James Givins (1759 - 1846)

Born 1759 in Ireland

Died 5 Mar 1846 at about age 87 in York, Canada West

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Biography

James Givins served in the York Militia in the War of 1812
Service started: June 1812
Unit(s):
Service ended: 1815

GIVINS, JAMES (early in his career he signed Givens) was an army and militia officer and Indian Department official; b. c. 1759, possibly in Ireland; m. Angelique Andrews in York (Toronto), and they had nine children; d. 5 March 1846 in what is now Toronto.

James Givins may have spent his early years in Ireland and was perhaps a relative of Henry Hamilton, by whom he was “bred up” according to John Graves Simcoe, lieutenant governor of Upper Canada. When Hamilton was appointed lieutenant governor of Detroit in 1775, young Givins accompanied him to the post. During his time there, he learned Ojibwa, an accomplishment that was to prove most useful in his later career.

It is thought that Givins went to England following his release, but his movements for the next decade are unknown. In 1791 he was appointed lieutenant in the newly formed Queen’s Rangers in Upper Canada and commanded by Simcoe.

On 27 April 1813 he assisted in the defence of York against the invading Americans. After the close of the war his association with the militia continued. On 21 Jan. 1820 he was made colonel of the 3rd Battalion of York militia and the following year he was appointed colonel of the 1st Battalion of West York militia.

In April 1830 Givins was appointed chief superintendent of the Indian Department for Upper Canada. Despite his advanced age and his requests for retirement, he continued in office until 12 June 1837, when he left the service on full pay. He died peacefully at his home, Pine Grove, nine years later.

Givins Street in Toronto (near Ossington and Queen) was named after James Givins. Around 1802 Givins purchased one of the 'Park Lots'. Each Park Lot was 100 acres, and Givins lot included the land between Queen and Bloor Streets, from Shaw to Ossington. ^[1] Givins built a house on the street running north from Queen, between Shaw and Ossington - now Givins Street. According to Robertson, by 1891 - the year in which it was torn down - this was the oldest house in the city. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ The Toronto Park Lot Project
2. ↑ Robertson, John Ross, Landmarks of Toronto, Vol 1, Toronto Evening Telegram, Toronto, 1894, p. 1

• John F. Leslie, “GIVINS, JAMES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 7, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed August 25, 2018, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/givins_james_7E.html.
• Wikipedia:James_Givins
• This WikiTree profile is referenced from Wikidata: Item Q6134661, en:Wikipedia