the simcoe loyalist - uelgovsimcoe.orggov. john g. simcoe, celebrated. richard shaw received his...

September 2011 Simcoe Loyalist www.uelgovsimcoe.org

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.


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


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”

mailto:[email protected]


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.


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


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.


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) .

,


“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

the simcoe loyalist - uelgovsimcoe.orggov. john g. simcoe, celebrated. richard shaw received his...

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