HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-09-28, Page 54PAGE 14
The Colonel
Continued from page 13
fences surrounding the new cleared farm.
Ven Egmond. clearly the richest mart in this part of Upper
Canada. soon had 24 four -horse teams bringing in settlers and
supplies along the Huron Road. but he was also a soft-hearted
man who spared neither his purse nor his person in coating to
the aid of settlers in trouble
SAVED SETTLERS
Contemporary accounts show that he paid out of his own
pocket for two loads of flour to save the lives of a group of
starving settlers during their first winter. travelling 90 miles
through deep snow himself to delivery it. Another tinie he rode
day and night to bring medical help to the eastern part of the
tract following an 'outbreak of cholera.
But in the following eight years relations with the Canada
Company. now under different stewardship. soured; settlers
were thrown off their Land for the least excuse so that the land
could be more profitably sold to new arrivals.
The settlers got no satisfaction from the Family Pact regime
in Toronto. and Van Egmond. who had never been paid the
cash'for his road-buildipg. was a leading spirit in the reform
group that sprang up in Huron. their military training
disguised as "turkey shouts."
Van Egmond's English was never perfect. but a torrent of
outrage poured from him at the injustices he saw about him. ,
Typical was a letter he wrote to the .Addocate newspaper of "a
case of unparalleled hardship" involving a settler. Richard
Lowe.
"Mr. Lowe. his sickly wife. eight small helpless children,
and a female servant. routed out of their beds. turned by force
out of doors and.their beds and furniture strewed on the public
highway. P.S. Mr. Lowe's children are all but naked...
SENSE OF OUTRAGE
His sense of outrage drew him into the circle of William Lyon
Mackenzie. the peppery Scottish newspaper editor who was
moving inevitably towards armed rebellion against the Family.
Compact. and the colonel agreed to command the reform
forces in the revolt.
History. of course, records the revolt as a rout with a lot of
blustering followed by the unseemly flight of the rebels from
the Montgomery Tavern. their Yonge St. headquarters. with
Mackenzie seeking refuge across the Niagara River.
Van Egmond arrived on the scene only a couple of hours
before the crucial engagement and there was little time for him
to do anything but review his 400 men and lament at their
motley collection of pikes and primative guns before the
skirling bagpipes of the approaching government forces were
heard.
Following the 20 -minute engagement. in which four rebels
Congratulations
to the Van Egmond f'oundat,onon rts8tn Ann,41
Ci derfest
from the staff of
SEAFORTH INSURANCE
BROKER LTD.
Seaforth 527=1610
Don G Eaton Ken J Gard no
lost their lives. Van Ggrttond was one of $h' lit to Iew:ve the
battleground and soon afterwards. the aging and ex41$ted
Napoleonic campaigner was captured ignominictttttly biting in a
farmhouse:
TORONTO JAIL
Militarily the revolt had provided little mune than a
morning's brisk exercise for the government forces; politically
it and the Papineau rebellion in Lower Canada net Canada on
the road to responsible self-government.
In the damp and cold of the Toronto jail that tDpeember,, the
old campaigner's rheumatism plagued him and with little
prospect but the gallows. Van Egmond took lfl and was
removed to hospital. There. aged beyond his 60 gars, witness
to some of the greatest historical events of thu age, his eyes
closed for the last time on Jan. 5. 1838.
Pursuing him beyond the grave. the government seized his
13.00( acre holdings and. even though he was eventually
pardoned. the land was never returned to his family.
His son. Constant. who had always been at his father's side
in the arduous work of opening up the new frontier. started a
grist mill. distillery and lumber mill at the village now known
as Egnlondville near Seaforth. and in 1846 he built the
handsome house that is now the subject of controversy.
The move to preserve the house. which had fallen into a state
of dilapidation. began when a group of historically minded
Seaforth citizens got together in 197I. With donations, a
S-.000 grant from the Ontario Heritage Foundation. and a
bank loan. the newly formed Van Egmond Foundation bought
the house.
LEARNING CENTRE
With further government grants and donations the house,
sa%s Paul Carroll. has been sed and plans are to open it as a
tourist attraction and learning centre next summer.
But local fund-raising efforts failed this year and with a bank'
loan of, 530.000 the foundation is facing a monthly interest bill
of 5550. The only answer directors have been able to come up
i[h is to sell off the three -acre site, said Carroll. who is
principal of the two public schools in Seaforth and Walton.
Part of the problem. he said is that in this strongly
conservative part of the province Van Egmond is still regarded
by some as a traitor. an attitude. said Carroll, that has come
through in some of the foundation's dealings with local and
central go\ernment.
If the land is sold. a scaled-down and far less important
restoration project will result. he said.
"One hope we have is that Dutch -Canadians will recognize
the important part one of their forebears played in developing
our democracy and will play a part in creating this memorial to
the Van Egmond family."
Welcome to Seaforth's
Ciderfest compliments of
Ginette's
Restaurant
'Daily Specials *Takeout *Air conditioning
OPEN: Mon.-Thurs. - 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Fri. & Sat. - 6 a.m.- 10p.m.
Sun -8a.m.-2p,m.
Main St.
Seaforth