Tacitus' Germania and the Jesuit Relations: Intertextuality in the Transatlantic World of the Early Jesuits in New France.

The first Europeans who wrote about the Indigenous people of the newly discovered Americas, not only used medieval, but also classical literature as a tool of reference to describe 'otherness.' As true humanists, the French Jesuits who arrived in the New World were deeply influenced by their classical education and, as claimed by Grafton, reverted to ancient ethnographic texts, like Tacitus' Germania, to support their analyse of the Indigenous people they encountered. Books talk to books. Inspired by Germania, the early French Jesuits managed to convey to their readers a subtle critique of their own civilization, enhancing, like Tacitus, the virtuous aspect of the so-called barbarians they described while illustrating the corruption of their respective civilized worlds. This thesis suggests that the essence of Tacitus' work is definitively present in Pierre Biard's letters and his Relation. His testimonies illustrate the connection the early French Jesuits had with the humanist thought of their time.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to George Upper

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to George Upper of the Township of Niagara. He was formerly a private in the Lincoln Militia. He is granted 100 acres in the east half of lot no.28 in the 2nd Concession in the Township of Nissouri. This was registered Dec. 1827 – Folio no. 242. This document is extremely stained and torn on the lower half. No effect on the text, Nov. 27, 1827.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Isaac Fuller

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Isaac Fuller of the Township of Niagara. He was formerly a private in the Militia. He is granted 100 acres in the west half of lot no.29 in the 2nd Concession in the Township of Nissouri – Folio no. 233. This was registered Nov. 1833. The outside of this document is quite discoloured. This does not affect the text, Oct. 13, 1833.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Thompson Thair

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Thompson Thair of the Township of Sidney in the County of Hastings. He is granted 200 acres of lot no.28 in the 1st Concession in the Township of Nottawasaga in the County of Simcoe. This was registered June 1836 – Folio no. 262, Oct. 2, 1834.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Elizabeth MacKay

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Elizabeth MacKay of the Township of Charlottenburgh in the County of Glengarry. She was the daughter of William MacKay, a United Empire Loyalist. She was granted 200 acres in the east halves of lots no. 8 and 10 in the 2nd Concession in the Township of Orillia. This was registered June 4, 1836 – Folio 168, May 27, 1836.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Abraham Cook

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Abraham Cook of Williamsburg in the County of Dundas. He was the son of Michael Cook, a United Empire Loyalist. He is granted 200 acres in the Township of Nottawasaga in the County of Simcoe, lot no. 23 in the 3rd Concession – Folio 547, Sept. 14, 1836.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Philip Chesneau Delatre

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Philip Chesneau Delatre, late Lieutenant Colonel from the Township of Stamford. He is granted 633 acres in lot no.4 of the 4th Concession; lot no.2 in the 2nd Concession; lot no. 3 in the 3rd Concession and lot no.9 in the 5th Concession in Blandford in the County of Oxford. This was registered Nov. 3, 1836 – Folio no. 67, Oct. 31, 1836.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Robert Melville

A Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Robert Melville of Niagara. He was a captain in the 68th Regiment of Foot. He is granted 700 acres in lots 3, 4 and 7 and the west half of lot 8 in the 11th Concession of the Township of Enniskillen – Folio no. 527, June 15, 1837.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Philip Chesneau Delatre

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Philip Chesneau Delatre, late Lieutenant Colonel, of the Township of Stamford. He is granted 600 acres in the north and south halves of lot no. 2 in the 3rd Concession; south and north halves of lot no. 3 in the 2nd Concession; south and north halves of lot no. 2 in the 3rd Concession and south and north halves of lot no. 8 in the 11th Concession in the Township of Blandford in the County of Oxford. This was registered Nov. 13, 1837 – Folio no. 51, Oct. 25, 1837.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to Philip Chesneau Delatre

Province of Upper Canada Grant (vellum) to Philip Chesneau Delatre, late Lieutenant Colonel, of the Township of Stamford. He is granted 74 acres in the east and west halves of lot no. 36 in the 16th Concession and broken lot no. 11 in the 18th Concession in the Township of Zorra in the County of Oxford. This was registered Nov. 13, 1837 – Folio 50, Oct. 26, 1837.

Four railway ticket stubs for the Grand Trunk Railway System from St. Catharines, Ontario to Buffalo, New York

Four railway ticket stubs for the Grand Trunk Railway System from St. Catharines, Ontario to Buffalo, New York, Feb 8, 1919.

Province of Upper Canada Grant to the Honorable Peter Russell of the Township of Newark

Province of Upper Canada Grant to the Honorable Peter Russell of the Township of Newark. He is granted 150 acres in the Town of Newark in the County of Lincoln. This is registered in Liber B, folio 133. This was entered in the auditor’s office July 26, 1796. This document is held together with tape. The text is not affected, July 2, 1796.

Grant of Permission for lease of military lands from Sir Robert Prescott to Thomas Clark, 1798-1801.

Transcript (original spelling and grammar retained): By His Excellency Robert Prescott Esquire, Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majestys Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, General and Commander in Chief of all His Majesty’s forces in the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and their several Dependencies and in the Island of Newfoundland &ca. &ca. &ca. I do hereby authorise and permit Thomas Clark of Queenstown in the County of Lincoln in the Province of Upper Canada merchant to take possession of all that Lot, piece and parcel of Land (being part of the land reserved by his Majesty for Military purposes) situate, lying and being at Queenstown in the Township of Newark, in the Home District in the said Province of Upper Canada, bounded and abutted as follows, that is to say beginning at the Distance of two Chains and ninety links from the South East End of his Majesty’s Store House, the said distance being measured along the Bank up Stream, thence South thirty nine degrees and an half West one Chain and fifty links thence south fifty degrees and an half East one Chain and thirty links thence North thirty nine degrees and an half East to the Edge of the Bank and from thence along the Bank to the place of beginning, containing thirty one perches and one hundred and twenty five square links and to occupy and hold the said Lot, piece and parcel of Land during pleasure subject nevertheless to the provisoes and Conditions herein after contained, that is to say. First on condition that it shall and may be lawful to and for His Majesty his Heirs and Successors and to and for the Commander in Chief of His Majesty Forces for the time being and to and for the Officer commanding his Majesty’s Forces in Upper Canada for the time being and to and for either of them to determine and make void this present permission to occupy during pleasure the said Lot, Piece or Parcel of Land above described at any time hereafter whenever he or they shall see fit so to do without any compensation or indemnification to the said Thomas Clark or any other Person or Persons whosoever for any Loss Injury or Damage which he the said Thomas Clark or any other Person or Persons whosoever may thereby sustain. Secondly on this further Condition that it shall and may be lawful to and for His Majesty his Heirs and Successors and to and for his and their Officers, Soldiers and Servants at any time hereafter by order of the Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s Forces for the time being or by order of the Officer commanding his Majesty’s forces in Upper Canada for the time being or by order of the Officer of His Majesty’s Corps of Royal Engineers commanding in the said Province of Upper Canada for the time being to enter upon the said Lot Piece and parcel of Land which the said Thomas Clark is hereby permitted to occupy during pleasure or upon any part thereof and to take down and from the said Lot piece and parcel of Land or from any part thereof to remove any dwelling House Store or other Buildings on the said Lot, piece or Parcel of Land or any part thereof erected and to remove any goods or Chattels on the said Lot piece and parcel of Land or on any part thereof or on any such dwelling House Store or other building found or being and that His Majesty his Heirs and Successors or any other Person or Persons whosoever shall not be liable or responsible to the said Thomas Clark or to any other Person or Persons whosoever for any Loss, Injury or Damage which he or they shall or may in such case sustain. Thirdly on this further Condition that the said Thomas Clark shall not erect on the said Lot Piece or Parcel of Land which the said Thomas Clark is hereby permitted to occupy during pleasure or upon any part thereof at any time or times hereafter any dwelling House store or other Building whatsoever of Stone or brick or of any other materials wood only exccepted and that if any dwelling House or Store or other building of Stone or brick or of any other materials except wood shall at any time be erected on the said Lot, piece or parcel of Land or upon any part thereof, then and in such case, this present permission and every Clause and Article thereof shall from thenceforth cease and determine and be absolutely and entirely null and void. And lastly on this further Condition that the said Thomas Clark or any other Person whosoever shall not assign this permission to occupy the said Lot, Piece or Parcel of Land above described to any Person of Persons whosoever, and if any such assignment shall be made by the said Thomas Clark or by any other Person in his right, or on his behalf, that then and in such case such assignment and this permission to occupy during pleasure the said Lot piece and parcel of Land above described, and every Clause and Article thereof shall from thenceforth cease and determine and be absolutely and entirely null and void. Given under my hand at the Castle of St. Lewis in the City of Quebec in the Province of Lower Canada this Ninth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight and in the thirty eighth year of His Majesty’s Reign. [Signed here by Robert Prescott] By Order of the Commander in Chief [Signed here by James Green (Illegible signature)] I the said Thomas Clark above named do hereby accept the above written Permission to occupy during pleasure the said Lot piece and parcel of Land above described upon and subject to the several Provisioes and Conditions above written and each and every of them severally and respectively. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the Sixteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight and in the thirty eighth year of His Majesty’s Reign. [Signed here by Thomas Clark] Signed in the presence of [Illegible signature – looks like J. M Donell Lt. Col.] [Illegible – looks like 2d. Battn R. C. Sm?] [Signed here by C. Anderson] Whereas Inconveniences did arise from the peculiar situation of the Ground contiguous to the above described Lot of Land and the occupation thereof, if estimated by the above Limits would prove highly disadvantageous to Mr. Thomas Clark be it known that in consideration thereof we do permit the above Lot to extend one half Chain more in length up stream so as to comprehend the space allowed for the Road between Lots Two + Three, and we do hereby appropriate the said additional space wholly to the use of the said Thomas Clark. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed this Thirteenth Day of October in the Year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and one. [Signed here by J. M’Donell Lt. Col] 2d. Battn. R. C. [in?] Com of Fort George + Dependencies Robt. Pilkington Captain Royal Engineers

Letter written by Mahlon Taylor to Samuel Clarke commenting on US troops during Fort George occupation, July 26, 1813

Fort George, situated on the west side of the Niagara River in Niagara-on-the-Lake, served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army during the War of 1812. On May 25, 1813, the Americans launched an artillery attack on the Fort, destroying most of the buildings. Two days later, the Americans invaded the Town of Niagara and occupied Fort George. They remained in the Fort for almost seven months, but suffered defeats at the Battle of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. Only a small number of militia remained stationed at the Fort. Fearing an attack by the British, the Americans retreated back across the Niagara River in December, 1813. The Fort remained in British possession for the rest of the War.

Broadside reporting the Fenian Invasion of Canada, June 2, 1866

The Fenians were a group intent on securing Irish independence from England. The movement had its origins in Ireland in1857, under the leadership of James Stephens, with the assistance of John O'Mahony, an American who had raised funds for the cause. The American branch of this movement was especially successful, having raised $500 000 and enlisting about 10 000 American Civil War veterans. The group split into two separate factions, one desiring an invasion of Canada and the other preferring an uprising in Ireland. It soon became apparent that an uprising in Ireland was not imminent, and a decision was made to invade Canada. In April, 1866, a raid was launched against New Brunswick. It proved unsuccessful, and another raid was attempted on June 1, 1866, this time in Ridgeway, near Fort Erie, Ontario. The Canadian militiamen were defeated, but the Fenians subsequently withdrew. A third incident occurred on June 7, this time at Missisquoi Bay in Quebec, when the Fenians crossed the border, remained there for 2 days, and withdrew. A failed uprising in Ireland in 1867 signaled the demise of the movement. The Fenian threat helped to promote a sense of union among Canadians and provided an incentive for Confederation.