Mrs. Simcoe's Diary
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During her time in Upper Canada (now Ontario), Mrs. Simcoe encountered fascinating figures, such a explorer, Alexander Mackenzie, and Mohawk Chief, Joseph Brant. She took particular interest in the First Nations people, the social customs of the early settlers, and the flora and fauna of a land that contained a mere 10, 000 non-Natives in 1791. The realm she observed so vividly was quite alien to a woman used to a world of ball gowns, servants, and luxury in England, but the lieutenant-governorâs wife was made of stern stuff and embraced her new environment with relish, leaving us with an account instilled with excitement and delight at everything she witnessed.
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Elizabeth Posthuma Simcoe (1766-1850) was the wife of John Graves Simcoe, the first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada.
Mary Quayle Innis (1899-1972) was the author of several books, including An Economic History of Canada, Changing Canada, and Travellers West. She was the dean of woman at University College, University of Toronto, for a number of years, and she was married to noted economics historian, Harold A. Innis.
