Part 44

=Simcoe, John Graves=, Lieutenant-General, the first Governor of Upper Canada, was born in the town of Cotterstock, Northamptonshire, England, in 1752, and was the eldest son of Captain John Simcoe, commander of H.M.S. _Pembroke_, who was killed at Quebec, in the execution of his duty, in the year 1759, while assisting Wolfe in his siege of that city. On young Simcoe first going to school, at Exeter, at a comparatively early age, he attracted considerable notice from all with whom he came in contact for his proficiency in everything that the school taught; and he was, undoubtedly, the _dux_ of the school. At the age of fourteen he was removed to Eton, where he acquired new honours. After remaining at Eton a short time, he was removed to Mereton College, Oxford. From college, in his nineteenth year, he entered the army, either he or his guardians having selected that profession for him. He was appointed to an ensigncy in the 35th regiment of the line; and as hostilities had already commenced with the United States of America, he was despatched to the seat of war to join his regiment. He arrived at Boston on the day of the battle of Bunker Hill, and took an active part afterwards, as may be seen, in the great American war, when the American colonists threw off their allegiance to Great Britain, and declared themselves independent. Ensign Simcoe, having served some time as adjutant to his own regiment, purchased the command of a company in the 48th, with which he fought at the battle of Brandywine, and where he displayed (although very young) his courage and professional attainments by the active part he took in the day’s proceedings. Unfortunately he was severely wounded at this engagement. Captain Simcoe was always a soldier in his heart, and attentive to every part of his duty. He already saw that regularity in the interior economy of a soldier’s life contributed to his health, and he estimated the attention of the inferior officers by the strength of a company or a regiment in the field. His ambition invariably led him to aspire to command; and even, when the army first landed at Staten Island, he went to New York to request the command of the Queen’s Rangers (a provincial corps then newly raised), though he did not obtain his desire till after the battle of Brandywine, in October, 1777. The Queen’s Rangers, under command of Simcoe, acquired new laurels, and were justly celebrated, as was their leader, for their several gallant deeds and exploits. During the rest of the American war, or until their disbandment, they bore part in nearly every engagement which took place; but, unfortunately, being situated at Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown, when the latter place was besieged by the allied French and American army, the Rangers, as well as the other portions of the British army under Lord Cornwallis’s command, were surrendered by that nobleman to the victorious insurgents. With the surrender of Gloucester Point the active existence of the Rangers terminated. The officers were afterwards put upon half-pay, and their provincial rank retained to them in the standing British army. The war for independence virtually ceased with the capture of Yorktown, and Colonel Simcoe returned to England, greatly fatigued by his late arduous duties, and greatly impaired in his constitution. The king received him in a manner which plainly shewed how grateful his Majesty was for the great services he had rendered; and all classes of society received him with the most affectionate regard, and shewed him every demonstration of their attachment. Not long after his return he entered into the marriage state with Miss Guillim, a near relation to Admiral Graves, a distinguished officer engaged in the American war. He was elected to represent, in 1790, the borough of St. Maw’s, Cornwall, in the House of Commons, which place he continued to represent, with equal honour to himself and his county, until the passing of the bill dividing the province of Quebec into two provinces, to be called Upper and Lower Canada, when he was selected as the first governor of Upper Canada, whither he proceeded, in 1791, with his wife and family, and took up his quarters at Niagara, then called Newark, where he held his first parliament in September, 1792. Upper Canada was then in a comparative state of wilderness. We cannot picture to ourselves a more dismal or a more thoroughly dejected colony than was the province at the time of which we speak. Governor Simcoe, however, entered upon his duty with a resolute heart. Newark, now Niagara, was made the seat of government, which consisted of a Legislative Assembly and Council, the former containing sixteen members only, while the latter was still smaller; and a parliament was convened so early as the 17th September of the same year. He also appointed an Executive Council, composed of gentlemen who had accompanied him out, and some who already resided in the province. He had the whole country surveyed and laid out into districts, and invited as much immigration as possible, in order to swell the population. For this purpose, those parties who so nobly adhered to the cause of Britain in the revolted colonies, and which are chiefly known by the sobriquet of United Empire loyalists, removed to Canada, and received a certain portion of land free. Also, discharged officers and soldiers of the line received a certain portion of land gratuitously; and all possible means were employed to further the projects of the governor. A provincial corps was raised, by command of the king, and Colonel Simcoe was appointed colonel of it. This corps he called the “Queen’s Rangers,” after his old regiment. Becoming dissatisfied with the position of Newark as the provincial capital, he travelled westward as far as Detroit, and back, without having come to any fixed conclusion. He resolved to inspect the northern shore of Lake Ontario, and for that purpose set sail from Newark on Thursday, the 2nd May, 1793, and on the morning of Saturday, the 4th, entered the harbour of Toronto. A short distance from the entrance to the harbour were several wigwams, inhabited by Mississaga Indians. This was the “town” of Toronto, which Governor Simcoe determined was to be the future capital of Upper Canada. He quartered a number of the Queen’s Rangers there, and improved the site and vicinity of the projected city to a great extent. Roads were constructed, so that a proper communication could be kept up between town and country. A schooner ran weekly between Newark and York, and couriers were sent, overland, monthly to Lower Canada. Of course the population increased, and the young province began to consider itself wealthy. In 1794, Simcoe was promoted to the rank of major-general; and in 1796 he was appointed to be commandant and governor of the important island of St. Domingo. Thither he, with his family, proceeded, and there he held the local rank of lieutenant-general. Though he remained only a few months, he greatly endeared himself by his kind and considerate government of the island, not only to all the residents, but to the natives themselves; and a contemporary justly remarks that, “short as was his stay, he did more than any former general to conciliate the native inhabitants to the British government.” In 1798 he was created a lieutenant-general; and in 1801, when an invasion of England was expected by the French, the command of the town of Plymouth was entrusted to him. We do not hear of him again until 1806, when the last scene in this great man’s life was to come to a close. France had long been suspected of a design to invade Portugal, and, the affair being apparent to England, public attention was called to the critical situation of that country; and as Portugal was the only surviving ally of Britain upon the continent, means must necessarily be employed to assist her. In this critical juncture, Lieutenant-General Simcoe and the Earl of Rosselyn, with a large staff, were immediately sent out to join the Earl of St. Vincent, who, with his fleet, was in the Tagus; and they were instructed to open, in concert with him, a communication with the court, so that they would ascertain whether danger was very imminent, and, if so, employ means to guard against it. But, alas, in such a glorious undertaking, which probably would have crowned him with fame and honours, Simcoe was never destined to participate to any extent. On the voyage thither he was taken suddenly ill, and had to return to England, where he had only landed when his eventful life was brought to a close. He breathed his last at Torbay, in Devonshire, at the comparatively early age of fifty-four, after having honourably served his country during many years in a variety of occupations—regretted by all, from the simple soldier whom he had commanded to the friend of his heart and his boon companion.

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=Robb, David W.=, Manager of the Foundry and Machine Shops of A. Robb and Sons, Amherst, Nova Scotia, was born at Amherst on the 9th May, 1856. His father, Alexander Robb, the founder of the works he manages, is a gentleman very much respected by his fellow citizens. His mother is Emmeline Logan, daughter of David D. Logan, of Amherst Point. David received his educational training at the County Academy at Amherst, and had begun the study of mechanical engineering when his father’s health gave way in 1872, in consequence of which he had to assume business responsibilities, and since that time has been actively employed in the foundry and machine business, which has now grown to large proportions under his careful management. Mr. Robb is a member of the order of Freemasons, having joined this organisation in 1882. In 1881 he reorganized the fire department in his native town, and has been its chief engineer ever since. He is a member of the Liberal-Conservative Association of Amherst, and an active supporter of Sir Charles Tupper, minister of finance, who represents the county in the Dominion parliament. Mr. Robb, like his father, is a member of the Presbyterian church, and, like him, a public spirited gentleman. He was married on the 15th June, 1872, to Ida S., daughter of Dr. Nathan Tupper, and niece of Sir Charles Tupper. The fruit of this marriage is three children—two boys and a girl. Frederick B., second son of Alexander, we may add, is the financial manager of the firm of A. Robb and Sons.

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=Fraser, Hon. Judge John James=, Q.C., Fredericton, New Brunswick, was born in Nelson, Northumberland county, N.B., on the 1st of August, 1829. His father, John Fraser, was a native of Inverness, Scotland, who emigrated to New Brunswick in 1803. He first settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and remained there until 1812, when he moved to Miramichi, New Brunswick, where he went into business as a lumber merchant and shipbuilder on Beanbear’s Island, and carried on these branches of trade for a number of years. He was also extensively engaged in the exportation of salmon, which at that time was a very profitable enterprise. John James Fraser received his early educational training at the Newcastle Grammar School, and adopted law as his profession. In October, 1845, he entered the office of the late Hon. John Ambroise Street, and in 1850 passed his examination as an attorney. In January, 1851, on the appointment of the Hon. Mr. Street to the office of attorney-general, Mr. Fraser removed to Fredericton, and remained with that gentleman until 1854. He was admitted to the bar in 1852, and made a Queen’s counsel in 1873. Mr. Fraser devoted his attention closely to his profession until 1865, when he entered the political arena, and was returned to the Provincial parliament as representative for York county, in conjunction with Messrs. Allen, Hatheway, and Needham, as champions of the anti-confederation movement, confederation being the then burning question of the day. In 1866, the Smith government having been compelled to resign, a general election ensued, and on Mr. Fraser presenting himself for re-election, a strong feeling was manifested against him, and at the close of the poll he found that his opponent had carried the day. In June, 1871, he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council and president of the Executive Council in the Hatheway-King administration, and held both positions until the death of the Hon. Mr. Hatheway in 1872, when he resigned. He was afterwards offered the position of provincial secretary to the government led by the Hon. Mr. King, and this he accepted. He then again appeared before his constituents, and was re-elected by acclamation, and the county of York he continued to represent until May, 1878, when the Hon. Mr. King retired from provincial politics. Hon. Mr. Fraser then became attorney-general and leader of the government, and this position he held until the 24th May, 1882, when he resigned, and offered himself as a candidate for the representation of York in the House of Commons, but was defeated. In December, 1882, he was, on the decease of Mr. Justice Duff, appointed a judge of the Supreme Court. He was married in September, 1867, to Martha, eldest daughter of the late Alexander Cumming, a merchant of Fredericton, and had by her two children, both of whom are dead. Mrs. Fraser died in March, 1871. In May, 1884, he was married to Jane M. P., daughter of the late Mr. Justice Fisher, of Fredericton.

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=Green, Harry Compton=, Postmaster, Summerside, Prince Edward Island, was born at North Street, Eleanor, P.E.I., on the 30th April, 1817. He is the second son of the Hon. Samuel Green, and Elizabeth, his wife, who emigrated to Prince Edward Island from London, England, in 1808. Henry received his first educational training in the village school, and afterwards studied in the Charlottetown Academy, under Professor Brow Waddle. After leaving school he devoted himself to farming, and from 1839 to 1856 he farmed extensively on his freehold estate on North Street, Eleanor. In 1841 Mr. Green was appointed road commissioner and commissioner of small debts, and in 1842 he was created a justice of the peace. In 1851 he was appointed high sheriff of Prince county. In 1857 he went into mercantile business, and continued in this line until 1866, when he was appointed collector of customs for the port of Summerside. From 1858 to 1868 he occupied the honourable position of mayor of Summerside; and in 1871 he was appointed postmaster, which position he still holds. He joined the ancient and honourable order of Freemasons in 1858, and has been treasurer of his lodge, King Hiram, for nearly seven years. He was brought up and has always continued to be an Episcopalian in his religious views, and has frequently held the office of churchwarden, both in St. John’s Church, Eleanor, and St. Mary’s Church, Summerside. In March, 1850, he was married to Elizabeth C. Ellis, daughter of Robert Ellis, formerly of Bideford, Devon, England.

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=Fogo, Hon. James=, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Judge of Probate for the county of Pictou, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 30th June, 1811. His father, James Fogo, senior, came to Pictou in 1817, and died there in 1868, aged eighty-one years. His mother was Elizabeth McClure, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and died in Pictou, in 1879, aged eighty-nine years. Judge Fogo received his education at the Pictou Academy, under the tuition of that celebrated teacher and educator, the Rev. Thomas McCulloch, D.D., and was the classmate of Governor Archibald, Sir William Ritchie, now chief justice of the Dominion of Canada, and other gentlemen who have attained celebrity in different walks of life. He studied law in the office of Jotham Blanchard, then one of the most eminent practitioners at the bar in eastern Nova Scotia, and was admitted as an attorney of the Supreme Court in May, 1837, along with Charles Young, now the Hon. Dr. Young, LL.D., judge of the Surrogate Court for the province of Prince Edward Island, both of whom obtained _optimes_ on their examinations. This, therefore, is the year of Judge Fogo’s professional jubilee. In 1838, according to the practice then existing, he was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court. Judge Fogo obtained the judicial appointment which he now holds on the 30th December, 1850, and has ever since, with the exception of a short interregnum which took place on a change of government in 1864, discharged the duties of his office with marked ability and satisfaction to the public. He is well read in the learning of his profession, and his judgments have almost invariably been sustained by the Supreme Court in cases of appeals from his decisions. In 1851 he was offered the solicitor-generalship of an adjoining colony, but an indisposition to sever his connection with Nova Scotia induced him to decline the acceptance of the offer. In his early years, before accepting his judicial position, Judge Fogo was an active politician in the Liberal interests, and on several occasions was urged by his friends to accept a nomination as a candidate for the representative branch of the legislature, but a regard to his personal interests prompted otherwise, as he preferred the active duties of his profession to the turmoil and uncertainty of political life. He was at one time connected with the provincial militia, and on the 23rd July, 1864, obtained the commission of major, having previously held the commission of first and second lieutenants in the service. He was created a Queen’s counsel by the Local government in 1878, his commission giving him precedence as such in all courts of the province over all other Queen’s counsels appointed after 23rd October, 1833. He was also, on the 27th July, 1879, appointed a master in Chancery, now called a master in the Supreme Court. On the 11th October, 1880, he obtained the appointment of Queen’s counsel from the Dominion government, when such appointments were ruled _ultra vires_ of the Provincial government, and since the date of his commission he has been appointed by the presiding judge to conduct the criminal business at each and every sitting of the Supreme Court at Pictou. Judge Fogo was first married in December, 1846, to Jane, daughter of the late Rev. John McKinlay, A.M., of Prince Street Presbyterian Church, Pictou, who died in 1848, leaving one daughter, Charlotte Jane, who, on the 27th of April, 1870, was united in marriage to the Hon. John F. Stairs, then of Dartmouth, now of Halifax, and ex-M.P. of the House of Commons, and who, to the great grief of her family and friends, died of that dreadful malady, diphtheria, on the 28th May, 1886, leaving five children, her son Walter, of the age of two and a half years, or thereabouts, having, two days previously, fallen a victim to the same disease. This dispensation of Providence naturally inflicted much mental suffering to the subject of our sketch, as his daughter was an only child, gifted with superior abilities, of a joyous and happy disposition, and consequently a great favourite in the social circle wherever she moved, and though the healing salve of time may cicatrize the wound occasioned by her early and unexpected death, the scar will still remain. The judge was married the second time to Elizabeth Ives, daughter of the late James Ives, of the city of Halifax, architect. The judge has the comforts of life in a liberal measure, and the mind and heart to enjoy them. He is said by his friends to be a pleasant and effective speaker. His mode of address is full of life and animation, and being gifted with a luxuriant imagination and playful fancy, his public exhibitions afford gratification to his auditors. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. Though advanced in life, his age rests lightly upon him, and none, to look at him and mark his quick and agile step, would dream that he is now in the seventy-sixth year of his age. He has a delightful residence at Belleville, opposite the railway station on the Pictou side of the harbour, and which is thus described in “Meacham’s Illustrated and Historical Atlas of the County of Pictou”:—“The building represented to our view is a classical villa, after the Tuscan manner, and was built by its proprietor in 1854. It is very beautifully situated, and affords a most commanding view of the surrounding country. The scene which is presented to the spectator on a summer day, when shipping in the harbour is brisk, and vessels of all descriptions are plying to and fro upon its waters, is one of an exceedingly pleasing and animated character, and presents a panorama which is rarely equalled, and difficult to surpass. The property is noted for the valuable free stone in which it abounds, and which is now commanding an extensive sale beyond the limits of the county, many thousands of tons having been disposed of to rebuild the bridges on the Intercolonial Railway, by a gentleman to whom the owner sold a few acres some years ago, leaving untouched, however, extensive areas of superior stone for building purposes, which brisker times would soon call into requisition.”

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=Fothergill, Rev. Matthew Monkhouse=, Rector of St. Peter’s Church, Quebec city, was born in Cefnrhychdir, Monmouthshire, Wales, England, on the 11th November, 1834. His father was a leading agriculturist in South Wales, and frequently carried off valuable prizes at Lord Tredegar’s agricultural show for short-horns, thorough-bred horses, and mountain sheep. Rev. M. Fothergill received his education at Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire, King Edward’s Grammar School, Ely, and at St. Augustine’s College, Canterbury, England. In 1857 he came to Canada, and made Quebec his home, and here he was ordained by the late Bishop Mountain. He was then appointed travelling missionary, and did good service for the cause of the Master in this capacity. For twelve years he was a rural dean, and was the first incumbent of the new mission of Danville. After having built St. Augustine’s Church at Danville, he was called to Quebec city, and made rector of St. Peter’s Church, which position he now occupies. Rev. M. Fothergill is an active man, and outside his ministerial duties he has found time to help in other directions. For fourteen years he has held the position of secretary to the Church Society, is chaplain to the Marine and Emigrant Hospital, and Government inspector of public schools.

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