Alexander or Donald?

I had recently come across a line in a novel that said that in Scotland (in the mid-18th century) every man's name was either Alexander or Donald. While that's obviously an exaggeration, it got me thinking, and I decided to see just how popular those names were within the context of Scottish settlement in Upper Canada.


Five most popular names for listed
male settlers 1790-1849

Looking at the 15 extant passenger lists of ships departing from Scotland to Quebec (between 1790-1849 with settlers intended on travelling through to Upper Canada), I was able to distinguish 1,153 male names (Campey). These names are mostly the heads of families; children's names were rarely provided. In some instances not every man travelling aboard a vessel was accounted for by name, however, the five most popular names listed are:

1. John (261 individuals)
2. Donald (101)
3. Alexander (100)
4. William (93)
5. Duncan (59)

The next most popular names were Robert (54), Archibald (40), Angus (28), Allan and Andrew (each with 16), and Dougald (7). So it would seem that this novel wasn't too far off the mark. As you can see from the donut graph here, the top five names cover just more than half of the total, and if you were a listed male passenger aboard one of these ships, there was a nearly one in four chance that your name was John. As for modern day, the five most popular names for boys in Ontario between the years 1917-2010 were 1. Joseph, 2. John, 3. William, 4. Robert, and 5. James. Looks like in about 200 years of settlement we haven't strayed too far from the mark.


Five most popular names for listed
female settlers 1790-1849

For those interested in the most popular names for the ladies aboard the same ships, it's "Mrs." and "Wife of". All jokes aside, I was able to find 533 listed female passengers, and the most popular recorded names are:

1. Mary (86 individuals)
2. Catherine (80)
3. Janet (57)
4. Anne (46)
5. Margaret (45)

The next most popular names to round off the top ten were Isobel/la (23), Marion and Flora (each with 19), Elizabeth (17), and Euphemia (8). In modern day Ontario between the years 1917-2010, the most popular girls names were 1. Mary, 2. Marie, 3. Jennifer, 4. Margaret, and 5. Patricia.

Sources

Lucille H. Campey's 2005 The Scottish Pioneers of Upper Canada, 1784-1855: Glengarry and Beyond

Global Toronto, 2012, "Interactive: 93 Years of Ontario Baby Names"

Further Reading
Behind the Name, "Scottish Names" Here you can learn a little more about the Gaelic roots to many of the names mentioned above. For example, "Duncan: Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Donnchadh meaning "brown warrior", derived from Gaelic donn "brown" and cath "warrior". This was the name of two kings of Scotland, including the one who was featured in Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' (1606).

Don't Ask, Just Eat It

Baguette topped with sliced apple
and black pudding, with brown
gravy for dipping.

I've recently discovered the most amazing little cafe in Cambridge which caters to the Scots-loving crowd: Rising Dough Scottish Bakery and Coffee Shop. I went on a bit of a spree, buying a haggis, four haggis pies, three packs of black pudding, and two Double Decker bars (all for under $50). I would highly recommend to anyone within driving distance to check them out. Other than my general love of haggis, there was a particular reason for this visit; the TV adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander had premiered, and what better way to celebrate than to whip up some Scottish goodies with some friends?
 
What is black pudding? "Essentially, black pudding is a mixture of suet, blood, barley and a special blend of spices stuffed in a length of protein casing." (Visit Scotland) In other words, it's a type of blood sausage... but you'll get more people to eat it if you just call it black pudding. It's relatively soft with an oaty texture, but is also very rich in flavour, and very filling. You can purchase it as sausage links, or already sliced into pucks for convenience.

Recipe for Black Puddings found in Cookery Reformed; or, The
Lady's Assistant, published in London in 1755.

I chose to fry some black pudding pucks in a pan with some butter (about 5 minutes each side), and then set it on top of baguette slices with apple. I made up some brown gravy in case anyone wanted to dip, and voila! All in all it only took a few minutes to prepare, and was absolutely delicious. I'm very selfishly planning to hoard the rest of my black puddings for breakfasts and snacks. 

Now, if you are the sort to want to spend more time (ie. a few days) in the kitchen, you are more than welcome to this recipe, taken from a 1755 publication, Cookery Reformed; or, The Lady's Assistant. The ingredients have not changed all that much over time - why mess with a good thing, right?

Sources

Visit Scotland, 2014, "Traditional Scottish Food"

Cambridge Now, 2014, "Rising Dough Scottish Bakery and Coffee Shop"

Internet Archive, 2001, Cookery Reformed; or, The Lady's Assistant

Further Reading

Showcase, 2014, "Outlander"

The English Breakfast Society, 2014, "Traditional Black Pudding"

The First Highland Cattle

The first of the Highland Cattle to arrive in Canada was a Bull brought over to Manitoba by Donald Smith (perhaps better known as Lord Strathcona) in the 1880s. Born near Inverness in Scotland, Smith would go on to have quite the career in Canada. In addition to his 75 year career with the Hudson's Bay Company, which witnessed his rise through the ranks to become Governor, he also served "42 years with the Bank of Montreal; 32 years with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR); 18 years as a Member of Parliament; 18 years as Canada's High Commissioner; and 6 years as an MP in Manitoba" (HBC) Something tells me he didn't get to spend a whole lot of time with his new import...

Highland Bull

This photograph of a Highland Bull was taken by Frank Babbage, and published in the Encyclopaedia Britiannica in 1910 along with the following description:

"The West Highland or Kyloe breed are perhaps the most hardy and picturesque of British cattle. Their home is amidst the wild romantic scenery of the Highlands and the Western Isles of Scotland, though Highland bullocks with long, spreading curved horns may be seen in English parks. They have not made much progress towards early maturity, but their slowly ripened beef is of the choicest quality. The colour of their thick shaggy hair varies from white and light dun to tawny yellow of many shades, and black"

For a more recent photograph, you can visit an earlier post on this site, here.

Sources
HBC, 2014, Our History: People: Governors: Donald A. Smith
The Canadian Highland Cattle Society, 2014, History of Highland Cattle
Classic Encyclopaedia, Cattle
Wikipedia, Donald Smith 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal

Further Reading
Highland Cattle World, 2007, Highland Cattle in Canada

Debating Societies

As a means of self-improvement for gentlemen, and as an “inner and outer polish” for young men preparing for their entrance into respectable society, a number of debating societies were created in Galt in the mid-nineteenth century. (Holman, 123) Such types of intellectual clubs were popular throughout the Victorian period, as it allowed men to practice and hone their speaking skills, as well as network with respected members of their community. 


Above: Homer Watson's Collecting the Hay
Below: Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow

In his Reminiscences, James Young describes one such debating society, established in 1834, which would meet at the home of Mr. John Reid on cold winter evenings to discuss the most relevant topics of the day. (Young, 70) The questions raised and discussed at these meetings covered all manner of subjects from politics to religion, from gender issues to education, and from science to the arts. Many are so timeless (and so philosophical) that they can still be debated at great length today.

Five of the questions regularly put towards the abovementioned group include:

• Which is the most benefit to mankind, Agriculture or Commerce?
• Whether is the profane man or the hypocrite most injury to society?
• Which is the most destructive element, fire or water?
• Whether does wood or iron most benefit mankind?
• Would a ship made of iron sink or swim?

Other subjects were a bit more controversial by today's standards: "Whether or Not Woman is Mentally Inferior to Man". To perhaps add to the controversy, the decisions of the various debating clubs were printed in local newspapers. In December 1860, the Reformer published the Galt Literary and Debating Society decision that woman was in fact inferior to man. (Holman, 123)

I encourage you, next time you're with a group of friends or colleagues, to bring up a few of these questions and see what happens. (If you're really keen you can attempt to debate these issues from a Victorian male, or female, point of view.)

Sources
Andrew Holman's 2000, Sense of Their Duty: Middle-Class Formation in Victorian Ontario Towns
James Young's 1880, Reminiscences of the early history of Galt...

Further Reading

Andrew Holman (ed.) 2013, More of a Man: Diaries of a Scottish Craftsman in Mid-Nineteenth Century North America
City of Cambridge Archives Online

Inglis Falls

My own photos, featuring my dog Perry.

Last weekend I decided to get out of the city and back to nature... just over two hours drive later, I found myself at Inglis Falls in Owen Sound, Ontario.

"...Inglis Falls is an 18 metre high cascade, created by the Sydenham River meeting the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. The erosive power of the water has carved a deep gorge at the base of the falls." (Inglis Falls Conservation Area)

While the seeing the falls and hiking through the conservation area was very enjoyable (save for the few mosquito bites on my hands and legs), it was also fun to learn about the area's own beginnings as a Scottish settlement. In 1845 a Scotsman by the name of Peter Inglis purchased the 300 acre property (which included the falls and an unfinished grist mill that had been started by another Scotsman in 1842). Inglis' finished mill would become very successful, and he would eventually add to it a sawmill, a store, a house, and by the 1870s a wool mill. Inglis lived in his home with his wife and six children who went on to take over the family business. (OAP) The mills at Inglis Falls produced flour, bran, wool, and lumber for 87 years. (Visit Grey)

I would recommend a visit to Inglis Falls to anyone. Not only is it worth the drive, but the drive is worth the drive. Highways 10 and 6 are stunning in the summer with high rolling hills of forest and field, interspersed with small villages and late Victorian brick homes.

Sources
Grey Sauble Conservation, 2013, Inglis Falls Conservation Area
Conservation Ontario, 2012, Inglis Falls Conservation Area
OAP (Ontario Abandoned Places), Inglis Falls
Visit Grey, Inglis Falls

Further Reading
Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2014, Niagara Escarpment 
Canadian Encyclopedia, 2013, Glaciation

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.

One Log at a Time

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Galt or any other village for that matter. Here's an interesting illustration taken from A History of Canadian Architecture Vol. 1 that demonstrates the growth of a Loyalist homestead in Upper Canada. Note that if a building was still structurally sound it was kept and re-purposed; the 1784 log cabin eventually becoming a pig shed for example. Many of the buildings are located close together - as much for safety as for ease of completing the many daily chores required of the farmer. While most trees certainly would get the axe, others were kept as a means of shielding the home from sun and wind. Fences were not only handy, they were a legal requirement in many districts - keeping your animals from wandering onto your neighbours' pasture or from obstructing narrow roads.

Sources

Harold Kalman's A History of Canadian Architecture, Vol. 1

Further Reading

Images of extant log homes in the province can be seen on the Ontario Architecture website

Mini-Review: A History of Scotland

J.D. Mackie's A History of Scotland is exactly that - a comprehensive history of Scotland from 11th century to the 1970s. At only 380 pages, this book is packed with information, and has long been regarded as the book to reach for on the subject. Mackie  was Professor of Scottish History and Literature at the University of Glasgow from 1930 to 1957, and became Her Majesty's Historiographer in Scotland in 1958. He had published numerous books on various related topics until his death in 1978.

"For a generation, this book - intelligent, fair-minded and accurate - has been acclaimed as the definitive one-volume history of a great nation." (From the publisher)

A History of Scotland has been immeasurably helpful to me in three ways. First, it provided a detailed introduction to the places and people of Scotland's past which helped me to further appreciate everything I saw during my trip to Edinburgh and the Highlands this past March. Second, it gives an amazing historical background to any examination of Scottish settlement in Canada - knowing the push and pull factors of why settlers were compelled to leave their homes and start anew. And lastly, it has helped me to better understand the current political and social climate in Scotland with regards to the upcoming September referendum - seeing all sides of an argument and being able to put everything into context is strangely satisfying.

When reading this book, I strongly advise you to have a map of Scotland handy, and be prepared to look up names and terms. There is so much information in this book that at times it can feel as though you're simply reading lists of battles, treaties, and nobles. Don't be intimidated, however; when a person or event is of great significance, Mackie will spend a paragraph or two explaining why before moving on.

If the book has any shortcomings it's that it has no illustrations or images, and only five historical maps. For a region with such a stunning landscape and a wonderful visual culture, it was a bit disappointing. Additionally, many early kings share the same name, and it would've been nice to be able to "see" each individual. I found it helpful to pause between sections of the book to watch episodes of the BBC produced "A History of Scotland", hosted by Neil Oliver. Being able to visualise the personalities through the ages and have names repeated is one of the best ways (for me anyway) to memorise things.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Scotland and its peoples, or are interested in British history in general.* I've shared some links below where you can pick up your own copy.

Sources
J.D. Mackie, A History of Scotland, Penguin Books, 1984 (Revised Edition)
BBC One, "A History of Scotland"

Further Reading
You can find your own copy of A History of Scotland on Amazon or Chapters
BBC News, 2014 "Scotland Decides"
Diana Gabaldon's Website
The Outlander series on Amazon and Chapters

* I will also mention (for those readers of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series) that this book provides a perfect background to the social, political, and religious undertones to the Jacobite rebellions and life in 1740s Scotland.

Embro Highland Games 2014

This Canada Day (July 1st) I very happily made a drive out into rural Ontario for the 77th Embro Highland Games. Located within Zorra Township (close to Woodstock, Ontario), Embro is a small village set amongst rolling green fields of corn and pasture. By chance I happened to hear about the Games on the radio, and decided to visit.

There were a number of events taking place throughout the day: tug-of-war, caber toss, hammer throw, stone throw, pipe band competitions, and highland dance competitions. I also watched a sheep herding demonstration and was able to peruse the vendors' stalls. It was great to hear the pipe music and see so many people in kilts celebrating the culture.

There were really only two things that I found to be a bit disappointing about the Games: There was no haggis, and not enough vendors. I am a big fan of haggis - I love it. I was hoping that this would be a great opportunity to eat some and take some home with me for later. I settled for a steak and haggis pie that was mostly steak (and still delicious). As for vendors, I was hoping to see more in way of traditional crafts, or products from traditional Scottish livestock.

The cover charge is a bit steep at $15 for this small (but long-running) event, but it was a fun day out in the sun in bucolic Southern Ontario, and I'd recommend it for next year.

Sources

Embro Highland Games Website

You can buy some pretty decent haggis from The Healthy Butcher in Toronto and in Kitchener.

You Were Here

It is only natural that when presented with a map - any map - one will always look for a familiar place name or feature. Being able to place oneself somewhere within the map's borders makes it more relevant. It also makes it more exciting. I recently came across this map of Galt, produced in 1861, in which I can clearly see the property lines for my childhood home.

Tremaine's Map of the County of Waterloo, Canada West. Compiled & Drawn from
 Actual & Original Surveys by the Publishers. Geo. R. & G.M. Tremaine, Toronto, 1861.
 (City of Cambridge Archives)

Davidson Street!

What's in a Name? History

Many are familiar with the place names listed below, but are unaware that each denotes a very specific period in the history of the province of Ontario.

Pays d'en Haut (1500s-1763) From initial discovery to France's loss to the English in the Seven Years' War, Ontario was a wilderness region of New France referred to as "the upper country".

Quebec (1763-1791) After the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the British crown took over New France, named it Quebec, and included the large colony into it's already substantial North American holdings.

Upper Canada (1791-1841) The American Revolution, ending in 1883, encouraged thousands of loyalists to move north to Quebec (which remained a part of the Crown). With this new influx of settlers came a demand for English laws and government - as opposed to the French civil system still in operation in the colony. The Constitution Act of 1791 divided Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada, and provided Upper Canadians with their own Lieutenant Governor and legal system.

Canada West (1841-1867) Upper and Lower Canada were rejoined in 1841 as the Province of Canada in a political and cultural attempt to overpower the then dominant French population (as well as any potential rebels on both sides). Although the province was now unified, each region remained distinct as Canada West, and Canada East.

Ontario (1867- ) With Confederation came yet another separation as the Province of Canada was divided into roughly the Ontario and Quebec we know today. Ontario's borders were finally established to the north and west by 1912.

Maps depicting borders in 1774 and 1791

Maps depicting borders in 1867 and 1912

Name changes also apply to the smaller scale of villages and cities:

Shade's Mills (1816-1827) Named after Absalom Shade who was hired by founder William Dickson to manage and superintend the new settlement in Dumfries. Shade quickly established a saw and grist mill as well as a shop and home for himself and his family.

Galt (1827-1973) For many settlements, the establishment of a post office is a big deal. It's an opportunity to put your name on the map (and subsequently make it easier for everyone to find you and do business with you). Many settlements stick with the name they've started with, while others take this opportunity to change theirs to something else.* William Dickson decided to change the name of Shade's Mills to Galt after Scottish poet and friend, John Galt.

Cambridge (1973- ) In 1973 the city of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair amalgamated to become Cambridge.

*Some communities didn't have a choice in the matter once they realized that they share the same name as another settlement that already received a post office. You can't have two Burwick, Canada Wests: So the community just north of what is now Toronto changed their name to Woodbridge in 1855.

Sources
Dictionary of Canadian Biography, 2014 "Absalom Shade"
Archives of Ontario, 2011 "The Changing Shape of Ontario" (Economic Atlas of Ontario / Atlas Économique de l'OntarioW. G. Dean, Editor/ Directeur; G. J. Mathews, Cartographer/ CartographePrinted 1969 by University of Toronto Press for the Government of Ontario)
City of Vaughan, "A Brief History of Woodbridge"

Further Reading
Canadian Encyclopedia, "Seven Years' War"
Canadian Encyclopedia, "Durham Report"
Canadian Museum of History, 2014 "Virtual Museum of New France"

McDougall Cottage

Last month I had the opportunity to visit McDougall Cottage - a small but lovely historic home located along the shore of the Grand River at Grand Avenue South and Cedar Street.

"McDougall Cottage, ca.1858 granite and limestone labourer's dwelling, is located in downtown Cambridge in the historic factory district. Home for more than a century to two families of hardworking Scots, the McDougalls and the Bairds, this charming traditional cottage with its equally charming pocket-sized gardens, boasts the most spectacular hand-painted friezes (patterns along the top of walls or buildings) and trompe l'oeil ceilings (three dimensional illusions) that Ontario has to offer.
The Cottage serves as an interpretation centre, showcasing its unique interior landscape and presenting mini-exhibits on monthly themes." (Region of Waterloo)

During my visit I was able to see a temporary exhibit on quilting with a Scottish theme, as well as the beautiful friezes described in the quote above. There's a massive kitchen with a conservatory overlooking the gardens to the back of the house. There are apparently monthly teas held in this space which I'd love to attend. The staff are incredibly friendly and easy to talk to - a highly recommended little stop in Cambridge (right across from the Southworks Antique Market!). For more information on the cottage, its hours and calendar of events, see the links below.



Sources
Region of Waterloo, 2010 "McDougall Cottage"
Region of Waterloo, 2014 "Happenings at McDougall Cottage"
McDougall Cottage's Facebook Page
Cambridge Now, 2014 "McDougall Cottage"

Taxes and the Home in Upper Canada

While I was working as an interpreter within an historic home, I was absolutely shocked (on a number of occasions) to hear that visitors believed that taxes were something of a 20th century invention in Canada. Sometimes being an interpreter isn't about sharing new and exciting information with people, it's about trying to correct myths and misconceptions.

When it came to taxes and the home in Upper Canada, three considerations prevailed: the building material of the house, the number of storeys, and the number of fireplaces. In 1807, six categories were created to help determine who owed what to the government. Here they are in order of least to most amount of tax, regardless of the square footage of the house:

- Homes constructed of round logs
- Homes constructed of square timber, one storey
- Homes constructed of square timber, two storeys
- Framed (sawn wood) homes under two storeys
- Homes constructed of brick or stone of one storey with not more than two fireplaces
- Homes constructed of brick or stone of two storeys with not more than two fireplaces

Some good news for settlers in 1811 arrived when the government decided to no longer tax buildings made of round logs (presumably if you're living in a house made of round logs you can't afford to do much else let alone hand over cash to the taxman). Some more cunning families who wished to keep more of their money to themselves built homes that were one and a half storeys - 19th century houses of this height are still littered across Ontario today.

For the average home-owner in the 1830s however, the tax owed on a two storey brick home was about 5 shillings - roughly equivalent to a days' wages for a skilled labourer. It wasn't a prohibitive tax by any means, and the Scots were among the more prolific builders of homes in stone and brick:

"... among non-log houses, Scots used stone (17%) and brick (13%) most often, and frame (70%) the least, whereas about 85% of the Irish, American, German, English, and Ontario-born residents lived in frame houses." (Kalman, 170)

I have a particular fondness for one and a half storey stone houses. Duncan Ferguson house (1856), pictured here, is located at 71 Cowan Boulevard, Cambridge.

Sources
Harold Kalman's 1994, A History of Canadian Architecture, Vol. 1
Brian Coffey's 1985, "Factors Affecting the Use of Construction Materials in Early Ontario" in Ontario History

Further Reading
Historic Places "Duncan Ferguson Homestead"

"According to his fancy"

In his 1829 publication, Three Years in Canada: An Account of the Actual State of the Country in 1826-7-8, John MacTaggart dedicates a whopping three (of his 347) pages to informing his readers on the domestic architectural landscape in the colony. He begins his description by warning the reader that “the orders of architecture baffle all description: everyone builds his cottage or house according to his fancy….” (308) MacTaggart is clearly not a fan of the vernacular. That’s OK, neither was Vitruvius.

It is to MacTaggart’s credit that he is able to discern between these various fancies; how else would he be able to tell if he were walking up to the plain dwelling of an honest English farmer or the showy, yet charmless abode of a former American with at least one loose daughter? (309)

Here are the six most popular types of homes (and their corresponding occupants) as described by MacTaggart. An initial on-line search of extant period homes revealed a number of close matches to his brief descriptions. My search also revealed that MacTaggart might have some seriously crippling author-bias. 

The house of an "honest English farmer" (308-309)

The house of a “wealthy Lowland Scotchman” (309)

The house of a United Empire Loyalist from the United States (American) (309-310)

The house of a “wild pushing Highland-man” (310)

The house of a French Canadian (310-311)

The homes of the Dutch (311)

Sources
John MacTaggart's 1829, Three Years in Canada: An Account of the Actual State of the Country in 1826-7-8
Many older buildings reside in relative safety within historic "villages": Westfield Heritage Village, Upper Canada Village, and Black Creek Pioneer Village.

Further Reading
John Mac Taggart (b.1791, d. 1830) was a Scottish engineer and author; you can learn more about him (and his prejudices) online at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
Do some house hunting of your own: Ontario Architecture, Ontario Heritage Properties Database,

Galt and the Grand River Lands

After the Revolutionary War with the United States (1775-1783), the British Crown provided its Native allies with numerous land grants in its northern colonies. One such grant was provided to the Six Nations Indians (who had relocated from Ohio, and other Northern US states as refugees), and was comprised of the land six miles along each side of the Grand River from Lake Erie to Elora. (OHT)

Thomas Ridout's 1821 Survey of the former Six Nation Lands

On February 5, 1798, Colonel Brant, on behalf of the Six Nations, and acting as their legal attorney, sold to one Philip Stedman of the Niagara District, that portion of their lands known as Block number one, comprising 94,305 acres, and which, by an Act of Legislature of the Province, became known as the Township of Dumfries. The stipulated price was £8,841. (Young, 12) 

The township of Dumfries would later be home to the village of Galt. This sale was only one of six large transactions in 1798 in which the Indians sold off 352,707 acres for a total of £44,867. (Young, 13) This acreage included most of the Six Nations northern holdings along the Grand River, while they retained control over the southern portion. (See note below)

At the time, Mr. Stedman could do little with the land. The newly created province of Upper Canada (1791) had a population of only 20,000, and many residents were  located in the Kingston and Niagara areas. (Young, 14) Any plans that Stedman may have had are unknown, for after receiving the patent from the Crown for the land, he passed away. (Young, 14-15) With no heirs, the property was inherited by his sister, who along with her husband sold the deed to the Township in 1811 to the Hon. Thomas Clarke. (Young, 15)

Subsequent to his participation in the War of 1812 as a loyal British subject, the Hon. William Dickson decided that the time had come for him to purchase some land and open more of the province to settlement. After a conversation with Mr. Clarke in the summer of 1816, it was decided that Mr. Dickson would purchase, for the sum of £24,000, the entirety of the former Mr. Stedman’s lands along the Grand River. (Young, 17) Mr. Dickson immediately began his work advertising for settlement and assisting in developing Galt until his death in 1846.

*Here is what became of the other Six Nations properties sold in 1798. Waterloo County has been known as the Region of Waterloo since 1973. The Township of Dumfries was divided in half in 1852 with North Dumfries becoming a part of Waterloo County, and South Dumfries a part of Brant County.

Block No 1 – Township of Dumfries

Block No 2 – Waterloo Township, Waterloo County

Block No 3 – Pilkington Township in Wellington Country, and Woolwich Township in Waterloo County

Block No 4 – Nichol Township in Wellington County

Block No 5 – Moulton Township in Haldimand County

Block No 6 – Canborough Township in Haldimand County

Sources:

James Young's 1880, Reminiscences of the Early History of Galt and the Settlement of Dumfries
City of Cambridge, Cambridge Archives and Records Centre, 2014, "Honourable William Dickson"
A decent "Map of Southern Ontario Including Counties and Townships" can be found here
Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT) plaque dedicated to the Haldimand Grant of land to the Six Nations in 1784
The Waterloo Region Museum has a great collection of sites on the history of Waterloo, Wilmot, North Dumfries, and Woolwich Counties.

Further Reading:
Grand River Branch of the United Empire Loyalists, Website
Dictionary of Canadian Biography, "Clark (Clarke), Thomas"
Government of Ontario, 2014 "Six Nations of the Grand River"