Samuel Holland
Encyclopedia
Samuel Johannes Holland (1728 – 28 December 1801) was a Royal Engineer and first Surveyor General of British North America
.
, the Netherlands
. He was baptized on 22 September 1729 in the small Lutheran Church in the Dutch town of Deventer in the Province of Overijssel. In 1745, he entered the Dutch artillery and served during the War of the Austrian Succession
. He was promoted lieutenant in 1747.
In 1749, Holland married Gertrude Hasse. They had one daughter who is thought to have died in infancy. In 1754, having possibly made contact with the Duke of Richmond
and leaving his wife behind in the Netherlands, Holland emigrated to England to seek advancement under the British flag.
where he would spend the rest of his life. Among his first assignments was the preparation of a map of New York province; this map would be widely used for twenty years.
In 1757, during the French and Indian Wars
, he was promoted captain lieutenant and assigned to reconnoitre Fort Carillon
near Ticonderoga, New York
, but in early 1758 he was transferred as assistant engineer to the expedition against Louisbourg. There, Holland made surveys of the surrounding area and prepared plans and give engineering advice under the command of Brigadier-General James Wolfe
. Following Louisbourg's capitulation, Holland was strongly commended by Wolfe to the Duke of Richmond.
That winter, Holland and his new pupil, James Cook
, drew charts of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
and Saint Lawrence River
in preparation for an attack on Quebec
. He also supervised the construction of Fort Frederick in Saint John, New Brunswick
. He was promoted captain in 1759 and participated actively in the siege of Quebec, narrowly escaping death on one occasion when his boats were nearly run down by a schooner
.
Holland was later employed in surveying the settled parts of the Saint Lawrence River valley and in drawing up new plans for a citadel in Quebec after the French siege was lifted.
where he submitted them to the Board of Trade, proposing a survey of all British possessions in North America
in order to facilitate settlement, a proposal which was accepted in 1764.
On March 6, 1764, Holland was appointed surveyor general of Quebec. On March 23, he received instructions to survey all British possessions north of the Potomac River
, which included St. John's Island (Prince Edward Island
), the Magdalen Islands
and Cape Breton Island, because of their importance for the fisheries.
Holland arrived in October of 1764 on St. John's Island after the territory was ceded to Britain
under the Treaty of Paris (1763)
. The task of mapping the island lasted two years. Holland's survey divided the island into a series of townships known as "lots", parishes, counties, and "royalties" (shire towns) in advance of a feudal land system which was established on the island over the following century. Holland was later given a parcel of land on the St. John's Island, Lot 28, settled by farmers. Holland charged very little as an absentee landlord.
In 1767 he proposed that British explorers look for a Northwest Passage
from the Atlantic Ocean
to the Pacific Ocean
, but his proposal was never taken into great consideration.
Although his separation from Gertrude Hasse had been amicable, he still paid her an annual allowance between 1756 to 1780. In 1784 Hasse petitioned the British government to force him to renew payments, but she was refused.
In about 1772 Holland's marriage to Marie-Joseph Rollet was contracted as legal. The couple would eventually establish a family of ten children.
Samuel Holland died at Quebec
, Lower Canada
in 1801.
, is named for Samuel Holland, as is the community of Holland Landing, Ontario
. The Captain Samuel Holland rose, developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was named in his honour.
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
.
Life in the Netherlands
Holland was born in 1728 in DeventerDeventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He was baptized on 22 September 1729 in the small Lutheran Church in the Dutch town of Deventer in the Province of Overijssel. In 1745, he entered the Dutch artillery and served during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
. He was promoted lieutenant in 1747.
In 1749, Holland married Gertrude Hasse. They had one daughter who is thought to have died in infancy. In 1754, having possibly made contact with the Duke of Richmond
Duke of Richmond
The title Duke of Richmond is named after Richmond and its surrounding district of Richmondshire, and has been created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families...
and leaving his wife behind in the Netherlands, Holland emigrated to England to seek advancement under the British flag.
Early years in British North America
In 1756, Holland, probably with Richmond's aid, became a lieutenant in the Royal Americans, coming to British North AmericaBritish North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
where he would spend the rest of his life. Among his first assignments was the preparation of a map of New York province; this map would be widely used for twenty years.
In 1757, during the French and Indian Wars
French and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
, he was promoted captain lieutenant and assigned to reconnoitre Fort Carillon
Fort Carillon
Fort Carillon was constructed by Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada, to protect Lake Champlain from a British invasion. The fort was not far from Fort Saint Frédéric. It was built to prevent an attack on Canada and slow the advance of the enemy long enough to send reinforcements...
near Ticonderoga, New York
Ticonderoga, New York
Ticonderoga is a town in Essex County, New York, USA. The population was 5,167 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the Mohawk tekontaró:ken, meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways"....
, but in early 1758 he was transferred as assistant engineer to the expedition against Louisbourg. There, Holland made surveys of the surrounding area and prepared plans and give engineering advice under the command of Brigadier-General James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
. Following Louisbourg's capitulation, Holland was strongly commended by Wolfe to the Duke of Richmond.
That winter, Holland and his new pupil, James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
, drew charts of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
and Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
in preparation for an attack on Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He also supervised the construction of Fort Frederick in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
. He was promoted captain in 1759 and participated actively in the siege of Quebec, narrowly escaping death on one occasion when his boats were nearly run down by a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
.
Holland was later employed in surveying the settled parts of the Saint Lawrence River valley and in drawing up new plans for a citadel in Quebec after the French siege was lifted.
Surveyor General
In 1762, Holland took his maps to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he submitted them to the Board of Trade, proposing a survey of all British possessions in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in order to facilitate settlement, a proposal which was accepted in 1764.
On March 6, 1764, Holland was appointed surveyor general of Quebec. On March 23, he received instructions to survey all British possessions north of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, which included St. John's Island (Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
), the Magdalen Islands
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands form a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . Though closer to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the islands form part of the Canadian province of Quebec....
and Cape Breton Island, because of their importance for the fisheries.
Holland arrived in October of 1764 on St. John's Island after the territory was ceded to Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
under the Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
. The task of mapping the island lasted two years. Holland's survey divided the island into a series of townships known as "lots", parishes, counties, and "royalties" (shire towns) in advance of a feudal land system which was established on the island over the following century. Holland was later given a parcel of land on the St. John's Island, Lot 28, settled by farmers. Holland charged very little as an absentee landlord.
In 1767 he proposed that British explorers look for a Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, but his proposal was never taken into great consideration.
Personal life
Holland had begun living in Quebec as early as 1762 with then 21-year old Marie-Joseph Rollet. Their first son, John Frederick, was born on St. John's Island.Although his separation from Gertrude Hasse had been amicable, he still paid her an annual allowance between 1756 to 1780. In 1784 Hasse petitioned the British government to force him to renew payments, but she was refused.
In about 1772 Holland's marriage to Marie-Joseph Rollet was contracted as legal. The couple would eventually establish a family of ten children.
Samuel Holland died at Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
in 1801.
Honours
The community college system for Prince Edward Island, Holland CollegeHolland College
Holland College is the provincial community college for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. It is named after British Army engineer and surveyor Captain Samuel Holland...
, is named for Samuel Holland, as is the community of Holland Landing, Ontario
Holland Landing, Ontario
Holland Landing is a village in the town of East Gwillimbury, located in the northern part of the Regional Municipality of York, in south-central Ontario, Canada. Its major road is Yonge Street and the village has bus service by GO Transit and York Region Transit...
. The Captain Samuel Holland rose, developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was named in his honour.