Connecting Mississauga and 1812

Warren Clarkson gravestone, Springcreek Cemetery, Clarkson

History is all around us. It sounds a bit like a line from a song. But it is also true. My late uncle Tommy Adamson used to say that “if you didn’t know your history, you weren’t looking around you.” The clues are there, certainly for those intrepid souls who like to look, ask questions, and as Alan Skeoch once said to me, “turn over the stones of the past and look underneath.” Countless generations of people have traversed this land, even long before Mississauga came to be. In a wide variety of ways, each left their mark, in stories, in pictures, in place names, in buildings, in landscapes, and even in our historic cemeteries. All provide memories and connections that help enrich the multifaceted tapestry that is Mississauga.

Okay, maybe overly poetic. But it’s late as I write this, and the mind is perhaps prone to flights of fancy in the wee hours with introspection and deep thoughts. But my goal with this article is curiosity – perhaps both for you, the reader, and myself, as I write this.

William Thompson gravestone, St Judes Cemetery, Oakville

For this article we are going to step back over 200 years ago, to the War of 1812. Wait, don’t lose interest – I promise that we will bring the story to the present day.

I have wandered and wondered down the path of 1812 in this article series in the past and I will likely continue to do so time and again, but let me step back to share some of the reasons for my own fascination.

Lewis Bradley gravestone, Springcreek Cemetery

I love history, particularly the history of the place I call home. It draws me in, takes hold of me, and I never seem to let it go. I certainly do not know everything – that would be boring! It is the unknown that continually draws me in and fascinates me. Years ago, at Heritage Mississauga, in advance of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, we delved into a research project to document local connections to the war. Up to that point, my own knowledge of the war was paltry, and sadly it was never something that we were taught in school – ever. There was not one breath, nor one moment, throughout all my levels of education, where the War of 1812 was a topic of discussion. That was and is tragic.

James Davidson gravestone, Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Streetsville

It is such a fascinating story that speaks to our country’s early formative years, helps to shape a fledgling local, regional (and burgeoning national) identity, and it helped shape the paths and relationships that would define North America. In the broad scope of time, its impacts can even be seen today. And the war certainly impacted the lives of those who lived in historic Mississauga (and elsewhere, of course) during the war, and they themselves would help to chart the course and shape of this place over time.

Charles Cameron gravestone, St Peter's Anglican Cemetery, Erindale

My own education in 1812, initially, came through the devouring of written material. Countless authors, such as Carl Benn, Pierre Burton, Richard Feltoe, Dianne and Donald Graves, William Gray, J. Mackay Hitsman, Robert Malcolmson, and Alan Taylor, amongst countless others. I vividly recall devouring materials with eager anticipation and trying to understand the complex narratives of the war.

Amos Willcox gravestone, Dixie Union Cemetery

All of this, however, was the backdrop for our own stories connecting to the war from historic Mississauga – none of which, that I could discern, were captured in any of the broader narratives. I remember some of our earliest “finds”, thanks in part to the tremendous resources shared by Fred Blair in his ongoing research into the militia during 1812. I am forever indebted, in those early days, with the information he readily shared, and with the guidance and support of Peter Twist and former City of Toronto Historian Richard Gerard.

Daniel Merigold gravestone, Springcreek Cemetery

We had some stories, of course, but without context and deep understanding. The Indigenous Mississaugas had notable connections to the war, with several Credit River Mississaugas fighting alongside the British in defence of Canada. They include Ajetance (James Ajetance, Adjutant, “Captain Jim”), Wageezhegome (John Cameron), Manoonooding (James Chechok), Negahnub (Lawrence Herkimer), Minowargewon (William Herkimer), Nawahjegezhegwaby (Joseph Sawyer), Pahoombwawinndung (Thomas Smith) and Kish-ki-wabik (White John), amongst many others. The contributions of the Mississaugas should not be forgotten in our stories. The outcome of the war might have been very different without their involvement.

Frederick Starr Jarvis gravestone, St James Cemetery, Toronto

Laura Secord, the famed heroine of the War of 1812 and whose name still echoes down through time, has a connection here: while Laura was married and living in Queenston when war broke out, her father Thomas Ingersoll operated the Government Inn at the mouth of the Credit River in historic Mississauga.

George Jarvis is the famed “gentleman volunteer” whose firsthand account of the fall of Major-General Isaac Brock at the Battle of Queenston Heights is often considered the most reliable resource, also had family connections here. His cousin, Frederick Starr Jarvis, served during the war, lived in the Clarkson area, and Jarvis Street in Erindale Village is named after him.

Joseph Sawyer gravestone, New Credit United Church, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

We also see connections to the War of 1812 in early street names that remain part of our landscape today, such as Thompson Street in Erindale Village, named for Captain William Thompson who served with the 2nd York militia during the war. Nearby in the Clarkson area, Clarkson Road, along with Clarkson itself, are named for Warren Clarkson, who served with the 1st York militia during the war, and later moved to this area. In Clarkson we also find today the Bradley Museum – named for its original builder and colonial era settler, Lewis Bradley. Lewis served as adjutant for the 2nd York under his father-in-law Thomas Merigold Sr., and served alongside his brother-in-laws Daniel, Thomas Jr., and Amos. Many of their neighbours also served. More than 50 individuals from historic Mississauga volunteered for militia service during the war, and 32 of them are known to be buried in Mississauga today, laid to rest in at least seven historic cemeteries across our city.

One militiaman who lived here but is buried elsewhere is Peter Wolfe, a veteran of the Battle of Queenston Heights – modern Wolfedale farm recalls the Wolfe family and their early farm property. Peter Wolfe’s path in life took him away from here as his own children became established. He spent his last years elsewhere and is laid to rest to in a small rural cemetery in Oxford County, but most of his life was lived here.

Thomas Merigold Sr gravestone, Springcreek Cemetery, Clarkson

We have others we know of who lived and served elsewhere during the war, and moved to historic Mississauga in the years following the war, and whose energies help to shape the early years here: individuals such as William Birdsall, Thomas Racey, Timothy Street and Amos Willcox, amongst many others. The office of Heritage Mississauga at The Grange and nearby Robinson Street in Erindale Village both connect with John Beverly Robinson, who served as both the acting Attorney General and with the 3rd York militia during the war.

Peter Wolfe gravestone, Minkler Pioneer Cemetery, Oxford

I am struck too by thinking of the “might-have-beens” – families torn apart by conflict – perhaps not by death but also by separation. Long periods of service for some led to isolation and uncertainty for others. I think also of the families and the children living through these tumultuous years – their perspectives and values honed during a period of conflict would go on to play a part in the shaping of this place.

Wherever I look, history, and legacy of the War of 1812, is all around us, shaping the narratives, place names, and stories of our home.

We invite you to join us for the annual Engagement at Bradley War of 1812 re-enactment weekend at the Bradley Museum (1620 Orr Road) here in Mississauga on September 13-14, 10 am to 5 pm both days.