Toronto - War of 1812 Monument

 

Location:  City of Toronto     N 43.64263   W -79.40020

In Victoria Memorial Square, 10 Niagara Street.

 

 

The following is taken from a historic plaque erected near the memorial:

"Long overlooked among Toronto's public monuments, the memorial

in the centre of this park honours those who died defending Upper

Canada (now Ontario) against the Americans during the War of

1812.  The monument was first proposed in 1888 by the Army and

Navy Veterans Association, but waited almost 20 years for its

completion.  The monument's pedestal, completed in 1902, was

crowned with the bronze bust in 1907.

The monument is the combined work of one of Canada's leading

early-20th-century architects, Frank Darling, and one of its most

important monument designers and sculptors, Walter Seymour

Allward.  Darling designed its granite pedestal, the excavation for

which uncovered four coffins.  The commission for the bronze bust of

the "Old Soldier" was given to the young Allward, best known for his

later masterpiece, Canada's war memorial at Vimy Ridge, France.

In 1907, The Globe newspaper gave the bust of the "Old Soldier" high

praise for reflecting both "the indomitable courage of a fine British

type" and "the poignant pathos of the aged and broken veteran."

 

"The Old Soldier, War of 1812 Memorial was erected by the British Army and Navy Veterans' Association. It was erected to honour the dead of the War of 1812, on the site of an old burial ground used between 1794 and 1863 for soldiers and their families from nearby Fort York. 

The memorial’s cornerstone was laid on July 1, 1902. The cornerstone featured a time capsule, including newspapers, coins, and other documents of the day. Veterans of several wars were on hand for the ceremony, including those who had served in the Crimean War, Second Opium War, Indian Rebellion of 1857, Second Anglo-Aghan War, Fenian Raids, North-West Rebellion, and the South African War. The official unveiling was on July 5, 1907, after nearly 20 years of planning and fundraising.

The memorial was designed and constructed by Walter Seymour Allward. He designed a bronze half-length figure of an old one-armed soldier in uniform of 1812, holding his military cap, the George IV medal on his chest and the end of one empty sleeve pinned up."

 https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/national-inventory-canadian-memorials/details/5520

 

 

Marker text:

Front:

"DEAD IN THE BATTLE - DEAD ONT HE FIELD;

MORE THAN A LIFE CAN A SOLDIER YIELD?

HIS BLOOD HAS BURNISHED HIS SABRE BRIGHT;

TO HIS MEMORY,  HONOR: TO HIM GOOD NIGHT."

THIS MONUMENT IS TO PERPETUATE

THE MEMORY AND DEEDS OF THE OFFI-

CERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND

MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE DE-

FENCE OF CANADA IN THE WAR OF 1812-1815,

AND IS ERECTED BY THE BRITISH ARMY

AND NAVY VETERANS RESIDING IN TORON-

TO, AIDED BY GENEROUS SUBSCRIPTIONS

FROM THE BRITISH ARMY AND NAVY, AND

THE CITIZENS OF CANADA.

JULY 1ST, 1902.

BATTLE-FIELDS

RIVER CANARD     CHRYSLER'S FARM     FORT GEORGE

BEAVER DAMS     DETROIT     LUNDY'S LANE

BLACK ROCK     FORT NIAGARA     THAMES

CHATEAUGUAY     FORT ERIE      STONY CREEK

                                        YORK

 

Right side:

IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS, NON-COM

MISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN WHO

DIED WHILE STATIONED WITH THEIR

REGIMENTS OR COMPANIES OF REGI-

MENTS OR BATTERIES OF ARTILLERY

AND CAVALRY AT YORK (TORONTO) DUR-

ING THE PERIOD THAT BRITISH TROOPS

WERE SERVING IN UPPER CANADA.

13TH HUSSARS             23RD REGIMENT      47TH REGIMENT

ROYAL ARTILLERY     24TH      "                    68TH        "

MILITARY TRAIN         29TH      "                    71ST         "

ROYAL ENGINEERS     30TH      "                    79TH        "

1ST REGIMENT             32ND      "                    81ST        "

6TH        "                         34TH      "                    83RD       "

8TH        "                         40TH      "                    85TH       "

15TH      "                         41ST       "                    89TH       "

16TH      "                         42ND      "                    93RD       "

17TH      "                         43RD       "                    RIFLE BRIGADE

ROYAL VETERAN REGT.      ROYAL CANADIAN RIFLES

      "       NAVAL ARTIFICERS     YORK RANGERS MILITIA

      "       NEWFND'LD. REGT.      GLENGARY FENCIBLES  

                            INCORPORATED MILITIA

Rear:

IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS, NON-COM-

MISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN WHO

WERE KILLED, DIED OF WOUNDS AND DIS-

EASE, IN THE FOLLOWING REGIMENTS

OR COMPANIES OF REGIMENTS ENGAGED

DURING THE WAR OF 1812-1815 UPON THE

WESTERN CANADIAN FRONTIER, WEST OF

KINGSTON

ROYAL ARTILLERY      ROYAL ENGINEERS

19TH DRAGOONS     41ST REGIMENT     100TH REGIMENT

1ST REGIMENT          49TH        "                103RD        "

6TH        "                      82ND       "                104TH         "

8TH        "                      89TH       "

ROYAL VETERAN REGT.                         SIMCOE MILITIA

      "    NEWFOUNDLD  REGT.        GLENGARY FENCIBLES     "

PROV. DRAGOONS MILITIA           YORK RANGERS                 "

WATTSVILLE REGT.    "                    1ST MORFOLK                   "

CANADIAN FENCIBLES    "             COLOURED CORPS & INDIANS

 

Left side:

DEFENCE OF YORK,
NOW TORONTO.

IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS, NON-COM-
MISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN WHO
WERE KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS IN
THE FOLLOWING REGIMENTS OR COM-
PANIES OF REGIMENTS ENGAGED IN THE
DEFENCE OF YORK (TORONTO).
APRIL 27TH 1813.

ROYAL ARTILLERY
ROYAL NAVAL ARTIFICES
8th REGIMENT (OF FOOT)
ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND REGIMENT

GLENGARY FENCIBLES MILITIA
INCORPORATED MILITIA