"Ducit Amor Patriae" Niagara Historical Society NOTES ON NIAGARA No. 32 1759 - 1860 Price 25 cents. Advance Print, Niagara, Ont. ************************************************************************ NIAGARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Its Objects are the encouragement of the study of Canadian History and Literature, the collection and preservation of Canadian Historical Relics the building up of Canadian loyalty and patriotism, and the preservation of all historical landmarks in this vicinity. The Annual Fee is fifty cents. The Society was formed in December, 1895. The Annual Meeting is held on October 13th. Since May, 1896, six thousand articles have been gathered in the Historical Room, thirty one pamphlets have been published eleven historical sites have been marked, an Historical Building erected at a cost of over $6,000, and a catalogue published. Officers 1919-1920 Honorary President Gen. Cruikshank, F.R.S.C. President Miss Carnochan Vice-President Rev. Canon Garrett Second Vice-President Rev.A.F. MacGregor, B.A. Third Vice-President E.H. Shepherd Secretary Mrs. E. Ascher Treasurer Mrs. S.D. Manning Curator-Editor Miss Carnochan Assistant Curator Mrs. Bottomley Second Assistant Curator Mrs. Mussen Committee Alfred Ball Mrs. Goff Mrs. Bottomley Wm. Ryan G.S.Bale, B.A. Life Members Arthur E. Paffard Dr. T.K. Thompson, C.E. Mrs. C. Baur Major R.W. Leonard H.B. Witton R. Biggar Best H.J. Wickham A.E. Rowland C.M. Warner Honorary Members Gen. Cruickshank, F.R.S.C. Newton J. Ker, C.E. Dr. H.L. Anderson Dr. A.H.U. Colquhoun J.D. Chaplin, M.P. Dr. Alexander Fraser, M.A. Mrs. E.J. Thompson Frank Greenlaw, M.P.P. Peter McArthur Extracts From Niagara Papers Index Year Page Year Page 1759 - Burial of Prideaux 3 1778-83 - Van Every Statement 4 and Johnson 1777 - Bowman Family 3 1782-3 - First Census 5 1784 - Servos Mill 6 1784-1790 - U.E.L. Claims 6 1791 - Plans of the Town 7 1792 Masonic Hall 8 1792 - Marriage of Capt. Jas. 9 1792 - Agricultural Society 9 Hamilton 1793 - First Paper 10 1793-1913 – Newspapers 10 1793 - First Brick House 11 1793 - Navy Hall 11 1793 – Simcoe 11 1793 - Town Officers Appointed 12 1794 - U.C. Gazette Ads 12 1794 - Bounty Money 12 1794 - St. Andrew's Church 14 1794 - Grant for Land Asked 14 1795 - Grant Given 15 1795 - Meeting of Parliament 15 1796 - Sermon to Free Masons 16 1798 - D.W. Smith's House 17 1799 - The Wilderness 18 1800 - First Library 20 1899 - McFarland House 18 1802-9 - St. Mark's Church 20 1802-15 - The Light House 21 1806 - Geo. Heriot's Travels 21 1812 - Condolences of Indians 22 1813 - Capt. Martin McLellan 26 1812-13 - Inventory of Brock's Sale 24 1812 - The Bee Newspaper 22 1813 – Tecumseh 25 1813 - Wm. Dickson 26 1813 - Buildings at Fort George 23 1814 - Regiments at Fort George 24 1814 - Letter from an American Prisoner 28 1814 - Mrs. Jennoway's Letter, re: The Earthworks at Queenston Heights 31 1814 - Dr. Dunlop 30 1816 - Ad. for Building Jail and Court House 32 1817 - Expenses of Wake at Queenston 32 1817 - Medals of 1812-14 33 1817 - Loyal Patriotic Society 33 1817 - Paymaster Jas. Scott, brother of Sir Walter Scott 34 1818 - Ads. In Spectator 32 1818 - Presentation of Colors at Grimsby 35 1819 - Ads. of Library 36 1819 - Disputes with John Greer 37 1819 - Union Sunday School 37 1819 - Gourlay's Trial 37 1819 - John Goldie, the Botanist 38 1821 - Statutes re Debtors 38 1822 - Curious Stores of Animal 39 1823 - Mrs. Campbell's Losses 40 1834 - Reminiscences of Jno. McEwen 39 1825 - First Canadian Poem 40 1826 – Assizes 41 1826 - Dunbar at Brock's Monument 41 1827 - Gleaner Ads 43 1828 - Consecration of St. Mark's 43 1828 - Losses of David Secord 44 1829 - Baptist Church 45 1830 - Ads in Gleaner 45 1830 - Fire Company 46 1831 - Dock Company 46 Year Page Year Page 1832 - Debtors in Jail 47 1831- St. Andrew's Dedication 47 1832 - District School Grant 48 1832 - Meeting at Court House 49 1832-3 - High School Plans 50 1832 - Dock Company 49 1833 - Views of Drinking 50 1834 - Tea Furnished to Toronto 50 1824-37 - Losses of David Secord 44 1837 - Slave Riot 51 1837 – Rebellion 52 1837 - Fish Caught 52 1839 - Town Bell 52 1840 - Indignation Meeting 53 1841 - Canada Spelling Book 54 1841 - Former Graveyard 54 1841 - Indian Contributions to Brock's Monument 54 1844 - Stained Glass Window 55 1844 - Chair for Old Clerk 55 1841-6 - Temperance Society 56 1847 - Launch of Magnet 57 1847 - School Population 54 1847 - Help for Distress in Ireland 59 1847 - Pigeons, Fever, Telegraph 60 1847 – Emigrants 59 1848 – Physicians 60 1848 - Falls Dry, Bridge 61 1848 - Mrs. Wait 52 1848 - Free Schools 61 1848-9 - Mechanics' Institute 62 1850 – Telegraph 62 1850 - Provincial Fair 63 1851 - Free Schools 63 185l - Queenston Bridge 63 1857 - Petitions re: Licenses 63 1852 - Parks & Mechanics' Inst. 64 1853 - Removal of Brock's body 64 1853 - Slave Rescued 65 1854 - Abigail Becker 66 1855 - Prohibition Asked 67 1855 – Tornado 67 1857 - John Whitmore and Mrs Hoople Meet 69 1860 - Laura Secord Signed 69 1860 - Visit of Prince of Wales 70 1869 - The Veterans of Queenston Heights 70 PREFACE In the custody of the Niagara Historical Society are many papers printed in Niagara in the early years of the Nineteenth Century, and also the closing years of the Eighteenth Century. Many interesting items from them were given by the President of the Society to the Niagara Times. Besides the Mail, Chronicle and Reporter, there are copies of The Gleaner, Telegraph, Spectator, Herald, Argus, Spirit of the Times, not forgetting the Upper Canada Gazette of 1793. These show the difference between Niagara then and now, the progress of the world, the notabilities of the past, etc. So began Historical Item Number One, continued from 1896 to 1915, when the Times ceased to exist, the last item being No. 285. It has been strongly urged that we should print extracts from them in order of date to form a pamphlet. EXTRACTS FROM THE NIAGARA PAPERS 1759: In a letter from Rev. Jno. Ogilvie, who ministered to the Royal American Regiment at Fort Niagara in 1759, after its conquest from the French. "In this fort is a very handsome chapel and the priest, who was of the Order of St. Francis, was the French King's Chaplain to the Garrison. I performed divine service here in this church every day during my stay here." This reference to the chapel is interesting, as in it were buried two English officers, General Prideaux and Colonel Johnson, and many attempts have been made to locate their graves. In the life of Sir Wm. Johnson is an entry from his diary: "On the 28th of July we buried General Prideaux and Colonel Johnson in the Chapel, with great form." On the authority of Peter A. Porter, the Chapel, which was Roman Catholic, was taken down and removed to Fort Schlosser. The question arises, were the bodies removed to the Military Graveyard? A Miss Hosmer states that when she was a girl at school, there was a Monument to General Prideaux near the altar tomb of Amasa Snow. Excavations were made and remains found, but because no military buttons were seen it was not thought the right spot was found; forgetting the fact that in those days, they buried in a shroud and as he was not buried for several days, there was ample time for preparation. Soldiers buried on the battlefield would retain their military clothing. It has been thought that there should be a monument to two British soldiers who gave their lives for Britain's glory. Lately, Jno Ross Robertson found in the British Museum a Map showing the position of the chapel, which can now be pointed out in the parade ground. ******************************************************************** 1776: Mrs. Bowman Spohn, of Ancaster, wrote an account in 1861 for Dr. Ryerson's History of the U.E. Loyalists of the hardships in coming to Canada. "When their home was pillaged, the sick mother and children took refuge on the Mohawk River. In the fall, the commander of the British Forces at Fort Niagara, hearing of theri destitute conditions, sent out a party with some Indians to bring them in. They brought five families, viz: Nelles, Secord, Young, Buck, and Bowman; five women and thirty-one children, and only one pair of shoes among them. They arrived there on the 30th of November, 1776. In the Spring of 1777, my father joined Butler's Rangers. His brother, only nine years of age, went as a fifer. In 1789, the year of the famine, their only food was the leaves of trees, milk and fish. As soon as the wheat was ripe, they rubbed it out and boiled it as a great treat. ***************************************************************** 1778 – 1783: Strange stories are told of the hardships of the United Empire Loyalists in reaching Canada, in wagons, on foot, by water, long and arduous journeys, the help given them by rations from Fort Niagara. The name of McGregor Van Every occurs in the census taken by Col. Butler in 1783. Mr. Van Every tells that they were the first settlers in East Flamborough and came from the Mohawk Valley, took six weeks to travel to Montreal. "My mother carried the first ploughshare here. In fording a river on rafts, forcing the cattle to swim, they took to pieces the farming implements and carried them separately. There were three houses at Hamilton and the board shanty of Robert Rand. My father's house was of white oak.