Title

Chapter 8

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=298137

page

138-183

Bibliographic Citation

A veteran of 1812 : the life of James FitzGibbon / by Mary Agnes FitzGibbon.

10168803

A veteran of 1812 : the life of James FitzGibbon / by Mary Agnes FitzGibbon.

Type

Text

extracted text

138

A VETERAN OF 1812.

CIVIL APPOINTMENTS.

ing these two campaigns on the frontier of Canada,
bore fruit in after years in a paper written for the
advice of his second son, when in 1840 he obtained
for him a commission in the 24th Regiment (see
Appendix VI.), then serving in Canada.
The " Hints," as he calls the letter, were printed for
private circulation among his soldier friends. The
following letter from Sir John Harvey, at that time
Lieut.-Governor of New Brunswick, is an acknowledgment of one of these sheets :

CHAPTER VIII.

" GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

October 29th, 1840.
will
always
afford me, as it has
" Mt DEAR SIR,-It
ever done, very sincere satisfaction to hear of your
welfare and of the high degree of esteem and respect
which your public and private worth appears to have
obtained for you, on the part not only of the authorities under which you have acted, but of the community in which you have lived.
" I have not forgotten, nor am I capable of forgetting, how admirably you justified my selection of you
for a difficult and hazardous service—one from the
able and successful accomplishment of which both the
country and yourself reaped honor and advantage.
" I thank you for the paper you have sent, but
more for the warm expression of your friendly goodwishes, and accept mine for yourself and all your
family, and believe me very faithfully yours,
" NEW BRUNSWICK,

.

" J. HARVEY.
" COL. FITZGIBBON,

" Toronto,"

139

,

EFORE the disbanding of the Glengarry Fencibles, then stationed at York, in 1816, the
Adjutant-General of Militia in Upper Canada
offered FitzGibbon a position in his office at £125
per annum.
Although the salar'y was small, FitzGibbon gladly
accepted it. Having no private means to draw upon
when extra expenditure was required, the purchase
of his uniform and horse, when first appointed to the
adjutancy of the 49th, formed the nucleus of debt
from which he was not entirely free until within a
a few years of his death.
Generous, impulsive, and sanguine to a fault, FitzGibbon could take no thought for the needs of the
morrow when those possible contingencies were
likely to fall upon himself. He could close neither
his door, his purse, nor his kindly helpful sympathy
to anyone ; he would give away his last penny, share
his last crust, rather than turn a deaf ear to one in
need of either. He used his influence to further the
interests of others, without considering for a moment
that he was thereby jeopardizing his own. His sanguine temperament always brightened the distant
horizon, although the clouds overhead might be black
and lowering. Simple in his living, of great physical

140

A VETERAN OF 1812.

strength and sound health, his creed was comprised in
the brief maxim, " Trust in God and do good to your
neighbor." Full of gratitude himself, he had faith in
the gratitude of others. Knowing that the country
owed him much, he never doubted that sooner or
later the debt would be paid. How this confidence
was misplaced and the reward of his work denied
him, is the saddest part of his biography. Disappointment embittered for a time his warm-hearted,
enthusiastic nature. The gradually increasing requirements of a growing family, the accumulation of debt,
the petty annoyances of the office, springing from
the incapacity or ignorance of those above him,
and the absence of generosity on the part of some
whom he had served in spite of themselves, fretted
his excitable nature almost to the verge of insanity.
His self-unconsciousness and frequent disregard of
appearances gained him the reputation at one time
of being " just a little cracked " in the eyes of the
dullards among his contemporaries.
This, however, belongs to a later period of his
biography. At present all was hopeful, happy with
his wife and young children. Conscious of the value
and capabilities of the new country, and of the field
it might be made for the exercis3 of the talents,
energies or loyalty of its population ; finding plenty
to do to occupy his time, and being among the men
and friends with whom he had fought for the country
of his enforced adoption, FitzGibbon was then fairly
content with his position and prospects,

ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL.

He lived at this time in a white house within the
precincts of the fort, a house which I believe at one
time formed part of the barracks. It has often been
pointed out to me, as a child, as the house in which his
eldest son was born. It is still standing.
In 1819, finding the small salary from the office he
held insufficient to support a family, he resigned it
and devoted himself to the business of a land agent,
which brought in larger returns. He also held tie
office of Administrator of the Oath of Allegiance.
In 1820, he was appointed one of the Justices of
the Peace in the Home District. His name appears
frequently in the records of the Quarter Sessions
during the succeeding years.
In 1821, he was again offered an appointment in
the Adjutant-General's office, but refused to accept it
unless the salary was increased to ten shillings a day,
that being the sum received by the senior clerks in
the other departments.
The Adjutant-General applied to Sir Peregrine
Maitland, and an order-in-council was passed to
grant the sum. FitzGibbon then accepted the post,
retaining the privilege of administering the oath of
allegiance with its attendant fees.
In the following year, 1822, a readjustment of
salaries was made in the department. FitzGibbon
was raised to the position of Assistant AdjutantGeneral, but, to his intense indignation, his salary
was reduced instead of being raised. The revenue at
"

c3

o
a
E-■

;=,

141

142

A VETERAN OF 1812.

MASONIC HONORS.

the disposal of the Provincial Government was small,
and in order to increase the salary of the AdjutantGeneral, a decrease in those of the officials below him
was necessary. FitzGibbon was unfortunate enough
to be the principal sufferer. Although justly incensed
at such treatment, and at the injustice of putting
him in a position requiring greater expenditure, while
lessening the means of defraying it, FitzGibbon,
believing it must be remedied, retained the post.
I have hitherto said nothing of FitzGibbon as a
Freemason, although his name is intimately associated
with the work of Masonry in Upper Canada. He
had been made a Mason in and a member of the
military lodge in Quebec, in 1803, when stationed
there with Colonel Brock and the 49th. In the
minutes of this Lodge No. 40, A. Y. M., held on August
12th, 1813, at Petrie's Hotel, Quebec, is the following congratulatory notice of FitzGibbon's success at
Beaver Dam :

trient and bravery of Lieut. FitzGibbon, who they
have had the satisfaction of taking by the hand as a
member of their society, and they unanimously desire
he will accept their fervent wishes that fortune may
continue to afford him opportunities which his professional talents and manly character can improve to
the advantage of his country and his own reputation.
" Resolved unanimously, that a copy of the foregoing minute, signed by the officers of the lodge, be
transmitted to Lieut. FitzGibbon of the 49th Regiment.
"(Signed) THOMAS STOTT, W.W.,
Lodge No. 40.
WM. MCCABE, S.W., No. 40.
PIERRE DOUCET, J.W.
WILL. GIBSON, Secy. No. 40."

" The recent events that bear testimony of the professional abilities of Lieut. FitzGibbon of the ,49th
Regiment, will be duly appreciated by his country,
and the soldier receive a recompense worthy of the
laurels he has earned.
" All that concerns the reputation or interest of a
brother Mason merits the attention of the fraternity
in general, and becomes more immediately interesting
to that Masonic Lodge to which he may have belonged.
The members of Lodge No. 40 feel that they are
called upon to express their admiration of the judg.

14:4

In 1822, when Simon McGillivray, the special craft
envoy of the Duke of Sussex, the Grand Master of
England, came to Canada to reorganize the craft,
which had fallen into a somewhat shattered condition
after the death of R.W. Bro. Jarvis, the Provincial
Grand Master, he selected FitzGibbon as the Deputy
Provincial Grand Master. It was a position of great
honor, and his conduct of the affairs of the craft,
particularly exemplified in his courteous bearing, his
attention to the work and the excellent address which
he prepared and gave to the craft, will forever keep
his
m tbyr.ight in the annals of the fraternity in
t hname
uhe
this
r
As an instance of his thoughtfulness for his brethren

144 A VETERAN OF 181.

in the hour of trouble, the story is told, and though,
as I have said in a former page, there is no written
record of it among his papers, it is one that is generally believed among the fraternity, who possibly have
traditional data for it, and there is no reason why it
should not be true. It is to the effect that on the
day of the surrender at Beaver Dam, FitzGibbon
discovered that two of the American officers, Lieut.Colonel Bcerstler and Dr. Young, were members of a
Masonic Lodge in New York city, and for the sake
of the brotherhood, which they mutually loved, he
displayed towards them after the surrender many
kindly courtesies which made that dark day for our
American friends less unhappy than it would otherwise have been.
From the advance sheets of " Freemasonry in Ontario," by Mr. J. Ross Robertson, Past Grand Master
of the Order, I have been permitted to make the,
following extracts which refer to the work of FitzGibbon as a craftsman. His letter was written after
his acceptance of the office, and the testimonial which
accompanied it was one of which he might well be
proud. Both the Lieutenant-Governor and his Secretary, Captain Hillier, were members of the craft.
They knew the purpose for which the certificate was
required, and were satisfied that the fraternity was
being placed in good hands under the charge of FitzGibbon.
The labors of years were nearing completion in

A MANLY LETTER.

145

the latter days of 1821. With a due sense of the
responsibility involved, and an evident appreciation
of the honor conferred, Bro. James FitzGibbon, of
York, acceded to the request and accepted the nomination of Provincial Grand Master. His letter of
acceptance, couched in courteous and fraternal words,
was addressed to the Grand Secretary of England.
Bro. FitzGibbon writes :
" YORK, UPPER CANADA,
"December 8th, 1821.

" Right Worshipful Sir and Brother : " Having accepted the offer of a recommendation
to the very honorable and responsible situation of
Provincial Grand Master in this Province; I do myself
the honor of addressing you upon the occasion.
" Although I am not devoid of ambition, I beg to
assure you that I am not influenced by that feeling
in acquiescing in the wishes of my brethren. I have
given their request .my best consideration, and have
complied with it from a sense of duty and from a
feeling of gratitude.
"I am not insensible to the many and important
duties which I would assume, and I know that at
present I am not well qualified to discharge those
duties. But having had some expejience of what
zeal and perseverance can do, I am emboldened to
hope that, with the assistance and kind indulgence of
the brethren, my humble efforts in their service may
not be altogether unprofitable ; and that by our united
efforts the characteristic harmony of the craft will
be restored, and the reputation of Freemasonry in

146

A VETERAN OF WI

PRESENTATION OP COLORS.

this province become not only irreproachable but
honorable.
" I have the honor to be,
" Right worshipful sir,
" Your faithful and obedient
" Servant and brother,

faithful servant of His Majesty, and of irreproachable character.
" Given under my hand and official seal at York, in
Upper Canada, this twelfth day of December, in the
year of grace one thousand eight hundred and twentyone, and of His Majesty's reign the second.
" By His Excellency's command,
" G. HILLIER.
P. MAITLAND."

" JAMES FITZGIBBON.
"

TO R.W. BRO. EDWARD HARPER, ESQ.,
"Grand Secretary, etc., etc., United Grand
" Lodge of England, London.

" Since writing the foregoing letter it has been
suggested to me that some testimonial of my rank
and character should be transmitted, to be produced
should a question arise on these points. I have in
consequence obtained of Sir Peregrine Maitland, our
Lieut.-Governor, a certificate which His Excellency
has been pleased to grant to me, and which I have
the honor to transmit to you herewith.
" JAMES FITZGIBBON."

That Bro. FitzGibbon stood in high esteem with
the official head of the Province of Upper Canada, is •
attested by the following letter of recommendation :
J Official Seal I
t At Arms. f
.

" By Sir Peregrine Maitland, K.C.B., Lieut.-Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, Major-General
commanding His Majesty's forces therein, etc., etc.

"'To all whom it may concern.
" GREETING : I do hereby certify that James FitzGibbon, Esq., a captain on half pay, a magistrate in
this province and a lieut.-colonel of militia, is a

147

On April 23rd, 1823 (St. George's Day), FitzGibbon
was in command of the forces representing the militia
of Canada, and assemblqd before the Government
House to receive the colors ordered to be presented
by His Majesty, in token of his appreciation of, and
gratitude to, the militia for their services in .the war
of 1812-14.
Immigration and the necessity of encouraging the
influx of population was then, in 1821, '22 and '23,
as important a question for Upper Canada as it is
to-day for Manitoba and the still unsettled districts
of our wide Dominion.
A number of Irish families from the poorest districts in their own land—well-nigh " wild Irish "—the
majority ignorant of any language but their own
native Celtic, had been sent out under the auspices
of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Upppr Canada, and
had been settled on land in the county of Lanark,
where many of them were employed in the construction of the Rideau Canal, not far from the town of
Perth.

149

A VETERAN OF 1812.

IRISH RIOTS.

Unused to the ways of the country, and coming
out, as many do still, with extravagant expectations
of fortunes to be made, without the trouble of earning
them, and with exaggerated ideas of the privileges
and freedom of the New World and absence of the
controlling arm of the law,—this with the national
animosity of Roman Catholics and Protestants among
them, resulted in disturbances and threatened riot.
Alarmed at the aspect of affairs, the magistrates of
Perth applied to Sir Peregrine Maitland for a detachment of troops to be sent thither. Before complying
with this request the Governor sent for FitzGibbon,
with the result that he begged to be allowed to go
alone to the district, report upon the condition of
affairs, and endeavor to settle the difficulty before
calling out the military.
Confident in his knowledge of and influence over
his countrymen, FitzGibbon repaired to the scene.
He made enquiries and investigated the causes of the,
disturbance, and reiterated his determination not to
resort to arms until all other means had failed. He
assured the magistrates that the mere appearance of
the military would but serve as a match to kindle the
flame, and insisted that not a shot should be fired
until he had at least spoken to the belligerents.
Arriving at the spot he jumped down into a cutting, where gangs of these " wild Irish " had struck
work and were assembled, one faction headed by a
big, broad-shouldered giant, ready for a free fight and
broken heads.

Facing them boldly, FitzGibbon poured forth a
volley in their own language, the native Irish, and
before the magistrates realized what he was attempting, the mob had paused to listen, and when he
ceased, both sides cheered him to the echo. He then
went among them, made friends of them, explained
away misunderstandings, which their ignoiance of
the country and of English had originated ; expostulated with them upon the folly of thinking that
any country could be governed, or order, peace or
safety to themselves or their property ensured, without the law being enforced and magistrates obeyed,
and ended by standing sponsor for them with the
authorities for their future good behavior.
The result of his efforts was so satisfactory that
such a report was sent to the Colonial Office as
obtained him the personal thanks of Bishop MacDonell upon the return of the latter to Canada. This
was the more satisfactory owing to the fact that
before FitzGibbon's visit to the Irish settlement, the
report of their riotous behavior had been communicated to the Colonial Office, and Lord Bathurst had
written to Bishop MacDonell, then in Rome, on the
subject. The settlers having been sent out by his
advice, he was to a certain extent held responsible for
the result.
Fifteen years afterwards FitzGibbon had also the
gratification of receiving from one of the magistrates,
who had been the most anxious for the aid of the
military, the information that, wonderful as it might

148

A VETERAN OF 1812.

ADDRESS TO ORANGEMEN.

appear, not a single instance of riotous behaviour had
occurred in that district since his visit in 1823.
In 1826, riots broke out in the township of Peterborough, among the Irish settlements there, and FitzGibbon was sent to keep the peace and restore order.
Again was the service accomplished without other
force than his personal influence and individual efforts.
An incident occurred in 1866, in Toronto, which
illustrates his wonderful knowledge of and power
over his countrymen's childlike natere, and the lasting impression his efforts made upon their mind and
memory. FitzGibbon's daughter-in-law, a widow,
then living in a little cottage on Dundas Road, almost
opposite the gates of Rusholme, and one , of the very
few houses at the time in that neighborhood, was
sitting up with a sick child., Probably attracted by
the light in the window, a tipsy Irishman forced his
way into the house. Throming himself into an armchair, he noisily demanded something to eat. Having
no one in the house with her but the children, and
unable to eject him forcibly, Mrs. FitzGibbon thought
the best means of ridding herself of the intruder was
to comply with his demands. The noise made in opening the door of the chiffonniere attracted the unwelcome visitor's attention. He turned his eyes full
upon a large half-length portrait of Colonel FitzGibbon in his uniform. Staggering to his feet, the
man stared, raised his handjo his cap in military
salute, and stammered out :
" Lord Almighty, save us, but it is the Kurnel him-

An' is it in any house belonging to himself I'd
be doin' mischief ? God bless him, but he saved me
from a bad scrape wanst, an' was a kind frind to me
afther."
Waiving the proffered food aside, the man staggered
out, reiterating alternate apologies for his intrusion
and anathemas against himself for " doin' the Mike
furninst the Kurnel's very face, God bless him," until
his uncertain steps and muttering accents died away
in the distance, and the grateful old reprobate, who
thus justified his benefactor's faith in the good in
every human heart, went away into the night.
In 1826, FitzGibbon was gazetted Colonel of the
West York Militia Regiment of Canada. His commission is dated the 2nd January. In the same year
he resigned both his position as Assistant AdjutantGeneral and the Provincial Grand Mastership of the
Freemasons of Upper Canada.
Among his papers I find the following address to
the Orangemen of Perth and Cavan, showing that he
took a lively interest in the men over whom his
influence had been so beneficially exercised. It is
printed, but signed in autograph, and dated York,
June 18th, 1826 :

150

151

s elf.

"To the Orangemen of Cavan and Perth :
" FE LLOW - COUNTRYMEN,-I
have recently been informed that the Orange Lodges of Cavan and Perth
intend to march in procession on the 12th of July
next.
Having for some years past observed with
increasing anxiety the conduct of the two classes of

152

A VETERAN OF 1812.

our countrymen who have come to reside in this province, I cannot withhold from you an earnest expression of the feelings which have been raised in my
mind by this information.
" When the Irish emigrants began to arrive in Canada, the old inhabitants often expressed their fears
that the evils so unhappily rooted in Ireland would
be transplanted into these hitherto peaceful provinces,
and I could not help participating in their fears. I
was also afraid that even if party strife were not
revived, individual Irishmen would be found more
prone to irregular habits than the other immigrants,
and such was also the general opinion in this province. I cannot express how great my satisfaction
has been to see that my countrymen, individually,
are as orderly and well behaved as I could, under all
the circumstances, have expected of them, nor have
I any fear for the future, except of the evil which
may possibly grow out of the proceedings of the
Orange lodges.
" The organization of the Protestants into societies
for self-defence was in former times, it appears,
deemed necessary for their mutual safety ; but those
times are happily fast passing away, and the wise
and good of all parties and of all countries, ,now
recommend to our countrymen to practise forbearance and to cultivate peace and good-will towards
each other.
" Without the practice of this forbearance, and the
cultivation of this peace and good-will, shall we venture to call ourselves Christians ? No, my friends,
let us not deceive ourselves, but rather let us humble
ourselves before God and pray—fervently pray—for
His good grace to guide us in these times of increasing knowledge, and of peace and security. Who will

TRUE CHRISTIANITY.

153

now pretend that your religion, your persons, or your
property are in danger ? Not one : no, not one, can
say so with even a shadow of truth. I cannot now,
in this province, see one justifiable reason for your
continuing to go abroad in processions, which have
ever been considered by your Catholic fellow-subjects
as offensive and insulting to them in the highest
degree, and which have been regarded by many good
and enlightened men as actually unlawful.
" The law, it is true, might suppress these processions ; but how much more honorable to yourselves,
and pleasing to your friends, would it be for you to
follow the example of the lodges in Ireland, who,
from a love of peace and a desire to conciliate their
neighbors, have generously resolved to give no more
offence to them?
" I can assure you that the great body of the
Catholics wish you to take this step towards a good
understanding with them, rather than to _ have the
law enforced against you, and which, sooner or
later, must be enforced, if it should continue to be
called for.
" I have copied from a London paper of 30th of
March last, several extracts from the speeches of
some of your best friends and others in the House
of Commons, that you may be made acquainted with
their sentiments relative to your processions ; and I
hope and trust that the reading of these extracts will
have upon your minds a similar effect to what they had
on mine, namely, to satisfy you that these processions
are no longer necessary ; that they are insulting to
the Roman Catholics, offensive to all your other
fellow-subjects, and contrary to the laws of your
country and to the laws of your religion, the second
(commandment) of which is, that you love your neigh-

to

154

A VETERAN OF 1812.

bor as yourself. And that you may well understand
who your neighbor is, I request you to read the
words of our Say our himself, as written in the tenth
chapter of St. Luke, beginning with the twentyfifth verse and ending with the thirty-seventh, and
having done this, kneel and pray to Him to incline
all your hearts ' to go and do likewise.' This also '4
is my fervent prayer for you, and not for you only,
but for every misguided fellow-being who thinks that
he can love God without at the same time loving his
neighbor (brother).
" I might urge many excellent reasons to influence
your minds upon this question, but I prefer being as
brief as I can, and trust to your own good sense,
which with reflection will, I have no doubt, supply
much that I have omitted.
" I must confess that I am extremely desirous that
our differences should be amicably settled by ourselves. Let not our proverbial kind-heartedness be
wanting towards each other, else it may become a
mockery and reproach to us.
" With this feeling I shall confine my communication to Irishmen, and I wish that no one else be
spoken to on the subject. And here I cannot help
entreating you to turn your eyes towards Lower
Canada, where Protestants, though greatly inferior
in numbers, are not oppressed by the Catholics, and
where, without any societies, all enjoy peace and live
in harmony. If, therefore, the Catholics and Protestants cannot go on in the same manner here, it
must be supposed, and I fear it will be said, that it is
because they are Irishmen—which Irishmen should
certainly be the last to admit —and they ought,
therefore, no longer to pursue a course of conduct
which must subject themselves to this reproach.

EXTRACTS FROM THE " TIMES."

155

" This communication must be printed, because I
cannot possibly spare time to make the number of
copies I want, but I will take care that not a copy
shall be sent but to an Irishman ; and I particularly
request that it may be circulated among those only
for whom it is intended.
" Let your decision be what it may, I shall ever
desire to be the true friend of every fellow-countryman, or, in other words, the friend of all such as I
feel you must wish to be—worthy Irishmen.
" JAMES FITZGIBBON."
{EXTRACTS.]
" ORANGE PROCESSIONS.
_ " Mr. Brownlow, in rising to bring forward the
motion of which he had given notice, said he was
happy to bring this subject under the consideration
of the House. He was anxious that the attention of
this House should be drawn to the unhappy state of
that country in this age of improvement of commerce,
laws, government and trade.
" In the year 1825, the magistrates in the neighboi.hood of Lisburn were called on, at the instance of the
Irish Government, to meet at Lisburn, to take into
consideration the steps necessary to be taken in order
to prevent the Orange processions on the 12th of
July. This was done in consequence of the opinion
of the law officers of the Crown as to the illegality of
processions. . . . The Orangemen then proceeded to
Lisburn, where a serious riot took place. . . . He did
not make the present complaint as against Orangemen alone. He never would be ashamed to own that

156

A VETERAN OF 1812.

he had been once an Orangeman. The King had not
a finer race of subjects, more independent, highminded, determined, public-spirited, men more determined, in all difficulties and dangers, to do their duty,
according to their sense of it, than these Orangemen
of the north of Ireland. His motion was against
that system which pitted one set of men against
another, and stained the green fields of Ireland with
blood. Hence, want of employment, burnings, massacres, and that state of irritation which rendered
Ireland one immense madhouse of demoniac spirits,
one mass ranging themselves under any man of distinction who wqs disposed to lead them on, and the
other willing soldiers of anyone who had the hardihood to be their captain.
" The honorable member concluded by moving for
copies of the correspondence which took place between
the Lord Lieutenant and four magistrates of the
county of Antrim ; also copies of the correspondence
with the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and copies of
the opinions of the law officers of the Crown.
" Mr. Plunket, the Attorney-General for Ireland,
said that the members of the Government of Ireland
were all equally disposed to suppress illegal associations of all kinds, both those of Orangemen as well
as those connected with the Roman Catholic body.
Between all the members of the Government, as well
as between himself and his learned friend, the Solicitor-General of Ireland, with whom he differed on the
question of Catholic disability as much as it was
possible for him to differ with anyone, there existed
a sincere determination to destroy all associations of
an illegal character. Now, with respect to this particular case, he could only say that both he and his
learned colleague had given a decided opinion that

LORD CASTLEREAGH'S OPINION.

157

these processions were illegal. It had already been
determined that the Orange societies were illegal, and
it was of necessity a consequence that the processions
of such societies were contrary to law. . . . It was
his strong conviction that Orangeism was dying away
in Ireland. Gentlemen were at length beginning to
see the policy of discountenancing these lamentable
divisions, and though occasions might occur again for
popular excitement, yet, generally speaking, it was
his opinion that before long it would subside, if it
were not kept alive by vindictive recollections. These
were disputes the memories of which ought to be
buried.
" Sir John Newport said he had lived to witness
many things connected with his unfortunate country,
which wrung him to the heart. His right honorable
friend had said that Orangeism was on the decay in
Ireland. He doubted it. 1811, when the subject
of Orange societies was first brought under the notice
of this House, the necessity of suppressing them was
strongly urged by Lord Castlereagh, the President of
the Board of Control, and almost every member of
the Government, but it was answered that parliamentary interference was unnecessary, as party spirit was
then declining in Ireland. Gentlemen might expect
to see the same results in ten years more time, if
something were not done. He earnestly prayed the
House, as they regarded the well-doing and tranquility of Ireland, not to be insensible to the mischiefs
of these processions. It was their nature to irritate
and divide. Who could say that if the memory of
the defeat at Culloden had been kept alive offensively
by processions, Scotland would enjoy the tranquility
with which she is now blest ? The thing was im, possible. Irritation must follow insult, and those

158

A VETERAN OF 1812.

whose duty it was to extinguish provocation were
responsible for the consequences.
" Mr. Secretary Peel, after making several observations, said that for himself, being known to entertain
strong opinions upon the Catholic question, he could
only say that he had never heard a sentiment of disapprobation expressed, even by the warmest advocates
of the question, with respect to the impropriety of
Orange associations in which he did not most heartily
concur. It was his warmest wish that they were at
an end ; and so far as that description of associations
was concerned, he believed they were gradually dissolving. With respect to Orange processions, he
agreed with the Right Honorable Baronet that it
would conduce much to the tranquility of Ireland if
they were given up, and he (Mr. Peel) would hold
those men higher who exerted themselves to discountenance these processions than those others, if any
there were, who gave them encouragement by their
example. If the imposition of law be necessary to
repress them, by all means let it be applied ; but if
he (Mr. Peel) were a private gentleman residing in
Ireland, he would try what he could do by influence
and example to discourage them, and in these sentiments the House might count upon his sincerity.
" At a former period he expressed the opinion still
entertained by him, that these societies would yield
to the wishes of Parliament, and that loyalty could
compensate for the mischiefs resulting from the continuance of such societies and proceedings "
FitzGibbon's friendship for others, his interest in
the well-being and well-doing of the younger men
with whom he was thrown, and his prompt action in
interfering in whatever occurred within his cogniz-,

1;s8 Riot

150

ance whenever there appeared the remotest chance of
such interference being for good, whether it was any
business of his or not, according to the conventional
reading of that expression, often led him to interpose
where another, possibly more worldly-wise, might
have passed by on the other side.
The world has long forgotten, if indeed the present
generation has ever heard, the story of the sad quarrel
between two young members of two of Toronto's
oldest families. Chance threw FitzGibbon in the
way at a moment when his interposition and forcible
separation of two hot-headed youths, and the placing
of one of them under his brother's charge, seemed
the right thing to do. Unfortunately the sequel
•
proved that others were less wise. When,
however,
some years later, garbled accounts o f the affair appeared in one of the public prints, FitzGibbon, being
appealed to, was able to bear testimony to the truth
and exonerate one of the unfortunate actors from
unmerited blame. That FitzGibbon was appealed to
is evidence of the estimation in which he was held
as one whose word, judgment and right feeling could
be relied upon, and his integrity of purpose have
weight with the public.
On June 8th, 1826, a raid was made upon the
printing house of the Advocate, a paper published
by William Lyon Mackenzie. The door was broken
open, the press partially destroyed, and a quantity
of the type thrown into the Bay ; cases were " pied "
and scattered over the floor, the furniture and other

160 A V ETERA'14 Off' • 1812.
contents of the room left in a state of disorder and
confusion. Mackenzie•was absent at the time, having
withdrawn to the other side of the line pending
an arrangement with his creditors. The raid was
perpetrated by a number of the young men, who,
objecting to the utterances of the Advocate as disloyal
and abusive, took the puhishment of its editor and
the destruction of the offending print into their own
hands Many of the ringleaders in this press riot
were arrested'; some of them, through FitzGibbon's
active energy and assistance, were tried and heavily
fined.
Although FitzGibbon agreed with the justice of
the sentence and punishment for breaking the King's
peace,.he had no sympathy with the Radicals whose
disloyal utterances had roused the hot-headed youths
in the city into taking the law into their own hands.
He might collar them and run them into prison to
keep them out of mischief, but when the law punished them by the exaction of a fine, he was one of
the first to assist in raising it. Impecunious himself,
and unable to give it out of his own pocket, he had
no hesitation in using his influence to get it out of
those of others. It was but another of the characteristics of his nature. He could condemn the act, and
actually sit in judgment upon it, but through his
knowledge of human nature and youth, as well as
his enthusiastic loyalty to the Crown, could condone
the offence, owing to its cause of the provocation.
Mr. Dent, in his "History of the Rebellion in 1837,"

A SUBSCRIPTION LIST.

161

is incorrect in saying that " FitzGibbon sympathized
strongly with the boys, and regretted the result of
the trial, and regarded them as martyrs."
He did nothing of the kind. The boys were justly
punished, as all breakers of the peace and destroyers
of other people's property should be, but the disloyal
utterances of the Radicals provoked it, and it was but
an instance, a practical illustration, of young blood
being carried away by enthusiastic loyalty, which in
later and calmer pulses made men staunch upholders
of the British throne.
FitzGibbon volunteered to canvass the town for
subscriptions towards discharging the fine. He succeeded in collecting the amount, but the names of the
contributors never transpired. The list was burnt
the moment it had served its purpose. The Radicals,
hearing something of it, endeavored to make capital
of it, and rumors were set afloat hinting at the heads
of several departments of the Government as contributors, and sneering at the justice in which the judges
levied a fine and then contributed to pay it. Collins
went so far as to assert that Sir Peregrine Maitland's
name headed the list opposite a large contribution.
FitzGibbon had been wise if he had taken no notice
of this, but he was an Irishman and could not resist
the temptation. In a letter published in the Freeman
over his own signature, he distinctly declared Collins'
assertion to be wholly untrue so far as the Lieut.Governor was concerned. When Collins was arraigned
for libelbefore
ore Judge Willis, in his address to the
-

162

A VETERAN OF 1812.

WILLIAM LYON MACNENZIE.

bench he accused FitzGibbon of " begging the amount
from door to door."
On May 4th, 1827, FitzGibbon succeeded Grant
Powell as Clerk of the House of Assembly, being
appointed to that office by Sir Peregrine Maitland,
and on September 8th, 1828, Registrar of the Court
of Probate of Upper Canada.
The salaries from these offices were small. The
accumulation of debt and the requirements of his
family made it almost an impossibility to confine his
expenditure within the limit of such narrow means.
The sale of his commission in the army in 1826 had
relieved him temporarily from his embarrassments ;
but FitzGibbon was one 'Who, holding a public position,
lived, to a certain extent, according to it, and not
according to the disproportionate salary belonging to
it. His correspondence was extensive. His popularity
and well-known willingness to help his neighbor
without fee or reward, brought many outside duties
and responsibilities. His friendship for Sir Isaac
Brock's family, and the undying gratitude he felt for
his memory, for kindness which no after services of his
to any one of his beloved colonel's family could ever
repay, brought him the trouble and expense of trusteeship, executorship, etc., the postage alone such offices
entailed being a considerable item of expenditure.
Among his papers are many letters acknowledging
these efforts, and his generous assistance in managing
their business matters.
' In 1831, we find FitzGibbon's commission as Colonel

of the 2nd West York Regiment of Militia, antedated January 2nd, 1826, and redate' March 19th
1831.
Party spirit in the Canadas, and particularly in
the Upper Province, ran very high at this period.
William Lyon Mackenzie, the talented leader of the
party whose radical opposition to the Family Compact and its supporters terminated later in open
rebellion, was the publisher and proprietor of the
most outspoken radical organ. He was a member
of the House, and had spoken forcibly against acts
which he considered abuse of the executive power
placed in the hands of the Government by the people.
Since the days of " I, Peter Russell, grant to you,
Peter Russell " notoriety, members of the House had
obtained grants of Crown lands, over which the
Executive and not the Legislature held control, to the
extent of from five hundred to two thousand acres
each, on simply paying the fees exacted by the
officials.* This was one of the grievances against
which Mackenzie spoke. The grants were perfectly
legal, but it was against them as a system which
permitted of abuse that he strove. Although Mac-

-

163

* Grants of land were in the early days of the Province entirely
subject to the discretion of the Governor-in-Council. Official dignitaries granted lands to their servants and other dependants,
which, as soon as certain 'requisite forms were complied with, were
transferred to themselves. When the Hon. Peter Russell held the
office of Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, he is said to have
used his power to acquire lands in the manner quoted above.

of

1 64

A VETERAN OF 1812.

A STORMY MEETING.

kenzie was expelled the House on a question of
privilege, an Act was • eventually passed to prevent
the alienation of Crown lands as rewards for public
services. How this Act affected FitzGibbon's fortune
will be seen later.
A brief epitome of Mackenzie's case may not be
amiss here, as it will explain FitzGibbon's share in the
events of that date.
While a member, he had at his own cost distributed
copies of the journals of the House, without note or
comment, unaccompanied by the appendix. For this,
as a breach of privilege, he was expelled.
The second time, a libel published in a newspaper,
and of which he acknowledged the authorship, was
made the ground of expulsion.
A third time, the House declared the previous
decisions rendered him incapable of taking his seat.
The fourth time, though unanimously elected, because unopposed, his election was declared void.
The fifth time he was not allowed to take the oath
or his seat, being forcibly ejected from the space below
the bar on a motion to clear the House of strangers,
and finally, after taking the oath, he was again
dragged from his seat by the Sergeant-at-Arms and
condemned to silence under threat of imprisonment.
Mackenzie and FitzGibbon had several passages at
arms over various matters connected with the printing
for the Government, which was done by the former's
printing-house. Some of those were based upon very
small provocation, if we may judge by letters extant,

on such apparently trivial items as the omission of
certain blanks in the printed copies of the journals
of the House on the score of an infinitesimal economy.
Mackenzie also complained in one of his petitions
for redress to the Governor-in-Council, that FitzGibbon had refused to administer the oath to him
upon taking his seat, to which FitzGibbon replied
by the assertion that he had not done so upon his
own authority, nor could he administer the oath to
any one on taking a seat that had been declared
vacant by the Assembly.
After Mackenzie's second expulsion from the House,\
the vote being carried by twenty-seven to nineteen,
he appealed to the people to resent the outrage as
against their constitutional privileges. A sense of
the wrong he conceived he had suffered at the hands
of the Government goading him into the use of
stronger language than he might otherwise have
employed, and his eloquence being of a kind which
attracted a turbulent class of followers, public feeling
on both sides was roused to a height that threatened
riot.

.

165

A stormy meeting was held in Hamilton" on the
evening of the.19th March, 1832, at which both sides
claimed the victory. An attempt to assault Mackenzie
was made the most of by rumor and excited sympathizers, and a meeting called for the 23rd, in York,
promised to be a stormy one. The meeting assembled
at the court house. Dr. Dunlop and Mr. Ketchum were
respectively proposed as chairman, and both declared

A VETERAN OF 1812.

STREET RIOTS.

elected. Dunlop took the chair and the Reformers
withdrew and organized an open-air meeting in front
of the court house, making use of a farmer's waggon
as a platform. When Mackenzie attempted to address
this meeting, his opponents were not slow in expressing their antagonism, accentuating it by the material
argument of stones and other missiles. The riot
soon assumed an alarming aspect, and the sheriff,
declaring himself unable to preserve the peace, begged
Mr. Ketchum to bring the meeting to a close. Through
the diplomatic suggestion that " The friends of the
Governor might adjourn to Government House and
cheer His Excellency," the attention of many was
distracted.
During their absence Mackenzie addressed the meeting, and an address to the King being drawn up,
setting forth their grievances, many signed it. Many
who had not signed it before went with Mackenzie
to the corner of Church and Richmond Streets,
where, on tables in the street, four hundred and
thirty-eight names were added.
So far I have quoted almost entirely from Mr.
Charles Lindsey's " Life of William Lyon Mackenzie."
The remainder I may now take from FitzGibbon's
papers.
Rumors of the uproar reaching FitzGibbon, and
hearing that the mob were not only threatening to
burn Mackenzie in effigy, but intended to attack and
destroy the office of the offending paper, he hastened
to the scene, He found the streets full, the crowd

denser and more excited as he approached the printing-house. A shot from one of the windows, answered
by a volley of stones, was the signal for a general
rush upon the building. FitzGibb15n forced his way
rapidly through the crowd, his height and strength,
as well as his being recognized by all as one having
authority, assisting his progress. Seizing two of the
most excited instigators of the riot by the collar, he
dragged them to the gaol close by, and returning took
his stand on the steps of the house. Raising his voice
that he might be heard above the noise, he called
upon all the loyal and true men to aid him in making
a stand against the rioters.
Mackenzie demanded that the military be called
out. FitzGibbon flatly refused, assuring him that
there were enough good men in the crowd to aid
him to restore order without the intervention of the
military, adding, however, an emphatic request that
he (Mackenzie) would retire, as his presence was the
chief cause of the disturbance.
" I will not retire, sir," replied Mackenzie, " I have
as good a right to be here as you have."
" Very well," cried FitzGibbon, " if you do not I
will put you in gaol, too."
" You dare not, I am a member of Parliament,"
shouted Mackenzie.
He little knew the man he had to deal with.
Instead of replying, FitzGibbon proceeded to put his
threat into execution and was actually dragging the

166

167

1 68

A VETERAN OF 1812.

QUIET RESTORED.

future rebel to the gaol when two of his friends, also
members of Parliament, appeared.
Appealing to them, FitzGibbon begged they would
take care of Mackenzie, as he had no wish to imprison
him ; if they could persuade him to retire, he (FitzGibbon) would protect them while doing so. Then
turning to the crowd he called out, " Mr. Mackenzie
calls upon me to order out the troops; but I will not
insult you by complying with his demand. I will
rather call upon you, and you, and you " (indicating
individuals in the crowd), " and will -find good men
enough to ensure the keeping of the King's peace."
This appeal was answered by a shout of approbation. Mackenzie and his friends were then allowed
to retire without further molestation. Upon reaching his house, Mackenzie, deceived probably by his
i mmunity from attack while under FitzGibbon's
protection, turned and wished to again address the
mob. This was no part of the soldier's plan. Taking
Mackenzie by the shoulders he put him forcibly but
quietly inside and shut the door on him.
The two other members, Messrs. Macintosh and
Ketchum, again begged that troops should be called
out, if only to be stationed in the court house during
the night, but FitzGibbon was firm. The.danger was
over for the present, and he would himself incur the
responsibility and remain at the court house with a
sufficient number of special constables to see that all
remained quiet. Apparently satisfied they left him.
A short time after, Colonel Foster, Assistant

Adjutant-General of the Forces in Upper Canuda,
galloped up and, alighting, desired FitzGibbom-to
mount and go at once to Government House, where
the Lieut.-Governor wished to see him. FitzGibbon
_obeyed and found Sir John Colborne anxiously
awaiting him. The two members, Messrs. Macintosh
and Ketchum, had just applied to him to order out
the troops to keep the peace during the night, but
before complying with the request the Governor
had sent for FitzGibbon to learn if the troops were
necessary.
" I pray of your Excellency," replied FitzGibbon,
" to do nothing of the kind."
" Had I not better augment the guard on the Bay
side, and have men at hand there ? "
" Pray do not, sir."
" Well, then," said Sir John, • I will order a picket
to be in readiness 'in the garrison, to turn out at a
moment's notice if required."
" For God's sake, sir, do nothing of the kind. Give
no order whatever. I am convinced that it is a great
object with Mr. Mackenzie' and his party to have the
troops called out. They have been outnumbered and
beaten to-day, and they now desire to have the troops
called out, in order that they may be able to proclaim
to the Province to-morrow, that "but for the interference of the troops they would have triumphed."
No troops were called out, and quiet was maintained
without them.
From the reminiscences of an old Upper Canada
11

169

.

170

A VETERAN OF 1812.

College boy I have gathered something of the impression FitzGibbon made upon those about him at the
time :
" I first went to college in 1831, my brother Lewis
and I being the first sent from this district," writes
William Wallbridge, of Belleville. "I remember Col.
FitzGibbon well. He was a remarkable-looking
man. I remember him in the House, for, not caring
much to join my companions in their games, I used
to find my way there.
" The Legislative Assembly then held its sittings in
the old building opposite the market-place on Bing
Street. I was particularly struck with the Clerk, a
tall man, straight, upright, and decidedly military in
his carriage, his clear incisive voice and prompt performance of his duties. I frequently met him on the
way to the House, at the corner where St. Andrew's
Church now stands, his height and soldierly appearance, as well as an eccentric habit he had of carrying
his tall hat on the end of his cane, slightly above his
head, instead of wearing it, that the air might circulate freely about his head, attracting my attention..
His hair was always cut as closely as possible, a
fashion more noticeable then than it would be now.
" In 1832, when the cholera was raging in Toronto
—(it was bad in '34, but nothing to what it was in
'32)—FitzGibbon was the prominent man. It was he
who arranged and organized every plan for the care
and comfort of the sick, and the decent burial of the
dead. He was here, there and everywhere. He was

TORONTO IN 1832.

171

afraid of nothing, whether in the removal of the sick
to the hospital or in conveying the dead to the grave.
I remember seeing him once with two carts close to
the college, one for the dead, the other for the dying.
He was standing near, and with his own hands assisting in their removal. He seemed to have a charmed
life, to need no rest, and to be as exempt from contagion as he had been from the enemy's fire on the
field of battle. He was not acting under any authority from the Government or city, but solely and
entirely on his own responsibility, and through pity
for the sufferers."*
[The General Hospital was west of the Upper Canada College on Russell Square ; and it was opposite
this building, standing, as it does, slantwise to the
street, that Mr. Wallbridge remembered seeing FitzGibbon attending to the removal of the plaguestricken people in 1832.]
'
" Toronto was a different place then to what it is
now. There was not a foot of pavement in the whole
city, except it might be a plank or two set down
between a few doorways. During the spring and
autumn, the streets resembled freshly ploughed fields,
the mud particularly adhesive and heavy.
.

"I saw FitzGibbon frequently during the years
1832, '33 and '34, and heard all about the political
*

Dickson, in his " History of Upper Canada College," speaks of
FitzGibbon as "risking his life to labor night and day during the
Cholera seasons of 1832 and 1834."

172

A VETERAN OF 1812.

ORANGE PROCESSIONS.

struggles of those days. I was in Toronto when
Mackenzie's meeting was held in the market-place in
1834. A fine new market-house had been built at
that time, with projecting hoods or roofs over the
butchers' stalls. Underneath these hoods great hooks
were fastened, on which the butchers hung their
quarters of beef. The meeting was such an exciting
one that every available place from which to hear
the speakers was crowded, and many of the lads
climbed upon these hoods. The one Geo. FitzGibbon
was on gave way, and in falling he was impaled on
one of the hooks beneath. He lived only a few hours
after he was extricated."
" On the coldest day in winter," writes another old
college boy, Mr. D. B. Read,* " Colonel FitzGibbon
walked into town carrying his hat in his hand. He
had, no doubt, an overheated brain, but it burned in
the right direction. He had uncompromising integrity
and undoubted courage."
FitzGibbon's simple faith that while he was doing
his chity, comprised in the broad creed of " doing good
to his neighbor," he was in God's hands an instrument for His work, carried him safely through scenes
and sights their nervous fears unfitted others to cope
with. Firmness combined with the personal influence
courage gives over weaker minds, as well as the
almost superstitious belief of the poor in his immunity from death, ensured obedience to his direc-

tions and reliance upon their efficacy. Excitable end
i mpulshTe when irritated by causeless opposition, he
was prompt, cool and clear-headed enough in the
moment of action to impress with confidence the men
he led or the sick he succored. Many a terrified
soul went home to its rest in the hope of mercy and
forgiveness breathed into the ears of the dying body
by the faithful soldier.
FitzGibbon's printed address to the Orangemen in
1826 had helped to induce them to desist from their
processions in the public streets. For eight years
none of the lodges in Toronto had held any such
demonstration. In 1834, however, some recent arrivals
from Ireland persuaded them to turn out again. .FitzGibbon anticipated the result, and took precautions
to lessen the evil, although he could not prevent it
altogether.
Early on the morning of the 12th, he called upon
Sir John Colborne, Lieut.-Governor of Upper Canada,
and communicated his fears to him, and the means he
had employed to endeavor to prevent their being
realized, reiterating his desire that every effort might
be made for peace without the intervention of the
military.
FitzGibbon speaks of the riot which occurred as
much more serious than that of 1832, and one that
required much greater effort on his part to succeed
in quelling, although he was ably assisted by several of the magistrates. His greatest satisfaction appears

*The author of the " Life of Simcoe," " The:Ferer,Judges," etc.

173

174

A VETERAN OF 1812.

to have been in the fact that the riot was ended and
quiet restored without having to call out the troops.
It was during these years that Mrs. Jamieson, the
authoress, was in Canada, and became one of FitzGibbon's most intimate friends. Mr. Jamieson succeeded J. H. Boulton as Attorney-General, and though
unfitted for the post at such a critical period in
the affairs of the colony, was not very fairly treated
by the Government which placed him in that position.
Mrs. Jamieson's reminiscences of Canada in her
" Winter Studies," contain several anecdotes of FitzGibbon and her interest in " the simple-minded, generous, brave, capable, as well as remarkable man "
FitzGibbon's only daughter and eldest child was
often with the authoress, who was wont to say of
her that " she was one of the most truly ladylike and
aristocratic women she had met in Canada."
FitzGibbon had seventeen children born to him, but
only his daughter and four 'elder sons lived to grow
up. Of their childhood and the companionship of
their father, many pages might be written.
Knowing the value and advantages of education,
he not only availed himself of every opportunity of
obtaining it for them from outside sources, but;
endeavored, by entering into their studies, to make
them practical and entertaining. In his life-book the
definition of a gentleman was, " one who would not
hurt another's feelings by word or deed, but was ever
ready to lend a courteous hand to help in time of
need." His manner was as courteous and kind to the

A RACE TO COLLEGE,

175

humblest as to the highest among his acquaintances.
A story told of him, or rather a remark made by one
of his greatest admirers, a canny Scot, to whom he
owed money, goes to show how this pleasant manner
often stood his friend :
" Ay, ay, the Colonel is a fine mon ; he'll aye shakit
ye verra kindly by the han', but na word aboot the
pay.
FitzGibbon lived at this date (1831 to 1840) in a
two-storied rough-cast house at the south-west corner of what is now Queen Street and Spadina Avenue.
The house stood a hundred feet, more or less, back
from the road. Four large willows* grew by the
edge of the roadway before it. The usual route followed by the colonel to his office, and the boys to
college, was along the shore of the bay.
Upon the morning the new buildings of the college
were opened, the boys were in great haste to set out.
Their father walked with them. Some of their schoolmates, many of whose names are first on the list of
" old boys " of Upper Canada College, lived in the
opposite direction, east of the college, their route
also being along the shore on the space between Front
Street and the lake, known afterwards as the Esplanade. Each party catching sight of the other at the
same moment, when about equidistant from the college, the same idea seemed to occur to both.
"Run, boys," cried the colonel, " and we'll beat
* These willows have been taken down since 1870.

176

A VETERAN OF 1812.

them." A race ensued, the dignified Clerk of the
House racing along with the boys as keenly interested
in the result as they were, and no whit behind them
in speed.
" And we won, too. We got in first, though by
little more than a neck," says one of the boys ; " and
my father was prouder of that half-dozen steps than
if we had beaten by a dozen yards."
In 1832 or 1833, a woman had a small house or
shanty built in the rear of the college in McDonnell's
field. The house was not more than fifteen feet square.
In this she kept a tiny shop or stall for the sale of
apples, sugar-sticks and other such school-boy delights, finding her principal customers'in the college.
Every one of the boys knew the old dame She was
often teased and chaffed by the " young gentlemen,"
all of which she took in good part, resenting only
what she designated as "fine airs."
One day, one of the FitzGibbons apparently
offended her in this way. She retaliated by the
taunt that " their father was not a gentleman, he
having risen from the ranks and was only a common
soldier."
Furious with indignation, the boy ran to his father
to deny it. Amused, yet knowing the old woman
must have had some provocation, FitzGibbon questioned the boy, and learned that he had really been
rude and overbearing. On reaching the college the
next morning he took the boy to•the old woman's stall.
" Good morning, Mrs.
, I have brought my

TORONTO'S FIRST MAYOR.

177

7 , lad with me to apologize for his rudeness to you 1
yesterday, that you may believe his father is a gentle-man, though he did rise from the ranks, and cannot
allow his son to prove himself anything else."
On the 6th of March, 1834, the town of York had
its limits extended and was erected into a corporate
city, and its original name Toronto restored to it.
There has been much controversy at various times
over the origin and meaning of this name, Toronto. I
think it is not difficult to find. T-wan-to, pronouncing
the letters as if French, is the Ojibeway word for ,
" shelter from wind," virtually " a harbor." The present pronunciation of the word and its consequent
spelling is due to the preponderance of the Irish
among the residents and legislators, when the name
was first pronounced and written by the aborigines'
successors.*
On the 15th, a proclamation was issued calling a
poll for the election of aldermen and common councilmen on the 27th. In this election the Reformers had
the majority, and chose Wm. Lyon Mackenzie as their
mayor.
Owing to the necessity of funds for municipal
expenses, it was requisite to obtain a loan. To meet
this demand of the city treasury, a rate of 3d. in the
pound was levied. This was deemed an exorbitant
* The name "Toronto" is to be found on old maps of Upper
Canada at various points on the lakes, where the Indians sheltered
their canoes. (See Bouchette's History of Canada.)

178

A VETERAN OF 1812.

PATERNAL COUNSELS.

tax, and roused such popular indignation that a meeting was called to enable the corporation to explain
the necessity, and give an account of the city debt
and required expenditure.
The meeting was a stormy one, and was finally
adjourned until the following day, July 30th, to be
held in the market-place. This was the meeting
referred to by Mr. Wallbridge.
Mr. Lindsey, in his " Life of Wm. Lyon Mackenzie,"
tells us this " building was a parallelogram, and over
the butchers' stalls a balcony to accommodate spectators was hastily run up.
" When the sheriff (Jarvis) was addressing the
meeting in support of his vote of censure on the
conduct of the mayor, he said :
" I care no more for Mackenzie '—then looking
about him at a loss for a comparison, he, school-boy
like, looked upwards, and seeing a crow flying overhead, added—' than that crow.' "
" This elicited a cheer and a stamping from the
crowd on the balcony, many of them mere lads, who
naturally turned about to see what sort of crow it
was that had come so opportunely to the sheriff's
assistance. The hastily built erection strained and
collapsed, precipitating the crowd upon it to the
ground, breaking limbs and bruising many, and
impaling others upon the great hooks of the butchers'
stalls beneath."
The last was the unfortunate fate (before alluded
to) of FitzGibbon's third son, George, a fine promising

lad of sixteen, whose ready wit and brilliant sallies
were the life of his school-mates, and whose abilities
promised future success at the Bar, the profession to
which he had been early destined by his father.
FitzGibbon's grief and horror were great. The boy
lived only a few hours, but in such agony that the
bereaved father was grateful to see the bright eyes
close in death and the agonized limbs at rest.
In 1835, Fitz Gibbon's eldest son, Charles, left home
for the first time. He had studied for the Bar and
passed his examination, but a visit to Dublin, where
FitzGibbon's father and brothers were then residing,
and an offer of a post in an uncle's business there,
seemed to promise more speedy returns than the
practice of the law in Canada.
The following letter was written upon receipt of
the tidings of his son's change of plans :

179

" MY DEAR CHARLES,-I have but a short time to
commit to paper a few items of advice for your future
guidance. Attention to some of these has helped me
much to conquer the many difficulties which ever
beset the path of him who has to ascend by his own
unaided exertions.
" Spare no pains to acquire a thorough knowledge
of the business in your uncle's establishment, and conduct his affairs as much as you possibly can exactly
as you think he wishes to have them conducted.
Remember that in proportion as you succeed, you will
lighten the burden of his cares and anxieties, and
increase his kindness and affection towards you.
" Comport yourself towards your aunt with affec-

A VETERAN OF 1812.

DISTURBANCES NEAR CORNWALL

tionate deference, even to the minutest attentions,
and to the children be affectionate and kind ; and be
the same to the Martins " [other cousins]. " Confine
yourself to the circle of acquaintances to which your
uncle will introduce you, and studiously decline every
other. For, be assured that it is incompatible with
due attention to your business to cultivate society at
all while in the early part of your progress.
" Against smoking and against drinking I need
not, and against any other vice, I almost flatter myself, I need not warn you. But the passions require
to be guarded against with great diligence. I therefore recommend you to fight the battle against them,
one and all, at first and in the outset. To keep the
high and happy ground of innocence is much more
easy than to return to it, if once you take a downward step. I wish I could convey to your mind a
part of the impression made on mine by the many
melancholy examples I have seen in the army, of
young men who could not -abstain from what they
called pleasure, but which soon brought them to disappointment, misery and a wretched end.- Every
temptation you successfully resist will strengthen
your moral courage, and you will soon find yourself
to be of too much value to your parents, to your
relatives and to yourself, to become an unworthy
and degraded being. Be assured that the Almighty
will guide you from usefulness to eminence and happiness, if you carefully and devoutly turn to Him for
help and support.
" Attend punctually to the duties of your Church,
not for form's sake, or for the approbation of the
world, though this is well worth having,—but for
strength from above to enable you to resist temptation and to do good. Your good example has already

helped to improve your younger brothers, and the
continuance of it will still ensure our gratitude to
you ; but especially for your mother's and Mary's
sake and mine, do all you can to make us rejoice
in you.
" The last words my father spoke to me, when I
first parted from him in Glin were, ' The greatest consolation I have, James, on your leaving me, is that I
feel confident you will never do anything to disgrace
me.' And you must tell him that I write these words
now with tears of satisfaction that I never forgot
them, and am sure I never shall, and that I hope the
„ blessing which attended them will be seen to extend
to his grandson under his own eyes in his old age.
Be to him what my brothers and I were to our
grandfather, and may God Almighty bless you all.
" TORONTO, UPPER CANADA,
" September 11th, 1835."

180

181

In November of the same year, FitzGibbon's second
son was called to the Bar of Upper Canada.
Riotous proceedings having occurred among the
laborers employed in the construction of the canal
below Cornwall, Sir Francis Head sent FitzGibbon to
restore peace among his excitable countrymen. Fears
were entertained that advantage would be taken of
their antagonism to their French fellow-laborers during the elections of 1836, and more serious trouble be
the result.
FitzGibbon was ordered to take fifty stand of arms
and ammunition from Kingston to distribute to the
local militia in the event of requiring their assistance.
The service was, however, successfully performed,

182

.A.

VETERAN

OF 1812.

and the elections, which were important, party feeling
having been excited almost to rebellion by the questions at issue, passed without riots. As on former
occasions, FitzGibbon trusted to his personal influence, and did not require the aid of the militia.
He was appointed Justice of the Peace for the
Eastern District about this date (June 18th, 1836),
probably in order to give him authority to enforce
the law against the riotous workmen he was sent to
pacify.
When he sold his commission in the army in 1826,
FitzGibbon had purchased eighteen acres of land in
Toronto, on the west side of what is now Spadina,
Avenue, and south of Queen Street. He knew that
Canada was a land of great promise, and, time alone
was required to develop her resources. Toronto was
one of the earliest settled cities, and had a population
whose descendants were likely to reap a rich harvest
from their small sowings. Knowing this, he considered this purchase one that would in time be an
ample provision for his children and grandchildren,
and was anxious to retain it at all cost to himself.
Dent (in his " History of the Rebellion of 1837 ")
speaks of FitzGibbon as "a persistent office-seeker."
He was, indeed, active and energetic in mind as well
as body, and was always ready to undertake more
work. The expenses of living, as well as of carrying
on the various schemes (small though they might be),
that he considered incumbent upon him as a loyal
officer of the Crown and a true subject, required

VALEDICTORY PRAISE.

183

means to defray their cost, and FitzGibbon doubtless
refused no honest opportunity of earning what was
required. He held several posts, but the aggregate
salary was not a large one.
The following letter from Sir John Colborne,
through his Secretary, evidently refers to one of
these offices :
"GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
" TORONTO, Jan. 20th, 1838.
" SIR,—With reference to your letter of the 12th
inst., I am directed by the Lieut.-Governor to assure
you that His Excellency is so fully persuaded of your
zeal and active services while he has been in the Pro-,
vince, that he has long been desirous of having an
opportunity of conferring on you an appointment
which might in some respects be more- in accordance
with your views and wishes.
" His Excellency thinks it but due to you to express
his thanks for your exertions on many occasions in
the public service, and to notice the sacrifices which
you have made of your time and health, in carrying
on the various duties which you have been entrusted
to discharge.
" I am also to add that His Excellency will leave a
copy of this letter with his successor, in order that
your character and services may be made known
to him.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
" Your obedient servant,
" W. ROWAN.
" JAMES FITZGIBBON, Esq."