Diary - Diary of Elisabeth Posthuma Gwillim entitled 1792-1793-1794 | McCord Museum

Diary

Diary of Elisabeth Posthuma Gwillim entitled 1792-1793-1794

Date July 31, 1792 May 16, 1794

Dimensions1 textual record ; 19.6 x 16.3 cm

ClassificationCommunication Objects - Documentary Objects - Other Documents

Origin Canada, North America

Object NumberS001/C3.8,3.5

DivisionArchives - Textual Archives

CollectionStewart

Scope and ContentIn the volume of her diary titled 1792-1793-1794, Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim (1762-1850) describes her travels in the Kingston region, including her encounters with Indigenous people and voyageurs passing through the city.
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.

Arrangement: The original reference code was 1038 M/F1/11 1792-1793-17 [diary].

Status

Not on view

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