the simcoe loyalist - uelgovsimcoe.orggov. john g. simcoe, celebrated. richard shaw received his...
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September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 1
The Simcoe Loyalist
Newsletter of the Governor Simcoe Branch of the
United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada. Volume XXXVII, Issue #4, September 2011
www.uelgovsimcoe.org Inside this Issue:
Simcoe Walks The Humber Sat. Sept 24 1
Two Nations, One King, by Jean Rae Baxter 2
Weston House Tours Sunday Oct 16 2
"Feasting and Fasting" by Dorothy Duncan 3
3 Nov Dr. Maya Jasanoff “Liberty’s Exiles” 3
DeCou Family by Bob McBride Wed 7 Dec 4
Honorary Colonel Queen’s York Rangers 4
President’s Message – A New Year Begins 5
Membership Dues for 2012 6
Shaw and Potter Loyalist Certificates 6
“Parler Fort” at Fort York – Fall events 8
Please Mark Your Calendars
Simcoe Walks The Humber on Sat. Sept 24 Madeleine McDowell's annual Heritage Humber
Walk - this weekend, Saturday Sept 24 – celebrates an
early Toronto Simcoe event. On 25 September 1793,
the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, John
Graves Simcoe, started a trip up the Toronto Carrying
Place, the main route from Lake Ontario northward to
the Georgian Bay and a longtime aboriginal trading
route.
The walk will start at the (1792) mouth of the
Humber – now just below the Petro-Canada gas station
on the South Kingsway in Swansea - and ends up at
the Eglinton flats on Eglinton Avenue West and the
Humber River (east of Scarlett Road and west of
Jane Street).
The event begins at 9:30 AM at the Petro-Canada
gas station on the South Kingsway. I try to get there at
nine. There's public parking nearby and at the end
point. By TTC go to 1) Jane Station and walk down
South Kingsway; or 2) Runnymede Station and take
the Swansea bus (See TTC at
http://www3.ttc.ca/Routes/77/Northbound.jsp). Going
home take Eglinton West or Jane buses.
Wear colonial dress if you wish; and fly the flag but
please wear sensible shoes. Madeleine narrates along
the way and she stops frequently to point out
noteworthy sites. Contact me if you wish.
Colin Heath, 416-247-7599
Loyalist Ceremony – Two certificates will be
presented at our meeting Wed Oct 5; celebrate.
At Fort York on Simcoe Day, Lieutenant Governor
David Onley, a successor to Upper Canada’s first Lt.
Gov. John G. Simcoe, celebrated. Richard Shaw
received his Loyalist Certificate as a descendant of
Loyalist Capt. Aeneas Shaw, who saw action at York
in the War of 1812. In a spare moment, Richard
shared his certificate with fellow Loyalist, His
Honour, David Onley UE.
A month later, also at Ft. York, His Honour was
invested as Honorary Colonel of the Queen’s York
Rangers (see page 3)
Book Your Calendars
Next Gov. Simcoe Branch Meetings/Events Regular meetings are held the first Wednesday of
each month, October to May, at St. David’s Anglican
Church, 49 Donlands Ave. at the Danforth, 7:00 pm
for 7:30 meeting.
Wed Oct. 5: Two Nations, One King
Wed. Nov. 2, Feasting & Fasting
Wed. Dec. 7, The DeCou Family
Sat. Feb. 11, Luncheon, Jonathan Williams
Wed. Mar. 7, 7:30, TBA
Wed. Apr. 4, Potluck at Montgomery Inn
Wed. May 2, 7:30, TBA
More details on later meetings in next issues.
The Governor Simcoe Branch preserves and
promotes Loyalist heritage with the assistance of a
Grant from the province of Ontario.
September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 2
Two Nations, One King, by Jean Rae Baxter
Meeting Wed. Oct 5 7:30pm St. David’s In Jean Rae Baxter’s research for the novel Broken
Trail she was struck by the fact that there were two big
issues motivating those who sought independence from
Britain. Although the one we hear about most is, “No
Taxation without Representation,” Britain’s imperial
policy for the wilderness, summed up in the Royal
Proclamation of 1763, caused even more outrage in
some quarters than did the notorious Stamp Act.
The native people were becoming aware of the
threat posed by the aspirations of landless frontiersmen
and greedy land speculators. Taking stock of the
situation, native leaders had the best interests of their
own people in mind when they decided to ally
themselves with England against those seeking
independence. As this presentation will show, there
were profound differences between Britain's attitude to
the native people and that of those leading the fight for
independence. And those differences had more to do
with land than with anything else.
The subject of this presentation is Britain's
relationship with the native people from the early 18th
Century until the conclusion of the American War of
Independence. Jean will begin with the "Four Kings"
who went to visit Queen Anne in the first decade of the
18th Century, and end with the granting of the
Haldimand Tract. She will focus on the relationship
with Britain of the Mohawks in the north and the
Cherokees in the south.
Leadership styles and the personalities of key figures
played an important role. In the north, one finds
Superintendent for Indian Affairs Sir William Johnson,
warrior/statesman Joseph Brant, and Molly Brant. In
the south, their counterparts are Superintendent John
Stuart, his deputy Alexander Cameron, the Cherokees’
Peace Chief Attakulla Kulla and his defiant son
Dragging Canoe. These were all interesting, colourful
people whose roles helped to shape history.
The talk will be illustrated with contemporary
portraits and depictions of historical events of the time.
Jean Rae Baxter UE’s presentation about the
research into her first novel of this trilogy The Way
Lies North in Oct 2008 was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Broken Trail, the second novel in her trilogy set during
the American Revolution, shows the situation of the
native people caught up in the American Revolution.
The final book in the trilogy, The Runaways (to be
released in 2012), looks at England’s policy regarding
slavery and the role played by slaves during the
Revolution. Don’t miss this evening.
Weston House Tours Sunday Oct 16
Weston Village has organized a tour of heritage
houses in their community, on Sunday, 16 October
from 12:00 to 4:30 p.m. The tickets are $15.00 in
advance or $20.00 day of tour. Afternoon tea will be
Roger Reid helps support the “over-turned boat” which
was used for the roof of a winter shelter by pre-Vikings.
This monument honours Farley Mowat, resident of Port
Hope, who described these British sailors in The Farfarers.
St David’s Anglican Church meeting place
Free street parking in evenings on:
a. Strathmore Blvd east of Donlands
b. East side of Donlands north of Strathmore
c. On Glebeholme east of Donlands
September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 3
hosted at the Weston Masonic Hall 2040 Weston Road,
$5.00 at the door.
For tickets contact [email protected] or call 416-
241-9322, Squibb's Stationer's, 1974 Weston Road
"Feasting and Fasting: Canada's Heritage
Celebrations" by Dorothy Duncan Wed 2 Nov.
Long before the arrival of newcomers, the First
Nations were celebrating the passages of life, the
changing seasons, and the gifts of the Great Spirit.
When newcomers began to arrive, they brought with
them the memories and traditions of their homelands.
Food brought families and communities together to pay
tribute, to honour, to celebrate, to mourn and to be
comforted. This will be a sampling of events and what
was on our ancestor's tables at births, weddings,
funerals, religious holidays, garden parties, political
picnics, and more!
Dorothy will bring some tiny samples of the historic
foods our ancestors would have known, for those brave
enough to try them
Dorothy Duncan, an Honorary Vice President of
UELAC and a Gov. Simcoe Branch member, has
addressed our branch on several occasions. She has
always been involved with history in the form of
museums, restorations and especially interpretation of
the past. She has been curator of Black Creek Pioneer
Village, and latterly Executive Director of OHS.
Retired since Jan. of 2002, she is involved with Cuisine
Canada and the Jane Austen Society. Dorothy has
received the Order of Ontario, and an Honorary
Doctorate of Laws from University of Waterloo. She is
a Fellow of the Canadian Museum Association, and
most recently was named Woman of the Year by the
Toronto Women's Culinary Network.
Thurs. 3 Nov Dr. Maya Jasanoff “Liberty’s Exiles”
Jasanoff, Professor of History, Harvard University,
will be speaking about her recently published book,
Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the
Revolutionary World.
At the end of the American Revolution, sixty
thousand Americans loyal to the British cause fled the
United States and became refugees throughout the
British Empire. Jasanoff offers the first global history
of the loyalist exodus to Canada, the Caribbean, Sierra
Our group – docile after a scrumptious buffet lunch – on the
steps of the historic Woodlawn Inn.
Executive for 2008/9:
President & Program
Doug Grant UE 315 Carlton St.
Toronto ON M5A 2L6
416-921-7756
Vice President & Newsletter
Colin Heath UE 45 Rutherford Ave.
Toronto ON M6M 2C5
416-247-7599
Past President, Telephone,
Membership & Sales table
Daryl Currie UE 314 Highfield Rd.
Toronto ON M4L 2V5
416-469-0851
Treasurer:
Robert Heath UE 15 Patika Ave.
Weston, ON M9N 2E7
416-249-7981
Secretary & Genealogist:
Jo Ann Tuskin UE Unit 78
24 Fundy Bay Blvd
Scarborough M1W 3A4
416-492-1623
Vice President of Youth
Adam Donnelly UE
513 -20 Gamble Avenue
Toronto ON M4K 2G9
Today’s barn on “Melsetter”, the farm in the bush among
the hills of Northumberland where Susanna Moodie and
family first lived. The setting for “Roughing it in the Bush”
September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 4
St Peter’s Anglican Church in Port
Hope. Archdeacon A.N.Bethune, son
of Loyalist Rev John, was posted here.
Leone, India, and beyond. At once an intimate
narrative history and a provocative new analysis,
Liberty’s Exiles challenges conventional
understandings of the American Revolution to advance
a new picture of the post-revolutionary British imperial
world. This is the 2011 Margaret MacMillan Lecture
in International Relations brought to us by Trinity
College and the Munk School of Global Affairs.
RSVP: 416-946-3346 – as space is limited, please
RSVP to ensure a seat.
Thursday, November 3, 2011, 5:00 pm, George
Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Place. This event is
made possible by the generosity of Peter Munk.
"Captain John DeCou, son of Jacob
DeCou III UE" by Robert McBride
Wed. Dec 7
Bob McBride is President of UELAC.
He will bring greetings from the
Association with a brief update. He and
his wife Grietje McBride UE will then
present the story of Loyalist Jacob
DeCou and his son John DeCou, Captain
in the War of 1812.
More in the next issue or check our
web site.
Heritage Day Celebration – Sat. Feb.
11, noon
Potluck luncheon – be sure to bring
friends and family. Sue Hines, the
Regional VP UELAC and a member of
Grand River Branch, will talk about
Captain Jonathan and Marie Williams,
and their son Col. Titus Williams. The
Williams are another Loyalist and War of 1812 Family.
Taptoo – an Operetta.
Toronto Operetta Theatre is presenting Taptoo at the
St. Lawrence Centre. It is a thrilling tale of the
founding of York, the birth of Upper Canada and a
village that was to become a great city, Toronto. Seen
through the prism of the conflict if 1812 and the
exploits of major Simcoe, a Canadian hero.
Thanks to Joyce Crook. We are trying to organize a
group to attend the matinee performance on Sunday
Feb 26.
If you are interested, contact Doug Grant.
Minister MacKay Announces Position of Lieutenant
Governor of Ontario to Receive Historic Military
Appointment in Perpetuity
The Honourable Peter
MacKay, Minister of National
Defense, announced that the
position of Lieutenant Governor
of Ontario is being invested in
perpetuity as Colonel of the
Regiment of The Queen's York
Rangers, a unit of the Canadian
Army in Toronto. During the
American War of
Independence, The Queen's
Rangers (as they were then
known) fought for the British
under Major John Graves
Simcoe and were brought to the
northern shore of Lake Ontario
in 1796 by the province's first
Lieutenant Governor, the same,
the Honourable John Graves
Simcoe.
"This appointment highlights
the deep historical roots of
many of our regiments,
particularly in the Canadian Army, but also the
military's deep and continuing relationship with the
Crown," said Minister MacKay. "I'm delighted that the
officeholder of the position of Lieutenant Governor of
Ontario will accept this appointment in perpetuity."
The Queen's York Rangers are based at Fort York
Armoury in downtown Toronto only a few metres from
the old fort built by their forebears before the War of
1812. The Rangers of that day also cut the city's
original roads (including Yonge Street) out of the
wilderness while their commanding officer, as
Lieutenant Governor, was laying the foundations of
democratic rule in the province.
"We have never lost sight of our roots," said
Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Zdunich, commanding
officer of the Rangers today.
Ursula and David Scott enjoy formal tea at “Meet at 66
King” in Cobourg prior to the visit to St. Peter’s Church.
September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 5
The Regiment enjoys another connection to the
Crown in His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, the
Duke of York, who is the unit's Colonel-in-Chief. As
well as cementing the military's links to the Crown, the
holders of these appointments foster esprit de corps
and participate in memorials, relations with affiliated
regiments and other matters of military tradition.
A reconnaissance unit in the Reserve that is active in
both training and operations, The Queen's York
Rangers has deployed 70 soldiers since 2001 to
operations in Africa, the Balkans and Afghanistan.
The investiture of the Honourable David C. Onley
took place at Fort York National Historic Site on
Saturday Sept 10 following the annual Stand-To-
Parade in commemoration of The Battle of
Brandywine (1777).
President’s Message – A New Year Begins The summer season is behind us and a new program
year is about to begin. Our first four meetings have
fabulous speakers, all of whom have spoken to us
before but on different topics. Two of the speakers will
address Loyalist families whose sons participated in
the war of 1812 and with the bicentennial
commemorations of that war about to begin, the topics
are appropriate. The Oct. and Nov. topics are described
earlier in this newsletter. Here is where we need your
help. Be sure to attend, and please invite a friend or
relative (or several) to attend with you – good speakers
thrive on good audiences, and with good audiences we
can attract good speakers.
Jo Ann Tuskin as our new branch genealogist has
guided her first two certificates through the approval
process. Be sure to join us in October when these will
be presented so we can celebrate with the recipients.
Jo Ann would love to see more applicants working
towards their certificates – how about some of your
relatives or friends?
We presented a number of certificates this summer
at our two Fort York outreach events, on Canada and
Simcoe Days. It is a great opportunity for us to share
such events with the Fort, with which we have had an
affiliation for as long as our branch has existed, since
1933. And of course the Fort was constructed under the
direction of our first Lt. Governor, and our branch
namesake. A special thanks to all those who attended
either day, especially those who helped at the exhibit.
Jo Ann Tuskin has made 17 presentations to school
groups thus far in 2011. As a retired school teacher
who loves talking about her loyalist family, such visits
are a golden opportunity to impart some of our Loyalist
history which is so relevant to Ontario (and other parts
of Canada).
I would like to thank Richard Shaw who has been
such a help over the last year or more, in taking our
new exhibit to completion and as newsletter editor for
three issues. It was with regret that I received
Richard’s resignation from the executive group. You
are missed Richard. Although I am editing this issue,
Colin Heath will be looking after subsequent issues.
Please give him a hand by providing some good
content. One thing we would like would be details
about any of your ancestors who participated in the
War of 1812, especially if they were of a loyalist
family (but others are welcome too). Let’s take the
opportunity to enjoy the War of 1812 Bicentennial –
after all it is history close to the Loyalist era and many
of our Loyalist families participated in it, directly or
indirectly.
I wish you all a good Fall season, and hope to see
you at our meetings.
Doug Grant
Annual Bus Trip: Port Hope and Cobourg On August 27 under great weather we, from Gov.
Simcoe Branch, Toronto Branch and York Pioneers,
headed out to Port Hope and Cobourg for our annual
bus trip. Our local historian and guide, long-time
resident Peter Brotherhood, stepped on board at Port
Hope. His knowledge of the sites we visited, and his
ability to provide the historical and human interest
context of the characters, people and buildings made
this a great trip.
The outline of the trip in the June/July issue and on
the website pretty much indicate what we saw. It
would be impossible to summarize all we learned in a
newsletter. Several pictures are included. A couple of
highlights:
The heritage homes and main street
architecture of Port Hope
The overturned boat and Farley Mowat
Port Hope’s City Hall
September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 6
St Mark’s Church and the burial sites of many
of the Massey’s, including Vincent Massey
Buffet lunch (Woodlawn Inn) and afternoon
tea at Meet at 66 King.
Melsetter, the farm where Susanna Moodie and
family first lived
St Peter’s Church, with ties to the Family
Compact and the Bethune’s
The trip was good, I added 5 pounds, and maybe we
will do another next year?
Membership Dues for 2012 Membership fees for 2012 remain unchanged at $55
individual and $75 family. You may pay your dues at
any of the Oct., Nov, or December meetings, or mail
to Daryl Currie UE (see Executive contacts). Make
payment to “Gov. Simcoe Br. UELAC”. Daryl will be
on vacation visiting family during early October; Colin
Heath will be accepting memberships at that meeting.
A more extensive notice will be included in our
November issue.
Celebrate 1812 Bicentennial
– Your help Requested Two to three years of commemoration for the War
of 1812 are about to begin. Of course many loyalists
and their families (sons or daughters) were involved in
this war.
To help celebrate this bicentennial, we would like to
include stories about these loyalists and families’
involvement in the war. If you the name of an ancestor
or a loyalist family which was involved – or better yet
some history and a “story” – please let us know so we
can include these in our newsletter and on our website.
Colleen Martin, seated near right, researched and submitted her certificate application as a descendant of
Aeneas Shaw. Loyalist certificates were presented on July 1, Canada Day, at Fort York to (l to r) Nathaniel,
David and Wally Shaw, David & Matthew Martin, Colleen Martin (seated), Joan Shaw accepting for Betty
Wood, and Ruth Dalton.
Daryl Currie presenting certificate to Colleen Martin UE
Wally Shaw, representing the group, tells about Aeneas
and expresses gratitude for the Loyalist certificates.
September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 7
The Shaw Family Certificates
It was a hot day at Fort York on Canada day
when a special celebration was held to present
loyalist certificates to several descendants of
Aeneas Shaw. (See the write-up of Aeneas, by
Richard Shaw, in the January 2011 issue of the
Simcoe Loyalist).
Betty Wood was unable to attend, but Colleen
Martin presented her certificate to her a few days
later in Meaford Ont.
Hugh Potter Receives Loyalist Certificate
After he received is certificate, Hugh
commented: Abraham Upham was with the King’s
Carolina Rangers at the siege of Savannah on
November 29, 1779. He served from 1779 until
his discharge at Country Harbour, Nova Scotia in
1784.
When the Regiment left Florida in 1784 on its
trip to Nova Scotia, the supply ships were loaded
with 3 years of supplies. The ships were hijacked
by the sailors on board; they sold these supplies in
the U.S. for a great profit.
The loyalists were put ashore in Nova Scotia at
the onset of winter with no supplies but those
which they carried with them. Many died that
winter, but others survived to start their new life in
Canada.
Abraham and his wife Mary started a new
chapter in their lives in a new country. They had a
child named William Upham born 1786. The
family and most of their descendants stayed in
Nova Scotia. Abraham passed away in 1821 and
is buried in Country Harbour, Nova Scotia.
Hugh Potter and Richard Shaw receive their certificates from
Colin Heath with help during the ceremony from Diane Reid and
Karen Windover of Toronto Branch
Victoria Heath and her Uncle Colin enjoy Fort York
Colleen Martin presents Loyalist Certificate to Betty Wood
Rick Shaw (centre) shows his delight at receiving his
Loyalist certificate on Simcoe Day at Fort York. Hugh
Potter (right) received his as well, from Doug Grant (left) .
,
September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org Page 8
“Parler Fort” presented by Fort York At the birthplace of urban Toronto, the Friends of
Fort York have launched the PARLER FORT series to
engage Torontonians in exploring their past in order to
better understand our options in the present and our
possibilities for the future.
Each event begins at 7:30pm, doors open at
7:00). Cost is $10 (including taxes)
ISAAC BROCK - MONDAY, SEPT 26
Nearly 200 years has passed since the death of
Sir Isaac Brock, the "saviour of Upper Canada"
(Ontario). By seizing the initiative once the USA
declared war and by earning the trust of the great
native leader Tecumseh, Brock helped ensure that
Ontario did not become just one more state in the
United States and he helped galvanize a sense of
shared identity among new Canadians.
Historian WESLEY TURNER, author of The
Astonishing General: the Life and Legacy of Sir
Isaac Brock (Dundurn, 2011); TOM TAYLOR,
author of the historical novel, Brock’s Agent
(Hancock & Dean, 2011); and RICHARD
GERRARD, the City of Toronto’s Historian for
the Bicentennial of The War of 1812, explore
Brock the man, the general, and the Canadian hero
who survives in the hundreds of streets, schools,
and institutions named in his honour, including
Brockville, Brock University, and the recently re-
named Sir Isaac Brock Bridge beside Fort York!
Canada Invaded on the Eve of Confederation
Mon. Oct. 24, 7:30 pm. The intertwined stories of
the Fenian Invasion of Canada and the Battle of
Ridgeway, in 1866, and Thomas D'Arcy McGee,
journalist, poet and Father of Confederation are
explored in tonight’s fascinating programme.
Christopher Moore, author of 1867: How the
Fathers Made a Deal (M & S) will discuss these
events and personalities in conversation with
David A. Wilson, author of the new biography
Thomas D’Arcy McGee (McGill-Queen’s
University Press, volume 1: 2008, volume 2:
2011) and Peter Vronsky, author of Ridgeway:
The American Fenian Invasion and the 1866
Battle that Made Canada (Penguin, 2011). A
regiment of University of Toronto students, hastily
called out from their final exams, suffered the
most killed and wounded at Ridgeway, near
Windsor.
The Monarchy in Canada - Why?
Mon. Nov. 14, 7:30 pm ARTHUR BOUSFIELD
and GARRY TOFFOLI, co-authors of Royal
Tours 1786-2010 (Dundurn, 2010) will place the
"Will and Kate" tour of 2011 in the context of
those that preceded it, going back to 1786!
NATHAN TIDRIDGE author of Canada’s
Constitutional Monarchy (Dundurn, 2011)
believes there’s a crisis in our understanding of the
role the Crown plays in our government. He will
make the case that the monarchy is a rich
institution integral to our ideals of democracy and
parliamentary government. This is an evening for
royalty watchers as well as for those who question
the relevance of the monarchy to contemporary
Canada. Expect a lively discussion!
Toronto: Built and Unbuilt
Mon. Dec. 12, 7:30 pm What gets built in
Toronto and what doesn't? Why? What are the
results? Recent controversies over long-term
transit and waterfront plans have made these
questions more relevant than ever. Join author,
critic and journalist JOHN BENTLEY MAYS as
he discusses “Toronto: Built and Unbuilt” with
MARK OSBALDESTON, author of Unbuilt
Toronto and Unbuilt Toronto 2 (Dundurn, 2008
and 2011) and PHIL GOODFELLOW, co-author
of A Guidebook to Contemporary Architecture in
Toronto (Douglas & McIntyre, 2010).
Lieutenant Governor David Onley and his Aide-de-camp
pass by in front of our exhibit during Simcoe day
celebrations