Simcoe, Elizabeth. ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ in The Diary of Mrs. John Graves Simcoe, Wife of the First Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, 1792-6, edited by J. Ross Robertson, 264-271. Toronto: Coles Pub. Co., 1973.
This primary source contains the diary entries of two months, from January 1st until February 13th 1795, of Mrs. John Graves Simcoe. She was the wife of the first Lieutenant-Governor of the province of Upper Canada. This analysis will examine the life and place in the society of a woman of a higher social class in Upper Canada. Did social classes matter at that time and if yes, how did it affect the daily life?
In her entries, Mrs. Simcoe notes what she did that day, keeping her entries quite short at some days. She does not spend too much time writing. She states where she had dinner and if someone of her friends or acquaintances is sick. Only a few entries from January are more detailed, when something special happened. For example, she starts one entry with ‘’My having dined at the Chateau without having been formally introduced is a compliment not usually paid’’ ¹ and then goes on to tell details of that evening, what she won and what kind of entertainment there was. Because of this, she seems proud of this event and that she was invited or part of it – although she is from a higher social class. This suggests that even though she was the wife of the first Lieutenant-Governor, she did not take being part of the upper society for granted. She was surprised that she was part of the dinner even though she had not been introduced. This means that whoever organized the dinner, did not know that she was the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor. She was surprised she was still invited, even without having to rely on her husband’s name and status.
The fact that she does not mention the children too often attracts attention. Did she have someone to take care of them? In one entry she states that she was ‘’carrying the children’’ ². It must be her children, as she explains before that she ‘’dined en famille’’ ³, with the family. For the other times there are two explanations. Either she did bring her children with her but just did not mention them, or she has a nanny or similar to take care of them at home.
‘’The chateau’’ is mentioned several times, the first time at the beginning of January when she talks about being there without having been introduced. It is, however, unclear what the Chateau is. It must be a place for social gatherings, as dinners and balls took place there. Also it was accepted that she brought her children with her one time. Being the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor, she must have some higher social status which must reflect on the kind of places she goes for dinner. The French word chateau translates into the English word castle – it is unknown, however, if it really was a castle-like building or just the name of a tavern.
It becomes clear in her entry from Monday, January 26th, that she must be wealthy, or at least well-situated, as she considers a ‘’dormeuse, a travelling carriage adapted for sleeping’’ for her upcoming travel to Upper Canada. Given the description of it, that follows, it is unlikely that ‘’normal’’ people could afford to travel with it: ‘’ […] with a head made of sealskin, and lined with baize; a large bear or buffalo skin fixes in front, […] a low seat, and feather bed to keep one’s feet warm.’’ ⁴. The carriage is clearly designed to not carry any baggage, but to transport people comfortably somewhere. In a later entry, this again becomes visible as she can send her baggage to Montreal – she doesn’t need to worry about just taking what she can carry.
From her entries in January alone the reader gets the impression that Mrs. Simcoe is a well-situated woman who doesn’t have to worry about her existence; so far, she spends her time at balls and dinners. She doesn’t seem to be working at all, just keeping up her social status and enjoying her social life.
The entries of February start the same way, but on February 6th she writes about how her journey starts. She is not travelling alone, but with ‘’the children [and] Collins’’ ⁵. At this point, it is unknown who Collins is. Considering that she hasn’t really mentioned her children in previous entries but still gone to dinners and balls, Collins might be some form of nanny. It could, however, also be the family’s dog.
From her entry from February 8th it becomes apparent that she is used to higher standards: ‘’I would not allow them to stay to breakfast in a place I had wished to quit from the moment I entered it’’ ⁶. At the same time, it also shows that although she might be used to higher standards and better accommodations, she had no choice but to stay. She could not spend the night outside. In the same entry she says that ‘’I had a very good dinner’’ but ‘’we had travelled’’ ⁷. Why does she change the perspective? Did she not have her children with her for dinner?
The next day’s entry shows that she does get some form of special treatment; she ‘’had not the least trouble of waiting or paying’’, as horses had been kept ready for her ⁸.
Reading it a first time to get a broad idea what it is about, details get overlooked. However, reading it a second time and paying attention to small aspects (like the changing perspective), the reader gets a better picture of Mrs. Simcoe. It becomes apparent that she was not an ordinary colonist. Her husband’s position gave her a good social status that brought many advantages with it. She spent her leisure time with friends and acquaintances, dinners and balls – it was not given at that time to have much leisure time. Also, she could enjoy a safer or more secure travel, knowing that there were horses waiting for her and all she had to do was to ‘pick them up’. Finally, she did not have to fear for her existence, as this was secured.
These diary entries provide an image of the women with a higher social status in Upper Canada. It shows that they could live a pretty much carefree life and enjoy their social life. Mrs Simcoe did not have to worry about anything as she had people helping her on her travels for instance. It does not become apparent how (in)dependent they were in that time, or how they were seen by others (especially men) in the society.
¹ Elizabeth Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ in The Diary of Mrs. John Graves Simcoe, Wife of the First Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, 1792-6, ed. J. Ross Robertson, 264-271 (Toronto: Coles Pub. Co., 1973), page 264
² Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ 265
³ Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ 265
⁴ Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ 265
⁵ Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ 266
⁶ Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ 266
⁷ Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ 266
⁸ Simcoe, ‘’Return to Upper Canada,’’ 266