name per
Pioneer Papers, Issues 1-6 (from Google books)
By Simcoe County Pioneer and Historical Society
from Chapter VI TRADERS AND OTHERS (begins page 44)
(beginning page 53 there’s a lot on Dr Mitchell, father of Hamiton’s 1st wife)
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“The Post Office was established on the 1st of January, 1830, in ANDREW MITCHELLS’s store, the first post master being CAPT JAMES MATTHEW HAMILTON his brother in law.
To Miss Mary L Hamilton of Toronto , his grandaughter, we are indebted for most of the following particulars regarding his career:
“Capt Hamilton was one of several sons of the REV W NICHOLAS HAMILTON, Vicar of Donaghadee, County Down, Ireland, where he was born in 1768.
“He entered the army in 1768 HM 5th Regt of Foot, known as the “Fighting Fifth” and was in the Dragoon Guards when he retired”
came with his Regiment to Canada in 1790 and stationed at Mackinaw and Drummond Island.
Capt Hamilton was passing Surgeon Mitchell’s door one day at Mackinaw when he saw a lovely young girl playing marbles with her brothers. He waited to see the game finished, and lost his heart in the meantime to the child of 15, Louisa, eldest daughter of Surgeon Mitchell.
They were married on the 15th Nov 1791 by Surgeon Mitchell, who was a Justice of the Peace, there being no clergyman in that part of the country in those early
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days. He read the ceremony from the Church of England Prayer Book.
Not long afterward his Regiment was ordered to Niagara and as soon as convenient Capt Hamilton and his wife Louisa were remarried by Rev Robert Addison in St Mark’s military church, Niagara, and is duly recorder in the register “Married Aug 24th 1792, Captain James Hamilton to Louisa his wife. In Miss Janet Carnochan’s compilation of the records of St Mark’s Church, this quint record stands third on the list (An explanatory note solves the apparent anomaly, see Ontario Historical Society Papers & Records III, 1901, p53)
Capt Hamilton was in command of Fort Chippawa in 1795 and was shortly afterwards sent home to England with his Regiment (During his stay at Chippawa he and Mrs Hamilton had the honor of entertaining Governor Simcoe and family. In J Ross Robertson’s Diary of Mrs Simcoe, p286 is the following record by Lady Simcoe: Tues 25th “The Governor and I and Francis went in a carriage to Fort Chippawa — dined and slept at Capt Himilton’s who commands here”)
The climate of England was not suited to Capt Hamilton’s young wife, who soon fell into a decline and sied in London Dec 22 1802. They had 4 children, only one who survived, Elizabeth, who came to Canada when 17 years of age and married to a young officer in the Indian Department.
In 1803 Capt Hamilton married his second wife, Miss Louisa Jupp of London.
The children of this union were
Sophia S
Mary Christian
Louisa A
James
William B
Gustavus George
Caroline J and
Francis J
He returned with his family to Canada in 1830 and a few years later settled on an estate near Coldwater, where he died in 1845, leaving his widow (who died in 1852) and 7 children surviving him, viz:
Sophia S who married Dr Paul Darling, surgeon to the Indian department at Manitoulin, who died in 1849 leaving his widow and 2 daughters surviving him. He was a brother of Capt James Stewart Darling and is buried in St James’ churchyard;
Mary Christian died in Plymouth Eng in 1825;
Louisa A as before stated became the wife successively of Andrew Mitchell and Capt James Stewart Darling;
William B succeeded his father in the post office here, later removing to Collingwood;
Gustavus George became merchant and Clerk of the Court at Ailsa Craig in Western Canada and died at Port Stanley on Lake Erie. He had 6 children, Mrs Brown of Collingwood and Miss Mary L Hamilton of Toronto being daughters.
Caroline J became Mrs Basil Rowe of Orilla;
Francis J was unmarried.
The late Mrs Sophia Rowe of Toronto
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was a grand-daughter of Capt James Hamilton, she being a daughter of Capt TG Anderson who married Elizabeth, daughter of Capt Hamilton by his 1st wife, and therefore great grand-daughter of Surgeon David Mitchell.
On his return to Canada with his family, Capt Hamilton was stationed a short time at Drummond Island, which must have been previous to 1828, as it was in Nov of that year the garrison was removed to Penetanguishene.
Captain Hamilton was possessed of consideable mecahnical genius. He was the inventor of what is known as the “Feather Water Wheel” improvement attached to side wheel steamboats and other craft in universal operation and which he did much to further perfect and improve. From his estate in North River there was direct water communication, he was wont to make frequent excursions here with his new propelling apparatus and try conclusions with sailing craft on the bay, in which contests, local authorites affrm, he sometimes got “worsted” The late HH Thompson used to relate an account of one of these trials of speed in which Capt Hamilton came last in the race.
His duties as postmaster were generally performed by proxy, either by his brother in law Andrew Mitchel (the office being in the same building) or by his son William B, who at his father;s death was appointed ot the position and who had vitually discharged the duties of the office for several years.
William Basil Hamilton was married twice.
By his 1st wife, whose name or family we have so far failed to learn, he had one daughter who became Mrs Bernard, and who died at Richmond Hill
His 2nd wife was Miss Jessie J Campbell, daughter of Lachlan Campbell of the garrison, by whom he had a large family, several dying in infancy. Their births and deaths are duly recorded in St James’ Register:
One of his sons Lachlan H of Lorne Park, Toronto, became a civil engineer and was in the CPR land office at Winnipeg and consulting engineer for the railway for several years;
Another son Rev Heber J Hamilton is Anglican Bishop of mid-Japan;
one son WA is postmaster of Collingwood;
and Basil G Hamilton of Wilmer BC is another;
Mrs Leask of Collingwood is a daughter;
Mr Hamilton was elected 1st Parishioners Warden at the consecration of St James’ church in 1840. At a Vestry meeting in St James’ church, 1855, thise present expressed their regret at the prospect of
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his leaving the place and returned their sincere thanks for his faithful service as People’s Warden for 15 years. After serving as poastmaster here for 20 years and upwards he removed to Collingwood in 1855, where he was appointed to the same position which he filled for 22 years. He was succeeded by JS Darling.
After his removal the postoffice was kept for a time on the opposite corner towards McGibbon’s mill, which building was afterwards burned. When “Goergian Bay” block was built the post office was removed there and kept in the premises now occupied by the Bank of Toronto branch till the present post office builing was erected.
The present occupant of the office, Mr JS Darling is closely related to Mr Hamilton, being a sister’s son, and served his apprenticeship with him. This, in this year of grace 1912, the office has been continuously in the Hamilton family ofr 82 years.” (end of chapter)