David Boyle (archaeologist)
Encyclopedia
David Boyle was a Canadian
blacksmith
, teacher
, archaeologist, musicologist, and historian
.
Boyle arrived in Canada from Scotland in 1856 and apprenticed to a blacksmith. He would become a teacher in rural Ontario
in 1865, a school principal in Elora
from 1871-1881, and later a bookseller in Toronto. Boyle followed what were then "radical child-centered theories" of Johann Pestalozzi
.
In 1884, Boyle became curator
of the Canadian Institute Museum, a post he held until 1896, and of the Ontario Provincial Museum from 1886-1911. He cultivated a core of loyal collectors across southern and central Ontario who assisted him in archaeological digs and in collecting artifacts for the museums. These men included Andrew Frederick Hunter, George E Laidlaw, J. Hugh Hammond, John Long
, Dr Thomas W. Beeman, William Wintemberg and Frederick William Waugh. He was also the Secretary of the Ontario Historical Society after 1898, and became highly influential in the local historical societies that grew up in Ontario in the late nineteenth century. In 1898, Boyle also began to conduct ethnographic fieldwork at the Six Nations of the Grand River near Brantford, after having met John Ojijatekha Brant-Sero through the Canadian Institute
. He later met Dr Peter E Jones of the nearby Mississauga of the New Credit reserve who also assisted him in his fieldwork. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected by the province to commemorate David Boyle's role in Ontario's heritage.
His work served as the basis for archaeology
as a serious scientific discipline in the province. Between 1887 and 1911, he published Annual Archaeological Reports for Ontario, Canada's first journal primarily dedicated to archaeology.
Boyle was also a history buff and preservationist
, as well as the author of a book of nonsense poetry
for children.
He died in 1911 after a serious stroke. His papers are housed at the provincial Archives of Ontario and at the Royal Ontario Museum archives.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, archaeologist, musicologist, and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
.
Boyle arrived in Canada from Scotland in 1856 and apprenticed to a blacksmith. He would become a teacher in rural Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in 1865, a school principal in Elora
Elora, Ontario
Elora is a community in the township of Centre Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its 19th-century limestone architecture, its artistic community and the geographically significant Elora Gorge.-History:...
from 1871-1881, and later a bookseller in Toronto. Boyle followed what were then "radical child-centered theories" of Johann Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....
.
In 1884, Boyle became curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the Canadian Institute Museum, a post he held until 1896, and of the Ontario Provincial Museum from 1886-1911. He cultivated a core of loyal collectors across southern and central Ontario who assisted him in archaeological digs and in collecting artifacts for the museums. These men included Andrew Frederick Hunter, George E Laidlaw, J. Hugh Hammond, John Long
John Long
John Long may refer to:*John Long , English Member of Parliament for Cricklade*John Long , Archbishop of Armagh*John Long , member of the Parliament of Ireland in 1689 for Midleton, County Cork...
, Dr Thomas W. Beeman, William Wintemberg and Frederick William Waugh. He was also the Secretary of the Ontario Historical Society after 1898, and became highly influential in the local historical societies that grew up in Ontario in the late nineteenth century. In 1898, Boyle also began to conduct ethnographic fieldwork at the Six Nations of the Grand River near Brantford, after having met John Ojijatekha Brant-Sero through the Canadian Institute
Royal Canadian Institute
The Royal Canadian Institute, or RCI, is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science.First formed in 1849 by Sir Sandford Fleming, it was originally conceived of as an organization for engineers and surveyors, but quickly became more general in its scientific interests. Incorporated in...
. He later met Dr Peter E Jones of the nearby Mississauga of the New Credit reserve who also assisted him in his fieldwork. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected by the province to commemorate David Boyle's role in Ontario's heritage.
His work served as the basis for archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
as a serious scientific discipline in the province. Between 1887 and 1911, he published Annual Archaeological Reports for Ontario, Canada's first journal primarily dedicated to archaeology.
Boyle was also a history buff and preservationist
Preservationist
Preservationist is generally understood to mean historic preservationist: one who advocates to preserve architecturally or historically significant buildings, structures, objects or sites from demolition or degradation...
, as well as the author of a book of nonsense poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
for children.
He died in 1911 after a serious stroke. His papers are housed at the provincial Archives of Ontario and at the Royal Ontario Museum archives.
Source
- Killan, Gerald. "Boyle, David" in The Canadian Encyclopedia, Volume 1, p. 264. Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1988.
- Killan, Gerald. David Boyle: From Artisan to Archaeologist. Toronto: UTP, 1983.
- Killan, Gerald. Preserving Ontario's Heritage: a History of the Ontario Historical Society. Ottawa: Love, 1976.
- Hamilton, Michelle A. Collections and Objections: Aboriginal Material Culture in Southern Ontario, 1791-1914. Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010.