Minerva's Diary - A History of Jarvis Collegiate Institute

CHAPTER 1
There must have been an optimistic aura among York's
500 inhabitants on June I, 1807. The mud and malaria of spring
had been forgotten as the mills on the Don and Humber Rivers
returned to full operation. While settlers were clearing land up
north at Yorkville, Indians were renewing their trading along the
waterfront. In the town itself King and Front Streets were the
busiest thoroughfares, although Yonge Street was the longest —
even then it extended all the wav to Lake Simcoe. Four features
of York's swampy, stump-riddled east end were Market Square,
St. James' wooden church, the two red brick Parliament
Buildings, and the future site of the Old Blue School, College
Square.
On the south-east corner of King and George Streets
stood "a substantial frame house, with bow windows looking out
on King Street, the entrance being on George Street. The
external part of this structure was painted a light brown colour,
with green Venetian blinds. "*l This was the residence of the
master, Rev. George O'KiII Stuart. Attached to its east side was a
one-room edifice of rough stone, which had been hewn from a
nearby quarry. It was alleged to be 50 feet long and 25 feet wide.
Unfortunately, the contrast between the frame residence and the
stone addition was too "unfavourable" , so the ugly boulders were
covered with a sheathing of half-inch boards. Historians referred
to it as a "root-house", but to the master it was the Home District
Grammar School in its first day of operation.
Inside, Rev. Stuart stood before five boys. He was a "very
tall, benevolent, fine-featured ecclesiastic with a curious delivery
characterized by unexpected elevations and depressions of the
voice irrespective of the content. These variations were
accompanied by long closings of the eyes, and then a sudden reopening
of the same.
After completing his formal education in 1800 at Harvard
University, he moved to York and became "officiating minister"
of St. James' Cathedral and the "keeper" of a private school at
King and Frederick Streets. On April 16, 1807, he was appointed
master of the new Home District Grammar School. Upon its
opening, he made the following entry in his account book:
On June 1st, 1807 the District School was opened
and the pupils whose names follow were admitted.
John Ridout. William A. Hamilton. Thomas G.
Hamilton. Georae H. Detlor. Georqe S. Boulton.
The original Home District Grammar School was a single room attached to the
master •s house located at the corner of King and George Streets. The stone
structure was covered with a sheathing of half-inch boards.
Courtesy: Toronto Public Libraries.
Three of these pupils would eventually become well
known. John Ridout, the Surveyor-General's son, would be
killed ten years later by Samuel Jarvis in Toronto's last duel.
George Boulton, son of Hon. D'Arcy Boulton, and George
Detlor would become members of the House of Assembly.
By the end of the year the enrolment which totalled thirtyseven,
included Mary Ridout, Donald and Angus McDonell,
William Jarvis, son of the Province's Secretary and Registrar,
Eliza Ann Jarvis, age 6, and her older sister, Maria, age 19. Allan
McNab enrolled in July and was eventually knighted for his
exploits on the Niagara frontier during the rebellion of 1837. He
later served as Prime Minister of Upper Canada from 1854 to
1856.
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