Colborne Lodge, the residence built in what is now Toronto, serves as the most prominent physical legacy of an individual who arrived in Upper Canada during the 1830s. Originally identifying as John Corby, he established himself as a central figure in the architectural and civic development of the growing colonial town throughout the middle of the nineteenth century.
Early Career and Emigration
Born in Bengeo, Hertfordshire, in 1803, the man who would adopt the surname Howard initially spent two years at sea as a sailor before training as a carpenter and joiner. By 1824, he entered the architecture profession, undertaking a three-year apprenticeship with William Ford. His departure for Upper Canada in 1832 followed a meeting with Mr. Cattermole of the Canada Land Company. Accompanying his wife, Jemima Frances Meikle, he transitioned into the Canadian professional landscape, settling in the town of York, which would soon be renamed Toronto.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Professional Practice in Toronto
Upon his arrival in 1833, Howard became the town’s first professional architect. He balanced a private practice, which included commissions for banks, cottages, and institutions such as Queen’s College in Kingston and the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, with a teaching role at Upper Canada College. His technical expertise extended to civil engineering, leading to his appointment as the official surveyor for the government of Toronto from 1843 until 1855. His surveying contributions included mapping the Toronto Harbour, planning the waterfront Esplanade, and subdividing the peninsula now recognized as Toronto Island.
Public Service and Land Management
Beyond his design and surveying work, Howard engaged in various civic and military duties. He served in the militia during the 1837 rebellion led by William Lyon Mackenzie and acted as a Justice of the Peace starting in 1853. His landholdings were significant; he owned Sunnyside Farm and a large parcel of land intended for sheep farming, which eventually became High Park. In 1873, he reached an agreement to deed 120 acres of this property to the city in exchange for a yearly pension, later serving as a forest ranger to manage its development.
Legacy and Final Years
Following the death of his wife in 1877, Howard remained at his home in Colborne Lodge until his own death in 1890. He maintained a secondary domestic life with Mary Williams, with whom he had three children. His grave in High Park features a cairn monument he designed himself, utilizing a perimeter fence salvaged from a shipwreck in the St. Lawrence River. This fencing, originally created by Christopher Wren for St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, reflects the transatlantic influences Howard carried throughout his career, a tenure recognized in 1883 when he was made a Royal Canadian Academician.
Fast facts
- Born: 1803, Bengeo, England
- Died: 1890, Toronto, Canada
- Primary occupations: Architect, civil engineer, surveyor
- Notable work: Colborne Lodge
- Arrival in Canada: 1832
- Toronto official surveyor tenure: 1843-1855
- Royal Canadian Academician appointment: 1883
Questions readers ask
Why did John George Howard change his name?
He provided two accounts: initially citing his illegitimacy as John Corby, and later claiming a direct ancestral descent from the 4th Duke of Norfolk.
What is the origin of the fence at his gravesite?
The wrought iron fence was designed by Christopher Wren for St. Paul's Cathedral in London and was salvaged by Howard from a shipwreck in the St. Lawrence River.
Achievements
- Notable work: Colborne Lodge
