Guelph and Stirling, 1840s

To follow up on a previous post comparing (somewhat arbitrarily) early Galt and Edinburgh circa 1820, I present to you now a visual comparison of Guelph and Stirling circa 1840s:

Guelph in 1842, population: Approximately 1,300

1842 Pencil and Brown Wash Drawing of Guelph

Stirling in 1845, population: Approximately 2,159

1840 Engraving of Stirling and Castle by R.S. Michie

Huron County Museum

Central School, constructed in 1856

A few weeks ago I happily seized upon an opportunity to visit the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol in Goderich, Ontario. This was my first visit to the museum, though once inside I felt right at home. The permanent exhibits focus on development - development of the Huron Tract from forests to farms to thriving modern communities; development of agricultural technology and methods over the past two hundred-plus years; and the development of the people from settlers to soldiers, and from farmers to Victorian and Edwardian fashionistas.

1913 Steam Locomotive

The settlement of Goderich is a product of the Canada Company (at that time headed by John Galt), and it's Warden of the Woods and Forests, William "Tiger" Dunlop. Founded in 1827, and linked by a "muddy sleigh track" to Guelph by the following year, it became a popular destination for early British settlers. By its incorporation date in 1850, it had amassed a population of about 800 people. Today, the town of Goderich is home to 7,500.

The Huron County Museum is located near the radial core of Goderich, and is housed within a former schoolhouse (c.1856) and a large, modern addition (c.1989). The layout of the museum is such that it keeps you guessing what might be around the next corner. As I zigzagged through each space, I was constantly surprised and delighted at what I found. Particular exhibits of interest were the replica settlers' cabin (displaying the conditions in which early settlers lived), and of course the Huron County Main Street (for a little 19th century window shopping).

Two-Headed Calf

Finding Goderich and the museum is easy. When I give friends directions I always like to say that if you've driven into Lake Huron, you've gone too far. The museum itself has incredibly friendly staff, and the low admission includes your own audio guide. On your way out you can visit their gift shop and take home some very unique items - like the two-headed calf toy pictured here (they have a taxidermy specimen in the reception area that has become popular with adults and children alike). I would recommend the Huron County Museum to anyone, at any time of year. In the summer you can head out to the beach after your visit, or in the winter you can enjoy a snowy drive and Christmas shopping in the "prettiest town in Canada".

Sources
Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol Online
Hilary Stead 2002, Guelph: A People's Heritage 1827-2002
You can get a head-start by taking a look at the museum's floor plan, here.
Huron County Museum Blog, 2014

Further Reading
Ontario's West Coast 2010, "Huron History"
Immigrants to Canada, "Letters Collected by the Canada Company, to Encourage Emigration 1842" Many of these letters reference the road between Guelph and Goderich; its condition, construction, and uses.

Lands in Upper Canada

Clicking on the image below with enable you to zoom in on this advertisement for settlement, printed in 1835 in London, England.

Some excerpts from the advertisement include:

"The ordinary baggage of Emigrants consists of their wearing apparel, with such bedding, and utensils for cooking, as may be required on the voyage, and any articles of clothing, not intended to be used at sea, ought to be packed in water-tight cases or trunks, not exceeding eighty or ninety pounds in weight."

"The class of persons chiefly required in Upper Canada, and who, of course, will find it best suited to their purposes, are small Capitalists, Farmers, Mechanics, and Labourers."

Sources
Toronto Public Library Digital Archive 2014, "Lands in Upper Canada"

John Galt and the Elgin Marbles

This is an example of one of those times when I've very audibly (and embarrassingly) shouted "NO way!" while doing research. This is also an example which proves just how small and interconnected our world really is. It's the story of how many of the Elgin Marbles came incredibly close to being known to us today as the Galt Marbles.

Portion of the east side of the Parthenon pediment,
on display at the British Museum

John Galt was doing what any 19th century man of his means would do when under the weather, or otherwise evading creditors or looking for distraction; tour the continent. He left London in 1809, and by 1811 had found himself in Italy and in Greece. The Mediterranean was a popular place at the time, especially for Romantic poets and writers eager for inspiration from the "East". Lord Byron, one of Galt's contemporaries and sometimes travel companion, was also in Greece at this time. It is Galt's connection to Byron that introduces him to the world of opportunistic art sales.

In his book Byron and Scotland: Radical or Dandy, Angus Calder describes Byron's friendship with Signore Luseri, an Italian Agent and artist-in-residence in Athens for Lord Elgin. Luseri had been working with Elgin for almost a decade in Greece on the documentation and eventual removal of the Parthenon sculptures to Britain. Despite Byron's protests that such removals of ancient artefacts were tantamount to rape,  he continued his friendship with Luseri.


It is during the second shipment of the marble statues out of Athens that John Galt becomes involved to the point where his morals are set firmly aside.  He learns from Luseri that Elgin is having financial issues, and may be unable to pay the freight (the cost of the ship, etc.) when it arrives in Malta. The ship would then of course confiscate its cargo in lieu of payment, and deal with the sculptures as the captain sees fit. Galt is not the only one to hear of this desperate news, however, for the French as also keen to add to their collection.

Monsieur Favelle, the French Consul in Athens, had been instructed to remove any and all possible works of antiquity from Greece and supply them to the Musee Napoleon (the Louvre) for permanent and glorious display. Upon hearing of Elgin's money woes, Favelle sees a chance to seize the shipload and claim the pieces for the Emperor. Galt decides (aboard the very ship that the marbles are travelling on) that he will pay the freight, save the day for Britain, and make a tidy sum for himself once he sells the cargo to eager and illustrious buyers in London.

John Galt, from his Autobiography in 1833

The plan could have worked wonderfully. The British Museum could now be in possession of the Galt Marbles, as well as the Elgin Marbles. Galt could have been an even wealthier man - would he have spent those funds creating more settlements in Upper Canada? Luseri, however, was a man of business and persuasion. He managed to alleviate the debts of Elgin in Malta and retain possession of the Greek artefacts; eventually sending them all the way to Britain. Galt was admittedly conflicted by this outcome. While he was saddened by the loss of fortune and fame that the sculptures would bring him back home, he was also steadfast in his agreement with Byron that the works were taken wrongfully in the first place.

Sources
The British Museum 2014, "What are the 'Elgin Marbles'?"
John Galt's 1833, The Autobiography of John Galt
Angus Calder's 1989, Byron and Scotland: Radical or Dandy?
Ozlem Caykent's 2010, "John Galt's Travels"

Further Reading
Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014, "Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin"
Biography.com 2014, "Lord Byron Biography"
Metropolitan Museum of Art 2014, "Romanticism"

Mini Review: How the Scots Invented Canada

How the Scots Invented Canada is Ken McGoogan's biographical response to Arthur Herman's 2001 How the Scots Invented the Modern World. Rather than discussing larger themes that effect an international diaspora, McGoogan has opted to narrow the scope to (exactly 60) important Scottish individuals on the Canadian scene. There were a lot to choose from - 13 of our 22 prime ministers have Scottish heritage, not to mention the many explorers, settlers, inventors and visionaries up to present day.

"Early arrivals included explorers Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and the 'Scotch West Indian', James Douglas. Later, Scots such as Lord Selkirk and John Galt encouraged thousands to immigrate. Nation-builders followed, among them John A. Macdonald, James McGill and the reformer Nellie McClung. Then came the visionaries, Scottish Canadians such as Tommy Douglas, Doris Anderson and Marshall McLuhan, who have turned Canada into a nation that revels in diversity." (From the publisher)

My review of this book is a bit mixed, in that many of the things I find great about Scots are the same things that I dislike, or see as a failing. Maybe balanced is a better word? Here's what I mean:

One of the first things I'd noticed when I was flipping through the book at the store was the amount of archival images that McGoogan has included; portraits, photographs, ephemera, you name it. At the time I thought that was wonderful, and I continued to think that while I was reading until I realized that none of the source information for the images is included. Which archives is it from? Is it on display in a museum or gallery? Who painted that image? The best part about sharing information with others is the possibility that it might actually inspire them to want to learn more. With the lack of photograph/archives credits in Scots I feel like many people (myself included) will be left out in the cold.

This dearth of source information extends to the research as well. There are no footnotes or endnotes... only a suggested reading list in the appendix to let you know where McGoogan's facts might have come from. (I'm one of those people that love reading the footnotes; not just to check sources, but also for small anecdotes or related facts.) That being said, not all books have notes. Some books are not meant for an academic audience, but rather for a popular audience looking for an enjoyable and easy read.

The story-telling quality that McGoogan gives to his books is enjoyed so much that he was the recipient of the 2006 Pierre Berton Award for popularising Canadian history. Now, while I do enjoy McGoogan's more informal take on historic personalities and their contributions to Canadian society, I could do without the personal anecdotes of his own Scottish vacations and family connections. I don't think that these particular extras add to the reader's understanding of the book, and indeed at times made me feel like I had been tricked into watching a slideshow of someone else's vacation. That being said, I understand that many might find McGoogan's personal approach in this regard an accessible way to break into Canadian/Scottish history.

I would recommend this book to a casual reader with an interest in history - someone looking to increase their general knowledge in all things Canadian. As far as using the book for academic means, I would treat it the same way I treat Wikipedia; it's the perfect jumping off point for ideas and research, but should by no means be your only source.

Sources
Harper Collins Canada, 2014 "How the Scots Invented Canada"
Roy MacSkimming's 2010 Globe and Mail Review of How the Scots Invented Canada
D. Grant Black's 2010 Toronto Star Review of How the Scots Invented Canada
Canada's History Magazine Online 2014, "Ken McGoogan: 2006 Pierre Berton Award Winner"

Further Reading
You can find your own copy of How the Scots Invented Canada at Amazon or Chapters.
Visit Ken McGoogan's Blog here
University of Sheffield, History Matters 2013, "Writing Popular History: Comfortable, Unchallenging Nostalgia-Fodder?"
Harvard University, Harvard Guide to Using Sources 2014, "What's Wrong with Wikipedia?"

The Canada Company

Canada Company Coat of Arms
The country does not alter the race

The Canada Company, founded in 1825, was established to promote and assist in the colonization of Upper Canada. As a private firm however, its main goal was the sale of land (primarily in south-western Ontario) to new immigrants. The company had purchased about 2.5 million acres from the government in 1826 for this purpose, and in so doing ushered in a new era of development; private firms in charge of land administration rather than the crown.

Many Scottish immigrants took advantage of the new organization and had nothing but praise for the company (and land) after having been settled: "The land here [North Easthope Township, now the Township of Perth East in Perth County] is good and well-watered, the terms of the Upper Canada Land Company are liberal, requiring the settler only pay a fifth of the purchase money when the land is applied for, and the remainder in five yearly instalments with interest at six per cent. The Company at present [1836] sell their land at 12s. 6d. currency per acre being equal to 10s. 8d. British, and the only stipulation is to clear off each year about three and a half acres for every 100 acres owned by a settler... There are grist mills and saw mills within a few miles of us east and west, also a store where goods of all kinds are sold. This settlement is mostly Scotch, almost wholly so where we are settled, and the utmost goodwill and unanimity prevails. We enjoy, though obtained at present by hard labour and perseverance, all the necessary worldly comforts and with the prospect, if we and our families are spared, of seeing them and us all independent and comfortable farmers, farming our own land." (Campey, 131) 

Canada Company Poster

While a great many immigrants benefited from the company as settlers, the company was not without its controversies. One Reverend Patrick Bell, a Presbyterian minister from Angus referred to the men working for the Canada Company as "cruel seducers" who would lead poor Scots out into the wilderness to starve (Campey, 130). Some settlers in later years would complain that the price per acre had become too high. Still others considered the professional relationship between the Canada Company and the Family Compact to be a little too close for comfort. In fact, many considered them to be one and the same; An exclusive club of elites who only work for and with each other. Political animosity towards the ruling Family Compact resulted in open rebellion in 1837 and 1838. After that period and the sharp decline of those ruling elites, the Canada Company streamlined its operations, became far more inclusive, and continued to operate until all of its lands were finally sold off in 1951.

John Galt (the Scottish novelist and founder of Guelph and of Goderich in 1827, and the namesake of the former Shade's Mills) was the first Secretary and Superintendent of the Canada Company. His tenure was cut short however, by company directors who considered him a little too interested in the actual welfare of settlers over profit margins. Galt spent only three years in the province before heading back to Scotland; dying in 1839. A further discussion of Galt and his achievements will be forthcoming in another post. In the meantime, please check out the further reading links below to some of the original documents related to the creation of the Canada Company.

Sources
Wikipedia, 2014 "Canada Company" (not a bad place to start for some good overview and a list of members/positions)
Canadian Encyclopedia, 2013 "Canada Company"
Canada in the Making, "Post-Loyalist Settlement (1814-1830)"
Canadian Dictionary of Biography, 1988, "John Galt"
Lucille H. Campey's 2005, The Scottish Pioneers of Upper Canada, 1784-1855

Further Reading
'A Bill to enable His Majesty to grant to a Company, to be incorporated by charter, to be called "The Canada Company," certain lands in the province of Upper Canada, and to invest the said company with certain powers and privileges relating thereto' (London, House of Commons, 1825).
National Archives of Canada, Map of the Lands of the Huron Tract Belonging to the Canada Company by Samuel Oliver Tazewell.