James Macaulay (September, 1759/69 – January 1, 1822)

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

, J.P. was the

Chief Medical Officer Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical ...

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...

; a landowner and

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for

York, Upper Canada York was a town and second capital of the colony of Upper Canada. It is the predecessor to the Old Toronto, old city of Toronto (1834–1998). It was established in 1793 by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe as a "temporary" location for th ...

Early life

James Macaulay, born in September 1759 or 1769, was the son of Rev. Mr Macaulay of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. According to Edward Chadwick's ''Ontarian Families, 1894'', the arms of James Macaulay's family "as shown on an old

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

, so much worn as to be difficult to decipher, are apparently: Gu, two arrows in

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...

arg Arg or ARG may refer to: Places *''Arg'' () means "citadel" in Persian, and may refer to: **Arg, Iran, a village in Fars Province, Iran **Arg (Kabul), presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan **Arg, South Khorasan, a village in South Khorasan P ...

, surmounted of a

fess In heraldry, a fess or fesse (from Middle English ''fesse'', from Old French ''faisse'', from Latin ''fascia'', "band") is a charge on a coat of arms (or flag) that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shield.Wo ...

chequy In heraldry, variations of the field are any of a number of ways that a field (or a charge) may be covered with a pattern, rather than a flat tincture or a simple division of the field. Blazoning of French adjectives Variations of the field pre ...

of the second and first between three buckles or. Crest: A booted spur. Motto: Dulce Periculum". These directly correspond with the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

of the MacAulays of Ardincaple Castle, whose chief was reduced to owning only a few farms by the early 1700s. James Macaulay gained a commission into the British army as a

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

's mate in 1779 and was drafted via a Scottish regiment (possibly the

73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot The 73rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1780. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 42nd Regiment of Foot to form the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in 1881. History Formation The re ...

) to join the

Queen's Rangers The Queen's Rangers, also known as the Queen's American Rangers, and later Simcoe's Rangers, were a Loyalist military unit of the American Revolutionary War. Formed in 1776, they were named for Queen Charlotte, consort of George III. The Queen' ...

, with whom he served throughout the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. In 1785, he transferred to the

33rd Regiment of Foot The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

and returned with them to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

the following year as they took up duty as the

King's Guard The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the ...

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

. In 1789, Macaulay's former commanding officer,

John Graves Simcoe John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British Army general and the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 until 1796 in southern Ontario and the Drainage basin, watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior. ...

, recommended him to the post of surgeon to the New South Wales Regiment, but he did not go to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. When

Simcoe Simcoe may refer to: Geography Canada * Simcoe, Ontario, a town in southwestern Ontario, near Lake Erie, Canada * Simcoe County, a county in central Ontario, Canada * Lake Simcoe, a lake in central Ontario, Canada * Simcoe North, a federal and pro ...

was appointed

Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada The following is a list of lieutenant governors of Ontario and the lieutenant governors of the former colony of Upper Canada. The office of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was created in 1867, when the Province of Ontario was created upon Confed ...

in 1791, he began organizing his staff before he set sail and he chose Macaulay to be his chief surgeon in the new Canadian

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

. Macaulay accompanied Simcoe to

, arriving at the provincial capital,

Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York, United States. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the Niagara Region of On ...

, in 1792. The Macaulays enjoyed a close relationship with the Simcoes which immediately made them prominent members in local society, aided by the fact that Macaulay's wife had known

Elizabeth Simcoe Dame Elizabeth Posthuma Simcoe (22 September 1762 – 17 January 1850) was an English artist and diarist in colonial Canada. Her husband, John Graves Simcoe, was the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. Her diary gives an effective accou ...

from childhood in

, becoming firm friends in

. This closeness drew jealousy from some Canadians, notably the Provincial Secretary William Jarvis in 1795.

Career in the Canadas

In 1796, Macaulay again accompanied

to the new provincial capital,

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. Macaulay acquired several large parcels of land there due to his military service, and helped by his close friendship with the Lieutenant-Governor. In 1800, Macaulay was appointed

and served on the commission to oversee improvements to

Yonge Street Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. Once the southernmost leg of provincial Hi ...

. In 1803, along with Judge

Henry Allcock Henry Allcock (baptised January 26, 1759 – February 22, 1808) was a judge and political figure in Upper and Lower Canada. His family was from Edgbaston and he was born in Birmingham, England in 1759 and studied law at Lincoln's Inn in Lon ...

, Rev. George Okill Stuart and others, he was on the committee to build an Anglican church. That same year (1803), Macaulay was appointed Chief Medical Officer in both Upper and

Lower Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eight ...

Canada, and Surgeon-General to the British Forces in

the Canadas The Canadas is the collective name for the provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada, two historical British colonies in present-day Canada. The two colonies were formed in 1791, when the British Parliament passed the '' Constitutional Act'', ...

. From 1805, this required him to live in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

, though his family remained in

. In 1808, he lost the post to William Somerville, the Deputy Inspector of Hospitals on the staff of Sir

James Henry Craig General Sir James Henry Craig KB (1748 – 12 January 1812) was a British military officer and colonial administrator. Early life and military service Craig came from a Scottish family whose father was a judge of the civil and military cour ...

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

. He was refused the position of Deputy Inspector of Hospitals and instead in 1810 was appointed a medical examiner in

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...

. When Somerville returned to

in 1811, he was again appointed Chief Medical Officer. During the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, he helped to plan and establish military hospitals in both

. In 1813, he served with Lieutenant-General Sir

George Prévost Sir George Prévost, 1st Baronet (19 May 1767 – 5 January 1816) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who is most well known as the "Defender of Canada" during the War of 1812. Born in New Jersey, the eldest son of Genevan Augu ...

at the attack on

Sackets Harbor, New York Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augustus Sackett, who ...

, and, following his appointment that July as Deputy Inspector of Hospitals, was with Major-General

Francis de Rottenburg Major-General Sir Francis de Rottenburg, baron de Rottenburg (4 November 1757 – 24 April 1832) was a military officer and colonial administrator who served in the armies of the Kingdom of France and later the United Kingdom. Early life and se ...

on the

Niagara Peninsula The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the ...

. He was still serving there at the end of the war and subsequently was stationed at Kingston until placed on half pay in 1817.

Return to York, Upper Canada

Returning to

, he served on the first Medical Board of

and acted as its Chief Medical Officer from 1819 until his death three years later. With

James Baby James Duperon Bâby (August 25, 1763 – February 19, 1833) was a judge and political figure in Upper Canada. Biography He was born Jacques Bâby, the son of Jacques Bâby dit Duperon, to a prosperous family in Detroit in 1763. His last nam ...

Peter Robinson (1785–1838) Peter Robinson (1785 – July 8, 1838) was a Canadian politician who served as Commissioner of Crown Lands as well as on the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, Executive Council of Upper Canada. He is known for his work in organizing the mi ...

and others, he was appointed to a commission formed in 1819 to deal with estates forfeited during the

, and he joined with other members of York’s élite, including William Allan,

Thomas Gibbs Ridout Thomas Gibbs Ridout was a member of the small circle of privileged insiders who Lieutenant Governors of Upper Canada appointed to hold administrative posts and sinecures. His father, Thomas Ridout, was Surveyor General of Upper Canada. Initia ...

and

William Warren Baldwin William Warren Baldwin (April 25, 1775 – January 8, 1844) was a doctor, businessman, lawyer, judge, architect and reform politician in Upper Canada. He, and his son Robert Baldwin, are recognized for having introduced the concept of "respon ...

in promoting the bank which was to be chartered as the

Bank of Upper Canada The Bank of Upper Canada was established in 1821 under a charter granted by the legislature of Upper Canada in 1819 to a group of Kingston merchants. The charter was appropriated by the more influential Executive Councillors to the Lt. Governor, t ...

. Described as 'an assiduous collector of land', before 1800 alone Macaulay had acquired . He lived with his family at Teraulay Cottag

Governor

described his friend Macaulay as "a young man attached to his profession, and of that docile, patient, and industrious turn... that will willingly direct itself to any pursuit." The York ''Observer'' reported at his death, ''It becomes our painful duty to communicate to our readers the decease of Dr Macaulay of this town. In the death of this truly valuable member of society, charity has lost its best supporter, and the unfortunate emigrants their best friend. He was ever ready to wait upon and relieve the forlorn stranger not only with his medicine, but with his purse; and it is to be hoped that those gentlemen who are left behind will endeavour to imitate his unbounded liberality. The House of Assembly and the Honourable Legislative Council adjourned to attend the funeral.''

Family

Macaulay and his wife, Elizabeth Tuck Hayter (1770–1809), were married at

Alverstoke Alverstoke is a small settlement which forms part of the borough of Gosport, on the south coast of Hampshire, England. It stretches east–west from Fort Blockhouse, Haslar to Browndown Battery, and is centred east of the shore of Stokes Bay and ...

, in 1790. She was the daughter of Naval Lieutenant Samuel Hayter (1737–1800) of Wareham Priory, and formerly of

East Creech East Creech is a hamlet in the parish of Church Knowle in the county of Dorset, England. East Creech lies at the northern foot of the Purbeck Hills about 3 kilometres west of Corfe Castle. It is located at Ordnance Survey grid reference .Ordnan ...

Manor,

Isle of Purbeck The Isle of Purbeck is a peninsula in Dorset, England. It is bordered by water on three sides: the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the n ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

; a grandson of Captain Seth Jermy. Captain Seth Jermy (1653-1724) R.N, Canadian biographies online They were the parents of four sons and four daughters. Two sons (George and Allan) died in early manhood, leaving

John Simcoe Macaulay Colonel The Hon. John Simcoe Macaulay (13 October 1791 – 20 December 1855) was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada. In 1845, before retiring to England, he donated the land on which the Church of the Holy Trinity (Toronto) w ...

and Sir

James Buchanan Macaulay Colonel Sir James Buchanan Macaulay, Order of the Bath, CB (3 December 1793 – 26 November 1859) was a lawyer and judge in colonial Canada. Early life Macaulay, born at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Newark, Upper Canada, 3 December 1793, was the s ...

. Their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, married The Hon.

Christopher Alexander Hagerman Christopher Alexander Hagerman, (28 March 1792 – 14 May 1847) was a Canadian militia officer, lawyer, administrator, politician and judge. Early life and family Known during his adult life as 'Handsome Kit', Hagerman was born at the Bay ...

, and they were the parents of Mrs

John Beverley Robinson John Beverley Robinson (February 21, 1821 – June 19, 1896) was a Canadian politician, lawyer and businessman. He was mayor of Toronto and a provincial and federal member of parliament. He was the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Ontario between ...

. The second daughter, Mary, married The Hon. John William Gamble, and another daughter, Sarah, married The Hon.

John Solomon Cartwright John Solomon Cartwright, (September 17, 1804 – January 15, 1845) was a Canadian businessman, lawyer, judge, farmer and political figure in Kingston, Upper Canada. He was a supporter of the Family Compact, an oligarchic group which had do ...

. Through position, association and marriage, Macaulay's family were one of the most influential of the kind in early

Early life

Career in the Canadas

Return to York, Upper Canada

Family

Notes

See also