John Galt (; 2 May 1779 – 11 April 1839) was a Scottish

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...

, entrepreneur, and political and social commentator. Galt has been called the first political novelist in the English language, due to being the first

to deal with issues of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

. Galt was the first superintendent of the Canada Company (1826-1829). The company had been formed to populate a part of what is now Southern

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

(then known as

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

) in the first half of the 19th century; it was later called "the most important single attempt at settlement in Canadian history". In 1829, Galt was recalled to Great Britain for mismanagement of the Canada Company (particularly incompetent bookkeeping), and was later jailed for failing to pay his son's tuition. Galt's ''Autobiography'', published in London in 1833, includes a discussion of his life and work in Upper Canada. He was the father of Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt of Montreal, Quebec.

Life

Born in Irvine, in Ayrshire, Galt was the son of a naval captain involved in the West Indies trade. He was a first cousin of Captain Alexander Allan. His father moved to Greenock in 1780. The family visited regularly but did not permanently rejoin him until 1789. John was educated at Irvine Grammar School alongside Henry Eckford, who was a lifetime friend, and William Spence.Annals of the Parish: The Life of John Galt Galt spent a few months with the Greenock Custom House, at age 17, then became an apprentice and junior clerk under his uncle, Mr. Ewing, also writing essays and stories for local journals in his spare time. He moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1804 to join his father and seek his fortune. In 1809 he began studying law at Lincoln's Inn. During a subsequent trip to Europe, where he was commissioned by a merchant firm to establish trade agreements, Galt met and befriended

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibr ...

. He traveled with Byron and his companion, John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton to

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. He met them again in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

. Parting company, Galt continued alone to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, Adrianople and then Sophia. He returned to Greenock via Ireland. He then embarked to

to pursue business plans, but these did not come to fruition and he took to writing. Galt wrote an account of his travels, which met with moderate success. Decades later, he would also publish the first full

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

of Lord Byron. He also published the first biography of the painter Benjamin West, ''The Life and Studies of Benjamin West'' (1816, expanded 1820). In 1813, Galt attempted to establish a

ian trading company, in order to circumvent

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

's embargo on British trade; however,

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by ...

's victory in Spain made this no longer necessary. Galt then returned to London and married Elizabeth Tilloch, daughter of

Alexander Tilloch Alexander Tilloch FSA (Scot) (28 February 1759 – 1825) was a Scottish journalist and inventor. He founded the ''Philosophical Magazine''. Early life The son of John Tilloch, a tobacco merchant and magistrate of Glasgow, he was born there on ...

. They had three boys. In 1815, he became Secretary of the Royal Caledonian Asylum in London. He also privately consulted in several business ventures. Galt started to submit articles to '' Blackwood's Magazine'' in late 1819, and in March 1829 he sent Blackwood the publishers the plan for "The Ayrshire legatees". Concentrating on his writing for the next several years, Galt lived at times in London,

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 popu ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

and elsewhere, writing fiction and a number of school texts under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Reverend T. Clark. Around 1821 he moved his family from Greenock to Eskgrove near Musselburgh. In addition to moving his residence frequently during this period, Galt also switched publishers several times, moving from ''Blackwood's Magazine'' to Oliver and Boyd and then back again. In 1821 ''Annals of the parish'' was published as were two instalments of ''The steam boat'' and he started work on the novel ''Sir André Wylie''. ''Annals of the parish'' established Galt's reputation overnight. ''Sir Andrew Wylie'' was published in 1822 Canada Company Office 1834

In 1824, Galt was appointed Secretary of the Canada Company, a charter company established to aid in the colonization of the Huron Tract in

along the eastern shore of Lake Huron. After the company was incorporated by

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...

on August 19, 1826, Galt traveled across the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

on the man-of-war HMS ''Romney'', arriving at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and then traveling by road. Sadly, soon after arriving, word was sent that his mother had suffered a stroke. He returned to her (in Musselburgh) in 1826 and she died a few months later. He returned to Canada in 1826. While in Canada, Galt lived in York in Upper Canada (now

), but located the headquarters of the Canada Company at

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...

, a town he also founded in 1827. Later that year, he co-founded the town of Goderich with Tiger Dunlop. The community of Galt, Ontario was named after him. His three sons played prominent roles in Canadian politics; one of them, Alexander, later became one of the 'Fathers of the

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical iss ...

', and Canada's first

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...

. During his tenure with the Canada Company, Galt ran afoul of several colonial authorities, including Sir Peregrine Maitland, who was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada at the time. He was heavily criticised by his employers for his lack of basic accounting skills and failure to carry out their established policies. This resulted in his dismissal and recall to Great Britain in 1829. Soon after his return to Great Britain, he spent several months in King's Bench Prison for failure to pay debts. One of Galt's last novels, ''The Member'', has political corruption as its central theme. In 1831 he moved to Barn Cottage in Old Brompton. Despite failing health (following a trip over a tree root whilst in Canada), Galt was involved in another colonial business venture, the

British American Land Company The British American Land Company (BALC) was a company formed in 1832 for the purpose of purchasing land and encouraging British immigration to Lower Canada. It was founded and promoted by John Galt, Edward Ellice and others to acquire and manag ...

, which was formed to develop lands in the Eastern Townships of

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 ...

(now

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

). Galt served as secretary but was forced to resign in December 1832 because of his health. By this stage his spinal injury was not only crippling him but also affecting his speech and handwriting. 140224 Old Greenock Cemetery - 16

In 1834 he moved to

following the publishing of his two-volume ''Autobiography'' in 1833. Galt here met the travel writer Harriet Pigott. Pigott persuaded Galt to edit her ''Records of Real Life in the Palace and the Cottage''. She received some criticism for this as it was suspected that she was just taking advantage of Galt. However, her unfinished biography of him which is in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the sec ...

implies that it was more of mutual respect than her critics allowed. ''Records of Real Life in the Palace and the Cottage'' had an introduction by Galt, and this three-volume work was published in 1839. He retired to his old home in Greenock in August 1834 following the departure of three of his sons to Canada. Finding the accommodation unsuitable he lived temporarily in Gourock before returning to a more comfortable house in December 1834. Galt died on 11 April 1839. He was buried in the family tomb of his parents in the New Burying Ground in Greenock (now called the Inverkip Street Cemetery).

Huron Tract

The area, known as the Huron Tract on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, was in size and had been acquired from the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

(Chippewa) by the British government. The company surveyed and subdivided this massive area, built roads, mills, and schools and advertised it at affordable prices to buyers in Europe. The company then assisted in the migration of new settlers, bringing them to the area by means of a boat, which the company also owned. Initially settling in York (

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

) he selected what later became Guelph, Ontario as the company's headquarters, and began to develop a town there. Galt is also considered to be the founder of

Goderich, Ontario Goderich ( or ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by John Galt and William "Tiger" Dunlop of the Canada Company in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named af ...

with his colleague William "Tiger" Dunlop.

Legacy

In Greenock, John Galt is commemorated by the John Galt memorial fountain on the Esplanade, and by a plaque at the old cemetery where he is buried.

Sheltered housing Sheltered housing is a term covering a wide range of rented housing for older and/or disabled or other vulnerable people. In the United Kingdom most commonly it refers to grouped housing such as a block or "scheme" of flats or bungalows with a s ...

(for seniors) built next to the cemetery in 1988, on the site of the old

Greenock Royal Infirmary Greenock Royal Infirmary was a health facility in Greenock, Scotland. Its original Hospital or Infirmary of 1809 stood in Inverkip Street, it was subsequently extended round into East Shaw Street, then in 1869 a new building on the adjacent site ...

, is named John Galt House in his honour. He is also commemorated in Makars' Court, outside The Writers' Museum, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, and in 2006, the community of Guelph proclaimed the first Monday in August, "John Galt Day". The city of Galt, Ontario was named after John Galt, but was absorbed into

Cambridge, Ontario Cambridge is a city in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, located at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers. The city had a population of 138,479 as of the 2021 census. Along with Kitchener and Waterloo, Cambridge ...

in 1973. His original home in Guelph, known as the "Priory" (built 1827-1828), stood on the banks of the Speed River near the current River Run Centre for performing arts. The building later became the first CPR station in the city; the conversion was completed in 1888. The building was no longer required by the CPR which built a new station in 1910. A photograph from 1914 depicts it as boarded up. In spite of attempts by various individuals in Guelph to save the structure, it was torn down in 1926. A historical plaque commemorates Galt's role with the Canada Company in populating the Huron Tract, calling it "the most important single attempt at settlement in Canadian history".

Works

Galt's novels are best known for their depiction of Scottish rural life, tinged with ironic humour. Galt wrote the following works: * ''Cursory Reflections on Political and Commercial Topics'' (1812) * ''The Life and Administration of

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...

'' (1812) * ''The Tragedies of Maddelen, Agamemnon, Lady Macbeth, Antonia and Clytemnestra'' (1812) * ''Voyages and Travels'' (1812) * ''Letters from the Levant'' (1813) * ''The Mermaid'' (1814) * ''The Life and Studies of Benjamin West'' (1816) * ''The Majolo (2 volumes)'' (1816) * ''The Appeal'' (1818) * ''The Star of Destiny '' (a three act play, 1818) * ''The History of Gog and Magog: The Champions of London'' (children's book, 1819) * ''The

Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. Th ...

'' (1820) * ''The Earthquake (3 volumes)'' (1820) * '' Glenfell'' (1820) * ''The Life, Studies and Works of Benjamin West'' (1820) * '' Annals of the Parish'' (1821) * ''The Ayrshire Legatees'' (1821)
''Sir Andrew Wylie, of that Ilk (3 volumes)''
(1822)
''The Provost''
(1822) * ''The Steam-Boat'' (1822) * ''The Entail (3 volumes)'' (1823) * ''The Gathering of the West'' (1823) * ''

Ringan Gilhaize Rangan ( fa, رنگان, also Romanized as Rangan; also known as Rangan) is a village in Mazul Rural District, in the Central District of Nishapur County Nishapur County ( fa, شهرستان نیشابور, ''Šahrestâne Neyšhâbur''), or o ...

(The Covenanters) (3 volumes)'' (1823) * ''The Spaewife (3 volumes)'' (1823) * ''The Bachelor's Wife'' (1824) * ''Rothelan (3 volumes)'' (1824)
''The Omen''
(1825) * ''The Last of the Lairds'' (1826) * ''Lawrie Todd or The Settlers in the Woods'' (1830) * '' The Life of Lord Byron'' (1830) * '' Southennan (3 volumes)'' (1830)
The Book of Life (1831)
*The Black Ferry (variant of The Book of Life) * ''Bogle Corbet or The Emigrants (3 volumes)'' (1831)
''The Lives of the Players''
(1831)
''The Member: An Autobiography''
(1832) – novel * ''The Radical'' (1832) – novel, sequel to ''The Member'' * '' Stanley Buxton (3 volumes)'' (1832)
''Autobiography (2 volumes)''
(1833) * '' Eben Erskine or The Traveller (3 volumes)'' (1833) * ''The Ouranoulagos or The Celestial Volume'' (1833) * ''Poems'' (1833) * ''The Stolen Child'' (1833)
''Stories of the Study (3 volumes)''
(1833) * ''Literary Life and Miscellanies (3 volumes)'' (1834) * ''A Contribution to the Greenock Calamity Fund'' (1834) * ''Efforts by an Invalid'' (1835) * ''The Demon of Destiny and Other Poems'' (1839)

References

External links