Torontonian

Well said. I have a few more comments on John Simcoe from his biography by Duncan Campbell Scott. For those that don't know, Simcoe founded the Town of York which become the provincial capital of Upper Canada and is now Toronto. Simcoe was the First Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. Simcoe's ambition on joining the army was to command a light infantry force that would still be the forlorn hope but also "but would leave in its marches unharried fields and homesteads respected." This is why he took up the command of the Queen's Rangers. Simcoe was actually quite contrite at the skirmish of Hancock's House, claiming "events like this are the real miseries of war." Simcoe's fault was really being totally loyal to the Crown with an unshakeable belief that the American colonists were wrong, and had brought it on themselves. He proved to be a great statistician and helped locate the perfect spot for the future capital of Upper Canada. It was militarily far enough away from the US, and had a welcoming and protected harbour. It was there that he commissioned the building of Fort York. While organizing the new capital, his wife joined him with the two youngest children first living in a tent and then they built a log home overlooking the Don Valley. Unfortunately one of their children died and is buried in the burial ground outside of Fort York. Elizabeth Simcoe, his wife, spent her days wandering the Don with her sketch pad and these drawings she sent back to the four children they left in England. The Simcoes are remembered fondly in Ontario with place names like East Gwillimbury (after Mrs. Simcoe's maiden name Gwillim), Scarborough which she named, many Simcoe Streets, the town of Simcoe, Ontario and Lake Simcoe close to Georgian Bay. Our August holiday is called Simcoe Day. Simcoe was not a rat faced psychopath but rather a slightly plump pleasant looking man who loved his wife and children and performed his duties to the Crown in an impeccable manner.

Hi there, I'm new to the forum but what I wanted to say is that although I am enjoying the show, it is completely over the top in regards to John Graves Simcoe. Simcoe was the founder of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. He was a decent man who brought his family over from England while serving as the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. At the battle of Brandywine he told his men to stop shooting at the fleeing rebels. When he founded York, later Toronto, he refused to allow slavery within and many of the loyalist who accompanied him freed their slaves. His wife had a diary and did much to recount the early days of Toronto while she sketched pictures of the Don River and the valley below their house. Simcoe was hardly the cruel psychopath being portrayed in this show. Rogers and his Rangers are buried in Niagara on the Lake on the other side of Lewiston. He and his men with their Indian allies settled there, built their farms and died there. He was not a Scotsman but American born and a hero of the Seven Year's War.