Some of the rebels ended up in Van Dieman's Land
By Bill Rea

Dr. John Carter recently spoke of the experiences of James Milne Aitchison after the rebellions of 1837 and '38.

No matter how lofty the cause, it's usually going to attract some followers who might not be too desirable.

That was even the case with people who took part in the rebellions of 1837 and '38, according to East York resident Dr. John Carter, a museum advisor with the heritage and libraries branch of the Ministry of Culture.

He recently addressed members of the King Township Historical Society on what happened to some of these people who were captured by the British authorities. Many of them ended up taking a long trip, like to the bottom of the world.

He explained that most people in the King area relate to what went on in the 1837, especially with what started in Lloydtown and surrounding areas. But there were follow-up battles, and while William Lyon Mackenzie was not involved, the issues were still pretty much the same.

The lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada in the time after the rebellions was George Arthur, and he had served for a time in Van Dieman's Land (now known as Tasmania), and that's where some of the participants of the '38 conflicts ended up being sent, including James Milne Aitchison.

Carter went to some length to stress Aitchison wasn't a terribly upstanding fellow, at least in his youth, but his path was worth following, from a historical perspective.

Carter said Aitchison came to Canada from Scotland, as a youth with a rebellious streak. "I'm not sure what cause he had," he said.

The immigration to Upper Canada had many success stories, as it offered many poor people their best chance to make a new life. But there were some from the British middle class who just seemed unfit for the life of the immigrant, like young Aitchison.

He was the third son of a wealthy Edinburgh brewer, and evidently was better at sampling the products of the firm than applying business skills. His father looked to Canada as a place where his son could get straightened out, so he sent him across the sea, with a yearly stipend for the family he was to board with.

Things didn't quite work out as planned.

It took 59 days for Aitchison to get to Canada, living on the salt beef, potatoes and biscuits that were on the ship.

Carter said Aitchison ended up in London by November 1834, living with an uncle who was a Presbyterian minister.

In those days, people had the opportunity to claim land, if they could clear the trees away in five years. Aitchison was able to get 100 acres of good land in Kent County, and had to clear 10 acres before he could get clear title. His uncle lent him a horse and put up the money so he could hire a person to cut the trees.

Young Aitchison was not much of a pioneer farmer. As well, Carter said his father died and the older brothers received the brewing business. With no more money coming from home, he asked for permission to marry his cousin, planning to sell the farm and open a store.

"He thought he found an easy way to make money," Carter remarked, but things didn't quite work out that way.

In a letter to his mother in October 1837, he wrote that the poverty was severe, and reflected on the possibility of having Liberals in the Assembly, observing the Conservatives had "had the high hand long enough."

Aitchison was evidently not a fan of the Family Compact.

In another letter in February, he wrote about

rebellion being in the air. By that time, there had already been engagements, including around the Thousand Islands.

Things were not going well for Aitchison. Carter said that by March of '38, he was destitute, his uncle having twice bailed him out of jail. He fled to the United States with no money, and in a letter to his brother, his uncle said he wouldn't have him back.

He wound up in Michigan, living on charity when he enlisted in the patriot army. Carter said he might have been induced by the thought of an American annexation of Canada, and the possibility of land going to those who helped out. There was a lot of excitement on that side of the border for the "glorious cause," but things didn't go well for the side when the action heated up.

Aitchison was captured in an encounter near what is now the Canadian end of the Ambassador Bridge.

In his diary for Dec. 4, Col. John Prince, the local magistrate, described the battle, stating there were 27 killed and another 20 taken prisoner. "I ordered the first five taken to be shot," he wrote.

Lucky Aitchison wasn't in the first five. He was jailed with 29 others and taken back to London, where he was convicted of carrying arms when caught and willingly joining an insurrection, although he had tried to argue that he was forced to take part.

Aitchison and 18 others were sent to Van Dieman's Land.

They were transported on a convict ship named Buffalo, and Carter said English and French Canadian prisoners were segregated for the voyage. He also stated that several accounts of the trip suggest the prisoners didn't know where they were going, although there are stories that contradict that. "I think they did know," he said.

There was military guard on the ship because there were fears there might be a rescue attempt made on the St. Lawrence River. He also said there was a plot on board to take over the ship, and Aitchison was evidently in on it, but it was discovered.

The conditions on the ship were not the greatest. Carter said the rations for four men were divided among six prisoners. But there were indications things were better than the prisoners had been expecting. The captain of the ship allowed them daily exercise and medical attention, so only one prisoner died on the trip. One of them later wrote that the captain showed them "every degree of generosity."

There was also a threeday stop in Rio de Janeiro, during which some prisoners were allowed to buy fruit or send letters home.

Hobart Town was the capital of Van Dieman's Land, and Carter said it was similar to Halifax; based around a harbour with mountains around it.

The prisoners were issued clothing, and what they had worn was taken away. Then they were put to doing road work, from sun rise to sun set. Carter said he suspected they were fed better than a lot of British felons at the time. Despite that, there were complaints about working conditions, lice, fleas, etc. One of the prisoners wrote that it was "slavery," lamenting they were not allowed tobacco. Some of them tried to escape on an American whaling ship. They were caught and sent to Port Arthur, a penal colony.

There are indications Aitchison did all right there. He was appointed an overseer and was in charge of a chain gang. A letter he sent in July 1842 reflected that he seemed in good spirits.

Aitchison received a pardon in January 1844, but if he wanted to get home, he would have to come up with the money himself. This was during a depression, so work was hard to come by.

Carter cited evidence from this period that showed a positive side to Aitchison, as he aided a fellow prisoner named Woodman, who was ill and nearly blind. He also took out papers to launch a suit for false imprisonment, but it was thrown out on a technicality.

Carter said the last definite reference to Aitchison was Feb. 15, 1847. Woodman said he had gone to New Holland. Woodman himself died on a ship and was buried at sea.

Carter doesn't know what eventually happened to Aitchison. He said he's checked records of police and even insane asylums. "Who knows if I will ever find him," he remarked.

There were a lot of pubs around there that could have tempted him, but there were also a number of temperance associations. "I don't think he belonged to any of those," Carter observed.

Carter did express the hope that Aitchison found some success in the days that remained to him, possibly putting his craft as a distiller to use.