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