Simcoe John Graves 1752-1806 John Graves Simcoe Era Speaks In House Of Commons On

Constitutional Act, 7, 8; birth and family, 15; death of his father, 16;

educated at Eton and Oxford, 17; obtains commission as ensign, 18;

ordered to America, 18; obtains command of Queen's Rangers, 19, 22;

proposes to enlist Boston Negroes, 19; sails with Howe for Halifax, 20;

promoted to captaincy, and sails for New York, 20; wounded in action,

22; major in command of Queen's Rangers, 22; his Military Journal, 23;

i proves organization of his corps, 24; his intense devotion to British

cause, 25; promoted to be lieutenant-colonel in America, 25; with a few

men disperses considerable body of rebel militia, 26-29; wounded, 27;

goes into winter quarters at Oyster Bay, Long Island, 30; operations

with right column of army, 30; taken prisoner, 30; released, 31; makes

plan to carry off Washington, 32; attached to expedition to Virginia

under Benedict Arnold, 33; captures enemy's stores, 34; defeats superior

force of the enemy at Spencer's Ordinary, 35; health impaired, 36; after

surrender of Cornwallis, sails for England on parole, 37; promoted to be

lieutenant-colonel, 39; recruits his health at home in Devonshire, 40;

his marriage, 40; released from parole, 41; poetical gifts, 41-43;

elected to Parliament, 44; speech on impeachment of Warren Hastings, 44;

appointed to governorship of Upper Canada, 45; correspondence with

Grenville and Dundas upon Upper Canada matters, 45, 46; desires

appointment of a bishop, 46; sails for Canada in Triton, 47; brings

out various commissions, 47; delay in swearing in, 48; sworn in, 49, 79;

arrives in Upper Canada and proceeds to Niagara, 50; his eagerness to

welcome Loyalist emigrants, 56; favours aristocracy, 69, 70, 197; his

proclamation on the subject of persons entitled to special distinction

as Loyalists, 71; his estimate of the Indians, 75; issues proclamation

announcing county divisions, 80; opens first session of Legislature, 82;

his speech from the throne, 83; deals with marriage question in Upper

Canada, 86-88; strongly supports bill to prevent introduction of slaves

into Upper Canada, 90; his speech on closing of fifth session, 95; his

satisfactory relations with Legislature, 97; detects "republicanism" in

some members of the Legislative Council, 97; changes his opinion, 98;

goes to England on leave of absence, 99; his advice regarding Benedict

Arnold's application for a grant of land in Upper Canada, 104; receives

grant of 5000 acres of land as colonel of Queen's Rangers, 104;

endeavours to check abuses of fur trade, 106; desires to promote trade

between Upper Canada and the United States, 107; his endeavours to

assist the farming community, 110, 198; his scheme to provide currency

for the province, 111, 112; his apprehension of war with United States,

117-132, 144; sends his secretary to confer with British minister at

Philadelphia, 117; his estimate of Brant's motives, 125, 126; his

difficulties with the Indian department, 126-128; loved and respected by

Indians, 128; moves to York, 129; his relations with Lord Dorchester

strained, 130-132; correspondence with Dundas exhibits petulance, 130,

131; anticipating war, sends Major Littlehales to consult British

minister, 134, 144; receives proposition from Spanish governor of

Louisiana, 134, 136; despatch from Lord Dorchester leads him to fortify

post at rapids of Maine, 136, 210; returns to Niagara, 136; protests

against occupation by Americans at Sodus Bay, 137; his despatch to the

Duke of Portland explaining his proceedings, 143-144; his conviction of

loyalty of Upper Canada militia, 151; his opinion of Washington, 153;

believes in a church establishment for Upper Canada, 155; his influence

in the framing of the Constitutional Act, 156; a soldier, not a

statesman, 157; desires appointment of a bishop and offers portion of

his salary to meet the expense, 158; his scorn of dissent, 160; his

opposition to repeal of Marriage Act, 161; prefers Roman Catholics as

instructors for Indians, 166; his efforts in cause of education,

166-170; desires establishment of university, 168; and of grammar

schools, 169; his admonitions to the king's printer, 174; donations to

Agricultural Society of Upper Canada, 175; his social influence, 180;

entertains Prince Edward, 183, 184; also United States commissioners

to the Indians, 184-186, 203; entertains the Duke de la

Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, 187, 214; receives visit from Alexander

Mackenzie, the explorer, 188; changes name of Niagara to Newark, 195;

appoints lieutenants for the more populous counties, 197; defends

measure against criticism of secretary of state, 198; makes official

tour through western Canada, 198-201; visits Detroit and examines the

fort, 200; impressed by site of present city of London, and proposes to

make it the capital of the province, 200; begins a military road (Dundas

Street) from Burlington Bay to the Thames, 201; surveys Toronto harbour,

202; hears of declaration of war with France, 203; changes name of

Toronto to York, 203; decides to spend winter of 1793-1794 there, 204;

brings over his "canvas house" from Niagara, 204; his plans for the

defence of province, 204, 205; these not approved by Lord Dorchester,

206; goes north to Georgian Bay and examines harbour of Penetanguishene,

207; makes road north from York, and names it Yonge Street, 207; renames

Lac aux Claies, "Lake Simcoe," 207; his anticipation that road to the

west by Lake Simcoe would supersede that by the Ottawa, 208; spends

winter of 1794-1795 at Kingston, 211; spends summer of 1795 at Niagara,

214; moves government to York (1796), 215; plans new government

buildings, 215; applies for leave of absence on account of ill health,

216; leave granted with flattering terms of approval, 216; leaves York,

July, 1796, but does not sail from Quebec till November, 217; does not

return to Canada, 217; offered governorship of Lower Canada, 218; sent

to St. Domingo to quell insurrection, 219; retires on account of ill

health, 219; placed in command at Plymouth, 220; appointed

commander-in-chief in India, 220; sent instead to Portugal on important

diplomatic and military mission, 220, 221; ill health compels his return

to England, 221; his death, 222; monument to his memory erected by

county of Devon, 222; his great desire to establish the British

constitution in Canada, 223; hardships of his life, 224; his hostility

to the United States, 224, 225; his military genius, 225; the king's

opinion of his military service, 226; his ideas for Upper Canada, 227;

founder of the Upper Canada bureaucracy, 227; did not allow for forces

at work in a new country, 228; too little control of his temper in

controversy, 228; his courtesy and high-mindedness, 229, 230; Pitt's

appreciation of his integrity, 231; his lofty aims, 232. (Lord Dorchester era) Raises and

leads Queen's Rangers, 202; appointed first governor of Upper Canada,

258; appointment not agreeable to Dorchester, 259; arrival of, 270; his

character and opinions, 271; builds fort on Miami River, 284; relations

with Dorchester, 293; situation in Upper Canada, 294; his service in

Revolutionary War, 295; colonel of Queen's Rangers, 295; disposed to

overlook Dorchester, 296; sustained by home government, 297; his opinion

that towns might best grow about military posts, 302. (George Brown Era) Favours close

relations of church and state, 52. (Lord Elgin era) On the system of colonial

government in Upper Canada in 1792, 18. (Egerton Ryerson era) His educational policy, 35;

favours an established church, 47; plans endowment of a university and

grammar schools, 51-53; the university question, 133. (General Brock era) Entertains

distinguished guests at Navy Hall, 57. (Baldwin / La Fontaine / Hincks era) On the new constitution, 7;

his phrase that the constitution of Upper Canada was "the very image and

transcript of that of Great Britain," 58; his plans for higher

education, 105-106, 191. (William Lyon Mackenzie era) Lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, his

views on the Constitutional Act, 54. =Bib.=: Journal of Operations of

the Queen's Rangers. For biog., see Morgan, Cel. Can.; Dent, Can.

Por.; Dict. Nat. Biog.; Read, Life of Simcoe.