John Galt | |
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| Born | (1779-05-02)2 May 1779 |
| Died | 11 April 1839(1839-04-11) (aged 59) Greenock, Scotland |
| Occupation | Writer, colonial businessman |
| Period | 1812–1839 |
| Genre | Poetry, drama, short stories, travel writing |
| Notable works | Annals of the Parish The Chronicle of Dalmailing,The Entail |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Tilloch |
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John Galt (/ɡɔːlt/; 2 May 1779 – 11 April 1839) was a Scottishnovelist, entrepreneur, and political and social commentator. Galt has been called the first political novelist in the English language,[1] due to being the firstnovelist to deal with issues of theIndustrial Revolution.
Galt was the first superintendent of theCanada Company (1826–1829). The company was formed to populate a part of what is now SouthernOntario (then known asUpper Canada) in the first half of the 19th century; it was later called "the most important single attempt at settlement in Canadian history".[2]
In 1829, Galt was recalled to Great Britain[3] for mismanagement of the Canada Company (particularly incompetent bookkeeping), and was later jailed for failing to pay his son's tuition.[4] Galt'sAutobiography, published in London in 1833, includes a discussion of his life and work in Upper Canada.[5]
He was the father of SirAlexander Tilloch Galt ofMontreal, Quebec, one of the leadingFathers of Confederation from Lower Canada.
Born on 2 May 1779 in the seaport ofIrvine in Ayrshire, Galt was the son of ashipmaster andtrader. Every year, Galt's whole family moved seasonally toGreenock. He grew up tall but rather delicate, and spent a lot of time listening to the "marvellous narrations" of some elderly women who lived in theclose behind his grandmother's house. After tutoring at home, he joined Irvine Grammarpublic school in 1787, becoming a lifetime friend of his schoolfellowHenry Eckford. Around 1789, Galt's father owned and commanded aWest Indiaman trading withJamaica, and had a house built in Greenock. The family settled there, and at school Galt became close friends with classmatesWilliam Spence, a budding mathematician, and James Park, who spurred Galt's enthusiasm for writing and poetry. Their education, well suited tocommerce, covered penmanship,[6][7] arithmetic, French, geography, astronomy and mathematics, includingnavigation using asextant on local hills in 1794.[8][9]
It was usual in Greenock for lads starting careers in commerce to first improve their penmanship by copying entries in the books of thecustom house, so Galt and Park were "desked" there for a few months. At the age of 17, Galt became a junior clerk at a Greenock firm ofmerchants.[10][11] He was a "voracious reader" using the town'ssubscription library. With his friends, he went on long walks, wrote essays and stories, some of which were published inConstable'sThe Scots Magazine, and founded aLiterary and Debating Society. In early 1804, at theTontine Hotel, this hostedJames Hogg,[10][11] who was not widely known at the time. Hogg, with two companions, arrived unannounced in Greenock at the start of a tour of the highlands, and was surprised and gratified by the invitation to supper with a large literary community. He remembered Galt as "a tall thin young man, with something a littledandyish in his appearance", dressed in afrock coat and newtop-boots, with his shirt collar fashionably high at one side, while the other flapped down, but debating with "such good-nature and such strong emphatic reasoning" as to be "no common youth". The discussion, songs, and stories were "much above what I had ever been accustomed to hear". They became good friends.[3][12]
Though seemingly doing well, Galt "felt at Greenock as if I was never in my proper element", and was restless about "the narrowness of my prospects".[13] Incensed by an abusive letter, he pursued its author toLeith and got a written apology, then on return told his father and the merchants' firm he intended to quit Greenock. Galt made preparations and, accompanied by his father, tookpost chaise and mail coach to London in May 1804.Letters of introduction got him, at most, dinner invitations. In 1805 he used an advance of his father'spatrimony to fund a partnership with a factor.[14] In 1809 he began studying law atLincoln's Inn.[3][15]
During a subsequent trip to Europe, where he was commissioned by a merchant firm to establish trade agreements, Galt met and befriendedLord Byron inGibraltar. He traveled with Byron and his companion,John Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton, toMalta. He met them again in Greece. Parting company, Galt continued alone toConstantinople,Adrianople and thenSofia. He returned to Greenock via Ireland. He then embarked toLondon to pursue business plans, but these did not come to fruition and he took to writing. Galt wrote an account of his travels, which met with moderate success. Decades later, he would also publish the first fullbiography of Lord Byron. He also published the first biography of the painterBenjamin West,The Life and Studies of Benjamin West (1816, expanded 1820).[15]
In 1813, Galt attempted to establish aGibraltarian trading company, in order to circumventNapoleon'sembargo on British trade; however,Wellington's victory in Spain made this no longer necessary. Galt then returned to London and married Elizabeth Tilloch, daughter ofAlexander Tilloch.[16] They had three boys, John Galt Jr (1814–1866), Thomas Galt (1815–1901), and Alexander Tilloch Galt (1817–1893).[17] In 1815, he became Secretary of theRoyal Caledonian Asylum in London. He also privately consulted in several business ventures.[3]
Galt started to submit articles toBlackwood's Magazine in late 1819, and in March 1829 he sent Blackwood the publishers the plan for "The Ayrshire legatees".
Concentrating on his writing for the next several years, Galt lived at times in London,Glasgow,Edinburgh and elsewhere, writing fiction and a number of school texts under thepseudonym Reverend T. Clark. Around 1821 he moved his family from Greenock to Eskgrove nearMusselburgh. In addition to moving his residence frequently during this period, Galt also switched publishers several times, moving fromBlackwood's Magazine to Oliver and Boyd and then back again.[3] In 1821Annals of the parish was published as were two instalments ofThe steam boat and he started work on the novelSir André Wylie.Annals of the parish established Galt's reputation overnight.Sir Andrew Wylie was published in 1822.[18]
In 1824, Galt was appointed secretary of theCanada Company, a charter company established to aid in the colonization of theHuron Tract inUpper Canada along the eastern shore ofLake Huron. After the company was incorporated byroyal charter on 19 August 1826, Galt traveled across theAtlantic on theman-of-war HMSRomney, arriving atNew York City and then traveling by road. Sadly, soon after arriving, word was sent that his mother had suffered a stroke. He returned to her (in Musselburgh) in 1826 and she died a few months later. He returned to Canada in 1826. While in Canada, Galt lived in York in Upper Canada (nowOntario), but located the headquarters of the Canada Company atGuelph, a town he also founded in 1827.[3] Later that year, he co-founded the town ofGoderich[3] withTiger Dunlop.[19] The community ofGalt, Ontario, was named after him.
During his tenure with the Canada Company, Galt ran afoul of several colonial authorities, includingSir Peregrine Maitland, who wasLieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada at the time.[3] His employers grew concerned about his spending and problems with the accounts. In 1828 they sent an accountant to help, and investigate for them. When he left for London with papers. Galt decided to follow and give an explanation to the directors, but at New York early in 1829 found he had been replaced. When Galt reached England on 20 May his debtors had already read the news, and Galt was put indebtors' prison over school fees for his sons.[3]
By the 1830s, the Canada Company was attracting substantial numbers of Scottish settlers to the area around Guelph.[20]
On his return to Great Britain, Galt prepared his case for the Company directors, and was given considerable support. On 14 July 1829, he wrote to his friend, the physicianDavid Macbeth Moir, saying he had brought from Canada "book-material", some of which he had sent on to Blackwood for possible publication. At the insistence of his debtors, he then spent several months inKing's Bench Prison for failure to pay debts, and used the time to write. After his release in November 1829, he published books including novels set in Canada;Lawrie Todd in 1830, andBogle Corbet in 1831. He pressed on with his biography of Byron.[3][21]
Around this time, he began to suffer symptoms of nervous disease. He told Moir In April 1831 that, while still in Canada, he had stumbled and hurt his spine on a tree root. In early April, 1831, he moved with his family to Barn Cottage inOld Brompton.[3][22] He wrote more novels. The most successful,The Member and its sequelThe Radical, reprised the device of being written in the first person by a protagonist, revealing more than they intend, with political corruption as the central theme, drawing on his own recent experiences.[3][23]
Galt was involved in another colonial business venture, theBritish American Land Company, which was formed to develop lands in theEastern Townships ofLower Canada (nowQuebec). Galt served as secretary but was forced to resign in December 1832 because of his health.[5][24] By this stage, his spinal injury was crippling him. A series of strokes affected his speech and handwriting, and he had great difficulty walking. Unable to write, he dictated a two volumeAutobiography which sold well.[25]
Galt's three sons returned to Canada in 1833. The eldest, John Jr., would be appointed Collector of Customs and Registrar of Deeds at Goderich and become part of theColborne Clique.[17] His youngest sonAlexander became one of thefathers of Confederation and Canada's firstminister of finance.[3]
In December 1833, having gone through his papers and found early work of interest, Galt took up Moir's suggestion and began what became his three volumeLiterary Life and Miscellanies, and planned to return to Scotland while still sufficiently able.[26]
He retired to his old home in Greenock in August 1834 following the departure of three of his sons to Canada. Finding the accommodation unsuitable he lived temporarily inGourock before moving in December 1834 to a more comfortable house, sited in central Greenock on Westburn Street, at its corner with West Blackhall Street. He stayed there with his wife and sister. Galt died on 11 April 1839, and was buried in the family tomb of his parents in the New Burying Ground in Greenock (now called the Old Greenock Cemetery or Inverkip Street Cemetery).[27][28]
In Greenock, John Galt is commemorated by the John Galt memorial fountain on the Esplanade, and by a plaque at the old cemetery where he is buried.Sheltered housing (for seniors) built next to the cemetery in 1988, on the site of the oldGreenock Royal Infirmary, is named John Galt House in his honour.[29]
He is also commemorated inMakars' Court, outside The Writers' Museum, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh. The paving slab is engraved with theScots language words "birr and smeddum" (vigour and liveliness[30]) quoting his 1821 bookAnnals of the Parish.[31]
The city ofGalt, Ontario was named after John Galt, but was absorbed intoCambridge, Ontario in 1973. His original home in Guelph, known as the "Priory" (built 1827-1828), stood on the banks of the Speed River near the currentRiver Run Centre for performing arts. The building later became the first Canadian Pacific Railway station in the city; the conversion was completed in 1888.[32][33] The building was no longer required by the Canadian Pacific Railway which built a new station in 1910. A photograph from 1914 depicts it as boarded up. In spite of attempts by various individuals in Guelph to save the structure, it was torn down in 1926.[34]
A historical plaque commemorates Galt's role with the Canada Company in populating the Huron Tract, calling it "the most important single attempt at settlement in Canadian history".[35] In 2006, the community of Guelph proclaimed thefirst Monday in August, "John Galt Day".[36][37]
Galt's novels are best known for their depiction of Scottish rural life, tinged with ironic humour. Galt wrote the following works:[27]
JOHN GALT 1779—1839 History maker, novelist, poet and superintendent of the Canada Company, he founded Guelph on April 23, 1827. The opening of the Huron Tract in Upper Canada has been described as the most important single attempt at settlement in Canadian history, This progressive community stands as a monument to his efforts and ingenuity. Born in Irvine, Scotland May 2, 1779 and died at Greenock, Scotland April 11, 1839. Erected by a grateful citizenry in 1979, marking the bi-centennial of his birth and the 100th anniversary of Guelph as a city.
From Library and Archives Canada
Plaque #4
Bates, William (1883)."John Galt" .The Maclise Portrait-Gallery of "Illustrious Literary Characters" . Illustrated byDaniel Maclise (1 ed.). London: Chatto and Windus. pp. 37–41 – viaWikisource.
