Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Plenty Room on That Porch


The Toronto villa of Thomas Mercer Jones (at the corner of York and Front, you'll have to plug in the streets yourself on the map), the Canada Company Director who refused to sell any land in Wilberforce to the colonists, despite all the gruelling work they did, over several years, to clear it and make it habitable. He didn't even sell to Austin Steward.

I find it interesting that, despite all the information online about Thomas Mercer Jones, there is not a single mention of the fact that he refused to sell land to Austin Steward, President of the Wilberforce Colony, because Austin Steward, President of the Wilberforce Colony, was black. He remained a tenant in his own colony. The two names are never mentioned together on any web page I can find.
"Mister Jones," as Austin Steward refers to him, had been ripped off by Israel Lewis, and despite the fact the Lt. Gov. John Colborne had informed the Wilberforce settlers that in Canada, "so long as they remain true and loyal subjects they would have every privilege extended to them that was enjoyed by any of her Majesty's subjects, no distinction being made on account of colour," the same sentiment would not be expressed, or certainly not felt, by the Shakespeare-loving director of the Canada Company.

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