Ernest Alexander Cruikshank
Encyclopedia
Ernest Alexander "E. A." Cruikshank FRSC (29 June 1853 - 23 June 1939), was a Canadian Brigadier General
, a historian
who specialized in military history
and the first Chairman of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
in 1853, and was educated at St. Thomas Grammar School and Upper Canada College
. He worked as a journalist and translator in the United States
, before returning to Canada where he served as Reeve of Fort Erie
and Warden of Welland County
.
as an ensign
in 1877, becoming Lieutenant Colonel
of the regiment in 1899. While serving, he wrote a number of books on the history of Ontario
, particularly its military history, and in 1908 he was seconded to the Public Archives of Canada
as keeper of military documents. He resigned from the Archives in 1911 to become a Colonel
on the permanent staff of the active militia. Rising to the rank of Brigadier-General in 1915, he commanded Military District 13, which was headquartered in Calgary
, Alberta
. In 1917, Cruikshank was assigned to the Western Front
in France
.
At the end of the First World War, Cruikshank was assigned to Ottawa
where he was appointed Director of the Historical Section of the General Staff. He retired as a Brigadier-General in 1921.
Cruikshank was a prolific writer. Among his most notable writings were: The Story of Butler's Rangers and the Settlement of Niagara (1893), A memoir of Colonel the Honourable James Kerby (1931), The Settlement of the United Empire Loyalists on the Upper St. Lawrence and Bay of Quinte in 1784 (1934), The Life of Sir Henry Morgan (1935), The Political Adventures of John Henry: The Record of an International Imbroglio (1936) and the edited volumes of the papers of John Graves Simcoe
.
He was a member of the Royal Society of Canada
and a President of the Ontario Historical Society. He died at Ottawa.
for historical research in 1935. Cruikshank is commemorated with a HSMB plaque in the city of Welland, Ontario
and an Ontario Heritage Trust
plaque in Ottawa.
Cruikshank was named a Person of National Historic Significance in 1943.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, a 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...
who specialized in military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
and the first Chairman of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
Early life
Cruikshank was born in Bertie Township, OntarioBertie Township, Ontario
Bertie Township was a township in Upper Canada, later Ontario, located on the south-east corner of the Niagara Peninsula.In 1970, it was amalgamated into the town of Fort Erie, Ontario.- References :...
in 1853, and was educated at St. Thomas Grammar School and Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
. He worked as a journalist and translator in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, before returning to Canada where he served as Reeve of Fort Erie
Fort Erie, Ontario
Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly across the river from Buffalo, New York....
and Warden of Welland County
Welland County, Ontario
Welland County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario.The county was formed in 1851 from Lincoln County. The county was named from the Welland River. The river got its name from John Grave Simcoe who named it after a stream in Lincolnshire, England...
.
Military career
Cruikshank enlisted in the 44th Welland BattalionThe Lincoln and Welland Regiment
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces based in St Catharines and Welland, Ontario.The Regimental Colonel-in-Chief is The Countess of Wessex and...
as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in 1877, becoming Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of lieutenant-colonel is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a commander of the Navy. A lieutenant-colonel is the second-highest rank of senior officer...
of the regiment in 1899. While serving, he wrote a number of books on the history of 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....
, particularly its military history, and in 1908 he was seconded to the Public Archives of Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
as keeper of military documents. He resigned from the Archives in 1911 to become a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
on the permanent staff of the active militia. Rising to the rank of Brigadier-General in 1915, he commanded Military District 13, which was headquartered in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. In 1917, Cruikshank was assigned to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
At the end of the First World War, Cruikshank was assigned to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
where he was appointed Director of the Historical Section of the General Staff. He retired as a Brigadier-General in 1921.
Historian
In 1919, Cruikshank was among the first group of appointees to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, a new body charged with the task of making recommendations in respect of National Historic Sites of Canada. At the first meeting of the HSMB, Cruikshank was elected Chairman, a role he served until his death in 1939.Cruikshank was a prolific writer. Among his most notable writings were: The Story of Butler's Rangers and the Settlement of Niagara (1893), A memoir of Colonel the Honourable James Kerby (1931), The Settlement of the United Empire Loyalists on the Upper St. Lawrence and Bay of Quinte in 1784 (1934), The Life of Sir Henry Morgan (1935), The Political Adventures of John Henry: The Record of an International Imbroglio (1936) and the edited volumes of the papers of John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
.
He was a member of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
and a President of the Ontario Historical Society. He died at Ottawa.
Honours
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (F.R.S.C.) in 1905 and was awarded the J. B. Tyrrell Historical MedalJ. B. Tyrrell Historical Medal
The J.B. Tyrrell Historical Medal is an award of the Royal Society of Canada "for outstanding work in the history of Canada." It is named in honour of Joseph Burr Tyrrell and is awarded every two years if there is a suitable candidate. The award consists of a gold plated silver...
for historical research in 1935. Cruikshank is commemorated with a HSMB plaque in the city of Welland, Ontario
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
and an Ontario Heritage Trust
Ontario Heritage Trust
The Ontario Heritage Trust is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture, responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural heritage of Canada's most populous province. It was initially known as the Archaeological and Historic Sites Board...
plaque in Ottawa.
Cruikshank was named a Person of National Historic Significance in 1943.
External links
- Works of Ernest Alexander Cruikshank at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Works of Ernest Alexander Cruikshank at Our Roots: Canada's Local Histories Online