Robert Addison
Encyclopedia
Reverend Robert Addison was born in Heversham
, Westmorland
, the 3rd son of John and Ellinor (Parkinson) of Plumbtreebank. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge
in 1777, completing his BA
in 1781 and was ordained a Deacon of the Church of England
in Norwich
, Norfolk
11 March 1781.
He married his first wife Mary Atkinson in 1780 in Whittlesey
, Cambridgeshire
. Mary is thought to have been a descendant of Bishop Ridley.
Robert applied to the Church of England's Society for the propagation of the Gospel
in Foreign Parts for missionary work in 1791 and was accepted for a position in May of that year. He was only the second Protestant clergyman to venture into Upper Canada
, the first being Anglican Rev John Stuart
, who arrived in Cataraqui (Kingston
) in 1786.
Robert, his two young daughters Elizabeth and Mary and his sister Mary sailed for Canada in the summer and arrived in Quebec
, probably in September, where he wintered before proceeding to Upper Canada. His wife Mary did not accompany him as she was pregnant with a son, Robert, born later in 1791. She remained in England and is believed to have suffered from depression and had died, likely in 1796, but possibly as late as 1809. When Rev Robert arrived in Newark, Ontario
in 1792 the government
of Upper Canada was located at Newark, until it was moved to York
in 1796.
As a young missionary he became chaplain of the legislature. He was the only resident Anglican clergyman, in fact the only clergy man west of Kingston and built the first church in Upper Canada to have regular services, St. Marks, at Niagara-on-the-Lake
. This church was completed in 1809. During the War of 1812 it was burned, and restored finally in 1826, much as it is to-day. In 1796 he was the Chaplain of the House of Assembly
(the provincial legislature) for which he received $100 a year and by 1798 was being provided 100 pounds per annum for his missionary
work.
Before 1809, Rev. Robert Addison had preached in the Masonic Hall and other places. He ministered to Indians
and whites from Fort Erie
to the Grand River
, preaching at intervals to the Mohawk
s in their church near Brantford, built in 1786. His Niagara congregation included Col. and Mrs. John Butler, Hon. William Dickson, General Brock, Hon. Robert Hamilton Secord, the Jarvis Family and others. During the War of 1812 he was chaplain of the British and Canadian forces, and, it is said, during his imprisonment by American troops, he ministered to them. He conducted General Brock's funeral services at Fort George
.
As well as being a clergyman, Robert was an entrepreneur
. When the church could not pay him wages for his services rendered to the province he accepted grants of land in the Niagara Peninsula
. He petitioned for other land grants in lieu of salary and eventually owned substantial land holdings across the province including lots in the township of Niagara, Stamford, East Flamborough, Dereham, Walsingham, Wawanosm and Deer Park in Toronto. On his death in 1829 he had some 6000 acres (24 km²) of Norwich land in his name. He left the management of this property to his second wife, Rebecca.
Robert brought the first library or collection of books of any significance to Canada when he landed in Niagara in 1792. The books were believed to have originally been the property of his father in law, Richard Atknison (father of first wife Mary) who was the curate of Whittlesey and died in Oct 1781. They were housed in the rectory for many years and then became property of Brock University
. They were repatriated to St Mark's Church, (Church of England, now Anglican Church of Canada) which Addison founded at Niagara on the Lake and are now held in The Addison Library in Addison Hall, adjacent to the church. There are over 1200 volumes, many dating to the 16th and 17th century and they are accessible to the public for research purposes.
Addison was followed to Canada by several other family members who settled in southern Ontario in the 1800s.
Heversham
Heversham is a small village and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It has a variety of recreational facilities, including tennis courts, bowling green, swimming pool and a playground...
, Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
, the 3rd son of John and Ellinor (Parkinson) of Plumbtreebank. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
in 1777, completing his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1781 and was ordained a Deacon of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
11 March 1781.
He married his first wife Mary Atkinson in 1780 in Whittlesey
Whittlesey
Whittlesey, historically known as Whittlesea as the name of the railway station is still spelt, or Witesie, is an ancient Fenland market town around six miles east of Peterborough in the county of Cambridgeshire in England...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
. Mary is thought to have been a descendant of Bishop Ridley.
Robert applied to the Church of England's Society for the propagation of the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
in Foreign Parts for missionary work in 1791 and was accepted for a position in May of that year. He was only the second Protestant clergyman to venture into Upper 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...
, the first being Anglican Rev John Stuart
John Stuart
John Stuart may refer to:*Sir John Stuart, 4th Baronet , MP for Kincardineshire*John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute , Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1762–1763...
, who arrived in Cataraqui (Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
) in 1786.
Robert, his two young daughters Elizabeth and Mary and his sister Mary sailed for Canada in the summer and arrived in 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....
, probably in September, where he wintered before proceeding to Upper Canada. His wife Mary did not accompany him as she was pregnant with a son, Robert, born later in 1791. She remained in England and is believed to have suffered from depression and had died, likely in 1796, but possibly as late as 1809. When Rev Robert arrived in Newark, Ontario
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
in 1792 the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
of Upper Canada was located at Newark, until it was moved to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
in 1796.
As a young missionary he became chaplain of the legislature. He was the only resident Anglican clergyman, in fact the only clergy man west of Kingston and built the first church in Upper Canada to have regular services, St. Marks, at Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
. This church was completed in 1809. During the War of 1812 it was burned, and restored finally in 1826, much as it is to-day. In 1796 he was the Chaplain of the House of Assembly
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....
(the provincial legislature) for which he received $100 a year and by 1798 was being provided 100 pounds per annum for his missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work.
Before 1809, Rev. Robert Addison had preached in the Masonic Hall and other places. He ministered to Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and whites from Fort Erie
Fort Erie
Fort Erie was the first British fort to be constructed as part of a network developed after the Seven Years' War was concluded by the Treaty of Paris at which time all of New France had been ceded to Great Britain...
to the Grand River
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
, preaching at intervals to the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
s in their church near Brantford, built in 1786. His Niagara congregation included Col. and Mrs. John Butler, Hon. William Dickson, General Brock, Hon. Robert Hamilton Secord, the Jarvis Family and others. During the War of 1812 he was chaplain of the British and Canadian forces, and, it is said, during his imprisonment by American troops, he ministered to them. He conducted General Brock's funeral services at Fort George
Fort George, Ontario
Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812...
.
As well as being a clergyman, Robert was an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. When the church could not pay him wages for his services rendered to the province he accepted grants of land in the Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
. He petitioned for other land grants in lieu of salary and eventually owned substantial land holdings across the province including lots in the township of Niagara, Stamford, East Flamborough, Dereham, Walsingham, Wawanosm and Deer Park in Toronto. On his death in 1829 he had some 6000 acres (24 km²) of Norwich land in his name. He left the management of this property to his second wife, Rebecca.
Robert brought the first library or collection of books of any significance to Canada when he landed in Niagara in 1792. The books were believed to have originally been the property of his father in law, Richard Atknison (father of first wife Mary) who was the curate of Whittlesey and died in Oct 1781. They were housed in the rectory for many years and then became property of Brock University
Brock University
Brock University is a comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Brock offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrolment of over 17,000 full-time students.The enabling legislation is...
. They were repatriated to St Mark's Church, (Church of England, now Anglican Church of Canada) which Addison founded at Niagara on the Lake and are now held in The Addison Library in Addison Hall, adjacent to the church. There are over 1200 volumes, many dating to the 16th and 17th century and they are accessible to the public for research purposes.
Addison was followed to Canada by several other family members who settled in southern Ontario in the 1800s.