Fort  William, 
Rainy  Lake,  Lake  of  the  Woods,  Lake  Winnipeg  and  the 
Saskatchewan  River,  they  arrived  at  Cumberland  House 
on  June  15th.  Thence  proceeding  on  their  journey  they 
reached  Robert  McVicar's  home,  Fort  Resolution  on 
Great  Slave  Lake  on  July  29th ;  passing  on  to  Fort  Good 
Hope  in  August.  Here,  as  the  season  was  not  yet  far 
advanced,  they  went  on  short  exploring  cruises;  Frank- 
lin making  a  dash  to  the  sea  and  Dr.  Richardson  explor- 
ing the  Lake,  before  going  to  the  winter  quarters,  pre- 
pared for  them  by  Dease,  at  Fort  Franklin,  Great  Bear 
Lake.  Two  letters  which  follow  touch  upon  these  trips : 

Fort  Franklin,  Great  Bear  Lake, 

7th  Sept.,  1825. 
To  Robert  McVicar, 
Chief  Trader, 

Slave  Lake. 
MY  DEAR  FRIEND: — 

You  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  we  have  been  able  to 
accomplish  all  the  objects  which  I  proposed  doing  when 
at  your  house.  Dr.  R.  has  made  a  very  satisfactory  and 
interesting  excursion  nearly  round  the  lake,  and  has  as- 
certained the  pass  to  which  his  course  must  be  directed 
on  the  return  of  the  party  from  Coppermine  River  next 
year.  I  have  been  down  to  the  sea,  which  I  was  de- 
lighted to  find  perfectly  free  from  ice  and  without  any 
apparent  obstruction  to  our  progress  next  spring.  We 
found  plenty  of  moose  and  reindeer,  and  large  flocks  of 
geese  and  swan  at  the  extreme  point  of  the  river,  and 


*  Hon.  W.  B.  Robinson. 

20 


we  might  have  procured  any  quantity  of  provision  we 
chose.  We  had  not  the  good  fortune  to  meet  the  Esqui- 
maux, who  at  this  season  of  the  year  are  employed  to 
the  eastward  in  catching  whales  and  other  marine  pro- 
ducts. But  several  presents  of  useful  articles  were  left 
in  their  huts  to  which  they  are  expected  to  return  ijn  the 
winter. 

We  had  many  interviews  with  the  Loucheux,  who 
were  delighted  to  see  us.  They  offered  us  fish  whenever 
they  had  it,  and  in  many  instances  brought  us  the  skins 
of  musk  rats  and  one  large  beaver,  which,  of  course,  we 
declined  taking,  and  pointed  to  Fort  Good  Hope  as  the 
place  to  which  they  should  be  carried.  I  think  many 
skins  might  be  collected  if  a  boat  were  to  go  down 
among  them  occasionally.  I  offered  a  large  compensation 
to  any  of  these  natives  who  would  undertake  to  convey 
the  intelligence  to  the  Esquimaux  of  our  having  been  on 
their  land  and  of  our  intention  to  return  next  spring, 
and  I  am  in  hopes  some  person  may  be  found  to  do  this. 
At  any  rate  the  Esquimaux  will  see  that  strangers  have 
been  at  their  huts,  and  I  have  little  doubt  of  a  favorable 
reception  from  them.  Our  house  is  quite  finished  extern- 
ally, but  some  of  the  interior  arrangements  are  yet  to  be 
completed,  and  these  I  hope  will  be  done  in  the  course 
of  this  week,  and  then  I  hope  we  shall  be  comfortably 
arranged.  You  will,  of  course,  suppose  that  I  will  be 
anxious  to  have  the  intelligence  of  our  progress  sent  to 
England  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  I  am  sure  you  will 
not  allow  the  dispatch  that  accompanies  this  letter  to 
remain  any  time  in  your  establishment.  Should  our  man 
be  able  to  convey  it  the  whole  way  to  Slave  Lake  I  shall 
be  obliged  by  your  letting  it  remain  with  you  till  our  let- 
ters from  the  ship  reach  you,  and  then  by  your  sending 
them  in  their  charge.  If  the  men  cannot  get  up  beyond 
Fort  Simpson,  and  Mr.  Smith  will  carry  this  packet  for- 
ward, I  must  beg  of  you  to  send  our  ship's  letters  as  soon 
as  they  come  to  hand,  as  the  early  receipt  of  them  is  of 
importance.  Two  of  the  men  belonging  to  the  expedition 
are  to  carry  this  packet  from  you  to  the  Athabasca.  The 
selection  I  shall  leave  to  yourself.  The  Doctors  Back 
and  Kendall  desire  their  kind  remembrances,  and  I  beg 
mine  to  Mrs.  McVicar. 

Believe  me,  yours  very  faithfully, 

JOHN  FRANKLIN. 

I  shall  write  to  you  again  by  the  winter  express. 

21 


Fort  Franklin,  September  7th,  1825. 
DEAR  Me  VICAR  : 

I  write  to  you  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  for  the  dis- 
patch sets  off  immediately,  to  tell  you  that  Bear  Lake  is 
the  finest  lake  in  the  world,  you  have  seen  none  such  in 
your  travels  and  should  not  if  you  are  wise  lose  a  moment 
in  visiting  it.  By  the  finest  chance  in  the  world  it  sends 
an  arm*  away  to  the  eastward  within  a  very  short  dis- 
tance of  Martin  Lake,  and  I  hope  to  see  your  cariole  com- 
ing at  full  speed  very  soon  after  you  have  established 
your  post  at  the  latter  place.  We  shall  give  you  trout, 
white-fish  and  carrebeouf,  Jamaica  rum,  Madeira  wine, 
and  what  you  value  more,  a  heart  welcome.  If  the  little 
stranger  that  I  could  see  was  expected  at  Fort  Resolu- 
tion, has  arrived,  present  my  best  wishes.  If  of  the  fair 
sex  give  it  a  kiss  for  me,  but  if  a  boy,  as  boys  don't  care 
for  kisses,  from  old  men  at  least,  wish  him  a  Merry 
Christmas.  Present  my  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Mc- 
Vicar.  I  wish  we  were  nearer  neighbors,  a  visit  to  or 
from  her  would  enliven  our  winter  much.  Capt.  Frank- 
lin and  Mr.  Kendall  have  been  to  the  sea  and  found  it 
clear  of  ice — lots  of  moosedeer,  reindeer  and  musk  oxen. 
I  have  been  all  along  the  northern  side  of  this  lake,  plenty 
of  animals,  but  the  Dogribs  are  poor  hunters,  and  the 
fishery  is  our  mainstay.  When  you  have  read  all  our  old 
newspapers  over  I  will  thank  you  to  send  them  soon,  they 
will  serve  us  to  read  over  in  the  spring  before  we  re- 
ceive others  from  England.  Mr.  Duffie  was  with  me  in 
my  trip  round  the  lake.  He  is  a  fine  lad,  and  as  well  as 
the  other  Isla  men  we  have  with  us,  now  does  his  duty 
cheerfully.  Capt.  Franklin,  I  believe,  is  writing  you. 

Adieu.    God  bless  you. 

Yours  sincerely,    . 

JOHN  RICHARDSON. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  paper  to  recount  the  oft- 
repeated  story  of  the  discoveries  and  work  done  by  Sir 
John  Franklin  and  by  Sir  John  Richardson  in  their  voy- 
ages during  the  expedition,  of  which  the  two  following 
letters  give  an  incident: 


*  This  Bay  bears  McVicar's  name. 

22 


On  H.  M.  Service, 
To  ROBERT  MCVICAR,  ESQ., 
Chief  Trader, 

H.  B.  Co.,  Fort  Resolution, 

Great  Slave  Lake: 

If  Mr.  McVicar  is  absent  from  Fort  Resolution  the 
gentleman  in  charge  of  the  post  is  requested  to  open  this 
letter  to  supply  the  answers  to  the  queries,  and  then  to 
forward  the  paper  without  delay  to  Mr.  Barrow. 

JOHN  FRANKLIN, 
Captain  R.  N.,  in  command  of  the  Expedition. 


Fort  Franklin, 

Great  Bear  Lake, 

23rd  March,  1826. 
MY  DEAR  FRIEND: — 

A  report  has  just  reached  us  as  to  the  probability  of 
Captain  Parry  wintering  on  the  Northern  Coast  of  this 
Continent.  The  establishment  of  this  fact  is  an  object 
of  great  importance  not  only  to  my  party  but  to  the 
British  public,  and  in  particular  to  the  relatives  of  those 
who  are  employed  with  him.  I  am,  therefore,  desirous 
to  investigate  the  intelligence  in  every  possible  manner 
that  it  may  be  conveyed  to  England  by  the  first  ship. 
But  being  aware  that  no  information  can  get  to  England 
from  this  place  after  this  date,  I  have  drawn  up  a  series 
of  queries  respecting  the  points  to  be  ascertained,  with 
notes  for  your  guidance,  and  shall  be  much  obliged  by 
your  annexing  the  answers  and  forwarding  the  en- 
closed paper  in  an  envelope  to  Mr.  Barrow,  Secretary  of 
the  Admiralty.  If  the  Indians  who  brought  the  original 
intelligence  do  not  happen  to  be  at  Fort  Resolution  at  the 
time  of  the  receipt  of  this  letter  I  must  beg  of  you  to 
supply  the  answers  from  your  notes,  and  transmit  the 
paper  to  York  Factory  that  the  information  may  not  fail 
to  reach  London  this  autumn. 

I  shall  now  put  you  in  possession  of  the  intelligence 
that  we  have  received  as  a  necessary  introduction  to  the 
queries,  and  you  will  then  be  the  better  able  to  judge 
whether  we  have  had  a  correct*  report  of  the  Indians' 
statements : 

Information  has  been  brought  to  Slave  Lake  that  a 
party  of  Copper  Indians  had  seen  certain  marks  of  White 

23 


People  wintering  this  season  on  the  Coast,  at  the  mouth 
of  some  large  river  that  runs  through  the  barren  lands. 
These  Copper  Indians  had  inspected  a  cache  of  deer  which 
the  party  had  made  after  the  snow  had  fallen  last 
autumn,  and  they  had  also  seen  the  footsteps  of  the  men 
who  must  have  recently  been  there.  One  of  the  deer  was 
unskinned  and  joints  had  been  taken  from  the  other  ani- 
mals. There  was  a  saw  pit  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
cache  to  which  the  Indians  likewise  went,  and  perceived 
the  saws  and  axes  remaining  at  the  spot.  Some  of  the 
Copper  Indians  wished  then  to  go  on  and  find  the  White 
People  whom  (sic)  they  supposed  could  not  be  far  off, 
but  others  of  the  party  prevented  them,  and  the  whole 
returned  to  convey  the  intelligence  to  Slave  Lake  where 
they  arrived  in  January. 

These  Indians  delineated  their  route  on  a  rough  map 
on  which  was  inserted  a  river  water  communication  be- 
tween Slave  Lake  and  the  sea. 

Mr.  W.  M.  McGillivray  has  volunteered  his  services  to 
go  in  company  with  a  party  of  Indians  and  catch  the 
party  at  their  winter  quarters  before  the  opening  of  the 
navigation  will  allow  them  to  depart. 

The  above  are  all  the  particulars  which  have  been  re- 
ceived, and  on  these  the  questions  have  been  grounded. 
The  answers  to  which  can  be  put  in  the  open  spaces 
which  have  been  left  vacant  in  the  paper  for  the  pur- 
pose, which  Mr.  McVicar,  or  the  gentleman  who  fills 
them  up,  will  have  the  goodness  to  sign. 

It  is  extremely  desirable  that  I  should  have ,  com- 
munication with  Capt.  Parry  this  season  if  possible,  and 
if  two  or  more  Copper  Indians  can  be  prevailed  upon  to 
take  the  letter  for  him  which  I  now  enclose,  I  think  it 
perfectly  practicable  before  he  leaves  his  winter  quarters 
which  may  be  expected  to  happen  about  the  20th  of  July. 
There  can  be  no  risk,  I  apprehend,  of  the  Indians  suffer- 
ing in  the  least  from  want  of  provisions,  as  the  deer  will 
be  on  the  return  to  the  northward  at  the  latter  end  of 
May,  and  in  June  the  Copper  Indians  are  always  accus- 
tomed to  hunt  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Contway-to  or  Rum 
Lake.  They  need  not  have  any  fear  as  to  the  Esquimaux, 
for  if  Capt.  Parry  has  wintered  upon  the  coast  near  that 
parallel  (sic)  of  longitude,  it  is  quite  certain  that  he  will 
have  urged  upon  them  the  necessity  of  living  peaceably 
with  the  Indians.  I  wish,  therefore,  that  you  would  en- 

24 


deavor  to  persuade  some  of  the  Copper  Indians  to  take 
my  letter  to  Capt.  Parry,  and  they  should  set  forward  on 
the  journey  as  soon  as  possible.  You  may  offer  them  a 
large  reward  which  shall  be  paid  whether  they  get  to  the 
ships  or  not,  providing  it  is  evident  that  they  have  gone 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river  where  they  suppose  the  ships 
to  have  wintered,  and  as  a  further  compensation  I  have 
requested  Capt.  Parry  to  furnish  them  with  an  abundant 
present.  If  Arkartcho  be  at  Fort  Resolution,  or  so  near 
as  to  send  for  him,  I  am  persuaded  he  would  either  under- 
take the  journey  or  send  some  trusty  man  of  his  party. 

I  repeat  that  the  conveyance  of  the  letter  is  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  Capt.  Parry  as  well  as  to  myself, 
and  therefore  I  am  sure  you  will  use  every  exertion  to 
get  it  forwarded. 

If  the  Indians  should  succeed  in  reaching  the  ship  they 
will  have  to  bring  letters  back,  which  they  must  get  to 
Fort  Resolution  as  expeditiously  as  possible;  and  when 
they  arrive  it  will  be  necessary  to  send  them  to  England 
without  delay. 

I  was  much  pleased  with  your  very  interesting  letter 
of  January,  and  regret  that  I  have  not  time  at  present 
to  answer  it,  my  mind  being  entirely  engrossed  by  the 
recent  intelligence  about  Parry.  But  you  shall  hear  from 
me  before  we  quit  our  winter  quarters  respecting  the 
contents.  We  are  getting  on  very  well  both  as  to  meat 
and  fish. 

All  my  companions  desire  their  kindest  regards  and 
best  wishes  to  yourself,  Mrs.  McVicar  and  the  young 
stranger. 

Believe  me, 

Ever  yours  most  faithfully, 

JOHN  FRANKLIN. 
To  Robert  McVicar,  Esq., 

Chief  Trader  H.  B.  Co., 
Or  the  Gentleman  in  charge 
of  Fort  Resolution, 

Great  Slave  Lake. 

Fort  Norman,  27  June,  1826. 
DEAR  MCVICAR  : — 

The  usual  hurry  attendant  on  the  preparations  for  a 
voyage  such  as  ours  have  left  me  no  time  to  reply  to 
your  kind  letters  as  I  ought.  I  sincerely  condole  with 

25 


you  on  your  domestic  calamity,  but  at  the  same  time  re- 
joice with  you  that  the  health  of  the  partner  of  your  cares 
has  not  suffered.  We  arrived  here  on  the  25th  and  set 
out  to-day  with  everything  in  the  way  of  provisions  and 
stores  we  could  desire.  As  I  have  been  able  to  do  more 
this  spring  than  I  expected  in  regard  to  examining  the 
mountains  I  find  that  if  I  return  sufficiently  early  I  shall 
not  have  to  remain  in  the  river  next  spring  and  shall 
therefore  most  probably  pay  you  a  visit  in  the  winter. 
We  have,  however,  dogs  enough  at  Fort  Franklin  so  that 
I  shall  have  no  occasion  to  put  you  to  the  trouble  of  send- 
ing a  train  to  Fort  Simpson,  which  would  be  inconveni- 
ent, especially  as  I  cannot  at  present  fix  the  date  of  my 
journey. 

You  seem  to  have  treated  the  Indian  rumors  respect- 
ing Capt.  Parry  with  the  incredulity  they  merited.  They 
came  to  us,  however,  in  very  different  shape,  and  tricked 
out  with  many  adventitious  circumstances  which  we 
scarcely  could  suppose  the  Indians  possessed  ingenuity 
enough  to  invent.  We  now  stand  in  the  same  relation 
to  Capt.  Parry  as  if  the  report  had  never  been  circu- 
lated, and  although  he  may  be  on  the  seas,  and  we  may 
have  the  good  fortune  to  join  him,  yet  that  is  uncertain. 
But  for  your  sensible  investigations  and  communications 
we  might  have  been  led  out  of  our  way  and  perhaps  into 
hazard  in  search  of  what  had  no  existence  but  in  the 
heated  imaginations  and  conjectures  of  ignorant  people. 

Adieu,  my  dear  friend,  and  may  God  preserve  you 
et  la  unitie  de  votre  ame. 

Yours  sincerely, 

JOHN  RICHARDSON. 

Jack  River,  2nd  Aug.,  1827. 
DEAR  Me  VICAR:— 

I  have  no  news  of  any  description,  but  I  cannot  quit 
this  place  without  bidding  you  good-bye,  and  begging 
that  Mrs.  Me  Vicar  and  you  would  accept  of  my  kindest 
wishes  for  yourself  and  my  little  namesake. 

I  subjoin  my  address  in  the  hope  of  hearing  from  you 
as  often  as  you  can  spare  time  to  write. 
Your  sincere  friend, 

JOHN  RICHARDSON. 

26 


Franklin,  returning  to  England  in  1827,  was  knight- 
ed for  his  services,  and  that  he  had  not  forgotten  them, 
his  kind  friends  were  made  aware  by  a  letter  from  Lieut. 
Robert  Douglas,  who  wrote:  "I  was  very  much  gratified 
by  reading  in  one  of  the  London  papers  Captain  Frank- 
lin's account  of  his  progress  toward  the  North  Pole,  and 
particularly  the  very  handsome  manner  he  made  men- 
tion of  you,  and  the  kind  treatment  he  and  his  party  had 
received  at  your  establishment." 


The  last  of  the  letters  from  Sir  John  Richardson  is 
of  a  much  later  date : 

Royal  Marine  Infirmary,  Chatham, 

February  26th,  1840. 
DEAR  Me  VICAR  : — 

On  the  receipt  of  your  letter  about  two  months  ago  I 
took  the  first  opportunity  of  speaking  to  Mr.  Garry  on 
the  subject.  He  assured  me  that  both  himself  and  the 
other  gentlemen  of  the  Committee  valued  your  services 
very  highly,  and  were  disposed  to  embrace  every  means 
of  serving  you,  but  that  it  was  indispensable  by  the  deed 
of  settlement  for  you  to  be  put  in  nomination  in  the 
country  before  you  could  be  promoted  here.  I  now  find 
that  you  have  given  in  an  unconditional  resignation  which 
has  been  accepted,  but  the  Committee,  with  the  view  of 
serving  you,  have  recommended  the  Council  to  grant  you 
a  furlough  for  one  year,  provided  you  can  arrange  with 
the  person  whose  turn  it  is.  This  will  give  you  a  larger 
claim  for  a  share  of  the  profits.  Your  agricultural  pros- 
pects must  be  very  good  to  induce  you  to  give  up  four  or 
five  hundred  a  year  or  your  dislike  of  a  trader's  life  very 
great.  In  this  country  every  outlet  for  young  men  is 
closed,  and  there  are  so  few  situations  of  emolument  to 
be  obtained  that  thousands  of  well  educated  gentlemen 
would  gladly  accept  the  situation  you  have  relinquished 
with  all  its  drawbacks.  I  did  not  receive  the  letter  you 
mention  of  last  year,  but  should,  nevertheless,  have  writ- 
ten to  you  as  I  did  to  my  other  friends  in  the  Fur  Coun- 
tries had  Capt.  Back  not  told  me  that  it  was  your  request 
none  of  the  expedition  should  write  to  you  as  you  thought 
being  in  correspondence  with  them  might  be  detrimental 
to  your  prospects  of  advancement.  I  am  sorry  if  my 
silence  could  lead  you  to  suppose  for  a  moment  that  I 
had  forgotten  your  kindness  and  hospitality  or  the  senti- 

27 


ments  of  friendship  which  I  have  ever  entertained  for 
you  Our  friend  Sir  John  Franklin,  has  a  very  pleasant 
woman  for  a  wife,*  not  quite  as  learned  as  the  firstt  but 
more  a  woman  of  the  world  and  well  calculated  to  make 
him  happy.  Back  is  still  a  bachelor,  looking  out  every 
day  for  a  ship,  and  as  a  necessary  consequence,  promo- 
tion. Kendall  is  expected  back  in  a  few  months  from  a 
voyage  to  the  South  Seas,  on  which  he  has  been  absent 
nearly  two  years.  I  beg  that  you  will  give  my  kindest 
remembrances  to  Mrs.  McVicar  and  my  little  namesake. 
Mrs.  Richardson  unites  with  me  in  kind  regards  to  you, 
and  I  remain, 

Ever  yours,  most  sincerely, 

JOHN  RICHARDSON. 

Parliament  has  just  met  and  retrenchment  is  the 
order  of  the  day.  They  talk  of  abolishing  many  situa- 
tions and  of  cutting  down  the  salaries  of  all  public 
officers." 

After  his  return  from  his  second  expedition  Sir  John 
Franklin  received  the  appointment  of  Lieutenant-Gover- 
nor  of  Tasmania. 


*  Lady  Franklin,  Jane  the  daughter  of  John  Griffen,  a  beautiful 
and  accomplished  woman.  When,  after  two  years,  in  1847,  there  was 
no  news  from  the  last  expedition,  Lady  Franklin  fitted  out  expedi- 
tion after  expedition  in  search  of  her  husband.  The  first  was  under- 
taken by  Sir  John  Richardson.  Finally  Sir  Leopold  McClintock 
discovered  the  fate  of  the  party.  Even  then  she  would  not  believe 
it.  She  spent  her  time  in  constant  travel.  Just  before  her  death 
she  organized  the  monument  in  his  memory  in  Westminster  Abbey 
in  1875,  but  did  not  live  to  see  it  in  place. 

f  Eleanor  Ann,  born  in  1797,  was  the  daughter  of  William 
Porden.  A  poetess,  whose  works  are  forgotten,  she  published  "The 
Veils,"  or  "The  Triumphs  of  Constancy,"  in  six  books.  Later 
"Cceur  de  Lion,"  a  poem  in  two  volumes;  also  a  short  poem  on 
the  Arctic  Expedition  in  1818.  A  charming  woman,  she  gathered 
a  pleasant  society  round  her  of  men  distinguished  in  art,  litera- 
ture and  science. 

On  his  return  from  his  first  journey  she  met  Sir  John  Franklin 
for  the  second  time,  and  in  1823  became  his  wife.  On  her  mar- 
riage there  was  a  distinct  understanding  that  she  would  never 
turn  her  husband  aside  from  his  duty  to  his  country  or  his  pro- 
fession, a  promise  she  held  even  to  death.  In  1824  a  daughter 
was  born.  Afterwards  she  fell  into  a  decline  and  died  six  days 
after  her  husband  had  left  England  on  his  second  journey.  He 
had  not  realized  how  ill  she  was,  she  doing  her  best  to  hide  it. 

Her  daughter  married  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Cell,  head  of  an 
old  Derbyshire  family.  She  died  in  1860,  leaving  several  children. 

28 


In  May,  1845,  he  left  England  on  his  last  and  ill-fated 
voyage,  with  the  vessels  Erebus  and  Terror,  setting  forth 
in  high  hopes  of  finding  the  long-sought-for  North-West 
Passage.  He  sighted  the  entrance  to  Lancaster  Sound, 
and  proceeding  down  the  west  side  of  North  Somerset 
and  Boothia  Islands,  reached  the  North-West  Passage, 
the  strait  which  separates  King  William  Land  from  Vic- 
toria Land.  Here  he  was  stopped  by  that  vast  barrier  of 
ice  of  what  is  now  called  the  Paleocrystic  Sea,  which  for- 
ever bars  the  passage  of  ships.  He  died  on  the  llth  of 
June,  1847,  being  fortunately  spared  the  sight  of  the  later 
awful  sufferings  of  the  men  of  the  expedition,  all  of 
whom  perished. 

His  cenotaph,  with  the  verse  by  Tennyson,  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

"Not  here!  the  white  North  has  thy  bones;  and  thou 

Heroic  sailor-soul, 
Art  passing  on  thine  happier  voyage  now 

Toward  no  earthly  pole." 


Letters  from  Peter  Warren  Dease,  Chief  Trader,  and  James 
Keith,  Chief  Factor  to  Robert  McVicar,  which  concern 
the  Second  Expedition. 

The  first  letter  from  Dease,  formerly  belonging  to  the 
N.  W.  Company,  and  now  with  the  consent  of  the  Govern- 
ment attached  to  the  Franklin  Expedition  to  look  after 
its  material  interests  is  dated  Big  Bay  Island,  May  13, 
1825.  Dease  was  now  on  his  way  up  the  Mackenzie  to 
Great  Bear  Lake  to  prepare  for  Franklin  and  full  of  busi- 
ness concerning  the  Expedition,  engaging  hunters,  etc. 

"Your  men  reached  this  about  mid-day  and  delivered 
me  your  welcome  epistle  and  the  other  documents.  In- 
deed, they  would  have  reached  yesterday,  but  for  a  very 
thick  fog,  which  prevented  them  from  canoeing  over  to 
Big  Island,  in  consequence  they  camped  at  the  fishery — 
with  the  Honorable  Gros  Pied,  Mavgeur  de  Land,  etc., 
the  latter  came  with  them  and  Prothero  and  Otterre  got 
up  last  Sunday.  .  .  .  With  regard  to  Trempe  I  am 
sorry  you  did  not  make  known  your  wants  sooner  in 
that  respect,  as  by  sending  him  back  now,  much  time 
would  be  lost  by  him  at  G.  B.  Lake,  where  he  will  re- 

29 


quire  to  prepare  his  forge  and  make  coals  preparatory  to 
the  Captain's  arrival,  otherwise  I  would  cheerfully  have 
let  you  have  his  services  until  the  time  you  mention  and 
my  omitting  to  say  anything  about  him  in  my  last,  was 
because  Carter,  who  I  considered  here  as  in  his  stead, 
was  sent  back  and  I  have  no  one  here  capable  of  making 
charcoal  but  him ;  the  wood  very  unhandy  there  and  much 
work  required  for  the  reception  of  such  a  large  party 
will  necessarily  employ  all  hands  without  any  loss  of 
time.  The  powder  you  sent  to  be  exchanged  I  duly  re- 
turn measure  for  measure,  but  I  am  sorry  to  observe  they 
have  been  rather  careless  of  it  and  rendered  it  here 
almost  useless,  my  only  remedy  will  be  to  mix  it  with 
good  so  that  I  can  gain  nothing,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but 
you  lose  also ;  for  although  you  do  not  mention  the  quan- 
tity, I  suspect  there  must  be  some  diminuition  from  its 
having  got  wet.  There  is  sent  in  return  four  quarts  and 
five-eighths,  which  is  what  the  bag  contained.  You  will 
also  receive  8-lb.  shott,  which  you  will  return,  or  the 
value,  to  Captain  Franklin,  and  send  the  account  to  me,  as 
I  will  keep  the  ace.  of  these  articles.  The  other  charges  in 
your  account  are  very  well,  except  the  182  Ibs.  dry  meat 
at  that  time,  but  I  believe  it  may  remain  so,  as  there  can 
be  no  great  difference.  The  gun  you  did  well  to  keep 
for  your  own  use,  but  do  not  omit  to  send  it  by  the  canoe 
that  will  come  down  the  McKenzie  River,  as  we  will  re- 
quire the  men  to  have  them. 

"14.  I  began  this  last  night  and  having  to  dry  the  bag 
in  which  the  powder  was  brought,  I  deferred  until  I  saw 
how  the  new  keg  would  be,  as  I  mixed  your  wet  with  what 
was  in  the  open  keg  and  now  Laf rete  is  waiting  and  look- 
ing so  earnestly,  while  I  am  writing,  that  I  cannot  think 
of  anything  but  his  wish  to  be  off.  Your  Red  Knives  I 
am  glad  to  hear  wish  to  be  good  boys,  but  they  must  be 
taken  care  of,  they  are  great  scamps  at  bottom. 

"Your  Commission  to I  delivered.  He  has  been 

even  more  unlucky  than  myself,  his  powder  is  useless. 
So  that  most  of  his  12  skins  'are  gone  to  pot/ 

"You  have  sent  more  sugar  than  I  wanted  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  be  depriving  yourself,  therefore,  send  no 
more.  I  will  have  plenty.  I  am  heartily  pleased  in  your 
relation  of  a  certain  circumstance  to  learn  of  S.  conse- 
quence being  brought  to  reason  by  the  only  argument 

30 


that  would  prevail  against  its  inflexible  perverseness. 
Your  sending  a  sword,  I  am  obliged  to  you  for,  but  I 
have  a  good  Andrew  Ferrara,  however,  as  Charles  [his 
brother]  has  applied  to  me  for  a  weapon  I  will  accom- 
modate him  with  one  of  the  two.  The  man  is  quite  im- 
patient to  be  off  and  wants  to  get  home  to-morrow,  so 
I  must  beg  of  you  to  give  my  hearty  thanks  to  Madam 
for  her  kind  remembrance,  etc.,  etc." 

In  the  next  letter  from  Dease  he  has  reached  his  des- 
tination, Old  Fort,  Great  Bear  Lake.  This  abandoned 
Post  he  is  busily  transforming  for  the  use  of  the  Expedi- 
tion ;  its  name  being  later  changed  to  Fort  Franklin.  The 
letter  is  dated  July  19th,  1825,  and  gives  some  account 
of  his  trip  to  it. 

"I  have  much  pleasure  in  informing  you  that  your  fa- 
von  per  Beaulieu"  (interpreter  for  the  Expedition)  "was 
duly  handed  me  at  the  Forks,  M.  K.  R.,  who  reached  that 
with  his  party  (augmented  by  Grosse  Tete)  the  llth  ult., 
four  days  after  me,  but  got  to  Big  Island  the  day  I  left 
there,  but  I  am  much  surprised  Mr.  Keith  did  not  write 
a  few  lines  by  him,  as  I  have  not  yet  received  the  Atha. 
news;  being  just  on  the  point  of  sending  down  for  the 
property  that  may  have  come  down  for  us  from  there  to 
Fort  Perseverance.  Mr.  Smith  left  the  Forks  to  go  up 
the  river  au  Laird  about  three  hours  before  my  arrival 
there,  and  I  waited  his  return,  as  the  B.  L.  River  is  quite 
impracticable  to  stem  at  that  season,  and  indeed,  I  never 
dreamed  of  its  being  so  bad,  however,  I  left  the  Forks 
with  Mr.  Smith  the  18th,  having  taken  one  of  his  boats 
and  left  one  of  my  canoes,  and  reached  Perseverance  the 
20th  at  1  p.m.,  found  Messrs.  Hutchinson  and  Gharles  in 
good  health,  but  not  good  cheer.  They  have  been  run- 
ning into  a  close  reef  most  of  the  spring  for  grub,  and 
packs  not  too  many.  .  .  .  The  aspect  of  affairs  at  the 
Lake  does  not  wear  the  most  favorable  appearance. 
Their  poverty,  has,  I  believe,  discouraged  the  Indians,  as 
I  hear  that  many  of  them  intend  sliding  down  stream  and 
others  going  towards  the  Factory.  .  .  .  Beaulieu  ap- 
pears to  be  very  anxious  to  give  satisfaction  since  he 
joined  us,  and  will  be  of  service  to  collect  provisions,  if 
indeed,  we  can  collect  any.  I  found  ten  slaves  waiting 
our  arrival  here,  but  a  motley  crew  they  are  and  over- 
stocked with  families  and  vermin.  They  are  incessantly 
begging  for  the  few  fishes  we  take. 

31 


"I  entered  the  river  on  the  23rd  ult.,  and  on  the 
24th  passed  some  hours  of  as  great  anxiety  and 
dread  as  ever  I  experienced  yet.  You  may.  imag- 
ine to  yourself  what  were  my  feelings— in  pass- 
ing along  banks  of  ice  that  are  from  20  to  40 
feet  high,  tossed  up  along  the  river  on  each  side, 
where  in  some  places  about  two  or  three  feet  of  beach 
is  all  the  foot-path,  and  huge  masses  overhanging  the 
passenger  threatening  death  at  every  moment,  and  al- 
most detached  from  the  general  mass,  while  at  the  same 
time  those  towing  such  a  heavy  craft  as  a  boat,  were 
continually  exposed  to  a  plentiful  cold  shower  bath  from 
the  melting  of  the  ice ;  with  that  a  beach  of  a  muddy  clay, 
very  difficult  to  get  through,  at  other  times  obliged  to 
clamber  up  these  walls,  as  well  as  they  could,  and  from 
the  summit  drag  the  boat  along — the  line  often  hooked 
on  the  edges  of  the  ice  and  the  men  necessitated  to  go 
and  extract  it.  I  assure  you  it  was  an  awful  passage, 
but  thanks  to  the  Almighty,  we  got  up  safe  and  sound, 
after  stemming  a  strong  rapidpus  stream  all  the  way  and 
got  to  the  lake  the  26th  at  mid-day,  in  the  very  nick  of 
time,  as  a  strong  E.  N.  E.  wind  arose  and  about  an  hour 
after  our  arrival  drove  such  masses  of  ice  in  the  river 
that,  had  we  been  a  few  miles  below,  would  have  kept  us 
a  couple  of  days  more.  The  bay  was  quite  covered  and 
the  ice  appeared  firm.  In  the  evening  wind  turned  to  the 
westward  and  cleared  a  passage  for  us  to  cross  to  this 
spot  the  27th,  where  we  met  with  the  party  waiting  us — 
a  more  miserable  set  I  could  not  wish  to  see.  Since  that 
time  the  fishery  ha,s  supplied  us  tolerably,  and  we  have 
been  making  for  winter  quarters.  Thus  I  have  given  you 
my  budget  de  voyage."  After  touching  on  his  plans  for 
supplies  the  letter  concludes  with  this:  "N.B. — I  have 
understood  that  the  vise  is  out  of  use,  in  which  case  I 
wrote  to  Mr.  Smith  not  to  send  it,  as  an  article  of  that 
kind  charged  to  them  would  not  look  well.  I  made  a 
present  to  Gros  Pied  of  two  fm.  (fathoms)  tobo,  one  Qt. 
Pow'r,  and  had  for  it  shirt,  leggins  and  bray,  so  that  he 
has  no  cause  to  regret  his  visit  to  Big  Island.  This  was 
to  confirm  him  in  his  peaceable  disposition  as  well  as  a 
recompense  for  former  services." 

The  last  letter  from  Peter  Warren  Dease  is  dated  after 
the  close  of  the  Expedition. 


32 


"Mackenzie  River,  Fort  Good  Hope,  January  29th,  1829. 
You  will  see  by  the  heading  of  the  present  that  I  am  not 
an  inch  more  to  the  southward  than  I  was  at  G.  B.  Lake 
on  the  contrary.  However,  as  it  has  pleased  the  Honorable 
Committee  to  change  the  T.  to  F.,  I  am  well  content  with 
a  quiet  berth  for  some  time,  as  it  may  enable  me  even- 
tually to  pack  to  a  civilized  part  of  the  world,  perhaps  a 
little  sooner  and  I  have  the  highly  gratifying  assurance 
of  all  old  affairs  being  settled,  Pub.  and  Pri.,  which  has 
relieved  my  mind  from  a  great  load  of  anxiety  and  sus- 
pense, and  I  may  look  forward  with  hope/'  .  .  . 

Morrice  tells  us  that  on  August  13th,  1828,  Governor 
Simpson  sent  him,  in  the  course  of  his  famous  journey 
overland,  a  Chief  Factor's  Commission  for  his  share  in 
the  Franklin  Expedition,  and  this  letter  continues:  "The 
Governor  passed  at  Ft.  Cn.  the  13th  August  on  his  second 
voyage  to  Columbia,  via.  N.  Caledonia.  I  am  sorry  I 
had  not  the  satisfaction  of  meeting  him  then,  as  I  re- 
mained Chat  d'ete  and  have  no  further  to  go  next  sum- 
mer than  P.  L.  L.  I  got  letters  from  Captain  Franklin 
and  the  Doctor  by  Canada  packet.  They  both  complain 
of  not  enjoying  so  good  health  as  at  G.  B.  L.  Their 
publication  would  not  have  issued  from  the  press  before 
the  end  of  March,  both  promised  to  write  me  by  the 
ship  and  I  shall  write  them.  Captain  Back  was  laid  up 
with  sore  eyes  and  forbidden  by  his  medical  advisers  to 
read  or  write,  and  Lt.  Kendal  was  to  be  off  on  a  very 
interesting  voyage  of  scientific  discovery.  We  have 
heard  nothing  more  of  Captain  Parry's  visit  to  the  North 
Pole  on  the  ice.  "Je  crains  qu'ils  soyent  pres  des  Glaces." 

Very  different  from  the  warm-hearted  letters  of  Dease 
are  those  from  James  Keith,  Chief  Factor,  then  at  Fort 
Chipewyan,  who  had  charge  of  the  accounts  as  between 
the  H.  B.  C.  and  the  Expedition,  for  Franklin  writes  of 
settling  with  him.  His  letters  are  full  of  business,  chief- 
ly dealing  with  "the  interests  of  the  concern,"  to  use  a 
favorite  H.  B.  C.  phrase.  Though  anxious  in  every  way 
to  serve  the  expedition  there  is  occasionally  a  touch,  a 
reminder  that  he  served  under  the  motto,  Pro  Pelle 
Cutem. 

Here  is  an  extract  from  one  dated  September  30th, 
1825:— 


33 


"In  regard  to  any  expedition  men  Captain  Franklin 
may  be  induced  to  send  up,  of  which  he  intimates  the 
probability  in  a  letter  to  me  from  this  place,  having  al- 
ready a  superfluity  of  hands  in  our  own  establishment  for 
the  winter,  we  cannot  think  of  having  any  of  them,  let 
their  capacity  be  ever  so  favorable  or  terms  moderate; 
and  as  by  the  Minutes  of  Council  you  will  perceive  that 
any  rations  furnished  the  voyageurs  of  that  party  are  to 
be  charged  at  a  certain  rate  Captain  Franklin  will,  no 
doubt,  understand  that  they  will  not  be  called  upon,  nor 
do  we  require  them  to  perform  any  duty,  either  at  the 
fisheries  or  elsewhere,  unless  that  for  which  they  may 
spontaneously  and  gratiutously  come  forward,  fetching 
their  own  wood  and  water,  or  probably  building  a  tem- 
porary habitation,  if  required,  excepted ;  and  touching  any 
supplies  they  may  require  and  can  afford  on  the  score 
of  personal  necessaries,  should  Captain  Franklin  mention 
nothing  on  the  subject — nothing,  of  course,  can  be  ad- 
vanced excepting  to  those  disposed  to  guarantee  the  pay- 
ment which  would  be  by  temporarily  placing  their  bill 
of  balance  in  our  possession  till  they  have  formally  re- 
ceipted and  pledged  themselves  to  the  payment  of  any 
requisite  advance  received  from  the  Company,  which,  of 
course,  would  be  charged  them  at  the  same  rate  as  sold 
to  pur  own  servants,  a  privilege  and  accommodation, 
which,  as  strangers,  running  high  wages,  I  do  not  see 
they  could  well  expect — and  whatever  number  of  them 
you  may  be  burdened  with,  if  anywise  an  encumbrance 
in  the  way  of  living,  or  otherwise,  you  could  send  a  part 
or  the  whole  of  them  to  this  place. 

"Any  supplies  or  charges  against  the  Expedition  it  will 
merely  be  necessary  to  furnish  triplicate  sets  of  the  ar- 
ticles composing  the  same  for  Captain  Franklin's  signa- 
ture, leaving  the  price  and  valuation  to  be  settled  on  a 
uniform  and  equitable  principle  at  York  Factory." 

On  January  31st,  1826,  he  writes:  "Your's  and  Cap- 
tain Franklin's  last  packet  only  reached  us  the  5th  inst., 
being  thirteen  days  after  the  departure  of  our  express 
for  the  southward,  which  I  had  duly  intimated  was  to 
start  by  Christmas,  occasioned  additional  carriers  being 
employed  from  here  to  Isle  a  la  Crosse,  and  I  fear  will 
cause  double  expresses  throughout.  .  .  I  now  write 
Captain  Franklin  mentioning  it  as  my  opinion  that  in 

34 


consequence  of  Chief  Factor  McTavish  having  been  dis- 
appointed in  the  forwarding  the  quantity  of  goods  he 
intended,  and  we  expected  for  Mack.  River  and  this  dis- 
trict, no  alternative  appeared  to  me  at  present,  but  to 
incur  some  additional  expense  to  the  expedition  and  get 
the  whole  of  the  requisition  embarked  from  the  factory 
in  a  canoe  properly  manned  and  equipped.  The  barley, 
tar  and  junk  you  asked  for  to  supply  the  expedition,  are 
now  sent."  Then  follows  the  inevitable  P.S. — "Only  the 
junk  is  now  sent,  the  tar  being  necessarily  deferred  till 
next  opportunity,  owing  to  the  short  days  and  deep  snow, 
and  my  desire  of  not  impeding  the  conveyance  of  the 
accompanying  letters  for  Fort  Franklin,  which  require 
to  be  posted  onwards  with  all  practicable  despatch  in  or- 
der to  afford  Captain  Franklin  and  Mr.  Dease  an  oppor- 
tunity of  further  communication  before  our  embarka- 
tion." 

The  fear  expressed  in  his  letter  dated  September,  that 
some  of  the  men  belonging  to  Franklin's  Expedition 
would  become  discouraged,  or  from  various  reasons  drift 
down  to  the  nearer  posts,  was,  we  find,  realized,  for  in 
March  5th  he  writes: 

"Your  barley  and  Captain  Franklin's  tar  must  wait  the 
next  opportunity.  ...  I  wrote  to  Isle  a  la  Crosse  to 
ascertain  whether  or  not  my  brother  could  provide  a 
canoe  for  and  board  part  of  our  L.  A.  Expe'n.  Pensioners 
towards  spring,  in  which  case  I  intended  sending  him  10 
or  12  of  them.  Should  you  be  straightened  in  the  way  of 
living,  send  part  or  the  whole  of  these  men  hither.  Any 
particular  wantages  for  summer  or  spring,  particularly 
of  whole  pieces,  you  will  apprise  me  of  betimes.  The 
Edinburgh  Weekly  Magazine  now  tendered  for  your 
perusal,  you  can  return  at  your  convenience  for  our 
young  gentlemen's  perusal." 

March  18th,  to  Smith  and  McVicar.  "This  I  intend  post- 
ing off  to-morrow  with  the  pitch  required  for  the  L.  A. 
Expedition,  which,  together  with  the  junk,  say  20  Ibs. 
(and  of  the  pitch  now  sent,  50  Ibs.),  sent  per  last  oppor- 
tunity, we  will  charge  to  the  Mack.  River,  leaving  you  to 
charge  the  same,  along  with  any  other  articles  required, 
when  delivered  to  the  Exped'n.  C.  Trader,  Mr.  McVicar 
will  of  course,  forward  it  on  to  Mack.  River,  and  should 
our  expected  packet  soon  cast  up,  I  will  endeavor  for- 

35 


warding  it  as  far  as  Great  S.  Lake,  beyond  which,  owing 
to  the  advanced  season,  I  have  mentioned  to  Captain 
Franklin,  it  is  not  likely  to  proceed  unless  something 
urgent  or  important  connected  with  his  or  the  Company's 
affairs  should  hereafter  transpire." 

March  5. — "In  my  last  from  my  brother  at  Isle  a  la 
Crosse  ...  he  consents  to  provide  for  a  canoe  of  our 
L.  A.  Expeditionists  if  sent  thither  by  the  last  ice,  which 
I  propose  to  avail  myself  of,  we  will  therefore,  be  ready  to 
disencumber  you  of  your  party  whenever  you  think  pro- 
per, presuming  you  will  not  wish  to  detain  them  without 
some  particular  object  till  the  opening  of  navigation.  .  . 
The  tar  for  Captain  Franklin  and  expedition,  will,  I  fear, 
preclude  the  sending  of  your  barley  by  the  first  opp. 
One  of  our  young  dogs  followed  the  two  last  L,  A.  Expe- 
dition carriers  for  your  place.  Quere,  if  delivered  at  the 
Fort,  or  if  sacrificed  and  payable." 

On  April  21, — "Our  Land  Arctic  Expedition  party  left 
us  for  Isle  a  Crosse  on  the  8th.  Captain  Franklin  men- 
tions his  or  Mr.  Dease's  application  to  you  for  some 
change  or  addition  to  their  present  hunters,  which  you, 
of  course,  will  do  your  utmost  to  comply  with.  In  order 
to  check  unreasonable  or  extravagant  demands  from  the 
Indians  for  any  fineries  or  superfluities  from  Factory, 
and  to  obviate  all  risk  or  loss  from  the  possibility  of  their 
remaining  on  hand  to  the  Company,  nothing  of  the  kind 
will  be  attended  to  for  which  a  previous  deposit  in  furs 
to  cover  the  fall  payment  is  not  tendered  by  the  appli- 
cant." 


HELIGOLAND 

By 

The  Rev.  H.  T.  F.  Duckworth    M.A., 
Trinity  College. 

|  |  ELIGOLAND,  the  name  of  which  means 
r~H  "Holy  Land,"  lies  about  midway  between 
*  *  the  two  Frisian  island-groups.  The 
nearest  point  on  the  mainland  is  32^  miles  dis- 
tant; the  nearest  mainland  harbour — viz.,  Cux- 
haven,  36  miles.  Bremerhaven,  the  outer  port 
of  Bremen,  on  the  Weser,  and  Brunsbuttel,  the 
western  gate  of  the  North  Sea  and  Baltic  Canal, 
on  the  Elbe,  are  both  within  50  miles  as  the 
crow — or  the  aviator — flies.  All  of  which  may  be 
summed  up  by  saying  that  Heligoland  is  so  plac- 
e'd  as  to  command  the  waterways  leading  to  and 
from  Wilhelmshaven,  Bremen,  Hamburg  and  the 
North  Sea  and  Baltic  Canal,  while  it  lies  within 
about  15  minutes'  flight,  or  even  less,  by  an  avion 
de  grande  vitesse  from  the  nearest  point  on  the 
mainland.  The  island  is  a  mass  of  red  sandstone 
rock,  about  1*4  miles  in  length  by  a  little  over 
600  yards  in  extreme  breadth;  the  measurements 
of  length  and  breadth  being  taken  along  lines 
running  from  N.W.  to  S.E.  and  from  S.W.  to  N.E. 
respectively.  The  whole  circuit  of  the  island, 
omitting  the  ground  enclosed  by  the  harbour 
works  constructed  since  1890,  is  a  little  over  2% 
miles.  Its  total  area,  even  including  the  space 
added  since  the  date  just  mentioned,  must  be  con- 
siderably less  than  that  which  lies  within  the  cir- 
cuit of  the  Belt  Line  of  the  Toronto  Street  Rail- 
way. It  consists  of  two  distinct  parts,  being  built 
as  it  were  in  two  stories,  the  Unterland  or  Low- 
land, and  the  Oberland  or  Highland,  the  latter 
rising  to  an  average  height  of  200  feet  above  the 
former,  though  at  one  point  it  reaches  a  height 
of  260  feet.  Before  the  island  was  ceded  to  Ger- 
many, the  only  communication  between  the  two 
levels  was  a  long  flight  of  steps,  which  the  in- 
habitants called  Last- Alice — a  name  which  might 
be  rendered  in  Latin  by  Via  Dolorosa,  or  perhaps 
with  more  exactness  (and  indeed  propriety)  by 
Scalae  Gemoniae.  Along  the  Oberland,  from  S.E. 
to  N.W.,  ran  a  thoroughfare  called  Kartoffeln- 
Allee — "Murphy's  Parade" — a  name  which  indi- 
cates at  once  the  prevailing  form  of  agriculture 
practised  in  the  island,  and  the  general  character 
of  its  soil. 

"On  approaching  the  island,"  writes  Mr.  J.  M. 
de  Beaufort,  in  an  interesting  volume  entitled 
"Behind  the  German  Veil,"  "the  effect  of  the 
steep,  red  cliffs,  hollowed  by  the  sea  into  all  kinds 
of  fantastic  figures  and  columns,  is  very  striking. 


The  red  cliffs  are  fringed  above  by  the  grassy 
slopes  of  the  Oberland,  and  below  by  the  white 
sand  of  the  beaches  of  the  Unterland."  A  Heli- 
golander  wrote  down  for  Mr.  de  Beaufort  the  fol- 
lowing verses  in  the  native  speech  of  the  island- 
folk,  showing  that  green,  red  and  white  are  the 
colours  of  the  island  in  more  senses  than  one: — 

"Gron  is  dat  Land, 

Rood  is  de  Rand, 

Witt  is  de  Sand; 

Dat  is  de  Flag  vun't  Hallige  Land." 
The  native  speech  of  the  Heligolanders  is  Fri- 
sian, or  a  Frisian  dialect.  This  specimen  illus- 
trates the  closeness  of  the  kinship  between  the 
Frisian  and  the  English  tongue.  If  we  take  over 
the  Frisian  or  "Low-Dutch"  word  "Rand,"  mean- 
ing "ridge"  or  "high  ground" — a  word  which, 
after  all,  is  familiar  to  us  since  the  days  when 
the  Wittwatersrand,  near  Johannesburg,  in  the 
Transvaal,  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the 
newspapers,  we  can  turn  the  quatrain  cited  above 
into  English  with  the  greatest  ease  and  no  sub- 
stantial changes: — 

"Green  is  that  Land, 
Red  is  the  Rand, 
White  is  the  Sand; 
That  is  the  Flag  of  the  Holy  Land." 

In  former  times,  it  appears,  the  Heligolanders 
had  a  flag  of  their  own,  coloured  green,  red  and 
white.  Probably  enough  they  were  allowed  to 
wave  it  alongside  of  the  red,  white  and  blue  of 
the  British  flag,  just  as  the  Greeks  of  Cyprus  are 
allowed  to  display  the  white  and  blue  of  the 
kingdom  of  Greece  over  against  the  official  ban- 
ner. But  we  may  be  sure  that  after  the  transfer 
of  Heligoland  from  the  British  to  the  German 
Empire,  there  was  room  for  one  flag  only — the 
black,  white  and  red  of  Deutschthum. 

About  half  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Heligoland  is 
an  islet  called  Sand  Island.  This  was  originally 
of  one  piece  with  the  lower  or  sandy  part  of 
Heligoland.  The  ridge  connecting  them  was 
broken  through  by  the  sea  in  A.D.  1720. 

The  sanctity  of  Heligoland,  a  quality  which,  so 
to  speak,  has  rather  been  held  in  suspension  since 
1890,  appears  to  have  originated  in  a  local  cult 
of  Hertha — the  Earth-Goddess — to  whom  a  great 
and  notable  sanctuary  was  dedicated  there.  It 
may  seem  strange  that  a  little  island  should  be 
selected  as  a  site  for  a  temple  of  the  Earth-God- 
dess, but  those  who  instituted  the  cult  may  be 
supposed  to  have  regarded  the  sea  as  part  of  the 
property  of  the  Goddess,  they  having  conjectured 
— and  rightly  enough — that  the  sea  was  not  bot- 
tomless. The  inhabitants  were  pagans  down  to 
the  latter  part — in  fact  nearly  the  close — of  the 
8th  century  C.E.  They  were  first  visited  by 


Willebrord,  the  Apostle  of  Friesland,  an  English- 
man, but  Willebrord  appears  to  have  found  them 
too  stiff-necked  for  his  powers  of  persuasion, 
though  he  had  been  very  successful  with  their 
race-kinsmen  of  the  mainland.  After  him  came 
Lindger,  a  Frieslander,  who  for  some  time  had 
been  a  pupil  of  the  celebrated  Alcuin  at  York. 
Whatever  the  explanation  may  be,  Lindger  suc- 
ceeded where  Willebrord  had  failed,  and  the  in- 
clusion of  Heligoland  in  Christendom  may  be  said 
to  date  from  about  A.D.  800. 

Too  small  ever  to  become  the  permanent  habi- 
tation of  a  fully  independent  community,  Heli- 
goland was  necessarily  dependent  upon  the  near- 
est predominating  power  upon  the  mainland,  ex- 
cept when  it  became,  as  it  did  from  time  to  time, 
a  home  for  pirates.  The  nearest  mainland  power 
might  at  one  time  be  the  ruler  of  Friesland,  at 
another  the  Duke  of  Schleswig  or  the  King  of 
Denmark,  at  another  the  city-commonwealth  of 
Hamburg.  From  1398  to  1402  it  was  the  head- 
quarters of  a  notorious  company  of  smugglers 
and  pirates  known  as  the  Victualling  Brothers. 
These  adventurers  derived  their  name  from  the 
successful  blockade-running  in  which  they  en- 
gaged, for  the  benefit  of  the  defenders  of  Stock- 
holm, when  that  city  was  besieged  by  the  army 
of  Margaret,  Queen  of  Denmark,  to  whom  a  con- 
siderable party  among  the  nobles  of  Sweden  had 
offered  the  Swedish  crown.  When  Stockholm 
opened  its  gates  to  the  Queen,  who  then  became 
sovereign  of  Denmark,  Norway  and  Sweden — a 
victory  commemorated  in  the  name  of  the  Tre 
Kroner,  or  Three  Crowns,  Fort  at  Copenhagen — 
the  "Victuallers"  seized  the  town  of  Wisby  in 
Gothland,  and  made  it  a  base  for  piratical  enter- 
prises in  the  Baltic  and  the  North  Sea.  So  far  as 
piracy  in  the  North  Sea  was  concerned,  their  law- 
less attacks  upon  such  as  passed  that  sea  on  their 
lawful  occasions  were  greatly  facilitated  by  the 
possession  of  free  entry  into  the  port  of  Emden. 
Working  from  Wisby  and  Emden,  they  held  up 
and  plundered  Spanish,  French,  Dutch,  English 
and  Scandinavian  ships — anything,  apparently, 
that  carried  cargo.  In  1398  the  Teutonic  Knights 
attacked  and  captured  Wisby,  and  about  the  same 
time  one  of  the  pirate-fleets  was  defeated  in 
battle  by  the  naval  forces  of  the  city  of  Stral- 
sund.  The  Stralsunders  took  a  number  of  pris- 
oners, including  the  pirate-admiral,  whose  name 
was  Von  Moltke. 

These  blows,  however,  failed  to  destroy  the 
pirate-association.  They  now  fixed  their  head- 
quarters in  Heligoland.  Von  Moltke  was  succeed- 
ed by  Godeke  von  Michelsen,  a  noble  of  Verden, 
near  Bremen.  Among  his  lieutenants  the  most 
notable  was  one  Klaus  Stortebecher,  a  German 
knight,  who  had  been  publicly  disgraced  in  Ham- 


burg  for  his  crimes,  his  spurs  being  hacked  off 
his  heels,  a  ceremony  similar  in  its  signification 
to  the  scrubbing  of  a  priest's  fingers  with  pumice- 
stone. 

From  Heligoland  the  pirates,  under  Michel  sen 
and  Stortebecher,  pushed  their  expeditions  as  far 
as  the  coast  of  Spain.  Strotebecher  seems  to 
have  been  the  more  brutal  and  ferocious  of  the 
two — which  is  saying  a  good  deal.  It  is  said  that 
he  gained  his  nickname  of  Stortebecher  from  his 
practice  of  making  all  his  prisoners  "walk  the 
plank,"  save  those  who  could  empty,  at  one 
draught,  a  huge  beaker  (becher)  of  wine  or  beer. 
If  they  could  not  drink  Stortebecher's  measure  of 
wine  or  beer  without  pausing,  they  had  to  drink 
with  or  without  pausing,  their  fill  of  salt  water. 
It  goes  without  saying  that  most  of  Stortebecher's 
captives  were  "spurlos  versenkt." 

In  the  course  of  one  of  their  maritime  forays, 
Michelsen  and  Stortebecher  plundered  a  convent 
on  the  coast  of  Spain.  Out  of  the  spoils  they  se- 
lected as  their  special — not  their  only — portions 
certain  alleged  relics  of  St.  Vincent,  which  they 
thenceforth  wore  at  all  times  next  their  skins, 
believing  that  the  relics  would  be  talismans  pro- 
tecting them  against  the  stroke  of  any  and  every 
weapon  that  might  be  lifted  up  against  them. 
To  compensate  for  the  plundering  of  a  Spanish 
convent,  they  gave  most  liberally  of  their  ill- 
gotten  gains  to  adorn  the  Cathedral  at  Verden 
with  stained-glass  windows. 

Among  all  who  suffered  by  the  depredations  of 
Michelsen  and  Stortebecher,  none  probably  suffer- 
ed more  than  the  Hamburgers.  Certainly  it  was 
the  Hamburgers  who  took  in  hand  the  suppres- 
sion of  this  pest.  A  fleet  from  Hamburg  cap- 
tured Emden  in  1400.  In  that  year  and  the  year 
following  there  were  naval  actions  between  the 
pirates  and  the  maritime  forces  from  the  great 
city  on  the  Elbe,  resulting  in  severe  defeats  for 
the  former.  Finally,  in  1402,  Stortebecher  was 
defeated  and  taken  prisoner  in. a  great  battle  off 
Heligoland  by  a  naval  expedition  from  Hamburg 
commanded  by  Simon  of  Utrecht,  and  soon  after- 
wards Michelsen  also  was  taken.  The  relics  of 
St.  Vincent  protected  both  so  long  as  they  were 
able  to  fight,  but  proved  of  no  avail  when  they 
were  cast  into  prison  and  thence  brought  to  the 
scaffold.  With  the  capture  and  execution  of  these 
sea-robbers  ended  the  history  of  the  Victualling 
Fraternity — a  licentious,  but  quite  unlicensed, 
Company  of  Victuallers. 

It  is  of  some  interest  to  notice  that  cannon 
were  used  on  shipboard  in  the  battles  at  sea  be- 
tween the  Hamburgers  and  the  pirates. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  whether  He- 
ligoland played  any  important  part  in  the  con- 
flicts between  the  English  merchants  and  those 


of  the  Hansa  in  the  15th  century.  Probably  it 
was  an  outlying  naval  station  for  the  Hamburg 
fleets.  In  1472  a  fleet  equipped  by  the  Hansa 
landed  an  army  on  the  east  coast  of  England. 
The  invaders  penetrated  forty  miles  inland,  pil- 
laging, burning  and  slaughtering.  They  dragged 
back  to  the  coast  a  number  of  captives,  whom 
they  hanged  from  the  yard-arms  of  their  ships. 
This  done,  they  cruised  along  the  coast,  keeping 
close  inshore,  in  order  that  the  inhabitants  "might 
see  what  manner  of  fruit  grew  on  those  trees." 
Before  hanging  these  prisoners,  it  should  be 
noted,  they  first  tortured  them  in  various  ways  of 
barbarous  ingenuity. 

About  1490  the  Duke  of  Schleswig  (who  was  also 
King  of  Denmark)  built  a  fort  on  Heligoland. 
The  Hamburgers  attacked  and  destroyed  this  fort 
in  1499.  Apparently  they  did  not  deny  that  the 
Duke  was  the  feudal  lord  of  the  island,  but  they 
contended  that  no  fort  had  ever  been  built  there 
before.  This  sounds  very  improbable.  Michelsen 
and  Stortebecher  must  have  erected  some  sort  of 
defences  for  their  stores  of  stolen  goods.  Ulti- 
mately, however,  the  Hamburgers  succeeded  in 
obtaining,  as  part  and  parcel  of  a  treaty  made 
between  them  and  Schleswig  in  1523,  an  agree- 
ment that  Heligoland  should  remain  unfortified. 

The  political  position  of  Heligoland  for  the 
next  284  years  seems  to  have  been  as  follows: 
It  was  part  of  the  territory  of  which  the  Dukes 
of  Schleswig  were  feudal  lords,  but  it  was  not 
infrequently  occupied  by  the  Hamburgers,  bein^ 
held  by  them  as  security  against  moneys  loaned  to 
the  Dukes.  After  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  how- 
ever, the  control  exercised  by  impoverished  Ham- 
burg must  have  become  more  and  more  a  memory 
of  the  past. 

Among  the  articles  of  the  secret  treaty  made 
at  Tilsit  between  Napoleon  and  the  Tsar  Alex- 
ander, was  one  which  provided  that  if  by  the  1st 
December,  1807,  Great  Britain  would  not  recog- 
nize the  equality  of  all  flags  at  sea  and  restore 
the  territories  taken  from  France  and  the  allies 
of  France  since  1805,  then  Russia  would  declare 
war  as  the  ally  of  France,  and  the  two  Emperors 
would  "summon  the  Courts  of  Copenhagen, 
Stockholm  and  Lisbon  to  close  their  ports  against 
the  British  and  declare  war  upon  Great  Britain." 
If  any  one  of  these  States  refused,  it  was  to  be 
treated  as  an  enemy.  If  Sweden  in  particular 
should  refuse,  Denmark  was  to  be  compelled  to 
declare  war  upon  Sweden. 

The  agreement  was  made  on  July  7th,  1807, 
between  Napoleon  and  the  Tsar  Alexander  that 
Denmark  should  be  forced  to  declare  war 
on  Sweden,  if  Sweden  would  not  close  her 
ports  against  Great  Britain.  The  British  Gov- 
ernment already  knew,  from  the  report  of  an 


agent  who  had  been  in  Tilsit  on  June  25,  when 
Napoleon  and  Alexander  embraced  each  other  on 
the  raft  anchored  in  the  Niemen,  that  the  two 
Emperors  were  by  way  of  becoming  allies.  This 
report  was  followed  by  news  of  menacing  move- 
ments of  French  troops  towards  Holstein.  It 
was  necessary  for  Great  Britain  that  the  en- 
trance into  the  Baltic  should  be  kept  open,  for 
British  were  co-operating  with  Swedish  forces 
against  the  French  near  Stralsund,  in  Pomer- 
ania.  Again,  it  was  of  the  greatest  importance 
that  Napoleon  should  not  be  allowed  to  get  the 
Danish  fleet  into  his  power.  Canning,  therefore, 
who  at  this  time  directed  our  foreign  policy,  re- 
solved to  compel  Denmark  to  enter  the  war  as  an 
ally  of  Great  Britain  or  at  least  to  observe  a  "be- 
nevolent neutrality."  In  either  case,  the  Danish 
fleet  must  be  surrendered,  for  it  was  too  large  and 
well  equipped  to  be  left  at  Napoleon's  disposal. 
The  Danes  were  valiant  fighters;  they  had  given 
proof  of  that  in  1801.  To  save  Denmark's  face, 
an  overwhelming  armada  would  be  despatched  to 
back  up  Great  Britain's  demand.  Furthermore, 
the  sum  of  £100,000  was  to  be  paid  to  Denmark 
for  the  use  of  her  fleet,  and  Great  Britain  would 
be  prepared  to  come  to  Denmark's  assistance  if 
she  were  attacked  by  France. 

The  Prince  Regent  of  Denmark  seems  to  have 
feared  Napoleon  more  than  he  feared  Great  Bri- 
tain. He  rejected  Canning's  offer.  The  armada 
had  already  set  sail — 88  ships,  to  which  were  pre- 
sently added  others  bringing  British  troops  which 
had  been  operating  in  Riigen  and  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Stralsund.  When  a  last  offer  had  been 
made  and  rejected,  the  troops  were  landed  near 
Copenhagen,  batteries  were  constructed,  and  a 
heavy  bombardment  of  the  city  began.  The  force 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  Danes  was  too  great 
for  them  to  resist,  and  they  were  brought  to  a 
capitulation  on  September  7.  Six  weeks  later, 
the  British  fleet  set  sail  again,  taking  with  it  15 
Danish  ships  of  the  line,  15  frigates,  and  31  small- 
er craft.  It  was  in  the  course  of  these  operations 
against  Denmark  that  Heligoland  became  a  Brit- 
ish possession.  The  island  was  used  as  a  base  for 
smuggling  enterprises  on  a  vast  scale,  which  help- 
ed to  break  Napoleon's  continental  blockade. 

Deprived  of  her  fleet,  Denmark  was  unable  even 
to  make  an  attempt  to  regain  Heligoland.  It  was 
finally  ceded  in  due  form  to  Great  Britain  in  Jan- 
uary, 1814,  when  all  hopes  that  Denmark  could 

6 


base  on  Napoleon's  power  to  aid  her  had  passed 
away  forever  with  his  retreat  from  Germany.  In 
order  to  facilitate  the  return  of  peace,  Great 
Britain  offered  to  return  some  of  the  French  de- 
pendencies taken  in  the  course  of  the  war  with 
Napoleon,  but  made  it  perfectly  clear  that  the 
offer  did  not  cover  the  case  of  Heligoland  any 
more  than  it  covered  the  case  of  Malta.  Both 
islands  remained  in  her  possession  after  the  gen- 
eral settlement  of  the  peace  of  Europe  in  the 
treaties  made  at  Paris  and  Vienna  in  1814  and 
1815.  But,  though  Malta  remained  fortified,  and 
in  the  course  of  the  nineteenth  century  became  a 
stronger  fortress  than  it  had  ever  been,  hard- 
ly anything  was  done  by  way  of  fortifying  Heli- 
goland. It  was  practically  defenceless  when  it 
was  handed  over  to  Germany,  twenty-eight  years 
ago. 

Prussia  had  a  navy  in  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  an  attempt  was  made  towards  the  end  of  that 
epoch  to  provide  the  duchy,  as  it  was  then,  with 
a  trading  dependency  on  the  Gold  Coast.  During 
the  eighteenth  century  and  the  earlier  part  of  the 
nineteenth,  very  little  attention  was  bestowed  by 
the  rulers  of  Prussia  on  naval  affairs — very  little, 
certainly,  in  comparison  with  the  amount  be- 
stowed on  the  Prussian  army.  But  in  1848  the 
King  of  Prussia  (Frederich  William  IV)  sent  his 
brother,  the  Prince  William — afterwards  Ger- 
man Emperor — to  England,  not  only  to  get  him 
out  of  the  way  while  the  Berlin  mob,  which  hated 
Prince  William,  "had  its  tail  up,"  but  also  to  make 
some  study  of  the  British  naval  administration. 
Five  years  later  Prussia  purchased  from  Olden- 
burg a  piece  of  territory  on  the  Jade,  the  great 
bay  just  west  of  the  Weser-mouth,  and  there  be- 
gan the  work  of  laying-out  and  building  up  a 
naval  station.  Nothing  was  said,  publicly  or 
officially,  about  Heligoland,  but  the  question 
whether  the  island  was  to  be  left  for  all  time  a 
British  possession  had  now  become  inevitable. 

Certain  unpleasant  experiences  which  had  be- 
fallen Prussia  in  the  Danish  War  of  1848-1849 
had  suggested  the  desirability  of  Kiel  as  a  Prus- 
sian naval  station.  Similar  reasoning  would 
point  to  the  desirability  of  Heligoland.  Danish 
cruisers,  in  1848  and  1849,  had  blockaded  Prus- 
sian harbours — these  at  that  time  were  nearly  all 
on  the  Baltic — and  captured  a  number  of  Prussian 
merchant-ships.  Kiel  was  then  a  Danish  naval 
base.  If  Heligoland  had  also  been  Danish,  Prus- 


sian  shipping  might  have  suffered  much  more 
even  than  it  actually  did.  If  Great  Britain  and 
Prussia  should  ever  be  at  war,  Heligoland  would 
become  an  advanced  base  for  cruisers,  and  no 
Prussian  vessel  would  be  able  to  show  its  nose  in 
the  North  Sea.  The  Prussian  war-fleet  might 
easily  be  penned  up  in  Emden  or  the  Jade,  the 
approaches  to  both  of  these  places  being  com- 
manded by  the  island. 

The  possession  of  Kiel  and  the  cutting  of  a 
ship-canal  from  the  North  Sea  to  the  Baltic  were 
undoubtedly  the  objects  in  view,  on  the  part  of 
the  Prussian  Government — i.e.  Bismarck — when 
war  was  declared  on  Denmark  in  1864,  The  an- 
nexation of  Holstein  and  Schleswig  made  the  ac- 
quisition of  Heligoland  doubly  desirable,  for  the 
island  commanded  the  approaches,  not  only  to  the 
Jade,  where  Prussia's  new  naval  station  was  being 
constructed,  but  also  to  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe, 
from  which  the  projected  North  Sea  and  Baltic 
canal  was  to  be  opened.  But  Bismarck  had  other 
fish  to  fry  in  the  meantime.  Austria  and  France 
had  to  be  "arranged  with,"  to  be  put  where  Prus- 
sia wanted  them  to  be.  The  question  of  Heligo- 
land had  to  be  postponed.  Prussia  could  afford  to 
postpone  it,  for  Great  Britain  had  not  made 
Heligoland  a  second  Malta,  and  showed  no  dis- 
position to  do  so.  Possibly  the  Queen  of  the  Seas 
might  some  day  be  wheedled  into  making  a  pre- 
sent of  it  to  Germany,  for  some  sentimental  reas- 
on or  other.  Had  she  not,  out  of  mere  sentiment, 
handed  over  the  Ionian  Islands  to  Greece  in  1864? 

The  Ionian  Islands,  it  may  be  observed,  were 
one  of  the  prizes  of  the  war  with  Napoleon  which 
Great  Britain  had  retained  in  the  peace-settle- 
ment of  1815. 

When  Heligoland  was  at  last  ceded  to  Germany, 
Bismarck  gave  the  German  public  to  understand 
that  in  his  opinion  the  cession  was  worthless.  But 
Bismarck  had  just  before  that  quarrelled  with 
the  Kaiser,  and  resigned  the  Chancellorship  of 
the  Empire.  He  himself  had  been  Chancellor, 
and  director  of  the  foreign,  as  well  as  the  internal, 
policy  of  the  Empire,  at  the  time  when  Count 
Minister,  the  German  Ambassador  in  London,  ap- 
proached Lord  Granville  on  the  subject  of  Heligo- 
land. The  interview  between  Count  Minister  and 
Lord  Granville  on  this  matter  took  place  in  the 
course  of  1884.  It  is  impossible  to  suppose  that 
Miinster  acted  without  some  instructions  from 
Bismarck,  and  equally  impossible  to  suppose  that 


Bismarck  was  satisfied  with  the  result  of  the  in- 
terview. 

Count  Munster  proposed  the  cession  of  Heligo- 
land on  the  ground  that  the  island,  in  its  existing 
state,  was  of  no  use  to  Great  Britain,  whereas  it 
might,  as  a  harbour  of  refuge,  be  of  great  service 
to  Germany,  who  was  both  willing  and  able — as 
Great  Britain  could  not  be  supposed  to  be — to  un- 
dertake the  conversion  of  a  mere  fishing-haven 
into  a  great  harbour  which  could  be  at  the  ser- 
vice of  every  maritime  nation  in  the  world.  Fur- 
thermore, the  possession  of  Heligoland  by  Ger- 
many was-  an  indispensable  corollary  of  Prince 
Bismarck's  project  of  cutting  a  ship-canal 
from  the  North  Sea  to  the  Baltic.  The  harbour 
of  Heligoland  would  be  always  open  to  British 
vessels,  but  its  acquisition  for  Germany  was  part 
and  parcel  of  the  ship-canal  enterprise.  It  was 
practically  impossible  that  war  should  ever  break 
out  between  Great  Britain  and  Germany,  "but  the 
cession  of  Heligoland  would  strengthen  the  good 
feeling  of  Germany  towards  Great  Britain  to  an 
extraordinary  degree."  At  this  point  Lord  Gran- 
ville  remarked  that  doubtless  the  cession  of  Gib- 
raltar to  Spain  would  strengthen  the  good  feeling 
of  Spain  towards  Great  Britain  to  an  extraordin- 
ary degree,  but —  It  was  courteously  put;  Lord 
Granville  was  ever  the  "pink  of  politeness."  But 
it  had  the  desired  effect.  Munster  saw  that  fur- 
ther argument  would  be  wasted,  and  begged,  not 
without  signs  of  discomfiture,  that  the  matter 
might  not  be  mentioned  to  any  of  Lord  Gran- 
ville's  colleagues.  It  is  not  too  much  to  suppose 
that  Munster  was  also  extremely  anxious  to  have 
the  affair  kept  secret  from  other  members  of  the 
corps  diplomatique  resident  in  London,  and  espe- 
cially from  the  representatives  of  France  and 
Russia. 

It  was  in  1884  that  German  colonial  enterprise 
was  beginning  its  ill-omened  and  ultimately  dis- 
astrous career.  Six  years  later,  a  situation  had 
arisen  in  Africa  which  menaced  the  continuance 
of  friendly  relations  between  Great  Britain  and 
Germany.  Some  definition  of  "spheres  of  influ- 
ence" was  needed.  The  German  Emperor  drew 
up,  or  supervised  those  who  drew  up,  a  project 
of  agreement  under  which  Great  Britain  would 
recognize  certain  regions  in  East  and  South- 
west Africa  as  German  protectorates  or  depend- 
encies, while  Germany  conceded  similar  recogni- 
tion to  Great  Britain  with  regard  to  Nyassaland 
and  Somaliland.  In  exchange  for  German  recog- 

9 


nition  of  the  British  protectorate  of  the  island  of 
Zanzibar,  Great  Britain  was  to  cede  Heligoland  to 
Germany. 

At  the  time  when  this  proposal  was  made,  the 
naval  power  of  the  German  Empire  was  not  by 
any  means  formidable.  It  is  open  to  question 
whether  the  German  navy  could  then  have  com- 
pared at  all  favourably  with  that  of  some  of  the 
South  American  Republics.  But  there  was  no- 
thing— short  of  a  certain  action  upon  the  part  of 
Great  Britain  such  as  could  not  be  contemplated 
as  a  possibility — there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the 
naval  power  of  the  German  Empire  from  becom- 
ing what  it  actually  was  twenty  years  later — 
very  considerable  indeed.  Disputes  over  terri- 
torial questions  arising  in  Africa  might  very 
easily  have  the  effect  of  spurring  Germany  on  to 
the  construction  of  a  large  and  formidable  navy. 
Furthermore,  the  Germans  might  address  them- 
selves to  the  task  of  making  trouble  between 
Briton  and  Boer  in  South  Africa.  The  cession  of 
Heligoland,  an  unfortified  islet,  which  imported 
less  than  £100  worth  of  British  goods  in  a  year,  a 
summer  resort  far  more  frequented  by  Germans 
than  by  Britons,  lying  in  relation  to  Hamburg 
very  much  as  the  Isle  of  Man  to  Liverpool,  the 
cession  of  such  a  dependency  could  not  be  account- 
ed of  as  a  great  matter.  To  retain  it,  and  to 
fortify  it,  would  be  a  provocative  act,  which  would 
at  once  supply  a  new  text  for  sermons  in  the  for- 
eign press  upon  Britain's  maritime  tyranny. 

Lord  Salisbury,  who  was  then  Prime  Minister 
and  Foreign  Secretary,  was  not  a  man  of  peace 
at  any  price,  but  he  was  prepared  to  do  a  good 
deal  in  order,  not  so  much  to  directly  avoid  war  as 
to  remove  possible  occasions  of  war.  The  Ger- 
man proposals  were  therefore  accepted,  and  after 
83  years  of  an  easy-going  existence  under  the 
British  flag,  Heligoland  was  pushed  into  the 
Sturm  und  Drang  of  Prusso-German  imperialism. 

The  islanders  themselves  were  far  from  welcom- 
ing the  change.  They  had  managed  their  own 
local  affairs  very  much  in  their  own  way. 
Though  Great  Britain  had  taken  very  little  notice 
of  them,  they  had  been  proud  of  belonging  to  the 
British  Empire.  They  knew  what  Germans  were 
like — they  had  shoals  of  Germans  summering  in 
Heligoland  and  Sand  every  year — and  the  know- 
ledge did  not  edify  them.  Their  opinion  ought  to 
have  been  consulted.  Lord  Rosebery  attacked 
Lord  Salisbury  in  the  House  of  Peers  for  disre- 

10 


garding  it.  The  Prime  Minister's  somewhat  un- 
satisfactory reply  was  that  local  must  give  way 
to  imperial  interests.  The  objections  of  the  Heli- 
golanders,  however,  to  being  handed  over  to  the 
tender  mercies  of  German  military  and  police 
officers,  would  have  been  very  good  ground  for 
refusing  that  part  of  the  Kaiser's  proposals 
which  related  to  the  island,  and  for  insisting  on 
keeping  consideration  of  the  condition  of  affairs 
in  the  North  Sea  separate  and  distinct  from  dis- 
cussion of  African  territorial  questions.  But  by 
the  time  Lord  Rosebery  raised  his  voice  in  pro- 
test, it  was  too  late  to  go  back  on  what  had  been 
done. 

Count  Miinster  had  spoken  of  making  Heligo- 
land a  great  harbour  of  refuge,  open  to  British 
vessels,  and  all  others  that  might  need  to  put  in- 
to it.  He  also  pressed  the  argument  that  Ger- 
man friendship  for  Great  Britain  would  be 
strengthened.  Heligoland  became  a  German 
Malta — a  naval  base,  not  a  harbour  of  refuge. 
German  friendship  was  not  strengthened.  The 
cession  of  Heligoland  for  German  recognition  of 
Britain's  protectorate  over  Zanzibar  was  denounc- 
ed by  Bismarck  and  others  as  a  crafty  device 
whereby  Britain  had  checkmated  the  cherished 
German  design  of  erecting  an  African  Empire. 
There  were  other  Germans,  however,  who  realiz- 
ed the  true  value  of  Heligoland,  and  despised 
Britain  for  giving  up  so  important  a  strategical 
point,  and  this  view  ultimately  prevailed. 

At  the  time  when  the  war  broke  out,  the  Ger- 
man Empire  must  have  spent  the  equivalent  of 
at  least  two  millions  sterling  on  harbour  works 
and  fortifications  in  Heligoland.  There  are  now 
two  harbours,  which  during  the  war  served  as 
a  base  for  the  operations  of  light  cruisers,  de- 
stroyers and  submarines.  On  the  highest  point 
of  the  island  a  new  lighthouse  was  erected,  the 
lantern  of  which  stands  at  a  height  of  460  feet 
above  the  sea  and  is  furnished  with  an  electric 
apparatus  of  42  million  candle-power,  visible  at 
a  distance  of  30  miles.  Massive  walls  of  con- 
crete were  built  wherever  the  sandstone  rocks 
showed  signs  of  being  eaten  away  by  the  sea. 

The  armament  of  the  island  consists  of  five 
batteries  of  four  guns  each.  Two  of  these  bat- 
teries are  made  up  of  12-inch  long  guns;  three 
of  11-inch  and  17-inch  howitzers.  The  turrets  in 
which  the  guns  are  mounted  are  built  up  of  Gun- 
son  plate,  which  has  resisted  the  impact  of  shells 
weighing  over  a  ton  fired  at  short  range.  The 

11 


island  was  provided  with  a  very  complete  sys- 
tem of  defence  against  air-craft — a  system  all 
the  more  necessary  as  a  Zeppelin  "hangar" 
was  erected  on  the  Oberland. 

The  islet  of  Sand  continued  to  be  a  summer 
resort  until  the  war  broke  out,  but  most  if  not 
all  of  Heligoland  itself  must  have  been  "verboten." 

What  difference  would  it  have  made  in  this 
war  if  Great  Britain  had  not  ceded  Heligoland 
to  Germany? 

It  is  difficult  to  say.  But  it  is  not  likely  that 
the  difference  would  have  been  to  our  advantage. 
We  should  almost  certainly  have  left  the  island 
unfortified.  Even  if  we  had  installed  fortifica- 
tions and  deepened  the  harbour,  Heligoland  would 
still  have  been  a  very  much  exposed  outpost.  It 
would  have  been  constantly  under  attack,  and 
with  it  the  vessels  in  its  harbour,  by  air-craft, 
and  I  have  pointed  out  that  it  lies  only  32%  miles 
from  the  nearest  point  of  the  mainland.  The 
blockading  of  Emden,  Bremen,  Hamburg  and  all 
the  great  ports  of  Germany,  has  been  maintained, 
so  far  as  one  can  see,  just  as  effectively  along 
the  line  from  the  Orkneys  to  Norway,  as  it  could 
have  been  maintained  with  Heligoland  as  an  ex- 
posed advance-post. 

In  German  hands,  however,  Heligoland  is  cer- 
tainjto  be  jn  the  future,  as  it  has  been  since  1890, 
a  menace  to  the  peace  of  Europe  and  indeed  of 
the  world. 

Great  Britain  ought  to  resume  possession  of 
the  island,  dismantle  the  fortifications,  and  re- 
store its  proper  inhabitants  to  the  freedom  they 
enjoyed  aforetime  under  her  flag. 


HELIGOLAND.— WORKS  CONSULTED. 

J.  M.  DE  BEAUFORT.  Behind  the  German  Veil. 
(Part  of  this  book  appeared  in  two  articles 
in  the  Quarterly  Review,  April  and  July, 
1916.) 

WILSON  KING.  Free  Cities  of  Germany.  (His- 
tories of  Hamburg,  Bremen  and  Liibeck.) 

Article,  Heligoland,  in  Encyclopaedia  Britannica. 
J.  HOLLAND  ROSE.    Napoleon,  ch.  xxvii. 


12 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

OF  THE 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

1918-1919 

Organized  November,  1895;  Incorporated  Feb.  15th,  1896. 

OFFICERS 

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MBS.  EDGAB  JABVIS. 

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vegan  Road. 

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Street. 

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EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

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MBS.  HOEACE  EATON,  Convenor. 

MBS.  JAMES  BAIN.  LADY  STUPABT. 

MBS.  DUCKWOBTH.  MBS.  TBENT. 

MBS.  BODDY.  MISS   HOBSEY.                    , 

MBS.   MUSSON.  MISS  ROBEBTS. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS 

SIB  G.  R.  PABKIN.  DB.  LOCKE. 

COL.  G.  T.  DENISON.  THE  VEBY  REV.  DEAN  HARBIS. 

Miss  CABNOCHAN.  J.  A.  MACDONELL. 

JAMES  HANNAY.  W.     D.      LIGHTHALL,    F.R.S.C., 

SIB  GILBEBT  PABKEB.  F.R.S.L. 

CHABLES  MAIB,  F.R.S.C.  BENJAMIN  SULTE,  F.R.S.C. 

Miss  MACHAB.  REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  PH.D. 

BLISS  CABMAN.  EDWABD  M.  THOMSON,  F.R.S.C., 

JOHN  D.  KELLY.  F.R.S.L. 

PBOP.  PELHAM  EDGAB.  C.  G.  D.  ROBEBTS. 

PBOP.  G.  M.  WBONG.  MBS.  J.  W.  F.  HARBISON. 

Miss  K.  M.  LIZABS.  PROP.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 

REV.  PROP.  BRYCE. 


President's  Address 


A  year  ago  we  rejoiced  in  the  cessation  of  war,  and 
the  series  of  victories  which  secured  this.  Then  all 
seemed  fair — now  we  are  not  so  sure.  The  attitude  of 
our  late  enemies  must  cause  anxiety,  for  though  the  vari- 
ous reports  from  Germany  may  be  confusing,  her  actions 
are  not.  Scapa  Flow,  her  unwillingness  to  return  her 
plunder  and  stolen  machinery  to  our  Allies,  are  ominous 
for  the  future. 

Nor  does  it  seem  likely  that  the  multiplication  of  re- 
publics must  issue  in  peace.  In  theory  they  are  peaceful ; 
but  according  to  American  histories  the  war  of  1812  was 
caused  by  Madison's  desire  for  a  second  term  of  office, 
the  Venezuela  Incident  is  fresh  in  our  memories ;  and  if 
in  a  majority  of  the  first-class  powers,  their  ablest  and 
most  ambitious  men  are  to  struggle  for  the  great  prize  of 
Presidency  every  few  years,  I  do  not  see  how  it  can  make 
for  the  peace  of  the  world. 

In  Canada  the  first  year  of  peace  has  been  disappoint- 
ing to  all.  The  problems  that  b^set  us  seem  to  be  intensi- 
fied ;  life  in  someways  has  become  more  difficult. 

The  easy,  foolish  optimism  that  prophesied  a  new 
world,  a  better  era,  as  the  outcome  of  the  war  in  which 
so  many  of  our  best  and  bravest  perished — is  partly  to 
blame  for  this ;  and  we  have  not  learned  the  lessons  war 
should  have  taught  us.  The  craving  for  material,  well- 
being,  for  ease  and  self-indulgence — all  ignoble  ideals 
seem  to  hold  as  before.  Also  the  voices  of  dissension  and 
disloyalty  that  were  perforce  silent  during  the  war,  are 
again  being  raised ;  sometimes  it  seems  that  all  our  sac- 
rifices may  have  been  in  vain. 

All  this  is  not  to  discourage — but  to  show  that  as  a 
patriotic  society  there  is  much  for  us  to  do,  and  need  for 
each  of  us  to  make  our  influence  felt.  Love  of  country  is 
our  watchword,  and  love  of  Empire,  and  we  must  express 
this  in  deeds  as  well  as  words.  Our  aim  must  be  to  build 
up — not  to  pull  down.  I  suppose  there  never  was  a  coun- 
try of  which  it  was  so  true  as  of  Canada,  that  its  pro- 
phets have  no  honour  in  it — and  our  prophets  leave  us ! 

3 


This  must  be  changed.  Good  work,  if  done  by  a  Cana- 
dian, should  meet  with  just  and  warm  appreciation. 
Just  now  there  is  urgent  need  to  buy  only,  or  as  far  as 
possible,  Canadian  and  British  goods.  There  is  need,  too, 
to  uphold  Canadian  ideals,  lest  the  foreigner  to  whom  we 
have  given  a  vote  should  snatch  the  heritage  we  hold 
with  careless  hands  from  us. 

As  a  result  of  the  Referendum  the  forces  of  Prohibi- 
tion have  triumphed ;  but  this  does  not  necessarily  mean 
a  complete  triumph  for  temperance,  which  is  a  far  finer 
thing  than  enforced  abstinence.  Sometimes  one  feels  that 
our  children  are  being  virtually  trained  to  over-indul- 
gence ;  the  foundation  of  many  a  career  of  intemperance 
has  been  laid  in  the  unrestrained  use  of  harmless  things 
indulged  in  until  it  amounted  to  a  weakening  of  the  child's 
moral  fibre.  Then,  too,  the  use  of  drugs  has  increased 
and  so  many  deaths  are  caused  by  the  poisonous  substi- 
tutes of  the  boot-legger,  that  the  moderate  man  is  justi- 
fied in  doubting  whether  we  have  yet  reached  the  best 
possible  solution  of  this  difficult  question. 

The  visit  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  has  been  made  happy 
and  memorable  by  his  rare  personality,  wonderful  tact 
and  simplicity  of  spirit.  None  who  saw  him  could  fail 
to  be  touched  by  his  courtesy,  his  modesty — nor  could  one 
but  mark  his  quiet  resolution  in  the  fulfilment  of  duty — 
many  of  the  functions  must  have  been  irksome  to  one  of 
his  ardent  temperament,  but  to  each  he  gave  with  pains- 
taking care  part  of  himself  and  made  it  memorable.  Let 
us  hope  that  the  love  and  affection  he  aroused,  the  thrill 
of  pride  in  our  great  Empire  he  seemed  to  represent  will 
never  die  down.  The  brigtht  buoyant  youth,  who  touched 
all  hearts,  has  a  hard  task  before  him — a  task  only  to  be 
lightened  or  fulfilled  by  the  loyal  co-operation  of  all  his 
subjects.  In  the  coming  years  of  his  kingship  may  it  be 
ever  his! 

In  our  own  Society  we  should  try  to  increase  the  know- 
ledge of  history  and  our  pride  in  it.  The  need  for  true 
patriotism  is  great ;  also  I  think  that  we  should  earnestly 
pursue  our  work  for  soldiers — those  broken  men  who 
gave  up  health  and  strength  which  brighten  life,  for  our 
sake  and  in  humanity's  cause. 


Secretary's  Report 

During  the  past  year  the  historical  and  literary  papers 
and  readings  have  been  of  a  very  high  order. 

At  our  annual  meeting  in  November  Miss  Josephine 
MacCallum  gave  an  account  of  the  opening  of  "The  Tem- 
ple of  Peace"  at  Sharon,  by  the  York  Pioneers,  in  Sep- 
tember. 

December— "Heligoland,"  by  Prof.  H.  T.  F.  Duck- 
worth, of  Trinity  College.  Reprinted  as  part  of  Trans- 
action 17. 

January — "Land  Grants  in  Upper  Canada,"  by  Prof. 
A.  H.  Young,  of  Trinity  College. 

February — "Fort  Garry  in  the  Seventies,"  by  the  late 
W.  J.  Morris ;  read  by  Miss  Mickle. 

March — "Canadian  Poets,"  with  selections,  by  Prof. 
Pelham  Edgar. 

April— "Slave  Days  in  Canada,"  by  Mrs.  W.  T.  Hallam. 
This  was  later  printed  by  the  Canadian  Churchman,  and 
issued  through  Mrs.  Hallam's  kindness,  as  an  occasional 
paper  by  the  W.  C.  H.  S.,  the  first,  we  hope,  of  a  series. 

October — "David  Willson  and  the  Temple  of  Peace  at 
Sharon,"  by  Prof.  J.  Squair,  of  Toronto  University. 
Patriotic  selections  read  by  Mrs.  Frank  Halbus  were 
much  enjoyed  at  this  meeting. 

At  the  end  of  May  about  fifty-four  members  visited 
the  "Temple  of  Peace"  at  Sharon,  and  we  hope  this  may 
be  the  first  of  a  series  of  historical  expeditions. 
Places  of  interest  on  Yonge  Street  were  pointed  out 
by  the  President  who  had  prepared  some  "Notes  by  the 
Way."  A  halt  was  made  at  Thornhill  to  see  the  quaint, 
historic  church  over  which  we  were  shown  by  the  Rector, 
and  to  visit  the  grave  of  Colonel  Moodie,  of  Richmond 
Hill,  who  was  killed  near  Montgomery's  Tavern  in  1837 
while  on  the  way  to  Toronto  to  warn  the  authorities  of 
the  rebellion.  At  the  Temple — a  unique  and  interesting 
structure — a  short  address  on  David  Willson  was  given 
by  Prof.  Squair. 

The  Society  has  begun  a  book  for  the  collection  of  his- 
torical pictures,  and  already  we  have  some  valuable 

5 


photographs.     Another  book  is  kept  for  collecting  war 
post  cards. 

During  the  year  we  have  lost  the  following :  Mrs.  Gal- 
braith,  a  valued  member  who  helped  in  our  Red  Cross 
work;  Mrs.  Stratford,  a  foundation  member,  who,  though 
latterly  unable  to  attend,  to  the  last  generously  supported 
our  patriotic  work;  Miss  E.  K.  Sibbald,  who  contributed 
a  paper,  "Notes  on  Georgina  Township,"  to  Transaction 
16;  Miss  B.  McLean  Howard  and  Mrs.  Primrose,  inter- 
ested members  for  many  years,  and  Miss  A.  Sanderson, 
who  was  very  active  in  our  patriotic  work.  All  will  be 
missed,  and  to  their  loved  ones  we  tender  deepest  sym- 
pathy in  their  loss. 

Nor  can  we  forget  one  whom  we  have  been  proud  to 
claim  as  a  member,  that  devoted  Red  Cross  worker,  Mrs. 
Stearns-Hicks,  who,  in  very  truth,  laid  down  her  life  for 
the  cause.  Many  press  notices  and  a  memorial  service  at 
St.  Paul's  Church  attested  the  widespread  appreciation  of 
her  unselfish  service,  and  grief  for  her  loss;  and  for  us 
it  is  pleasant  to  remember  that  she  never  forgot  the 
Society.  Though  far  too  busy  to  attend,  once  she  left  her 
onerous  duties  to  address  us ;  and  several  gifts  to  help  on 
the  work,  showed  that  her  interest  remained  with  us.  She 
died  leaving  a  noble  example,  on  February  24th,  1919. 

We  welcome  the  following  new  members :  Mrs.  Walter 
Evans,  Miss  E.  F.  Currie,  Mrs.  Hills,  Mrs.  Bligh,  Mrs. 
Neill  Sinclair,  Mrs.  Neelands,  Miss  M.  Armour,  Mrs.  F. 
S.  Jamieson,  Mrs.  Leadbetter,  Mrs.  John  Garvin,  Mrs. 
Thornloe,  Mrs.  Sweatman,  Miss  Helen  Perkins,  Mrs.  A. 
F.  Moore,  Mrs.  Van  der  Smissen. 

The  new  honorary  members  are:  Prof.  G.  M.  Wrong 
and  Prof.  H.  T.  F.  Duckworth. 

Exchanges: — Ottawa  Historical  Society,  Landmark 
Association,  Ontario  Historical  Society,  Waterloo  Histor- 
ical Society,  Essex  Historical  Society,  True  stories  of  the 
North-west  Mounted  Police  by  Hon.  W.  R.  Riddell, 
York  Pioneer  Association,  Smithsonian  Institute,  Library 
of  Congress,  Washington,  Washington  Quarterly,  Seat- 
tle, Minnesota  Historical  Society. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

LUELLA  CORLEY,  Cor.  Secretary. 
6 


Report  of  the  Red  Cross  Committee 

Although  the  Armistice  was  in  force  when  the  annual 
meeting  was  held,  it  was  decided  that  the  committee 
which  had  done  such  good  work  during  the  war  should 
continue  its  efforts  by  devoting  its  energies  to  the  re- 
turned soldiers  in  hospital  in  Ontario.  In  all  1,412  arti- 
cles have  been  sent  to  the  Soldiers'  Comforts  Headquar- 
ters. In  December  a  Christmas  shower  was  held  at 
which  gifts  of  games,  books,  house-slippers,  caps,  etc, 
furnished  presents  for  185  tubercular  soldiers  at  the 
Mountain  Sanatorium  at  Hamilton.  Gifts  of  money  were 
sent  to  the  Dover  patrol,  $25.00;  to  Serbian  Relief,  $8.00 
(per  cheque  from  Treasurer,  $5.00,  per  convenor,  $3.00), 
and  to  the  Indian  Famine  Fund,  $12.00. 

In  November  a  bridge  and  tea  dance  was  held  in  the 
rooms  of  the  Woman's  Art  Association,  at  which  nearly 
two  hundred  dollars  were  realized.  This,  with  the  small 
sums  made  each  month  by  afternoon  tea,  will  be  devoted 
to  Braille  books  for  blind  soldiers,  to  gifts  for  tubercular 
soldiers,  and  to  repaying  the  small  debt  still  owing  The 
Queen  Victoria  Memorial  Fund. 

At  the  December  meeting  a  Life  Membership  in  the 
Red  Cross  Society  was  presented  to  your  convenor,  "as  a 
slight  acknowledgment  of  zeal  and  perseverance  shown  in 
furthering  the  work  of  the  committee." 

The  personal  work  of  visiting  the  soldiers  in  hospital 
has  been  most  efficiently  done  by  Mrs.  Edgar  Jarvis  who 
has  taken  fruit,  cake,  fresh  eggs,  much  of  which  was  sup- 
plied to  her  by  the  Clarkson,  Lome  Park  Branch  of  the 
Women's  Institutes,  also  books  and  magazines  in  large 
numbers,  to  the  ward  allotted  to  us  by  the  Red  Cross 
Society. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

ELIZABETH  R.  EATON. 


Treasurer's  Report 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT. 
RECEIPTS. 

Balance  in  Bank,  Nov.,  1918 $101.46 

Fees    „ 54.00 

Receipts  of  Sharon  Ex 85.25 

Ontario  Government  Grant 100.00 

Bank  Interest  1.20 

Total    $341.91 

EXPENDITURE. 

Sherbourne  Club  Fees  $15.00 

Local  Council  Fees 2.00 

Printing  124.15 

Advertising  3.96 

Postage  : 5.00 

Sharon  Ex - 51.00 

Flowers    12.00 

Refreshments    ~ - 10.50 

Total  .  $223.61 


Balance  Nov.,  1919  $118.30 

1    THE  QUEEN  VICTORIA  MEMORIAL  FUND. 

"R  TTf  TfTPT1^ 

Cash  in  Bank,  Nov.,  1918 .". $433.72 

Int.  of  Canada  Permament  Debenture 250.00 

Interest  on  War  Loans  _ -..    52.50 

Bank  Interest  - 5.74 

Sale  of  Trans — .         90 

Total  i $742.86 

EXPENDITURE. 

Final  Payment  1918  War  Loan $452.40 

First  Paymen  1919  War  Loan 30.00 

Total  $482.40 

Balance $260.46 

8 


SECURITIES. 
Canada  Permanent  $5,000.00 

1917  War  Loan  „ 500.00 

1918  War  Loan  500.00 

1919  War  Loan  _     _        300.00 

$6,300.00 


Total  cash  and  securities $6,560.46 

RED  CROSS  ACCOUNT. 

Balance  in  Bank,  Nov.,  1918 $51.84 

Donations  _ 98.75 

Teas  and  Sales  237.07 

Bank  Interest  5.80 

Total  $403.46 

T    •*•  w  v'*    "*•  v 

EXPENDITURE. 

Donations $42.00 

Red  Cross  Supplies  .. 55.52 

Red  Cross  Life  Membership 25.00 

Rent  of  W.  A.  As 25.00 

Music    8.00 

Tea  Supplies  and  Service ...    18.85 

Printing  and  Advertising ....     12.25 

Postage  .60 

187.22 


Balance  Nov.,  1919  216.24 

HOPE  H.  DUCKWORTH, 

Honorary  Treasurer. 

Audited  and  found  correct, 

SYDNEY  JONES,  Bursar, 

Trinity  College. 


DEEDS  SPEAK 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION  NO.  1 8 


CONTENTS 

Fort  Garry  in  the  Seventies 
by  the  late  William  J.  Morris 

The  Boulton  Letters 

Letters  of  the  Rev.  William  Boulton,  Mafter  of  U.  C.  C., 
to  His  Wife,  1833-34 


1918-1919 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

This  paper  casts  some  light  on  a  formative  and  crucial 
period  in  the  history  of  the  West  and  of  Canada.  To 
understand  conditions  we  must  go  back  some  years.  Can- 

?£L  ™  pasleud  throu£h  the  Fenian  disturbances  (from 
iSbb-71)  and  became  a  Dominion  in  1867.    When  the  H 
B.  C.  charter  expired  in  1869  Canada  gained  2,300,000 
square  miles— a  mixed  population  of  10,000  and  had  to 
administer  it  hundreds  of  miles  away;  her  total  revenue 
being  about  twenty  and  three-quarter  millions. 
In  the  new  province  was  great  unrest  caused  partly  by 

^^SJ^1*1*  to  the  south  that  had  extended  over  years 
In  1862  there  was  a  Sioux  war,  with  attendant  massacres 
in  Minn.,  Iowa  and  Dakota,  and  many  of  the  bands  and 
chiefs  took  refuge  across  the  line.  In  1866  the  Indians 
refused  to  concede  a  wagon  road  to  Montana,  and  the 
massacre  of  Fetterman's  party  began  a  war  which  lasted 
12  years  In  1872  there  was  trouble  with  the  Modoc  In- 
dians in  Oregon;  and  in  1876  occurred  the  war  with  Sit- 
ting Bull,  the  Custer  massacre  and  flight  of  the  Sioux  into 
Canada. 

These  were  troubles  from  without;  nor  were  internal 
difficulties  lacking.  The  Indians  were  disturbed  at  the 
change  from  H.  B.  Company  to  Canadian  rule;  England 
they  trusted,  H.  B.  C.  they  knew— Canada  far  away  was 
an  unknown  quantity.  The  Provisional  Government  had 
perplexed,  and  the  Kiel  Rebellion  affected  them.  Ameri- 
can traders  poured  into  the  land  freighted  with  fire- 
water and  impoverished  the  tribes.  Settlers  coming  in 
and  squatting  on  their  hunting  grounds  and  surveying 
parties  often  aggressive,  passing  through  worked  upon 
their  fears.  Uneasy  they  were  and  turbulence  threat- 
ened. To  govern  and  protect  them  and  gain  their  friend- 
ship was  most  necessary,  the  more  so  as  the  country 
must  fulfil  its  pledge  and  build  the  C.  P.  R. 

One  of  the  first  steps  in  governing  was:  In  1871 
liquor  was  prohibited  to  the  Indians;  in  the  same  year 
telegraphic  communication  was  opened— the  dreaded 
speaking  wire"  of  the  Indian,  and  in  1873  Governor  Mor- 
ris arrived,  his  great  task  being  to  gain  the  confidence  of 
tne  Indians  and  to  influence  them  to  give  up  their  title  to 
the  land.  This  he  did  by  treaties,  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant of  which  was  the  famous  North-west  Angle  Treaty. 

13 


Old  Fort  Garry  in  the  Seventies. 

BY  THE  LATE  WILLIAM   JOHN  MORRIS*. 

Many  years  ago,  the  writer  then  living  in  Eastern  On- 
tario, decided  to  pay  a  visit  to  Fort  Garry  (now  Winni- 
peg) where  a  near  relation  was  Lieut.-Governor  of  the 
Province  of  Manitoba.  The  only  route  at  that  time  was 
through  the  United  States,  by  way  of  Detroit,  Chicago 
and  St.  Paul.  It  was  late  in  the  year,  the  early  part  of 
December  when  I  started,  and,  of  course,  the  whole  land 
was  in  the  grip  of  frost; 'but  I  was  surprised  after  we 
had  crossed  the  Mississippi  into  Minnesota,  to  see  what 
a  slight  depth  of  snow  was  on  the  ground.  It  was  Satur- 
day afternoon  when  we  reached  St.  Paul,  that  fast-grow- 
ing city,  which  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  high  banks 
of  the  Mississippi.  So  putting  up  at  the  Merchants 
Hotel,  I  waited  till  Monday  for  the  one  daily  tram  that 
would  take  me  on  to  Moorhead,  on  the  Red  River,  which 
point  was  to  see  the  beginning  of  my  long  stage  drive  of 
about  four-  hundred  miles  to  Fort  Garry. 

Sunday  opened  fine  and  clear,  so  I  took  a  walk  of  a  tew 
miles  across  the  prairie  to  Minneapolis,  seeing  the  great 
flour  mills  built  at  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony,  the  beginning 
of  the  gigantic  mills  and  elevators  which  now  almost  shut 
the  grand  falls  out  of  sight.  My  walk  in  the  sharp  keen 
air  was  much  preferable  to  the  coarse  conversation  in  the 
Hotel,  carried  on  by  a  lot  of  Western  men,  of  a  stamp  I 
had  never  before  met,  for  this  was  but  shortly  after  the 
suppression  of  the  Sioux  uprising  and  the  terrible  massa- 
cre of  the  whites  in  Minnesota,  and  the  whole  conversa- 
tion of  these  gentry  consisted  in  blood-curdling  yarns 
and  boasts  of  how  many  redskins  each  individual  had 
himself  "wiped  out."  It  was  easy  enough  to  see  that  most 
of  this  talk  was  nothing  but  windy  boasting,  at  the  same 
time  it  was  not  pleasant  to  hear. 

14 


In  the  morning  I  took  train  on  the  Northern  Pacific 
and  for  many  a  weary  mile  travelled  a  most  desolate  re- 
gion, which  seemed  to  be  entirely  composed  of  shallow 

wrMi  d£rk  tauma,rac  and  cedar  swamPs  with  a 
wretched-looking  shack  at  rare  intervals;  though  one  of 
them  amused  me  not  a  little,  as  on  a  board  was  plinted  up 

1  ™,nme  ?"*,P^  J^  city  in  «uestion  consisting  of 
a  couple  of  small  shacks  and  cow  stables,  with  a  small 
wayside  passenger  station.  At  last,  towards  evening 

X.'SSS  S°T»  Situa^on  *e  right  or  Ell 
sota  side  of  the  Red  River,  which  I  now  saw  for  the  first 
Jme.  Its  high  banks  on  each  side  are  clothed  thickly 
with  red  willows  which  has  given  the  river  its  name,  for 
in  all  its  very  tortuous  course  it  is  the  same,  the  red  wil- 
banlcs'  and  higher  UP  and  extending 

f  ash 


M°™ehead>  I  sota  fairly  comfortable  meal  and  a 

t  HH  /tr'  *K  yJTh  I  was  only  to°  *lad  to  re«re  to 
get  rid  of  the  ribald  language  and  loud  boasting  of  the 
Westerners  In  addition  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  greater 
&?  °VhT  prele,nt'  and  there  co"ld  not  have  been 
"th™tn  ^Wentj^  ?.r  thlrty>  were  Professional  gamblers, 
three-card-monte"  men,  and  I  confess  to  having  been 

St™^  th     r  col?Panyias  if  one  were  to  believe  their 
statement^  they  would  just  as  soon  as  not  use  pistol  or 
knife  if  offended,  and  I  fear  this  was  to  a  great  extent 
true    At  all  events,  I  slipped  off  to  bed,  and  was  caHedTn 
good  time  in  the  morning  to  a  hasty  breakfast,  and  told 
S\  nffvWf\aKth,e-drr-    .Tt,was  a  ramshackle  affair 
floor  £S          M  Sl614S'  Wlth  some  str*w  laid  on  the 
nnlvV^      £  °ld  near1^  wom-out  buffalo  skin  for  the 
only  robe.    For  companion  I  found  an  American  soldier, 
a  decent  fellow   returning  to  his  company  at  Pembina 
fciS*  b,fn  le?.£h™d  to  collect  material  they  had 
S  hi,  h  CHaSeTf    S^ting  Bul1'"  the  great  Sioux  Chief 
fiv  t  *    Jffc     Tj}e,  ??er  occuPant  from  his  dress  I  at 
h^     v  t6  *  ^'^reef.'  ;  he  wore  moccasins,  leather 
hunting  shirt,  and  a  fox  skin  wound  round  his  head  by 
££££  T  fc  ^at  ?urPrised  me,  however,  was  the  ex- 
cellent English  he  spoke,  and  after  a  time  I  found  he  had 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Classics.    I  noticed  that  our 
driver  carried  a  heavy  pair  of  Colt  revolvers,  and  beside 


15 


him  was  seated  a  guard  similarly  armed,  who  had  also  a 
repeating  rifle.  These  I  was  told  were  for  use  in  case  of 
meeting  any  wandering  Indians,  which  surprised  me,  as 
when  I  could  see  out  between  the  flapping  of  the  canvas 
sides  of  the  stage,  nothing  was  visible  but  the  white 
boundless  prairie,  without  sign  of  life,  and  every  now 
and  then  the  dark  outline  of  the  river-bank  with  its  wil- 
lows and  trees.  However,  I  soon  began  to  feel  my  feet 
on  which  I  foolishly  wore  boots  instead  of  moccasins, 
getting  cold,  when  my  companions  kindly  made  me  get 
in  the  middle,  and  we  lay  full  length  on  the  straw,  with 
the  old  buffalo  hide  spread  over  us.  Thus  we  went  on  day 
and  night,  but  after  a  few  miles  crossed  the  Red  River  on 
the  ice,  scrambled  up  the  bank  and  found  ourselves  on 
the  high  plains  of  Dacotah.  Here  there  appeared  to  be 
still  less  snow,  and  every  short  space  we  could  see  the 
rich  black  soil,  the  blackest  I  had  ever  seen,  where  the 
wind  had  swept  away  the  snow;  this  was  the  genuine 
wheat-producer,  whence  millions  of  bushels  have  come. 
Now  and  then  we  came  to  a  half-breed's  shack,  where 
horses  were  exchanged,  and  sometimes  we  were  told  to 
go  in  and  get  our  dinner  or  supper.  These  I  shirked  as 
much  as  possible  after  my  first  meal  which  consisted  of 
"Pemmican"  not  of  the  best,  and  plentifully  besprinkled 
with  hair,  besides  smelling  very  strong;  so  that  a  very 
little  went  a  long  way. 

As  we  journeyed  onward  I  found  my  educated  com- 
panion was  inclined  to  be  talkative.  He  informed  me  he 
was  called  "Farmer  Brown,"  which  I  afterwards  found 
was  well  known  over  a  great  part  of  the  North-west,  as 
designating  one  of  the  most  unprincipled,  cold-blooded 
rascals,  who  was  more  than  suspected  of  having  taken 
human  life;  but  this  seemed  to  be  less  thought  of  than 
his  clever  swindle  at  "three  card  monte."  All  this  I  did 
not  learn  till  afterwards,  but  in  the  meantime  he  in- 
formed me  he  Had  taken  his  degree  at  Oxford,  been  edu- 
cated for  the  army  and  had  gone  to  Mexico  with  Max- 
milian  as  aide-de-camp,  and  on  the  downfall  of  that 
empire  had  drifted  all  along  the  Pacific  coast,  away  up 
through  Behring  Sea.  He  also  told  me  of  many  adventures 
which  may  or  may  not  have  been  true.  He  boasted  of 
how  many  Greasers,  as  he  called  the  Mexicans,  and  In- 
dians he  had  "wiped  out" ;  winding  up  with  a  cold-blooded 

16 


story  of  one  occasion  when,  with  some  companions,  he 
wished  to  try  a  new  rifle,  and  took  sight  at  long  range  on 
the  head  of  a  poor  squaw  who  was  getting  water  from 
a  creek,  killing  her  instantly,  and  then  he  and  his  party 
having  to  fly  for  their  lives  from  the  enraged  Indians. 
All  this  style  of  talk  made  one  feel  very  uncomfortable, 
especially  as  the  soldier  every  now  and  then  gave  me  a 
quiet  nudge  with  his  elbow,  warning  me  to  be  on  my 
guard  when  "Farmer  Brown"  began  to  question  me  as 
to  my  business  at  Fort  Garry.  "Did  I  know  many  there  ?" 
"Who  were  they?"  as  he  was  well  acquainted  round  there. 
I  informed  him  I  had  never  been  to  Fort  Garry,  and  that 
I  had  never  before  seen  a  prairie ;  I  took  very  good  care 
to  not  to  tell  him  I  expected  to  stay  at  Government  House. 

Finding  me  rather  reticient,  and  on  the  plea  of  trying 
to  get  warm,  he  then  produced  a  bottle  of  Hennesey's 
brandy,  of  which  I  was  glad  to  take  a  small  sup  to  start 
the  circulation,  but  on  his  again  and  again  urging  it  on 
me,  and  each  time  getting  a  warning  nudge  from  the 
soldier,  I  tried  to  sham  sleep,  but  without  avail.  The 
attempts  to  find  out  who  I  was  and  what  my  business, 
went  on  till  I  was  tired,  and  so  was  he;  when  he  would 
return  to  his  blood-curdling  stories.  Finally,  writing  on 
a  scrap  of  paper  a  lot  of  names,  he  told  me  these  were 
persons  he  knew  at  Fort  Garry,  who  would  probably  be 
of  use  to  me.  I  of  course  thanked  him,  and  pulling  out 
my  watch  to  see  how  the  time  passed,  happened  to  catch 
his  eye  fixed  upon  it  in  a  way  I  did  not  like.  He  said 
nothing,  however,  but  in  a  short  time  called  to  the  driver 
to  stop,  as  this  was  his  shortest  way  home.  I  was  aston- 
ished, for  looking  out,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  the  flat 
white  prairie  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach ;  and  he  ex- 
plained that  he  had  only  twelve  miles  to  walk  to  his  win- 
ter home,  which  he  had  established  pro  tern,  at  a  point  on 
Red  Lake  River  where  a  railway  was  just  about  being 
completed. 

As  soon  as  he  was  gone  the  soldier  told  me  what  little 
was  known  about  the  fellow — a  thoroughbred  scoundrel 
who  could  not  return  to  Minnesota  as  there  were  war- 
rants out  against  him  for  homicide,  and  lesser  crimes. 
He  warned  me  I  had  better  find  out  carefully  who  the 
parties  were  whose  addresses  he  had  given  me,  for  they 
might  be  as  bad  as  himself. 

17 


Another  day,  or  a  night  and  part  of  a  day  passed,  and 
we  reached  Pembina,  a  large  square  white-walled  fort, 
garrisoned  by  American  troops,  situated  on  the  banks  of 
the  Red  River.  Here  I  was  sorry  to  part  with  my  soldier 
companion,  and  after  an  hour's  stop,  dinner  and  change 
of  horses,  a  look  around,  we  once  more  started  on  the 
final  sixty  miles  which  ended  at  Fort  Garry. 

Crossing  in  a  few  miles  the  International  Boun- 
dary Line  at  the  village  of  Emerson,  late  that 
night  in  the  cold,  clear  midnight  I  was  deposited 
at  the  gate  of  Fort  Garry.  The  fort  I  found 
was  a  large  enclosure  of  stone  wall,  perhaps 
twenty  feet  high,  and  inside  the  gate  two  brass  field 
pieces  faced  it.  Further  back  was  Government  House,  a 
large  two  storey  building  of  solid  oak  logs,  clapboarded 
and  painted  white.  This  was  the  residence  of  the  Lieut.- 
Governor,  and  not  very  long  before  had  been  the  head- 
quarters of  the  rebel  chief  Louis  Kiel.  Behind  the  main 
building  were  a  number  of  smaller  buildings,  used  now  as 
servants'  quarters,  which  had  been  in  former  times  store- 
houses, etc.,  for  the  H.  B.  Company,  whose  chief  factor 
had  resided  here.  At  last,  arrived  and  welcomed,  after  a 
good  night's  rest  and  comfortable  breakfast,  I  went  out 
with  the  Governor  to  have  a  look  over  the  surroundings. 
Going  out  of  the  gate  of  Fort  Garry,  which  I  am  told  is 
now  the  only  portion  of  the  old  Fort  left  standing,  I  found 
there  was  a  great  stretch  of  open  prairie  before  the  first 
building,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  store  was  reached; 
and  then,  with  many  gaps,  the  stores  and  houses,  includ- 
ing the  Legislative  Halls  which  were  solidly  built  of  oak 
logs,  made  up  the  then  village  on  both  sides  of  the  main 
street,  which  seemed  to  be  about  150  feet  in  width,  with 
one  other  street  less  built  on,  reaching  out  to  the  west 
over  the  prairie;  while  quite  a  number  of  cottage  resi- 
dences had  been  erected  on  the  bank  of  the  Assiniboine, 
which  falls  into  the  Red  River,  immediately  to  the  south 
of  the  old  fort.  I  was  much  interested  in  my  stroll  over 
this  then  new  prairie  village,  destined  in  a  few  years  to 
be  the  great  city  of  Winnipeg  with  a  population  of  nearly 
100,000  and  growing  by  leaps  and  bounds.  I  was  much 
amused  by  the  Provincial  Treasurer,  to  whom  I  was  intro- 
duced, telling  me,  that  for  want  of  a  better  place,  he  kept 
the  funds  of  the  Province  in  a  valise,  under  his  bed ! 

18 


I  also  began  to  realize  for  the  first  time  the  extent  of 
our  then  newly  acquired  possessions  in  the  North-west 
on  meeting  an  old  friend,  who  informed  me  he  was  next 
day  starting  with  a  dozen  or  so  Red  River  carts,  on  a  trad- 
ing expedition  to  Edmonton,  and  would  be  glad  to  meet 
me  on  his  return.  I  asked,  "How  long  will  you  be  away?" 
"Well,"  he  said,  "it  is  a  good  long  step,  but  I  hope  to  be 
back  by  the  middle  of  June."  "June,"  I  exclaimed !  "Why, 
how  far  is  it?"  "Almost  nine  hundred  miles"  was  the 
reply.  Remember,  that  at  that  time  no  railways  trav- 
ersed the  land,  and  the  only  means  of  transport  was 
either  by  dog-train  in  winter,  or  the  famous  Red  River 
ox-cart  in  summer. 

I  hardly  know  how  to  describe  this  vehicle,  in  no  part 
of  which  was  there  a  particle  of  iron,  all  wood,  with  great 
high  wheels,  the  tires  of  which  were  made  of  raw-hide  put 
on  wet,  and  then  shrunken  as  they  dried,  and  as  no  grease 
was  ever  applied  to  the  axle,  the  screams  and  groans  of 
this  last  were  easily  heard  a  couple  of  miles  away.  Each 
cart  was  drawn  by  one  ox  harnessed  like  a  horse,  with 
Flemish  harness. 

Another  object  of  interest  during  the  start  was  a 
number  of  dog  teams,  some  of  them  harnessed  to  heavily 
loaded  toboggans,  and  a  few  attached  to  handsomely  fin- 
ished carioles  with  sides  of  parchment,  while  all  the  dog 
harness  was  ornamented  with  numerous  small  bells,  and 
bright  colored  bead  work  in  Indian  half-breed  fashion, 
while  the  drivers  were  all  costumed  in  hunting  shirts  of 
moccasin  leather,  heavily  fringed  around  the  neck  and 
along  the  arms,  and  often  beautifully  embroidered  in  the 
front,  with  either  moose  hair,  or  porcupine  quills,  while 
they  too  also  wore  finely  worked  leggings  and  moccasins, 
but  their  garters  to  hold  up  their  leggings  seemed  to 
have  exhausted  the  taste  and  designs  of  the  squaws  in 
the  elaborate  ornamentation  and  vivid  colors  with  which 
they  were  adorned.  It  all  formed  a  scene  not  easily  to  be 
forgotten. 

Returning  to  Government  House,  after  a  pleasant 
lunch,  I  again  sauntered  out  with  the  Private  Secretary, 
and  telling  him  of  my  stage  companion,  Farmer  Brown, 
he  laughed  heartily,  and  told  me  I  had  got  off  well,  as  he 
was  noted  as  the  biggest  rascal  in  the  West.  I  then 
showed  the  list  of  names  the  fellow  had  given  me,  to  be 

19 


told  that  "he  did  not  think  there  was  a  gambling  house 
or  place  of  ill-repute  omitted,"  and  there  were  plenty  of 
them  even  at  that  time. 

A  few  days  amid  these  novel  surroundings,  then  I  was 
told  that  the  Government  had  notice  of  a  lot  of  whiskey 
smugglers  crossing  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  from  Minne- 
sota to  the  North-west  Angle,  and  also  that  it  was  im- 
portant to  try  and  prevent  the  Indians  coming  in  contact 
with  the  Icelanders,  settled  near  Lake  Winnipeg,  as 
smallpox  was  very  prevalent.  I  was  asked  if  I  would  act 
as  leader  of  a  small  party  to  suppress  the  one  and  warn 
the  Indians  of  the  danger  of  infection.  The  offer  I  ac- 
cepted, being  desirous  of  seeing  as  much  as  possible  of 
the  country,  and  also  having  some  knowledge  of  the 
O  jib  way  language. 

We  at  once  began  our  preparations  and  were  to  start 
the  following  day,  but  suddenly  a  furious  blizzard,  the 
only  one  I  ever  saw,  sprang  up,  raising  the  fine  dry  snow 
in  dense  ciouds,  and  in  places  heaping  up  great  drifts; 
while  in  other  parts  the  ground  was  swept  bare.  This 
storm  caused  a  change  in  the  plans,  as  all  trails  were 
obliterated,  and  1  was  detained  three  days ;  then,  with  a 
good  stout  team  of  four  hauling  dogs  and  a  large  tobog- 
gan, loaded  with  our  supplies  and  accompanied  by  two 
constables,  a  start  was  made,  and  crossing  the  ice  of  Red 
River  to  St.  Boniface  we  struck  out  to  the  prairies,  hop- 
ing to  reach  Brokenhead  River  about  fiifteen  miles  dis- 
tant, where  we  knew  there  was  a  Government  shanty, 
but  "the  best  laid  schemes  of  mice  and  men  gang  aft 
aglee,"  and  as  there  was  no  trail,  we  were  soon  lost.  I 
had  to  camp  without  supper  or  shelter,  first  taking  care 
to  see  the  dogs  had  their  food.  Then  spreading  our 
blankets  and  robes  on  the  snow,  each  man  made  himself 
as  comfortable  as  he  could,  and  lay  down  to  sleep. 

In  the  early  morning,  having  no  fuel  to  make  a  fire, 
the  dogs  were  once  more  put  in  harness,  and  we  pushed 
on,  till  at  length  we  saw  in  the  distance  a  line  of  trees 
marking  the  eastern  limits  of  the  prairie,  on  reaching 
which  we  were  able  to  boil  our  kettle  of  tea,  fry  our 
bacon,  and  then  push  on  once  more;  now  through  a 
wooded  country.  One  more  night  we  camped  on  the 
snow,  but  with  the  advantage  of  plenty  of  fuel.  Sleep 
was,  however,  difficult,  as  several  times  during  the  night 

20 


a  white  Toygany  Wolf,  that  had  been  attracted  by  the 
smell  of  our  cooking,  came  prowling  round,  only  to  be 
chased  away  by  the  dogs. 

Late  next  afternoon  we  reached  Whitemouth  River, 
where  I  proposed  to  stop  for  a  few  days.  This  was  a 
Government  shanty  occupied  by  a  Norwegian  named 
Nord,  and  his  family,  who  had  the  privilege  of  accommo- 
dating the  few  passers-by,  allowing  them  the  privilege  of 
spreading  their  blankets  on  the  floor  beside  the  cook 
stove. 

We  made  ourselves  as  much  at  home  as  possible,  had 
supper  and  lay  down  to  sleep,  but  a  curious  thing  hap- 
pened which  deprived  me  of  much-needed  rest.  Hardly 
had  I  lain  down  when  some  creature  ran  across  my  fore- 
head, and  back  again,  several  time  a  minute,  with  all  the 
regularity  of  the  swing  of  a  pendulum.  This  went  on  all 
night,  and  in  the  morning  we  found  the  explanation.  I 
had  hung  up  my  moccasins  to  dry  and  now  found  both  of 
them  full  of  wheat,  and  so  was  the  ash  pan  of  the  stove. 
It  turned  out  that  Nord  had  laid  in  a  little  wheat  for  seed, 
and  this  had  been  discovered  by  a  pair  of  tiny  white- 
footed  mice  of  the  north,  and  they  had  been  hard  at  work 
all  night  storing  this  away  for  future  use;  and  as  my 
head  happened  to  lie  in  their  line  of  travel  this  was  the 
cause  of  my  discomforture. 

Next  day  Nord  took  us  out  to  show  his  mode  of  catch- 
ing fish,  of  which  he  had  a  large  supply,  chiefly  small 
pike,  to  sell  for  dog  food.  His  plan  was  a  very  ingeni- 
ous sort  of  weir,  made  with  evergreen  branches  in  the 
old  Norwegian  style. 

Days  passed  by,  and  Christmas  arrived,  Nord  prepar- 
ing a  small  Christmas  tree  for  his  children,  hanging  on  it 
a  few  small  paper  bags  each  holding  two  or  three  raisins 
and  some  small  toys,  supplies  specially  obtained  in  Fort 
Garry.  Towards  evening  he  gave  each  of  the  young- 
sters his  share,  and  then  gravely  handed  each  of  my  party 
three  raisins,  accompanied  with  good  wishes,  at  least  we 
suppose  so,  as  he  spoke  in  Norwegian.  Just  then  one  of 
the  men  remembered  he  had  some  peppermints  and  bulls- 
eyes  in  his  dunnage,  and  these  to  their  great  delight  were 
given  to  the  children.  Supper,  tea  and  pemmican,  was 
then  in  order,  and  we  had  barely  finished  when  ttie  dis- 
tant musical  sound  of  dog  bells  announced  a  new  arrival. 

21 


Arrived  at  White  Birch  River,  about  fifteen  miles  fur- 
ther on,  we  found  the  shanty  occupied  by  two  young  fel- 
lows from  Ontario,  trading  with  the  Indians  and  doing 
fairly  well.  They  made  us  welcome  and  gave  us  a  good 
dinner  of  caribou,  which  was  a  welcome  change  from 
pemmican.  Here  we  remained  three  days  in  order  to 
rest  our  dogs,  which  were  footsore,  and  required  to  be 
provided  with  "boots,"  as  the  crust  on  the  snow  had  cut 
their  feet.  Time  being  up  we  made  a  fresh  start,  this 
time  for  the  noted  North-west  Angle,  distant  about 
twenty  miles ;  passing  still  through  a  region  of  dark  ever- 
green woods,  and  at  length  reached  our  destination,  and 
saw  only  one  or  two  Indian  wigwams,  and  the  H.  B.  Com- 
pany's trading  post ;  nor  must  I  omit  an  iron  post,  prom- 
inent on  the  path  with  the  word  Canada  on  one  side,  and 
the  letters  U.  S.  on  the  other,  and  below  the  words 
"Treaty  of  1818,"  all  cast  in  the  metal ;  while  on  the  Am- 
erican side  stood  a  rather  large  tent,  which  was  the  tem- 
porary home  of  the  whiskey  traders. 

Having  reached  our  temporary  goal,  we  enquired  for 
an  empty  building  belonging  to  the  H.  B.  Company  which 
we  were  to  use  for  our  lodgings,  only  to  find  it  had  been 
burnt  down  a  few  days  before.  There  was  nothing  for 
it  but  to  choose  a  suitable  place  on  our  side  of  the  line, 
where  we  could  keep  an  eye  on  the  doings  of  the  tent- 
dwellers.  This  was  soon  found,  sheltered  from  the  wind 
by  a  cedar  clump,  as  we  had  no  tent,  and  collecting  a  lot 
of  branches  soon  had  our  blankets  spread,  and  a  good 
fire  going,  while  our  tea  was  preparing,  bacon  frying  and 
the  dogs  being  fed,  when  we  were  visited  by  the  H.  B. 
agent  and  several  Indians,  one  of  whom  was  conspicuous 
in  his  scarlet  treaty  coat,  decorated  with  lots  of  big  plated 
buttons,  and  whom  I  was  told  was  Powassan,  the  head 
chief  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  Indians,  and  who  was 
shortly  to  become  a  warm  friend  of  mine.  Having  en- 
quired who  I  was,  and  what  had  brought  us  there,  we 
explained  our  mission  and  warned  him  that  if  the  Indians 
had  any  dealings  with  the  whiskey  dealers,  who  were 
anxious  to  barter  their  goods  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar 
(a  martin  skin)  in  fur,  the  H.  B.  Company  would  not 
allow  them  "to  take  debt"  as  they  termed  getting  ad- 
vances before  going  off  to  the  hunt.  I  also  explained  the 
danger  of  coming  in  contact  with  smallpox,  or  "Ka  Moc- 

22 


casin"  as  they  called  it,  and  Powassan  promised  to  im- 
press it  on  his  people. 

By  this  time  quite  a  number  of  Indians  had  assembled, 
and  it  was  decided  to  have  a  business  smoke,  when  the 
whole  matter  could  be  discussed.  Therefore  I  produced 
some  good  tobacco,  and  Powassan  his  red  stone  pipe  and 
medicine  stem,  for  Powassan  was  not  only  a  chief,  but 
a  Medicine  Man.  The  pipe  being  filled  and  a  live  coal 
placed  on  the  tobacco,  he  put  it  to  his  lips  and  gave  one 
whiff  to  the  East,  West,  North  and  South,  and  then 
handed  it  to  me  to  repeat  the  performance,  when  it  went 
round  to  the  others;  after  which  ceremony,  that  was 
looked  upon  as  most  important,  we  went  over  the  whole 
matter,  the  Indians  agreeing  to  do  as  they  were  told, 
and  finally  leaving  us  to  a  much-needed  rest. 

A  couple  of  days  passed  during  which  I  called  on  the 
tent-dwellers,  and  warned  them  of  their  risk  if  found  on 
our  side  of  the  boundary  post.  They  were  very  civil  and 
asked  me  to  taste  their  liquor.  This  I  did,  though  it  never 
entered  my  mouth,  as  it  burnt  the  skin  off  my  lips. 
Asking  what  sort  of  stuff  it  was,  they  explained  that  in 
starting  out  they  had  fifty  half -gallon  kegs,  onejhalf  of 
which  were  filled  with  ordinary  whiskey,  and  to  save 
weight  the  others  empty,  till  they  arrived  where  we 
found  them ;  then  they  partially  filled  with  lake  water  and 
a  proportion  of  the  whiskey  from  the  full  kegs,  which 
also  got  their  addition  of  water ;  but  in  order  to  bring  the 
stuff  up  to  proper  strength,  some  tobacco  was  boiled  down 
and  the  liquor  added,  as  well  as  a  couple  of  pounds  of 
blue  vitriol,  which  you  can  fancy  made  a  delectable 
drink. 

Finding  after  a  short  time  that  they  could  do  no  busi- 
ness with  the  Indians,  the  tent  was  taken  down  and  its 
owners  quietly  departed  for  less  guarded  regions.  As 
we  had  no  means  of  tracing  these  fellows,  who  had  gone 
off  in  the  night,  my  most  active  constable  was  sent  with 
the  dogs  on  a  trip  among  the  many  islands  that  fill  the 
northern  end  of  the  lake.  It  is  likely  he  fell  in  with 
them,  though  we  never  knew,  as  while  his  trip  should 
have  taken  some  three  days,  five  elapsed,  when  I  heard 
the  missing  man  was  at  an  Indian  encampment  about  a 
mile  off  acting  strangely. 

Sending  for  him  he  soon  appeared,  and  on  my  asking 

23 


what  was  the  matter,  he  suddenly  drew  the  large  hunt- 
ing-knife he  carried  and  made  a  lunge  at  me,  but  was 
fortunately  knocked  down  by  the  other  man  in  time  to 
save  me;  then  he  went  into  a  fit  foaming  at  the  mouth 
and  convulsed. 

What  to  do  we  did  not  know,  but  thinking  the  Indians 
must  have  some  knowledge  of  medicine,  we  sent  for  aid, 
when  Powassan  and  a  couple  of  other  Medicine  Men 
appeared,  armed  with  their  rattles  and  drums,  and  began 
the  most  awful  row,  accompanied  by  yells  and  shrieks  to 
drive  out  the  "Wendigo"  or  Devil,  whom  they  thought  had 
taken  possession  of  my  unfortunate  man,  who  by  this 
time  had  been  securely  tied  both  hands  and  feet. 

It  was  evident  the  poor  fellow  had  had  a  Heavy  dose 
of  some  poison,  most  probably  from  the  whiskey  smug- 
glers. After  considerable  thought  it  was  decided  to  send 
him  to  jail,  the  only  place  available  at  Fort  Garry,  but 
how  to  do  it  was  the  question,  as  the  Indians  under  the 
impression  that  he  had  a  "Wendigo"  might  kill  him.  Just 
at  this  time  I  received  a  special  despatch  from  the  Gover- 
nor asking  me  to  carefully  investigate  a  case  reported  to 
him  by  the  H.  B.  Company  of  two  young  men  killing  their 
mother,  and  if  it  was  a  case  of  murder  to  arrest  them 
and  send  them  in,  but  to  be  careful  to  consult  the  chief 
and  leading  men  and  make  a  full  report.  This  happened 
most  opportunely,  so  sending  for  the  chief  and  head  men 
a  "Medicine  Smoke"  was  held,  and  it  was  stated  that  the 
old  squaw  who  had  been  killed  had  a  Wendigo,  i.e.,  peri- 
odical fits  of  insanity.  She  was  a  widow  with  two  sons, 
and  when  sane  asked  them  next  time  the  Wendigo  came 
to  her  to  kill  her,  and  thus  free  the  tribe  from  his  ter- 
rible presence;  and  she  would  go  to  the  Spirit  Land, 
where  her  husband  was  waiting  for  her,  and  would  as  of 
old  hunt  for  her,  for  all  knew  that  the  Wendigo  would 
torment  her  until  she  died,  and  then  pass  on  to  some  one 
else ;  but  if  she  was  killed  while  he  was  in  her  he  would 
be  killed  also,  and  the  tribe  would  be  free  of  him. 

Accordingly  at  her  next  attack  of  insanity  her  two 
sons,  thinking  they  were  doing  a  kindness,  one  of  them 
with  a  gun  and  the  other  with  an  axe  killed  her,  and  their 
action  was  approved  by  all  the  tribe,  chiefs,  Medicine 
Men  and  all,  including  their  own  family. 

What  could  be  said;  this  was  not  a  murder,  as  these 

24 


men  wished  to  do  what  all  their  people  considered  right 
and  their  duty,  but  now  my  sick  man  came  in  opportunely, 
so  addressing  the  assembly,  I  said,  "You  know  that  at  the 
Fort  we  have  a  strong  house,  with  iron  bars  running  up 
and  down  the  windows  and  across  them,  and  you  Medi- 
cine Men  know  as  well  as  I  do,  that  a  Wendigo  cannot 
pass  through  these  bars,  so  we  will  send  our  man  into 
the  Fort,  and  they  will  put  him  behind  the  iron  bars,  and 
give  him  plenty  to  eat  and  smoke,  but  will  not  let  him 
out  till  the  Wendigo  dies,  as  he  soon  will,  when  he  finds 
himself  shut  up  in  this  way."  To  all  this  Powassan  and 
his  friends,  who  had  never  heard  such  talk  before,  agreed, 
and  so  we  arranged  to  have  our  sick  man  carefully  lashed 
in  a  toboggan  hauled  by  four  dogs  and  accompanied  by 
two  Indians,  who  had  strict  orders  on  no  account  to  loosen 
his  hands,  but  to  see  he  was  fed  and  attended  to,  even  to 
putting  a  lighted  pipe  in  his  mouth,  and  to  deliver  him 
safely  at  the  "strong  house,"  also  to  give  the  letter  which 
I  wrote  detailing  the  whole  affair,  as  well  as  the  killing 
of  the  old  squaw,  and  asking  the  Governor  to  repeat  to 
the  Indians  what  I  had  told  them,  and  to  promise  to  take 
charge  of  any  of  their  "Wendigoes"  instead  of  killing 
them. 

All  went  as  we  hoped,  and  our  man  was  safely  lodged  in 
the  jail.  Nothing,  however,  would  have  induced  the 
Indians  to  enter  it,  even  for  an  instant,  a  look  at  the 
terrible  iron  bars  was  quite  enough.  After  being  well 
fed  and  receiving  ample  supplies,  the  Indians  returned 
bringing  me  the  desired  letter ;  whereupon  another  "Medi- 
cine Smoke"  was  held,  and  the  two  detailed  their  adven- 
tures. They  'had  handed  over  our  man,  and  had  seen  him 
taken  in  to  the  "strong  house,"  and  seen  the  iron  bars, 
and  the  Governor  had  told  them  the  same  as  had  been 
done  before.  Therefore  they  promised  that  they  would 
not  kill  any  more  Wendigoes,  but  send  them  in  to  be 
kept  out  of  the  way. 

Thus  happily  ended  a  most  difficult  and  delicate  ques- 
tion, and  glad  to  be  rid  of  it,  we  moved  camp  some  miles 
further  into  the  wooded  country  to  reach  a  large  number 
of  Indians,  who  gladly  promised  to  keep  away  from  con- 
tact with  "Ka-Moccasin,"  or  smallpox,  and  many  of  them 
asked  to  have  "their  arms  cut"  as  we  had  a  supply  of 
vaccine  points,  which,  along  with  castor  oil  and  very  large 
antibilious  pills,  were  all  the  medical  supplies  we  had 
brought.  25 


We  found  life  rather  monotonous  here,  but  one  night 
as  we  were  lying  by  the  fire,  suddenly  a  young  Indian 
came  up,  and  after  producing  his  pipe  and  smoking 
silently  as  is  the  custom,  enquired  for  me.  Having  been 
pointed  out  to  him,  he  produced  a  small  piece  of  tobacco 
carefully  wrapped  in  birch  bark,  and  spoke  so  fast  that 
we  could  not  make  out  what  he  said.  It  was  evident  the 
message  was  important,  as  it  was  accompanied  by  to- 
bacco, so  getting  a  half-breed  from  near  by  as  interpre- 
ter, we  learned  that  Powassan  was  camped  about  forty 
miles  off  and  had  killed  two  moose,  and  knowing  we  had 
nothing  but  rabbit,  wished  us  to  move  camp  and  help  him 
to  eat  his  meat.  This  could  not  be  done,  but  I  sent  a  mes- 
senger back  with  the  Indian,  and  when  he  returned  he 
brought  about  twenty  pounds  of  moose  beef  and  a  special 
"mouffie"  for  myself.  A  couple  of  weeks  later  I  was  able 
to  repay  Powassan  for  his  kindness  in  another  way, 
which  is  worth  telling.  The  Indians  near  where  we  were 
camped  took  it  into  their  heads  to  have  a  great  feast,  and 
not  being  able  to  get  liquor,  they  procured  two  pounds  of 
splendid  black  tea  and  a  similar  quantity  of  lady's  twist 
tobacco,  at  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  post,  and  having 
boiled  each  of  them  down  till  the  whole  of  even  the  color- 
ing matter  was  exhausted,  the  liquors  were  mixed,  and  to 
give  the  decoction  a  good  flavor  some  half  dozen  bottles 
of  Perry  Davis  Pain  Killer  were  added,  and  this  extraor- 
dinary mixture  was  swallowed  with  great  gusto,  the  re- 
sult being  such  drunkenness  or  madness  as  I  never  saw. 
The  squaws  had  removed  all  the  guns,  knives,  etc.,  and 
as  the  Indians  never  fight  with  fists,  they  let  off  the  steam 
by  yells  and  howls;  and  this  was  kept  up  for  a  whole 
day  until  they  were  all  worn  out,  and,  needless  to  say, 
were  feeling  very  miserable. 

In  this  state  my  friend  Powassan  came  to  me  stating 
he  was  very  unwell  and  wanted  medicine.  We  had  noth- 
ing but  big  antibilious  pills,  and  seeing  he  was  a  large, 
strong  man,  I  counted  out  four  to  him,  which  looked  in  his 
huge  palms  like  so  many  buckshot,  and  explained  to  him 
that  he  was  to  take  two,  and  if  needful  in  a  few  hours 
repeat  the  dose.  Looking  them  over  Powassan  evidently 
thought  they  were  small  affairs,  and  before  he  could  be 
stopped  had  swallowed  the  whole  lot  to  our  great  horror, 
for  we  did  not  know  what  the  result  would  be,  for  he 

26  '  * 


was  such  an  important  person  if  anything  serious  hap- 
pened to  him  it  was  hard  to  say  how  we  would  be 
treated.  However,  after  a  couple  of  hours  Powassan 
appeared,  evidently  suffering  considerable  pain,  as  evi- 
denced by  his  grunts,  when  suddenly  throwing  off  his 
blanket  he  disappeared  among  the  trees,  shortly  to  return 
and  give  me  a  whack  between  the  shoulders  and  tell  me 
what  a  good  fellow  I  was,  for  the  more  the  dose  hurt  him 
the  more  he  thought  of  the  giver  of  it.  This  was  repeated 
several  times,  till  at  last  we  were  left  in  peace. 

Next  day  he  reappeared  with  about  a  dozen  of  his 
friends  who  were  feeling  very  wretched  after  their  spree, 
and  all  desirous  of  getting  some  of  the  "great  medicine" 
which  had  cured  Powassan ;  but  this  was  refused,  as  we 
had  had  enough  of  doctoring. 

A  few  days  elapsed  and  signs  of  spring,  in  the  way  of 
soft  weather  and  sleet  falls,  warned  me  to  be  on  the 
move,  so  with  a  half-breed  guide  and  a  borrowed  team, 
my  own  ^  dogs  being  foot  sore,  a  start  was  made  north- 
wards via  Lac  Plat. 

Unfortunately,  soon  after  starting  a  heavy  soft  sleet 
storm  began,  and  we  took  refuge  in  an  Indian  wigwam 
on  the  shore  of  the  lake.  Here  in  the  one  small  room 
were  assembled  fifteen  people,  old  and  young,  yet  we 
were  heartily  welcomed,  a  space  being  cleared  in  the 
crowd  where  I  could  lie  down  packed  like  another  her- 
ring in  the  barrel,  and  so  the  night  passed. 

Having  cleared  somewhat  in  the  morning  a  start  was 
again  made  over  the  ice  of  Lac  Plat,  and  we  expected  to 
reach  an  encampment  in  about  ten  miles,  but  the  snow 
got  heavier  and  at  last  fairly  blinding,  when  all  at  once  a 
shout  from  my  guide,  and  before  I  knew  where  to  go, 
down  I  went  in  an  air-hole,  up  to  the  shoulders  in  water, 
but  fortunately  with  some  large  boulders  under  my  feet, 
so  that  I  managed  to  scramble  out.  Then  my  guide  said 
he  had  lost  the  way,  but  we  shortly  struck  a  small  island 
with  one  tree  on  it,  and  here  we  spent  the  night,  wet, 
cold  and  hungry,  as  expecting  to  find  the  encampment, 
we  had  brought  no  supplies  with  us  for  either  the  dogs  or 
ourselves. 

Next  morning  turned  out  bright,  and  passing  on  we 
reached  the  camp,  but  only  bare  poles  marked  the  spot, 
the  Indians  having  moved  elsewhere;  so  on  we  pushed 

27 


till  late  in  the  day  we  struck  the  line  being  surveyed  for 
the  C.  P.  R.,  and  shortly  reached  the  engineer's  camp, 
only  again  to  be  disappointed,  as  there  was  only  one  man 
left  in  charge,  the  others  having  gone  to  fetch  supplies. 
Etowever,  he  was  able  to  give  us  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  couple 
of  soda  biscuits,  and  a  good  fire  to  warm  and  dry  my 
still  wet  clothes ;  and  then  we  started  again  on  the  long 
travel  of  sixty-five  miles  back  to  my  camp. 

The  route  was  partly  on  the  rough  ice  of  the  Lake  of 
the  Woods,  and  partly  by  Indian  trails  over  a  very  rough 
country  through  the  woods ;  and  finally  we  reached  camp 
after  midnight  completely  worn  out. 

After  resting  for  a  couple  of  days  we  were  surprised 
by  a  messenger  bearing  peremptory  orders  to  return  at 
once  to  Fort  Garry  before  the  snow  disappeared,  and 
travel  became  next  to  impossible.  We  therefore  started 
at  day-break,  and  after  coming  some  half  dozen  miles 
were  obliged  to  unharness  dogs,  and  hang  up  the  tobog- 
gan and  snow-shoes  on  a  tree  by  way  of  "cacheing"  them. 
The  snow  was  now  all  sleet,  and  at  night-fall,  wet  and 
weary,  we  camped  on  a  rock  in  the  great  "Caribou  Mus- 
keg" only  fourteen  miles  from  the  Angle.  Here  the 
growth  of  grass  and  reeds  was  so  great  that  nothing 
could  be  seen;  but  the  noise  caused  by  the  innumerable 
flocks  of  geese,  ducks  and  other  water-fowl  was  deafen- 
ing. 

Again  an  early  start,  and  carefully  picking  our  steps 
we  plodded  on,  wet  to  the  skin,  sometimes  sleeping  in 
shanties,  at  others  camping  on  the  trail,  when  we  could 
find  a  fairly  dry  spot;  finally,  at  the  end  of  six  days, 
reaching  St.  Boniface,  to  find  the  Red  River  wide  open 
and  carrying  down  great  masses  of  ice,  which  came  in 
from  the  flooded  Assiniboine.  The  ferry,  which  was 
worked  by  a  rope,  was  not  yet  in  commission,  and  after 
some  trouble  we  succeeded  in  getting  over  in  a  small  boat, 
not  without  considerable  risk.  The  dogs  were  left  to  be 
brought  over  next  day  when  the  ferry  was  to  start. 

Once  more  in  civilization,  a  few  days'  rest  and  the 
steamers,  big  stern  wheel  affairs,  began  to  appear  and 
bump  their  noses  into  the  bank,  for  wharves  there  were 
none.  By  this  time  the  snow  had  all  disappeared  from 
the  prairie,  and  wherever  the  ground  rose  a  few  inches 
the  beautiful  prairie  anemonies  opened  their  blossoms. 

28 


One  morning,  going  out  for  a  short  walk  in  the  pleasant 
air,  with  a  fine  breeze  blowing,  I  saw  a  most  extraordin- 
ary procession.  It  was  an  Indian  deputation  on  the  way 
to  Government  House  to  interview  the  Governor  on  some 
real  or  imaginary  complaint,  or  to  make  some  request. 
First,  as  they  were  "Treaty  Indians,"  came  a  big  stalwart 
fellow  carrying  a  large  British  flag  that  taxed  his 
strength  to  hold  in  the  wind.  He  was  dressed  as  usual  in 
moccasins,  breech  cloth  leggings  and  blanket  loosely 
thrown  around  his  body,  held  at  the  waist  by  a  belt,  but 
exposing  his  bare  chest  and  thighs  as  his  blanket  blew 
open.  Next  came  the  Chief  in  similar  costume  as  far  as 
the  legs,  but  in  all  the  glory  of  a  red  coat  with  lots  of 
large  buttons,  and  the  treaty  medal  on  his  breast ;  next 
came  of  couple  of  the  head  men,  somewhat  similarly 
arrayed,  and  then  a  string  of,  say,  a  dozen  of  the  tribe, 
all  in  Indian  file,  like  a  string  of  geese  on  their  way  to 
water. 

Curiosity  prompted  me  to  follow  them  to  the  Fort  to 
see  how  such  matters  were  conducted.  Arrived  in  front 
of  the  main  entrance  the  whole  party  squatted  down  on 
the  ground  till  the  Governor  was  informed  and  the  Inter- 
preter sent  for,  when  they  were  ushered  into  a  large 
room  containing  besides  a  seat  for  the  Governor  and  a 
table  and  couple  of  chairs,  a  stove;  and  in  a  corner  a 
large  wood  box,  now  empty  as  the  weather  was  warm. 
Once  more  the  party  squatted  on  the  floor,  the  Governor 
and  attendants  entered  and  seated  themselves;  and  the 
flag-bearer,  who  it  seems  was  'chief  spokesman,  took  it 
into  his  head  that  the  wood  box  was  the  proper  place  for 
him ;  so  into  it  he  got,  with  only  his  black  shiny  hair  and 
painted  face  peering  above  the  side.  Now,  the  Chief  pro- 
duced the  inevitable  pipe  and  medicine  stem,  and  after 
the  usual  formality  of  puffing  the  smoke  to  the  four 
quarters  of  earth,  it  was  handed  to  the  Governor,  who, 
much  against  his  will  (as  he  was  no  smoker) ,  had  to 
follow  suit,  and  so  it  went  round.  A  short  pause,  then, 
like  a  "Jack-in4he-box,"  the  Indian  in  the  wood-box 
sprang  up,  throwing  off  his  blanket,  and  exposing  to 
view  his  bare  brown  chest  and  ribs,  and  began  in  a  rather 
musical  tone,  to  make  his  speech.  This  was  translated 
sentence  by  sentence  to  the  authorities,  and  then  some 
reply  being  made,  after  a  distribution  of  tobacco  and  fat 

29 


bacon  the  party  withdrew  as  they  came,  evidently 
well  pleased.  The  flag-bearer  seemed  prouder  than  ever 
as  he  struggled  to  hold  up  his  burden  while  it  fluttered  in 
the  wind.  It  was  a  curious  sight,  not  soon  to  be"  for- 
gotten. 

Having  decided  to  return  to  Ontario,  instead  of  the 
wretched  staging  I  boarded  a  steamer,  by  sliding  down 
the  bank  to  the  gang-way,  thereby  ruining  a  new  overcoat, 
as  wharf  there  was  none,  and  Red  River  mud  is  proverb- 
ial ;  and  now  we  had  to  plod  upwards  against  the  strong 
current  of  this  very  tortuous  stream,  so  crooked  that  at 
one  point  the  captain  told  the  passengers  we  could  land  if 
we  liked  and  walk  across  to  the  next  bend,  where  he  would 
pick  us  up.  This  a  number  did,  and  enjoyed  a  ramble  of 
perhaps  a  mile,  when  we  again  came  to  the  river,  and  had 
to  wait  nearly  two  hours  before  the  boat  came  along,  hav- 
ing travelled  a  full  eight  or  nine  miles  to  reach  the  same 
place.  It  amused  me  much  to  see  when  they  wanted 
wood,  or  some  signal  was  made,  how  they  simply  bumped 
the  nose  of  the  boat  into  the  bank,  and  tied  her  to  a 
tree,  there  being  no  hard  shore  to  injure  her;  and  the 
same  at  night,  we  tied  up  to  the  most  convenient  tree,  and 
resumed  the  journey  by  daylight. 

We  next  turned  into  the  Red  Lake  River,  which,  though 
narrow,  seemed  to  be  deep,  for  on  one  occasion  a  cabin 
boy  dropped  a  line  when  we  bumped  into  the  bank  and 
at  once  hauled  out  a  large  cat-fish  of  about  twelve  pounds 
in  weight.  Proceeding  on  our  way  we  reached  Fisher's 
Landing,  a  point  to  which  a  new  branch  railway  had  just 
been  opened,  though  as  yet  no  station  was  built.  Here 
the  most  conspicuous  erection  was  a  rather  large  tent, 
boarded  and  sodded  up  for  about  three  feet,  and  this  the 
captain  told  me  was  the  home  of  the  "Notorious  Farmer 
Brown." 

Remembering  that  we  had  staged  it  together  the  pre- 
vious winter,  and  having  some  hours  to  spare  before  the 
train  was  expected,  I  thought  I  would  call  on  my  quondam 
traveller ;  so  entering  the  tent,  which  I  found  was  fitted 
up  as  a  bar-room  with  my  former  acquaintance  behind 
the  counter,  I  said,  "Well,  Farmer  Brown,  we  have  met 
once  before."  "Yes,"  he  said,  "and  I  know  now  who  you 
are,  and  am  glad  to  see  you,  for  I  have  a  crow  to  pick 
with  you ;  so  let  us  have  a  drink.  It  is  your  treat." 

30 


As  he  spoke  he  reached  under  the  counter,  as  I  sup- 
posed for  a  bottle,  but  instead  produced  a  pistol,  which  he 
pointed  at  me,  saying,  "Now  out  with  half  a  dollar," 
which  I  hurriedly  produced,  not  feeling  at  all  comfort- 
able ;  and  he,  still  pointing  the  pistol,  put  two  glasses  and 
a  bottle  of  whiskey  on  the  counter,  ordering  me  to  help 
myself,  while  he  did  likewise. 

He  then  said,  "You  thought  I  wanted  to  steal  your 
watch,  but  I  never  was  a  thief,  and  if  I  had  wanted  to  do 
it  I  could  not,  away  out  on  the  prairie,  and  three  armed 
men  on  the  stage  with  you;  and  I  never  killed  a  man 
unless  he  had  insulted  me ;  now  it's  my  turn  to  treat,  so 
out  with  another  half  dollar,  and  be  quick." 

I  was  as  quick  as  possible,  for  I  was  now  thoroughly 
alarmed,  for  whether  the  pistol  was  loaded  or  not  I  did 
not  know,  and  the  prospect  was  not  pleasant.  But  just 
then  one  of  his  "wives"  (for  he  was  reputed  to  keep  a 
harem)  came  in  to  speak  to  him;  and  as  he  turned,  I 
bolted  for  the  steamer,  where  I  remained  till  the  train 
came  in,  when  I  gladly  took  my  seat,  thankful  to  have 
seen  the  last  of  "Farmer  Brown" ;  of  whom  later  I  heard 
that  he  was  serving  a  life  sentence  in  Minnesota  peniten- 
tiary for  homicide. 

My  homeward  journey  furnished  no  further  adven- 
tures. Thus  ended  my  winter's  trip  to  the  frozen  North. 


NOTE 

W.  J.  Morris,  second  son  of  Hon.  Wm.  Morris,  was  'born  at 
Perth,  Ont.  A  banker,  widely  read,  he  had  great  knowledge  of 
mineralogy,  geology,  etc.,  and  explored  much  of  Northern  Ontario. 
In  1866  he  raised  a  unit  of  militia.  A  Freemason,  he  reached  the 
rank  of  Deputy  Grand  Master.  He  died  in  1907.  The  trip  was. 
taken  in  1876. 


31 


The  Boulton  Letters 

NOTE: — BY  A  GRAND-DAUGHTER,  MRS.  MARSH,  of  Lindsay. 

These  letters  were  written  by  the  Rev.  William  Boul- 
ton to  his  wife,  and  from  her  to  him. 

He  was  the  youngest  son  of  Judge  Boulton  (referred 
to  as  "the  judge"  in  the  letters) — whose  home  was  York, 
Upper  Canada.  His  brothers  were  D'Arcy,  of  the  Grange, 
Auditor-General  of  Canada,  George,  Henry  John  and 
James. 

He  was  appointed  Junior  Classical  Master  of  Upper 
Canada  College  at  its  first  beginning,  and  lived  in  the  old 
residence  on  King  Street,  where  his  first  two  children 
were  born. 

On  his  appointment  he  married,  and  brought  his  wife 
to  this  country — he  had  before  that  been  teaching  in  a 
school  at  Cadbury,  England,  and  perhaps  had  a  church 
there. 

His  wife  was  Frances  Carew,  daughter  of  Capt.  Henry 
Carew,  Royal  Navy,  of  Tiverton,  Devonshire,  England. 
Her  brothers  were  John,  George  and  Harry,  and  her  sis- 
ters Anne,  Harriett,  Charlotte  and  Dorothea. 

Their  children  were  Somerville,  Carolina  (my  mother) 
Charlotte  and  Henry  (twins) — Charlotte  died  young. 
After  her  husband's  death,  Mrs.  Boulton  lived  most  of 
her  life  in  Toronto,  and  died  at  the  age  of  86.  She  was 
well  known  to  many  people  as  "Aunt  Fanny."  Her  hus- 
band died  at  the  age  of  29. 

These  notes  will  explain  names  and  allusions  in  the  let- 
ters. His  brothers  and  hers,  and  her  sisters  are  often 
mentioned. 

J.  C.  Jones  to  William  Boulton, 

Exeter  College, 
DEAR  SIR, —  July  28, 1829. 

I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  that  at  the  confer- 
ence of  the  Electors  this  morning,  you  were  appointed 
to  the  office  of  Classical  Master  in  the  College  of  Upper 
Canada. 

I  have  been  instructed  by  the  governor  to  advance  one 

32 


hundred  pounds  to  each  of  the  masters  for  the  expenses 
of  the  voyage,  &c.,  and  as  much  more  as  they  shall  find 
requisite  on  account  of  their  first  year's  salary.  If  you 
wish  for  a  personal  interview  with  me  on  this  subject,  I 
shall  be  happy  to  see  you  here  at  any  time  in  the  course 
of  next  week,  requesting  the  favor  of  due  notice  of  your 
coming. 

I  remain,  etc., 

(Signed)  J.  C.  JONES. 
The  other  appointments  are  as  follows : 

The  Principal — Mr.  Harris,*  Clare  Hall,  Cambridge. 

1st  Classical  Master — D.  D.  Joseph. 

2nd  Classical  Master — Mr.  Matthews,  Pembroke  Hall, 
Cambridge. 

3rd  Classical  Master — Mr.  Boulton,  Queen's  College, 
Oxford. 

Math.  Master — Mr.  Dade,  Caius  Coll.,  Camb.,  late  of 
Elizabeth  College,  Guernsey. 

(From  Rev.  William  Boulton  to  his  wife  in  England. 
They  had  been  married  about  3  years,  and  she  and  her  2 
children  were  in  England  visiting  her  parents.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Frances  Carew.) 

York,  8th  July,  1833. 

MY  DEAREST  LOVE, — 

I  am  beginning  what  is  a  great  undertaking  for  me  in 
sitting  down  to  fill  such  a  large  sheet  as  this,  but  I  have 
a  great  deal  to  tell  you,  and  therefore  I  hope  I  shall  have 
leisure  to  fill  it,  and  when  I  think  that  it  is  for  the  satis- 
faction of  my  dearest  Fanny  it  makes  me  move  my  pen 
with  increased  spirit  and  delight.  And  first  I  must  tell 
you  that  the  day  before  yesterday  I  received  your  most 
welcome  and  anxiously  expected  letter  from  Liverpool, 
dated  23rd  May,  giving  an  account  of  your  safe  arrival 
at  Mr.  Collins,  although  I  could  have  wished  it  had  been 
a  little  longer,  yet  as  it  contained  all  that  I  was  most 

*Mr.  Harris  was  a  brother-in-law  of  Lord  Seaton,  having  mar- 
ried Miss  Yonge,  Lady  Colborne's  sister. 

33 


anxious  about,  I  should  not  say  a  word,  as  I  have  prom- 
ised myself  another  from  you  dated  very  soon  after  that, 
probably  by  the  packet  on  the  1st  of  June.  You  can  easily 
imagine  what  has  been  my  state  of  suspense  for  the  last 
two  months  about  you,  but  I  feel  heartily  thankful  to  our 
common  preserver  and  Benefactor  that  He  has  preserved 
you  and  our  dear  children  in  as  great  a  degree  of  health 
as  could  be  expected,  though  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  you 
suffered  so  much  the  first  week  of  your  passage,  but  it  is 
like  life  in  general,  checkered  with  good  and  evil,  with 
favour  and  disappointment,  which,  like  hill  and  dale  in 
the  landscape,  only  serve  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the 
scenery  and  make  the  humble  Christian  to  appreciate 
more  highly  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence. I  was  also  very  glad  to  hear  that  Charlotte  was 
not  worse.  I  promised  in  the  last  letter  but  one  that  I 
wrote  that  I  should  write  to  her,  but  afterwards,  as  I 
had  heard  nothing  of  her  for  so  long  a  time,  I  thought 
that  I  would  wait  for  your  letter  to  say  how  she  was 
before  I  performed  my  promise.  Indeed  it  has  troubled 
me  not  a  little  that  no  tidings  have  arrived  from  Tiverton 
since  the  letter  from  Dorothea  which  you  saw  just  before 
you  left  York,  so  that  I  do  not  know  even  now  how  the 
proposal  of  your  visit  to  your  friends  has  been  received. 
However,  I  shall  now  make  up  for  my  neglect  with  all 
expedition.  When  you  talk  of  your  father  and  Dorothea 
meeting  you  at  Manchester  the  thought  of  your  happy 
meeting  makes  me  envy  you,  at  least  makes  me  long  to 
be  one  of  the  party,  but  there  is  no  use  thinking  about  it. 
Your  passage  I  called  23  days,  but  Mr.  Tweedle  in  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Foote  says  that  you  were  only  18  days  from 
land  to  land,  that  is,  from  Sandy  Hook  to  Cape  Clear, 
which  must  be  nearly  the  quickest  which  has  been  per- 
formed this  season.  You  did  not  say  whether  Caroline 
has  made  any  progress  in  walking  or  talking,  but  all  no 
doubt  will  come  in  due  time.  Well,  so  much  for  the  sub- 
ject of  your  letter,  now  for  the  changes  and  chances  in  our 
little  circle  (not  so  very  little  by  the  bye).  And  first  I 
must  tell  you  that  Mrs.  Muttlebury  is  to  leave  me  at  the 
end  of  this  quarter,  but  do  not  be  alarmed  at  that,  for  it 
will  be  no  inconvenience  but  rather  the  contrary  to  me, 
for  Edward  O'Neill  is  going  away  to  Mrs.  Nelles'  on  the 
Grand  River  near  Brantford.  Arthur  Wells  will  also  go, 

34 


and  I  rather  think  Mrs.  Meyers,  too,  so  that  Pyke  and 
McNab  only  will  remain,  and  I  can  manage  with  them 
very  well  through  the  winter,  and  I  shall  of  course  not 
take  any  more  until  you  return.  Mrs.  M.  has  been  ad- 
vised (and  perhaps  rightly)  to  go  up  to  Blandfield*  where 
Dr.  M.  drew  700  acres  and  forthwith  settle  herself  and 
make  a  permanent  home  for  herself  and  family  in  case  of 
any  thing  happening  to  her,  and  though  she  is  quite  will- 
ing to  remain  if  I  in  the  least  degree  wish  it,  yet  she  evi- 
dently wishes  me  to  consider  it  very  much  against  my 
interest  to  continue  our  present  arrangement  and  that 
she  is  the  sole  gainer  by  it,  and  it  is  true  enough  I  do  not 
gam  much,  and  it  is  very  unpleasant  to  have  a  constant 
bustle  with  such  a  set  of  unmannerly  boys,  besides  I  find 
the  furniture  gets  knocked  about  a  great  deal,  and  my 
time  of  course  greatly  interrupted  by  attending  to  many 
things  which  I  could  not  leave  to  her.  In  consequence  of 
this,  and  my  other  numerous  calls,  the  garden  has  been 
almost  entirely  neglected  and  grown  up  with  weeds  and 
rubbish,  notwithstanding  I  gave  Riley  $4  or  $5  to  put  it 
in  order  for  me  early  in  the  season  (which  no  doubt  you 
will  abuse  me  for  doing) ,  but  I  could  not  see  it  going  to 
ruin,  so  upon  the  whole  I  do  not  think  you  will  be  uneasy 
about  the  conclusion  we  have  come  to  about  parting. 
When  I  settled  with  Mrs.  Muttlebury  for  last  quarter  I 
charged  her  with  the  wood  and  spermacetti  candles,  the 
remaining  barrel  of  flour  having  been  paid  for  before, 
and  the  balance  was  between  23  and  24  pounds.  The 
candles  were  charged  at  her  request,  as  she  had  used  them 
for  herself,  but  now  that  we  are  to  part  I  must  of  course 
take  them  back  if  she  wishes.  I  could  not  find  the  amount 
but  I  thought  they  were  Is.  lOd.  a  pound,  and  so  charged 
them.  We  have  been  plagued  a  good  deal  with  servants. 
The  one  who  came  after  little  William  was  a  thief,  but 
Mrs  M.  suffered,  which  I  was  sorry  for.  She  had  been 
induced  to  give  him  $8  a  month,  too,  and  that  was  the 
most  provoking  part  of  it,  because  he  came  with  good 
recommendations.  The  next  boy  we  took  was  for  $6,  and 
he  will  do  nothing  without  strict  looking  after.  He  is 
going  as  soon  as  we  can  get  another.  Jane  became  at  last 


*No  doubt  Blandford,  Oxford  Co.,  London  District,  is  meant. 
In  Almanac  for  1831  it  is  given  as  having  no  population. 

35 


quite  intolerable  with  her  impertinence,  and  so  she  went 
off  and  was  succeeded  by  a  very  respectable  looking! 
young  woman  whom  they  call  Sarah,  and  I  am  in  hopes 
she  will  answer  very  well.  I  have  partly  engaged  to  get 
my  wood  from  the  man  who  has  supplied  Mr.  Bade  for 
two  years,  who  says  he  has  found  him  very  honest,  giving 
ample  measure,  and  excellent  wood  throughout,  and  in 
that  respect  I  was  very  much  deceived  by  Mr.  Moore,  as 
a  great  deal  of  his  was  rotten.  I  am  to  pay  12/  per  cord, 
but,  however,  I  think  it  better  to  pay  a  little  more  and 
get  it  good.  ...  I  have  not  yet  told  you  that  I  pur- 
chased D'Arcy's  pony  for  $70  and  paid  for  it,  but  I  found 
it  quite  impossible  to  do  without  it  during  the  summer, 
having  to  go  up  to  the  Garrison,  and  on  Sunday  particu- 
larly when  I  have  but  little  time  to  spare.  But  I  can  at 
any  time  get  the  money  I  gave  for  him,  and  shall  prob- 
ably dispose  of  him  before  the  winter,  so  you  must  not 
be  angry  with  me  for  buying  him.  Now  I  am  going  to 
give  you  a  particular  history  of  myself  and  how  I  occupy 
my  time,  though  I  must  beg  of  you  not  to  publish  it  as 
some  of  it  may  not  be  very  flattering  to  me.  By  this,  you 
see,  I  mean  to  be  very  candid.  I  began  soon  after  you 
left  me,  though  I  have  not  always  continued,  to  rise  early 
in  the  morning,  that  is,  I  used  often  to  be  up  and  dressed 
by  6  or  7,  and  from  that  time  till  prayers,  which  we  have 
pretty  regularly  at  quarter  to  8,  I  employed  myself  in 
reading  or  writing.  At  8  or  a  little  after  we  sit  down  to 
breakfast  after  reading  a  chapter  and  praying.  The 
latter  I  have  brought  myself  to  do  without  book,  and  I 
can  perform  the  duty  sometimes  with  great  satisfaction. 
.  .  .  From  breakfast  till  4  o'clock  the  time  passes  as 
usual,  except  on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays.  On  the 
former  day  I  visit  the  Garrison  Hospital  and  on  the  lat- 
ter I  am  generally  finishing  a  sermon.  From  4  o'clock 
till  dark  is  commonly  occupied  with  funerals,  baptisms, 
or  marriages,  visiting  D'Arcy's,  or  Henry's  family,  tak- 
ing such  exercise  as  is  necessary  for  my  health,  and 
whatever  leisure  is  left  me  from  these  and  the  like  inter- 
ruptions I  spend  for  the  most  part  in  writing  or  reading. 
Of  the  former  I  have  had  a  great  deal  to  do  since  I  entered 
upon  my  new  office  of  acting  Chaplain  to  the  Forces,  in- 
dependent of  sermons,  and  the  office  of  Secretary  to  the 
Sunday-School  Committee  and  to  the  Society  for  Promot- 

36 


ing  Christian  Knowledge  have  contributed  their  share  of 
occupation  in  that  way.    .     .    . 

York,  30th  November,  1833. 
MY  DEAREST  LOVE, — 

.  .  .  The  first  thing  I  have  to  mention  is  that  this 
day  terminates  my  engagement  with  the  Archdeacon.* 
The  occupation  on  the  whole  has  done  me  good,  I  hope  it 
has  been  the  means  under  God's  blessing  of  my  growing 
in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  and  Love  of  our  Saviour. 
I  feel  assured  that  if  I  could  obtain  employment  exclus- 
ively professional  without  a  sacrifice  of  income,  I  should 
in  every  way  be  the  better  for  it.  ...  I  have  never 
yet,  I  believe,  said  anything  to  you  about  our  new  Church. 
It  has  given  better  satisfaction  generally  than  was  ex- 
pected. fOn  the  29th  October  was  the  first  sale  of  pews, 
when  the  purchases  amounted  to  nearly  £6,000,  and  a 
week  or  ten  days  afterwards  nearly  £1,000  more  in 
amount  were  disposed  of,  so  that  the  church  will  be  paid 
for  without  much  difficulty.  All  the  money  due  from 
pews  must  be  paid  within  the  year,  and  there  is  a  ground 
rent  of  £1  10  on  each.  At  the  first  sale  I  could  not  at- 
tend, nor  indeed  at  the  second,  but  at  the  latter  D'Arcy 
bought  me  one  of  my  own  choice  for  £50,  but  it  was  too 
far  from  the  pulpit  and  I  could  not  hear  well  in  it.  Since 
that,  however,  I  have  been  so  lucky  as  to  get  one  of  the 
best  pews  in  the  church,  in  my  opinion,  which  was  bought 
for  Henry,  but  which  he  did  not  want.  For  this  I  gave 
only  £2  10  more.  Of  this  I  have  to  pay  a  quarter  now 
and  a  quarter  each  at  the  end  of  6,  9  and  12  months. 
Out  of  this  about  £15  will  be  deducted  for  the  old  pew,  so 
that  in  fact  it  will  only  cost  me  £37.  10s.  I  shall  have  it 
lined.  I  think  with  dark  blue  or  green,  and  hope  you 
will  like  it.  Many  are  lined  with  crimson  and  look  well, 
but  I  think  the  color  is  too  smart  for  a  clergyman,  al- 
though the  Archdeacon  seems  to  think  differently.  The 
Churchyard  is  now  enclosed  with  a  neat  fence.  "The  old 
church,  which  was  sold  for  £62,  pulled  down,  the  old  pul- 
pit and  reading  desk  and  communion  rails  were  reserved, 
and  I  managed  to  get  them  for  the  Scarborough  church, 


*Archdeacon  Strachan,  later  the  1st  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of 
Toronto. 

37 


and  in  addition  I  purchased  £9  worth  of  the  old  pews, 
and  that  will  save  them  great  expense.  There  are  sub- 
scriptions to  the  Scarborough  church  amounting  to  up- 
wards of  £15  not  paid,  and  I  will  pay  it  from  them  when 
I  receive  them.  I  mention  this  lest  you  should  imagine 
that  I  am  involving  myself  in  expenses  for  others.  Be- 
fore I  have  done  with  the  church  I  must  tell  you  about 

Mr.  ,  who,  you  know,  has  turned  Catholic.     On 

the  first  day  of  the  sale  of  the  pews,  he  came  into  the 
church  and  bought  8  or  10  pews  on  speculation,  and  at  the 
second  sale  he  attempted  to  do  the  same,  but  the  Arch- 
deacon told  the  auctioneer  not  to  take  his  bid,  and  gave 
him  a  complete  set-down  for  his  impertinent  interfer- 
ence. One  which  he  purchased  for  £40  he  modestly  asked 
£80  the  next  day.  He  got  severely  handled  for  it,  too,  in 
the  Courier,  in  fact,  every  one  cried  out  shame  at  it. 
The  roads  are  now  in  a  dreadful  state,  as  a  good  deal  of 
snow  fell  lately,  and  it  has  thawed  since.  Mrs.  Harris 
has  been  very  ill  for  the  last  week  with  a  violent  sore 
throat  and  fever,  which,  coming  on  a  constitution  already 
weakened,  was  very  near  proving  fatal,  but  she  is  now 
recovering  fast.  .  .  .  Mary  and  Miss  Brenchley  are 
to  be  married  on  the  10th  of  December.  The  Archdeacon 
is  to  perform  the  ceremony,  from  Mr.  Gamble's  choice, 
it  appears,  though  I  had  always  understood  that  that  mat- 
ter was  left  to  the  lady.  They  are  to  live  in  a  new  house 
of  Mr.  John  Baldwin's  on  the  corner,  opposite  to  Sir 
William  Campbell's.**  .  .  .  Mr.  H.  is  gradually 
sinking  under  consumption,  brought  on  by  intemper- 
ance. ...  I  have  seen  the  design  of  a  Catholic 
chapel*  which  Mr.  Elmsley  talks  of  building  upon  his 
property  near  this.  It's  to  cost  £12,000.  I  think  he  must 
be  a  little  cracked.  .  .  . 

This  day  I  have  made  remarkable  for  several  important 
events — Do  not  laugh!  I  have  had  my  hair  cut,  my 
shaving-box  filled  with  fresh  soap,  the  first  time  since  you 
left  me,  my  new  cravats  put  in  requisition  for  the  first 
time,  and  lastly,  I  have  this  day  resigned  my  curacy.  I 
must  now,  I  think,  wait  till  to-morrow  to  add  to  these  im- 
portant events  by  finishing  this  letter  to  my  dear  wife, 
so  adieu  for  the  present.  .  .  . 


**On  Duke  Street,  at  the  head  of  Frederick  Street. 
*St.  Basil's,  St.  Joseph  Street. 

38 


1st  December. 

This  day  is  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  history  for  the 
death  of  a  great  man  and  the  birth  of  a  little  one,  (him- 
self) not  in  stature  but  in  importance,  but  when  both 
are  in  the  grave  this  worldly  distinction  will,  I  fancy,  be 
of  little  account.  I  leave  you  to  discover  who  these  two 
persons  are,  and  proceed  with  my  letter.  I  have  not  yet 
received  your  letter  which  I  expected  by  the  packet  of  the 
16th  about  the  end  of  this  week.  How  I  do  long  to  hear 
your  account  of  my  dear  little  twins  and  still  more  to  see 
them. 

I  will  send  another  fifty  pound  draft  early  in  January, 
this  will  make  altogether  £150,  which  I  think  you  will 
find  sufficient  for  your  expenses.  I  allow  £100  for  your 
passage  to  New  York  and  travelling  from  thence  to  this 
place,  and  the  other  50  with  what  you  have  left  of  Mr. 
Jones'  100  will  be  sufficient  for  other  occasional  expenses. 
You  must  be  careful  of  it,  I  do  not  mean  in  the  spending 
of  it,  for  that  you  are  sure  to  be,  but  in  the  keeping  of  it 
in  a  safe  place.  If  you  do  not  mind  sailing  on  the  16th  of 
April  that  would  bring  you  to  New  York  about  the  16th 
of  May,  and  Whitsuntide  holidays  commence  on  the  18th 
of  May,  which  would  allow  of  my  meeting  you  probably  at 
Utica  or  Schenectady. 

Tell  Dorothea  with  my  love  if  she  has  not  her  heart  en- 
gaged I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  her  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  I  can  introduce  her  to  some  very  smart 
beaux. 

I  ought  to  give  you  some  account  of  the  wedding, 
which  has  taken  place  since  last  I  wrote,  that  is,  on  the 
10th,  and  was  very  smart,  indeed.  About  a  dozen  car- 
riages attended.  The  Archdeacon  performed  the  service, 
as  I  told  you.  It  was  so  intended,  and  as  it  took  place  at 
4  o'clock  I  was  just  able  to  go  to  the  church  after  college 
hours,  in  time  to  witness  it.  All  looked  as  happy  as 
need  be,  and  at  six  o'clock,  after  a  very  handsome  dinner, 
the  brides  and  bridegrooms  had  their  health  drank  until 
I  should  think  they  must  have  been  sick  of  it.  I  must 
leave  Helen  Phillips  or  Mrs.  D'Arcy  to  supply  the  remain- 
ing particulars  of  this  happy  event." 


U.  C.  College,  December  25,  1833. 
MY  DEAREST  FANNY, — 


Miss  Street  is  now  engaged  as  a  Governess  in  George's 
family.  You  will  be  concerned  to  hear  how  badly  the 
Streets  have  been  disappointed  in  their  school,  solely  for 
want  of  a  house,  the  man  which  was  to  have  built  a  house 
for  them  having  gone  off  and  left  them  in  the  lurch,  with 
a  large  frame  standing  for  which  they  had  paid  a  great 
deal  without  deriving  any  benefit  from  it.  The  family, 
I  believe,  intend  removing  to  Cobourg  in  the  Spring. 

Charles  Reward  is  still  lingering  on,  and  although 
there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fatal  termination  of  his 
complaint  at  last,  yet  it  is  wonderful  how  all  his  family 
cling  to  the  idea  that  he  will  recover,  and  what  makes  it 
the  more  lamentable  is  that  he  himself  is  far  from  being 
in  a  prepared  state  for  the  event  which  must  soon  hap- 
pen, and  will  put  no  confidence  in  anyone  who  tells  him 
of  his  danger.  I  have  been  at  the  house  several  times, 
but  could  only  see  him  twice,  and  then  he  evaded  the  main 
subject.  The  Archdeacon  and  Mr.  Gwynne  have  also 
been  with  him,  but  I  fear  have  not  succeeded  much  better. 
Frank  has  just  come  up  from  Quebec,  and  he  is  a  very 
serious  young  man.  I  hope  he  will  be  an  instrument  of 
great  good  to  his  brother. 

I  do  not  intend  to  commence  my  country  duty  till  the 
second  week  of  next  month,  when  it  is  to  be  hoped  the 
roads  will  be  more  passable  than  at  present.  So  far  as 
the  weather  is  concerned  it  has  been  a  dismal  Christmas, 
about  6  inches  of  snow,  which  we  had  10  days  ago,  is  all 
gone,  and  it  was  raining  to-day. 

Mr.  Elmsley  has  just  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Executive 
Council,  because  he  pretends  he  cannot  conscientiously 
support  the  measures  of  Government  in  the  Council,  but 
the  fact  is,  he  found  his  duties  as  an  Executive  Council- 
lor interfere  with  his  land  speculations. 

Kiss  my  dear  little  children  for  me.  I  almost  feel 
frightened  at  myself,  to  think  how  many  there  are  of 
them. 

...    I  did  not  tell  you  that  I  presented  Mary  upon 

40 


the  occasion  of  her  wedding  with  a  pair  of  silver  butter 
knives,  with  handles  of  the  Prince's  pattern.  They  had 
more  the  appearance  of  dessert  knives,  and  were  honored 
with  being  displayed  in  cutting  up  the  cake  the  week 
after.  I  think  I  never  saw  anyone  perform  their  part 
with  more  perfect  composure  than  Mary.  Everything 
came  quite  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  you  might  have 
supposed  her,  apart  from  her  youthful  appearance,  a 
bride  of  35,  instead  of  17.  She  is  very  sad  to-day  at  the 
idea  of  Mr.  Gamble*  going  to  Cobourg  to-morrow,  to  be 
absent  a  week  or  ten  days. 

York,  U.  C.  College,  Jan.  24,  1834. 
MY  DEAREST  FANNY, — 


York  has  been  uncommonly  gay  this  winter.  Dinner 
parties  or  routs  twice  a  week  at  the  Government  House, 
at  two  of  which  I  have  been  within  the  last  month.  At 
their  evening  parties  dancing  is  generally  introduced, 
which  the  young  people  no  doubt  think  a  great  improve- 
ment upon  the  old  custom,  although  I  am  glad  to  find 
they  are  determined  to  keep  reasonable  hours;  7.30  is 
the  commencement  of  their  rout  and  they  end  at  11.  It 
was  ludicrous  to  see  the  contrast  between  this  and  Mrs. 
Gillespie's  extra  fashionable  entertainment  for  this  even- 
ing, at  which,  by  the  bye,  I  am  glad  I  was  not  asked,  as 
I  am  now  much  more  agreeably  employed  than  in  elbow- 
ing my  way  through  a  crowd.  Mrs.  G.'s  cards  were  for 
9  o'clock,  to  end,  I  suppose,  at  daylight.  A  sudden  gloom 
was  cast  over  this  gaiety  by  the  death  of  Sir  William 
Campbell,  which  occurred  last  Saturday  morning.  You 
know,  perhaps,  that  he  was  a  member  of  the  Legislative 
Council,  and  it  was  a  most  singular  circumstance  that 
on  the  same  day  a  member  of  the  House  of  Assembly 
died,  a  Mr.  Mount,  whose  son  boards  with  Dr.  Phillips, 
and  they  were  both  buried  at  the  same  time.  Such  a 
thing  would  probably  not  occur  again  in  a  century. 


"Joseph  Clarke  Gamble,  the  4th  son  of  Dr.  John  Gamble  and 
Isabella  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Dr.  Joseph  Clarke,  U.  E.  L.,  was 
born  at  Kingston,  1809,  and  married,  first,  Mary  Boulton;  second, 
Harriet  Boulton,  first  cousin  to  his  first  wife. 

41 


I  have  been  enquiring  lately  about  Mrs.  Adams  and  her 
sister,  Mrs.  Hodgson.  I  find  they  have  both  left  Mr. 
Butcher's  employment,  finding  it  difficult  to  get  their 
wages.  Adams  has  taken  a  saw  mill  on  Yonge  St.,  on 
shares  with  another  person  in  whom  he  has  the  greatest 
confidence.  There  he  means  to  do  the  turning  business, 
whilst  his  partner  is  to  manage  the  mill,  and  he  says 
there  is  every  probability  of  his  doing  well.  Hodgson 
has  got  into  employment  with  Mr.  Bicker,  who  has  set 
up  a  steam  mill  a  little  below  Mr.  Charles  Small's,  and 
expects  to  do  well. 


Col.  Jarvis  is  always  worrying  me  about  your  see- 
ing his  daughter,  Mrs.  Maule's  family,  who  are  now  liv- 
ing in  Plymouth  and  will  not  be  satisfied  when  I  tell  him 
you  will  not  be  able  to  visit  many  of  your  own  relations. 
Every  one  remarks  how  much  the  Colonel  is  improved 
since  his  accession  to  office,  and  he  told  me  with  great 
glee  the  other  day  that  he  had  at  last  got  his  half  pay 
after  a  great  deal  of  asking.  Mrs.  Phillips  is  as  kind  as 
ever,  in  fact,  she  is  quite  my  right  hand  man.  She  bakes 
my  bread,  gives  me  milk,  and  breaks  my  sugar.  I  find 
Sally  Alderdice  very  dirty  unless  closely  watched,  but  her 
being  near  is  so  convenient  that  I  would  put  up  with  a 
great  deal  rather  than  change. 

You  will  be  pleased  to  hear  how  handsomely  the  people 
of  Cobourg  have  acted  towards  Mr.  Al.  Bethune*  in  re- 
gard to  the  late  reductions  in  his  income.  They  not  only 
resolved  to  make  up  the  entire  deficiency  in  his  salary, 
but  were  withheld  solely  by  motives  of  delicacy  towards 
the  Society  and  the  Government  from  taking  it  entirely 
on  themselves.  This  shows  how  they  appreciate  his  ser- 
vices. In  consequence  of  this  reduction  in  the 
pay  of  the  Clergy,  the  Bishop,  (the  Hon.  Right 
Rev.  Charles  James  Stewart,  2nd  Bishop  of  Que- 
bec), has  sent  round  a  circular  to  the  different 
missions  calling  upon  the  people  to  contribute  a  por- 
tion of  each  clergyman's  salary,  which,  considering  they 
have  to  build  churches,  too,  is  a  great  deal  to  expect, 


*Alexander  Neil  Bethune,  2nd  Bishop  of  Toronto,  1867-89. 

42 


when  there  is,  comparatively  speaking,  but  little  money 
in  the  country.  I  expect  when  your  next  letter  arrives 
that  you  will  tell  me  something  about  Tiverton  School. 
I  have  taken  a  great  fancy  for  going,  if  the  vacancy 
occurs  whilst  you  are  in  England,  though,  as  I  said  to 
Charlotte,  I  think  the  prudence  of  the  step  would  be  very 
doubtful,  if  you  left  home  before.  .  .  .  Mr.  Dade 
means  to  give  up  housekeeping,  he  finds  it  too  expensive. 
I  asked  him  if  he  would  not  become  our  boarder,  and  let 
us  have  his  house,  but  he  said  he  likes  to  have  it  all  to 
himself.  You  can't  think  how  smart  he  has  made  his 
drawing-room.  It  is  hung  round  with  framed  engrav- 
ings, mostly  of  ships.  Mr.  Matthews,  I  think,  is  becom- 
ing selfish.  I  wish  he  would  marry.  I  feel  much  flattered 
at  being  so  particularly  remembered  by  my  old  flame 
Miss  Dick ;  if  you  see  her  again  pray  return  the  compli- 
ment, and  say  that  I  have  by  no  means  forgotten  sundry 
pleasant  walks  in  the  neighborhood  of  Exeter.  Pray  give 
my  best  respects  to  Dr.  Dicken  and  thanks  for  his  kind- 
ness in  giving  the  boys  a  holiday  for  me.  If  you  don't 
think  it  is  too  much  to  ask,  perhaps  he  would  give  them 
another  just  before  you  leave  Tiverton.  .  .  . 

You  made  a  grand  mistake  about  my  salary.  When 
serving  the  Archdeacon,  I  used  to  receive  it  from  the 
Commissariat  office  every  two  months,  as  Acting  Chap- 
lain to  the  troops,  and  the  Archdeacon  had  nothing  to  do 
with  it :  in  fact,  my  services  to  him  never  cost  him  a  shill- 
ing, because  the  military  pay,  together  with  the  Mar- 
riage fees,  a  little  more  than  made  up  the  sum  he  agreed 
to  give  me.  If  I  remain  here,  I  may  perhaps  stand  a 
chance  of  getting  the  Chaplaincy  to  the  Legislative  Coun- 
cil, as  Mr.  W.  Macaulay  sometimes  talks  of  giving  it  up. 
Frank  Reward  is  just  going  to  Montreal  again.  The 
person  he  is  with  speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  him. 
To  me  he  has  always  appeared  the  flower  of  the  flock,  and 
he  appears  to  be  growing  a  fine  young  man  and  advancing 
very  steadily  and  respectably  in  his  business.  Charles  is 
still  living,  and  Dr.  Gwynne  who  now  attends  him  thinks 
he  will  recover.  But  I  should  think  his  constitution  must 
be  so  much  shattered  that  even  if  he  recovers  he  will 
never  be  fit  for  anything  again.  William  Reward  is 
farming  below  the  Don  Bridge.  I  met  Mr.  Fraser  a  few* 
days  ago  and  he  spoke  of  the  Cottage  Bible,  and  when  I 

43 


told  him  of  the  two  kinds  he  said  he  should  be  glad  to 
have  one  of  the  large  paper  copies  bound,  if  it  did  not  cost 
more  than  £4,  and  it  will  not  at  th'e  rate  you  mention. 
Hitherto  the  winter  has  been  very  open,  with  little  or  no 
snow  about  town,  but  yesterday  and  to-day  it  has  snowed 
a  good  deal,  though  it  is  so  light  that  I  fear  it  will  not 
add  much  to  the  sleighing.  I  have  been  but  once  into  the 
country,  having  been  prevented  last  Sunday  from  going 
out  by  the  heavy  rain,  but  I  shall  probably  go  to  Scar- 
borough next  Sunday.  I  have  in  hand  the  first  annual 
report  of  the  Sunday  School  Commission,  and  being  the 
first  thing  of  the  kind  I  ever  concocted,  I  suspect  it  will 
be  a  queer  production,  but  they  must  take  it  as  a  man 
takes  his  wife,  for  better  for  worse.  I  have  to  read  it  on 
Wednesday  next,  and  shall  be  glad  when  it  is  over. 

;  !  York,  9th  February,  1834. 

•V^  -  •  The  Newmarket  Church,  which  has  been  so 
long  talked  of,  is  to  be  erected  next  summer  without 
doubt,  and  as  I  promised  them  a  Bible  and  prayer  book 
for  it,  I  should  be  glad  if  you  could  manage  to  purchase 
them  before  you  come  out,  and  do  not  forget  to  bring  out 
half  a  dozen  of  the  old  English  razors,  they  are  2/6  each. 

•     York,  21st  February,  1834. 
MY  DEAREST  FANNY, — 

.  .  .  Mrs.  Scadding,  as  you  may  suppose,  is  highly 
delighted  with  her  son's  success  at  Cambridge.  I  have 
given  her  a  copy  of  all  the  prizes  distributed  at  Christ- 
inas to  send  to  him,  but  you  may  perhaps  receive  a  letter 
of  mine,  in  which  I  have  given  a  full  account  of  the  ex- 
amination, while  Scadding  is  at  Tiverton. 

.  .  .  I  am  much  obliged  to  my  Uncle  George  for  his 
good  wishes,  but  I  should  be  satisfied  with  one  moderate 
living  in  England,  being  no  advocate  for  pluralities.  I 
gave  up  the  Emigrant  some  time  since,  and  have  been 
thinking  of  discontinuing  the  Cob our g  Star,  and  the 
Western  Mercury.  The  latter  I  certainly  shall  forth- 
with, but  the  Star  has  lately  been  greatly  improved,  and 
is  reckoned  one  of  the  most  respectable  papers  in  the 
Upper  Province.  If  I  keep  this,  I  shall  then  have  only 
the  number  you  allow  me.  ...  I  am  glad  to  hear 

44 


Creator  to  sweeten  our  toils  and  enhancp  all  tfL 


xs  i?su         a 

^' 


of  ™w  ?lse5s  ?  an  over-anxious  and  worldly 

'  LE£H^  any  of  those  v 

,  then  it  is  far  otherwise,  and  al- 

thus  affected  ^  jt  mW  reap 
vyet  !t  "e11110*  be  of  a  Permanent  o? 
kind.    Yes,  my  bonny  little  bairns,  I  long  to 


45 


see  you  all  around  me,  that  the  sight  of  you  may  prove  the 
sincerity  of  what  I  have  just  said. 

...  I  have  now  to  give  you  a  very  sad  piece  of 
news.  Mrs.  Harris,  whose  constitution  you  know  was 
so  weak  and  deiicate,  was  confined  about  a  fortnight 
since  with  a  son,  after  which  she  had  the  fever,  which  is 
now  very  prevalent  on  such  occasions,  which  at  length 
turned  to  scarlet,  of  which  she  died  last  Sunday  night. 
Since  her  funeral  Dr.  Harris's  eldest  girl,  who  was  before 
very  ill  with  some  complaint  in  the  head,  has  been  getting 
worse  and  worse  until  to-day  at  noon,  when  she  died.  So 
that  now  the  poor  Doctor  has  only  his  little  infant  left 
him.  He  is,  as  you  may  suppose,  in  as  low  spirits  as  he 
can  be,  and  if  he  were  a  different  sort  of  person  I  would 
have  been  the  first  to  have  gone  in  to  him,  and  performed 
the  part  of  a  friend  on  such  a  sad  occasion,  but  you  will 
understanding  my  feelings.  .  .  . 

(From  Mrs.  William  Boulton  to  her  husband.) 

Tiverton,  20  March,  1834. 
MY  DEAREST  WILLIAM, — 

r,i"'  .  .  In  my  last  letter  I  mentioned  how  uncertain 
it  was  when  we  should  leave  Tiverton,  and  I  am  now  in  as 
much  doubt  as  ever.  At  the  furthest  we  shall,  I  hope, 
sail  the  middle  of  May,  and  next  week  I  will  write  again 
with  an  account  of  how  we  get  on.  ... 

The  new  Master  for  the  school  (Tiverton)  is  not  to  be 
chosen  till  the  29th  of  June,  so  I  shall  not  be  able  to  bring 
the  news.  .  .  .  Mrs.  Boulton  has  heard  from  Mrs. 
George,  who  appears  much  pleased  with  Miss  Street,  and 
speaks  in  high  terms  of  D'Arcy.  .  .  .  The  weather 
is  now  fine,  but  colder  than  it  has  before  been  this  winter, 
notwithstanding  which,  the  trees  are  budding  fast  and 
look  well.  .  .  . 

Tiverton,  4th  April,  1834. 
MY  DEAREST  WILLIAM, — 

When  writing  to  you  last  week,  the  time  for  our  leav- 
ing Tiverton  was  quite  uncertain,  as  Charlotte  had  not 
then  had  the  measles ;  now,  however,  the  case  is  different, 
as  the  4  children  have  passed  them  well.  .  .  . 

Yesterday  I  sent  some  of  my  boxes  by  the  waggon,  not 

46 


being  able  to  take  them  all  by  the  coach,  and  my  posses- 
sions have  so  much  increased  since  I  came  here  that  I 
shall  have  some  difficulty  in  packing  them,  and  now  the 
time  for  my  departure  is  so  near,  I  shall  be  very  thank- 
ful when  I  have  left  Tiverton,  and  you  may  be  sure  that 
it  will  give  me  real  pleasure  to  see  York  again.    I  often 
think  of  your  wish  to  board  the  2  College  batchelors,  but 
I  do  not  approve  of  doing  so  unless  they  pay  handsomely, 
as  we  must  keep  one  servant  extra,  and  it  would  inter- 
fere with  our  comfort  of  course.    My  opinion  is  that  if 
Mr.  Dade  were  to  sleep  in  his  own  house,  and  Mr.  Mat- 
thews in  ours,  we  might  do  very  well;  of  course,  we 
should  supply  the  former  with  wood  and  candles,  and  our 
servant  would  make  his  bed,  etc.    The  man  might  also 
attend  to  his  horse.     I  would  undertake  any  mending' 
they  might  want,  except  what  a  tailor  ought  to  do,  and 
should  not  object  to  hemming  handkerchiefs,  etc.;  this 
you  see  would  give  me  some  trouble;    the   back    room 
might  be  at  the  command  of  Mr.    Matthews   when   he 
wished  to  be  alone,  and,  of  course,  our  newspapers  would 
be  sufficient  without  their  taking  the  same  kind.    I  have 
been  thinking  you  may  be  inclined  to  make  some  arrange- 
ment before  my  return,  but  do  not  allow  them  to  con- 
sider it  an  accommodation  to  us.     We  would  get  their 
washing  done,  and  find  them  beer  and  spirits,  but,  re- 
member, that  £80  a  year  each  (at  least)  is  not  too  much. 
Should  they  appear  anxious  to  come  you  can  read  them1 
this,  if  not,  do  oblige  me  by  not  saying  a  word  on  the 
subject;  should  we  be  alone,  I  mean  to  blend  comfort 
with  economy  as  much  as  possible,  which  you  will  allow 
is  necessary. 

Next  Tuesday  week  is  now  fixed  for  our  departure, 
and  to-morrow  the  places  are  to  be  taken,  when  half  the 
money  must  be  paid.  .  .  . 

Boulton  Grange,  June  8th,  1834: 
MY  DEAR  FANNY, — 

As  your  young  friend  Darcy  Edward  (Col.  D.  E.  Boul- 
ton, of  Cobourg)  is  going  to  New  York,  we  are  desirous 
of  your  meeting  him  that  he  may  be  your  company  in  the 
remainder  of  your  journey.  I  hope  he  may  make  himself 
useful  to  you  in  every  way  he  possibly  can.  In  order  that 
you  may  be  aware  of  his  intentions,  my  letter  will  be  sent 

47 


to  Mr.  Buchanan  with  a  request  that  he  will  be  on  the 
look-out  for  you,  lest  otherwise  you  might  miss  Darcy. 
He  is  to  leave  this  for  New  York  on  the  15th,  and  should 
you  arrive  before  him  you  had  better  await  his  arrival, 
of  course,  as  it  will  be  a  troublesome  journey  for  you  to 
take  with  your  dear  children  alone.  If  you  did  not  leave 
England  till  the  24th,  you  probably  received  my  letter  of 
the  21st  of  April,  mentioning  the  illness  of  your  dear  hus- 
band, but  should  you  not  have  received  that  letter,  I  will 
again  mention  some  of  the  circumstances  of  his  illness. 
He  was  taken  ill  on  the  26th  of  March  with  pleurisy,  and 
suffered  very  much  from  the  severity  of  the  attack, 
which  at  one  time  he  appeared  to  be  recovering  from,  but 
did  not  continue  to  regain  his  strength  as  was  expected, 
and  has  since  remained  in  a  very  weak  state,  but  without 
suffering  actual  pain ;  he  has  a  bad  cough,  which  occasions 
very  restless  nights.  I  shall  write  to  you  by  Darcy,  and 
tell  you  further  of  him.  We  have  of  late  had  a  great 
deal  of  illness  in  our  family.  The  poor  Judge,  after 
lingering  in  a  miserable  state  for  a  week  or  10  days,  died 
on  the  24th  of  May.  Mr.  Boulton  is  also  ill,  indeed,  he 
has  been  very  sick  in  consequence,  we  think,  of  anxiety 
of  mind  and  fatigue,  he  was  much  distressed  at  the  suf- 
ferings of  his  Father  &  Brother.  Nothing  has  so  much 
disturbed  my  mind  for  a  very  long  time  as  poor  dear  Wil- 
liam's illness,  and  really,  my  dear  Sister,  I  very  much  fear 
you  will  never  again  see  him  in  this  world.  We  have  all, 
I  may  say,  suffered  much  for  you  in  thought  and  for 
your  dear  children.  They,  however,  are  not  to  be  con- 
sidered in  comparison  with  you.  I  grieve  that  your 
well-meant  and  delightful  visit  to  your  family  should 
have  such  a  termination,  but  you  must  now  bend  with 
submission  to  your  fate,  my  poor  dear  sister,  and  believe, 
as  your  good  Husband  does,  that  God  orders  all  things 
for  the  best,  tho'  to  us  it  is  not  manifest.  God  bless  and 
supply  you  in  whatever  trials  may  await  you,  is  the  wish 
and  prayer  of  your  affectionate  sister,  S.  A.  Boulton. 

(He  died  and  was  buried  before  his  wife  reached  New 
York.    One  of  the  twins  died  not  long  after.) 


'Deeds  Speak 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

OFFICERS. 

/ 

Honorary  President   ....  MBS.  LIONEL  CLARKE. 

Past  President    MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 

President   Miss  MICKLE,  48  Heath  St.  E. 

V ice-Presidents   MRS.  J.  BAIN,  MRS.  E.  JARVIS. 

Recording  Secretary  ....  MRS.  W.  T.  HALLAM. 
Corresponding  Secretary .  MRS.  S.  -CORLEY,  46  Dunvegan  Kd, 
Treasurer  .  .MRS.  DUCKWORTH. 


TRANSACTION  No.  19 

1.  District  General  Orders  of  Maj.-Gen.  Sir  Isaac  Brock  from 

June  27th,  1812— Oct.  16th,  1812. 

2.  Instructions  sent  to  Officers  commanding  Forts,  by  Major- 

General  Brock  shortly  'before  the  attack  on  Queenston. 


PREFATORY  NOTE 


These  orders,  with  other  papers,  were  sent  to  Sir  Isaac 
Brock's  family  in  England  'by  his  aide-de-camp,  Major  Grlegg, 
who,  with  his  cousin  and  private  secretary,  James  Brock,  took 
charge  of  his  personal  effects  in  Upper  Canada.  They  are 
now  in  the  possession  of  his  great  niece,  the  daughter  of  his 
biographer  F.  B.  Tupper,  by  whose  kind  permission  we  are 
enabled  to  print  them. 

Certain  of  these  orders — in  whole  or  in  part — have  been 
printed  in  Col.  E.  Cruikahank's  Documentary  History  of 
Niagara. 

The  map  is  copied  by  kind  permission  from  one  in  the  John 
Eoss  Robertson  collection  in  the  Reference  Library.  ~>  J 


Brock's  Last  District  General  Orders 


Orders  by  Major-General  Brock. 
D.G.O.  NIAGARA,  27th   June,  1812. 

No.  1.  'Colonel  Proctor  will  assume  the  command 
of  the  troops,  between  Niagara  and  Fort  Erie.  The  Honorable 
Colonel  Claus  will  command  the  militia,  stationed  between 
Niagara  and  Queenston ;  *  and  Lieut-Colonel  Clarke  from 
Queenston  to  Fort  Erie. 

No.  2.  The  Commissariat,  at  their  respective  posts,  will 
ration  and  fuel,  for  the  numbers  actually  present;  the  Car  Bri- 
gade horses,  and  those  of  the  Provisional  Cavalry  are  included 
in  this  order.  Officers  commanding  corps  or  detachments,  will 
sign  the  necessary  certificates  previous  to  issuing  the  rations. 

3.  The  detachments  of  the    41st    Eegiment    stationed    at 
the  two  and  four-mile  points,  will  be  relieved  by  an  equal  num- 
ber of  the  1st  Lincoln  Militia  to  bring  blankets  with  them  on 
service. 

4.  The  troops  will  be  kept  in  a  constant  state  of  readiness 
for  service,  and  Colonel  Proctor  will  direct  the  necessary  guards 
and  patrols,  which  are  to  be  made  down  the  bank,  and  close  to 
the  water's  edge. 

5.  Lieut. -Colonel  Nicholl  is  appointed  Qr. -Master  General 
to  the  militia  forces,  with  the  same  pay  and  allowances  as  those 
granted  to  the  Adjutant  General. 

By  order  of  the  Major-General, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 
5 


6 

D.G-.O.  NIAGARA,  29th  June,  1812. 

Lieut.  McClean,  of  the  41st  Regiment,  is  appointed  to  act 
as  aide  de  camp  to  Colonel  Proctor,  and  is  to  be  obeyed  as  such ; 
be  will  receive  pay  and  allowances  accordingly  till  further 
orders.  (Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  NIAGARA,  2ND  JULY,  1812. 

The  troops  will  be  formed  into  four  divisions  to  be  conv 
posed  of  regulars  and  militia  as  follows: 

First,  or  right  division,  commanded  by  Capt.  Derenzey, 
41st  Regiment: 

Detachment  41st  Regiment 200 

Detachment  of  Militia  .  200 


With  two  three-pounders.  400 

Second,  or  right  centre  division,  commanded  by  Capt.  Bul- 
lock, 41st  Regiment: 

Detachment  of  41st .  Regiment 100 

Detachment  of  Militia 200 

With  two  six  pounders.  300 

Third,  or  left  centre  division,  commanded  by  Capt.  Cham- 
bers, 41st  Regiment: 

Detachment  of  41st    Regiment   100 

Detachment  of  Militia   200 

With  two  three  pounders.  300 

Fourth,  or  left  division,  commanded  by 

Detachment  of  41st    Regiment   200 

Detachment  of  Militia    300 

With  Artillery  ,  500 


These  divisons  to  be  posted  in  the  following  manner : 

First,  or  right  division Fort  Erie 

Second,  or  right. Chippewa 

Third,  or  left  centre Height  of  Queenston 

Fourth,  or  left   Fort  George 

These  detachments  of  militia  for  the  first  division  will  be 
furnished  by  the  Third  Lincoln  Regiment  and  will  be  com- 
manded by — 

The  detachment  of  militia  for  the  2nd  Division  will  be 
furnished  by  the  2nd  Lincoln  Regiment,  and  will  be  com- 
manded by — 

The  detachment  of  Militia  for  the  3rd  Division  will  be 
composed  of  the  flank  companies  of  the  5th  and  6th  Regiments 
of  Lincoln,  and  will  be  commanded  by  Captain  Hall.  * 


*Probably  a  mistake  of  the  copyist  for  Hatt. 

Samuel  Hatt  came  from  England  about  1798  and  settled  near 
Ancaster.  His  sister,  Susannah,  married  Col.  Johnston  Butler,  who 
was  killed  November  20th,  1812,  in  the  attack  on  the  batteries  opposite 
Black  Rock  by  Gen.  Smythe.  'Samuel  Hatt  married  Margaret  Thompson, 
of  Niagara.  He  commanded  the  detachment  of  the  2nd  York  and  5th 
Lincoln,  which  accompanied  (Sir  Isaac  Brock  to  Detroit,  consisting  of 
three  officers,  three  N.C.'s  and  fifty-nine  rank  and  file.  He  commanded 
the  3rd  Militia  Division  at  Queenston  from  July,  1812,  until  after  the 
Battle  of  Queenston.  After  the  war  he  settled  at  Chambly,  'L.C. 

His  brother,  Richard  Hatt,  came  with  him  to  Ancaster  about  1798. 
He  was  the  first  to  utilize  the  water  privileges  of  the  Dundas  Valley, 
where  he  erected  saw,  grist,  and  carding  mills.  In  1799  he  was 
married  at  Ancaster  to  Mary  Cooley,  U.E.  Peter  Desjardins,  the  pro- 
jector of  the  canal  which  bears  his  name,  was  associated  with  him 
commercially,  beginning  apparently  as  his  bookkeeper.  In  the  war 
Major  Hatt  commanded  the  militia  at  Fort  Erie  under  Colonel  Bisshopp, 
when  the  attack  under  General  Smythe  was  repulsed  and  Colonel 
Johnston  and  Captain  John  Lottridge  were  killed.  At  Lundy's  Lane 
Major  Hatt's  command  formed  part  of  Colonel  Hercules  Scott's  rein- 
forcement which  after  much  counter-marching  arrived  on  the  scene 
of  battle  at  9  p.m.  Here  he  was  severely  wounded.  After  the  war 
both  brothers  Hatt  became  J.P.'s.  Richard  was  also  1st  Judge  of  the 
Gore  District  Court,  and  in  1816  he  represented  the  Gore  District  in 
the  Legislative  Assembly.  The  silver  communion  service  of  (St.  James* 
Church,  Dundas,  was  presented  by  Richard  Hatt  and  his  wife  in  1817. 
— From  papers  of  the  late  H.  H.  Robertson. 


8 

The  detachment  of  Militia  for  the  4th  Division  will  be  com- 
posed of  the  flank  companies  of  the  1st  and  4th  Lincoln  Regi- 
ment, and  will  be  commanded  by  Lieut-Col.  Butler. 

The  1st  and  2nd  Divisions  will  receive  their  orders  from 
Lieut.-Col.  Clarke,  the  3rd  and  4th  from  Col.  Claus,  to  whom 
the  said  Divisions  will  respectively  report. 

Reports  of  all  occurrences  of  consequence  will  at  the  same 
time,  be  made  to  Major-General  Brock  and  to  Col.  Proctor. 

Morning  States  will  be  regularly  transmitted  to  the  Brigade 
Major's  office  by  Col.  Claus  and  Lieut.-Col.  Clarke. 

Officers  in  command  of  Militia  Regiments  will  direct  the 
officers  of  their  respective  corps  (not  embodied)  to  use  every 
exertion  to  discipline  the  men  under  their  command,  and  to 
have  them  in  constant  readiness  to  march  to  their  respective 
posts  on  the  shortest  notice;  they  will  at  the  same  time  give 
orders  for  their  moving  to  the  point  attacked  on  the  first  alarm 
without  waiting  for  orders  to  that  effect. 

Colonel  Proctor  will  appoint  the  stations  of  the  detach- 
ments of  light  dragoons  and  will  particularly  direct  that  they 
shall  not  be  detached  from  their  posts,  except  on  urgent  occa- 
sions. 

James  Muirhead,  Esq.,  is  appointed  surgeon  to  the  militia 
forces,  and  will  be  stationed  at  Chippewa  with  the  pay  of  10s. 
per  diem  and  the  usual  allowances. 

The  officers  in  command  of  divisions  will  be  allowed  forage 
for  one  horse  on  furnishing  the  usual  certificate. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEOKGE,  9th  July,  1812. 

The  following  proportions  of  officers  and  non-commissioned 
officers  will  be  entitled  to  receive  pay  and  allowances: — 


ESTABLISHMENT  : — 

Capt.  Sub.  Sergt. 

For  every  company  embodied  for  ser- 
vice consisting  of  30  rank  and  file  1         2         2 
For  ditto  consisting  of  45,  and  not  ex- 
ceeding 80    1         2         3 

For   ditto  consisting  of   80   men  and 

upwards    1          3         4 

For  every  250  men,  one  field  officer,  and  so  in  proportion. 
The  difference  of  pay  between  a  subaltern  and  adjutant  will  be 
allowed  for  every  200  men.  A  paymaster  will  be  appointed  for 
the  district  of  Niagara,  who  will  muster  on  the  23rd  or  24th  of 
every  month  all  the  corps  stationed  between  Niagara  and  Lake 
Erie;  pay  lists  are  to  be  certified  on  oath  by  the  captains  of 
companies,  and  the  officer  commanding  division  (whether  of 
the  line  or  militia)  will  examine  and  certify  their  belief  as  to 
the  correctness  of  the  accounts. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

Memorandum — 

In  consequence  of  the  above  order  the  circular  letter 
from  his  Honor  the  President  to  officers  command- 
ing regiments  dated  April  8th,  1812,  is  rescinded,  and  officers 
commanding  regiments  are  directed  to  transmit  to  headquarters 
an  account  of  the  actual  expenses  which  have  been  incurred 
under  it. 

D.G.O.  FOKT  GEORGE,  9th  July,  1812. 

The  militia  forces  in  the  district  will  be  provisioned  in  the 
same  manner  both  as  to  quantities  and  species  of  provision  as 
the  regular  troops. 

There  being  no  branch  of  the  Commissariat  establishment 
in  the  London  district,  from  whence  supplies  may  be  derived, 
f-he  proportion  of  troops  called  out  for  the  defence  of  that  dis- 


10 

trict  will  be  allowed  their  full  pay  so  as  to  enable  them  to 
supply  themselves. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  23rd  July,  1812. 

No.  1  Grand  Rounds  will  be  established  along  the 
whole  line,  from  Four  Mile  Creek  to  above  Fort  Erie;  the 
officers  to  perform  this  duty  betwixt  Four  Mile  Creek  and 
Queenston  are  Lieut.-Col.  Short,  Cols.  'Claus  and  Butler,  and 
Major  Merritt;  the  hours  at  which  these  officers  make  their 
rounds  are  left  to  their  own  discretion,  only  that  they  are  not 
to  commence  before  11  o'clock.  Captain  Saunders  will  select 
from  his  command  the  necessary  officers  for  the  performance 
of  this  duty  from  Queenston  to  the  extent  of  his  command  on 
the  Chippewa  Road,  and  Lieut-Col.  Clarke  will  make  arrange- 
ments for  the  performance  of  this  duty,  betwixt  the  port  at 
which  his  command  commences  on  this  side  Chippewa  to  above 
Fort  Erie. 

2.  Lieut.-Col.  Myers,  Deputy  Quartermaster-General,  being 
arrived,  all  reports  and  communications  relating  to  that  de- 
partment will  be  directed  to  that  officer  agreeable  to  the  stand- 
ing regulations,  dated  12th  August,  1811. 

3.  Lieut-Col.  Walter  Kerr,  of  the  Glengarry  Light  Infan- 
try, will  continue  to  do  duty  with  the  41st  Regiment  until 
further  orders. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  12th  July,  1812. 

~No.  1.  At  all  times  when  vessels  shall  arrive  at  any  of 
the  ports  in  this  command,  a  boat  will  be  immediately 
dispatched  by  the  officer  commanding  the  post  with  a 
proper  person  on  board,  to  ascertain  the  number  and  descrip- 
tion of  the  passengers  on  board,  and  who  will  not  be  permitted 
to  land  until  leave  is  first  obtained  from  the  commanding  officer 


I          n 

unless  such  passengers  should  be  officers  in  his  Majesty's  em- 
ploy. 

2.  It  having  been  reported  to  the  Major-General  com- 
manding that  one  or  two  of  the  sentinels  placed  on  the  bank  of 
the  river  Niagara  have  fired  upon  persons  on  the  opposite  shore 
without  orders  for  so  doing,  he  has  been  pleased  to  express  his 
disapprobation  of  such  irregular  conduct,  and  to  direct  that 
officers  commanding  at  the  different  posts  on  the  communica- 
tion will  take  the  necessary  steps  to  prevent  a  repetition  of 
such  discreditable  practices. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  12th  July,  1812. 

Mr.  John  Symington  is  appointed  paymaster  to  the 
militia  forces  stationed  in  the  Niagara  district  with  the 
pay  of  10s.  per  day  and  allowances  as  captain,  to  take  place 
from  the  1st  inst.  Mr.  S.  will  afford  every  assistance  to  officers 
in  command  of  militia  corps,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  make 
exact  returns  (paying  particular  attention  to  the  broken 
periods),  and  on  which  he  will  take  his  measures  for  imme- 
diately bring  (ing)  forward  his  pay  list  to  24th  July. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  NIAGARA,  16-TH  July,  1812. 

The  officers  on  duty  this  morning  were  exceedingly 
remiss  in  allowing  a  'boat  within  four  miles  Mississaga 
Point  without  reporting  it  until  too  late  for  it  to  be  intercepted. 
Col.  Glaus  will  adopt  the  necessary  measures  to  guard  against 
its  recurrence  in  future ;  a  proper  person  will  be  stationed  at  the 
top  of  the  lighthouse  half  an  hour  before  it  is  daylight,  to  re- 
main throughout  the  day,  who  will  be  particularly  instructed  to 


12 

watch  whatever  passes  on  the  lake  and  on  the  enemy's  side  of 
the  river,  the  officer  on  duty  will  frequently  visit  him  to  assist; 
him  in  making  the  necessary  observations. 

The  Major-General  was  surprised  this  morning  to  find  that 
the  order  for  the  apprehension  of  all  strangers  travelling  on  any 
part  of  this  communication  was  not  complied  (with),  and  that 
avowed  Americans  were  permitted  to  parade  the  streets  and 
examine  the  works  with  impunity.  Col.  Glaus  will  explain  to 
every  officer  and  militia  man  that  it  is  expected  (whether  on  or 
off  duty)  that  they  will  stop  all  suspicious  characters  and  take 
them  before  a  magistrate  for  examination. 

Officers  commanding  posts  will  not  only  examine  the  arms, 
accoutrements,  and  ammunition  in  use,  but  likewise  those  which 
the  men  or  furlough  have  left  in  store,  and  see  that  the  whole  be 
in  a  state  fit  for  service,  they  will  report  having  done  so. 

Notice  will  be  taken  on  the  back  of  the  morning  report  of 
any  orders  that  have  reached  them  during  the  day,  the  date 
and  purport  of  the  days  already  received  will  be  inserted  on 
the  back  of  the  morning  report  of  next  Monday. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  22nd  July,  1812. 

~No.  1.  'Captain  Chambers,  of  the  41st  Regiment,  is 
appointed  to  the  command  of  a  division  of  the  army,  to  serve 
in  the  western  and  London  districts,  with  the  local  rank  of 
major. 

Major  Chambers  will  exert  himself  so  as  to  be  able  to  march 
this  evening,  and  will  make  the  best  of  his  way  with  the  forces 
to  be  put  under  his  command  to  the  Moravian  Village.  Major 
Chambers  will  in  the  first  instance  receive  his  orders  from  the 
Major-General  Commanding. 

No.  2.  Captain  iSaunders  will  succeed  Major  Chambers  in 


13 

the  command  on  the  division  stationed  at  Queenston,  to  which 
post  he  will  instantly  repair. 

3.  Lieut.  Lenn,  of  the  41st  Regiment,  is  attached  to,  and 
will  proceed  with,  the  forces  under  the  immediate  orders  of 
Major  Chambers. 

4.  Heads  of  departments   and  officers  commanding  corps 
will  attend  every  morning  at  9  o'clock  at  Government  House, 
there  to  receive  the  Major-General's  commands. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  23rd  July,  1812. 

Mr.  »Cyrus  Sumner  is  appointed  surgeon  to  the  division 
under  the  command  of  Major  Chambers,  with  the  pay  of  7s.  6d. 
per  day  and  the  usual  allowances. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  26th  July,  1812. 

All  reports  and  communications  relating  to  the  Guards 
(to  go)  through  the  field  officer  of  the  field  offices  of  the 
Grand  Rounds,  to  the  Major-General,  or  officer  in  the  imme- 
diate command  of  the  forces. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

"D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  31st  July,  1812. 

The  garrison  clerk  at  York  being  for  the  present  discon- 
tinued, the  Major-General  commanding  approves  of  Cor- 
poral Henry  Glover,  of  the  41st  Regiment,  being  appointed  to 
act  as  such  at  Fort  George,  with  the  pay  of  Is.  army  pay,  per 


14 

diem,  in  addition  to  his  present  pay,  and  until  further  orders  is 
attached  to  the  Brigade  Major's  office  from  the  24th  inst. 
By  Order, 

{Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  31st  July,  1812. 

No.  1.  The  Major-General  commanding  is  happy  to 
announce  to  the  troops  under  his  command  the  surrender  of 
the  fort  at  Michilimackinac,  together  with  its  ordnance,  stores, 
etc.,  to  his  Majesty's  arms,  the  garrison  prisoners  of  war.  Too 
much  praise  cannot  he  given  to  Captain  Roberts,  who  com- 
manded, as  well  for  his  firmness  and  judgment  during  the  pre- 
parations made  for  the  attack,  as  to  his  prudence  which  con- 
trolled the  feelings  of  his  forces  after  the  enemy  surrendered. 
The  Major-General  thanks  those  gentlemen,  etc.,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood who  so  honorably  contributed  to  Captain  Robert's  exer- 
tions, and!  is  pleased  with  the  conduct  of  the  Indians  who  on 
this  occasion  (directed  by  the  generous  feelings  of  Britons) 
spared  that  enemy,  which  otherwise  they  would  have  annihi- 
lated. 

No.  2.  The  Major-General  announces  with  pride  and  satis- 
faction the  complete  repulse  of  the  enemy  by  that  part  of  the 
army  stationed  at  Amherstburg,  on  two  separate  occasions,  and 
thanks  them  for  their  gallantry.  The  militia  behaved  honor- 
ably, the  Indians  with  the  most  determined  spirit,  but  the 
conduct  of  the  41st  Regiment  commanded  the  admiration  of  all 
who  witnessed  their  heroic  valor.  If  the  enemy  is  thus  made 
to  sustain  severe  losses  at  the  threshold  of  our  territory  by  a 
small  but  determined  band  of  united  troops,  what  has  he  to 
expect  from  the  whole  physical  force  of  the  province  actuated 
by  ardour  and  loyalty  worthy  of  their  sires. 

3.  Commanding  officers  will  be  attentive  in  ascertaining 
that  all  general  orders  are  read  to  the  troops  composing  the 
militia  force. 


15 

4.  Mr.  James  Cummins  is  appointed  to  act  in  the  Commis- 
sariat Department,  with  the  pay  of  10s.  per  day  and  forage  for 
one  horse,  from  the  25th  inst. 
By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  1st  August,  1812. 

Paymasters  to  the  militia  will  he  appointed  at  York, 
Fort  George,  Amherstburg,  and  Kingston,  who  will  regularly 
muster  the  militia  on  the  24th  of  each  month,  or  as  soon 
after  as  possible;  the  officers  in  charge  of  the  Commissariat 
at  Fort  George,  Amherstburg,  Kingston,  and  York  will  issue 
to  the  paymasters  the  amount  of  the  monthly  estimate  of  the 
militia,  which  are  to  be  certified  by  commanding  officers  of  the 
post,  whether  of  the  line  or  militia. 

The  pay  list  will  be  certified  on  oath  by  the  captains  or 
officers  in  command  of  companies,  and  the  officers  commanding 
the  militia  will  examine  and  certify  their  belief  as  to  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  account. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  1st  August,  1812. 

No  1.  During  the  absence  of  Col.  Proctor,  Lieut. -Col. 
Myers  will  take  upon  himself  the  general  superinten- 
dence and  direction  of  Jhe  forces  stationed  on  the  line  of 
communication  betwixt  Fort  George  and  Fort  Erie. 

2.  A  subaltern  will  be  directed  to  make  visiting  rounds 
from  Fort  George,  commencing  with  the  white  house  guard  and 
ending  at  Four  Mile  Point  once  during  the  day,  once  during 
the  night,  and  once  in  the  morning,  the  latter  to  be  made  be- 
tween the  hours  of  1  and  4  o'clock.  Captain  'Saunders  will 
direct  a  subaltern  to  perform  the  same  duty  from  Queenston  to 
the  Four  Mile  Point,  subject  to  the  same  regulations ;  the  officer 
for  this  duty  will  be  taken  from  the  41st  Regiment  and  the 


16 

militia  agreeable  to  their  strength,  and  will  report  to  the  field 
officer  of  the  Grand  Rounds. 

3.  The  sick  of  the  militia  stationed  at  Fort  George  pro- 
nounced as  hospital  cases,  will  be  admitted  as  patients  into  the 
41st  Regiment  Hospital,  subject,  however,  to  the  same  regula- 
tions and  orders  with  respect  to  stoppages,  etc.,  as  those  estab- 
lished for  soldiers  of  the  line. 

4.  Mr.  Lafferty  is  appointed  assistant  surgeon  to  the  militia 
forces,  and  to  do  duty  with  the  division  stationed  at  Chippewa. 

No.     5.  Until    further    orders    all    guards    and    sentinels 
stationed  at  the  outposts  are  excused  from  turning  out,  or  pay- 
ing compliments  to  any  officer,  whatever  may  be  his  rank. 
By  Order, 

(Signed)     THOS.  EVANS,  B.  M. 

D.G.O.  YORK,  5th  August,  1812. 

Lieut.-Ool.  Myers  will  assume,  during  the  absence  of  Col. 
Proctor,  the  command  of  the  district  of  Niagara. 

Major-General  Shaw,  having  offered  his  services  in  any 
manner  in  which  they  may  be  useful,  Major-General  Brock  is 
pleased  to  appoint  him  to  command  between  Chippawa  and 
Sugar  Loaf,  as  colonel  of  militia,  with  the  pay  and  allowances 
of  lieut.-colonel. 

It  is  to  be  understood  that  no  officer  in  the  militia  when 
embodied,  will  receive  a  higher  rate  of  pay  than  lieut.-colonel, 
and  that  officers  of  every  rank  are  subject  to  the  same  deduction 
as  the  line,  including  the  income  tax. 

The  field  officer  of  the  Grand  Rounds  will  collect  the  written 
reports  from  the  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  in  charge 
of  guards,  and  in  the  performance  of  other  duties,  who  will  en- 
close "them  in  his  own  written  report  to  the  officer  in  command 
of  the  post  where  he  may  be  stationed. 
By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


17 

D.G.O.  YORK,  4th  August,  1812. 

The  business  of  the  Commissariat  at  this  post  having 
been  decreased,  Major-General  Brock  has  appointed  Mr. 
William  Stanton  to  act  as  paymaster  to  the  militia  for  the  York 
district  until  further  orders.  Mr.  Stanton  is  to  receive  no  pay 
for  performing  this  duty,  other  than  what  he  derives  from  his 
situation  in  the  Commissariat  Department. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  12th  August,  1812. 

No.  1.  The  sick  of  militia  capable  of  attending  will 
assemble  every  morning  in  rear  of  their  respective  parades, 
for  examination  by  a  medical  officer,  and  the  quarters  of  those 
not  able  to  attend  will  be  signified*  by  an  officer  of  the  company 
to  which  such  sick  belong,  to  the  attending  medical  officer. 

2.  Fort  Major  Kemble  will  be  pleased  to  take  charge  of  the 
letter  box,  to  whom  heads  of  departments  and  officers  belonging 
to  the  garrison  having  letters  to  forward  to  the  east  or  westward 
will  send  them.     Major  Kemble  will  be  pleased  to  receive  such 
letters  and  forward  them  by  the  first  opportunity. 

3.  Commanding  officers  of  the  militia  and  officers  in  the 
command  of  companies  who  have  not  already  provided  them- 
selves with  orderly  books,  will  do  it  without  delay,  as  it  is  ex- 
pected they  will  be  produced  at  all  general  inspections. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  5th  August,  1812. 

No.  1.  The  troops  in  the  Niagara  district  will  be  under 
arms  so  as  to  fall  in  on  their  respective  parades  every 
morning  at  daylight,  an  hour  after  which  time  the  men  for 


18 

guards,  picquets,  and  fatigues  will  assemble,  and  be  regularly 
marched  off  for  their  respective  duties. 

No.  2.  All  drills  for  the  militia  will  take  place  after  guard 
mounting  in  the  morning,  and  at  6  o'clock  in  the  evening,  at 
which  time  the  officers  will  be  most  particular  in  the  examina- 
tion of  the  men,  arms,  appointments,  etc.,  and  report  forthwith 
every  deficiency  discovered. 

3.  Captain  Holcroft,  of  the  Koyal  Artillery,  will  arrange 
as  to  the  manner  and  place  of  parade  for  the  field  artillery, 
and  will  also  make  arrangements  for  the  distribution  and  drill 
of  that  proportion  of  the  militia  allotted  for  the  service  of  the 
different  batteries  and  car  brigades. 

No.  4.  The  places  of  parade  will  be  considered,  the  alarm 
posts,  to  which  in  cases  of  alarm  the  troops  will  instantly  repair, 
and  it  is  to  be  understood  that  no  commanding  officer  of  a  corps, 
or  any  other,  will,  for  a  moment,  leave  their  division,  corps,  or 
company  without  orders  for  so  doing,  from  the  officer  com- 
manding at  the,  post. 

No.  5.  It  having  been  reported  to  the  officer  in  command 
that  the  quarters  of  the  militia  are  in  a  very  dirty  state,  he 
cannot  too  thoroughly  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  officers 
generally  that  on  cleanness  alone  is  to  be  expected  health  and 
comfort  to  the  men ;  they  will  therefore  see  a  necessity  for  the 
utmost  vigilance  and  attention  on  their  part  to  this  essential 
particular. 

6.  The  officer  in  command  holds  the  officers  and  non-com- 
missioned officers  in  charge  of  posts  along  the  line  of  com- 
munication responsible  that  both  the  men  attached  to  their  post 
,  and  guns  are  in  every  sense  of  the  word  at  all  times  completely 
ready  to  meet  the  open  attacks  of  the  enemy ;  no  excuse  can  be 
received  for  the  want  of  any  species  of  appointment  and  am- 
munition. At  this  moment  commanding  officers  of  detach- 
ments are  enjoined  to  look  to  this,  as  it  is  the  intention  to  make 
frequent  and  general  inspections  of  corps  and  posts  in  order 


19 

to  ascertain  that  attention  has  been  paid  to  this  necessary  com 
mand,  and  it  is  further  ordered  that  a  weekly  inspection  be 
made  by  the  officer  commanding  at  each  post,  and  the  result 
transmitted  to  the  Brigade  Major. 

No.  Y.  Should  any  of  the  batteries  be  attacked,  they  are  to 
be  defended  to  the  last  extremity,  but  in  the  event  of  any  one 
being  completely  overpowered,  the  men  defending  such  battery 
will  fall  back!  in  a  cool,  regular  manner  to  the  next  one,  and  so 
on  till  they  are  enabled  by  increased  strength  to  resist  the 
enemy. 

8.  All  requisitions  for  ball  cartridge  and  flints  are  to  be 
transmitted  in  the  first  instance  by  officers  commanding  corps  or 
posts  to  the  officer  commanding  for  his  approval,  which  will 
afterward  be  transmitted  by  them  to  Captain  Holcroft  com- 
manding Royal  Artillery,  who  will  give  directions  for  the  issue. 

9.  No  officer  or  soldier  is  to  be  permitted  to  sleep  out  of 
quarters  without  special  permission  being  first  granted  by  the 
officer  in  command  of  the  post,  to  which  such  officer  or  soldier 
making  the  application  may  belong. 

10.  Major  Merritt  will  be  pleased  to  keep  two  dragoons 
in  constant  readiness,  saddled,  etc.,  during  the  day  and  night 
for  the  immediate  performance  of  any  duty  required  of  them. 

By  Order, 

(Signed}     THOS.  EVANS,  B.  M. 


D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  17th  August,  1812. 

Lieut-Col.  Myers,  in  the  absence  of  Major-General 
Brock,  has  the  heartfelt  satisfaction  to  congratulate  the  troops 
in  general  of  the  Niagara  District  on  the  further  brilliant  suc- 
cesses obtained  over  the  enemy  by  the  brave  band  stationed  at 
Amherstburg.  On  two  recent  occasions  detachments  from  the 
force  have  penetrated  thirty  miles  into  the  enemy's  territories. 


20 

and  although  contending  against  4  times  their  numbers,  have 
invariably  put  them  to  flight  with  a  loss  of  from  two  to  three 
hundred  in  killed  and  wounded;  the  fruits  of  these  victories 
have  been  the  desertion  of  the  Indians  from  the  American  in- 
terest, the  capture  of  their  supplies  of  provisions,  and  the  inter- 
ception of  Governor  Hull's  despatches,  wherein  he  describes  the 
deplorable  situation  of  his  army.  Regulars,  militia,  and  In- 
dians vied  with  each  other  in  feats  of  valor  and  enterprise,  our 
loss  compared  with  that  of  the  enemy  has  been  trifling,  though 
it  is  to  be  regretted  those  brave  officers,  Capt.  Muir  and  Lieut. 
Sutherland,  41st  Regiment,  should  have  been  wounded  in  these 
services. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 


D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  18th  August  1812. 

Until  further  orders  the  following  captains  will  take  their 
tour  of  Grand  Rounds,  viz.,  Captain  Hamilton,  Dragoons ;  Cap- 
tains Crooks,  belles,  Moore,  and  McCuen,  of  the  flank  com- 
panies. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 


D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  19th  August,  1812. 

Major-General  Sheaffe  having  arrived  at  this  post 
to  assume  command  of  the  Niagara  District,  all  reports 
and  communications  will,  until  further  orders,  be  made  to  him. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 


21 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  20th  August,  1812. 

Orders  having  been  received  for  a  cessation  of  hostili- 
ties, commanding  officers  of  corps  and  those  at  the  head 
of  departments  will  give  the  necessary  directions  to  the  troops 
under  their  orders  of  the  event,  so  that  ignorance  may  not  be 
pleaded  in  excuse  for  any  act  of  hostility  committed  by  them 
after  the  receipt  of  this  order.  It  is  by  no  means  to  be  under- 
3tood,  however,  that  the  least  relaxation  is  to  take  place  in  our 
exertions;  on  the  contrary,  the  Major-General  expects  unremit- 
ting vigilance  and  attention  to  discipline  from  all  ranks,  by 
the  aid  of  which  we  may  look  forward  with  confidence  to  an 
honorable  issue  should  hostilities  be  recommenced. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  21st  August,  1812. 

Major-General  Sheaffe  has  very  great  satisfaction  in  an- 
nouncing to  the  troops  the  surrender  of  the  Fort  Detroit, 
with  Brigadier-General  Hull  and  the  ^.-Western  Army 
of  America  under  his  command,  consisting  of  2,500  men.  This 
important  success  was  gained  by  Major-General  Brock  at  the 
head  of  700  of  the  41st  Regiment  and  volunteer  militia,  with 
the  co-operation  of  600  Indians,  it  in  no  small  degree  contri- 
butes to  the  joy  of  which  such  an  event  is  calculated  to  excite 
that  brilliant  achievements  have  been  effected  without  loss  on 
our  part,  it  also  affords  particular  gratification  to  the  Major- 
General  to  add  that  the  commander  who  so  nobly  planned  the 
enterprise  bestows  the  highest  commendation  on  the  gallant 
little  band  that  executed  it. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 


G.O.  HEADQUARTERS,  POINT  AUX  PRINCE,  12th.  August,  1812. 

It  is  Major-General  Brock's  intention,  should  the  wind  con- 
tinue fair,  to  proceed  during  the  night,  officers  commanding 
boats  will  therefore  pay  attention  to  the  order  of  sailing  as 
directed  yesterday;  the  greatest  care  and  attention  will  be  re- 
quired to  prevent  the  boats  from  separating  or  falling  behind. 
A  great  part  of  the  bank  of  the  lake  where  the  boats  will  this 
day  pass  is  much  more  dangerous  and  difficult  of  access  than 
any  we  have  passed,  the  boats  will  therefore  not  land  except 
in  the  most  extreme  necessity,  and  then  great  care  must  be 
taken  to  choose  the  best  place  for  beaching. 

The  troops  being  now  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  enemy, 
every  precaution  must  be  taken  to  guard  against  surprise. 
By  Order, 

(Signed)  J.  B,  CLEGG,  A.D.C. 

G.O.     HEADQUARTERS,  AMHERSTBURG,  14th  August,  1812. 

Major-General  Brock  announces  his  arrival  to  the  troops 
in  the  western  district,  and  directs  officers  in  command 
will  immediately  transmit  returns  of  their  respective  corps. 
The  Major-General  congratulates  the  troops  on  the  evacuation 
of  the  country  by  the  enemy,  he  is  persuaded  that  nothing  but 
the  spirit  manifested  by  those  who  have  remained  doing  duty, 
and  the  judicious  measures  adopted  by  Col.  Proctor,  have  com- 
pelled Tiim  to  so  disgraceful  a  retreat.  Col.  Elliott,  Major  Mc- 
Kee,  and  the  officers  of  the  Indian  department  are  entitled  to 
his  best  thanks  for  their  judicious  management  of  the  Indians, 
and  for  the  example  of  gallantry  which  they  have  uniformly 
shown  before  the  enemy.  The  Major-General  cannot  avoid  ex- 
pressing his  surprise  at  the  numerous  desertions  which  have  oc- 
curred from  the  ranks  of  the  militia,  to  which  circumstance  the 
long  stay  of  the  enemy  on  this  side  of  the  river  must  in  a 
great  measure  be  ascribed.  He  is  willing  to  believe  that  their 
conduct  proceeded  from  an  anxiety  to  get  in  their  harvest,  and 


23 

not  from  any  predilection  for  the  principles  or  government  of 
the  United  States. 

He  requests  officers  commanding  corps  to  transmit  to  him 
the  names  of  such  militia  men  who  have  remained  faithful  to 
their  oath  and  duty  in  order  that  immediate  measures  may  be 
taken  to  discharge  their  arrears  of  pay. 

The  enemy  being  still  in  the  neighborhood,  the  whole  physi- 
cal force  of  the  country  will  be  employed  to  drive  him  to  such  a 
distance  as  will  ensure  its  tranquillity.  Officers  commanding 
militia  corps  are  responsible  that  every  individual  bound  to  em- 
body himself  according  to  the  law  does  immediately  repair  to 
his  station,  in  default  of  which  he  will  be  treated  as  a  deserter 
and  subjected  to  all  the  penalties  of  the  new  militia  laws. 

Captains  Muir,  Tallon  and  Chambers,  41st  Regiment,  Capt. 
Glegg,  49th  Regiment;  Capt.  Mockler,  Royal  Newfoundland, 
and  Capt  Dixon,  Royal  Engineers,  are  appointed  to  the  rank 
of  majors  so  long  as  the  local  service  on  which  they  are  em- 
ployed continues. 

The  troops  in  the  Western  District  will  be  formed  into 
three  brigades: 

1st  Brigade.  The  first  under  Lieut. JCol.  St.  George  to  con- 
sist of  a  detachment  Royal  Newfoundland  Regiment  and  of  the 
Kent,  1st  and  2nd  Regiments  of  Essex  militia. 

2nd  Brigade,  under  the  command  of  Major  Chambers, 
consisting  of  fifty  men  41st  Regiment  and  the  whole  of  the 
detachments  of  the  York,  Lincoln,  Oxford  and  Norfolk  militia. 

3rd  Brigade,  under  Major  Tallon,  will  consist  of  the  re- 
mainder of  the  41st  Regiment. 

Col.  Proctor  will  have  charge  of  the  whole  line  under  the 
orders  of  the  Major-General. 

James  Givens,  Esq.,  late  Captain  of  the  5th  Regiment, 
is  appointed  Provincial  Aide  de  Camp  with  the  rank  of  major 
in  the  militia. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  J.  B.  GLEGG,  A.D.C. 


24 

G.O.        HEADQUARTERS,  AMHERSTBURG,  15th  August,  1812. 

The  troops  will  be  in  readiness  to  embark  at  McKees 
Point  at  3  o'clock  to-morrow  morning,  Col.  Elliot  will  proceed 
during  the  night,  with  the  Indians  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
Eiver  Rouge  and  upon  his  communicating  with  the  general, 
the  boats  will  immediately  commence  crossing  the  Detroit  River 
and  land  the  troops  between  River  Rouge  and  Spring  Wells. 
Col.  Elliot  will  place  the  Indians  in  a  position  to  take  the 
enemy  on  flank  and  rear,  should  he  be  disposed  to  oppose  the 
landing.  Lieut.-Col.  St.  George  will  march  his  brigade  this 
evening  and  canton  them  in  the  houses  close  to  the  spot  at 
which  the  embarkation  is  to  take  place.  The  Officers  of  the 
Commissariat  will  make  the  necessary  arrangements  to  supply 
the  troops  with  provision  and  every  other  article  required  by  the 
different  departments  during  the  operations  of  the  troops  in  the 

field. 

Each  man  will  receive  one  gill  of  spirits  per  day ;  the  num- 
ber for  which  provisions  are  to  be  drawn  may  be  calculated  at 
2,000. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  J.  B.  GLEGG,  A.D.C. 

G.O.  HEADQUARTERS,  DETROIT,  16th  August,  1812. 

Major-General  Brock  has  every  reason  to  be  satisfied 
with  the  conduct  of  the  troops,  he  had,  the  honor  to  lead  this 
morning  against  the  enemy.  The  state  of  discipline  which  they 
so  eminently  displayed  and  the  determination  they  evinced  ^to 
undertake  the  most  hazardous  enterprise  decided  the  enemy,  ^  in- 
finitely more  numerous  in  men  and  artillery  to  propose  a  capitu- 
lation the  terms  of  which  are  herewith  inserted  for  the  infor- 
mation of  the  troops. 

The  Major-General  requests  Col.  Proctor  will  accept  his  best 
thanks  for  the  assistance  he  derived  from  his  experience  and  in- 
telligence. 


25 

The  steadiness  and  discipline  of  the  41st  Eegiment  and  the 
readiness  of  the  militia  to  follow  so  good  an  example  were 
highly  conspicuous,  the  ability  manifested  by  Captain  Dixon, 
Royal  Engineers,  in  the  choice  and  construction  of  the  batteries 
and  the  high  state  of  the  Royal  Artillery  under  Lieutenant 
Troughton,  afforded  the  Major-General  much  gratification  and 
reflects  great  credit  on  those  officers. 

The  willing  assistance  given  by  Captain  Hale  and  the  Marine 
Department  during  the  whole  of  the  service  has  been  very  con- 
spicuous and  the  manner  the  batteries  were  served  this  morning 
evinced  a  degree  of  steadiness  highly  commendable. 

Lieutenant  Dewer,  Deputy  Assistant  ^Quartermaster  Gen- 
eral, afforded  strong  proof  by  the  local  knowledge  he  has  ac- 
quired of  the  country  of  an  unremitting  attention  to  his  duty, 
and  the  care  and  regularity  with  which  the  troops  were 
transported  across  the  river  must  in  a  like  manner  be  ascribed 
to  his  zeal  for  the  service.  ,  To  Lieutenant-Colonel  St.  George, 
Majors  Tallon  and  Chambers,  who  commanded  brigades,  every 
degree  of  praise  is  due  for  their  unremitting  zeal  and  attention 
to  their  several  commands.  The  Detachment  of  the  Royal 
Newfoundland  Regiment,  under  the  command  of  Major 
Mockler,  is  deserving  of  every  praise  for  their  steadiness  in  the 
field  as  well  as  when  embarked  in  the  King's  vessels. 

The  Major-General  cannot  forego  this  opportunity  of  ex- 
pressing his  admiration  at  the  conduct  of  the  several  companies 
of  militia,  who  so  handsomely  volunteered  to  undergo  the  fati- 
gues of  a  journey  of  several  hundred  miles  to  go  to  the  rescue 
of  an  invaded  district,  and  he  requests  Major  Salmon,  Captains 
Hatt,  Heward,  Bostwick  and  Robinson,  will  assure  the  officers 
and  men  under  their  respective  commands  that  their  services 
have  been  duly  appreciated  and  will  never  be  forgotten. 

The  Major-General  is  happy  to  acknowledge  the  able  as- 
sistance he  has  derived  from  the  zeal  and  local  information  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel  C.  Nicholl,  Acting  Quartermaster  General 


26 

to  the  Militia;  to  his  personal  staff  the  Major-General  feels  him- 
self under  much  obligation,  and  he  requests  Lieutenant-Colonel 
McDonald,  Majors  Glegg  and  Givens  that  their  zealous  exertions 
have  made  too  deep  an  impression  upon  his  mind  ever  to  be 
forgotten. 

The  conduct  of  the  Indians  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Elliot,  Captain  McKee  and  the  other  officers  of  that  department, 
joined  to  that  of  the  gallant  and  brave  chiefs  of  their  respective 
tribes,  has  since  the  commencement  of  the  war  been  marked 
with  acts  of  true  heroism  and  in  nothing  can  they  testify  more 
strongly  their  love  to  their  great  father  than  in  following  the 
dictates  of  honor  and  humanity  by  which  they  have  hitherto 
been  actuated ;  two  fortresses  have  already  been  captured  from 
the  enemy,  without  a  drop  of  blood;  being  shed  by  the  hands  of 
the  Indians,  the  instant  the  enemy  submitted  his  life  became 
sacred. 

By  order, 

(Signed)     J.  B.  GLEGG,  A.D.C. 

D.G.O.         HEADQUARTERS,,  FORT  GEORGE,  2Yth  August,  1812. 
Lieutenant  Fowler,  41st  Regiment,  is  appointed  Deputy  As- 
sistant Quartermaster  General  to  the  forces  in  Upper  Canada 
from  the  24th  inst.  until  further  orders. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  27th  August,  1812. 

The  detachment  of  the  49th  Foot,  under  the  command  of 
Major  Ormsby,  will  march  to  Fort  Erie  on  Sunday  morning  at 
daylight,  there  to  be  stationed  until  further  orders.  Immediately 
on  its  arrival  at  Fort  Erie,  the  detachment  of  the  41st  Regiment 
under  the  command  of  'Captain  Derenzy,  will  march  to  Fort 
George,  leaving  one  subaltern,  two  sergeants  and  thirty  rank 
and  file  at  Chippewa. 


27 

The  Commissariat  will  provide  the  necessary  conveyance  for 
the  baggage  upon  the  movement  taking  place,  of  which  they  will 
be  made  acquainted  by  the  officers  commanding  the  respective 
detachments  and  the  Barrack  Master  will  make  the  neces- 
sary arrangements  for  their  reception  at  the  different  posts. 

The  Major-General  commanding  impresses  upon  the  officers 
in  Barracks  that  under  existing  circumstances  they  must  not 
expect  the  indulgence  of  additional  quarters,  they  must  in  the 
first  instance  be  confined  strictly  to  the  regulations  requiring 
rooms  and  if  requisite  be  prepared  for  doubling  up. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  28th  August,  1812. 

Major-General  Brock  having  been  pleased  to  order  the 
formation  of  a  company  of  people  of  colour  of  which  Robert 
Runchy  is  appointed  to  command  with  rank  and  pay  of  captain 
for  the  time,  the  said  company  may  be  embodied. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  31st  August,  1812. 

The  Detachment  of  the  49th  Regiment  on  "board  of  Glou- 
ster,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Wall  will  disembark  imme- 
diately and  occupy  the  Quarters  at  Navy  Hall.  This  detach- 
ment will  hold  itself  in  readiness  to  march  for  Fort  Erie  on 
Wednesday  morning  at  daylight,  the  Commissariat  will  provide 
the  necessary  conveyance  for  their  baggage. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


28 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  1st  September,  1812. 

The  41st  Regiment  will  take  the  whole  of  the  garrison  duties 
until  further  orders. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  2nd  September,  1812. 

The  Detachment  of  the  49th  Regiment  on  board  the  Royal 
George  and  Earl  Moim,  under  the  command  of  Major  Plender- 
leath  will  disembark  this  forenoon  and  until  further  orders 
will  occupy  the  council  house  and  store  at  Navy  Hall. 

By  order, 

(Signed}  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

Heads  of  Departments  and  Officers  commanding  corps  will 
attend  at  the  Government  House  at  11  o'clock  this  day. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  3rd  September,  1812. 

No.  1.  Captain  Chambers,  of  the  41st  Regiment,  will  re- 
sume the  command  of  the  second  division  stationed  at  Queen- 
8 ton  on  Monday,  7th  inst. 

Captain  Saunders  will  immediately  afterwards  join  that 
part  of  the  41st  Regiment  stationed  at  Fort  George. 

2.  Civilians  and  aliens  taken  upon  suspicion,  or  for  hav- 
ing committed  offences  liable  to  military  cognizance,  are  to  be 
brought  to  Fort  Major  K  enable  to  whom  every  necessary  infor- 
mation concerning  them  is  to  be  given,  and  he  will  report  their 
cases  without  delay  to  the  officer  commanding  that  he  may  re- 
ceive his  further  directions  thereon. 

3.  Hospital  Mate  Steel  will  proceed  and  do  duty  with  the 
division  stationed  at  Fort  Erie  and  Acting  Surgeon  Moore,  41st 


29 

Regiment,  will  on  Mr.  Steel's  arrival  proceed  to  join  the  divi- 
sion of  his  regiment  at  Fort  George. 

Acting  Staff-;Surgeon  Thorn  will  give  any  further  necessary 
directions  to  these  officers. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  4th  September,  1812. 

K"o.  1.  The  Detachment  of  the  49th  Regiment,  will  take 
their  share  of  the  garrison  duties  at  Fort  George,  agreeable  to 
their  strength. 

2.  An  intelligent  person  from  heads  of  Departments,  Corps 
and  Detachments  will  attend  every  day  at  2  o'clock  at  the  order- 
ly room  in  the  Fort  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  orders. 

Captain  Vigereaux  will  be  pleased  to  order  a  person  in  at- 
tendance at  the  hour  pointed  out  in  the  D.G.O.  of  the  5th  ultimo 
to  receive  the  men  and  point  the  fatigues,  for  the  performance 
of  which  the  party  is  furnished. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  5th  Sept.,  1812. 

An  intention  of  renewing  hostilities  having  been  declared  by 
the  General  commanding  the  forces  of  the  United  States,  the 
Armistice  will  terminate  at  noon  on  the  8th  inst;  after  which 
the  most  active  operations  may  be  expected  on  the  part  of  the 
enemy,  to  counteract  which,  the  utmost  vigilance  and  activity 
will  be  requisite  and  are  confidently  expected. 

Commanders  of  Corps  by  personal  inspection  will  imme- 
diately ascertain  the  state  of  their  arms,  accoutrements  and 
equipment  in  general,  and  whatever  may  be  requisite  to  put 
them  in  a  fit  state  for  active  service  it  is  to  be  provided  with  all 
possible  expedition. 


30 

Returns  of  the  ammunition  in  the  possession  of  each  corps 
and  requisitions  for  such  articles  as  they  may  want  from  any 
of  the  departments  are  to  be  sent  to  Headquarters  without  delay. 

The  Major-General  will  inspect  the  part  of  the  41st  Regi- 
ment stationed  at  Fort  George  at  3  o'clock  to-morrow  afternoon 
in  marching  order,  after  which  he  will  inspect  the  flank  com- 
panies of  the  49th  Regiment  in  similar  order.  He  also  proposes 
inspecting  the  'Corps  of  Militia  and  other  troops  of  the  line  in 
the  district,  the  periods  for  which  will  hereafter  be  notified. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

IX  G.  0.  FORT  GEORGE,  4th  Sept.,  1812. 

It  having  fallen  under  the  observation  of  Major-General 
Brock  that  a  considerable  portion  of  the  men  of  the  Newfound- 
land Regiment  doing  duty  on  board  the  vessel  of  war  on  Lake 
Ontario,  are  by  no  means  calculated  for  that  service,  it  is  his 
order  that  Colonel  Vincent  may  be  pleased  to  take  the  earliest 
opportunity  of  selecting  from  that  corps  in  the  district  under 
his  command  ^uch  men  as  appear  the  most  efficient  for  the  per- 
formance of  that  important  duty,  as  well  as  from  their  bodily 
strength,  as  from  the  knowledge  .of  the  particular  service  in 
which  they  are  to  be  employed.  Lieutenant  King,  Deputy  As- 
sistant Quartermaster  General  at  Kingston,  will,  with  officers 
commanding  the  vessels,  make  a  minute  inspection  of  the  men 
now  on  board  them,  and  report  thereon  to  Colonel  Vincent, 
furnishing  him  with  the  names  and  companies  of  those  whom 
they  consider  as  unfit  for  their  present  situations,  in  order  that 
they  may  be  exchanged  for  those  more  effective. 

Major-General  Brock  having  observed  that  the  system  of 
discipline  amongst  the  men  of  the  Newfoundland  Regiment 
on  board  the  vessels  of  war  on  Lake  Ontario  is  extremely 
i  el  axed  and  irregular,  he  calls  upon  the  officers  to  use  their 


31 

utmost  exertions  to  render  them  perfectly  effective,  and  by 
their  own  personal  efforts  and  example  to  support  the  Officers 
of  the  Marine  in  establishing  that  energy  and  zeal  on  board 
the  several  vessels,  which  can  alone  ensure  success  against  the 
enemy  in  the  moments  of  trial. 

The  Major-General  commanding  having  witnessed  the 
most  shameful  blasphemy  on  board  the  vessels  without  it 
being  noticed  by  the  officers,  he  desires  that  those  of  the  New- 
foundland Regiment  and  of  the  Marine  do  use  their  best  en- 
deavors to  put  a  stop  to  so  disgraceful  a  practice;  and  he  is 
pleased  to  order  that  Divine  Service  be  regularly  performed 
by  an  officer  on  board  each  vessel  every  Sunday. 

(Note  on  margin  states  that  "  This  D.G.O.  is  by  Major- 
General  Sheaffe.  ") 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  7th  Sept.,  1812. 

All  officers  and  soldiers  belonging  to  the  different  corps 
stationed  at  Fort  George  not  employed  on  other  duties  are  di- 
rected to  attend  the  works  going  on  in  the  Garrison  until  they 
shall  be  completed. 

THOS.  EVANS;  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  8th  Sept.,  1812. 

Captain  Williams,  of  the  49th  Regiment,  with  the  light 
company  under  his  command,  will  march  from  Chippewa  to- 
morrow morning  at  daylight  for  the  camp  at  Queenston,  where 
he  will  be  stationed  till  further  orders.  Captain  Chambers 
with  the  whole  of  the  detachment  of  the  41st  Regiment  will 
march  from  Queenston  to  Chippewa  at  3  o'clock  to-morrow 
evening.  Captain  Bullock  will  select  sixty  men  of  the  41st 
Regiment  and  order  them  to  march  early  to-morrow  in  charge 


32 

of  a  subaltern  to  the  head  of  Navy  Island ;  application  will  be 
made  to  Deputy  Assistant  Quartermaster  Fowler  for  quar- 
ters for  this  Detachment. 

Major  Plenderleath  is  appointed  to  command  the  whole  of 
the  forces  from  Browns  on  this  side  Queenston  to  the  Falls, 
the  troops  at  both  of  these  posts  included. 

Captain  'Chambers  on  his  arrival  at  Chippawa,  will,  himself 
proceed  to  the  head  of  Navy  Island  and  assume  the  command 
of  the  troops  stationed  at  that  post. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEOKGE,  8th  Sept.,  1812. 

Major-General  Brock  was  disposed  to  view  the  Armistice  as 
the  forerunner  of  a  restoration  of  peace  and  amity  with  the 
United  States,  the  pretext  on  which  their  declaration  of  war 
was  chiefly  founded  having  been  removed  by  the  British  Gov- 
ernment and  an  opening  offered  by  it  to  an  adjustment  of  all 
differences  of  minor  importance  between  the  two  countries ;  but 
in  vain  has  Great  Britain  thus  held  out  the  hand  of  conciliation, 
ifc  has  been  rejected.  The  President  of  the  United  States  hav- 
ing thought  fit  to  direct  their  troops  to  resort  again  to  active 
warfare  and  what  motive  can  now  exist  for  his  authorizing  a 
renewal  of  hostilities  at  the  time  too  (as  is  confidently  asserted) 
that  he  has  sent  an  ambassador  to  treat  for  peace.  Is  it  to 
facilitate  its  attainment,  that  he,  by  his  own  voluntary  act, 
places  two  countries  in  a  situation  to  inflict  mutually  the  horrors 
of  war,  thereby  to  have  their  minds  more  embittered  towards 
each  other;  perhaps  he  may  imagine  that  by  conquest  on  the 
side  of  Canada  he  can  indemnify  the  United  States,  for  the  loss 
to  which  they  are  exposed  on  the  Atlantic  side  from  the  super- 
iority of  the  naval  power  of  Great  Britain,  and  that  with  a 
proportion  of  her  Provinces  in  their  possession  more  favorable 


33 

\ 
terms  would  be  obtained  for  negotiating  for  peace.       But  the 

militia  of  the  Province  have  too  just  and  manly  a  sense  of  what 
they  owe  to  their  own  personal  dignity  and  independence  to  sub- 
mit to  be  disposed  of  at  the  will  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  any 
foreign  country,  they  will  not  sink  to  the  degradation  of  being 
unresistingly  a  weight  to  be  thrown  by  his  hand  into  the  scale. 
Such  baseness  belongs  not  to  them,  they  have  already  offered  to 
the  world  an  instance  of  what  can  be  effected  by  the  aid  of  their 
loyalty  and  valour,  and  Major-General  Brock  relies  with  con- 
fidence on  their  continued  exertion  of  those  ennobling  qualities 
for  defeating  any  designs  on  this  Province,  and  for  contribut- 
ing no  less  honorably  for  themselves  than  useful  to  their  families 
to  their  King  and  country  towards  bringing  the  contest,  in 
which  the  implacable  enmity  of  the  American  Government  has 
engaged  us  to  a  favorable  issue. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

O.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  9th  Sept.,  1812. 

Captain  Saunders  is  substituted  for  Captain  Chambers  in 
command  of  the  forces  stationed  at  the  head  of  Navy  Island  as 
expressed  in  D.  G.  O.  of  8th  September  and  will  proceed  to 
Queenston  without  delay.  Captain  'Chambers  will  return  to 
headquarters  at  Fort  George. 

His  Honor  the  President  has  been  pleased  to  confer  the  rank 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel  on  Major  Plenderleath,  49th  Regiment, 
during  the  local  service  on  which  he  is  employed. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

IXG.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  9th  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  1.  The  detachment  of  the  York  Militia  under  the  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Cameron,  will  march  forthwith  to  Brown's 
Point  where  quarters  are  prepared  for  their  reception,  the 


34: 

Deputy  Commissary  General  will   be   pleased  to   furnish   a 
waggon  for  the  conveyance  of  their  baggage. 

2.  The  Deputy  Commissary  General  will  give  directions 
that  the  whole  of  the  scarlet  and  other  cloth  for  military  pur- 
poses and  all  military  appointments  in  the  possession  of  the 
commissariat  now  in  store  in  York  may  be  brought  over  to  Fort 
George  by  the  first  opportunity. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  llth  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  1.  Major-General  Gordon  and  Mr.  Conductor  Bryson, 
of  the  Field  Train  Department,  will  be  allowed  forage  for  one 
horse  each  on  furnishing  the  usual  certificate. 

2.  The  attention  of  heads  of  departments  and  officers  com- 
manding Corps,  is  called  to  the  D.G.O.  No.  4  of  the  22nd  July. 

3.  Commanding  Officers  of  Corps,  Detachments,  etc.,    are 
directed  to  adopt  every  possible  precaution  for  turning  out  their 
men  at  a  moment's  warning,  either  by  night  or  day;  for  this 
purpose  it  is  essentially  necessary  that  each  man's  arms    and 
appointments  should  be  so  arranged  that  in  case  of  alarm  he 
might  know  where  to  seize  on  them  in  an  instant.     It  is  also  of 

.  the  utmost  importance  that  the  officers  of  the  militia  generally 
should  satisfy  themselves  that  the  arms  of  the  men  are  at  all 
times  in  good  and  efficient  order. 

4.  One  subaltern,  one  sergeant,  one    corporal    and    twelve 
privates  from  the  Militia  stationed  at  Fort  George  to  be  fur- 
nished a  guard  over  the  Batteaux  at  two  mile  Creek,  their  duty 
will  be  to  furnish  sentries  and  patrols  for  the  protection  of  the 
Batteaux  and  coast  during  the  night. 

By  order,  (Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  13th  Sept.,  1812. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Short  and  Lieutenant  Taylor,  41st  Regi- 
ment, with  the  detachments  of  the  41st  and  49th  Regiments  as 


35 

previously  ordered,  will  embark  on  board  the  Earl  of  Moira  this 
day  at  two  o'clock,  the  Darlington  Company  of  Militia,  stationed 
at  Brown's  Point,  will  march  so  as  to  arrive  at  Fort  George  to 
embark  at  the  same  time ;  the  necessary  boats  will  be  furnished 
by  the  Quartermaster  General's  Department. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  14th  Sept.,  1812. 

Appointments  in  the  Commissariat  from  25th  June, 
Militia,  Jacob  Natharvit  to  be  storekeeper  at  Queenston  at  4s. 
8d.  per  day. 

Edward  Hartney  to  be  clerk  at  York  at  5s.  per  day,  Chas. 
Van  Kenin  to  be  issuer  at  Fort  George  at  2s.  6d.  per  day. 

Whenever  a  corps  or  detachment  is  ordered  to  march  from 
one  station  to  another  or  to  embark  or  disembark  within  the 
Province,  the  officers  commanding  such  corps  or  detachment  will 
immediately  transmit  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Myers,  the  Deputy 
Quartermaster-General  and  to  the  Brigade  Major,  an  exact  re- 
turn of  the  number  to  move  agreeable  to  such  order. 

Mr.  Augustus  Thompson  is  attached  to  the  49th  Regiment 
as  a  volunteer  and  will  do  duty  with  the  detachment  of  that 
corps  stationed  at  Fort  George. 

Mr.  S.  Jarvis  is  attached  to  the  49th  Regiment  as  a 
volunteer  and  will  do  duty  with  the  detachment  stationed  at 
Queenston. 

Departments,  staff  and  other  officers  of  the  line  stationed 
within  the  limits  of  the  upper  Province  and  entitled  to  forage 
for  horses,  will  transmit  returns  for  the  same  to  the  24th  to 
Fort  George,  addressed  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Myers,  Deputy 
Assistant  Quartermaster-General,  and  will  henceforth  continue 
to  do  so  at  the  regular  periods  until  further  orders. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


36 

1 
D.G.O.  FOBT  GEORGE,  16th  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  3.  The  detachments  of  the  Eoyal  Newfoundland  Regi- 
ment, arrived  in  the  Royal  George,  will  disembark  without 
delay ;  the  Deputy  Quartermaster  General  will  furnish  the  boats 
for  this  service,  and  will  fix  a  spot  for  their  encampment  when 
landed. 

2.  In  cases  of  alarm  a  blue  pennant  will  be  hoisted 
on  the  flag  staff  at  Fort  George,  and  a  field  gun  fired  from  one 
of  the  batteries ;  if  by  night  a  lanthorn  and  a  gun,  on  which  be- 
ing done,  every  officer  in  command  will  repair  to  his  post  and 
be  ready  with  the  men  to  act  according  to  circumstances  and 
the  orders  which  they  shall  receive  from  their  superior  officers ; 
Captain  Holcroft,  of  the  Royal  Artillery,  will  be  pleased  to 
give  such  directions  as  in  his  judgment  will  ensure  most  prompt 
attention  to  the  making  of  the  above  signals  when  necessary. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  17th  Sept.,  1812. 

The  detachment  of  the  10th  R.  V.  B.,*  arrived  from  King- 
ston, will  march  this  morning  for  Ohippewa  and  will  proceed 
to-morrow  morning  for  Fort  Erie,  where  they  will  embark  on 
board  the  Queen  Charlotte,  the  Deputy  Quartermaster  General 
will  provide  the  requisite  means  for  the  conveyance  of  their 
baggage,  etc. 

Major-General  Sheaffe  will  inspect  the  detachment  of  the 
"Royal  Newfoundland  Regiment  at  3  o'clock  this  day,  in  march- 
ing order,  at  the  garrison  at  Fort  George. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 


R.V.B.  Royal  Veterans  Battalion. 


37 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  18th  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  1.  An  arrangement  having  been  entered  into  between 
Major-General  Brock  and  Major-General  Van  Rosselear  (Van 
Rensselaer),  commanding  the  American  forces  stationed  on 
the  Niagara  Frontier  for  the  mutual  prevention  of  so  unmilitary 
and  degrading  a  practice  as  that  of  individuals  indiscriminat- 
ingly  firing  across  the  river  without  orders^— 

The  Major-General  henceforth  positively  forbids  a  con- 
tinuation of  such  practices,  and  calls  upon  officers  in  command 
of  posts  to  give  directions  to  every  individual  under  their  or- 
ders, that  no  one  can  plead  ignorance  of  the  Major-General's 
intentions  and  instructions  on  this  head.  The  officers  in  charge 
of  the  Indian  Department  will  take  every  pains  to  explain  and 
prevent  the  Indians  from  a  commission  of  this  wanton  practice. 

2.  The  detachment  of  the  Royal  Newfoundland,  stationed 
at  Fort  George,  will  take  their  proportion  of  the  duty  and 
fatigues  of  the  garrison;  an  effective  return  of  their  strength 
will  be  sent  to  the  Brigade  Majors  this  evening  and  an  intelli- 
gent person  will  attend  at  the  orderly  room  in  the  garrison  every 
evening  at  2  o'clock  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  orders. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

X.D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  20th  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  1.  The  Grenadier  Company  of  the  49th  Regiment  will 
hold  itself  in  readiness  to  march  in  an  hour'g  notice  for  Queen- 
ston,  where  it  will  remain  under  orders  of  Lieut.-Col.  Plender- 
leath. 

2.  Sixty  men  of  the  41st  Regiment  under  the  direction  of 
Lieut.  Bullock  will  march  for  Chippewa,  and  on  their  arrival 
at  that  place  Captain  Bullock  will  be  pleased  to  strengthen  the 
detachment  stationed  at  the  head  of  Navy  Island  under.  Captain 
Saunders,  with  20  additional  men  from  the  41st  Regiment. 
.  3.  Captain  Selby's  company  of  York  Militia  will  hold  itself 


38 

in  immediate  readiness  to  march,  to  Brown's  Point*  The 
Deputy  .QuartermasterXreneral  will  be  pleased  to  signify  the 
route  of  march  and  point  out  the  quarters  to  be  occupied  by  the 
above  detachment,  the  Commissariat  will  provide  for  the  neces- 
sary conveyance  for  the  baggage. 

4.  A  Board  of  Survey  to  assemble  at  10  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning  at  the  Barrack  Master's  quarters  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  extent  of  damage  done  to  barrack  'articles. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  20th  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  1.  The  Major-General  Commanding  most  earnestly 
calls  the  attention  of  the  officers  in  command  of  divisions,  and 
that  of  the  officers  in  general,  to  the  state  of  the  men's  arms, 
ammunition,  and  appointment  under  their  immediate  superin- 
tendence as  he  expects  every  soldier,  whether  of  the  line  or 
militia,  will  be  at  all  times  in  the  most  efficient  state  in  this 
essential  particular,  and  every  way  prepared  to  meet  the 
enemy's  attack  should  he  venture  to  make  it. 

2.  The  Major-General  trusts  that  the  officers  in  charge  of 
the  different  divisions  use  their  best  exertions  in  forwarding 
the  drill  of  the  several  detachments  of  militia  placed  under 
their  orders,  and  that  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  men 
selected  by  them  from  the  line  for  this  important  duty  are  very 
qualified  to  give  the  instruction,  required. 

3.  It  is  expected  that  officers  in  command  of  companies 
both  of  the  line  and  militia  are  provided  with  orderly  books, 
and  that  the  orders  are  regularly  read  to  the  men,  in  conformity 
to  No.  3  of  the  D.  G.  O.  of  the  31st  July. 

The  Major-General  cannot  too  strongly  impress  on  the  minds 
of  the  several  commanders  the  necessity  of  their  attention  and 
punctuality  in  this  part  of  their  duty. 

*Probably  near  Stamford,  where  the  road  branched  toward  the 
Falls  passing  Brown's  at  an  angle.  Barracks  not  far  distant  covered 
the  road  leading  to  interior. 


4.  The  Major-General  acknowledges  with  thanks  the  willing 
manner  in  which  that  portion  of  the  troops  stationed  at  Fort 
George  have  contributed  by  their  exertions  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  present  works  established  there,  and  directs  that 
in  future  as  small  a  number  as  possible  may  be  furnished  in 
finishing  them,  in  order  that  the  militia  last  joined  may  have 
the  opportunity  of  perfecting  themselves  in  their  drill. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  22nd  Sept.,  1812. 

The  Major-General  Commanding  returns  his  particular 
thanks  to  the  militia  for  the  handsome  manner  in  which  they 
have  on  all  occasions  volunteered  their  services  for  duties  of 
fatigue,  and  is  pleased  to  direct  that  for  the  present,  service  for 
such  duty  shall  be  dispensed  with. 

No.-  2.  Colonel  Claus  will  give  the  necessary  directions  for 
the  hour  and  place  of  drill  for  the  militia,  and  Sergts.  Lyons, 
41st  Kegiment,  and  Thomas,  Royal  Newfoundland  Eegiment, 
will  attend  as  instructors  at  the  hours  pointed  out  by  Colonel 
Claus;  the  41st  will  also  furnish  a  second  non-commissioned 
officer  capable  of  instructing  the  men  for  this  particular  duty. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  25th  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  1.  Major  Merritt  will  be  pleased  to  furnish  daily  an 
orderly  dragoon  to  be  at  the  Brigade  Major's  office  by  12 
o'clock  each  day  for  the  transmission  of  orders,  etc.  Heads  of 
departments,  officers  in  command  of  corps  and  others  having 
letters  on  the  public  service  to  forward  to  any  part  of  the  line 
betwixt  this  post  and  Fort  Erie,  and  to  Amherstburg  and  De- 
troit will  send  to  the  Brigade  Major's  office  any  time  before  half 
past  11  o'clock.  Officers  in  command  of  divisions  and  posts 


40 

stationed  along  the  line  will  avail  themselves  of  this  orderly 
express  to  forward  their  communications  to  headquarters. 

JSTo.  2.  Until  further  orders  the  tattoo  will  beat  at  8  o'clock 
in  the  evening. 

By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  27th  Sept.,  1812. 

No.  1.  The  Major-General  having  observed  great  deficien- 
cies in  the  ammunition  issued  generally  to  the  troops  of  the 
militia,  he,  cannot  too  strongly  impress  on  the  minds  of  the 
officers  commanding  divisions  the  necessity  of  their  explaining 
to  the  men  under  their  orders,  that  at  a  period  like  the  present  a 
greater  military  offence  cannot  possibly  be  committed  than  a 
careless  negligence  or  wilful  waste  of  any  ammunition  that  may 
be  delivered  out  to  them  for  the  use  of  the  public  service. 

2.  Whenever  cartridges  may  be  injured  by  wet  or  otherwise 
the  balls  of  such  cartridges  will  be  carefully  preserved  and  sent 
in  with  an  account  of  their  number  to  the  ordnance  storekeeper, 
who  will  give  a  receipt  for  the  same. 
By  order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  29th  Sept.,  1812. 

Until  further  orders  the  Grand  Rounds  will  go  their  rounds 
betwixt  the  hours  of  10  and  2  o'clock,  and  the  visiting  rounds 
betwixt  2  and  5  in  the  morning. 
By  order, 
-~. '•!  (Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.  Major. 

w-.-  "        "   - 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  30th  Sept.,  1812. 

A!  subaltern  and  30  privates,  with  a  due  proportion  of  non- 
commissioned officers  of  the  41st  Regiment,  will  march  this 
day,  immediately  after  the  men  have  dined,  for  Chippewa.  On 


41 

I 

the  arrival,  of  this  detachment  at  Chippewa  Captain  Bullock 
will  detach  one  subaltern,  2  sergts.,  and  40  rank  and  file  of  the 
41st  Regiment  to  'Millers,*  where  they  will  receive  their  further 
orders  from  Major-General  Shaw.  The  Deputy  Quartermaster 
General  will  be  pleased  to  have  the  necessary  conveyance  pre- 
pared for  the  carriage  of  the  baggage  of  this  detachment. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  1st  Oct.,  1812. 

The  Major-General  Commanding  forbids  the  practice  of 
individuals  firing  in  the  swamp,  or  in  any  other  place  within 
the  limits  and  neighborhood  of  the  garrison. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  2nd  Oct.,  1812. 

No.  1.  Major-General  Sheaffe,  having  noticed  in  the  re- 
ports frequent  inattention  of  the  visiting  rounds  in  not  visiting 
the  different  batteries  established  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  he 
trusts  that  in  future  they  will  be  more  exact  in  their  perform- 
ance of  this  essential  part  of  their  duty. 

2.  Until  further  orders  one  third  of  the  troops  off  duty  will 
sleep  in  their  clothes  fully  accoutered  and  ready  to  turn  out  at 
a  moment's  notice. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  5th  Oct.,  1812. 

Quartermaster-sergeant  Pointer,  of  the  49th  Regiment,  is 
appointed  to  act  as  barrack  master  at  Fort  Erie  with  an  allow- 
ance of  Is.  6d.  per  day. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

*Millers'  store  between  Palmer's  and  Fort  Erie,  on  the  line  of  com- 
munication. 


42 

D.G.O.  FOR*  GEORGE,  6th  Oct.,  1812. 

No.  1.  Until  further  orders  the  regular  troops  and  militia 
force  in  this  command  are  to  be  under  arms  in  their  quarters 
at  the  first  hreak  of  day,  and  are  not  to  he  dismissed  till  hroad 
daylight  and  distant  objects  seen.  The  guards  are  to  turn  out 
and  mount  as  usual,  and  the  strictest  attention  is  enjoined  to  the 
order  requiring  one-third  of  the  men  in  quarters  to  be  clothed 
and  accoutered  during  the  night  with  their  arms  at  hand,  in 
readiness  to  turn  out  in  a  moment's  warning,  which  com- 
manders of  corps  or  detachments  are  directed  to  regulate  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  avoid,  as  much  as  may  be  practicable,  in- 
cluding men  for  guards  in  that  number. 

2.  The  41st  Regimentf  will  give  up  the  quarters  lately  occu- 
pied as  a  hospital  to  the  detachment  of  the  Newfoundland  Regi- 
ment, who  will  occupy  it  this  evening. 

The  commanding  officer  of  the  41st  Regiment  will  distribute 
his  men  in  the  most  convenient  manner  in  the  barracks  now 
occupied  until  additional  rooms  can  be  appropriated  for  them. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  8th  Oct.,  1812. 

The  undermentioned  gentlemen  are  appointed  volunteers  in 
his  Majesty's  regular  forces  from  the  period  specified  opposite 
their  respective  names,  they  will  continue  to  do  duty  with  the 
41st  Regiment  until  further  orders. 

Henry  Proctor,  gentleman,  1st  July,  1812;  Alexander  Wil- 
kinson, 1st  July,  —  Richardson,  9th  July. 

THOS.  EVANS/ B.M. 

Surgeons  at  the  several  posts  where  hospitals  are  established 
will  receive  from  the  Commissariat  stores  as  much  fresh  beef 
as  they  may  judge  necessary  for  the  use  of  the  sick. 

The  remainder  of  the  rations  due  to  the  sick  will  be  left  in 


43 

i 

store  and  paid  for  to  the  surgeons  at  the  contract  prices.  For 
the  future  ^  an  ounce  of  salt  will  be  added  to  the  rations  of 
the  fresh  meat. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  9th  Oct.,  1812. 

The  flank  companies  of  the  Newfoundland  Regiment  will 
march  at  2  o'clock  to-morrow  morning  for  Fort  Erie,  and  on 
their  arrival  there  will  receive  further  orders  from  Major- 
General  Shaw ;  the  Deputy  Quartermaster  General  will  have  the 
requisite  conveyance  ready  for  the  carriage  of  their  baggage. 
The  41st  Regiment  will  relieve  the  men  of  the  Newfoundland 
on  duty  after  the  men  have  dined  this  day. 

THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  Oct.  9th,  1812. 

Officers  in  command  of  the  several  divisions  will  call  for, 
from  officers  in  command  of  corps  and  detachments  serving 
under  their  orders,  a  return  of  armourers  belonging  to  the 
same,  which  will  be  transmitted  to  the  Brigade  Major's  office 
without  delay. 

(Signed)  TITOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  12'th  Oct.,  1812. 

Major-General  Brock  directs  that  no  communication  be  held 
with  the  enemy  by  flag  of  truce  or  otherwise  than  by  his  special 
permission  unless  such  an  occurrence  should  arise  as  to  render 
delay  prejudicial  to  the  service,  of  which  officers  commanding 
posts  are  to  be  the  sole  judges.  It  is  understood  that  in  the 
boat  captured  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  from  the  enemy,  arms 
of  various  descriptions  were  found  which  have  not  been  ac- 
counted for.  Major-General  Shaw  will  institute  the  necessary 
inquiry  and  retain  them  for  the  Major-General's  disposal,  and 


44 

it  must  be  clearly  understood  by  every  officer  and  soldier  that 
all  property  taken  from  the  enemy  must  be  reported  to  the 
Major-General  before  they  can  be  applied  to  any  purpose,  and 
that  arms  in  particular  are  at  all  times  to  be  returned  for  the 
public  service. 

Major-General  Brock  receives  Major-General  Shaw's  report 
of  the  spirited  conduct  of  the  troops  of  the  militia  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  9th  with  the  utmost  satisfaction.  Cornet  Pill  Major 
was  particularly  conspicuous,  and  he  has  much  pleasure  to  find 
that  the  wounds  he  received  on  that  occasion  are  not  likely  to 
deprive  the  service  very  long  of  his  gallant  exertions. 

THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  13th  Oct.,  1812. 

A  cessation  of  firing  having  been  agreed  on  by  Major- 
General  Sheaffe  and  Major-General  Van  Kansselear,  command- 
ing the  American  troops  at  Lewiston,  etc.,  for  3  days  ending  on 
Friday,  the  16th  inst,  at  4  o'clock  p.m.  The  officers  command- 
ing the  several  posts  on  the  line  will  regulate  their  conduct  ac- 
cordingly. 

THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 

D.G.O.  FOET  GEORGE,  14th  Oct.,  1812. 

A  return  of  the  general  and  regimental  staff  officers,  also  one 
from  the  different  corps  and  detachments  engaged  in,  the  action 
of  the  13th  Oct.,  of  the  killed,  wounded,  and  missing  will  be 
immediately  sent  in  to  the  Brigade  Major's  office. 

THOS.  EVANS. 

D.G.O.  FORT  GEORGE,  14th  Oct.,  1812. 

Major-General  Sheaffe  offers  his  best  thanks  to  the  troops 
for  the  bravery  and?  good  conduct  so  eminently  displayed  by  all 
ranks  and  descriptions  in  the  action  of  yesterday,  which  ter- 
minated in  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  enemy,  their  General 


45 

with  many  officers  and  about  800  men  having  been  made 
prisoners,  and  a  considerable  number  killed  and  wounded,  and 
a  stand  of  colors  and  6  prisoners  taken. 

This  brilliant  success  is,  however,  clouded  by  the  ever-to-be- 
lamented  death  of  Major-General  Brock,  who  gloriously  fell 
whilst  foremost  in  the  ranks  gallantly  cheering  his  troops  whilst 
opposing  far  superior  numbers.  The  zeal,  ability,  and  valour  with 
which  he  served  his  King  and  country  render  this  a  public  loss 
which  must  be  long  deplored,  and  his  memory  will  live  in  the 
hearts  and  affections  of  those  who  had  an  opportunity  of  being 
acquainted  with  his  private  worth. 

Major-General  Sheaffe  has  also  to  regret  that  Lieut.-Col. 
McDonald,  aide-de-camp  to  Major-General  Brock,  whose  gal- 
lantry and  spirit  rendered  him  worthy  of  his  chief,  received  a 
wound  in  the  action,  and  which  there  is  reason  to  fear  will  prove 
mortal. 

All  arms,  accoutrements,  ammunition,  and  articles  whatever 
of  a  public  nature  taken  from  the  enemy  in  the  action  of  yes- 
terday to  be  delivered  into  the  ordnance  store  without  delay. 

In  consequence  of  the  death  of  Major-General  Brock,  the 
command  of  his  Majesty's  troops  serving  in  U.  Canada  devolves 
on  Major-General  Sheaffe,  to  whom  all  reports  and  communica- 
tions will  be  made  accordingly. 

Lieut.-Col.  Myers  will  take  upon  himself  the  superinten- 
dence of  the  troops  of  the  line  from  Fort  George  to  Chippewa 
inclusive,  all  reports  and  details  for  that  portion  of  the  Niagara 
district  to  be  made  to  him  and  for  the  greater  facility  and  des- 
patch of  the  public  service  Major-General  Shaw,  acting  as  Col. 
of  Militia,  and  commanding  between  Chippewa  and  the  Sugar 
Loaf,  will  be  pleased  to  report  to  and  communicate  with  Major- 
General  Sheaffe  through  Lt.-Col.  Myers  as  Deputy  Quarter- 
master-General. 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


*JSugar  Loaf  a  conical  hill  north  side   Lake  Erie. 


46 

D.G.O.  FOKT  GEORGE,  16th  Oct.,  1812. 

A  prolongation  of  the  cessation  of  hostilities  having  been 
agreed  upon  between  Major-General  Sheaffe  and  Major-General 
Van  Ransselear  for  an  undefined  period,  the  officers  command- 
ing posts  along  the  line  will  strictly  govern  themselves  accord- 
ingly until  further  orders. 

'Captain  Glegg,  49th  Regiment,  aide-de-camp  to  the  late 
Major-General  Brock,  will  be  pleased  to  act  in  that  capacity 
with  Major-General  .Sheaffe  until  further  orders;  Lt.  Wm. 
Kerr,  of  the  Glengy.  Lt.  Infantry,  when  his  duty  of  assistant 
engineer  will  permit  will  attach  himself  to  Lieut. -Col.  Myers, 
and  will  receive  his  directions. 
By  Order, 

(Signed)  THOS.  EVANS,  B.M. 


General  Brock's  last  instructions  to  Officers 
Commanding  Forts. 

This  MS.  is  labelled: — "1812.  Instructions  sent  to  Officers 
commanding  Forts,  by  Major-General  Brock,  some  days  prior 
to  the  attack  on  Queenston." 

Should  the  enemy  determine  on  a  serious  invasion  of  this 
part  of  the  Province,  it  appears  likely  to  me  (now  that  the 
season  is  so  far  advanced  as  to  render  any  attempt  to  turn 
either  of  our  flanks  extremely  dangerous)  that  his  principal 
attack  will  be  made  between  Fort  Erie  and  Palmers.*  He  may 
at  the  same  time  attract  our  attention  by  sending  a  small  force 
in  light  gun  boats  up  the  channel  between  Navy  and  Grand 
Island  with  a  view  likewise  of  impeding  our  retreat  to  Chip- 


Notes,  p.  2,  Palmer's  Tavern  not  far  from  Black  Creek  on  a  creek 
opposite  Grand  Is. 


pewa,  but  I  cannot  imagine  that  a  force  of  any  magnitude  will 
attempt  in  crowded  boats  to  stem  so  strong  a  current,  and  ex- 
pose itself  to  an  attack  in  tbat  situation. 

The  imminent  danger  which  boats  liable  to  attack  from 
our  batteries  would  encounter  from  the  rapidity  of  the  waters, 
and  vicinity  of  the  Falls,  in  crossing  from  the  north  point  of 
Navy  Island,  would  almost  lead  one  to  conclude  that  no  officer 
could  be  found  hardy  enough  to  direct  an  enterprise  from  that 
quarter.  But  if  we  weigh  well  the  character  of  our  enemy  we 
shall  find  him  more  disposed  to  brave  the  impediments  of 
nature  when  they  afford  a  probability  of  accomplishing  his  end 
by  surprise  in  preference  to  the  certainty  of  encountering  Bri- 
tish troops  ready  formed  for  his  reception. 

The  prospect  of  success  by  this  route  is  not  only  more  pro- 
bable than  the  tedious  course  of  the  south  channel,  but  the 
incitements  to  undertake  it  are  so  great,  that  no  officer  will 
allow  himself  to  be  lulled  into  security,  under  pretense,  bv  the 
evident  risk  attending  such  an  attempt. 

Once  in  complete  possession  of  both  sides  of  the  Chippewa 
the  enemy  would  obtain  an  advantage,  not  only  as  it  regards 
military  operations,  but  likewise  over  the  feelings  of  the  militia 
that  might  be  productive  of  fatal  consequences.  It  is,  there- 
fore, our  first  object  to  prevent  by  every  means  such  an  occur- 
rence— so  long  as  he  is  confined  between  Fort  Erie  and  the  river 
we  may  confidently  look  for  hourly  support,  but  if  allowed  to 
spread,  the  disaffected  will  assume  a  tone  and  posture  that  can- 
not fail  to  operate  in  deterring  the  loyal  from  active  exertions. 

IShould  the  enemy,  however,  reject  such  a  hazardous  mode 
of  attack  and  confine  his  operations,  as  has  already  been  sug- 
gested, to  the  upper  part  of  the  river,  under  cover  of  his  artil- 
lery, the  officer  in  command  will,  of  course,  oppose  him  to  the 
utmost  in  his  endeavors  to  obtain  a  footing,  but  should  he  be 
at  length  compelled  to  retire,  he  will,  if  practicable,  fall  back 
upon  Chippawa  disputing  manfully  every  step.  The  nature  of 


48 

the  ground  is  particularly  favorable  for  a  small  force  to  impede 
the  rapid  advance  of  any  number.  The  several  detachments 
stationed  along  that  line  will  arrive  in  rotation  to  his  support, 
and  will  enable  him  to  check  the  enemy  until  such  a  force  is 
collected  as  cannot  fail  making  him  repent  his  temerity. 

Sufficient  attention  has  not  been  paid  to  ensure  the  des- 
truction in  case  of  necessity  of  the  numerous  bridges  upon  that 
communication. 

Should  the  troops  composing  the  garrison  of  Fort  Erie.be 
cut  off  and  prevented  joining  and  retreating  with  the  detach- 
ment stationed  at  the  Ferry  side,  the  officer  commanding  will 
be  left  in  a  situation  requiring  his  utmost  prudence  and  activity. 
He  will  have  either  to  annoy  the  enemy  as  he  advances,  or  to 
retire  before  a  superior  force;  the  fort  is  only  tenable  against 
musketry,  it  will  therefore  be  most  expedient  to  give  up  the 
place  rather  than  expose  the  troops  to  capture.  The  back  road 
leading  to  Palmers  has,  of  course,  been  minutely  examined, 
and  although,  at  this  season  very  bad,  may  afford  a  safe  re- 
treat. Temporary  footbridges  might  likewise  be  con- 
structed near  such  places  along  the  skirts  of  the  wood  as  are 
otherwise  impassable,  this  precaution  may  be  the  means  of 
preserving  the  detachment. 

An  alarm  from  the  right  will  not  induce  the  force  at  Navy 
Island  to  move  until  it  be  ascertained  that  no  attack  is  medi- 
tated in  that  direction,  and  measures  are  taken  to  station  suffi- 
cient parties  to  watch  narrowly  the  approach  of  any  enemy. 

The  possession  of  and  safety  of  Ohippewa  must  be  con- 
sidered a  primary  object,  consequently  only  such  portions  of 
its  force  will  march  as  can  with  perfect  safety  be  spared. 

On  the  contrary  the  troops  quartered  on  the  road  between 
Queenston  and  Orippewa  will  repair  thither  with  the  utmost 
rapidity  on  the  first  alarm,  and  half  of  the  force  at  Queenston 
will  follow  the  same  route  without  waiting  for  further  orders. 


ANNUAL    REPORT 

OF    THE 

Women's   Canadian   Historical   Society 

OF  TORpNTO 

1919-1920 

Organized  1895;  Incorporated  February  14th,  1896. 
OFFICERS 


Honorary  President 
Past  Presidents   -     - 

President     -     - 

Vice-Presidents 

Recording   Secretary     -     -     - 

Corresponding  Secretary  -    - 

Treasurer    ------- 

Convenors  of  Memorial  tund 
Committee       - 


MRS.  LIONEL  CLARKE. 
MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 
*MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON. 
*LADY  EDGAR. 

*MlSS    FlTZGlBBON. 

Miss  MICKLE,  48  Heath  St.  E. 
MRS.  JAMES  BAIN. 
MRS.  EDGAR  JARVIS. 
MRS.   W.   T.   HALLAM   Wycliffe 

College. 
MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY, 

46  Dunvegan  Road.    . 
MRS.  DUCKWORTH,  11  Gore  Vale 
MRS.   HORACE   EATON, 

141  Lyndhurst  Ave. 
MRS.  BOYD  MAGEE, 

8  Wellesley  Place. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


MRS.   NEELANDS. 

MRS.  HILLS. 

MRS.  W.  A.  PARKS. 


MRS.   BRYDGES.  x 
MISS  J.  MACCALLUM. 
LADY  STUPART. 


HONORARY  MEMBERS 


SIR  G.  R.  PARKIN. 

COL.  G.  T.  DENISON. 

Miss   CARNOCHAN. 

JAMES  HANNAY. 

SIR  GILBERT  PARKER. 

CHARLES   MAIR,   F.R.S.C. 

Miss  MACHAR. 

BLISS  CARMAN. 

JOHN  D.  KELLY. 

PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR. 

PROF.  G.  M.  WRONG. 

Miss  K.  M.  LIZARS. 

DR.  LOCKE. 

THE  VERY  REV.  DEAN  HARRIS. 


J.  A.  MACDONNELL. 

W.      D.      LlGHTHALL,      F.R.S.C., 

F.R.S.L. 

BENJAMIN  SULTE,  F.R.S.C. 
REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  PH.D. 
EDWARD  M.  THOMSON,  F.R.S.C., 

F.R.S.L. 

CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 
MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 
PROF.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 
REV.  PROF.  BRYCE. 
PROF.  JOHN  SQUAIR. 
PROF.  A.  H.  YOUNG. 


*Deceased. 


President's  Address 


The  past  year  has  been  one  of  disillusion  and  disappointment. 
War  has  not  ceased.  Even  now,  with  the  defeat  of  Gen.  Wrangel, 
the  last  hope  of  a  renewed  Russia  seems  to  have  disappeared.  The 
using  of  gas  is  like  a  defiance  of  the  impotent  League  of  Nations 
— nor  is  it  only  from  Russia  that  danger  threatens. 

In  our  own  land  we  see  plainer  than  ever  that  the  peace  for 
which  we  longed  has  not  brought  tranquility,  the  unrest  con- 
tinues and  none  now  talk  of  a  new  and  better  world  as  the  out- 
come. It  is  true,  as  someone  has  said,  that  war  does  not  change, 
but  intensifies  the  individual  or  the  nation;  we  who  rejoiced  in  the 
heroism  and  unselfishness  of  our  soldiers  now  see  with  dismay 
materialism  rampant,  profiteering  not  confined  to  one  class,  and 
that  selfishness  has  reasserted  itself.  Our  ideals  of  life  are  false; 
a  good  time;  the  modicum  of  work;  ease  and  luxury  are  looked 
upon  as  an  inalienable  right,  and  because  these  cannot,  nor  ever 
can  be  obtained,  unrest  and  bitterness  result.  We  have  forgotten 
in  the  quest  for  material  well-being  the  words  of  the  Divine  Social 
Worker,  "A  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the 
things  that  he  possesseth." 

This  undying  truth  must  be  emphasized,  old  and  young  must 
realize  the  glory  of  duty,  the  ennobling  effect  of  responsibility 
faithfully  performed,  and  the  need  of  self-restraint  if  the  world 
it  to  be  lifted  to  a  higher  plane.  No  wealth  however  evenly  dis- 
tributed, no  multiplication  of  law  upon  law  can  ever  ennoble  a 
people.  "There  is  no  succor  here!  The  aids  to  nobler  life  are  all 
within." 

As  patriots  there  is  another  phase  of  to-day  which  must  give 
us  concern.  There  is  peace,  but  only  after  a  fashion.  Open  war- 
fare has  ceased,  but  there  is  a  ceaseless  propaganda  against  our 
Empire,  a  ceaseless  effort  to  besmirch  and  to  disunite  us.  The 
British  Empire  is  not  given  to  self-advertisement,  but  sometimes 
one  feels  as  if  it  would  be  wise  if  adverse  propaganda  were  reso- 
lutely met  with  a  clear  statement  of  the  truth.  Instances  of  absurd 
falsities  will  occur  to  everyone.  A  few  years  ago  the  Royal  family 
were  supposed  to  be  barely  able  to  speak  English — a  lie  industri- 
ously circulated  by  many — we  remember  with  shame  how  the  re- 
fusal of  the  Imperial  authorities  to  accept  the  Ross  rifle  for  Bis- 
ley  was  set  down  to  their  pigheadedness  and  jealousy,  etc.,  and  the 
brief  kudos,  the  Canadian  Minister  of  Militia  won  by  threaten- 
ing *that  were  it  not  allowed,  Canadians  would  not  be  sent  to  Bis- 
ley.  A  rather  striking  instance  of  this  baleful  propaganda  occur- 
red in  Egypt.  After  the  war  the  British  built  a  canal  for  irriga- 
tion purposes,  about  ten  feet  deep  and  fifteen  feet  in  width.  This, 
bolshevik  or  German  agents  told  the  ignorant  felaheen,  was  being 
prepared  in  order  that  the  warships  might  sail  up  it  and  bomb 

3 


their  villages,  and  this  preposterous  lie  was  responsible  for  much 
of  the  trouble  in  Egypt. 

As  patriotic  women  our  aim  should  be  to  discountenance  and 
discourage  all  this  idle  and  evil  tattle  against  the  state  to  which 
we  owe  allegiance,  and  to  seek  out  the  truth  in  every  case. 

In  regard  to  our  own  work — we  as  a  society  have  come  to  a 
point  where  we  must  go  forward,  with  courage,  energy  and  vigour, 
with  our  project  of  securing  in  the  Queen  Victoria  Memorial  Hall 
a  home  for  our  meetings,  and  a  place  where  our  documents  and 
collection,  small  as  yet,  can  be  displayed.  On  behalf  of  this 
scheme  I  ask  the  help  and  co-operation  of  every  member  of  this 
society,  and  trust  that  all  former  members  will  join  us  in  the 
effort  to  secure  a  little  spot  which  we  can  call  our  own.  There  is 
much  other  work  which  needs  to  be  overtaken.  We  should  have 
more  books  for  the  systematic  collecting  of  items  of  historic  in- 
terest, and  I  shall  be  very  glad  if  someone  will  offer  to  under- 
take work  of  this  character.  The  reports  of  this  year  will  show 
progress  has  been  made.  S.  MICKLE. 


Secretary's  Report 


The  meetings  of  the  Society,  held  in  Sherbourne  House  Club, 
have  been  well  attended,  the  papers  have  been  of  great  interest. 
Eleven  new  members  have  been  welcomed  to  the  Society. 

A  resolution  was  passed  making  possible  the  enrolment  of  Life 
Members  upon  the  payment  of  Twenty-Five  Dollars  to  the  Treas- 
urer. 

Other  resolutions  have  been  (1)  one  in  favour  of  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  Maple  Leaf  in  the  Canadian  Coat  of  Arms;  (2)  one 
protesting  against  Jane  Addams  being  invited  to  speak  in  Toronto 
on  Social  Service. 

PAPERS. 

November. — A  graphic  account  of  an  air  raid  at  Folkestone,  by 
Mrs.  Gordon  MacKenzie. 

December. — Prof.  Young  gave  a  paper  on  the  Reverend  Dr. 
Samuel  Peters,  the  Loyalist.  Miss  Lea  also  spoke  of  the  work 
and  need  of  the  Allied  Red  Cross  caring  for  the  destitute  children 
and  people  of  Serbia  and  Roumania  and  other  parts  of  suffering 
Europe. 

January. — A  paper  prepared  by  Miss  Addison  giving  extracts 
of  the  reports  sent  to  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel 
by  the  Reverend  D.r.  Addison  of  Newark;  read  by  Miss  Mickle. 

February. — Mrs.  W.  H.  Cawthra  gave  an  account  of  her  efforts 
at  shop-keeping  at  Folembray  in  the  devastated  regions  of  France. 
Mr.  Thomson,  of  the  University,  introduced  the  subject  of  a  Cana- 
dian National  Flower,  the  bunch  berry  cornus  Cunadensus,  being 
suggested. 

March. — A  paper  on  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  Expedition  in 
search  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  in  charge  of  Chief  Factor  James 
Anderson;  read  by  Miss  Mickle. 

April. — "Letters  from  Mr.  Secretary  Jarvis  and  his  wife  to  her 
father,  Dr.  Samuel  Peters,  1794-1813";  read  by  Mrs.  W.  H.  P. 
Jarvis.  (These  threw  light  on  the  doings  of  early  days). 

October. — "An  Old  Account,  1785-1788,  Adam  Crysler  to  Messrs. 
Street  &  Butler";  read  by  Miss  Mickle. 

We  welcome  as  new  members  Mrs.  John  Garvin,  Mrs.  Ivey, 
Mrs.  F.  N.  G.  Starr,  Mrs.  Pyke,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Cawthra,  Mrs.  Black- 
stock,  Mrs.  Parks,  Mrs.  Covert,  Mrs.  Wilson,  Mrs.  Orde. 

Members  who  have  passed  away  during  the  year  have  been 
Miss  Ellerby,  Mrs.  Beemer,  Mrs.  Julius  Miles. 

Publications  have  been  received  from  Ontario  Historical  So- 
ciety, Annual  Report  and  Report  of  Red  Cross;  Industrial  Occupa- 
tion, McGill  University;  Report  and  Transaction  from  Ottawa; 
Report  and  Transaction  from  Waterloo;  Report  and  Transaction 

5 


No.  31,  from  Niagara;  Blockade  of  Quebec,  from  Quebec  Historical 
Society;  three  from  Washington,  Seattle;  two  from  Smithsonian 
Institute;  complete  set  from  London,  Ont.;  Niagara  River  and 
Its  Environs,  from  Parks  Commission;  a  Contemporary  Account 
of  Rebellion  in  U.C.  and  the  Mosquito  in  U.C.,  by  Judge  Riddell; 
Transaction  No.  19  from  Halifax;  Donation  of  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can, 1845. 

Correspondence  has  been  carried  on  with  Historic  Sites  and 
Landmarks  Association,  asking  for  our  co-operation  in  marking 
places  of  Historic  Interest. 

During  the  summer  some  of  your  members  took  part  in  out- 
ings: the  first  to  York  Mails  to  visit  the  Church  and  environment; 
next  to  Stoney  Creek  Battlefield;  next,  the  work  of  the  Niagara 
Park  Commission  in  beautifying  the  historic  Niagara  Rdver  and 
environs,  and  lastly  the  25th  Anniversary  of  the  Niagara  Histor- 
ical Society,  when  the  visitors  were  driven  to  places  of  great 
interest. 

The  most  excellent  work  done  by  our  Soldiers'  Comforts  Com- 
mittee will  be  shown  ir  the  Treasurer's  Report.  This  Committee 
has  now  dissolved,  but  at  Christmas  timo.  the  Tubercular  soldiers 
in  Hospitals  have  been  remembered  by  gifts,  for  which  letters  of 
appreciation  have  been  received. 

Our  last  year's  transaction,  No.  18,  consisted  of  two  numbers, 
Old  Fort  Garry  in  the  seventies,  by  the  late  Wttn.  Norris,  and  the 
Boulton  letters,  1833-4,  given  by  Mrs.  Marsh  of  Lindsay,  grand- 
daughter of  William  Boulton. 

During  the  year  we  also  issued  transaction  No.  19,  District  Gen- 
eral Orders  of  Major-General  Sir  Isaac  Brock,  from  June  27,  1812 
to  October  16,  1812,  together  with  Ms  last  instructions  sent  to 
officers  commanding  forts,  by  Major^General  Brock  shortly  before 
the  attack  on  Queenston. 

These  were  printed  from  the  Mms.  sent  to  Sir  Isaac  Brock's 
family  in  England,  by  Major  Glegg,  Ms  aide-de-camp;  with  other 
papers  they  came  into  the  possession  of  Ms  great  niece,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Ms  biographer,  F.  B.  Tupper,  and  were  given  by  her  to  our 
President  with  permission  to  print;  they  are  now  in  the  Dominion 
archives  at  Ottawa. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted, 

C.   L.   CORLEY. 


Treasurer's  Report 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT  1919-20. 

RECEIPTS. 

Balance  in  Bank,   November   1919   $118  30 

Balance  from  Mrs.  Trent  1  40 

Fees  73  00 

Life   Memberships    50  00 

Ontario  Government  Grant  * 100  00 

Donations  and  Excursion  13  25 

Bank  Interest  «*    2  86 

$358  81 

EXPENDITURES. 

Printing    $143  88 

Advertising    9  00 

Postage   2  94 

Flowers     10  80 

Refreshments  .>. 3  00 

Fees   17  00 

$186  62 


Balance,   November  1920 $172  19 


THE  QUEEN  VICTORIA  MEMORIAL  FUND 

RECEIPTS. 

Balance  in  Bank,  November  1919  $260  46 

Payment  of  Loan  by  Soldiers'  Comforts  Com.     100  00 
Interest  on  Canadian  Permanent  Debenture  ....     250  00 

Interest  on  War  Loans  52  50 

Bank    Interest    8  75 

Sale  of  Transactions  1  00 

$672  71 

EXPENDITURE. 
Payments  on  War  Loan  $272  52 


Balance,  November  18th,  1920   $400  19 

SECURITIES. 

Canada  Permanent  Debenture  $5,000  00 

1917  War  Loan   500  00 

1918  War  Loan   500  00 

1919  War  Loan   300  00 

$6,300  00 


Cash  and  Securities  ..  ! $6,700  19 


THE  SOLDIERS'  COMFORTS  COMMITTEE 

RECEIPTS. 

Balance,  November   1919 $216  24 

Donations 281  85 

Teas  and  Sales 73  25 

Ticket   Money   : 7  50 

Bank  Interest  1  72 

$580  56 

EXPENDITURES. 

Donations   $377  15 

Final  Payment  of  Loan  (Memorial  Fund) 100  00 

Tea  and  Service  19  60 

To  Ellis  Bros :'..;       2  75 

$499  50 

Balance,  November  18th,  1920  ... $81.  06 

Since  November  1916: 

Paid  in  Donations  and  Red  Cross  Supplies  $1,779  99 
Also  a  Loan  from  The  Memorial  Fund  of       200  00 

HOPE  H.  DUCKWORTH, 

Hon.  Treas. 

SYDNEY  JONES,  Trinity  College, 
Auditor. 


DEEDS    SPEAK" 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION    NO.    20 


CONTENTS 

The  Hudson  Bay  Company's  Expedition  in  Search  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  commanded  by  James  Anderson,  Chief  Factor 

1.  Introduction  by  Miss  S.  Mickle 

2.  James  Anderson's  Journal 

The  Temple  of  Peace 

David  Willson  of  Sharon,   1778-1866 

By  Professor  John  Squair 


1919-1920 


The  Hudson  Bay  Expedition  in  Search  of 
Sir  John  Franklin 

INTRODUCTION  BY  S.  MICKLE. 

Sir  John  Franklin  left  England  on  his  last  voyag*  on  May  19th, 
1845.  His  ships,  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  were  provisioned  for  three 
years  and  hopes  were  high  that  they  might  discover  the  long- 
sought  North-West  Passage.  At  first  all  went  well;  on  July  4th 
despatches  were  sent  from  Whale  Fish  Island,  off  Greenland,  and 
later  a  whaler  in  "Melville  Bay  was  spoken  to. 

The  ships  entered  Baffin's  Bay,  Lancaster  Sound,  passed  Cape 
Warrender,  and  reached  Beech  Island  at  the  entrance  of  Wellington 
Channel,  sailed  for  150  miles  when  they  were  stopped  by  ice,  and 
passed  to  the  channel  between  Cornwallis  and  Bathurst  Islands 
into  Barrow  Straits;  wintering  on  the  North-East  side  of  Beechey 
Island. 

Ice  broke  up  in  July  1846,  and  they  sailed  for  150  miles;  but 
were  frozen  in  by  the  middle  of  September,  the  ships  being  held 
by  ice  off  the  northerly  point  of  King  William's  Land,  1846-47. 

In  May  1847  an  exploring  party  under  Lieut.  Gore,  from  a 
height,  saw  the  North-West  passage,  and  elated  at  the  great  dis- 
covery, named  the  place  Point  Victory.  Sir  John  Franklin  died 
June  llth,  1847. 

The  ice  never  broke  up  during  the  summer  of  1847,  but  the 
ships  were  moved  with  it  west  nearer  to  Point  Victory  and  the 
Coast.  Winter  came  on,  and  with  it  scurvy,  of  which  20  died. 

The  ships  were  abandoned  on  April  22nd,  1848,  by  the  remain- 
ing 105  men.  At  Point  Victory  they  wrote  the  last  message  the 
world  was  to  have  from  them.  It  ends,  "Start  to-morrow,  April 
26th,  for  Back's  Fish  River."  This  message  was  found  12  years 
later  by  Sir  Leopold  McClintock's  search  party. 

The  mystery  concerning  the  fate  of  the  gallant  explorer  touch- 
ed the  heart  and  imagination  of  the  public.  Sir  John  Richardson, 
his  old  comrade,  headed  the  first  party  in  search  of  him.  In  all  21 
expeditions  were  sent  out,  18  of  these  being  British  and  three 
American.  The  British  Government  offered  a  reward  of  £20,000. 
Half  of  this  was  paid  to  Dr.  Rae,  who  first  discovered  relics  of  the 
party  in  1854 ;  one  year  before  the  expedition  headed  by  Anderson. 

At  Pelly  River,  Rae  met  some  Esquimaux  who  told  him  that 
four  years  before  (1850),  some  of  their  tribe,  hunting  at  King 
William's  Land,  saw  a  party  of  forty  white  men  travelling  south- 
wards dragging  a  boat  and  sleigh;  that  they  reported  that  their 
ships  had  been  lost  in  the  ice;  that  they  were  starving;  and  that 
later  in  the  same  spring  their  bodies  were  found  by  the  Esquim- 
aux, some  on  the  mainland  and  some  on  an  island  "at  a  day's 
journey  from  the  mouth  of  Back's  River."  Rae  purchased  various 
articles  of  silver  plate,  etc.,  bearing  the  initials  and  names  of 

11 


officers  belonging  to  the  missing  expedition,  which  the  Esquimaux 
had  received  from  the  party  in  exchange  for  a  seal. 

Rae  was  in  London  after  his  discovery  and  recommended  in  a 
letter  to  The  Times,  that  two  expeditions  should  be  sent  put,  one 
down  MacKenzie  River,  to  pass  eastwards  along  the  Arctic  coast, 
and  one  to  descend  the  Great  Fish  (or  Back's)  River  to  the  coast, 
to  search  King  William's  Land  and  the  coast.  It  is  this  latter 
expedition  which,  under  arrangement  with  the  British  Government, 
was  undertaken  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  and  commanded  by 
Chief  Factor  James  Anderson,  with  which  we  are  concerned.  The 
expedition  was  sent  out  to  test  the  accuracy  of  the  information  al- 
ready obtained;  to  gather  further  details;  to  find  any  written 
records  that  might  have  been  left;  "at  the  same  time  bearing 
particularly  in  mind  the  faint  hope  that  some  of  the  party  may 
have  survived,  who  may  yet  be  rescued."  They  were  to  start  from 
Fort  Resolution  on  Great  Slave  Lake  and  from  thence  descend  the 
Back  River,  search  the  island  and  mainland  at  its  mouth,  and  re- 
turn in  time  to  winter  at  the  East  end  of  Great  Slave  Lake,  where 
a  boat  with  supplies  was  to  meet  them.  If  thought  wise  they 
might  winter  on  the  Coast,  but  this  was  left  to  their  discretion. 

James  Anderson,  the  man  chosen  to  lead  the  Expedition,  was 
the  grandson  of  a  distinguished  writer  and  scientist,  James  An- 
derson, LL.IK,  F.R.S.,  of  Scotland.  As  Chief  Trader,  he  had  had 
change  of  the  important  Post  at  Fort  Simpson,  on  the  MacKenzie, 
with  supervision  over  other  iposts  to  the  West  and  North.  He  had 
succeeded  Rae  and  under  his  management  Fort  Simpson  had  be- 
come the  {mainstay  of  "the  Concern"  as  its  officers  called  the  Com- 
pany. He  had  just  received  (March  1855)  his  commission  as  Chief 
Factor.  He  was  used  to  travel,  having  in  the  preceding  years, 
made  several  voyages  of  discovery.  A  very  fine  man,  upright  and 
honorable,  with  a  strong  sense  of  justice,  which  led  him  to  battle 
fearlessly  with  the  Governor-Autocrat,  Sir  George  Simpson  and 
the  Council,  when  he  felt  that  the  rights  of  others,  or  his  own, 
had  been  disregarded.  He  had  done  a  great  deal  of  work  for 
former  expeditions,  entertaining  travellers  forwarding  supplie's, 
etc.,  was  a  friend  and  correspondent  of  Sir  John  Richardson  and 
others. 

He  was  surprised  and  delighted  when  he  received  his  Com- 
mission to  command  the  search  party,  from  Sir  George.  He  had 
been  writing  one  of  his  long  intimate  business  letters  to  the 
Governor  and  thus  breaks  it:  "I  had  written  thus  far  when  the 
express  arrived  on  the  29th  (March)  about  mid-day.  I  am  not 
easily  put  out  of  the  way,  but  certainly  this  appointment  was  a 
bit  of  a  stunner.  I  can  only  say  I  am  deeply  grateful  for  the 
honour  you  have  conferred  upon  me,  and  that  all  the  energy  I 
possess  shall  be  put  forth  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  objects 
of  the  Expedition,  and  for  the  honour  of  the  Service."  To  Sir  John 
Richardson  and  to  Lady  Franklin  he  writes  later,  "All  the  energy 
and  ability  I  may  possess  will  be  put  forth  to  accomplish  the  aims 
of  the  Expedition";  "'All  that  can  be  accomplished  without  abso- 
lutely throwing  away  the  lives  of  the  party  committed  to  my 
charge,  shall  be  done."  "Shall  be  done"  but  not  without  sacrifice; 
for  his  letter  to  Sir  George  Simpson  has  a  P.S.:  "Hardly  know 
how  my  right  leg  will  stand  a  long  walk — the  veins  are  swollen 

12 


as  big  as  your  thumb  (varicose) ,  but  I  suppose  I  shall  rub  through 
it  somehow." 

He  immediately  begins  preparations  for  the  journey,  writing 
to  tell  Stewart,  the  2nd  in  command,  to  engage  "King"  Beaulieu, 
who  was  Franklin's  interpreter,  and  whom  he  considers  indispens- 
able. Instead  of  hurrying  off  to  Fort  Resolution,  he  waits  to  put 
his  Post,  "the  mainstay  of  the  Concern,"  in. running  order  for  the 
summer's  work.  While  waiting,  he  received  a  curious  letter  from 
Lady  Franklin,  through  her  niece,  Sophia  Cracroft,  who  was  en- 
gaged to  Captain  Crozier,  Franklin's  second  in  command.  Ad- 
dressed to  "The  Commander  of  the  Expedition  down  Back's  River" 
it  is  pathetic  in  that  it  shows  that  after  all  the  years  of  silence, 
hope  was  still  strong.  She  considers  that  "nothing  more  was  prov- 
ed by  the  relics  Dr.  Rae  brought  home,  than  that  some  disaster  of 
a  fatal  character  had  happened."  The  party  Rae  was  told  of 
were  probably  a  mere  fraction  of  the  main  body.  She  insists  that 
the  discovery  of  the  ships  will  alone  settle  the  question. 

"Other  duties  too  will  be  yours  on  the  discovery  of  any  party, 
or  the  ships — those  namely  of  collecting  and  securing  for  us,  all 
that  will  be  most  precious  to  us.  Your  own  heart  will  guide  you  in 
this  work  of  charity.  You  will  doubtless  find  records,  journals 
(private,  as  well  as  those  public  ones,  the  examination  of  which 
will  guide  your  future  operations),  letters  addressed  to  them  be- 
fore they  left  this  country  and  from  them  expressing  their  dying 
wishes  to  those  dear  friends  whom  they  were  never  more  to  see  in 
this  world.  I  may  particularly  allude  to  a  remarkable  volume, 
square  in  form  and  bound  at  the  corners  in  brass,  with  a  lock. 
This  book  was  intended  for  my  Aunt  alone,  and  she  would  con- 
sider its  restoration  to  herself  as  worthy  of  a  special  and  ample 
reward.  She  is  most  anxious  to  secure  the  inviolability  of  these 
precious  private  documents."  He  "will  of  course  have  the  honor- 
able feeling  that  would  shrink  from  the  examination  of  such  pri- 
vate papers,"  but  she  urges  him  to  "give  such  positive  orders  as 
will  compel  the  instant  sealing  of  all  such  private  documents, 
whether  to  the  members  of  the  expedition  or  by  them  to  their 
friends."  To  this  Anderson  replies  that  "his  second  in  command 
is  a  gentleman  and  would,  of  course,  scorn  to  read  what  was  not 
intended  for  his  perusal;  and  for  the  rest,  with  one  or  two  excep- 
tions, none  of  them  can  either  read  or  write." 

In  Rae's  report,  one  paragraph  speaks  of  the  possibility  of 
cannibalism  having  occurred  and  months  before  Anderson  had 
written  to  Sir  George  Simpson,  that  this  would  raise  a  storm. 
Miss  Cracroft's  letter  continues,  "Then  again  we  have  his  (Rae's) 
revelation  as  to  the  presumed  cannibalism,  an  assertion  which  has 
met  with  universal  reprobation  and  disgust,  both  at  the  conception 
and  the  publication  of  it.  Mr.  Dickens'  powerful  pen  has  been 
employed  on  this  particular  question  in  two  Nos.  of  his  House- 
hold Words,  conveying  a  scorn  and  disgust,  which  will  be  as 
effective  as  his  narratives  of  other  starving  beings  who  yet  never 
contemplated  and  never  employed  'the  last  resource'  alluded  to  by 
Dr.  Rae."  The  letter  goes  on  to  say  the  details  of  Rae's  report 
cannot  be  relied  on. 

To  all  of  which  Anderson  replies  that  he  is  deeply  sorry  any- 
thing in  Rae's  report  has  wounded  her  feelings  so  deeply.  Rae  is 

13 


an  intimate  friend  of  his  and  "as  no  one  has  been  more  anxious 
to  afford  relief  to  your  gallant  and  unfortunate  husband,  no  one 
would  more  regret  the  circumstance  than  he."  To  the  veiled  offer- 
ing of  reward  he  says,  "It  is  from  no  greed  of  lucre,  no  hope  of 
fame  that  I  undertake  this  task,  but  solely  from  a  sense  of  duty." 

To  Sir  George  Simpson  he  writes,  "My  prediction  regarding 
the  cannibal  part  of  Dr.  Rae's  report  is  verified  with  a  vengeance. 
I  can  assure  you  she  works  him  up  a  trifle,  and  informs  me  that 
Dickens  has  employed  his  powerful  pen  in  two  Nos.  of  his  House- 
hold Words  on  the  subject.  This  is  a  recompense  for  all  Rae's 
sufferings  and  privations." 

The  equipment  for  this  perilous  trip  down  a  river,  ice-beset, 
with  84  rapids  to  be  passed,  was  wretched.  They  were  to  have 
four  canoes — two  to  be  taken  from  Fort  Simpson  and  two  built  at 
Fort  Resolution,  but  Rae  had  unfortunately  advised  that  the  canoes 
be  made  shorter  than  the  North  canoes  to  which  all  H.  B.  travellers 
were  used — the  consequence  was  that  when  the  two  built  at  Laird 
came  to  Simpson  Anderson  found  them  "well  made  and  the  bark 
superb,"  but  they  had  been  shortened  5  feet,  would  not  hold  the 
necessary  baggage,  and  were  "as  cranky  as  a  small  Canada  canoe 
and  quite  useless."  Those  made  at  Fort  Resolution  were  also 
defective — the  bark  wretched — the  wood-work  much  too  heavy — 
almost  doubling  the  work  on  the  portages. 

There  were  no  interpreters.  Rae  had  pronounced  Oo-lig-back, 
his  own  man — indispensable,  and  Simpson  had  promised  to  send 
him  and  another,  neither  of  whom  arrived  to  the  leader's  great 
disappointment. 

Nor  was  Anderson  fortunate  in  his  second-in-command.  John 
Green  Stewart,  Mr.  J.  B.  Tyrrell  informs  me,  was  related  to 
Lady  .Simpson,  and  connected  with  others  of  the  powers  that  were. 
His  being  put  on  strikes  one  as  a  piece  of  pure  favouritism.  Nor 
was  his  record  better  than  that  of  most  favourites.  Some  of  the 
men  engaged  by  him  were  not  first-rate.  George  Kippling  was  too 
old;  Mustegan  and  Fidler,  Rae's  men,  were  with  them,  but  appar- 
ently "King"  Beaulieu  could  not  be  induced  to  join.  In  other 
ways  their  equipment  was  poor,  none  were  provided  with  water- 
proof clothing,  etc.  They  also  had  the  severe  handicap  of  a  very 
late  season. 

The  Journal  speaks  for  itself.  To  Sir  George  Simpson,  his 
friend  Eden  Colville  and  Lady  Franklin,  the  leader  speaks  of  it  as 
a  "very  severe  journey,"  with  many  hair-breadth  escapes — and  it 
is  quite  certain  there  was  no  eight-hours-a-day  system  in  force. 
To  his  friend,  Sir  John  Richardson,  he  writes  that  stimulated  by 
the  offer  of  rewards  the  men  had  searched  diligently.  "In  fact, 
the  whole  of  Montreal  Island,  the  small  islands  in  its  vicinity  and 
the  coast  between  Elliott's  Bay  and  McConachie's  Island  was 
searched  as  minutely  as  if  we  were  looking  for  pins!  No  risk 
was  shunned,  and  the  search  was  only  abandoned  when  the  canoes 
were  almost  worn  out;  4  kettles  or  24  gallons  of  water  were  gen- 
erally thrown  out  of  each  canoe  at  the  end  of  a  pipe.  On  the 
latter  part  of  our  voyage  up  the  river,  I  have  seen  as  many  as 
six  thrown  out  of  one  of  them." 

In  spite  of  all  their  exertions  very  little  was  accomplished  by 
this  expedition  except  to  corroborate  the  information  of  Rae.  Sir 

14 


John  Richardson,  to  whom  Anderson  sent  a  copy  of  his  journal, 
writes  that  certain  men  who  were  anxious  to  be  sent  out  bitterly 
attacked  Rae's  reports  and  maintained  that  Anderson's  voyage  did 
not  extend  to  the  district  which  ought  to  have  been  searched,  "but 
the  Government  has  taken  a  sounder  view,  and  when  the  subject 
was  brought  into  Parliament  by  some  personal  friends  of  Lady 
Franklin,  declared  they  would  countenance  no  further  search." 
Richardson  goes  on  to  say  that  to  show  how  carefully  he  (Ander- 
son) had  searched  Montreal  Island  and  the  neighbouring  shore, 
he  had  copied  all  that  portion  of  the  journal,  and  sent  it  to  the 
Geographical  Society  for  publication.  .  "-Lady  Franklin  is  still 
determined  to  send  another  vessel,  and  has  laid  aside  £10,000  for 
it."  He  too  would  like  to  have  the  journals  recovered;  "but  I  am 
not  willing  to  recommend  the  risk  of  another  attempt." 

The  story  of  this  Expedition  has  a  curious  and  interesting 
sequel  given  in  full  in  The  Transactions  of  the  Canadian  Insti- 
tute April,  1909,  p.  393. 

Readers  of  the  Journal  will  note  that  on  August  8th  four  men 
were  sent  by  the  Halkett  collapsible  boat  to  Machonachie's  Island 
to  search  for  traces  of  the  missing  party  and  none  were  reported. 
In  the  Autumn  of  1890,  35  years  after  the  event,  Mr.  J.  B.  Tyrrell, 
while  travelling  up  the  east  shore  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  was  visited 
by  Boucher,  who  had  been  cook  to  the  expedition.  He  said  that 
three  men,  Thomas  Mustegan,  Edward  Kipling  and  Paulet  Papana- 
kies,  had  been  sent  northward  to  look  for  traces  of  Sir  John 
Franklin's  party,  that  they  saw  one  of  the  ships  far  out  on  the 
ice,  but  returned  and  reported  they  had  seen  nothing,  fearing 
that  if  they  confessed  the  discovery  would  be  followed  up  and  all 
their  own  party  would  perish  of  starvation  and  exposure. 

Mr.  Tyrrell  followed  up  the  clue  thus  given  and  obtained  con- 
firmation of  the  story  from  the  three  men  mentioned.  Edward 
Kipling's  story  was  that  the  party  sent  to  the  island  divided, 
Fidler  (the  fourth  man)  and  himself  going  to  the  west,  the  other 
two,  Mustegan  and  Paulet  to  the  east.  That  on  their  return 
Paulet  told  of  having  seen  a  ship  far  out  to  sea — but  that  the 
leaders  were  not  told  as  the  men  were  tired  out  and  anxious  to 
get  home.  The  remainder  of  his  story  is  confused.  The  broken 
boat  was  well  known  to  Anderson,  who  writes  to  McClintock, 
"The  place  where  the  boat  was  cut  up  was  on  a  high  rocky  ridge 
at  the  eastern  point  of  Montreal  Island,  remarkable  for  the  num- 
ber of  Esquimaux  caches  on  it,  and  below  it,  to  the  westward,  is  a 
sheltered  sandy  bay,  apparently  overflowed  in  gales"  (he  supposed 
some  of  the  survivors,  perished  there)  "as  we  could  trace  on  the 
rocks  where  pieces  of  the  boat's  keel  had  rubbed  off  when  the 
Esquimaux  were  hauling  it  up  to  their  encampment."  To  Lady 
Franklin  is  an  added  detail,  "There  were  butt  ends  of  planks 
evidently  sawed  by  unskilful  hands  and  a  quantity  of  chips,"  etc. 

Thomas  Mustegan's  story  agrees  in  main  points  with  that  of 
Kipling.  He  said  that  three  men,  Paulet,  himself  ana!  Kipling, 
were  sent  off  in  a  water-proof  boat  to  examine  some  islands. 
Going  to  the  last  island,  which  was  high  and  rocky,  he  was  left 
behind,  and  Kipling  and  Paulet  went  on  and  reported  on  their 
return  that  they  had  seen  nothing— later  Paulet  told  him  that  he 
had  seen  a  ship  from  the  lofty  island,  and  had  begged  Kipling 

15 


to  say  nothing  about  it,  lest  the  leaders  should  attempt  to  reach  it 
and  they  should  perish. 

Paulet's  own  story  was  explicit.  He  said  that  it  was  he  only 
who  from  the  summit  of  a  rocky  island  saw  quite  distinctly  what 
he  believed  to  be  the  two  masts  of  a  ship.  On  being  asked  why  he 
did  not  tell  the  chief  what  he  had  seen,  he  replied,  "Well,  I  was 
tired  of  the  whole  thing  and  was  thinking  long  to  be  home,  and 
was  afraid  if  I  said  anything  about  it,  we  should  have  to  go 
back  and  see  what  it  was,  so  I  thought  I  would  keep  it  to  myself, 
yet  awhile,  anyhow." 

One  cannot  help  a  feeling  of  thankfulness  that  Anderson  never 
knew  of  the  treachery  of  his  followers.  It  is  probable  that 
wretchedly  equipped  as- they  were  with  "the  ice  firm  and  unbroken 
from  6  to  7  feet  thick,  and  new  ice  forming  every  night,"  they 
would  have  been  unable  even  to  traverse  the  few  miles  which  sep- 
arated them  from  Starvation  Cove  where  the  last  survivors  of  the 
Expedition  perished,  much  less  reach -the  ship,  yet  we  may  be  sure 
that  had  he  known  Paulet's  story  he  would  have  attempted  to 
reach  it;  though  to  Lady  Franklin  he  writes,  "Even  if  the  ice  had 
broken  up,  our  canoes  were  in  such  a  wretched  state  that  I  could 
not  have  proceeded  further  without  sacrificing  the  lives  of  the 
party."  To  Rae,  Sir  George,  Lady  F.  and  other  correspondents, 
he  speaks  of  the  impossibility  of  there  being  any  survivors,  "no 
party  could  possibly  winter  on  that  horrid  coast";  yet  the  hope  of 
finding  the  papers  and  records  might  have  led  Anderson  "to  make 
adventure  for  such  merchandise"  if  he  had  known. 


Journal  of  Chief  Factor  Anderson  Commander  of 

the  H.  B.  Expedition  in  Search  of 

Sir  John  Franklin 

FROM   FORT   SIMPSON   TO   BIG  ISLAND. 

Monday,  May  28th,  1855. — I  took  my  departure  with  2  canoes 
and  10  men,  with  supplies  for  the  expedition,  a  little -after  midday. 
Ice  still  drifting  in  the  upper  Mackenzie.  We  broke  one  of  the 
canoes  near  the  Green  Island.  It  drifted  so  thickly  that  we  were 
compelled  to  encamp  at  1^/z  p.m.  at  the  head  of  the  Island.  The 
water  appears  to  have  risen  very  high  in  the  river;  appearance  of 
several  dykes. 

Tuesday,  29th. — Detained  by  ice  till  8.50  a.m.,  when  we  left 
and  reached  the  point  below  Rabbitskin  River,  where  we  were 
compelled  to  encamp,  the  ice  drifting  very  thickly  in  the  midst  of 
this.  B.  Le  Noir  came  drifting  in  a  small  canoe.  He  says  that 
the  river  is  free  as  far  as  Couteaux  James  R.,  but  impractible 
for  even  a  boat  to  ascend.  The  people  shot  a  few  ducks  and  rab- 
bits. A  few  drops  of  rain  fell  and  the  sky  was  overcast  all 
day.  Got  a  fresh  stock  of  duck  eggs. 

16 


Wednesday,  30th.— The  ice  detained  us  till  10  V2  a.m.  We  got 
many  knocks  and  rubs,  but  reached  Spencer's  River  at  8V2  p.m. 
Saw  Babillard's  son  and  old  Le  Noir  and  son.  Got  a  few  fish,  2 
geese,  a  beaver  and  a  piece  of  bear  from  them.  They  had  hunts 
varying  from  40  to  upwards  of  100  MR.  The  birches  and  pop- 
lars began  to  put  out  their  leaves.  The  weather  was  warm  to-day. 
Previous  to  leaving  Ft.  Simpson  the  highest  the  therm,  reached 
this  spring  was  62°. 

Thursday,  31st. — After  gumming  the  canoes,  embarked  at  4l/2 
a.m.  Obliged  to  take  the  paddle  owing  to  the  quantities  of  ice 
on  the  beach.  Experienced  some  heavy  showers,  accompanied  by 
thunder.  We  had  much  trouble  with  drift  ice,  but  managed  to 
reach  a  little  above  the  when  we  saw  the  ice  com- 
ing down  full  channel,  evidently  from  the  little  lake.  By  using 
our  best  exertions  we  managed  to  get  our  cano'es  out  of  the  water 
5  p.m.,  just  as  the  ice  came  down  with  tremendous  force,  sending 
huge  boulders  up  the  bank  like  skittle  balls.  The  canoes  suffered 
much  to-day.  On  one  occasion  a  mass  of  ice  tumbled  from  off  the 
bank,  sent  a  wave  into  the  canoes  and  broke  the  paddle  of  one  of 
the  men.  A  few  inches  more  and  we  should  have  been  all  smashed 
into  a  thousand  pieces.  As  it  was,  we  escaped,  except  an  Indian, 
who  was  hurt  by  the  handle  of  the  broken  paddle  being  driven  into 
his  side. 

SIMPSON  TO  BIG  ISLAND,  1855. 

Friday,  June  1. — Detained  all  day  by  ice.  Immense^quantities 
have  passed:  about  3  a.m.  the  waters  rose  with  a  sudden  rush, 
bringing  down  immense  fields,  portions  of  which  were  shoved  with 
tremendous  force  up  the  bank.  Fortunately  I  caused  the  baggage 
and  canoes  to  be  carried  high  up  before  the  men  went  to  sleep. 
Still  one  of  our  canoes  had  an  narrow  escape.  The  ice  though  still 
(8.30  a.m.)  drifting  thickly,  is  getting  a  little  clearer.  This  is  a 
bad  place  for  hunting.  Nothing  has  been  killed  to-day  by  the 
hunters.  Weather  warm. 

Saturday,  2nd. — Still  detained  by  ice.  Cloudy  with  some  slight 
showers.  The  Big  Island  boat  arrived  af  11  a.m.  Took  out  its 
crew  and  sent  the  Simpson  people  back  in  it,  except  two  Indians. 
Mr.  Clarke  was  a  passenger.  The  ice  is  drifting  thinly  this  even- 
ing, and  I  am  in  hopes  that  we  shall  be  able  to  leave  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

Sunday,  3rd.— Cloudy  all  day.  Just  as  we  were  preparing  to 
leave,  a  canoe  arrived  from  Simpson  which  Mr.  Miles  was  kind 
enough  to  send  with  some  provisions  upon  hearing  the  state  of 
the  ice  from  the  Indians.  Of  these  I  took  1  bag  of  pemmican,  22 
bags  grease,  25  tongues,  1  bag  potatoes  and  sent  back  the  re- 
mainder. We  left  rather  too  soon,  as  we  broke  both  canoes  with 
ice,  and  were  compelled  to  put  on  shore  to  repair  them.  It  wa* 
tough  work  getting  up  to  the  head  of  the  line.  The  water  is  high, 
which  precludes  tracking,  and  the  current  very  strong.  Both 
canoes  were  nearly  upset  in  rounding  fallen  trees.  And  the  old 
canoes  had  a  most  narrow  escape  of  being  crushed  by  a  floe  of 
ice.  Saw  5  Indians  with  excellent  hunts,  and  a  boy  of  12  years 
old  who  had  killed  70  MB  in  martens.  The  lowest  their  men 

17  * 


had  was  80:  the  others  100  and  upwards.  Encamped  late  in  the 
little  lake  opposite  Point  Au  Foin.  Men  much  fatigued  after  this 
hard  day's  work.  It  was  one  continued  stretch. 

Monday,  4th.— A  beautiful  calm,  warm  day.  Vegetation  has 
made  considerable  advances  the  last  2  or  3  days.  We  left  the  en- 
campment at  4  a.m.,  and  encamped  at  7  and  a  half  p.m.— the 
canoes  requiring  considerable  repairs — at  a  pipe  from  a  small 
lake  close  to  the  "Ecaurs."  Saw  only  a  few  pieces  of  ice  until 
we  encamped,  when  we  ,saw  a  considerable  quantity.  I  suppose 
from  the  small  lake.  Saw  old  Bedeau  and  the  Grand  Noir.  The 
men  who  are  unaccustomed  to  the  paddle  complain  of  sore  arms  and 
breasts. 

Tuesday,  5th. — Le/t  early,  but  were  stopped  by  a  large  body  of 
ice  (or  rather  a  stream  of  drift  ice,  apparently  much  broken) 
supposed  to  have  come  from  the  channels,  about  Big  Island.  Did 
not  unload  till  sunset  in  hopes  of  a  passage  cleaving.  In  the 
evening  a  heavy  gale  arose.  We  are  encamped  in  the  little  lake 
opposite  Lop  Stick  Point.  The  weather  warm.  I  need  not  say  the 
pain  and  vexation  I  feel  at  these  repeated  detentions.  However,  I 
could  do  nothing  were  I  further  advanced.  Slake  Lake  is  still 
firm,  but  the  appearance  even  of  advance  is  consolatory. 

Wednesday,  6th. — 'Left  at  1  a.m.  Stopped  by  ice  at  the  Island 
at  7.30  a.m.  until  5  p.m.  We  then  managed  to  cross  among  the 
drift^  ice  and  reached  Charleson's  fishery,  where  we  were  again 
comp'elled  to  encamp  by  our  enemy  at  8  p.m.  Stopped  at  an  Island 
where  we  saw  many  of  the  small  forked-tailed,  black-headed  tern. 
They  had  just  begun  to  make  their  nests,  but  had  laid  no  eggs. 
Saw  one  of  these  birds  drive  off  a  crow.  Gooseberries  in  flower. 
Very  warm  and  clear  until  the  evening,  when  it  was  overcast. 
Mosquitoes  troublesome. 

Thursday,  7th. — Detained  here  the  entire  day  by  ice,  drift- 
ing so  thick  that  we  can't  see  water.  It  is  all  smashed  into  separ- 
ate "candles."  Very  sultry.  Thunder  at  some  distance,  a  few 
drops  of  rain  fell  here,  but  heavy  showers  falling  to  the  north- 
ward. ;Saw  a  grasshopper,  strawberries  in  flower. 

Friday,  8th. — Another  warm  day,  thunder  at  intervals  and  a 
shower  in  the  evening.  Mosquitoes  rather  troublesome.  Still 
detained  by  ice  which  is  drifting  full  channel. 

Saturday,  9th. — Another  warm  day,  cloudy  at  intervals  with 
a  few  drops  of  rain.  Still  detained  by  ice,  running  full  channel. 
Saw  a  dragon-fly  and  some  yellow  butterflies. 

Sunday,  10th. — At  3  p.m.  we  managed  to  cross  the  river 
amongst  the  drift  ice,  and  put  ashore  for  supper  at  9  p.m.,  after 
which  we  continued  our  route.  Very  warm,  sultry.  About  6.30  p.m. 
the  sky  to  the  N.W.  became  of  an  inky  colour  with  long  streamers 
like  waving  hair  hanging  like  a  fringe.  The  sun  shone  through  this 
as  if  a  hole  had  been  cut  in  the  cloud.  This  shifted  gradually 
round  the  compass,  accompanied  by  violent  squalls  and  heavy 
showers  of  hail  and  rain.  We  had  some  narrow  shaves  in  the 
ice,  and  the  tracking  of  the  rapids  was  execrable. 

Monday,  llth. — We  marched  all  last  night,  got  up  the  Batteau 
Rapids  about  daylight,  when  we  were  within  sight  of  the  Isle  aux 
Bouleaux.  We  were  again  stopped  by  drift  ice,  but  managed  to 
get  on  by  dint  of  wading  and  hauling  the  canoe  through  the  small 

18 


channels  and  afterwards  by  keeping  along  shore,  which  was  shoal 
and  full  of  stones.  We  reached  the  point  before  reaching  the  Big 
Island  Fort  at  5  p.m.  There  we  were  obliged  to  unload  as  the 
channel  is  choked  by  ice.  Sent  all  hands  to  the  Fort  except  my 
servant.  Saw  some  Big  Island  Indians  and  one  belonging  to  Reso- 
lution, who  is  waiting  for  the  disruption  of  the  ice  to  go  there. 
The  men  marched  26  hours,  except  during  the  time  they  put  on 
shore  to  sup  and  breakfast. 

Tuesday,  12.— The  ice  cleared  sufficiently  about  mid-day  to 
cross  over  to  the  island,  along  which  we  found  a  channel  and 
reached  a  point  on  it  about  15  miles  from  B.  I.  at  6  p.m.  Here 
we  found  our  road  barred  by  ice.  Encamped  on  a  nasty  swampy 
point.  Set  a  short  net  which  yielded  by  sunset  3  fine  trout,  8  W. 
fish,  and  13  red  carp.* 

BIG  ISLAND  TO  RESOLUTION. 

Wednesday,  15th. — Detained  all  day  by  ice.  The  water  rose 
and  drove  us  TO  another  encampment.  Obliged  to  take  up  the 
net  as  the  ice  was  covering  it.  It  yielded  32  fish,  chiefly  white- 
fish.  Some  marsh  flowers  are  in  bloom,  such  as  the  large  butter- 
cup. It  is  blowing  fresh  from  the  N.E.  The  land  here  is  evi- 
dently encroaching  on  the  lake.  The  process  is  first  drift  wood, 
then  a  sediment  of  mud,  moss  then  springs  up,  and  grass  and 
marsh  plants.  Willows  take  root  and  when  the  ground  is  a  little 
raised,  birch.  Beyond  that  we  see  spruce,  the  leaves  of  the  birch 
here  are  just  appearing,  and  the  grass  is  18"  high,  though  the 
ground  is  frozen  6"  from  the  surface. 

Thursday,  14th. — Heavy  rain  with  wind  all  night.  The  ice  is 
packed  against  the  beach  so  that  we  cannot  even  set  a  net. 

Friday,  15th. — Calm  and  cloudy.  A  most  gloomy  day.  Ice  as 
yesterday.  This  perpetual  detention  is  most  distressing,  but  it  is 
useless  repining. 

Saturday,  16th. — Very  warm  with  a  slight  shower.  Foggy. 
Mosquitoes  dreadfully  thick.  About  5  p.m.  we  managed  to  get  off 
from  our  beastly  swampy  encampment.  We  found  some  lanes  of 
water,  and  bored  through  much  drift  ice  till  we  reached  near  De 
Marais  Islands,  were  we  could  get  no  further.  The  ice  being 
hard  and  in  close  pack.  At  the  same  time  the  fog  was  impene- 
trable. It  was  an  awkward  situation.  We  bored  away  into  the 
bay  and  suddenly  came  on  one  of  the  islands  and  afterwards  man- 
aged to  reach  the  last  one  by  sunset.  Canoes  rather  damaged. 
Saw  several  fields  of  ice  still  white  and  hard.  Very  cold  in  the 
evening.  Set  the  net. 

•Sunday,  17th. — Left  very  early  in  hopes  of  finding  a  clear 
road.  We  were  soon,  however,  undeceived,  as  after  pushing 
through  much  drift  ice,  and  injuring  the  canoes  much,  we  were 
brought  to  a  standstill  by  thickly  packed  ice  in  the  bay  at  a  short 
distance  from  Pt.  Des  Roches.  Foggy  with  some  showers  of  rain. 
Were  the  wind  to  blow  off  shore  I  think  we  could  get  on,  as  the 
ice  is  in  pieces  and  moving.  Mosquitoes  awful.  The  net  only  pro- 
duced 2  fish.  Shot  a  goose. 


*Gave  1  oz.  tea  out  this  evening. 

19 


Monday,  18th. — Got  off  at  mid-day  and  after  5  hours'  hard 
labour  in  getting  through  the  ice  reached  Pt.  Des  Roches.  Got  a 
few  gulls'  eggs.  Weather  warm  with  thunder.  Mospuitoes  awful. 
Set  the  net,  the  bay  beyond  the  point  quite  blocked  up. 

June  19th. — At  7  p.m.  yesterday  a  slignt  land  breeze  drove  the 
ice  from  round  the  point  and  left  a  channel.  The  net  was  in- 
stantly raised  and  we  started.  The  channel,  however,  only  ex- 
tended a  mile.  We  then  began  to  bore  through  the  ice,  and  at 
last  found  a  fine  open  channel,  which,  with  many  bars  of  ice,  took 
us  to  Hay  River.  Afterwards  we  bored  through  a  great  deal  of 
ice,  with  occasional  lanes  of  water,  and  reached  here  after  being 
23  hours  on  the  water.  (6  p.m.)  We  are  encamped  on  a  stony 
isle  about  2  miles  from  the  Sulpher  Springs.  Much  to  my  sur- 
prise the  lake  here  seems  much  .stronger  than  towards  Big  Island. 
The  floes  seem  unbroken,  white  and  hard.  We  shall  require  a 
breeze  of  S.E.  wind  ere  we  can  start,  as  it  is  impossible  to  get 
through  such  ice.  The  canoes  suffered  much  damage.  We  have 
been  troubled  with,  perpetual  fogs  for  the  last  three  days.  Much 
of  the  ice  yesterday  and  to-day  covered  with  sulpher. 

Wednesday,  20th. — About  5  a.m.  a  breeze  sprung  up  which 
cleared  the  channel  outside,  it  ran  far  out,  but  I  could  not  see 
whether  it  approached  the  Presque  Islands.  I,  however,  deter- 
mined on  venturing,  and  after  breaking  some  ice  we  fortunately 
reached  the  Presque  Isle,  after  which  we  got  pretty  clear  water 
to  Les  Isles  aux  Mort.  A  head  wind  put  us  ashore  on  one  of  the 
Les  Isles  Brules  for  3  hours.  We  then  started  and  reached  the 
house*  about  10.30  p.m. 

RESOLUTION,  1855. 

Thursday,  21st. — Gave  the  men  their  advances  and  prepared 
for  starting,  calm  and  warm. 

Friday,  22nd. — Last  night  and  most  part  of  the  day  blowing  a 
gale  from  sea  which  has  undoubtedly  cleared  our  road,  as  we  can 
see  large  bodies  of  ice  with  the  naked  eye  driven  in.  In  the  even- 
ing we  made  a  start  and  encamped  a  little  beyond  the  small  cjjan- 
nel.  Mosquitoes  awful. 

Crews    (bows)  :   Baptiste,  Ignace  Joseph. 

(Steersmen)  :  Thos.  Mustegan,  Alfred  Lafarti,  John  Fidler. 

McLellan,  Han  Fisher,  Edward  Kipling,  Don  McLeod,  George 
Daniel,  Joseph  Bouche,  Will  Reid,  Paulet  Papanaldes,  Jerry  John- 
son, Four  Copper  Indians. 

FORT  RESOLUTION,  1855. 

Saturday,  June  23rd. — Left  at  3  a.m.,  but  could  not  get  beyond 
Rocky  Island,  owing  to  strong  head  winds.  The  Resolution  canoe 
exceedingly  heavy.  Set  two  nets  in  the  evening. 

Sund.  24th. — About  4  a.m.  the  wind  lulled  and  we  made  a  start 
but  it  soon  arose  again  and  we  were  driven  ashore  at  Pt.  Des 
Roches  (where  we  take  the  traverse)  where  we  remained  all  day. 

*Fort  Resolution. 

20 


The  nets  set  yesterday  produced  only  6  fish.  They  cannot  be  set 
now  owing  to  the  enormous  quantities  of  drift-wood  which  line 
the  shore. 

SLAVE  LAKE,  1855. 

Mon.  25th. — Unable  to  move  from  this  encampment;  blowing 
to  a  heavy  gale  all  day  with  no  appearance  of  its  abating.  An 
Indian  here  says  that  his  band  follow  a  road  from  near  the  moun- 
tain to  Lake  Aylmer.  It  is  through  a  chain  of  small  lakes  with 
many  portages — six  of  them  long  ones.  I  wish  to  follow  this 
road,  but  unless  I  can  get  additional  information,  shall  adopt  an- 
other which  they  all  represent  as  longer  but  perfectly  safe  and 
with  few  portages,  this  falls  on  the  east  of  Lake  Artillery  near 
"Rat  Lodge". 

Tues.  26th. — Detained  still  by  wind.  This  delay  is  most  dis- 
tressing. The  men  shot  a  goose,  some  ducks  and  gulls.  I  was  in 
hopes  that  the  Esquimaux  Interpreter  might  have  overtaken  us 
here.  Had  this  occurred,  I  would  not  have  regretted  the  detention. 
Wed.  27th. — The  wind  fell  a  little  after  4  a.m.  and  we  start- 
ed immediately  just  after  making  the  traverse,  it  began  to  blow 
from  the  N.E.  harder  than  ever,  but  we  felt  little  of  it  among  the 
numerous  islands  of  the  Simpson  Group.  But  in  making  some  of 
the  traverses,  the  canoes  shipped  water.  The  evening  is  delight- 
fully calm  and  serene.  'We  are  encamped  about  8  miles  from  Pt. 
Keith  at  8.30  p.m.  The  view  from  a  high  rock  near  our  encamp- 
ment is  of  extraordinary  beauty.  In  this  rock  is  a  nest  (last 
year's)  of  a  fishing  eagle  composed  of  sticks,  hay  and  moss.  Sef 
two  nets.  Saw  some  Canada  geese  with  their  young  ones.  I  may 
here  add  that  Back's  description  is  generally  correct  and  that  I 
do  not  intend  to  repeat  his  descriptions.  I  however  think  that  he 
has  estimated  the  height  of  the  rocks  too  highly. 

Thurs.  28th. — A  fair  day  with  one  or  two  showers ;  wind  rather 
strong  ahead.  Back  mentions  that  the  rocks  are  from  200  to 
2,000  feet  in  height;  the  highest  estimation  that  both  Mr.  Stewart 
and  myself  have  formed  is  500  feet  and  this  only  in  one  or  two 
instances;  his  description  otherwise  is  correct.  The  cut  rocks 
(trap)  strikingly  resemble  those  in  Nipigon  Bay,  Lake  Superior. 
Three  peaks  indistinctly  seen  by  Back  between  Petherent  and  the 
East  coast,  I  perceive  as  portions  of  a  considerable  island.  There 
are  many  islands  along  the  coast  not  noticed  in  the  map.  Many 
plants  are  now  in  flower,  but  they  are  all  to  be  found  in  the  valley 
of  the  Mackenzie.  I  have  therefore  only  collected  a  few  of  the 
rarest.  We  left  our  encampment  at  3  a.m.  and  encamped  at 
9  p.m.  at  the  er.d  of  Tal,  thel,  la  (a  strait  which  does  not  freeze 
during  the  winter),  on  an  island  called  "the  Bag."  Our  nets  pro- 
vided eight  white  fish  and  a  very  fine  trout.  They  were  set  again 
to-night.  We  met  with  a  little  ice  in  this  strait  and  I  fear  we  shall 
be  stopped  to-morrow,  as  it  appears  unbroken  in  the  distance.  I 
saw  an  eagle's  nest.  The  young  eagles  were  peering  out  over  the 
edge. 

Frid.  29th. — Young  ice  formed  last  night  and  we  could  not 
leave  till  the  sun  had  some  effect  on  it  and  the  old  ice,  which  when 
cemented  together  is  as  strong  as  ever.  We  embarked  at  6  a.m. 

21 


and  after  breaking  through  some  ice,  put  in  shore  in  a  high  rocky 
island  where  we  remained  until  12  o'clock.  Then  made  a  move 
out  after  proceeding  2  or  3  miles,  put  in  shore  again  as  the  ice 
was  still  too  strong.  Started  again  at  3  p.m.,  the  ice  was  now 
breakable  and  we  found  occasional  pools  of  water.  We  managed 
to  reach  a  small  stream  about  15  or  16  miles  from  the  mountain 
portage—a  road  leading  to  the  Barren  Lands  and  Lake  Aylmer. 
Back  rejected  this  route  as  impassable,  but  as  it  is  the  only  chance 
we  have  of  reaching  the  Thlewycho  in  time  to  descend  to  the  sea, 
I  have  determined  on  adopting  it.  The  head  of  this  lake  is  still 
firm  and  the  other  lakes  (Artillery,  Glinton-^Colden,  etc.),  will 
probably  be  still  unbroken.  This  mountain  route  is  a  chain  of 
small  lakes  with  many  portages.  Our  nets  produced  nothing.  It 
was  curious  to  see  the  men  at  this  date — on  the  ice  chopping  a 
road.  Mr.  Stewart  took  a  meridian  altitude  when  we  breakfasted 
which  gave  62°,  47',  11". 

Sat.  the  30th. — Calm,  and  clear;  the  ice  froze  in  a  mass  last 
night  and  we  could  not  attempt  to  leave  before  2  p.m.  It  is  thicker 
than  what  we  saw  yesterday  and  bore  the  men  easily;  it  was  from 

1  to  2  */2  feet  thick.    By  dint  of  chopping  and  pushing  pieces  apart, 
we  made  about  3  miles  when  it  became  so  thickly  packed  that  I 
could  not  venture  to  proceed  further  without  risking  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  canoes.     We  encamped  at  5  p.m.  within  sight  of  our 
last  encampment.     The  men  went  to  hunt,  but  nothing  was  killed 
except  a  goose  and  white  partridge — the  latter  had  only  half  its 
plumage  changed.     At  6  p.m.  therm,  in  the  air  showed  59°,  in 
the  water  near  the  shore  39°.    Our  nets  yielded  nothing.    On  ac- 
count of  the  ice,  none  were  set  to-night. 

;Sunday,  July  1st. — The  wind  arose  (N.E.)  rather  fresh,  and 
by  driving  away  the  ice  permitted  us  to  leave.  We  made  about 

2  miles  and  were  again -driven  ashore  till  past  3,  when  by  break- 
ing through  some  ice  we  got  paddling  till  9  p.m.    (breaking  occa- 
sionally through  ice)  when  we  were  brought  to  a  stop  by  an  im- 
penetrable pack  opposite  Kahoochellah  or  Rabbit  Point.    The  wind 
blew  very  fresh  from  2  to  7  o'clock,  and  has  broken  up  the  ice 
which   had  not   previously   moved.     The   rocks   on   the   mainland 
(N.W.)   are  higher  than  any  we  have  seen,  the  ascent  is  sloping. 
I  think  the  highest  does  not  exceed  700  feet.     Most  of  the  rocks 
are  in  a  state  of  disintegration.     They  appear  to  be  of  a  granite 
and  trap.     The  process  is  easily  seen.     The  rocks  are  in  layers 
of  5  feet  thick.    The  upper  layer  is  split  into  quadrangular  pieces. 
Water  enters  into  these  cracks,  freezes  and  splits  off  the  outside 
one,  so  that  at  last  the  whole  of  the  under  layer,  which  is  perfectly 
rounded  and  smooth,  is  covered  with  these  blocks.     In  process  of 
time  the  angles  are  worn  off  and  they  have  much  the  appearance 
of  boulders.    This  may  explain  why  boulders  are  apparently  found 
on  high  mountains  without  having  recourse  fo  either  water  or  ice. 
The  islands  are  apparently  of  trap  and  resemble  very  much  those 
in  Nipigon  Bay.     They  have  many  peaks  with  a  cut  face  to  the 
north.    The  water  is  of  immense  depth  even  close  to  shore.     Only 
a  few  ducks  and  geese  are  seen  and  a  chance  gull  and  a  few  small 
birds.     I  have  not  seen  the  Cyprus   (Banksan  Pine)   since  leaving 
Resolution.     We  passed  two  insignificant  streams  to-day. 

22 


SLAVE  LAKE  TO  LAKE  AYLMER. 

Mon.  2nd. — Obliged  this  morning  to  make  a  portage — Half  a 
mile — previous  to  embarking,  after  which  we  only  met  two  bands 
of  ice.  We  embarked  at  3  a.m.  and  reached  the  "Mountain  port- 
age" at  Sl/2  a.m.  We  passed  one  insignificant  stream  about  2 
miles  from  the  portage.  Another  falls  into  the  bay  where  the 
portage  commences.  The  portage  is  an  ugly  business.  It  is  almost 
a  continual  ascent  for  some  1,500  feet?  In  the  first  place,  a  port- 
age of  about  half  a  mile  is  made  to  a  pond  of  about  a  mile  in 

length,  which  I  have  named Another  portage 

is  then  made  over  the  mountain  of  about  3  miles  to  a  small  lake 

now  named  * The  whole  of  the  ladings  with 

the  canoes  rendered  by  10  p.m.  and  the  men  are  now  laughing 
over  their  day's  work  !  !  The  general  direction  of  our  route 
to-day  about  N.,  N.W.;  latitude  head  of  the  portage,  63  degrees, 
46  minutes,  19  seconds,  by  meridian  observation  of  Mr.  Stewart. 
Moostigues  or  sand  flies  and  mosquitoes  dreadfully  annoying. 

Tues.  3rd. — The  men  only  got  to  bed  about  1.30  o'clock  last 
night.  I  therefore  allowed  them  to  sleep  till  6%  a.m.  We  crossed 
a  small  lake  (about  half  a  mile  across)  and  made  a  portage  to 
another  lake  about  three  miles  in  length.  From  the  top  of  one 
of  the  highest  mountains,  perhaps  2,000  feet  above  the  level  of 
Slave  Lake,  I  had  a  fine  view  of  that  body  of  water,  (There  seems 
still  to  be  a  good  deal  of  ice  in  it)  and  counted  no  less  than  15 
small  lakes  or  tarns.  The  interior  is  inconceivably  rugged  and 
desolate.  The  mountains  are  riven  in  every  shape.  Only  a  few 
dwarf  spruce  and  birch  are  to  be  seen  and  scarcely  even  a  bird 
to  enliven  the  scene,  Labrador  Tea  is  in  full  flower  and  some  ber- 
ries are  nearly  full  size.  The  first  portage  was  about  a  mile  in 
length,  and  of  course,  from  the  steep  ascent  and  the  ruggedness 
of  the  country,  very  fatiguing.  We  then  made  two  short  portages 
and  crossed  2  small  tarns.  We  then  made  a  portage  of  about 
%  mile,  which,  though  it  had  some  steep  ascent,  was  less  rugged 
than  the  others.  It  is  thickly  carpeted  with  reindeer  moss  and  from 
their  vestiges  appears  to  be  a  favorite  haunt  of  those  animals. 
This  brought  us  to  a  lake  where  we  encamped  at  7%  p.m.,  as  the 
men,  though  in  good  spirits,  seemed  pretty  well  done  up  with  their 
last  2  days'  exertions.  Set  2  nets,  as  the  lake  is  said  to  abound 
in  trout. 

Wed.  4th. — Began  to  load  at  3  a.m.  Our  nets  produced  noth- 
ing. We  made  8  portages  to-day,  most  of  them  short,  and  about 
35  miles  of  lake  water.  The  lakes  are  getting  longer  and  the 
height  of  the  mountains  is  diminished.  Wood  is  fast  disappearing, 
the  whole  country  is  clothed  in  reindeer  moss  and  is  evidently 
much  frequented  by  those  animals.  It  is  now  utterly  lifeless, 
with  the  exception  of  a  very,  very  few  birds,  such  as  robins, 
loons  and  eagles.  The  water  in  the  lakes  is  of  crystal  purity. 
They  are  said  to  abound  in  fine  trout  and  W.  fish.  We,  however, 
have  caught  none.  We  passed  through  a  *lake  about  7  miles  in 
length,  which  empties  itself  into  Slave  L.  by  a  very  rapid  river 
(unnavigable) .  A  little  to  the  N.E.  of  the  mountain  at  the  head 
of  this  lake  we  found  banks  of  snow  still  10  feet  thick.  A  little 
before  encamping  we  passed  through  a  large  body  of  water  broad 

*See  note  on  page  35  for  route  July  2-8. 

23 


and  10  miles  in  length.  Another  lake  empties  itself  into  it  by 
a  fine  fall  of  about  50  feet  in  height.  It  pours-  through  a  door- 
like  cut  in  the  rocks.  We  encamped  a  little  beyond  this  at  7% 
p.m.  Set  the  nets.  Weather  is  very  warm  and  mosquitoes  and 
sand  flies  dreadful.  A  slight  breeze  to-day  gave  us  some  relief. 

1  shall  for  the  sake  of  reference  name  all  the  lakes  we  run  through, 
but  not  those  I  see  from  high  mountains.     They  are  innumerable, 
of  all  sizes,  and  at  every  elevation.     Saw  some  old  Indian  encamp- 
ments, last  year's,  of  11  lodges.     Latitude  of  the  portage  where 
snow  was  seen  by  meridian  observation  of  Mr.  Stewart  64  degrees, 
4   minutes,   52    seconds.      The   general   direction   of   our    route   is 
(compass)  a  little  to  the  W.  of  N.     (Spent  up  to  this  date  3  bags 
of  pem.,  2  bags  flour.     Opened  one  of  each  at  mid-day  to-day.) 

Thurs.  5th. — Began  to  load  at  3  a.m.  We  are  very  unlucky. 
The  nets  set  last  night  produced  nothing.  We  made  6  portages, 

2  of  them  half  a  mile  each  in  length,  the  others  short,  and  about 
47  miles  through  lakes,  2  of  these  were  12  and  13  miles  in  length, 
2  of  5  and  7,  the  2  others  very  small.    We  are  now  encamped  about 
half  way  in  a  large  lake  full  of  islands.    We  saw  divers  and  gulls 
in  it,  as  well  as  white  partridges  in  their  brown  garb,  and  traces 
of  marmots  are   also   seen   at  our   present   encampment.     A   fine 
salmon  trout  and  a  pike  were  taken,  the  one  with  a  line  the  other 
shot.    The  appearance  of  the  country  is  less  savage,  the  mountains 
(granite)  now  rise  gradually,  and  rarely  exceed  from  100  to  200 
feet  in  height.    Their  rounded  summits  are  covered  with  moss  and 
debris  of  rock.    The  same  process  of  disintegration  is  going  on  with 
the  next  layer.     Some  gravel  islands  and   sand  hills  were   seen. 
Wood  is  getting  rare,  indeed,  we  cooked  breakfast  with  a  kind  of 
heath  to-day;   it  burns  well.     The  weather  is   excessively  warm, 
but  an  aft  wind  tempered  the  heat,  and  helped  us  on  our  way. 
It  also  kept  down  the  mosquitoes  and  sand  flies  a  little.     In  the 
evening,  however,   they  were  in   clouds.     Set  the  net  again,  en- 
camped at  9Vz  p.m.    Men  rather  tired.    The  canoes  are  very  heavy, 
particularly  mine.    It  takes  6  men  to  carry  her.     Our  route  to-day 
was  crooked,  but  the  general  direction  is  N.N.W.  compass. 

Fri.  6th. — Began  to  load  at  5V2  a.m.,  having  given  the  men 
a  little  extra  sleep.  The  Indian  took  us  into  a  bay  yesterday 
evening  and  we  lost  a  quarter  of  an  hcur  in  getting  to  the  proper 
road.  The  remainder  of  the  lake  was  free  from  islands,  in  some 
parts  we  had  a  clear  horizon,  it  is  a  splendid  body  of  water. 
Some  rocks  were  still  covered  with  ice,  and  patches  of  snow  were 
seen  throughout  the  day.  It  is  evident  that  the  ice  has  only  lately 
broken  up.  This  lake  is  23  miles  in  length  and  perhaps  8  or  10 
in  breath  in  most  parts.  The  water  from  the  lake  runs  towards 
Lake  Aylmer.  We  ran  the  canoes  down  two  short  pieces  of  river, 
but  the  pieces  were  carried  as  they  were  both  shallow,  this  brought 
us  to  the  largest  lake  we  have  yet  met  with,  we  encamped  in  it 
after  making  about  30  miles.  The  mountains  are  now  gently 
sloping  hills,  some  sand  hills  were  seen  in  both  lakes.  Wood  is  very 
rare.  A  patch  of  moderate  sized  spruce  was,  however,  seen  in  the 
lake,  but  with  this  exception,  it  is  about  2  or  3  -feet  in  height. 
The  trunks  are  shaped  like  carrots.  At  this  encampment  the  trees 
are  like  walking  sticks  (the  largest)  and  about  l1/^  feet  in  height. 
We  shall  leave  even  this  to-morrow.  A  marmot  was  seen  and  6 

24 


white  grouse,  with  2  Canada  geese  (moulting)  killed.  We  were 
alarmed  a  little  before  encamping  by  seeing  our  road  apparently 
barred  by  ice,  but  fortunately  we  found  a  passage  round  it,  it 
was  a  broad  belt  traversing  the  lake.  One  of  our  best  men  is 
sick.  He  has  injured  his  testicle  in  some  of  the  portages.  Wea- 
ther extremely  warm.  Flies  as  usual.  Encamped  at  8H.  p.m. 

Sat.  7th. — Left  at  the  usual  hour.  Made  3  portages.  vThey 
together  measured  S1^  miles  of  bad  road  and  17  miles  of  lake 
way.  This  brought  us  to  a  small  lake  communicating  with  the 
river  falling  into  L.  Aylmer.  Encamped  at  8  p.m.  Men  tared. 
At  the  last  portage  but  one  we  saw  a  clump  of  small  spruce,  about 
16  inches  in  height.  A  few  grouse  were  shot.  Nets  set.  These 
lakes  abound  in  fine  salmon  trout. 

Sun.  8th. — Left  our  encampment  at  S1/^  a.m.  The  canoes  are 
well  arranged.  Took  up  the  nets,  which  yielded  only  2  trout.  Got 
info  the  river  at  6  a.m.  and  reached  the  mouth  at  7%  a.m.  Ran 
6  good  rapids.  Except  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  we  found  L. 
Aylmer  fast,  along  shore  however,  and  the  bays  afforded  a  pas- 
sage. After  paddling  about  30  miles  we  found  our  passage  barred. 
Broke  a  piece  along  shore,  but  at  last  the  ice  began  to  drive  on 
shore  and  we  were  compelled  to  encamp.  The  whole  of  the  lake 
to  the  Nd.  and  Eastward  is  full  of  unbroken  ice.  All  hands  were 
on  it,  chopping  away,  though  the  weather  is  very  warm.  In  a 
shallow  bay  in  this  lake  we  surprised  a  whole  shoal  of  splendid 
salmon  trout,  3  or  4  were  captured  by  the  men  with  their  hands. 
The  Cariboo  tracks  appeared  to  be  fresher  than  those  hitherto 
seen.  The  rocks  in  this  part  of  the  lake  are  chiefly  sandstone  fit 
for  the  finest  grindstones  and  some  granite. 

LAKE  AYLMER. 

Mon.  9th. — This  day  has  been  employed  battling  against  ice. 
By  making  portages  (3  of  about  2%  miles  in  total  length)  chop- 
ping and  pushing  ice  aside,  we  rounded  a  deep  bay  and  reached  a 
point  about  3  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  our  encampment  of  last 
night.  We  were  again  stopped  by  ice  and  a  similar  day's  work 
is  before  us.  Wind  as  usual  N.  and  cold.  It  froze  hard  last  night 
and  began  to  freeze  at  91/6  p.m.  when  we  encamped.  One  of  our 
canoes  narrowly  escaped  destruction  by  being  nipped  between  2 
fields  of  ice.  They  actually  met,  but  by  shoving  poles  under  her 
the  ice  went  under  her  bottom.  All  the  canoes  slightly  damaged, 
notwithstanding  all  our  care.  A  Canada  goose  shot  to-day.  One 
of  the  Indians  injured  his  foot  by  letting  a  bag  of  pern,  tumble 
on  it !  Our  sick  man  still  unable  to  work.  Therm.  39  degrees  air, 
34  degrees  water. 

Tues.  10th. — Wind  N.N.E.  and  piercing  cold.  The  ice  all 
frozen  in  a  solid  mass,  and  to  give  it  time  to  soften  we  left  only 
at  10  a.m.  The  whole  day  was  spent  in  breaking  through  ice  and 
making  portages,  of  the  latter  4  were  made,  say  1%  miles.  We 
are  obliged  to  round  all  the  bays,  some  of  them  are  very  deep. 
I  really  think  that  we  have  not  made  10  miles  of  direct  distance. 
We  are  now  in  a  bay,  the  N.  and  N.E.  portion  of  .which  is  formed 
of  sand  hills,  and  is,  I  trust,  the  Sandhill  Bay  of  Back.  We  have 
still  much  ice  to  break  through  before  reaching  the  bottom.  The 

25 


men,  notwithstanding  their  working  among  ice  and  water,  are  in 
famous  spirits,  and  many  a  joke  and  laugh  is  raised  at  the  ex- 
pense of  those  who  run  a  risk  of  breaking  through  weak  portions 
of  the  ice.  In  general  it  is  about  2%  feet  to  3  feet  thick  and 
sound,  except  close  along  shore.  Encamped  at  WV2  p.m.  Unable 
to  set  the  nets. 

Wed.  llth. — Wind  moderate  and  variable.  Cloudy  with  occa- 
sional showers.  Left  our  encampment  at  11  a.m.,  having  waited 
to  allow  the  ice  to  soften  a  little.  Just  before  starting  a  crack 
appeared  at  the  next  point  across  to  the  other  shore:  along  the 
side  we  were  on  was  choked  by  ice,  and  though  the  risk  was  great, 
I  was  determined  on  attempting  it.  Fortunately  the  wind  was 
very  light  and  after  a  sharp  paddle  we  got  safe  through.  We 
then  had  4  hours  of  uninterrupted  paddling,  when  ice  again  barred 
the  road,  another  crack  appeared  in  the  ice  which  we  immediately 
entered  and  re-crossed  to  the  opposite  side.  We  were  as  nearly 
crushed  as  possible;  2  canoes  only  succeeded  in  crossing,  the  third 
had  to  retreat  and  take  a  passage  across  higher  up.  We  then, 
with  the  exception  of  a  decharge,  reached  the  bottom  of  what  we 
considered  Sandhill  Bay  of  Back.  All  our  Indian  guides  were 
ignorant  of  this  particular  portion,  having  come  either  from  the 
river  falling  into  this  lake,  or  from  Clinton  Golden  Lake  overland. 
On  mounting  a  high  sand  hill  we  immediately  recognized  Sussex 
Lake  from  Sir  G.  Back's  admirable  drawing.  The  river  running 
from  it  is  nearly  dry,  and  we  are  now  cutting  across  to  an  elbow 
of  the  river  by  a  chain  of  3  ponds  and  4  portages.  The  first  one 
is  made.  Rocks  granite,  with  occasional  sand  hills.  Some  of 
the  rocks  nearly  white,  with  plates  of  talc.  In  some  of  the  bays 
yesterday  sandstone  appeared.  I  never  saw  regions  so  destitute 
of  animal  life.  Since  leaving  Slave  Lake  we  have  seen  a  white 
wolf  and  a  marmot,  some  divers,  perhaps  20  Canada  geese,  as 
many  gulls,  a  few  plover,  some  bands  of  grouse  and  a  few  small 
birds.  One  Indian  has  lamed  himself  and  our  sick  man  is  still 
hors  de  combat.  Fortunately,  notwithstanding  the  dreadfully 
severe  labour  they  have  undergone  the  others  are  well  and  full  of 
spirits. 

GREAT  FISH  RIVER. 
Thlewycho  River. 

Thurs.  July  12th. — The  day  commenced  by  making  3  portages 
and  traversing  3  small  tarns,  which  brought  us  to  the  river, 
wnich  is  at  present  nearly  dry.  The  distance  from  the  Lake 
(Aylmer)  is  about  2  miles  of  portage,  and  1  of  lake.  We  then 
crossed  it  and  (made  another  portage  of  1  mile  to  a  small  lake, 
after  crossing  which  we  made  2  more  portages — the  river  being 
still  almost  dry — of  one  quarter  and  one  mile.  We  then  encamped 
at  9  p.m.  Men  very  tired  and  several  lame.  Mr.  Stewart  and  I 
went  on  ahead  to  view  our  road  and  determine  on  the  best  places 
for  portages,  two  are  before  us,  1  short  and  the  other  long. 
Saw  2  white  wolves  and  had  a  long  shot  at  one  of  them.  A  grey 
wavy  was  killed  to-day.  Our  Indians  are  still  ignorant  of  the  route. 
We  are  guiding  ourselves  by  Back's  Journal.  His  description  of 
the  route  is  so  minute  and  correct  that  it  is  needless  for  me  to  say 

26 


anything.     The  wind  was  strong  from  the  N.W.  and  very  cold. 
No  mosquitoes  to-night:  they  were  in  clouds  this  morning. 

Fri.  13th. — The  men  were  so  fatigued  that  I  gave  them  an 
extra  hour's  sleep.  We  made  2  portages,  one  of  quarter  the  other 
lx/4  miles  over  the  angular  debris  of  rocks.  Four  men  were  so 
lame  as  to  be  unable  to  carry.  We  then  proceeded  across  the 
little  lake  and  Muskox  Lake.  Back's  descriptions  are  excellent. 
I  think  he  under-estimated  the  distance  between  the  portage  and 
Muskox  Lake.  Ice  in  river  was  fast.  The  Island  particularized 
by  Back  in  the  small  lake  is  no  longer  conical,  the  middle  is  sunk, 
and  the  N.W.  and  ,S.E.  ends  raised  like  a  saddle.  The  white  rocks 
(are  of  Gneiss?)  very  little  decomposed,  the  middle  is  in  a  com- 
plete state  of  disintegration.  The  rock  first  splits  into  squares  by  ice 
then  the  angles  are  decomposed  by  the  atmosphere,  and  they 
assume  the  appearance  of  boulders;  and  eventually  are  entirely 
decomposed,  forming  round  spots  of  gravelly  earth  a  little  higher 
than  the  moss  which  surrounds.  The  rocks  may  be  seen  every- 
where in  these  regions  in  all  stages  of  decomposition.  At  the 
head  of  Muskox  rapid  we  found  a  few  Copper  Indians.  We  pur- 
chased some  meat  from  them  and  encamped  a  considerable  distance 
down  the  Rapids.  The  entire  ladings  were  run,  except  at  one 
place, 'where  a  decharge  was  made.  From  this  encampment  a 
sick  man  and  four  Indians  will  return:  the  former  and  one  of 
the  Indians  proceed  to  join  Mr.  Lockhart:  the  others  will  join- 
their  relatives  at  Clinton  Colden  Straits.  The  Expedition  will 
now  consist  of  14  men,  Mr.  Stewart  and  myself.  This  will  leave 
only  4  men  for  ore  canoe,  and  5  for  the  2  others,  3  of  whom  are 
lame.  These  crews  are  quite  insufficient.  I  shall  threefore  leave 
one  of  the  canoes  either  to-morrow  or  the  day  after.  The  weather 
was  cloudy  with  slight  showers  of  rain.  We  found  enough  of  dry 
willows  to  cook  with.  In  Lake  Aylmer  we  had  nothing  but  heath. 
Saw  a  grouse  to-day  with  its  brood.  It  attacked  me  bravely.  A 
wolf  was  also  seen  as  well  as  a  crow,  and  a  few  teal,  which  had 
long  been  stranger^  to  us.  On  arriving  opposite  the  Indian 
Lodges  we  found  the  carcasses  of  at  least  20  deer  rotting  along 
the  beach.  It  shows  the  improvidence  of  these"  people. 

Note. — Expedition :  James  Anderson,  Commanding.  J.  Green  Stewart,  second 
Commanding.  Baptiste  Accusation,  Joseph  Avarise,  Ignace  Montour,  Iroquois 
Bows.  Thomas  Mustegan,  Paulet  Papanakies,  Muskekegon,  Steers.  John  Fidler, 
Half-breed  Steer.  Henry  Fidler,  Edward  Kipling,  Donald  MacLeod,  Geo.  Daniel, 
Half-breed  Midshipmen.  Jeremiah  Johnson,  Muskekegon  Midshipman :  Joseph 
Boucher,  Canadian  Midshipman ;  Murdock  McLennan,  Highland  Midshipman  ;  W. 
Reid,  Orkney  Midshipman. 

Sat.  14th. — Blowing  a  N.E.  Gale,  accompanied  by  rain  and 
fog,  which  prevented  us  from  leaving  the  encampment  until  10% 
a.m.  We  were  obliged  to  carry  most  of  the  ladings  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  Rapids,  say  half  way  (2  miles),  but  the  canoes 
and  agrets  were  run  with  difficulty  and  rather  damaged,  particu- 
larly one  of  the  Resolution  ones,  the  bark  of  which  is  most  wretch- 
ed. Sent  back  the  man  I  mentioned  with  the  4  Indians.  The 
ladings  were  carried  at  the  Rapid  where  Back  nearly  lost  his  boat, 
but  the  canoes  were  merely  lifted  over  a  ledge  of  rock  and  were 
run  safely  with  all  the  agrets.  We  encamped  close  to  the  spot — 
a  little  below  it — where  Capt.  Back  repaired  his  boat,  and  which 

27 


he  left  on  the  8th  at  10  a.m.  Two  of  our  present  weak  crews 
are  so  lame  that  they  cannot  carry.  Encamped  at  S1/^  p.m.  Two 
nets  were  set,  as  fish  appeared  to  be  running.  Two  musk  oxen 
were  seen  at  the  Rapid  6f  that  name. 

Sun,  15th. — Left  at  4  a.m.  The  nets  produced  nothing,  though 
the  fish  were  visibly  numerous.  This  is  attributed  to  the  extreme 
clearness  of  the  water.  Ran  10  Rapids  with  full  ladings,  except 
at  2  rapids  where  Mr.  Stewart  and  myself,  b  men  per  canoe 
and  6  pieces,  were  put  ashore.  Encamped  at  O1^  p.m.  at  the  foot 
of  Malley's  Rapids,  seme  distance  below  Capt.  Back's  encampment 
of  July  1.  I  don't  find  the  rapids  nearly  as  bad  as  I  was  led  to 
expect  by  Capt.  Back's  narrative,  and  the  water  is  certainly  lower 
than  it  was  when  he  passed,  which  renders  them  in  this  part  of 
the  river  worse.  Saw  some  Canada  geese,  a  cache  of  one  bag  of 
pemmican  was  made  exactly  where  Back  made  his  first  cache. 
Wind  still  N.W.  squally,  with  showers  of  rain.  A  little  before 
encamping  saw  a  reindeer,  but  could  not  put  ashore  as  we  were 
just  entering  the  rapids.  When  making  this  portage  a  big  musk 
bull  was  discovered  and  I  had  the  luck  to  knock  him  over.  The 
men  are  now  cutting  him  up.  Query  the  quality  of  the  meat.  We 
shall  sup  on  a  goose  shot  by  Mr.  Stewart.  The  worst  canoe  was 
left  at  the  cache.  We  are  now  rather  deep,  but  get  on  well  with 
7  men  per  canoe.  Some  frozen  snow  was  encumbering  the  shore 
of  a  rapids.  5  deer  are  now  running  about  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river.  One  is  a  fawn.  Slate,  rocks  on  the  beach  at  our  en- 
campment and  2  or  3  small  alders,  which  we  have  not  seen  for 
some  time. 

Mon.  16th. — Our  canoes  required  so  much  repairing  that  we 
could  not  leave  until  10%  a.m.  All  the  rapids  mentioned  by 
Back  were  run  without  difficulty.  The  water  must  have  been 
higher  and  the  rapids  stronger  when  he  passed.  Saw  4  deer  and 
Fidler  shot  one.  Saw  2  bands  of  Musk  oxen,  one  of  5,  the  other 
of  20  animals,  besides  5  or  6  solitary  bulls,  but  only  one  shot  was 
fired  at  them.  11  grey  wavys  were  also  run  down.  Back's  de- 
scription of  the  country  is  in  general  very  correct,  but  I  did  not 
perceive  several  branches  of  the  river  before  arriving  at  L. 
Beechy,  at  the  entrance  or  head  of  which  we  encamped  at  9  p.m. 
Wind  dead  ahead  and  strong  all  day.  Weather  cloudy  and  chilly. 
The  rocks  at  our  encampment  composed  of  slate. 

Tues.  17th. — Left  our  encampment  at  2%  a.m.  and  passed 
Lake  Beechy  with  a  fine  breeze  aft.  A  complete  portage  was 
made  at  the  Cascades.  All  the  rapids  below  it  were  safely  run, 
with  full  cargoes,  with  the  exception  of  one,  where  the  canoes 
were  lightened  of  a  few  pieces  and  3  men  each.  The  current 
carried  us  on  very  swiftly,  and  we  encamped  at  91!  p.m.  at  the 
"Sand  Cliffs",  passed  by  Back  on  the  afternoon  of  the  16th  inst. 
His  description  of  the  scenery  is  most  correct.  It  is  beautiful 
indeed.  The  mosses  which  are  in  full  flower  and  in  patches  on  the 
cliffs  with  their  green  leaves  and  purple  flowers  on  the  cream 
coloured  sand  look  most  beautiful.  Back  saw  immense  numbers 
of  reindeer  and  musk  oxen  in  this  part  of  the  river.  We  saw 
but  10  of  the  former  and  about  40  of  the  latter,  28  of  these  were 
in  one  drove.  They  were  all  sizes,  the  calves  looked  like  black 
pigs.  Killed  4  Canada  geese  and  18  grey  wavies,  which  are  now 

28 


moulting.  They  gave  all  hands  a  severe  run  to  catch  them.  Saw 
a  doe  and  her  fawn  cross  a  narrow  part  of  L.  Beechy.  2  wolves 
were  waiting  for  them.  The  poor  creatures  were  in  a  sad  dilemma, 
afraid  to  return  on  account  of  us  and  to  land  for  the  wolves. 
We  shouted  and  drove  the  wolves  off,  and  I  trust  the  poor  animals 
escaped  their  fangs.  Observed  a  great  change  in  the  temperature: 
since  leaving  Lake  Beechy  it  is  much  warmer.  Capt.  Back  ob- 
served the  same  thing,  and  accounted  for  it  by  the  distance  from 
Bathurst  Inlet  being  increased.  Made  a  cache  of  a  bale  of  dried 
meat  at  our  encampment  of  last  night  and  of  1  bag  of  pemmican 
at  the  head  of  the  cascades  of  Beechy  Lake. 

Wed.  18th. — Left  our  encampment  at  4%  a.m.  The  canoes 
were  lightened  at  the  2nd  cascade  and  portages  made  at  the 
first  cascade  and  the  "dalles"  previous  to  arriving  at  Baillie's 
River.  That  stream  is  now  only  a  few  yards  in  width,  though 
when  the  water  is  high  it  is  evidently  an  imposing  stream.  En- 
camped at  9  p.m.  about  half  way  between  Baillie's  and  Warren 
River.  24  Canada  geese  were  killed.  They  are  all  males.  No 
young  ones  to  be  seen.  A  few  musk  oxen  and  deer  were  seen. 
The  weather  was  clear  and  warm.  I  searched  minutely  for  the 
Esquimaux  marks  mentioned  by  Back,  but  saw  none,  either  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  or  on  the  Gneiss  mountains  mentioned  by 
Back.  Along  the  bank  of  the  river  small  stones  were  often  found, 
placed  one  on  the  top  of  the  other.  But  this  is  evidently  done  by 
the  washing  away  of  the  sand  from  the  stones.  2  of  Doctor  Rae's 
men  say  that  they  do  not  resemble  Esquimaux  marks.  I  saw 
nothing  of  the  old  encampments.  3  kinds  of  gulls  were  seen  at 
First  Cascade. 

Thurs.  19th. — Raining  and  blowing  a  gale,  which  prevented 
us  from  leaving  until  6%  a.m.  About  1  p.m.  it  began  to  rain 
and  did  not  cease  until  we  encamped  at  QVz  p.m.  at  the  head  of  the 
Hawk  Rapids..  Just  before  we  encamped  it  rained  so  heavily  and 
blew  so  hard  that  the  bowsmen  could  not  distinguish  the  lead. 
Saw  no  musk  oxen  to-day,  but  perhaps  a  hundred  deer.  We  did 
not  go  after  them  as  we  have  plenty  of  fresh  provisions,  having 
killed  31  large  -male  Canada  geese  at  one  run  of  10  or  15  minutes. 
Hundreds  of  these  birds  were  seen.  The  so-called  Esquimaux 
marks  are  seen  on  the  edge  of  every  sandy  or  gravelly  hill,  but 
nowhere  else.  They  point  or  run  in  every  direction  according  as 
'  the  river  runs.  Flue  Lupins  are  found  here  in  great  profusion 
and  several  other  flowers,  among  others  the  dandelion.  Warren 
and  Gervais'  Rivers  were  dry. 

Fri.  20th. — The  night  turned  out  fine  but  cold,  and  the  morning 
was  a  lovely  one.  The  rapids  were  run  safely.  At  this  stage  of 
the  water,  though  strong  they  are  not  dangerous.  Just  before 
reaching  Mc'Kinlay  R.  we  saw  fresh  Esquimaux  caches  of  deer 
along  the  water's  edge  and  crows  were  seen,  shortly  alter  their 
tents  were  seen,  6  men,  one  of  them  blind,  came  down.  From  signs 
'  they  made  they  came  down  McKinlay  R.  and  most,  probably  belong- 
ed to  the  Chesterfield  Inlet  tribe.  Their  (boots  were  made  of  bear- 
skins and  muskox  soles,  and  their  canoes  of  deer  parchment. 
Paddles  of  spruce,  spear-heads  of  iron.  One  of  their  women  had 
bracelets  of  round  coin  beads  and  the  oldest  man  brought  down 
some  wolf  and  white  fox  skins  to  trade,  which  we  could  not  take 


at  present.  I  gave  them  all  presents  of  files,  knives,  needles,  etc., 
and  the  women  a  mirror  and  small  scissors,  gartering  and  needles. 
After  leaving  them  we  came  on  two -other  lodges  and  3  men  came 
to  visit  us,  and  further  on  2  more,  which  we  did  not  visit  as  it 
was  blowing  too  fresh.  The  men  were  short  and  stout,  the  women 
not  bad  looking,  with  clean  faces,  tatooed  the  same  as  the  female 
in  >Capt.  Back's  book.  I  regretted  much  not  having  an  interpreter 
with  us  so  as  to  learn  the  route  they  take  from  Chesterfield  Inlet 
(assuming  that  they  come  from  there).  Two  of  Dr.  Rae's  men 
with  me  understand  and  speak  a  few  words.  Shortly  after  leav- 
ing the  Esquimaux  lodges  a  gale  came  on,  which  shortly  after 
increased  to  a  storm,  which  nearly  swamped  us.  This  was  ac- 
companied by  showers  of  hail  and  clouds  of  sand,  which  nearly 
blinded  us.  At  last  I  gave  up  the  contest  and  encamped  near 
Button's  River  at  6  p.m.  It  was  piercingly  cold.  Capots,  cloaks 
and  blankets  in  general  demand.  Both  yesterday  and  to-day  we 
were  much  incommoded  by  sand  banks.  The  Esquimaux  also 
made  us  lose  some  time.  They  had  evidently  not  heard  of  Frank- 
lin's party,  as  we  made  them  understand  that  white  men  who  had 
come  in  ships  had  died  from  starvation  at  the  mouth  of  the  River. 
About  50  or  60  deer  were  seen  to-day,  but  neither  musk  oxen  or 
geese.  At  the  Esquimoux  encampments  many  deer  were  lying 
at  the  water's  edge  till  they  get  high  enough  for  their  taste.  They 
were  all  does.  Several  fawns  were  lying  close  to  the  encampments 
apparently  unalarmed.  Several  deer  were  also  seen. 

Sat.  21st. — Detained  all  day  by  wind  and  rain. 

Sun.  22nd. — The  gale  of  yesterday  abated  a  little  this  morn- 
ing, but  the  weather  was  still  miserable  when  we  left  our  encamp- 
ment at  2%  a.m.  When  we  reached  Felly's  Lake  we  hoisted  sail 
and  carried  it  most  part  of  the  day.  Encamped  at  the  second 
Narrows  in  Lake  Garry  (Back's  encampment  of  20th)  at  9  p.m. 
Saw  2  lodges  of  Esquimaux  at  the  rapid  between  L.  Pelly  and 
Garry,  but  the  inhabitants  ran  away  on  perceiving  us.  They  evi- 
dently have  intercourse  with  the  Churchill  Esquimaux  as  there 
were  2  tea  kettles  in  their  lodges,  as  well  as  our  dogs.  I  put  a 
few  articles  in  each  tent  and  left,  a  number  of  young  fawns 
were  running  about  the  lodges,  I  suppose  that  their  dams  have 
been  killed.  Two  bags  of  pemmican  were  cached  at  our  encamp- 
ment of  last  night.  Very  few  deer  seen.  30  geese  were  killed. 

Mon.  23rd. — Left  at  4%  a.m.  Lost  most  part  of  the  day  in 
finding  our  road.  We  were  also  retarded  bv  cutting  through  ice 
3  feet  thick.  Encamped  at  the  3rd  straits  of  L.  Garry  at  10  p.m. 
(Back's  encampment  of  21st).  Either  we  are  very  stupid  or  the 
map  in  Back's  work  is  very  incorrect.  The  day  has  been  thee 
warmest  we  have  had  for  some  time.  I  shot  a  deer  to-day — a 
doe, — I  am  ashamed  to  say,  but  we  had  no  fresh  provisions  and 
the  pemmican  must  be  saved.  The  fawn  was  half  grown  and 
was,  of  course,  allowed  to  live.  In  a  bay  surrounded  by  sand  hills 
to  the  N.  of  the  sand  hill  at  the  end  of  the  2nd  strait  Esquimaux 
encampments  and  signs  of  the  spring  seen.  From  a  height  a  chain 
of  lakes  leading  to  the  N.E.  were  seen,  by  which  road  I  think  the 
Esquimaux  come  from  Lake  McDougall. 

Tues.  24th.— (Encamped  8.30  p.m.)— It  was  midnight  before 
the  men  laid  down  last  night.  I  therefore  allowed  them  to  sleep 

30 


till  S1/^  a.m.  We  rounded  all  the  bays  in  consequence  of  ice.  We 
were  also  much  retarded  by  cutting  our  way  through  the  ice  at 
three  points.  It  was  from  2  to  3  feet  thick.  It  is  a  curious  sight 
to  see  men  working  on  the  ice  at  this  date.  We  at  last  reached 
the  rapid  at  the  end  of  L.  Garry,  to  which  we  joyfully  bid  adieu. 
It  falls  by  three  rapids  into  the  river  leading  to  Lake  McDougall. 
This  rapid  was  easily  run.  At  its  foot  a  cache  of  pemmican  (one 
bag)  was  made.  The  rapids  below  this,  five  in  number  are  all 
strong  and  dangerous,  with  the  exception  of  the  last  one.  A  little 
below  we  camped  at  S1/*  p.m.  Two  decharges  were  made  at  most 
of  these  rapids.  There  are  several  channels.  Capt.  Back's  map, 
(the  one  affixed  to  his  narrative)  is  on  so  small  a  scale  as  to  be 
utterly  useless  in  these  large  bodies  of  water.  17  geese  were  kill- 
ed; no  animals  were  seen,  with  the  exception  of  a  young  fox.  This 
has  been  the  finest  day  since  we  left  Slave  L.,  clear  and  very 
warm.  The  refraction  was  very  great.  Esquimaux  du^ks  seen. 

Wed.  25th. — Left  at  4  a.m.  In  about  3  hours  paddling  we 
reached  an  easy  rapid.  This  led  into  an  extensive  sheet  of  water 
where  the  current  became  imperceptible.  It  ran  on  either  hand 
n.  and  s.  in  deep  bays.  Land  was  seen  in  every  quarter,  (Back 
said  no  land  to  be  seen  to  the  n.)  though  distant.  From  this  we 
struck  due  south  to  the  end  of  Lake  McDougall  about  10  miles 
from  the  rapid.  The  map  is  perfectly  useless.  We  ran  part  of 
the  Pick  rapids  (3)  but  a  decharge  was  made  at  the  last  one 
after  which  we  ran  3  rapids  and  carried  over  2  cascades  and  falls. 
We  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  latter  (Sinclairs  Falls) .  All  these 
rapids  are  strong  and  hazardous.  Our  Iroquois  have  had  fine 
opportunities  both  yesterday  and  to-day  of  exhibiting  their  match- 
less skill.  Saw  6  or  7  deer,  and  killed  13  male  Canada  geese. 
Esquimaux  marks  were  very  numerous  above  the  head  of  Rock 
rapids  and  below  them  to  this  spot,  made  a  cache  of  1  bag  pem- 
mican at  the  Cascades  above  this  place. 

Thurs.  26th. — Left  at  the  usual  hour.  It  rained  last  night 
slightly.  Made  >a  decharge  at  the  Escape  rapid  and  at  2  of  the 
Sandhill  rapids,  but  ran  the  others  with  whole  ladings.  All  of 
these  rapids  are  strong  and  long.  Two  barren  does  were  shot  to- 
day in  the  water,  one  by  Mr.  Stewart,  the  other  by  E.  Rippling. 
Two  or  three  others  were  seen,  and  immense  numbers  of  Canada 
geese.  64  of  these  were  killed  in  two  runs  ashore;  an  ermine  and 
beaver  mouse  were  also  killed  at  Escape  rapid  and  here  we  en- 
camped above  Wolfe  rapids.  A  cache  of  1  bag  flour,  1  bag  pem- 
mican and  a  case  of  tea,  &c.,  at  the  head  of  Escape  rapid.  Some 
old  Esquimaux  marks  and  encampments  seen  at  Escape  rapid. 

Fri.,  27th. — One-third  this  day  nearly  was  lost  by  our  mistak- 
ing a  channel  of  the  river  which  led  us  into  a  deep  bay  at  the  bot- 
tom of  which  was  a  small  river.  It  appears  to  be  frequented  by 
the  Esquimaux.  The  above  occurred  at  Mt.  Meadowbank.  It  was 
blowing  a  tempest  with  rain  which  prevented  the  steersman  from 
observing  the  current  in  this  lake-like  expansion  of  the  river.  The 
Wolf  and  9  other  rapids  were  run  with  whole  cargoes.  They  were 
all  strong,  some  with  whirlpools  which  must  be  dangerous  in  high 
water.  Two  large  bands  of  musk-oxen  were  seen  just  before  en- 
camping; 2  or  3  deer;  3  wolves;  many  Canada  geese  and  a  hawk. 
We  encamped  late  about  3  miles  below  the  rapid  with  whirlpool, 

31 


and  Esquimaux  marks.  A  cache  of  1  bag  pem'n,  and  2  nets  was 
made  at  a  bold  point  at  the  bend  of  the  river  about  Mt.  Meadow- 
bank. 

Sat.,  28th. — Left  at  the  usual  hour.  The  day  was  fine,  which 
gave  us  an  opportunity  of  drying  our  clothes  while  breakfasting, 
only  to  be  wetted  again  by  the  spray  arising  from  a  strong  head 
wind  which  retarded  us  very  much.  4  rapids  were  run,  3  of  them 
very  strong.  The  eddies  or  whirlpools  strain  the  canoes  very 
much;  we  cannot  keep  them  tight;  they  are  evidently  getting 
shaky.  2  plovers  and  immense  numbers  of  Canada  geese  were 
seen;  20  were  killed;  2  deer  were  also  seen  close  (does),  one  of 
them  had  a  fawn  with  a  leg  broken,  but  the  little  creature  man- 
aged to  ascend  a  steep  and  rugged  mountain  pretty  swiftly  on  3 
legs.  Some  good  sized  willows  were  gathered.  Extensive  patches 
of  snow  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river.  We  encamped  late  a  little 
above  Montressor  River.  (Note:  I  was  nearly  upset  fey  the 
canoe  grazing  a  stone.  It  was  only  a  shave,  the  gum  only  was 
rubbed  off.) 

Sun.,  29th. — Left  early.  Ran  a  bad  rapid  above  Montressor 
R.,  in  which  Mr.  Stewart's  canoe  was  completely  ungummed.  We 
were  consequently  obliged  to  put  on  shore  at  6  o'clock  to  gum, 
when  we  breakfasted  likewise,  and  made  a  cache  of  1  bag  peim'n. 
and  1  bag  flour.  The  rapid  at  McKay's  Peak  was  little  more 
than  a  strong  current.  In  the  rapid  below  it  my  canoe  was  nearly 
broken  though  it  was  an  easy  one.  We  had  to  contend  against  a 
strong  wind  all  day.  In  the  evening  this  was  accompanied  by  a 
soaking  Scotch  mist.  This  compelled  me  to  encamp  in  case  I 
should  miss  -my  road  at  7  p.m.  near  the  outlet  of  Franklin  Lake. 
Esquimaux  marks  numerous  and  traces  fresh.  Saw  Esquimaux 
ducks.  No  animals  were  seen,  but  abundance  of  Can.  geese,  of 
which  53  were  killed  at  one  run.  'They  are  beginning  to  fly. 
Montressor  River  has  a  rapid  at  its  mouth.  It  does  not  appear  a 
large  river  at  present.  2  small  black  headed  gulls  attacked  us 
at  the  encampment,  even  striking  at  our  hats. 

Mon.,  3t)th. — Left  early.  The  rapids  at  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Franklin  were  partly  passed  by  a  portage  and  partly  run.  At 
their  foot  we  saw  3  Esq.  lodges  in  which  were  an  elderly  man,  3 
women  and  a  host  of  children,  the  others  being  absent.  Large 
numbers  of  W.  fish  and  trout  were  hung  out  to  dry,  as  well  as  some 
deermeat.  The  lodges  were  made  of  musk-ox  skins  dressed  with 
hair  inwards.  These  people  made  us  understand  that  a  party  of 
white  men  had  starved  to  death  at  the  sea  after  their  vessels  were 
destroyed.  2  .of  Dr.  Rae's  party  understand  many  words  and 
phrases.  In  tneir  lodges  are  copper  and  tin  kettles,  both  round 
and  of  a  square  foran,  longer  than  broad,  evidently  belonging  to 
cooking  stoves.  Various  pieces  of  wood  poles  and  boards  of  ash, 
oak,  white  pine  and  mahogany  were  about  the  lodges,  also  a  brass 
letter  clip,  but  nothing  to  identify  any  person.  Some  of  the  boards 
were  painted  white.  Nothing  could  be  learnt  about  books  or  manu- 
scripts. The  absence  of  the  interpreter  is  a.  sad  blow  to  us.  We 
ran  the  last  Falls.  They  were  only  an  easy  rapid  at  this  stage  of 
the  water.  At  some  distance  below  them  we  saw  2  cyakes,  but  they 
turned  tail  immediately  on  seeing  us  and  joined  3  others  on  shore. 
2  finally  took  courage  (one  an  old,  the  other  a  young  man)  to 

32 


cross  to  us,  but  we  learnt  nothing  additional  from  thorn.  They 
confirmed  the  accounts  given  by  the  others  of  the  death  of  the 
crews  of  the  vessels,  etc.  The  weather  has  been  most  gloomy  and 
the  wind  ahead  with  occasional  showers.  About  5  it  commenced 
raining  in  earnest,  and.  increased  to  such  a  degree  that  I  gave  the 
order  to  encamp,  but  we  could  find  no  fit  place  till  71A  p.m.,  when 
we  disembarked,  thoroughly  soaked.  No  fires  could  be  made  so 
that  pemmican  and  cold  water  were  the  order  of  the  day.  Some 
spirits  should  be  provided  for  an  expedition  of  this  kind.  The 
men  really  require  it  on  such  occasions  as  this.  A  little  before 
encamping  saw  a  small  band  of  deer  in  a  bay,  Canada  geese  were 
also  running.  Encamped  among  the  islands,  about  half-way  be- 
tween the  Fall  and  Victoria  Mainland. 

Note:  On  an  island  below  the  falls  found  the  head  of  a  black- 
sanith's  tongs — the  handles  broken  off. 

Tues.,  31st. — The  rain  prevented  us  from  leaving  before  S1/^ 
a.m.  It  recommenced  just  after  embarking,  and  we  had  a  wretched 
time  of  it  till  we  reached  Victoria  headland.  To  breakfast  at  11 
a.m.  It  then  partially  cleared  up;  but  we  had  occasional  show- 
ers, with  fog,  till  we  encamped  at  8  p.m.  at  Point  Beaufort — Red 
granite  is  the  prevailing  rock  at  all  points  on  this  side  of  the  inlet. 
Victoria  headland  is  principally  composed  of  hills  of  rounded 
stones,  like  shingle,  though  I  believe  them  to  be  only  decomposed 
rocks.  Willows  were  found  at  the  waterfall  at  Victoria  headland; 
fuel  of  two  kinds  in  small  quantities,  and  most  of  the  flowers,  we 
saw  inland.  No  animals  were  seen  to-day,  nor  any  traces  of  any, 
except  a  wolf  and  two  seals,  the  latter  "below  Victoria  headland. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  deer  pass,  or  any  place  where  even 
Esquimaux  could  live.  We  have  seen  no  marks  this  afternoon  at 
this  encampment.  I  found  all  the  aigrets  of  an  Esquimaux,  most 
of  them  of  deer  horn,  and  a  few  iron;  one  had  holes  evidently 
drilled  by  a  tradesman.  There  was  also  a  piece  of  tin.  I  suspect 
they  belonged  to  a  dead  man.  They  must  have  been  here  some 
time,  as  they  were  in  a  state  of  decay.  Also  Esq.  ducks,  a  loon, 
and  large  gulls.  Noticed  the  tide  at  Victoria  headland. 

Wed.,  Aug.  1st. — Detained  by  wind  and  rain  till  21/6  p.m.  The 
wind  was  from  the  S.W.  and  has  doubtless  cleared  away  some  of 
the  ice.  We  took  the  traverse  to  Montreal  Island,  and  with  the 
aid  of  the  paddle  made  it  in  3  hours.  We  lost  some  time  among 
the  drift  ice,  driving  very  rapidly  with  wind  and  tide  from  Elli- 
ots' Bay.  We  had  some  narrow  escapes,  and  I  was  heartily  glad 
to  get  safe  through  it.  The  ice  is  6  or  7  feet  thick  and  perfectly 
sound.  We  encamped  on  the  north  side  of  a  rocky  island  divided 
by  a  channel  from  Montreal  Island.  The  whole  inlet  to  the  north 
and  eastward  is  blocked  with  ice.  To-morrow  morning  the  island 
shall  be  thoroughly  explored  for  vestiges  of  the  missing  party. 
Saw  2  or  3  seals,  some  gulls,  and  many  Esq.  ducks.  A  track  of  a 
deer  was  seen  on  this  island. 

Thurs.,  2nd. — The  men  breakfasted  early  and  left  to  explore 
the  island.  At  mid-day  we  heard  shots.  I  left  immediately  with 
Mr.  Stewart.  We  met  (Bouche  and  Reid,  who  showed  us  sundry 
articles  belonging  to  a  boat,  and  a  chip  of  wood  with  "Erebus" 
upon  it.  We  then  proceeded  to  the  point  where  these  were  found, 
and  examined  all  the  Esq.  caches,  most  of  which  contained  blubber 

33 


and  seal  oil,  but  one  of  them  contained  a  kettle  (tin),  and  others 
sundry  iron  works,  such  as  chain,  hooks,  blacksmith's  cold  chisel 
and  shovel,  and  a  bar  of  iron,  and  the  hoops  of  butts,  apparently; 
a  piece  of  cane,  parts  of  the  stands  of  instruments,  a  piece  of  a 
rod  of  a  gun,  pieces  of  rope,  with  the  government  mark  on,  and 
a  piece  of  wood  with  "Mr.  Stanley"  cut  on  it.  (Surgeon  of  the 
"Erebus.")  The  search  was  continued  till  late  in  the  evening,  but 
no  traces  of  the  graves  were  discovered.  A  band  of  10  deer  were 
on  the  island,  of  which  5  were  killed,  2  by  E.  Kippling,  1  D.  Mc- 
Leod,  1  J.  Johnson,  and  1  J.  Fidler — all  fat  bucks.  Our  best  hun- 
ter, Mustegan,  is  lame.  The  day  was  beautiful,  and  we  had  an 
opportunity  of  drying  everything.  The  whole  inlet  is  full  of  ice, 
except  to  the  eastward,  where  there  appears  to  be  some  water. 
Wind  light  and  from  the  N.E.  I  promised  a  reward  of  £2  to  him 
who  found  the  first  traces  of  the  missing  party.  This  was  divided 
by  W.  Reid  and  J.  Bouche. 

Fri.,  3rd.— Wind  moderate,  N.E.  and  N.W.,  cold,  but  a  fine  day. 
All  hands  searching  for  the  graves,  without  success.  A  few  trif- 
ling articles,  belonging  to  the  ships,  found.  Some  of  the  adjoining 
islands  were  also  examined.  Two  deer  were  killed,  fat  bucks,  as 
were  those  yesterday,  by  Mustegan  and  J.  Fidler.  The  inlet  is 
choked  with  ice,  except  along  the  E.  shore. 

Sat.,  4th. — Wind  moderate,  varying  between  N.W.  and  N.E., 
clear  fine  day.  As  the  whole  island  is  completely  explored  I  made 
an  attempt  to  get  over  to  the  Western  mainland,  but  could  not 
succeed.  We  worked  along  shore  through  the  ice,  along  the  west- 
ern end  of  the  island,  till  we  came  to  nearly  the  narrowest  part 
for  crossing.  The  whole  inlet  appears  to  be  still  choked  with  ice. 
We  can  do  no  more  till  the  ice  is  driven  out.  Some  Canada  geese 
were  seen  yesterday;  Esq.  ducks,  loons  and  plovers  are  pretty 
numerous  about  the  island.  An  Arctic  hare  was  killed  by  one  of 
the  men. 

Sun.,  5th. — We  worked  through  the  ice  to  the  western  shore, 
and  all  hands  were  employed  in  exploring  .the  Western  shore,  to 
the  south  and  north ;  but  no  traces  of  the  missing  party  were  found 
In  the  evening  we  worked  our  way  through  the  ice  opposite  to  the 
north-west  extremity  of  Montreal  Island.  A  buck  deer  was  shot 
just  after  we  put  on  shore.  Mr.  .Stewart  and  myself  put  the  first 
balls  in  it,  and  the  others  afterwards  finished  the  animal.  Many 
deer  were  seen  by  the  exploring  parties;  but  none  were  killed,  as 
I  allowed  no  guns  to  be  carried,  as  we  have  plenty  of  meat.  Very 
little  fuel  to  be  found.  The  shore  is  low  with  sand  hills  inland. 
Weather  in  general  fine,  but  foggy  in  the  morning;  wind  light 
from  N.  E.  New  ice  was  forming  before  we  put  on  shore. 

Mon.,  6th. — Near  Point  Pechell.  A  beautiful  calm  day.  We 
have  been  working  through  the  ice  the  whole  day,  either  Mr.  Stew- 
art or  myself,  while  the  other  remains  with  the  canoes,  with  four 
men.  Have  traced  the  coast  from  Montreal  Island,  but  not  a 
vestige  of  the  missing  party  has  been  discovered.  The  country  in 
this  vicinity  is  dotted  with  small  ponds  of  water,  with 'ridges  of 
sand  and  gravel  and  occasional  immense  square  blocks  of  gray 
and  red  granite,  pieces  of  limestone  are  also  scattered  about. 
Many  deer,  perhaps  150,  were  seen.  We  can  find  no  fuel  at  our 
encampment,  or  within  5  miles  of  it.  Previously  we  found  a 

34 


scanty  supply  of  the  fuel  used  by  Rae.  The  canoes  were  much 
damaged  to-day,  and  I  can  shove  them  on  no  further,  the  re- 
mainder of  my  task  must  be  completed  on  foot.  Some  Esq.  ducks, 
with  their  young,  loons  and  laughing  geese,  with  plovers,  snow- 
birds and  w.  grouse  were  seen.  In  the  clean  sandy  bays  some 
whitefish  were  seen.  Many  very  old  Esq.  encampments  were  seen. 
The  entire  inlet  seems  to  be  choked  with  ice  of  great  thickness  and 
solidity;  notwithstanding  the  day  was  warm,  new  ice  formed  after 
4  p.m. 

POINT  OGLE. 

Tues.,  7th. — Took  an  early  breakfast  and  started  with  Mr. 
Stewart  and  all  the  men,  except  two  of  the  Iroquois,  who  were 
left  to  arrange  the  canoes  and  look  after  the  luggage.  We  were 
in  light  marching  order.  Five  men  followed  the  sinuosities  of  the 
coast,  while  the  rest  of  the  party  swept  the  country  further  in- 
land. For  about  one-third  of  the  distance  the  country  was  inter- 
sected by  small  lakes,  the  remainder  was  composed  of  sand  hills, 
devoid  of  all  vegetation,  and  between  them  low  valleys,  which  are 
overflown  in  high  tides.  In  one  place  the  water  appears  to  cross 
the  peninsula,  and  often  nearly  cuts  through  it.  If  the  missing 
parties  died  in  one  of  these  low  spots,  their  bones  must  have  been 
either  swept  away,  or  buried  in  the  sand.  Many  very  ancient  Esq. 
encampments,  but  no  new  ones,  were  seen.  Some,  perhaps  four  or 
five  years  old,  were  seen  at  Point  Ogle,  among  them  were  found 
a  small  pice  of  cod-line,  and  a  small  piece  of  striped  cotton,  which 
were  the  only  vestiges  found.  We  encamped  late  at  the  point 
opposite  Machonochie's  Island.  A  very  fat  buck  deer  was  killed, 
and  a  few  other  were  seen. 

MACHONOCHIE'S  ISLAND. 

Wed.,  8th. — Early  this  morning  4  of  our  best  men  were  ferried 
across  in  the  Halkett  boat  and  the  whole  of  Machonochie's  Is. 
was  minutely  examined,  without  success.  The  wind  drove  in  the 
ice  so  fast  into  the  strait  separating  the  Island  from  Richardson 
Point  that  we  were  unable  to  cross  over  and  examine  it  as  I  wished. 
The  party  killed  another  fat  deer*  on  the  Island  and  returned  at 
2  p.m.  It  then  began  to  pour  down  rain,  with  a  sharp  N.E.  gale 
and  we  were  all  thoroughly  soaked  when  we  reached  our  encamp- 
ment about  9  p.m.  The  last  of  the  party  only  arrived  at  11  p.m. 
No  fuel  was  to  be  had,  and,  of  course,  no  fires  could  be  lighted,  so 
that  we  passed  an  uncomfortable  night.  A  little  fuel  was  seen  on 
Machonochie's  Is. 

RETURN  JOURNEY. 

Thurs.,  9th. — The  rain  ceased  at  7  a.m.,  and  the  canoes  were 
gummed.  We  started  at  9  a.m.,  and  it  turned  out  a  beautiful  day 
so  that  we  were  able  to  dry  our  clothes  partially.  The  ice  was  even 
worse  than  when  we  were  coming.  Our  portage  was  made,  and  by 


*Killed  by  Paulet  and  Fidler. 

35 


dint  of  shoving  the  ice  aside  and  cutting  it  we  reached  to  within 
4  miles  of  our  encampment  of  the  6th  at  sunset.  New  ice  began 
to  form  at  4  p.m.,  and  was  thick  enough  to  cut  the  canoes  before 
we  reached  the  encampment. 

ADELAIDE  PENINSULA. 

Fri.,  10th. — Left  our  encampment  at  3%  a.m.  The  ice  was  very 
close  and  cemented  together  with  new  ice  so  that  we  made  slow 
progress  and  injured  the  canoes.  We  therefore  breakfasted  early 
and  afterwards  got  on  a  little  better  when  we  arrived  at  the  strait 
separating  Montreal  Island  from  the  West  mainland.  The  Hal- 
kett  boat  was  launched  and  a  small  island  examined,  on  which 
were  some  old  Esq.  encampments.  We  afterwards  proceeded  along 
the  south  shore  of  the  Blont  Island,  which  we  found  nearly  free  of 
ice,  and  after  examining  the  traverse  from  a  high  mountain  I  de- 
termined on  risking  it,  though  the  eastern  land  appeared  to  be 
lined  with  ice.  We  crossed  with  a  fine  breeze,  aided  by  paddle,  and 
got  through  the  ice  easily,  there  being  large  openings  between  the 
floes.  The  breeze  increased  to  half  a  gale  and  we  continued  on  till 
11%  p.m.,  when  we  encamped  at  Point  Backhouse  shortly  after 
which  it  began  to  rain  at  intervals  and  blow  still  harder.  2  seals 
were  seen  at  this  point;  heather  is  pretty  plentiful,  but  there  are 
no  traces  of  deer. 

POINT  BACKHOUSE. 

Sat.,  llth.— Unable  to  moor.  Blowing  very  hard  between  N.W. 
and  N.  all  day,  with  squalls  of  rain.  (Note:  Ice  came  on  again. 
Most  fortunate  we  got  across  yesterday.) 

Sun.,  12th. — Unable  to  leave  the  encampment  before  mid-day. 
It  then  lulled  a  little  and  we  embarked.  It  was  still  blowing  very 
fresh  from  the  N.W.>  with  a  heavy  sea,  but  we  kept  on  and  en- 
camped at  sunset  above  our  .encampment  of  the  30th.  Showers  of 
rain  all  day,  which  turned  to  snow  in  the  evening.  I  never  ex- 
perienced such  piercing  winds  as  blow  on  this  coast.  All  of  us  are 
in  winter  rig,  but  still  chilled  to  the  bones.  No  deer  seen  to-day. 
3  starving  wolves  come  close  to  the  canoes  and  stole  a  piece  of 
pemmican — fortunately  for  them  all  the  guns  were  wet.  (Note: 
mountains  white  this  evening  with  snow. 

Mon.,  13th. — Left  at  3  a.m.  Just  after  embarking  it  began  to 
snow  and  then  rain  heavily,  and  this  was  the  case,  with  a  slight 
interval,  all  day.  Saw  the  Esquimaux  at  the  rapids  leading  to 
Lake  Franklin.  They  now  numbered  3  families,  consisting  of  5 
men,  3  women  and  about  12  lads  and  children.  Endeavoured  by 
all  means  in  our  power  to  find  out  if  they  had  papers  of  any  de- 
scription, but  they  had  none.  They  showed  us  sundry  articles  got 
from  the  boat,  such  as  tin  boilers,  about  18  in.  long  by  12  in. 
broad;  an  oval  frying  pan;  do.  iron;  7  copper  boilers  and  tin 
soup  tureens,  a  chisel,  a  fragment  of  a  handsaw,  a  piece  of  the 
white  metal  plate  of  a  thenmometer,  and  of  an  ivory  rule.  Most 
of  their  paddles  were  made  out  of  ash,  oak,  pieces  of  mahogany, 
elm  and  pine.  They  made  us  understand  that  they  had  not  seen 
the  ships  which  had  been  wrecked,  but  had  heard  of  it  from  others, 

36 


and  again  showed  us  by  signs  that  the  crews  of  the  vessels  had 
died  from  starvation.  We  got  Esq.  boots,  etc.  for  the  men,  and 
made  them  presents  of  a  grafting  saw  each,  fish  spears,  seal 
spears,  knives,  and  bags  and  sundry  trifles  for  the  ladies.  We 
got  a  little  aft  wind  in  L.  Franklin.  I  encamped  at  the  head  of 
the  rapid  before  arriving  at  McKay's  Peak,  but  Stewart  below 
it,  having  broken  his  canoe  very  badly.  No  animals  whatever  seen. 
(Note:  The  Esquimaux  were  just  leaving,  their  fish  caches  were 
made.  They  were  leaving  for  some  pass  to  watch  for  deer.) 

THELEWYCHO  RIVER  UP. 

Tues.,  14th. — Mr.  Stewart  arrived  at  4  a.m.  and  we  then  left. 
The  water  has  fallen  so  much  that  we  ascended  McKay's  Peak 
Rapid  with  the  paddle,  and  an  aft  N.E.  wind  helped  us  on  fam- 
ously. Encamped  late,  considerably  above  Back's  encampment  of 
26th  July.  It  was  raining  the  whole  day.  Just  before  encamping 
a  fine  rainbow  made  its  appearance.  A  solitary  starving  wolf  seen 
to-day. 

Wed.,  15th. — We  were  all  so  wet  and  stiff  that  no  one  awoke 
until  late.  We  left  at  4%  a.m.  The  rainbow  of  last  night  did  not 
deceive  us.  The  day  was  beautifully  clear  and  warm,  and  we 
carried  sail  with  a  fine  N.E.  breeze  for  half  the  day,  and  made 
fine  progress,  having  encamped  at  the  Rapids  below  Wolf's  Rapid. 
This  fine  day  enabled  us  to  dry  our  clothes  and  bedding,  which 
were  actually  getting  mouldy.  Some  of  the  men  begin  to  complain 
of  rheumatism  and  it  is  not  surprising.  I  did  not  take  up  the 
pemm.  cached  on  the  27th  ult.  as  it  was  rather  out  of  the  road. 
We  have  also  enough,  and  the  canoes  are  rather  too  heavy.  Geese 
are  now  flying.  Not  an  animal  has  been  seen  to-day,  but  the 
tracks  of  deer  were  seen  both  yesterday  evening  and  to-day.  All 
going  to  the  South.  This  accounts  for  our  seeing  no  deer  on 
Adelaide  peninsula  on  our  way  back. 

Thurs.,  16th. — This  has  been  a  day  among  the  Rapids.  The 
canoes  received  unuch  damage.  In  Escape  Rapid  Mr.  Stewart's 
canoe  was  broken  and  mine  completely  ungummed.  Encamped  at 
6%  p.m.  about  6  miles  above  Escape  Rapid.  Mr.  Stewart's  canoe 
only  arrived  at  7%  p.m.  We  lost  also  about  %  hour  at  breakfast 
in  gumming  her.  A  decharge  was  made  at  one  strong  place  in 
Escape  Rapid.  Took  up  our  cache  in  good  order.  Wind  fresh. 
Fresh  ahead  from  the  S.W.  Showery.  Yesterday  we  saw  a  few 
sand  flies,  but  to-day  they  were  in  clouds.  Neither  musk  oxen 
nor  deer  seen.  The  geese  now  fly  so  that  we  get  no  fresh  provis- 
ions. 3  wolves,  a  few  ermines  and  several  young  foxes  seen.  Last 
night  the  aurora  was  seen  for  the  first  time  faint  in  the  South,  as 
well  as  the  Great  Bear.  Venus  we  saw  some  days  since. 

Fri.,  17th. — Left  at  the  usual  hour.  Rained  at  intervals  last 
night  and  throughout  the  day.  Mr.  Stewart's  canoe  again  broken 
badly  in  still  water.  It  was  repaired  at  breakfast  time.  The  river 
below  Sinclair's  Falls  very  shallow.  A  portage  was  of  course  made 
then  and  the  canoes  gummed  hastily.  The  remainder  of  the  rap- 
ids to  Lake  McDougal  were  passed  safely.  We  encamped  late  at 
the  head  of  the  rapid.  A  doe  r-deer  was  seen  to-day.  I  shot  3 
white  grouse  (young  ones),  they  are  now  2-3  grown. 

S7 


Sat.,  18th.— It  was  blowing  such  a  gale  from  N.E.  this  morning 
that  it  was  impossible  to  leave  before  10  a.m.  It  had  then  mod- 
erated a  little,  though  still  blowing  fresh  with  a  heavy  sea  we 
managed  to  reach  the  first  rapid  in  the  river  (say  10  miles  from 
Rock  Rapids).  Falling  into  McDougal's  Lake  we  then  hoisted  sail 
and  had  a  fine  run  for  a  couple  of  hours.  We  got  up  several  small 
rapids  and  encamped  at  7%  p.m.  considerably  above  our  encamp- 
ment of  the  24th  ult.  The  river  is  now  rather  shoal,  having  fallen 
10  or  12  ft.  Not  an  animal  of  any  kind  was  seen.  Weather 
showery. 

Sun.,  19th  —Made  all  the  rapids  to  L.  Garry  without  accident, 
and  encamped  at  the  Narrows  at  our  encampment  of  the  22nd  ult 
Inis  first  part  of  the  day  was  clear  and  calm  which  enabled  us  to 
dry  our  clothes,  only  to  be  again  wetted  in  the  evening  by  heavy 
ram.  Wind  variable.  We  carried  sail  about  2  hours  as  far  as 
the  E.  sand  hill  from  nearly  the  first  one.  At  the  last  long  rapid 
coming  up  a  decharge  was  made,  it  being  shallow.  Saw  swamp 
berries  for  the  first  time  coming  up.  They  were  2-3  formed.  The 
men  chose  to  compliment  me  by  calling  the  fine  sand  hill  in  the 
middle  of  the  channel  connecting  L.  Garry  with  L.  McDougal 
'  Anderson's  Hill."  10  deer  were  seen  this  evening.  Took  up  our 
cache  below  the  rapid  at  the  end  of  this  Lake  in  fine  order. 

LAKE  GARRY. 

•  • 

Mon.,  20th. — Heavy  rain  and  strong  gale  last  night  from  vari- 
ous points.  It  was  still  raining  when  we  embarked  at  3%  a.m. 
It  cleared  up  partially  afterwards.  At  the  rapid  between  L.  Garry 
and  Pelly  we  saw  some  Esquimaux,  then  only  women  and  children 
when  we  passed  on  our  way  up,  and  they  then  ran  away.  But  now 
the  men.  were  there  and  they  came  to  us  immediately.  They  had 
various  articles  used  by  us  in  the  trade  which  they  must  get  from 
the  Churchill  Esquimaux.  There  were  3  lodges  and  5  men  (2  old, 
1  middle-aged,  and  3  young  men)  2  of  them  we  had  previously 
seen  .at  McKinlay's  River.  There  were  3  women  and  6  children.  I 
think  there  must  be  a  river  falling  into  the  deep  bay  on  the  Ed 
of  Lake  Pelly.  We  gave  them  knives,  spears,  dago,  scissors,  etc., 
and  parted  famous  friends.  They  gave  us  some  deer  meat.  En- 
camped at  sunset  near  the  head  of  L.  Pelly.  The  wind  was  strong 
ahead  all  day.  About  25  deer  were  seen  to-day  all  going  to  the 
South.  The  same  is  the  case  with  the  Canada  geese. 

LAKE  PELLY. 

Tues.,  21st. — It  was  miserable  weather  when  we  embarked  at 
3  ajm.  It  was  blowing  hard  and  raining.  At  Buttons  River  we 
hoisted  all  sail  and  carried  it  for  about  half  the  day.  We  were 
much  incommoded  by  sand  banks  above  Buttons  River.  The  same 
was  the  case  in  a  minor  degree  when  going  down  the  water  in  L. 
Garry,  and  above  it  does  not  appear  to  have  fallen  so  much  as 
below  it.  Below  and  at  McKinlay's  River  we  saw  the  same 
Esquimaux  as  when  descending.  There  were  8  tents,  about  10 
men  were  present  and  8  women  and  several  children.  The  women 
are  all  of  very  low  stature,  good-looking.  The  young  women  are 

28 


only  tatooed  after  they  have  children.  Saw  several  stone  kettles 
made  with  5  slabs,  sand  stones  cemented  together.  These  Esquim- 
aux seem  a  remarkably  harmless,  honest  and  clever  race.  Canoes 
and  tents  made  of  deer  skins.  Have  many  of  our  articles  of  trade. 
They  made  us  understand  that  they  came  down  McKinlay's  River, 
but  that  it  was  nearly  dry  at  present.  The  wind  headed  us  to- 
wards the  evening  and  the  rain  never  ceased.  We  encamped  a 
piece  above  McKinlay's  River.  Everything  we  have  is  now  soaked 
with  rain.  We  have  found  plenty  of  willows  since  reaching  L. 
Garry. 

THLEWYCHO. 

Wed.,  22nd. — Left  early.  3  Esquimaux  came  to  see  us  start 
and  accompanied  us  a  short  distance.  Alders  are  seen  at  the 
Hawk's  Rapid:  for  the  first  time  the  long  line  of  rapids  below  and 
above  Hawk  Rapid  were  safely  ascended.  It  then  began  to  rain 
very  hard  and  continued  without  cessation  till  at  last  I  could  not 
endure  seeing  the  men  suffering  so  much  and  encamped  5%  p.m., 
5  hours  above  Hawk  Rapid,  among  the  sank  banks.  Mr.  Stew- 
art's canoe  cannot  keep  up  with  mine  and  retards  us  considerably. 
The  fact  is,  both  canoes  are  now  dreadfully  leaky  and  his  the 
worst.  Some  ripe  berries,  "crow  berries,"  were  picked.  The  leaf 
is  red.  Several  wolves,  gulls  and  crows  were  below  Hawk  Rapid, 
feasting  on  the  drowned  deer.  But  not  a  deer  was  seen  either 
to-day  or  yesterday.  Several  bands  of  Canada  geese  and  grey 
wavies  going  to  the  southward.  At  the  rapids  between  L.  Garry 
and  Pelly  and  below  Hawk  Rapids,  appeared  to  be  the  only  good 
deer  passes  we  have  seen  since  leaving  the  coast,  though  there 
are  doubtless  others.  Heavy  rain  all  night. 

Thurs.,  23rd. — Left  at  2%  a.m.  'midst  drizzling.  It  cleared  up 
at  breakfast  and  enabled  us  to  partially  dry  our  clothes,  etc.  But 
heavy  showers  soon  wetted  us  again.  The  sun,  however,  shons 
out  at  intervals.  I  encamped  at  6M$  p.m.  (to  avoid  a  heavy  storm 
which  threatened  us)  a  little  below  Baillie's  River.  The  wind 
assisted  us  a  little  to-day  and  the  men  paddled  well.  But  our 
progress  was  much  impeded  by  sand  bars  which  rendered  the  chan- 
nel of  the  river  most  tortuous.  Esquimaux  marks  as  high  up  as 

1  Fri.,  24th.— Ascended  the  Cascades,  etc.,  above  Baillie's  River. 
Made  two  decharges,  encamped  late  at  the  sand  cliff,  a  little  below 
our  encampment  of  the  17th  ult.  For  a  wonder,  it  did  not  rain 
until  midday,  and  was  positively  warm  when  walking.  It  then 
began  to  rain,  and  we  had  occasional  showers  till  evening.  4  deer 
and  a  wolf  seen.  Numerous  flights  of  laughing  geese  going  to  the 
southward.  The  wind  helped  us  on  after  midday. 

LAKE  BEECHY. 

Sat.,  the  25th.— Left  at  2  V2  a.m.  Wind  blowing  fresh  from  the 
west,  with  frequent  showers  of  rain  and  hail.  Mr.  Stewart  s  canoe 
again  broken  before  breakfast,  which  retarded  us  a  little.  We 
encamped  at  9  a.m.  at  Beechy's  Lake  at  the  head  of  the  Cascades. 
This  was,  of  course,  a  complete  portage.  The  canoes  are 

39 


distressingly  heavy,  particularly  mine.  No  deer  seen,  but  about  20 
musk  oxen  were  grazing  on  the  left  of  the  river,  below  the  Cas- 
cades. Laughing  geese  going  to  the  south.  It  appears  that  much 
rain  has  fallen  about  here.  L.  Beechy  has  only  fallen  about  6  in. 
Took  up  our  cache  in  good  order,  except  a  bag  containing  some 
meat,  which  the  wolves  had  got  'at  and  devoured.  Two  of  these 
beasts  were  seen  in  the  portage.  The  men  gave  two  of  the  sand 
cliffs  to  Messrs.  Lockhart  and  Stewart. 

Sunday,  26th. — The  canoes  required  so  much  gumming,  etc., 
that  it  was  4%  a.m.  before  we  left.  Strong  head  winds  accom- 
panied by  rain  and  sleet  prevailed  all  day  and  retarded  our  pro- 
gress. Much  water  was  shipped  and  our  crazy  canoes  bent  in  with 
every  wave.  20  or  30  musk  oxen  were  seen,  but  no  deer.  En- 
camped at  dusk  about  5  miles  above  the  Willow  Island  at  the  head 
of  L.  Beechy.  Froze  hard  at  night. 

BEECHY'S  LAKE. 

Mon.,  27th. — Left  at  2%  a.m.  amidst  rain.  It  cleared  up  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  and  we  rejoiced  to  see  the  sun.  Towards  even- 
ing the  rain  re-commenced.  The  wind,  however,  was  favourable 
and  helped  us  on  considerably.  Encamped  when  it  was  nearly 
pitch  dark  at  foot  of  the  Long  Rapids  below  where  we  left  our 
canoe  on  the  15th  ult.  Mr.  Stewart's  canoe  was  again  badly  broken 
and  he  was  obliged  to  encamp  below  us.  With  this  exception  the 
long  line  of  rapids  in  this  day's  march  was  ascended  without  acci- 
dents. Two  young  laughing  geese  were  killed.  Some  of  our  best 
shots  fired  at  a  musk  bull  from  the  canoe  and  one  ball  hit  him 
apparently  on  the  end  of  the  spine  and  paralyzed  his  hindquarters. 
He,  however,  soon  recovered  and  escaped.  A  few  musk  oxen  were 
seen,  and  at  dusk  2  or  3  deer.  Many  flocks  of  wavies  flying  to  the 
southward.  Froze  hard  at  night. 

THLEWYCHO  RIVER  UP. 

Tues.,  28th. — Detained  till  5.40  waiting  for  Mr.  Stewart.  This 
delay  is  most  vexatious.  Everything  was  hard  frozen  this  morn- 
ing. The  tent  was  jas  stiff  as  a  board.  Found  our  first  cache  in 
good  order,  and  took  all  the  penches  and  mast  yards  of  the  canoes 
left  there  for  poles.  The  canoe  was  also  broken  up  for  firewood. 
Met  with  no  breakages  to-day.  Encamped  at  dusk  above  the  rapid 
where  Capt.  Back  repaired  his  boat  and  sent  back  his  carpenters. 
A  little  snow  fell  before  breakfast,  but  afterwards  the  day  turned 
out  beautifully  fine  but  very  cold,  though  the  wind  was  fresh  from 
the  southward,  which  retarded  us  much.  7  deer  were  seen,  but  no 
musk  oxen.  Some  flights  of  grey  wavies  were  seen.  The  Driver  is 
lower  than  on  our  way  down,  but  not  so  low  as  I  had  anticipated. 

Wed.,  29th. — Left  at  the  usual  hour.  Just  below  Musk  Ox 
Rapid  a  small  band  of  deer  was  seen,  one  of  which,  a  fat  buck, 
was  shot  by  Mustegan.  Musk  Ox  Rapid  was  very  shoal.  Its 
ascent  by  the  canoes'  light  and  the  carriage  of  the  pieces  occupied 
upwards  of  six  hours.  The  canoes  were  completely  ungummed  and 
it  took  2  hours  to  repair  them.  Encamped  at  dusk  at  the  head  of 
Musk  Ox  Lake.  It  took  1.35  hours  to  make  the  traverse  hard  pad- 

40 


dling.  The  day  was  the  first  day  without  rain,  and  beautifully 
clear,  that  we  have  had  since  leaving  Point  Ogle.  As  the  men  have 
behaved  so  well,  and  as  we  have  hard  work  still  before  them,  I 
have  promised  them  each  five  pounds  in  addition  to  their  wages, 
and,  moreover,  that  should  their  conduct  be  good,  and  if  they  exert 
themselves  on  their  way  to  R.  R.  and  Norway  House,  that  should 
they  arrive  before  the  expiration  of  their  year's  time  that  they 
shall  receive  their  whole  wages  as  for  the  entire  year,  thus  chang- 
ing their  terms  from  the  year,  to  the  trip.  J.  Fidler  and  Paulet 
are  to  get  five  pounds  extra  for  acting  as  steersmen. 

Thurs.,  30th. — Another  fine  day.  The  men  worked  splendidly. 
The  river  from  the  lake  above  Musk  Ox  Lake  is  nearly  dry,  and 
it  was  therefore  a  continuous  portage  interrupted  only  by  a  small 
pond  and  lake.  We  reached  the  little  lake  close  to  Sussex  Lake 
and  saw  Lake  Aylmer  close  to  us.  There  is  still  a  little  ice  on  the 
borders  of  this  Lake  (the  one  nearest).  Saw  3  deer.  One  of  the 
men  laid  up  with  a  sore  foot.  Saw  3  rock  partridges  and  faint,  to 
the  southward,  numerous  flocks  of  snow  geese  passing  south. 

LAKE  AYLMER. 

Fri.,  31t. — Made  2  short  portages  and  passed  2  ponds  of  water, 
and  then  a  third  portage  brought  us  to  Lake  Aylmer  at  6  a.m. 
The  canoes  were  thoroughly  gummed  and  we  embarked  at  7.  We 
had  to  contend  with  a  strong  head  wind  all  day,  which  retarded 
our  progress  much.  The  weather  was  bad  also.  Foggy  in  the 
morning  and  rain  afterwards.  Several  deer  were  seen  to-day, 
perhaps  30,.  and  2  were  shot  by  Mustegan  and  J.  Fidler.  A  two- 
year-old  buck  and  doe.  A  slight  deviation  was  made,  entering  a 
bay  running  to  the  south-east,  which  is  not  noticed  in  Back's  map. 
We  lost  by  this  about  an  hour  and  a  half.  Encamped  at  dusk 
near  the  Narrows  leading  to  Clinton  Golden  Lake.  We  have  now 
lost  the  willows  and  are  reduced  to  turn  heath. 

Sat.,  September  1st. — A  beautiful  day,  most  of  which  was 
wasted  in  finding  our  road,  and  I  am  not  quite  sure  if  we  are,  as 
I  supposed,  encamped  at  the  Straits  leading  to  Clinton  Colden 
Lake.  Back's  map  makes  it  appear  that  the  Strait  was  bounded 
by  the  southern  shore,  whereas,  a  deep  bay  running  E.  and  S.  E. 
intervenes  between  the  straits  and  the  south  shore.  The  map  is 
utterly  useless  for  such  a  lake  as  this.  Some  very  small  spruce 
were  seen  at  the  bottom  of  the  bay  before  mentioned,  out  of  which 
we  got  by  a  short  portage  to  the  proper  bay.  Several  deer  were 
seen  and  2  shot  by  E.  Kipling  and  J.  Fidler,  the  former  a  large  fat 
buck,  the  latter  one  of  2  years. 

Sun.,  2nd. — Blowing  a  gale  from  the  N.  and  N.  E.  We  were 
compelled  to  pull  down  the  tent  during  the  night  to  prevent  its 
being  carried  away.  The  wind  abated  about  3  p.m.,  but  we  did  not 
leave  as  I  had  sent  off  Mustegan  to  see  if  this  was  the  right 
Strait.  He  returned  late  with  the  information  that  it  was.  Im- 
mense flocks  of  Canada  geese  passing  all  last  night  and  to-day. 
The  men  arranged  all  their  little  affairs  and  dried  the  contents  of 
their  bags.  Froze  sharply. 

41 


Mon.,  3rd. — Reached  Clinton  Golden  Lake  at  breakfast  9  a.m. 
The  wind  was  blowing  a  gale  from  the  E.  and  S.E.,  which  ren- 
dered it  impossible  to  take  the  traverse  to  the  first  point.  Snow  in 
the  morning.  Froze  sharply. 

CLINTON  GOLDEN  LAKE. 

Tues.,  4th. — Detained  -by  the  gale  till  6  p.m.  It  then  subsided 
a  little  and  we  took  the  traverse.  Shipped  much  water  and  our 
rickety  canoes  were  sadly  strained.  Encamped  at  11  p.m.  at  the 
first  large  island.  Ignace  killed  a  buck. 

Wed.,  5th. — Started  at  2%  a.m.,  having  just  laid  down  on  the 
beach  till  we  could  see.  Fog  till  after  breakfast.  The  whole  day 
has  been  spent  in  looking  for  the  river.  Back's  small  map  is  a 
snare  and  a  delusion.  We  are  encamped  on  what  we  suppose  (for 
the  third  time)  to  be  the  Straits.  Many  deer  seen  and  some  snow 
geese. 

Thurs.,  6th. — Detained  by  dense  fog  till  9  a.m.  We  then  left, 
though  the  fog  was  still  thick.  This  compelled  us  to  round  several 
extensive  bays.  We  at  length  fell  on  a  strait  with  some  current 
in  it,  and  encamped  at  dusk  near  the  rapid  leading  to  Artillery 
Lake.  I  trust  never  to  be  guided  by  such  a  map  as  I  have  again. 
Many  deer  seen,  bucks,  3  very  fat  ones  were  killed,  2  by  J.  Fidler 
and  one  by  Ignace.  Traces  of  Indians  were  seen. 

ARTILLERY  LAKE. 

Fri.,  7th. — Ran  the  two  first  rapids  but  down  part  of 

the  3rd,  the  water  being  so  low  that  there  was  a  small  fall.  Saw 
very  small  pines  above  the  2nd  rapid,  and  afterwards  they  in- 
creased in  size,  till  about  half  way  in  Artillery  Lake  they  became 
of  respectable  size.  Good  many  deer  seen  about  the  rapids,  but 
not  many  in  this  lake.  The  majority  of  those  seen  to-day,  does 
with  young.  We  had  strong  head  wind  till  about  2  p.m.,  after 
which  we  carried  sail,  with  the  paddle  for  about  hour  and  a  half, 
and  it  then  fell  calm.  Day  clear.  Last  night  aurora  borealis 
everywhere  in  irregular  patches.  We  encamped  at  dark  opposite 
what  I  suppose  to  be  the  island  called  the  Rat  Lodge.  Left  a  notice 
for  the  boats  in  case  we  missed  them  at  the  Narrows  below  the 
Rapids.  We  took  the  west  shore  at  the  3  first  islands  marked  in 
the  map  (4).  There  is  a  pretty  deep  bay  running  to  the  W.  and 
S.  W.  not  noticed  in  the  map. 

•Sat.,  8th. — Blew  N.W.  a  gale  last  night,  with  rain.  The  waves 
were  beating  so  high  against  the  shore  than  we  made  a  portage 
to  a  small  bay  and  after  shipping  much  water  and  working  our 
crazy  canoes  much  we  succeeded  in  crossing  to  the  Beaver  Lodge. 
The  wind  increased  with  rain  and  snow  till  at  last  we  were  com- 
pelled to  encamp  at  7  a.m.  at  a  bay  on  the  west  shore  where  we 
afterwards  discovered  Gapt.  Back  built  his  boats.  We  were  de- 
tained here  all  day. 

Sun.,  9th. — The  ground  was  white  with  snow  this  morning  and 
still  blowing  a  heavy  N.  Wester,  with  drizzling  lain  and  snow. 
Took  an  early  breakfast  and  left  at  5  a.m.  under  double-reefed 
sail.  Kept  along  the  E.  shore  until  we  fell  in  with  some  Indian 

42 


lodges,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  trying  to  find  out  their 
road  to  Fond  du  lac  des  Esclaves.  We  made  a  move  in  the  even- 
ing to  the  bottom  of  the  deep  narrow  bay.  On  the  E.  shore  were 
10  Indian  canoes,  several  Indian  lodges,  or  at  least  the  poles  of 
lodges,  and  remains  of  deer.  The  Indians  had  left  this  about  a 
fortnight  since.  We  are  not  yet  quite  sure  of  our  road.  It  is 
really  too  bad  that  Indians  have  not  been  sent  to  meet  us.  Nu- 
merous flocks  of  geese  and  wavies  passing,  4  kinds  of  berries  seen. 
(Note:  Larch  found  in  this  bay.) 

ARTILLERY  TO  SLAVE  LAKE. 

Mon.,  10th. — Ground  white  with  .snow  this  morning.  Very  early 
this  morning  Mustegan  and  J.  Fidler  went  to  find  the  straightest 
road  to  the  height  of  land.  Returned,  and  after  breakfast  (8 
a.m.)  we  began  the  portages,  and  before  night  had  passed  8  lakes 
and  had  made  5  miles,  8  ponds  all  in  an  S.W.  direction.  The  Lake 
we  are  on  is  rather  larger  and  the  rivers  connecting  the  lakes  are 
more  considerable.  The  last  one  was  navigable  Men  much 
fatigued.  Wood  increased  in  size  and  quantity  as  we  approached 
Slave  Lake.  Birch  fit  for  axe  handles  to  be  found.  Very  few  deer 
tracks. 

Tues.,  llth. — Left  early.  Fell  on  an  Indian  track.  On  enter- 
ing the  river  made  2  portages  equal  to  %  mile  and  shortly  after 
got  sight  of  Slave  Lake.  The  river  was  here  larger,  but  shallow 
and  interrupted  by  several  falls  and  cascades.  The  pieces  were 
carried  straight  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  (5  miles)  and  the  canoes 
were  brought  down  (light)  the  river  partly  by  water  and  several 
bad  portages.  They  did  not  -succeed  in  reaching  the  pieces.  Mr. 
Stewart  and  I  crossed  the  river  by  wading  at  a  rapid  and  found 
the  Fort.  It  is  built  on  the  old  site  of  Fort  Reliance,  but  on  a 
much  smaller  scale.  We  slept  here.  Mr.  Lockhart  left  yesterday 
with  the  2  boats.  He  is  not  far  off,  as  there  is  a  long  portage  to 
make,  and  I  sent  off  immediately  to  tell  him  to  return.  A  whiskey 
jack  was  seen  when  we  breakfasted,  the  first  for  many  weeks. 

GREAT  SLAVE  LAKE. 

•  Wed.,  12th. — The  canoes  arrived  at  10  a.m.  After  arranging 
matters  I  left  at  2  p.m.  with  my  canoe.  Mr.  Stewart  remaining 
to  meet  Mr.  Lockhart.  Carried  sail  to  the  Point,  but  afterwards 
had  the  wind  strong  nearly  ahead.  Encamped  late  a  little  beyond 
Hoar  Frost  River.  A.  B.  faint.  (Aurora  Borealis.) 

Thurs.,  13th. — Left  early.  Met  an  Indian  'about  7  a.m.  who 
gave  us  some  fat  meat.  We  afterwards  saw  some  women  and  chil- 
dren. Arrived  at  the  Mountain  Portage  about  3  p.m.  Put  ashore 
in  the  bay  beyond  it  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  2  canoes  from 
Simpson,  which  were  seen  under  sail.  Took  one  of  these  canoes 
and  sent  off  the  other  with  the  two  crews  at  4  p.m.  to  meet  Messrs. 
Stewart  and  Lockhart.  Gummed  and  arranged  the  canoe  and  pro- 
ceeded about  6  miles  beyond  the  Mountain  Portage  at  a  little 
river.  Wind  strong  ahead  since  midday.  Shipped  much  water. 
These  2  canoes  are  the  proper  length,  but  too  narrow  and  low. 
The  gunwales  also  are  too  weak  by  far. 

43 


Fri.,  14th. — Left  early.  Met  some  Indians  going  to  Resolu- 
tion about  7  a.m.  Encamped  about  sunset  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Cut  Rocks  leading  to  Pipe  Stone  Point  opposite  the  mouth  of 
the  large  bay.  Weather  rather  cloudy  with  some  light  showers. 
Nearly  dead  calm  and  consequently  a  splendid  day  for  paddling. 
A  great  many  wavies  passing  to-night.  A.  B.  superb  in  streamers 
and  rays  of  all  colours.  Very  active  about  11  p.m.  Rays  appar- 
ently descended  to  within  100  ft.  of  the  water. 

Sat.,  15th. — Left  early.  Wind  rather  strong  ahead.  Encamped 
at  dusk  among  the  Islands  where  we  dined  on  the  27th  June.  A.  B. 
very  active,  same  las  yesterday.  Saw  few  small  poplars  before 
encamping. 

Sun.,  16th. — Left  at' 2%  a.m.  nearly  calm.  Men  paddled  very 
hard,  smoked  once,  and  arrived  at  the  last  Cariboo  Island  9  a.m. 
Wind  a  little  stronger  ahead.  Took  the  traverse  straight  to  Stoney 
Island  3%  hours  (Mustegan  never  once  missed  his  way  through 
this  labyrinth  of  islands).  Supped  at  6  and  arrived  at  Resolu- 
tion at  9  a.m.  Men  quite  fresh.  17th  at  Resolution,  18th,  19th, 
20th  and  21st  at  Resolution.  Stewart  and  Lockhart  with  one  canoe 
arrived  at  1  p.m. 

22nd. — Equipped  men.     Remainder  expedition  men  arrived. 

23rd. — Stewart  and  Lockhart  and  the  2  other  boats  arrived. 

24th. — iSent  off  2  boats  to  Simpson.  I  would  now  start,  but  have 
to  pay  off  some  Indians.  Pack  up  the  remainder  of  the  Expedi- 
tion goods,  and,  df  possible,  await  the  arrival  of  despatches  per 
"A"  boats  which  should  now  be  here. 

25,th,  26th,  27th,  Fri.,  28th.— Left  Resolution  at  10  a.m.,  the 
"A"  boat  having  arrived  yesterday,  afternoon.  Boat  very  deep. 
Wind  moderate  till  we  came  to  the  last  Islands  to  go  to  Isle  aux 
Morts,  where  we  were  compelled  to  encamp.  Drizzling  rain. 

>Sat.,  29th. — Wind  N.E.  with  a  very  heavy  swell,  which  com- 
pelled us  to  put  on  shore  at  1  p.m.  at  Sulphur  Springs,  where  we 
were  wind  bound  all  day.  Showers  of  rain  and  snow  at  intervals 
all  day.  A.  B.  faint  in  the  evening.  Sharp  frost. 

Sun.,  30th.— Left  at  the  first  appearance  of  dawn.  Carried  sail 
with  a  very  light  breeze,  and  pulled  supplies,  at  Point  des  Roches, 
and  reached  Big  Island  about  2  a.m.  of  Monday  the  31st.  Ar- 
ranging different  affairs  for  Fort  Rae,  etc.  Left  B.  Is.  at  1  p.m. 
Soon  after  hoisted  sail  to  a  light  breeze  and  at  the  same  time 
pulled.  Water  extremely  high,  both  in  the  lake  and  river.  Supped 
at  7  p.m.  a  little  below  Point  de  St.  Restaux.  Then  hoisted  sail 
to  a  light  air  of  wind.  Day  broke  when  we  had  entered  the  small 
lake.  Met  Brough  aibout  5  p.m.  above  Pt.  St.  Restaux. 

Tues.,  October  1st.— Wind  veered  ahead  after  daybreak  broke. 
Put  ashore  at  the  foot  of  the  little  lake  to  breakfast,  when  it  began 
to  blow  a  gale,  which  compelled  us  to  enter  a  little  river  on  the 
left  bank,  where  we  were  nailed  till  the  next  morning. 

Wed.,  2nd. — Encamped  at  Spence  River. 

Thurs.,  3rd.— Reached  Fort  Simpson  about  9  p.m. 


44 


NOTES. 

Anderson  drew  a  map  of  his  route  from  the  Mountain  Portage 
to  the  Sandhill  Bay  of  Back,  on  which  the  Lakes,  etc.,  are  named 
as  follows: 

July  2nd,  p.  13. — Sandy  Portage  Lake;  or  Thai-Koh  Antetti. 

July  3rd,  p.  13. — Clark's  Lake  3  miles,  encamped  at  head  of 
Miles  Lake,  or  They-gee-yeh-too-ey  Lake  at  the  end  of  the  Rocks. 
Miles  L.  6  m. 

July  4th,  p.  14-15. — Passed  Pruden's  Lake  and  Harrison,  enter- 
ed McFarlane's  Lake  (7  males  in  length),  passed  to  Barnstone's 
Lake  or  Eh-get-they-too-ey,  or  Lake  further  than  the  Rocks  (10 
miles-in  length),  with  Rae's  Falls  (50  ft.  in  height). 

July  5th. — Passed  Campbell's  Lake  (13  miles  long)  ;  Ross'  Lake 
(12  miles)  Nai-youchey-too-ey  or  the  Lake  among  the  Rocks; 
Hardisty's  Lake  (5  miles)  ;  and  Mackenzie's  Lake  (7  m.),  and  en- 
camped about  half-way  down  Margaret's  Lake  (23  miles  long). 

July  6th,  p.  14-15. — Through  Margaret's  Lake,  by  river  to 
Back's  Lake,  encamping  about  30  miles  down.  Indian  name  Tlon- 
thad-kiye-to-ey  or  Lake  of  the  White  Sandy  shores. 

July  7>th. — Passing  out  of  Back's  Lake,  portages  led  to  Ballen- 
den's  Lake  (6  miles),  thence  by  portage  to  unnamed  Lake. 

July  8-th. — The  River  which  falls  into  Lake  Aylnier  was  named 
by  Anderson,  Outram,  after  General  Outram,  "the  Bayard  of 
India,"  who  was  a  relative  of  his.  The  Lakes  are  named  after 
friends  in  the  H.B.C. 

APPENDIX  TO  JOURNAL. 
List  of  articles  found  at  Montreal  Island  and  at  the  mouth  of 


hook;  3  Copper  nails;  4  strips  of  bunting;  3  pieces  of  rope  with 
Government  mark;  1  handle  of  dinner-knife  (bone);  1  Copper 
rudder,  iron  (broken) ;  1  iron  rudder  (broken) ;  iron  hinge 
(broken)  ;  1  brass  ring  binnacle;  1  brass  nail  with  binnacle;  1 
piece  of  a  copper  ring;  1  piece  Mahogany  board;  1  part  of  a 
theodolite  stand;  3  pieces  of  pine  wood  (one  having  a  sheet  of 
copper  attached  to  it;  1  piece  Oak;  a  small  piece  of  wood  belonging 
to  Capt.  Back's  boat. 

James  Anderson  was  presented  with  a  medial  by  the  British 
Government  for  the  Expedition.  This  is  in  the  possession  of 
Lieutenant^Colonel  Anderson,  now  retired,  of  South  Devon,  Eng- 
land. 

The  manuscript  and  letters  from  which  the  transaction  is  printed 
were  kindly  loaned  to  the  Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 
by  James  Anderson  of  Ainslde  Hill,  West  Sutton. 


45 


The  Temple  of  Peace 

DAVID  WILLSON  OF  SHARON, 

1778-1866. 

BY  PROFESSOR  JOHN  SQUAIR. 

The  first  time  I  heard  of  David  Willson  was  from  a  certain 
Ben  Willson,  who  for  some  years,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  1860, 
was  in  the  service  of  my  father  in  the  Township  of  Clarke.  Ben. 
claimed  a  far-off  relationship  witji  David  of  Yonge  Street,  but 
was  apparently  a  very  different  kind  of  man,  detesting  church 
services  and  all  pertaining  thereto  as  much  as  David  seems  to 
have  set  store  by  them.  Nevertheless,  David  was  for  Ben.  a  great 
man,  and  he  occasionally  edified  me,  a  growing  boy,  with  stories 
regarding  King  David,  his  white-robed  maiden  acolytes,  his  music 
band,  his  processions,  his  feasts  and  his  temple  lighted  with  hun- 
dreds of  candles.  Now  and  again,  since  those  bare-foot  days,  I 
have  heard  of  Sharon  and  the  Davidites,  but  only  very  recently 
have  I  made  them  and  their  founder  the  object  of  any  serious 
attention. 

In  a  book  called  The  Rights  of  Christ,  Willson  speaks  thus  of 
his  origin,  "I,  the  writer,  was  born  of  Presbyterian  parents  in  the 
County  of  Dutchess  (sic),  State  of  New  York,  in  North  America." 
In  his  Practical  Life  he  says,  in  his  quaint  style,  "I  was  born  in 
the  year  1778,  of  poor  but  pious  Presbyterian  parents,  whose  for- 
tune in  life  left  me  fai  below  the  means  of  common  school  learning. 
My  occupation  was  hard  labour  in  cultivating  the  soil,  till  I  was 
left  an  orphan  in  a  friendless  world  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  without 
a  father  or  a  mother  to  assist  me  in  life;  after  which  I  inclined  to 
mechanical  business  in  joining  timber,  one  part  unto  another,  by 
which  I  have  erected,  in  the  village  of  Sharon,  memorials  of  the 
patterns  the  Lord  hath  given  for  the  erection  of  His  house;  and 
with  the  pen  I  have  drawn  the  lines  of  His  Spirit  as  to  me  they 
have  been  given." 

He  was  married  to  Phoebe  Titus  in  about  1800  and  in  1801  he 
came  to  Canada.  He  took  up  land  in  1802  in  the  Township  of 
East  Gwillimbury,  where  the  village  of  Sharon  now  is.  Many 
of  his  neighbours  were  Quakers  and  he  seems  to  have  soon  joined 
that  sect.  He  tells  us  that  he  kept  silence  for  some  seven  years, 
"but,"  as  he  says,  "when  I  began  to  speak  to  them  from  the  pro- 
ceeds of  my  inward  grace,  I  was  excommunicated  from  them  as 
unworthy  of  the  privilege  and  esteem  I  had  once  enjoyed,  and  the 
whole  body,  save  four  or  five,  turned  against  me,  and  I  was  cast 
out  from  the  care  of  Society  into  the  open  world,  to  loathe  the 
excommunication  they  had  placed  upon  me."  This  seems  to  have 
been  in  1811.  Then  he  organized  a  new  sect  called  the  "Children 
of  Peace"  and  reports  visions  that  he  had  in  1312  representing 
to  him  the  Church  of  God  under  various  similitudes  such  as  a 

46 


beautiful  queenly  figure,  a  pure  stream  of  water,  a  beautiful  new- 
born babe  and  so  on.  But  Willson 's  style  is  vague  and  incoherent 
and  no  ordinary  reader,  like  the  present  writer,  can  guarantee  the 
correctness  of  any  condensation  of  the  matter  of  his  writings. 

In  1815  he  published  what  seems  to  be  his  earliest  book,  viz., 
The  Rights  of  Christy  according  to  the  Principles  and  Doctrines  of 
the  Children  of  Peace,  Philadelphia,  1815.  The  whole  volume 
contains  59  pages,  and  is  divided  into  three  parts,  "The  Rights  of 
Christ"  proper,  of  twenty  pages,  "Address  to  the  Crown  of  Eng- 
land," of  seven  pages,  "The  Pattern -of  Peace  or  Babylon  Over- 
thrown," of  nineteen  pages,  and  two  poems,  "Some  Reasons  for 
believing  that  the  Spirit  of  Christ  is  Not  in  all  that  Profess  his 
Name,"  and  "A  Song  giving  God  Praise  on  the  First  Day  of  the 
Week  or  the  Morning  of  the  Resurrection  Triumphant  over  Death, 
Hell  and  the  Grave."  Prospective  readers  are,  however,  to  be 
warned  that  the  essays  and  poems  are  less  interesting  than  these 
titles  would  seem  to  indicate.  The  information  regarding  Willson 
and  his  neighbours  in  the  matter  of  their  attitude  to  the  world 
contained  therein  is  extremely  meagre. 

In  1825  the  building  of  the  Temple  of  Sharon  appears  to  have 
been  begun,  although  I  have  not  found  any  exact  account  of  this. 
It  was  not  finished  earlier  than  1830.  It  is  a  remarkable  structure 
but  since  it  is  described  in  Dr.  Hughes'  Brochure  of  1918  we  pass 
it  over. 

In  September  1828,  there  came  to  Sharon,  on  an  electioneering 
visit,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  our  early  history,  William 
Lyon  MacKenzie.  He  had  already  founded  his  newspaper  The 
Colonial  Advocate  (1824),  and  had  received  a  visit  from  certain 
young  men  who,  to  teach  him  better  manners,  pitched  his  type  into 
the  Bay  (1826).  He  stayed  at  the  house  of  Enos  Dennis  for  two 
nights  and  was  delighted  with  what  he  saw  and  heard  of  the 
Children  of  Peace.  The  Society  consisted  at  that  time  of  thirty 
or  forty  families  residing  in  and  about  the  village  of  Hope  (now 
Sharon).  The  country  was  well  cleared  and  the  village  possessed 
a  variety  of  tradesmen,  such  as  tanners,  weavers,  blacksmiths, 
coopers,  joiners,  shoemakers,  and  so  on.  Dennis  himself  was  at 
once  a  millwright,  wheelwright,  blacksmith,  cabinet  maker  and 
cart  and  plough  maker.  Willson  was  busy  working  on  his  "elegant 
and  fanciful"  temple.  There  were  two  schools  in  Hope,  one  for  the 
ordinary  branches  of  education  and  the  other,  on  a  far  larger 
scale,  for  the  instruction  of  young  females  in  knitting,  sewing, 
spinning,  making  chip  and  straw  hats  and  bonnets,  etc.  There 
were  a  male  and  female  superintendent.  The  pupils  cooked,  made 
their  own  clothes,  kept  the  garden  in  order,  and  received  lessons 
in  reading  and  the  like.  MacKenzie  counted  nearly  a  dozen  large 
"wool-wheels"  in  one  room.  And  he  found  amongst  the  pupils  two 
young  girls  from  York  (Toronto).  It  may  be  remarked  here  that 
this  is  doubtless  the  earliest  account  of  a  School  of  Domestic 
Science- in  Ontario. 

On  September  2nd,  1829,  MacKenzie  met  the  Children  of  Peace 
again  about  eight  miles  from  York  where  they  were  holding  a 
meeting.  Here  he  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  music  fur- 
nished by  some  twenty  men  and  six  or  eight  women  who  sang  and 
also  played  on  a  variety  of  instruments,  such  as  violins,  bass  viols, 

47 


bassoons,  flutes,  flageolets   and  the  like.     David  Willson  on  this 
occasion  preached  for  over  an  hour. 

MacKenzie  saw  the  Children  of  Peace  again  in  July  1830  and 
reports  that  they  were  preparing  for  the  erection  of  a  third  build- 
ing, in  brick  and  wood,  and  that  the  Temple  was  nearly  finished. 
He  visited  East  Gwillimbury  again  in  July  1831,  and  this  time 
in  connection  with  his  petition  to  the  King  for  a  "redress  of 
grievances"  from  which  Upper  Canada  was  suffering.1  After  the 
public  meeting  there  was  an  evening  demonstration,  during  which 
there  was  marching  up  and  'down  the  village  of  Hope,  the  proces- 
sion being  headed  by  the  "power.ful  band  of  the  militia  regiment," 
playing  on  a  variety  of  instruments.  One  may  doubt  whether  this 
was  a  militia  band  or  merely  what  we  may  call  Willson's  Temple 
Band  which  was  celebrated.  John  Ross  Robertson  speaks  of  it  as 
a  Temperance  Band,  in  which  he  is  pretty  certainly  in  error.2 
These  meetings  with  the  Children  of  Peace  are  described  in  Mac- 
Kenzde's  Sketches  of  Canada  and  the  United  States,  London,  1833, 
which  were  published  in  London  when  the  alert  Reformer  was  busy 
presenting  his  case  to  the  British  Government. 

There  is  another  work  of  MacKenzie,  New  Almanack  for  the 
Canadian  True  Blues,  of  1834,  in  which  he  again  speaks  in  a 
complimentary  way  of  Willson  and  the  Children  of  Peace.  It  is 
to  be  remembered  in  this  connection  that  Willson  and  his  friends 
were  largely,  if  not  altogether,  in  sympathy  with  MacKenzie  and 
the  Reformers.  Two  of  his  sons  were  arrested  as  rebels  in  1837.3 
In  1832  the  Rev.  Isaac  Fidler  visited  the  County  of  York  and 
in  1833  published  "Observations  on  Professions,  Literature,  Man- 
ners and  Emigration  in  the  United  States  and  Canada"  (New 
York) .  Mr.  Fidler  speaks  of  Willson  as  King  David,  and  is  mildly 
satirical  regarding  the  "virgins"  who  accompanied  him  on  his 
preaching  tours,  although  on  the  whole  respectful  in  tone. 

In  1833  another  gentleman,  Patrick  Shirreff,  of  East  Lothian, 
Scotland,  who  was  on  a  tour  in  Canada  and  the  United  States, 
made  a  visit  to  East  Gwillimbury,  which  he  describes  in  his  book, 
A  Tour  Through  North  America,  Edinburgh,  1835,  p.  106.  He 
gives  an  interesting  account  of  the  Temple  and  of  Willson.  In 
describing  the  latter  he  compares  him  with  Edward  Irving  (1792- 
1834),  the  great  preacher  and  founder  of  the  Catholic  Apostolic 
Church,  then  at  the  waning  of  his  celebrity,  and  near  the  end  of 
his  life.  If  Willson's  appearance  suggested  Irving  to  Shirreff  there 
must  have  been  something  striking  about  him,  for  according  to 
Thomas  Carlyle,4  Irving  was  a  very  handsome  man  of  impressive 
aspect. 

In  1835  Willson  published  two  books:  The  Impressions  of  the 
Mind  and  Letters  to  the  Jews.  The  former  is  a  volume  of  358 
pages.  In  his  "Observations  to  the  Reader"  he  says  that  his  "object 
in  the  publication  of  these  few  broken  hints  to  the  world,  hath  been 
to  improve  the  small  measure  given,"  so  that  in  the  end  he  might 
"lay  down  his  head  in  peace  with  God."  He  hopes  he  will  be  ex- 
cused for  his  "singular  deviations  in  Church  and  State  Govern- 

iSee  Lindsay's  "Life  of  Mackenzie?'   1862,  Vol.  I.,  p.   202. 
2"What   Art   has   done   for    Canadian   History,"    No.    3440. 

3Lindsay's  "Life  of  Mackenzie,"  1862,  Vol.  II.,  p.  379,  and  Durand's  "Remin- 
iscences,"   1897,    p.    316,    Durand    speaks   of   three    sons. 
4Carlyle's  "Reminiscences''   edited  by  Froude. 

48 


ment  ;  but  let  no  reader  be  afraid,  Willson  will  not  shock  any  one 
with  revolutionary  sentiments.  The  book  is  really  a  collection  of 
colourless  sermons  or  addresses  (delivered  from  1832  to  1835) 
interwoven  with  short  poems,  taken  down,  at  least  in  part,  by  a 
faithful  amanuensis  or  redactrice,  Anne  Reid,  who  seems  to  have 
died  in  October,  1833.  Who  carried  on  her  work  up  till  1835  is 
not  disclosed.  One  of  the  peculiar  features  of  these  sermons  is 
the  small  rapport  existing  between  them  and  the  events  of  the 
great  world  outside.  Willson,  as  he  says,  draws  everything  out  of 
his  own  mind.  But  occasionally  he  does  make  some  reference  to 
contemporaneous  occurrences,  as  for  instance  on  November  1st, 
1832,  where  he  speaks  more  or  less  vaguely  of  the  many  graves 
dug  during  the  previous  summer  to  receive  the  victims  of  the 
cholera  which  was  so  severe  at  that  time  in  our  region. 

An  interesting  section  of  the  book  deals,  more  or  less  vaguely, 
with  political  questions.  Wdllson,  although  not  expressing  his 
views  in  a  very  coherent  manner,  seems  to  be  wise  enough  to  realise 
that  a  republican  form  of  government  is  not  necessarily  superior 
to  a  Monarchial.  As  he  says,  "What  have  republicans  to  boast  of? 
They  are  as  much  at  variance  as  the  subjects  of  our  Monarchial 
government,  and  as  dissatisfied  with  senate  and  president  as  we 
are  with  William  our  King.  Good  government  doth  not  consist  in 
form  or  system,  nor  religion  in  church  orders,  or  what  is  called 
sacred  ceremonies,  but  in  the  established  principles  of  the  Son  of 
God."  His  sentiment  of  loyalty  to  Britain  and  her  King  is  sturdy 
and  complete.  He  expresses  himself  thus :  "Britain  is  my  hope,  for 
there  I  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God.  I  love  the  King  as  my 
father,  for  he  will  receive  grace,  and  be  at  peace  with  his  people. 
Britain  is  the  star  of  nations;  the  sun  will  rise  and  shine  upon 
her  as  morning  rays  on  the  western  hills." 

At  pages  269  and  314,  five  of  the  older  men  of  the  village  of 
Hope,  present,  on  behalf  of  David  Willson,  testimony  in  quaint 
style,  which  has  some  interest  as  explanatory  of  the  life  and 
character  of  thedr  leader.  From  these  two  passages  the  following 
extracts  are  chosen:  "His  life  was  singularly  spent,  between 
labour  and  devotion,  often  retiring  to  bye-places,  fence  corners,  or 
the  woods;  always  allowing  one  hour  in  the  after  part  of  the  day 
for  any  person  who  might  be  working  for  him  to  retire  also  for 
devotion,  if  they  inclined  to  do  so;  never  employing  any  person 
without  first  seeing  the  way  to  pay  when  wanted  or  required; 
living  in  peace  with  his  neighbours,  never  disputing  about  any 
points  of  doctrine.  His  doctrine  was  unto  us  very  singular,  who 
were  bred  up  strict  sectarians;  he  pleads  the  sinner's  cause  (not 
the  cause  of  sin)  and  convinced  many  of  us  of  our  partial  dis- 
positions. He  hath  written  much,  hath  often  delivered  publicly, 
and  also  wrote  truths  which  has  (sic)  proved  to  us  that  he  was 
favoured  with  some  foreknowledge  of  events,  which  has  (sic) 
come  to  pass  within  our  knowledge.  He  is  a  man  of  scarcely  any 
education ;  but  hath  been  able  to  teach  us  doctrines  we  never  knew. 
He  is  no  sectarian,  nor  pay  preacher — his  mind  (as  he  has  often 
intimated  to  us)  has  travelled  backward  from  the  last  dissenters, 
until  his  mind  dwelleth  much  with  Abraham,  Moses,  David  and  the 
prophets,  and  latterly  he  has  been  engaged  in  writing  some  manu- 
script in  favour  of  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  and  the  downfall 

49 


of  Christian  sectarianism His  disposition  is  to  patiently 

hear  the  cries  of  the  young  or  old,  and  to  perform  any  kind  of 
labour  or  service  in  the  church — preaching  the  ways  of  salvation 
to  all  mankind,  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  or  His  Sufferings.  He 
has  given  the  whole  of  his  time  to  religious  service  for  rising  of 
twenty  years,  although  a  man  in  limited  circumstances,  and  he 

would  never  receive  any  remuneration  for  this  service 

He  has  given  gratis  to  his  brethren  his  services  as  a  builder,  also 
the  ground  whereon  our  three  buildings  of  •  worship  stand.  And 
although  he  is  a  man  not  versed  in  science,  yet  his  pattern  for 
building  will  stand  the  test  of  the  most  strict  scrutiny,  and  we 
can  say  the  house  (which  he  designed)  for  our  Monthly  Sacrifice 
(i.e.,  The  Temple)  has  obtained  the  character  of  being  a  modern 
structure  for  chasteness  of  design  unsurpassed." 

As  has  been  already  said,  the  Letters  to  the  Jews  were  publish- 
ed in  the  same  year  (1835).  There  are  twelve  of  them  and  they 
make  a  book  of  seventy-one  pages.  The  thought  running  through 
these  letters  is  that  it  is  a  pity  to  have  lost  Judaism.  The  world 
is  as  unstable  as  water  and  needs  the  stability  and  conserving 
force  of  the  Jewish  religion.  It  is  evident  that  the  Christian  Sun 
is  departing  from  the  western  skies  and  what  shall  take  its  place? 
He  mourns  for  the  Deliverer  and  his  soul  slumbers  not. 

In  1837  Thomas  Duncumb  published  in  London  The  British 
Emigrant's  Advocate,  in  which  he  speaks  (pp.  272-5)  of  Hope  or 
David's  Town,  the  home  of  Willson.  He  speaks  of  Willson's 
preaching  as  original  and  of  his  manners  and  habits  as  "homely." 
He  states  that  Willson  used  to  preach  every  month  in  Toronto. 

In  1846  Willson  published  a  volume  of  Hymns,  and  Prayers 
(153  in  number)  which  were  written  for  use  in  the  services  of 
the  Meeting  House,  now  no  longer  in  existence.  Again  in  1849  he 
published,  for  the  same  services,  a  second  volume  of  Hymns  and 
Prayers  (314  in  number) . 

The  poetical  quality  of  these  verses  is  not  high,  but  I  shall  ven- 
ture to  quote  one  of  them,  as  a  fair  sample  of  the  whole.  It  is 
No.  LXXXI  of  the  volume  of  1846,  and  is  entitled, 

The  Trust  of  the  Redeemed. 

"To   Thee,   O   God,  my  praise  shall  be, 

My  hope,  my-  joy,  my  trust; 
For  thou  hast  been  a  God  to  me 
That  am  but  earth  and  dust. 

"Altho'   the   wise   may   rise   and   boast, 

And  princes  fill  the  throne, 
My  soul  shall  love  the  Holy  Ghost, 
A  God  to  whom  I'm  known. 

"Into  his  hands  my  life  I  give 
And  lean  upon  his  breast, 
His  Spirit  bids  my  soul  to  live 
And  with  His  own  to  rest. 

50 


"Thy  saints  my  sorrows  do  attend, 

And  Jesus  sees  me  there; 
A  hand  to  me  His  love  doth  lend 
And  saves  me  from  despair." 

In  1851  W.  H.  Smith  published  Canada,  Past,  Present  and  Fu- 
ture. In  vol.  I.,  at  p.  285  he  speaks  of  Wdllson. 

In  1852  a  book  called  Canada  as  it  Was,  Is,  and  May  Be,  by  Sir 
Richard  H.  Bonnycastle,  was  published.  Beginning  at  p.  284,  of 
vol.  I,  the  author  devotes  a  page  or  two  of  description  of  an  un- 
complimentary kind  to  David  Willson,  some  of  which  was  quoted 
by  Dr.  Scadding,  twenty  years  later,  in  an  interesting  book. 

In  1853  Willson  published  a  book  entitled  Sacred  Impressions 
of  the  Mind  in  Praise  and  Prayer.  It  is  a  little  volume  of  103 
pages,  composed  of  devotional  prose  and  verse  interspersed. 

In  1860  appeared  The  Practical  Life  of  the  Author  from  the 
Year  1801  to  1860.  It  is  also  a  small  volume  of  prose  and  verse, 
containing  eighty  pages.  The  information  regarding  Willson  or 
has  surroundings  to  be  found  in  this  volume  is  exceedingly  meagre, 
and  the  reading  of  it  is  disappointing.  It  has  also  the  defect  of 
vagueness  which  characterises  all  the  writings  that  Willson  has 
left  behind  him.  Still  one  can  find  something  in  it  regarding  the 
religious  doctrines  and  practices  of  the  Children  of  Peace.  They 
had  no  written  creed,  although  they  proclaimed  their  belief  in 
God  and  Jesus  -His  son.  To  arrive  at  Truth  they  did  not  consult 
the  writings  of  others,  but  searched  their  own  minds,  which  were 
enlightened  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  They  had  no  Sacramental  rites 
in  their  services,  but  they  had  music  and  feasting.  There  were  two 
great  feasts  in  the  year, — one  in  June  and  the  other  in  September, 
at  which  all  animal  diet  was  excluded.1  Union  and  peace  were  the 
foundation  stones  on  which  their  doctrines  and  organization  rested. 

In  1861  Rev.  J.  Carruthers,  a  Presbyterian  missionary,  publish- 
ed at  Hamilton,  a  Retrospect  of  Thirty-Six  Years'  Residence  in 
Canada  West.  He  speaks  of  Willson  as  the  "remarkable  leader 
of  this  religious  sect." 

In  1866  Willson's  long  life  of  88  years  came  to  a  close,  and  for 
twenty  years  the  Children  of  Peace  continued  their  existence.  But 
they  seem  not  to  have  used  the  Temple  after  1886. 

Since  Willson's  death  several  books  have  appeared  in  which  he 
and  his  companions  are  mentioned.  First,  in  1873,  Henry  Scad- 
ding,  D.D.,  published  his  book  Toronto  of  Old,  in  which  at  pp.  105, 
106,  107,  296,  486,  487,  488,  489  and  490  he  speaks  of  Willson  and 
his  activities.  It  is  doubtful  whether  all  that  Scadding  says  of 
them  was  thoroughly  verified  by  him. 

In  1885  C.  Blackett  Robinson  published  (without  author's 
name),  a  History  of  Toronto  and  County  of  York,  in  which  at  p. 

aNote  from  Miss  Sara  Mickle :  A  well-to-do  farmed  who  has  lived  all  his 
life  near  Sharon  and  who,  in  his  youth  attended  many  of  the  feasts,  states  that 
no  meat  was  ever  used  for  the  feasts.  The  fare  was  bread,  butter  and  cheese 
with  cake  of  all  kinds.  There  were  three  varieties  which  were  called  "feast 
cakes,"  one  being  rich  fruit  cake.  But  the  "feast  cake"  par  excellence,  was 
according  to  his  description  a  rich  sponge  cake,  in  which  many  eggs  were  used, 
and  which  after  many  years,  he  remembered  as  being  delicious. 

51 


174  of  vol.  I,  part  II,  there  is  a  reference  to  a  recent  article  in  the 
Rural  Canadian  which  gives  the  history  of  David  Willson's  family 
in  Ireland.  It  appears  that  a  Hugh  Willson  of  Carrickfegus  in 
Antrim  had  two  sons,  Hugh  and  John,  who  came  to  America  'in 
1770.  Here  John  had  a  son  in  1780  who  was  called  David.  He 
married  Phoebe  Titus  and  went  to  Canada  in  1801  (the  present 
writer  has  not  seen  the  article  in  the  Rural  Canadian). 

In  1896  John  Ross  Robertson  published  the  Second  Series  of  his 
Landmarks  of  Toronto  in  which  at  pp.  686,  688,  689  and  690  he 
speaks  of  Willson  and  Sharon.  In  these  pages  there  are  slips,  as 
for  instance  when  he  speaks  of  Shirreff  as  visiting  Willson  in  1835. 

In  1897  Charles  Durand  published  his  Reminiscences,  Toronto, 
in  which  at  pp.  316-8  he  speaks  of  Willson,  probably  not  without 
some  inaccuracy,  although  in  lively  and  entertaining  vein. 

In  1917  Robertson  published  his  valuable  volume,  What  Art 
Has  Done  for  Canadian  History  (a  continuation  of  his  Landmarks 
of  Canada)  and  here  he  mentions  several  photographs  and  sketches 
of  interest  which  illustrate  the  life  of  Willson,  now  in  the  great 
collection  of  historical  pictures  to  be  found  in  the  Public  Reference 
Library,  College  Street,  Toronto.  (See  in  that  collection  Nos. 
3440,  3560-7,  and  3600). 

Finally,  to  bring  our  subject  up  to  date,  we  must  mention  the 
purchase  of-  the  Temple  and  the  land  on  which  it  stands  in  1918 
by  the  York  Pioneers,  a  worthy  act  due  to  the  inspiration  of  James 
L.  Hughes.  Dr.  HugRes  has  also  prepared  two  instructive  bro- 
chures: Sketches  of  the  Sharon  Temple  and  of  Its  Founder,  David 
Willson,  and  Selections  from  the  Writings  and  Sermons  of  David 
Willson,  both  published  in  1918. 


52 


DEEDS    SPEAK" 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION   No.  21 


CONTENTS 

1 .  Old  Toronto  Streets  and  Landmarks. 

Mrs.  E.  V.  Neelands,  B.A. 

2.  Notes  on  the  Life  of  Canon  Featherstone  Lake 
Osier,  and  his  wife,  Ellen  Free  Pickton. 

Mrs.  W.  T.  Hallam.  B.A. 

3.  An  Old  Account,  1785-1788. 

Sara  Mickle. 


1920-1921 
I 


ANNUAL   REPORT 

OF  THE 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 
OF  TORONTO 
1920-1921 

Organized  1895;  Incorporated  February  14th,  1896. 

OFFICERS 

Honorary  President MRS.  COCKSHUTT,  Gov*t  House. 

MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 

Past  Presidents *LADY  EDGAR. 

*MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON. 

*MlSS  FlTZGlBBON. 

President  Miss  MICKLE,  48  Heath  St.  E. 

Vice-Presidents MRS.  JAMES  BAIN. 

MRS.  EDGAR  R.  JARVIS. 
Corresponding  Secretary  MRS.  W.  T.  HALLAM, 

Wycliffe  College. 
Recording  Secretary  MRS.  J.  G.  SETTLE, 

86  Walmer  Road. 
Treasurer    I MRS.  A.  E.  HILLS, 

1275  Bathurst  Street. 

CONVENORS  OF  MEMORIAL  FUND  COMMITTEE 
MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  MRS.  HILLS, 

141  Lyndhurst  Avenue.  1275  Bathurst  Street. 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 
MRS.  DUCKWORTH.  MRS.  BOYD  MAGEE. 

MRS.  NEELANDS.  MRS.  W.  A.  PARKS. 

MRS.  SINCLAIR.  MRS.  LEADBETTER. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS 

SIR  G.  R.  PARKIN.  J.  A.  MACDONNELL. 

COL.  G.  T.  DENISON.  W.  D.  LIGHTHALL,  F.RJS.C., 
Miss  CARNOCHAN.  F.R.S.L. 

JAMES  HANNAY.  BENJAMIN  SULTE,  F.R.S.C 

SIR  GILBERT  PARKER.  REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  PH.D. 

CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.S.C.  EDWARD  M.  THOMSON,  F.R.S.C., 
Miss  MACHAR.  F.R.S.L. 

BLISS  CARMAN.  CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS 

JOHN  D.  KELLY.  MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 

PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR.  PROP.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 

PROF.  G.  M.  WRONG.  REV.  PROF.  BRYCE. 

Miss  K.  M.  LIZARS.  PROF.  JOHN  SQUAIR. 

DR.  LOCKE.  PROF.  A.  H.  YOUNG. 
THE  VERY  REV.  DEAN  HARRIS.      HON.  MR.  JUSTICE  RIDDELL. 

HON.  MR.  JUSTICE  OSLER. 

'Deceased. 


President's   Address 


After  three  years  of  peace,  so-called,  the  poor  old 
shaken  world  seems  at  last  to  be  turning  the  corner,  and 
swinging  back  to  normal.  We  no  longer  talk  of  a  new 
world.  Many  high  hopes  have  perished.  England,  per- 
plexed and  harassed,  has  perhaps  suffered  the  most 
during  the  re-construction  period,  and  it  must  have  been 
bitter  to  her  people  after  saving  the  world  to  find  the 
same  evil  and  malicious  propaganda  assailing  her  on 
every  side  and  trying  to  destroy  the  Empire.  Yet  our 
hearts  cannot  but  swell  with  pride  when  we  remember 
that  the  brave  little  land  "though  so  little,  yet  so  great," 
is  still  holding  up  the  world  and  bearing  more  than  her 
share  of  its  burdens.  For  the  debt  which  weighs  her 
down  so  heavily  was  largely  incurred,  not  for  herself,  but 
others.  As  her  armies  fought  in  every  field,  so  her  money 
or  credit  helped  everywhere ;  of  the  ten  billions  she  owes 
the  United  States,  three  and  .one-half  billions  was  incur- 
red for  Russia — great  big  Russia — who  would  not  have 
received  the  loan  if  Britain  had  not  guaranteed  the  pay- 
ment of  it.  Yet  we  can  trust  that  Britain  is,  in  the  words 
of  one  orator,  "All  Right."  Personally,  my  hopes  for  her 
coming  thro'  the  stress  and  strain  are  largely  built  on  the 
fact  that  she  has  in  some  small  measure,  for  some  few 
articles,  adopted  protection.  May  this  lead  to  the  casting- 
off  of  one-sided  trade — miscalled  "free." 

At  present  all  thoughts  are  centred  upon  the  Confer- 
ence for  the  Limitation  of  Armaments  at  Washington. 
The  world,  peace-hungry,  longs  for  war  to  cease,  and 
much  impassioned  (one  might  almost  use  a  stronger  word) 
rhetoric  is  flooding  our  newspapers  and  journals,  thus 
fostering  extravagant  hopes  of  what  the  Conference  may 
be  able  to  accomplish.  It  is  better  to  think  a  little.  The 
difficulties  are  great ;  there  are  real  problems  to  be  faced ; 
we  pray  that  they  may  not  prove  insurmountable !  There 
are  other  considerations  which  must  give  us  pause, — the 
first  is  that  Germany,  prosperous  and  defiant,  and  Russia 
are  not  in  it — do  not  bind  themselves.  Then  there  is  the 
perhaps  human  instability  in  the  policy  of  Governments. 
Ten  years  is  a  long  time.  Within  that  period  we  have 

5 


known  the  peace  posturings  of  the  Geneva  Convention  to 
be  ruthlessly  swept  aside,  without  protest,  by  the  very 
men  who  framed  its  laws ;  and  later,  we  have  seen  how 
within  a  very  few  months  the  policy  as  to  the  League  of 
Nations  by  the  United  States  was  absolutely  reversed. 
Built  up,  fostered,  and  furthered  by  the  Supreme  Repre- 
sentative of  the  people,  it  was  nationally  rejected  at  the 
next  election. 

In  the  present  negotiations  upon  the  fleets,  we  are  all 
vitally  interested — the  over-burdened  British  taxpayer 
will  welcome  relief  from  the  heavy  tolls — but  the  distance 
of  its  component  parts  from  one  another,  renders  the 
Empire  the  most  vulnerable  of  nations,  and  we  cannot 
but  remember  its  existence  depends  upon  the  Fleet. 

There  has  been  some  progress  during  the  year  in  our 
own  Society,  but  we  ought  to  do  a  great  deal  more.  Want 
of  money,  and  want  of  a  home  where  interesting  historic 
articles  could  be  safely  stored  and  on  view,  hampers  us. 
We  must  work  steadily  towards  securing  such  a  place,  be 
it  large  or  small,  by  our  own  effort  or  in  conjunction  with 
others.  There  is  room  for  a  small  Museum  in  Toronto 
which  would  deal  with  the  social  and  domestic  life  of  the 
town  and  country.  This  the  great  Provincial  Museum, 
of  which  we  are  justly  proud,  cannot  do. .  And  yet  there 
is  an  interest  and  charm  about  the  intimate  possessions 
of  those  who  have  passed  away  that  tells  us  more  than 
we  can  learn  from  books.  There  is  a  wealth  of  historical 
articles  still  to  be  secured.  As  a  Society  we  must  be  up 

and  doing  to  make  our  work  a  success. 
.  *    *     *     *     *     * 

It  is  with  very  great  regret  that  the  Committee  has 
received  the  resignation  of  Mrs.  Corley,  for  many  years 
Recording,  and  for  the  past  eight  years  our  Correspond- 
ing Secretary.  Her  heart  has  been  in  the  work,  and  be- 
sides the  duties  of  her  office  she  has  willingly  helped  in 
every  way  possible — always  interested — always  at  hand — 
always  ready  to  do  what  she  could. 

Mrs.  Duckworth  has  also  had  to  resign.  She  has  given 
us  six  years  of  splendid  efficient  service  in  the  difficult 
office  of  Treasurer — a  very  important  post.  She  has  used 
very  good  judgment  and  has  been  invaluable  in  Commit- 
tee work.  It  is  with  very  great  regret  that  we  have  had 
to  accept  her  resignation,  but  we  shall  have  her  with  us 
and  know  that  she  will  not  lose  interest  in  our  work. 

SARA  MICKLE. 


Secretary's    Report 


The  regular  meetings  of  the  Women's  Canadian  His- 
torical Society,  of  Toronto,  during  the  past  year  have 
been  well  attended,  also  the  monthly  Executive  meetings. 
They  have  been  held  at  Sherbourne  House,  which  affords 
very  pleasant  and  convenient  quarters  for  our  meetings. 
Six  papers  and  addresses  have  been  given,  of  an  histori- 
cal or  literary  character. 

November — "The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Ontario  His- 
torical Society  at  Owen  Sound,"  by  Mrs.  W.  T.  Hallam. 

December — "The  Palestine  Campaign  Under  General 
Allenby,"  by  Major  Norman  Macdonnell. 

January — "Stephen  Jarvis,  U.  E.  L.,  Adjutant-General 
and  Gentleman  Usher  of  the  Black  Rod  in  Upper  Canada," 
by  Mrs.  Ralph  Brydges,  his  great  granddaughter. 

February— -"The  Life  and  Work  of  Canon  Featherstone 
Lake  Osier  and  His  Wife,  Ellen  Free  Pickton,"  by  Mrs. 
W.  T.  Hallam.  This  paper  was  taken  from  Mr.  Osier's 
journals,  which  'have  been  privately  printed,  and  a  copy 
has  been  kindly  presented  to  the  Society  by  the  Hon. 
Featherstone  Osier,  K.C. 

March — "Toronto  Streets  and  Houses  up  to  1832,"  by 
Mrs.  Ernest  Neelands. 

April — "Canadian  Literature  and  Writers,"  by  Mrs. 
John  Garvin. 

October — "The  University  Expeditions  to  Alberta  in 
Search  of  Fossil  Animals,"  by  Prof.  W.  A.  Parks,  of  the 
University  of  Toronto. 

Several  important  resolutions  were  passed  during  the 
year, 

(1)  That  a  standing  committee  with  power  to  add  to 
its  number  be  appointed  to  further  the  project  of  the  pro- 
posed Queen  Victoria  Memorial  Hall. 

(2)  That  the  bequests  to  the  Society  from  the  late  Miss 
Fitzgibbon  be  placed  in  the  Royal  Ontario  Museum  for 
safe  keeping  until  the  conditions  of  her*  will  shall  be  ful- 
filled. 

Mrs.  Horace  Eaton,  who  for  so  long  a  period  was  con- 
venor of  the  Red  Cross  Committee,  has  not  yet  ceased 
her  devoted  work  for  the  soldiers,  and  was  able  to  send 

7 


to  various  hospitals  in  Ontario  last  Christmas  many  ap- 
propriate gifts  for  tubercular  soldiers,  through  the  kind- 
ness of  our  members,  who  brought  to  the  December  meet- 
ing all  kinds  of  games,  magazines,  books,  knitted  com- 
forts, slippers,  etc.,  made  up  into  attractive  parcels. 
There  are  still  more  than  600  tubercular  soldiers  in  our 
province. 

A  very  interesting  feature  of  the  year's  proceedings 
was  the  observance  of  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of 
the  founding  of  this  Society.  This  took  the  form  of  a 
birthday  party  held  in  February  at  Sherbourne  House. 
The  committee  in  charge  received  congratulations  on  all 
sides  for  the  handsomely  decorated  table,  with  the  huge 
birthday  cake  centring  it,  and  for  the  interesting  enter- 
tainment of  violin  and  piano  music  provided  during  the 
afternoon  by  Mrs.  Lawson  Reade.  Dr.  Locke,  the  Chief 
Librarian  of  Toronto  gave  a  talk  on  "History  Teaching 
for  Young  Children."  Several  hundred  guests  were  pres- 
ent, and  letters  of  congratulation  and  good  wishes  were 
received  by  the  President  from  friends  of  the  Society  all 
over  Canada.  A  goodly  sum  was  realized  from  the  birth- 
day money  for  the  Memorial  Fund. 

We  welcome  twenty  new  members  to  our  Society :  Mrs. 
A.  F.  Rutter,  Mrs.  Fraser,  Miss  Lucy  Harris,  Mrs. 
Bowie,  Mrs.  Manson,  Mrs.  Price,  Mrs.  Watson,  Mrs.  Rus- 
sell Starr,  Mrs.  Bruce  Lawson,  Mrs.  Blackburn,  Mrs. 
Harding,  Miss  Riddell,  Miss  Millichamp,  Mrs.  Scarth, 
Mrs.  Settle,  Mrs.  Macdonald,  Mrs.  Poole,  Miss  Nelles, 
Mrs.  D.  B.  Donaldson  and  Mrs.  R.  A.  Williams. 

This  Society  has  for  its  object  not  only  "the  encourage- 
ment of  a  study  of  Canadian  history  and  literature,  the 
collection  and  preservation  of  Canadian  records  and 
relics,"  but  also  "the  building  up  of  Canadian  loyalty  and 
patriotism." 

Our  President,  at  all  the  meetings,  has  brought  before 
us  the  necessity  of  making  these  ideals  possible  in  our 
every  day  life.  One -very  material  way  in  which  we  can 
do  this  is  to  patronize  our  own  manufacturers,  insisting 
that  we  get  from  our  merchants  "Made  in  Canada"  goods. 
Many  articles  have  been  shown  at  the  meetings  quite  the 
equal  in  quality  to  foreign  goods,  and  just  as  cheap,  so 
that  no  sacrifice  is  involved  in  doing  this  "bit"  for  our 
country. 

LILLIAN  HALLAM, 

Rec.  Secretary. 

8 


Notes  by  the  Corresponding  Secretary 


During  the  year  we  joined  in  the  effort  to  obtain 
British  and  Canadian-made  films ;  letters  were  sent  to  ten 
picture  houses,  and  our  members  were  urged  to  do  their 
utmost  to  discourage  anti-British  productions. 

Letters  were  sent  to  The  National  Parks  Association 
re  the  Old  Fort  in  Toronto ;  the  Historic  Sites  Committee 
re  marking  of  sites  in  and  near  Toronto. 

Communications  were  received  from  various  Govern- 
ment bodies  bearing  on  the  need  for  purchasing  Canadian 
and  British-made  goods — a  policy,  the  benefits  of  which 
were  duly  impressed  on  our  members. 

Many  requests  for  transactions  were  received  from 
Historical  Societies  here  and  in  the  United  States,  from 
Libraries,  the  Royal  Colonial  Institute,  and  from  private 
individuals. 

Donations  and  Exchanges: — Early  Newspapers  and 
copies  of  the  Daily  Colonist,  from  Miss  Riddell;  the 
Parish  Register  of  Kingston,  U.C.,  1785-1811,  by  Prof. 
A.  H.  Young;  Rev.  John  Stuart,  D.D.,  U.E.L.,  by  Prof. 
A.  H.  Young;  Humours  of  the  times  of  Robert  Gourlay. 
also,  "Ignoramus,"  or  the  war  of  the  gowns,  from  Hon. 
Mr.  Justice  Riddell. 

Transactions: — York  Pioneer  Society;  The  Smith- 
sonian Institute;  Ontario  Historical  Society;  Thunder 
Bay  Historical  Society ;  Niagara  Historical  Society. 

LUELLA  CORLEY, 

Cor.  Secretary 


Treasurer's   Report 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT  1920-21. 
RECEIPTS. 

Nov.  1920,  balance  in  Bank $172  49 

Fees _ _ ....  100  00 

Donations 2  06 

Government  Grant  _.....  100  00 

Bank  Interest  ..  3  98 


Total  „ _ _ $   378  53 

EXPENDITURES. 

Tea  and  Service $  28  24 

Advertising 14  43 

Printing  and  Postage 186  40 

Life    Membership    transferred    to 

Memorial  Fund  _ 50  00 

Pianist   „ 5  00 

Flowers  _ 8  25 

Fee,  Sherbourne  House  _..  15  00 

Local  Council  ..  2  00 


Total $   309  83 


Balance,  Nov.  1921  ..  68  70 

BUILDING  ACCOUNT. 

(MEMORIAL  FUND). 

RECEIPTS. 

Nov.  1920,  balance  in  Bank $  400  19 

Canadian  Perm.  Deb.  Sojd 4,500  00 

Life  Memberships 50  00 

Interest  on  Government  Loans 513  00 

Interest  on  Can.  Per 12  50 

Bank  Interest 7  20 

Sale  of  Transactions 6  20 

Donations 164  67 

Monthly  Teas  51  80 


Total  $5,705  56 

10 

1 


EXPENDITURES. 
Government  Bonds  purchased $5,248  45 


Balance  November  1921 ..  457  11 


SECURITIES. 

1917  War  Loan  .  $  500  00 

1918  War  Loan 500  00 

1919  War  Loan  „ 300  00 

1920  Victory  Loan 5,000  00 

Canada  Permanent 500  00 

1921  Victory  Loan 500  00 


Total  _ _..  $7,300  00 

Balance  Cash  in  Bank  ..  67  11 


Total   Cash  and  Securities  $7,767  11 

HOPE  H.  DUCKWORTH, 

Hon.  Treasurer. 

Audited  and  found  correct, 

H.  E.  EATON. 


ERRATUM,  PAGE  11 
Balance  Cash  in  Bank  should  read  $457.11. 

Total    Cash    and    Securities    should    read 
$7,757.11. 


11 


TRANSACTION  No.  21 


No    1 .      Old  Toronto  Streets  and  Landmarks 
BY  MRS.  E.  V.  NEELANDS,  B.A. 

Time  brings  about  wondrous  changes  and  in  nothing 
is  this  truism  more  strikingly  exemplified  than  in  the  de- 
velopment and  growth  of  a  locality  that  contains  within 
itself  all  the  essential  elements  of  future  greatness. 
Nature  has  been  kind  to  Toronto ;  it  is  centrally  situated ; 
it  has  an  excellent  harbour ;  it  is  surrounded  by  a  splen- 
did farming  country;  it  possesses  unrivalled  railway 
facilities,  and  it  is  easy  of  access  from  all  directions.  AH 
these  advantages  are  favouring  and  important  factors 
in  the  building  up  of  a  large  city.  Few  cities,  during  the 
past  decade  have  increased  to  a  greater  extent  in  popula- 
tion, and  municipal  area,  as  has  Toronto ;  the  older  parts 
of  the  city  are  being  rebuilt  and  modernized,  while  the 
newer  and  more  recently  opened  up  sections  are  up  to  date 
in  point  of  lay-out,  and  diversified  architectural  design, 
and  can  compare  with,  if  not  excel,  any  similar  evolution 
that  is  taking  place  on  this  continent. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  as  early  as  1686  the  locality 
attracted  the  attention  of  Governor  de  Denonville  be- 
cause of  its  strategic  position  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
fur  trade  route  from  Georgian  Bay  via  Lake  Simcoe.  A 
post  was  recommended  "at  the  pass  at  Toronto,"  but  it 
was  not  actually  constructed  until  1749.  After  some 
years  of  prosperity,  the  small  garrison  was  withdrawn 
to  assist  in  the  defence  of  Niagara  against  the  British, 
and  on  their  withdrawal  they  destroyed  the  fort  by  fire. 
The  site  of  these  old  works  is  now  marked  by  a  monument 
in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  Exhibition  Grounds. 

With  the  passing  of  the  French  regime,  activity  in 
this  vicinity  ceased,  but  the  increasing  influx  of  settlers 
into  Upper  Canada  soon  revived  interest,  particularly  in 
the  harbour.  In  1788  it  is  thus  described  by  John  Col- 
lins, of  Quebec,  Deputy  Surveyor-General,  in  a  report  to 
Lord  Dorchester,  on  the  military  posts  and  harbours  of 
Lake  Ontario.  "The  harbour  of  Toronto  is  nearly  two 
miles  in  length  from  the  entrance  on  the  west  to  the 
isthmus  on  the  east.  The  breadth  of  the  entrance  is  about 

12 


one  half  mile,  but  the  navigable  channel  for  vessels  is 
only  500  yards.  The  north  or  main  shore,  the  whole 
length  of  the  harbour  is  a  clay  bank  from  12  to  20  feet 
high,  rising  gradually  from  behind,  apparently  good  land 
and  fit  for  settlement.  The  water  is  rather  shallow  near 
the  shore  and  unsafe  for  the  building  of  wharves,  but  the 
harbour  is  capacious,  safe  and  well  sheltered,  although 
the  entrance  is  from  the  west." 

At  that  time  Newark,  now  Niagara,  was  the  capital 
of  Upper  Canada,  but  its  proximity  to  the  frontier  had 
for  some  time  caused  anxiety,  and  in  1792  Toronto  was 
selected  as  the  most  suitable  site.  The  work  of  building 
the  new  town  appears  to  have  been  carried  out  with  great 
energy,  and  it  was  not  long  before  Sir  John  Simcoe.  the 
Governor,  with  the  officials  and  a  portion  of  troops  from 
Niagara  and  Queenston,  were  established  in  their  new 
quarters.  In  honour  of  the  Duke  of  York,  the  old  name 
Toronto,  was  changed  to  York,  the  ceremony  being  form- 
ally solemnized  by  a  review  of  the  troops  and  artillery 
salutes.  The  entrance  to  the  harbour  was  protected  by  a 
new  fort  just  west,  of  the  foot  of  the  modern  Bathurst 
Street,  by  a  block  house  on  the  nearest  point  of  the  island 
and  by  the  western  battery,  an  outlying  fortification  a 
few  hundred  yards  west  of  the  fort.  Block  houses  were 
erected  later,  one  near  the  mouth  of  the  Don  where  the 
office  of  the  Gooderham  &  Worts  Distillery  now  stands, 
one  at  the  corner  of  Bloor  and  Sherbourne  Streets,  and 
one  near  the  corner  of  College  Street  and  Spadina  Avenue, 
on  the  site  of  Broadway  Tabernacle.  The  ravine  of  Gar- 
rison Creek  was  protected  by  another  block  house  north- 
west of  the  fort,  and  much  later,  in  1838,  the  last  of 
these  defensive  posts  was  erected  just  opposite  Belmont 
Street  to  control  Upper  Yonge  Street  and  the  adjacent 
Rosedale  ravine. 

The  town,  as  laid  out  by  Governor  Simcoe  was  located 
close  to  the  shore  not  far  west  of  the  Don  River;  it  con- 
sisted of  10  blocks,  4  streets  running  east  and  west  and  6 
streets  running  north  and  south.  The  most  easterly  street 
was  Berkeley,  then  successively  Ontario,  Princes,  in 
compliment  to  the  princes  of  the  Royal  House,  Caroline, 
called  after  the  Princess  of  Wales,  Frederick,  after  the 
Duke  of  York,  and  George,  in  honour  of  the  ruling  king, 
George  Third.  The  east  and  west  streets  were  Palace,  our 
Front  Street,  so  called  from  an  intention  never  carried 
out,  of  erecting  a  Government  House  on  this  street,  King 

13 


Street,  the  main  highway  of  the  town,  Duke  Street  and 
Duchess  Street.  All  these  old  streets  remain  to-day  as 
originally  planned.  The  idea  of  extending  the  streets  at 
right  angles  to  each  other  as  designed  by  the  founder  has 
always  been  adhered  to. 

What  did  the  new  settlement  look  like  in  1792-94  when 
Governor  Simcoe,  with  his  staff,  troops  and  followers  ar- 
rived? We  know  that  the  site  had  been  used  for  trading 
purposes  by  the  Mississauga  Indians,  and  we  are  told  that 
there  was  a  clearing  all  along  the  waterfront  from  the 
Don  River  to  the  point  of  land  where  Bathurst  Street  is 
now.  There  were  very  large  trees — many  creeks  and  a 
great  deal  of  marshy  ground.  On  all  sides  extended  the 
unbroken  forest. 

From  the  new  capital  Governor  Simcoe  planned  three 
main  roads  which  were  opened  up  by  his  rangers.  The 
first  led  westward  to  the  head  of  Burlington  Bay  and 
thence  to  Niagara;  it  was  called  Dundas  Street  after 
Henry  Dundas,  Viscount  Melville,  a  personal  friend  of 
the  Simcoes.  The  second  was  the  Kingston  Road  running 
eastward  to  Kingston,  and  the  third,  leading  to  Lake 
Simcoe,  was  called  Yonge  Street,  after  Sir  George  Yonge. 
Many  different  people  had  a  share  in  the  construction  of 
these  roads. 

About  the  same  time  the  province  was  divided  into  19 
counties,  one  of  which  was  York.  The  townships  were 
divided  into  lots  one  quarter  mile  in  width,  and  those 
along  the  water  front  were  laid  out  from  Scarborough  to 
the  Humber. 

One  of  the  first  things  done  was  the  erection  of  a  saw- 
mill on  the  banks  of  the  Humber  for  the  purpose  of  sup- 
plying lumber  for  the  building  of  the  new  town.  They 
were  very  much  in  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  for  the 
nearest  settlement  was  50  miles  or  more  away. 

The  River  Don  at  that  time  had  two  mouths,  the  main 
branch  being  where  it  now  is,  and  the  other  some  distance 
farther  east. 

The  beauty  of  the  Don  Valley,  with  its  wooded  rolling 
slopes,  must  have  attracted  Governor  Simcoe,  for  he  built 
his  summer  home  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  overlooking  it. 
This  log  house,  30  x  50  feet,  was  called  Castle  Frank, 
after  his  little  son  Francis,  and  all  the  way  from  the  set- 
tlement to  the  front  of  the  Chateau  was  a  carefully  grad- 
ed but  narrow  carriage  road.  Remains  of  this  ancient 
engineering  achievement  are  still  to  be  traced  along  the 

14 


base  of  the  hill  below  the  Necropolis.  One  can  imagine 
the  Governor  with  his  family  and  staff  wending  their 
way  through  the  bush  to  this  picturesque  log  home,  in 
the  summers  of  1794-95-96.  After  the  departure  of  Gov. 
Simcoe  in  1796  it  was  occasionally  used  for  a  picnic  or 
excursion,  and  we  are  told  that  Pres.  Russell  and  his  fam- 
ily had  several  balls  there,  but  it  gradually  fell  into  dis- 
use and  was  accidentally  burned  in  1829.  The  exact  loca- 
tion of  this  memorable  home  is  just  north  of  the  St. 
James*  Cemetery  fence,  and  the  roadway  followed  the 
course  of  our  modern  Parliament  Street. 

There  were  mills  on  the  Don  River  as  early 
as  1798.  Both  a  saw  and  a  grist-mill  were  established 
by  Capt.  Skinner.  These  mills  were  important,  being  the 
only  ones  near  York.  The  grist-mill  had  only  one  run  of 
stones,  and  was  kept  running  day  and  night.  The  peopla 
brought  their  grain  from  as  far  as  Hamilton  and  other 
ports  on  the  lake;  it  was  taken  up  the  Don  in  barges  to 
Sugar  Loaf  Hill,  and  thence  up  the  flats  to  the  mill  by  ox 
teams.  People  living  at  a  distance,  and  where  no  roads 
were  available,  brought  bags  of  wheat  on  their  backs  over 
the  trails. 

The  Parliament  Buildings  were  built  between  Palace 
Street  and  the  Bay,  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  To- 
ronto Gas  Works.  They  were  humble  but  spacious  wood- 
en and  brick  structures.  The  location  was  probably 
selected  because  the  ground  was  slightly  elevated  and  the 
forest  screened  the  swampy  ground  to  the  north  and 
west.  Officials  of  the  Government,  merchants  and  trades- 
men began  to  select  sites  and  put  up  dwellings  in  the 
usual  way.  Close  by  at  Berkeley  Street  or  Parliament 
Street,  as  the  southern  portion  of  it  was  called,  the  chief 
thoroughfare  of  the  town  King  Street,  had  its  starting 
point.  Growing  slowly  westward  it  developed  in  the 
usual  way — its  taverns,  its  boarding  houses,  its  places  of 
worship,  its  lawyers,  its  doctors  and  its  stores.  East 
from  Berkeley  Street,  King  Street,  bending  slightly  north 
and  then  east  crossed  the  Don  in  a  straight  line  and 
joined  the  Kingston  Road. 

The  town  grew  rapidly  towards  the  ivest,  and  by  1801 
it  had  reached  as  far  as  Peter  Street,  and  was  surveyed 
from  the  Bay  to  Lot  Street,  our  modern  Queen  Street, 
which  is  an  exact  continuation  of  the  Kingston  Road. 
From  an  interesting  contemporary  sketch  we  find  that 
this  section  was  called  Newtown.  It  had  as  its  western 

15 


boundary  Peter  Street,  named  after  the  Hon.  Peter  Rus- 
sell, who  owned  an  estate  known  as  Petersfield,  on  Queen 
Street,  through  which  Catherine  Street  now  runs.  The 
streets  east  of  Peter  Street  were  in  order,  John,  Graves, 
now  Simcoe,  both  called  after  Gov.  Simcoe,  York  and 
Bear,  so  called  from  a  famous  bear  hunt  in  that  vicinity. 
Bear  Street  afterwards  became  Bay  Street. 

The  east  and  west  streets  were  Front  Street,  the  path- 
way along  the  waterfront,  then  Market,  now  Wellington 
Street,  then  King  Street,  with  Russell  Square  embracing 
the  blocks  from  John  to  Simcoe  Streets.  Newgate  Street, 
now  Adelaide,  so  called  from  the  proximity  of  the  court- 
house near  the  eastern  end.  Hospital  Street,  now  Rich- 
mond Street,  so  called  because  from  this  street  was  the 
entrance  to  the  hospital  on  the  site  of  the  Arlington  Hotel. 

North  of  this  was  Lot  Street,  now  Queen  Street,  its 
western  extension  being  known  as  Sydenham  Street,  from 
which  Dundas  ran  north  and  then  west. 

West  of  Peter  Street,  what  was  known  as  the  Military 
Reserve  extended  along  the  water  front.  In  some  mili- 
tary notes  we  read  that  the  land  was  cleared  and  en- 
closed around  the  fort;  it  was  sowed  with  grass  for  the 
more  easy  procuring  of  hay  for  the  King's  oxen  and 
horses.  These  fields  afterwards  became  known  as  th'2 
Garrison  Common. 

At  this  time  Yonge  Street  did  not  extend  south  of  Queen 
Street. 

One  of  the  most  important  features  was  Market  Sqiwre, 
the  site  of  which  is  partly  occupied  by  the  modern  mar- 
ket; it  was  laid  out  in  1803  and  comprised  51/2  acres. 
It  extended  from  Church  St.  to  New  St.,  later  called  NeJ- 
son  St.,  and  finally  Jarvis  St.  It  has  an  interesting  his- 
tory, this  old  square,  for  besides  being  the  general  buying 
and  selling  place,  it  was  the  rendezvous  of  all  classes,  and 
we  are  told  that  the  pillory  and  stocks  were  from  time  to 
time  set  up  and  were  only  done  away  with  in  1834.  The 
first  well  was  dug  at  the  market  place  in  1817.  Opposite 
the  square  on  the  north  side  of  King  St.  was  where  the 
original  St.  James  Church  was  built  in  1803,  and  the  land 
around  the  "sacred  little  place,"  long  remained  covered 
with  the  original  forest.  The  building  faced  west  and 
from  contemporary  sketches  seems  to  have  stood  a  long 
way  back  from  the  roadway.  Many  stumps  are  visible 
in  the  clearing  and  heavy  bush  behind.  The  church  was 

16 


enlarged  in  1818  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  John  Strachan 
the  Rector. 

There  was  a  church  school  in  1805  in  the  lot  north  of 
the  church,  which  was  the  popular  place  for  the  sons  of 
the  more  prominent  settlers.  Dr.  O'Kill  Stuart  was  the 
first  teacher,  and  in  1809  there  was  a  central  school 
started  by  Mr.  Spragge  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
same  square. 

The  first  Post  Office  in  1816  was  a  small  unpretentious 
log  house  on  the  east  side  of  Frederick  Street.  The  first 
postmaster  was  Mr.  Wm.  Allan,  father  of  the  Hon.  G. 
W.  Allan.  Mails  were  very  irregular,  being  by  stage  and 
sailing  boat  and  often  a  letter  for  England  mailed  in  No- 
vember did  not  reach  England  until  the  spring. 

The  first  jail  was  built  in  1800,  outside  the  original 
town  of  York,  at  the  corner  of  King  Street  and  Leader 
Lane,  about  where  Murray-Kay's  store  now  stands.  Op- 
posite on  the  north  side  of  King  was  the  Court  House 
building.  In  1824  another  jail  was  put  up  near  the  Court 
House. 

The  town  suffered  a  serious  set-back  when  it  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Americans  in  April,  1813.  The  Parliament 
Buildings  were  burned,  the  fortifications  more  or  less 
destroyed  and  the  invading  troops  billeted  on  the  citizens 
The  enemy  soon  retired,  and  we  learn  that  the  Assembly 
met  temporarily  in  Jordan's  Hotel  during  the  session  of 
1814.  They  met  for  several  years  at  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Geo.  Markland,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  York  and  Wel- 
lington Sts.  In  1818  new  buildings  were  erected  on  the 
old  site,  but  they  were  destroyed  by  fire  in  1824.  From 
1825  to  1828  the  sessions  were  held  in  the  General  Hos- 
pital, on  the  site  of  the  Arlington  Hotel.  Substantial 
brick  buildings  were  erected  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Front  and  Simcoe  Streets  in  1830-31,  which  were  in  use 
until  1892,  when  the  present  Parliament  Buildings  were 
opened. 

This  Jordan's  Hotel  on  King  Street,  near  Princes 
Street,  was  a  very  well  known  and  popular  place  for  trav- 
ellers from  the  east.  We  are  told  that  in  1820,  so  old  was 
it,  that  it  looked  almost  antique  compared  with  the 
Mansion  House  which  was  put  up  beside  it.  One  of  the 
few  town  pump  stations  was  near  by. 

Streets  were  added  as  needed,  and  were  called  after 
owners  of  land  through  whose  property  they  ran,  or  after 
officials  prominent  at  the  time.  The  land  was  gradually 

17 


cleared  of  large  timber  and  heavy  underbrush,  and  al- 
though the  streets  were  mostly  bush  roads  with  paths, 
there  were  many  wealthy  settlers  with  most  comfortable 
homes  for  such  a  primitive  place.  There  were  many 
creeks  which  crossed  at  various  angles,  and  these  made 
a  great  deal  of  mud  when  they  overflowed  their  banks. 
At  times  much  of  the  land  was  marshy  and  unhealthy. 
The  English  gentlemen  who  settled  in  York  acquired  lots, 
and  the  U.  E.  Loyalists  who  came  after  the  Revolutionary 
War  were  given  grants  of  land.  As  the  entire  district 
was  surveyed  to  the  1st  Concession,  namely,  from  Queen 
to  Bloor,  it  was  not  long  before  it  was  all  under  private 
ownership.  These  farms  or  lots  were  held  by  their  own- 
ers as  estates. 

Where  the  Esplanade  is  now  was  vastly  different  in 
those  early  days ;  it  has  broadened  the  town  to  the  south 
and  made  room  for  the  railway  section  and  all  the  open 
space  to  the  waters  of  the  Bay.  Front  Street  in  the  old 
days  was  a  raised  terrace,  and  so  bare  was  it  that  young 
trees,  oaks  and  elms,  were  planted  for  shade. 

The  early  settlers  in  York  recall  the  names  of  the  Hon. 
Peter  Russell,  Dr.  Baldwin,  Dr.  Strachan,  John  Scad- 
ding,  Lieut.  FitzGibbon,  Judge  J.  0.  Jarvis,  Hon.  H.  J. 
Boulton,  Hon.  Wm.  Allan,  Alexander  McNab,  Hon.  W.  B. 
Robinson,  Captain  Macaulay,  John  W.  Gamble.  Rev. 
Saltern  Givens,  Lt.-Col.  Denison,  George  Ridout,  Henry 
B.  Heward  and  the  Hon.  Geo.  Cruickshanks. 

There  is  a  very  interesting  oil  painting  in  the  John 
Ross  Robertson  collection,  by  Mr.  Irving,  a  Scotch  artist 
who  before  1820  was  visiting  in  Toronto  as  a  guest  of 
the  Hon.  Geo.  Cruickshanks.  This  painting  gives  an  ex- 
cellent idea  of  the  town  at  that  time,  looking  across  the 
Bay  from  the  Island.  A  key  to  this  plan,  which  gives  the 
names  of  all  the  important  buildings,  was  subsequently 
added.  Front  St.,  like  Palace,  Duke  and  Duchess  Sts., 
was  one  of  the  early  residential  streets ;  its  houses  faced 
the  Bay  and  had  an  unobstructed  view  of  the  Island 
and  of  the  lake  beyond.  Between  Peter  and  John  Sts., 
one  of  the  first  houses  built  in  1800,  was  the  home  of  the 
gentleman  mentioned  above,  the  Hon.  Geo.  Cruickshanks. 
It  was  built  60  feet  back  from  the  path,  and  was  low  and 
wide.  In  summer  we  are  told  that  it  was  covered  with 
vines,  and  that  the  white  painted  clap-boards  showed 
picturesquely  beneath.  Just  east  was  the  home  of  Mr. 

18 


John  Beikie,  Clerk  of  the  Executive  Council  in  1832.  It 
was  torn  down  in  1850  to  make  way  for  Windsor  St. 

"The  Palace,"  the  home  of  Dr.  Strachan,  stood  on  Front 
Street  about  opposite  to  our  Union  Station.  It  was  a 
beautiful  old  place  and  stood  there  until  1900,  when  it 
was  torn  down.  Mr.  J.  Ross  Robertson  had  a  chair  made 
from  the  oak  of  the  threshold,  and  in  1904  it  was  pre- 
sented to  Trinity  University,  which  was  founded  by  Dr. 
Strachan. 

On  the  water  front  was  the  "Halfway  House"  built  in 
1816,  a  favourite  resort  of  the  soldiers,  which  for  a  time 
bore  this  famous  sign : — 

"Within  this  hive,  we're  all  alive, 

Good  liquor  makes  us  funny, 
If  you  be  dry,  step  in  and  try, 

The  flavour  of  our  honey." 

Not  far  from  this  was  the  "Greenland  Fishery"  tavern 
— which  had  a  unique  painted  sign — one  side  of  which 
was  an  Arctic  scene,  the  other  vessels  and  boats  engaged 
in  capturing  a  whale. 

There  were  very  many  taverns,  for  drinking  was  uni- 
versal— the  old  brewers  tell  how  regularly  they  furnished 
even  the  clergymen  of  those  days  with  their  best  beer. 
Taverns  and  inns  everywhere  were  patronized  by  the  trav- 
ellers, not  only  as  halting  and  watering  places  for  tired 
horses,  but  also  as  places  for  refreshment  for  the 
drivers. 

Next  on  the  water's  edge  was  a  military  storehouse 
built  in  1810.  Other  interesting  buildings  were,  the  Ship 
Hotel,  at  the.  corner  of  Front  and  Market~Sq.,  and  the 
Farmers'  storehouse  at  the  corner  of  Church  and  Mait- 
land  Wharf.  On  Front  St.  also  were  the  homes  of  the 
Hon.  Rob.  Hamilton,  the  Hon.  Geo.  Martland,  Judge 
Grant  Powell,  Major  Hilier,  Andrew  Mercer,  Judge  Mac- 
aulay  and  Mr.  Geo.  Ridout.  Russell  Abbey,  the  residence 
of  the  Hon.  Peter  Russell  stood  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  Front  and  Princes.  Like  most  of  the  early  homes  in 
York  it  had  only  one  story  with  wings  to  right  and  left 
and  gabled  roof.  The  Hon.  Peter  Russell,  being  Governor 
and  administrator  of  the  colony  after  the  departure  of 
Gov.  Simcoe,  had  facilities  for  selecting  and  acquiring 
such  lands  as  he  wished ;  his  valuable  possessions  he  be- 
queathed at  his  death  to  his  sister,  who  in  turn  be- 
queathed them  to  a  relation,  Dr.  Robert  Baldwin. 

19 


The  office  of  Judge  Beverley  Robinson  was  also  on 
Front  St.,  but  his  home,  Beverley  House,  was  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  John  and  Richmond  Sts.  It  was 
later  the  temporary  abode  of  Poulett  Thompson,  Lord 
Sydenham,  Governor-General  of  Canada.  The  oldest 
part  of  this  house  was  built  in  1812  by  D'Arcy  Boulton. 
Elmsley  House,  on  the  southwest  corner  of  King  and 
Simcoe  Sts.,  had  an  interesting  history;  it  was  built  in 
1804  by  Justice  Elmsley.  In  1816  it  was  purchased  from 
him  and  used  as  Government  House.  Later  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  the  old  Government  House  was 
erected  in  its  place. 

As  early  as  1802  a  New  England  jeweller,  Jordan  Post, 
acquired  the  land  between  Bay  to  Yonge  St.  The  names 
of  himself  and  his  wife  are  preserved  in  Jordan  and 
Melinda  Sts. 

Church  St.,  in  1820,  only  ran  from  Front  to  Queen 
Sts.  The  Jarvis  property  was  on  the  east  and  the  McGill 
property  on  the  west.  Samuel  Peters  Jarvis  lived  at  thf; 
corner  of  Shuter  and  Jarvis  St.  The  gates  leading  into 
his  estate  could  be  seen  at  the  Bay,  as  there  were  no  large 
trees  at  that  time  directly  in  front.  East  of  the  Jarvis 
property  was  the  land  belonging  to  the  Hon.  Wm.  Allan, 
known  as  Mossfield,  or  Moss  Park. 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  King  and  Caroline  Sts.  was 
the  home  of  Joseph  Cawthra.  About  this  time  Caroline 
St.  was  changed  to  Sherbourne  St.  Mr.  Ridout  had  the 
land  east  of  Moss  Park,  and  he  and  Mr.  Allan  extended 
the  street  through  their  properties,  and  the  name  Sher- 
bourne was  chosen,  it  being  the  home  town  in  England 
of  the  Ridout  family. 

A  very  old  property  was  that  of  the  Hon.  C.  C.  Small 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  King  and  Berkeley  Sts.  His 
house,  known  as  Berkeley  House,  was  really  on  the  Gov- 
ernment Reserve,  near  the  old  Parliament  Buildings. 

Capt.  Sparks,  we  are  told,  bought  an  old  house  in  1820 
on  the  west  side  of  Broadview  Ave.,  not  far  from  Queen 
St.  Tradition  has  it  that  it  was  built  at  the  same  time 
as  Castle  Frank,  of  long,  solid  pine  logs,  which  were 
afterwards  covered  with  clap-boards. 

Where  the  modern  jail  now  stands  was  the  home  of 
John  Scadding  built  on  the  Don  River  in  1800.  There 
was  a  little  bridge  over  the  river  known  as  Scadding*s 
Bridge.  The  Scadding  property  extended  along  the  east 
bank  of  the  Don  from  the  Bay  to  Danforth  Ave. 

20 


Dr.  Macaulay  had  the  lands  on  the  north  side  of  Queen 
St.,  up  to  College  St,  known  as  Macaulay  Town,  through 
which  a  roadway  led  to  his  house,  Teraulay  Cottage 
(where  Trinity  Church  now  stands) ,  called  Teraulay  St., 
after  the  name  of  the  family  residence  in  Scotland  of  the 
head  of  the  Macaulay  clan.  James,  Albert,  Alice  and  Ed- 
ward Sts.,  running  through  the  property  are  Macaulay 
names. 

The  land  bounded  by  Yonge,  Bay,  Queen  and  Rich- 
mond Sts.  was  the  property  of  Jesse  Ketchum,  known  as 
the  children's  friend,  a  most  philanthropic  pioneer  set- 
tler. Through  his  land  ran  Temperance  St.,  the  name 
significant  of  a  Temperance  Hall  built  by  him.  He  deeded 
part  of  his  property  to  the  Presbyterian  body  known  as 
Knox  Church,  which  was  built  in  1821  on  Queen  St.  The 
manse  was  built  in  1825  on  the  east  side  of  Bay  St.  to 
the  south  of  Queen. 

The  Masonic  Hall,  a  famous  old  landmark,  stood  on 
Market  Lane,  now  Colborne  St.,  in  1818 ;  it  was  used  as 
a  schpolhouse,  and  in  1823  was  the  place  of  worship  of  the 
Baptists.  It  was  the  first  building  with  a  cupola. 

Scott  St.  received  its  name  from  Mr.  Thomas  Scott, 
whose  home  was  in  the  vicinity.  The  first  building  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  King  and  Yonge  Sts.  was  that  of 
Mr.  John  Dennis,  built  in  1820.  Later,  in  1827,  it  was 
used  as  the  Registry  Office  by  Mr.  Samuel  Ridout. 

Among  the  homes  outside  the  more  settled  section  was 
that  of  Major  Givens,  built  in  1802,  on  Givens  St.  He 
was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Queen's  Rangers,  under  Gov. 
Simcoe.  In  the  war  of  1812,  the  wounded  men  were 
taken  care  of  by  Mrs.  Givens.  This  old  house  was  torn 
down  in  1890. 

Capt.  Shaw's  house,  in  the  midst  of  the  woods  north- 
east of  where  Trinity  College  now  stands,  was  built  in 
1798.  In  the  log  cabin  to  the  west  of  this  the  Duke  of 
Kent,  father  of  Queen  Victoria,  was  entertained  in  1802. 
Shaw  St.  commemorates  his  name. 

Mr.  Duncan  Cameron  had  the  property  known  as  Gore 
Vale,  the  southern  portion  was  sold  to  Trinity  College. 

In  1813  we  find  Spadina  Ave.  laid  out  by  Dr.  Baldwin ; 
the  name  Spadina  is  from  the  Mississauga,  meaning  a 
sudden  rise  of  ground,  and  on  the  elevation,  at  the  head 
of  the  street,  Dr.  Baldwin  built  his  house,  Spadina,  in 
188,0.  This  landmark  was  burned  in  1835.  There  was  a 
double  row  of  chestnut  trees  on  both  sides  of  the  wonder- 

21 


f ul  roadway,  which  was  nearly  three  miles  in  length  from 
the  foot  of  the  hill  to  the  Bay.  Mr.  James  Austin  later 
bought  this  property  and  it  is  still  occupied  by  the  family. 

East  of  Spadina,  on  the  same  elevation  of  land,  was  the 
quaint  old  home  of  Col.  Wells,  known  as  Davenport. 
Dupont  St.  records  the  name  of  his  son,  George  Dupont 
Wells.  The  locality  is  still  known  as  Wells'  Hill. 

Bloor  St.  received  its  name  from  Joseph  Bloor,  who  at 
an  early  date  was  the  landlord  of  The  Farmers'  Arms,  a 
hotel  at  the  market.  On  retiring  from  this  he  started  a 
brewery  in  the  ravine  on  the  north  side  of  the  first  con- 
cession road,  midway  between  Sherbourne  St.  and  Hunt- 
ley  St.;  it  was  still  in  operation  in  1833.  Mr.  Bloor 
joined  Mr.  Jarvis  in  laying  out  the  village  of  Yorkvillc, 
which  might  have  been  called  Bloorville.  Mr.  Sheriff 
Jarvis  lived  at  Rosedale  (his  picturesque  home),  the 
name  aptly  describing  the  beauty  of  the  place.  It  seems 
hard  to  believe  that  as  late  as  1850  this  beautiful  resi- 
dential section  had  only  a  few  houses  and  only  one  bridge 
across  the  ravine,  and  that  a  rickety  wooden  one.  which 
blew  down  one  night  while  a  cabman  was  crossing  it. 

West  of  Yonge  St.  on  Bloor  was  the  Shaw  cottage,  built 
in  1818  by  Robert  Shaw  and  occupied  by  his  descendants 
until  nearly  the  end  of  the  century.  The  land  on  which, 
it  was  originally  built  belonged  to  Mr.  W.  D.  Baldwin, 
and  was  deeded  by  him  to  the  fund  of  the  Church  of  the 
Redeemer.  All  the  land  around  Bloor  St.  at  that  time  was 
forest.  The  roadbed  was  a  sand  bed  and  excessively 
muddy  in  wet  seasons.  At  the  northwest  corner  of  Yonge 
and  Bloor  was  the  Potter's  Field  Burying  Ground. 

There  were  many  little  creeks  and  swampy  places  in 
and  about  the  town  in  those  days.  Possibly  this  has 
something  to  do  with  the  place  receiving  the  title  of 
"Muddy  Little  York."  One  large  creek  ran  from  the 
northeast  across  the  original  town  and  emptied  into  the 
Bay,  near  the  first  Parliament  Buildings.  Where  this 
creek  crossed  the  line  of  the  present  Queen  and  Sher- 
bourne Sts.,  it  was  joined  by  the  Moss  Park  Creek.  Part 
of  the  original  bed  of  this  creek  was  the  Moss  Park  skat- 
ing rink.  These  creeks  did  not  alter  their  courses,  and 
were  there  up  to  1850.  A  good  sized  creek  ran  through 
what  was  early  known  as  Alex.'s  Field,  later  the  Normal 
School  Grounds.  At  certain  seasons  this  stream  con- 
tained sufficient  water  to  allow  of  boys  bathing  in  it.  The 
same  creek  crossed  Church  St.  at  Gould  St.,  and  running 

22 


east  flowed  down  through  that  part  of  the  Jarvis  Farm, 
which  lay  east  of  Church  St. 

On  the  west  side  of  Spadina  Ave.  there  was  an  erratic 
and  active  creek,  which  in  the  spring  was  responsible  for 
a  rupture  in  the  roadway  between  College  and  Queen  Sts. 
Another  creek  ran  through  the  grounds  of  the  old  Gov- 
ernment House  on  the  southwest  corner  of  King  and 
Simcoe  Sts.,  where  the  C.  P.  R.  freight  sheds  now  are. 
After  crossing  Wellington  St.  this  creek  ran  through  the 
grounds  of  the  Parliament  Buildings,  and  found  its  way 
to  the  Bay. 

The  low  grounds  in  Queen's  Park,  too,  were,  at  certain 
seasons,  flooded,  and  were  always  swampy,  and  the  happy 
home  of  numberless  muskrats.  More  surplus  waters 
formed  a  creek  which  crossed  College  St.  near  Beverley 
St.,  and  ran  through  the  grounds  of  the  Hon.  J.  Beverley 
Robinson  at  Sleepy  Hollow,  where  neat  miniature  bridges 
were  used  as  crossings. 

A  good-sized  creek  also  ran  through  the  grounds  of  the 
Hon.  James  McCutcheon,  who  resided  in  a  pretty  little 
cottage  called  McGill  Cottage,  which  was  situated  in  the 
centre  of  the  grounds  now  occupied  by  the  Methodist 
Metropolitan  Church.  This  property  was  called  McGill 
Sq.  The  house,  built  in  1804,  was  the  shelter  for  the 
ladies  of  York  when  the  town  was  taken  in  1813.  Mr. 
McCutcheon  was  a  brother  of  the  Hon.  Peter  McGill,  of 
Montreal,  the  founder  of  McGill  University.  McGill  St. 
is  called  after  this  family.  Gerrard  and  Shuter  Sts.  were 
named  after  personal  friends  of  Mr.  McCutcheon. 

Dr.  Scadding  says  that  Peter  McGill  inherited  the 
bulk  of  the  McGill  property  by  changing  his  name  from 
McCutcheon  by  Act  of  Parliament. 

The  Garrison  Creek,  just  east  of  the  Old  Fort,  was  an- 
other famous  creek. 

In  the  course  of  time  these  superfluous  surface  waters 
disappeared,  thanks  to  the  introduction  of  an  excellent 
drainage  system,  but  the  mud  formed  a  constant  subject 
of  conversation.  There  is  a  story  in  Taylor's  "Toronto 
Called  Back"  of  a  gentleman  walking  on  King  St.  who 
espied  a  good-looking  hat  in  the  middle  of  the  road. 
"Curious  to  see  and  pick  up  the  hat,  he  managed  to  reach 
it,  and  on  removing  it  discovered  to  his  surprise  the  head 
of  a  living  man  underneath.  This  individual  at  once  ap- 
pealed for  help  and  deliverance,  urging  as  his  special 
plea,  that  if  prompt  assistance  was  not  rendered  his  horse, 

23 


which  was  underneath,  would  certainly  perish."  The 
usual  method  of  extrication  by  the  use  of  shovels  and  oxen 
was  soon  applied,  and  the  man  and  horse  saved. 

We  must  not  overlook  the  old  home  of  the  Denison  fam- 
ily, known  as  Bellevue  House,  built  in  1815,  on  spacious 
grounds  on  the  north  side  of  Queen  Street.  The  present 
Bellevue  Avenue  was  named  after  it,  and  Denison  Avenue 
was  the  driveway.  Later  Rusholme  became  the  home- 
stead of  the  family ;  it  was  built  in  1839  at  the  corner  of 
Rusholme  Road  and  Dundas  Street.  Esther  St.  and 
Augusta  Ave.  are  Denison  names,  and  Dovercourt  the 
name  of  the  English  home  of  the  family.  Lippincott 
Street  was  named  after  a  Richard  Lippincott,  the  Loy- 
alist, whose  daughter  Esther  married  a  Denison. 

Queen's  Avenue — then  changed  to  College  Avenue — 
was  the  original  name  of  our  University  Avenue.  It 
extended  from  Queen  Street  to  the  land  reserved  for  the 
College — our  Queen's  Park  and  University  Grounds. 
McCaul  St.,  opened  up  later,  received  its  name  from  Dr. 
McCaul,  the  first  president  of  the  University. 

On  the  west  side  of  Queen's  Ave.  from  Queen  to  College 
was  the  land  belonging  to  Wm.  Bummer  Powell.  His 
house  built  in  1810  and  occupied  by  him  until  1820  was 
called  Caer  Howell  (Castle  Howell),  after  the  Old  Coun- 
try name  of  the  family.  This  old  homestead  formed  a 
part  of  the  old  Caer  Howell  Hotel.  William  St.  (formerly 
Dummer  St.),  and  Murray  St.,  in  the  property,  com- 
memorate his  name. 

South  of  College  St.  and  west  of  University  Avenue, 
about  where  the  Conservatory  of  Music  now  stands,  was 
the  home  of  Hon.  Beverley  Robinson,  on  the  old  Powell 
estate. 

South  of  this  was  the  property  of  Mr.  Darcy  Boulton. 
The  house  known  as  The  Grange  was  built  by  him  in  1820. 
After  his  death  his  son,  Mr.  Henry  Boulton,  lived  there 
and  subsequently  the  widow  of  the  latter  married  Prof. 
Goldwin  Smith.  The  property  has  been  remodelled  and  is 
now  the  Art  Museum. 

Mr.  Thomas  Ridout,  Manager  of  the  Bank  of  Upper 
Canada,  built  what  was  perhaps  the  first  pretentious 
house  in  the  lonely  vicinity  of  upper  Sherbourne  St.  It 
stood  unfinished  for  many  years,  but  was  eventually  Dur- 
chased  by  Senator  Geo.  A.  Cox,  who  lived  there  until  his 
death.  It  is  now  owned  by  the  Robert  Simpson  Co.,  and 
is  called  Sherbourne  House. 

24 


The  property  of  the  Hon.  G.  W.  Allan  extended  as  far 
north  as  Bloor  St.  The  portion  now  known  as  the  Allan 
Gardens  was  presented  by  him  to  the  city.  The  northern 
section,  thickly  studded  with  trees  and  heavy  underbrush 
was  for  many  years  the  rendezvous  of  disreputable  char- 
acters. 

There  were  only  three  wharves  up  to  1830.  One  at  the 
east,  at  the  foot  of  Frederick  St.,  known  as  Merchant's 
Wharf,  and  owned  by  Wm.  Allan.  City  Wharf  now 
stands  there.  Second,  at  the  foot  of  Church  Street,  known 
as  Farmers'  Wharf,  in  1816,  and  later  as  Maitland's 
Wharf,  now  Sylvester's.  Third,  at  the  foot  of  Peter 
Street,  known  as  Ordnance  Wharf.  It  was  there  when 
the  Esplanade  was  begun  in  1853.  Later,  in  1832,  the 
wharf  at  the  foot  of  Yonge  Street,  known  as  Freeland's 
Wharf,  was  built  beside  the  soap  and  candle  factory  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Freeland. 

The  town  lost  the  name  of  York  in  1832,  when  it  was 
incorporated  as  a  city  with  the  old  name,  Toronto.  At 
that  time  the  population  was  about  9,000.  A  few  of  the 
more  important  streets  might  be  mentioned: 

Simcoe  St.  above  Queen  was  originally  William  St. — 
then  Dummer  St. — now  Simcoe. 

Pearl  St.  was  originally  Boulton  St. 

Lombard  was  originally  March,  then  Stanley,  then 
Lombard. 

Lower  Spadina  was  originally  Brock  after  Gen.  Brock. 

(Mrs.  Jameson  resided  at  the  foot  of  this  street  in 
1836.  Also  the  old  Northern  Station  stood  there.) 

Streets  with  historic  names  are : — 

Maitland,  after  Sir  Peregrine  Maitland. 

Bathurst  St.,  after  the  Earl  of  Bathurst,  Secretary  of 
State  for  the  Colonies. 

Portland  St.,  after  the  Duke  of  Portland,  Colonial  Sec- 
retary. 

Adelaide  St.,  after  Queen  Adelaide,  wife  of  William  IV. 

Argyle  St.,  after  Duke  of  Argyle. 

Arthur  St.,  after  Prince  Arthur. 

Essex  St.,  after  Earl  of  Essex. 

Bond  St.,  after  Sir  Francis  Bond  Head. 

Other  streets  of  interest  are : — 

Wilcox,  Baldwin,  Russell  and  St.  George  bear  the  names 
of  members  of  the  Baldwin  family. 

Alexander  and  Wood  Sts.,  from  their  location  on  the  old 
estate  of  Alexander  Wood. 

25 


Beverley  St.,  after  Hon.  Beverley  Robinson. 

D'Arcy  St.,  after  Mr.  D'Arcy  Boulton. 

From  the  date  of  its  incorporation  as  Toronto  in  1832 
the  city  has  grown  from  a  little  town  of  less  than  10,000 
to  the  large  city  of  600,000  that  we  all  know.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  realize  the  changes  that  have  occurred  within  the 
span  of  a  single  life.  While  it  is  proper  that  we  should 
contemplate  with  pride  this  wonderful  growth  and  that 
we  should  to-day  enjoy  the  sentiment  of  the  Apostle,  that 
we  are  citizens  "of  no  mean  city,"  it  is  also  fitting  that 
we  should  strive  to  keep  green"  the  memory  of  the  little 
military  outpost  in  the  wilderness  in  which  our  fore- 
fathers "well  and  truly  laid"  the  foundations  of  the  great 
city  of  the  future.  The  greatness  of  a  city,  said  the  anci- 
ent sage,  is  not  in  bricks  and  mortar,  but  in  the  spirit  of 
the  citizens,  and  in  this  respect  also  the  pioneers  of  To- 
ronto were  worthy  of  her. 

Books  consulted  in  preparing  this  paper: — 

Robertson's  "Landmarks  of  Toronto." 

Dr.  Scadding's  "Toronto  of  Old." 

Mr.  Pearson's  "Recollections  and  Records  of  Toronto." 

Mulvaney's  "Toronto,  Past  and  Present." 

Taylor's  "Toronto  Called  Back." 

And  notes  from  my  father,  Mr.  R.  F.  Easson. 


No.  2. 

Notes  on  the  Life  of  Canon  Featherstone  Lake 
Osier,  and  his  wife,  Ellen  Free  Pickton 

BY  MRS.  W.  T.  HALLAM,  B.A. 

Featherstone  Lake  Osier  was  the  son  of  Edward  Osier, 
a  merchant  and  shipowner,  living  at  Falmouth,  England. 
He  was  born  December  14th,  1805,  and  when  very  young 
went  off  to  sea,  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  his  family 
and  friends.  He  speaks  thus  of  his  youth :  "I  was  always 
reckless  and  daring."  What  with  encountering  ship- 
wrecks, yellow  fever  and  other  catastrophes,  he  had 
many  marvellous  escapes  from  an  untimely  end. 

On  his  return  from  a  voyage  to  Rio  Janeiro  he  received 
a  flattering  offer  to  go  to  the  East  Indies,  which,  if  he  had 

26 


accepted,  would  have  most  probably  resulted  in  attaining 
for  him  "a  very  high  rank  in  the  Royal  Navy."  His  par- 
ents were  quite  aged,  and  he  declined  this  offer.  He  had 
often  thought  of  taking  Holy  Orders,  and  now,  when  he 
found  that  the  only  means  at  hand  for  advancement  in 
the  navy  meant  six  years  away  from  England,  he  deter- 
mined to  give  his  life  for  the  Church,  with  the  prospect 
of  settling  down  in  England  in  a  quiet  parish.  He  entered 
St.  Catharines  Hall,  Cambridge,  in  J.833,  and  took  his 
degree  in  1836,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one. 

His  godfather,  Mr.  Lake,  was  an  intimate  friend  of  the 
Earl  of  Galloway,  who  was  a  nephew  of  Bishop  Mountain 
of  Quebec.  The  Bishop  got  these  two  interested  in  Church 
life  in  Canada,  and  they  formed  a  society  in  England, 
called  the  "Upper  Canada  Clergy  Society." 

From  this  Society  Mr.  Osier  received  a  letter  when  he 
was  at  home  in  Falmouth  on  vacation,  which  read :  "You 
have  been  abroad  a  great  deal,  therefore  it  would  not  be 
so  much  for  you  to  go  as  for  others.  There  is  a  great 
scarcity  of  clergy  in  Canada.  Is  it  not  your  duty  to  go 
out?"  He  put  the  letter  into  his  mother's  hands,  who 
said :  "If  it  is  God's  will,  go,  and  God  bless  you." 

He  could  not  refuse  this  appeal  and  consented  to  go  for 
five  years,  for,  as  he  said :  "//  /  were  in  the  navy  and  were 
ordered  east,  west,  north  or  south  in  the  service  of  my 
King,  I  could  not  refuse  to  go,  and  shall  I  be  less  obedient 
to  go  abroad  in  the  service  of  my  Heavenly  King?" 

On  February  6,  1837,  he  was  married  to  Ellen  Pickton, 
of  Falmouth,  described  by  her  old  friends  as  pretty, 
clever,  witty,  faithful  in  her  friendships,  and  of  strong 
religious  principles.  She  was  born  near  London  in  1806, 
daughter  of  Thomas  Pickton,  one  of  a  company  of  whole- 
sale merchants.  While  young  she  went  to  live  with  her 
uncle  in  Falmouth,  Captain  Britton. 

Some  of  her  reminiscences  are  most  interesting.  When 
at  boarding  school  in  1817,  the  Princess  Charlotte  died, 
and  "mourning  was  universal.  Every  boarder  at  school 
had  black  things  sent  to  her.  At  church  the  whole  con- 
gregation was  in  mourning,  the  men  wore  black  bands 
on  their  sleeves  and  hats,  and  the  poorest  beggars  on  the 
streets  tried  to  have  a  wisp  of  crape." 

She  remembered  the  great  peace  rejoicings  at  Water- 
loo. She  wore  a  white  sash  with  "Peace  and  Plenty"  in 
gold  letters  upon  it.  Every  house  was  illuminated,  and 
cheering  processions  filled  the  streets.  She  remembers 

27 


"seeing  the  bodies  of  criminals  hung  in  chains  near  the 
scene  of  their  crimes  according  to  the  barbarous  fashions 
of  the  time."  She  used  to  see  the  "Sailor  King  William 
IV.  when  he  was  Prince  William,  with  his  ship  at  Fal- 
mouth."  "Naval  officers  were  always  welcome  guests  at 
her  uncle's,  and  she  had  many  friends  among  them,  and 
not  a  few  admirers." 

To  one  of  them  she  gave  her  heart,  and  when  he  decided 
to  go  to  Canada,  she  hesitated  not  to  ,go  with  him  as  his 
wife.  In  March  Mr.  Osier  was  ordained  at  Lambeth  Pal- 
ace Chapel  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  in  April 
they  started  for  Canada,  having  as  a  fellow  passenger, 
Mr.  Henry  Scadding,  who  had  been  attending  Cambridge 
University,  studying  for  Holy  Orders. 

"With  the  idea  that  Canada  was  a  fearfully  cold  coun- 
try, Mrs.  Osier's  dresses  were  lined  with  heavy  flannel, 
and  she  took  a  large  fur  cape  which  was  a  great  comfort 
to  her  for  many  years  on  long  cold  drives." 

After  an  ocean  voyage  of  seven  and  a  half  weeks  they 
arrived  at  Quebec,  when  Mr.  Osier  was  ordained  priest 
and  Mr.  Scadding  deacon,  by  Bishop  Mountain.  The 
Bishop  told  Mr.  Osier  that  Archdeacon  Strachan  had  a 
residence  for  them  in  their  new  field  of  work,  which  was 
in  the  township  of  Tecumseth,  some  distance  north  of 
Toronto.  Ten  days'  journey  by  water  and  land  brought 
them  to  Toronto,  and  in  a  few  days  they  started  north. 

Mr.  Scadding  was  appointed  tutor  to  Sir  John  Col- 
borne's  son,  and  later  became  a  Master  at  Upper  Canada 
College.  He  was  appointed  first  Rector  of  Holy  Trinity 
Church,  Toronto,  on  October  27th,  1847. 

The  residence  waiting  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Osier  was  a 
rough  house  in  the  woods,  which  had  been  used  for  the 
animals.  "With  the  exception  of  wolves  no  living  crea- 
tures were  within  a  third  of  a  mile."  But  Mrs.  Osier  had 
received  her  first  shock  in  Quebec,  looking  out  from  her 
bedroom  window  at  an  unkept  yard,  untidy  buildings,  and 
seeing  within  few  comforts  and  general  roughness. 
Brought  up  in  a  home  of  good  taste  and  comfort,  the  con- 
trast was  great.  But  she  told  her  niece,  Miss-Jeanette 
Osier,  many  years  after:  "I  had  my  cry  out  there  and 
then,  the  first  and  the  last,  my  dear,  and  was  glad  to  be 
well  over  it  by  the  time  your  uncle  came  back." 

They  suffered  all  kinds  of  discomforts  during  that  first 
Canadian  winter.  "I  believe  we  both  feel  heartily  sick  of 
our  present  abode,  having  only  a  kitchen  and  two  bed- 


rooms,  and  in  consequence  of  a  number  of  cattle  about  the 
door,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  move  a  step  without  our 
shoes  being  covered  with  dirt.  My  poor  horse,  too,  in 
what  is  termed  the  stable,  is  dripping  wet  from  the  snow 
which  falls  through  the  roof  on  him.  Fatigue  I  do  not 
mind,  but  to  be  all  together  in  one  room,  no  place  to 
write  or  study  in,  surrounded  by  filth,  I  find  difficulty  in 
being  reconciled  to." 

Later  in  the  winter,  Mrs.  Osier  went  to  Newmarket  to 
stay  until  a  proper  house  was  found,  as  no  servant  would 
or  could  live  in  their  wretched  quarters. 

"Early  in  the  spring  I  called  a  public  meeting,  and 
told  the  people  that  unless  they  would  provide  a  house  in 
which  we  could  live  we  would  be  obliged  to  leave  the  par- 
ish. Three  hundred  and  sixty-eight  dollars  were  sub- 
scribed on  the  spot — a  large  sum  according  to  their  means 
— and  an  acre  of  .ground  was  given  by  James  Armstrong 
as  a  site  for  a  parsonage.  By  July  15,  1838,  the  kitchen 
and  two  small  bedrooms  were  plastered,  and  to  these 
rooms  we  moved,  living  there  while  the  workmen  were 
engaged  on  the  other  part  of  the  house.  The  people  had 
also  undertaken  to  furnish  materials  for  the  house,  and 
to  find  these  devolved  on  me.  I  often  rode  ten  or  twelve 
miles  over  almost  impassable  roads,  to  procure  a  little 
dry  lumber,  or  some  bricks,  and  then  as  much  farther  to 
get  a  team  to  haul  them  to  the  parsonage  grounds,  and 
when  I  thought  all  was  arranged,  on  going  to  the  build- 
ings a  few  days  after  would  find  the  workmen  idle  for 
want  of  material  which  I  had  thought  had  been  sent  to 
the  spot."  However,  by  autumn,  they  were  comfortably 
settled  in  their  new  parsonage  at  Bond  Head. 

As  the  news  spread  that  a  Church  of  England  clergy- 
man had  arrived,  deputations  kept  coming  from  many 
different  townships,  asking  him  to  please  visit  them,  as 
they  had  not  seen  a  clergyman  for  years,  and  he  says :  "My 
own  charge  extended  over  two  hundred  and  forty  miles, 
south  as  far  as  Thornhill,  while  north  and  west  there  was 
no  other  clergyman.  Station  after  station  was  opened 
up,  untH  I  held  services  in  twenty  townships,  extending 
over  two  thousand  square  miles,  taking  in  Coldwater, 
Penetang,  Caledon,  Gore  of  Toronto  with  Georgina  and 
intermediate  places." 

Mr.  Osier  would  be  away  from  Tuesday  until  Friday, 
holding  services  five  or  six  times  through  the  week.  "In 
the  evenings  the  whole  family  where  I  stayed,  would 

29 


gather  around  the  fireplace,  one  holding  a  candle  in  his 
hand  that  I  might  catechize  them  or  give  instruction  for 
the  Sunday  School."  He  suffered  much  from  the  vermin, 
which  seemed  very  numerous,  and  his  body  was  some- 
times covered  with  sores.  His  journeys  on  horseback  lay 
through  rough  woods  and  swamps,  over  trails  and  cordu- 
roy roads;  over  the  wetter  part  of  the  swamps  where 
there  was  no  footing;  bridges  sometimes  two  miles  long 
were  made  of  floating  logs  fastened  together,  and  Mr. 
Osier  always  dismounted  and  led  his  horse  over,  for  the 
logs  dipped  and  shifted.  Wolves  often  went  along  his 
trail,  but  never  attacked  him. 

During  the  first  winter  of  Mr.  Osier's  life  in  this  dis- 
trict the  rebellion  broke  out,  and  he  worked  night  and 
day  to  raise  men  and  arms,  and  to  try  and  quiet  the 
women  who  were  in  a  panic.  He  said:  "The  only  way 
was  to  turn  out  and  meet  them  boldly,  but  things  wore 
a  very  miserable  aspect,  and  the  few  valuables  or  rather 
specie  I  had,  I  buried,  that  in  case  the  rebels  take  every- 
thing else — as  there  was  little  doubt  they  would  should 
they  gain  the  upper  hand — we  might  not,  if  our  lives 
were  spared,  be  quite  destitute." 

"December  10,  1837,  started  for  Newmarket,  overtook 
a  body  of  Loyalists  on  horseback  on  the  way  to  Bradford. 
We  collected  about  500  men  and  as  much  ammunition 
and  arms  as  possible.  Reached  Captain  Hill's  house  late 
in  the  evening.  Between  eleven  and  twelve  Mr.  Carthew 
called  me  to  say  there  was  every  reason  to  believe  that  a 
party  of  rebels  intended  to  attack  the  house  that  night. 
The  ladies,  Mrs.  Hill,  Mrs.  Carthew  and  my  E.,  with 
the  children,  had  retired.  We  kept  guard  with  four 
loaded  guns.  At  every  sound  we  heard  we  ran  out  with 
our  guns,  but  the  Lord  protected  us,  and  saved  us  from 
an  attack."  On  Sunday,  December  17,  the  following  entry 
in  his  journal  shows  the  natural  fear  which  civil  war  must 
always  engender:  "Preached  from  Psalm  cxii.  Truly  we 
have  cause  to  call  upon  our  soul  and  all  that  is  within 
us  to  bless  His  Holy  Name,  for  He  has  delivered  us  out 
of  the  hands  of  His  enemies,  and  through  His  mercy  not 
one  man  was  wounded  in  this  township.  A  more  bloody 
conspiracy  was  scarcely  ever  conceived,  it  having  been 
discovered  that  the  rebels  had  bound  Itiemselves  by 
solemn  oath  to  spare  neither  man,  woman  or  child.  They 
had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  portion  out  the  Loyalists' 
lands  amongst  themselves,  making  sure  of  success.  But 

30 


the  Lord  was  on  our  side  and  fought  for  us.    To  Him  be 
the  glory!" 

Mr.  Osier  had  much  annoyance  from  certain  members 
of  his  church  expecting  him  to  get  them  appointments  in 
the  militia.  One  family,  which  had  helped  with  the  sing- 
ing, would  sing  no  longer.  He  found  that  much  blame 
was  being  attached  to  him  for  unsatisfactory  appoint- 
ments, just  because  he  was  a  friend  of  Colonel  Hill.  "The 
truth  is,"  he  says,  "nearly  every  one  expected  to  be  mdde 
an  officer!" 

On  January  6,  1838,  he  writes:  "Preached  at  New- 
market in  the  morning  to  200,  in  the  p.m.  to  100.  Left 
on  Tuesday  with  Mrs.  Osier  for  Toronto ;  arrived  at  night 
after  a  wearisome  journey ;  the  sleighing  being  very  bad. 
Was  distressed  to  find  Toronto  Church  burned  down." 
He  had  purchased  a  sleigh  and  harness,  as  the  horseback 
riding  was  beginning  to  tell  on  his  health.  He  makes 
many  references  in  his  journals  to  his  visits  at  the  home 
of  Mr.  Gamble  on  the  way  back  and  forth  to  Toronto. 

In  spite  of  troubles  caused  among  his  people  by  such 
rumours  as  that  tithes  were  going  to  be  forced  upon  them, 
etc.,  the  Church  of  England  'became  popular,  and  Mr. 
Osier  was  more  and  more  sought  after  as  a  visitor  and 
preacher. 

Whether  he  preached  in  a  church,  school  house,  stable 
or  dwelling,  there  were  always  large  congregations  to 
greet  him.  His  manner  of  preaching  evidently  appealed 
to  his  hearers,  and  his  message  bore  fruit. 

"The  style  of  preaching  which  I  have  adopted  here,  is 
what  is  commonly  called,  though  not  in  reality,  extem- 
pore. I  study  my  sermons  well  beforehand,  and  then 
commit  myself  unto  the  Lord,  striving  with  His  aid  to 
bring  plain,  forcible  truths  home  to  the  conscience  of 
each,  not  leaving  the  application  for  the  last,  but  applying 
as  I  proceed,  and,  when  I  can,  illustrate  what  I  am  saying 
by  some  striking  occurrence  or  anecdote.  This  arrests 
their  attention.  God  grant  that  it  may  reach  their 
hearts." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Osier  established  twenty-eight  Sunday 
Schools,  scattered  over  2,000  square  miles,  which  pro- 
vided instruction  for  1,200  children.  They  also  began  the 
first  Sunday  School  picnics  in  Canada. 

"The  idea  struck  us  that  if  the  children  attending 
schools  within  reasonable  distance  were  gathered  to- 
gether, a  tea  given  them,  and  afterwards  addresses  made 

31 


and  prizes  given  to  the  most  deserving,  a  good  effect 
would  be  produced."  Nearly  600  children,  teachers  and 
Triends  assembled  on  the  lawn  of  the  rectory.  Three  bar- 
rels of  flour  were  baked  into  bread  and  cakes  at  the  par- 
sonage, and  the  young  men,  who  were  studying  under 
Mr  Osier  for  the  ministry,  and  living  with  them,  decor- 
ated the  booths  with  evergreens  and  flags,  and  a  most 
enjoyable  and  profitable  afternoon  was  spent. 

Mrs  Osier's  part  in  this  pioneer  work  was  a  most  im- 
portant one.    She  conducted  Bible  classes  for  the  young 
people,  and  also  sewing  and  cooking  classes  for  the  young 
women  in  her  home.    They  would  arrive  in  the  morning 
several  hours  before  they  were  expected,  and  spend  the 
day  under  her  valuable  instruction.       The  young  men 
would  fasten  their  Testaments  to  their  ploughs,  studying 
as  they  worked,  and  the  girls  studied  as  they  spun,  so 
eager  were  they  for    instruction    from    their    beloved 
teacher.    Mr.  Osier  in  his  journal  says:  "That  school  did 
more  towards  elevating  the  tone  of  the  people  than  any- 
thing else,  and  mothers  and  grandmothers  of  Tecumseth 
speak  of  it  as  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  of  their  lives." 
Mr.  Osier  was  a  constant  visitor  among  his  people,  and 
he  lived  among  them  his  religion  of  love.    Whether  the 
rain  was  coming  in  torrents,  whether  the  snowstorm  was 
so  blinding  that  he  could  scarcely  see,  or  whether  it  was 
the  middle  of  the  night,  he  never  refused  to  go  on  his 
ministry  of  love;  nor  did  he  scarcely  ever   fail    in   his 
preaching  appointments,  even  though  his*  health  at  times 
was  indifferent.    They  sent  for  him  to  extract  teeth,  to 
bleed,  and  to  administer  medicines.    He  also  was  a  gen- 
eral will-drawer,  as  he  saw  the  evil  of  the  law  of  primo- 
geniture, then  in  force. 

His  practical  and  generous  nature  helped  out  many  set- 
tlers, by  his  setting  apart  a  sum  of  money,  to  be  let  out 
in  small  loans  without  interest.  For  sometimes  a  small 
sum  would  help  the  farmers  to  hold  their  land,  and  he 
says,  "Every  farthing  was  paid  back." 

In  Mr.  Osier's  journals  are  found  many  appreciative 
references  to  the  clergy  who  worked  with  him  or  near  him 
during  his  years  here;  Mr.  Sanson,  Mr.  O'Meara,  Mr. 
Scadding,  Mr.  Darling,  Mr.  Hill  and  his  brother  Henry. 
These  names  are  well  known  to  Church  people. 

After  twenty  years'  service  in  this  parish,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Osier  removed  to  Dundas,  only  that  their  children  might 
have  better  Advantages  for  education.  Six  churches  and 


two  rectories  had  been  built,  and  160  acres  of  valuable 
glebe  at  Tecumseth  cleared. 

When  they  left  they  were  presented  with  a  handsome 
service  of  plate,  a  pair  of  solid  silver  candle-sticks  and 
warm-hearted  addresses,  as  tokens  of  love  and  affection 
from  their  people. 

Mr.  Osier  lived  to  be  ninety  years  of  age,  and  his  wife 
one  hundred  and  one  years,  so  that  their  years  of  hard 
work  and  simple  living  did  not  shorten  their  days,  and 
they  gave  to  the  world  a  family  of  whom  Canada  may 
well  be  proud. 

Their  daughter,  the  late  Mrs.  Williamson,  will  never  b^ 
forgotten,  from  her  wonderful  service  and  devotion  in 
W.  A.  work.  Their  son,  the  late  Sir  William  Osier,  of 
Oxford,  has  left  the  impress  of  his  great  intellect  and 
benevolent  nature,  not  only  in  our  Empire  but  in  the 
neighbouring  Republic.  Toronto  claims  their  two  sur- 
viving sons,  Mr.  Justice  Osier  and  Sir  Edmund  Osier, 
Bart. 


No.  3. 

An  Old  Account,  1785-1788 
BY  SARA  MICKLE. 

Accounts  are  generally  dry,  irksome  and  uninteresting 
especially  when  it  comes  to  paying  them ;  but  this  account 
will  not  prove  dull  for  it  tells  us  something  of  very  early 
times  at  Niagara,  and  gives  some  indication  of  the  man- 
ner of  life  among  the  U.  E.  Loyalist  settlers  there. 

The  Account  begins  in  1785,  two  years  after  the  Peace 
of  Paris  1783  had  concluded  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
one  year  after  "Butler's  Rangers,"  by  whom  the  Niagara 
district  was  mainly  settled,  had  been  disbanded.  Even 
before  these  dates  the  infant  settlement  had  taken  to 
agriculture;  in  1780,  Haldimand  moved  by  Consideration 
of  the  "vast  expense,  uncertainty  and  Acuities  of  pro- 
visioning the  upper  posts,  had  arranged  that  land  should 
be  allotted  and  distributed  to  the  Loyalists  on  the  follow- 
ing terms,-land  to  remain  the  sole  P^^h^-™ 
Crown,_the  settlers  on  it  "are  not  to/^^fj£e 
the  smallest  right  to  any  part  thereof,  the  produce  alone 


being  their  property."  If  they  removed,  they  could  dis- 
pose of  their  crops,  cattle,  etc.,  and  a  reasonable  allow- 
ance would  be  made  for  their  improvements.  No  rent 
was  required.  Seed,  mills,  ploughs,  etc.,  were  to  be  fur- 
nished them.  The  settlers  were  told  that  the  produce  over 
and  above  their  own  consumption  was  not  to  be  removed 
from  the  post,  but  sold  to  the  Commanding  Officer  for  the 
use  of  the  troops.  These  terms  soon  proved  irksome. 

By  December,  1781,  four  or  five  families  were  settled 
and  had  built  themselves  houses ;  in  December  1782,  the 
number  had  increased  to  16  families,  and  Butler  reported 
that  they  had  maintained  themselves  "since  September 
last,"  and  had  only  received  half  rations  from  the  first. 

In  1783  were  heard  murmurs  of  discontent  at  the  un- 
certain tenure  on  which  they  held  their  land,  being  "liable 
to  be  turned  oft'  our  places  when  the  Commanding  Officer 
pleases.".  A  Farmers'  petition  was  therefore  sent  in  to 
Butler  complaining  that  all  the  terms  promised  by  Gov- 
ernment, had  not  been  fulfilled;  pointing  out  that  they 
were  obliged  to  sell  to  the  Commandant  at  such  prices 
as  he  thought  proper,  and  begging  leave  to  sell  to  mer- 
chants and  others  "at  the  price  we  can  agree,  as  we  are 
obliged  to  pay  merchants  their  own  prices  for  anything 
we  want." 

By  this  time  though  peace  they  knew  would  soon  be 
declared,  none  of  them  thought  of  returning  to  their 
former  homes  in  the  United  States,  or  of  reclaiming  their 
estates  in  courts  of  law;  to  repurchase  them  they  were 
not  able. 

When  Butler's  Rangers  were  disbanded,  258  officers 
and  men  agreed  to  settle — making  Niagara  quite  an  im- 
portant centre. 

We  can  picture  the  little  settlement  of  these  men  and 
women,  who  had  given  up  their  all  and  come  to  make  new 
homes  in  this  far  land.  Many  had  arrived  at  the  Post, 
penniless,  ragged  and  ill,  from  the  effect  of  the  hardships 
they  had  endured ;  refugees  from  the  ill-treatment  given 
by  their  former  neighbors.  Most  of  them  came  from  the 
Mohawk  Valley  in  New  York  State.  In  this  state  nearly 
all  the  principal  people  were  Loyalists ;  the  wealthier  mer- 
chants, the  great  proprietors,  and  wealthy  families  were 
Loyalists;  the  Johnsons,  Bradts,  Freys,  Hares,  Herki- 
mers,  Thompsons,  Youngs,  Nelles,  John  Butler,  John 
Deare,  Lottridges,  Peter  Ten  Broeck,  Alexander  White, 
were  all  owners  of  handsome  estates,  which  were  con- 

34 


fiscated.  When  Butler  raised  his  force  it  was  drawn  from 
the  flower  of  the  population.  Now  in  the  wilderness  they 
had  to  begin  again.  The  hardships  of  the  first  years  were 
very  great.  The  meagre  food,  the  incessant  struggle  to 
conquer  nature,  the  deprivations,  no  school,  no  clergyman 
the  lack  of  comforts  for  the  sick  and  the  aged,  tried  men's 
souls,  as  the  fighting  had  not  done.  This  was  the  day  of 
the  log-cabin  and  homespun;  but  poor  and  rude  as  the 
first  homes  must  necessarily  have  been,  let  us  not  make 
the  mistake  of  thinking  of  the  owners  as  homespun  in 
manner ;  very  soon  the  log  cabin  was  superseded  by  homes 
which  reflected  something  of  the  dignity  and  style  of 
arcitecture  of  the  houses  they  had  left  behind  them. 
In  Queenston,  the  Hamilton  house,  still  a  considerable 
mansion,  was  standing  when  Simcoe  arrived  as  Gover- 
nor; in  Grimsby,  the  Nelles  houses  were  built  in  very 
early  times ;  as  was  also  the  Servos  house  at  Niagara. 

The  account  is  between  Adam  Krysler,  and  Street  & 
Butler.  Adam  Krysler  was  of  Dutch  descent  and  came 
from  Schoharie ;  he  had  been  Lieut,  in  the  force,  and  an 
active  ranger,  having  been  commissioned  several  times  to 
head  expeditions  to  the  Valley.  He  received  a  grant  of 
land  at  14-mile  creek.  Street  was  a  U.  E.  Loyalist;  and 
Butler  of  the  Rangers,  was  one  of  the  most  wealthy  and 
powerful  men  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Adam  Krysler  to  Street  &  Butler. 
Lieut.  A.  Krysler  Dr.  to  Street  &  Butler,  Niagara,  1785. 

£     s.    d. 

Aug.     4 — To  1  pair  stuff  shoes,  sell 12 

5%   yds.   sheeting,   self,  4/6   149 

10  Ibs.  of  loaf  sugar,  self,  2/6 1       5 

1  lb.  pepper,  self 6 

2  Iron  Potts,  35 V2  Ibs.,  self,  1/4  274 

7%  Ibs.  shott,  self  I/  5     6 

1  bb.  powder,  self 5 


Aug.     6 — 


1  quire  paper,  son  

1  pair  Channel  pumps,  son  18 


1  pair  Channel  pumps,  son  

20—  "  1  gallon  rum,  son  1     12 

25—  "  4V2  bb.  ropes,  son,  2/6  

"  1  lb.  Bohea  Tea,  son 

27—  "  1  pair  shoes,  self 10 

"  cash,  self  

"  1  pair  Channel  pumps,  self 

The  Street  &  Butler  firm  dealt  in  all  sorts  of  commodi- 
ties. Tea,  green  or  bohea,  for  the  years  1785-88  seems 
always  to  have  been  8/  a  pound ;  candles  were  2s.  6d.  a 
pound ;  handkerchiefs  are  bought  at  5/  each,  while  £1  8s. 

35 


were  given  for  two  black  ones.  Loaf  sugar  was  2/6d  a  Ib ; 
where  41 1/2  pounds  were  bought  a  discount  of  2/4d.  was 
allowed.  Brown  sugar  was  2/  a  pound,  while  one  entry 
of  double  refined  sugar  .gives  its  price  as  three  shillings 
a  pound.  "Russia  sheeting/'  a  fabric  of  which  we  know 
nothing,  was  four  and  sixpence  to  five  shillings  a  yard, 
presumably  according  to  quality.  Brown. cloth  was  28/ 
per  yard,  which  was  also  the  price  of  "second  cloth." 
"Calicoe"  is  charged  at  6/  to  10  shillings  per  yard,  and 
chintz  at  16s.,  while  "Shalloon,"  whatever  that  may  have 
been,  blue,  green  or  white,  appears  to  have  been  5/  per 
yard.  The  iron  potts  appear  to  have  been  sold  by  weight. 

The  six  long  pages  of  entries  extending  over  three  years 
contain  many  interesting  items.  Not  only  were  dry 
goods,  rum  and  wine,  groceries,  spectacles  and  hardware, 
etc.,  supplied  to  their  customers,  but  in  a  way  the  firm 
seems  to  have  acted  as  a  bank,  for  such  items  as  these 
appear:  "Cash,  £2;"  "cash  paid  F.  Rowe,  £2;"  "paid 
Coon  &  Wisney,  £2  17s.  lOd." ;  "cash  to  self,  £1  19s.",  and 
cash  to  self  £1  Is.  8d. ;"  "Cash  to  Mrs.  Shower's1  order, 
6s" ;  and  then  in  January,  1788,  as  if  they  were  getting 
rather  tired  of  honouring  the  demands,  comes  in  the  item, 
"casih  in  hard  money,2  £19  13s." 

Not  only  was  cash,  hard  or  otherwise,  supplied,  but  we 
come  on  the  following  items :  "1786,  May  30th,  1  ticket  at 
Raffling,  for  Captain  Frey's2  home,  £1  17s.  4d.".  and  in 
1787,  "Sept.  4th,  2  chances  at  Raffle,  £3  14s.  8d.,"  and  two 
days  later  a  further  plunge  is  recorded,  "Sept.  6th,  6 
chances  at  Raffle  for  sundries,  horses,  at  37s.  14d.,  total- 
ling £11  4s.,  and  on  the  same  date  "Vfc  chance  at  Raffle, 
18s.  8d. 

Most  of  the  items  are  noted  as  bought  by  "self,"  some 
are  debited  to  the  son's  order,  a  few  to  "daughter,"  and 
only  three  items  appear  to  have  been  purchased  by  Mrs. 
Krysler,  and  are  debited  to  "wife." 

But  the  strangest  entry  of  all  we  come  upon  thus — 

1786— 

£  s.     d. 

Dec.  15th— To  4  yards  S.  cloth,  son,  48/ 9  12 

"  3  yards  shag,  son,  20/  3 

"  4%  yards  shalloon,  son,  5/  126 

"  4  doz.  buttons,  son,  6/  1  4 

"  6  Ib.  sugar,  son,  2/ 1  12 

"  ^2  yd.  white  Molton,  son,  6/6  3    3 

"  2  gallons  rum,  son,  14/ 1  8 

"  1  bottle  of  mustard,  7th,  son _ „.  2 

"  1    Negro  Wench   ~...  40 

36 


The  credit  side  of  this  account  shows  us  how  the  Loyal- 
ists held  together  during  the  trying  times  when  their 
claims  for  losses  having  been  sent  in  they  were  awaiting 
the  payment  promised  by  the  British  Government.  Adam 
Kryslers  claim  for  lands,  mills,  houses,  stock  and  furni- 
ture left  behind  him  in  Schoharie,  amounted  to  several 
thousand  pounds.  His  memorial,  giving  details,  was  sent 
in  in  1785,  but  it  was  three  years  after  that,  in  1788,  that 
the  first  payment  was  received  from  the  London  agents 
who  were  looking  after  his  interests— and  charging  heav- 
ily for  the  same.  In  the  meantime  Krysler's  bill  to  Street 
&  Butler,  steadily  mounted  up  to  the  handsome  sum  of 
£410  15s.  To  the  credit  side  appear  only  two  small 
items.  In  "Dec.,  1785,  30  cabbages  at  I/  each,  £1  10s.," 
and  on  "Sept.  18,  1786,  1  pair  of  worsted  hose  returned 
6/,"  but  in  December,  1788,  when  payments  for  his  losses 
were  at  last  received,  the  bill  was  virtually  wiped  out. 

To  return  to  that  interesting  item  of  the  sale  of  a  negro 
girl ;  it  was  too  important  a  purchase  to  be  handed  over 
the  counter  as  the  other  articles  in  the  account,  and  among 
the  papers  the  following  agreement  or  bill  of  sale  is 
found : 

"Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  we,  Street  & 
Butler,  for  and  in  consideration  of  forty  pounds,  New 
York  curr'y,  to  us  in  hand  paid,  the  receipt  of  which  we 
hereby  acknowledge,  have  bargained  and  sold  and  by 
these  presents  do  bargain,  sell  and  confirm  to  Adam  Krys- 
ler,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  a  negro  wench  named  Sarah, 
about  nine  years  old,  to  have  and  to  hold  against  our 
heirs  and  assigns  and  against  all  person  or  persons,  we 
do  hereby  warrant  and  defend  forever.  In  witness 
whereof  we  have  set  our  hand  and  seal  at  Niagara  this 
sixth  day  of  November,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
eighty-six,  in  the  presence  of 

WM.  CHALMERS,  Witness. 

(Signed),  STREET  &  BUTLER. 

Seal. 

This  deed  indicates  that  the  negro  wench  was  real 
estate  and  not  personal  property,  as  the  conveyance  is  to 
Krysler,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  and  not  his  executors  and 
administrators. 

This  sale  took  place  in  1786.  Three  years  earlier  we 
have  the  record  of  another  purchase:  "Know  all  men  by 
these  presents  that  we,  Adam  Vrooman4  &  John  Mattice, 


37 


of  Niagara,  are  held  and  firmly  bound  in  the  penal  sum 
of  one  hundred  pounds  U.  S.  cur'cy  to  be  paid  to  Lieut. 
Adam  Krysler,  of  the  same  place,  or  to  his  heirs,  execu- 
tors or  administrators. 

"And  that  the  condition  of  this  obligation  is  such  that 
if  we,  the  above-named  Adam  Vrooman  &  John  Mattice 
do  secure  and  indemnify  the  said  Lieut.  Adam  Krysler, 
his  heirs,  executors  or  administrators  against  all  claims 
and  demands  whatever  on  account  of  a  negro  boy  named 
Tom,  the  property  of  the  late  Isaac  Vrooman,  of  the 
County  of  Albany,  then  this  obligation  to  be  void ;  other- 
wise to  remain  in  full  force  and  virtue. 

"Given  under  our  hands  at  Niagara,  27  July,  1783." 

(Sgd.),  ADAM  VROOMAN. 

his 
JOHN  (J.  M.)  MATTICE. 

mark 

Witnesses  Present. 
JOHN  DOCKSTADER5. 
GILBT  TICE6. 

Again,  in  1790,  there  is  the  following  copy  of  what 
might  be  called  a  search  warrant7.  It  would  indicate  that 
his  master  had  no  further  desire  for  the  services  of  the 
runaway,  sheltered  and  well-known  slave: 

"The  bearer  hereof  has  my  permission  to  search 
through  the  settlements  for  Sam  to  purchase  him. 

"To  whom  it  may  concern: 

(Sgd.),  ADAM  KRYSLER, 

Dutch  Creek,  12th  Dec.,  1790." 

The  last  document  in  the  Krysler  papers  concerning 
slavery  is  as  follows: 

"Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  Adam  Vroo- 
man, of  the  District  of  Nassau,  in  consideration  of  the 
sum  of  ninety  pounds,  N.  Y.  c'y-,  to  me  in  hand  paid  by 
Adam  Krysler,  of  the  same  place,  at  or  before  the  sealing 
and  delivery  of  these  presents,  the  receipt  whereof  I  do 
hereby  acknowledge,  have  bargained,  sold,  released  and 
granted  and  confirmed,  and  by  these  presents  do  bar- 
gain, sell,  release,  grant  and  confirm  unto  the  said  Adam 
Krysler,  a  negro  man  named  Tom,  aged  about  thirty 
years,  to  have  and  to  hold  all  and  singular  the  said  negro 
by  these  presents  bargained,  sold,  released,  granted  and 
confirmed,  unto  the  said  Adam  Krysler,  his  heirs,  execu- 

88 


tors,  administrators  and  assigns  forever,  without  any 
contradiction  or  claim  of  any  person  whatever;  and  I,  the 
said  Adam  Vrooman,  for  myself,  my  heirs,  executors,  ad- 
ministrators and  assigns,  all  and  singular,  the  above- 
named  negro  unto  the  said  Adam  Krysler,  his  heirs,  exe- 
cutors, administrators  or  assigns  against  me,  the  said 
Adam  Vrooman,  my  heirs,  executors,  administrators  or 
assigns,  and  against  all  and  every  other  person  or  persons 
whatever  shall  and  will  forever  warrant  and  defend  by 
these  presents ;  and  I,  the  said  Adam  Vrooman,  have  put 
the  said  Adam  Krysler  in  full  possession  by  delivering  the 
above-mentioned  negro  at  the  sealing  and  delivery  hereof. 
In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  put  my  hand  and  seal 
this  25th  day  of  August  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1792. 

(Sgd.),  ADAM  VROOMAN. 

AARON  STEVENS, 
JAMES  CLEMENT, 

Witnesses. 

This  transaction  took  place  within  a  month  of  the  first 
meeting  of  the  Parliament  of  Upper  Canada,  which, 
among  its  earliest  enactments  prohibited  the  bringing 
into  the  province  of  more  slaves.  This  beneficent  act  met 
with  opposition.  Many  slaves  had  been  obtained  during 
the  war  by  purchase  from  Indians,  who  had  captured 
them  in  forays.  Owing  to  the  arduous  work  of  clearing 
the  forests,  making  roads,  and  other  pioneer  tasks, 
labourers  being  few,  the  value  of  the  negroes  was  great. 
Many  who  knew  the  proposed  measure  to  be  right  and 
just,  wished  action  postponed  for  two  years  to  allow  those 
who  had  none  to  procure  slaves.  But  Governor  Simcoe's 
influence,  witfi  that  of  a  few  far-sighted  Loyalists,  car- 
ried it  through;  to  his  eternal  honour  and  that  of  the 
young  country  over  which  he  presided. 


NOTES. — *Mrs.  Snower.  Probably  the  widow  of  Col.  Shower, 
whose  daughter  married  into  the  Ball  family. 

*HARD  MONEY — Specie  was  very  scarce  in  olden  times,  and 
the  merchants  were  accustomed  to  issue  "bons,"  which  were  good 
for  so  much  merchandise  in  their  shops.  The  difficulty  of  getting 
these  "bons"  cashed  was  one  of  the  scandals  of  early  Upper  Canada, 
and  was  one  of  the  means  whereby  the  opposition  in  the  Legisla- 
tive Council  in  1794  to  the  creation  of  the  Court  of  King's  Bench 
was  broken  down ;  those  in  the  Legislative  Council  who  most  strong- 
ly opposed  the  abolition  of  the  old  courts  of  Common  Pleas  and  the 

39 


creation  of  a  Court  of  King's  Bench  were,  some  of  them  at  least, 
judges  in  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas  and  merchants  who  had 
issued  "bons."  Certain  decisions  in  the  Courts  of  Common  Pleas 
on  these  "bons"  had  outraged  public  opinion,  so  that  these  courts 
were  abolished  by  unanimous  vote  of  the  House  of  Assembly  and 
the  majority  vote  in  the  Legislative  Council. 

In  addition  to  these  "bons,"  there  was  scrip  issued  by  the  Pay- 
master of  the  forces,  and  sometimes  also  certificates  by  the  Com- 
mandant of  the  forces.  All  these  papers  were  "soft"  money, 
"hard"  money  was  coin. 

The  shilling  and  pound  in  the  account  are  the  York  shilling  and 
pound,  which  were  twelve  and  a  half  cents,  and  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents,  respectively.  They  were  the  currency  of  the  old  colony 
of  New  York  and  had  vogue  in  the  Niagara  district  until  quite 
recently.  In  my  own  boyhood,  near  Cobourg,  the  York  shilling, 
eight  to  the  dollar,  was  a  very  familiar  way  of  quoting  prices, 
and  the  York  shilling  was  more  natural  to  my  mother  to  the  last 
day  of  her  life  than  any  other  standard  of  value.  There  was  no 
coin  for  the  York  shilling,  but  the  English  sixpence  passed,  in  my 
boyhood,  for  a  York  shilling  or  "Yorker,"  as  it  was  called. 

8LiEUT.  FREY — Lieut.  Barent  Frey  was  brother  to  Col.  Hendrick 
Frey,  who  was  one  of  the  Representatives  from  Tryon  County, 
N.  Y.,  to  the  last  Provincial  Assembly,  who  owned  handsome  estates 
which  were  confiscated.  Lieut.  Frey  was  among  the  first  to  take 
up  arms  in  1775,  under  Johnson;  later  with  Brant  he  was  sent  on 
the  dangerous  work  of  bringing  away  the  Mohawks  from  their 
villages.  This  was  successfully  executed — and  later  with  Brant, 
having  80  men  under  his  command,  he  was  detailed  to  harass  the 
Schoharie  and  Cherry  Valley.  In  1779  he  and  Brant  commanded 
the  expedition  against  Minnesink  on  the  Delaware.  In  1812  hit 
again  took  up  arms  and  was  killed  in  action. 

*VROOMAN — A  sergeant  in  the  Rangers,  settled  near  Queenston. 
The  site  of  Vrooman's  Battery,  a  factor  in  the  battle  of  Queenston 
Heights,  is  still  pointed  out. 

5JoHN  DOCKSTADER — Son  of  Lieut.  John  Dockstader,  one  of  But- 
ler's Rangers,  who  gave  notable  service  during  the  war  and  died 
in  1782  or  1783. 

6GiLBERT  TICE,  CAPTAIN — Conducted  the  large  inn  which  Sir 
William  Johnston  built  at  Johnstown  before  the  war.  Joined 
Johnston  when  he  took  up  arms  for  the  Loyalist  party  in  1775.  He 
commanded  the  small  party  which  sent  to  St.  John's  ambushed  and 
repelled  a  large  body  of  American  troops  advancing  to  besiege  it. 

The  document  cannot  be  called  a  search  warrant.  A  search 
warrant  is  issued  by  some  judicial  authority,  usually  a  magistrate. 
The  document  is  a  mere  permission,  which  may  or  may  not  be  of 
any  validity;  at  all  events  it  is  not  issued  by  a  magistrate. 

Am  greatly  indebted  to  Hon.  Mr.  Justice  Riddell  for 
the  above  notes  2  and  7,  and  for  overlooking  the  paper. 


40 

' 


DEEDS    SPEAK 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION  No.  22 


CONTENTS 

1 .  Toronto  in  the  Parliaments  of  Upper  Canada,  1 792-1 841 

By  The  Hon.  Wm.  Renwick  Riddell,  LL.D.,  F.R.C.S. 

Read  before  the  Society,  December,  1922 

2.  Some  Account  of  a  Military  Settler  in  Canada  in  1833 

Matthew  Sheffield  Cassan. 

Given  by  his  Granddaughter,  Miss  Bonnycastle 

Read  January,  1923,  by  Miss  Alice  Lea 


1921-1922 
I 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

OF  THE 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

1921-1922 

Organized  1895;  Incorporated  February  14th,  1896. 

OFFICERS 

Honorary  President MRS.  COCKSHUTT,  Gov't.  House. 

Past  Presidents  MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 

*LADY  EDGAR. 

*MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON. 

*MlSS  FlTZGlBBON. 

President   Miss  MICKLE,  48  Heath  St.  E. 

Vice-Presidents  MRS.  JAMES  BAIN. 

MRS.  EDGAR  R.  JARVIS. 
MRS.  DUCKWORTH. 

Corresponding  Secretary  MRS.  BALMER  NEILLY, 

39  Woodlawn  Ave.  E. 

Recording  .Secretary  MRS.  J.  G.  SETTLE,  B.A. 

86  Walmer  Road. 

Treasurer  MRS.  A.  E.  HILLS, 

22  Chicora  Ave. 

Curator  MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY, 

46  Dunvegan  Road 

CONVENORS  OF  MEMORIAL  COMMITTEE 
MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  MRS.  HILLS, 

141  Lyndhurst  Avenue.  22  Chicora  Avenue 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

LADY  STUPART.  MRS.  D.  M.  FARMER. 

MRS.  E.  V.  NEELANDS,  B.A.  MRS.  HAROLD  MACDONALD. 

MRS.  SINCLAIR.  MRS.  LEADBETTER. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS. 


COL.  G.  T.  DENISON. 

Miss  CARNOCHAN. 

JAMES  HANNAY. 

SIR  GILBERT  PARKER. 

CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.S.C. 

Miss  MACHAR. 

BLISS  CARMEN. 

JOHN  D.  KELLY. 

PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR. 

PROF.  G.  M.  WRONG. 

Miss  K.  M.  LIZARS. 

DR.  LOCKE. 

THE  VERY  REV.  DEAN  HARRIS. 


J.  A.  MACDONNELL, 

W.  D.  LlGHTHALL,  F.R.S.C., 

F.R.S.L. 

BENJAMIN  SULTE,  F.R.SJC. 
REV.  JOHN  MACLEAN,  PH.D. 
EDWARD  M.  THOMSON,  F.R.S.C., 

F.R.S.L. 

CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 
MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 
PROF.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 
PROF.  JOHN  SQUAIR. 
PROF.  A.  H.  YOUNG. 
HON.  MR.  JUSTICE  RIDDELL. 
HON.  MR.  JUSTICE  OSLER. 


'Deceased. 


Recording  Secretary's  Report 

November  16,  1922 


There  have  been  seven  regular  and  eight  executive 
meetings  of  the  Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 
during  the  past  year.  All  have  been  well  attended  and 
held  at  the  Sherbourne  House  Club.  Eight  interesting 
papers  or  addresses  were  given : — 

November — "Report  of  the  meeting  of  the  Royal 
Society  at  Ottawa,"  by  Mrs.  W.  T.  Hallam,  B.A. 

December— "Perils  of  the  Deep  in  Olden  Times,"  by 
Hon.  Mr.  Justice  Riddell. 

January— "The  Burning  of  the  Parliament  Buildings 
in  Montreal,  1849,"  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Bell,  Ottawa. 

February — "A  Visit  to  Canada  in  1853."  Extracts 
from  the  diary  of  Anne  Everett,  read  by  Miss  Mickle,  the 
President. 

March — "Local  Historical  Research,"  by  Col.  Alexan- 
der Fraser,  Archivist  for  Ontario. 

April — 1,  "The  U.  E.  Loyalists  in  New  Brunswick," 
by  Mrs.  Gordon  Mackenzie.  2,  "Samuel  Merrill,  Jr.,"  by 
Mrs.  Egerton — (Helen  Merrill). 

October — "Canadian  Poets,"  by  Prof.  W.  H.  Greaves, 
Victoria  College. 

Besides  these  regular  meetings  an  open  evening  meet- 
ing was  held  February  28th  at  the  "Grange."  Mr.  E.  R. 
Greig,  the  curator,  gave  a  most  interesting  paper  on  the 
early  history  of  the  "Grange." 

An  historical  picnic  was  held  at  the  Wentworth 
Society's  Club  House  on  June  6th,  the  anniversary  of 
Stoney  Creek.  Interesting  addresses  were  given  upon 
the  battle. 

The  usual  annual  Christmas  shower  for  tubercular 
soldiers  was  held  at  the  December  meeting.  Mrs.  Horace 
Eaton  was  able  to  send  gifts  to  many  soldiers  still  in 
hospital.  Dressing-slippers,  Afghans,  books,  maga- 
zines, jams,  socks,  etc.,  carried  best  wishes  and  cheer. 
For  additional  comforts  $31.00  was  contributed.  During 
the  year  the  Society  also  sent  eighteen  sleeveless  sweaters 
and  twenty-four  pairs  of  socks  to  the  Soldiers'  Comforts. 

Three  very  successful  bridges  were  held  at  members' 
houses  to  help  augment  the  Society's  funds- 

5 


As  one  of  the  Society's  objects  is  "the  preservation  of 
Canadian  records  and  relics,"  a  delegation  met  by  request 
the  cemetery  board  and  with  other  societies  interviewed 
the  Harbor  Commissioners  and  received  assurance  the 
old  military  cemetery  would  receive  due  care  and  remain 
intact  and  we  are  glad  to  note  the  cemetery  has  been  put 
in  temporary  order  and  a  Commemoration  Service  was 
held  Armistice  Day. 

A  resolution  was  passed  and  was  sent  the  City  Council 
asking  the  name  Teraulay  Street  be  retained  on  account 
of  its  historic  connections. 

Notice  of  motion  was  given  at  the  last  meeting  the 
constitution  be  amended  and  the  clause  reading  two  vice- 
presidents  be  changed  to  three  vice-presidents. 

Mrs.  Corley,  who  has  a  fund  of  information  relative 
to  the  Society's  work  and  has  in  her  keeping  many  of 
the  treasures  accumulated,  was  appointed  historian  or 
curator  of  the  Society  at  the  last  executive. 

There  are  now  four  life  members: — Miss  Mickle  and 
Mrs.  James  Bain,  made  members  by  the  Society;  Mrs. 
W.  H.  P.  Jarvis  by  Mrs.  Hoskin,  and  Mrs.  Murray  Clark 
who  conferred  life  membership  upon  herself. 

It  was  with  regret  the  committee  accepted  the  resigna- 
tion of  Mrs.  W.  T.  Hallam,  for  some  time  recording 
secretary  and  later  corresponding  secretary.  Always  a 
valued  and  faithful  member  may  every  success  attend 
her  in  her  new  sphere  in  Saskatoon! 

Our  thanks  are  due  the  convenor  of  the  tea  committee 
and  the  tea  hostesses  who  made  the  social  side  of  our 
meetings  so  attractive. 

We  regret  the  loss  of  several  members: — Mr.  Robert 
Stark;  Miss  Scott;  Mrs.  H.  H.  Robertson,  a  former  vice- 
president;  Mrs.  Jeffers  Graham,  author  of  "Three  years 
among  the  Ojibways,  1857-1860,"  see  Transaction  XVI.  ; 
and  one  honorary  member,  Sir  George  Parkin. 

Sixteen  new  members  were  welcomed  during  the  year : 
— Mrs.  W-  G.  Robinson,  Mrs.  John  Satterly,  Miss  Allen, 
Mrs.  Bain,  Mrs.  F.  E.  Fisher,  Miss  Wallis,  Miss  Dorothy 
Hobden,  Mrs.  Clarence  Bullock,  Mrs.  Everett,  Mrs.  R.  F. 
Massie,  Mrs.  W.  S.  Morden,  Mrs.  T.  A.  Doherty,  Mrs.  C. 
I.  F.  Whitney,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Johnson,  Mrs.  Harvey  Gray 
and  Mrs.  George  H.  Ross. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

HESTER  SETTLE, 

Recording -Secretary- 
6 


Notes  by  the  Corresponding  Secretary 


During  the  year  the  Society  entered  into  affiliation  with 
the  Canadian  Landmarks  Association,  whose  headquart- 
ers are  in  Ottawa. 

Correspondence  was  exchanged  with  the  committee  in 
charge  of  the  restoration  of  the  old  Military  Cemetery  on 
Strachan  Avenue;  with  the  Historic  Sites  and  Battle- 
fields Association  in  Ottawa  regarding  the  preservation 
and  restoration  of  the  Old  Fort  at  Toronto;  and  with  a 
representative  of  the  Brock  family,  in  regard  to  the 
Isaac  Brock  Memorial  Chapel  in  Guernsey. 

We  were  glad  to  be  in  a  position  to  furnish  authentic 
information  to  a  lady,  preparing  a  paper  on  the  U.  E. 
Loyalists,  for  presentation  before  a  large  women's  con- 
vention *in  the  United  States.  In  this  way  we  had  an 
opportunity  of  presenting  the  Loyalist's  position  dur- 
ing the  Revolution. 

An  appeal  reached  us  from  the  women  of  Thrace, 
issued  officially  by  their  Union,  to  which  was  attached  an 
appeal  on  behalf  of  the  Committee  of  Defence  of  Greeks 
in  Asia  Minor,  to  the  National  Council  of  Women  at 
Athens. 

A  request  for  copies  of  our  transactions  was  received 
from  Mr.  Ganong. 

Inquiries  regarding  Transactions  re  Hanna  Ingram  and 
Sir  John  Franklin  were  received  from  Northampton, 
Mass. 

Copies  of  the  Tranactions  were  sent  to  the  Provincial 
Government. 

Publications  were  received  from  the  following,  and 
our  acknowledgments  are  herewith  recorded  : 

Document  No.  33  of  the  Niagara  Historical  Society- 
edited  by  Col.  Cruickshank. 

The  1921  Report  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress. 
Papers  of  the  San  Francisco  Committee  of  Vigilance, 
1851. 

Club  News  of  Canada. 


Canadian  National  Parks  and  Historic  Sites  Associa- 
tion pamphlets ;  Fort  Anne ;  Fort  Chambly  and  The  Lake 
Erie  Cross- 

The  Toronto  Home  and  School  Council  Year  Book. 

Canadian  National  Parks  Association  publication. 

Tranasactions  of  the  Wentworth  Historical  Society. 

Transactions  of  the  Washington  Historical  Society. 

Transaction  19  of  the  Ontario  Historical  Society. 

The  following  donations  are  gratefully  recorded: 

A  valuable  old  map  of  Canada,  made  after  the  Treaty 
of  Paris,  1763 — donated  by  Mr.  Bligh. 

"The  Loyalists  of  Mass.",  by  Jas-  H.  Stark — donated  by 
Miss  Mickte. 

A  signed  picture  of  Wild  Flowers,  by  Mrs.  Susanna 
Moody,  authoress  of  "Roughing  it  in  the  Bush" — donated 
by  Mrs.  Chas.  Hunter. 

Three  colored  contemporary  lithographs  of  the  Kiel 
North  West  Rebellion,  1885— donated  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Bell, 
of  Ottawa. 

A  map  of  North  America  in  1803 — donated  by  Mr. 
Bligh.  The  Stony  Mountains  (Rockies),  are  shown  run- 
ning between  Lat.  52  and  64. 

A  register  in  use  at  the  former  Women's  Welcome  Hos- 
tel— donated  by  Miss  Arnold. 


Treasurer's  Report 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT  1921-1922. 
RECEIPTS. 

Balance  in  Bank  November,  1921 $68  70 

Members'  fees  90  00 

Donations  14  50 

Government  Grant  200  00 

Transfer  from  Mem.  Fund  acct.  ..  8  28 

Proceeds  from  Bridge  Parties 103  50 

Bank  Interest  .  4  10 


Total  $487  08 

EXPENDITURE. 

Cheque  Books  1  00 

Announcements  14  64 

Sherbourne  House  Club  (teas)  ..  15  00 

Sherbourne  House  Club  (fees)  35  00 

Flowers 16  50 

Stationary,  Postage,  Service 8  88 

Printing,  Cards,  etc- $2  10 

Fees,  Local  Council  of  Women 5  00 

Fees  Historic  Landmarks  Asso.  5  00 

Printing  Transactions  124  75 


Total  $257  87 


Balance,  November,  1922  $231  21 

MEMORIAL  FUND  ACCOUNT,  1921-1922. 
RECEIPTS. 

Nov.,  1921,  balance  in  Bank  $457  11 

Monthly  Teas 43  75 

Life  Membership  5®  °° 


Proceeds  from  Bazaar 375  92 

Sale  of  Transactions - 

Interest  on  Bank  Account - 

Donations — 15  ?° 

Interest  on  Bonds -....- 437  75 


Total    $1,396  91 

EXPENDITURE. 

Cheque  Book  $         50 

Life  Membership  Cards 26  78 

Rent  of  Rooms  for  Bazaar 

Advertising  and  Expenses 19  56 

Rent  of  Safety  Deposit  Box 

War  Loan  purchased  and  int.  etc 505  I 

War  Loan  purchased  and  int.  etc 501  22 


Total   $1,071  59 

Nov.,  1922,  bal.  cash  in  Bank..  $325  32 

SECURITIES. 

War    Loan    and  Victory  Bonds  at 

51/2%  $7,300  00 

War  Loan  and  Victory  Bonds  at  5% 

Canada  Permanent  at  5%  500  00 


Total  $8,300  00 

Balance  cash  in  Bank _ 825  32 

Total  Cash  and  Securities $8,625  32 

A.  E.  HILL,  Hon.  Treasurer- 
Audited  and  found  correct, 

J.  H.  YOUNG,  Chartered  Accountant. 


10 


TRANSACTION  No.  22 

No.  1 

Toronto  in  the  Parliaments  of  Upper  Canada 

1792-1841 

BY 

THE  HONOURABLE  WILLIAM  RENWICK  RIDDELL,  LL.D., 

F.R.S.C.,  ETC.,  JUSTICE  OF  THE  SUPREME  COURT 

OF  ONTARIO. 

The  purpose  of  this  paper  is  to  describe  the  Constitu- 
encies in  the  old  Province  of  Upper  Canada,  which  con- 
tained the  situs  of  the  present  City  of  Toronto ;  and  also 
to  give  some  account  of  the  Members  for  these  Constitu- 
encies in  the  Legislature  Assembly  of  the  thirteen  Parlia- 
ments of  the  Province,  1792-1841,  before  the  Union. 

There  have  been  many  erroneous  statements  made  even 
in  historical  papers  on  these  matters ;  I  have  in  all  cases 
where  it  was  possible,  consulted  original  and  contempor- 
ary records,  and  hope  that  I  have  in  this  paper  reduced 
inaccuracy  to  a  minimum. 

By  the  Definitive  Treaty  of  Peace  and  Friendship,  gen- 
erally called  the  Treaty  of  Paris  1763,  concluded  at  Paris, 
Februarv  10,  1763,  "His  Most  Christian  Majesty,"  Louis 
XV.  of  France,  ceded  to  "His  Brittanick  Majesty,"  King 
George  III.,  "Canada  with  all  its  dependencies,"  thus 
making  de  jure,  the  de  facto  possession  by  Britain  under 
the  Articles  of  Capitulation  of  Quebec,  September  18, 
1759,  and  of  Montreal,  September  8,  17601. 

The  Home  Administration  determined  to  give  to  Can- 
ada a  civil  administration  in  lieu  of  the  Regime  Militaire 
which  had  prevailed  since  the  Conquest;  and,  October  7, 
1763,  was  issued  a  Royal  Proclamation2,  amongst  other 
things,  creating  a  Province  of  Quebec,  and  providing  for 
civil  government  in  the  near  future.  This  Province  ex- 
tended as  far  west  only  as  a  line  drawn  from  "the  South 
end  of  the  Lake  Nipissim  (Nipissing),  to  where  the 
line  of  45  Degrees  of  North  Latitude  crosses  the  St.  Law- 

ll 


rence  (near  the  present  Cornwall,  Ont) — consequently 
Toronto  did  not  fall  within  the  Province,  and  was  not 
affected  by  the  provision  in  the  Proclamation  looking  to 
an  elective  Assembly. 

When  the  limits  of  the  Province  of  Quebec  were  altered 
so  as  to  include  Toronto  by  the  Quebec  Act  of  17743,  which 
extended  the  Province  to  the  Ohio  on  the  South  and  the 
Mississippi  on  the  West,  the  same  statute  put  an  end  to 
the  project  of  an  elective  Assembly  altogether  for  a  time. 

Toronto  was  then  but  a  trading  post,  frequently  men- 
tioned in  the  papers  of  Sir  William  Johnson4,  and  seems 
to  have  been  a  favourite  place  for  the  meetings  of  fur- 
traders  with  the  Indians.  It  is  known  that  the  terri- 
tory west  of  the  Lake  Nipissing  line  was  purposely  left 
put  of  the  territory  intended  for  settlement  in  order  that 
it  might  serve  for  hunting  grounds  for  the  fur  trade. 

During  the  American  Revolutionary  War,  and  at  its 
close,  especially  after  the  Definitive  Treaty  of  Peace, 
17835,  loyal  inhabitants  of  the  American  Colonies  came 
into  this  western  land.  It  was  determined  to  make  two 
Provinces,  each  with  its  own  Parliament;  an  Order-in- 
Council  was  passed  at  the  Court  of  St.  James's,  August 
24,  1791,  forming  two  Provinces,  Upper  Canada  and 
Lower  Canada,  with  the  dividing  line  at  the  present  divid- 
ing line  between  Ontario  and  Quebec.  Upper  Canada 
then  included  de  facto  the  Detroit  country  and  several 
posts,  which  de  jure  belonged  to  the  United  States0. 

An  Act  was  passed,  the  Canada  or  Constitutional  Act 
of  1791,  for  the  government  of  the  two  new  Provinces7— 
the  Order-in-Council  already  referred  to  of  August  24, 
1791,  authorized  Henry  Dundas,  Secretary  of  State,  to 
direct  the  Governor  or  Administrator  of  the  Government 
at  Quebec  to  bring  the  Act  into  force  not  later  than  De- 
cember 31,  1791.  Lord  Dorchester  being  in  England,  Gen- 
eral Alured  Clarke,  Administrator  of  the  Government, 
issued  a  proclamation,  November  18,  1791,  bringing  the 
Act  into  force  on  December  26,  17918. 

The  Constitutional  Act  by  Sees.  2,  13,  provided  for  a 
Legislative  Assembly — by  sec.  14,  for  the  Lieutenant- 
Governor  to  issue  a  Proclamation  dividing  the  Province 
into  constituencies  and  by  sec.  16,  that  the  number  of 
Members  of  the  Legislature  Assembly  in  Upper  Canada 
should  be  not  less  than  sixteen. 

12 


Colonel  John  Graves  Simcoe  was  appointed  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  Upper  Canada,  1791 ;  he  met  his  Executive 
Council  at  Kingston,  in  July,  1792;  and,  July  16,  1792, 
he  issued  a  Proclamation  dividing  the  Province  into  nine- 
teen counties  and  fifteen  constituencies,  one  constituency, 
Kent,  to  send  two  representatives9. 

The  constituency  containing  Toronto  was  composed  of 
Durham,  York  and  the  First  Riding  of  Lincoln,  stretch- 
ing from  the  western  boundary  of  Northumberland,  the 
present  "Town-line"  just  east  of  Port  Hope,  to  the  "grand 
river  to  be  called  the  Ouse"  (now  the  Grand  River) ,  down 
this  river  to  "the  Indian  Road  leading  to  the  Forks  of  the 
Chippewa  Creek  (which  creek  is  now  to  be  called  the 
Welland),"  then  down  this  creek,  &c.  The  constituency 
stretched  from  Lake  Ontario  back  to  the  tract  "belong- 
ing to  the  Messisague  Indians/' 

The  Member  elected  was  Nathaniel  Pettit;  he  was  of 
United  Empire  stock,  a  farmer  in  Grimsby,  the  owner  of 
the  land  upon  which  the  Town  of  Grimsby  now  stands- 
He  was  of  such  prominence  that  he  was  recommended  by 
Lord  Dorchester  as  a  Legislative  Councillor,  and  was  a 
Member  of  the  Nassau  Land  Board.  He  was  appointed 
by  Lord  Dorchester,  October  22,  1788,  one  of  the  Judges 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  District  of  Nassau. 
His  ability  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  he  was,  September 
24,  1792,  made  a  member  of  the  important  Ways  and 
Means  Committee  of  the  House10. 

The  First  Parliament  had  five  Sessions,  1792  to  1796, 
inclusive,  and  then  it  was  dissolved. 

The  Second  Parliament,  1797-1800,  had  the  same  con- 
stituencies— for  this  constituency  was  elected  Richard 
Beasley11. 

For  the  Third  Parliament,  1801-1804,  the  constituen- 
cies were  altered  by  the  Statute  of  1798.  By  this  time 
Toronto  had  become  "York,"  Simcoe  having  given  it 
that  name  in  1793  in  honour  of  the  Duke  of  York,  second 
son  of  King  George  III.,  now  commemorated  by  the  Duke 
of  York's  Column,  London. 

The  Statute  of  1798  made  a  new  Riding,  "the  East  Rid- 
ing of  the  County  of  York,"  composed  of  "the  Townships 
of  Whitby,  Pickering,  Scarborough,  York,  including  its 
peninsula,  Etobicoke,  Markham,  Vaughan,  King,  Whit- 
church,  Uxbridge,  Gwillimbury,  and  the  tract  of  land 

13 


hereinafter  to  be  laid  out  in  Townships  lying  between  the 
County  of  Durham  and  Lake  Simcoe." 

The  same  Act  created  a  new  County,  Simcoe ;  composed 
of  Matchedash,  Gloucester  or  Pentanguishene,  together 
with  Prince  William  Henry's  Island  and  all  the  land  be- 
tween the  Midland  District  and  a  line  due  north  from  a 
certain  fixed  boundary  about  55  miles  north-west  of  the 
outlet  of  Burlington  Bay,  to  the  northern  limits  of  the 
Province12.  Two  years  afterwards,  in  1800,  Parliament 
passed  an  Act  whereby  Durham,  Simcoe  and  the  East  Rid- 
ing of  York  were  together  entitled  to  one  Member31. 

For  this  constituency,  Mr.  Justice  Allcock  was  elected, 
but  being  unseated,  he  was  succeeded  by  Angus  McDonelly 
—Richard  Beasley  was  elected  for  a  constituency  com- 
posed of  West  York,  Haldimand  and  the  First  Riding  of 
Lincoln,  about  half  his  former  constituency.  Beasley  be- 
came Speaker  during  the  3rd  and  4th  Session,  during  the 
absence  of  Hon.  (afterwards  Sir)  David  William  Smith. 
Beasley  did  not  have  a  seat  in  the  Fourth  Parliament, 
1805-1808;  but  he  represented  (till  he  was  unseated, 
1809),  the  West  Riding  of  York  in  the  Fifth  Parliament 
(1808-1812) — he  then  disappears  from  Parliament14. 

Mr.  Justice  Henry  Allcock  was  an  English  Barrister  of 
Lincoln's  Inn,  who  came  to  Upper  Canada  in  1798,  as 
puisne  Judge  of  the  Court  of  King's  Bench.  He  was  a 
favourite  adviser  of  our  second  Lieutenant-Governor, 
General  Peter  Hunter,  whom  he  assisted  to  make  consid- 
erable money  out  of  his  office,  in  ways  perfectly  legal  but 
not  wholly  creditable. 

At  the  General  Election  of  August  15,  1800,  he  offered 
himself  for  this  constituency,  and  was  elected;  he  sec- 
onded the  nomination  of  David  William  Smith  as  Speaker. 
He  was  petitioned  against  and  unseated,  June  11,  1801 ; 
and  did  not  offer  himself  as  a  candidate  again.  When 
Chief  Justice  John  Elmsley  went  to  Lower  Canada 
(1802),  Allcock  succeeded  him  as  Chief  Justice  of  Upper 
Canada;  afterwards  (1806),  he  succeeded  Elmsley  as 
Chief  Justice  in  Lower  Canada15. 

Angus  McDonelly16  was  of  the  well-known  Highland 
family  of  that  name ;  he  was  Clerk  in  the  House  for  the 
First  and  Second  Parliaments;  dismissed  in  June,  1801, 
he  received  the  thanks  of  the  House  and  offered  himself 
for  the  seat  vacated  by  Allcock.  He  was  elected  and  be- 
came a  very  prominent  and  active  Member — we  should 

14 


remember  him  for  he  was  the  first  to  urge  that  the  former 
name  Toronto  should  replace  York. 

He  defeated  Williams  Weekes  for  this  constituency  at 
the  General  Election  for  the  Fourth  Parliament,  1804- 
1808. 

He  was  a  lawyer  in  large  practice;  in  October,  1804, 
having  undertaken  the  defence  of  the  Indian  Ogetonicut, 
charged  with  the  murder  of  John  Sharpe  at  Lake  Scugog, 
he  took  passage  to  Newcastle  (now  Presqu'isle,  near 
Brighton)  on  the  Government  schooner  Speedy,  and  was 
drowned  along  with  Mr.  Justice  Cochrane,  Solicitor-Gen- 
eral Gray,  the  prisoner,  witnesses,  constable,  captain  and 
crew,  thirty-nine  persons  in  all. 

William  Weekes  was  then  elected  for  this  Fourth  Par- 
liament; he  was  a  disloyal  factious  Irishman,  a  former 
student  of  Aaron  Burr,  the  first  student  called  to  the  Bar 
by  the  Law  Society  of  Upper  Canada,  1799,  a  noisy, 
active  and  fairly  successful  lawyer.  He  joined  himself 
to  the  disloyal  faction  in  the  House,  and  was  generally 
troublesome. 

Before  the  end  of  this  Parliament,  Weekes  was  killed 
in  a  duel  by  William  Dickson,  a  brother  lawyer,  upon 
whom  he  had  forced  the  duel — this  occurred  at  Fort 
Niagara  on  the  American  side,  October  10,  1806. 

Then  Mr.  Justice  Robert  Thorpe,  of  the  Court  of  King's 
Bench,  was  elected ;  he  was  an  Irishman,  a  henchman  of 
Castlereagh,  who  had  made  him  Chief  Justice  of  Prince 
Edward  Island.  There  he  fell  out  with  the  Governor, 
Fanning,  and  was  appointed  puisne  Judge  in  Upper  Can- 
ada, where  he  arrived  in  1805.  He  did  not  get  his  own 
way,  and  when  Scott  was  appointed  Chief  Justice,  he 
openly  joined  the  factious  party. 

When  Francis  Gore  replaced  the  Administrator,  Alex- 
ander Grant  (whom  Thorpe  characterized  as  "an  enfeeb- 
led old,  ignorant  Methodist  preacher"),  matters  soon 
came  to  a  head.  Thorpe  left  the  Province  to  complain  to 
the  Home  Government,  i.e.,  to  Castlereagh;  and  Gore 
promptly  removed  him. 

He  then  was  appointed  Chief  Justice  of  Sierra  Leone; 
there,  after  a  short  time,  he  fell  foul  of  the  African  Asso- 
ciation and  its  predecessor  the  Sierra  Leone  Company, 
organized  for  the  benefit  of  free  blacks  on  the  West  Coast 
of  Africa.  The  Company  had  the  Duke  of  Gloucester  (the 
son  of  the  King)  as  President,  six  Lords  as  Vice-Presi- 

15 


dents,  and  prominent  Members  of  Parliament  on  its 
Board.  Thorpe  was  like  the  earthen  pot  floating  down 
the  stream  with  brazen  pots,  or  like  Don  Quixote  tilt- 
ing at  the  windmills;  though  most,  if  not  indeed  all,  of 
his  charges  were  true,  he  failed,  he  lost  his  position  and 
returned  to  England  to  spend  the  rest  of  his  life  in  ob- 
scurity, neglect  and  poverty — too  often  the  fate  of  a  man 
always  "agin*  the  Government"17. 

Before  the  next,  the  Fifth,  Parliament,  1809-1812,  an 
Act  was  passed,  1808,  altering  the  constituencies18  and 
increasing  the  number  of  Members  to  twenty-five — this 
provided  that  the  East  Riding  of  York  and  the  County 
of  Simcoe  should  be  a  constituency  returning  one  member. 

At  the  General  Election,  Thomas  Barnes  Gough  was 
elected. 

Gough,  who  lived  in  York,  had  opposed  Thorpe  when 
the  latter  was  elected  in  1807,  receiving  159  votes  to 
Thorpe's  268 ;  he  had  petitioned  against  Thorpe's  return 
on  the  ground  that  being  a  Judge  he  could  not  be  a  mem- 
ber; the  petition  failed,  and  rightly  failed,  there  was 
nothing  at  that  time  preventing  a  Judge  being  a  Member 
of  the  Assembly  any  more  than  there  is  now  anything  to 
prevent  a  British  Judge  from  being  a  Member  of  the 
House  of  Lords16. 

He  sat  only  for  this  Parliament ;  for  the  Sixth  Parlia- 
ment, 1812-1816,  Thomas  Ridout  represented  the  same 
constituency.  He  had  been  an  officer  of  the  Assembly 
and  proved  a  useful  Member.  Before  leaving  Parliament 
he  was,  in  1815,  one  of  the  Commissioners  appointed  to 
provide  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Provincial  Legis- 
lature after  the  Parliament  Buildings  at  the  foot  of 
Berkeley  Street,  had  been  burned  by  the  American  in- 
vader. 

Before  the  next  General  Election,  no  change  was  made 
in  the  constituency,  and  at  the  General  Election  for  the 
Seventh  Parliament,  1817-1820,  Peter  Robinson  was 
elected. 

He  was  the  brother  of  John  Beverley  Robinson,  an 
active  immigration  agent,  the  founder  of  Peterborough, 
which  was  named  after  him.  He  lived  for  a  time  at  New- 
market, and  was  returned  also  for  the  next,  the  Eighth 
Parliament,  1821-1824,  but  for  a  smaller  constituency. 
The  Legislature  in  1820  gave  every  town  in  which  the 
Quarter  Sessions  were  or  might  lawfully  be  held  if  of  at 

16 


least  1,000  souls  one  member  in  the  Assembly21 ;  and  ac- 
cordingly the  Town  of  York  received  a  member— John 
Beverley  Robinson  was  elected  for  the  Town  of  York- 
At  that  time,  however,  York  did  not  extend  north  beyond 
Lot  (now  Queen)  Street;  and  consequently,  we  must  still 
take  account  of  Peter  Robinson  who  represented  all  York 
County  and  Simcoe,  the  Act  of  1820  giving  every  County 
now  formed  or  to  be  formed,  one  member  if  of  1,000  souls, 
two  if  of  4,000  souls.  York  and  Simcoe  had  4,000,  and, 
therefore,  elected  two  members.  Peter  Robinson  and 
William  Warren  Baldwin,  of  Spadina. 

As  Peter  Robinson  was  one  of  the  official  class,  gen- 
erally known  as  the  Family  Compact,  he  has  received  his 
share  of  abuse  from  Radical  writers;  and  no  doubt  he 
was  a  pluralist  with  a  good  living  from  a  poor  country — 
but  he  was  a  loyal  and  useful  citizen-  The  oldest  child  of 
Christopher  Robinson  (one  of  our  earliest  lawyers  and 
Assemblymen) ,  he  was  born  in  1785 ;  during  the  War  of 
1812,  he  raised  a  Rifle  Company  and  marched  to  Sand- 
wich to  meet  the  American  invader ;  he  took  part  in  the 
capture  of  Detroit  by  General  Brock  and  is  mentioned 
in  Brock's  General  Orders  of  August  16,  1812.  In  1813 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  defence  of  Michillimackinac, 
and  succeeded  in  making  his  way  out  through  the  Ameri- 
can blockading  fleet  in  August,  1814.  He  took  a  deep  in- 
terest in  immigration  and  was  instrumental  in  bringing 
a  large  number  of  valuable  immigrants  into  the  Province 
—as  has  been  said,  Peterborough  is  named  after  him. 

After  having  been  Member  of  the  Assembly  for  two 
terms,  he  became  a  Member  of  both  the  Executive  and 
the  Legislative  Council;  he  was  also  Commissioner  of 
Crown  Lands,  Surveyor-General  of  Woods,  Clergy  Re- 
serve Commissioner,  &c.,  with  an  emolument  of  £1,300 
per  annum.  He  was  one  of  the  three  Members  of  the 
Executive  Council22  when  Francis  Bond  Head  arrived, 
and  he  resigned  (1836)  with  the  rest — i.e.  his  two  former 
and  three  new  colleagues — when  Sir  Francis  stated  that 
he  was  bound  to  consult  them  only  when  he  felt  the  need 
of  their  advice,  and  that  he,  the  Lieutenant-Governor, 
was  the  only  responsible  Minister.  Robinson  died  at 
Toronto,  1838,  never  having  married. 

Dr.  William  Warren  Baldwin,  the  son  of  an  Irish 
gentleman  of  Cork,  was  educated  in  Medicine  at  Edin- 
burgh, came  with  his  father  to  this  Province  in  1798  and 

17 


settled  in  the  Township  of  Clarke  on  Baldwin's  (now 
Wilmot's)  Creek;  he  later  came  to  Toronto  and  opened 
a  school ;  called  to  the  Bar  under  an  Act  of  1808»,  he  soon 
attained  the  head  of  his  new  profession — he  was  for  many 
years  Treasurer  of  the  Law  Society  and  practically 
directed  its  affairs.  A  more  ardent  Reformer  than  his 
more  celebrated  son,  Robert,  he  was  a  close  associate  of 
William  Lyon  Mackenzie,  but  declined  to  join  in  the 
Rebellion. 

The  life  of  John  Beverley  Robinson  has  been  written 
by  his  son,  and  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  more  of  him  than 
that  he  was  the  first  Member  for  York,  he  was  re-elected 
for  the  Ninth  Parliament,  1825-1828,  and  the  Tenth, 
1829-1830,  and  became  Chief  Justice,  1829. 

The  Members  for  York  County  and  Simcoe  for  the 
Ninth  Parliament,  1825-1828,  were  William  Thompson 
and  Eli  Playter.  The  Act  of  1820  had  directed  that  when 
a  County  was  formed,  if  it  had  less  than  1,000  souls,  it 
should  be  attached  for  representation  purposes  to  the 
next  adjoining  County,  with  the  smallest  number  of  souls. 
Simcoe  was  formed  into  a  separate  District  under  the 
provisions  of  an  Act  of  1821,  but  it  had  not  yet  1,000 
souls  and  therefore  remained  attached  to  York23. 

But  before  the  General  Election  of  1828  for  the  Tenth 
Parliament,  1829-1830,  Simcoe  had  its  quota  of  1,000 
souls  and  elected  its  own  Member,  John  Cawthra;  while 
York  still  had  two — Jesse  Ketchum  and  William  Lyon 
Mackenzie24,  and  Dr.  Baldwin  was  returned  for  Norfolk. 

When  John  Beverley  Robinson  went  on  the  Bench  in 
1829,  Robert  Baldwin  was  elected  for  York  Town ;  a  peti- 
tion succeeding  against  his  election  on  the  ground  of  ir- 
regularity in  the  Writ — the  Lieutenant-Governor  having 
issued  it  instead  of  the  Speaker — he  was  re-elected. 

At  the  General  Election,  1830,  for  the  Eleventh  Parlia- 
ment, 1831-1834,  the  Sheriff  William  Botsford  Jarvis 
who  had  been  defeated  in  the  by-election  by  Robert 
Baldwin,  had  his  revenge,  as  he  now  defeated  Baldwin; 
he  was  the  last  Member  for  York  Town. 

For  the  County  were  elected  Jesse  Ketchum  and  Wil- 
liam Lyon  Mackenzie.  Mackenzie  was  expelled  from  the 
House,  December  13,  1831,  and  re-elected  January  3, 
1832;  again  expelled,  he  was  re-elected,  December  16, 
1833;  again  expelled,  he  took  the  oaths  again  February 
10,  1834,  but  was  prevented  from  taking  his  seat. 

18 


Before  the  General  Election  of  1834  for  the  Twelfth 
Parliament,  changes  were  made  in  the  constituencies  by 
Acts  of  Parliament  in  1833  and  1834. 

By  the  Act  of  1833  25,  the  County  of  York  was  divided 
into  four  Ridings  of  which  the  First  was  composed  of 
the  Townships  of  York  including  its  Peninsula,  Etobicoke, 
Vaughan  and  King;  each  Riding  was  to  return  one 
Member  to  the  House  of  Assembly. 

The  Act  of  183426  extended  the  limits  of  the  Town 
of  York  400  yards  north  of  Lot  (now  Queen)  Street  and 
westerly  to  the  line  between  Part  Lots  18  and  19  of  the 
Township  of  York,  so  that  it  was  bounded  on  the  east  by 
the  Don,  on  the  south  by  the  harbour,  on  the  west  by  the 
centre  line  of  Crookshank  Lane  (now  Dundas  Street) 
and  on  the  north  by  the  southern  line  of  Crookshank 
Street  (now  Dundas  Street  East).  This  was  given  the 
name  of  the  City  of  Toronto;  and  it  was  enacted  that 
wherever  "York"  was  mentioned  the  Acts  of  Parliament, 
&c.,  as  meaning  the  Town  of  York,  the  City  of  Toronto 
should  be  understood.  This  gave  the  City  of  Toronto  a 
Member  in  the  House,  and  James  Edward  Small  was 
elected;  he  was  a  very  prominent  lawyer  and  had  been 
Counsel  for  Mackenzie  in  his  action  against  the  young 
men  who  threw  his  type  into  the  Bay.  When  a  young 
man  he  had  been  the  second  of  young  John  Ridout  in  the 
duel  in  which  Ridout  was  killed  by  Samuel  Peters  Jarvis, 
at  the  north-west  corner  of  Yonge  and  College  Streets  in 
1817 — he  was  indicted  as  an  accessory  to  murder  but 
acquitted  when  Jarvis  was  acquitted  of  murder.  We  have 
seen  that  he  suffered  defeat  for  the  County  along  with 
Robert  Baldwin  in  1828  and  by  Baldwin  for  York  Town 
in  1829.  He  was  a  Reformer  but  less  extreme  than  Mac- 
kenzie; his  moderation  did  not  save  him  from  dismissal 
from  his  office  as  Commissioner  of  the  Court  of  Requests 
(what  we  should  now  call  Judge  of  the  Division  Court) 
by  Francis  Bond  Head  in  183£. 

For  the  First  Riding  of  York,  David  Gibson  was 
elected,  a  Land  Surveyor"7  living  near  the  present  Willow- 
dale;  he  was  an  active ,  and  ardent  Reformer  and  like 
Mackenzie,  a  Scotsman ;  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
Rebellion,  escaped  to  the  United  States,  but  abandoned 
Mackenzie  after  a  time — he  was  pardoned  in  1843  and 
returned  to  the  Province,  settled  again  on  his  farm  on 

19 


Yonge  Street,  was  appointed  to  a  Government  position 


1836-1841,  the  City  of 
Toronto  returned  William  Henry  Draper,  afterwards 
Chief  Justice,  and  the  First  Riding  of  York,  David  Gib- 
son; Gibson  was  expelled  on  account  of  his  joining  in 
the  Rebellion  and  in  1838  at  a  by-election,  John  William 
Gamble  was  returned.  . 

This  was  the  last  Parliament  of  the  Province  of  Upper 
Canada—  the  First  Parliament  of  the  Province  of  Canada 
which  was  composed  of  the  former  Provinces  of  Upper 
Canada  and  Lower  Canada  sat  "in  the  building  prepared 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  Provincial  ^f1^6  m 
the  township  of  Kingston"  on  Monday,  June  14,  1841-  . 

Osgoode  Hall,  Toronto, 
December,  1922. 


NOTES. 

[MEMO.—  While  I  have  not  broken  the  continuity  of  the  narrative 
by  minutiae  and  citation,  I  think  it  well  to  give  references  in  cer- 
tain cases:  one  venturing  on  a  historical  work  should  not  only  t 
as  nearly  accurate  as  possible,  but  should  furnish  means  for  readers 


l  have  noT^va  sketch  of  the  life,  &c.,  of  those  whose  lives 
have  been  written  in  extenso  such  as  Sir  John  Beverley  Robinson 
and  William  Lyon  Mackenzie.] 

The  following  contractions  are  used  in  these  Notes:— 

"S  &  D  "  _  Documents  relating  to  the  Constitutional  History  of 
Canada,  1759-1791—  Adam  Shortt  and  Arthur  G.  Doughty,  Ottawa, 

1918 

"D.  &  McA."—  Documents  relating  to  the  Constitutional  History 
of  Canada,  1791-1818.—  Arthur  G.  Doughty  and  Duncan  A.  Mc- 
Arthur,  Ottawa,  1914. 

"Treaties"  —  Treaties  and  Conventions  since  July  4,  1776,  Was* 

nf  Ont.  Arch.—  Fourth  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Archives  for 
Ontario. 

Can.  Arch,  Q.  62,  227—  Canadian  Archives  at  Ottawa,  Series  Q., 
Vol.  62,  page  227. 

(U-C.)  —  Upper  Canada  legislation. 

(Imp)  —  Imperial  legislation  at  Westminster.] 

^Treaty  of  Paris,  S.  &  D.,  97,  113,  at  p.  115;  Articles  of  Capitula- 
tion of  Quebec,  do.,  1,  5;  of  Montreal,  do.  7,  25. 
3S.  &  D.,  163;  4  Ont.  Arch.,  2. 

20 


'(1774)  14  Geo.  3,  C.  85,  (Imp.) ;  <S.  &  D.,  570. 

4Long  preserved  at  Albany,  New  York,  'but  seriously  injured 
recently  by  fire.  I  am  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  transcripts  of  the 
more  important  of  them  for  the  present  purpose. 

"Toronto,"  "traders  at  Toronto,"  "licenses  to  trade  at  Toronto" 
are  expressions  used  time  and  again. 

5Treaties,  375. 

"Order  in  Council,  August  24,  1791.  D.  &  McA.,  3,  4  Ont.  Arch,, 
158.  By  the  Definitive  Treaty,  1783,  Article  IV.,  it  had  ibeen 
"agreed  that  creditors  on  either  side  shall  meet  no  lawful  impe- 
diment to  recovery  of  the  full  value  in  sterling  money  on  all  bona 
fide  debts  heretofore  contracted."  Treaties,  377,  Certain  of  the 
States  by  their  laws  prevented  the  payment  of  debts  in  full  to 
English  creditors  and  the  United  States  could  dp  nothing.  Britain, 
therefore,  held  on  to  the  border  ports,  Michillimackinac,  Detroit, 
Niagara,  Oswegatchie,  Oswego,  Point  au  Fer,  Dutchman's  Point, 
until  in  1794  by  "Jay's  Treaty,"  Treaties,  379,  the  United  States 
agreed  to  pay  these  debts — all  the  border  posts  were  given  up  by 
August,  1796,  but  until  that  time  Detroit  was  part  of  Upper 
Canada  de  facto — indeed  during  that  time  crimes  in  Detroit  were 
tried  in  Canadian  Courts  and  at  least  one  burglar,  a  colored  man, 
was  hanged. 

7(1791)  31  Geo.  3,  C.  31,  (Imp.)  ;  S.  &  D.,  1031; 

8D.  &  McA.,  56 — I  do  not  know  why  this  very  important  Pro- 
clamation is  omitted  in  4  Ont.  Arch. 

^he  reason  of  this  was  that  Kent  had  a  considerable  French 
population,  and  it  was  hoped  that  one  of  the  representatives  would 
be  French — a  hope  that  was  fulfilled,  as  Francis  Baby  was  re- 
turned along  with  William  Macomb  for  the  First  Parliament. 

10Can.  Arch.,  Q.  44,  pt.  1,  134;  Dorchester's  letter  to  Grenville, 
March  15,  1790;  6  Ont.  Arch.,  5;  the  other  Judges  of  this  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  were  Col.  John  Butler,  Hon.  William  Hamilton, 
Benjamin  Pawling,  and  Peter  Tenbrook  (or  Tenbroeck). 

11  Spelled  "Beasly"  in  the  Return  of  Members,  May  28,  1801;  6 
Ont.  Arch.,  175;  and  in  Simcoe's  letter  to  Gen.  Alured  Clarke  from 
Navy  Hall,  July  29,  1793,  Can.  Arch.,  Q.  62,  227. 

'-  This  Act  (1798)  38  G«o.  3,  C.  5,  (U.C.),  was  passed  in  1798 
but  reserved  by  Peter  Russell  the  Administrator  with  three  others, 
"for  the  signification  of  His  Majesty's  pleasure  thereon,"  July  5, 
1798,  6  Ont.  Arch.,  92;  the  Royal  Assent  was  promulgated  by  Pro- 
clamation, January  1,  1800,  and  the  Act  -became  law. 

13  (1800)  4O  Geo.  3,  c.  3,  (U.C.)  increasing  the  number  of  Mem- 
bers to  19. 

"6  Ont.  Arch.  175,  324;  8  Ont.  Arch.  139,  318,  362;  Ont.  Arch. 
353,  439. 

15Allcock's  name  is  almost  invariably  spelled  "Alcock";  he  spelled 
it  "Allcock" — the  relations  of  Allcock  with  Hunter  are  disclosed 
in  Powell  MiSS.,  copies  of  which  are  in  my  possession;  his  ap- 
pointments are  matters  of  public  record;  his  adventures'  in  the 
House  will  be  found,  6  Ont.  Arch.,  174-6,  183,  192-4.  He  was  made 
Speaker  of  the  Legislative  Council  on  becoming  Chief  Justice,  a 
position  filled  by  his  predecessors,  Osgoode  and  Elmsley  and  his 
successors  Scott,  Powell,  Campbell  and  Robinson— so  too  by  Robert 
Sympson  Jameson,  our  first  Vice-chancellor  and  by  Jonas  Jones 
one  of  the  puisne  Judges  of  the  Queen's  Bench. 

21 


16I  spell  the  name  as  he  wrote  it  on  the  Roll  of  Advocates  and 
Attorneys  in  the  King's  Bench  1794 ;  the  family  generally  then  and 
I  think  always  now  spell  it  "Macdonell."  Angus4  was  a  near  rela- 
tion of  the  young  Attorney-General  Macdonell  who  died  a  hero's 
death  from  wounds  received  at  Queenston  Heights,  October  13,  1812. 

17For  the  Life  of  Angus  McDonell  see  my  "Legal  Profession  in 
Upper  Canada",  157 ;  for  the  Life  of  Thorpe  see  my  "Upper  Canada 
Sketches'",  57,  where  authorities  are  cited.  The  Canadian  Archives 
Report  for  1892>  Note  D,  32,  contains  many  important  documents 
concerning  this  time  in  Upper  Canada. 

"(1808  48  Geo.  3,  c.  11,  (U.C.). 

19See  8  Ont.  Arch.,  128,  154,  284,  Common  Law  Judges  could  not 
in  England  'be  members  of  the  House  of  Commons  by  reason  of 
their  constitutional  position  as  advisers  of  the  House  of  Lords — a 
position  never  occupied  by  Judges  in  the  Colony;  they  were  not 
advisers  to  either  House.  Until  forbidden  by  Statute,  the  Master 
of  the  Rolls,  an  Equity  Judge,  was  often  Member  of  the  House  of 
Commons  at  Westminster. 

20The  Act  is  (1815)  55  Geo.  3,  c.  112,  (U.C.) 

The  vandalism  of  the  Americans  in  burning  the  Parliament 
Buildings,  Library,  &c.  (1813)  also  Fort  George,  is  never  heard 
of,  although  American  historians  do  not  fail  to  speak  in  severe 
terms  of  the  burning  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington  in  reprisal. 

The  next  session  in  1814  was  held  in  Jordan's  Hotel,  King  St.  E. ; 
and  the  next  three  or  four  in  a  house  at  the  N.W.  corner  of  Market 
(now  Wellington)  and  York  Streets,  the  property  of  William  Firth 
a  former  Attorney  General.  The  Commission  agreed  to  buy  it  for 
£1100  (currency),  but  found  difficulty  in  the  title,  9  Ont.  Arch., 
455,  456. 

Dr.  Baldwin,  Firth's  Trustee  was  willing  to  guarantee  the  title 
personally,  but  this  was  not  accepted,  the  sale  went  off  and  Parlia- 
ment went  elsewhere. 

21  (1820),  60  Geo.  3,  c.  2,  (U.C.),  passed  March  7,  1820,  in  the 
Fifth  and  last  Session  of  the  Seventh  Parliament. 

22The  others  were  George  Herchmer  Markland,  Inspector-Gen- 
eral, and  Joseph  Wells,  Bursar  of  King's  College — Robinson  was 
Commissioner  of  Crown  Lands.  Robert  Baldwin,  John  Henry  Dunn 
and  Dr.  John  Rolph  were  added  by  Head,  February  20,  1836;  they 
all  resigned  on  receiving  his  message  stating  his  view  of  them  and 
his  position — which  was  of  course  a  denial  of  Responsible  Govern- 
ment, and  brought  on  the  Rebellion  of  1837. 

^(1820)  60  Geo.  3,  c.  2,  ,S.  7,  (U.C.) ;  (1821)  2  Geo.  4,  c.  3,  ,S.  7, 
(U.C.) 

24It  is  interesting  to  know  that  Robert  Baldwin  along  with  James 
Edward  Small  ran  against  Mackenzie  and  Ketchum,  Baldwin  at 
the  by-election  of  1829,  for  York  Town,  defeated  his  former  col- 
league Small;  and  when  unseated  he  defeated  the  Sheriff  William 
Botsford  Jarvis. 

25  (1833)  3  Wm.  4,  c.  16,  (U.C.) 

26  (1834)  4  Wm.  4,  c.  23,  (U.C.) 

27The  profession  seems  to  run  in  the  family. 
28The  language  quoted  is  from  the  official  Proceedings. 
The  Province  of  Canada  was  formed  by  the  Act  generally  known 
as  the  Union  Act,  i.e.  the  Act  (1840)  3,  4,  Viet.,  c.  35,  (Imp.) 


No.  2 

Some  Account  of  the  Life  of  a  Military  Settler 
in  Canada,  1834 


The  writer,  Matthew  Sheffield  Cassan,  son  of  Rev. 
Joseph  Cassan,  of  Stradbally,  Queen's  Co.,  Ireland,  was 
born  in  1803.  He  entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
married  in  1823,  and  left  the  army  in  1827.  He  migrated  to 
Canada  with  his  wife1  and  six  children  in  1834,  and  died 
llth  of  June,  1892,  at  Westfield  Cottage,  3rd  Concession 
Seymour  Tp.  Of  his  family  of  eleven  children  one  daugh- 
ter survives,  Mrs.  R.  H.  Bonnycastle,  of  Campbellford, 
Ont. 

THE  JOURNAL. 

Before  leaving  Dublin,  I  received  a  kind  letter  from 
Lord  Roden,  of  Tolly  more  Park,  advising  me  not  to  leave 
England  without  seeing  Mr.  Hagerman2,  Crown  Solicitor 
for  Upper  Canada,  then  in  London ;  so  leaving  my  family 
in  Dublin  I  went  to  Liverpool,  taking  all  my  baggage,  and 
made  arrangements  for  my  passage  to  New  York,  with  a 
shipping  agent,  Mr.  Pen-in,  of  Liverpool,  to  whom  I  had 
a  letter  from  my  agent  in  Dublin.  I  then  started  to  Lon- 
don by  stage-coach,  and  called  upon  Mr.  Hagerman, 
whom  I  found  at  home  preparing  to  leave  that  week  for 
Upper  Canada,  and  who  asked  me  to  go  out  on  the  same 
vessel  with  him.  On  learning  I  had  taken  my  passage, 
he  advised  me  to  hasten  to  Toronto3,  that  he  would  do 
all  in  his  power  for  me  with  Sir  John  Colborne,  as  soon 
as  he  arrived. 

Having  met  my  family  in  Liverpool  we  took  passage 
on  the  "Perdonetta,"  taking  the  round  house  or  cabin 
on  deck  all  to  ourselves,  which  afforded  ample  room  and 
more  berths  than  we  required.  I  found  all  our  provis- 
ions, and  having  a  week  to  spare  before  going  on  boaru, 
we  occupied  the  time  laying  in  a  supply  likely  to  be  needed 
in  case  of  a  protracted  voyage-  We  had  six  children  to 
provide  for.  By  arrangement  with  the  captain  we  were 
to  have  the  services  of  the  cook  and  steward  for  the  voy- 
age. I  paid  £66  sterling  for  the  cabin  on  deck,  and  about 
£20  for  our  sea  stock  of  provisions.  I  spent  the  evenings 
casting  bullets  for  my  rifle  and  double-barrel  gun  to  be 

23 


fully  prepared  to  enjoy  the  sport  so  highly  spoken  of  in 
Radcliffe's  book  on  Canada,  which  was  illustrated  by  a 
young  man  asleep  in  a  log  house,  with  his  legs  out  of  the 
window  and  wild  turkeys  roosting  on  them ! 

I  brought  out  5  bags  of  shot,  besides  the  necessary 
amount  of  powder  and  caps,  also  a  goodly  supply  of  fish- 
ing rods,  tackle  and  artificial  flies,  which  I  used  to  good 
account  on  the  Trent  River,  providing  my  table  with  an 
abundance  of  wild  duck,  partridge  and  fish,  etc. 

We  spent  the  last  Sunday  with  Mr.  Perrin's  family. 
Mr.  Perrin  had  two  sons  in  business  in  Toronto,  and  gave 
me  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  eldest. 

All  things  being  ready  we  took  possession  of  the 
round-house  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  left  on  the  5th  of 
June,  1834.  Strange  to  say,  we  had  sailed  from  Gibraltar 
on  exactly  that  date  in  1827,  and  like  our  voyage  to  Bel- 
fast, this  was  to  prove  equally  slow  and  tedious,  and 
frequently  becalmed. 

As  we  neared  the  banks  of  Newfoundland  we  were  in 
frequent  proximity  to  immense  icebergs,  and  were  be- 
calmed for  nearly  a  week.  The  captain  caught  a  fine 
codfish  and  I  put  a  bullet  into  a  porpoise,  and  could  see 
the  blood  coming  from  him,  but  do  not  know  if  I  killed 
him. 

At  length  we  came  in  sight  of  Sandy  Hook,  a  pilot 
came  on  board,  it  was  not  long  before  the  coast  came  into 
view,  and  as  we  advanced  toward  Staten  Island  and  the 
harbour  of  New  York,  the  scene  from  the  deck  of  the 
"Perdonette"  was  magnificent. 

Staten  Island  was  the  place  for  all  strange  vessels  to 
anchor  at  the  quarantine  ground.  A  boat  came  alongside 
before  we  cast  anchor,  and  some  merchants,  newspaper 
men,  hotel  agents — runners,  as  they  are  called — and 
others  came  on  board ;  also  a  doctor  to  examine  the  pas- 
sengers' state  of  health,  which  he  found  so  satisfactory 
that  he  did  not  place  the  vessel  under  quarantine ;  but  all 
the  passengers'  soiled  clothing  had  to  be  sent  to  Staten 
Island  to  be  washed  and  paid  for  at  so  much  a  dozen- 
Here  all  my  baggage  had  to  be  examined  by  the  Custom 
House  officials.  All  my  chests  were  marked  "Military 
Settler  for  Upper  Canada,"  which  was  sufficient  guaran- 
tee that  I  was  no  smuggler.  I  had  no  trouble  from  the 
customs ;  but  we  had  to  wait  some  days  before  we  could 
get  our  clothes  from  the  wash-house  at  Staten  Island. 

24 


Our  next  move  was  up  the  Hudson  River  by  steamer 
to  Albany,  and  then  by  the  Erie  Canal  to  Oswego,  and 
from  there  to  Toronto.  The  heat  in  New  York  was  in- 
tense and  oppressive,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  out  of  the 
city.  A  gentleman  I  met  on  landing  offered  me  a  situa- 
tion if  I  would  stay  there,  but  I  refused — the  Union  Jack 
was  flying  in  my  brain  just  then.  He  said  I  would  regret 
it,  and  I  did. 

My  wife  took  ill  with  cholera  at  Albany,  and  we  had  to 
stay  there  over  a  week.  The  doctor  told  me  that  she  was 
the  only  case  that  recovered  out  of  seven  seized  with 
Asiatic  Cholera  that  week-  Our  next  move  was  to  an  Erie 
Canal  boat  drawn  by  worn-out  horses.  This  journey  was 
as  tedious  as  that  from  Liverpool  to  New  York,  which 
took  nine  weeks.  I  used  to  take  my  gun  and  go  into  the 
woods  to  shoot  squirrels  and  hawks,  and  easily  overtake 
the  boat  at  one  or  other  of  the  locks.  At  Oswego  we  took 
a  steamer  for  Toronto.  The  captain,  whose  name  was 
Richardson4  told  us  cholera  was  prevalent  there,  that 
we  had  better  remain  on  board  till  he  inquired  when  he 
went  on  shore  where  the  safest  place  would  be  for  us  to 
go  to.  On  his  return  he  advised  us  to  go  to  the  British 
Coffee  House,  and  to  this  hotel  we  went,  glad  to  get  rest 
after  our  long  journey. 

Having  my  luggage  conveyed  from  the  steamer  and 
lodged  in  a  place  of  safety,  I  went  the  following  day  to 
Government  House5  to  announce  my  arrival  to  His  Ex- 
cellency Sir  John  Colborne,  Mr.  Hagerman  having  pro- 
mised in  London  that  he  would  speak  to  Sir  John  on  my 
behalf,  gave  me  grounds  to  hope  that  I  would  not  go  to 
the  backwoods ;  that  His  Excellency  would  get  me  some 
employment. 

Sir  John  Colborne  received  me  very  kindly,  had  a  per- 
fect recollection  of  my  being  with  him  in  Guernsey  in 
1825-26,  but  was  sorry  it  was  not  in  his  power  to  get  me 
a  situation — that  his  son  was  ill  in  the  house  with  cholera 
which  was  prevalent  in  Toronto.  He  sent  for  the  Com- 
missioner of  Crown  Lands,  the  Hon.  Peter  Robinson,  who 
informed  me  of  the  names  of  different  townships  then 
opened  for  military  and  naval  officers  to  settle  m,  naming 
several,  as  Lobo,  Carradoc,  London  and  Seymour.  His 
Excellency  said  he  would  give  me  choice  of  any  township 
named,  but  strongly  recommended  Seymour,  observing  1 
might  spend  a  deal  of  money  travelling  to  other  settlements 

25 


and  not  find  so  good  a  locality.  His  Excellency  took  down 
the  map  to  point  out  the  Township  of  Seymour,  and  told 
me  a  canal  would  soon  be  built  from  the  mouth  of  the 
River  Trent  to  Lake  Huron — advised  me  to  leave  Toronto 
as  soon  as  possible  on  account  of  the  cholera  and  go  to 
Cobourg.  His  Excellency  got  me  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  the  Hon.  Peter  Robinson  to  Mr.  G.  L.  Boulton,  of 
Cobourg,  and  a  letter  to  Major  Campbell,  the  Government 
Agent  at  Seymour,  and  also  advised  me  to  settle  as  near 
the  River  Trent  as  possible,  and  I  fully  carried  out  all  his 
advice.  Upon  taking  leave  of  Sir  John  I  accompanied 
the  Comr.  of  Crown  Lands  to  his  office,  where  I  fulfilled 
the  requirements  of  the  Government,  binding  myself  in 
the  matter  of  my  allegiance  to  it. 

I  found  on  my  arrival  in  Toronto  that  Mr.  Hagerman 
was  absent  on  circuit  with  the  judges.  I  called  at  Mr. 
Perrins,  but  found  that  the  eldest  brother  to  whom  I  had 
a  letter  from  his  father  had  died  of  cholera  a  few  days 
before  our  arrival.  Mr.  Perrin  offered  me  the  free  use  of 
his  house  in  the  city,  but  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  start 
at  once  for  Cobourg — leave  my  family  there,  and  push  on 
to  Seymour  and  become  a  settler  in  the  bush.  The  sooner 
I  got  there  the  better  it  would  be,  for  my  pocket  at  any 
rate,  for  a  costly  journey  would  be  at  an  end,  and  the 
severity  of  a  Canadian  winter  had  to  be  met  and  pro- 
vided for. 

I  did  not  linger  many  days  at  the  British  Coffee  House. 
I  may  state  that  at  this  hotel  I  became  introduced  to  a 
small  Lion  that  used  to  frequent  this  house,  and  many 
visitors  used  to  come  to  admire  and  caress  this  little 
loquacious  man  till  all  hours  of  the  night.  Our  bedroom 
Was  directly  off  the  parlor,  and  a  wink  of  sleep  we  could 
not  get.  Little  did  I  imagine  then  that  this  same  Lion 
in  three  years  after  should  have  grown  so  powerful  as  to 
be  able  to  disturb  the  rest  and  peace  of  the  whole  coun- 
try6. This  was  the  leader  of  the  Rebellion  of  183,7-38,  the 
Canadian  Agitator  Mackenzie  of  those  troublesome  times 
whom  I  met  at  the  dinner  table  of  the  British  Coffee 
House  in  August,  1834. 

Leaving  Toronto  by  steamboat,  we  reached  Cobourg 
the  same  evening.  I  called  on  Mr.  G.  L.  Boulton  and 
handed  him  the  letter  given  me  by  Hon.  Peter  Robinson. 
Mr.  Boulton  received  me  very  courteously  and  instructed 
me  how  to  reach  Seymour  and  Major  Campbell's  resi- 

26 


dence,  and  spoke  very  flatteringly  of  the  township,  said 
he  owned  a  great  deal  of  land  there  besides  the  Gore  upon 
the  Trent  River. 

I  arranged  to  leave  my  family  in  Cobourg  and  started 
by  stage  to  Colborne,  where  I  hired  a  conveyance  to  Sey- 
mour, to  the  home  of  Mr.  Beatty  at  Percy  Landing7,  a 
great  part  of  the  way  being  through  a  dense  forest.  I 
walked  from  Mr.  Beatty's  to  the  ferry  opposite  Major 
Campbell's;  this  journey  was  also  through  the  forest, 
save  for  a  small  clearing  at  Meyersburg  and  a  smaller 
still  at  Ranny's  Falls. 

At  the  hotel  in  Colborne  I  met  Lieut.  Hayter,  R.N.,  who 
had  selected  land  in  Seymour,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  and  was  returning  to  Cobourg.  There  was  a  small 
tavern,  chiefly  for  raftsmen,  at  the  crossing  where  the 
ferry-boat  or  canoe  was  kept.  On  my  arrival  at  the 
Major's  I  met  another  naval  officer,  Lieut.  Cleugh,  who 
had  come  to  select  lands  to  settle  on.  Mr.  Cleugh  had  en- 
gaged a  man  named  Norton  who  knew  the  township,  and 
the  lumber  roads  and  lines  that  marked  out  the  lots  for 
settlement  that  belonged  to  the  Government,  so  I  engaged 
Norton  to  accompany  me  next  day  to  the  lots,  of  which 
Major  Campbell  had  given  me  a  list. 

I  accompanied  Mr.  Cleugh  and  Norton  to  the  lots  the 
former  had  chosen,  and  found  Capt.  McDonald  had  se- 
lected his  lots  in  the  vicinity  of  Mr.  Cleugh.  I  posted  on 
to  Mr.  Thos.  Allan's  who  kindly  invited  me  to  stop  with 
him  that  night  and  have  an  early  start  in  the  morning: 
so  I  arranged  to  have  Norton,  my  pilot  of  the  backwoods, 
to  call  for  me. 

I  found  that  a  Mr.  Kay  had  taken  up  his  land  along- 
side of  Mr.  Allan's ;  both  these  men  belonged  to  the  navy. 
Mr.  Allan  wished  me  to  settle  near  him  on  lot  22  in  the 
first  Concession,  but  when  I  came  to  view  the  place  I 
found  one-half  of  the  land  was  on  an  island  on  the  other 
side  of  what  is  termed  the  Black  Channel,  not  suitable  for 
a  farm ;  so  we  moved  up  into  the  3rd  Concession.  We 
brought  no  eatables,  but  I  carried  a  flask  of  good  brandy, 
and  when  we  came  to  a  creek  we  were  glad  of  a  chance 
to  "wet  our  whistles/'  One  can  imagine  how  toilsome  a 
walk  is  thro'  a  dense  forest,  in  August,  to  say  nothing 
of  mosquitoes  and  black  flies ;  thro'  cedar  swamps  and 
over  ridges,  not  a  clearing  or  a  hut  to  be  seen,  all  woods, 
woods. 

27 


Coming  on  evening  we  came  to  two  lots  I  had  upon  my 
list,  in  the  3rd  Concession,  namely,  11  and  12;  finding 
the  soil  gave  full  proof  of  its  good  quality  by  its  fine  crop 
of  maple,  beach,  oak,  pine  and  elm,  I  decided  to  seek  no 
further. 

We  then  pushed  on,  moving  north  in  hopes  of  reaching 
the  tavern  near  Major  Campbell's  before  dark;  but  we 
got  lost  in  the  woods  and  had  to  sit  down  and  rest.  After 
a  little  we  started  forward  again  and  at  length  came  on 
a  small  clearance  where  a  settler  named  Scott  had  com- 
menced to  make  a  home  for  himself. 

It  was  just  dark  when  we  reached  the  shanty,  Scott 
was  absent,  but  his  sister  kindly  made  us  welcome  and 
prepared  a  much-needed  supper  for  us.  Miss  Scott  kept 
us  all  night,  and  being  much  fatigued  I  was  glad  to  re- 
main. Next  morning  we  started  for  the  tavern,  leaving 
what  was  left  in  the  flask  for  her  brother  on  his  return. 
I  gave  Major  Campbell  the  numbers  of  the  lots  I  had 
selected  and  then,  with  my  guide  Norton  and  a  man 
named  Thrasher,  who  built  log  houses  and  cleared  an  acre 
of  land,  went  back  to  my  land  to  choose  a  site  for  a  log 
house.  Thrasher  asked  me  £26,  I  offered  him  £24,  but  he 
refused.  I  then  went  down  to  Couche's  place  on  the  banks 
of  the  river.  At  this  time  (1834),  it  was  a  Government 
reserve  for  a  town,  and  here  a  comfortable  frame  house 
with  a  large  log  building  for  a  store  had  been  put  up  by 
the  Government  for  an  agent  to  receive  new  settlers  as 
they  might  arrive.  A  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hudspeth,  settlers 
from  Scotland,  had  got  permission  to  occupy  the  frame 
house  while  their  own  log  house  was  being  built.  The 
Couches  had  moved  away,  and  after  making  the  small  log 
house  they  had  lived  in  comfortable,  I  brought  my  family 
down  from  Cobourg;  at  the  same  time  buying  a  small 
farm  on  the  river  from  Mr.  Boulton.  He  charged  the  ex- 
orbitant price  of  six  dollars  an  acre,  while  the  Govern- 
ment was  asking  12/  6d.  per  acre. 

I  purchased  a  stock  of  provisions  to  last  six  months  and 
set  out  for  Mr.  Beatty's,  at  Percy  Landing,  with  my  fam- 
ily, bag  and  baggage,  finally  arriving  at  Couche's  place 
August  29th,  1834.  It  was  fortunate  for  us  that  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hudspeth  lived  near  us.  Getting  settled  as  best  we 
could,  I  commenced  the  battle  with  the  forest.  I  had  pur- 
chased at  Albany  two  first-rate  axes,  and  from  "Old 
Payne"8  a  good  heavy  brush-hook.  I  hired  a  man  for  $10 

28 


a  month  and  his  board,  to  help  me  clear  a  few  acres  to  put 
in  fall  wheat  for  our  next  year's  bread.  I  underbrushed 
and  John  Power  chopped  down  the  trees,  and  within  the 
month  of  September  and  up  to  the  4th  of  October  I  had 
three  acres  cleared,  logged,  burnt  off  and  seeded  down 
with  fall  wheat. 


NOTES 

1Mrs.  Cassan  was  a  daughter  of  Capt.  Yellon,  who  served  on  the 
staff  of  Lord  William  Bentinck  at  Palermo,  .Sicily,  where  her  child- 
hood was  spent.  She  was  an  educated  and  accomplished  woman 
playing  both  the  harp  and  the  piano  and  possessing  a  fine  voice, 
fully  cultivated.  Mrs.  Cassan  educated  her  children;  and  fifteen 
years  after  their  arrival  in  Canada  when  it  was  found  that  a  school 
in  the  district  was  to  be  granted,  and  that  if  a  teacher  could  be 
secured  for  six  months  that  locality  would  get  it,  but  if  not  it  would 
be  built  some  miles  away,  Mrs.  Cassan  undertook  the  work  and 
secured  it  for  her  home  district.  She  received  her  certificate  in 
Seymour  on  March  30th,  1849  from  Capt.  Boucher,  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  District  Councillor,  opened  the  school  on  April  1st,  1849, 
and  kept  it  for  six  months  to  oblige  the  settlers  and  to  prevent  the 
school  being  lost  to  the  locality.  Her  diary  says:  "  It  was  a  great 
sacrifice  to  me  to  give  up  my  time,  for  the  sum  they  offered;  but 
I  did  it  for  a  good  end,  and  it  has  prospered.  Now  the  teacher 
has  £100  a  year."  Her  diary  also  gives  the  amount  of  School  rates 
received  in  kind  by  Mrs.  Cassan  for  the  six  months  she  acted  as 
teacher. 

£    s.    d. 
Thos.  Grills  paid  for  his  sister-in-law  7/6  for  her  first 

quarter  up  to  2nd  June,  1849 7     6 

Mrs.  Diamond  paid  in  butter  3/0  balance  due  2nd  June,  9d.        3      9 
John  Martin  paid  in  full  for  six  months  scholarship  at  3/9 
per  quarter  by  46  Ibs.  of  flour  and  2  bushels  of  pota- 
toes, flour  5/0,  potatoes  3/0  =  8s - 8 

(Due  by  Mrs.  Cassan  6d.  balance) 

Lewis  Dunk  paid  4/0  in  onions  — _....        4 

Peter  Stephens  paid  in  potatoes  at  2/0  per  bushel  7/6 

six  months  — — 7     6 

Ben  Hopps  paid  2/6  in  work 2     6 

Robert  White  paid  23  and  28  V2  in  2  bags  included  of  flour. 
Wm.  Varco  paid  %  Ib.  tea  1/91  quarter  due  for  the  boy  3/9 

John  Smith,  due  for  3  children - 11 

George  Smith  2  ... 

2Hagerman,  Christopher  Alexander,  Mr.  Justice.  After  whom 
Hagerman  St.  is  named.  In  1828  he  was  appointed  Judge  in  the 
room  of  the  Hon.  John  Walpole  Willis,  "amoved;"  but  this  appoint- 
ment was  not  ratified  by  the  Home  Government.  In  1830  he  became 
Solicitor-General,  and  obtained  a  seat  in  Parliament,  where,  having 
great  power  as  a  public  speaker,  he  at  once  'became  a  leader.  In 
1833  he  was  dismissed  from  office  by  Lord  Goderich,  then  Colonial 

29 


Secretary.  When  the  despatch  reached  Canada  Hagerman  was  in 
London  on  a  mission  connected  with  the  Clergy  Reserves  and  at 
once  waited  upon  Lord  (Stanley,  the  new  Colonial  Secretary,  who 
was  prevailed  upon  to  restore  him  to  his  position.  Later  in  1837 
Hagerman  was  made  Attorney-General.  York  House,  at  the  N.E. 
corner  of  iSimcoe  and  Wellington  Streets,  was  'built  by  Mr.  Hager- 
man shortly  before  the  Rebellion.  It  was  pulled  down  in  1906. 

Dr.  .Scadding,  speaks  of  Mr.  Justice  Hagerman  as  "adding  some 
of  the  bluntness  of  Samuel  Johnson  to  the  physique  of  Charles 
James  Fox,  and  recalls  that  Mrs.  Jameson,  who  set  a  high  value 
on  (his  talents,  once  playfully  and  graphically  spoke  of  him  as 
"that  great  mastiff  Hagerman." 

3York  regained  its  old  name,  Toronto,  in  1834. 

'Richardson,  Hugh.  Captain  of  the  schooner  Canada,  that  began 
making  daily  trips  to  Niagara  and  the  head  of  the  Lake  in  Aug., 
1826.  This  vessel  was  built  by  Joseph  Dennis,  of  Weston,  Messrs. 
Ward,  of  Montreal,  .supplying  the  machinery,  and  was  considered 
a  fast  boat,  Richardson  being  her  master  and  managing  owner. 
Later  (he  commanded  the  Transit"  also  on  the  Toronto-Niagara 
route.  From  1852  to  1870,  when  he  died,  aged  86,  he  was  Harbour- 
Master  at  Toronto. 

5The  first  Government  House,  on  the  S/W.  corner  of  King  and 
Simcoe  Sts.,  built  in  1828  and  burnt  in  1862. 

^During  the  Rebellion  of  1837  the  [military  men  of  Seymour 
raised  a  company,  and  the  men  were  drilled  on  the  ice  near 
Meyersburg. 

7The  Beatty's  lived  at  Percy  Landing,  known  also  as  Beatty's 
Landing,  near  Meyersburg,  where  Col.  Myers  kept  a  store,  at  which 
the  settlers  did  their  trading.  The  Beatty's  kept  boats;  Beatty's 
Landing  was  a  stopping  place. 

Later  a  bridge  was  built  some  miles  up  the  river  Trent  where 
Campbellford  now  stands,  and  the  ferry  opposite  Major  Camp- 
bell's residence  was  no  longer  needed. 

Along  the  river  below  Beatty's  Landing  the  first  settlers  were: 
— Capt.  Masson,  Capt.  Le  Vesconte,  Capt.  Cassan,  Col.  Raynes, 
Capt.  Shea,  Captain  Mclntosh  and  others. 

8"01d  Payne/'  an  unpopular  bailiff,  who  continually  had  the 
settlers  cattle  and  pigs  put  in  "Pound."  Having  to  pay  a  fine  was 
considered  a  hardship,  as  good  fences,  in  those  days  were  impossible. 


30 


DEEDS   SPEAK 


Women's  Canadian    Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION  NO.  23 


CONTENTS 

1.  Sketch  of  the  Life  of  Mrs.  W.  Forsyth-Grant 

2.  Letters  from  W.  Jarvis,  Secretary  for  Upper  Canada 
and  Mrs.   Jarvis  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  D.D., 
between  the  years  1792  and  1813  from  copies  made  by 
the  late  Mrs.  Chamberlin,  and  with  Prefatory  Note 

by  Prof.  A.  H.  Young,  Trinity 
College,  Toronto 


1922-1923 


ANNUAL    REPORT 

of  the 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

1922-1923 

Organized    1895;    Incorporated   February,    1896. 

OFFICERS 

Honorary  President  MRS.   COCKSHUTT,  Gov't  House. 

Past  Presidents  *MRS.  S.  A.  CURSON. 

*LADY  EDGAR. 

*MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 

*MlSS  FlTZGIBBON. 

President   Miss   MICKLE,  48  Heath   St.   East. 

Vice-Presidents  MRS.  JAMES  BAIN. 

MRS.  EDGAR  JARVIS. 
MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY. 

Corresponding  Secretary MRS.  BALMER  NEILLY, 

39   Woodlawn  Ave.,   East. 

Recording  Secretary  MRS.  J.  G.  SETTLE,  B.A., 

86  Walmer  Rd. 

Treasurer  MRS.  PARKS, 

69  Albany  Ave. 

Curator  MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY, 

46  Dunvegan  Road. 

CONVENORS  OF  MEMORIAL  COMMITTEE 
MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  MRS.  W.  H.  P.  JARVIS, 


141   Lyndhurst  Ave. 


17  Humewood  Drive. 


LADY  STUPART. 

MRS.  E.  V.  NEELANDS,  B.A. 

MRS.  LEADBEATER. 


EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  SINCLAIR. 
MRS.  D.  M.  FARMER. 
MRS.  JOHNSTON. 


HONORARY  MEMBERS 


COL.  G.  T.  DENISON. 

Miss  CARNOCAN. 

CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.C.S. 

PROF.  G.  M.  WRONG. 

Miss  K.  M.  LIZARS. 

DR.  LOCKE. 

REV.    JOHN    MCLEAN,    Ph.D. 

EDWARD  M.  THOMSON,  F.R.S.C. 

F.R.S.L. 

CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS. 
PROF.  A.  H.  YOUNG. 
'Deceased. 


HON.  MR.  JUSTICE  RIDDELL. 

RT.  HON.  SIR  GILBERT  PARKER,  Bart. 

Miss  MACHAR. 

BLISS  CARMAN. 

JOHN.  D.  KELLY. 

PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR. 

W.  D.  LIGHTFALL,  F.R.S.C.,  F.R.S.L. 

BENJAMIN  SULTE,  F.R.S.C. 

MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 

PROF.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 

PROF.  JOHN   SQUAIR. 


President's  Address 


Owing  to  the  press  of  matter  this  is  omitted  except  the 
following.  "During  the  year  your  President  received  a  ques- 
tionaire  from  the  Government,  making  close  enquiries  as  to  the 
record  of  the  Society  during  the  preceding  four  years,  from 
1918-1922. 

Question  three  was : — What  money  has  the  Society  raised 
or  received  not  including  balance  from  former  year,  or  grant 
from  the  Government? 

To  this  the  answer  was: — In  1918-19  we  raised  for  the 
General  Fund  $137.25;  for  the  Memorial  Fund  $308.14;  for 
Soldiers'  Comforts  $351.62,  making  a  total  of  $799.01.  In 
1919-20,  for  the  General  Fund  $140.51;  Memorial  Fund 
$412.25;  for  Soldiers'  Comforts  $262.60,  making  our  total 
$815.36.  In  1920-21,  General  Fund  receipts  $106.04;  Mem- 
orial Fund  $745.87;  the  Soldiers'  Comforts  Committee  dis- 
banded, but  Christmas  Shower  included  $39.00,  making  total 
for  year  $890.91.  In  1921-22,  for  the  General  Fund  $220.38; 
for  the  Memorial  Fund  $931.57;  the  Christmas  Shower  for 
soldiers  included  $31.00,  making  a  total  of  $1,182.95. 

Another  question  related  to  the  printing  accomplished 
during  the  same  period.  With  our  reports  5  Transactions, 
Nos.  18-22,  containing  10  papers  were  printed ;  also  two 
Occasional  Papers,  reprints  of  original  papers  by  one  of  our 
members,  Mrs.  Hallam. 


Recording  Secretary's  Report 


The  Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society  during  1922-23 
held  seven  regular  meetings  which  have  been  well  attended, 
and  eight  executive  meetings.  There  were  also  two  meetings 
of  the  Memorial  Fund  Committee.  Seven  papers  and  addresses 
were  given  of  an  historical  or  literary  character. 

November — An  interesting  sketch  of  a  recent  visit  to  Eng- 
land, by  Miss  Mickle. 

December — "The  Constituencies  which  included  Toronto, 
and  the  Members  thereof,  in  Parliament,  1792-1841".  Mr. 
Justice  Riddell. 

January — A  paper  by  Miss  Bonnycastle,  "Memoirs  of  her 

4 


grandfather,"  read  by  Miss  Alice  Lea.  Recitation,  "The  Stone," 
Peter  McArthur,  by  Miss  Stockton. 

February— 'The  Rebellion  of  1837— The  incident  of  the 
Caroline" — Rev.  Canon  Macnab. 

March — "Trinity  College — its  past  and  future."  The  Pro- 
vost, Rev.  Dr.  Saegar. 

April— "The  Yukon."    Mr.  Justice  Craig. 

October — "A  new  world  singer  of  old  world  songs."  Norah 
Holland's  poetry,  by  Miss  N.  Spence. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  year's  proceedings  was  the 
open  meeting  on  an  evening  in  February,  at  the  Royal  Ontario 
Museum.  Dr.  Currelly  gave  a  most  interesting  and  instructive 
lecture  on  the  early  North  American  Indian. 

In  March  the  Society  met  at  Trinity  College.  After  Dr. 
Saegar's  address  the  members  were  privileged  to  visit  the 
delightful  old  chapel  and  the  library.  This  historic  building 
soon  becomes  city  property  but  will,  we  hope,  be  a  landmark 
for  many  years  and  retain  its  many  traditions. 

The  annual  summer  outing  was  by  the  courtesy  of  the 
present  owner,  held  at  "The  Anchorage,"  Clarkson,  the  quaint 
and  beautiful  cottage  which  was  bought  by  Capt.  Skenner, 
one  of  Nelson's  officers  in  1835  and  completed  by  him,  his 
daughter,  the  late  Mrs.  F.  W.  Jarvis,  being  one  of  our  charter 
members. 

In  December,  the  usual  Christmas  shower  for  tubercular 
soldiers  was  held.  Mrs.  Eaton,  still  a  devoted  worker  for  the 
soldiers,  was  able  to  send  gifts — games,  magazines,  books, 
knitted  comforters,  etc.;  also  $31.00  for  special  needs. 

New  members  welcomed  during  the  year  were : — Mrs.  S. 
L.  Maguire,  Mrs.  F.  H.  Brewen,  Mrs.  L.  V.  Rorke,  Mrs.  A. 
Macpherson,  Mrs.  A.  A.  Stockton,  Miss  Stockton,  and  Mrs. 
M.  H.  Murphy. 

Thanks  are  due  to  Mrs.  Leadbeater,  as  convenor  and  to  the 
tea  hostess. 

The  Society's  object  is  "the  encouragement  of  a  study  of 
Canadian  history  and  literature,  the  collection  and  preserva- 
tion of  Canadian  records  and  relics."  With  this  object  in 
view  and  to  provide  for  next  year's  programme  mem- 
bers are  now  procuring  data  on: — The  Durham  Races,  The 
Old  Fort,  The  French  Emigrant  in  Canada,  The  Dunkers,  Old 
Houses  of  Toronto,  and  will  speak  on  them  in  the  near  future. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

November  22,  1923.  HESTER  SETTLE. 

5 


Corresponding  Secretary's  Report,    1923 


The  Society  has  continued  its  affiliation  with  the  Canadian 
Landmarks  Association  under  its  new  name,  The  Canadian 
Historical  Society.  Headquarters  at  Ottawa. 

Copies  of  our  Transactions  to  complete  the  series  for  the 
Minnesota  Historical  Society  Library  were  forwarded. 

Transactions  were  also  sent  to  members  of  the  Provincial 
Government  and  to  our  list  of  exchanges. 

The  Society  deeply  regrets  the  loss  of  a  much  beloved 
former  .President,  Mrs.  Forsyth  Grant,  who  after  some  years 
of  illness,  passed  away  in  November,  1923. 

In  the  death  of  Mrs.  Clarke-Steele,  a  charter  member  and 
ever  an  interested  and  willing  worker,  we  have  sustained  a 
great  loss. 

The  Society  regrets  the  loss  of  a  distinguished  honorary 
member,  the  late^  Very  Rev.  Dean  Harris,  who  through  his 
writings,  did  much  for  Canadian  History. 

List  of  publications  received  during  the  year: 
From  the  United  States — 

1922  Report  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress. 

Washington  Historical  Quarterly. 

Report  of  the  Sixteenth  Annual  Conference  of  Historical 

Societies  at  Washington. 
From  the  Ontario  Historical  Society — 

1921  Report. 

1922  Report  and  Transactions. 
Papers  and  Records,  Vol.  XX. 

Appendix  to  the  Report  of  the  Ontario  Bureau  of  Industry. 

1922  Report  of  the  Canadian  Historical  Society. 

The  Journal  of  Negro  History,  October,  1919,  presented 
by  Hon.  Mr.  Justice  Riddell. 

An  annotated  and  autographed  copy  of  Spunyarn  and  Spin- 
drift, by  Norah  Holland.  Presented  by  Miss  Nellie 
Spence. 

A  series  of  fourteen  pamphlets  issued  by  the  Parks  Com- 
mission. 

ETHEL  S.  NEILLY. 

Corresponding  Secretary. 


Treasurer's  Report 


MEMORIAL  FUND   1922-1923 
RECEIPTS 

Balance,    Nov.,    1922 $325  32 

Tea  Money  (Monthly  39  30 

Transactions  Sold  4  66 

Interest  on  Bonds 454  00 

Bank   Interest   5  69 

Donations  140  00 

Donations  (Miss  Mickle) 4  46 


$973  43 
EXPENDITURE 

Safety  Box $    3  00 

Can.  Perm.  Bond 600  00 

Stamp  for  Above 24 

V.  L.  Refunding  Issue 98  25 

Charge  on  American  Cheque 10 


$701  59 
Balance,    Nov.,    1923 $271  84 

GENERAL  ACCOUNT  1922-1923 

RECEIPTS 

Balance,  Nov.,  1922 $231  21 

Fees  of  Members 81  00 

Donations  2  00 

Proceeds  from  Picnic  15  53 

Rebate  (Lecture)  50 

Bank  Interest 4  43 

Government  Grant  200  00 

$534  67 


EXPENDITURE 

Printing,   Stamps,  etc $  67  35 

Flowers  10  QO 

Can.  Hist.  Ass'n .' 5  00 

Sherbourne  House  (Club  and  Teas) 45  00 

Tea  Equipment  5  28 

Lecture  (Prof.  Currelly)  8  00 

Printing  (Constitution) 10  90 

Printing  Transaction      97  80 


$249  33 
Balance,  Nov.,  1923 $285  34 

SECURITIES 

Canada   Permanent,   War   Loan,   Victory 

Bonds $9,000  00 


$9,000  00 

A.  E.  HILLS,  Hon.  Treasurer 
Audited  and  found  correct. 

A.  G.  SMITH,  Accountant. 


MRS.    FORSVTH    GRANT 


Transaction    No.    23 


Sketch  of  the  life  of  Mrs.  W.  Forsyth  Grant,  President  and  Charter 
Member  of  the  Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society. 

Mrs.  Forsyth  Grant  was  born  in  Toronto,  being  the  eldest  daughter 
of  the  late  Honorable  John  Beverley  Robinson,  Lieut-Governor  of 
Ontario  in  the  eighties,  and  grand-daughter  of  Sir  John  Beverley  Rob- 
inson, Baronet,  with  whom  so  much  of  the  early  history  of  Toronto 
is  associated. 

Coming  from  this  distinguished  family  of  U.  E.  Loyalists  who  at  all 
times  under  varied  circumstances  had  proved  themselves  leaders,  Mrs. 
Forsyth  Grant,  from  her  early  youth,  took  a  keen  intelligent  interest 
in  the  stirring  life  of  the  growing  town,  throwing  much  energy  into 
educational  and  charitable  affairs. 

Many  were  the  little  illuminating  talks  she  gave  at  our  meetings 
drawn  from  the  childish  memories  of  inspiring  events.  Such  as  the 
elections,  which  in  those  early  days  were  matters  of  much  more  per- 
sonal interest  and  excitement  than  in  the  present  time.  In  describing 
one  election  scene,  Mrs.  Grant  told  us  how  she  was  driven  to  the 
polls  all  over  the  town  by  her  mother  who  was  canvassing  for  her 
husband ;  who  after  being  many  times  Mayor,  was  returned  as  member 
for  Toronto  in  1858  and  again  in  1878.  How  on  one  occasion  the 
feeling  ran  so  high  that  the  family  were  thrown  into  a  panic  by  a  mes- 
senger arriving  in  a  high  state  of  tension,  having  been  sent  to  find  out 
where  her  father  was,  as  threats  of  serious  personal  violence  had  been 
made  and  enemies  were  supposed  to  be  lurking  in  Queen  St.  or  College 
Ave.,  at  that  time  almost  a  dense  wood  in  spots,  and  extremely  lonely. 

Brought  up  in  the  charming  old  home,  "Sleepy  Hollow,"  a  prop- 
erty then  of  unusual  beauty,  comprising  as  it  did  in  those  days  vistas  of 
hill  and  stream  extending  to  McCaul  St.  and  south  to  Caer-Howell, 
Mrs.  Grant  was  a  prominent  member  of  Toronto  Society  in  the  early 
days  and  in  odd  numbers  of  the  Canadian  Magazine  she  has  left  us 
some  charming  pictures  of  the  social  life  of  those  days  when  one's 
friends  were  known  and  seen  and  the  motor  car  was  not— nor  Sun- 
day trams. 

9 


In  1882,  during  her  father's  regime  at  Government  House,  then 
on  the  south-west  corner  of  King  and  Simcoe  Streets,  she  was  married 
to  Captain  William  Forsyth  Grant,  of  H.M.  82nd  Regiment,  travelling 
all  the  way  to  Honolulu  with  her  brother  (now  Sir  John  Beverley 
Robinson),  for  her  happy  wedding,  which  proved  a  union  of  almost 
unusual  happiness  to  the  end. 

Her  book  on  "Life  in  the  Sandwich  Islands"  is  a  bright,  most 
readable  account  of  their  life  there  during  the  monarchy,  described 
with  her  usual  piquancy  and  humour. 

On  her  return  after  several  years  to  Toronto  Mrs.  Grant  became 
a  leader  in  philanthropic  channels.  She  took  up  work  in  the  Relief 
Society  of  which  she  became  President,  holding  that  position  for  more 
than  two  decades,  until  the  Society  was  superceded  by  the  Social 
Service  Commission.  She  was  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  the 
Hospital  for  Incurables,  and  Home  of  Industry.  She  worked  in  the 
Associated  Charities  and  held  office  in  the  Anglican  W.  A.,  being  a 
life  member,  and  in  the  United  Empire  Loyalist  Association. 

Intensely  interested  always  in  the  history  of  her  country,  she  was  a 
charter  member  of  this  Society  and  for  fourteen  years  its  beloved 
President,  continuously  from  1908  to  1914,  when  she  resigned.  Her 
wonderful  memory  of  events  in  Toronto's  early  history,  her  ability  of 
presenting  them  with  vividness  and  humour,  made  her,  as  ever,  a 
capable  leader. 

The  last  time  she  presided  at  any  of  our  meetings  was  in  No- 
vember, 1917,  soon  after  which  she  found  it  impossible  to  attend  to 
any  public  work  and  after  a  long  tedious  illness  of  much  suffering 
and  darkened  latterly  by  the  sudden  death  of  her  devoted  husband, 
she  entered  into  the  fuller  life  on  Nov.  2,  1923,  greatly  beloved  and  re- 
gretted by  innumerable  friends. 

It  is  always  difficult  to  sum  up  that  mysterious  gift  of  personality, 
to  be  able  to  point  out  just  why  anyone  is  so  much  loved  and  admired. 
One  of  our  members  perhaps  expressed  it  when  she  said,  "I  think 
Mrs.  Grant  was  the  most  charming  woman  I  have  ever  known. 


10 


REV.  SAMUEL   PETERS.   D.D. 


Letters  from  the  Secretary  of  Upper  Canada  and  Mrs.  Jarvis,  to  her 
father,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  D.D. 

Prefatory  Note 

By 

PROFESSOR  A.  H.  YOUNG, 
Trinity  College,  Toronto. 

William  Jarvis,  the  first  Grand  Master  of  Free  Masons  and  the 
first  Secretary  and  "Register"  of  the  Province  of  Upper  Canada,  owed 
this  latter  appointment,  as  other  former  officers  of  the  Queen's  Rangers 
subsequently  owed  theirs,  to  the  good  offices  of  the  late  Commanding 
Officer,  Colonel  John  Graves  Simcoe,  upon  his  becoming  the  first 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  new  Province.  Just  when  the  Secretary- 
to-be  had  gone  to  England,  after  the  hopelessness  of  the  struggle  of 
the  Loyalists  against  the  American  rebels  had  become  evident,  does 
not  appear.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  he  and  his  wife,  Hannah 
Peters,  whom  he  married  in  England,  arrived  in  Quebec,  after  a 
stormy,  perillous  voyage,  in  1792,  about  the  date  of  the  formal  con- 
stitution of  the  Government  of  Upper  Canada,  at  Kingston,  July  8th. 

The  letters  printed  in  this  volume  were  addressed  to  Mrs.  Jarvis' 
father,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  D.D.,  a  native  of  the  Province  of  Con- 
necticut and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  who,  from  1759  to  1774,  had 
been  Rector  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  Hebron.  He  was 
the  fourth  candidate  for  ordination  in  twenty  years  sent  over  by  the 
parish  to  receive  orders  in  England  at  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  of 
London,  who  then  and  till  1787  had  the  sole  Episcopal  oversight  of 
the  Colonies  throughout  the  British  Empire.  The  young  ordinand 
bore  a  letter  of  recommendation  from  the  Rev.  Matthew  Graves  of 
New  London,  whose  brother  John  Graves  was  likewise  a  "servant"  of 
the  Venerable  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign 
Parts  and  whose  own  mission,  apparently,  had,  down  to  1759,  included 
Hebron. 

During  Mr.  Peters'  sojourn  in  London  he  was  so  unfortunate  as 
to  contract  small-pox,  which  moved  the  Society  to  make  him  a  grant  of 
£20  in  order  to  help  him  meet  the  extraordinary  expense  to  which  he 
was  thus  put.  Having  been  priested  subsequently  to  May  5,  1759,  he 
returned  to  Hebron  as  the  Society's  missionary,  with  a  salary  of  £20, 
which  was,  in  1763,  increased  to  £30  because  of  his  parishioners' 
neglect  to  subscribe  liberally  to  his  support.  They  thought,  mistakenly, 
that  this  small  salary,  his  patrimony,  and  the  glebe,  which  they  had  pro- 
vided, ought  to  afford  him  a  sufficient  living. 

11 


A  favourable  report  of  the  young  missionary  was  sent  home  by 
his  sponsor,  Mr.  Graves,  in  December,  1760.  In  1762  the  Society  voted 
him  two  gratuities  of  £10  each  for  visiting  voluntarily  Taunton,  Sharon, 
Norwich,  Middletown,  Simsbury,  Glassenbury,  Wallingford,  and  other 
places.  At  later  dates  Millington,  Hartford,  Coventry,  Mansfield, 
Bolton,  Hartland,  Litchfield,  Middle  Haddan,  and  Killingsworth  are 
mentioned  as  places  to  which  he  ministered. 

In  1770  he  tells  of  preaching  before  the  Convention  of  the  Clergy 
at  Litchford  and  of  sacrilege  that  had  been  committed  against  the 
Church  at  Hartford  by  "dissenters."  In  obedience  to  the  suggestion, 
if  not  the  command,  of  the  Convention,  he  appears  to  have  taken  ser- 
vices more  or  less  regularly  at  Hartford  thereafter,  making,  also  in 
1770,  a  long,  arduous  missionary  journey  of  nearly  seven  weeks,  with 
his  clerk,  up  the  Connecticut  River,  over  the  Green  Mountains,  to  Fort 
Miller,  50  miles  south  of  Albany. 

In  the  spring  of  1767  he  had  referred  in  his  letter  to  the  Society  to 
"the  many  storms  and  tumults  in  this  part  of  America,"  adding,  how- 
ever, that  his  people  "are  so  conspicuously  loyal,  charitable,  and  just, 
that  12  heads  of  families  have  joined  the  church."  Yet  in  1770-1771 
he  asked  for  leave  to  remove  to  Portsmouth  because  of  their  continued 
disregard  of  their  financial  obligations  toward  him. 

Apparently  he  was  one  of  the  first  Loyalist  clergymen,  if  not  the 
very  first,  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  the  "Sons  of  Liberty,"  by  his 
brave,  stout  resistance  to  their  rebellious  proceedings.  He  was  forced 
to  flee  in  1774,  taking  refuge  first  in  Boston,  Mass.,  and  eventually  in 
England.  In  England,  his  resources  naturally  becoming  exhausted,  he 
was,  in  1775,  voted  by  the  Society,  as  a  recognition  of  his  missionary 
zeal  and  his  staunch  loyalty,  a  gratuity  of  20  Guineas,  "in  consider- 
ation of  his  distressed  case."  In  April  of  the  same  year  the  Society, 
by  formal  resolution,  prevailed  upon  the  willing  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury to  bring  the  refugee's  petition  regarding  his  losses  to  the  attention 
of  my  Lord  North. 

These  potent  influences,  however,  did  not  procure  succour  for 
him  betimes  or  prevent  him  from  enduring  a  sojourn  in  the  Fleet  as  a 
prisoner  for  debt.  From  this  unpleasant  situation,  the  result  of  his 
steadfast  adherence  to  the  Unity  of  the  British  Empire,  he  was 
rescued  by  the  filial  piety  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jarvis,  who,  as  the  letters 
show,  had  financial  difficulties  of  their  own.  He  in  turn  used  his 
utmost  endeavour  to  froward  Mr.  Jarvis'  petitions  for  redress  in  the 
matter  of  what  the  latter  deemed  unjust  alterations  of  the  scale  of  fees 
of  office,  to  which,  as  Secretary  of  the  Province,  he  had  been  at  first 
entitled. 

12 


Albeit  Dr.  Peters  was  never  a  resident  of  Upper  Canada,  his  name 
appeared  at  one  time  upon  its  list  of  United  Empire  Loyalists.  He  had 
been,  in  1790-1791,  recommended  by  Colonel  Simcoe,  without  avail,  for 
appointment  as  Bishop  of  Upper  Canada,  after  having,  as  it  was  be- 
lieved, been  disappointed  of  the  bishopric  of  Nova  Scotia,  in  1787. 
Though  elected  afterwards  Bishop  of  Vermont,  which,  before  its 
acceptance  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  he  had  tried, 
being  misled  by  the  Allen  brothers,  to  bring  back  to  the  British  alleg- 
iance, he  failed  to  obtain  consecration  in  England  and  in  the  United 
States. 

After  enjoying  a  pension  in  Great  Britain,  of  which  it  is  said,  he 
was  deprived  through  the  displeasure  of  Pitt,  he  returned  in  1805,  to 
his  native  country  to  live.  Being  then  70  years  of  age,  he  did  not  re- 
sume the  exercise  of  his  clerical  functions.  He  petitioned  the  Con- 
gress, unsuccessfully,  for  the  recognition  of  his  claim  to  several  mil- 
lions of  land  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Anthony's  Falls,  on  the 
Mississippi,  which  he  stated  that  he  had  bought  from  Jonathan  Carver, 
who  had  derived  his  right  from  the  Indians.  His  History  of  Con- 
necticut is  somewhat  famous. 

His  death  accured  in  New  York,  at  the  age  of  91  years,  on  the  19th 
of  April,  1826.  He  had  only  two  children  who  grew  to  maturity,  Mrs. 
Jarvis,  the  surviving  offspring  of  his  first  wife,  Hannah  Owen,  and 
William  Birdseye,  whose  mother,  Mary  Birdseye,  died  some  three 
weeks  after  her  son's  birth.  Between  these  two  wives  there  was  a 
second,  Abigail  Gilbert,  whose  death  took  place  about  a  fortnight  after 
her  marriage. 

Mrs.  Jarvis  survived  both  her  father  and  her  hubsand  and  spent 
the  latter  part  of  her  life  at  Queenston,  Upper  Canada  (Ontario), 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  John  Hamilton,  a  daughter-in-law  of  the  Hon- 
ourable Robert  Hamilton,  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Legislative 
Council  of  the  Province.  William  Birdseye  Peters,  who  was  born  in 
the  year  of  his  father's  withdrawal  to  England,  lived  in  Hebron  with 
his  maternal  grandfather  till  he  was  fourteen  or  more.  Then  he 
joined  his  father  in  the  Old  Country  and  went  up  to  the  University  of 
Oxford,  subsequently  studying  law  in  London.  After  acting  as  deputy 
to  Mr.  Jarvis  at  Toronto,  holding  a  commission  in  the  regular  army, 
in  Canada,  and  becoming  a  member  of  the  Bar  of  Upper  Canada,  he 
returned  to  the  United  States  and  ultimately  settled  in  New  Orleans 
or  Mobile,  dying  in  1817,  nine  years  before  his  father. 

Collateral  descendants  of  Dr.  Peters  are  found  in  the  Buell  family 
and  in  families  allied  to  it  by  marriage,  Mercy  Peters,  his  sister, 
having  married  William  Buell,  U.E.L.,  one  of  the  founders  of  Brock- 
ville,  Ontario. 

13 


The  name  Samuel  Peters  keeps  on  being  handed  down  from  gen- 
eration to  generation  in  the  Jarvis  family,  thus  keeping  alive  the  mem- 
ory of  this  "Suffering  Loyalist"  ancestor.  Jarvis  Street,  Toronto, 
which,  exclusive  of  the  portion  below  Queen  Street,  runs  from  south 
to  north  throughout  the  whole  length  of  what  used  to  be  the  Secretary's 
"park  lot,"  granted  to  him  by  the  Crown,  perpetuates  this  pioneer 
official's  name.  So  too  do  many  descendants  of  his  own  name,  who 
by  their  naval  and  military  service  in  the  recent  war,  have  lived  up  to 
the  family  tradition  of  Loyalty  to  the  Unity  of  the  British  Empire. 

Letters  from  William  Jarvis,  Secretary  of  Upper  Canada, 
and  Mrs.  Jarvis,  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  D.D. 

From  Wm.  Jarvis  to  Samuel  Peters,  dated  Montreal,  June  19th,  1792. 

"It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  yesterday  I  landed 
all  the  family,  they  are  all  in  good  health  except  your  daughter,  whose 
fatigue  from  the  excessive  bad  weather  during  the  voyage  has  left  her 
very  weak  and  low,  but  she  mends  very  fast  indeed.  They  are  at 
Mr.  Doty's1  hospitable  mansion  where  I  left  them  this  morning  to 
overtake  Simcoe  and  the  other  civilians  of  Upper  Canada  before  they 
left  the  town,  which  I  affected. 

We  all  met  and  dined  at  Mr.  Gray's2  (Davidson's  friend).  To- 
morrow morning  at  4  o'clock  I  leave  them  to  bring  my  family  to  this 
place.  Mr.  Gray  insists  on  bringing  my  family  to  his  house  to  remain 
until  we  embark  for  Upper  Canada. 

"I  expect  to  leave  the  greatest  part  of  my  baggage  to  pay  freight 
from  London,  and  £14  is  paid  for  each  batteau  by  each  officer  of  the 
civil  line  to  Kingston. 

"Simcoe  blames  me  for  not  bringing  a  screw  press  to  apply  the 
great  seal.  He  says  he  told  me  but  by  Gad  he  did  not.  I  rejoice  very 
much  at  your  prospect  of  coming  out— he  seems  very  cordial  and 
gracious.  Mr.  Toosey3  was  supplicating  a  recommendation  from  the 
clergy  of  Lower  Canada  to  secure  their  recommendation  to  be  conse- 
crated but  Doty  opposed  him  and  refused  anything  of  the  kind  going 
forward  and  he  was  obliged  to  go  to  England  without  it.  I  wish  you 
to  send  me  one  screw  press  as  soon  as  possible,  with  the  following 
articles :  3  dozen  Bayler's  patent  shoe  blacking  at  6s.  per  doz. ;  Burn's 
Justicia,  Private  Wrongs,  Blackstone's  Commentaries,  a  pair  of  spurs, 
strong  plated. 

"You  must  pardon  my  not  writing  long  as  I  must  be  up  at  four 
in  the  morning  to  travel  45  miles  to  join  my  family,  and  on  Friday 
morning  we  leave  Mr.  Doty's  to  come  to  Montreal.  Farewell.  Your 
dear  lambs  are  all  well.  God  knows  they  have  had  many  narrow 

14 


escapes  for  their  lives.  Poor  Sam  has  not  a  hair  on  his  head  and  all 
his  front  teeth  are  knocked  out  by  the  unlucky  unexpected  falls  he 
met  with  on  the  ship.  Dear  Maria  talks  of  you  half  the  time  and 
expects  to  meet  you  the  moment  she  arrives  in  Canada  as  she  calls 
it  My  sweet  Augusta  has  suffered  much  but  she  is  far  stronger  and 
stouter  than  when  she  left  England. 

"We  shall  all  be  much  disappointed  if  you  do  not  come  out  this 
fall." 

June  21,  1792— Win.  Jarvis  to  Samuel  Peters.    Sorel,  L.C.^- 

"Wrote  you  a  few  lines  in  great  haste  on  19th  inst.  at  Montreal. 
This  is  the  first  moment  my  mind  has  been  sufficiently  at  ease  to 
attempt  a  letter  since  we  parted  with  you  at  Gravesend. 

"During  the  voyage  I  was  not  only  very  sick,  at  all  times  when 
the  wind  blew,  but  I  with  the  assistance  of  Richard  was  nurse  to  a 
very  sick  and  dangerous  family  to  trust  from  our  sight  for  a  single 
moment;  from  the  continual  reaching  and  fainting,  my  dear  Hannah 
and  the  incapability  of  my  dear  lambs  to  protect  themselves.  Miss 
Adlem  was  sick  a  great  part  of  the  voyage.  She  did  her  utmost  to 
assist,  but  the  continual  gales  rendered  it  impossible  for  her  to  stir 
about  much.  Richard  has  hitherto  behaved  as  a  good  and  faithful 
servant.  Fanny  has  been  from  the  first  and  still  is  a  "perfect  Devil 
incarnate,"  she  was  far  worse  than  no  servant  during  the  voyage,  she 
insisted  on  being  treated  as  a  young  lady,  and  "then  she  would  treat 
her  mistress  as  such,"  etc.,  etc.  I  will  not  preface  any  longer  but  give 
you  the  occurrences  that  happened  on  the  voyage. 

April  13th — Dropped  down  to  the  Downs. 

14th — At  sea,  with  a  fair  wind ;  as  we  passed  Dover  wind  headed 
us  which  obliged  us  to  drop  anchor,  which  in  letting  go  killed  one  of 
our  goats. 

15th— At  sea  with  a  good  offing.  18th,  a  gale  of  wind  ahead  which 
obliged  us  to  lash  the  helm  and  drove  us  back  to  the  Scilly  lights;  the 
gale  suddenly  abated  or  God  only  knows  the  fate  we  were  shortly  to 
experience.  The  wind  was  very  light,  sometimes  fair,  at  others  foul 
until  the  30th,  when  we  were  overtaken  by  a  most  dreadful  gale  at 
N.E.  We  could  not  even  brave  it,  tho'  fair,  it  was  so  violent  that 
but  one  small  sail  could  be  set.  The  gale  lasted  till  the  4th  of  May, 
The  mate,  a  very  worthy  man,  was  taken  ill  the  day  the  gale  began, 
his  berth  was  in  the  passage  leading  from  the  cabin  to  the  deck.  No 
fire  could  be  kept  lighted  to  warm  him  or  any  sustenance,  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  4th  his  eyes  closed  with  the  day  and  his  exit  announced 
by  his  groans  ceasing ;  this  was  a  time  to  apply  the  old  proverb,  "Every 
man  for  himself  and  God  for  us  all." 

15 


9th — Another  gale  of  wind  which  required  the  helm  to  be  lashed 
and  put  away  before  it. 

13th — This  was  an  uncommon  day,  it  was  the  first  day  we  could 
hold  our  plates  on  the  table  with  one  hand  and  were  at  liberty  to  eat 
with  the  other.  The  weather  was  fair  from  this  till  the  18th,  whicfli 
put  us  in  great  spirits,  but  alas  before  the  evening  of  the  18th  we 
found  ourselves  near  the  Grand  Banks  and  surrounded  with  islands 
of  ice  from  Hudson  Bay  and  the  deck  covered  with  ice  and  snow. 
In  fact  I  never  suffered  with  cold  so  much  in  my  life.  The  ice  was 
in  pieces  from  the  size  of  our  long  boat  to  islands  of  5  or  6  leagues 
in  circumference.  Before  the  day  closed  it  blew  a  most  severe  gale 
and  at  the  setting  of  the  sun  we  found  our  position  to  be  a  perilous! 
one  and  knew  not  which  way  to  steer  to  extricate  ourselves,  as  the 
islands  appeared  on  every  side.  All  hands  were  placed  on  deck  and 
about  20  soldiers  to  assist  the  seamen  in  case  she  struck,  which  we 
momentarily  expected  and  there  was  little  prospect  of  salvation  in 
case  she  had  struck  from  the  violence  of  the  wind.  Therefore  I  went 
as  quickly  as  I  could  to  bed,  and  concealed  our  danger  from  the 
rest  of  my  family. 

19th — The  wind  abated  but  we  still  found  ourselves  with  frigid 
mountains,  and  the  sea  running  high.  The  wind  gradually  abated  until 
the  morning  of  the  22nd  when  the  most  violent  gale  the  Atlantic  ever 
experienced  arose  from  the  N.W.  It  drove  us  to  the  southward  of 
the  ice  in  quick  time,  and  the  ship  half  the  day  dipping  her  yard  arms 
in  the  sea.  We  shipped  many  heavy  seas  which  made  her  stagger 
and  about  five  in  the  evening  the  ship  began  to  yield  to  the  sea  and 
the  waves  fell  frequently  and  heavily  on  her  decks.  At  six  the  sky- 
light on  the  quarter  deck  was  stove  in  by  the  sea  and  water  fell  in 
the  cabin  through  the  skylight;  at  8  p.m.,  we  received  a  still  more 
powerful  sea  which  forced  open  the  gun  port  opposite  the  state-room 
where  I  had  just  placed  in  your  daughter's  small  berth  her  three  children 
and  Miss  Adhem  to  pass  a  wretched  night!  The  ship  was  knocked 
upon  her  beam  ends;  I  was  sitting  like  a  sentinel  (which  was  strictly 
my  case  the  whole  voyage)  at  your  daughter's  door,  when  the  first 
knowledge  I  had  of  the  catastrophe,  I  found  my  head  through  the 
panel  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  cabin  and  lying  upon  half  a  dozen 
gents  and  servants,  where  we  had  all  been  thrown.  The  ship  gradually 
righted  and  I  hastened  to  my  post  and  found  my  dear  prisoners  nearly 
drowned  with  at  least  a  ton  of  water  they  had  received  in  their  bed 
and  not  a  dry  thread  on  one  of  my  family  or  their  bed  and  blankets. 
I  got  assistance  and  placed  a  dry  blanket  under  and  another  over 
them,  but  they  were  obliged  to  pass  the  night  in  their  wet  clothes, 
but  from  this  moment  the  storm  abated  and  about  12  midnight,  Capt. 

16 


Shanks,  little  Sam  any  myself  threw  some  wet  blankets  on  the  cabin 
floor,  where  we  finished  an  awful  night. 

All  fhis  your  daughter  supported  with  uncommon  fortitude, 
seemed  perfectly  sensible  of  our  danger  and  made  me  the  bold  pro- 
posal "That  we  should  all  go  together  and  not  attempt  a  boat"  Her 
lips  trembled  and  her  voice  faltered  when  she  spoke  it,  but  her  courage 
was  invincible.  My  feelings  can  better  be  conceived  than  described. 
Next  morning  when  I  went  on  deck  I  found  the  quarter  deck  had  been 
swept  of  all  the  coops,  with  Juno  and  her  six  puppies,  the  pigs  gone 
and  in  fact  a  perfect  wreck  on  deck.  We  are  in  some  measure  com- 
pensated for  the  loss  of  our  stock,  by  the  quantities  of  fine  cod  that 
we  took  in  abundance  on  the  Banks. 

Till  the  30th  the  wind  was  rather  calm  and  sometimes  fair.  The 
same  day  we  spoke  the  "Harmony,"  which  had  been  out  a  week 
longer  than  ourselves.  The  day  following  we  made  the  Island  of  St. 
Pauls  and  the  same  day  approached  Cape  Ray.  The  next  night  we  met 
with  a  thunder  gust  which  obliged  us  to  put  to  sea  again.  About  four 
days  after  got  into  the  Gulph  of  St.  Lawrence  in  a  thick  fog.  The 
pilot  by  mistake  ran  into  Bonaventure  Bay ;  when  the  fog  cleared  away 
he  saw  a  fishing  boat  standing  toward  us,  who  informed  us  that 
they  had  picked  up  12  men,  being  part  of  an  unfortunate  ship's  crew, 
that  struck  upon  one  of  the  islands  of  ice  the  same  day  that  we 
found  ourselves  in  that  perilous  situation  on  the  Grand  Bank.  The 
next  day  we  put  to  sea  again  feasting  ourselves  upon  the  fish  we 
had  taken  in  Bonaventure  Bay;  we  nearly  covered  our  decks  in  a 
couple  of  hours. 

9th — We  found  ourselves  off  Beak  and  were  here  joined  by  the 
"Harmony"  again,  the  country  from  Beak  gradually  mends  till  you 
reach  the  Island  of  Orleans  near  Quebec,  which  is  beautiful  and 
seems  as  regularly  laid  out  as  a  garden  in  England.. 

On  the  llth  we  were  at  anchor  off  Quebec,  the  wind  being  strong 
and  fair.  We  had  time  only  to  hasten  ashore  and  report  ourselves 
and  get  on  board  again.  Shanks,  Littlehales4  and  myself  first  waited 
upon  the  Lieut.-Gov.  who  received  us  most  hospitably  and  wished  it 
had  been  convenient  for  us  to  have  dined  with  him,  but  he  frankly 
told  us  that  the  wind  we  now  had  had  better  be  taken  advantage  of 
as  the  season  was  advancing.  From  the  Governor's  we  waited  on  the 
Prince  (Duke  of  Kent)  who  received  us  most  graciously  and  asked  us 
a  lot  of  questions  and  seemed  to  know  us  all  as  well  as  if  he  had 
been  most  intimately  acquainted  with  us.  I  then  went  to  the  Secre- 
tary's office  to  receive  some  instructions  from  Mr.  Pownal5  but  found 
he  had  gone  to  Montreal.  Before  I  could  reach  the  wharf  I  was  sent 
for  and  stopped  by  so  many  people  that  the  ship  was  under  weigh 

17 


before  I  could  get  on  board.  Major  Holland,  the  Surveyor  General, 
sent  for  me  and  received  me  most  affectionately  and  pressed  me  to 
bring  my  family  and  stay  a  few  days  at  his  house;  he  enquired  very 
affectionately  after  "his  old  friend  Peters,"  etc.  Mr.  Purdy  sent  for 
me  also  but  I  could  not  accept  his  invitation  from  this  time  till  the 
18th. 

We  moved  slowly  toward  Montreal.  I  landed  a  league  and  a  half 
below  the  town  of  Sorel  and  walked  up  to  see  Mr.  Doty's  family  whom 
I  found  in  perfect  health  and  comfortably  settled.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doty 
insisted  upon  the  family  all  coming  ashore  and  after  dinner  provided 
calashes  and  fetched  them  all  out  to  the  ship.  Their  little  hearts  re- 
joiced at  the  approach  of  land  and  when  they  found  themselves  safe 
landed  they  were  perfectly  mad.  Little  Maria  took  hold  of  my  hand 
and  said,  "Now  Papa  I  would  be  glad  if  you  would  show  me  my 
grandpapa  and  my  uncle,  I  want  to  see  them  very  much."  Poor  little 
soul,  the  affection  that  her  countenance  betrayed  was  too  much  to 
withstand.  Sam  ran  off  into  the  meadows  instantly  and  had  twenty 
tumbles  in  the  grass  which  was  nearly  up  to  his  chin,  before  we  could 
catch  him.  Augusta's  joy  was  by  no  means  the  least  of  the  family. 

We  stayed  at  Mr.  Doty's  until  the  22nd  when  we  embarked  on  a 
batteau  for  Montreal  which  Mr.  Gray  had  the  goodness  to  send  over 
for  us.  24th  we  arrived  at  Montreal  where  we  were  most  cordially 
received  by  Mr.  John  Gray,  the  particular  friend  of  Mr.  Davidson; 
his  generosity  and  hospitality  exceeds  anything  I  have  ever  met  with; 
his  whole  house  at  our  disposal  and  flowing  with  milk  and  cream 
and  strawberries  for  my  lambs. 

Dear  Maria  often  stuffs  herself  till  her  "shoes  pinch  her  under 
her  stays"  and  Mr.  Gray's  table  for  the  rest  of  us  is  fit  for  a  Prince 
to  partake  of.  When  you  arrive  I  request  you  will  pay  your  respects 
to  him  as  soon  as  possible,  for  I  assure  you  his  friendship  deserves 
far  greater  acknowledgment  than  I  am  capable  of  giving.  They  have 
long  had  a  report  that  you  are  consecrated  Bishop  of  Canada.  Doty 
is  much  your  friend  and  says  he  continued  writing  to  you  2  years  after 
you  dropped  his  correspondence.  He  seems  much  hurt  at  your  neglect. 
They  supplied  us  with  everything  to  eat  and  drink  on  our  way  in  the 
batteau  to  Montreal. 

28th — We  embarked  at  Lachine  for  Kingston  *  *  *  Col.  Simcoe  has 
ordered  a  regiment  to  proceed  with  all  despatch  to  Niagara,  himself 
with  the  civil  establishment  are  to  stop  for  some  time  in  Kingston; 
Osgoode  informed  me  he  was  to  open  his  first  court.  Mrs.  Simcoe  is 
to  spend  the  winter  in  Kingston,  which  I  expect  will  be  the  case  with 
my  family,  from  the  accounts  I  have  heard  from  Kingston,  I  would 
wish  to  go  no  further  up  the  country.  Thompson  Peters  says  that 

18 


many  people  will  emigrate  from  Connecticut  if  you  come  out  to  Canada 
but  not  otherwise;  that  they  have  an  idea  you  will  make  them  all 
priests  and  deacons  in  the  wilderness. 

There  is  no  peace  established  between  the  Americans  and  the 
Indians,  a  treaty  seems  on  foot  and  our  Montreal  friend  I  believe  to 
be  the  mediator.  Sir  John  Johnston*  is  selling  off  all  his  furniture  in 
this  country  and  going  to  England  in  a  very  few  days,  in  a  very  great 
pet  with  the  Minister.  Mr.  Gray  has  sent  up  to  inform  us  that  our 
letters  must  be  instantly  sealed.  Maria  says,  I  "must  tell  grandpapa 
what  a  good  child  I  am  and  that  he  must  come  and  see  me" ;  and  truly 
she  is  a  good  child.*  *  *  My  love  to  Bird  and  you  shall  hear  from  me 
again  soon.  *  *  * 

Kingston,  July  15th,  1792— My  time  is  so  occupied  that  I  have 
but  time  to  say  a  few  words.  Your  daughter  is  writing  and  will  give 
you  all  our  affairs.  I  must  beg  you  to  send  me  out  this  autuntn  50 
skins  of  parchment,  also  50  weight  of  beeswax  for  the  great  seal ;  there 
is  no  more  to  be  had  here  or  in  Lower  Canada.  I  have  been  very 
busy  since  my  arrival  here  writing  Proclamations.  It  has  been  my  ill 
luck  to  be  obliged  to  copy  so  many  in  manuscript;  the  one  at  this 
moment  in  hand  contains  11  sheets  of  foolscap.  To-morrow  they  go 
to  Montreal  for  the  press,  yet  I  have  had  to  prepare  8  copies  in  manu- 
script. I  shall  direct  my  worthy  friend  John  Gray  to  send  you  one  of 
each  by  the  first  ship.  The  worst  cheese  is  15d.  per  Ib.  Can  you  send 
me  some?  If  you  could  send  us  a  small  cask  of  tongues  and  hams 
it  would  be  very  acceptable,  but  let  them  be  good.  If  you  come  to 
us  as  no  doubt  you  will  in  the  course  of  next  winter  you  must  send 
forward  your  cheese  as  it  was  principally  your  living  when  we  were 
with  you. 

We  are  anxious  to  hear  from  you,  not  one  word  since  we  left 
Gravesend  from  any  of  you.  My  lambs  often  fetch  tears  from  me 
when  they  talk  of  old  times.  Maria,  in  particular,  dear  rogue,  often 
when  she  finds  we  have  a  moment's  leisure,  jumps  on  my  knee  and 
throws  her  arms  about  my  neck  and  says,  "Come  papa  do  let  us  go 
home,"  and  then  enumerates  all  her  dearest  friends.  Sam  is  like  a 
young  "Mohawk,"  very  tall  and  straight  and  saucy;  he  compares  his 
head  to  a  hair  brush,  which  since  his  hair  has  been  cut  off  is  of  the 
same  length.  Little  Augusta,  sweet  soul,  is  all  life  and  spirits  and 
rude  health  and  as  great  a  talker  as  any  of  them. 

In  October  we  look  for  an  addition  to  our  family  before  which 
I  hope  to  be  comfortably  settled  in  Niagara  where  we  go  in  about 
10  days.  No  house  in  Niagara.  I  understand  the  Rev.  Mr.  Addison 
passed  through  Kingston  for  his  mission  but  a  week  before  we  ar- 
rived, till  when  he  had  been  at  Quebec.  For  God's  sake  try  and  bring 

19 


out  a  servant  or  two  with  you,  the  whole  country  cannot  produce  one 
fit  to  put  in  "Hell's  Kitchen."  All  kinds  of  provisions  and  vegetables 
are  very  dear;  beef,  mutton,  etc.,  5d.  per  pound;  chickens  2s.  6d.  per 
couple.  All  kinds  of  corn  look  more  luxuriantly  here  than  I  ever 
saw  them  before.  Wheat,  the  8th  and  9th  crop  on  the  same  ground 
without  manure,  is  a  man's  height  and  not  less  than  40  bushels  to  the 


acre. 


*  *  * 


Hannah  Jarvis  fc>  her  Father,  dated  Kingston,  Aug.  25th,  1792 » — 

I  am  this  moment  at  a  loss  why  I  have  not  received  a  word  from 
you  since  I  left  London.  Not  a  word  from  anyone  but  Mr.  Davidson 
who  mentions  your  having  wrote,  do  not  trust  your  letters  to  private 
hands,  their  inattention  to  delivery  is  intolerable.  Direct  all  letters 
to  the  care  of  Mr.  John  Gray,  Montreal,  who  will  send  them  to  us. 
If  you  come  to  Montreal  you  will  find  him  an  obliging  friendly  young 
man.  Mr.  Jarvis  wishes  you  to  direct  such  things  as  you  send  to  us  or 
to  the  Governor  through  us,  to  his  care.  He  returned  from  Niagara 
yesterday  at  which  place  he  has  been  obliged  to  purchase  a  log  hufc 
and  half  an  acre  of  land  at  the  price  of  £140  York  currency, 
and  bought  the  logs  to  enlarge  it  for  Jiis  family,  which  he  expects  will 
be  finished  in  about  three  weeks;  we  shall  then  have  five  rooms  and 
two  garrets,  including  the  kitchen.  He  says  there  are  plenty  of  frogs 
and  streaked  snakes  and  some  rattlesnakes.  We  leave  this  place  on 
the  28th  or  29th  for  Niagara  where  Mr.  Jarvis  is  obliged  to  be  by 
the  llth  of  September  when  the  Assembly  meets.  Mr.  White  the 
Attorney-General  is  chosen  Assemblyman  from  this  county.  Capt. 
Russell7  has  purchased  a  house  at  Niagara  of  two  rooms  for  £60. 

Sam  was  disappointed  a  day  or  two  since.  I  told  him  his  uncle 
was  come;  he  asked  "If  grandpapa  was  come  too",  I  answered  "No." 
He  came  home  from  school  in  great  haste  and  when  he  entered  the 
room  he  looked  at  his  Uncle  Seymour  and  colored  as  red  as  fire  and 
said,  "you  told  me  Uncle  Bird  was  come" ;  but  I  mentioned  Uncle  only. 
Mr.  Jarvis  cannot  write  but  desires  his  love,  is  obliged  to  get  the 
things  aboard  ship  this  day.  You  shall  hear  from  us  again  when  we 
arrive  at  Niagara. 

Hannah  and  Win.  Jarvis,  dated  Kingston,  Aug.  30th,  1792.  By 
Seymour  Jarvis  who  is  going  to  New  York  I  send  the  July  receipts 
from  Mr.  Jarvis  and  self.  (Note — This  alludes  to  a  certificate  from 
Governor  Simcoe  stating  that  William  and  Hannah  Jarvis  are  alive ;  so 
as  to  enable  Dr.  Peters  to  draw  a  pension  or  an  allowance  of  £50  which 
it  seems  they  had  assigned  to  him.  Many  of  these  certificates  still 
exist.)  We  are  waiting  for  a  fair  wind  to  sail  for  Niagara,  the  Gover- 
nor was  ill  on  Sunday  evening  the  26th,  at  which  time  the  Prince 

20 


(the  Duke  of  Kent)  left  that  place.  I  have  just  heard  that  the  Line 
Packet  has  arrived  at  Quebec,  by  Capt.  Russell,  who  received  a  letter 
by  her.  We  have  not  received  one  line  from  you  since  we  left  the 
Downs.  Many  things  have  come  out  by  the  Scipio  such  as  ploughs, 
shares,  cart-hubs,  etc.,  and  almost  everything  by  her  damaged,  the 
Governor's  coach  rotten  and  sold;  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  under- 
writers. We  anxiously  await  for  letters.  Miss  Adlem  wishes  much 
to  know  her  fate. 

Undated  Letter.  I  was  in  hopes  before  this  time  to  have  given 
you  more  satisfactory  accounts  of  our  new  city.  We  are  still  a  roving 
tribe  of  Israelites,  or  whatever  you  please  to  call  us.  Col.  Simcoe  has 
fixed  on  Niagara  as  his  Headquarters  for  two  years  to  come.  I  have 
been  there  and  was  ten  days  in  search  of  a  hut  to  place  my  poor  wife 
and  lambs  in  without  success ;  at  length  I  was  obliged  to  pay  £140  for 
a  log  hut  with  3  rooms  (two  of  which  are  very  indifferent)  with  half 
an  acre  of  ground.  I  have  purchased  logs  to  make  an  addition  to  my 
hut,  which  will  add  a  decent  room  to  the  first  purchase.  Col.  Simcoe 
is  at  present  very  unwell  at  Niagara  and  if  he  has  a  good  shake  with 
the  ague  I  think  it  will  be  but  justice  for  his  manners  in  dragging  us 
from  this  comfortable  place  to  a  spot  on  the  globe  that  appears  to  me 
as  if  it  had  been  deserted  in  consequence  of  a  plague.  Neither  age 
nor  youth  are  exempt  from  fever  and  ague  in  Niagara.  How  will  it 
go  with  my  poor  souls? 

Osgoode  I  expect  will  refuse  wintering  at  Niagara ;  also  the  Attor- 
ney-General. Our  Assembly  are  to  meet  on  the  12th  of  next  month, 
and  a  motley  crew  they  are.  After  the  Assembly  is  prorogued,  the 
Col.  and  his  suite  are  to  go  to  Toronto,  a  city-hunting.  I  hope  they 
will  be  successful  for  I  am  sick  unto  death  of  roving,  it  really  seems 
as  if  we  were  never  to  stop  again.*  *  *  Lake  Ontario  is  very  boister- 
ous navigation.  I  was  very  near  being  lost  on  the  15th  inst  going  to 
Niagara,  and  I  really  believed  I  had  been  preserved  on  the  Atlantic  to 
be  buried  on  this  lake. 

We  are  distressed  and  astounded  at  not  having  letters  from  Eng- 
land at  this  late  period.  *  *  *  It  is  impossible  that  everything  should 
be  right  or  we  should  have  heard  from  some  of  our  friends  in  Eng- 
land. I  hope  the  next  news  to  hear  that  your  business  is  settled  to 
your  wishes.  People  here  only  live  from  hand  to  mouth  as  if  they 
were  to  be  gone  to-morrow. 

We  have  no  printer  yet,  I  am  still  a  slave;  we  have  no  table  of 
fees  established  yet,  therefore  I  can  make  no  charge,  only  book  them 
to  be  exacted  in  future.  I  am  very  uneasy  for  fear  you  have  more  on 
your  hands  of  my  affairs  than  you  can  well  manage  with  convenience 
to  yourself. 

21 


Sept.,  1792.  The  Governor  seems  more  intent  on  city  hunting  than 
the  organization  of  the  Province.  The  Prince  left  us  this  morning 
for  Quebec,  to  the  joy  of  all  parties.  The  town  was  most  liberally 
illuminated  last  evening  in  honour  of  His  Royal  Highness.  Candles 
are  so  scarce  a  commodity  that  I  did  not  follow  the  example  of  my 
neighbours.  I  have  been  obliged  to  draw  upon  John  Gray  of  Montreal 
for  my  half  year's  salary  to  cover  our  heads  this  winter,  it  is  not 
using  you  well  but  what  could  I  do?  there  is  not  even  a  shed  to  hire. 
I  fear  the  Loyalists  are  all  lost  and  would  give  the  world  for  a  few 
lines  from  you;  hard  times  by  "Heaven";  we  will  hope  for  a  change 
for  the  better.  Your  daughter  has  good  health  and  better  spirits;  my 
dear  babes  are  in  rude  health  and  grown  quite  out  of  your  knowledge. 

When  you  come  to  this  country  make  a  bonfire  of  your  baggage; 
and  you  will  do  a  prudent  thing  and  save  money. 

Since  we  wrote  last  Fanny  married  to  a  Sergeant  Bausneap  of 
the  Queen's  Rangers  (about  one  month  since).  The  day  before  yes- 
terday she  provoked  him  to  shoot  himself  through  the  heart  with  a 
soldier's  musket  at  Niagara. 

(A  great  sorrow  befell  the  Jarvis'  in  the  death  of  their  son  Samuel, 
who  was  taken  suddenly  ill  on  Oct.  10th  when  out  with  his  father  and 
died  on  the  19th  of  October,  aged  five  years,  seven  months  and  26 
days.  The  letters  giving  an  account  of  this  are  perhaps  too  poignant 
to  be  printed,  but  in.  their  deep  and  overwhelming  sorrow  the  thoughts 
of  the  bereaved  parents  turned  to  the  kind  father  so  far  away.) 

Niagara,  Oct.  25th,  1792,  William  Jarvis  writes:  "I  think  I  have 
answered  your  letter  fully  respecting  my  amounts  left  unpaid  in  Lon- 
don, for  God's  sake  do  manage  them  and  come  to  us  in  the  Spring. 
*  *  *  If  you  have  any  regard  for  your  children  you  will  come  to  us 
early  in  Spring.  I  wish  not  to  live  in  this  country  without  you  and 
life  would  be  insupportable  for  your  daughter  without  you;  we  have 
plenty  to  live  on  without  the  mitre;  therefore  I  conjure  you  to  come 
and  be  happy  with  us. 

Oct.  25th  and  26th,  the  daughter  wrties :  Uncle  Bernslee  a  welcome 
guest  delivered  your  thrice  welcome  letter  of  May  8th  to  me  on  the 
13th  (Oct.).  This  is  the  first  information  we  have  had  of  or  from  you — 
for  my  part  I  never  expected  to  hear  from  you  again  on  earth.  My 
thoughts  were  with  you  day  and  night,  you  seemed  to  me  living,  dead, 
sick,  well,  in  short  I  saw  you  every  way.  I  blamed  myself  for  leaving 
you.  *  *  *  For  God's  sake  and  your  children's  sake  ccme  from  a  place 
of  war  and  tumult  and  live  and  be  a  comfort  to  your  children  who 
cannot  find  comfort  without  your  presence  and  consolation.  *  *  * 
Then  follows  a  long,  heart-broken  account  of  the  death  of  their  dear 

22 


child  who  was  attended  by  Dr.  McCauley  and  a  Dr.  Burnes  and  at 
whose  funeral  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stuart  of  Kingston  officiated,  "Mr.  Addi- 
son  attending."  She  continues:  "It  has  been  a  sickly  season  out  here 
and  a  deadly  one  to  children,  so  much  so  that  there  is  scarcely  a  child 
left  in  the  fort  the  other  side  of  the  river  and  numbers  have  died 
here.  Maria  is  ill  but  Augusta  is  well  and  a  lovely  babe,  come  andj 
partake  of  her  pretty  prattle,  she  will  amuse  you  much — all  mischief, 
all  good  nature.  Come  then,  dear,  dear  Father,  solace  your  afflicted 
children  by  your  presence.  Poor  Bill  cannot  write  you  more  than  on 
business,  his  heart  is  almost  broken.  *  *  *  Without  you  come  to  com- 
fort us  it  will  be  out  of  the  power  of  me,  or  any  person  to  reconcile 
him  to  this  country.  Pray  come,  do  not  let  us  be  refused,  we  shaH 
be  happy  on  bread  and  water  with  your  company,  without  it  miserable. 
*  *  *  Bernslee  says  you  intend  to  see  us  in  the  Spring ;  the  information 
I  feel  and  trust  and  hope  shall  keep  up  my  spirit  until  you  arrive.  Do 
not  disappoint  me,  as  you  love  your  children,  come  to  them  that  they 
may  nurse  you  and  you  comfort  them  with  your  company  and  advice. 
We  can  live  here  without  the  "Mitre,"  being  placed  more  pleasingly 
than  we  were,  but  only  let  us  live  together;  leave  a  place  where  dis- 
cord has  begun  her  reign,  once  surely  is  sufficient  for  man  to  feel  the 
weight  of  her  hand;  then  let  us  retire  with  Harmony  into  the  wilder- 
ness and  live  and  love  each  other. 

After  some  business  directions  concerning  the  house  they  had 
left  in  England,  she  writes :  "Fanny  has  left  me  and  gone  to  the 
dogs.  Crossed  the  lake  with  one  of  the  sergeants  of  the  Rangers, 
and  prevailed  on  him  to  marry  her;  then  provoked  him  to  shoot 
himself  before  her  face.  She  now  lives  at  a  Mr.  Hamilton's,  a  servant, 
how  long  it  will  last  I  cannot  say.  I  shall  take  the  liberty  not  to 
deliver  to  her  or  to  Richard  the  prayer-books,  as  she  has  left  me  and 
he  has  turned  out  a  drunkard  and  so  very  insolent  that  I  think  Mr. 
Jarvis  must,  in  his  own  defence,  part  with  him,  or  keep  no  servant  in 
the  house,  from  Richard's  treatment  of  them,  and  he  has  one  already, 
but  rum  dear  rum  is  his  idol.  Miss  Adlem  returns  her  thanks  for  you 
attention  in  this  as  well  as  former  things. 

I  left  with  you  an  exact  account  of  all  my  bills  due,  that  come 
under  my  care,  with  the  last  weekly  bill  of  each  tradesman,  and  my 
correction  upon  them  in  figures ;  I  mentioned  the  bladders  which  I  sup- 
posed you  had  forgot;  they  were  for  tying  down  my  pickles  and  jellies 
for  the  voyage  to  prevent  the  air  from  spoiling  them;  they  came  to 
the  amount  demanded,  etc.  As  to  the  window-glass  you  took  the  num- 
ber of  panes  cracked  and  broken  on  our  entering  the  house,  owing  t< 
Mr.  Hartley's  insolence  on  the  same  subject. 


In  answer  to  your  caution  about  living  with  economy,  I  can  assure 
you  that  we  have  determined  and  do  practice  as  much  as  in  our  power 
(frugality).  We  dress  not,  see  no  company  and  go  nowhere.  I  have 
not  been  out  of  the  house  since  I  arrived  in  this  place,  but  once,  that 
was  for  a  walk  of  one  hundred  yards,  to  call  on  Mr.  Addison ;  at 
Kingston  drank  tea  out  three  times  only  and  had  no  company  except 
the  Governor  and  lady  who  came  in  one  evening  when  we  were  at  tea. 
Mr.  Jarvis  was  obliged  to  buy  a  house  (as  the  Governor  would  not 
quit  Niagara)  and  pay  £140  for  it,  to  which  he  has  added  three  rooms 
of  logs,  that  we  shall  be  able  to  get  into  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight 
or  three  weeks.  He  could  not  hire  but  at  the  expense  of  £40  per  year 
for  three  rooms  and  a  cock-loft  for  which  reason  he  thought  it  more 
advisable  to  do  what  he  has  done.  The  £40  house  was  in  the  edge  of 
the  wood,  two  miles  from  any  house  and  of  course  from  any  market 
and  without  any  convenineces  belonging  to  it,  as  I  mentioned  in  former 
letters. 

Concerning  white  oak  stairs  Mr.  Jarvis  has  not  had  time  to  make 
any  enquiries  about  them  but  is  of  opinion  that  the  expense  of  having 
them  made  and  taken  down  the  communication  will  far  exceed  their 
value,  labour  being  so  immensely  dear,  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  day  is 
the  usual  price  for  a  man,  or  if  you  have  him  by  the  month  eight  dollars 
and  find  them  with  victuals.  A  woman  servant  the  lowest  is  2l/2  dol- 
lars per  month  from  that  to  12  dollars;  I  have  two  girls  to  whom  I 
give  7  dollars  a  month.  They  are  willing,  good-natured  girls  but  not 
acquainted  with  doing  their  work  as  I  have  been  used  to;  I  am  under 
the  necessity  of  following  them  constantly,  yet  I  complain  not,  be- 
cause they  do  as  well  as  they  know  how. 

As  to  your  advice  to  live  in  harmony  with  all  men,  I  hope  we  have 
practiced  it  tho'  with  no  little  mortification  in  many  instances.  I 

realize  the  friendship  of  the  two  S as  no  way  essenital  to  our  future 

happiness,  the  malice  of  the  one  may  be  his  own  downfall  in  the  end. 

Mr.  Jarvis  is  so  much  respected  here  that  he  can  get  anything 
which  others  find  difficulty  in  procuring  sufficient  to  support  their 
families;  he  can  borrow  when  others  cannot  buy  which  makes  them 
very  angry. 

Addison  is  not  far  from  us  and  seems  out  of  humour  with  him- 
self  and  all  the  world;  he  seems  to  think  he  is  still  in  London,  where 
tradesmen  are  reckoned  nil,  but  here  they  are  the  first  people.  I  fear 
he  will  not  find  this  out  until  too  late  for  his  own  comfort. 

You  are  to  act  as  you  think  best  for  Mr.  Jarvis  with  the  Society. 
I  well  remember  to  have  heard  Mr.  Jarvis  say  on  coming  home  one 
day  that  he  had  paid  Mr.  Smith  for  Governor  Simcoe's  things  and 
what  you  mention  of  Bird's  being  with  him  and  sent  for  bill  of 

24 


parcels,  also   I  remember;   as  to  anything  further  on  that   subject  I 
know   not. 

I  could  wish  you  to  send  me  a  saddle  for  a  horse  of  fourteen 
hands  high.  The  harness  you  mention  to  have  sent  Uncle  Bernslee 
says  he  is  sure  it  is  not  sent;  when  we  receive  the  things  I  will  give 
the  particulars  of  them. 

Bernslee  leaves  to-morrow  for  Kingston,  from  whence  he  expects 
to  go  to  Toronto,  to  settle  the  Loyalists.  He  has  met  with  much 
trouble  in  getting  up  the  communication  about  his  goods,  several  parcels 
being  left  in  Montreal— two  of  crockery,  and  his  potash  kettle.  I  fear 
I  may  forget  to  inform  you  that  there  is  a  post  established  once  EX 
fortnight  through  the  Geneva  country  from  hence  to  New  York, 
therefore  I  request  you  to  write  by  every  opportunity.  T.  P.  left 
Kingston  the  same  time  as  we  did  in  great  anger  that  he  had  no? 
got  a  place  of  three  hundred  a  year  and  as  bitter  towards  you  vowing 
vengeance  to  take  care  of  himself  at  your  expense.  I  think  him  an 
ungrateful  young  man  and  a  rebel  as  strong  as  his  Uncle  John;  he 
is  not  fit  for  any  place  in  my  opinion,  still  had  he  had  patience  he 
would  have  had  a  place — a  clerk  of  the  House  of  Assembly.  However 
I  am  not  sorry  he  is  gone  for  he  was  an  eternal  plague  to  Mr.  Jarvis 
and  his  clerks,  causing  him  to  have  leaves  cut  out  of  the  book  after 
being  wrote  upon,  prying  into  everything,  private  or  public.  I  will 
never  forgive  him  for  his  flings  at  you ;  had  he  said  anything  against 
me  I  should  not  have  cared  but  he  touched  me  as  well  as  Mr.  Jarvis 
on  a  fine  thread  when  he  fell  at  you.  My  own  blood  cannot  forgeC 
such  things. 

Bernslee  wishes  me  to  inform  you  that  he  is  fearful  he  cannot 
write  to  you  at  this  time,  and  that  if  he  does  not  you  must  not  expect 
to  hear  till  he  is  settled  at  Toronto  or  some  other  place,  also  to  let 
you  know  that  Mr.  Clark,  Commissioner  of  Montreal,  would  not  suffer 
his  things  to  come  on  unless  he  paid  £45  Halifax  cr.  for  the  Batteaux 
and  had  he  not  met  with  Mr.  John  Gray,  who  was  so  civil  to  us,  h;e 
could  not  have  got  anything  forwarded.  Others  who  had  more  bag- 
gage were  suffered  to  proceed  with  all  theirs  free.  Mr.  Jarvis  by  mere 
accident  saw  the  list,  and  thinking  he  would  want  a  friend  sent  a 
letter  to  Capt.  Lethbridge*  who  knew  you  and  me  in  London  and  now 
commanding  officer  at  Kingston,  to  assist  him  as  much  as  possible, 
without  which  he  says  he  knows  not  what  he  should  have  done,  his 
things  must  have  lain  out  of  doors.  He  asks  if  his  things  were  not 
marked  to  go  at  the  King's  expense  until  they  arrived  at  their  destined 
haven. 

25 


Mr.  Jarvis  has  appointed  John  Peters  his  deputy  at  Prince  Edward 
which  I  hope  will  be  something  in  his  pocket.  He  bears  an  excellent 
character  in  all  respects — he  is  a  favorite  in  the  family. 

Should  you  come  by  way  of  Montreal  fail  not  I  pray  you  to  go 
to  Mr.  John  Gray  and  request  that  he  would  get  some  gentleman  to 
accompany  you  up  the  communication;  if  you  do  not  you  will  be 
obliged  to  stop  where  the  Canadians  please,  which  shall  be  always 
in  the  woods,  where  there  is  nothing  to  be  had;  otherwise  you  will 
sleep  every  night  in  the  best  houses  the  country  affords,  and  be  com- 
fortable. *  *  *  John  Peters  spoke  to  Mr.  Jarvis  about  the  team,  but 
the  expense  would  be  great  to  get  it  from  the  Bay  of  Quinte  as  you 
may  judge  by  freight  being  50s.  per  ton  from  Kingston  to  this.  The 
table  of  fees  brought  by  Mr.  Jarvis  were  not  from  the  Treasury  but 
from  Mr.  Stokes,  consequently  no  authority  for  this  country.  A  screw 
press  is  greatly  wanted  for  the  great  seal,  ought  to  have  come  by  us. 
*  *  * 

I  know  not  wRat  you  mean  by  the  smoothing  glasses  "creating  re- 
pentance," their  meaning  is  nothing  more  or  less  tha  to  serve  instead 
of  a  mangle,  when  silk  stockings  aand  gowns  are  washed.  *  *  *  We 
needed  not  your  words  to  convince  us  of  your  will  toward  us  in  point 
of  assistance ;  but  the  greatest  you  can  afford  us,  is  in  giving  us  your 
company.  *  *  * 

We  had  a  letter  from  Mr.  Emerson  yesterday  wherein  he  makes 
mention  of  the  news  having  arrived  by  way  of  New  York  of  your 
consecration;  I  pray  it  may  be  true.  Mr.  Jarvis  has  a  fourth  of  a 
township  called  Hope.  He  has  spoken  for  a  township  for  you  and 
Bird  and  received  for  answer  he  shall  have  the  first  that  shall  be 
granted  on  the  lake  or  Toronto,  but  wishes  you  could  come  and  fix 
on  the  spot  yourself.  The  ship  and  Bernslee  are  going. 

Adieu,  in  hopes  of  a  speedy  meeting. 

Your  faithful  daughter,  etc. 

Niagara,  October  26,  1792.— Hannah  Jarvis  to  Birdseye  Peters.  I 
am  much  pleased  at  your  improvement,  continue  to  do  the  same,  be 
dutiful  to  your  father,  love  him,  please  him,  amuse  him,  keep  up  his 
spirits.  Play  cards  and  backgammon  with  him,  amuse  him,  keep  up  his 
nurse  him  with  the  attention  of  a  dutiful  and  fond  child,  you  know  not 
his  value  nor  ever  will  till  you  lose  him,  which  God  spare  his  life  to 
us.  I  have  been  miserable  about  him  ever  since  we  parted,  on  account 
of  his  health  and  on  account  of  Mr.  Jarvis'  affairs,  we  have  fretted 
for  fear  of  delay  of  bills  and  that  he  might  meet  with  trouble  on  that 
account.  I  was  distressed  for  the  bite  you  got,  am  happy  it  was  no 
worse. 

26 


Indeed  there  is  ample  scope  for  new  ideas,  but  at  present  I  possess 
none.  I  am  not  in  spirits  for  drawing  funny  pictures  or  giving  descrip- 
tions of  any  thing,  my  heart  is  almost  broken  and  Mr.  Jarvis  frets 
himself  almost  to  death.  *  *  *  Unless  my  father  comes  and  that  soon 
he  will  not  stay  here.  Oh  how  I  long  to  see  him  and  you.  *  *  * 

I  am  grieved  to  find  such  disturbance  reigns  in  England;  God 
preserve  my  dear  father  and  you  my  dear  boy  from  any  evil  or  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  mobs,  come  from  there  as  soon  as  possible 
and  let  us  not  experience  a  second  rebellion.22  Take  care  of  yourself 
and  my  dear  father.  The  ship  and  Uncle  Bernslee  are  off. 

Newark,  Noc.  18,  1792.  Mr.  Jarvis  to  his  father-in-law.  On 
the  15th  inst.  your  daughter  was  put  to  bed  of  a  fine  and  promising* 
child,  it  is  a  son;  both  mother  and  child  are  unusually  well.  Mrs. 
Jarvis  has  not  the  least  fever  and  a  pretty  good  appetite,  tho'  too 
cautious  to  take  anything  except  a  cup  of  tea  or  gruel.  Dr.  McCauley 
attends  her.  *  *  *  She  is  very  comfortably  placed  in  a  large  room 
in  the  new  part  of  my  house  which  with  unremitted  perseverance 
I  got  ready  for  her  reception.  *  *  *  She  is  in  the  green  bed  that 
you  used  to  lay  in,  and  the  large  Turkey  carpet  under  her;  the  bed 
stands  in  the  middle  of  the  room  to  prevent  the  possibility  if  there 
should  be  any  damp  in  the  walls  from  leaving  any  effect;  I  have 
been  thus  particular  to  relieve  your  natural  anxiety.  *  *  * 

Mrs.  Simcoe  does  not  keep  the  plates,  she  called  the  day  before 
your  daughter  went  to  bed.  The  trunk  of  Simcoe's  I  have  received 
much  damaged,  etc.  The  harness  you  mentioned  sending  I  cannot 
learn  of.  *  *  *  Send  me  some  chain  traces  for  4  horses;  harness  also 
for  the  same  number.  I  have  also  received  my  darling  boy's  *  *  * 
The  distress  of  my  mind  cannot  be  conceived;  in  the  death  of  my  son 
I  have  lost  the  pride  and  ambition  of  my  heart.  You  must  come  to 
us  in  the  spring,  come  by  way  of  New  York.  A  fig  for  the  mitre! 
You  want  it  not,  you  have  a  sufficiency — I  intend  the  infant  shall  bear 
up  the  name  of  his  brother— I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  the 
Governor  has  perfectly  recovered  from  his  late  alarming  illness,  and 
looks  like  himself  once  more,  he  called  yesterday  to  say  I  must  live 
with  him  until  your  daughter  got  up  again. 

The  spot  for  our  Capital  is  yet  undetermined  on— Toronto  I  expect 
will  be  the  place. 

The  Governor  has  told  me  you  shall  have  a  township  but  he 
wishes  you  to  choose  for  yourself. 

I  wish  you  would  bring  me  out  a  servant  man  with  you.  Richard 
has  turned  out  a  perfect  sot,  always  drunk  when  he  can  get  ruin;  and 
insolent  beyond  anything  I  have  ever  seen ;  he  thinks  nothing  of  kicking 

27 


the  servant  maids;  with  a  number  of  things  equally  distressing  if  not 
worse. 

Your  daughter  sends  her  duty  and  my  little  lambs  both  a  kiss  for 
Grandpapa  and  Uncle  Birdseye.  Augusta  is  fatter  and  more  rosy  than 
her  sister.  My  love  to  Bird.  Adieu. 

Mr.  Jarvis.  Niagara,  Nov.  25,  1792.  Your  favor  of  the  5th  July 
we  received  yesterday.  I  am  particularly  happy  in  informing  you  that 
your  daughter  and  child  are  both  uncommonly  stout  for  the  time  since 
the  increase  of  my  family.  The  boy  is  very  large  and  in  good  health, 
this  is  the  ninth  day  of  his  admission,  I  have  not  the  same  feeling 
for  him  that  I  had  for  his  brother.  *  *  * 

All  the  books  sent  out  by  the  Society  were  rotten  before  they 
reached  the  Governor — I  saw  them  yesterday — the  whole  of  which  are 
not  worth  a  penny.  The  Scipio  (the  ship  on  which  they  came  out) 
had  the  hatches  drove  open  in  a  storm  and  almost  all  the  cargo  ruined. 
*  *  *  For  God's  sake  come  to  us  in  the  Spring,  as  early  as  possible, 
you  must  come,  or  we  will  be  totally  miserable,  on  your  account.  We 
want  for  nothing  else  that  this  world  affords,  we  should  all  be  to- 
gether once  more,  and  I  hope  never  to  part.  *  *  * 

I  have  made  out  commissions  to  the  following  gents,  who  have 
been  appointed  by  the  Governor,  and  recommended  for  confirmation  to 
the  Treasury.  Mr.  David  William  Smith  is  reg.  to  act  as  Surveyor- 
General  ;  Captain  R.  England  to  be  naval  officer  in  Upper  Canada ;  Ed- 
ward Baker  Littlehales  (Brigade  Major)  Clerk  of  the  Council.  All 
of  whom  have  been  superceded  by  the  Treasury  (viz.)  Smith  by  a  son 
of  Major  Holland,  Surveyor-General,  Lower  Canada;  Littlehales  by 
Small  who  resides  at  Kingston  this  winter;  England  by  De  Castro,  a 
Spaniard,  who  arrived  here  this  day.  *  *  * 

Mrs.  Jarvis.  Neivark,  Jan.  15,  1793.  By  favor  of  Mr.  Wilcox  who 
is  going  to  Ireland  by  way  of  New  York,  I  write  this  to  inform  you 
we  are  in  good  health.  My  dear  little  girls  and  boy  are  well,  he  grows 
very  fast,  begins  to  take  notice. 

Still  we  wish  for  your  company;  our  spirits  cannot  recover  their 
gaiety;  we  are  grown  so  grave  that  Birdseye  would  say  we  were  old 
married  folk.  I  have  no  wish  for  any  amusement;  I  have  been  to 
two  of  the  Assemblies  and  am  to  attend  on  the  18th  at  the  Governor's 
Ball,  the  Queen's  birth-night.  The  first  I  went  to  was  to  endeavor  to 
aleviate  Mr.  Jarvis'  grief  and  my  own,  the  latter  I  was  obliged  to 
attend  politically.  *  *  *  we  shall  have  no  drawing  room  until  the 
King's  birthday. 

Our  printer  has  got  his  press  up  and  commenced  printing  but 
nothing  public  as  yet;  a  paper9  is  expected  to  be  weekly  printed  and  is 
most  likely  to  begin  after  the  18th. 

28 


The  27th  of  December  the  Grand  Master*  (free  Masons)  was  in- 
stalled in  great  .form,  a  procession  of  all  the  Fraternity  called  with 
music  playing,  etc.  Mr.  Addison,  Grand  Chaplain,  a  young  brother 
made  that  morning,  read  prayers  and  preached  a  sermon  after  which 
there  was  a  dinner. 

There  has  been  a  Council  of  the  Six  Nations  held  here  for  a 
week  past.  This  morning  they  met  to  determine  about  some  lands 
they  wanted,  Joseph  Brant  at  their  head;  but  the  Governor  and  they 
could  not  agree;  the  grant  was  made  out,  the  great  seal  affixed,  but 
the  Indians  rejected  it;  they  were  not  to  dispose  of  any  part  of  the 
land  therein  specified,  but  among  themselves;  this  they  do  not  like. 
Now  they  have  agreed  to  have  a  grand  council  in  the  Spring ;  of  every 
individual  who  has  a  voice — before  the  Spring  communication  is  opened 
with  England  and  the  Six  Nations,  the  result  of  which  will  be  sent  to 
the  King  for  his  approbation,  or  his  disapprobation. 

Captain  Brant  dined  with  us  on  13th,  the  first  time  I  ever  spoke 
to  him.  I  saw  him  at  the  Assembly,  the  Thursday  before,  for  the 
first  time. 

Our  Winter  is  not  yet  begun,  we  have  had  no  snow  to  lay  more 
than  a  day  or  two.  We  have  been  out  in  the  sledge  two  days  runnnig, 
once  or  twice  we  ventured  out  and  returned  on  dry  or  rather  on 
muddy  ground.  We  went  on  the  13th  to  the  lodge  or  Assembly  on  a 
slay  where  no  snow  had  been  for  a  week  and  the  clay  is  so  soft  a 
state  as  to  receive  a  wheel  of  a  chaise  half  way  to  the  axle  tree.  The 
weather  is  so  very  mild  at  this  time  that  we  might  be  without  a 
fire  was  it  not  for  fear  of  taking  cold.  I  have  not  had  any  chilblains 
this  winter,  I  have  not  clothed  any  other  way  than  I  have  been  in 
London,  What  little  I  have  seen  of  the  place,  was  it  well  cleared^ 
would  make  some  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  in  the  world.  The  river 
Niagara  for  seven  miles  which  I  have  seen,  affords  a  delightful  pros- 
pect. A  place  called  four  mile  creek,  on  the  side  of  the  lake  was  it 
in  England  would  be  a  place  worthy  the  king's  notice;  it  meanders  in 
a  manner  superior  to  any  stream  I  ever  saw ;  there  is  a  grist  mill  upon 
it  and  the  family  that  it  belongs  to  are  Dutch.  We  have  received  more 
attention  than  could  be  expected  from  them.  As  soon  as  Mrs.  Servos 
understood  that  I  was  an  American  (i.e.,  Loyalist)  she  sent  me  lard 
and  sausages,  pumpkins,  Indian  meal,  squashes,  potatoes,  carrots,  etc., 
etc.  I  have  been  to  see  them  and  they  seem  highly  pleased  and  say 
we  shall  come  to  see  you  because  you  are  not  particular.  I  had  them 
here  to  dinner  on  the  27th.  Captain  McKay  lives  in  their  house  and 
seems  much  pleased  with  his  situation.  You  cannot  think  how  much 
it  seems  to  please  them  when  we  "condescend"  as  they  say  to  go  and 

*  William  Jarvis. 

29 


see  them.  I  soon  found  that  their  eyes  were  fixed  on  me  as  an 
American  to  know  whether  I  was  proud  or  not.  Mrs.  McCauley  and  I 
have  gained  the  character  of  being  the  plainest  dressed  women  in 
Newark  Mr.  Jarvis  begs  his  duty  to  you,  will  send  a  rem.ttance  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  his  half  year's  salary;  ..  ***  Wj 
cerned  that  he  cannot  send  you  more,  fearing  that  you  may  think  b 


^do™'  business  to  the  amount  of  £100  but  the  want  of  a 
regular  established  table  of  fees,  has  received  none  ;  they  stand  charg 
on  his  books  until  such  table  be  forthcoming.    He  has  been  at  a  good 
deal  of  expense  with  his  house.    He  does  not  draw  rattans  as  ^ex- 
pected   for   himself   and    family,   consequently   »   obliged   to    furmsh 
everything  for  his  family.    He  has  purchased  two  pomes,  one  a  French- 
man and  the  other  a  Spaniard,  who  draw  water,  wood,  hay  and  straw, 
and  has  got  a  harness  very  smart,  part  of  ropes   the  rest  of  leather  ; 
(also)  a  cow  and  an  old  sow  with  seven  pigs,  the  latter  sell  here  for 
a  dollar  each.     He  has  a  thousand  things  to  say  to  you  but  cann 
write   *  *  *  We  long  much  to  hear  from  you  and  know  if  your  busi- 
ness 'is  concluded  upon.     I  have  not  heard  from  you  since  the  1st  of 
August,  better  than  five  months,  every  mbment  seems  an  age     An, 
is  my  constant  companion.    Mr.  Jarvis  says  he  will  take  up  the  money 
you  laid  out  for  Mrs.  Simcoe  here  if  agreeable  to  you  •*«•*£• 
bills,  by  which  means  he  will  be  enabled  to  pay  those  that  he  deals 


you  have  not  experienced  any  difficulty  by  us  not  sending 
sooner  to  you.     I  hope  the  money  sent  by  Marson  was  not  too  ^ate. 
that  it   was   in   time   not    to    drive    you    to    any    fresh    difficult, 
Mrs.    Simcoe    has    returned  so    I    stand    mdebte,      for    it 

The  seat  of  Government  is  still  unfixed,  the  Governor  has 
been  up  to  the  head  of  the  lake-likes  the  country  much, 
is  going  very  soon  to  Detroit  and  I  fear  expects  Mr.  Jarv.s  to 
go  with  him  having  told  him  some  time  since,  that  he  must  go  with 
him-  but  Bill  understood  not  till  Spring  and  now  he  finds  his  mistake. 
My  dear  Maria  will  soon  commence  to  work,  then  I  must  petition 
you  for  thimbles  of  the  white  bath  metal  and  a  pound  or  two  f  pins. 

is  Miss  Savage,  my  love  to  her.     Tell  her  there  is  more 


profession  of  dress  in  an  Assembly  than  I  ever 

of 


Londoners  think  they  must   suffer   greatly  under  the  l 

that  stands  piled  upon  them,  for  it  literally  stands  ;  feathe  r  s,  ,  not 

inch  of  them  lost  in  fixing  them  in  or  on  their  caps.  * 

grow  very  well,  are  placed  in  the  best  room  in  punch  glasse 

of  our  card  tables.  *  *  * 


30 


My  dear  Father  let  me  see  you  soon.  I  think  there  is  not  any 
that  would  tempt  me  to  cross  the  Atlantic  again,  but  the  happiness 
of  seeing  you  and  two  or  three  more.  Come  to  us,  let  me  have  the 
satisfaction  of  nursing  you,  perhaps  you  now  stand  in  need  of  a  fond 
daughters  assistance  excuse  me,  I  cannot  quit  the  subject.  I  dare  not 
think  Come  sweet  hope  and  take  thy  place  between  me  and  grief 
and  keep  off  despair.  Methinks  I  hear  you  say  I  will  come  to  you  be 
of  good  cheer  my  children;  with  this  comfortable  thought  I  will  bid 
you  good-night.  May  the  blessing  of  Heaven  attend  you.  Adieu 

Herewith  you  will   receive  the   first  of  exchange   drawn  by  Mr 

Jarvis  in  your  favor,  with  the  Governor's  certificate  also  for  him  and 

for  pension.     The  enclosed  letter  Mr.  Jarvis  begs  you  to  seal  and 

deliver  yourself  or  Bird.     Mr.  Jarvis  desires  me  to  say  that  he  finds 

everything  very  easy  in  his  office.    Mr.  Osgoode  is  very  kind  in  sending 

[  have  enclosed  you  two  locks  of  hair,  the  darkest  is 

[  last  cut;  if  you  would  let  it  be  put  in  the  back  of  your  minia- 

t  would  be  adding  to  my  obligations,  in  what  device  you  may 

think  proper  or  in  any  other   way.      Adieu.     Love  and  duty  attend 

you  all! 


on 
en- 


Wm.  Jarvis,  Jan.  22,  1793.  Mr.  Joshua  Pell  has  just  called 
his  way  to  New  York  and  has  given  me  a  moment  to  write,  and  ... 
close  a  second  exchange  on  Mr.  Goddard  the  Provincial  Agent,  the 
first  was  forwarded  a  few  days  since  by  Mr.  Wilcox  for  £150  sterling. 
We  are  all  well,  the  little  ones  daily  talking  of  you  and  their  uncle. 
We  shall  expect  you  in  the  Spring,  fail  not  I  pray  you,  I  have  scarce 
any  other  wish  in  the  world.  I  have  nothing  more  to  lose  nor  have 
strength  or  spirit  left  scarcely  to  support  nature.  My  best  respects 
attend  all  my  old  friends,  farewell. 

Wm.  Jarvis,  Xiagara.  I  am  very  sorry  I  am  not  able  at  present  to 
give  you  a  longer  letter.  I  am  compelled  even  to  write  this  by  your 
brother  Bernslee.  *  *  *  (Letter  deals  with  a  dispute  over  transportation 
in  which  proceeding  had  been  threatened  against  Mr.  Jarvis.)  "I  be- 
lieve I  must  be  under  the  necessity  of  giving  him  a  bill  for  one  of  the 
batteaux  on  you."  The  sickness  and  distress  of  my  family  have  driven 
me  to  a  very  great  and  unexpected  expense.  First  my  blessed  little 
Sammy  was  seized  with  a  fever  *  *  *  what  with  distress  of  mind  and 
watching  him  day  and  night,  I  was  seized  with  the  fever  and  ague. 
My  boy  was  in  the  arms  of  death,  I  was  advised  by  McCauley  a-nd 
called  in  all  the  medical  people  in  consultation  and  in  consultation 
they  saved  him.  Maria  was  then  seized  with  the  same  fever,  just  as 
the  darling  boy  was  able  to  be  carried  about  the  room.  Maria's  symp- 
toms grew  very  alarming  *  *  *  (but)  God  heard  my  prayer  and  saved 

31 


my  child  who  was  scarcely  able  to  walk  across  the  room  when  I 
was  put  to  bed  of  the  same  fever  which  lasted  me  three  weeks.  *  *  * 
It  is  but  three  days  since  I  could  walk  without  the  assistance  of  your 
daughter.  I  have  been  once  on  horseback  and  my  appetite  has  returned 
ten-fold  keener  than  ever,  but  my  legs  are  like  walking  sticks,  and  the 
rest  in  proportion;  thus  my  dear  and  best  friend  you  see  how  I  am 
distressed  in  mind,  body  and  estate.  *  *  * 

As  to  politics  I'll  write  none,  you  know  my  sentiments,  why  would 
you  break  our  hearts  to  take  your  leave  of  us.  I  feel  for  your  treat- 
ment poignantly;  yet  can  you  tear  yourself  from  the  most  affectionate 
of  daughters  in  the  world,  the  best  wife  and  the  best  mother  that  the 
sun  ever  shone  upon.  How  can  you  resist  flying  to  dear  Maria,  who 
never  lays  her  head  on  her  pillow  without  mentioning  her  dear  Grand- 
papa. And  little  Pickel  joins  in  the  conversation  though  she  remembers 
little  of  what  she  lost  in  him,  and  little  Sonny  (for  so  he  is  called) 
is  a  lovely  boy  to  be  sure.  Maria  I  fear  was  not  born  to  live  among 
mortals,  etc.  I  must  lay  down  my  pen  for  I  am  ready  to  drop  from 
my  chair,  this  is  my  first  effort. 

(The  Right  Rev.  Joseph  Mountain  was  consecrated  July  7th,  1793, 
as  First  Bishop  of  Quebec  and  the  next  two  letters  deal  with  a  journey 
to  New  England  undertaken  by  Mr.  Jarvis  with  the  double  purpose  of 
trying  to  settle  some  of  jDr.  Peter's  financial  affairs  and  to  secure  sup- 
port for  his  election  to  the  proposed  Bishopric  of  Vermont.) 

Nov.  22nd.  I  again  resume  my  pen.  *  *  *I  correspond  with  the 
Society  of  the  Province  of  Vermont.  Lewis  Allen10  is  as  d — d  blackleg 
as  ever  lived.  I  will  (if  Birdseye  arrives,  for  we  have  written  to  him  to 
spend  the  Winter  with  us)  take  a  trip  and  see  if  I  can  hunt  him  up 
(L.  Allen)  and  do  my  endeavor  to  accomplish  the  business  that  he 
undertook.  I'll  suffer  martyrdom  before  the  key  keeper  shall  be 
thus  buffeted ;  it  is  my  intention  to  spend  five  hundred  guineas  provided 
the  business  shall  be  done  effectually,  it  will  take  me  the  most  of  the 
winter.  I  shall  leave  my  family  well  provided  for,  I  have  a  yoke  of 
fatted  oxen  to  come  down,  12  small  shoats  to  put  into  a  barrel  occa- 
sionally which  I  expect  will  weigh  from  40  to  60  Ibs.,  about  60  head  of 
dung-hill  fowl,  16  fine  turkeys,  and  a  doz.  ducks,  2  breeding  sows,  a 
milch  cow  which  had  a  calf  in  August,  which  of  course  will  be  able  to 
afford  her  mistress  a  good  supply  of  milk  through  the  winter.  In 
the  root  house  I  have  400  good  head  of  cabbage,  and  about  60  bushels 
of  potatoes  and  a  sufficiency  of  excellent  turnips. 

My  cellar  is  stored  with  3  barrels  of  wine,  2  of  cider,  2  of  apples 
(for  my  darling),  and  a  good  stock  of  butter.  My  cock-loft  contains 
some  of  the  finest  maple  sugar  I  ever  beheld,  10,000  Ibs.  was  made  in 
an  Indian  village  near  Michellemackinac.  We  have  150  Ib.  of  it.  It 

32 


was  my  intention  to  send  you  a  small  keg  of  it,  but  I  was  taken  ill. 
Also  plenty  of  good  flour,  cheese,  coffee,  loaf  sugar,  etc.  In  my 
stable  I  shall  have  the  ponies  and  a  good  slay;  the  snugest  and  warm- 
est cottage  in  the  province.  Thus  you  see  I  shall  have  the  best  of 
companions  abundantly  supplied  with  every  comfort  in  the  wilderness, 
where  few  have  an  idea  only  of  lonely  existing.  In  fact  I  am  earjy 
provided  with  every  requisite  for  a  long  and  severe  winter  which  is 
close  on  our  heels.  Your  daughter  never  had  so  good  health  or 
spirits;  even,  in  our  deepest  calamity  she  was  cheerful,  yet  the  most 
dreadful  agony  had  possession  of  her  heart ;  such  a  share  of  fortitude 
I  believe  never  woman  possessed  before.  I  am  really  so  tired  that  I 
can  hardly  sit  in  my  chair,  every  bone  in  me  aches  but  I  will  try  to 
write  on  for  a  few  minutes  longer  when  the  bearer  of  this  to  New 
York  will  call. 

The  Governor  is  to  winter  in  Toronto  (now  York)  in  his  canvas 
house  and  two  log  huts.  The  regiment  have  not  above  two  or  three 
huts  finished  and  they  require  30  to  accommodate  them. 

The  late  arrival  of  the  Cork  Fleet  has  rendered  the  want  of  pro- 
visions for  the  army  very  alarming.  There  is  now  arrived  at  Kingston 
4000  barrels  of  pork  which  are  for,  and  ought  to  have  been  at  this 
post  and  Detroit  before  this  time.  God  knows  the  event;  however  I 
have  provided  against  all  suffering  of  the  kind.  I  have  made  out  but 
three  grants  since  my  being  in  office  (except  two  Indian  grants).  This 
country  was  never  known  to  be  so  sickly  as  it  has  been  this  season. 
I  am  very  happy  that  you  sent  not  the  articles  that  Mrs.  Jarvis  and  I 
wrote  for;  send  us  nothing  but  shoes  for  Mrs.  Jarvis  and  my  babe. 
I  have  this  day  paid  a  dollar  for  a  pair  of  inferior  red  morocco  for 
my  daughter  Augusta,  she  was  quite  bare-footed.  *  *  *  My  old  coats 
that  I  threw  off  in  London  serve  me  to  make  a  decent  appearance  and 
will  for  a  year  or  two  to  come  I  expect. 

I  am  in  great  hopes  I  shall  succeed  in  this  grim  country.  *  * 
Mr.  Doty  has  accepted  the  living  at  Brooklin  (sic)  opposite  New 
York.  This  is  a  past  fact,  I  have  it  in  a  letter  from  Schafflein  dated 
Sept.  29th,  who  says  Doty  and  his  wife  have  just  returned  from  New 
York  and  D—  affirmed  it  to  Schafflein.  The  bearer  of  this  has  just 
called  and  I  must  cpnclude.  God  bless  you.  Farewell. 

From  Wm.  Jarvis,  March  28th,  1794.  Niagara.  It  was  with  great 
pleasure  that  I  heard  of  you  being  elected  Bishop  of  Vermont  which 
we  hope  will  speedily  be  the  cause  of  a  happy  meeting  with  you  at  our 
little  cottage  in  Upper  Canada.  Your  residence  in  Vermont  will  not 
be  required,  I  trust,  more  than  six  months  in  the  year.  The  other  six 
months  I  hope  you  will  devote  to  your  children's  comfort.  On  the 

33 


business  all  of  which  I  trust  you  have  safely  recced 


~dt°o  Sui3  with  my  bthe    Sa.ue,  who  Wm  be  very  happy 


* 


we  sa    be  within  a  day  or  two's  nde  of 


,  not        £~*?  Indians  of 
*Note-The  passage  ,n  Lord  ^Dorch  £s«5r  st£sPr£{ers  is  as  follows: 
the  seven  v.llages  of  Lower  Ca  nada  to  wn  on_  and 

"From  the  manner  in  which  .the  people  or  ^  ^^  towards 


Washington  forwarded  the  "^^{Jry'to  the^ritith  Court  to  settle 
his  appointment  as  Unvoy  *•  countries    and  what  was  known 

matters  in  dispute  between  tne  tw 
as  the  Jay  Treaty  was  the  result. 

34 


Miss  A  is  to  be  married  in  a  few  days  to  a  young  Scotchman, 
a  good  match  for  her,  it  will  be  a  great  relief  to  us.  She  has  grown 
such  an  unmerciful  fine  lady  that  she  does  not  spend  a  day  in  the1 
week  at  home,  and  she  really  needs  an  interpreter,  she  has  grown  so 
affected. 

We  are  much  disturbed  at  not  having  a  letter  from  you  since 
Birdseye's  arrival,  the  letter  must  have  miscarried  or  something  hap- 
pened to  you. 

The  Governor  and  Indians  have  gone  to  Detroit  again  across  the 

country  by  way  of  River  de  France.    They  set  out  about  a  week  since. 

.  Your  little  grand  children  all  send  love  and  kisses  to  Grand-papa. 

Simeon  Baxter  says  he  wishes  to  write  to  you  another  long  letter,  but 

dare  not  as  politics  stand,  he  is  an  old  Tory. 

This  I  trust  will  meet  you  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  where  your 
many  friends  have  ever  wished  you  to  be.  Altho'  it  has  not  been  the 
pleasure  of  the  British  Administration  to  provide  for  you  in  Canada,12 
yet  I  trust  the  affection  you  have  to  your  children  and  my  Master^ 
the  best  of  Sovereigns,  you  will  exert  your  utmost  to  prevent  any 
misunderstanding  between  the  State  of  Vermont  and  Canada.  Your 
influence  will  be  great  no  doubt  with  the  Governor  and  Council  in 
this  affair,  it  is  needless  for  me  to  say  more  on  this  subject. 

Your  dated  3rd  April  reached  us  on  the  16th,  it  is  in  fact  the 
first  we  have  received  since  Birdseye  came  to  America,  the  pleasure  it 
gave  us  is  more  easily  imagined  than  described.  Now  my  dear  Sir 
we  have  one  boon  to  ask,  you  must  not  refuse  it  (viz.)  to  spend  the 
winter  at  Newark  with  us,  it  is  very  easy  after  you  have  made  tihe 
necessary  arrangements  with  your  churches  in  Vermont  to  cross  over 
into  Montreal  and  then  come  up  the  communication  to  Kingston  and 
then  cross  the  lake  on  one  of  our  ships,  that  are  going  back  and 
forward  every  wind.  If  you  are  in  Montreal  by  the  25th  of  October 
you  will  have  time  to  be  with  us  about  the  14th  of  November,  ships 
navigated  Lake  Ontario  till  nearly  the  middle  of  December  last  year. 
You  must  count  8  or  9  days  from  Montreal  to  Kingston  and  about  2 
or  3  days  shipboard  from  Kingston  to  Niagara;  you  must  also  make 
some  allowance  to  be  wind-bound  at  Kingston;  or  should  you  prefer 
crossing  the  country  you  will  not  find  it  an  unpleasant  tour  early  in 
the  autumn,  it  is  the  way  I  would  recommend  a  single  man  to  visit 
the  country,  you  can  make  your  journey  easy  and  very  comfortable, 
you  need  not  sleep  one  night  out  provided  you  will  be  content  to  sleep 
in  the  village  which  is  the  half-way  stage  between 

river  and  this  place.  Don't  attempt  to  come  this  route  in  the  winter, 
if  you  do  you  will  repent  it.  Birdseye  can  furnish  you  with  a  list  of 
the  stages  and  their  distance  from  each  other.  My  family  have  been 

35 


very  sickly  this  summer,  myself  and  Mrs.  Jarvis  and  the  little  boy 
have  been  much  troubled  with  the  fever  and  ague,  and  a  slow  fever 
which  she  has  now  upon  her.  Augusta's  spirits  have  never  failed 
tho'  her  appetite  has  for  the  most  part  of  the  summer,  she  has  little 
left  but  skin  and  bone  as  well  as  her  mother.  You  must  expect  to  see 
a  most  lovely  boy,  very  large  for  his  age,  auburn  hair,  very  fair  and 
blue  eyes,  and  an  uncommon  share  of  vitality,  in  fact  he  is  all  we  could 
wish  him  to  be  at  his  tender  age. 

The  Bishop  of  Quebec  has  made  his  visitation  to  this  place,  his 
stay  was  very  short,  he  preached  but  once  and  had  but  one  confirma- 
tion, in  fact  he  took  his  departure  before  the  people  of  the  country 
knew  of  his  being  here.  His  Lordship  notified  the  Governor  that  he 
should  be  with  him  on  the  25th  of  the  month,  instead  of  which  he 
arrived  on  the  10th  and  took  his  departure  on  the  15th ;  a  vast  number 
were  disappointed  of  their  confirmation  by  his  premature  arrival  and 
unexpected  departure. 

He  is  a  man  of  most  winning  deportment,  extremely  affable  and 
a  most  charming  preacher.  An  old  man  observed  that  his  visitation 
was  more  in  the  style  of  a  thief  in  the  night  than  that  of  a  bishop, 
for  he  left  the  Province  10  days  before  the  time  that  he  had  named 
he  should  arrive.  I  would  rather  not  touch  upon  politics  but  I  am 
sure  you  would  not  be  pleased  should  I  totally  neglect  mentioning 
anything  concerning  the  western  country. 

Hitherto  the  Indians  are  faithful  allies,  have  kept  Wayne  pretty 
closely  besieged ;  however  he  has  very  lately  by  some  unexpected 
manoeuvre  made  some  advance,  which  has  been  rather  alarming  to  us 
here  which  has  caused  part  of  our  army  to  move  towards  the 
country  and  have  no  doubt  but  there  will  be  a  good  account  given  of 
Wayne  and  his  army  before  this  day  fortnight ;  few  I  trust  will  go 
to  bed  after  that  with  their  night-caps  on. 

The  Indians  seem  as  invulnerable  and  as  enthusiastic  as  the  "Sans 
Culottes."  I  would  not  be  in  Wayne's  shoes  for  30  days  from  this  day, 
to  be  King  of  England  for  life  after. 

We  have  a  well-appointed  militia  in  this  Province,  almost  to  a 
man  have  been  soldiers  during  the  last  war  either  in  British  or  Pro- 
vincial Regiments.  I  look  upon  them  better  even  than  British  troops 
for  the  service  they  will  be  wanted. 

Should  you  come  to  us  by  Montreal.  I  would  recommend  you  to 
John  Gray  who  will  give  you  every  information  and  furnish  you  with 
every  other  requisite  to  make  your  ascent  into  the  second  story  of  the 
earth  agreeable.  You  will  meet  with  many  of  my  particular  friends 
and  your  old  acquaintances  on  the  communication  between  Montreal 
and  Kingston.  At  Kingston  you  will  find  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stuart,  the 

36 


Bishop's  Commissary,  the  Hon.  Richard  Cartwright,  Christopher  Rob- 
inson who  married  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Sayer  of  Fairfield, 
etc.,  who  will  take  you  by  the  hand. 

Aug.  22nd.  Gov.  Simcoe  puts  his  hand  on  Wayne  in  person  in  a 
very  few  days.  Adieu  and  shall  write  you  soon  again. 

Win.  Jarvis,  from  Niagara,  Sept.  3rd,  1794.  I  have  just  a  few 
moments'  time  to  write  you  a  few  lines  to  say  we  are  all  better  in; 
health  than  when  I  wrote  last;  you  daughter  is  the  only  one  of  the 
family  that  has  not  cause  to  complain  for  want  of  health. 

War  has  within  these  few  days  appeared  more  doubtful,  yet  every 
preparation  is  making  with  us  for  the  reception  of  our  neighbors.  A 
part  of  the  militia  are  now  at  this  place  embodied,  and  a  fine  body 
of  men  they  are,  almost  to  a  man  soldiers  that  served  in  the  last  war. 
By  a  late  "Ordinance"  the  militia  of  this  Province  are  now  on  the 
same  footing  and  have  the  same  rank  with  respect  to  marching  regi- 
ments as  the  militia  of  England. 

We  have  Lieutenants  and  deputy-Lieutenants  of  Counties  the  same 
as  in  England.  I  am  one  of  the  deputy-Lieutenants  and  appointed  to 
command  the  militia  of  the  County  of  York,  with  the  rank  of  full 
Colonel.  Consequently  I  command  all  Lieut-Colonels  of  the  line  within 
my  county  or  province  in  case  of  hostilities. 

Mr.  Wayne  has  handled  the  Indians  pretty  roughly  a  few  weeks 
since,*  but  the  Indians  recovered  themselves  and  returned  again  to  the 
battle,  the  last  account  we  had  Wayne  was  retreating  and  the  Indians 
pursuing  hard  on  his  rear. 

In  this  action  one  of  my  deputies  was  slain  in  whom  I  have  met 
with  a  great  loss.  His  name  was  Charles  Smith,  a  young  man  of  most 
accomplished  abilities,  and  an  adopted  chief  among  the  Shawnees ; 
he  received  a  shot  through  his  knees,  was  then  quartered  alive,  tho' 

*Note :  The  Battle  of  the  Fallen  Timber,  August  20,  1794,  between 
Gen.  Wayne's  forces  and  the  Western  Indians,  was  within  sight  of  the 
new  fort  built  by  the  British  and  only  finished  at  this  time.  This  fort 
was  said  to  be  the  best  built  fort  of  its  time  in  the  west.  Its  earth- 
works still  exist  at  the  village  of  Maumee,  Ohio,  a  few  miles  southwest 
of  the  city  of  Toledo.  (Correspondence  of  J.  G.  Simcoe,  II,  278  note). 
An  illustration  of  the  ramparts  as  they  appeared  in  1910  may  be 
seen  in  "Diary  of  Mrs.  Simcoe"  (p.  218)  from  the  J.  Ross  Robertson 
Collection.  Major  Campbell,  who  was  in  command  of  the  Miamis 
Fort  at  this  time,  learned  from  a  deserter  from  the  U.S.  army,  that 
"It  was  supposed  to  be  Gen.  Wayne's  intention  to  attack  this  fort  and 
that  he  was  prevented  by  finding  it  was  defended  by  heavy  cannon. 
(Correspondence  of  J.  G.  Simcoe,  II,  419).  At  any  rate,  within  three 
days  after  the  Battle  of  the  Fallen  Timber,  and  after  an  exchange  of 
letters— brusque  enough  on  the  part  of  Wayne— with  Major  Campbell, 
who  remained  cool  and  prepared,  Wayne  retreated  with  his  army  and 
made  no  further  advance  toward  Lake  Erie. 

37 


shocking  to  relate  nevertheless  true.  One  of  Wayne's  officers  was 
shortly  afterwards  taken  who  the  Indians  with  their  scalping  knives 
cut  into  pound  pieces.  The  Indians  lost  about  40  warriors,  10  of  whom 
were  chiefs. 

Joseph  Brant  has  gone  from  the  Grand  River  with  300  young 
warriors  to  join  the  "Western  brothers"  from  whence  we  may  conclude 
a  very  serious  event  is,  not  far  distant.  I  think  friend13  Anthony 
is  in  the  centre  of  a  d — d  hobble,  he  had  behaved  in  a  most  insolent 
manner  to  our  posts,  as  well  as  barbarous  to  prisoners,  which  would 
chill  the  blood  in  one's  veins  to  relate. 

I  wrote  you  some  time  since  to  request  you  would  spend  the  winter 
with  us,  in  which  I  hope  you  will  readily  acquiesce ;  should  your  diocese 
be  loth  to  part  with  you,  you  must  frame  an  excuse  for  that  purpose ; 
come  you  must  via  Montreal  as  your  best  route.  Call  on  John  Gray 
who  will  receive  you  and  furnish  you  with  every  requisite. 

Adieu.    The  little  flock  all  send  kisses. 

IV.  Jarvis,  dated  Dec.  10th,  1794.  We  have  written  you  so  lately 
that  I  have  little  left  to  say.  We  hope  you  have  everything  settled 
in  respect  to  your  ecclesiastical  calling  at  any  rate.  I  earnestly  entreat 
you  not  to  wait  in  London  upon  any  demur  (should  there  be  any  in 
Vermont.) 

With  respect  to  the  Provincial  seal,  Gov.  Chittenden  is  a  poli- 
tician and  entirely  kept  in  office  by  the  Church  of  Vermont,  he  will 
be  entirely  in  your  power  when  you  arrive  there.  The  table  of  fees 
is  at  length  settled  in  the  land  granting  business ;  in  the  Province  they 
have  so  wrapt  up  the  matter  that  the  Attorney-General  is  to  make  out 
the  deeds;  strange,  strange,  but  must,  tho'  ashamed  to  tell,  my  fees 
stand  thus  at  which  I  am  not  dissatisfied.  I  intend  to  apply  for  leave 
to  go  to  Quebec  in  June  or  July  next  if  the  Governor  does  not  insist 
on  my  going  to  the  River  de  France  with  him  in  the  Spring  as  there 
is  to  be  a  Grand  Council  of  all  the  chiefs  and  warriors  of  all  the 
western  tribes  even  down  to  West  Florida.  He  has  notified  me  or 
rather  invited  me  to  attend  him  should  I  not  go  to  Le  Manche. 

I  shall  hope  to  be  blessed  with  a  meeting  and  to  accompany  you 
to  this  place.  As  soon  as  you  arrive  write  me  by  way  of  Montreal 
under  cover  to  John  Gray,  and  I  will  also  notify  him  by  the  same 
conveyance.  You  will  be  much  pleased  with  our  situation  and  the 
country  in  general.  What  a  consolation  it  would  be  to  have  the  great 
ones  come  to  their  reason,  and  you  sent  to  us,  a  boon  too  great  for  us. 
Heaven  has  no  such  blessing  in  store  for  us;  yet  sometimes  I  have 
dared  to  hope  it. 

38 


Your  daughter  and  the  little  ones  are  well.  Poor  Maria  often 
talks  of  you  and  so  does  little  Augusta,  but  it  is  merely  aping  the 
elder  sister.  The  little  darling  innocent  that  bears  your  name  is  be- 
coming a  great  prattler,  a  prodigious  stout  child,  full  as  large  as 
Augusta,  we  have  him  in  Indian  dress  and  fur  cap,  or  chapeau,  Indian 
leggings  and  mocassins,  and  a  fine  fellow  he  is. 

The  bearer  is  waiting  for  this  letter  and  I  have  only  to  present 
you  with  all  our  loves.  Most  affectionately,  etc.,  etc. 

Mr.  Jarvis.  Niagara,  Jan.  14th,  1795.  In  April  last  year  your  last 
letter  to  us  was  dated  that  has  come  to  hand.  Wherefore  is  your  silence  ? 
I  was  in  sure  hope  that  the  lawn  sleeves  would  have  reached  Vermont 
ere  this.  A  little  patience,  the  Spring  will  come,  says  the  philosopher. 

We  have  at  length  come  to  business,  the  ensuing  Summer  will  be 
a  harvest  for  me  beyond  all  doubt.  The  war,  the  press,  that  you  were 
so  good  as  to  send  me  was  a  letter  press  instead  of  a  press  for  affixing 
the  great  seal,  it  is  much  too  weak  a  purchase  for  the  seal  of  Upper 
Canada;  Government  has  paid  me  for  it.  I  have  broken  it;  I  must 
therefore  request  your  further  attention  and  send  me  a  proper  one, 
cost  what  it  will  and  do  let  it  come  by  the  first  Spring  vessel,  there 
should  be  a  potent  (lever)  to  it,  I  never  saw  only  heard  of  them. 
Governor  Simcoe  told  me  when  I  was  in  England  that  as  Secretary 
of  the  Province  of  Upper  Canada  I  was  allowed  either  £20  or  £25  per 
annum  for  stationery.  As  the  matter  has  not  been  fully  confirmed 
(from  Mr.  Charles  Goddard,  Agent  for  Upper  Canada,  not  answering 
my  letters  to  him  on  the  subject),  of  course  I  never  have  to  this  hour 
received  any  stationery,  or  allowance  in  lieu  thereof  since  my  being  in 
office.  I  wish  therefore  that  you  would  wait  on  Mr.  Goddard  as  my 
agent  and  arrange  this  matter;  I  expect  to  be  allowed  the  same  as 
Secretary  and  the  same  as  Registrar,  as  is  allowed  Mr.  Pownal  of 
Lower  Canada. 

This  goes  by  the  Hon.  Robert  Hamilton,  who  goes  to  Scotland 
with  his  three  sons  for  their  education;  by  the  same  conveyance  1 
send  you  two  portraits  of  my  beloved  Nek-Keek.  Nek-Keek 
is  by  adoption  a  Mississauga.  The  largest  of  the  two  is  thought 
the  best  likeness.  What  you  will  readily  trace  is  his  resemblance  to 
the  lamb  that  fell  a  sacrifice  to  this  inhospitable  climate,  and  I  wish  one 
of  them  might  be  sent  in  a  small  cheap  frame  to  Mrs.  Monkhouse. 
He  is  an  astonishingly  large  boy  and  otherwise  a  fine  boy.  I  wish 
you  could  get  Earl  to  make  a  copy  of  the  largest  and  send  it  to  Vickery 
from  me.  Earl  would  do  it  in  an  hour  or  two. 

Our  good  Governor  spends  his  winter  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
Province,  from  Kingston  to  Point  au  Rodil.  The  rest  of  the  Govern- 

39 


ment  are  of  course  separated  from  him  at  least  six  months  of  the 
year.  Israelites  indeed,  or  Arabs,  either  is  applicable,  their  Govern- 
ment being  as  well  as  ours. 

I  am  going  to  build  a  house  in  the  Spring  in  this  town,  my  present 
log  hut  being  quite  too  small  for  the  purpose  of  house  and  office  too; 
my  present  mansion  will  then  be  converted  into  an  office  solely. 

Should  Mr.  Hamilton  arrive  in  London  before  you  leave,  pray 
be  attentive  to  him,  he  is  the  son  of  our  most  intimate  friend.  You 
have  never  yet  hinted  to  me  who  you  mean  to  leave  our  agent  .How 
is  Mr.  Eyer?  Present  our  (compliments)  to  him  and  his  wife.  Your 
daughter  is  well  and  writes  you  by  this  conveyance.  The  little  girls 
never  pass  a  day  without  talking  of  the  Grandfather,  the  little  boy 
joins  in  and  pronounces  Grandpapa  as  well  as  either.  I  long  to  throw 
him  in  your  arms. 

From  Wm.  Jarvis.  Niagara,  July  14th,  1795.  What  can  have  hap- 
pened to  you  or  what  has  become  of  you  that  your  silence  should  have 
continued  since  April,  1794;  is  it  possible  you  can  forget  your  own 
flesh  and  blood  ?  No !  Nor  could  they  forget  you,  your  little  girls  are 
daily  talking  of  Grandpapa  and  the  little  boy  joins  in  the  conver- 
sation as  familiarly  as  if  he  had  been  always  acquainted  with  Grand- 
papa; he  is  a  remarkably  fine  boy  of  his  age  and  begins  to  spell  in  his 
ab;  the  little  girls  are  quite  grown  out  of  your  knowledge. 

Your  daughter  frets  much  on  account  of  your  absence,  and  has 
her  health  very  sparingly,  etc. 

His  Excellency  the  Lieut.-Governor  is  much  better  in  point  of 
health  than  he  has  been.  Mrs.  Simcoe  is  far  from  well,  she  looks 
like  a  walking  skeleton,  in  fact  few  have  their  health  in  this  place. 
I  understand  that  all  the  public  offices  are  to  be  ordered  over  to 
York  (alias  Toronto)  this  Autumn,  if  so  the  Lord  have  mercy  on 
those  who  have  families  to  cover  from  the  unfailing  frost.  My 
offices  may  go  and  so  may  I,  but  my  family  are  housed  and  comfort- 
able, and  their  removal  is  optional  with  me. 

What  a  pity  there  is  not  among  us  a  chaplain  or  two  of  the 
ancient  Israelites,  and  Moses  with  his  rod  and  some  other  good  fellow 
that  could  provide  quails  and  manna,  then  we  need  not  fear  of  sojourn- 
ing in  the  wilderness,  but  in  the  present  instance,  the  Irish  pork  barrels 
do  not  smile  upon  us,  unless  we  savor  of  the  military,  thus  ended  the 
Book  of  Chronicles. 

I  have  this  day  (from  convenience,  not  from  necessity)  drawn 
on  you  for  fifty  pounds  in  favor  of  Albert  Ryckman,  merchant,  New 
York,  which  I  beg  you  will  duly  honor.  You  have  now  enclosed  certi- 
ficate for  the  January,  April  and  July  quarters  from  your  daughter  and 

40 


myself.  I  shall  forward  the  duplicates  by  another  conveyance,  then 
use  No.  1. 

I  wrote  you  long  since  for  some  stationery,  another  screw  press 
(the  one  I  have  being  broken)  and  a  few  clothes  which  I  hope  you 
have  forwarded  before  this. 

God  forbid  you  should  banish  the  idea  of  coming  out  to  Vermont. 
I  think  it  will  have  a  good  ending.  Have  you  ever  heard  anything  of 
that  worthless  fellow  Levi  Allen. 

Hannah  Jarvis,  dated  July  14th,  1795.  I  heard  a  few  days  since 
of  your  being  alive  in  March,  1795,  the  person  saw  you  in  London; 
the  news  gave  me  much  pleasure  and  comfort,  not  having  heard  from 
you  since  the  6th  of  April,  1794.  *  *  *  It  is  so  long  since  I  have  heard 
that  I  am  almost  afraid  to  hear;  I  frankly  confess  my  spirits  never 
failed  me  so  much  as  they  do  now.  I  have  forwarded  the 

certificates  for  '94  enclosed  to  Bird  long  since,  with  discretion  to  send 
them  forward  or  return  them  as  he  should  hear  from  you.  I  hope 
you  will  have  received  my  letter  mentioning  some  articles  I  wanted 
from  England  before  you  left  that  place  and  that  you  have  been  kind 
enough  to  purchase  them. 

W m.  Jarvis.  August  12th,  1795.  Speaks  of  the  birth  of  another 
son,  Wm.  Munson  Jarvis. 

Wm.  Jarvis.  Nov.  10th,  1795.  Your  favor  of  July  7th  and  August 
1st  were  handed  to  me  yesterday  by  the  arrival  of  the  Hon.  Robert 
Hamilton  who  gave  us  a  pleasing  account  of  his  dining  with  you  and 
friends.  I  note  your  appointment  of  Mr.  Isaac  Scott  as  agent  and 
about  5  or  6  of  our  letters  have  gone  to  France  instead  of  going  to 
you,  but  the  enclosed  packet  I  hope  in  God  will  have  better  luck,  or 
I  shall  be  but  badly  off.  I  hope  Birdseye's  love  will  not  induce  him 
to  hate  his  book.  I  know  not  what  gave  him  offence  in  Upper  Canada, 
he  complained  not  while  he  was  here,  but  was  restless  and  wishing  to 
get  back  to  my  brother's  in  Stamford. 

The  letter  press  you  sent  me  was  not  what  I  wanted,  it  being  too 
slight  for  my  purpose  of  course  has  failed  and  I  am  in  much  distress 
for  want  of  a  better  one.  Our  Province  seal  is  about  the  size  of 
a  bottle  stand,  or  4^  inches  in  diameter  and  half  as  thick.  You  can- 
not make  the  seal  either  thinner  or  thicker  as  the  seal  must  be  filled 
before  it  will  receive  the  impression,  the  Lord  Mayor's  seal  is  made 
of  wafers  and  our  seal  takes  half  a  pound  of  beeswax. 

I  am  by  no  means  pleased  with  our  friends  in  New  York,  i.e.,  for 
keeping  the  portrait  of  our  sweet  boy,  truly  the  finest-looking.  He 
surpasses  his  sisters. 

41 


What  is  the  difference  between  being  consecrated  by  the  Devil, 
or  tempted  by  Beelzebub  and  their  host?  Decamp  is  my  advice,  hap 
hazard  and  leave  Satan  to  cure  the  souls  of  sinners.  /  cannot  think  they 
will  meddle  with  your  allozvance  until  you  are  absolutely  consecrated, 
surely  they  will  not  refuse  you  leave  of  absence;  and  when  you  are 
better  off  say  like  an  honest  fellow,  "take  your  pelf  and  be  dam — d." 
I  shall  be  glad  to  see  Graham  now.  Burlington  Beach  is  a  beautiful 
place,  I  would  wish  your  parish  there.  Hamilton  says  the  Bishops 
are  d — d  ill-natured  with  respect  to  your  business  and  that  he  would 
come  to  America  without  loss  of  time. 

Your  daughter  has  told  you  what  I  offered  Birdseye.  I  could 
not  offer  him  more  as  things  go;  I  expect  to  press  the  seal  to  50 
grants  per  week,  during  the  course  of  the  Winter.  I  have  lately  drawn 
on  you  for  £50  sterling  in  favor  of  Albert  Ryckman.  I  only  lament 
that  it  is  too  late  to  stop  the  bill  as  I  fear  it  will  be  inconvenient  for 
you  to  help  him  (Birdseye)  to  some  money,  till  I  am  better  able.  God 
forgive  me  if  I  distress  you,  the  boy  would  have  been  of  service  to 
me  and  himself,  etc.,  etc. 

4  o'clock.  Your  daughter  and  myself  have  just  returned  from  din- 
ner into  the  office  where  we  left  the  little  flock  playing  tricks  with 
their  chestnuts.  Little  John  (for  so  he  is  called)  has  at  this  moment 
forced  himself  into  the  office  under  fair  promise  of  good  behavior. 
Dear  fellow,  his  head  is  like  Absaloms  and  I  think  he  would  be  liable 
to  the  same  accident  if  he  should  attempt  his  flight  through  a  thicket 
from  the  amazing  quantity  of  hair  he  has  which  almost  buries  his 
whole  person. 

The  Governor  sails  to-morrow  morning  for  York,  where  he  spends 
the  Winter,  his  health  is  much  impaired  and  his  eyes  and  skin  are  as 
yellow  as  saffron,  and  (he  is)  peevish  beyond  description. 

I  wrote  you  a  few  lines  from  Lachine  at  the  bottom  of  your 
daughter's  letter,  that  I  met  them  on  my  way  from  Montreal.  I  left 
this  place  on  the  17th  April  last  with  the  intention  of  going  to  Quebec 
but  was  taken  very  ill  at  Montreal,  where  I  was  confined  three  weeks, 
which  prevented  my  proceeding  on  my  journey.  It  was  my  intention 
to  have  seen  Mr.  Pownall,  Secretary  of  Lower  Canada,  but  was  dis- 
appointed by  so  sudden  an  indisposition,  as  well  as  a  violent  (portion 
of  letter  lost). 

With  respect  to  the  libel  I  was  sent  for,  suffice  to  say  that  I  was 
absolutely  prosecuted  in  March  last  for  the  supposed  author  of  a  libel 
as  it  was  called  (tho'  a  good  part  of  it  true  no  doubt,  and  the  rest  most 
infamously  dirty  and  blackguard).  At  the  time  I  was  prosecuted  I 
was  not  in  town  but  on  a  commission  of  laying  out  a  new  road  leading 

42 


from  the  town  into  the  country;  this  prosecution  had  been  two  days 
standing  before  I  knew  it  and  you  may  easily  judge  my  feelings  upon 
so  infamous  an  accusation.  My  first  object  was  to  challenge  the  whole 
of  the  party,  but  my  letters  were  evidently  suppressed,  having  been 
written  under  the  idea  that  I  was  under  the  prosecution,  and  exactly 
what  they  wanted  for  they  would  then  have  it  in  their  power  not  to 
treat  me  like  a  gentleman.  I  took  advice  and  waited  until  the  prose- 
cution was  over  which  they  discontinued  by  sending  my  lawyer  (that 
I  had  just  said  to  him  /'You  will  make  the  necessary  returns  but  have 
not  a  word  to  say  in  court")  [a  message]  that  they  had  discontinued 
the  suit.  Now  was  my  time.  I  dashed  at  the  whole  phalanx.  Young 
Ticknell  (who  is  very  lately  dead)  had  the  courage  to  fight  me  like  a 
man.  The  high-Sheriff  by  name  Alex.  McDonald14  and  a  half-pay  lieu- 
tenant came  forward  and  read  my  letter  in  public  and  apologized 
sentence  by  sentence,  which  were  my  conditions  of  pardon.  John 
Small,  the  Clerk  of  the  Council,  fled  to  the  Receiver-General,  who 
was  our  Chief  Magistrate  and  one  of  the  puisne  judges  at  the  time, 
for  protection  (with  others).  Such  a  scene  of  confusion  as  Newark 
was  in,  an  instance  never  before  seen  in  so  small  a  town. 

The  old  Receiver-General  came  walking  through  the  mud  to 
solicit  peace,  he  kept  me  nearly  an  hour  of  a  cold  Sunday  morning  in 
the  office  and  at  length  I  told  him  his  arguments  did  not  weigh  the 
balance  of  a  feather  with  me. 

The  next  day  came  Judge  Powell  to  me  praying  for  peace  but  to 
no  effect  The  consequence  was  that  they  arrested  me  to  make  me 
give  sureties  to  keep  the  peace.  This  they  could  not  effect  because  I 
was  obstinate,  at  the  same  time  submitted  to  their  wrong  but  it  was 
not  convenient  for  me  to  enter  into  any  Recognizance  that  I  had  been 
insulted  and  expected  satisfaction.  The  Sheriff  was  ashamed  to  com- 
mit me  and  at  length  was  obliged  to  sneak  off  and  leave  me  to  myself 
to  my  immortal  credit  and  their  shame.  (Remainder  of  letter  missing). 

Hannah  Jarvis.  Niagara,  Nov.  10th,  1795.  Yours  bearing  date  21st 
of  May  and  4th  June,  1795,  were  received  on  the  4th  October  following 
and  answered  4th,  5th  and  6th  of  same  month.  Letter  bearing  date 
7th  July  and  1st  August  delivered  yesterday  by  Mr.  Hamilton,  who 
arrived  on  the  6th  late  in  the  afternoon  in  good  spirits  and  health. 
I  cannot  suppose  he  was  shy  of  you,  I  rather  think  it  to  be  his  disposi- 
tion, he  never  was  intimate  with  us,  until  a  little  while  before  he  went 
to  England,  he  is  quite  the  gentleman  in  his  own  house  as  well  as 
abroad,  but  I  believe  rather  shy  until  fully  acquainted  with  characters. 

Mrs.  Jarvis— undated.  The  Secretary  wrote  to  Bird  to  come  to 
Upper  Canada ;  that  he  would  give  him  £50  Yk.  Cy.  per  year,  board, 

43 


washing  and  lodging,  to  which  if  he  had  complied  he  meant  to  have 
added  the  fee  belonging  to  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  which  the  Secretary 
is  and  at  present  takes  none ;  and  that  of  licensed  attorney  would  in 
all  probability  been  annexed.  The  £50  would  have  given  him  clothes 
and  so  much  saved  in  the  family  without  his  appearing  to  be  a  clerk; 
the  second  would  have  afforded  him  pocket  money,  the  third  ushered 
him  into  the  world  would  have  given  him  confidence  as  well  as  profit, 
and  it  was  supposed  eased  you  of  some  considerable  expense  at  this 
time ;  but  he  politely  refused  the  offer  alleging  that  the  premium  is  too 
small,  the  extra  expense  occasioned  by  a  long  journey  and  the  loss  of 
his  time  which  is  very  precious  in  his  law  studies  (you  will  please  to 
observe  that  no  mention  was  made  to  him  of  the  last  two  appendages), 
and  the  hourly  expectation  of  his  Father's  (arrival)  must  certainly 
detain  him  in  New  York. 

We  hope  you  will  accept  the  offer  of  the  convention  and  by  all 
means  take  the  steps  that  Aaron  did  in  days  of  yore  and  be  President 
of  the  new  University.  Come  to  the  world  of  Simcoe  your  friend,  he 
conjures  you  not  to  fail;  delays  have  already  been  too  long.  Col. 
Graham  has  not  yet  made  his  appearance.  He  must  use  expedition  to 
be  with  you  on  Christmas.  On  the  12th  of  December  if  we  have 
health  we  mean  to  have  a  few  friends  to  drink  your  health  and  suc- 
cess— "Why  build?"  Because  your  town  lot  in  the  best  situation  in  the 
place  was  given,  the  condition  to  have  a  house  on  each  within  twelve 
months ;  one  was  to  be  built  to  serve  all,  in  the  middle ;  it  was  and  I 
believe  is  still  very  doubtful  where  the  city  will  be  *  *  *  *  * 
the  mansion  now  occupied  is  small  for  its  inhabitants,  the 
intended  one  must  be  something  large,  and  for  sale  in  case  of  removal. 
The  dimensions  40  x  24  with  two  wings  36  x  12  which  would  admit 
us  to  have  a  bedroom  for  the  children  and  ourselves,  the  kitchen  and 
office,  two  sitting-rooms,  and  a  room  for  a  friend  occasionally.  It  never 
was  meant  to  be  finished  only  as  much  as  necessity  required  until  the 
seat  of  Government  should  be  known.  The  frames,  windows,  doors, 
etc.,  are  ready  to  go  up,  and  have  been  all  summer,  but  the  rumours 
of  York  has  delayed  its  use,  as  in  that  case  it  would  have  been  ready 
to  transport  to  Young  (sic.)  Street,  York,  and  made  (of)  rapid  use, 
while  others  not  having  their  family's  interest  at  heart  equal  to  their 
pocket  would  have  composed  themselves  under  a  house  of  cloth  or 
clay.  I  feel  very  uneasy  at  this  time  about  Bird,  the  yellow  fevetf 
rages  in  New  York,  that  the  greater  part  that  can  leave  the  city  fly 
to  the  country  for  protection.  All  Mr.  Jarvis'  friends  have  gone.  4th 
Sept.  I  received  a  letter  from  him,  he  expresses  great  surprise  at  not 
having  any  account  from  you,  it  being  nearly  a  twelve-month  since  he 
received  a  line,  he  appears  in  all  his  letters  to  be  very  anxious  about 

44 


you  and  your  arrival  in  this  country.  I  am  extremely  anxious  for 
your  arrival,  No  letters  having  arrived  from  you  in  New  York  is 
I  imagine  the  reason  of  your  not  receiving  the  young  Nek-Keek— 
(portrait  in  Indian  dress  of  their  child)  and  letters  from  Bird. 

Enclosed  you  will  receive  a  certificate  from  my  brother,  quarter 
'95,  the  rest  have  all  been  sent  as  regularly  as  could  be  forwarded 
according  to  order. 

The  children  are  well  and  always  asking  when  Grandpapa  will 
come.  Compliments  to  all  enquiring  friends.  Adieu. 

From  William  and  Hannah  Jaruis,  March  5th,  1796.  Your  favor 
of  26th  and  27th  September  last  has  this  moment  reached  us,  and  I 
have  prevailed  upon  a  person  just  setting  off  for  Albany  to  stop  till 
I  can  write  two  or  three  lines  to  you.  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of 
writing  more  fully  in  a  few  days.  We  are  all  well,  your  daughter 
never  had  better  health ;  the  two  little  girls  and  their  two  little 
brothers  look  like  as  many  full-blown  roses.  Little  William  Mun- 
son  is  certainly  the  finest  boy  ever  born. 

The  Governor  has  removed  to  York  and  taken  the  Council  office 
with  him;  in  the  course  of  the  summer  we  all  expect  to  go;  we  have 
commenced  business  pretty  rapidly,  I  have  now  about  500  patents  that 
will  be  issued  between  this  and  May.  I  shall  take  care  of  the  needful 
and  am  greatly  distressed  for  want  of  the  screw  press.  For  God's  sake 
send  me  one  immediately,  I  am  obliged  to  make  use  of  a  common 
screw  jack,  put  in  a  frame,  which  is  tedious  and  very  laborious.  In 
the  course  of  the  summer  I  expect  to  pass  more  than  a  thousand  grants, 
etc.  I  have  written  this  day  to  Bird  to  come  to  us,  I  think  I 
could  do  something  for  him  worth  his  attention  after  a  while.  Our 
country  increases  rapidly,  though  [there  is]  a  great  scarcity  of  flour, 
etc.  In  fact,  a  panic  is  dreaded  here  as  well  as  abroad.  Our  love  at- 
tend you.  (Hannah  Jarvis  adds)  :  I  have  received  great  pleasure  in 
perusing  yours  of  the  26th  and  27th  of  September.  You  I  hope  have 
received  the  answer  to  those  as  they  much  regarded  Mr.  Jarvis  with 
respect  to  his  office.  There  are  strange  arbitrary  proceedings  going 
on  here  (entre  nous)  it  is  widespread  that  our  head  is  not  right, 
grants  made  out  by  our  Attorney-General,  everything  done  out  of 
form,  etc. 

We  have  received  in  the  name  of  Bird  200  acres  on  the  street 
called  Young  (sic.)  Street,  York.  Orders  have  been  sent  to  erect  a 
hut  to  secure  it. 

I  cannot  say  by  the  description  that  I  wish  to  settle  there ;  however 
I  go  without  a  word  if  necessary.  Some  parts  of  your  letter  astonish 

45 


me.     The  children  are  well  and  ask  when  Grandpapa  is  coming.     Mr. 
Birdseye  died  in  September  last,  as  Bird  informs  me. 

Fr*om  Mrs.  Jarvis,  Newark,  April  15th,  1796.  Your  favor  bearing 
date  25th  of  November,  1795,  was  received  April  3rd,  1796  and  that 
of  the  26th  and  27th  September,  '95  was  received  March  5th,  '96.  You 
say  that  for  a  native  of  America  you  have  enough — be  it  so — but  I  can 
very  justly  inform  you  that  we  are  thought  to  have  too  much,  so  much 
so  that  one-half  of  the  office  is  adjudged  to  be  necessary  for  the 
support  of  our  little  Attorney-General  who  by  Council  (viz.)  Captain 
Russel,  otherwise  known  as  the  Receiver-General,  Major  -^Eneas  Shaw 
of  the  Rangers,  and  our  worthy  Governor,  has  orders  to  make  out  all 
grants  of  land,  for  which  civil  action  the  Secretary  is  to  allow  him 
half  the  emoluments  of  said  office;  and  for  fear  there  may  be  too 
much  remaining  to  the  said  Secretary,  the  same  said  party  have  ap- 
pointed a  Registrar  in  all  the  different  districts,  even  in  the  town  of 
Newark,  who  are  to  register  everything  except  grants  of  land.  Thus 
you  will  see  we  have  too  much,  if  they  are  suffered  to  stand  in  statu 
quo.  I  hope  your  have  received  before  this,  a  packet  from  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  plan,  wherein  you  will  see  his  wish  to  you  and  the 
statement  in  full  of  the  above.  Business  suffers  through  these  irre- 
gularities. The  King  thought  proper  to  intrust  to  the  Secretary  the 
office  with  full  power  to  nominate  his  deputy,14A  but  the  Governor  who 
is  a  greater  person,  supercedes  the  authority.  This  has  passed  Council, 
but  upon  a  little  resistance  on  our  part  and  some  sharp  words,  they 
have  rescinded  it  so  far  as  not  to  have  it  appear  on  the  books,  but 
still  continue  to  have  the  grants  made  out  by  the  little  Attorney  General, 
who  is  wonderfully  assiduous  in  performing  his  part.  The  Secretary 
is  as  positive  as  they  and  will  not  sign  one  only  as  Registrar  and  no 
one  attests  them,  the  people  refuse  them.  It  is  now  circulating  that 
the  Secretary  is  an  American  and  the  King  has  given  him  all  the 
monies,  which  is  the  reason  that  the  grants  are  spread  and  all  the 
stones  at  headquarters  are  turned  upside  down  to  rout  him  out  of 
office. 

I  doubt  it  not,  and  am  thankful  that  "to  put  out  his  eyes,  will  put 
out  both  of  theirs" ;  for  had  business  gone  on  as  it  ought  the  Gov- 
ernor would  have  been  richer  by  some  thousands  than  he  is  at  this 
moment;  in  short,  he  is  a  military  Governor  and  of  course  arbitrary. 
What  he  says,  the  Council  say,  they  are  but  two  who  do  business,  and 
they  are  seeking  to  serve  themselves  at  the  cost  of  others. 

The  grants  are  ordered  to  be  printed  in  part,  the  record  book 
broken  up  by  the  same  authority,  and  printed  in  sheets  like  unto  the 
grants  and  filed  like  newspapers.  Thus  much  for  Upper  Canada  busi- 

46 


ness.  The  Attorney  General  even  alters  grants  after  the}'  have  received 
the  Governor's  signature,  the  great  seal,  and  registered  and  delivered, 
which  has  been  proved  at  court  not  long  since  by  the  Secretary,  but 
it  was  hushed  up  and  a  new  one  ordered  to  be  made  out ;  how'  this 
would  stand  in  law  I  would  not  undertake  to  determine.  This  said 

Attorney   with   others  have   been  over   to   York  and    ( words 

missing)  two  soldiers  to  swear  to  the  handwriting  of  the  Secretary 
on  a  libel  suit  heretofore  mentioned  which  was  dropped  and  now  is 
to  be  renewed  on  the  evidence  of  two  soldiers  who  \vrote  in  said 
office  three  years  since. 

Poor  suit  when  all  is  done— it  seems  that  it  contained  nothing 
but  truth  except  as  regards  two  people— as  says  the  world. 

I  fear  the  petition  of  Eyer  and  another  will  lay  on  the  table  like 
many  others — however,  it  is  but  trying— there  is  supposed  to  be  some 
tight  rules  concerning  passports  for  rum,  etc.,  contrary  to  law  via. 
Oswego,  from  below.  Also  some  thoughts  of  forgery  in  the  like  case 
after  signature,  this  is  naught  to  me. 

It  is  true  land  has  been  granted  in  large  tracts,  to  people  as  you 
mention,  but  Council  have  ordered  that  it  be  done  no  more,  and  1  am 
not  sure  if  they  will  stand  good  for  this  reason  they  have  shown 
before  they  had  their  grant  in  hand.  Bird  has  200  acres  in  York,  and 
a  log  hut  up  on  it  15  x  20  feet  which  cost  him  $30.00  thro'  his  brother 
who  has  four  more  in  the  same  street  with  the  like  improvements  and 
expenses,  confirmed  of  course  by  conforming  to  the  rules ;  also  a  town 
lot  of  one  acre;  and  means  if  possible  to  have  one  for  Bird  adjoining 
with  background  of  100  acres,  also  W.  J.  has  1200  more  on  Young 
(sic.)  St.  where  the  other  five  are  all  in  a  row,  except  two  which  are 
one  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  worth  at  this  moment  $  per  acre 
as  offered  this  day — but  I  say  no,  no,  no! 

We  have  sent  for  Bird  on  these  conditions;  to  have  boaard,  etc., 
with  us,  £60  pocket  (money),  justice  fees,  licenced  attorney  to  be 
procured  and  assistant  Secretary  will  be  tried  for  which,  if  obtained, 
will  put  him  on  a  footing  with  anyone  here.  I  hope  this  will  meet 
your  approbation.  Silence  on  this  head  until  you  hear  it  confirmed 
for  fear  of  accidents  and  anything  else  that  can  or  may  turn  up  of 
service  to  him.  This  will  net  him  about  £100  Y.C.  per  year;  besides 
board,  etc.,  with  his  allowance  will  be  something  comfortable,  and  a 
relief  to  you  as  well  in  mind  as  purse. 

I  am  happy  to  see  letters  from  you,  I  have  one  and  I  had  thought 
I  was  forgotten  by  my  Father. 

I  know  not  what  to  do,  I  have  been  very  uneasy,  a  year  and  not  to 
hear  only  by  way  of  others.  Why  not  write  me  as  well  as  strangers? 
I  have  written  and  written  and  no  answers,  thus  you  see  we  are  all  in 

47 


(doubt).  I  wrote  and  sent  forward  certificates,  up  to  the  5th  January, 
'96,  and  would  send  that  of  April  if  the  Governor  was  here.  *  *  * 
What  can  be  the  matter  with  Carrington  and  his  wife?  Is  Mary 
Whitehead  married  to  the  Grey  that  was  with  Gov.  Simcoe,  or  is  it 
a  brother  of  his? 

We  are  all  loyal  here.  I  was  much  hurt  at  the  King  met  with. 
The  poor  cry  out  in  England,  what  must  they  do  here?  Flour  at  $5 
and  $6  an  hundred  and  wheat  at  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  bushel, 
etc.,  etc. 

At  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  St.  Johns,  27th  December,  we 
had  the  shock  of  an  earthquake,  it  terrified  me  very  much  but  not 
so  much  as  the  white  fish  which  left  the  river  and  returned  not  till 
Good  Friday  so  that  from  getting  24  for  a  dollar  we  have  have  only  16. 

As  to  the  Bishopric  of  Vermont;  I  hear  no  more  of  it  but  from 
yourself.  I  have  been  told  that  Dr.  Beach  is  no  friend  of  yours,  was 
once  supposed  to  be  a  loyalist,  but  he  has  forgotten  it  now,  and  wishes 
no  good  to  those  that  have  been  and  remain  steady  to  their  King. 

Mr.  Jarvis  has  orders  to  remove  his  office  to  York  by  the  first 
of  June;  at  any  rate  if  he  does,  his  family  will  remain  here  until  such 
time  as  he  has  a  house  to  remove  them  into.  Should  you  see  Capt. 
Law,  you  can  inform  him  that  his  son  has  left  Mr.  Dickson ;  and  is  in 
treaty  to  come  and  live  with  Mr.  Jarvis.  I  expect  it  will  be  finished 
to-day. 

Mr.  Hamilton  is  well,  and  says  he  has  it  from  under  your  hand 
that  Bishop  or  not  you  will  come  out  and  see  your  children  this  Sum- 
mer '96.  Surely  you  will  not  forfeit  your  word  will  you?  Four  finer 
children  you  never  saw.  Maria  labours  under  the  misfortune  of  weak 
eyes,  which  keeps  her  from  getting  on  in  her  sewing,  Augusta  has  a 
great  ear  for  music  and  reads  anything,  is  now  in  the  grammar.  John 
(otherwise  P.  I.)  is  a  chit  of  great  quickness,  sings,  spells,  in  and  out 
of  book,  in  words  like  cap,  act,  box,  etc.,  is  prone  to  mischief,  wonder,- 
fully  active,  his  tongue  is  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer.  They  are  learning 
to  write.  William  is  as  lovely  a  boy  as  you  ever  saw,  8  months  old. 

*  *  *  Mr.  Addison  has  bought  a  farm  about  four  miles  from 
town,  where  he  lives,  he  is  a  good  man,  but  not  a  good  sermon- 
maker;  I  believe  he  is  much  (  )  by  his  family  affairs  in 
London.  *  *  * 

Mr.  Emerson  I  heard  was  not  contented  here  and  meant  to  return 
to  England. 

I  have  not  heard  of  my  saddle  yet;  if  you  could  make  it 
convenient  to  send  me  the  iron  work  of  a  good  mangle,  with  a  plate 
in  print  to  have  it  made  by  I  should  be  glad  as  we  have  no  one  here 
that  understands  them.  Danby  is  here,  has  been  sick  for  a  long  time 

48 


owing  to  the  too  frequent  use  of  rum  it  is  thought.     There  is  one 
Wilson  and  his  wife  a  traitor  who  say  they  knew  you. 

Win.  Jarvis.  Niagara,  April  17th,  1796.  Your  daughter  has  left 
me  little  to  say  on  any  subject  in  this  county,  however  I  cannot  omit 
writing  a  few  lines  by  so  favorable  an  opportunity.  Great  things  are 
to  be  done  in  a  week  or  two,  when  the  Governor  is  to  make  his  ap- 
pearance and  the  Legislature  is  to  be  convened.  There  has  been  an 
Executive  Council  at  York,  their  doings  as  yet  a  profound  secret,  a 
few  castles  in  the  air  have  been  built  no  doubt;  how  can  it  possibly 
be  otherwise  when  Capt.  Shaw  of  the  Queen's  Rangers,  Capt.  Russel, 
as  well  known  as  Mordicai  among  the  Jews,  etc.  Alas!  Alas!  every 
soul  is  dissatisfied  that  inhabits  this  upper  region  of  the  earth  except 
two  or  three  *  *  *  who  had  the  elephant  to  battle,  by  a  ring  in  the 
nose,  and  a  castle  on  his  back,  in  which  theyfight  under  cover. 

His  Excellency  the  Lieut-Governor  still  persists  in  his  going  to 
England  this  Fall,  I  must  confess  I  would  like  a  few  hours  consultation 
with  him  then,  as  I  am  much  in  the  habit  of  speaking  my  mind  which 
common  prudence  prevents  here.  *  *  * 

I  have  written  to  Birdseye  to  come  to  me  and  I  hope  he  will  com- 
ply; he  can  be  of  service  to  me  and  I  to  him,  and  serve  himself  inde- 
pendently at  the  same  time. 

Are  you  never  coming  out;  if  not  say  so.  Don't  send  mangle 
irons  yet  but  send  a  plate  of  the  mangle. 

Bernslee  sold  me  his  irons  for  a  mangle  but  would  not  give  me  the 
plate.  Our  little  girls  are  almost  grown  up.  I  sent  you  a  very  long 
letter  last  Fall  with  a  few  blank  sheets  with  my  signature  only  that  you 
might  add  a  memorial  if  necessary.  I  wish  you  would  endeavor  to 
obtain  the  same  allowance  for  stationery,  etc.,  Mr.  Pownall  has  which 
is  £100  for  stationery  per  annum  and  doing  the  King's  business,  for 
which  at  present  I  charge,  but  it  does  not  net  me  £30  per  annum*. 
The  King's  business  in  Commissions,  Oyer  and  Terminer,  etc.  I  have 
sent  you  the  Stackpole  certificate. 

Wm.  Jarvis.  Niagara,  March  23rd,  1798.  How  could  you  have 
fallen  on  so  unkind  a  project  to  conceal  your  situation  as  to  forbid 
us  writing  to  you,  because  you  were  about  to  take  your  passage  to 
America. 

How  pleasing  were  our  prospects  of  once  more  meeting  you,  the 
subject  of  morning,  noon  and  nights,  when  with  our  little  flock  we 
were  assembled,  who  all  have  a  perfect  knowledge  of  Grandpapa,  from 
the  frequent  conversations  about  him.  You  must  have  known  that 
were  it  possible  for  the  reports  that  prevail  here  about  your  being 
confined,  to  be  true,  we  must  have  heard  it  sooner  or  later,  and  the 
later  period  it  came  to  our  ears,  the  deeper  it  would  wound. 

49 


Your  daughter  writes  you  by  this  conveyance;  will  you  have  the 
goodness  to  let  me  know  from  yourself,  the  exact  state  of  your  affairs 
and  situation  for  whom  security  and  for  what  amount,  etc.,  etc. 

Your  daughter's  grief  is  incessant,  from  the  idea  of  your  con- 
finement and  her  disappointment  at  not  seeing  you. 

I  have  written  to  Mr.  Scott  by  this  conveyance  and  requested  him 
to  pay  Mr.  Perberry  £34  18s  Od.  from  an  order  from  him  and  your 
daughter's  Treasury  allowance  with  the  proviso  that  reports  of  your 
being  confined  in  the  King's  Bench  be  without  foundation,  you  are  not 
in  need  of  assistance,  but  should  these  unaccountable  reports 
be  founded  (on  facts)  then  to  pay  the  whole  into  your  hands, 
with  the  addition  of  £50  sterling  per  annum  from  me  upon  your  order 
during  your  confinement,  which  I  will  gratefully  and  cheerfully  pay 
to  the  last  shirt  on  my  back.  I  wish  much  to  hear  from  yourself. 
For  God's  sake  come  to  us  and  be  a  help  and  guide  to  me,  and  a 
blessing  to  your  posterity.  I  want  not  for  enemies,  powerful  interest 
and  exertions  have  been  adopted  to  unseat  me,  but  as  yet  without 
effect;  to  die  game,  I  am  determined,  at  all  events. 

How  happy  is  Mrs.  Elmsley  with  her  father,  old  Mr.  Hallowell, 
the  old  gentleman  amuses  himself  with  superintending  all  domestic 
affairs;  which  enables  the  Chief  Justice  to  devote  himself  to  official 
matters.  I  often  think  of  him  born  under  the  same  planet  or  star 
Agneau.  Then  why  not  my  beloved  Father  spend  the  remnant  that 
is  left  of  your  existence  in  the  nursery  of  your  affectionate  daughter. 

We  have  plenty  of  milk  and  honey,  we  want  but  one  thing  to 
make  us  comparatively  happy;  yet  that  only  one,  you  deny  us.  It  is 
both  cruel  and  unkind  of  you,  not  to  let  your  children  be  perpetually 
happy  when  the  power  is  in  your  own  hands. 

William  Jarvis.  York,  Jan.  31st,  1799.  This  goes  by  Col.  Shank 
of  the  Queen's  Rangers,  who  is  on  the  King's  leave,  he  has  promised 
faithfully  to  see  you  and  deliver  our  letters;  we  were  transported 
with  joy  3  weeks  since,  in  having  a  transcript  of  your  letter  to  us, 
through  Ryckman  of  New  York,  by  Mrs.  Jarvis  my  brother  Samuel's 
wife,  in  which  you  did  not  answer  my  letter  so  fully  as  I  could  wish. 
Thank  God  the  reports  we  had  heard  of  you  were  not  true. 

Was  Carmen  and  Tustead,  the  stationers,  satisfied?  Why  did  not 
Mr.  Scott  answer  my  letters?  I  am  afraid  you  are  not  altogether  to 
be  depended  upon,  in  regard  to  your  own  health  and  situation;  come 
to  us  I  conjure  you.  Here  I  think  you  would  find  amusement  in 
almost  every  scene  of  domestic  felicity.  I  stand  in  need  of  your  coun- 
sel in  many  points  and  your  society  would  be  a  blessing  inestimable. 

50 


We  have  five  lovely  boys  and  girls.  Maria  is  a  stout  girl  almost 
grown  up,  and  Augusta  treads  close  upon  her  heels,  Samuel  Peters 
is  a  sprightly,  lovely  boy;  Wm.  Munson  his  equal  in  every  point  but 
stouter  of  his  age;  Hannah  Owen  Dunn  is  a  sweet  babe  just  begin- 
ning to  prattle  and  run  about.  We  have  a  tolerable  house  in  town  and 
I  have  a  100-acre  lot  adjoining  the  town  on  which  I  am  making  a  small 
farm,  but  experience  has  taught  me  that  I  need  your  advice  in  man- 
aging it.  I  have  two  negro  men  and  two  negro  women  their  wives; 
the  men  are  good,  one  of  the*  women  is  tolerable  and  the  other  a  devil 
was  brought  up  in  the  family  of  old  Mrs.  Harrison  in  Boston.  Good 
God,  how  pleasant  it  would  be  once  more  to  see  you  embrace  your 
child  and  her  lovely  offspring;  rest  assured  this  country  produces 
nothing  like  them,  you  may  well  be  vain  but  I  can  support  the 
assertion. 

What  can  you  see  in  London  that  will  bear  a  comparison  with  the 
comfort  your  presence  would  be  to  yourself  and  children.  Come 
to  us  for  God's  sake,  we  have  house-room  in  abundance,  your  coun- 
sel would  be  a  relief  to  me,  I  have  enemies  in  all  quarters,  the 
open  ones  I  soon  bring  to  their  senses,  but  sometimes  I  suffer  by 
(word  missing).  Ben  Hallowell  yesterday  fell  from  his  horse,  and 
much  bruised  himself,  tho'  he  thinks  lightly  of  it.  Your  daughter 
envies  his  daughter  her  happiness;  I  fear15  the  old  gentleman  is  not 
to  last  long. 

I  do  a  great  deal  of  business  in  my  office  but  to  very  little  account. 
I  am  in  reality  a  man  of  property  without  being  able  to  command 
scarcely  a  most  trifling  sum.  I  have  completed  in  three  years  past 
here,  4,000  grants,  but  such  as  are  liable  to  pay  full  fees,  are  left 
in  the  office.  Here  are  grants  liable  to  pay  full  fees,  at  this  moment 
lying  in  the  Secretary's  office  to  the  amount  of  $4,000  Halifax  dollars 
at  5/.  The  expenses  of  which  are  a  serious  drawback  on  me. 

I  have  never  less  than  three  and  most  of  the  time  four  persons 
employed  in  my  office.  Had  I  you  with  me,  I  could  place  my  head  on 
the  pillow  in  peace,  but  I  assure  you  it  is  not  the  case  at  present; 
your  residing  with  us  would  enable  you  to  be  very  much  at  your 
ease;  not  one  farthing's  difference  would  it  be  to  us,  but  on  the  con- 
trary I  am  persuaded  it  would  save  some  hundred  pounds  in  the  year. 

As  the  position  of  Secretary  of  the  Government  is  still  vacant 
why  not  try  and  get  it?  I  suppose  it  would  not  be  less  than  two  or 
three  hundred  a  year  salary.  I  think  it  would  be  a  situation  more  inde- 
pendent than  the  Mountain  of  Quebec.  All  things  considered,  for  God's 
sake,  do  accept  something  of  the  kind  and  come  to  us  next  Spring. 
I  understand  there  is  shortly  to  be  a  University  built  here  at  the 

51 


expense  of  the  Government,  perhaps  an  appointment  of  some  sort 
might  be  acceptable  to  you  in  that  way.  Should  you  come  out  it  will 
be  necessary  for  you  to  get  the  King's  order  (through  the  Duke  of 
Portland)  to  receive  your  lands  under  the  old  regulations  to  prevent 
your  paying  a  fee  for  survey  of  6d.  an  acre,  besides  the  usual  fee. 
As  all  Loyalists  by  the  last  order  from  the  King  are  excluded  the 
benefit  of  the  old  regulation.  General  Arnold16  and  his  family  were 
excluded  by  the  Executive  Council  of  the  Province,  from  being  non- 
resident, but  a  late  order  from  the  King's  Minister  has  entitled  them 
all  to  the  land,  free  from  any  expense  whatever  to  themselves,  which 
has  not  gone  down  very  well  with  some  among  us. 

Lately  arrived  here  among  us  Count  de  Puisye,  a  lieutenant  under 
the  late  King  of  France,  with  a  suite  of  his  officers.  There  are  a 
considerable  number  of  them  in  Kingston  who  arrived  so  late  that 
they  could  not  reach  here,  on  account  of  the  navigation  of  the  lake 
having  closed  for  the  season. 

The  Count  informed  me  one  day  at  dinner  with  us,  that  there 
were  about  20,000  in  like  situation  with  himself  who  wished  to  emi- 
grate to  Upper  Canada.  The  Count  with  other  nobles  of  France,  with 
about  20  French  soldiers  are  now  residing  about  15  miles  back  of 
York  on  Yonge  St.,  that  leads  over  to  Lake  Huron. 

There  is  to  be  a  French  settlement  upon  Lake  Simcoe  (formerly 
Lake  de  Clay  (Claes)  of  which  place  the  Count  is  Chaplain  of  the 
French  emigrants  is  on  his  route.  He  is  the  man  who  commanded 
the  French  Loyalists  in  Vendee  or  Quiberon  Bay.  I  like  him  very 
much,  he  is  I  think  much  like  General  Simcoe  in  point  of  size  and 
deportment  and  without  exception  the  finest  looking  man  I  ever  saw. 
Every  encouragement  in  their  location  is  given  by  the  Council;  the 
King's  stores  of  all  kinds  are  open  to  them. 

You  will  see  by  the  enclosed  that  the  Wilkins  of  Birmingham  have 
made  a  demand  of  a  balance  of  £150  7s.  9d. ;  never  was  anything 
more  regular  than  the  entries  of  the  debt  being  paid  them  stands  on 
my  books;  from  the  waste  book  to  the  Ledger  of  Day,  date  for  what 
goods,  etc.,  which  appear  the  identical  goods.  They  have  made  a 
demand  to  be  paid  for  what  never  can  have  the  smallest  pretext; 
I  think  after  this.  Do  write  us  very  particularly  about  all  our  old 
friends.  Now  for  the  last  time  let  me  entreat  you,  my  honoured  and 
dear  Sir,  to  come  to  us ;  what  joy,  what  comfort,  what  earthly  blessing 
could  equal  it,  or  have  a  comparison  with  an  interview  in  this  country. 
Come,  oh!  come,  I  conjure  you  in  the  name  of  Heaven.  Adieu. 

Samuel  Jarvis,  Stamford,  Oonn.,  July  26th,  1800.  Your  favor  of 
March  10th  came  safe  to  hand,  with  that  of  Dr.  Smith's  which  I 

52 


delivered  and  he  was  much  pleased  and  told  me  he  would  answer  it 
soon,  but  it  would  take  some  time  to  write  to  a  man  of  a  literary 
character  and  believe  me,  my  dear  brother,  that  is  always  what  em- 
barrasses me  when  I  am  writing  to  such  a  person,  but  your  known 
goodness  readily  tells  me,  that  you  will  overlook  any  little  inaccuracies 
that  may  drop  from  my  pen.  I  should  have  answered  your  letter  long 
before  this;  had  I  not  expected  Birdseye  here,  but  the  reason  you 
will  be  informed  by  the  enclosed  from  my  daughter,  and  your  daugh- 
ter who  left  this  morning  unexpectedly. 

She  set  out  for  Canada  on  the  24th  day  of  July  and  we  conclude 
she  has  arrived  by  this  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ryckman  and  my  daughter 
Harriet  all  accompanied  her  as  far  as  Schenectady,  where  she  took 
the  stage.  She  was  very  fortunate  in  her  company,  a  Mr.  Keyler  and 
Ramsay  her  neighbors,  who  I  trust  will  pay  every  attention  to  her. 
She  has  as  fine  a  child  as  ever  was  born,  it  was  hard  parting  with 
the  little  angel. 

You  say  you  are  more  and  more  inclined  to  see  your  native  land. 
I  pray  God  you  may  put  these  good  intentions  into  prosecution  and 
leave  that  part  of  the  globe  that  seems  to  be  cursed  with  wars,  pesti- 
lence and  shedding  one  another's  blood,  as  tho'  we  were  born  to  be 
our  own  executioners. 

Am  very  sorry  you  did  not  give  me  a  hint  of  your  willingness  of 
becoming  the  successor  of  Dr.  Dibble17  a  little  sooner,  as  nothing  would 
have  given  us  more  pleasure  and  satisfaction  than  such  an  event  had 
it  taken  place.  Some  time  before  I  had  your  letter  we  had  settled 
the  Rev.  Mr.  White  in  our  church;  he  is  a  native  of  Middletown  in 
this  state ;  he  is  a  likely,  promising  man.  There  is  a  number  of  vacant 
churches  in  this  state.  Norwalk  at  present  is  vacant.  Dr.  Smith  will 
remove  from  there  this  Autumn  on  account  of  some  difficulty  that 
has  taken  place  between  him  and  the  people  which  we  all  lament,  as 
he  is  a  person  of  real  abilities  and  a  great  supporter  of  the  church  and 
the  doctrines  we  hold  to.  You  know  the  Scotch  blood  is  full  of 
mercury.  There  are  two  vacancies  in  New  York,  the  young  gentleman 
who  was  employed  in  St.  Mark's,  a  new  church  built  in  the  Bowery, 
was  by  accident  killed  by  a  horse  running  away  with  him  in  a  carriage 
at  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  His  name  was  Calahon,  belonging  to 
that  place,  was  educated  in  this  place  and  ordained  by  Bishop  Jarvis. 
The  other  vacancy  in  the  churches  in  the  city ;  Rev.  Mr.  Baptist  being 
discharged  on  account  of  his  drinking  too  freely,  was  allowed  to  be 
the  best  preacher  in  New  York,  and  in  every  other  respect  a  pious 
good  man.  He  is  a  single  person,  has  no  family  and  of  course  his 
children  will  not  cry  for  bread,  on  that  account. 

53 


And  one  more  favor  I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  do  and  that  is  to 
inform  me  if  Dr.  Dibble  has  for  late  years  received  his  salary  from 
the  Society  or  donation  that  will  amount  to  the  same  thing. 

My  aged  Mother  desires  to  be  remembered  to  you  with  my  young- 
est brother  Seymour  who  lives  with  her,  they  are  both  well. 

Bishop  Jarvis  was  here  with  us  a  few  days  past,  he  is  very  infirm 
and  out  of  health.  The  clergy  all  remain  pretty  much  as  they  did 
when  I  wrote  you  last.  No  deaths  have  taken  place  since. 

I  was  at  Watertown  in  June  last  as  a  lay  delegate  to  the  Conven- 
tion of  Churches.  The  clergy  were  generally  there.  The  Bishop 
preached  his  convention  sermon,  and  the  son  of  our  late  Bishop  Sea- 
bury  read  service.  But  why  do  I  trouble  you  with  such  trifling  things — 
not  long  since  I  was  at  Stratford,  old  Mr.  Birdseye  was  then  well 
and  expressed  a  great  desire  of  once  more  seeing  you.  Religion  seems 
declining  in  that  part  of  the  world,  tho'  our  church  here  is  increasing. 
*  *  * 

There  is  now  a  great  contest  here  for  a  new  President.  The  North- 
ern statesmen  for  Adams,  and  the  Southern  for  Jefferson,  and  some 
for  Pinckney.  Who  will  be  the  man  God  only  knows.  Pray  write 
me  soon  as  you  conveniently  can  and  let  me  know  when  we  may  be 
made  all  happy  in  the  arrival  of  an  old  friend  and  brother  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic;  pray  leave  a  country  that  seems  cursed  with  wars 
and  spilling  one  another's  blood,  etc. 

This  year  is  crowned  with  the  greatest  crops  ever  known  of  all 
kinds  of  produce ;  we  are  able  to  give  bread  to  almost  the  whole  world, 
the  great  demand  in  foreign  markets  keeps  ours  high;  wheat  is  now 
two  dollars  per  bushel,  corn  one;  but  we  expect  they  will  fall  soon. 
We  join  in  love  and  prayers  for  your  safe  arrival.  My  daughter 
Ryckman  is  with  us  and  sends  her  best  respects.  God  bless  you. 

Hannah  Jarvis,  York,  Oct.  23rd,  1800.  Your  much  esteemed  favor 
by  Capt.  Smith  was  received  in  August;  they  informed  me  that  you 
had  given  over  all  thought  of  visiting  this  country.  Alas!  why  so 
sudden  a  change,  I  am  quite  at  a  loss  to  find  a  reason.  How  has  your 
petition  been  answered;  if  favorable  what  is  to  retard  your  expedition. 
We  have  said  in  former  letters  as  far  as  our  abilities  would  let  us 
we  would  satisfy  Mr.  Scott;  but  it  seems  as  if  some  evil  Starr  sat 
hovering  around  us,  and  new  difficulties  succeed  like  clouds  of  smoke 
from  a  fire,  to  make  you  think  that  we  wish  to  delay.  The  very  idea 
that  you  should  have  a  thought  of  this  kind  racks  my  whole  frame. 
With  new  heads  we  have  new  everything;  with  do  it  and  think 
hereafter.  A  Head  we  indeed  have,  but  we  are  told  it  might  as  well 
be  a  sheep's  for  any  good  resulting  therefrom.  A  tongue  it  possesses 
which  works  like  Echo  in  a  cave.  Its  master  lives  in  an  outbuilding. 

54 


It  can  say  and  unsay,  as  an  American  Scot  directs,  whose  exalted  sta- 
tion has  turned  his  brain  into  contempt  of  mankind  and  calloused  his 
heart  against  his  own  countrymen  or  any  other  animal  that  dares  an 
opinion  of  its  own. 

This  tongue  you  would  imagine  had  had  a  scholastic  education 
in  the  deepest  recesses  of  Billingsgate  with  all  its  ornaments,  improve- 
ments,  embellishments  and  improvements  of  a  well-bred  Tar.  Judge 
now  for  yourself,  I  dare  not  say  more,  but  be  not  too  hasty  in  your 
opinion  or  regard  for  your  children;  their  will  is  good  and  I  hope 
to  convince  you  that  what  has  been  asserted  is  no  chimera  before  it 
be  long.  My  father  has  often  said,  "Let  me  never  be  dependent  on 
the  mercy  of  my  children".  I  have  repeated  and  considered  them 
often.  If  your  answer  is  as  I  hope  from  the  Lord,  why  not  make 
over  all  to  Mr.  Scott  taking  what  will  be  necessary  to  defray  your 
expenses  to  us,  and  with  my  allowance  and  Bird's  surely  it  will  soon 
extricate  you. 

Besides  what  otherwise  may  be  remitted  I  herewith  transmit 
you  a  copy  of  a  letter  written  me  by  Sylvester  Gilbert18  its  contents  are 
by  no  means  satisfactory  to  me.  I  desired  Bird  to  write  again;  no 
answer  yet.  What  makes  me  more  solicitous  is  that  you  would 
never  (had  it  not  been  my  letter  to  Gilbert)  received  a  farthing 
from  Bates.  I  am  sure  by  their  statement  you  will  be  able  to  se 
if  he  has  paid  the  interest  justly.  Gilbert's  letter  wants  explanation. 

Young  Bernslee  Peters  who  left  a  few  days  since  and  was  here 
to  take  up  such  grants  as  were  remaining  for  his  late  Father,  informed 
me  that  Andrew  Mann19  had  divided  off  such  part  of  my  Grandfather's20 
estate  as  was  thought  to  be  (word  missing)  with  yours  adjoining,  had 
sold  it  and  paid  his  brother  Nathaniel's  debts  to  you  with  your  own 
money.  This  he  gave  as  the  general  opinion  of  the  people  of  Hebron. 
He  lives  at  Ballstown.  The  property  sold  for  SO/  an  acre.  Andrew 
is  thought  to  be  an  arrant  swindler  and  has  nearly  ruined  his  father. 
It  is  thought  that  he  will  be  obliged  to  refund  if  you  make  your  ap- 
pearance. I  hope  you  will  see  through  Gilbert's  letter.  Statistical 
account  for  moveables  personal  is  not  stated  nor  do  I  understand  what 
is  meant  if  you  never  had  a  statement  from  him.  I  fear  it  is  gone 
as  he  is  dead.  Bernslee  is  going  to  Hebron  when  he  returns  and  find 
out  all  particulars  in  his  power  and  write  me  the  whole.  Perhaps 
he  will  have  a  grateful  heart  and  let  me  into  a  secret  long  hidden,  by 
which  means  truth  may  once  more  assume  his  right;  I  shall  not  fail 
to  give  you  notice  of  all;  if  I  do  not  hear  of  your  leaving  England 
ere  I  gain  such  intelligence. 

On  the  18th  February  the  letter  is  continued  giving  some  family 
details.  Augusta  who  had  been  poorly  had  been  taken  to  Kingston 

55 


"to  find  what  the  water  and  change  of  air  would  do"  but  there  "took 
the  ague",  etc.  The  letter  continues :  We  were  in  hopes  of  having 
Bird  made  Clerk  of  the  Assembly,  but  I  fear  we  will  not  succeed, 
altho'  the  members  are  nearly  all  for  him;  John  the  half  Scot  is  of 
opinion  that  they  have  no  right  to  nominate,  of  course  he  has  the  re- 
nomination  under  the  rose  as  it  falls  into  the  paws  of  the  Head,  who  is 
well  known  to  bark  when  directed.  No  redress!  No  one  in  the  Cabi- 
net is  sure  of  favors,  for  one  voice  is  enough ;  one  of  the  late  members 
said  he  thought  the  house  had  but  one  thing  to  do,  that  is  to  vote  a 
set  of  silk  caps  for  themselves,  which  were  to  be  pulled  over  their 
eyes  when  a  question  arose  that  required  their  sanction.  Another 
thought  there  was  no  necessity  for  their  attendance,  as  one  man 
could  as  well  do  all  they  had  to  do,  as  well  when  they  were  absent 
as  present. 

Aunt  Powell  is  very  desirous  to  see  you  as  are  your  children  and 
grand-children.     We  have  the  son  of  Parson  Stuart  as  *  *  * 

(Note:     Remainder  of  letter  missing). 

William  Jarvis.  York,  Nov.  6th,  1801,  to  Isaac  Scott.  Your  favor 
of  June  17th,  1801,  was  received  by  me  on  the  25th  ulto.  The  con- 
tents have  given  me  much  distress  of  mind ;  altho'  it  refers  to  promises 
of  assistance  in  my  former  letters  to  our  beloved  parent,  yet  I  assure 
you  these  promises  have  never  been  for  one  moment  out  of  our  minds 
and  every  effort  on  my  part  as  far  as  economy  and  industry  could 
Breach  to  accomplish  so  desirable  an  end  have  been  strictly  practised 
by  me,  and  every  member  of  my  family.  But  a  change  in  the  person 
administering  this  Government  has  thrown  me  into  an  unexpected 
and  unavoidable  expense  and  laid  upon  me  with  so  strong  an  arm 
that  self-preservation  became  my  only  object,  in  patience,  perseverance 
and  silence  was,  as  the  event  has  shown,  my  strength.  I  should  have 
often  written  but  dare  not  put  pen  to  paper.  For  further  particulars 
I  must  refer  you  to  letters  that  accompany  this.  For  years  past  at 
the  end  of  every  year  I  was  sure  that  I  would  have  sufficient  to  spare 
to  relieve  Dr.  Peters  but  by  some  unforeseen  circumstances  I  have 
uniformly  been  disappointed;  I  still  beg  to  assure  you  that  I  will  not 
only  give  half  but  every  farthing  I  possess  on  earth  in  accomplishing 
so  much  desired  an  end  as  to  satisfy  you  and  relieve  Dr.  Peters  from 
his  embarrassed  situation.  Self-preservation  has  been  the  great  strug- 
gle with  me  for  more  than  two  years  last  past,  but  the  struggle  seems 
at  length  to  be  at  an  end ;  and  I  further  beg  tt>  assure  you  that  I  do 
not  think  the  period  far  distant  when  I  shall  be  enabled  to  do  some- 
thing satisfactory  with  you  and  Dr.  Peters. 

56 


Same  letter.  Hannah  Jarvis.  York,  Nov.  6th,  1801.  My  beloved 
Father's  letter  bearing  date  June  18th,  1801,  was  handed  me  yesterday 
enclosed  from  Mr.  Addison,  the  only  one  since  3rd  March,  1800,  and 
had  I  not  once  or  twice  heard  of  you  through  Patty's  letters  from  her 
Mother,  I  believe  my  heart  would  have  broken  long  ere  this.  It  is  but 
a  few  days  since  she  received  a  letter  from  her  friend,  wherein  a 
paragraph  from  one  of  yours  declaring  your  intention  was  never 
again  writing  to  us,  and  censuring  us  cruelly  (tho'  I  must  confess  ap- 
pearance was  against  us)  for  not  having  complied  with  our  promises. 
This  not  having  been  done  is  not  our  fault  My  heart  was  so  full, 
my  mind  was  so  distressed  at  the  repeated  disappointments  we  met 
with,  when  I  thought  I  had  the  money  in  my  hand,  that  I  had  not 
courage  to  tell  you  of  it.  We  have  the  promise  of  the  money  which 
will  I  hope  relieve  you  and  Mr.  Scott  and  bring  my  beloved,  blessed 
parent  to  my  arms,  that  he  may  see  I  still  possess  the  same  disposi- 
tion as  I  used  to  do,  and  that  I  may  in  some  degree  return  to  him 
in  his  advanced  age  what  he  gave  me  in  my  youth.  I  repeat  that  we 
(i.e.)  Mr.  Jarvis  and  myself,  have  the  promise  of  $1,200  by  the  first 
of  January,  1802,  and  if  no  disappointment  steps  in  again  to  prevent 
the  man  coming  forward,  that  sum  shall  be  forwarded  by  Bill  as  soon 
after  as  possible  and  Mr.  Scott  and  you  may  rest  assured  that  the 
whole  shall  be  paid,  if  God  spares  my  life  and  I  hope  that  he  (Mr. 
Scott)  will  still  extend  his  bounty  towards  you  until  we  can  supply 
you  with  the  needful.  I  wish  by  all  means  when  you  do  set  out  for 
this  country  that  you  bring  Ann  Griffen  with  you;  it  will  give  me 
great  comfort  to  know  you  have  her  with  you;  as  I  am  cretain  she 
will  do  all  in  her  power  to  make  everything  comfortable  for  you. 

We  could  have  sold  our  land  long  since  over  and  over  but  produce 
was  not  what  we  wanted  and  the  money  could  not  be  had.  There 
are  grants  to  the  amount  of  £12,000  now  laying  in  the  hands  of  the 
Secretary,  his  share  will  be  from  £1,200  to  £2,000  sterling,  and  cannot 
command  a  penny.  Is  ordered  by  the  Gov.  P.  H.12  to  have  in  readiness 
as  many  grants  as  possible  for  his  signature  on  his  arrival  as  he  win- 
ters in  Lower  Canada,  to  accomplish  which  he  has  ordered  the  Sur- 
veyor-General, the  Council  Officer  and  his  own  Clerk  to  make  out  48 
each  by  the  winter  during  his  absence,  and  three  soldiers  to  write  in 
the  Secretary's  office.  The  Secretary  has  to  find  fuel  for  the  office, 
clerks  are  all  at  the  Secretary's  expense  also,  and  for  fear  that  he 
should  gain  a  sixpence  by  purchasing  stationery  at  a  cheaper  rate  he 
has  confined  him  to  Lower  Canada,  where  everything  is  inferior  and 
dearer  by  one-third  than  in  New  York,  and  next  ordered  the  Receiver-- 
General to  furnish  the  Secretary  with  parchment,  wax,  etc.,  to  be 
stopped  out  of  the  profit  arising  from  the  grants. 

57 


He  ordered  him  to  furnish  immediately  the  office  with  3,000  sheets 
of  parchment,  wax,  etc.,  and  to  make  prompt  payment  for  the  same 
or  he  would  suspend  him  in  the  failing  thereof  within  such  a  time. 
The  Secretary  endeavored  to  remonstrate  with  him  the  impossibility 
of  complying  with  the  order,  by  saying  the  office  was  greatly  in  his 
debt,  to  which  in  a  great  passion  he  politely  but  indirectly,  for  he  did 
not  think  proper  to  do  it  directly,  damned  him  and  told  him  he  did 
not  inquire  about  the  office,  that  he  must  do  as  he  was  bid,  or  take  the 
consequences.  He  lived  two  miles  from  the  town  where  the  Secretary 
has  been  obliged  to  go,  from  two  to  four  times  a  day,  in  the  heat 
of  the  most  sultry  weather  we  had  during  the  Summer,  when  a  written 
answer  would  have  answered  every  purpose.  Up  from  four  in  the 
morning  to  ten  at  night  and  frequently  called  out  of  his  bed  for  some 
trifling  thing  or  other.  The  Secretary  has  come  home  crying  like  a 
child  from  the  treatment  he  met  with  and  dare  not  open  his  lips,  those 
who  saw  the  manner  he  was  treated  advised  him  to  command  himself 
and  be  silent;  as  words  were  what  was  sought  for,  that  some  hold 
might  be  had  against  him. 

The  Chief  is  as  great  a  tyrant  as  the  Governor,  but  not  so  great 
a  blackguard,  the  latter  his  own  countrymen  do  not  hesitate  to  say 
had  his  first  instructions  at  the  tail  of  a  fish-cart,  and  from  his  known 
tyrannical  disposition  has  received  the  appointment  in  order  to  dis- 
gust the  whole  Province.  It  is  an  old  proverb  "that  two  of  the  same 
coat  cannot  agree",  wherefore  the  two  chiefs  are  like  two  stormy  cats 
in  a  garret.  The  language  held  out  by  John  is  "That  the  Americans 
are  not  trustworthy,  they  are  only  fit  for  hewers  of  timber  and  draw- 
ers of  water".  In  short  he  thinks  no  one  ought  to  exist  but  himself 
and  a  Scotchman.  He  seems  to  forget  that  he  and  his  wife  were  born 
in  America.  "The  Secretary's  office  is  too  good  for  an  American,"  there- 
fore it  is  the  determination  to  reduce  it  as  much  as  possible  (the  in- 
come) so  as  to  disgust  and  discourage  the  present  incumbent  and  force 
him  to  resign;  but  if  I  am  permitted  to  have  a  voice,  I  will  advise 
never  to  quit  as  long  as  bread  and  water  will  support  nature.  They, 
with  all  their  art  have  not  been  able  to  find  fault  with  him  in  regard 
to  his  duty  and  [know]  that  his  office  is  the  most  regular  in  Upper 
Canada,  and  gives  more  real  satisfaction. 

They  have  cut  him  down  from  his  first  fees,  and  are  constantly 
doing  something  to  create  expense  and  injure  his  pocket.  Had  you, 
my  dear  Father,  been  here  he  would  have  escaped,  for  of  you  they 
are  afraid  and  will  do  everything  to  prevent  your  joining  us.  Thus 
you  will  see  that  trouble  never  comes  alone.  Thus  have  we  been 
prevented  doing  what  was  our  full  intention  to  have  done  long  since, 

58 


thus  it  is  to  have  to  do  with  others  when  no  reason  will  be  heard, 
when  no  question  can  be  asked,  or  if  asked,  only  answered  with  dread- 
ful oaths. 

The  Secretary  knows  not  my  writing  this,  but  I  am  determined 
you  shall  know  something  of  his  sufferings,  that  you  may  not  so 
severely  censure  his  conduct,  since  I  cannot  think  that  he  or  any  of 
us  deserves  it,  and  our  feelings,  I  will  take  it  upon  me  to  say,  have 
been  as  acute  as  could  be  possible,  more  than  my  pen  can  describe. 

I  am  little  less  gray  than  you  were  when  I  left  you.  I  am  an  old 
woman  by  fretting  for  your  company  and  misfortunes;  I  go  nowhere, 
see  no  company,  have  not  for  two  years  past,  except  my  brother's 
family  who  dine  with  us  every  Sunday  that  the  weather  will  admit 
them  to  do.  I  make  or  rather  I  have  turned  tailoress  for  my  family 
not  even  the  Secretary  excepted. 

You  have  a  grandson  Peters,  born  31st  July,  and  a  grand-daugh- 
ter (Jarvis)  7th  of  August  *  *  *  a  perfect  beauty;  Maria,  Augusta, 
Samuel,  William,  Hannah  and  Poppit.  As  yet  all  are  well  and  are 
asking:  When  shall  we  see  Grandpapa,  Mamma,  is  he  well,  what 
keeps  him  so  long?"  *  *  *  oh,  how  these  questions  wring  my  poor 
heart,  already  so  distressed  as  to  have  little  comfort,  either  sleeping 
or  waking.  My  tortured  imagination  is  seeking  new  miseries  tumbling 
headlong  upon  my  absent  parent.  May  my  God  look  upon  my  anxie- 
ties and  enable  me  to  fulfil  such  engagements  as  may  render  the  parent 
of  my  affection  rest  and  peace  hereafter.  Adieu,  may  dear  friend 
Scott  continue  his  goodness  a  little  longer. 

Nov.  8th.  The  vessel  having  been  detained  by  contrary  winds,  I 
embrace  the  delay  to  inform  you  that  your  grandchildren  were  bap- 
tized this  day  by  the  names  of  Samuel  Jarvis  (Peters)  and  Ann  Eli- 
zabeth (Jarvis). 

Nov.  10th.  In  some  former  letter  to  you  and  Mr.  Scott  we  men- 
tioned the  mortgaging  land  to  Mr.  Scott  for  security  of  such  monies 
as  he  had  advanced  to  you — not  that  we  intended  to  pay  him  in  land, 
for  they  were  worth  double  what  was  required,  but  to  assure  Mr. 
Scott  of  our  just  intentions  towards  him  and  because  that  money 
was  so  scarce  at  that  time  that  it  was  hardly  possible  to  procure  a 
few  dollars.  People  coming  from  the  States  with  goods  take  all  the 
loose  money  that  is  in  circulation,  by  underselling  the  merchants  of 
this  place.  The  letters  alluded  to  I  imagine  have  not  reached  you  or 
certainly  you  would  have  said  yea  or  nay  to  their  contents,  for  if 
they  did  not  meet  with  your  approbation  that  was  meant,  there  could 
have  been  no  harm  in  stating  the  objections  why  they  were  not 
satisfactory. 

59 


Perhaps  Mr.  Scott  thought  our  intentions  were  to  pay  him  in 
land.  I  do  assure  you  that  they  were  and  are  double  the  value,  and 
raising  daily,  and  of  course  we  should  not  be  willing  to  part  with 
them,  if  we  could  prevent  it  by  any  means,  but  to  assure  him  of  our 
intentions  and  to  expedite  your  leaving  the  country;  this  was  our 
sincere  wish  however  ill  it  has  succeeded.  I  have  been  informed  by 
undoubted  authority  that  the  expense  of  the  Secretary's  office  for  the 
last  year  amounted  to  upwards  of  $2,600  merely  for  clerks  and  sta- 
tionery the  great  part  of  which  has  been  paid  by  the  Secretary,  and 
[with  that]  which  lays  dormant  in  said  office.  Such  enormous  expen- 
diture will  I  hope  convince  you  that  he  must  have  been  pretty  hard 
run  and  had  he  not  been  so  cruelly  dealt  with,  you  would  have  had 
no  occasion  to  have  lamented  that  you  were  neglected  by  those  whom 
it  was  their  duty  to  provide  and  protect  at  all  times,  much  more  such 
a  trying  one  as  at  present.  I  trust  if  this  reaches  you  it  will  put 
a  different  aspect  upon  the  business,  in  defiance  of  malice  and  false 
representations  of  which  I  think  I  can  hit  the  author  with  one  eye 
shut.  However  I  shall  be  judge  whether  to  keep  a  spare  bed  and 
room  without  consulting  the  convenience  of  my  acquaintances. 

Judge  for  yourself  whether  reports  can  be  such.  We  have  not 
for  two  years  kept  any  company  except  calls  in  the  morning  and  these 
very  seldom.  The  sun  rises  seldom  and  finds  Mr.  Jarvis  in  bed,  but 
into  the  fields  with  his  men.  At  6  o'clock  in  the  summer  and  seven 
in  winter  he  breakfasts  and  everyone  in  his  employment  after.  It 
appears  to  me  that  the  more  a  person  retires  from  the  world  and 
wishes  not  to  meddle  with  people's  affairs,  the  more  envious,  curious 
and  ill-natured  are  the  observations  that  follow.  We  do  not  pry  into 
our  neighbours'  concerns,  still  they  persecute  us  on  all  sides,  confining 
themselves  not  to  truth,  which  makes  the  matter  more  conspicuous 
when  detected.  *  *  *  Oh  could  I  see  you  once  more,  etc.,  I  should 
consider  myself  in  a  new  world.  *  *  *  I  am  pleased  with  Fields  and 
the  [word  missing]  for  remembering  my  parent  in  the  midst  of  his 
misfortunes.  Adieu.  Once  more  live  oh  live  my  Father  to  see  your 
truly  affectionate  child;  peace  can  never  rest  in  her  heart  should  fate 
ordain  it  otherwise.  Blessing  on  the  benefactor  of  my  beloved  parent 
and  his  kindness  shall  be  rewarded. 

(The  last  letter  of  the  series  is  from  Mrs.  Jarvis  and  dated  years 
later :  York,  March  4th,  1813,  to  Dr.  Peters,  then  living  in  Ne  York.) 

The  length  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  I  heard  from  you 
appears  almost  an  age.  Col.  Bushe  who  is  on  his  way  to  New  York, 
has  been  so  polite  as  to  say  he  would  take  charge  of  a  letter  to  you, 

60 


induces  me  to  accept  his  offer,  to  inform  you  that  the  family  are  all 
well.  Mr.  Jarvis  has  been  confined  with  the  gout  since  Xmas  till 
within  a  week  and  for  four  winters  has  been  the  same.  My  second 
son  William  has  been  extremely  ill  with  pleurisy,  his  life,  was  dis- 
paired  of,  he  is  now  on  the  recovery.  My  daughters,  Maria  Hamilton 
and  Augusta  McCormick,  have  each  a  son.  Birdseye's  family  are  well 
and  live  near  me,  he  lately  lost  his  son  Albert,  supposed  to  be  bowel 
complaint.  He  has  a  son  about  five  months  old  named  Hugh  Albert 

If  this  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  find  you  I  hope  you  will  let 
me  hear  from  you  soon. 

(The  series  closes  with  a  quaint  and  interesting  letter  from  Dr. 
Peters  to  William  Jarvis,  from  New  York,  dated  June,  1816.  Though 
he  was  then  81  years  of  age  the  long  letter  is  written  in  a  firm,  clear 
hand,  with  few  erasures.  It  is  addressed  to  "My  beloved  children, 
grand  and  great  grand-children,"  and  affirms  "My  consolation  is  highly 
increased  by  hearing  of  your  prosperity  in  the  good  and  honourable 
fortune  of  your  children,  which  I  impute  to  the  prudent  instructions 
of  their  parents."  After  news  of  various  members  of  the  family,  he 
writes,  "You  and  William  Birdseye  Peters,  and  your  children,  are  my  only 
children.  My  request  is  that  you  love  one  another  with  sincerity  and 
tenderness  whilst  I  live  and  after  my  demise — this  is  my  last  Will  and 
wish.) 

Maria  married  Hon.  George  Hamilton,  founder  of  Hamilton, 
Ont.,  the  2nd  son  of  Hon.  Robert  Hamilton,  in  July  1806. 

THE  END. 


61 


Notes 

iNote :  Dr.  John  Doty,  born  in  New  York,  1745,  a  direct  descendant 
of  Edward  Doty,  a  Pilgrim  Father  of  1620.  Educated  at  Kings  (now 
Columbia  College,  N.Y.),  went  to  England  for  ordination.  His  first 
charge  was  Peekskill,  N.Y.,  but  he  was  in  Schenectady  in  1775  when 
the  revolution  broke  out.  A  known  loyalist  he  was  harshly  treated  on 
several  occasions  and  repeatedly  arrested.  Finally  in  1777  being  made 
a  prisoner,  he  was  granted  liberty  to  move  to  Canada.  At  Montreal 
he  was  made  chaplain  to  H.M.  Royal  Regiment  of  New  York,  the 
60th.  In  1781  his  duty  as  chaplain  was  taken  by  his  fellow-loyalist, 
Mr.  John  Stuart.  In  1783  he  was  appointed  to  Sorel,  where  on  Christ- 
mas Day,  1785,  was  opened  for  service  "the  first  protestant  church  in  old 
Canada."  Dr.  Doty  was  twice  asked  to  return  to  charges  in  his  native 
land,  and  for  a  short  time  appears  to  have  been  Rector  to  St.  Anne's 
Church,  Brooklyn,  N.Y.,  returning  however  to  Sorel,  which  he  resigned 
in  1803.  Died  at  Three  Rivers,  1841. 

2John  Gray,  1st  President  of  the  Bank  of  Montreal. 

3Rev.  Philip  Toosey,  recommended  by  Lord  Dorchester  and  Bishop 
Inglis  for  the  proposed  Bishopric  of  Quebec.  He  proceeded  to 
England  to  urge  his  claims  and  issued  a  memorial  which  says  that 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  has  promised  to  state  his  claims,  and 
refers  to  Lord  Dorchester  and  Gen.  Alured  Clarke,  Lieut-Governor  of 
Quebec.  After  the  creation  of  the  See  of  Quebec,  Dr.  Mountain  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Toosey  as  his  Commissary,  his  salary  being  £150.  He  re- 
turned to  Quebec  in  1794,  not  sailing  with  "the  Thirteen  Mountains"  in 
1793  as  he  was  busily  engaged  in  forming  a  colony  of  agriculturists 
for  settlement  on  his  lands  near  Quebec.  At  Stoneham,  16  miles  from 
the  city  he  settled,  spending  lavishly  on  clearing  land  and  building  a 
large  home  with  pleasure  grounds  and  gardens  in  English  style.  He 
died  in  1797. 

4Major  Littlehales,  Military  Secretary  to  Governor  Simcoe,  wrote 
the  Journal  of  the  Exploring  Expedition  from  Niagara  to  Detroit  in 
1793. 

5Sir  George  Pownal,  Secretary  and  Registrar  of  Lower  Canada. 
Salary,  £400. 

6Sir  John  Johnson  had  hoped  that  his  great  services  to  the  Crown 
would  lead  to  his  being  made  Lieut.-Governor. 

7Capt.  Peter  Russell,  64th  Regt.,  Receiver-General  of  U.C,  1792- 
1808.  Later  Administrator,  1796-1899. 

8Capt.  Lethbridge,  6th  Regt.,  later  Colonel  and  Major-General. 
9The  Upper  Canada  Gazette,  first  issue  Thursday,  April  18th,  1793. 

62 


^Otherwise  Levi  or  Levy  Allen,  brother  of  Ethan  and  Ira  Allen, 
by  whom  Dr.  Peters  had  been  deceived.  The  Simcoe  papers,  vol.  1, 
p.  962  and  128,  give  a  hint  of  the  character  borne  by  the  brothers. 

"Now  Cornwall. 

12Gen.  Simcoe  had  strongly  recommended  Dr.  Peters  appointment 
as  bishop,  even  offering  to  give  up  £500  of  his  own  income  towards  the 
stipend,  while  Toosey  was  the  choice  of  Lord  Dorchester  in  whose 
family  he  had  been  tutor  and  of  Alured  Clarke,  the  Lieut.-Governor  of 
Quebec.  When  Governors  of  Provinces  recommend  for  a  vacant  office 
each  his  own  choice,  it  is  likely  neither  will  be  appointed.  A  com- 
promise is  inevitable.  The  See  was  offered  to  the  Right  Reverend 
Jacob  Mountain,  who  was  consecrated  on  the  7th  of  July,  1793,  first 
Bishop  of  Quebec. 

18"Mad"  Anthony  Wayne,  the  American  General. 

"Alexander  Macdonell  formerly  in  Butter's  Rangers. 

14ALetter  to  Munson  Jarvis,  p.  284,  Scadding's  Toronto  of  old. 

"Mr.  Hallpwell  died  March  28,  1799,  aged  75  years,  an  account  of 
his  family  is  given  in  The  Loyalists  of  Massacheusetts. 

18Gen.  Benedict  Arnold  received  a  grant  of  5000  acres  in  the  Tps. 
of  N.  and  E.  Gwillinbury. 

17Ebenezer  Dibblee  or  Dibble,  in  charge  of  the  mission  at  Stamford, 
Conn,  and  at  Greenwich.His  work  at  Sharon  led  to  the  building  of  a 
church  there,  and  he  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  building  of  a  new 
church  at  Danbury.  Though  a  loyalist,  he  remained  at  his  post,  but 
suffered  from  the  inability  of  the  congregation  he  served  to  support 
him  comfortably.  He  was  one  of  the  many  clergymen  who  after  peace 
was  declared,  sought  the  help  of  Dr.  Peters— he  was  apparently  offered 
a  mission  in  Nova  Scotia  by  the  S.P.G.,  but  through  age  and  the  in- 
firmity of  an  insane  daughter,  was  unable  to  accept.  He  died  in  1799. 

18Probably  a  brother-in-law  of  Dr.  Peters,  whose  second  wife  was 
Abigail  Gilbert,  daughter  of  Judge  Samuel  Gilbert  of  Hebron. 

"After  the  peace  Dr.  Peters  appointed  his  brother-in-law,  John 
Mann  (who  married  Margaret  Peters,  his  sister),  and  his  son,  Dr. 
Nathaniel,  his  agents  or  attorneys  to  settle  his  property  affairs  in 
Hebron,  where  he  had  much  real  estate.  Andrew  Mann  evidently  be- 
longed to  the  same  famliy. 

20Cyrus  Owen  of  Hebron  was  Mrs.  Jarvis'  grandfather;  by  an 
old  map  the  estates  adjoin. 

"Speaking  of  Governor  Peter  Hunter  Dr.  Scadding  says,  "all 
functionaries  from  the  judge  on  the  bench  to  the  humblest  employe 
held  office  in  those  days  very  literally  during  pleasure."  Toronto  of 
Old,  p.  418.  , 

22This  shows  that  his  daughter  had  not  forgotten  the  terrors  ot 
mob  rule. 

Though  suffering  much  obloquy  and  persecution  Ur.  deters 
preached  on  Sept.  4th,  1774,  from  the  text— "Oh,  that  my  head  were 
waters  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears  that  I  might  weep  day  an< 
night  for  the  transgressions  of  my  people."  Referring  no  doubt,  to  the 
riots  of  the  preceding  week  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  On  Tuesday  Oth  ne 
was  mobbed  and  being  again  threatened  he  fled,  leaving  behind  his 
daughter  and  infant  son. 

63 


"DEEDS   SPEAK 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

TRANSACTION  NO.  24 


CONTENTS 

1 .  Notes  on  the  Founding  of  Christ  Church,  Campbell- 
ford,  by  Hilda  Bonnycastle. 

2.  "Canada  in  1834".     Recollections  of  Mrs.  Rothwell, 
copied  by  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Edward  Leigh. 

a.  Some  Incidents  in  Mrs.  Rothwell's  Life,  by  her 
granddaughter,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cameron. 

4.  Letters  to  Mrs.  Rothwell  from  Rev.  Philip  Harding, 
giving  some  account  of  his  mission  at  Apsley,  Ont. 


1923-1924 


ANNUAL    REPORT 

of  the 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

1923-1924 

Organized  November  1895;  Incorporated  February  1896. 

OFFICERS 

Honorary  President. .  MRS.  COCKSHUTT,  Gov't  House. 

Past  Presidents *MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON. 

*LADY  EDGAR. 

*MRS.  FORSYTH  GRANT. 

*MlSS   FlTZGIBBON. 

President. .  Miss  MICKLE,  48  Heath  St.  East. 

Vice- Presidents MRS.  JAMES  BAIN. 

LADY  STUPART. 

MRS.  EDGAR  JARVIS. 

Corresponding  Secretary MRS.  BALMER  NEILLY, 

39  Woodlawn  Ave.  East. 

Recording  Secretary Miss  ROBERTS,  20  Earl  Street. 

Treasurer MRS.  W.  A.  PARKS,  69  Albany  Ave. 

Curator MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY, 

46  Dun  vegan  Road. 

CONVENORS  OF  MEMORIAL  COMMITTEE 
MRS.  HORACE  EATON,  MRS.  W.  A.  PARKS, 

141  Lyndhurst  Ave.  69  Albany  Ave. 

MRS.  WM.  JARVIS, 

75  Walmsley  Boulevard. 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  LEADBETTER.  MRS.  JOHNSTON.  MRS.  DUCKWORTH. 

MRS.  SINCLAIR.  MRS.  SETTLE.  MRS.  WILLIAM  JARVIS. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS 

COL.  G.  T.  DENISON.  HON.  MR.  JUSTICE  RIDDELL,  LL.D., 

Miss  CARNOCHAN.  F.R.S.C. 

CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.C.S.  RT.  HON.  SIR  GILBERT  PARKER,  Bart. 

PROF.  G.  M.  WRONG.  Miss  MACHAR. 

Miss  K.  M.  LIZARS.  BLISS  CARMEN. 

DR.  LOCKE.  JOHN  D.  KELLY. 

REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  Ph.D.  PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR. 

CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS.  MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 

PROF.  A.  H.  YOUNG.  PROF.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 

COLONEL  WILLIAM  WOOD.  PROF.  JOHN  SQUAIR. 

*Deceased.  W.  D.  LIGHTHALL,  F.R.S.C.,  F.R.S.L. 


President's  Address 


We  have  had  a  very  short  year  owing  to  the  change  of 
date  in  our  Annual  Meeting  which  heretofore  has  always 
been  held  in  November;  the  16th  of  that  month  being  origi- 
nally chosen  "in  commemoration  of  Colonel  James  Fitz  Gibbon 
and  the  services  he  rendered  to  Canada,  and  especially  this 
city,  that  date  having  been  his  birthday."  It  has  long  been 
felt  that  an  Annual  Meeting  at  this  date,  broke  the  continuity 
of  the  year's  programme,  whereas  a  business  meeting  which 
concluded  the  Winter's  work  would,  in  the  event  of  changes 
in  the  personel  of  the  executive,  leave  the  incoming  officers 
plenty  of  time  during  the  Summer  to  formulate  their  plans 
and  prepare  their  programme.  Accordingly  the  change  in 
the  constitution  was  approved  by  the  Executive  and  duly 
ratified  by  the  Society;  the  unwritten  proviso  being  that  at 
the  November  meeting  in  each  year,  a  short  paper  or  talk 
should  be  given  on  Col.  Fitz  Gibbon.  Our  Annual  Meetings 
will  in  future  be  held  in  connection  with*  the  regular  April 
meeting,  or  as  soon  after  it  as  possible  as  the  Executive  may 
decide.  .  .  . 

It  is  a  matter  of  sincere  sorrow  that  we  have  lost  one  of 
our  oldest  and  most  valued  members.  On  our  very  first  list 
Miss  MacCallum's  name  appears,  and  all  through  the  years  she 
has  shown  a  warm  interest  in  the  Society,  giving  to  it  freely 
of  her  time  and  strength,  and  never  failing  when  called  upon 
to  help,  while  she  could  do  so.  Only  a  few  weeks  ago  she  rang 
me  up  for  a  long  talk  on  possible  improvements  to  the  pro- 
gramme. It  is  strange  to  realize  she  is  gone,  and  to  the  sister 
left  alone  our  warmest  sympathy  goes  out. 

In  common  with  almost  every  other  Society  we  feel  the 
loss  of  Sir  Edmund  Walker.  He  was  not  an  Honorary  Member 
but  he  knew  something  of  our  endeavor  to  secure  a  Memorial 
Hall,  and  had  said  "When  you  are  ready,  come  to  me"  and 
for  this  and  other  reasons  we  feel  that  he  is  a  great  loss  to  us, 
as  to  the  whole  community. 

The  great  question  before  the  Society  in  the  coming  year 
must  be — what  can  be  done  to  carry  out  the  trust  to  which 
we  have  fallen  heir?  What  is  to  be  done  with  this  Memorial 
Hall  project?  In  view  of  the  lack  of  interest  shown  and  in 
face  of  the  all  too  evident  fact,  that  to  secure  our  own  building, 
the  Society  would  have  to  make  not  only  a  great  effort,  but 
a  series  of  efforts,  it  seems  that  it  would  be  wise  to  see  if 
effectual  co-operation  could  be  secured  and  if  in  return  for 


our  money  a  permanent  place  of  meeting  to  be  called  The 
Queen  Victoria  Memorial  Hall  could  be  secured;  but  you  will 
notice  the  very  suggestion  carries  two  big  IPS. 

It  is  understood  that  the  government  intends  to  withdraw 
all  grants  to  Historical  Societies.  If  true  this  is  greatly  to  be 
regretted.  Much  valuable  work  has  been  done  by  them  in 
the  past.  In  our  own  case,  all  the  grant  has  been  expended 
on  printing  the  Annual  Report  and  Transactions  which  are 
of  permanent  and  recognized  value;  all  other  printing  and 
and  expenses  are  taken  from  fees,  etc.,  and  we  have  only 
been  able  to  carry  on  by  the  liberality  of  members  who  do 
not  charge  for  postage,  etc. 

S.  MICKLE,   Pres. 


Recording  Secretary's  Report 

All  the  meetings  of  the  Women's  Canadian  Historical 
Society  have  been  well-attended  and  the  papers  of  great 
interest. 

November — "  Laura  Secord."  Personal  recollections  by 
her  granddaughter,  Miss  Laura  Clarke. 

December — "The  Queen's  Rangers,"  from  the  Simcoe 
Papers  by  Miss  Ray,  later  published  by  the  Ontario  Historical 
Society. 

January — "The  French  Canadian  and  Nationalism,"  by 
Rev.  W.  F.  Seaman. 

February— "Old  Toronto"  (illustrated),  by  Mr.  T.  A. 
Reed. 

March — "The  Opportunity  for  Historical  Study  in 
Ontario,"  by  Prof.  W.  P.  M.  Kennedy. 

April— "The  French  Royalist  Settlement  in  York  County," 
by  Mrs.  Balmer  Neilly. 

There  have  been  six  regular  and  six  executive  meetings. 
Notice  of  motion  was  given  changing  the  date  of  annual 
meeting  from  November  to  April  or  May  as  being  a  more 
convenient  date. 

As  many  members  were  ignorant  why  the  "Memorial 
Fund"  was  a  "trust  fund"  a  note  of  explanation  was  written 
and  a  pamphlet  sent  to  each  member  reviewing  the  history 
of  this  fund.  The  Society  withdrew  its  affiliation  with  the 
local  Council  of  Women. 


The  usual  shower  for  tubercular  soldiers  held  in  December 
was  most  generously  supported  by  the  members  and  the 
Christmas  cheer  was  appreciated  by  the  soldiers  at  Graven- 
hurst,  Hamilton  and  other  hospitals. 

During  the  year  we  welcomed  as  new  members: — Miss 
Eldon,  Miss  Banting,  Mrs.  Harry  Kennedy,  Mrs.  A.  W. 
MacNab,  Mrs.  Harton  Walker,  Mrs.  Sedgewick  and  Mrs. 
Cowan. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

HESTER  SETTLE, 

Recording  Secretary. 


Corresponding  Secretary's  Report,   1924 


During  the  year  Transaction  No.  23  was  printed. 

This  contains  the  letters  of  Secretary  Jarvis  of  Upper 
Canada  and  those  of  his  wife  Hannah  Peters  Jarvis,  to  the 
latter's  father  the  Rev.  Samuel  Peters  in  England. 

This  transaction  has  been  much  appreciated,  and  many 
requests  for  copies  made. 

It  also  contains  a  sketch  of  the  life  of  our  former  President 
— Mrs.  Forsyth  Grant. 

Copies  of  the  Transactions  were  sent  to  the  members  of 
the  Provincial  Legislature  and  to  our  list  of  exchanges. 

We  regret  to  report  the  death  of  a  highly  valued  member, 
during  the  year — Miss  Josephine  MacCallum,  who  for  many 
years  was  Treasurer  of  the  Society. 

Correspondence  was  exchanged  with  Mr.  F.  C.  Bissell, 
Director  and  Head  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  and  also  with  the  President  and  Secretary  of  the 
Historical  Society  of  Hebron,  in  regard  to  our  publication  of 
this  year.  Four  applications  for  assistance  in  preparing 
Historical  Papers,  were  received,  and  the  needed  information 
sent.  Transaction  N.  21,  was  forwarded  to  a  member  of 
Milton  Chapter  I.O.D.E.,  in  reply  to  a  request  for  information 
regarding  the  early  history  of  Toronto. 

A  short  history  of  the  city  seems  to  be  needed,  being 
frequently  asked  for. 

An  inquiry  was  received  from  the  Canadian  National 
Parks  Commission,  for  information  regarding  the  burying 
ground  in  St.  John's  Square.  We  were  pleased  to  be  able  to 
furnish  the  information  desired,  and  also  sent  some  pictures 
of  the  monuments.  The  Commissioner  also  asked  that  we 


furnish  the  Parks  Commission  with  a  complete  set  of  our 
Transactions,  which  was  done. 

Following  is  a  list  of  publications  received: 

1.  Paper  on  the  life  of  Rev.  Robt.  Addison,  by  Prof.  A.  H. 

Young  in  Ont.  Hist.  Society. 

2.  Report  of  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington  for  1923. 

3.  The    Canadian    History    Society    and    its    Organization, 

London,  1924. 

4.  Annual  Report  of  Ont.  Hist.  Society,  and  proceedings  of 

Annual  Meeting,  1923. 

5.  The  Canadian  Historical  Association's  Report,  1923. 

6.  A  series  of  pamphlets  issued  by  the  National  Park's  Com. 

7.  The  Simcoe  papers — Vol.  1  was  donated  by  a  member. 

ETHEL  S.  NEILLY, 

Corresponding  Secretary. 


Treasurer's  Report 


GENERAL  ACCOUNT  1923-1924 

RECEIPTS 
Balance  in  Bank,  November,  1923.  .  .  .         $285.34 

Members'  Fees 

Monthly  Teas... 

Sale  of  Transactions 

Donation  from  Miss  Mickle 1  GO 


$408.09 
EXPENDITURE 
Printing  Transactions.  .  .  .  $211 .( 

Printing,  postcards,  etc 50. 

Postage 9.60 

Wreath 

Sherbourne  House  Teas 

Women's  Art  Tea 

Women's  Art,  Rent W-™ 

Fees,  Canadian  Historical  Society 5.1 

Transfer..  l  -60 


$310.68 
Balance  in  Bank,  April,  1924 _      95.41 


$406.09 


MEMORIAL  FUND  ACCOUNT  1923-1924 
RECEIPTS 

Balance  in  Bank,  November,  1923. $271 .84 

Interest  on  Bonds  and  Loans.  .  .  . '. 44.99 

Donations..  63.10 


$379.93 
EXPENDITURE 

Rent  for  Safety  Box $3 .00 


Balance,  Cash  in  Bank,  April  24,  1924 $376.93 


$379.93 
SECURITIES 


War  Loans  and  Victory  Bonds  at  5J^%.  $7,300.00 
War  Loans  and  Victory  Bonds  at  5%"  ____  600  .  00 
Canada  Permanent  at  5%  .............  1,100.00 


$9,000.00 
Cash,  Balance  in  Bank  as  above  ........       376  .93 


Total  Cash  and  Securities $9,376.93 

JEAN  PARKS,  Hon.  Treasurer. 
Audited  and  found  correct. 

L.  D.  STUPART,  Auditor. 


Transaction    No.    24 


Notes  on  the  Founding  of  Christ  Church,  Campbellford 
by  Miss  Hilda  Bonnycastle 

The  Township  of  Seymour  was  settled  largely  by  families  of  English, 
Irish  and  Scotch  descent.  Many  of  these  early  settlers  were  retired  officers 
of  the  British  Army  and  Navy,  who  had  spent  many  years  in  the  service 
and  defence  of  their  country,  in  the  old  land  and  in  Canada;  and  to  these 
pioneers  of  the  forest  we  owe  many  privileges  now  enjoyed.  Capt.  Masson 
Col.  Raynes,  Capt.  Le  Vesconte,  Capt.  Mclntosh,  Capt.  Shea,  Capt. 
Macdonald  (father  of  the  late  Judge  Macdonald  of  Guelph  and  grand- 
father of  Dr.  A.  A.  Macdonald  of  Toronto)  and  Capt.  Cassan  an  account 
of  whose  coming  to  Canada  in  1834  appeared  in  Transaction  No.  22  of 
this  Society,  were  some  of  these  remembered  names. 

Among  them  many  belonged  to  the  Anglican  faith,  but  at  first  for 
many  years  they  had  no  church  and  no  resident  clergyman  of  any  de- 
nomination among  them,  only  occasional  visits  from  travelling  missionaries; 
and  many  responsibilities  devolved  upon  the  shoulders  of  these  early 
settlers  in  the  bush;  such  as  the  religious  instruction  of  their  children, 
as  well  as  their  education  for  there  were  no  schools  either  for  many  years. 

In  the  diary  of  Capt.  M.  S.  Cassan  we  read  his  account  of  having 
been  called  upon  to  bury  the  dead,  and  even  of  having  been  called  in 
where  the  services  of  a  doctor  were  necessary.1 

In  1835  we  have  the  earliest  known  account  of  religious  services  in 
Seymour,  and  the  first  mention  of  a  proposed  Anglican  Church  in  that  region. 
In  that  year  travelling  missionaries  were  sent  out  by  the  Bishop  (Bishop 
J  Jacob  Mountain)  to  visit  the  scattered  flocks  in  the  unorganized  districts. 

From  the  Rev.  Mr.  Harpur's  reports  published  by  Rev.  J.  Pickford 
of  Brighton  in  the  Canadian  Churchman  of  October  23rd,  1924,  we  read — 

"Of  his  visit  to  Seymour  on  the  7th  of  June,  1835,  he  says:  "On  the 
Sunday  following  I  assisted  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cochran  in  the  performance 
of  divine  service  in  the  Church  at  Belleville,  and  on  Monday  after  having 
been  detained  for  some  hours  in  endeavouring  to  procure  a  horse,  my  own 
having  got  injured  on  the  back  by  the  saddle,  I  set  out  about  noon,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Birdsall,  Government  Surveyor,  to  whom  I  am  much 
indebted  for  a  great  deal  of  useful  information  respecting  this  portion  of 
my  mission;  and  I  reached  Rawdon  Mills  early  in  the  evening.  The  next 
day  I  proceeded  to  the  township  of  Seymour,  which  township,  though  not 
within  the  limits  of  the  Midland  District,  I  have  been  directed  by  the 
Lord  Bishop  to  visit  occasionally.  From  Major  Campbell  I  met  with  the 
most  kind  and  encouraging  reception,  and  learned  that  the  inhabitantsjof 


the  township  are  particularly  desirous  of  having  a  clergyman  resident 
among  them,  and  to  whose  maintenance  they  would  willingly  contribute. 
They  have  also  held  the  building  of  a  church,  or  rather,  I  should  say, 
churches  in  contemplation;  but  owing  to  some  little  disagreement  about 
the  proposed  site,  they  have  never  yet  been  able  to  carry  their  measures 
into  effect."  Mr.  Harpur  again  visited  Seymour  in  August,  preaching 
on  the  llth  of  that  month,  Tuesday,  in  a  barn  in  the  fifth  concession  of 
Murray  (that  would  be  in  or  near  the  Village  of  Wooler)  reaching  Seymour 
the  following  Sunday.  He  officiated  in  the  morning  in  a  barn  near  Major 
Campbell's,  and  in  the  afternoon  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  "in  the 
upper  chamber  of  a  grist  mill  belonging  to  Mr.  Ramsay."2  On  this  occasion 
he  informs  us  that  a  Mr.  John  Tice  kindly  acted  as  clerk  both  morning 
and  afternoon.  On  the  23rd  Mr.  Harpur,  who  at  that  time  was  in  deacon's 
orders,  exchanged  with  Mr.  Givens  of  the  Mohawk  Reserve  for  the  Sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  records  that  there  were  twenty-four 
communicants.  Seymour  was  again  visited  in  September,  when  he  found 
that  they  had  decided  to  build  two  churches,  one  on  either  side  of  the 
river  and  that  the  sum  of  £30  per  annum  for  three  years  had  been  sub- 
scribed towards  the  support  of  a  resident  clergyman.  These  expectations 
were  apparently  not  fulfilled  as  Seymour  continues  on  the  list  of  Dr. 
Bethune's  "distant  stations"  as  late  as  the  year  1849." 

The  optimistic  reference  to  the  "churches  in  contemplation,"  men- 
tioned by  the  missionary  were  not  fulfilled  for  many  years.  The  difficulty 
of  choice  between  the  two  sites  offered  contributing  to  the  delay;  and  the 
place  did  not  grow  as  rapidly  as  those  whose  hopes  were  founded  upon  an 
early  construction  of  the  canal  had  anticipated,  so  later  it  was  found  that 
one  church  was  sufficient  for  the  town. 

In  the  meantime  we  have  some  slight  knowledge  of  the  conditions  of 
religious  life  in  the  settlement  which  the  missionaries  continued  to  visit. 
Several  places  are  mentioned  where,  more  or  less  regularly,  divine  services 
were  held.  Many  families  of  the  Anglican  faith  had  settled  in  what  was 
called  "The  English  Line."  They  brought  some  old  English  customs 
with  them,  for  on  Christmas  Eve,  some  of  them,  the  Hurd  family  and  the 
Grills  especially,  used  to  drive  to  the  homes  of  their  neighbors  singing 
Christmas  Carols.  A  settler  might  be  in  bed  and  wakened  by  the  singers, 
but  the  kindly  custom  was  to  rise  and  invite  them  in  to  have  something 
to  eat.  By  the  "Line"  the  home  of  Capt.  Le  Vesconte  was  used  for  the 
purpose  of  divine  service.  Children  were  baptized  there  and  confirmation 
services  held.  In  the  absence  of  a  clergyman  Mrs.  Le  Vesconte  read  the 
services  herself  and  a  Sunday  School  was  held  for  the  children.  When 
the  services  were  over  Mrs.  Le  Vesconte  would  attend  to  the  ailments  of 
her  congregation  fromjier  medicine  chest.  This  medicine  chest  remained 
in  the  family  until  the  breaking  up  of  the  home  in  1918. 3 

Day  children  also  went  to  this  home  for  instruction  during  the 
week,  before  the  building  of  the  School  House  on  the  English  Line  in  1849. 4 

10 


An  old-timer  recalls  being  taught  as  a  boy  by  Miss  Rose  Le  Vesconte, 
who  became  Mrs.  McCauley,  wife  of  the  famous  divine  at  Picton.  Another 
Miss  Le  Vesconte  became  Mrs.  Wills  of  Belleville,  mother  of  Judge  Wills. 
The  old-timer  before  mentioned  also  recalls  being  confirmed  by  Bishop 
Strachan,  when  he  went  to  his  confirmation  in  his  bare  feet. 

On  the  erection  of  the  Schoolhouse  divine  services  were  held  there. 

A  Building  known  as  Tom  Hall's  School  House  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river  was  also  used  for  services.  This  house  was  on,  or  near,  the  farm 
now  owned  by  the  Walkinshaw  family. 

Services  were  also  held  in  a  log  building  owned  by  Mr.  Boland,  who 
kept  the  Post  Office  at  "The  Patch",  known  later  as  the  old  cricket 
grounds,  now  known  as  the  Bowling  Green,  near  the  present  site  of  the 
Pulp  Mills  at  Ranney's  Falls. 

A  room  over  John  Gibbs'  store  was  sometimes  used  and  also  the  sitting- 
room  of  Mr.  Willman's  Hotel  was  on  Sundays,  chiefly  Sunday  afternoon, 
set  aside  for  the  purpose  of  worship.  Mrs.  Willman  was  very  hospitable, 
and  the  children  were  given  a  piece  of  cake6  before  returning  on  their 
homeward  journey — often  a  distance  of  several  miles.  Services  were  also 
held  at  Meyersburg  and  the  surrounding  country,  where  the  settlers  were 
almost  all  English  Church  families,  in  earlier  days.  Before  long  a  Methodist 
Church  was  built  and  many  families  joined  that  body. 

This  gives  some  idea  of  the  struggles  toward  higher  things  of  this 
infant  community,  out  of  which  slowly  emerged  the  town  of  Campbellford, 
so  named  after  Major  Campbell,  Government  land  agent,  a  brother  of 
Col.  Campbell;  the  "ford"  or  ferry  opposite  his  house  was  in  early  days 
the  only  means  of  crossing  the  river,  later  a  bridge  was  built  across  the 
Trent  river  connecting  Seymour  West  with  Seymour  East.  This  took 
the  place  of  the  ferry,  which  had  long  served  the  purpose.  At  this  time 
Campbellford  is  described  as  being  "a  few  log  cabins  surrounded  by  forest 
and  called  Seymour  Bridge,  or  "The  Bridge"  only. 

A  little  later,  in  1850,  Prof.  John  Macoun  writes  "At  this  time  most 
of  the  land  in  Seymour  West  was  bush  and  the  roads  little  better  than 
paths.  One  thing  was  creditable  to  the  settlers,  they  were  all  willing  to 
help  each  other,  and  "Bees"  were  the  regular  way  of  helping  a  farmer  in 
distress.  These  early  settlers  made  Canada!  I  do  not  remember  an  idle 
man,  all  worked,  and  although  the  pay  was  poor  and  the  returns  very 
often  scarcely  anything,  I  do  not  remember  a  dissatisfied  man." 

During  the  forties  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bowers  then  living  at  Cobourg,  was 
visiting  Clergyman  to  the  Township  of  Seymour  and  held  services  in 
the  several  localities  above  mentioned.  But  these  religious  services, 
irregularly  held,  could  not  take  the  place  of  a  resident  clergyman  or  a 
church  home.  An  extract  from  the  Diary  of  Capt.  M.  S.  Cassan  shows 
this.  "On  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  board  The  Lady  Franklin  June  13th, 
1852—  'One  of  the  passengers,  a  Scotch  young  man  in  this  state-room 
is  reading  the  Bible  alone.  To  the  credit  of  the  Scotch  people  be  it  spoken 

11 


I  have  always  found  them  a  religious  people  and  well  conducted,  and  their 
clergy  pay  great  attention  to  their  flocks'  instruction  in  their  religious 
duties.  I  wish  I  could  say  the  same  of  our  Protestant  clergy,  the  Missionary 
ministers  now  in  the  wilderness  of  Canada.  Too  many  of  them  forget 
their  duty  and  neglect  their  calling;  too  many  ill  become  the  holy  office 
they  have  undertaken,  and  the  neglect  of  such  members  seriously  injures 
our  protestant  established  church  and  many  sheep  have  strayed  from  the 
fold,  owing  to  the  carelessness  of  the  shepherd  ...  to  watch  over  them. 
This  I  know  to  be  a  fact  in  my  own  Township  of  Seymour,  the  Methodist 
Missionaries  are  gaining  ground  fast  in  the  Canadian  forests  and  I  am  not 
surprised.'  " 

The  writer  of  the  diary  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Joseph  Cassan  of  Ireland, 
and  had  been  brought  up  by  a  religious  father,  and  the  above  only  speaks 
the  anxiety  that  harboured  in  the  breast  of  many  an  Anglican  early  settler 
who  saw  the  church  losing  ground,  and  its  members  joining  other  de- 
nominations. 

Old-timers  tell  us  to-day,  that  upon  the  English  Line  where  nearly 
all  the  families  were  originally  of  Anglican  faith,  there  was  no  one  to  hold 
the  people;  the  Methodists  built  a  church  in  that  locality  and  most  of  the 
families  attended  and  became  Methodists.  There  are  eight  Methodist 
churches  to-day  in  the  Township  of  Seymour,  and  one  English  Church, 
namely  Christ  Church,  Campbellford. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Bowers  later  left  Cobourg  and  moved  to  Seymour, 
becoming  the  first  resident  Anglican  clergyman  in  the  Township.  He 
resided  in  a  log  house  provided  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Bonnycastle, 
south  of  and  across  the  road  from  their  own  residence6  in  Seymour  West. 
It  was  a  very  commodious  house  for  those  days,  being  36X42  feet,  con- 
taining a  hall  and  four  rooms  with  closets  on  the  ground-floor,  and  an 
upstairs.  It  had  a  verandah  or  stoop  in  front  and  a  large  French  window 
at  the  back.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  acacia  trees  and  was  called 
"The  Acacias."  It  was  built  as  a  wedding  present  for  Eleanor  Rowed 
upon  her  marriage  to  Capt.  Henry  Bonnycastle,  after  the  close  of  the 
Rebellion  of  1837  in  which  he  served  under  his  father,  Sir  Richard  Henry 
Bonnycastle.7 

It  was  sometimes  called  "Bridal  Lodge"  on  account  of  its  being  the 
first  house  of  so  many  brides  in  early  days.  Besides  Mrs.  Bonnycastle, 
Mrs.  Bowers  came  as  a  bride,  and  in  later  years  it  was  the  first  home  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cyprian  Caddy.  Cyprian  Caddy  was  the  provincial  land- 
surveyor  who  surveyed  or  laid  out  Campbellford;  Frank  St.  being  named 
from  their  son  who  was  born  in  the  log  house  mentioned  above  to  which 
another  Capt.  R.  H.  Bonnycastle  brought  his  bride  in  1869,  and  which 
was  occupied  until  1876. 

Mr.  Bowers  went  from  here  to  his  several  places  of  worship  chiefly 
on  horseback,  or  was  sometimes  driven  to  them  by  the  neighbors. 

12 


Rowed  Homestead  built  by  Henry  Rowed,  opposite  the  church  and  rectory.     Henry 
Rowed  and  his  wife  deeded  12  acres  to  the  church.      House  now  used  as  a  hospital. 


The  Acacias  or  "Bridal  Lodge"  from  the  rear. 
Note  old  well  in  foreground. 


The  desire  for  a  church  of  their  own  had  never  ceased,  and  at  last  the 
faithful  workers  were  in  a  position  to  attain  their  object.  One  of  the  retired 
military  men  who  settled  in  Seymour  was  a  Capt.  John  Tice,  who  with  his 
family  did  a  great  deal  towards  starting  the  church.  He  took  up  a  grant 
of  several  hundred  acres  from  the  Government;  building  the  first  house  on 
the  hill,  the  present  site  of  the  rectory.  It  was  a  good  frame  house  which 
his  family  occupied  for  some  years. 

In  1834  the  Rowed  family  came  to  Canada,  including  Mrs.  Rowed, 
widow  of  a  naval  officer,  two  sons  and  several  daughters,  and  took  up 
land  in  Seymour  west.  They  seem  to  have  proved  the  deciding  factor  in 
building  the  church — for  we  find  that  while  Mr.  Bowers  was  occupying 
the  log  house  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  first  resident  clergyman,  other 
members  of  the  Rowed  family  were  preparing  a  permanent  residence  for 
the  clergyman. 

Some  of  the  Tice  property  became  the  property  of  members  of  the 
Rowed  family — one  of  whom,  Mrs.  Carlow,  built  the  large  stone  house  on 
the  river  road  which  she  occupied  for  many  years — and  later  sold  to  Mr. 
Charles  Buller.  It  was  known  for  long  years  as  the  Duller  Homestead 
and  was  a  landmark  in  the  township. 

Bishop  Strachan  wisely  desired  that  the  new  establishment  should 
be  put  on  a  permanent  footing,  not  only  was  a  church  to  be  built  but 
"the  congregation  have  been  called  upon  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  to  provide  the  Missionary  with  a  residence  and  to  contribute  fifty 
pounds  annually  to  his  maintenance";  and  as  the  lesser  proposition,  the 
rectory  was  first  provided. 

As  early  as  1835  there  was  some  difficulty  as  to  the  choice  of  a  site 
for  the  church;  Major  Campbell  had  offered  land  for  the  purpose  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  the  site  upon  which  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
was  afterwards  built;  but  the  offer  of  twelve  acres  and  a  house  from  the 
Rowed  family  meant  so  much  more,  that  it  was  accepted  in  preference; 
thus  was  settled  the  long-contemplated  problem — the  site  of  Campbellford 
Church. 

In  1851  the  land,  which  was  bush,  was  with  much  difficulty  surveyed 
for  a  rectory  and  glebe. 

The  lines  were  run  and  a  brush  fence  made  around  three  sides,  the 
road  allowance  making  the  fourth.  Five  years  later  it  was  properly  sur- 
veyed and  added  to  the  church.  It  comprised  twelve  acres,  deeded  to 
the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  "and  to  his  successors  forever"  for  the  use  of 
the  church  by  Henry  Rowed  and  "Kate  his  wife"  who  "in  further  con- 
sideration of  the  sum  of  five  shillings  of  lawful  money  of  Canada  to  her 
by  the  said  Lord  Bishop  of  Toronto  in  hand  paid  hath  released,  remissed 
and  forever  relinquished  her  dower  in  the  premises  with  him  the  said 
John  Lord  Bishop  of  Toronto"  etc.  The  house  which  stood  upon  the 
land  was  a  gift  to  the  Church  by  Henry  Rowed's  sister  Mrs.  Carlow. 

13 


By  the  deed  one  acre  and  a  half  out  of  the  twelve,  is  excepted  and 
reserved  "to  be  held  in  trust  forever  as  a  site  for  the  use  of  the  said  Church 
now  erected  thereon  and  for  a  burial  ground  in  connection  therewith 
according  to  the  rites  and  customs  of  said  church  and  for  no  other  use  or 
purpose  whatsoever." 

The  land  conveyed  was  part  of  Lot  No.  10  in  the  seventh  concession 
of  the  Township  of  Seymour.  The  deed  was  duly  registered  in  March 
1855,  and  is  now  in  the  Registry  Office  for  the  east  riding  of  Northumber- 
land Co. 

The  Rev.  John  Samuel  Clarke,  missionary  of  Seymour  and  Percy 
from  1853-1856,  was  the  first  clergyman  to  occupy  the  "Parsonage".  It 
was  during  his  incumbency  the  church  was  built.  Before  its  erection 
services  were  held  in  the  school  house  on  the  English  Line. 

That  the  parson  of  that  day  was  not  "passing  rich"  on  fifty  pounds 
a  year  we  have  evidence  in  the  following  incident — When  Capt.  Cassan 
(an  extract  from  whose  diary  is  given  above)  was  in  Ireland  in  1852,  his 
uncle,  Capt.  Elsmere,  died,  and  his  aunt  gave  him  a  large  number  of 
books  for  children,  as  well  as  his  uncle's  well-supplied  wardrobe,  which 
did  not  prove  suitable  for  the  backwoods.  Included  in  the  latter  was  a 
handsome  frock-coat,  which  Mrs.  Cassan  decided  to  give  to  the  Clergy- 
man. She  walked  a  distance  of  about  five  miles  to  the  rectory,  with  her 
daughter  Charlotte  (Mrs.  R.  H.  Bonnycastle)  who  as  a  little  girl  carried 
the  bundle,  containing  the  coat.  "I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  bringing 
you  this  coat,  Mr.  Clarke,  if  you  are  not  too  proud  to  wear  it,"  Mrs. 
Cassan  said.  "Proud!  What  have  I  to  be  proud  of?"  he  said,  raising 
two  arms  and  showing  very  worn  sleeves.  He  gratefully  accepted  the 
coat  and  wore  it. 

This  was  in  1854  and  Mrs.  Bonnycastle  recalls  picking  their  steps 
over  the  rough  stones  used  in  building  the  church,  the  roof  of  which  was 
then  on. 

Church  building  in  pioneer  times  and  among  a  willing  people  has 
much  the  same  history.  The  new  church  was  to  be  of  stone  and  it  was 
reckoned  would  "cost  between  four  and  five  hundred  pounds,"  about 
three  hundred  of  which  had  already  been  subscribed.  Mr.  George  Ranney, 
the  mill-owner,  gave  all  the  lumber  used  in  building  the  church  and  Mrs. 
Carlow  gave  the  timber  and  contributed  fifty  pounds  towards  the  erection 
of  the  church,  thus  proving  herself  a  great  benefactress.  She  also  gave  a 
private  gift  of  land  to  Mr.  Clarke,  the  first  rector.  The  settlers  sent 
their  teams  and  hired  men,  or  went  themselves  and  hauled  the  material 
needed  for  building,  the  stone,  sand  and  lime  for  plaster,  etc.  The  church 
was  opened  for  worship  in  November,  1853. 

The  united  efforts  of  these  and  other  early  settlers  resulted  in  the 
building  of  the  beautiful  little  church  which  has  ever  since  been  considered 
one  of  the  prettiest  churches  in  the  Diocese  outside  the  city  of  Toronto. 

14 


Help  was  also  solicited  from  the  Mother  Church  of  Ireland.  Miss 
Emily  Cooke,  a  grand-daughter  of  Captain  John  Tice,  still  preserves  a 
memorandum  of  monies  received  through  her  aunt,  Mrs.  George  Tice, 
from  her  friends  in  Waterford,  Ireland,  for  helping  to  build  Christ  Church. 
This  list  of  subscribers  may  be  incomplete  but  from  it  we  find  that  about 
thirteen  pounds  sterling  was  raised  the  Bishop  of  Cashel  and  Waterford 
who  sponsored  it,  giving  three  pounds.  The  collection  was  made  on  the 
certificate  of  Mr.  Clarke,  "missionary  of  Seymour  West,  Canada  West," 
who  writes  thus  of  his  congregation: — "Situated  in  the  backwoods  of  the 
interior  of  Canada  West,  and  depending  on  their  agricultural  labours 
(in  a  comparatively  new  settlement)  for  their  livelihood,  they  are  far 
from  being  competent  to  fulfil  unaided  their  long  cherished  object;  and 
therefore  having  first  contributed  to  the  utmost  of  their  ability  towards 
the  promotion  of  their  design  they  now  appeal  to  benevolent  friends  of 
our  church  in  Ireland,"  etc.,  etc. 

The  following  heads  of  families  were  among  the  first  attending  Christ 
Church  in  1854: 

John  Atkinson  Wm.  Free 

John  Acheson  Thomas  Free 

James  Archer  Hugh  Gibb* 

Gilbert  Bedford  Wm.  Ivey 

I/  Henry  Bonnycastle  Thomas  Little 

Robt.  P.  Boucher  James  Le  Vesconte 

Mr.  Bennett  Frederick  Macoun 

Major  Campbell  John  Odell 

Robt.  Cockburn  Wm.  Ogilvie* 

Daniel  Curling  George  W.  Ranney 

Mrs.  Carlow  Henry  Rowed 

Capt.  M.  S.  Cassan  Thomas  Rendle 

Dr.  Denmark  Edward  Tildesly 

Alex.  Denmark  Mrs.  Taylor 

Wm.  Dunk  Capt.  John  Tice 

Alonzo  Dunk  Capt.  George  Tice 

Abraham  Free  Wm.  Varcoe8 

*Mr.  Gibb  and  Mr.  Ogilvie  belonged  to  the  Scotch  Church  but  their 
nearest  being  at  Burnbrae,  they  attended  the  English  Church. 

Two  items  from  the  day  book  of  Alfred  Rendle  may  be  of  interest. 
"Nov.  9th,  1854,  Received  from  Mr.  H.  Rowed,  church- warden,  for 
strapping  walls  of  church  and  altering  door,  £20.  ^ 

"Aug.  16th,  1855,  Plastering  the  church,  John  Forbes  (£13. 10s.). 
In  1856  Mr.  Clarke  left  and  until  Feb.  1858  the  parish  was  without 
a  resident  clergyman,  during  which  time  occasional  visits  were  paid  by 
visiting  clergymen,  one  of  whom  was  the  Rev.  Charles  Ruttan. 

The  next  incumbent,  Rev.  F.  G.  S.  Groves,  remained  for  ten  years  till 
1868.  In  1861  the  church  being  freed  from  debt  was  consecrate 

15 


Bishop  Strachan.  The  gallery  was  added,  and  to  help  to  defray  the 
expense  of  some  interior  furnishings  Mrs.  Groves  solicited  help  from  her 
friends  in  England.  Mr.  Groves  held  services  at  Warkworth  in  Percy 
Township  and  fortnightly  in  the  School-house  on  the  English  Line,  leaving 
his  horse  at  the  Varcoes  and  walking  to  the  school. 

1868-1875.  Rev.  Jonas  Stamer  Baker  followed  Mr.  Groves.  The 
old  frame-house  was  burned  down  and  the  present  Rectory  built  in  1871, 
the  rector  defraying  a  good  deal  of  the  expense  of  building.  He  married 
Grace,  daughter  of  Henry  Rowed,  and  they  were  the  first  to  occupy  the 
house. 

1875-1883.  The  Rev.  Ralph  Hinds  succeeded  Mr.  Baker.  During 
his  day  the  chancel  was  added  to  the  church.  The  burial  ground  of  the 
church,  which  had  been  in  use  for  over  twenty  years,  was  condemned  for 
that  purpose  owing  to  the  dampness  of  the  soil,  and  the  new  cemetery9  on 
the  hill  was  added  to  the  church  in  consequence  and  consecrated. 

Rev.  Thaddeous  Walker  was  rector  from  1885-91.  During  his 
pastorate  more  land  was  added  to  the  new  cemetery,  and  the  school- 
house  on  Rear  St.  was  bought  by  the  church  with  a  legacy  bequeathed 
to  it  by  Mr.  Robert  Cockburn.  This  was  intended  to  serve  as  a  site  for 
a  Parish  Hall  and  had  originally  been  a  Bible-Christian  place  of  worship. 
The  rectory  was  also  enlarged  and  improved.  Sunday  afternoon  services 
were  held  by  Mr.  Walker  at  Warkworth,  and  at  times  these  services  were 
taken  by  Mr.  Jupp,  who  lived  at  the  rectory. 

1891-1901.  The  Rev.  W.  E.  Cooper  was  rector  during  this  period 
and  many  improvements  were  added  to  the  church,  as  stained  glass  mem- 
orial windows  and  furnishings.  The  services  at  Warkworth  were  dis- 
continued. Mr.  Cooper  endeavoured  to  re-establish  the  holding  of 
services  on  the  English  Line,  and  for  some  time  they  were  held  on  Sunday 
afternoons  in  the  School  House.  But  they  had  been  so  long  discontinued 
and  the  Methodist  Church  was  so  well  established  that  the  trustees  objected 
to  the  School  House  being  used  for  the  purpose. 

Mr.  Cooper  devoted  much  time  to  the  instruction  of  the  young  people, 
and  for  many  years  after  his  departure  it  was  a  recognized  fact  that  those 
trained  by  him  were  among  the  best  workers  in  the  church. 

1901-1911.  The  Rev.  A.  J.  Reid  followed  Mr.  Cooper  and  was 
rector  of  Christ  Church  for  ten  years.  He  edited  the  Parish  Monthly 
Magazine,  which  was  full  of  interesting  accounts  of  improvements  to  the 
church,  rectory  and  grounds  and  of  other  activities.  During  his  pastorate, 
the  Jubilee  of  the  50th  anniversary  of  the  church  was  held  in  1904,  in 
which  year  the  pipe  organ  and  the  organ  loft  were  added  to  the  church's 
equipment. 

The  more  recent  history  of  the  little  church  is  known  to  all  Campbell- 
ford  and  needs  not  to  be  recounted. 


16 


Notes 


forget  the  happy  weeks  at  Ballykelcavan  with  Sir  Edward  Walsh  (a 
relative)  and  his  brother  with  whom  the  Revds.  McGrath  and  Mears 
used  frequently  to  dine.  My  stories  of  Canadian  bush  life,  made  them 
roar  with  laughter,  especially  when  I  told  them  how  I  acted  as  accoucheur, 
made  coffins,  buried  the  dead,  and  read  funeral  services  over  my  neighbour's 
children.  I  had  a  pleasant  time  with  Sir  Edward,  and  when  I  went  to  bid 
him  farewell  he  handed  me  a  letter  of  introduction  from  the  Earl  of  Derby 
to  Lord  Metcalfe  the  then  Governor-General  of  Canada;  (Gov.-Gen.  from 
Mch  1843-Nov.  1845)  and  in  shaking  hands  with  him  he  placed  a  £20 
bank  note  in  my  hand.  .  .  .  Before  my  return  to  Canada  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Johnson  sent  me  a  box  of  school  books,  bibles  and  prayer-books  to  take 
out  to  Mrs.  C.  for  our  children.  These  were  duly  appreciated  and  most 
useful  to  my  wife  in  her  endeavor  to  educate  the  "babes  in  the  wood". 

*Mr.  Ranney  owned  the  mill  here  mentioned  opposite  the  site  of  the 
town  power  house;  in  which  services  were  often  held  in  early  days.  In  later 
years  he  owned  the  mills  at  Ranney's  Falls  which  as  well  as  Ranney  St., 
Campbellford,  were  named  after  him.  The  name  Ramsay's  Mills  is  not 
known  in  Campbellford. 

Note  from  Capt.  Cassan's  diary,  Feb.  8,  1850,  "Sold  to  Mr.  George 
Ranney  grist  mill  and  turning  lathe — for  a  horse,  bridle  and  saddie. 
£3  17*.  9d.  Cash  for  John  Gilcrist  and  as  much  sawn  lumber  as  will 
build  a  frame  barn  30x50,  and  to  be  delivered  on  or  before  the  15th  day 
of  November  1850  at  Robert  Beatty's  farm  on  the  bank." 

The  grist  mill  and  turning  lathe  were  some  of  the  numerous  stock 
brought  to  Canada  by  Capt.  Cassan  in  anticipation  of  the  life  in  the 
backwoods. 

3Mrs.  Le  Vesconte  not  only  took  the  services  and  gave  out  medi- 
cines from  her  famous  mahogany  chest,  but  kept  many  of  the  con- 
gregation to  dinner. 

transactions  No.  22,  page  29,  gives  an  account  of  the  securing  of  this 
school  to  the  district  by  Mrs.  Cassan. 

•Miss  Bonnycastle  writes,  "  I  spent  some  time  recently  with  the  bare- 
footed candidate  now  over  80;  and  an  aged  lady  over  90,  who  received 
the  cake  from  Mrs.  Millman  and  attended  services  in  all  the  places  men- 
tioned." 

•The  old  house  had  many  occupants  after  my  grand-parents  left  it 
sometime  in  the  forties.  Relatives  and  friends  lived  there,  rent  was  never 
thought  of  and  my  grandfather  often  did  legal  business  for  the  neighbours 
free  of  charge.  Maids  could  be  secured  for  three  or  four  dollars  a  month 
and  there  was  no  shortage  of  help  in  early  days. 

'Sir  Richard  Bonnycastle,  R.E.,  served  in  the  war  of  1812  and  was 
knighted  for  services  in  connection  with  the  defence  of  Kingston  in  18d7, 

17 


and  later  held  the  position  of  Commanding  Royal  Engineer  in  Newfound- 
land. He  lived  for  some  time  in  Toronto,  two  of  the  books  he  wrote  were — 
"Canada  As  it  was,  is,  and  may  be,"  and  "Canada  and  the  Canadians  in 
1846." 

8Miss  Bonnycastle  writes,  "An  old  clipping,  20  years  old  gave  me 
the  names  of  heads  of  families  attending  the  church  in  1854;  but  I  recalled 
my  father  and  Mr.  Rowed  discussing  the  incorrectness  of  the  list  then 
published  in  our  local  newspaper  and  I  am  able  to  send  you  a  revised  and 
more  correct  list." 

Of  her  work  in  preparing  this  paper  Miss  Bonnycastle  writes,  "I  have 
gathered  it  bit  by  bit,  thread  by  thread  from  many  sources.  The  pioneer 
families  have  many  of  them  moved  away,  but  I  have  corresponded  with 
their  descendants  and  relatives,  and  many  recent  letters  confirm  the  data 
I  sent  you  directly  from  those  who  knew.  .1  have  kept  notes  for  years  on 
local  things,  diaries  helped  me  out.  My  mother  remembered  much  and 
an  old  scrap-book  she  had  made  was  invaluable". 

9This  new  cemetery  was  also  the  gift  of  Henry  Rowed. 

These  munificent  gifts  entrusted  to  the  church  through  the  sacri- 
fices of  former  members  should  lead  to  its  becoming  one  of  the  strong- 
est parishes  in  the  diocese. 


18 


Canada  in  1  834 

Recollections  of  Mrs.  Rothwell  taken  down  by 
her  daughter  Mrs.  Edward  Leigh 

We  came  out  in  the  Russell  Baldwin,  a  fine  sailing  vessel  (there  were 
no  steamers  in  those  days),  to  New  York.  Our  party  consisted  of  your 
father,  your  uncle  Rothwell  Garnett,  myself  and  son,  sixteen  months  old, 
and  the  servants,  Robin  Hanly,  Nicky  and  Johnnie  Dunn;  the  latter  was 
only  a  boy  and  used  to  take  care  of  the  child.  Bess  Armstrong  and  her 
family  were  also  on  board.  New  York  surprised  me.  One  little  incident 
I  can  never  forget,  that  of  the  woman  of  the  hotel  taking  me  into  a  room 
to  see  her  works,  which  were  patchwork  quilts,  one  for  every  day  in  the 
year — I  expected  to  see  books,  of  course. 

We  went  by  boat,  first  on  the  river  and  then  canals  within  fourteen 
miles  of  Niagara,  when  we  hired  a  conveyance  which  took  us  to  the  ferry. 
There  was  nothing  then  in  which  to  cross  the  Niagara  river  but  a  small 
open  boat.  "Let  us  not  all  be  lost  together"  was  my  advice,  so  we  first 
sent  over  your  uncle  with  the  child  and  money,  several  hundred  pounds, 
and  then  we  went  across.  A  black  man  with  a  light  wagon  met  us,  into 
which  he  put  the  few  trunks  we  had  with  us.  (Robin  and  Nicky  were  in 
charge  of  the  heavy  luggage.)  I  got  in  and  sat  on  top  of  them,  until  we 
came  within  sight  of  the  Hotel,  when  my  Old  Country  pride  got  the  better 
of  me  and  your  father  helped  me  out,  and  we  walked  the  rest  of  the  way — 
I  should  not  be  so  foolish  now — ("not  at  seventy-seven,  Mother").  I 
remained  at  the  Clifton  House  while  your  father  went  in  an  "Extra"  to 
Jack  RadclifTs,  about  eight  miles  away.  He  told  them  to  send  my  dinner 
upstairs.  Of  course,  I  could  not  go  to  the  public  table.  I  waited  and 
waited,  but  no  dinner  appeared,  so  I  rang,  and  after  repeated  efforts  the 
man  came.  I  asked  him  to  bring  me  something,  but  when  it  came  it  was 
in  such  an  uncomfortable  way  that  I  sent  for  the  proprietor  of  the  house 
and  told  him  as  we  paid  for  the  best  I  required  it;  in  a  short  time  a  sumptu- 
ous dinner  came  up,  and  with  it  a  waiter,  who  was  so  polite  that  he  evidently 
thought  it  a  rudeness  to  allow  me  to  eat  it  in  silence,  for  he  took  a  seat  on 
the  sofa  and  talked  to  me.  The  Hotel  was  owned  by  Gen.  Murray1  and 
rented  to  the  other  person;2  it  seemed  more  like  home  than  I  expected, 
when  Gen.  Murray  drove  up  in  his  curricle,  with  his  wife  and  a  servant 
behind,  to  call  upon  me.  Then  your  father  returned  with  Jack  Radcliff 
and  we  formed  a  good-sized  party  in  the  sitting-room.  We  had  wine,  too, 
(your  father  bought  all  his  stores  of  wine  and  other  things  from  Mr.  Alma 
of  Niagara  to  take  up  the  country).  Some  strangers  came  in  and  sat 

19 


down,  and  Gen.  Murray  got  up  and  said  in  the  most  dignified  way,  "This 
is  a  private  apartment,"  whereupon  they  left. 

I  went  to  the  Radcliff's  and  remained  for  five  weeks  with  them,  while 
your  father  went  up  the  country  with  the  heavy  luggage  and  the  two 
men,  leaving  Johnnie  Dunn  with  me  to  mind  the  child,  which  was  very 
ill  part  of  the  time.  He  selected  a  farm  in  the  County  of  Oxford  close  to 
the  village  named  Ingersoll,  after  a  Col.  Ingersoll  who  had  died  of  cholera 
two  years  before.  There  was  a  small  log  house  upon  it,  inhabited  by  a 
family  named  Warrington.  Leaving  the  men  and  things  at  the  little 
hotel,  with  instructions  that  they  were  to  begin  chopping  a  fallow  at  once 
as  it  was  nearly  the  end  of  August,  he  returned  back  to  Toronto,  or  Little 
York,  to  get  the  deeds  and  pay  for  the  land:  the  deeds  from  Mr.  Mc- 
Cutcheon  (the  Hon.  Peter).  The  quantity  was  eight  hundred  acres,  for 
which  he  paid  a  pound  an  acre  in  ready  money. 

He  joined  me  at  Jack  Radcliff's  and  prepared  a  comfortable  wagon 
with  two  spring  seats,  the  front  for  himself  and  your  uncle,  Rothwell 
Garnett,  the  other  for  the  child  and  myself,  and  Johnnie  Dunn  sat  behind 
on  the  trunks.  They  made  an  awning  over  the  whole  with  coarse  linen 
sheets  stretched  over  saplings,  and  we  were  very  comfortable:  getting  on 
to  Hamilton  that  night,  and  to  Ingersoll  the  next  day,  finding  the  road 
fenced  in  on  either  side,  and  surprisingly  good  farm  houses  here  and  there. 
The  men  were  in  the  wood  chopping,  and  as  it  was  not  late  we  left  the 
horses  at  the  hotel,  and  went  to  meet  them — your  uncle  carrying  the 
child.  We  had  to  cross  the  river  at  a  very  shallow  ford,  and  your  father 
carried  me  across.  I  was  very  small  and  slight  then,  with  wonderfully 
high  spirits  and  determined,  altho'  I  had  opposed  coming  to  Canada,  now 
that  I  was  in  it,  to  make  the  best  of  everything,  and  not  sit  down  and 
growl. 

We  stayed  a  fortnight  at  the  hotel,  until  the  Warrington's  moved 
out,  and  then  we  took  possession  of  our  log  house;  having  commenced 
already  getting  out  timber  for  the  new  house,  in  which  you  were  born; 
a  man  named  Henderson  built  it.  There  were  two  small  houses  joined 
together  by  a  little  passage,  and  not  having  a  stable,  the  horses  and  goat 
had  to  occupy  the  smallest,  so  that  when  we  sat  at  table  we  could  see 
them  swishing  about  their  tails  sometimes,  which  highly  amused  me; 
although  it  horrified  my  Mother  when  she  had  my  account  of  it  in  a  letter. 
We  had  a  large  fireplace  with  a  crane  to  hang  the  pots  and  kettles  on. 
I  had  slept  on  a  hair  mattrass  on  the  floor  the  first  night,  and  then  they 
put  up  the  mahogany  bedstead  for  me,  and  one  iron  one  for  your  uncle, 
and  I  got  Henderson  to  make  clothes  horses  upon  which  I  pinned  sheets  to 
serve  as  screens.  Your  uncle,  when  we  had  been  there  some  time  and 
after  the  stable  had  been  built  and  the  place  thoroughly  cleaned,  planed 
boards  and  floored  it  and  put  them  round  the  room.  I  called  it  my  deal 
box,  we  dined  in  it  first  on  Christmas  day.  I  then  unpacked  such  things 
as  were  necessary  to  make  it  comfortable.  We  had  the  oval  mahogany 

20 


table  that  belonged  to  your  grandfather,  Hugh  Rothwell,  at  Trinity 
College,  Dublin,  when  he  was  a  young  man;  half  a  dozen  mahogany 
chairs,  which  fitted  into  a  case;  your  father's  desk,  also  of  mahogany  with 
drawers  below  it;  I  had  shelves  put  up  in  each  recess  beside  the  chimney 
to  form  little  side  tables  (those  were  delightful  times  when  you  could  bore 
a  hole  with  an  auger  and  put  in  a  couple  of  pegs  and  make  a  shelf  wherever 
you  wanted  one),  so  together  with  the  dark  brown  curtains  of  linen  and 
woollen  which  you  remember  afterwards  at  "The  Glebe"  my  deal  box 
looked  cosy  enough.  When  Bess  Armstrong  came  to  see  us  on  her  way 
back  to  Ireland,  she  exclaimed  at  the  appearance  of  comfort,  and  said 
she  had  never  taken  even  the  trouble  of  unpacking  her  things,  she  was 
so  disappointed  with  the  country.  I  was  not  so,  however,  it  was  better 
on  the  whole  than  I  expected,  and  it  did  no  good  and  gave  me  a  homelike 
feeling  to  try  and  make  the  room  look  pretty. 

I  was  for  without  a  female  servant  and  Johnnie 

was  invaluable,  the  men  went  out  to  chop  the  first  thing  in  the  morning, 
and  as  the  cholera  was  hardly  out  of  the  country,  I  thought  it  bad  for 
them  to  go  without  eating;  so  every  night  I  prepared  either  broth,  or  rice 
milk  very  thick,  and  left  it  in  the  "digester,"  where  it  cooked  and  was 
ready  for  them;  in  the  morning  I  got  up  and  handed  it  out  to  them  before 
they  started.  Then  we  got  up  and  breakfasted,  after  which  they  came  in, 
and  we  went  out,  either  to  ramble  about  or  sit  on  logs  until  they  had  done; 
when  they  went  out  we  would  find  everything  washed  up  and  put  away 
and  the  floor  swept  as  neatly  as  possible.  I  could  not  get  a  woman  to 
wash,  so  tried  to  do  some  of  the  child's  clothes  while  your  father  was  away 
in  the  woods  for  fear  he  should  see  me.  Johnnie  was  my  confidant,  and 
used  to  put  the  things  out  at  night  to  dry  and  take  them  in  before  anyone 
was  up  in  the  morning;  then  I  ironed  them  by  snatches,  and  the  good  boy 
brought  down  a  tray-full  of  the  plain  things,  which  he  had  ironed  all  by 
himself  up  in  the  loft  on  one  of  the  men's  chests. 

One  day  before  we  moved  out  to  the  farm,  I  wanted  to  go  there  and 
your  uncle  took  me  up  behind  him  on  the  horse  to  ford  the  river,  there 
was  no  bridge  then.  After  that  they  felled  a  tree  across  one  place.  Just 
as  we  reached  the  opposite  bank  the  horse  put  its  hind  foot  into  a  hole, 
and  I  quickly  slipped  off  over  its  tail  into  all  the  mud;  half  afraid  it  might 
kick  and  yet  so  amused  that  I  laughed  most  heartily.  Your  father  was 
there,  too,  so  I  retreated  to  the  bush,  high  cranberry  bushes,  I  recollect 
well,  and  after  taking  off  my  wet  clothes,  put  on  his  coat,  until  Rothwell 
galloped  to  the  Hotel  for  dry  things.  I  was  greatly  afraid  of  being  seen, 
but  your  father  said  there  was  no  one  there  to  see  me.  They  always  had 
a  laugh  against  me  for  my  ducking.  I  who  used  to  be  such  a  rider  in  the 
Old  Country;  however  it  would  not  have  happened  if  I  had  been  on  a 
saddle. 

I  used  often  to  ride  over  to  the  village  after  we  moved:  one  day 
they  brought  out  a  chair.  I  asked  what  it  was  for,  and  was  surprised  to 

21 


hear  it  was  to  help  me  to  mount.  They  had  never  seen  anyone  able  to 
spring  into  the  saddle.  It  made  me  laugh — indeed  I  was  always  laughing 
at  the  curious  ideas  and  ways  of  the  country — but  it  was  better  than 
crying. 

Lt.-Gen.  John  Murray  was  at  this  date  a  large  property  owner  at 
Niagara  Falls.  He  came  of  a  distinguished  Scotch  family  and  was 
at  one  time  Civil  and  Military  Governor  of  Demerara,  British  Guiana. 
Interested  in  the  sugar  plantations  when  all  slaves  within  the  British 
Empire  were  freed,  1833,  he  received  £100,000  indemnity  from  the 
Government.  He  was  at  St.  Helena  when  Napoleon  died  in  1821,  and 
from  there  brought  a  slip  of  the  weeping  willow  trees  which  sur- 
rounded his  tomb  and  planted  it  on  his  (now  the  Summer's)  property 
at  Niagara  Falls.  From  this  the  willows  so  prominent  in  that  region 
were  propagated. 

Murray  owned  much  land  near  the  Falls.  He  did  not  own  the 
Clifton  House,  but  was  part  owner  of  the  Pavilion  Hotel,  an  equally 
large  house,  later  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  property  Barnett's  Museum 
stood  on  belonged  to  him;  his  name  appearing  over  30  times  in  an  old 
map  of  "The  City  of  the  Falls"  in  the  early  eighteen-thirties. 

It  is  not  known  when  he  came  to  Canada.  He  left  in  1837  to 
educate  his  family  in  Europe  and  died  in  Paris  in  1841,  aged  62  years. 
Later  his  widow  returned  to  Drummondville  where  a  grand-daughter 
still  lives. 

Harmanns  Crysler  in  1826  built  and  conducted  the  original  Clifton 
House;  also  the  Prospect  House  on  Main  Street,  and  at  one  time  ran 
the  Pavilion  Hotel.  He  owned  much  of  the  site  of  the  town  of 
Clifton,  and  his  fine  stone  residence,  "Hunter's  Lodge,"  is  still  in 
possession  of  his  family.  He  died  in  1884. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  R.  W.  Geary,  President  of  Lundy's  Lane 
Historical  Society,  and  to  Gen.  Murray's  grand-daughter,  Mrs.  Wynn, 
for  the  above  information,  very  little  being  known  of  Gen.  Murray. 


22 


Some   Incidents  in  Mrs.  Rothwell's  Life,  by  her  grand- 
daughter, Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cameron 

Prefatory  Note 

The  Rev.  John  Rothwell  married  Elizabeth  Garnett.  He 
at  first  studied  medicine,  but  after  obtaining  his  degree, 
changed  to  the  church,  studying  at  Trinity  College,  Dublin, 
where  he  was  ordained.  He  had  a  living  in  Ireland,  but  gave 
it  up  to  come  out  here  as  a  missionary.  He  took  up  land 
near  Ingersoll  and  Woodstock.  Here  he  labored  without  a 
stipend  and  suffered  many  hardships,  provisions  being  brought 
in  twice  a  year  over  60  miles  of  corduroy  roads. 

He  died  in  Kingston  in  or  about  1865  and  is  buried  at 
Ingersoll.  Mrs.  Rothwell  died  December  1891,  aged  93  years, 
and  is  also  buried  in  Ingersoll. 

Mrs.  Rothwell  had  as  an  heirloom  a  ring,  "the  Alicia  Elizabeth  ring" 
which  descended  from  mother  to  daughter,  and  often  lent  this  to  Mr.  Roth- 
well to  marry  people  with.  Many  brides  temporarily  received  it,  until  one 
acquisitive  maiden  thought  it  went  with  the  ceremony  and  was  with 
difficulty  persuaded  to  give  it  up.  After  which  Mrs.  Rothwell  decided 
to  lend  it  no  longer.  This  ring  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Cameron  the  sixth  owner.  It  was  re-set  about  50  years  ago  which  seemed 
to  break  the  charm,  as  Mrs.  Cameron  has  no  daughter. 

While  Mrs.  Rothwell  was  still  at  her  first  home,  near  what  is  now 
Ingersoll,  she  allowed  a  young  maid  to  go  and  visit  her  home  which  was 
some  distance  away  across  part  of  the  forest.  The  girl  wished  to  take 
the  baby  with  her  as  she  was  very  fond  of  him,  so  Mrs.  Rothwell  con- 
sented, merely  advising  her  to  hurry  back,  as  the  leaves  had  fallen  thickly 
in  the  woods,  obscuring  in  some  places  the  paths. 

However,  when  the  time  came  for  her  return,  she  soon  lost  her  way, 
and  shouting  and  screaming  for  aid  till  her  voice  was  gone,  she  wandered 
on  until,  exhausted  and  terrified  at  the  thought  of  the  wolves  and  bears 
which  infested  the  woods,  sank  at  the -foot  of  a  large  tree,  and  taking  off 
her  shoe,  rapped  the  heel  against  the  tree  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
searchers  she  knew  would  be  sent  out  after  her. 

When  darkness  fell,  and  the  maid  and  the  precious  baby  did  not 
return,  Mrs.  Rothwell  became  seriously  alarmed,  so  after  waiting  a  short 
while,  Mr.  Rothwell,  his  brother,  and  every  available  man  set  forth  on  the 
search.  At  last  after  many  hours,  one  man  thought  he  heard  a  faint 
tapping,  so  they  went  towards  the  sound,  to  find  the  poor  worn-out  faithful 
,girl,  voiceless,  and  shivering  at  the  foot  of  the  great  tree.  She  had  gradu- 
ally taken  off  nearly  all  her  own  warm  clothing  in  which  to  wrap  the 
child,  to  keep  him  from  getting  cold,  and  he  was  sleeping  peacefully,  warm 
and  uninjured. 

23 


My  mother  was  one  of  the  younger  children,  and  she  has  often  told  me 
of  how  they  used  to  hear  the  wolves  howling  round  the  place  at  night, 
and  how  her  father  and  his  helpers  used  to  get  up  and  go  out  with  guns  to 
shoot  them  and  the  bears  who  were  prowling  round  to  get  at  the  stock. 
They  did  get  them  too,  sometimes. 

My  grandmother's  stock  of  furniture  was,  of  necessity,  none  too 
plentiful,  and  upon  the  approach  of  some  anniversary,  she  was  carefully 
excluded  from  my  grandfather's  room  until  the  eventful  day  arrived, 
when  she  was  proudly  ushered  in  and  presented  with  several  chairs  and  a 
table  he  and  his  brother  had  made  in  their  leisure  hours  for  her.  I  asked 
her  if  she  never  got  sufficiently  curious  to  peep  through  the  keyhole,  which 
idea  she  indignantly  repudiated! 

One  day,  as  was  not  unusual,  a  tramp  applied  for  assistance.  He  was 
given  a  good  meal,  and  as  it  was  getting  late,  a  blanket  and  a  comfortable 
place  in  the  hayloft  were  given  him  for  the  night.  Next  morning  one  of 
the  men  came  to  tell  Mr.  Rothwell  that  the  man  was  still  there  and  ap- 
peared to  be  very  ill.  Mr.  Rothwell  who  had  studied  medicine  for  years 
before  entering  the  church,  went  at  once  to  see  him  and  ascertained  that 
the  man  was  suffering  from  black  typhus.  He  moved  him  to  one  of  the 
single  men's  rooms  above  a  stable  while  the  man  went  elsewhere,  and  there 
he  attended  him  for  a  long  time,  giving  him  the  same  kind  care  he  would 
have  bestowed  on  one  of  his  own  family.  His  food,  etc.,  was  placed  in 
the  yard  at  certain  times,  where  Mr.  Rothwell  would  go  to  fetch  it,  as  he 
would  not  allow  anyone  but  himself  to  come  in  contact  with  the  patient. 
He  changed  his  clothes  and  took  every  precaution  before  mixing  with 
others,  so  none  of  his  family  took  it.  Still  it  was  a  risk  when  one  considers 
he  had  a  wife  and  five  small  children.  The  tramp  recovered,  and  went  his 
way,  a  very  grateful  man. 

My  mother  as  a  very  little  girl  was  often  sent  by  her  mother  to  carry 
little  delicacies  to  any  sick  Indian  woman.  The  Indians  were  good  neigh- 
bours, and  welcomed  the  little  girl.  She  was  very  much  taken  with  the 
way  they  strapped  the  papooses  in  their  birch  bark  holders  and  hung  them 
up  on  the  branch  of  a  tree  when  the  mother  was  tired  or  busy.  About 
1846  Mr.  Rothwell  moved  to  Amherst  Island. 

Letters  to  Mrs.  Rothwell  from  Rev.  Philip  Harding  giving 
some  account  of  his  Mission  at  Apsley 

We  have  a  glympse  of  Mrs.  Rothwell  in  her  later  years,  which  shows 
that  even  in  old  age  her  ardent  spirit  had  not  failed ;  with  enfeebled  strength 
she  was  still  eager  to  do  things.  Her  correspondent,  the  Rev.  Philip 
Harding,  writes  from  Apsley,  Ont.  He  had  evidently  lately  returned 
from  Toronto,  where  he  had  pleaded  the  cause  of  his  mission  which  Mrs. 
Rothwell  had  promised  to  help,  if  possible. 

24 


His  letter,  which  is  dated  "Apsley,  June  23rd,  1880,"  is  continued 
thus: 

July  2nd — This  is  the  third  attempt  I  have  made  to  complete  my 
letter,  very  frequently  thinking  of  you  and  feeling  that  you  will  think  me 
unkind  and  wanting  in  courtesy  in  not  having  sent  it  sooner.  Since  I 
began  a  couple  came  to  me  to  be  married,  walking  six  miles  through  the 
bush,  and  then  taking  a  wagon  for  12  or  14  miles.  They  are  from  a  place 
in  the  diocese  of  Ontario,  are  Presbyterians,  and  seemed  to  have  so  poor 
an  idea  of  the  solemnity  of  Holy  Matrimony  that  they  wished  me  to  marry 
them  in  a  tavern !  I  could  not  do  that  and  the  church  close  by. 

Another  thing  has  occupied  my  mind  very  much  and  my  time  con- 
siderably; one  of  those  things  unfortunately  too  frequent  in  the  bush — 
a  family  burnt  out.  They  are  quite  respectable  people,  they  lost  a  child 
— a  nice  bright  little  girl  last  March,  one  I  baptized  about  2  years  ago — 
and  the  mother  has  been  very  sad  and  dejected  ever  since.  The  father 
was  going  to  work  about  a  week  ago  and  thought  the  mother  had  better 
go  with  him,  as  the  children  would  all  be  at  school  and  stay  at  a  neigh- 
bour's till  he  came  back.  Their  nearest  neighbour  is  more  than  a  mile 
away.  When  they  returned  everything  was  burnt,  all  their  clothing  except 
what  they  had  on.  Their  provisions,  including  about  100  Ibs.  of  maple 
sugar,  their  own  making,  two  feather  beds,  a  good  assortment  of  carpenter's 
tools,  stove,  clock,  furniture,  and  they  had  taken  care  (as  they  thought) 
to  put  the  fire  quite  out  before  leaving.  Poor  things,  I  went  to  see  them. 
A  relation  had  given  them  a  home.  What  faith  it  requires  to  believe  that 
all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  yet  it  is  so.  O 
that  we  might  know  the  love  of  Christ  which  passeth  knowledge  and  so 
realize  the  almost  awful  context  "be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God." 

I  was  glad  to  find  so  many  in  Toronto  like-minded  with  yourself,  in  a 
wish  to  be  useful  to  the  church,  and  thankful  all  must  be  who  know  you 
that  God  graciously  preserves  your  intellect  clear  and  gives  you  many 
mercies  (now  in  your  85th  year). 

I  have  but  4  stated  congregations,  three  of  them  are  small,  but  almost 
wholly  of  church  people;  the  other  is  larger  but  with  one  exception  (so  far 
as  I  know)  all  dissenters.  There  are  three  other  places  I  must  visit,  as 
soon  as  possible,  but  they  are  too  far  away  for  Sunday  services  and  I 
must  try  week-days. 

The  original,  must  I  call  it  the  Parish  Church,  was  built  by  funds 
supplied  through  the  late  Capt.  Hall,  R.N.  of  Clifton  sent  to  his  son  here, 
who  was  in  difficulties  and  misappropriated  a  large  part,  so  that  the 
church  got  no  further  than  a  mere  shell.  About  the  time  I  was  stationed 
here  by  the  late  Bishop  (Bethune)  as  lay  reader,  it  was  floored  and  seated 
and  a  pulpit  put  in;  but  the  walls  are  not  plastered  neither  is  the  ceiling, 
but  both  are  covered  with  a  thick  brown  paper,  which  shakes  and  breaks 
loose  with  the  wind,  and  frequently  needs  repairing. 

25 


The  wood-work  is  all  uncoloured,  the  chancel  is  a  place  railed  off 
with  a  huge  pulpit  on  one  side,  and  a  sort  of  sentry  box  on  the  other, 
which  serves  as  a  vestry.  There  is  no  chancel  window,  and  the  chancel 
so-called,  is  at  the  west  end.  There  is  no  reading  desk  or  font  and  is  the 
most  barn-like  building  that  I  ever  saw  called  a  church.  It  would  take  60 
stg  to  make  it  suitable  as  a  house  where  "His  Honor  dwelleth,"  and  that 
is  altogether  out  of  the  reach  of  the  congregation,  so  I  only  think  of  it  as 
a  sort  of  shadowy  hope.  A  new  church  I  have  built  5>£  miles  from  the 
1st,  with  plastered  walls,  arched  roof,  a  neat  chancel,  with  suitable  window 
and  communion  table,  pulpit,  prayer-desk  and  font,  churchy  and  well 
arranged;  but  we  want  the  walls  and  woodwork  stained  and  covers  for 
the  communion  table  (Mrs.  Leigh  your  daughter  gave  me  what  makes  two 
good  fair  white  linen  cloths),  and  we  cannot  do  more  at  present.  It  has 
cost  $733.94  towards  which  I  have  collected  some  $260.00  in  cash,  and 
the  congregation  and  friends  have  given  $131.00  in  work  and  materials, 
leaving  some  $343.00  due;  of  which  I  have  advanced  about  $260.00  and 
am  willing  to  give  or  forego  $200.00  of  it.  This  is  the  best  church  con- 
gregation I  have,  nearly  all  old  country  people,  attentive,  devout,  well- 
conducted  and  very  poor.  I  went  to  one  a  few  weeks  ago  taking  a  little 
supply,  as  I  heard  they  had  nothing.  The  wife  told  me  the  day  before, 
Sunday,  they  had  no  dinner,  and  thought  to  go  to  bed  without  supper, 
but  a  neighbor  sent  them  a  loaf.  She  at  once  sent  her  husband  (they 
have  four  children)  to  another  house  2  miles  away,  with  half  the  loaf, 
who,  when  he  came  back,  said  they  had  had  no  bread  for  a  week  and  had 
lived  on  their  seed  potatoes  and  nettles!  I  did  what  I  could  to  relieve 
them.  These  are  all  communicants,  and  the  women  are  the  only  two 
in  the  congregation  who  have  appreciated  the  Church's  order,  of  "Thanks- 
giving of  Women"  or  churching. 

It  is  not  uncommon  for  one  family  to  borrow  from  another  some 
article  of  clothing  to  go  to  church,  so  wearing  it  in  turns;  families  fre- 
quently do  so  among  themselves.  In  this  church  when  the  plate  was 
handed  round  at  the  usual  offertory  very  recently  not  a  thing  was  put  on 
it.  I  saw  the  distressed  look  of  the  churchwardens,  I  felt  the  sorrow  of 
the  people,  I  turned  to  the  Holy  Table,  and  held  up  the  plate  and  besought 
Our  Lord  to  look  upon  its  emptiness,  to  pity  our  poverty  and  to  supply 
all  our  need,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  mercy.  When  I  turned  to  the 
people  I  saw  a  look  of  enquiry  anjl  told  them  what  I  had  done,  lest  they 
should  think  I  had  implied  a  reproach  against  them.  They  were  visibly 
affected.  Thank  God,  I  have  no  cause  to  be  ashamed  of  my  regular  people 
and  am  thankful  to  believe  a  good  work  is  being  done  in  His  Name. 

I  have  a  congregation  consisting  largely  of  Church  people  8  miles 
away  from  any  church;  meeting  in  a  private  house  which  many  don't 
like.  They  will  build  a  church  if  they  can  get  $100.00  to  buy  boards, 
nails,  windows,  etc.  Indeed  my  wants  are  very  large.  I  told  the  Bishop 
I  wanted  $5000  for  church  purposes.  One  thing  the  poverty  of  my 

26 


Mission  enables  me  abundantly  to  do — to  give  the  friends  of  the  Church 
an  opportunity  of  proving  that  "it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive"; 
and  many  do  prove  it.  I  almost  begrudge  them  that  blessing." 

Letter  ends  with  fears  that  to  copy  his  letter  and  send  it  to  friends 
(as  she  had  apparently  promised  to  do)  may  prove  too  great  a  tax  on  her 
time  and  strength.  With  good  wishes  to  his  good  friends  Major  and  Mrs. 
Leigh,  and  is  signed  PHILIP  HARDING. 

Second  Letter,  9  Months  Later 

Apsley,  Mch.  30th,  1881. 
My  dear  Mrs.  Rothwell, 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  report  to  you  the  good  effects  which  have 
followed  the  very  kind  interest  you  took  in  my  Mission  nearly  a  year  ago. 

It  would  seem  as  if  a  Merciful  God,  in  requiring  you  to  retire  from  all 
active  work,  even  writing  and  suggesting,  should  give  you  proof  of  the 
blessing  which  has  followed  the  efforts  you  so  readily  made  when  able. 
You  will  remember  giving  Mrs.  Moody  a  copy  of  my  letter  which  I  wrote 
to  you  in  answer  to  enquiries  concerning  this  place.  Mr.  Moody  on 
arrival  in  England,  even  while  "so  busy,  unsettled,  and  tied  down  by 
large  family  cares,"  at  once  took  a  very  effective  way  to  carry  out  your 
ideas.  The  letter  or  part  of  it  was  sent  to  Miss  Barber,  Crick  Road, 
Oxford,  editor  of  "The  Net,"  who  wrote  the  kindest  letter  to  me  asking 
further  information,  which  I  furnished.  I  heard  nothing  more  for  some 
time.  On  28th  Feby  I  received  four  letters  from  England;  this  was  so 
unusual  that  instead  of  going  to  my  study  to  open  them  I  called  together 
my  "Privy  Council"  to  witness.  One  had  a  post-office  charge  of  6  cents 
for  insufficient  postage;  on  opening  it  I  found  5/  in  postage  stamps  for 
the  use  of  my  Mission.  The  second  was  from  the  same  M.  B.  M.  Clifton, 
who  had  discovered  the  error  in  postage  and  enclosed  I/  for  the  deficiency. 
The  next  was  from  Miss  Claxton,  West  Pennard  Vicarage,  Glastonbury, 
with  £10!  The  fourth  from  Miss  Anderson  of,  or  at  Torquay  with  £15!! 
We  looked  at  one  another.  I  could  not  tell  what  to  say;  it  was  like  a  gasp 
of  thankfulness. 

Since  then  I  have  received  10/  from  Miss  Dickenson  Ventnor,  and 
$10.00  from  Miss  Henderson,  through  that  very  good  churchman,  James 
Henderson  of  Toronto,  also  offers  of  clothing  for  my  people  and  altar 
covers  and  other  furniture  for  my  churches.  Then  comes  a  very  kind 
and  considerate  letter  from  Mr.  Moody  enclosing  a  cheque  for  $10.00 
and  stating  that  Miss  Barber  has  received  \'a  nice  little  sum"  for  me  but 
is  not  going  to  remit  just  yet  as  she  hopes  that  more  may  come  in.  And 
now  Major  Leigh  tells  me  he  has  sent  the  pamphlet  containing  my  letter 
(yours  really)  to  friends  in  England  hoping  they  may  help.  What  must 
I  do?  May  I  ask  you  to  join  in  thanksgiving  to  our  Gracious  God  and 
Saviour  for  His  great  blessing  on  all  who  are  striving  to  further  his  work 
in  whatever  way  in  whatever  part  of  the  world  *  Thus  God  has 

blessed  your  efforts"  and  the  letter  closes. 

27 


DEEDS   SPEAK1 


Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 


TRANSACTION  NO.  25 


CONTENTS 

The  Colony  of  French  Emigres  in 
York  County,  1798. 


1924-1925 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

of  the 

Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society 

OF  TORONTO 

1924-1925 

Organized,  1895;  Incorporated,  1896. 

OFFICERS 

Honorary  President MRS.  COCKSHUTT,  Government  House. 

Past  Presidents *MRS.  S.  A.  CURZON. 

*LADY  EDGAR. 

*MRS.  FORSYTE  GRANT. 

•MlSS  FlTZGIBBON. 

President Miss  MICKLE,  48  Heath  St.  East. 

Vice-Presidents MRS.  JAMES  BAIN. 

LADY  STUPART. 

MRS.  EDGAR  JARVIS. 

Corresponding  Secretary MRS.  BALMER  NEILLY, 

39  Woodlawn  Ave.  East. 

Recording  Secretary Miss  ROBERTS,  20  Earl  Street. 

Treasurer MRS.  W.  A.  PARKS,  69  Albany  Ave. 

Curator MRS.  SEYMOUR  CORLEY, 

69  Dunvegan  Road. 

CONVENERS  OF  MEMORIAL  COMMITTEE 

Mis.  HORACE  EATON,  MRS.  W.  A.  PARKS, 

•    141  Lyndhurst  Ave.  69  Albany  Ave. 

MRS.  WM.  JARVIS,  Farnham  Ave. 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  DUCKWORTH.  MRS.  LEADBETTER.         MRS.  SINCLAIR. 

MRS.  JOHNSON.  MRS.  SETTLE.  MRS.  WM.  JARVIS. 

HONORARY  MEMBERS 

Miss  CARNOCHAN.  HON.  MR.  JUSTICE  RIDDELL,  LL.D. 

CHARLES  MAIR,  F.R.C.S.  F.R.S.C. 

PROF.  G.  M.  WRONG.  RT.  HON.  SIR  GILBERT  PARKER,  Bart. 

Miss  K.  M.  LIZARS.  Miss  MACHAR. 

DR.  LOCKE.  BLISS  CARMAN. 

REV.  JOHN  MCLEAN,  Ph.D.  JOHN  D.  KELLY. 

CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS.  PROF.  PELHAM  EDGAR. 

PROF.  A.  H.  YOUNG.  MRS.  J.  W.  F.  HARRISON. 

COLONEL  WILLIAM  WOOD.  PROF.  H.  T.  F.  DUCKWORTH. 

W.  D.  LlGHTHALL,  F.R.S.C.,       PROF.  JOHN  SQUAIR. 

F.R.S.L. 
•Deceased.  3 


President's   Address 


In  the  death  of  Janet  Carnochan,  of  Niagara,  we  have  lost 
an  Honorary  member,  and  the  cause  of  Canadian  History  an 
untiring  supporter.  Her  enthusiasm  was  never-failing  and 
she  lived  to  see  a  great  change  in  public  sentiment.  Years 
ago  people  doubted  whether  Canada  had  a  history,  now  every 
new  development  is  eagerly  welcomed.  ***** 

Throughout  its  whole  existence  the  late  Mrs.  Robert 
Sullivan  was  a  faithful  member  of  this  Society.  To  her,  we 
owe  transactions  Nos.  6  and  10.  In  1914  she  read  a  paper  on 
1  'Henry  Dundas  and  Sir  George  Yonge,"  from  whom  our  streets 
were  named.  Gentle  and  brave  she  will  long  be  remembered 
by  all  who  knew  her. 

The  Conveners  of  Memorial  Committee,  your  Treasurer 
and  President,  interviewed  the  Government  as  to  the  perman- 
ent home  for  the  Society  and  were  assured  that  the  plan  as 
outlined  for  the  Victoria  Memorial  Hall  would  shortly  be 
carried  through.  In  the  meantime  our  fund  is  steadily 
growing.  .  .  . 

In  regard  to  old  Fort  York  a  good  deal  of  research  has 
been  done — it  was  necessary  to  clear  the  ground  and  find  out 
what  body  was  in  charge,  etc. 

The  exterior  of  Howard  House,  has  been  renovated  and 
put  in  thorough  order  by  the  Park's  Commissioner  during  the 
year,  thus  saving  a  priceless  example  of  an  early  Toronto 
home  to  the  city  and  country. 

For  years  our  members  have  been  urged  to  build  up  their 
country  by  buying  whenever  possible  goods  made  in  Canada 
or  in  the  Empire.  I  am  glad  to  note  that  other  societies  and 
the  public  are  giving  attention  to  this  subject. 

In  conclusion,  some  of  our  wants  may  be  stated:  Members 
are  asked  for  good  photographs  of  fine  old  houses  in  the  coun- 
try or  in  different  towns  as  well  as  from  Toronto.  As  ever 
war  letters  are  desired.  War  books  are  disappearing  from 
our  shelves,  many  of  these  would  prove  invaluable  in  our 

library,  and  members  are  asked  to  contribute  these. 

******* 

SARA  MICKLE. 


Recording  Secretary's  Report 

During  the  past  year  there  have  been  seven  regular  and 
eight  executive  meetings  of  the  Women's  Canadian  Historical 
Society  which  have  been  well  attended.  The  historical  papers 
of  a  very  high  order. 

October— "History  in  the  Making  by  Our  Soldiers,"  by 
Mrs.  A.  Van  Koughnet. 

November— "Settlement   and    Resettlement,"     by    Prof 
C.  N.  Fay. 

December— "Canada's  Gifts  to  World  Progress,"  by 
Dr.  L.  B.  Jackes. 

January — "Old  Toronto  Houses,"  by  Dr.  F.  Grasett. 

February— "Notes  on  Founding  Christ  Church,  Camp- 
bellford,"  by  Miss  Hilda  Bonnycastle. 

March — "Berkeley  House,"  by  Mrs.  Edgar  Jarvis. 

"Notes  on  a  Visitor's  Book  at  Brock's  Monu- 
ment, 1821,"  by  Miss  K.  Symons. 

April— "Colborne  Lodge,"  by  Mrs.  A.  G.  H.  White. 

"Personal  Reminiscences  of  the  Howard  Family," 
by  Mrs.  John  Bruce. 

On  March  10th  an  open  meeting  was  held  at  which  Dr. 
W.  A.  Parks  gave  an  illustrated  lecture,  entitled,  "With  the 
British  Scientists  on  the  Western  Excursion." 

On  May  28th  a  meeting  was  held  at  High  Park  where  the 
historic  treasures  bequeathed  by  the  late  John  G.  Howard, 
donor  of  High  Park,  were  viewed  by  the  members  of  your 
Society.  Following  the  inspection  of  Colborne  Lodge,  the 
afternoon  was  concluded  with  "tea"  in  one  of  the  beautiful 
open  spaces  of  the  park. 

At  all  meetings  different  members  have  brought  interesting 
historical  records  or  relics  for  exhibition;  these  have  added 
much  to  our  pleasure  and  to  our  knowledge  of  early  conditions. 

The  following  new  members  have  been  welcomed:  Lady 
Moss,  Miss  Bond,  Miss  Janet  Price,  Mrs.  F.  Molyneux, 
Mrs.  John  Bruce,  Mrs.  S.  J.  Radcliffe,  Mrs.  D.  P.  Rogers, 
Mrs.  J.  W.  Daniel,  Mrs.  Wallace  Bruce,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Lavell, 
Mrs.  George  Russell. 

With  deep  regret  your  Society  records  the  death  of  Colonel 
G.  T.  Denison.  He  was  among  the  first  of  the  many  dis- 


tinguished  men  who  have  honoured  and  encouraged  us  by 
becoming  honorary  members  of  the  Society.  An  ardent 
patriot,  his  love  of  country  stirred  the  loyalty  of  others;  and 
his  long  and  honourable  service  to  this  city  and  to  this  country, 
to  which  he  gave  of  his  best,  should  ever  be  remembered  with 
gratitude. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

CAROLYN  ROBERTS, 

Recording  Secretary. 


Corresponding  Secretary's  Report  for 
Year  Ending  April,  1925 


During  the  year  Transaction  No.  24  was  printed. 

This  contains: 

1.  Notes  on  the  Founding  of  Christ  Church,  Camp- 
bellford,  by  Hilda  Bonnycastle. 

2.  "Canada  in  1834"— Recollections  of  Mrs.  Rothwell, 
taken  down  by  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Edward  Leigh: 

(a)  Some  incidents  in  Mrs.  Rothwell's  Life,  by  her 
granddaughter,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Cameron ; 

(b)  Letters  to  Mrs.  Rothwell  from  the  Rev.  Philip 
Harding,   giving  some  account  of  his  mission  at 
Apsley,  Ont. 

Copies  of  this  Transaction  were  sent  to  members  of  the 
Legislature  and  to  our  list  of  exchanges. 

We  regret  to  report  the  death  of  Mrs.  Ellis,  a  very  valued 
member  of  long  standing  in  the  Society. 

An  inquiry  regarding  the  overland  journey  of  some 
Toronto  men,  in  1862,  to  the  West,  was  received  from  Dr. 
Wade,  of  Kamloops,  B.C.,  who  is  collecting  material  for  a 
book.  The  files  of  the  Toronto  Globe,  in  the  Parliamentary 
Library,  were  gone  through  and  the  information  found  in 
them,  was  forwarded  to  Dr.  Wade. 

Publications  received: 

Washington    Historical    Quarterly   from   Seattle,   for 
April,  1924,  also  July,  1924. 

The  Report  of  the  Canadian  Historical  Association. 

ETHEL  S.  NEILLY, 

Corresponding  Secretary. 


Treasurer's  Report 

GENERAL  ACCOUNT,  1924-25 

RECEIPTS 

Balance  in  Bank,  April,  1924 $95.41 

Members'  Fees 60.00 

Treasury  Grant 200. 00 

Sale  of  Transactions 2 . 00 

Monthly  Teas 52 . 15 

Bank  Interest 6. 25 

Loaned  to  Memorial  Account 1 . 00 

$416.81 

EXPENDITURE 

Printing  Transactions $105. 40 

Printing,  Post  Cards,  etc 89. 59 

Postage  and  Stationery 3 . 40 

Tea  Service  at  Sherbourne  House 31 . 30 

Flowers 12.50 

Rent  for  use  of  Sherbourne  Club,  '23-24  25 . 00 

Rent  for  use  of  Sherbourne  Club,  '24-25  25 . 00 

Fees  Canadian  Historical  Society 5 . 00 

Expense    for   Open    Meeting,    79   St. 

George  Street 9. 50 

Loaned  to  Memorial  Account .  1 . 00 


$307.69 

Balance  in  Bank,  April  16th,  1925 109. 12 

$416.81 

MEMORIAL  FUND  ACCOUNT,  1924-1925 

RECEIPTS 

Balance  in  Bank,  April,  1924 $376.93 

Interest  on  Bond  and  Loans 640. 86 

Donations 14. 50 

Life  Membership  (Mrs.  Harry  Hooper)  25 . 00 

Loaned  from  General  Account 1 . 00 

Sale  of  Transactions 6 . 00 

$1,064.29 


EXPENDITURES 

Dominion  of  Canada  Bonds $617. 10 

Interest  Brokerage  and  Postage 6.41 

Balance  due  John  Stark  &  Co.  for  pur- 
chase of  $6,300  Dominion  of  Canada 

Bonds 11.00 

Rent  for  Safety  Box 3. 00 

Return  of  Loan  to  General  Account. .  1 . 00 


$638.51 

Balance  in  Bank,  April  15th,  1925 425.78 

$1,064.29 

SECURITIES 

War  Loans  and  Victory  Bonds $8,700.00 

Canadian  Permanent  Securities 1,100.00 


$9,800.00 
Cash,  Balance  in  Bank  as  above 425.  78 


Total  Cash  and  Securities $10,225.  78 

JEAN  PARKS, 

Honorary  Treasurer. 

Audited  and  found  correct. 

L.  D.  STUPART,  Auditor. 


Report  of  the  Curator 


Four  photographs,  two  of  the  late  Quetton  St.  George; 
one  full  length,  wearing  the  Order  of  St.  Louis;  two  of  Glen- 
lonely,  formerly  his  home  at  Oak  Ridges. 

One  scrap  book :  data  concerning  the  Prisoners  of  War  and 
the  Bread  Fund,  giving  a  complete  history  of  the  movement. 

Four  etchings — Brock's  Monument  at  Night,  1920. 

Old  Windmill  Point,  Lake  Erie,  1922. 
Old  Barracks,  Fort  George,  1886. 
The  Cellar,  Fort  Niagara,  N.Y.,  1924. 

These  have  been  framed  by  the  generosity  of  a  member. 

Three  small  bundles  of  papers,  chiefly  military;  from  Mrs. 
Edward  Leigh's  belongings,  from  her  executor,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Cameron,  a  former  member. 

Second  volume  Simcoe  Papers. 

Two  etchings — Interior  Old  Fort  Niagara. 

Gate,  Old  Fort  Niagara.    A  copy  of  this 
etching  was  shown  at  Wembley. 

Canadian  war  poems — Marching  Men,  Helena  Coleman. 
Songs  of  an  Airman,  Hartley  Munro  Thomas. 

LUELLA    CORLEY, 

Curator. 


10 


HENRY   QUETTON  ST.   GEORGE 

It  is  supposed   he  is  wearing   the  Order  of   St.    Louis  granted   to 

his  father,    Laurent   Quetton   St.   George    by   Louis 

XVIII.      These   much-prized   decorations 

were  left   to   relatives. 


The  Colony  of  French  Emigres  in 
York  County,  Ontario— 1798 

Read    before  The  Women's  Canadian  Historical   Society  of 

Toronto,  bv  Mrs.  Balmer  Neilly,  at  their 

April  meeting  in  1924. 

After  the  disastrous  results  of  the  first  French  Revolution,  the  sup- 
porters of  the  Royalist  party  in  France  found  themselves  in  dire  difficulties. 
Their  homes  in  many  cases  were  destroyed;  they  were  driven  from  their 
estates  which  were  seized  by  the  Revolutionists;  many  had  a  price  put 
upon  their  heads,  and  were  forced  to  assume  new  names  to  conceal  their 
identity  in  order  to  make  good  their  escape  from  their  country.  Many  of 
them  fled  across  the  channel  and  threw  themselves  upon  the  generosity 
of  England,  and  England  was  generous. 

It  has  been  impossible  to  ascertain  just  how  many  sought  a  refuge 
there.  In  one  place  the  statement  is  made  that  8,000  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  clergy  found  sanctuary  in  England,  and  were  well  treated  by  a 
Protestant  people.  Wm.  Jarvis  writing  to  Rev.  Samuel  Peters,  in  England, 
from  York,  under  date  of  August,  1799,  says:  "The  Count  (meaning  de 
Puisaye)  informed  me  while  at  dinner  with  us,  that  there  were  about 
20,000  in  like  situation  with  himself,  who  wished  to  emigrate  to  Upper 
Canada."  A  fair  inference  would  be  that  the  party  who  sought  refuge  in 
England  numbered  at  least  30,000.  Upon  arriving  in  England,  those 
who  were  able  to  work,  made  every  effort  to  earn  a  livelihood,  but  many, 
very  many  there  were,  who  were  quite  dependent  on  the  charity  and 
liberality  of  an  alien  race.  From  Forneron's  and  Stephen's  History  of  the 
Emigres  of  the  French  Revolution,  we  learn  that  voluntary  subscription, 
headed  by  the  King,  resulted  in  something  over  $200,000  being  raised,  and 
at  a  later  date  a  second  sum  of  nearly  $170,000  was  raised  by  similar  means. 
In  1793  the  government  levied  a  special  tax  for  the  same  purpose,  and  by 
this  means  a  generous  sum  was  raised  annually.  In  all,  it  has  been 
estimated  that  approximately  $9,000,000  was  provided  by  the  generosity 
of  the  English  people,  to  assist  these  unfortunate  exiles.  But  England 
had  English  poor,  and  so  this  amount  could  not  be  provided  indefinitely  to 
assist  aliens.  Besides  these  emigres  were  a  proud  people,  of  great  spirit, 
many  of  them  having  been  officers  in  the  Royalist  forces,  and  therefore  of 
the  proud  nobility  of  France.  To  be  forced  to  rely  upon  the  benevolence 
of  strangers  for  even  bare  sustenance,  must  have  been  a  chafing  and  almost 
unendurable  position  for  these  spirited  people. 

Outstanding  among  the  Refugees,  was  one,  Joseph  Genevieve,  Comte 
de  Puisaye,  and  because  he  was  the  moving  spirit  in  the  Expedition  in 

11 


which  we  are  interested,  perhaps  a  brief  sketch  of  his  career  would  not  be 
out  of  place  here. 

Born  at  Montagne  1754,  the  youngest  son  of  a  noble  family,  he  was 
intended  for  the  Church,  and  partially  educated  for  the  priesthood.  But 
as  was  perhaps  natural  in  a  youth  of  his  rank,  at  that  period  in  France, 
the  lure  of  a  military  life  induced  him  to  enter  the  army  and  he  joined  the 
regiment  of  Conti  Cavalry  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  as  sub-lieutenant. 
On  the  death  of  his  father  he  purchased  a  commission  in  the  Swiss  Guard, 
which  were  a  part  of  the  king's  household.  On  the  Convocation  of  the 
States  General  he  was  chosen  by  the  nobles  of  La  Perche  to  represent 
them.  In  this  capacity  he  chose  the  popular  side  and  was  one  of  the  few 
of  the  nobility  who  advocated  reforms  and  supported  the  demands  of  the 
common  people.  In  1791  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  National 
Guards  in  the  district  of  Evreux,  and  made  an  effort  to  raise  an  army 
which  was  to  be  used  to  secure  the  safety  of  the  King.  However,  the  event- 
ful 10th  of  August,  when  the  palace  was  stormed,  and  the  Swiss  Guard 
massacred,  put  an  end  to  that  plan.  But  the  army  was  held  together  in 
order  to  withstand  the  hated  and  unjust  tyranny  of  the  Convention. 
De  Puisaye  was  chief  of  the  staff  of  the  army  of  the  department  of  the 
Eure,  when  the  Jacobins  took  possession  of  Vernon  in  1793,  and  he  was 
ordered  by  his  chief  to  dislodge  them.  His  soldiers  were  either  disloyal 
to  him,  or  terrified  by  the  Convention,  for,  it  is  said,  "They  ran  away 
with  the  most  scandalous  precipitation,  and  never  after  could  be  persuaded 
to  approach  the  enemy." 

After  the  execution  of  the  King  and  upon  the  death  of  the  leader  of 
the  Royalist  forces  in  Brittany,  De  Puisaye  found  himself  at  the  head  of 
that  part  of  the  army.  At  that  time  (1793)  he  was  wandering  in  Brittany 
with  a  price  upon  his  head.  Lamartinesays:  "He  remained  concealed  fora 
whole  year,  in  a  cavern,  in  the  forests  of  Brittany,  where  by  his  man- 
oeuvres and  correspondence  he  managed  to  kindle  the  fire  of  revolt  against 
the  Republic."  He  also  adds:  "He  was  at  once  an  orator,  a  diplomat  and 
a  soldier,"  and  ranks  him  rather  as  an  adventurer,  a  character  eminently 
adapted  for  civil  war,  which  produces  more  adventurers  than  heroes.  He 
had,  it  is  said,  uncommon  natural  talents  which  had  been  carefully  culti- 
vated. He  was  well  informed,  eloquent,  resourceful,  self-possessed, 
having  great  presence  of  mind,  was  dignified  of  bearing,  and  of  tall  and 
commanding  stature.  (Those  of  you  who  have  any  curiosity  concerning 
his  appearance,  may  see  a  very  charming  picture  of  himself  and  his  wife 
in  the  John  Ross  Robertson  collection  in  the  Library.)  In  1794  he  went 
over  to  England  and  laid  his  plan  before  Pitt  who  was  then  the  Prime 
Minister,  Henry  Dundas,  Home  Secretary,  and  William  Wyndham 
Grenville,  Auditor  of  Exchequer,  asking  their  aid.  They  promised  to 
assist  him,  and  to  send  over  a  force  of  6,000  emigres  in  the  pay  of  Great 
Britain,  a  regiment  of  artillery,  and  equipment  and  arms  for  80,000  men. 
They  expected  80,000  Royalists  from  Brittany  to  join  them.  Imagine 

12 


their  surprise  and  resentment  when  they  were  informed  that  during  de 
Puisaye's  absence  in  England,  a  truce  between  the  Royalists  and  the 
Convention  had  been  formed.  He  sent  an  emissary  to  Brittany  to  repair 
the  damage,  and  himself  succeeded  in  reassuring  Great  Britain. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  the  expedition  arrived  in  Quiberon  Bay.  Then 
followed  the  terrible  disaster  and  massacre  of  the  emigres  by  the  orders  of 
the  Convention.  Treachery,  disloyalty,  a  divided  command  and  poor 
organization  all  played  their  part  in  the  disaster,  but  de  Puisaye  alone  was 
blamed.  Many  believed  he  had  betrayed  the  Royalist  cause.  However, 
he  had  a  loyal  supporter  in  Baron  Grenville,  the  Treasurer  of  the 
Exchequer,  who,  in  a  letter  dated  Park  Street,  Westminster,  July  30th, 
1798,  to  President  Russell,  exonerates  de  Puisaye  of  any  responsibility  in 
the  disaster.  Thiers,  in  his  History  of  the  French  Revolution,  says  that 
it  is  certain  at  Quiberon  de  Puisaye  did  all  that  he  possibly  could  have  done. 
Other  historians  disagree  with  him,  and  say  that  he  was  ambitious  for 
personal  glory.  Also  that  he  accepted  a  large  sum  of  money  from  the 
British  government.  This  was  denied  by  Dundas,  but  after  coming  to 
Canada  de  Puisaye  had  wealth,  while  the  other  emigres  had  nothing  but 
the  most  extreme  poverty.  At  any  rate  de  Puisaye  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  lieutenant-general,  left  France  and  went  to  England. 

But  this  restless,  active  mind  could  not  long  remain  inactive  and  among 
the  Archives  of  1888,  we  find  a  plan,  a  most  elaborate  plan  (a),  which 
I  have  appended  to  this  paper,  drawn  up,  but  neither  dated  nor  signed. 
The  project  is  thought  to  have  been  formed  in  the  mind  of  de  Puisaye  and 
the  plan  forwarded  to  the  Government  by  him. 

The  proposal  was  to  form  a  Royalist  settlement  in  Upper  Canada. 
The  military  plan  of  settlement  was  most  carefully  drawn  up,  every  con- 
tingency seemed  to  have  been  thought  of  and  every  chance  of  failure  seemed 
to  have  been  guarded  against  in  it,  and  it  was  accepted  almost  in  its  entirety 
by  the  British  Government. 

There  was  a  threefold  reason  for  the  adoption  of  the  plan. 

The  British  Government  wished  to  do  something  generous  for  the 
emigres.  They  also  wished  to  colonize  Canada  and  also  to  rid  themselves, 
as  readily  as  possible,  of  the  terrible  burden  entailing  the  support  of  so 
many  helpless  people.  In  the  Dominion  Archives  there  is  a  letter  from  the 
Duke  of  Portland  to  President  Russell  dated  Whitehall,  July  5th,  1798, 
in  which  he  informs  President  Russell,  that  the  Government  proposes  to 
grant  a  settlement  in  Upper  Canada  to  M.  de  Puisaye  and  to  about  forty 
of  the  Royalists,  and  wishes  President  Russell  to  take  measures  to  allot 
them  lands  in  as  suitable  situations  as  possible,  in  the  proportion  granted 
to  the  American  Loyalists,  considering  M.  de  Puisaye  as  a  field  officer  and 
the  other  officers  according  to  their  rank.  He  says  they  will  be  provided 
with  necessary  funds  and  equipment  to  settle  the  land.  However,  when 
the  expedition  started  the  Government  found  itself  out  of  funds  and  the 

13 


necessary  capital  had  to  be  advanced  by  de  Puisaye  from  his  private  means, 
with  the  promise  of  reimbursement  from  the  British  Government  when  the 
expensive  war  should  be  over. 

Among  the  Sessional  Papers  in  the  Parliamentary  Library  here,  is 
one  called  "Regulations  for  the  Colony."  It  is  not  necessary  to  include 
in  this  paper  the  entire  record,  but  sufficient  to  say  that  by  it  the  King 
of  England  graciously  permitted  an  establishment  of  Royalists  in  Upper 
Canada,  and  directed  that  the  corps  be  under  the  command  of  the  Comte 
de  Puisaye.  The  colony  was  to  be  financed  and  rationed  by  the  Govern- 
ment, until  such  time  as  the  settlers  were  sufficiently  self-supporting;  and 
land  was  to  be  granted  in  a  suitable  position,  the  amounts  according  to 
the  military  rank  of  the  various  settlers.  The  Royalists  were  to  have  free 
passage,  agricultural  implements  as  well,  and  were  to  be  accorded  every 
assistance  possible  by  the  Colonial  Government. 

There  is  no  record  of  the  matter  having  been  advertised  in  England, 
and  it  is  thought  that  so  many  were  eager  to  come  that  no  difficulty  in 
securing  the  required  number  was  encountered. 

The  party  set  sail  from  Portsmouth  early  in  1798,  in  the  Betsy,  a 
government  ship. 

In  letters  to  their  friends,  written  before  leaving  London,  St.  George, 
Marseuil,  and  Coster  St.  Victor  give  them  to  understand  that  only 
sailors  rations  had  been  provided  for  them  by  the  British  Government 
for  the  voyage.  Sailors'  rations  in  those  days  must  have  been  quite  superior 
fare,  as  later  on  they  speak  of  bouillon,  chicken  and  red  wine  on  board 
ship. 

The  journey  to  Quebec  was  apparently  as  uneventful  as  it  was  long, 
taking  three  months,  and  outside  of  the  information  that  de  Puisaye  and 
Beaupoil  became  estranged  on  the  voyage  out,  we  know  little.  Quite  an 
amusing  incident  of  the  trip  is  told.  No  doubt  wearied  terribly  by  the 
length  of  the  voyage  and  the  close  confinement  of  the  ship,  and  thinking 
to  create  a  little  diversion,  de  Puisaye  called  all  the  officers,  privates  and 
servants  on  deck  and  there,  ever  fond  of  playing  the  Prince,  with  quite  a 
little  ceremony,  he,  by  the  power  vested  in  him,  by  him  who  called  himself 
Louis  XVIII,  created  Marseuil  and  Laurent  Quetton  St.  George,  Chevaliers 
de  Saint-Louis.  The  privates  and  servants  treated  the  matter  as  a  joke, 
and  thereafter  dubbed  the  two  gentlemen  "Chevaliers  de  la  Betsy."  The 
vessel  reached  Quebec  on  October  7th,  where  one  of  the  party  died  and  two 
were  drowned,  and  several  others  abandoned  the  party.  Proceeding  on 
their  journey,  some  travelled  by  boat  to  Montreal  and  some  overland,  and 
by  October  18th  all  were  assembled  to  start  on  the  next  stage  of  the 
journey  from  Lachine  to  Kingston.  The  Assistant  Commissary  General, 
Mr.  I.  W.  Clarke,  had  been  appointed  to  look  after  the  comfort  and  welfare 
of  the  strangers.  They  left  Lachine  on  October  20th  in  twelve  batteaux. 

14 


Two  contained  the  travellers,  and  ten  were  loaded  with  their  furniture  and 
effects.  Mr.  Clarke  says:  "They  were  as  comfortably  provided  for  as 
possible,  and  they  went  off,  to  all  appearance,  in  good  spirits  and  well 
satisfied.  I  understand  from  the  General  that  the  people  were  tampered 
with  on  their  way  from  Quebec,  being  told  that  they  were  going  to  a  sickly, 
cold  country  and  that  they  would  do  better  to  stay  below.  Some  of  them 
show  a  reluctance  to  going  on,  and  had  they  had  any  time,  there  would, 
I  believe,  have  been  difficulties  with  them."  Mr.  Clarke  hurried  them  on 
from  Montreal  in  two  days  for  fear  they  should  elect  to  remain  there 
indefinitely.  Travelling  from  Montreal  to  Kingston  in  batteaux  was 
tedious  and  slow,  especially  as  the  party  had  to  sleep  on  shore  each  night. 
The  men  had  been  provided  with  a  blanket,  and  the  women,  of  whom  there 
were  two,  each  with  two  blankets.  Sleeping  in  the  open  in  autumn  weather 
with  one  or  even  two  blankets  would  seem  an  almost  insupportable 
hardship.  They  arrived  in  Kingston  in  November,  where  they  were 
kindly  received. 

In  a  letter  from  President  Russell  to  the  Duke  of  Portland,  dated 
York,  Upper  Canada,  November  3,  1798,  he  states  that  he  has  advised 
de  Puisaye  to  allow  his  party  to  remain  at  Newark  or  Kingston,  as  there 
was  no  accommodation  for  a  party  of  that  size  in  York,  advising  him  to 
come  on  alone  and  discuss  plans  for  settling  the  party  comfortably.  This 
advice  was  followed  by  de  Puisaye,  and  in  a  letter  from  President  Russell 
to  the  Duke  of  Portland,  dated  York,  November  21,  1798,  he  says  that 
de  Puisaye  has  arrived  in  York.  In  fact,  he  had  arrived  on  November 
18th,  the  journey  from  Kingston  by  boat  having  taken  but  two  days. 
In  the  above  letter  President  Russell  says  that  Comte  de  Puisaye  was 
satisfied  with  the  choice  of  location  made  for  the  settlement,  which  was 
between  York  and  Lake  Simcoe,  where  the  Surveyor-General  (6)  was  in- 
structed to  lay  off  four  townships  to  the  north  of  Markham,  Pickering 
and  Whitby.  Comte  de  Puisaye  accompanied  the  Surveyor-General  to 
explore  the  country.  (Perhaps  he  then  formed  the  unfavourable  opinion 
which  so  soon  led  him  to  purchase  land  at  Niagara.)  The  townships  of 
Uxbridge,  Gwillimbury,  and  a  township  in  the  rear  of  Whitby  and  the 
ungranted  part  of  Whitchurch,  was  laid  out  for  the  new  colony.  Also 
there  was  land  on  Yonge  Street,  some  twenty-two  lots  of  two  hundred 
acres  each,  near  Bond's  Lake,  to  establish  a  town,  which  was  to  be  named 
Wind  ham. 

Many  have  wondered  why  the  French  Royalists,  having  so  much  to 
choose  from,  should  have  elected  to  settle  on  such  unproductive  soil. 
The  reasons  are  numerous  and  varied,  and  apparently  all  quite  good 
reasons.  First,  these  emigres  themselves  had  asked  that  they  be  given 
land  away  from  the  other  French  settlements,  namely,  in  Quebec  and 
Detroit,  as  they  felt  they  preferred  not  to  mix  with  those  of  their  own 
nationality  already  here,  being  of  a  different  station  in  life  from  the  average 
emigrant  from  France.  De  Puisaye  favoured  the  location  because  it  was 

15 


near  the  seat  of  Government  (he  did  not  favour  it  for  himself,  needless 
to  say)  because  they  would  more  readily  receive  any  needed  assistance 
as  well  as  be  more  easily  controlled,  and  President  Russell  adds,  in  his 
letter  to  the  Duke  of  Portland,  under  date  of  November  3,  1798,  "They 
may  as  well  fill  up  an  uninhabited  space,  through  which  Indians  might 
advance  to  the  destruction  of  this  town  (York)  before  we  could  receive 
sufficient  warning  of  their  approach."  The  latter  seems  rather  a  sordid 
reason  to  put  forth,  but  such  was  the  necessity  of  the  times.  In  return 
the  Comte  de  Puisaye  gave  promise  (c)  that  no  emigre,  of  whose  principles 
they  were  not  sure,  would  be  admitted  into  the  establishment. 

Shortly  before  the  New  Year,  some  of  those  left  at  Kingston  came  on 
to  York  and  from  there  out  to  their  allotments.  At  first  all  lived  in  a 
temporary  barracks,  and  by  the  middle  of  February  they  had  felled  trees 
enough  to  clear  the  land  for  and  erect  eighteen  houses,  finished  on  the 
outside  but  not  within.  Every  assistance  was  lent  the  newcomers  by  the 
Government,  both  in  rations  and  aid  of  every  kind.  In  the  spring  several 
more  of  those  wintering  at  Kingston  arrived.  Several,  fearing  the  utter 
uselessness  of  people  of  their  rank  and  unsuitability  attempting  to  conquer 
such  a  wild,  rough  country,  came  no  farther  than  Kingston,  and  decided 
(d)  to  make  every  effort  to  return  to  England  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  names  of  those  who  actually  did  come  and  settle  in  this  new 
grant  of  land  are  given  in  a  list  dated  York,  Upper  Canada,  September  3, 
1799: 

LIST  OF  THOSE  EMIGRES  WHO  ACTUALLY  CAME  TO  CANADA  AND  SETTLED 
AT  WlNDHAM,  NEAR  BOND'S  LAKE. 

Monsieur  d'Allegre Colonel. 

The  Vicomte  de  Chalus Colonel. 

Monsieur  de  Marseuil Lieutenant-Colonel. 

Monsieur  Quetton  de  St.  George..  .Major. 

(e)  Monsieur  Boiton Captain. 

Monsieur  de  Farcy Captain. 

Monsieur  de  la  Richerie Lieutenant. 

Madame  Vicomtesse  de  Chalus. 

Renon Private. 

Fauchard Private. 

(/)  Private  Sejau  or  (Segent)  now 
called  Saigeon. 

Le  Bugle Private. 

Champagne Private. 

Polard Private. 

Furan Private. 

Letourneux  dit  Langevin Private. 

Fanny His  wife. 

Laugel Private. 

Boyer Private. 

16 


AT  NIAGARA. 

The  Count  de  Puisaye Lieutenant-General 

Count  de  Chalus Major-General. 

Marchand Private. 

Mrs.  Smithers. .  Housekeeper  to  Count  de  Puisaye. 

John  Thompson Servant  to  Count  de  Puisaye. 

2  lost  their  passage  from  England. 
1  died;  2  drowned  at  Quebec. 
16  abandoned  the  enterprise. 
Canadian  servants — 

Valiere  and  his  family Blacksmith. 

Gareau (Garrow.) 

Mainvelle  and  his  family Labourer. 

Antoine  Lafleche 
La  Bonhomme. 

Dated  at  York,  Upper  Canada,  September  3rd,  1799. 

While  these  houses  were  being  built  and  the  land  cleared  the  Govern- 
ment lent  every  assistance  possible,  and  although  their  orders  from  England 
were  to  assist  these  people  in  every  way  as  they  had  the  United  Empire 
Loyalists,  the  Government,  out  of  sympathy  with  them,  really  went  much 
further,  even  transporting  their  supplies  from  York  to  Windham. 

During  the  early  spring,  de  Puisaye,  thinking  to  better  things,  went 
over  to  the  Niagara.  There  he  bought  a  farm  of  300  acres,  paying  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  $3,000  for  it.  The  house  was  rebuilt  and  refurnished. 
It  stood  upon  a  lofty  point  above  the  Niagara  River,  and  commanded  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  swift-flowing  stream  below.  (A  picture  of  this  is 
to  be  seen  in  the  John  Ross  Robertson  collection.)  The  furnishings  of 
the  house  were  from  London  and  of  the  best,  Turkey  carpets  were  on  the 
floors,  beautiful  engravings  on  the  walls,  mirrors  also.  A  fine  library 
containing  1,500  volumes,  a  chime  clock  and  mahogany  furniture,  added 
notes  of  luxury  almost  unheard  of  in  this  country  at  that  time.  The 
grounds  were  planted  with  shrubs  sent,  some  from  England  and  some 
from  the  garden  of  Sir  Richard  Cartwright  in  Kingston.  (The  query  is, 
where  did  he  get  the  money?) 

The  improvements  and  furnishings  cost  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
£5,400.  But  although  he  had  removed  to  Niagara,  he  still  was  head  of 
the  establishment  in  York,  coming  to  Toronto,  where  he  also  had  a  house, 
at  intervals  to  oversee  affairs  in  the  colony. 

He  took  with  him  to  Niagara  his  housekeeper  Mrs.  Smithers,  and 
his  two  servants,  Marchand  and  Thompson,  thus  again  dividing  the  tiny 
colony,  which  was  having  a  hard  struggle  for  existence,  and  life  in  Canada 
at  that  time  was  hard,  and  especially  so  for  these  French  people  of  a 
totally  different  climate  and  country.  The  trees  that  were  to  be  used  for 

17 


their  homes  were  giant  pines,  and  the  woodsmen  were  the  most  inexperi- 
enced and  the  land  was  cleared  slowly  and  oftentimes,  through  inexperi- 
ence, an  unnecessary  amount  of  labour  and  misfortune  were  entailed. 
When  spring  came  the  roads  to  York  were  impassable,  and  on  this  account 
a  party  of  servants,  to  help  with  the  work,  who  were  expected  in  March 
from  Montreal,  were  unable  to  reach  Windham  until  June.  During  that 
time  supplies  could  not  be  procured  and  the  settlers,  brave-hearted  as 
they  were,  grew  discouraged.  However,  the  seed  given  them  was  sowed 
in  the  little  plots  of  ground  that  each  had  cleared,  and  hope  was  revived, 
but  the  plots  were  either  protected  by  very  primitive  fences  or  by  none 
at  all,  and  oftentimes  the  cattle  and  oxen  ate  up  what  grain  there  was. 
The  Government  plan  provided  a  cow  for  every  three  families,  or  where 
there  were  children  the  cow  supplied  only  two  families.  Each  family 
was  given  a  pig  as  well. 

In  the  autumn  of  1799,  just  a  year  after  the  arrival  of  these  people 
from  the  Old  World,  we  have  some  account  of  the  progress  of  the  little 
colony.  In  a  letter  from  General  Hunter  to  the  Duke  of  Portland,  dated 
October  11,  1799,  from  Quebec,  he  says  in  part:  "When  at  York,  I  made 
particular  inquiries  into  the  actual  situation  of  the  French  emigrants, 
and  from  the  enclosed  statement,  furnished  by  Mr.  Angus  MacDonnel, 
their  friend  and  agent  at  York,  your  Grace  will  observe  that  of  the  original 
number  sent  out  from  England,  only  25  now  remain  in  Upper  Canada — 
five  residing  at  Niagara,  and  twenty  upon  their  lands  at  Windham.  Those 
at  Windham  have  cleared  between  forty  and  fifty  acres  of  land  and  if  I 
can  credit  their  own  statements,  are  entirely  destitute  of  funds,  on  which 
account  they  earnestly  request  that  I  order  some  seed,  wheat  and  barley, 
to  be  given  them,  without  which  they  could  not  have  it  in  their  power 
to  sow  the  lands  they  had  cleared.  I  granted  this  request.  There  are 
also  twenty-one  artificers,  labourers,  etc.,  at  Windham,  employed  by  the 
French  emigrants,  to  whom  Mr.  Russell  has  granted  rations. 

"Your  Grace  may  rely  that  rations  shall  not  be  granted  to  the  French 
emigrants  longer  than  absolute  necessity  may  require,  and  I  shall  not  fail 
in  keeping  in  view  and  taking  for  my  guide  the  allowances  that  were 
made  to  the  American  Royalists  on  their  first  arrival  in  the  Province." 

One  by  one  the  families  settled,  each  on  the  portion  of  land  assigned, 
as  a  clearing  was  made  and  a  home  built.  The  plan  was  that  each  of  the 
officers  should  live  on  the  fifty-acre  lot  in  Windham,  letting  the  larger 
farms  out.  It  finally  had  been  decided,  after  much  discussion  between 
the  Home  Office,  the  Colonial  Office,  the  Comte  de  Puisaye  and  the  Comte 
de  Chalus,  who  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  colony  in  the  former's  absence, 
that  5,000  acres  should  be  given  every  Field  Officer,  Marseuil,  Boiton, 
Comte  de  Chalus,  Viscount  de  Chalus  and  Quetton  St.  George.  Farcy 
was  to  receive  3,000,  as  he  was  a  Captain.  Le  Bugle  received  300;  Furon 
also  took  up  300.  But  the  other  privates,  being  either  satisfied  that  they 
could  not  manage  the  whole  300,  which  was  their  share,  or  not  knowing 

18 


enough  of  the  language  to  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity,  we  do  not 
know,  but  we  do  know  from  the  records  (contained  in  the  Domesday 
Books)  that  Renon  took  up  157  acres,  Sejan  148,  Fauchard  95, 
Letourneux  95,  and  Marchand  115.  Few  of  the  officers  ever  received* 
their  full  quota  of  land,  except  the  Vicomte  de  Chalus,  and  that  not  until 
fully  fifteen  years  had  elapsed.  There  was  also  the  difficulty  of  receiving 
valid  titles  to  their  holdings,  on  account  of  their  alien  birth  and  the  fact 
that  they  were  not  British  subjects,  de  Puisaye  having  been  the  only  one 
of  the  emigres  who  had  taken  out  his  naturalization  papers  and  even  he 
was  never  able  to  make  good  his  title.  The  French  called  them  "papers 
of  denization,"  and  the  patents  for  their  lands  could  be  issued  to  them 
only  after  a  seven  years'  residence  in  the  colony.  However,  after  much 
discussion  and  after  the  matter  had  been  brought  before  the  Governor 
several  times,  and  each  time  laid  aside,  the  patents  to  the  land  were 
finally  issued  to  them,  although  they  still  were  aliens. 

After  seven  years'  residence  on  these  holdings,  seven  years  of  toil 
privation,  hardship  and  suffering  such  as  these  people  had  not  dreamed 
of  enduring  for  even  one  year,  is  it  any  wonder  that  they  wished  to  leave 
them  forever.  The  land  was  most  difficult  to  clear  and  cultivate,  help 
was  scarce  and  the  soil  poor  and  unproductive.  While,  for  the  most  part, 
their  life  in  the  country  must  have  been  drab  and  colourless  enough,  they 
were  sometimes  able  to  avail  themselves  of  the  gay  festivities  in  York. 
In  one  history  we  read  an  account  of  the  Ball  given  by  the  Governor  of 
York,  at  which  the  jewels  of  Madame  la  Comtesse  de  Chalus  created  a 
great  sensation,  wholly  surpassing  everything  of  the  kind  which  had 
hitherto  been  seen  by  the  ladies  of  Upper  Canada. 

One  by  one,  as  the  patents  were  granted,  they  sold  out  their  holdings 
as  speedily  as  possible  and  hurried  away,  glad  indeed  to  be  free  to  leave 
such  an  inhospitable  country.  Sometimes  inside  of  three  months,  some- 
times inside  of  one  month,  and  in  one  instance,  in  three  days,  after  receiving 
the  patents,  the  land  was  converted  into  coin  of  the  realm.  The  prices 
varied  from  five  to  twenty  shillings  an  acre,  according  to  the  situation. 
If  the  prices  varied  the  name  of  the  buyer  rarely  did.  It  usually  was 
Laurent  Quetton  St.  George,  and  at  one  time  he  owned  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  26,000  acres,  for  he  of  all  the  emigr6s  had  truly  and  greatly  pros- 
pered. 

Very  early  in  his  sojourn  in  the  country,  with  his  shrewd  intelligence, 
he  had  foreseen  the  possibilities  for  trade,  and  also  probably  foresaw  the 
unlikelihood  of  any  wonderful  success  attending  his  efforts  at  farming  in 
such  a  rough,  strange  land.  He  it  was  who  of  all  the  colonists,  even  more 
than  the  chief  of  the  establishment,  had  determined  to  adopt  fully  and 
finally  this  country  for  his  own.  He  it  was  alone  who,  in  choosing  a  new 
name,  for  many  of  them  had  accepted  a  "nom  de  guerre,"  had  chosen  an 
English  one,  St.  George,  because  he  had  landed  in  England  on  St.  George's 
Day,  and  thereafter  was  known  always,  even  after  his  return  to  France, 
as  Laurent  Quetton  St.  George. 

19 


Reading  from  Transaction  No.  11  of  the  Women's  Canadian  Historical 
Society,  we  are  informed  that,  upon  his  arrival,  he  expended  his  last  ten 
dollars  in  buying  a  peddler's  pack,  to  enable  him  to  trade  with  the  Indians 
and  settlers.  At  any  rate,  we  are  very  certain  that  he  did  not  long  delay 
in  starting  to  trade,  because  in  1802,  when  the  Comte  de  Puisaye  went 
to  England  to  solicit  further  aid  for  his  colony,  St.  George  accompanied 
the  party  as  far  as  New  York,  and  with  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
pounds  advanced  by  de  Puisaye,  he  made  suitable  purchases  for  opening 
the  store  at  Niagara,  which  he  and  Farcy  had  agreed  to  do.  De  Puisaye 
had  left  these  two  in  charge  there  and  appears  to  have  left  Chalus  (Comte) 
in  charge  of  the  colony  in  Windham. 

In  the  Niagara  Herald  of  August  7th,  1802,  we  meet  with  the  following 
advertisement: 

"New  store,  at  the  house  of  the  French  General,  between 
Niagara  and  Queenston." 

"Messrs.  Quetton  St.  George  &  Co.  acquaint  the  Public  that  they 
have  lately  arrived  from  New  York  with  a  general  assortment  of  Dry 
Goods  and  Groceries,  which  will  be  sold  at  the  lowest  price  for  ready 
money,  for  from  the  uncertainty  of  their  residing  any  time  in  these  parts, 
they  cannot  open  accounts  with  any  person.  Will  also  be  found  at  the 
same  store,  an  assortment  of  tools  for  all  mechanics.  They  likewise  have 
well  made  trunks  and  empty  barrels."  One  can  imagine  the  fear  and 
trembling  which  these  young  partners  sent  out  the  announcement,  and 
can  almost  behold  their  joy  and  pride  on  seeing  the  notice  in  print,  and 
rejoice  with  them  when  the  venture  turned  out  to  be  a  great  success. 

With  rare  foresight,  Mr.  St.  George  sought  out  vantage  points  where 
stores  might  be  established  successfully.  He  himself  made  regular  trips 
up  along  Lakes  Simcoe  and  Couchiching,  to  trade  with  the  Mississaugas 
and  established  stores  at  Amherstburg,  under  Mr.  Boucherville's  direction, 
and  at  Kingston,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Boiton,  and  later  in  the  year  also 
at  York.  In  1805  he  dissolved  partnership  with  De  Farcy,  and  himself 
moved  to  York.  In  different  issues  of  Success  and  Oracle,  issued  in 
1805-6,  he  advertised  at  great  length.  But  on  September  20th,  1806,  he 
suddenly  announces  that  he  will  advertise  no  more.  He  now,  once  and 
for  all,  begs  the  Public  to  examine  his  former  advertisements  where  they 
will  find  a  list  of  the  supply  which  he  brings  from  New  York  every  Spring, 
a  similar  assortment  of  which  he  intends  always  to  have  on  hand,  and 
adds  that  almost  the  same  assortment  may  be  had  in  his  Kingston  and 
Amherstburg  stores.  He  does  not  mention  his  stores  at  Queenston, 
Niagara  or  Lundy's  Lane,  the  inference  being  that  they  were  much 
smaller  stores  with  a  more  limited  stock. 

({?)  The  list  of  goods  for  sale  in  these  three  stores  I  have  appended  to 
this  article. 

20 

v" 


In  a  postscript  to  an  advertisement  appearing  in  the  Gazette  of 
December  10th,  1803,  Mr.  St.  George  says  he  is  very  sorry,  on  account 
of  his  customers,  that  he  has  not  received  his  East  India  goods  and 
groceries.  He  is  sure  they  are  at  Oswego,  and  should  they  not  arrive  for 
this  Season,  they  may  be  looked  for  early  in  the  Spring. 

Tradition  says  that  he  built  the  first  brick  building  in  Toronto  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  Princess  and  Queen  Streets.  The  brick  for  the 
building  was  brought  from  Kingston.  Until  1815  he  carried  on  an  active 
and  prosperous  trade,  and  he  became  one  of  the  wealthiest,  as  well  as 
one  of  the  most  widely  known  and  highly  respected  merchants  in  Upper 
Canada.  Some  of  his  goods  he  bought  in  Montreal,  some  in  New  York, 
as  you  have  seen  from  his  advertisements,  and  some  from  England,  and 
no  doubt  much  of  his  success  was  due  to  the  courteous  treatment  accorded 
his  customers. 

However,  in  1815,  after  Louis  XVIII  had  been  restored  to  the  throne 
and  was  showering  favours  on  those  who  had  remained  loyal  to  the  crown, 
many  of  the  emigres  in  Canada  decided  to  return  to  their  native  land,  and 
Quetton  St.  George,  with  a  longing  not  to  be  denied,  yearned  to  see  his 
beloved  France  once  more.  No  doubt  they  had  left  behind  friends  whom, 
after  an  absence  of  fifteen  years,  they  wished  to  revisit,  and  no  doubt 
they  had  the  idea  that  their  estates,  which  had  been  wrested  from  them, 
might  be  restored.  At  any  rate,  we  find  that  at  this  time  the  Comte  de 
Chalus,  the  Vicomte  and  Vicomtesse  de  Chalus,  and  Mr.  Quetton  St. 
George  returned  and  shortly  after  De  Farcy  followed.  Previous  to  this, 
Boiton  had  returned  in  1810.  In  1805,  when  St.  George  and  Farcy  had 
dissolved  partnership,  the  latter  carried  on  business  for  himself  in  Niagara 
for  a  short  time,  but  being  a  poor  business  man,  which  was  probably  the 
reason  for  the  dissolution  of  partnership  with  St.  George,  he  soon  gave 
up  his  store.  He  then  removed  to  his  holdings  at  Windham.  The  farm 
evidently  was  not  a  financial  success  either,  as  he  found  it  necessary  to 
apply  for  a  loan  when  returning  with  his  family  to  France  in  1816. 
Marseuil  asked  that  he  be  given  passage  back,  but  this  was  unfortunately 
impossible  at  that  time,  and  we  do  not  know  whether  he  ever  was  able  to 
return  to  his  native  land  or  not,  but  he  never  did  return  to  Windham. 

So  we  see  with  de  Puisaye,  St.  George,  the  Comte  de  Chalus,  Boiton, 
the  Vicomte  de  Chalus,  Farcy  and  Marseuil  had  all  gone  from  the  colony 
by  1816,  leaving  behind  them  only  a  very  few  of  the  privates  and  servants. 

Unlike  the  others  who  left,  Laurent  Quetton  St.  George  had  no 
thought  of  not  returning.  He  was  going  to  France  for  a  season,  but  he 
had  adopted  Canada  as  his  home.  He  had  taken  an  English  name.  He 
had  made  a  success  of  the  years  he  had  spent  in  the  new  land,  and  because 
he  had  left  his  mark  upon  it,  and  it  was  his  own,  he  loved  it.  He  had 
made  warm  English  friends  here  and  friendships  made  and  kept  through 
times  of  hardship  and  adversity  are  hard  to  sever.  Among  his  papers, 

21 


carefully  treasured  for  over  a  hundred  years,  we  find  one,  perhaps  most 
precious  of  all,  dated  York,  1815.  It  is  a  testimonial  as  to  the  high 
standing  and  integrity  of  Laurent  Quetton  St.  George,  and  is  signed  by 
many  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  York  at  that  time — W.  W.  Baldwin, 
who  was  St.  George's  close  friend,  Bishop  Strachan,  Charles  James  Scott, 
D'Arcy  Boulton,  John  Small,  Receiver- General  McGill,  John  B.  Robinson, 
Solicitor-General,  and  others.  Some  of  the  other  papers  which  testify  to 
his  former  standing  in  France  are: 

A  certificate  of  honourable  service  of  M.  Laurent  de  Quetton,  1791-94, 
signed  De  Conde. 

Commission  as  Lieutenant,  1795. 
Commission  as  Major,  1796. 
Certificate  of  Service,  by  Count  de  Beam. 
Certificate  of  Service,  by  Comte  de  Chalus. 
Certificate  of  Service  in  legion  of  Mirabeau. 

Then  his  commission  as  Lieutenant-Colonel,  signed  by  Louis  XVIII, 
1816,  immediately  after  his  return  to  France. 

Also  his  commission  as  Chevalier  of  the  Military  Order  of  St.  Louis, 
1816,  which  was  one  of  several  very  fortunate  happenings  for  Mr.  Laurent 
Quetton  St.  George  upon  his  return  to  France.  A  second  was  the  restora- 
tion to  him  of  their  estates  in  Montpellier,  a  third  was  his  marriage  to 
Adele  de  Barbeyrac  de  Saint- Maurice,  and  the  birth  of  their  little  son, 
Henri  Quetton  St.  George,  which  was  perhaps  the  reason  for  his  failure 
to  return  to  Canada,  for  he  never  did  return.  He  had  left  his  affairs  in 
good  hands.  His  dear  friend,  William  Warren  Baldwin,  he  had  left  in 
charge  of  his  affairs  here,  who  administered  them  for  thirty  years,  and 
many  were  the  letters  that  passed  between  them.  Before  leaving  Canada 
he  had  formed  a  business  partnership  with  John  Spread  Baldwin  and 
Julius  Qiiesnel.  The  articles  of  agreement  are  drawn  up,  signed  and 
dated  York,  April  15,  1815,  and  apparently  the  two  partners  left  here 
were  carrying  on  quite  a  brisk  trade,  for  in  a  letter  under  date  of  December 
1st,  1818,  John  Spread  Baldwin  writes  from  York  to  Quetton  St.  George, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  and  Chevalier  de  St.  Louis,  and  says:  "This  year  we 
imported  goods  to  the  value  of  £9,000.  Yes,  nearer  £10,000,  and  paid 
cash  for  almost  the  whole  amount.  We  got  thirty  chests  of  tea  from 
England,  for  which  we  paid  £450." 

No  doubt  many  and  wonderful  were  the  tales  and  adventures  told 
to  the  wife  and  little  son,  of  the  vast  new  country  and  the  Indians,  and 
the  wonderful  lakes  and  rivers,  and  of  the  kind,  good  friends  left  here, 
and  it  is  quite  possible  that  he  might  have  returned,  bringing  them  with 
him,  but  for  his  untimely  death.  (De  Puisaye  died  in  England  in  1827, 
and  it  is  thought  St.  George  died  about  the  same  time.)  After  his  death, 
Wm.  Warren  Baldwin  continued  to  manage  the  estate  in  Canada,  which 

22 


comprised  at  that  time  26,000  acres,  but  there  was  the  difficulty  of  the 
alien  birth  of  Mr.  Laurent  Quetton  St.  George  proving  a  barrier  to  the 
heirs  being  able  to  claim  the  estate.  In  writing  to  Mrs.  St.  George,  under 
date  of  York,  October  21,  1829,  Mr.  W.  W.  Baldwin  explains  the  difficulty 
and  informs  her  that  a  special  act  of  Parliament  had  been  passed  to 
enable  him  to  secure  the  estate  for  her  son.  Even  after  that  time  there 
was  still  some  difficulty  about  the  settlement,  but  in  1831  Parliament 
passed  an  Act  which  finally  concluded  the  matter.  In  a  letter  from 
John  Spread  Baldwin,  dated  York,  October  1,  1829,  written  to  Madame 
St.  George  at  Montpellier,  France,  he  deplores  the  high  cost  of  the  skins 
which  she  desires  and  which  had  been  sent  to  her — forty  marten  skins 
and  two  black  fox.  The  total  cost  was  £64  or  $320.  She  also  wanted  a 
bear  skin,  which  he  says  he  did  not  send,  partly  because  she  had  not 
said  which  she  preferred,  a  brown  or  a  black  bear  skin,  and  partly  because 
the  expense  of  the  other  skins  had  been  so  great.  He  goes  on  to  say  that 
the  black  bear  skins  were  used  only  for  sleigh  robes,  and  while  the  brown 
ones  made  quite  handsome  wraps,  the  ladies  were  not  using  them  for  furs 
at  the  present  time.  Man-like,  he  had  told  Mr.  Quesnell  (his  partner) 
"To  have  two  black  fox  skins  sent  down  to  Montreal  from  the  Hudson's 
Bay  post,  thinking  they  would  cost  $20  each,  and  as  they  are  by  far  the 
most  luxuriant  furs  found  here,"  he  says,  "those  two  fox  skins  cost  £12 
each  and  the  marten  £1  each."  He  adds,  "The  expense  of  the  fox  skins 
surprised  Mr.  Quesnell,"  and  adds,  "If  you  do  not  care  to  wear  such  an 
expensive  fur,  I  hope  you  can  dispose  of  it  in  Paris,  without  much  loss, 
but  rather  hope  that  you  will  wear  it." 

On  March  31st,  1831,  Mr.  Wm.  Baldwin  writes  to  Madame  St. 
George  in  regard  to  coming  out  to  Canada,  and  assures  her  of  a  very  warm 
welcome,  both  for  herself  and  her  son,  and  says  that  should  she  come, 
she  can  be  assured  of  an  excellent  French  teacher  for  her  boy,  to  whom 
his  own  son  goes;  we  presume  Mr.  de  la  Haye  of  U.C.C. 

In  September,  1830,  Mr.  Baldwin  writes  that,  in  the  event  of  his 
death,  his  sons,  Robert  and  William,  who  are  named  as  his  executors, 
would  manage  her  estate,  and  sends  kindest  regards  to  her  and  little  son. 

In  1844,  in  a  letter  to  Madame  St.  George,  from  Robert  Baldwin,  of 
York,  he  advises  her  of  his  father's  death,  and  also  states  that  the  super- 
vision of  her  late  husband's  estate  now  falls  on  him,  but  that  on  account 
of  his  enforced  absence  from  York,  he  will  be  unable  to  look  after  it  per- 
sonally. However,  he  assures  her  that  his  brother  William  will  do  so  to 
the  best  of  his  ability. 

Some  two  years  later  Mr.  Henri  Quetton  St.  George,  son  of  Mr. 
Laurent  Quetton  St.  George,  came  to  Canada.  He  was  a  man  of  most 
distinguished  looks  and  bearing,  possessing  courtly  manners  and  a  broad 
culture.  He  had  a  love  of  all  things  beautiful  and  had  very  artistic 
tastes,  being  himself  no  mean  artist,  as  a  painting  executed  by  him  and 
hanging  in  an  honoured  place  in  one  of  Toronto's  old  mansions  will 

23 


He  loved  good  horses,  was  a  splendid  horseman  himself,  and  had  many 
of  them.  He  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  ladies  and  a  most  devoted  lover 
of  children.  So  deep  had  been  the  friendship  between  his  father  and 
some  of  the  families  here  in  his  time,  that  even  thirty  years  later,  when 
the  son  came,  the  old  friends  accorded  him  a  warm  and  sincere  reception. 
We  do  not  know  what  train  of  circumstances  led  him  to  Canada.  Possibly 
the  glowing  tales  of  the  far-off  land,  related  to  him  in  childhood  by  his 
father,  haunted  his  memory.  Possibly  the  friendly  letters  which  came 
so  regularly  and  frequently  from  the  friends  here,  urged  him  to  come  and 
see  his  estate  here.  Possibly  it  was  a  keen  curiosity  to  see  for  himself 
what  sort  of  land,  what  sort  of  people  had  taken  such  a  paramount  place 
in  the  heart  and  affections  of  his  father.  We  do  know  that  the  boy  had 
been  brought  up  to  love  all  things  English  and  later  on  when  a  man  to 
wish  himself  looked  upon  as  an  Englishman,  and  his  home  as  an  English 
household. 

With  him  he  brought  his  wife,  a  very  beautiful,  fascinating  woman, 
with  whom  his  marriage  had  been  arranged,  and  whom  he  saw  only  a 
fortnight  before  their  marriage.  Neither  she  nor  her  mother,  who  accom- 
panied them  to  Canada,  could  speak  a  word  of  English  when  they  came. 
They  at  that  time  had  one  child,  Jeanne. 

On  their  arrival  they  went  to  live  on  the  farm  near  Windham.  Mr. 
St.  George  had  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Captain  MacLeod,  of  Drynoch, 
but  whether  it  was  from  some  member  of  the  Baldwin  family,  who  were 
his  father's  warm  friends  in  York,  or  whether  from  some  one  who  had 
known  Captain  MacLeod  in  the  old  land,  we  do  not  know;  at  any  rate 
the  two  families,  who  were  neighbours,  became  fast  friends. 

Like  his  father,  he  soon  found  himself  firmly  attached  to  the  new 
country  and  its  hospitable  people  and  to  his  home  here.  In  fact,  he  seems 
to  have  come  to  the  country  with  the  definite  idea  of  making  it  his  per- 
manent home. 

His  wife,  having  always  been  accustomed  to  living  among  very 
different  surroundings  and  among  people  who  spoke  her  language  and 
whose  tastes  and  interests  were  akin  to  her  own,  found  herself  desperately 
lonely  in  the  new  home. 

In  her  extreme  desolation  she  named  the  place  "Glenlonely." 
After  a  time  her  mother  returned  to  France,  leaving  Mrs.  St.  George  and 
her  child  here.  As  you  may  well  know,  there  was  not  a  very  great  deal 
of  gaiety  in  those  days  on  an  estate  twenty  miles  from  Toronto,  and 
small  wonder  that  this  woman  from  the  sunny  south  of  France  found  the 
stillness  and  quietness  oppressive.  With  a  Frenchwoman's  innate  love  of 
finery  and  soft,  lustrous  materials,  she  delighted  in  dressing  her  little 
daughter  Jeanne  in  very  exquisite  silks  and  velvets. 

When  some  of  the  ladies,  intimate  enough  to  do  so,  remonstrated 
with  her  and  pointed  out  the  unsuitability  of  the  clothing  for  this  country 
and  climate,  she,  having  learned  some  little  English,  excused  herself  in 

24 


the  matter  by  exclaiming  "Oh,  but  I  do  so  love  to  expense  money."  It 
was  the  death  of  this  child,  shortly  after,  that  made  the  life  here  intoler- 
able, and  Mrs.  St.  George  returned  to  France,  where  she  lived  part  of  the 
time  on  the  estate  in  Montpellier  and  part  of  the  time  in  an  apartment 
in  Paris.  Mr.  St.  George  continued  his  life  in  Canada,  returning  to 
France  to  visit  quite  regularly.  Later  a  second  child  was  born,  a  daughter, 
Madeleine,  who  when  a  young  woman  returned  with  her  father  to  Canada, 
resolved  to  make  her  home  here  with  him. 

Previous  to  this,  Mr.  St.  George  had  a  brewery  at  Oswego,  but  that 
venture  had  proved  a  failure;  and  then  a  wine  shop  on  King  Street  was 
opened,  with  Mr.  O'Brien  and  Mr.  Todd  as  partners.  We  read  that 
"He  built  a  solid  and  enduring  house  opposite  Mr.  Wood's  on  the  corner, 
just  opposite  Wood  &  Alexander  St."  on  the  west  side  of  Yonge.  "It 
was  a  structure  of  brick,  when  as  yet  all  the  surrounding  habitations  were 
of  wood.  It  had  a  tinned  roof,  a  graceful  porch,  and  a  careful  and  neat 
finish  and  was  at  one  time  one  of  the  lions  of  York."  We  have  no  picture 
of  this  house,  but  we  have  a  picture  of  the  beautiful  old  house  at  Glen- 
lonely,  which  was  of  wood,  had  very  steep  roofs  and  also  a  graceful  porch. 

During  the  years  when  Mr.  St.  George  had  the  wine  shop  in  Toronto, 
he  lived  in  his  house  on  Yonge  Street,  driving  out  to  his  farm  each  week 
to  supervise  affairs  there.  He  always  had  a  pair  of  fine  horses  which  he 
himself  drove,  and  usually  made  a  call,  either  going  or  coming,  at  Mash- 
quoteh,  the  home  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Baldwin,  just  west  of  Yonge  Street,  north 
of  St.  Clair,  almost  always  remaining  for  dinner  and  frequently  for  over- 
night. Possibly  it  was  his  love  of  the  bright  company  of  the  young  people, 
as  much  as  his  friendship  for  those  of  his  own  age,  that  prompted  these 
visits.  He  was  particularly  happy  to  have  his  own  daughter  with  him 
and  made  every  effort  for  her  entertainment,  as  did  his  friends.  She 
was  a  most  strikingly  beautiful  girl,  as  all  who  have  ever  seen  her  testify, 
and  her  father  had  great  ambitions  for  her  future.  She  was  as  talented 
as  she  was  beautiful,  and  we  are  told  was  very  much  admired  by  all  who 
knew  her.  She,  too,  was  a  clever  artist.  Two  pictures,  one  of  herself 
and  one  of  her  partner,  each  in  fancy  dress,  worn  at  a  fancy  dress 
ball  at  the  Grange,  and  painted  by  her,  hang  in  one  of  Toronto's  old 
homes.  During  her  stay  in  York  she  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the 
Grange.  Her  proposals  of  marriage  were  numerous,  and  tradition  says 
that  she  had  received  one  from  a  prince.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  her  father 
had  hopes  of  a  very  bright  future  for  her? 

It  was  about  1871  (immediately  after  the  Franco-Prussian  War), 
when  at  the  age  of  nineteen  or  twenty,  that  she  lived  here.  Her  heart 
was  broken  over  the  fate  of  France  at  that  time  and  perhaps  that  fact, 
coupled  with  the  very  deep  impression  made  upon  her  by  the  eloquent 
preaching  of  one  of  the  Redemptionist  Fathers,  who  had  come  out  from 
France  and  preached  in  St.  Michael's  Cathedral,  that  induced  her  to 
become  a  sister  in  a  French  orphanage.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  her  father 

25 


was  bitterly  disappointed,  when  the  wonderful  hopes  he  had  entertained 
of  a  brilliant  marriage  for  his  only  child  came  to  naught?  Thinking,  we 
believe  wrongfully,  that  undue  influence  had  been  brought  to  bear  on  her 
in  making  the  decision,  he  became  embittered  against  the  Church  and 
left  the  Catholic  faith.  His  daughter  Madeleine  returned  to  France  and 
spent  her  life  labouring  and  serving  among  the  little  ones  of  the  poor  in 
a  convent  at  Neuray,  just  outside  of  Paris,  and  left  her  father  a  broken, 
lonely  old  man,  to  spend  his  days  in  the  country  of  his  adoption. 

Years  after,  when  some  of  those  young  people,  who  had  known  her 
in  Canada,  travelled  to  France  and  went  to  visit  her,  they  found  "One 
of  the  most  beautiful  women  I  have  ever  seen,  attired  in  the  coarsest  of 
cotton  garments,  but  with  the  look  of  a  Madonna,"  and  my  informant 
tells  me  that  she  asked  more  questions  in  ten  minutes  than  she  had  ever 
thought  possible,  so  that  we  know  memories  of  the  days  spent  and  the 
friends  left  in  Canada  still  persisted.  It  was  her  misfortune  to  see  her 
beloved  France  torn  once  again  by  war  before  death  came  to  her  some 
four  or  five  years  since.  Her  mother  lived  in  Paris  during  the  last  years 
of  her  life,  and  was  visited  there  by  some  of  the  friends  who  had  known 
her  here.  They  found  her  in  a  handsome  apartment  in  Paris  and,  although 
an  old,  old  lady,  exquisite  black-haired  and  beautiful  still,  and  surrounded 
by  the  beautiful  things  which  she  loved. 

And  here  in  Canada  lived  a  lonely  old  man,  in  his  quaint  and  beautiful 
home.  Dr.  Scadding,  writing  in  1873,  says:  "Mr.  Henri  Quetton  St. 
George,  on  land  inherited  directly  from  his  father,  the  Chevalier  de  St. 
George,  engages  with  energy  in  all  the  various  pursuits  of  a  practical 
farmer,  at  the  same  time  dispensing  to  his  friends  a  refined  hospitality. 
If  at  Glenlonely,  the  imposing  turrets  and  pointed  roofs  of  the  old  French 
chateau  are  not  to  be  seen,  what  is  of  greater  importance,  the  amenities 
and  gentle  life  of  the  old  French  chateau  are  to  be  found.  Moreover,  by 
another  successful  enterprise  added  to  agriculture,  the  present  proprietor 
of  Glenlonely  has  brought  it  to  pass  that  the  name  of  St.  George  is  no 
longer  suggestive  as  in  the  the  first  instance  it  was,  of  wars  across  the 
seas  in  La  Vendee  and  fighting  on  the  Garonne,  but  redolent  in  Canada 
far  and  wide,  only  of  vineyards  in  Languedoc  and  of  pleasant  wines  from 
across  the  Pyrenees." 

The  pleasant  memories  of  hospitality  dispensed  by  the  lonely  old 
master  of  the  quaint  house  with  its  deep  cupboards  and  its  beautiful 
interior,  are  still  vivid  in  the  minds  of  those  who  visited  him  as  children, 
who  loved  him  and  whom  he  loved.  Recollections  of  the  wonderful 
adventures,  planned  for  the  young  people  who  were  invited  to  his  house 
parties,  of  the  wonderful  rides  on  his  excellent  horses,  of  picnics  and 
dances  and  gay,  good  times  planned  for  them  by  their  gracious  host,  are 
still  glowing  spots  in  the  memories  of  many  among  us  to-day.  Frequently 
he  entertained  whole  families — mothers,  fathers,  children  and  servants, 
and  even  the  family  cow,  were  housed  and  entertained  during  a  two 

26 


roonths'  visit.  Those  who  visited  him  as  children  were  entertained  later 
with  their  lovers  and  sweethearts,  and  they  in  turn  took  their  children  to 
visit  at  the  loved  home,  so  that  he  appears  to  have  entertained  three 
generations  of  his  numerous  friends.  As  his  wife  loved  to  "expense 
money,"  he  loved  to  dispense  hospitality  in  his  home,  so  beautifully  situ- 
ated by  the  little  lake,  approached  by  means  of  a  winding  avenue  bordered 
on  either  side  by  stately  rows  of  dark  pines,  planted  there  by  the  owner 
of  the  land.  The  house  itself  was  surrounded  by  lilacs  and  shrubs  which 
he  had  planted  there,  some  of  them  having  been  brought  from  France. 
On  his  return  from  one  of  his  trips  to  the  old  land,  he  brought  out  a  young 
mimosa  tree  and  planted  it  beside  the  entrance  door.  The  farm  was  laid 
out  in  fields  surrounded  by  barberry  hedges,  some  of  which  are  still  to  be 
found  there,  in  spite  of  the  stringent  regulations  passed  by  a  government 
which  deemed  them  injurious  to  the  wheat.  One  of  my  informants  tells 
me  that  there  seemed  to  be  miles  and  miles  of  these  beautiful  hedges  on 
the  place  at  one  time.  But  most  of  these  are  gone,  as  is  the  old  house, 
and  the  old  time,  and  the  old  master.  Before  his  death  he  asked  that  he 
be  laid  to  rest  beside  his  dear  and  trusted  friend,  Mr.  W.  A.  Baldwin, 
and  so  it  was  done.  Nearby  is  laid  another  dear  old  friend,  Captain 
MacLeod  of  Drynoch.  In  the  little  cemetery  at  St.  John's  Church  at 
Oak  Ridges  a  plain,  grey,  granite  slab,  placed  there  by  loving  friends, 
bears  the  inscription 

In  most 

loving  memory  of 

HENRY  QUETTON 

ST.  GEORGE 

born  at 

Lengarren,  France, 
March  15,  1820, 

Died  at 

Glenlonely 

January  5,  1896. 

Historians  tell  us  that  this  colony  of  French  emigres  in  York  County 
was  not  a  success;  in  fact,  that  as  a  colony  it  was  a  complete  failure. 
But  who  can  measure  the  worth  to  a  community  of  one  man  of  Quetton 
St.  George's  artistic  tastes  and  fastidious  habits?  Who  can  estimate  the 
the  effect  of  his  influence  or  qualify  the  venture  as  a  success  or  failure 
which  has  produced  one  man  whose  memory  holds  such  a  treasure  for  each 
and  every  one  whose  privilege  it  has  been  to  meet  and  know  him? 


27 


Notes 

(a)    See  Note  "F"  Series  "Q,"  Archives,  Vol.  286-2,  page  478. 
(6)    Mr.  D.  W.  Smith. 

(c)  Letter  from  President  Russell  to  Duke  of  Portland,  dated  Upper 
Canada,  November  1st,  1798. 

(d)  Letter  from  the  Marquis  de  Beaupoii  to  General  Prescott,  dated 
January  28th,  1799.     Dominion  Archives. 

In  spite  of  these  cheerful  prospects,  the  work  of  dissolution  had  begun, 
and  on  the  28th  of  the  same  month  the  Marquis  de  Beaupoii,  in  a  letter 
to  General  Prescott,  signed  "Mrs.  de  Beaupoii  St.  Aulaire,"  asks  permis- 
sion to  leave  and  come  to  Lower  Canada.  After  acknowledging  his 
obligations  to  Great  Britain  and  the  gratitude  he  felt  for  the  favours 
bestowed,  he  says: 

"You  are  fully  aware,  General,  that  in  this  country,  the  man  brought 
up  and  inured  to  the  labours  of  the  field,  is  assured  of  obtaining  his  sub- 
sistence by  his  labours;  that  the  rich  man  who  brings  capital,  may  even  by 
paid  labour,  find  means  of  support  in  agriculture;  but  that  he  who  has 
neither  strength  nor  money,  if  he  borrow  to  clear  the  land,  certain  of  never 
repaying,  has  no  other  prospect  than  that  of  losing  his  time,  his  land,  his 
liberty,  his  family  and  his  probity. 

"When  the  Count  de  Puisaye  proposed  to  me  to  come  with  him  to 
Canada,  he  told  me  that  there  would  be  a  military  crops  in  which  I  should 
command  the  Gentlemen  Emigrants  who  were  to  come  there;  that  the 
Royalists  who  would  arrive  to  form  it,  would  labour  in  common  for  their 
officers  as  for  themselves,  and  he  required  from  me  only  a  letter  of  request 
to  be  his  authority  in  applying  to  the  Minister.  .  .  .  But  the  military 
corps  in  which  I  should  have  found  a  salary;  those  peasants  of  Brittany 
whose  arms  were  to  assist  me,  are  but  a  chimerical  hope,  it  is  only  here  I 
have  obtained  proof  of  this.  This  deception  places  me  with  my  family 
in  the  most  heartrending  situation  that  we  have  experienced  since  we  have 
been  emigrants." 

He  then  asks  leave  to  go  to  Berthier  or  Riviere  du  Loup  until  he 
could  exchange  the  concession  made  him  for  a  small  piece  of  cleared  land, 
or  until  he  could  receive  from  the  kindness  on  his  arrival  in  Canada  of 
Mr.  George  Davison,  sufficient  means  to  take  him  to  Europe.  A  letter 
from  Coster  St.  Victor,  of  12th  May,  1799,  contained  similar  statements 
of  the  inducements  held  out  to  him,  and  also  asked  leave  to  sail  for  Europe. 
These  letters  explain  the  allusion  made  by  General  Hunter  to  the  mis- 
understanding between  M.  de  Beaupoii  and  de  Puisaye.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is  only  justice  to  the  latter  to  refer  to  the  plan  laid  down  for  the 
settlement,  which  appeared  to  justify  the  representations  made  to  Beaupoii 
and  St.  Victor  of  the  position  they  were  to  occupy,  and  the  method  of 
clearing  the  land  and  preparing  it 

(e)  Boiton — later  Boyton  then  Boynton.  Descendants  still  living  in 
York  County  and  other  parts  of  Ontario,  record  of  wife  and  infant  child 
buried  in  Kingston  Cemetery  in  early  1800's. 

28 


..  .  (/)    SeJan.then  Segent,  at  the  present  time  Saigeon,  descendants  now 
living  m  York  County,  Ontario. 

(g)     Some  of  the  goods  "Just  arrived  from  New  York":— 

Ribbons  cotton  goods,  silk-tassels,  cotton  binding,  wire-trimmings, 
silk  belting,  fans,  beaded-buttons,  block-tin,  gloves,  ties,  cotton  bed-line 
bed-lace,  rollo-bands,  ostrich-feathers,  silk-lace,  black  veil-lace,  thread 
lace,  laces  and  edging,  fine  black  veils,  fine  white  veils,  fine  silk  mitts 
love-handkerchiefs,  Barcelona  handkerchiefs,  silk  handkerchiefs  black 
crepe,  black  mode,  black  Belong,  blue,  white  and  yellow  Belong,  'striped 
silk  for  gowns,  Chambray  muslins,  printed  dimity,  split-straw  bonnets, 
leghorn  bonnets,  imperial  chip  bonnets,  best  London  ladies'  beaver 
bonnets,  cotton  wire,  Rutland  gauze,  band  boxes,  calicoes,  cambrics,  Irish 
linens,  callimancoes,  plain  muslins,  laced  muslins,  blue,  black  and  yellow 
nankeens,  jeans,  fustians,  long  silk  gloves,  velvet  ribbons,  Russia  sheet- 
ings, India  satins,  silk  and  cotton  umbrellas,  white  cottons,  parasols, 
Bombazetts,  black  and  white  silk  stockings,  damask  table  cloths,  napkins, 
striped  nankeens,  bandana  handkerchiefs,  catgut,  Tickenburg,  brown 
holland,  Creas  a  Morlaix,  Italian  lutestring,  beaver  caps  for  children. 

Then  we  have: — 

Hyson  tea,  Hyson  Chaulon  in  small  chests,  Young  Hyson,  green 
Souchong  and  Bohea,  loaf,  East  India  and  Muscovado  sugars,  mustard, 
essence  of  mustard,  pills  of  mustard,  capers,  lemon  juice,  soap,  Windsor 
soap,  indigo,  mace  nutmegs,  cinnamon,  cassia,  cloves  pimiento,  pepper, 
best  box  raisins,  prunes,  coffee,  Spanish  and  American  "segars,"  cayenne 
pepper  in  bottles,  pearl  barley,  castor  oil,  British  oil  and  pickled  oysters. 

Furthermore  chinaware  is  to  be  had  in  small  boxes  and  in  sets;  also 
Suwarrow  boots,  bootees  and  an  assortment  of  men's,  women's  and 
children's  shoes,  japanned  quart  mugs,  tumblers,  tipped  flutes,  violin  bows, 
brass  wire,  sickles,  iron  candlesticks,  shoemaker's  hammers,  knives, 
pincers,  pegging  awls,  and  tacks,  awl-blades,  shoe  brushes,  copper  tea- 
kettles, snaffle  bits,  leather  shot  belts,  horn  powder  flasks,  ivory,  horn  and 
crooked  combs,  mathematical  instruments,  knives  and  forks,  suspenders, 
fish-hooks,  sleeve  links,  sportsmen's  knives,  lockets,  gold  earings,  topaz 
earings,  gold  watch-chains,  gold  seals,  gold  brooches,  cut  gold  rings,  plain 
gold  rings,  pearl  rings,  silver  thimbles,  silver  spoons,  shell  sleeve  buttons, 
silver  watches,  beads. 

In  stationery  there  was  to  be  had  pasteboard,  foolscap,  letter  paper, 
black  and  red  ink,  powder  and  wafers. 

The  list  of  books  which  were  to  be  had  is  rather  important,  as  well  as 
imposing : — 

Telemachus,  Volney's  Views,  Public  Characters,  Dr.  Whitman's 
Egypt,  Evelina,  Cecilia,  Lady's  Library,  Ready  Reckoner,  Looking  Glass, 
Franklin's  Fair  Sex,  Camilla,  Don  Raphael,  Night  Thoughts,  Winter 
Evenings,  Voltaire's  Life,  Joseph  Andrews,  Walker's  Geography,  Bona- 
parte and  the  French  People,  Voltaire's  Tales,  Fisher's  Companion, 
Modern  Literature,  Eccentric  Biography,  Naval  Biography,  Martial 
Biography,  Fun, Criminal  Records,  Entick's  Dictionary, Gordon  s  America, 
Thompson's  Family  Physician,  Sheridan's  Dictionary,  Johnstons  Dic- 
tionary, Wilson's  Egypt,  Denon's  Travels,  Travels  of  Cyrus,  Stepham  de 
Bourbon,  Alexis,  Pocket  Library,  Everyman's  Physician,  Citizen  of  the 
World,  Taplin's  Farriery,  Farmer's  Boy,  Romance  of  the  Forest,  Grandi- 
son,  Campbell's  Narrative,  Paul  and  Virginia,  Adelaide  de  ^ncere, 
Emelini,  Monk,  Abbess,  Evening  Amusement,  Children  of  the  Abbey, 

29 


Tom  Jones,  Vicar  of  Wakefield,  Sterne's  Journey,  Abelard  and  Eloise, 
Ormond,  Caroline,  Mercutio,  Julia  and  Baron,  Minstrel,  H.  Villars, 
De  Valcourt,  J.  Smith,  Charlotte  Temple,  Theodore  Chypon,  What 
Has  Been,  Elegant  Extracts  in  Prose  and  Verse,  J.  &  J.  Jessamy,  Chinese 
Tales,  New  Gazetteer,  Smollett's  Works,  Cabinet  of  Knowledge,  The  Devil 
on  Sticks,  Arabian  Tales,  Goldsmith's  Essays,  Bragg's  Cookery,  Tooke's 
Pantheon,  Boyle's  Voyage,  Roderick  Random,  Jonathan  Wild,  Louisa 
Solomon's  Guide  to  Health,  Spelling  Books,  Bibles  and  Primers. — Success 
and  Oracle,  Niagara,  September  20th,  1806. 

(A)  The  original  house  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Being  rebuilt  and 
passing  through  the  hands  of  several  owners,  at  the  time  of  writing,  it 
belongs  to  Maj.  Schuyler  Snively. 


Sources  of  Information 

Dr.  Scadding's  Toronto  of  Old. 
Dr.  Brymner's  Reports  in  Canadian  Archives. 
J.  Ross  Robertson's  Landmarks  of  Toronto. 
Newspapers — three  or  four. 
Manuscripts  in  the  Reference  Library. 
Parliamentary  Library,  Sessional  Papers. 
Atlas  in  Parliamentary  Library. 
Jarvis  Letters. 
Mrs.  Sullivan. 
Lady  Moss. 
Miss  Bessie  Baldwin. 
Miss  Mickle. 

Miss  Boulton  and  Mr.  Christopher  Boulton. 
Miss  Textor's  Thesis  in  Toronto  Reference  Library. 
Transaction   11  and  23,  Women's  Canadian  Historical  Society  of 
Toronto. 

Histories  of  the  French  Revolution. 

The  St.  George  Papers  in  the  Reference  Library,  Toronto. 


Photographs  from  Miss  Boulton,  Grange  Road,  Toronto,  Ont. 


30 


K 


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