History of the settlement of Upper Canada (Ontario,): with special reference to the Bay QuintéCanniff, William
History
History of the settlement of Upper Canada (Ontario,): with special reference to the Bay Quinté
Canniff, William
Ontario -- History; Quinte, Bay of (Ont.)
It is impossible to say how far the work of surveying had progressed
from Lake St. Francis westward, before the close of the war; it is very
probable, however, that only a base line had been run, and some
temporary mark placed to indicate the corners of each township. Such,
indeed, is shown to be the case by the statement of Sheriff Sherwood,
who says that his father Thomas Sherwood, who had been a subaltern in
the 84th Reg., and who actually located on the first lot in the first
concession of Elizabethtown, “was often called upon to run the side
lines of the lots” for the settlers as they came one after another, and
“to shew them their land.” Mr. Sherwood was not a professional surveyor,
but “he had the instruments and practically knew well how to use them,
and he was ever ready to give his assistance and instructions to the new
comers.”
SURVEYING AROUND BAY QUINTÉ.
In the year 1783, Major Holland, Surveyor-General of Canada, received
instructions from Sir Frederick Haldimand, Governor of the Province of
Quebec, to proceed on duty to Western Canada. Prior to this, we have
observed, there had been commenced a range of lots laid out at the
easternmost limits of what now forms Canada West, to the extent of nine
townships. Yet evidence is wanting that this range had been completed at
the period stated. Holland set out with a sufficient staff of assistants
and attachés, to simultaneously lay out several of the proposed
townships along the St. Lawrence, and the Bay of Quinté. The party
passed up the St. Lawrence, ascending the rapids in a brigade of
batteaux manned by French boatmen. Surveyor Holland had, as his personal
attendant, —— Bongard, who had been in the artillery under General
Reidezel, of the Foreign Legion. From the son of this person, now living
in Marysburgh, valuable information has been obtained, much of which has
been substantiated by legal documents, published in connection with the
law report of the trial respecting the Murney estate and the town of
Kingston. Mr. Bongard says that Holland, as he passed up, detailed a
deputy to each of the townships, stopping first at Oswegotchie, opposite
Prescott, and that he passed up as far as the fourth township upon Bay
Quinté, where he pitched his tent, and where he continued to hold his
head-quarters, receiving the reports of the various Deputy-Surveyors as
they were from time to time brought in. While it seems most probable
that Holland came to the Upper Province in 1783, it is possible that he
remained in Lower Canada until the spring of 1784, having deputed
Surveyor Collins to commence a survey westward from the fort at
Frontenac; or perhaps he visited that place with Collins whom he left to
carry on the work during this first year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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