1814 in Canada


Events from the year 1814 in Canada.

Incumbents

Federal government

Governors

Events

  • March 3 – The Governor refuses to suspend Chief Justices Sewell and Monk, on suggestion of one branch of the Legislature. James Stuart moves, affirming the Assembly's right to inform the Governor of irregularities, without concurrence of the council; and that the Governor has violated the Constitution.
  • March 7 – The Assembly votes confidence in the Governor, apart from his advisors.
  • March 8 – The council sustain their Clerk's refusal to show their minutes to a Committee of the Assembly.
  • March 9 – The Assembly vote 2,000 pounds, for impeachment of Chief Justices Sewell and Monk. The council will not pass the item.
  • March 17 – The Assembly resolve that the council's disallowance of a money bill is contrary to English and Canadian usage.
  • May 6 – The British, under Henry Drummond, burn Fort Oswego, on Lake Ontario.
  • May 25 – Louis-Joseph Papineau is unanimously elected speaker.
  • July 5 – Battle of Chippewa.
  • July 25 – The United States lose about 1,000 of 3,000 at the Battle of Lundy's Lane.
  • August – 4,000 of Wellington's veterans have reached Canada.
  • August 1 to November 5 – The Siege of Fort Erie.
  • August 11 – Battle of Lake Champlain.
  • August 14 – At Fort Erie, the British lose many lives, by the explosion of a magazine.
  • August – General Ross takes Washington, D.C.
  • August 25 – The seaboard of the United States is blockaded by ships released from European service.
  • August – Envoys consider terms of peace, at Ghent.
  • September 12 – An expedition of 11,000 under Governor George Prevost, supplied to winter at Plattsburg, N.Y., seeing its fleet dispersed and the enemy gathering, retreats, abandoning stores. In 1813, Wellington desired that Prevost should not abandon his policy of defence for petty advantages, to be gained by invasion, which he could not possibly maintain.
  • October – Martin Chittenden, Governor of Vermont, regards the war "as unnecessary, unwise and hopeless, in all its offensive operations."
  • December 22 – Treaty of Commerce, between the U.S. and Great Britain, signed at Ghent.
  • December 24 – Treaty of Ghent ends the War of 1812.
  • December 27 – Then prince regent George IV ratifies both treaties. One relates to boundaries and the slave trade.
  • David Thompson delivers his map of western North America to partners of North West Company.
  • Canadian Army bills, 1,500,000 pounds.
  • Chief Justice Sewell, while in England, to defend himself, advises uniting the Canadas with one Parliament.
  • The Assembly re-proposes representation in London. The Council objects. The Home Government declares that the Governor is the constitutional medium of communication between the Colony and the Imperial Government.

Births

Full date unknown

Deaths

  • September 4 – Joseph Willcocks, diarist, office holder, printer, publisher, journalist, politician, and army officer

Historical documents

"What constitutes the greatness and happiness of a nation:" people's spirit, education, "the political constitution under which they live" etc.
Indigenous people's "firm attachment to our interestadds greatly to our means of defending and securing our Canadian possessions"
London-based charity for poor children's education in Upper and Lower Canada funds school intended for 3–400 boys in Quebec City
Cartoon: William Charles shows "Iohn" Bull as King George "baking" more ships to replace ones taken on "the Lakes," including by "Mac Do-enough"

War of 1812

Pres. Madison informs Congress of U.S. acceptance of U.K. proposal to begin peace negotiations; but not with any relaxation of war preparations
Maryland House of Delegates fears "barbarity" of U.S. forces burning Newark, U.C. may bring "upon our coasts the most direful vengeance"
Editorial says U.S.A. must capture Kingston, Upper Canada; "anything done to the westward taking the lion by the tail only"
Regarding reports of armistice, Secretary of State tells President "the affair unsettled, and might terminate in nothing."
Print: Attack on Ft. Oswego, N.Y., with rescue of wounded British soldiers and warships firing on promontory
With Napoleon's fall, U.K. concludes conventions with other Allied Powers, including one keeping them out of War of 1812
Editorial: "The war must soon we think change from an offensive to a defensive one on the part of the States"
"Obstinate and sanguinary contest" - Bloody Battle of Lundy's Lane leaves "vast numbers ofdead upon the field"
"The power of England was never displayed in Canada like at present. The troops which arrive daily arebrigades moved from "
Royal Navy surgeon from Nova Scotia, with British forces in Washington, witnesses burning of Capitol, White House and other sites
U.S. General Macomb reports defeat of British squadron on Lake Champlain and rout of Gen. Prevost's army in Battle of Plattsburgh
John Quincy Adams and 4 other U.S. negotiators assume British are delaying peace treaty talks until after Congress of Vienna
Opinion: U.S. war aim seems to have changed from conquering Canada to preserving "that ascendency which they acquired by the peace of 1783"
Treaty of Ghent ends war and returns captured territory and seized property
"Demagogues hatred to England,popular favour, the obsession of power, money to eternal war with England"

Lower Canada

Map: Lower Canada from Lake St. Francis to Quebec City, with districts, counties, and towns, plus mills, roads and battles
Absence of 15,000 farming men in military and related services, troop movements and camping impede soil tillage and thus good harvests
Troop transport carrying almost 200 soldiers and 21 women and children strikes rock in Gulf of St. Lawrence, leaving 37 survivors
Editorial hopes that building Lachine Canal will draw investment from not just merchants and real estate men but "persons of every profession"
Act to establish post houses is for travellers' accommodation "and for rendering more certain the communication between different parts" of L.C.
Following death from bite of "a mad dog," court orders dogs and other animals bitten and running loose to be killed or confined by owner
" built at New-York to be propelled by steam. How inventive the powers of nature to the ends of destruction!"
Varieties of apple tree for sale in Montreal include golden "pipen," Montreal apple, Montreal rennet, Canadian rennet and Canadian nonesuch
Just in from London: "Rich figured, Shot, Twilled, coloured and Black Sarsenets, Black Silk Florentine,Fashionable silk Shawls "
Concert in Montreal includes Ignaz Pleyel "Grand Symphony," G.F. Handel song, 2 songs by Thomas Arne, and Joseph Haydn symphony

Upper Canada

U.C. harvests have been abundant; "mixed with the evils of war, we notice a fresh spur to industry an increase of commercial enterprize"
"Special Commission" at Ancaster finds 15 people guilty of treason on May 23; their punishment's effect will be "putting down the rebellion"
"When a daring spirit of anarchy and confusion seems to prevail the lessons of obedience and subordination"
John Strachan urges "Loyal Inhabitants of this Province neither depressed nor discontented privations and distresses"
Refugee Indigenous people want to move to Grand River, as Burlington area is "almost exhausted," with "every article of food" expensive
Act declares alien any U.S.-born person who owns land in U.C. and has returned to U.S.A. during war
Act authorizes erection of market in York "where Butcher's Meat, Butter, Eggs, Poultry, Fish, and Vegetables shall be exposed to Sale"
Militia officers are to wear "a Scarlet Jacket with Dark Blue Facings, Yellow Buttons, Gold Lace round the Collar and Cuff "

Nova Scotia

Committee on "the Trade, Agriculture and Fisheries" of N.S. reports 1814 concerns including supplying fish, cattle etc. to West Indies
Proclamation inviting deserters from U.S.A. is intended to encourage enslaved people to seek freedom
Newspaper reports arrival in Halifax of "a Transport with a few hundred Negroes " from Chesapeake Bay
John Wentworth has land near Antigonish where New England settlers can be safely placed far from U.S. border, among "3,000 loyal Scots and others"
Surveyor General office will look into request of Thomas Paul and 10 other Mi'kmaq for land near their "choice" 1,100-acre Shubenacadie site
Baptist minister Edward Manning finds parents irreligious and neglectful of "rising generation," who are profane and ignorant

New Brunswick

Resolutions of charity for Indigenous people include providing housing and husbandry materials, and advice "with respect to their true interest"
Pres. Thomas Saumarez asks Assembly for grant to buy land for "the oak pack branch of the Melicete tribe," who suffer "want and distress"
Act to prevent killing "partridges" during breeding season has per-bird penalty of 10s or 2 days in jail
Indigenous man asks for meadow lot near reserve, which has no natural grass, so he and family can keep cow; lot taken, but there may be others
Young Black man with wife and 3 kids and farming experience, stock and tools seeks grant of 300 acres in Kings County
Agreement for single woman to join family in their house with room, board and washing for £45/year
Fredericton military has "a great manystupid married people and a majority of the single ones not very Brilliant," to "damsels" regret
Penelope Winslow's new husband lost arm in wars, but her "reign as bride has been a brilliant one" with round of dances

Newfoundland

U.K. – France treaty returns French right to fish Grand Banks and Newfoundland coast; proprietors on formerly French-occupied coast must move
St. John's townhall agrees "excessive and indiscriminate issue of Notes" is bad, and proposes bank "for the issue of a circulating Medium"
Oversight of St. John's hospital is weakened by disagreement among physicians, and one result is indulgence of quacks attached to some patients
St. John's doctor will give poor children free inoculation of cowpox virus, "for more than fifteen Yearsfound to "
Royal Newfoundland Regiment, home after 9 years, have "proved equally serviceable as Soldiers and Sailorsboth ashore and on the lakes"
Second mate and 12 crew members jump overboard to evade warship's press gang; mate drowns and crew are saved "in a very weak condition"

Elsewhere

With seal hunt providing too little sustenance, Moravian missionary says Labrador Inuit should copy settlers and fish for cod
News comes of "massacre" at Fort Nelson of Alexander Henry and others; writer cites desperation of killers