John Graves Simcoe, 1752-1806

by Mary Beacock Fryer

  Eight rectangular townships, each of 100 square miles, had been surveyed along the upper St. Lawrence, leaving a space between the last French seigneury to be filled in later by Roman Catholic settlers, adjacent to their co-religionists in Lower Canada. The lower five townships were for Sir John Johnson’s 1st Battalion, King’s Royal Regiment of New York. The upper three were for Major Edward Jessup’s Loyal Rangers. Five townships on the Bay of Quinte were for Sir John Johnson’s 2nd Battalion, more Loyal Rangers, some King’s Rangers led by Major James Rogers (brother of Robert), a few German regulars who elected to remain, and some of the 1st Battalion, Royal Highland Emigrants. At Niagara were two townships being settled by John Butler’s Rangers, their commandant now a lieutenant colonel. Along the Detroit River were more Butler’s Rangers, and some Royal Highland Emigrants who were disbanded there in 1784.

  Native tribes in the province spoke an Algonkian language and were locally called Ojibway, Mississauga or Chippawa. Refugee warriors of the Six Nations, or Iroquois Confederacy, had come from northern New York. Ousted from their tribal lands, they had been resettled along the Grand River by Dorchester’s predecessor, General Frederick Haldimand. A splinter group of Mohawks led by John Deserontyn had elected to reside in Tyendinaga Township, west of the five allocated on the Bay of Quinte to disbanded Provincials. Suspicious of all Americans, the Mohawks wanted to be able to keep watch over Lake Ontario to be forewarned of attack. Inland along the Grand River they might be taken by surprise. Leader among the Mohawk and other Six Nations refugees was Captain Joseph Brant (Mohawk name Tyendinaga), a war chief during the Revolution.

  Residing in a house at Kingston was Joseph Brant’s sister, Molly, widow of Sir William Johnson and step mother of Sir John. Molly had retained her maiden name, Brant, so that she would not lose status among her own matriarchal people. As a matron, Molly had used her influence to keep the Mohawk warriors loyal to Great Britain. Four of the members of the Iroquois Confederacy — Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca — had allied themselves with the British. Most of the Oneida and Tuscarora Nations had chosen the American side, although many would move later to Grand River. In time they found that their former rebel allies would not respect their claims to the lands that had been theirs for centuries.

  Delayed Departure

  When Simcoe’s carriage reached Weymouth on 17 September, the Colonel discovered that his commission as lieutenant governor had not been sent from London, and they would have to wait for it. During the delay, while Simcoe fretted, Elizabeth enjoyed a busy social life. Among the visitors were Lord Grenville, Lady de la Pole, and members of the Poulett and Rolle families. Lord Poulett, from Somerset, and Lord Rolle, from Devon, were on friendly terms with the Simcoes.7 Weymouth was a popular resort for the gentry, mainly because it was a favourite with King George, who loved going into the sea in a new invention called a bathing machine. The Simcoes were introduced to the King during their stay at Weymouth.

  Meanwhile, Colonel Simcoe fumed. Not only was his commission overdue, but no word came that a knighthood was in the wind. At the docks the Triton, with Captain George Murray, waited. Travelling by the armed frigate was necessary because no one knew at what moment the French might declare war. Being caught on the high seas thus carried some risk of capture. Another danger was bad weather as the season advanced. With each day’s delay, the possibility of icebergs in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and a frozen port of Quebec loomed larger. The commission, but no honour, arrived on the 26th and the Triton set sail on the six-week voyage. Travelling with them was Captain Charles Stephenson, the Deputy Quartermaster General. As storm after storm passed, Captain Murray warned the Simcoes that they might have to run south for the Barbados and try again to reach Quebec in the spring, a thought distressing to both.8 The Colonel could have used the winter persuading friends to help him get better terms as lieutenant governor, while Elizabeth could have been with their older daughters. Elizabeth recorded on 15 October:

  Wind N.W. hard gale, cold. This hard gale did not cool the Cabbins which had been so extremely heated; I was therefore glad to be on Deck to get rid of the headache not withstanding the weather was so rough that I was obliged to hold fast by a Cannon. The waves rising like mountains, has the grandest and most terrific appearance & when the Ship dashes with violence into the Sea & seems to lose her balance as much as a Chaise in the act of overturning, it is surprizing that she rights again. I viewed this tempestuous scene with astonishment.9

  Below decks everything was wet and dirty “besides being bruised by sudden motions of the Ship & half drowned by Leaks in the Cabbin.” Both the children’s nurses were seasick. Francis fared well, but Elizabeth felt that the only safe place for Sophia, who had her second birthday at sea, was in her bed. A young midshipman was kind enough to take her for walks when the weather was not too frightful. Nevertheless the wild life fascinated Elizabeth — whales, dolphins and the many sea birds. They were still worried about finding Quebec iced in. They were sailing south of Newfoundland, which meant that Simcoe might not see the waters off Anticosti Island, where his father had been buried at sea. More than likely, he carried a copy of Captain John Simcoe’s journal, leaving the original safe at Wolford Lodge. The Colonel longed to sail through the Strait of Canso, described in his father’s journal, but Captain Murray thought that narrow route too dangerous so late in the season. Off Louisbourg a sea fog closed in, which prevented them seeing the old fortress. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence they encountered outward bound ships. Off the Magdalen Islands, the Liberty hove to and a ship’s boat brought newspapers and took mail for England. Elizabeth sent off the next installment of her diary. Down below, Simcoe threw aside a newspaper he had been reading in disgust. Lord Dorchester would not be in Quebec to receive them. His Lordship, he read, was then sailing home, on a leave of absence.

  Dorchester had waited until the arrival of Prince Edward Duke of Kent, in command of the 7th Fusiliers, which had come as the replacement garrison at Quebec. Before his promotion to Colonel of the 50th Regiment, Elizabeth’s father, Thomas Gwillim, had been a major in the 7th, and had served at Quebec under General Wolfe. In addition to his own commission, Simcoe had been entrusted with those for Lord Dorchester and Major General Alured Clarke. Dorchester’s absence meant that no important decisions could be made until he returned.

  On 7 November they did sight Anticosti in the far distance, to Simcoe’s satisfaction. On the 9th they were able to get a pilot at “Bique” — Bic — on the south shore a few miles west of present day Rimouski. The pilot appeared promptly after Captain Murray fired a gun to signal for him. Simcoe had been worried that all the pilots who knew the safe passage into the harbour at Quebec would have left for the winter. The pilot told them he had just returned downstream, to attend a dance, before retiring upstream to his winter home on Ile aux Coudres.10

  On the 11th the Triton dropped anchor at Quebec, in a grey drizzle. Simcoe left immediately in a ship’s boat to call on General Clarke at government house, the Château St. Louis in the Upper Town. Captain Murray soon called upon Elizabeth to ask her to vacate their cabins as quickly as possible. He had passengers waiting for them, and he wanted to clear Quebec by the 13th, to give the ship a better chance of escaping the ice. Lieutenant Edward Talbot, of the 7th Fusiliers, brought a party aboard and helped her move their belongings to an inn on the waterfront.

  There an angry Simcoe found them. Under the terms of the Canada Act, he could not be sworn in as the lieutenant governor until three members selected for his executive council were present. The only one close by was Alexander Grant, who had served as commodore on Lakes Erie and Huron during the Revolution. Expected from England in the spring were Lawyer William Osgoode, the chief justice, and the receiver general, Peter Russell, who had served in America during the Seven Years (French and Indian) War and the Revolution. William Robertson, with mercantile interests in Detroit, was temporarily in England. Others expected from England in the spring were John White, the attorney general, and
Provincial Secretary William Jarvis.11

  Resigned to winter in Quebec, the Colonel rented a house in Rue St. Jean, in the fashionable Upper Town. Simcoe’s frustrations at not being able to get on with his work continued. In a letter he had written to Secretary Dundas in August 1791, he showed his awareness of the actions of the native tribes in what was then the northwest, in the Ohio Valley:

  The neighbours of the Colony are the Indians & the United States.

  The Indians are individually as eminent for that neglect of being and passion [sic] for Glory which when duly regulated renders Armies invincible, as any Europeans of the best principles whatsoever & far excell all mankind in their patience of fatigue and tolerance of Hunger. They are all at present confederated in a War against the United States.

  How the war would end was not easy to foresee, but probably neither disaster nor victory would “disunite the Confederacy,” for “while these people remain Hunters they must remain Warriors.” The warriors were the terror of any infant colony “as their warfare is by surprize, devastation, torture & destruction.”

  The native tribes, Simcoe affirmed, must be contented with whatever boundary the United States would allow them. He could see a role for Great Britain as mediator. If a satisfactory boundary settlement could not be met, the warriors would turn on the colonists of Upper Canada. The only way to prevent attack would be the assurance that a formidable garrison awaited them. For this reason Simcoe had demanded reinforcements of regular troops for the border forts, and a much stronger battalion of Queen’s Rangers.

  Another matter preoccupying Simcoe and some of his friends was the effect Sir John Johnson might have on the running of Upper Canada. On 3 June 1790, Lord Grenville had written Lord Dorchester assuring him that whatever Sir John’s personal thoughts, he would never be disloyal. Simcoe himself requested promotion to the rank of major general, for two reasons. Alured Clarke was already a major general, although Simcoe was senior to him. Sir John Johnson was a brigadier general on the American establishment. As a colonel, Simcoe could be overruled by either officer. He would have to wait a while for a reply to the latter concern.12

  Stuck in Quebec, the Simcoes attended many functions, although only Elizabeth enjoyed plays put on by the garrison. The Colonel thought them too frivolous, and beneath the dignity of British officers. Walking was dangerous on the icy, steep streets of Quebec. They found that they had more traction if they put socks over their shoes.

  The proclamation of the division of Canada into two provinces was duly read on 26 December, amidst celebrations, illuminations, balls and dinners. Of note was a ball at the Château St. Louis on the 28th, where Elizabeth danced with Prince Edward. Meanwhile, they were making many friends. Elizabeth was delighted with Mme Dell Marie-Anne, wife of Francois Baby, an executive councillor for Lower Canada, and Mme de Salaberry, of a distinguished family. Elizabeth’s French allowed her to mix comfortably with the old Quebec elite. Among new English friends were Colonel Henry and Ann Caldwell, who had a house at Belmont, a short distance west of the city. Caldwell had commanded the “English Militia” at the siege of Quebec in 1775-76 (the Canadian Militia was entirely French-speaking). Caldwell had served in the Seven Years’ War, and had met Colonel Thomas Gwillim in Quebec. although at that time neither he, nor Elizabeth, made the connection.

  Late in January, accompanied by Captain Stephenson, Simcoe set out in a sleigh for Montreal, warmly covered with bear and buffalo skins, hot bricks at their feet. While in Montreal, Simcoe had a meeting with Sir John Johnson. The baronet, unexpectedly cordial, raised only one issue. Sir John had prepared, for Lord Dorchester, a list of half-pay officers he thought worthy of being legislative councillors. Left off His Lordship’s published list was Sir John’s half-pay captain, Richard Duncan, who lived at Rapid Plat, in Augusta Township on the St. Lawrence. Simcoe promised to reinstate Duncan, and the two parted amicably. When Simcoe and Stephenson returned, with them was Lieutenant Thomas Talbot, stationed with his 24th Regiment in Montreal. Talbot, a relative of the Marquis of Buckingham who had recommended him to Simcoe, had received a leave of absence to act at the Colonel’s private secretary and aide de camp.’13 On 7 February, Elizabeth reported an incident at the house in Rue St. Jean:

  At two o’clock the kitchen Chimney was on fire. It was soon extinguished as the people here are expert in using fire Engines. The house being covered in shingles (wood in the shape of tiles) fires spread rapidly if not immediately put out. The Prince, General Clarke etc dined with Coll. Simcoe & this accident retarded the dinner, so that I went to bed before dinner.14

  On the 15th, Elizabeth and the Colonel were out for a walk “on the Pont.” A plank had been laid down to bridge some open water between the shore of the St. Lawrence and the ice, which Simcoe crossed:

  & stepping back to give me his hand he slipped into the water, but luckily caught hold of the plank which supported him until the Canadians who were near & on my screaming out “Au secours” assisted him out. We walked to Monsr. Baby’s, & I ran home to order dry clothes to be brought there.15

  The Baby house, in Rue Sous-le-Fort, was closer to the shore than the Simcoe dwelling Rue St. Jean.16 Fortunately, Simcoe was rescued quickly enough from the icy water to avoid too much loss of body heat, and, to Elizabeth’s relief, he suffered no ill effects. The memory of his drowned brother taken from the River Exe must have haunted Simcoe before he was pulled out safely.

  By this time the Colonel was thoroughly frustrated. He longed to make his way to Upper Canada during the winter, when travel was by sleigh and much more comfortable. Sleighs slid smoothly over the packed down trails, and over ice where rivers had to be crossed. Keeping warm was not difficult in “carioles” deep with blankets and robes, so long as they could find shelter from high winds and blizzards. By the time they could leave, they would have to go by boat, or over roads clogged by stumps that had not had time to rot away. Few streams were bridged, which meant long detours to fordable spots. Simcoe was aware of the poor road conditions during spring and summer, without even thinking of the hot, humid weather so prevalent along the St. Lawrence, the black flies and mosquitos.

  On Sunday 4 March, a commotion in the hallway attracted Elizabeth’s notice. Being greeted boisterously by Simcoe were five bearded men in greatcoats and moccasins, muffled against the outdoor cold. Their leader was Aeneas Shaw, a captain in the old Queen’s Rangers, now captain-lieutenant in the new regiment. They had come on snowshoes from Fredericton, New Brunswick, 260 miles in nineteen days, by way of the Saint John River and a chain of small lakes:

  Their mode of travelling was to set out at daybreak, walk till twelve when they stood ten minutes (not longer because of the cold) to eat. They then resumed walking till past four when they chose a spot where there was good firewood to Encamp. Half the party (which consisted of twelve) began felling wood, the rest dug away the snow till they had made a pit many feet in circumference in which the fire was to be made. They cut the Cedar & Pine branches, laid a blanket on them, & wrapping themselves in another found it sufficiently warm with their feet close to a large fire which was kept up all night.17

  John McGill, captain in the old Rangers, ensign in the new, who had set out with them, had cut his knee while felling wood. He had been left at Madawaska, a settlement on the Madawaska River, and would join the others when he was fit again. One of the party, a “frenchman used to the mode of travelling” carried a sixty-pound pack, but walked faster than the rest. They were guided by the sun, a river and a pocket compass. “Capt. Shaw is a very sensible pleasant Scotchman, a highlander. His family [a wife and seven children] are to come from N. Brunswick to U. Canada next summer.”18

  With the arrival of spring, Elizabeth felt cooped up in the house. The streets were soaking with water flowing over the melting ice, dangerous for horses and people alike. The social whirl of the winter came to a halt because visiting was so hazardous. However, the arrival of spring meant new adventures, as they began to plan their journey to reach
Simcoe’s province. At the same time, as she wrote Mrs. Hunt:

  I assure you that this Winter has been a very bad prelude in going into the Upper country if I am to find it a solitary scene as people say. I should have been fitter a great deal for solitude & enjoyed it more, coming from Black Down than after spending six months in the midst of Balls, concerts, assemblies & Card parties every night.19

  They had Francis inoculated, to have that illness out of the way before they had to begin travelling. Elizabeth wrote to Mrs. Hunt on 26 April: “I am so happy that the little Boy has got over the small pox before he sets out.”19

  The first contingent of Queen’s Rangers arrived, and Captains Shank and Smith were expected shortly with the rest. Simcoe soon arranged for the Rangers to be sent up the St. Lawrence to begin erecting huts at Kingston, to serve as a temporary barracks. Captain-Lieutenant Shaw would be leaving, too. The second captain-lieutenant, the enterprising George Spencer, who had retrieved the trophies of the British Legion and later drawn maps for Simcoe, was delayed in England by illness.

  The new Queen’s Rangers, which when he first proposed raising them — as a regiment independent of the rest of the regular army — would be more a work force than a fighting unit. Simcoe wanted them to train for two days a week, and the rest of their time would be spent building strategic roads, working on public buildings, and clearing land for settlers to purchase. That would help cover the cost of the corps. After their enlistments were over, they would remain as settlers, a “vital principle of the Colony”: