Part 50

From being endowed with great energy of character, and having also a familiar knowledge of the native dialects, Mr. Borland had great influence with the Indian tribes frequenting the coasts of Lakes Huron and Simcoe. Mr. Roe likewise, in his dealings with the aborigines, had acquired a considerable facility in speaking the Otchibway dialect, and had much influence among the natives.

Let us not omit to record, too, that at Newmarket, not very many years since, was successfully practising a grandson of Sir William Blackstone, the commentator on the Laws of England--Mr. Henry Blackstone, whose conspicuous talents gave promise of an eminence in his profession not unworthy of the name he bore. But his career was cut short by death.

The varied character of colonial society, especially in its early crude state, the living elements mixed up in it, and the curious changes and interchanges that take place in the course of its development and consolidation, receive illustrations from ecclesiastical as well as civil annals.

We ourselves remember the church-edifice of the Anglican communion at Newmarket when it was an unplastered, unlathed clap-board shell, having repeatedly officiated in it while in that stage of its existence. Since then the congregation represented by this clap-board shell have had as pastors men like the following: a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, not undistinguished in his University, a protege of the famous Archbishop Magee, a co-worker for a time of the distinguished Dr. Walter Farquhar Hook, of Leeds, and minister of one of the modern churches there--the Rev. Robert Taylor, afterwards of Peterborough here in Canada. And since his incumbency, they have been ministered to by a former vicar of a prominent church in London, St. Michael's, Burleigh Street, a dependency of St. Martin's in Trafalgar Square--the Rev. Septimus Ramsay, who was also long the chief secretary and manager of a well-known Colonial Missionary Society which had its headquarters in London.

While, on the other hand, an intervening pastor of the same congregation, educated for the ministry here in Canada and admitted to Holy Orders here, was transferred from Newmarket first to the vicarage of Somerton in Somersetshire, England, and, secondly, to the rectory of Clenchwarden in the county of Norfolk in England--the Rev. R. Athill. And another intervening incumbent was, after having been also trained for the ministry and admitted to orders here in Canada, called subsequently to clerical work in the United States, being finally appointed one of the canons of the cathedral church at Chicago, by Bishop Whitehouse of Illinois: this was the Rev. G. C. Street, a near relative of the distinguished English architect of that name, designer and builder of the New Law Courts in London.

As to the name "Newmarket"--in its adoption there was no desire to set up in Canada a memorial of the famous English Cambridgeshire racing town. The title chosen for the place was an announcement to this effect: "Here is an additional mart for the convenience of an increased population: a place where farmers and others may purchase and exchange commodities without being at the trouble of a journey to York or elsewhere." The name of the Canadian Newmarket, in fact, arose as probably that of the English Newmarket itself arose, when first established as a newly-opened place of trade for the primitive farmers and others of East Anglia and Mercia in the Anglo-Saxon period.

It deserves to be added that the English church at Newmarket was, a few years back, to some extent endowed by a generous gift of valuable land made by Dr. Beswick, a bachelor medical man, whose large white house on a knoll by the wayside was always noted by the traveller from York as he turned aside from Yonge Street for Newmarket.

Proceeding onwards now from Newmarket, we speedily come to the village of Sharon (or Hope as it was once named), situated also off the direct northern route of Yonge Street.

David Willson, the great notability and founder of the place, had been in his younger days a sailor, and, as such, had visited the Chinese ports. After joining the Quakers, he taught for a time amongst them as a schoolmaster. For some proceeding of his, or for some peculiarity of religious opinion, difficult to define, he was cut off from the Hicksite sub-division of the Quaker body. He then began the formation of a denomination of his own. In the bold policy of giving to his personal ideas an outward embodiment in the form of a conspicuous Temple, he anticipated the shrewd prophets of the Mormons, Joseph and Hiram Smith. Willson's building was erected about 1825. Nauvoo was not commenced until the spring of 1840.

In a little pamphlet published at Philadelphia in 1815, Willson gives the following account of himself: "I, the writer," he says, "was born of Presbyterian parents in the county of Dutchess, state of New York, in North America. In 1801 I removed with my family into this province (Upper Canada), and after a few years became a member of the Society of the Quakers at my own request, as I chose a spiritual people for my brethren and sisters in religion. But after I had been a member thereof about seven years, I began to speak something of my knowledge of God or a Divine Being in the heart, soul or mind of man, all which signifies the same to my understanding,--but my language was offensive, my spirit was abhorred, my person was disdained, my company was forsaken by my brethren and sisters. After which I retired from the society and was disowned by them for so doing; but several retired with me and were disowned also, because they would not unite in the disowning and condemning the fruits of my spirit; for, as I had been accounted a faithful member of the society for many years, they did not like to be hasty in condemnation. Therefore we became a separate people, and assembled ourselves together under a separate order which I immediately formed. After I retired from my former meetings--as our discipline led to peace with all people more than any one in my knowledge--we called ourselves Children of Peace, because we were but young therein."

The following account of the Temple erected by Willson at Sharon is by a visitor to the village in 1835. "The building," says Mr. Patrick Shirreff in his "Tour through North America," published in Edinburgh in 1835, "is of wood painted white externally, seventy feet high; and consists of three storeys. The first is sixty feet square, with a door in the centre of each side and three large windows on each side of the door. On two sides there is a representation of the setting sun and the word 'Armageddon' inscribed below. The second storey is twenty-seven feet square with three windows on each side; and the third storey nine feet square with one window on each side.

"The corners of each of the storeys are terminated by square lanterns, with gilded mountings; and the termination of the building is a gilded ball of considerable size. The interior was filled with wooden chairs placed round sixteen pillars, in the centre of which is a square cabinet of black walnut with a door and windows on each side. There was a table in the centre of the cabinet covered with black velvet, hung with crimson merino and fringe, in which was deposited a Bible. On the four central pillars were painted the words Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love; and on the twelve others, the names of the Apostles. The central pillars seemed to support the second storey; and at the foot of each was a table covered with green cloth. The house was without ornament, being painted fawn, green and white; and had not a pulpit or place for addressing an audience. It is occupied once a month for collecting charity; and contains 2,952 panes of glass, and is lighted once a year with 116 candles."

The materials of the frame-work of the Temple were, as we have been told, prepared at a distance from the site, and run rapidly up as far as possible without noise, in imitation of the building of Solomon's Temple. By the side of the principal edifice stood a structure 100 feet by 50 feet, used for ordinary meetings on Sundays. On the first Friday in September used to be an annual feast, when the Temple was illuminated. In this was an organ built by Mr. Coates of York.

David was an illiterate mystic, as his writings shew, in which, when the drift of his maundering is made out, there is nothing new or remarkable to be discerned.

At the close of the war of 1812-13-14, he appears to have been under the impression that the Government designed to banish him as a seditious person, under c. 1. 44 Geo. III. He accordingly published a document deprecating such action. It was thus headed: "Address to thy Crown, O England, and thy great name. I write as follows to all the inhabitants thereof." In the course of it he says: "After I have written, I will leave God to judge between you and me; and also to make judges of you, whether you will receive my ministry in your land in peace, yea or nay. . . . Ye are great indeed. I cannot help that, neither do I want to; but am willing ye should remain great in the sight of God, although I am but small therein, in the things thereof. Now choose whether I should or might be your servant in these things, yea or nay. As I think, it would be a shame for a minister to be banished from your nation for preaching the gospel of peace therein. I am a man," he continues, "under the visitation of God's power in your land; and many scandalous reports are in circulation against me. The intent of the spirit of the thing is to put me to flight from your dominions, or that I should be imprisoned therein. For which cause I, as a dutiful subject, make myself known hereby unto you of great estate in the world, lest your minds should be affected and stirred up against me without a cause by your inferiors, who seek to do evil to the works of God, whenever the Almighty is trying to do you good."

In some verses of the same date as this address to the home authorities, viz., 1815, he refers to the peril he supposed himself to be in. A stanza or two will suffice as a specimen of his poetical productions, which are all of the same Sternhold and Hopkins type, with the disadvantage of great grammatical irregularity. Thus he sings: (The tone of the _ci-devant_ Jack-tar is perhaps to be slightly detected.)

The powers of hell are now combin'd-- With war against me rage: But in my God my soul's resigned-- The rock of every age, &c.

Some thou doth set in king's estate, And some on earth must serve; And some hath gold and silver plate, When others almost starve, &c.

The earth doth hunger for my blood, And Satan for my soul; And men my flesh for daily food, That they may me control, &c.

If God doth give what I receive The same is due to thee; And thou in spirit must believe In gospel liberty, &c.

It's also mine, by George our king, The ruler of my day; And yet if I dishonour bring, Cut short my feeble stay, &c.

For this is in your hearts to do, Ye inferiors of the earth; And it's in mine to do so too, And stop that cursed birth, &c.

The style of a volume entitled "Impressions"--a kind of Alcoran, which used formerly to be sold to visitors in the Temple--does not rise much above the foregoing, either in its verse or prose.

What Mosheim says of Menno's books, may be said with at least equal truth of Willson's: "An extensively diffuse and rambling style, frequent and unnecessary repetitions, an irregular and confused method, with other defects of equal moment, render the perusal of the productions highly disagreeable." Nevertheless, the reduction of his solitary meditations to writing had, we may conceive, a pious operation and effect on Willson's own spirit; and the perusal of them may, in the simple-minded few who still profess to be his followers, have a like operation and effect, even when in the reading constrained, with poor monk Felix, to confess that, though believing, they do not understand.

The worthy man neither won martyrdom nor suffered exile; but lived on in great worldly prosperity here in Sharon, reverenced by his adherents as a sort of oracle, and flattered by attentions from successive political leaders on account of the influence which he might be supposed locally to possess--down to the year 1866, when he died in peace, aged eighty-nine years and seven months.

Of Willson's periodical missionary expeditions into town, we have spoken in another connection.

We return now to the great northern route, from which we have been deviating, and hasten on with all speed to the Landing. We place ourselves at the point on Yonge Street where we turned off to Newmarket.

Proceeding onward, we saw almost immediately, on the left, the conspicuous dwelling of Mr. Irving--the Hon. Jacob AEmilius Irving, a name historical in Canada, a Paulus AEmilius Irving having been Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in British America in 1765, and also President for a time of the Province of Quebec. (This Paulus AEmilius Irving had previously taken part under General Wolfe in the capture of Quebec.)

The house of his descendant, Jacob AEmilius Irving, here on Yonge Street, was known as Bonshaw, from some ancient family property in Dumfriesshire. He had been an officer in the 13th Light Dragoons, and was wounded at Waterloo. In addition to many strongly-marked English traits of character and physique, he possessed fine literary tastes, and histrionic skill of a high order, favoured by the possession of a grand barytone voice. He retained a professional liking for horses. A four-in-hand, guided by himself, issuing from the gates at Bonshaw and whirling along Yonge Street into town, was a common phenomenon.--He died at the Falls of Niagara in 1856. Since 1843 Mr. Irving had been a member of the Upper House of United Canada.

A little way back, ere we descended the northern slope of the Ridges we caught sight, as we have narrated, of the Holland River, or at least of some portion of the branch of it with which we are immediately concerned--issuing, "a new-born rill," from one of its fountains.

As we traversed the Quaker settlement it was again seen, a brook meandering through meadows. This was the eastern branch of the river. The main stream lies off to the west, flowing past the modern Bradford and Lloydtown. It is at the head of the main stream that the most striking approximation of the waters of the Humber and Holland rivers is to be seen.

We arrive now at the Upper Landing, the ancient canoe-landing, and we pause for a moment. Here it was that the war-parties and hunting-parties embarked and disembarked, while yet these waters were unploughed by the heavy boats of the white man.

The Iroquois from the south-side of Lake Ontario penetrated the well-peopled region of the Hurons by several routes, as we have already intimated: by the great Bay of Quinte highway; by the trails whose termini on Lake Ontario were near respectively the modern Bowmanville and Port Hope: and thirdly by a track which we have virtually been following in this our long ramble from York; virtually, we say, for it was to the west of Yonge Street that the trail ran, following first the valley of the Humber and then that of the main stream of the Holland river. The route which Mr. Holland took when he penetrated from Toronto Bay to the head waters of the river which now bears his name, is marked in the great MS. map which he constructed in 1791. He passed up evidently along the great water-course of the Humber.

"You can pass from Lake Frontenac, _i. e._, Ontario," Lahontan says (ii. 23), "into Lake Huron by the River Tan-a-hou-ate (the Humber), by a portage of about twenty-four miles to Lake Toronto, which by a river of the same name empties into Lake Huron," _i.e._ by the River Severn, as we should now speak.

Hunting-parties or war-parties taking to the water here at the Upper Landing, in the pre-historic period, would probably be just about to penetrate the almost insular district, of which we have spoken, westward of Lake Simcoe,--the Toronto region, the place of concourse, the well-peopled region. But some of them might perhaps be making for the Lake Huron country and North-west generally, by the established trail having its terminus at or near Orillia (to use the modern name).

In the days of the white man, the old Indian place of embarkation and debarkation on the Holland river, acquired the name of the Upper Canoe-landing; and hither the smaller craft continued to proceed.

Vessels of deeper draught lay at the Lower Landing, to which we now move on, about a mile and a half further down the stream. Here the river was about twenty-five yards wide, the banks low and bordered by a woody marsh, in which the tamarac or larch was a conspicuous tree.

In a cleared space on the right, at the point where Yonge Street struck the stream, there were some long low buildings of log with strong shutters on the windows, usually closed. These were the Government depositories of naval and military stores, and Indian presents, on their way to Penetanguishene. The cluster of buildings here was once known as Fort Gwillimbury. Thus we have it written in the old _Gazetteer_ of 1799: "It is thirty miles from York to Holland river, at the Pine Fort called Gwillimbury, where the road ends."

Galt, in his Autobiography, speaks of this spot. He travelled from York to Newmarket in one day. This was in 1827. "Then next morning," he says, "we went forward to a place on the Holland river, called Holland's Landing, an open space which the Indians and fur-traders were in the habit of frequenting. It presented to me," he adds, "something of a Scottish aspect in the style of the cottages; but instead of mountains the environs were covered with trees. We embarked at this place." He was on his way to Goderich at the time, via Penetanguishene.

The river Holland, at which we have so long been labouring to arrive, had its name from a former surveyor-general of the Province of Quebec, prior to the setting-off of the Province of Upper Canada--Major S. Holland.

In the _Upper Canada Gazette_ of Feb. 13, 1802, we have an obituary notice of this official personage. His history also, it will be observed, was mixed up with that of General Wolfe. "Died," the obituary says, "on the 28th instant (that is, on the 28th of December, 1801, the article being copied from the _Quebec Gazette_ of the 31st of the preceding December), of a lingering illness, which he bore for many years with Christian patience and resignation, Major S. Holland.

"He had been in his time," the brief memoir proceeds to say, "an intrepid, active, and intelligent officer, never making difficulties, however arduous the duty he was employed in. He was an excellent field-engineer, in which capacity he was employed in the year 1758 at the siege of Louisbourg in the detachment of the army under General Wolfe, who after silencing the batteries that opposed our entrance into the harbour, and from his own setting fire to three ships of the line, and obliging the remainder in a disabled state to haul out of cannon shot, that great officer by a rapid and unexpected movement took post within four hundred yards of the town, from whence Major Holland, under his directions, carried on the approaches, destroyed the defences of the town, and making a practicable breach, obliged the enemy to capitulate. He distinguished himself also at the conquest of Quebec in 1759, and was made honourable mention of in Gen. Wolfe's will as a legatee. He also distinguished himself in the defence of Quebec in 1760, after General Murray's unsuccessful attack on the enemy.--After the peace he was appointed Surveyor-General of this Province, and was usefully employed in surveying the American coasts, from which survey those draughts published some years since by Major Debarres have been principally taken."

Major Holland was succeeded in the Surveyor-generalship of Lower Canada by a nephew--the distinguished Colonel Joseph Bouchette. In 1791 Major Holland constructed a map of the British Province of Quebec, on the scale of six inches to the square mile. It exists in MS. in the Crown Land Office of Ontario. It is a magnificent map. On it, Lake Simcoe is left undefined on one side, not having been explored in 1791.

It was in 1832 that the project of a steamer for the Holland river and Lake Simcoe was mooted. We give a document relating to this undertaking which we find in the _Courier_ of Feb. 29, in that year, published at York. The names of those who were willing to embark, however moderately, in the enterprise are of interest. It will be observed that the expenditure contemplated was not enormous. To modern speculators in any direction, what a bagatelle seems the sum of L2,000!

"Steamboat on Lake Simcoe:" thus runs an advertisement in the _Courier_ of Feb. 29, 1832. "Persons who feel interested in the success of this undertaking, are respectfully informed that Capt. McKenzie, late of the _Alciope_, who has himself offered to subscribe one-fourth of the sum required to build the proposed steamboat, is now at Buffalo for the purpose of purchasing an Engine, to be delivered at Holland Landing during the present winter. Capt. McKenzie, who visited Lake Simcoe last summer, is of opinion that a boat of sufficient size and power for the business of the Lake can be built for L1,250. In order, however, to ensure success, it is proposed that stock to the amount of L2,000 should be subscribed; and it is hoped that this sum will be raised without delay, in order that the necessary steps may be taken, on the return of Capt. McKenzie, to commence building the boat with the view to its completion by the opening of the navigation.--The shares are Twelve Pounds ten shillings each, payable to persons chosen by the Stockholders. The following shares have been already taken up, viz.: The Hon. Peter Robinson, 8 shares; F. Hewson, 1; Edw. O'Brien, 2; W. B. Robinson, 4; W. R. Raines, 4; J. O. Bouchier, 2; Wm. Johnson, 2; John Cummer, 1; T. Mossington, 2; A. M. Raines, 1; Robert Clark, 1; Robert Johnston, 1; M. Mossington, 1; B. Jefferson, 1; J. M. Jackson, 1; R. Oliver, 1; Wm. Turner, 2; L. Cameron, 1; F. Osborne, 2; J. Graham, 1; J. White, 1; S. H. Farnsworth, 1; Andrew Mitchell, 5; Murray, Newbigging and Co., 2; Capt. Creighton, 2; Captain McKenzie, 40; Canada Company, 8; J. F. Smith, 2; John Powell, 1; Grant Powell, 2; A. Smalley, 1; Samuel P. Jarvis, 1; James E. Small, 1; R. W. Parker, 1; D. Cameron, 1; Capt. Castle, 79th Regt., 8; James Doyle, 2; Francis Phelps, East Gwillimbury, 1; G. Lount, West Gwillimbury, 1; Samuel Lount, West Gwillimbury, 1; George Playter, Whitchurch, 1; Joseph Hewett, 1; Thomas A. Jebb, 2; Charles S. Monck, Haytesbury, 1; G. Ridout, 2; T. G. Ridout, 1; Thomas Radenhurst, 1; Major Barwick, 2; Capt. W. Campbell, 2; C. C. Small, 1; J. Ketchum, 1; Capt. Davies, 2; Lieut. Carthew, 2; Capt. Ross, 1; C. McVittie, 1; Lieut. Adams, 1; S. Washburn, 2; J. C. Godwin, 1; F. T. Billings, 2; Thorne and Parsons, 2; James Pearson, 1; R. Mason, 2; Wm. Laughton, 2; Wm. Ware, 1; A. H. Tonge, 1; Sheldon, Dutcher & Co., 1; Jabez Barber, 1; R. W. Prentice, 1; T. Bell, 1; Lucius O'Brien, 1;--Total, 162 shares. Persons who are desirous of taking shares in this boat are respectfully informed that the subscription paper is lying at the Store of Messrs. Murray, Newbigging and Co., where they can have an opportunity of entering their names. York, 21st Dec., 1831."