John Simcoe Macaulay
Encyclopedia
Colonel The Hon. John Simcoe Macaulay (October 13, 1791 – December 20, 1855) was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
. In 1845, he donated the land on which the Church of the Holy Trinity (Toronto) was built.
in 1791, the son of James Macaulay
and Elizabeth Tuck Hayter, who came to Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake
) in 1792. He was named for his godfather Sir John Graves Simcoe
, Governor of Upper Canada
. The family later settled in York (Toronto
) when the capital was moved there and John attended John Strachan
's school in Cornwall
. In 1805, he went to England
to study at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich
. He became a captain
in the Royal Engineers
, serving with them during the Peninsular War
. He was present at the Battle of Barrosa
. In 1827, he became a professor of fortification at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
.
. He became a director of the Bank of Upper Canada
. In 1836, he was appointed surveyor general for the province by the new Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head
. The appointment was disputed because the candidate favoured by the Family Compact
had been ignored and others did not consider Macaulay a genuine resident of the province. Head advised Macaulay to submit his resignation to the Colonial Secretary, expecting it to be refused, but it was accepted and John Macaulay
, no relation, was appointed to the post instead. In 1839, he was appointed to the Legislative Council
for the province. In 1841, he was elected to Toronto city council but he resigned after Henry Sherwood
was elected instead of him as mayor.
in Surrey
, he married Anne Gee Elmsley, the eldest daughter of The Hon. John Elmsley (1762-1805), Chief Justice of Upper Canada, by his wife Mary, daughter of Captain Benjamin Hallowell of Roxbury, Boston, Commissioner of Customs for the Port of Boston
. Mrs Macaulay's mother was from a distinguished Boston
family. On that side, Mrs Macaulay was a niece of Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell-Carew
, of Beddington
Park, Surrey
, and his brother Ward Nicholas Boylston
, a great benefactor of Harvard University
; two of the nephews of Governor Moses Gill
. Mrs Macaulay's maternal grandmother, Mary (Boylston) Hallowell, was a first cousin of Susanna Boylston
, the mother of the 2nd President of the United States
, John Adams
, and grandmother of the 6th President, John Quincy Adams
.
and Sir John Graves Simcoe
) at a profit of £21,000, Macaulay and his family retired to England. They took up residence at Rede Court, Rochester, Kent, near to his first cousin, General George William Powlett Bingham. He died there in 1855. He was survived by four sons and four of his five daughters. He was the elder brother of Colonel The Hon. Sir James Buchanan Macaulay
.
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. In 1845, he donated the land on which the Church of the Holy Trinity (Toronto) was built.
Early Life
He was born in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1791, the son of James Macaulay
James Macaulay
James Macaulay was the Chief Medical Officer of Upper Canada.-Military career:In 1759, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of a clergyman. He gained a commission into the army as a surgeon and served with the Queen's Rangers during the American Revolution. In 1785, he joined the 33rd Regiment...
and Elizabeth Tuck Hayter, who came to Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
) in 1792. He was named for his godfather Sir 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...
, Governor of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. The family later settled in York (Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
) when the capital was moved there and John attended John Strachan
John Strachan
John Strachan was an influential figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto.-Early life:Strachan was the youngest of six children born to a quarry worker in Aberdeen, Scotland. He graduated from King's College, Aberdeen in 1797...
's school in Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
. In 1805, he went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to study at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
. He became a captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, serving with them during the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. He was present at the Battle of Barrosa
Battle of Barrosa
The Battle of Barrosa was an unsuccessful French attack on a larger Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish force attempting to lift the siege of Cádiz, Spain during the Peninsular War...
. In 1827, he became a professor of fortification at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
.
Life in Upper Canada
When he resigned in 1835, he returned to Upper Canada to manage his inheritance, living at Elmsley House, which had belonged (though he never lived there) to John's father-in-law, and was afterwards lived in by James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
Sir James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, KT, GCB, PC , was a British colonial administrator and diplomat...
. He became a director of the Bank of Upper Canada
Bank of Upper Canada
The Bank of Upper Canada was a Canadian bank established in 1821 under a Charter granted by the colony of Upper Canada in 1819. The incorporators were William Allan, Robert C. Horne, John Scarlett, Francis Jackson, William W. Baldwin, Alexander Legge, Thomas Ridout, his son Samuel Ridout, D’Arcy...
. In 1836, he was appointed surveyor general for the province by the new Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head
Francis Bond Head
Sir Francis Bond Head, 1st Baronet KCH PC , known as "Galloping Head", was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada during the rebellion of 1837.-Biography:...
. The appointment was disputed because the candidate favoured by the Family Compact
Family Compact
Fully developed after the War of 1812, the Compact lasted until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s...
had been ignored and others did not consider Macaulay a genuine resident of the province. Head advised Macaulay to submit his resignation to the Colonial Secretary, expecting it to be refused, but it was accepted and John Macaulay
John Macaulay (politician)
John Macaulay was a businessman, newspaper owner and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in 1792 in Kingston, the son of Robert Macaulay. He was educated in Cornwall at John Strachan's school. In 1812, he established himself as a merchant in Kingston...
, no relation, was appointed to the post instead. In 1839, he was appointed to the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Upper Canada
The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was the upper house governing the province of Upper Canada. Modelled after the British House of Lords, it was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was specified that the council should consist of at least seven members. Members were appointed for...
for the province. In 1841, he was elected to Toronto city council but he resigned after Henry Sherwood
Henry Sherwood
Henry Sherwood, QC was a lawyer and Tory provincial politician, moved to municipal politics and was alderman of St. David's Ward when chosen as Toronto's 7th mayor from 1842 to 1844. Sherwood was appointed QC on 23 January 1838...
was elected instead of him as mayor.
Family
In 1825, at CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, he married Anne Gee Elmsley, the eldest daughter of The Hon. John Elmsley (1762-1805), Chief Justice of Upper Canada, by his wife Mary, daughter of Captain Benjamin Hallowell of Roxbury, Boston, Commissioner of Customs for the Port of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Mrs Macaulay's mother was from a distinguished Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
family. On that side, Mrs Macaulay was a niece of Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell-Carew
Benjamin Hallowell Carew
Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Carew GCB, was a senior officer in the Royal Navy...
, of Beddington
Beddington
Beddington is a settlement between the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth....
Park, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and his brother Ward Nicholas Boylston
Ward Nicholas Boylston
Ward Nicholas Boylston , a descendent of the physician Zabdiel Boylston , was a man of wealth and refinement, a merchant, a philanthropist and a great benefactor of Harvard University...
, a great benefactor of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
; two of the nephews of Governor Moses Gill
Moses Gill
Moses Gill was a Massachusetts politician who briefly served as Acting Governor of the state.-Life:He was a merchant living in Boston, until 1767, when he removed to Princeton, Massachusetts. In 1759 he married Sarah Prince, daughter to pastor Thomas Prince of Boston's Old South Church...
. Mrs Macaulay's maternal grandmother, Mary (Boylston) Hallowell, was a first cousin of Susanna Boylston
Susanna Boylston
Susanna Boylston Adams Hall was a prominent early-American socialite, mother of the second U.S. President, John Adams and grandmother of the sixth President, John Quincy Adams....
, the mother of the 2nd President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
, and grandmother of the 6th President, John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
.
Retirement
In 1845, having sold his considerable property in Toronto (derived from his and his father's patronage to Lieutenant Governors Sir Francis Bond HeadFrancis Bond Head
Sir Francis Bond Head, 1st Baronet KCH PC , known as "Galloping Head", was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada during the rebellion of 1837.-Biography:...
and Sir 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...
) at a profit of £21,000, Macaulay and his family retired to England. They took up residence at Rede Court, Rochester, Kent, near to his first cousin, General George William Powlett Bingham. He died there in 1855. He was survived by four sons and four of his five daughters. He was the elder brother of Colonel The Hon. Sir James Buchanan Macaulay
James Buchanan Macaulay
Colonel Sir James Buchannan Macaulay, CB was a Canadian lawyer and judge.Macaulay, born at Newark, Upper Canada, 3 December 1793, was the second son of James Macaulay by his wife Elizabeth Tuck Hayter...
.