Happy birthday Guelph!

This plaque can be seen in the beautiful city of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. 

It reads – 

Erected by the City of Guelph April 23^rd 1927,

in honoured memory of John Galt 

its founder April 23^rd 1827.  

It marks the centenary of the founding of the city by John Galt in 1827, one of John Galt's proudest achievements.  

In A Brief Sketch of the Early History of Guelph by Robert Thomson, A First Year Settler, he describes the felling of the first tree (read previous post here) and describes how the stump of that tree -

“was afterwards fenced round, neatly levelled and dressed on the top, and a sundial placed on it, which answered as the town clock for several years.”

Galt writes about the an early view of the city before building work began (Autobiography Vol 2) -  

“The glory of Guelph was unparallelled, but, like all earthy glories, it was destined to pass away.  It consisted of a glade, opened through the forest, about seven miles in length, upwards of one hundred and thirty feet in width, forming an avenue, with trees on each side far exceeding in height the most stupendous in England.”  

Guelph, also known as the Royal City, was named in honour of King George IV.  The name Guelph refers to the Hanoverian origin of Britain’s royal family.  In his Autobiography (Vol 2) Galt writes – 

“The name was chosen in compliment to the royal family, both because I thought it auspicious in itself, and because I could not recollect that it had ever been before used in all the king’s dominions.”

The date of the founding of the city was also intentional as Galt writes -

“I returned to Upper Canada, and gave orders that operations should commence on St George’s Day, the 23^rd of April.  This was not without design; I was well aware of the boding effect of a little solemnity on the minds of most men […] at eras which betokened destiny, like the launching of a vessel, or the birth of an enterprize, of which a horoscope might be cast.”

St George's Day is the celebration of the patron saint of England - St George.  It takes place on 23 April each year.

Next year will mark the bicentenary of Guelph. Read more about how the city will be celebrating on this website - Guelph 200.

Galt's house in Guelph

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.”

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.

The Priory as a railway station

Guelph Museums have an interesting article on The Priory - read it here. 

Who was John Galt ?

While probably best known in Britain as an author, writing was just one of John Galt's interests and activities.

In Canada he is better known as one of the founders of the Canada Company, set up to encourage emigration to what was then known as Upper Canada.  Galt was the founder of Guelph and Goderich - two successful settlements in the area.

Plaque commemorating John Galt, Founder of Guelph 1827

What is often forgotten is that John Galt was also a lobbyist - helping to ensure that the legislation to allow the construction of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal which opened in 1822.  This was just one of the many successful Parliamentary efforts he was involved in.

Poet, dramatist, editor, reviewer, travel writer - are just some of the other descriptions which could be attributed to John Galt.

It is also important to remember that he was also a son, brother, husband, father as well as being a friend to many people of his day.  His home life as a child in Irvine and Greenock greatly influenced his writing.  His ear for how ordinary people spoke makes those of his books written in Scots a joy to read.

So, the question is - who was John Galt?  

The answer very much depends on who is asking the question!

Address to John Galt by the people of Guelph

In 1829 John Galt was ready to leave Canada and return to Britain to face questions from the directors of the Canada Company who were dissatisfied with his running of the Company.

John Galt founder of the Canada Company.

The people of Guelph, the town he had successfully founded just two years previously showed their support for him shortly before his departure.  It was signed by 144 heads of families.  It read -

"Sir – We, the undersigned inhabitants of the town and township of Guelph, learning that you are about to leave us, beg to express our sincere regret, that we should be deprived of your presence, and the satisfaction and pleasure it has ever afforded us.  We trust and hope, that your absence from amongst us will not be of long duration and that you will accomplish the objects of your journey, whatever that might be.

We would wish to express  to you the obligations which you have conferred upon us, in the prosperity which had flowed upon us ever since we became united with you and the Canada Company – many of us having come here in dependent circumstances, who are now in fair way to became independent, and all having improved their circumstances under your fostering care.  By the measures you have adopted, over lands in many instances, have in the space of eighteen months doubled or tripled their value, and we do not look on our obligations as the less, that the Canada Company has shared in the advantage.

You have set an example to the province in the formation of proper roads and bridges, and showed by what means the progress of the settlement of the colony can be accelerated a hundredfold, by your measures, which have created this town and township.  Finally, we beg you to accept of our best wishes for your happiness and prosperity whatever you may be, and we request you to thank the Canada Company for all the benefits they have conferred on us, and the greatest of these we consider their having sent you amongst us."

Unfortunately John Galt did not ever return to Canada despite this wonderful recognition of what he had achieved in the short time he had been there.  On his return to Britain, money problems and bad health stopped him from travelling abroad.  He continued to write and published several novels and articles for various publications.  He died in Greenock in 1839.  However his three sons all settled in Canada and contributed to the success of that country.

John Galt and the founding of Guelph

On 23 April (St George's day) 1827 John Galt, William Dunlop and Charles Prior took part in a ceremony which marked the founding of the beautiful Canadian city of Guelph in Ontario.  John Galt wrote in his autobiography -

Picture source - The Watt Institution

"... a large maple tree was chosen; on which, taking an axe from one of the woodmen, I struck the first stroke.  To me at least the moment was impressive, - and the silence of the woods, that echoed to the sound, was as the sigh of the solemn genius of the wilderness departing for ever."

 

The town was named Guelph in honour of the British King George IV and was laid out to a precise plan drawn up by John Galt.  Although he is probably best known in Scotland as a novelist, Galt is esteemed in Guelph as the city's founder.

Galt's plan reserved land for churches and schools.  As this extract from his autobiography shows, Galt considered education to be extremely important -

“Education is a consideration so important to a community that it obtained my earliest attention, and accordingly in planning the town, I stipulated that the half of the price of the building sites should be appropriated to endow a school, undertaking that the Company, in the first instance, should sustain the expense of the building, and be gradually repaid by the sale of the town lots.  The school-house was thus among the first buildings undertaken to draw settlers.”

Galt's own schooldays were spent in Greenock. 

He was a founding member of the Canada Company, set up to develop land and encourage settlers to what was then known as Upper Canada. 

In his novel Bogle Corbet: or The Emigrants (1831), John Galt describes life as a settler - leaving homeland and family, starting in a new, unknown place, clearing forests, building homes, the extreme weather conditions - it is not an autobiography, but Galt was writing from his own experiences and that of many of the people he met during his time in Canada.

Galt did not stay long in the country but had to return to Britain as he and the Canada Company had many differences of opinion. However Guelph is not his only legacy in Canada.  His three sons settled there and were important in the development of that country.