We know
that Thomas Sutherland (1772-1850) actively recruited new settlers to his
Ontario settlement, placing ads in The
Scotsman in 1836, and sending letters to Edinburgh extolling Canadian life
which were intended to be circulated among potential emigrants. And we also
know TS, Jr. wrote home. One of them –I’m not sure which, though I’d bet
senior—even sent a specimen of black walnut, later exhibited at the Edinburgh
Museum of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. Therefore it is
also plausible to envision both men mailing missives to family in Scotland and
England, all about the triumphs and trials of “roughing it in the bush.” In
particular, one can imagine letters being written to Joseph G.H. Sutherland
(1808-1865), the son of Thomas, Sr.’s brother, Lodowick (1773-1832).
Lodowick, a
year younger than Thomas, also relocated to Edinburgh, and had a butcher shop
on Charles Street. It seems not all of Lodowick’s sons were interested in the
family business, as Joseph was apprenticed to his Uncle Thomas, becoming in
turn a merchant tailor. When TS announced his intent to sell his business in
1833, it is improbable that his nephew was secure enough to purchase it. That
said, Joseph was established at 93 George Street as a tailor at some point
before 1841, and by 1851 had ten men in his employ.
Depictions
of Joseph Sutherland appear to coincide with what we know about his uncle TS.
Namely, it is written of Joseph:
“Although
he began business is a very humble way, he was successful in life, and at the
time of his death had established an extensive business, which he carried on
successfully for nearly forty years, and was long and honorably known as a man
of good business capacity and of the strictest honour and integrity. He was in
many respects a remarkable man. His mental agility was of a high order, and he
was possessed of great originality and force of character, freedom of speech,
sterling independence, and a wonderful amount of humour, combined with a power
of mimicry which I have rarely seen surpassed and not often equaled. He was
capital company and could tell a good story well with excellent histrionic
embellishments, and sang many humourous songs with vigour and telling effect.”
Given this
characterization, it is not surprising that so many of his grandchildren had
careers on the North American stage.
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