The Denison family was an influential, land-holding family in the development of the town of York, Ontario , present-day Toronto . During the 19th century, many figures in the Denison family held a moderate degree of political authority and contributed significantly to the heritage and politics of Toronto.
17-622: Captain John Denison immigrated to York with his wife Sophia, and sons George , Thomas and Charles , after a personal invitation from John Graves Simcoe to come to the newly formed York. He lived in Castle Frank for a short period, but as English-speaking Anglican Protestants, the Denison Family received land grants: 100-acre (0.40 km) park lots in the family's name, developed into manor homes, farms and residences over
34-525: A consistent role in public life, involving themselves in issues affecting the growth and direction of Canadian nationhood. As soldiers, Loyalists, nationalists, and imperialists they played active roles in the War of 1812 , the rebellion of 1837, the militia crises of 1854–1864, the Canada First movement, the loyalist crisis of 1888–1891, and the struggle for imperial unity 1893–1911. The Denison family crest
51-552: A haven for Confederate agents, exiles, and sympathizers and a clearing house for smuggled documents. He also became involved in efforts to purchase the steamer Georgian, which was to be used as a raider on the Great Lakes. The diplomatic crisis and lawsuits that followed the discovery of this plan effectively ended his prospects for a full-time military career, a disappointment that repeated promises from politicians and his own tireless efforts could not reverse.” The Denisons played
68-530: A parish church for farm workers on his estate. The Kensington Market that is still presently used today was born out of a Denison family estate, the Belle Vue. "John Denison, the first Canadian Denison, began life in York (Toronto) managing someone else's farm; his son rented land to more than a hundred tenants, and his grandson developed the same land into urban residential sites. The Denison record, in effect,
85-531: A role similar to that of the landed gentry in English counties - this was the family compact. Simcoe had picked Russell, who, in turn, encouraged Denison to join them. Denison, his wife and three sons arrived in Kingston, Ontario in 1792. He advertized an invitation for farmers to cultivate barley the same year and used that barley to open a brewery the following year. At 57, he led a militia company during
102-563: Is a hand, its index finger pointing towards a star. For John Denison , that star was the North Star . The Denison's family motto, displayed on the family crest, is Perseverando ('Perseverance' in English). Captain (military rank) Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or
119-659: Is the record of an evolving urban community." This ownership of land and the development of land is how the Denison family accumulated their fortunes. Another notable Denison was George Taylor Denison III , great-grandson of John Denison. He presided over the Toronto police court for 44 years and he had a reputation for an unconventional practice of law. The position of wealth and privilege accompanying land-ownership in Victorian Toronto afforded George Taylor Denison
136-401: The War of 1812 , with his three sons serving under him. A dozen years near the top of the provincial administration had made Russell the largest landowner in the province. He was also a slave owner. His sister Elizabeth became the province's largest landowner, when she inherited his property on his death in 1808. She gave Amy Pompadour to her friend Sophia. Pompadour has been described as
153-470: The Denison family, including Denison Square, Avenue and Creek, Bellevue Avenue, Dovercourt Road, Rusholme Road, Ossington, Major, Robert, Borden, Lippincott streets. Denison Avenue used to be the family's driveway from their house to Queen Street. St. Stephen's-in-the-Field Church , the first Anglican Church west of Spadina, was founded and paid for entirely by Captain John's grandson, Robert Brittain Denison, as
170-448: The English language term captain and its equivalents in other languages ( Capitan , Capitaine , Capitano , Capitão , Kapitan , Kapitän , Kapitein , Kapteeni , Kapten , kapitány , Kapudan Pasha , Kobtan , etc.). John Denison (Upper Canada) John Denison was an early settler of Upper Canada . He was a militia officer and became a member of Upper Canada's notorious family compact . Through
187-547: The South came naturally: it represented an idyllic society that embodied the social order, conservative values, and chivalric traditions he wished to see maintained in British North America. He drew parallels between his loyalist ancestors, who had fought to uphold their principles against the demagoguery of American patriots, and the southerners, who were struggling to preserve their identity and way of life. Fearing
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#1732802378288204-521: The commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, etc. In militaries, the captain is typically at the level of an officer commanding a company or battalion of infantry, a ship, or a battery of artillery, or another distinct unit. It can also be a rank of command in an air force. The term also may be used as an informal or honorary title for persons in similar commanding roles. The term "captain" derives from katepánō ( Ancient Greek : κατεπάνω , lit. ' [the one] placed at
221-535: The consequences of a northern victory for the future of British North America, Denison actively backed the Confederate cause despite Britain’s official neutrality. In September 1864 he received a visit from his uncle George Dewson of Florida, who had been commissioned to assess support for the Confederacy in British North America. Denison’s farm home, Heydon Villa, on his father’s estate in west Toronto, became
238-659: The decades that followed. In 1815, Colonel George Taylor Denison , son of Captain John Denison, bought park lots 17 and 18 and built the Bellevue Homestead. The original road up to the homestead is now known as Denison Avenue in Toronto . The Denison family had land holdings in west Toronto, with the family manor, Bellevue House, located in what is now Kensington Market . Numerous landmarks and streets in this neighbourhood and around west Toronto are named after
255-467: The friendship between his family and Peter Russell (a senior administrator of the new province) and his sister Elizabeth Russell , Denison and his family became one of the province's richest. Denison's wife, the former Sophia Taylor, had been a childhood friend with Elizabeth. When Simcoe learned he would be appointed Lieutenant Governor, he lined up individuals to accompany him, who would be appointed to positions of influence. They would, in effect, fill
272-547: The opportunities that made these accomplishments possible. His grandfather fought with Gen. Isaac Brock in the War of 1812 . George Taylor Denison was an enthusiastic supporter of the Confederate cause at the time of the American Civil War. His home became a gathering place for Confederate sympathizers and agents. As Norman Knowles states in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Denison’s “identification with
289-405: The top ' , or 'the topmost'), which was used as title for a senior Byzantine military rank and office. The word was Latinized as [capetanus or catepan] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |labels= ( help ) , and its meaning seems to have merged with that of the late Latin capitaneus (which derives from the classical Latin word caput , meaning head). This hybridized term gave rise to
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