The king’s head inn
Hamilton Spectator, February 26, 1944.
An Account of Government House, Burlington Beach, 1794
A Review By Charles R. McCullough
IT MAY be a source of surprise to some who read these columns from week to week to learn that once upon a time Burlington Beach had its “Government House"! Its official title however was the King's Head Inn, the former designation being a secondary name for the establishment. We have the same thing in reverse respecting the residence of His Majesty's representative in Ottawa. In my boyhood, the vice-regal mansion in the nation's capital was commonly called "Rideau Hall." Later on it became "Government House" on the tongues of the majority of Canadians. The same thing happened to "Spencerwood," the official home of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor of. Quebec. In a topographical description of Upper Canada issued by authority of Sir Francis Gore during his term of office as Lieutenant-Governor of the Province (1806-1817), we find this paragraph respecting the old building under review; "At the south end of the beach is the King's Head, a good inn erected for the accommodation of travelers by order of His Excellency Major-General Simcoe, the Lieutenant Governor. It is beautifully situated at a small portage leading from the head of a natural canal (Lottridge's inlet), and connecting Burlington bay with Lake Ontario. '
Burlington bay is perhaps as beautiful and romantic a situation as any in interior America, particularly if we include with it a marshy lake which falls into it, and a noble promontory (Burlington Heights), that divides them. This is called Coot's (Coote's), Paradise, and abounds with game.
JUST 50 years ago the Wentworth Historical Society recommended to the county council that a prize be offered to the author of the best history of Wentworth. The winner of the prize of fifty dollars was the late J. H. Smith, versatile public school inspector for the county. Mr. Smith's Historical Sketch of the County of Wentworth and the Head of the Lake was published 1897, the printing being done by then existent job office of the Spectator. It’s author tells us that; “The Kings Head Inn was more familiarly known as Government House, and was used as a distributing center for presents to the Indians; who received gifts annually as compensation for lands taken for settlement. Among those who had charge of this inn were Augustus Jones, William Bates and Robert Lottridge.
I may add that Augustus Jones was the pioneer surveyor of these parts. He was a brother of Mary Jones, widowed mother of James Gage, of what we now call Battlefield House, Stoney Creek. The romantic Augusta took as life partner the daughter of an Indian chieftain of the Head of the Lake district. Their son, The Rev. Peter, in his turn, took to wife an English lady of education and some wealth, who came to the wilds of Upper Canada to share in the labours of her missionary husband.
A SIDE from Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe and his charming lady, who were occasional visitors to the local Government House, no person ever set foot within the old inn who had back of him, a more adventurous career than Lieutenant-General Count Joseph de Puisaye, the French royalist émigré to Upper Canada, who with approximately 40 of his compatriots, arrived at Quebec in October, 1798, for the purpose of establishing themselves on lands within this province (Ontario). The ancient French noblesse was well represented in the party of newcomers. Among its members were Major-General the Count de Chalus, Colonel D'Allegro, Colonel the Marquis
de Beaupoil, Colonel the Viscount de Chalus, Colonel Coster de St. Victor, Lieutenant-Colonel De Marseuil, Captain Bouton, Captain De Farcy, Captain De Poret, Lieut. Guy de Beaupoil, Lieut. Lambert de la Richerie, Lieut. Hippolyte de Beaupoil and others of the French blood who had escaped the Reign of Terror. In the party, too was a young Englishman by the name of Smithers. This William Smithers later on adopted the surname of Kent, after his native county. It was his sister Susanne Smithers, who had become the wife the Count de Puisaye. This lady died, I believe, some time before the coming of the émigrés to Canada. Her mother however, sailed over with the De Puisaye group and assumed management of the count’s household. Other women of the party included the Marquise De Beaupoil and the Viscountess De Chalus. Disappointed with the prospects in a raw new land, some of the less adventurous returned over-seas. The continuation on Yonge Street, above Toronto, where the De Puisaye settlement was located, became known as Oak Ridges.
IN THE Canadian Archives may be found a record of a proposal made in 1799 by Joseph Brant (the Mohawk leader of the Six Nations) in behalf of the Mississauga Indians for the cession of five miles along Lake Ontario, consisting of 69,120 acres, on condition that it be granted to the Count De Puisaye at one shilling and three pence per acre, Halifax Currency. The deal was not viewed favourably by the Government. Another entry shows that in the minutes of the House of Assembly of the period it is set out that the count had requested that the authorities convey to him possession of the Government Tavern on the beach at the head of the lake.
However the King's Head Inn proprietorship had been pledged to William Bates until the following October. It was suggested, though, that the count was at liberty to deal privately in the matter with Bates, or if he willed “establish another tavern equally commodious.”
Later on, it appears that De Puisaye bought from the Government the land that on which the King's Head Inn stood and 300 acres of land thereabouts. On these lands were salt wells from which were realize handsome returns during the ensuing war (1812-14), when the commodity reached the extra ordinary price at $10 a barrel! The late Justus A. Griffin, of the Wentworth Historical Society, and son of George Douglas Griffin, well remembered the old de Puisaye farm at the Beach when it possessed a fine orchard of apple, peach, pear and plum trees bearing much delicious fruit. The count returned to England some time prior to 1803, intending to come back to Canada in about a year after the publication of his “Memoires." He never fulfilled his promise remaining on in England until his death at Blythe House near Hammersmith, in 1827, at the age of 72. That was the year in which William Kent, his brother-in-law and heir-at-law, last visited him. It was on this occasion that the Count gave the latter his heavily gold mounted Damascus sword, which had been presented to him by his friend William Pitt, the illustrious British statesman. It had been given to the General Count Joseph Puisaye in 1794. That year is memorable for another event- the establishing by the Government of Upper Canada of "The King's Head Inn.”;
The sword mentioned, was shown by the Rev. M. S. Griffin, D.D., at a Historical Loan Exhibition held in Toronto some 40 years ago.
It may be interesting; also, to record here that at the turn of the last century, Mrs. Horning, of Dundas (a great-granddaughter of William Smithers Kent) possessed a striking steel engraving of the Count de Puisaye and an oil painting of his Countess, Susanne. Mrs. Jarvis (wife of Mr. Secretary William Jarvis) bore testimony to the manly beauty of the Count. "I like him very much" she remarked. Back in January, 1799, "He is, I think, much like Governor Simcoe: in point of size and deportment, and is, without exception, the finest-looking man I ever saw!" From this we must assume that when the Count chose Susanne Smithers as his helpmeet he had an eye for her beauty as well as for her qualities of heart and mind.
Cont.
Hamilton Spectator, February 26, 1944.
An Account of Government House, Burlington Beach, 1794
A Review By Charles R. McCullough
IT MAY be a source of surprise to some who read these columns from week to week to learn that once upon a time Burlington Beach had its “Government House"! Its official title however was the King's Head Inn, the former designation being a secondary name for the establishment. We have the same thing in reverse respecting the residence of His Majesty's representative in Ottawa. In my boyhood, the vice-regal mansion in the nation's capital was commonly called "Rideau Hall." Later on it became "Government House" on the tongues of the majority of Canadians. The same thing happened to "Spencerwood," the official home of His Honour the Lieutenant Governor of. Quebec. In a topographical description of Upper Canada issued by authority of Sir Francis Gore during his term of office as Lieutenant-Governor of the Province (1806-1817), we find this paragraph respecting the old building under review; "At the south end of the beach is the King's Head, a good inn erected for the accommodation of travelers by order of His Excellency Major-General Simcoe, the Lieutenant Governor. It is beautifully situated at a small portage leading from the head of a natural canal (Lottridge's inlet), and connecting Burlington bay with Lake Ontario. '
Burlington bay is perhaps as beautiful and romantic a situation as any in interior America, particularly if we include with it a marshy lake which falls into it, and a noble promontory (Burlington Heights), that divides them. This is called Coot's (Coote's), Paradise, and abounds with game.
JUST 50 years ago the Wentworth Historical Society recommended to the county council that a prize be offered to the author of the best history of Wentworth. The winner of the prize of fifty dollars was the late J. H. Smith, versatile public school inspector for the county. Mr. Smith's Historical Sketch of the County of Wentworth and the Head of the Lake was published 1897, the printing being done by then existent job office of the Spectator. It’s author tells us that; “The Kings Head Inn was more familiarly known as Government House, and was used as a distributing center for presents to the Indians; who received gifts annually as compensation for lands taken for settlement. Among those who had charge of this inn were Augustus Jones, William Bates and Robert Lottridge.
I may add that Augustus Jones was the pioneer surveyor of these parts. He was a brother of Mary Jones, widowed mother of James Gage, of what we now call Battlefield House, Stoney Creek. The romantic Augusta took as life partner the daughter of an Indian chieftain of the Head of the Lake district. Their son, The Rev. Peter, in his turn, took to wife an English lady of education and some wealth, who came to the wilds of Upper Canada to share in the labours of her missionary husband.
A SIDE from Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe and his charming lady, who were occasional visitors to the local Government House, no person ever set foot within the old inn who had back of him, a more adventurous career than Lieutenant-General Count Joseph de Puisaye, the French royalist émigré to Upper Canada, who with approximately 40 of his compatriots, arrived at Quebec in October, 1798, for the purpose of establishing themselves on lands within this province (Ontario). The ancient French noblesse was well represented in the party of newcomers. Among its members were Major-General the Count de Chalus, Colonel D'Allegro, Colonel the Marquis
de Beaupoil, Colonel the Viscount de Chalus, Colonel Coster de St. Victor, Lieutenant-Colonel De Marseuil, Captain Bouton, Captain De Farcy, Captain De Poret, Lieut. Guy de Beaupoil, Lieut. Lambert de la Richerie, Lieut. Hippolyte de Beaupoil and others of the French blood who had escaped the Reign of Terror. In the party, too was a young Englishman by the name of Smithers. This William Smithers later on adopted the surname of Kent, after his native county. It was his sister Susanne Smithers, who had become the wife the Count de Puisaye. This lady died, I believe, some time before the coming of the émigrés to Canada. Her mother however, sailed over with the De Puisaye group and assumed management of the count’s household. Other women of the party included the Marquise De Beaupoil and the Viscountess De Chalus. Disappointed with the prospects in a raw new land, some of the less adventurous returned over-seas. The continuation on Yonge Street, above Toronto, where the De Puisaye settlement was located, became known as Oak Ridges.
IN THE Canadian Archives may be found a record of a proposal made in 1799 by Joseph Brant (the Mohawk leader of the Six Nations) in behalf of the Mississauga Indians for the cession of five miles along Lake Ontario, consisting of 69,120 acres, on condition that it be granted to the Count De Puisaye at one shilling and three pence per acre, Halifax Currency. The deal was not viewed favourably by the Government. Another entry shows that in the minutes of the House of Assembly of the period it is set out that the count had requested that the authorities convey to him possession of the Government Tavern on the beach at the head of the lake.
However the King's Head Inn proprietorship had been pledged to William Bates until the following October. It was suggested, though, that the count was at liberty to deal privately in the matter with Bates, or if he willed “establish another tavern equally commodious.”
Later on, it appears that De Puisaye bought from the Government the land that on which the King's Head Inn stood and 300 acres of land thereabouts. On these lands were salt wells from which were realize handsome returns during the ensuing war (1812-14), when the commodity reached the extra ordinary price at $10 a barrel! The late Justus A. Griffin, of the Wentworth Historical Society, and son of George Douglas Griffin, well remembered the old de Puisaye farm at the Beach when it possessed a fine orchard of apple, peach, pear and plum trees bearing much delicious fruit. The count returned to England some time prior to 1803, intending to come back to Canada in about a year after the publication of his “Memoires." He never fulfilled his promise remaining on in England until his death at Blythe House near Hammersmith, in 1827, at the age of 72. That was the year in which William Kent, his brother-in-law and heir-at-law, last visited him. It was on this occasion that the Count gave the latter his heavily gold mounted Damascus sword, which had been presented to him by his friend William Pitt, the illustrious British statesman. It had been given to the General Count Joseph Puisaye in 1794. That year is memorable for another event- the establishing by the Government of Upper Canada of "The King's Head Inn.”;
The sword mentioned, was shown by the Rev. M. S. Griffin, D.D., at a Historical Loan Exhibition held in Toronto some 40 years ago.
It may be interesting; also, to record here that at the turn of the last century, Mrs. Horning, of Dundas (a great-granddaughter of William Smithers Kent) possessed a striking steel engraving of the Count de Puisaye and an oil painting of his Countess, Susanne. Mrs. Jarvis (wife of Mr. Secretary William Jarvis) bore testimony to the manly beauty of the Count. "I like him very much" she remarked. Back in January, 1799, "He is, I think, much like Governor Simcoe: in point of size and deportment, and is, without exception, the finest-looking man I ever saw!" From this we must assume that when the Count chose Susanne Smithers as his helpmeet he had an eye for her beauty as well as for her qualities of heart and mind.
Cont.