Hi friend,
In preparation for the #ExperienceTO: Cabbagetown Historical Tour that will take place on Saturday, April 18, I was recently researching the life of Lieutenant Francis Gwillim Simcoe, the first private owner of land in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood.
Francis Simcoe’s story is a fascinating look at the very early days of York (now Toronto). Born in 1791 at Wolford Lodge in Devon, England, Francis was only an infant when he arrived in Upper Canada with his father, John Graves Simcoe (the province's first Lieutenant-Governor) and his mother, Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim. Though his time in the colony was brief, his name became permanently linked to the local landscape through a strategic 200-acre land grant secured in his name in 1793. Because his father was legally restricted from granting land to himself, the tract was registered to the young Francis, making him the first private owner of the lands that now comprise much of Cabbagetown and St. James Town.
On a high, steep ridge overlooking the Don River, the Simcoe family built a remarkable summer residence named Castle Frank in the boy's honor. Far more than a simple cabin, Castle Frank was a distinctive structure built of pine logs and designed to resemble a Greek temple, featuring four massive columns made from the peeled trunks of pine trees. It served as a breezy upland retreat where the family could escape the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes of their lakeside quarters at the Canvas House in the town of York. Their regular residence, Canvas House, was a large canvas tent with six windows that was not windproof or waterproof. The Simcoes returned to England in 1796 and the Castle Frank building eventually fell into ruin before burning down in 1829, the name remains a fixture of our city’s geography (see Castle Frank subway station, Castle Frank Crescent, and the now burried creek Castle Frank Brook).
Francis’s life eventually took him far from the quiet ridges of the Don Valley. After being educated at Eton College, he followed his father’s martial footsteps and joined the 27th Regiment of Foot. He was soon swept up in the Peninsular War, a massive and brutal conflict (1807–1814) fought in Spain and Portugal, where British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces struggled to liberate the Iberian Peninsula from the occupying armies of Napoleon’s French Empire. It was during this campaign that Francis met his end. In April 1812, the same year the War of 1812 would begin in the Canada he once called home, Francis was killed during the Siege of Badajoz in Spain, one of the most violent encounters of the war. He was only 21 years old. He died a soldier’s death and was buried in an unmarked grave in Spain, never returning to see the "castle" or the Cabbagetown estates.
Suggested action items:
- Join the historical journey: On Saturday, April 18, I invite you to join me for the #ExperienceTO: Cabbagetown Historical Tour. We will walk the streets that were once part of the original Simcoe grant and discuss how the family's presence shaped the early identity of Toronto. Reserve your spot here.
- Go on a Castle Frank adventure: Challenge yourself to find the Castle Frank historical marker. Located in the Prince Edward Viaduct parkland (across the street from Castle Frank subway station adn near the Bloor Street bridge), the marker identifies the approximate site where the pine-log "castle" once stood. You can learn more about the site's history and location in The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- Explore primary sources: To see the world as Francis and his parents saw it, spend some time with Elizabeth Simcoe’s Diary. Her detailed writings and sketches provide a vivid record we have of early Cabbagetown.
Thank you for taking the time to read and reflect.
Until next time,
Alex Rășcanu
P.S. If you'd like to read the past life lessons-focused e-newsletters, you can find them here.
P.P.S. See you at one of the upcoming monthly #ExperienceTO historical tours.
