Nominal List of Pensioners in the Toronto C.W. District

This information, sent to us by Walt Sammis of Florida, contains names of former British army and navy members listed as “out-pensioners”, found in the Royal Hospital Chelsea/Greenwich files. The RHC was the administrative office for the British army and has been responsible for distributing pension payments since the late 1600s.

Walt writes,

One document I researched at the National Archives in Kew is WO 22/204: Royal Hospital Chelsea: returns of payment of army and other pensions, paid out locally in Canada, 1852-1862. One section of this reference is a Nominal list of pensioners in the Toronto, Canada West, District, for the quarter ending 30th of June 1859, with their place of residence as far as can be ascertained at the Head Quarters, Toronto, 1st July 1859. Within this section is a page entitled Port Hope, and I have attached an image of the page and a transcription. Though surprisingly small, I thought it might help someone.
[This is Walt's third valuable contribution to our site. Previous were the Garden Hill Presbyterian baptisms and the amazing lead to the discovery of the missing 1928-1954 Port Hope newspapers!]

In 1830, Parliament passed a law (11 George IV and 1 William IV, c. 41) authorizing commutation of soldiers' pensions to encourage settlement in the colonies. If they took the offer, the soldiers would receive a cash payout equal to four years of pension payments plus transportation, together with their families, to the colony and one hundred acres of farmland. They would give up any right to further pension payments. As best as can be determined, over 4,000 soldiers took up this offer, and about 3,200 of those went to Canada. The peak years for emigration under this scheme were 1831 and 1832. The majority of pensioners who came to Canada were settled in the Home, London, and Newcastle Districts of Canada West.

Sadly, the plan was pretty much a failure. Many of the pensioners who took the offer were unprepared for the rigours of life in rural Canada, most being "too old, too weak, too lacking in stamina and perseverance to make settlers of any kind". Apparently alcoholism was also a big issue. Half the pensioners who came to Upper Canada were afflicted in some way, "some with one arm, some with one leg, bent with old age or rheumatism, lame, halt, and even, will it be believed, blind!" Estimates are that 75% of the pensioners perished within six years.

Chelsea [Army]

Corps	Rate per diem	Rank and name	Place of residence	Remarks
6th Dragoons Guards	0/6	Pte Robert Virtue	Darlington
6th Dragoons Guards	0/9	Pte Luther Breen	Rice Lake	Dead
6th Foot	1/0	Pte Joseph Wood	South Monaghan
55th Foot	1/0	Pte James Johnston	Clarke
83rd Foot	0/5	Pte Peter Hobbs	Clarke
60th Foot	1/4	Corpl John Coogan	Newcastle
62nd Foot	1/0	Pte Castllia Williams	Port Hope
65th Foot	0/6	Pte George Burrows	Newcastle
68th Foot	1/8	Sgt John Stevens	Newcastle
74th Foot	1/0	Pte Robert Boyd	Perry Town
87th Foot	0/9	Pte Thomas Irwin	South Monaghan
Royal Rifle Corps	1/2	Pte Richard Reading	Port Hope
Royal Rifle Corps	1/3	Pte Thomas Smith	Port Hope
Royal Rifle Corps	2/0	Sgt Joseph Raymond	Port Hope
7th Bn Royal Artillery	1/0.5	Pte James McMullen	Port Hope
7th Bn Royal Artillery	1/9.5	Sgt Andrew Boyle	Perry Town
12th Bn Royal Artillery	0/9	Pte Joseph Dagan	Port Hope

Greenwich [Royal Navy]

Corps or number	Rate per annum	Rank and name	Place of residence	Remarks
#2897	£7-8-0	Marine Robert Rawlings	Port Hope
#2850	£9-4-0	Marine William Groves	Port Hope
#1498	£18-4-1	Marine George Kennis	Port Hope

Commuted

Corps	Rate per diem	Name	Place of residence	Remarks
Royal Horse Guards	0/4.5	Mark Armitage	Port Hope	Dead
28th Foot	0/4.5	Robert McWha[?]	Port Hope
Royal Artillery Drivers	0/4.5	James Bradshaw

Peter and Barbara Bolton - Port Hope, Ontario
alivingpast.ca