William Lyon MacKenzie

Above is a photograph of William Lyon Mackenzie who, along with Louis-Joseph Papineau, worked to bring about responsible government. Neither William Lyon Mackenzie nor Louis-Joseph Papineau wanted Britain to take money the Canadas had levied from its citizens to attend to the needs of the Canadas.

The Rebellions of 1837 started in Lower Canada in mid-November 1837, but no sooner did he hear about these that he too started to act.

William Lyon Mackenzie (12 March  1795 – 28 August 1861) was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader.  He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.  William Lyon Mackenzie is Mackenzie King‘s grandfather.  (Wikipedia)

Samual Lount

“[Samuel Lount] was born in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1791 and he came to Whitchurch Township in Upper Canada in 1811 with his family.  He returned to Pennsylvania during the War of 1812, returning to Whitchurch in 1815.  He briefly kept a tavern in Newmarket while doing work as a surveyor, but spent most of his adult life as a blacksmith in Holland Landing.  As blacksmith, he helped to build the first steamboat on Lake Simcoe.

“In 1834, he was elected to the 12th Parliament of Upper Canada representing Simcoe County, where he became a supporter of William Lyon Mackenzie.  After he was defeated in the election of 1836, he joined the movement pressing the British government for reforms.” (Wikipedia)

“In the winter of 1837, Lount helped organize people from the Simcoe area to join a planned march on Toronto and joined the rebel group gathered at Montgomery’s Tavern.” (Wikipedia)

The Battle of Montgomery’s Tavern (Sketch of the battle based on a contemporary British engraving).

“Be of good courage boys, I am not ashamed of anything I’ve done, I trust in God, and I’m going to die like a man.” (Lount)

Peter Matthews

“Peter Matthews (1789 – 12 April 1838) was a farmer and soldier who participated in the  of 1837. Matthews’ group of 60 men arrived at Montgomery’s Tavern on December 6 and, on the following day, were assigned to create a diversion on the bridge over the Don River.”

They killed one man and set fire to the bridge and some nearby houses before they were driven off by the government forces. On the advice of his lawyer, he pleaded guilty.” (Wikipedia)

Both were hanged on April 12, 1838.

Joshua Doan: The Western Rising

“Joshua Gwillen Doan (1811 – 6 February 1839) was a farmer and tanner who participated in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837.

He was born in the Sugar Loaf area of the Niagara District in 1811 to a family of Quakers who had left Pennsylvania before the start of the War of 1812. He began farming and then became a tanner when his brother opened a tannery in 1832. During 1837, he became a supporter of William Lyon Mackenzie. On 9 December 1837, with Charles Duncombe, he organized a group of men to join Mackenzie’s revolt in Toronto, not realizing that the revolt had already been put down. On 13 December, they were dispersed by loyalist troops led by Colonel Allan MacNab near Brantford.

Joshua escaped to the United States. In December 1838, he was part of a raid launched on Windsor by a group of refugees from the Rebellion known as Patriots. Several inhabitants and invaders were killed and a number of the Patriots, including Doan, were taken prisoner.

In January 1839, he was tried at London, Ontario, found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.” (Wikipedia)

He was hanged on 6 February in London, current Ontario.

Canada’s Coat of Arms