The Town of Perth and True Briton's
A Beginning

by Nelson King FPS

On February 22, 1815 a Proclamation was published at Edinburgh, Scotland which set forth the government's plan "to encourage settlers to proceed to the British Provinces in North America." This was the first time emigration had been given organized assistance by the government. Extracts from the Proclamation make the plan quite clear:

"It is the intention of His Majesty's Government to encourage settlers to proceed . . . to the British Provinces in North America and for this purpose a certain number of vessels will be appropriated for the conveyance of such persons as may be properly recommended. Lands will be granted to them, either in Upper or Lower Canada where there is a choice climate and a soil adapted for every branch of cultivation. A grant of one hundred acres of land will be secured to each family.... and all their male children will be entitled on attaining the age of twenty-one years, to a similar grant. For the first six or eight months . . . in order to enable the settlers to establish themselves . . . they will be allowed rations from the public stores."

"Axes and other necessary implements will also be furnished . . . at a fixed price not exceeding the prime cost. Should any number of families be desirous of settling in the same neighbourhood in Canada, care will be taken to allot them lands as nearly as possible contiguous to each other; and a sufficient portion of land will be appropriated in the midst of such settlers for a church and for the maintenance of a clergyman and a schoolmaster; and in case a sufficient number of settlers so united should be accompanied...by a person of either of the above functions, who possesses their confidence and can be well recommended, a salary will be provided £100 per annum to such minister and £50 per annum to the schoolmaster. In order to prevent persons from making an . . . improper use of the liberality of the Government, it will be required that every person embarking for Quebec, should at the time of embarkation deposit following sums: Every male above sixteen years of age £16 sterling, every women, being the wife of any person so embarking, two guineas. Children under sixteen years of age will be conveyed free of expense. Settlers ... will do well to send by post their proposals and certificates without delay. These testimonials must certify the general good character of applicants, their professions, former pursuits, whether married or widowers, the number of their children, ... and the ages of all. These must be obtained either from a justice of the peace, clergyman or elders of the parish, or other respectable persons."

No reasons are set forth in this proclamation for the liberal assistance offered to encourage people to emigrate to Canada. However, the plan was a very attractive one. It offered a relief from the unsatisfactory conditions that prevailed for many in Scotland and a reasonably good prospect of better conditions in Canada.

An ocean voyage in 1815 was less than a pleasure trip. Both the accommodations and the length of the voyage made it somewhat of an endurance test. H.M.S. Atlas under the command of Captain Joseph Thornbill had been previously used as a troopship, and the civilian emigrants now on board were treated in the same manner. They were given the same type of accommodations and rations that the earlier troops had been given. For families made up of adults and children, this left much to be desired. An epidemic of whooping cough broke out among the children and several of them died. Finally on Monday, September 4, 1815, H.M.S. Atlas landed at Quebec, a voyage that had lasted 62 days.

By 1816 these Scottish settlers establish themselves on what is now called the Scotch Line [1st concession of Bathurst and the 10th of Burgess]. The Town of Perth proper was originally dominantly populated by half pay officers and discharged noncommissioned officers and men. The Book entitled "Upper Canada Located Settlers" supplemented by an appendix "Perth Military Settlement, 25th December 1822, return of Persons located by the Military Settling Department entitled to patent grants and who will become entitled on the expiration of the prescribed terms of settlement." The Register is divided into two parts: monthly lists of discharged soldiers who became settlers and monthly lists of emigrants who also became settlers. Between March 1816 and December 1822, over four thousand men, women and children settled in the Perth area, of this number, about one thousand were discharged soldiers.

In 1817 the first native of the town was born, James Bell, the son of Reverend and Mrs. William Bell. Reverend Bell, a Presbyterian minister, was the first Protestant clergyman in the Town of Perth.

The first record of a Masonic meeting in Perth is dated September 24, 1818, when the following Brethren:

met at the home of Bro. John Adamson, at this meeting Bro. Angus Cameron [acting as secretary] was instructed to write to the Lodges in Brockville and York for information as to the procedures to follow to secure a warrant.

The Brethren received advice from both Kingston and York, and on October 24, 1818 drafted the following petition to the Grand Lodge of Lower Canada for a Dispensation to meet as a lodge:

"Perth, Upper Canada,

24th October 1818.

To The Right Worshipful

Grand Master and Brethren composing the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Lower Canada

The Petition of the undermentioned Free and Accepted Masons, Inhabitants of Perth, Upper Canada

Humbly Sheweth

That your Petitioners, impressed with a sincere Love for the Craft and wishing to obtain a Warrant for the purpose of uniting Masons from all parts of the Globe together which is in this place.

We humbly solicit you will grant, us a Warrant for this great and good purpose.

We beg leave to state for your information that we have made several applications to the Officers as we understood comprising the Grand Lodge of Upper Canada but owing to the decease of Mr. Jervis [sic] and the premature death of Mr. McKay we have been informed by the Brothers at Kingston and York that our application should be made to your Right Worshipful Lodge. We likewise have a letter from Bro. Phillips Secretary to the Grand Convention and beg leave to enclose his last letter to us on the subject. We have the happiness to inform you that the best and most respectable of the Settlement, i.e., Masons, for the good of the Order dined last St. John's and met monthly since but of course could go no further without Lawful Authority, the many casualties that occur in this life among all and distress call for a regular Masters Lodge to be formed here. At the first meeting the Brethren mentioned in the margin, (Alex Matheson, Master; John Hughes, S.W.; David Bog, J.W.) was proposed to fill the stations annexed to their names when a warrant could be obtained.

We humbly and earnestly request you will be pleased to answer our prayer as soon as possible and take such steps prior to St. John's as in your Wisdom seems meet.

I am directed, Right Worshipful Sir, to subscribe in the name of the Freemasons of Perth.

"Signed

Hy Graham."

The required Dispensation was granted on December 14, 1818.

The minutes of December 28, 1818 state:

"Proceedings of True Britons' Lodge held under Dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Lower Canada, dated December 14, 1818, held at the home of Bro. John Adamson, the following brethren met to compose the same.

The Lodge met again on December 28, 1818, opening in the first degree with Brothers A. Matheson, Master; John Hughes, Senior Warden; David Bog Junior Warden and Hugh Sprule as Secretary, and past the following resolutions.

I. Resolved that the thanks of this Body be returned to Brother Graham for the warm interest he took in procuring the Dispensation.

II. Resolved that Bro. Miller be ordered to make a box for the use of the Lodge, with columns, Bible stand and Flow Cloth.

III. Resolved that all Brethren hereafter wishing to join this Lodge shall pay the sum of 5/- and deposit their certificates after being accepted by ballot.

IV. Resolved that each member of the Lodge shall pay each monthly night 2s/6d half to be spent and the other half to go into the box.

V. Resolved that any member present this night shall deposit their certificate the next monthly night.

VI. Resolved that this Lodge meet on the full moon Sunday excepted then to fall on Monday and that our next meeting shall be on the full moon of February ensuing.

True Britons' first Church Service was held on July 24, 1819 and the minutes of the meeting of May 10, 1819 show payment of £3/10s for a Bible which is still on display in the Lodge. The first degrees were conferred on March 19, 1819. In June of that year a request for legislative representation was made, and the following document was signed by twenty-seven of the leading settlers and Masons.

"June 1, 1819

To the Honourable the Commons House of Assembly of the Province of Upper Canada in Parliament Assembled, etc.

The humble Petition of the Magistrates, Half Pay Officers and other inhabitants of the Perth settlement, County of Carleton, District of Johnstown, Upper Canada.

Your Petitioners beg leave to state that the population of this County already exceeds five thousand souls and is daily increasing.

That the settlement suffers many great disadvantages from its not being represented in the Commons House of Assembly.

That in a few months a large proportion of the settlers will have received the title deeds for their land, which making them eligible to vote, we humbly pray that the Honourable the Commons House of Assembly will take our case into their favourable consideration so that we may be permitted to return a member or members to the House of Commons at the first General Election for the Province, and your Petitioners will ever pray."

In June of the following year the commission was issued and Perth prepared for its first election.

Benevolence has always been an attribute of True Britons' Lodge for in 1820 a weekly sum of 15 shillings given to a worthy Brother, to be paid until he was able to once again work. But money was not the only charity dispensed by the Lodge, because is also noted that it was decided to buy a cow, the price not to exceed £10.0.0 and present it to the widow of the late Brother Motherwell for the benefit of herself and her family.

On the festival of St. John, June 24, 1822, the Lodge met "to lay the foundation stone of the Court House and goal of this place, when the brethren proceeded in procession to the spot and the ceremonies were gone through with the greatest decorum and ceremony; the Brethren returned to the Lodge Room, where they dined and passed the evening in the greatest harmony."

However not all the minutes tell of such great harmony for on July 5, 1822 Bro. Scott was "ordered to leave his office as J. W.," and was suspended for three months for "taking a book from the lodge," and in August his successor was elected. During this meeting the lodge changed its meeting place from the house of Brother Joshua Adams to that of Brother David Hogg.

In 1823 The Reverend William Bell described Perth as follows:

"Perth is pleasantly situated on both banks of the Tay, formerly called the Pike River. The length of the town is seven-eights of a mile, the breadth is somewhat less. The streets are regularly laid out, and cross each other at right angles, at a distance of 140 yards from each other."

"The streets are sixty-six feet wide, and by their intersections, divide the site of the town into squares of four acres each. Each building contains an acre; so that the gardens are large, and the houses at considerable distance from on another."

"The river runs through the town, and varies from thirty to fifty yards in breadth. At the upper side of town it contains an island, measuring about ten acres, and connected with the two sides of town by tow wooden bridges. On this island the militia are annually mustered on St. George's day. Near the centre of the town there is a hill, on which are erected the jail, the court-house and two of the churches."

"Perth is the capital of the district; and the courts of law and justice are held in the town. It contains a jail and court-house, four churches, seven merchants; stores, five taverns, besides between fifty and a hundred private houses. The houses are built of wood, except that jail and court-house and one merchant's store, which are built of brick. There is also a stone house erecting this summer, by one of our merchants."

In January of the same year [1823], True Britons' Lodge made application for a warrant from the Provincial Grand Lodge at York. In February, Simon McGillivary, Provincial Grand Master of The Province of Upper Canada, acting under the authority of His Royal Highness, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, Earl of Inverness, Baron of Archly, Knight of the Most order of the Garter, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Mason of England, granted the request. True Britons' Lodge was now Lodge No. 774 E.R. and No. 21 P.R. The minute book contains the record of only one meeting in 1823, that of 3rd of March. On February 2, 1824 the records commence anew, and show that the Lodge now met regularly at the house of Bro. Matheson.

Early in 1824 the Warrant from England was delivered. The receipt of this long awaited document gave quite a boost to the Lodge. In June of 1824, Right Worshipful Brother James Fitzgibbon the Deputy Provincial Grand Master made an official visit in Perth. The minutes of the meeting read:

"In consequence of the R. W. D. Grand Master, Colonel Fitzgibbon's arrival at this place the Worshipful Master ordered a Lodge of Emergency to be called and the Grand Master invited to attend, which he was pleased to attend, when the W. Master vacated the chair after the lodge was opened on the third degree, after which the lodge was called off from labour to refreshment, when the Brethren sat down to a sumptuous supper prepared by Bro. William Matheson, after which the lodge was called on to labour. Nothing appearing for the good of Masonry the D. G. Master closed the lodge, and the Brethren parted in harmony."

This is no reason given in the Lodge's Minutes as for the visit of R. W. Bro. Fitzgibbon.

At the March 6, 1826 meeting of the Lodge it was "resolved that the sum of one pound for the admission of every regular Mason is too exorbitant. They are of opinion that the sum of five shillings is sufficient." In December the Lodge moved to Bro. George Graham's on Drummond Street, and the officers for the following six months were elected. During 1827 the Lodge met regularly, and on July 9, 1827 Bro. William Matheson was elected Master. During the meeting of November 12, 1827, "It was unanimously agreed that the lodge should be removed to the other end of the village. A committee to meet on next Saturday to arrange matters with regard to the moving of the lodge to Bro. Coleman's."

In 1828 the first Ottawa Valley newspaper went into print, The Bathurst Independent Examiner, founded by John Stewart, the school master of the Bathurst District grammar school, which was located in Perth. The Perth Courier is the descendant of that paper.

At the meeting of June 9, 1828, the lodge again elected the officers for the ensuing six months and also elected to attend a Divine Services on St. John's day. So on June 24, 1828 [St. John's Day] the lodge not only conferred the third degree, but proceeded in procession to the Presbyterian church to hear the Reverend William Bell deliver his sermon. The installation of Officers that was to take place in December was postponed due to the weather conditions and the bad state of the roads. The Installation was held the following month.

This is but a short history of the first years of the Town of Perth and True Britons' Lodge, now No. 14 on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario.

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