Charles Shirreff
Encyclopedia
Charles Shirreff was an early Canadian
businessman and public official.
He was born in Leith
, Scotland
in 1768. In 1817, he migrated to Smith's Creek, later Port Hope
, in Upper Canada
. He obtained a grant of land in Fitzroy Township
in the upper Ottawa Valley
and moved there in 1818. He founded the town of Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario
on the Ottawa River
in 1831 and built a grist mill there.
His son, Robert, took the post of deputy surveyor general of woods, which regulated tree cutting on public lands in Upper and Lower Canada
by collecting dues. Shirreff set up an informal arrangement where he measured the timber at Bytown
and Robert collected the dues at Quebec City
where the rafts of timber were sold. Shirreff proposed a new system, which was accepted in 1832, where a system of timber limits was used to control the cutting of trees on crown lands. A down payment was paid by the lumber company and then the fees were paid in full when the timber was sold.
This system was challenged in 1832 on the Gatineau River
due to illegal cutting along the river; this area was exempted from public sale of timber limits. Although Shirreff protested, the "Gatineau Privilege
" remained in place. A scandal surfaced when the company managing affairs at Quebec went bankrupt; it was discovered that they had been accepting promissory notes rather than bonds, resulting in lost revenue to the provinces. The Shirreffs were replaced in the Bytown office in 1836. Charles continued to expand his business interests at Fitzroy Harbour, adding a sawmill
and a store.
During the 1830s, Shirreff promoted a plan to connect the Ottawa River to Georgian Bay
via a canal
.
Shirreff died in Bytown in 1847.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
businessman and public official.
He was born in Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1768. In 1817, he migrated to Smith's Creek, later Port Hope
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
, in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. He obtained a grant of land in Fitzroy Township
Fitzroy Township, Ontario
Fitzroy is an historic township originally part of Carleton County in eastern Ontario, Canada.Fitzroy was located in the western part of the county, bordered to the northeast by Torbolton Township, to the southeast by Huntley Township, to the southwest by Pakenham Township and to the northwest by...
in the upper Ottawa Valley
Ottawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley is the valley along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec along the Ottawa River. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield...
and moved there in 1818. He founded the town of Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario
Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario
Fitzroy Harbour is a small village within the city of Ottawa in eastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Ottawa River at the mouth of the Carp River. A branch of the Mississippi River, known as the Snye, also empties into the Ottawa to the west of the village.The town was founded by Charles...
on the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
in 1831 and built a grist mill there.
His son, Robert, took the post of deputy surveyor general of woods, which regulated tree cutting on public lands in Upper and Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
by collecting dues. Shirreff set up an informal arrangement where he measured the timber at Bytown
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...
and Robert collected the dues at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
where the rafts of timber were sold. Shirreff proposed a new system, which was accepted in 1832, where a system of timber limits was used to control the cutting of trees on crown lands. A down payment was paid by the lumber company and then the fees were paid in full when the timber was sold.
This system was challenged in 1832 on the Gatineau River
Gatineau River
The Gatineau River is a river in western Quebec, Canada, which rises in lakes north of the Baskatong Reservoir and flows south to join the Ottawa River at the city of Gatineau, Quebec...
due to illegal cutting along the river; this area was exempted from public sale of timber limits. Although Shirreff protested, the "Gatineau Privilege
Gatineau Privilege
The Gatineau Privilege referred to a monopoly introduced to limit the cutting of timber along the Gatineau River in Lower Canada from 1832 to 1843....
" remained in place. A scandal surfaced when the company managing affairs at Quebec went bankrupt; it was discovered that they had been accepting promissory notes rather than bonds, resulting in lost revenue to the provinces. The Shirreffs were replaced in the Bytown office in 1836. Charles continued to expand his business interests at Fitzroy Harbour, adding a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and a store.
During the 1830s, Shirreff promoted a plan to connect the Ottawa River to Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
via a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
.
Shirreff died in Bytown in 1847.