Skip to main contentDiary - Diary of Elisabeth Posthuma Gwillim entitled 1791-1796 Voyages | McCord Museum
Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim was the wife of John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), who in 1791 was appointed Upper Canada’s first lieutenant governor. For five years, Elizabeth accompanied her husband in the colony under his command. During her stay in North America, which she thoroughly enjoyed, she kept a personal diary and made many sketches and watercolours of Upper and Lower Canada.
Online Collections | McCord Museum - Montreal Social History Museum 
![Les voyages de la Nouvelle France occidentale, dicte Canada, faits par le Sr. de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitaine pour le Roy en la marine du Ponant, & toutes les descouvertes qu'il a faites en ce païs depuis l'an 1603, jusques en l'an 1629. Où se voit comme ce pays a esté premierement descouvert par les François, sous l'authorité de nos Roys tres chrestiens, jusques au regne de sa Majesté à present regnant Louis XIII, Roy de France et de Navarre. Avec un traitté des qualitez & conditions requises à un bon & parfait navigateur pour cognoistre la diversité des estimes qui se font en la navigation; les marques & enseignements que le providence de Dieu a mises dans les mers pour redresser les mariniers en leur routte, sans lesquelles ils tomberoient en de grands dangers, et la maniere de bien dresser cartes marines avec leurs ports, [...]](/internal/media/dispatcher/265951/thumbnail)
Diary
Diary of Elisabeth Posthuma Gwillim entitled 1791-1796 Voyages
Date
September 17, 1791 - October 14, 1796
Dimensions1 textual record ; 20 x 16.4 cm
Origin
Canada, North America
Object NumberS001/C3.8,3.4
DivisionArchives - Textual Archives
CollectionStewart
Scope and ContentIn the volume of her diary titled 1791-1796 Voyages, Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim (1762-1850) describes her transatlantic voyage in 1791 from Weymouth, in England, to Quebec City. She also gives an account of the return voyage, undertaken in 1796.
Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim was the wife of John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), who in 1791 was appointed Upper Canada’s first lieutenant governor. For five years, Elizabeth accompanied her husband in the colony under his command. During her stay in North America, which she thoroughly enjoyed, she kept a personal diary and made many sketches and watercolours of Upper and Lower Canada.
NotesSource of title: Based on the nature of the document.
Immediate source of acquisition: The documents relating to Elizabeth Simcoe kept at the Museum come from the Vowler family, of Devon, England. David M. Stewart apparently purchased this “fonds” from the family in 1982 through the intermediary of a London antique dealer (apparently a Ms. Hoppen, possibly Stephanie Hoppen). At that time the fonds was placed in the Devon archives under the reference code 1038 M/F/1; it was subsequently divided in two between the Queen’s York Rangers regiment (Toronto) and the Stewart Museum.
General notes: Photocopies and documentation available in the Lady Simcoe file.
Immediate source of acquisition: The documents relating to Elizabeth Simcoe kept at the Museum come from the Vowler family, of Devon, England. David M. Stewart apparently purchased this “fonds” from the family in 1982 through the intermediary of a London antique dealer (apparently a Ms. Hoppen, possibly Stephanie Hoppen). At that time the fonds was placed in the Devon archives under the reference code 1038 M/F/1; it was subsequently divided in two between the Queen’s York Rangers regiment (Toronto) and the Stewart Museum.
General notes: Photocopies and documentation available in the Lady Simcoe file.
Status
Not on viewInformation about the objects in our collection is updated to reflect new research findings. If you have any information to share regarding this object, please email reference.mccord@mccord-stewart.ca.
Information about rights and reproductions is available here.
Diary of Elisabeth Posthuma Gwillim entitled 1796
July 25,1796 - September 8, 1796
S001/C3.8,3.3
Diary of Elisabeth Posthuma Gwillim entitled 1792-1793-1794
July 31, 1792 May 16, 1794
S001/C3.8,3.5
Collected poems of Elisabeth Posthuma Gwillim
May 1, 1797 - February 14, 1801
S001/C3.8,3.6
Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, through the continent of North America, to the frozen and Pacific oceans; in the years 1789 and 1793: With a preliminary account of the rise, progress, and present state of the fur trade of that country
Alexander MacKenzie
1801
M2006.73.5
Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Laurence, through the continent of North America, to the frozen and Pacific oceans; in the years 1789 and 1793
Alexander MacKenzie
1801
M6649
Reglement Par lequel le Roy Ordonne que tous les Negocians qui feront Equiper dans les Ports du Royaume des Vaisseaux pour des Voyages de long cours, dont les Equipages seront de Quarante hommes & au dessus, seront obligez d'y Embarquer des Aumôniers, à peine de Deux cens livres d'Amende.
June 5, 1717 - June 8, 1717
S001/A2.2,5.10
Carte du Golfe de St-laurent et Pays Voisins. Pour servir à l'Histoire Générale des Voyages
Jacques Nicolas Bellin
1757
1979.120
Les voyages de la Nouvelle France occidentale, dicte Canada, faits par le Sr. de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitaine pour le Roy en la marine du Ponant, & toutes les descouvertes qu'il a faites en ce païs depuis l'an 1603, jusques en l'an 1629. Où se voit comme ce pays a esté premierement descouvert par les François, sous l'authorité de nos Roys tres chrestiens, jusques au regne de sa Majesté à present regnant Louis XIII, Roy de France et de Navarre. Avec un traitté des qualitez & conditions requises à un bon & parfait navigateur pour cognoistre la diversité des estimes qui se font en la navigation; les marques & enseignements que le providence de Dieu a mises dans les mers pour redresser les mariniers en leur routte, sans lesquelles ils tomberoient en de grands dangers, et la maniere de bien dresser cartes marines avec leurs ports, [...]
Samuel de Champlain
1632
HC-1632.2
Carte des parties du Nord-Ouest de l’Amérique suivant les Voyages de Middleton et d'Ellis en 1742 et 1746 pour chercher un passage dans la Mer du Sud
Jacques Nicolas Bellin
1757
1979.117
Carte d'Amérique Divisée enses Principaux Pays, Dressée sur les mémoires les plus récents, et sur différents voyages et assujettie aux Observations Astronomiques de Mrs de L'Académie Royale des Sciences
Jean-Baptiste-Louis Clouet
1788
1980.487
Personal diary of Marie-Angélique Hay Des Rivières, May 1, 1861 to September 1, 1862
1861-1862
M2012.63.1.9
This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Azrieli Foundation and Canadian Heritage.