1788 in Canada

Events from the year 1788 in Canada.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: George III

Governors

 * Governor of the Canadas: Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
 * Governor of New Brunswick: Thomas Carleton
 * Governor of Nova Scotia: John Parr
 * Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland: John Elliot
 * Governor of St. John's Island: Edmund Fanning

Events

 * Attorney-General Monk and Solicitor-General Williams are of opinion that, as the Jesuits have no civil existence as a Canadian corporation, their estates accrue to the Crown.
 * Ontario is divided into five districts, under English law.

Births

 * January 1 – Peter Warren Dease, HBC officer and Arctic explorer (d.1863)
 * October 14 – Sir Edward Sabine, soldier and scientist (d.1883)
 * December 31 – Alexander Rankin, timber merchant, justice of the peace, politician, and office holder (d.1852)

Historical documents
Royal assent is coming for bill liquidating Loyalist claims, which amount to almost £1.9 million in property and more than £75,000 in income

It is right and just that Britain sacrificed Loyalists' property for national well-being, and that they should be compensated for their loss

Parliament is likely to investigate "the slave trade, so long a disgrace to every civilized people concerned in it"

Text of act governing trade between British North American and Caribbean possessions and United States of America

Commons debates whether Caribbean colonies can rely on Canada and Nova Scotia to supply them or must also have trade with U.S.A.

British government resolves to give "utmost support" to new North American settlements by importing ship building materials from there

Gov. Gen. Lord Dorchester reports "Upper Country Trade" merchants dispense "profuse credits" and find fur prices high at home but low in London

Government surveyor seeks 100 subscribers for large-scale Gulf of St. Lawrence chart covering Cape Ray to Sept-Îles to Saint John and Canso

Lower Canada
Dorchester pins "animosities [on] old resentments, and enmity," and hopes gradual reform will seem just to both no-change and change-now factions

Both British and Canadian supporters of legislative assembly for Canada say they outnumber and are "not less respectable" than opponents

Backing assembly, "Sidney" says don't deprive people of their rights "merely because it would be difficult to accomplish an equal representation"

Smuggling from U.S.A. includes tea ("most consequential article of inland contraband"), wine by sea, and rum if Canadian price goes up

For sale: "A Handsome Negro Man" (age 22-23) "and a beautiful Negro Woman" (22-23), married to each other and "both of a good constitution"

Missing: "A Negro Man named Caleb," about 26 or 27; "all persons are required not to harbour or employ the said Negro Slave"

Reward $4 for missing "Mulatto fellow named Pascal Puro,[...]about eighteen[...], talks good English, writes and reads,[...]calls himself a f[r]ee-man"

No practising medicine, midwifery or pharmacy in Montreal or Quebec without examination, university degree or past military practice, plus licence

Ordinance requires adjustment to "trains" (long, heavy Canadian sleighs), sleds and carioles that are creating cahots on roadways

Paying members of 2,000-volume Quebec Library are "gentlemen desirous to promote science, and afford amusement and instruction"

Mrs. Chilley's new boarding school for young ladies at Beauport costs 15 guineas/year plus tuition for writing and arithmetic ($4) and French ($3)

"A Distrest Family of Six Females long labouring under difficulties" seeks employment in needlework, coarse or fine

Documents identify Phillip Cook as father of Elisabeth Jones' baby born in Sorel (a.k.a. William-Henry) parish

Upper Canada
On visit to Niagara, Dorchester finds Loyalists thankful for Crown's support and "better circumstanced and happier than before the Rebellion"

U.S. civilian and military development from Ohio River to Lake Champlain make necessary "advancing the Western settlements of this Province"

Settlers to apply through local deputy surveyors general for land at or near Lac Saint-François, Ottawa River, Kingston, Toronto, Niagara and Detroit

Four new districts (Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nassau and Hesse) established between Lac Saint-François and western limit of Canada

Widow of Loyalist dead soon after their 1788 arrival with 11 children is "Obliged to bind out some of her Children and suffer with the Others"

Butler's Rangers member's wartime wounds include one that never healed, for which he "begs the benefit of one of his Majesty's Hospitals"

Legislative Council considers offer of portage service at Toronto Carrying Place as part of connection between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay

Dorchester reports on Indigenous affairs, including some involving Joseph Brant, whom people at Grand River are "much dissatisfied with"

Lake Huron map describes Bruce Peninsula as "exceedingly dangerous for Boats or Canoes to go around" because of lack of landing places

Map: Toronto and harbour with lots, common, water depths etc., plus road to "Lake La Clie" (Lac aux Claies, now Lake Simcoe)

Nova Scotia
"Public emergency" extends importation into Nova Scotia of U.S. livestock, bread, various grains, some kinds of lumber etc.

"A Farmer" recalls Halifax's prosperity before 1761 reduced to "unprofitability" by 1772, then revived by 1783 but now lagging again

List of 22 sawmills (including all of 4 in Truro) built 1786-7 with support of £20 government bounty

Petitioner seeks Duke of York's support for grant of Nova Scotia ore bodies his association has found, promising 20% share of profits

"Loyal American refugee" Anglican leaders in Digby tell bishop they have not built church because they spend all they have on homes and lands

Grand jury formally urges Court of Quarter Sessions to prevent any repeat of disorder and fatal violence in recent Halifax election

"Swarm of negroes, amounting to two or 3000" is looking for jobs, having neglected land allotments and "every encouragement to improve them"

"Indentures of a Negro Girl, aged about twelve Years," are for sale; she is "remarkably affable and handy in tending Children"

Writer says minister who enslaves "girl" supports slave trade "in all the cruel and murderous treatment that slaves have ever endured"

Annapolis Loyalist wills three "Negro Girl Slave[s]" (Clarinda, Silvia and Bella) to his daughters Phebe, Mary and Jane, respectively

Widow's will grants "full Freedom and discharge from all Servitude as Slaves" to Black woman Rose, mulatto Agatha and Black man John Bulkley

Painting: Black woodcutter at Shelburne

Advertisement for various goods says payment accepted in skins, furs, well-cured dried and pickled fish, lumber, flaxseed and other N.S. products

London warehouse can access "ships for Exportation, Cask and Bottled Porter and all Sorts of Country Ale and Beer" for Halifax merchants

Academy to open near Windsor with Latin School (tuition £4/year) and English and Mathematical School (£3/yr.), plus room and board (£15/yr.)

Captain Sterling advertises his Halifax school to teach young gentlemen branches of navigation, of which he is master in theory and practice

Bishop of Nova Scotia to deliver sermon "for the Purpose of Cloathing the poor Children who are educated in the Sunday Schools of this town"

New Brunswick
Profile of New Brunswick is long on praise and short on detail, with exception of dispute with U.S.A. over St. Croix River border

Using weir, net etc. in any river, cove or creek outside authorized places will draw fine of £10 or £20 (2nd offence) or £50 (further offences)

Following complaint by sachem, Lt. Gov. Carleton forbids "all persons whatever to settle or occupy" lands of Indigenous people at Richibucto

Mrs. Cottnam's Saint John boarding school teaches young ladies grammar, reading "with propriety," writing (spelling, correctness and hand) etc.

Two missionaries "under the immediate patronage of[...]the Countess of Huntingdon" are to distribute bibles free to Saint John poor people

Quakers in England have sent £500 worth of clothing, tools, cash etc. "to their brethren in this province" (with same amount to Nova Scotia)

Edward Winslow describes sort of woman he and his wife want for teaching their children and "superintending the affairs of a family"

Pacific Coast
Traders coming from northwest coast of North America sell furs at much lower prices than expected in glutted Chinese market

John Meares' visit to Maquilla and his people in Friendly Cove

Print: schooner North West America launched in Nootka Sound (September 20, 1788)

Elsewhere
Mathematical problem for students to solve involves rate and number of revolutions of two "Planets" (satellites) in Earth orbit

Chancellor of the Exchequer tells House of Commons that Newfoundland produced record 200,000 quintals of fish in 1787

To protect creditors, anyone leaving Cape Breton Island must first post notice of that for 3 weeks and obtain pass from government

"Induce them to throw themselves into the Arms of Great Britain" - Loyalist John Connolly's effort to engage people in District of Kentucky

Joseph Amos and 31 Mashpee people of Cape Cod petition Massachusetts General Court for land and rights, or they might move to Nova Scotia

Saint John schooner wrecked in gale (nor'easter?) off Wilmington, North Carolina, with woman and 3 children washed overboard and drowned

Gov. Gen. Lord Dorchester plans to establish 2 settlements in northern Canada for communication with James Bay, and possibly colony of convicts

"Existence is contemptible without its sweets - and those sweets of our existence, are our liberties" - call-to-arms issued and seized in Paris

"The blow so long meditated is at length struck - and the horrors of civil war are spreading with rapidity throughout many parts of France"

France assessed: "The flame of revolt[...]will yet break forth with irresistible rage, and in the end extinguish her monarchy"