The City of Guelph was founded by John Galt on St George’s Day (23 April) 1827. One of the first houses built there was “The Priory” on the banks of the River Speed. It was named after Charles Prior, who along with Dr William Dunlop were there with Galt at the ceremony to found the city. Charles Prior was described as the Overseer of the Guelph Settlement by the Canada Company, on whose behalf the city was founded.
Galt, in his Autobiography (Volume II) describes The Priory -
“Having some sort a kind of taste in architecture, it
seemed to me that the house could be made into a comfortable ecclesiastical
abode, and accordingly, although it was only ten feet high in the ceiling, I
employed my best skill in laying it out.
The reader will recollect, that it was but a cottage of one story and
formed of trunks of trees; as I have said, however, before, it was of its kind
very beautifully constructed by Mr Prior, externally. I only added a rustic portico to it of trees
with the bark, but illustrative of the origin of the Ionic order, it did not
cost five pounds.”
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| Model of The Priory (Guelph Museums) |
In 1828 Galt’s wife, Elizabeth and his three sons joined him in Canada. They first stayed at Burlington Beach, but after his sons had gone to boarding school, the couple moved back to Guelph and lived at The Priory. Galt described that time –
“About a month ago, after sending the boys to school in the Lower Province, I brought Mrs Galt to this city, for now it begins to be worthy of the name, where, all things considered we are not uncomfortable. Our house, it is true, is but a log one, the first that was erected in the town; but it is not without some pretension to elegance. It has a rustic portico formed with the trunks of trees, in which the constituent parts of the Ionic order are really somewhat intelligibly displayed. In the interior we have a handsome suit of public rooms, a library etc.”
In A Brief Sketch of the Early History of Guelph by Robert Thomson (A First Year’s Settler) the Priory is described –
“The main building is about fifty by thirty feet, with a wing or lean-to at each end, which was all finished in first class style in 1828. It was originally intended as a general headquarters for the company’s employees, and was also the residence of Mr Galt for some time previous to his being recalled."
John Galt was recalled to Britain by the Canada Company in 1829 and was never to return to Canada. The Priory remained a landmark in Guelph. A tavern was opened in one of the wings of the building. For a while it was also the local post office. Later the building became the railway station. After catching fire several times, it was dismantled in 1911.
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| The Priory as a railway station |
Guelph Museums have an interesting article on The Priory - read it here.
