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GeorgetownActon Wednesday Dec Esquesing rebels story as told to judge Excitation of Insurrection Rebellion Public War and Regicide Smiths The Pioneers of Old Ontario claimed that the Old Boston Church in the Scotch Block of may be considered the cradle of Canadian liberty book explained that the Boston Church deed obliged the use of referendum recall and periodic review of trustees by the congrega tion it is important to note that this Boston Church was located on Lot Con 4 West and was known as the Seceder Church Such demo cratic thinking was regularly discussed in J but It was most unusual to see it applied and it is for that reason that Smith claimed that John Stewart Sr was the father of the Scotch Block Feeders of this newspaper will recall the Scotch Block covered all of south of the Sideroad west of the Sixth Line This district was settled by Highland and Lowland Scots beginning in The Block received its name from the fact that virtually all the resi dents in this area were Scots who wished to live among their folk The success of their endeavour was unmistakable By the teenth century the residents of the Scotch Block were known throughout Upper Canada for their staunch shrewdness ambition and liberal thinking It was ironical ly the later quality which resulted in the dis semination of this chilling indictment of John Stewart Senior s son THE INDICTMENT OF THE REBEL Upper Canada Home District To Wit The Jurors of our Sovereign Lady the Queen upon their oath present that John Ste wart the younger late of the Township of in the district of Gore and pro vince of Upper Canada yeoman being a subject of our said Lady the Queen not hav tag tear of Cod in his heart but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil as a false traitor against our said Lady the Queen Ms supreme true lawful and doubted sovereign and wholly withdrawing the cordial love and true and due obedience which every true and faithful subject of our said Lady the Queen should and of right ought to bear towards our said Lady the Queen and contriving and with all their strength Intending traitorously to disturb the peace and common tranquillity of this province and to stir move and excite in rebellion and war against our said Lady the Queen within this province and to subvert and alter the Legislature rule and Government now duly and happily established in this province and to depose our said state title power and government and to bring and put our said Lady the Queen to death On the first day of Decern in the first year of the reign of said Sovereign Lady Victoria by grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen Defender or the Faith and on divers other days and times as well be fore as after with foroe and arms at the township of aforesaid in the trict aforesaid maliciously unlawfully and traitorously did with divers other false traitors whose names are to the afore said unknown conspire compass Imagine and Intend to stir up move and excite in and rebellion and war against our said Lady the Queen within this pro vince to subvert and alter the Legislature rule and government now duly established within this province and to depose our said Lady the Queen from her royal estate power and government therein and to bring and put said Lady the Queen to death And to fulfill perfect and bring to effect with force and arms did procure add provide arms and offensive weapons to wit guns muskets rifles leaden bullets powder pikes and bayonets did move induce ex die and persuade divers subjects to raise levy and make insurrection and war and not having the rear of God before his eyes nor weighing the duty of his allegiance but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the devil and entirely withdrawing the love and true and due obedience which every subject should and ought to bear towards and wickedly desirtngand in tending to disturb the peace and public tran of this Province with a great multitude of persons whose names are at present unknown to the number of fifty or more armed and arrayed in a warlike manner offensive and defensive did ordain wage and levy public war against our said Lady the Queen contrary to the duty of his allegiance John Stewart Sr came to Canada from Perth Scotland in 1817 He and his wife Margaret settled Lot 9 Con 3 Esquesing In 1819 The couple had six children and soon developed a prosperous farm Indeed the Stewarts built the first home in the Block of materials other than logs Called Cratglea this fine home was built in 1832 and still standi John Stewart the subject of this article was John Stewarts fourth son He was bora November and to 1834 he married Mary Scott whose father was the first settler of Town ship John Stewart as the follow ing article demonstrates was greatly influenced by the liberal thinking of bis father as well as that of the Scotch Block comm unity His convictions led him to direct area farmers in armed opposition to the corrupt ad ministration of the Faro fly Com pact in the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion Stewart was captured the very day the conflict broke out and be was eventually imprisoned In Fort William Henry In Kingston Acorn of good fortune and in competence on the part of the prison guards intervened in Stewart favour and he and 13 others escaped most making their way to the United State John Stewart was pardjned for these pernicious activities in 180 and he returned to his fathers farm In where he lived with his IniB76 the Stewarts moved to Paisley Ontario John Stewart died in and Is buried in the Paisley Cemetery What follows is an interview Mr Stewart by Judge A B MacCulluro of the Toronto Globe which appears in that news paper May 17 edition Thanks to Mr Alex Cook of Milton for donating a copy of this article to our Archives as well as pro viding further documentary support Thanks also to Mr Walter Lewis and the Hills Public Libraries Canadians may be divided in their verdict as to the wisdom of the leaders of reforms in 1837 in forcing an Insurrection to accomplish their purpose but they are pretty un animous In their conclusion that the country was badly governed at that time Time with unfailing certainty has swept the majority of the ardent followers of William Lyon Mackenzie from the things that he fought but there yet live a few scattered over On tario whose greatest pride in life is to relate to their children and Iheir childrens children the part which they took in establishing at the point or the bayonet and amid relentless persecutions and sufferings responsible government in Canada were Liberals at a period when it was a crime and a source of loss to profess such doctrines but duty impelled them on and now those of who are yet with us have the satisfaction of seeing the province governed by the masses and not by the classes Let us honor the men who took In their hands to reform grievances in compatible with British institutions and braved the taunts and persecutions of raa- officialdom One of the Survivor Among he socalled rebels of 1B37 was John Stewart who is now spending the even of his life in Paisley County or Bruce He is in his year but he is still as over the troubles of as he was when he shouldered his musket to force the government of he day to govern the country according to the spirit of the Constitution Many a young Canadian has sat for hours listening to Mr Stewarts recital of rebellion incidents and many a tear has been shed as be told of his own sufferings In gaol and his peril on land and water while fleeing from the wrath of the powers that were He has recently committed to manuscript the lead Incidents of the time under considers lion and from this as an heirloom for his descendants I was enabled to glean what is confidently hoped will prove Interesting to those who care to learn at what price responsible government was obtained and the fullest liberty of the subject vindicated in British North America John Stewart came from a grand Highland stock having been bom in the town of Perth Scotland November 13 The bard times which prevailed in Britain during and subsequent to the Napoleonic wars forced his father to emigrate to Canada in arriving in Mon treal thirteen weeks and three days after leaving the Clyde In a sailing ship He comes to Li tile York There they remained for IB months when they removed In November 1818 to Little York Young Stewart did not derive much benefit from even the inefficient schools of that time but due to the Intelligence and strong native shrewdness of his parents he was Indebted for the talents which enabled him at a subsequent period to become a con fidential and trusted agent of the band of Reformers in Toronto who were struggling against the tyranny corruption and At was bam fcitarihln Hi at WO talkers Mary Scott 1MMM1 wife Stewart was la at handed administration of the Family Com pact Of Little York Mr Stewart says It was such a miserable bole that if we bad money enough we would all go back to Scot land again In the year 1819 Mr Stewarts father took possession of 200 acres in what was known as the Scotch Block in the township of Halloo County and in December of that year moved in with his family they being the first settlers in the township From the year 1830 John began to take an intelligent interest En toe politics of the day his political gospel being that preached by Lyon M in his newspapers then circulated widely amongst the scotch set tiers wherever they were situated Tha a the first instalment of a series on John Stewart contributed by the Esques ing Historical Society The a naval Christmas Mling far members nf the Historic Satiety Mr Mead relative and Interested hi history be to the MsNtm tonight Far those prefer ant to a ben leave Gewrga tow at from Ike tot behind way It will mora at evenings programme tares a talk by the cantor Mr Ernest Bncaaer a tow of the Mnsenm and pot macks Tickets for tab event are CM ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT STOP THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX EVERY CITIZEN OF HALTON HILLS SHOULD READ THISI IT COULD SAVE SIX MILLION DOLLARS OF YOUR MONEY Recently our Town Council approved a motion to purchase property known as the Stevens Estate for a sum of 600000 00 It is their intention to develop this property and sell the lots A portion or the property will be used to construct a municipal complex at a cost of between 5 and million dollars Thai Ctttzana Commfttaw to thm maintain That ara noma aarloua of Infinity andpropriaty in CouncTa plana That inauffelant raaaarch dona to datar- That our Count That Hahon Ham MAY NOT NEED a municipal at off mora B That our Council no mandate to In land IF YOU AGREE HERES WHAT YOU CAN 001 Councilor and how you Tha folowrkis CouncSon voted of tha purr a FPoufctn Tan P Camay Armntrong til MB Writ a o your Councillor and mail a copy to Editor in tha at right and mall It right Maettng on Dae at at tha Trafalgar Road off cat I support the movement to stop the municipal complex and land purchase PHONE NUMBER 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