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Virtual Museum of Toronto - Historical Collection |
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The Textures of a Lost Toronto:
John Howard's Documentary Art & Drawings - 1830s - 1880s |
JOHN AND JEMIMA HOWARD
John Howard and his wife Jemima moved to Toronto in 1832,
and John was the first professional architect to settle here.
Trained in England, he worked in a late Regency idiom, and
liked to express the comparatively new Picturesque theory of
his day, although much of his work resonated with the Neoclassical
style of the Georgians. He brought a new level of refinement
to the province's buildings, whether they were jails or houses,
mills or shops, churches or courthouses. He also undertook
surveys and built sewers, bridges, and the other services needed
in the rapidly growing town and province.
JOHN
HOWARD, 1874 (JOHN BRIDGMAN AND JOHN FORSTER)
City of Toronto Toronto Culture, Arts Services, A75-38. |
JEMIMA HOWARD, 1874 (JOHN BRIDGMAN AND JOHN
FORSTER)
City
of Toronto Toronto Culture, Arts Services, A75-37. |
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John
Howard married Jemima Frances Meikle in 1827. Jemima (1802-77)
sometimes prepared copies of specifications in John's architectural
and engineering practice. She also was an amateur watercolourist,
but did not document the city's life, focusing instead
on romantic images. The Howards' relationship seems to
have been incomplete: John engaged in a long-term clandestine
relationship with another woman, Mary Williams, with whom
he had three children, whereas he and Jemima had none.
Yet during Jemima's final illness - with cancer - John
did his utmost to find a cure and to care for her, and
seems to have grieved her loss with deep sincerity.
| JOHN GEORGE HOWARD |
| 1803 |
born as John Corby in Hertfordshire, England |
1818-24 |
spent
time at sea, became a carpenter and joiner |
1824-32 |
studied
and worked in architecture |
1832 |
adopted 'Howard'
as a surname for unknown reasons |
1832 |
immigrated
to York, Upper Canada |
1833-53 |
worked
as one of Canada's busiest architects, surveyors, and
engineers |
1833-56 |
taught 'geometrical
drawing' (draughting) at Upper Canada College |
1833-80s |
speculated
in land for himself and worked as a land agent for
others |
1834 |
held
City post as first surveyor (part-time and on commission) |
1836 |
purchased
High Park for a sheep farm |
1837 |
built
Colborne Lodge in High Park |
1837 |
served
as a militia officer in suppressing the Mackenzie Rebellion |
1843-55 |
held
the post of City engineer (part-time and on commission) |
1853-57 |
served
as justice of the peace and associate judge |
1873 |
conveyed
the nucleus of High Park to the City of Toronto |
1890 |
died
at Colborne Lodge |
1890 |
his
remaining High Park property transferred to the City |
EXPLORE JOHN HOWARD'S DOCUMENTARY ART & DRAWINGS
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