Ryerson Memorial Volume: Prepared on the occasion of the unveiling of the Ryerson statute in the grounds of the Education department on the Queen's birthday, 1889Hodgins, J. George (John George)
History
Ryerson Memorial Volume: Prepared on the occasion of the unveiling of the Ryerson statute in the grounds of the Education department on the Queen's birthday, 1889
Hodgins, J. George (John George)
Education -- Ontario; Ryerson, Egerton, 1803-1882
A few particulars as to the kind of schools which existed in Upper
Canada before and after the date of this letter may be interesting.
For instance, the first school opened (so far as I have been able
to learn) was by the Rev. Dr. John Stuart, a Protestant Episcopal
clergyman, and a United Empire Loyalist, who had been chaplain to
the provincial volunteers, and came into Upper Canada with them as a
refugee.[21]
[21] Rev. John Stuart. D.D., was born in Virginia in 1736. In 1769
he went to England to be ordained, and returned to Philadelphia in
1770. For seven years he labored as a missionary among the Iroquois
Indians at Fort Hunter. He was then aided by the famous Brant in
translating the New Testament into Mohawk. In 1781 he came to Upper
Canada and labored in this province as a missionary among the
refugee loyalists and Iroquois. He subsequently became rector of
Cataraqui (Kingston), and chaplain to the Legislative Council. He
died in 1811, aged 75 years. One of his sons was the late Archdeacon
Stuart, of Kingston; another was the late chief Justice, Sir James
Stuart of Quebec.
In the year 1785 Dr. Stuart opened a select classical school at
Cataraqui, (Kingston); and a Mr. Donovan taught the Garrison school
there. In 1786, Mr. J. Clarke taught a school in Frederickburg,
and Mr. Smith one in Ernestown. In 1789, Mr Lyons kept school in
Adolphustown. In the same year, Deacon Trayes, a Baptist, opened
one at Port Rowan. In 1792, Rev. Mr. Addison, an Episcopalian,
opened a school at Newark (Niagara), then the seat of government.
In 1794, the Rev. Mr. Burns, a Presbyterian, (father of the late
Judge Burns) opened a school at the same place; and in 1796, Mr.
Richard Cockrel opened an evening school in Newark; Mr. Cockrel
shortly afterwards transferred his school to the Rev. Mr. Arthur
and removed to Ancaster, where he opened another school. A notice
in the _York Gazette_ in 1796 stated that "as schools were now
opened, ignorance would be no longer tolerated." In 1797, Mr. James
Blayney opened a school at Niagara. In 1798, Mr. Wm. Cooper opened
a school in George St., little York, (Toronto). In 1800, the late
Bishop Strachan opened a private school at Kingston, and in 1804,
one at Cornwall. In 1802, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler opened a school near
Niagara; and in the same year, Dr. Baldwin, (father of the late Hon.
Robert Baldwin) opened a classical school at York, and in 1803, the
first school in Prince Edward district was opened at "High Shore,"
Sophiasburgh; another at "Grassy Point," was taught by John James.
Rev. Wm. Wright, (Presbyterian) kept the first school at Meyer's
Creek, (Belleville) in 1805. He was followed by Mr. Leslie. In that
year, Rev. Mr. Strachan held the first public examination of his
school at Cornwall.
STATE OF EDUCATION IN UPPER CANADA, 1795-1799.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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