A.Y. Jackson (1882-1974)

Born in 1882, A.Y. Jackson studied art in Montreal. His grandfather who lived in the Montreal are was a friend and neighbour of Cornelius Krieghoff, a famous Dutch-Canadian painter, so the family had a tradition of interest in art. Like many Montreal art students, Jackson eventually went to Paris in 1907 to continue his studies. Here, he found the lively artistic community outside of the school more interesting. He left after only six months, and spent two years travelling around France. Back home, his works did not receive good reviews from the established art world. Then he received a letter from Toronto. Jackson=s paintings had come to the attention of a small group of young artists in Toronto, led by J.E.H. MacDonald and Lawren Harris. They invited him to come to join them, and Jackson agreed. The group also included Tom Thomson, Arthur Lismer, Fred Varley, Frank Johnston and Frank Carmichael. The group worked from the AStudio Building of Canadian Art@, which Harris and a friend had designed in the Rosedale area of Toronto (which is still standing near the Rosedale Subway station). They thus became known as the Studio Building Group. In all but name the Group of Seven had been born.

Jesuits’ Estates Act (1888)

This was a Quebec statute by which Honoré Mercier’s administration disposed of the compensation for Jesuit property that had been sequestered by the crown. Governments had been unable to decide on how to allocate the compensation which had to be spent on education. Part of the settlement was granted to the Protestant schools with the remainder to be divided within the Catholic community at the Pope’s discretion. The people of Quebec were fine with this arrangement although the Orange Order in Ontario was enraged. John A. Macdonald refused to step in as this matter was an education matter and fell within provincial jurisdiction.

Guy Johnson (1740-1788)

Guy Johnson, also born in county Meath, Ireland, was a cousin and son-in-law of William Johnson. While William=s eldest son, John, inherited his father=s estate, Guy took on the role of Indian Superintendent after William=s death in 1774. However, the transition was not smooth. Governor of Canada, Guy Carleton, put his own protégé forward, a Major John Campbell. Campbell was the son-in-law of a powerful business associate of Carleton, Luc de la Corne, who held major interest in the Montreal fur trade. Guy Carleton and especially Daniel Claus (who had the most to lose) protested the appointment and led a delegation to England to argue their case. Joseph Brant and John Butler=s son, Walter, also came along to support Johnson and Claus. In the end, Guy Johnson was confirmed as Superintendent of the Northern Indian Department, largely with responsibility for the relations with the Six Nations, while a separate agent based in Detroit would deal with the Western nations (the Shawnee). Claus, however, was squeezed out of his position as superintendent based in Montreal. Guy served in the Department until 1782. He was also a prominent loyalist leader during the American Revolution.

John Johnson (1742-1830)

John Johnson was the eldest son of Sir William Johnson and his first wife, Catharine Weissenberg. He became Superintendent of the Indian Department following Guy Johnson, serving in that role from 1782 to 1828. Johnson was a prominent leader during the American Revolution, leading his own King=s Royal Regiment of New York (more usually called the Royal Yorkers) and after the, war settled in Canada at Prescott. Many of the veterans of the Royal Yorkers with their families settled in the area as well founding New Johnstown, the future city of Cornwall.

Sir William Johnson (1715-1774)

Sir William Johnson was an English baronet (a noble rank just below that of baron), born in Smithtown, County Meath, Ireland. His uncle, Admiral Sir Peter Warren, was one of the earliest British settlers of the Mohawk valley, and William came to America in 1734 to manage his uncle=s estate, located on the Mohawk about 35 km west of Schenectady. After serving in the colonial army, in 1755, Johnson was made ASole Superintendent of the Affairs of the Six United Nations, their Allies and Dependents@. This basically means he was made ambassador to all the native nations in the northeast, most importantly the Six Nations (the League of the Hodenausaunee). Johnson, however, had especially close connections with the Mohawk nation. He adopted many parts of native culture, and was given the native name of Wariaghejaghe, of which the meaning is uncertain. He married the senior clan mother of the Mohawk, Tekonwatonti, known in English as either Mary or Molly Brant. Johnson died suddenly of a heart attack or stroke on July 11, 1774, just before the outbreak of the American Revolution. Thanks to his influence, the Six Nations stayed neutral during Pontiac=s Revolt of 1763, and even after his death, most of the Six Nations remained loyal to the British alliance during the American Revolution.