Humours of '37, Grave, Gay and Grim: Rebellion Times in the Canadas

In Short

This history explores the human side of the 1837–1838 Canadian Rebellions, focusing on local color, personal accounts, and the absurdities of pioneer life rather than abstract political theory. By collecting oral histories, veteran memories, and period skits, the authors detail the clashes between Loyalists, Reformers, French-Canadian Patriots, and American sympathizers across Upper and Lower Canada. The book has lasted because it rejects bloodless academic detachment, capturing the lived reality, social oddities, and ground-level friction of a pivotal era through vivid, unvarnished human detail.

The Story

The narrative examines the ideological and physical conflicts that split the Canadas in 1837, starting with the deep-seated political grievances that boiled over in both provinces. In Lower Canada, Louis-Joseph Papineau leads the radical Reformers, issuing the Ninety-Two Resolutions and clashing with royal governors like Lord Aylmer. English authorities stubbornly misread the depth of local discontent, celebrating loyalist zeal while dismissing popular outrage. Meanwhile, British readers and political elites swallow embellished travelogues, romanticized depictions of Native Americans, and crude stereotypes of Canadian life.

As tensions rise, militia units form across the countryside with comical disorganization. Armed with walking sticks, pitchforks, and outdated muskets, civilian recruits drill haphazardly, frequently brawling among themselves after parade days. In Lower Canada, armed conflict erupts as British regulars and loyalist forces march on rebel strongholds. At St. Denis, Dr. Wolfred Nelson leads an insurgent defense from a fortified distillery, while Papineau is persuaded to flee the battlefield to preserve his leadership for the broader political movement. Bloody skirmishes, village stockades, and personal tragedies mark the advance of government troops through winter roads.

In Upper Canada, the conflict centers around the eccentric, self-satisfied Lieutenant-Governor Sir Francis Bond Head and the fiery Reformer William Lyon Mackenzie. The rebellion reaches a climax near Toronto around Montgomery's Tavern, where loyalist columns converge to disperse Mackenzie's force. Skirmishes along rail fences and field stumps end in the total rout of the insurgent rebels, followed by widespread roundups, arrests, and prison detentions supervised by improvised local guards.

The uprising then shifts to the borders and waterways. American sympathizers and rogue outfits like Bill Johnston—the self-styled pirate of the Thousand Islands—launch guerrilla raids. Johnston burns the British steamer Sir Robert Peel in retaliation for the Caroline affair, while filibustering "Patriots" stage incursions from Detroit to Navy Island. British commanders retaliate sharply; Colonel Prince controversies erupt after summary executions follow the Battle of Windsor, sparking fierce international debates in Parliament and the press.

As military operations wind down, the authors examine the internal social fabric of the settlements. Autocratic figures like Colonel Thomas Talbot rule vast land grants through sheer force of will until defied by stubborn Scottish immigrants. Local magistrates, often unable to read or write, enforce a rough, arbitrary brand of frontier justice. The account closes with detailed portraits of key personalities, including Mackenzie's fierce Celtic mother, whose uncompromising character shaped the Rebel leader, leaving a complex legacy of rebellion, myth, and hard-won constitutional reform.

How It Unfolds

The seeds of revolt Political friction grows in Lower Canada as Papineau pushes his Ninety-Two Resolutions against stubborn British governors who misjudge the public's rising fury.

The civilian drill Settlers form makeshift militia units across Upper Canada, parading with umbrellas, clubs, and vintage firelocks before devolving into drunken tavern brawls.

The battle of St. Denis British troops face stubborn resistance at a fortified distillery, prompting Papineau's retreat while local insurgents fight off advancing regulars.

Rout at Montgomery's Tavern Loyalist columns converge outside Toronto, exchanging rifle fire around timber fences and scattering Mackenzie's insurgent forces into the countryside.

Border piracy and river war Outlaws like Bill Johnston strike from hidden island bases, disguised as painted warriors to burn British shipping and evade border patrols.

Summary justice at Windsor Colonial commanders execute captured brigands after border clashes, igniting fierce political debates across the Atlantic over martial law.

Frontier fiefdoms and eccentrics Feisty settlers clash with tyrannical land barons like Colonel Talbot, demonstrating the stubborn, independent spirit of the early Canadian backwoods.

The People

• Louis-Joseph Papineau: The fiery Speaker of the Lower Canada Assembly who rallies French-Canadian discontent through eloquent oratory but yields military command when battle begins.
• Sir Francis Bond Head: The vain, literary Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada whose supreme self-confidence and erratic decisions escalate political tensions into open conflict.
• William Lyon Mackenzie: The tenacious, hot-headed Reform leader who drives Upper Canada toward open rebellion, deeply influenced by his formidable Gaelic mother.
• Colonel Thomas Talbot: An autocratic land baron who rules his settlement with eccentric tyranny, dispensing properties or threats through his window until a stubborn Highlander breaks his spell.
• Bill Johnston: The self-styled "Commodore" and pirate of the Thousand Islands who conducts a private naval war against British shipping to avenge past grievances.

In Its Own Voice

"The humours are commonly the most important and most variable parts of the animal body."

The authors open their work with this period medical epigraph to emphasize that national history is best understood through its unpredictable human quirks rather than rigid dry dates.

"Gentlemen with the umbrellas, take ground to the right; gentlemen with the walking-sticks, take ground to the left."

An officer's absurd parade command illustrates the utter lack of equipment and formal military discipline among the early Canadian home militias.

"I mean to live and die with you, you old devil, if you do not give me back my land."

A relentless Scottish immigrant delivers this ultimatum to Colonel Talbot after invading his home, perfectly capturing the stubborn pioneer spirit that resisted colonial tyranny.

What It's Really About

Underneath its colorful anecdotes, the book examines how formal history is shaped by informal human behavior, absurdity, and local myth. It argues that the 1837 Rebellions were not merely abstract legal arguments over constitutional governance, but intense personal struggles driven by frontier pride, incompetence, and cultural friction. The authors explore the clash between rigid British imperial rule and the crude, stubborn egalitarianism of the Canadian wilderness. By preserving the remimiscences of dying veterans, the text highlights how historical truth resides less in official state dispatches than in the chaotic, lived experiences of everyday people.

Why Read It Today

This book appeals to readers who enjoy social history filled with sharp wit, quirky character sketches, and unvarnished period detail. Reading it feels like sitting in a rustic tavern listening to old veterans and pioneer settlers tell their rawest, funniest, and most tragic stories. The prose is lively, dryly humorous, and rich in local color, offering a refreshingly unheroic perspective on nation-building.

Prospective readers should be prepared for structural challenges. The narrative does not follow a strict linear timeline; instead, it leaps freely between regional anecdotes, military skirmishes, and biographical sketches. The text assumes some familiarity with early Canadian geography and political figures, incorporating period slang, French phrases, and 19th-century cultural references without immediate explanation. However, those willing to navigate its episodic style will be rewarded with a remarkably vivid, humanized portrait of North American frontier life during a time of revolution.