TO MRS. MORTIMER.
York, Upper Canada, Sept. 21, 1832.
Nothing as yet has been determined respecting myself. The bishop was absent on a long tour of visitation, but I obtained a letter of introduction to Archdeacon Strachan, through Captain Fitzgibbon; and His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir John Colborne, having heard of my arrival, expressed a wish that I do wait upon him. Both he and the archdeacon behaved with great kindness, and mentioned places which they thought desirable; but I wait for the advice of the bishop, to whom I have written on the subject. I am disposed, however, to fix on Hamilton, a rising village near Ancaster, beautifully situated, and bidding fair to become the third town in the province, York and Kingston only taking precedence. No church, indeed, is as yet built—service is performed, in the Court House—but one is fixed on. My salary will be £100 sterling, a rectory house, forty acres of cleared land, besides some—I forget the quantity—uncleared, and the sum I may obtain by letting the pews. The Governor and his lady are both truly pious. I dined with them on Tuesday and spent a most pleasant evening. The archdeacon is uncommonly friendly; our whole party took tea with him on Saturday evening, and I have called on him since.
TO MRS. MORTIMER.
Thornhill, near York, Oct. 8, 1832.
I do not wish to raise your expectations in any improper way, but I still think I ought in justice to say, that I think you will be tolerably pleased with the situation in which I have been led to settle. There is, indeed, no fixed salary, and perhaps nothing beyond £40 or £50—the sum given by the congregation—may be obtained by me. But the Bishop and Governor both expect that I shall receive from the clergy reserves £100 more, and, if so, this £150 will be very fair. As to the distance (only thirteen miles from York) it has a decided preference over Hutton, and the society is in my estimation far superior, and mostly English. The church is small, but the attendance good, far more than the Hutton average. They appear also quite pleased with my coming, as my predecessor, though a learned man and a great orientalist, had no aptness for parochial engagements. I forgot to mention that the spot and neighbourhood is considered most healthy. If the young folks are desirous of seeing their future location, they may look into a map of Canada, and they will see a road leading from York to Simcoe Lake, directly north; this is called, George Street Road, each side of which is cleared for the space of two or three fields. It is on this road that Thornhill is situated. I intimated in my last letter that I had some thoughts of building a house to be ready to receive you on your arrival, but you will be glad to hear, that I have entirely given up all idea of it; it never will do, at least for me, and therefore I have made my continuance here depend on the trustees of Thornhill Church, allowing me £40 or £50 per annum, and their providing me at a moderate rate a house suitable for my family, some time before the 10th of June next, 1833, at which time, through God’s blessing, I hope to see you all here. And surely he will preserve you; not a box, or package, or anything has been lost, everything brought safe over the perilous ocean and the intervening space, and shall not the same faithful God of love preserve my Mary and all her accompanying charge? I will, therefore, trust, and not be afraid.
I received a message from the Governor last night, in which he tells me, I may depend on having the £100 he mentioned to me. He is peculiarly kind and a great blessing to the province. The people seem very desirous of detaining me; Messrs. — assure me that some house sufficiently large shall be provided.