Thomas Baines (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Baines was born in Caynham, England
, as the son of the Rev. James Johnson Baines, and came to Canada
c.1821.
He worked as a land and immigrant agent with Peter Robinson
, most notably settling the Irish
immigrants in the Bathurst district and Peterborough, Ontario
. He was later commissioned as an officer in the 1st Carleton Regiment and was made Deputy Auditor General. Due to his experience of land assessment and transaction in Ontario
, he was appointed as Secretary of the Clergy Corporation
in 1833 and executed the sale of the controversial Clergy Reserves. By 1838, the Corporation was essentially dissolved and Thomas was appointed Crown Land
Agent for the Home District. He continued in this role until 1855 when he tendered his resignation to the Lieutenant Governor
following allegations of default. He was shown to be in arrears (the greatest default in pre-Confederation Ontario) and so was forced to cede all his property to the government. From 1844-63 he owned a Brewery at Queen and Niagara Streets called the West Toronto Brewery while he also owned a mill at Innisville. The Brewery was sold to Patrick Cosgrave in 1863 and continued making beer for another eighty years. He was also involved in the incorporation of a number of companies in the Toronto area including the Western Assurance Company in 1851, as well as the Victoria Mining Company and the Toronto and Georgian Bay Canal Company in 1856. Thomas Baines died in 1867 at Toronto
.
He married twice, first to Georgina Catherine Lodge Wilcocks by who he had one surviving child; his second marriage was to Catherine, daughter of William Bancks, the founder of Bewdley, Ontario
, by whom there were many other children, including Dr. Allen Mackenzie Baines the first Physician-in-Chief of the Hospital for Sick Children
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as the son of the Rev. James Johnson Baines, and came to Canada
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...
c.1821.
He worked as a land and immigrant agent with Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (1785-1838)
Peter Robinson was born in New Brunswick, the eldest son of Christopher Robinson and Esther Sayre, ayre. He had two brothers, John Beverley and William Benjamin, and two sisters....
, most notably settling the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants in the Bathurst district and Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
. He was later commissioned as an officer in the 1st Carleton Regiment and was made Deputy Auditor General. Due to his experience of land assessment and transaction in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, he was appointed as Secretary of the Clergy Corporation
Clergy Corporation
The Clergy Corporation, or the Clergy Reserve Corporation of Upper Canada, existed to oversee, manage and lease the Clergy reserves of Upper Canada, a large amount of land in Upper Canada that had been put aside for the Anglican and later Protestant churches...
in 1833 and executed the sale of the controversial Clergy Reserves. By 1838, the Corporation was essentially dissolved and Thomas was appointed Crown Land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
Agent for the Home District. He continued in this role until 1855 when he tendered his resignation to the Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor (Canada)
In Canada, a lieutenant governor is the viceregal representative in a provincial jurisdiction of the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
following allegations of default. He was shown to be in arrears (the greatest default in pre-Confederation Ontario) and so was forced to cede all his property to the government. From 1844-63 he owned a Brewery at Queen and Niagara Streets called the West Toronto Brewery while he also owned a mill at Innisville. The Brewery was sold to Patrick Cosgrave in 1863 and continued making beer for another eighty years. He was also involved in the incorporation of a number of companies in the Toronto area including the Western Assurance Company in 1851, as well as the Victoria Mining Company and the Toronto and Georgian Bay Canal Company in 1856. Thomas Baines died in 1867 at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
He married twice, first to Georgina Catherine Lodge Wilcocks by who he had one surviving child; his second marriage was to Catherine, daughter of William Bancks, the founder of Bewdley, Ontario
Bewdley, Ontario
Bewdley is a community in the Township of Hamilton, Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada. The community was founded by William Bancks, whose ancestral home was Bewdley in England. It is located on the western end of Rice Lake about north of Port Hope....
, by whom there were many other children, including Dr. Allen Mackenzie Baines the first Physician-in-Chief of the Hospital for Sick Children
Hospital for Sick Children
The Hospital for Sick Children – is a major paediatric centre for the Greater Toronto Area, serving patients up to age 18. Located on University Avenue in Downtown Toronto, SickKids is part of the city’s Discovery District, a critical mass of scientists and entrepreneurs who are focused on...
.