Connell James Baldwin (1777 – 14 December 1861) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

soldier and civil servant. When he was fourteen he joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

, and two years later, after being deemed medically unfit to serve in that branch, the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. In 1808, as an

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in the 87th Foot, he purchased a Lieutenancy in the 83rd Foot. He served in the Peninsular War, where he was wounded four times, and by the end of that conflict was a decorated Captain and the Aide-de-camp to

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Thomas Picton Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton (24 August 175818 June 1815) was a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. According to the historian Alessandro Barbero, Picton was "respected for his courage and feared for his irascible t ...

. From 1820 to 1826, when he exchanged from the

50th Foot The 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot to form the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment ...

to half-pay, Baldwin served as a Brigade-Major in Britain and the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

. Afterward, he helped organise and command a regiment that supported Pedro I of Brazil. In 1828 he moved to

Toronto Gore Township Toronto Gore (also the Gore of Toronto) is a former incorporated and now geographic township in Ontario, Canada. It is today split between Mississauga and Brampton. History Toronto Gore came into existence as a township in when it was separated ...

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 th ...

, along with some of his soldiers including

William John O'Grady William John O'Grady (died c. August 18, 1840) was an Irish people, Irish Catholic priest and journalist in Upper Canada. He served as chaplain to Connell James Baldwin's soldiers in Brazil, and followed him to Toronto Gore Township, Ontario, Toront ...

. Here he built a church and a school, and was appointed justice of the peace, roads commissioner, and militia colonel. Although identified with the reform movement, Baldwin opposed the rebellion of 1837 and lead 1,200 men, at his own expense, to protect Niagara from rebels. In the process, he incurred debts that haunted him the rest of his life. A distant cousin of

Robert Baldwin Robert Baldwin (May 12, 1804 – December 9, 1858) was an Upper Canadian lawyer and politician who with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine of Lower Canada, led the first responsible government ministry in the Province of Canada. " ...

, he was a politically outspoken advocate of Irish Catholics, opposing the Orange Order and what was perceived as the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

's affinity for it. His closest allies in this were the bishops Alexander Macdonell, Michael Power, and

Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel (1 December 1802 – 29 March 1891) was the Bishop of Toronto from 1847 to 1860 and the only French and non-English priest to hold the post. Early years Born in Château du Flachat, France he was the sec ...

. He ran for election as a reform candidate in 1841 in 2nd York riding against the Orangeman George Duggan, but withdrew due to the threat of violence. In 1841 he sold his Army commission. During Toronto's 1847 cholera epidemic, Baldwin had his home converted into a hospital for the poor.

References

Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baldwin, Connell James 1777 births 1861 deaths 87th (Royal Irish Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot officers 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot officers Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment officers British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Candidates in Ontario provincial elections