Trafalgar Castle School - Yearbook (Whitby, Ontario Canada)

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Author ' s Introduction As you will see on opening this Centennial edition of Vox Collegii, there is something special between its covers --an illustrated history of the Ontario Ladies ' College from the time Sheriff Reynolds built Trafalgar Castle 115 years ago to the day last year when the school was nearly destroyed by fire. It is only fitting when any institution achieves 100 years of service that its story be told. As archivist of the Whitby Historical Society, 1 have had the privilege of writing this history of OLC, the first such work since Miss Maxwell ' s account was printed for the 75th anniversary in 1949. Four years of research have gone into the production of this historical account. But even with that amount of time it has been impossible to deal with everything that happened at OLC in its first century. This book is designed primarily as a survey of events in the history of the school. If the reader finds there are omissions, as I am sure there are, it is only because of lack of available information and few opportunities to conduct extensive inter- views. The sources for this history of OLC are for the most part, the local newspapers, and publications of the college. Many original documents are quoted to give a true impression of life during the various periods of the col- lege ' s development. Photographs illustrating this book are owned by the Ontario Ladies ' College, Whitby Historical Society, and a number of people associated with the college. The writing of this history was fraught with difficulties in its early stages when two major sources were damaged or destroyed, - -one by fire and the other by water. Special thanks are due to Hugh MacMillan and William Cooper of the Ontario Archives for preserving and micro- filming the newspapers of Whitby which were damaged in a flood in 1971. Without their prompt attention to this matter, the major source for all research on Whitby would have been lost. The second disaster was the burn- ing of the Oshawa Times building, in which nearly all the city ' s newspapers before 1946 were destroyed. As a result of this and the lack of yearbooks for 1943 and 1944, the chapter on the years of the Second World War is not as complete as I would have hoped. My thanks go to the staff of the United Church Archives in Toronto who provided the bulk of the material for the period of 1874 to 1900 from the files of the Methodist newspaper. The Christian Guardian. I also thank Dr. Osborne for supplying me with material on his years as principal of the college. Dr. Davis and I have worked together many hours on every phase of this project, from the initial planning to the final paste -up of pages. His assistance and direction are much appre- ciated, for without his help, the work would never have been completed on time. Finally, I would li ke to express my appre- ciation to the board of directors for the back- ing that made this history possible. As the first comprehensive account of the Ontario Ladies ' College, I am sure it will serve as a record of the fine traditions of the school and a source of pride to its students for many years to come. BRIAN WINTER, Archivist, Whitby Historical Society. BOARD OF DIRECTORS, SEPTEMBER 1874 President James Holden Vice-President Walter Coulthard W.D, Mathews Joshua Richardson Thomas McClung Aaron Rose N.G. Reynolds G. Y. Smith J. L. Smith

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Foreword One of the major projects to be undertaken for the hundredth anniversary of the Ontario Ladies ' College has been the preparation of an illustrated history. It was four years ago that Brian Winter and I studied the feasibility of preparing such a book. After a preliminary study of the many original documents, it appeared that such a project could be accomplished with a great deal of research. The Board of Directors then gave permission for Mr. Winter to proceed with the book, and made him the official historian for the Board. For this purpose the office staff collaborated fully by providing access to all school records, pictures, and factual data for his use. An appeal was made to all Alumnae, via the annual newsletters, for materials and pic- tures dating back to 1874, and the response has been very helpful. Now, four years later, this very significant publication appears before you, and Brian Winter is to be congratulated for the excellence of this documentary. As our readers become acquainted with the eloquent history of this great residential private school, and as they relive the many past achievements recorded here for posterity, it is the hope of all the present mem- bers of the Board of Directors that a greater sense of pride in O.L.C. will be kindled. May those who attended here develop a deeper sense of responsbility to our Alma Mater which will help imbue all of us with the strength of our convictions in the quest to advance the cause of private education in Ontario. May we all to this by continuing our moral, spiritual and financial support to the Ontario Ladies ' College as it continues to serve the educational needs of its students during the next one hundred years. REGINALD C. DAVIS Principal BOARD OF DIRECTORS, JANUARY 1974 President . . . o . o . . Honorary President . Honorary President . Vice-President . . . . Vice-President . „ . . Secretary -Treasurer Dr. John B. Davies Dr. H.T.R. Mount Mr. Thos. G. Rogers Mr. D.W. McQuay Mrs. David R. F. Smith Mr. R. P. Matthews Mr. E. Paul Coath Dr. R.C. Davis Mrs. R. Leo Gray Mr. C.L. Jenkins The Rev. Dr. G.J. Minielly The Rev. J. K. Moffat The Rev. D.J. Proctor Mr. N. R. Ridgely Mr. C. B, Rycroft The Rev. J. M. Smith Miss H„A. Tew Mr. E. B. Wilkins Mr. D.A. Wilson Ex-Officio . Mrs. Clifford Labbett, Dr. H. W. Vaughan

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Chapter One iron Reynolds, The Man Of Trafalgar In the early summer of 185 9, the sounds of the hammer and saw could be heard on a small hill a quarter of a mile east of the Town of Whitby, Ontario. A growing community of 3, 500 people on the north shore of Lake Ontario, 30 miles east of Toronto, Whitby was quickly achieving prominence as the newly chosen county town of the County of Ontario. There stood the courthouse and jail and the offices of the county officials, among whom was the Sheriff, Nelson Gilbert Reynolds. Many citizens stopped their work to gaze at the structure rising on the hill, which was soon to become the new home of the sheriff. Having been named after Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar, Sheriff Reynolds gave the name Trafalgar Castle to his grand mansion with its Elizabethan towers and stained glass windows. The local newspapers were already calling it the largest private detached residence on the continent, but to the ordinary citizen, unused to such pretension in a pioneer com- munity, it was known popularly as Reynolds ' Folly. As construction proceeded throughout the next three years, neither Sheriff Reynolds nor the people who watched the work from a distance realized that Trafalgar Castle would eventually become a school for young ladies recognized throughout the world for its high standards of Christian education. Nelson Gilbert Reynolds was the kind of man that inspires legends, and many have grown up around his unique personality. A govern- ment official writing to a friend in Whitby at the time Reynolds was appointed sheriff referred to him as ' large as life and twice as natural. His career reads like an account from an adventure novel, rather than the record of a man ' s life. In his younger days he earned the nickname iron Reynolds because of his great physical endurance. Reynolds was born at Kingston, Upper Canada, Jan. 23, 1814, the son of Rev. John Reynolds, a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a native of Northern Ireland. He was one of the first students to attend Upper Canada College after it opened in 1829 and received part of his education at Cazuenrovia Seminary in New York. At 15 years of age he went to England and became an officer in the 11th Lancers, returning to Canada four years later. He remained with his parents in Belleville for a short time, but the spirit of adventure called him again, and he left for ser- vice in the Hudson ' s Bay Company ' s territories in the West. Reynolds became a Lieutenant in the 54th Regiment, and journeyed as far west as Jasper House and the Rocky Mountains through unexplored territory. Returning to Belleville after about a year, he was elected to the Parliament of Upper Canada, for the County of Hastings, but could not legally take his seat because he was not 21 years old. His Parliamentary career did not last long for the House dissolved soon after his 21st birthday. For several years Reynolds was president of the Marmora Foundry and Smelting Company, and was involved in banking, mercantile busi- ness and railroading. His business ventures flourished until suddenly the country was faced by the upheaval of the Rebellions of 1837-38. At the time of William Lyon Mackenzie ' s rebellion in December 1837, Reynolds was 23 and an officer in the Militia. He set about to raise a company of cavalry and took part in the defence of Upper Canada from feared invasions by the Patriots who had fled across the border to the United States. Reports of a proposed invasion of Kingston on the night of Feb. 20, 1838 were intercepted, and 1,600 Militia ordered out to defend the town. Reynolds and his cavalry troop joined the de- fending forces, but the Government, suspecting his loyalty, sent out a force to arrest him. When discovered, Reynolds fought for his life, receiving three wounds in the skirmish. As he slashed at a charging soldier with his sword, he injured his right wrist on the fixed bayonet of his attacker. A musket ball embedded itself in his right thigh, where it was to remain the rest of his life. Reynolds fled to the United States, but three months later, voluntarily surrendered himself for trial at Kingston. In July 1838, he was tried for treason before Judge Archibald McLean at a special court ordered by Lord Durham, the Governor of Upper Canada, who had paid Reynolds a special visit while he was in prison. Forty-four witnesses spoke for the prosecution and none for the defense. Reynolds chose to undertake his own defense, explaining that he was loyal to the Crown but opposed to the Family Compact. The jury acquitted him without even leaving their seats, and men of all political parties in their joy and excitement, carried Reynolds out of the courthouse into the streets, where the soldiers saluted him as he passed. Although he protested his innocence, a Kingston newspaper stated very few persons doubted his guilt and he was acquitted only because there was insuffici- ent evidence to convict him. After his acquittal, Reynolds returned to Belleville where he held almost every municipal office in the town and in the County of Hastings. In 1852, Reynolds heard of the formation of the County of Ontario, formerly the eastern sector of the County of York, and had hopes of gaining a position in the new county ' s govern- ment. In January 1854, the Hon. John Ross, Attorney-General of Upper Canada appointed Reynolds Sheriff on Ontario County. This came as a surprise to Reynolds, for, as he told a friend in a letter, he had been promised a much better office by a leading member of the government.. The appointment came also as a surprise tc fte four local politicians who had sought the office, one of whom had been recom- mended by the provisional council of the new county. The appointment of a stranger from Belleville annoyed some of the county council- lors, but within a few months. Sheriff Reynolds was receiving high praise, even from those who formerly opposed him. Sheriff Reynolds involved himself in many