Deed
Museums of Mississauga
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| Nom de l'objet : | Deed |
| Matériaux : | paper, ink |
| Numéro d'accession : | BE2004.2.78 |
| Date de début de production : | 1840 |
| Description : | A land 'Grant to James Beveridge Harris 46 acres Township of Oxford'. The grant is signed and dated, entitling James Harris 'of the township of Toronto, in the County of York in the Home district Esquire late Captain in the 24th Regiment of Foot' to grant the land composed of 'the centre part of lot number 21 in the sixth concession of the said Township of Oxford' (County of Oxford, District of Brock). The grant contains handwritten measurements and the exact location of the land. It is signed by Wm. H. Draper A.G on the 24 June 1840. The grant is for 46 acres of land. The grant also stipulates that the land is freely owned by the heirs and assigns, but any 'mines of gold and silver' belong to the Crown, as well as 'all White Pine Trees...that may grow, will be grown, and are already growing'. The contract was under Queen Victoria, in the 4th year of her reign. It is signed by 'Sir George Arthur K.C.H, Lt. Gov. of Our said Province and Major Gent. Commanding our forces therein at Toronto.' 'Geo. Arthur' is written in black ink in the top left corner. The bottom (which is folded behind) has handwritten that the original copy dated '15 March 1838 Admin. Of Sir G. Arthur for his allowance according to his rank for upwards of 22 years service under the general order from the Horse Guards dated 1st August 1831. Patent Fee.' 'G.A.' is initialled in the bottom right (above the fold). The contract again is signed by R. H. Lucker, Secretary. The back of the contract states who the grant is made out to, along with the amount of acres, and the date. It is signed by the Provincial Registrar's office in Toronto, 11 December 1840. It certifies that it is a true copy of the original patent - Lib D.C. Folio 135. It is signed by Mr. Patterson, Deputy Registrar of the Province of Ontario. |
| Fonctions : | Captain James Beveridge Harris (1797-1884), born in Plumstead, England, was stationed in Canada in 1829 with the 24th Regiment of Foot but was sent back to Ireland within the same year. The regiment returned to Canada in 1836 in preparation for the possible Rebellion 1837-38. While stationed at Ile-aux-Noix, Qu‚bec, he requested permission to sell his commission for œ 1,800 and purchased Benares. The following year he brought his wife, Elizabeth Molony (1806-1884), with him to live at Benares in 1837. Elizabeth and James would have eight children, four boys and four girls. Their youngest son, Arthur, would inherit Benares in 1884. James and Elizabeth both died in 1884 with Elizabeth dying one month after her husband. Throughout his life in Upper Canada, Captain Harris worked his land, became Justice of the Peace, and contributed to the development of St. Peter's Anglican Church. Although Captain James Harris was a retired army officer in 1840, his rank did not release him from the obligation of receiving his `free' land grant and improving it according to the Crown Lands Department. The `free' grant composed of a total of 216 acres: 46 acres in East Oxford Township, Oxford County; 200 acres in Dorchester Township, Middlesex County; and 2 parcels in Camden Township, Kent County. With the Benares property and his free grant, Captain Harris owned 946 « acres. For more information, see: Fred Cane, "Benares: A History of the Harris Family and their Home in Clarkson, Ontario" (Toronto: Ontario Heritage Foundation, n.d.), 20-21. The land grant was signed by William Henry Draper (1801-1877), Attorney General, who would eventually become Canada's first colonial politician to be styled 'premier' and was instrumental in establishing the Conservative party. He supported the Family Compact, which attempted to create an aristocracy linked by family, patronage and political and social beliefs to the professional upper-middle-class. The Harris family married into the Draper family with the marriage of Annie Harris (1882-1986) and Beverly Draper Sayers (1883-1976) in 1906. See: George Metcalf, 'William Henry Draper', "The Canadian Encyclopedia, Year 2000 Edition" (McClelland and Stewart, 1999), 693. |
| Longueur : | 44.0000000000 |
| Largeur : | 34.5000000000 |
| Établissement : |
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| Ville de l'établissement : | Mississauga |
| Province de l'établissement : | Ontario |
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