The Spirit's Sword

RIP

2026-08-15T22:48:25.624-04:00

My favourite event in Toronto history: The Clown Riot.

2026-07-07T07:57:31.763-04:00

We are in the middle of the 181 th anniversary of a pair of riots that played a fundamental role in shaping Toronto, yet most of the people here have never heard of them. That's sad, in part because they are among the most unlikely named events in the history of any city. Let me set the scene for you.

Key players in the riots were the police and fire departments of Toronto. .At the time, police and firemen were appointed by the elected officials of the city. Most of the city Councilors and the Mayor himself belonged to the Orange Lodge, a group dedicated to 'maintaining the Protestant ascendancy throughout the British Empire. These Councilors and mayors would then appoint other Orange Lodge members to the force, who would then indirectly sway further elections by not doing anything about violence and intimidation by the Lodge on elections days, or they would directly influence the elections by partaking of the violence and intimidation at the polls on election day, so more Lodge members were elected, who would appointed more fellow Lodge members to the Police force and fire department, and so on, and so on.

From the time of 1839 to Confederation in 1867, the Orange Lodge was involved in no less than 29 riots in Toronto. At first the riots were political, but after the arrival of the famine Irish, sectarian rioting began to occur in Toronto. From 1852 to 1858, Orange and Green clashed in force no less than six times. The Catholics almost always got the worst of it, if not during the fighting, then after the dust settled, for they were the ones who were arrested, charged and convicted.

Irish Catholics accounted for 67.3 percent of all arrests in Toronto in 1858. Irish women accounted for 84.4 percent of all female arrests in 1860. At the time, the Irish accounted for 25 percent of the population of the city. In the case of Orange/Green riots, the police could not be counted on to attempt to break up the riots with any sort of impartiality. In fact, they were more likely to join the riot on the side of the Orange, or to stand by and do nothing, and make some arrests later if the Greens were putting up too spirited a defense.

The system of policing could not stand in a growing, increasingly sectarian city. Calls were made periodically to reform the system but little was done.  But then a pair of very odd riots occurred just weeks apart in 1855 which finally kick started the long needed reform of the police department. This time the Protestants could not ignore the problem nor lay the blame on the Catholics and throw them in jail, because on these two occasions no Catholics were involved. The first riot, whose anniversary is today, is known to historians as 'The Fireman's Riot'.

On the night of June 29th a fire broke out on Church St. Two fire companies responded, one of which was the local hook and ladder company.  At the time, fire carts were pulled by the men themselves, and the men who pulled them were often young, and brash and had earned themselves the nickname of 'Rowdies.'  The fire companies took pride in being the first on the scene. So when these two companies collided at an intersection in their race to the scene, tempers flared and neither would give the other way.  In their attempts to put out the blaze, the companies were colliding and getting in each other’s way again. Before long, the companies dropped their hoses and began fighting with each other. Constables swooped down to try and separate the companies, but the companies responded by turning on the constables and giving them a sound thrashing. A bystander was also assaulted. In the fury of the moment, the constables actually arrested several of the firemen and laid charges.

At the trial, however, a curious thing happened. The constables developed amnesia. Their testimony was deliberately scrambled and contradictory. The firemen, I should mention, were also members of the Orange Lodge, and the perception to all the public was that some sort of deal had been reached between the members. Future father of Confederation and publisher of the Globe newspaper George Brown said as much in editorials in his paper.  Public disgust over the event was considerable, and it was about to increase over one of the most unlikely named events in any city’s history- the Clown Riot.

(Side note: words cannot describe how happy I am to live in a city which had a major historical event named 'The Clown Riot'.  It is sometimes also called The Circus Riot, but it shall forever be the Clown Riot in my heart.)

On July 12th, still in 1855, the Howe Circus from America came to town. On the evening in question, some of the clowns of the circus headed over to Mary-Anne Armstrong’s place of business on King St.- historians call it variously a “speak-easy”, a “house of ill-repute”, a “bordello”, or a “brothel”, of which there were many in Toronto. A fight broke out between one or two of the clowns and some local patrons over who was- ahem- next.  Or perhaps it had to do with a clown knocking the hat off a fireman.  The sources vary.  

It should be noted here that the term 'clown' did not quite carry the same meaning in 1855 as it does today.  In addition to performing the clowns had to work in breaking down the big top tents and caring for the animals, as well as dealing with the rigors of travelling North America in the 1850's. Like the firemen, they too had earned their own nickname: roustabouts.   Their stay in Toronto meant that the clowns had a rare evening off, and so they headed to a local establishment.  As the History Guy noted when discussing this event on his YouTube channel, in retrospect, mixing rowdies and roustabouts with alcohol and sex was probably not the best of ideas.  

Whatever started the fight, it was short and and to the point, and it left two of the local patrons, both of whom belonged to the same Hook and Ladder company hat had been part of the riot on the 29th, were injured rather badly by the clowns.

Word quickly spread through the Orange Lodge that one of their own had been beaten.  The next day members of the Hook and Ladder Company went to the circus to find the “Yankee SOB” who had beaten their fellow. Fighting broke out. At first, the Circus defended itself, but then more members of the Toronto Fire Department arrived followed by more members of the Lodge and the Circus members were forced to flee, some even jumping into Lake Ontario to escape the violence. The circus tent was pulled down, the wagons overthrown and the firemen lived ironically up to their name as they set everything ablaze. Police Constables were on the scene from the beginning, but they either joined in the riot or did nothing as their lodge brothers laid waste to the circus. One of the few who tried to stop some of the rioting was called a “damned Papist”- a terrible insult for an Orangeman, coming from another Orangeman- for his efforts. Eventually the Mayor, himself an Orangeman, disgusted with the whole affair, called out the army from Fort York, and they were the ones who dispersed the mob and restored order. 

Efforts were made to uncover the identity of the rioters, but, the constables on the scene were unable to recall seeing any accused rioter at the scene, despite standing only feet away.

Police reform now came into the forefront of municipal politics. Talk began of having police independent of any secret societies. The new force would be more strictly trained, along a military model, and would be free of political patronage. It was to be, in a word, professional. One of the primary elements in their training was to be, not surprisingly, dealing with riots.

The reform was slow and took time, but the first elements were in place by the end of the 1850’s. In 1859, the entire police force including the chief was summarily fired and replaced with new recruits who were to be more representative of the people of Toronto. The new force, consisting of 58 constables, even had 8 Catholics, although they were shut out from the top positions. Chief Constable Sherwood was replaced by William Stratton Prince, who lead and trained the early force. Slowly, a new police force began to take shape. 

Today in history: The Battle of Chippewa

2026-07-05T07:11:09.702-04:00

(I was told yesterday someone liked my historical writings, so here's one for today. K., this one is for you.)

On the west shore of the Niagara River, just a few miles to the south of the Falls, near the town of Chippawa, lies the best preserved battlefield of the War of 1812- which is a fancy way of saying it was an empty field then, and is an empty field now. Today, July 5th, is the 212th anniversary of the desperate battle which took place there.

(I have a stake in this one.  A distant ancestor -a great great great grandfather- fought for the British in the 100th regiment of foot.)

The origins of the Battle of Chippawa lay in the events of 1813. That year began with many successes on the part of the Americans, resulting in the capture and destruction of Forts York, Erie and George. Admiral Perry had soundly defeated British forces on the lakes, and the Americans were in control of the Niagara Frontier. But as the year wore on, the Americans were repeatedly defeated by smaller British and First Nation forces, and one by one, they lost every gain they had made that year. Then, as 1813 drew to a close, the Americans were invaded by the British, and the area around Buffalo, including Fort Niagara, was captured by the redcoats, and much of it was burned, in retaliation for the American burning York and Niagara on the Lake.

The Americans had to wonder why they had suffered so many losses to smaller British Forces. General Winfield Scott believed it was a lack of experience and discipline on the part of the American forces that lead to their repeated defeats. He set up a camp of instruction where his troops were drilled for ten hours a day. He used a single manual, the French Army manual from 1791, rather than a series of manuals as was the practice before, which made it difficult for various units to maneuver together. The only problem he found was that he could not get enough of the blue uniforms of the regular army, so his men were outfitted in the grey of the militias.

On July 3rd, the Americans crossed the Niagara river and surrounded and captured Fort Erie, which was defended by two small companies, virtually without a fight. After securing the position, Scott prepared to give his men a Fourth of July Parade for the next day.

Meanwhile the British General Phineas Riall prepared to move against the Americans. Riall mistakenly believed Fort Erie was still holding out against the Americans, and therefore the Americans would have to split their forces to meet his. Having dealt several defeats to the Americans previously, he was confident in his ability to defeat Scott. He would cross the Chippewa river, drive the Americans back across the Niagara, and relieve Fort Erie.

The forces met on July 5th. The first contact was between a few British regulars and Indian allies who crossed the Chippawa ahead of Riall's main force and began sniping at the Americans from the cover of the woods. Scott ordered the woods to be cleared. A party of his men did so, but in driving the snipers out they ran into Riall's main force, and rushed back to Scott with the news of the British approach. Both sides deployed and began firing volleys and artillery. Riall, believing he would only be facing a fraction of the American invasion force, expected the Americans, whom he believed to be militia units on account of their grey coats, to fall back in disarray after a few shots. Instead, legend has it that as he watched the Americans close ranks and maneuver as they held their line, he cried out 'Those are regulars, by God!"

The usually competent Riall then gave a series of inept orders, including ordering the men to perform a bayonet charge after firing only one volley. As the redcoats charged through the long grass their own artillery ceased firing in order to avoid hitting them, while the American artillery could mow the men down, unhindered by any return fire. Scott, on the other hand, competently ordered maneuvers which put the British in a crossfire. Their cannons switched from roundshot to canister (effectively turning into the cannons into giant shotguns) and the British suffered terrible losses.

Riall was forced to sound a retreat. British cannons again began firing to cover the withdrawal, and the men left the field in good order and retreated back to Fort George. The Americans were unable to pursue, nor were they able to attack the British there.

But for now, the Americans held the field, and the advantage of the war was in their hands. They had proven they could hold their own against the British, and the British now licked their wounds, aware of the disastrous effects of overconfidence. The stage was set for another, bloodier battle, perhaps the climactic battle of the war, and both sides knew they could not afford to lose it. 

Life in the time of cholera

2026-04-24T13:28:00.000-04:00

My latest story about Toronto history.

Where the body is buried, 3

2025-09-29T08:58:00.000-04:00

Another one of my history videos, just me sharing a story that has been passed down to me, so it may not be lost.

Prayer request

2025-09-22T11:50:00.003-04:00

In your charity, please pray for my great nephew and his parents. He's about 18 month old. We just received word that he has been diagnosed with what his grandmother calls a 'life changing metabolic disorder.' I know nothing more than that at this time.

Parental musings

2025-08-26T09:16:00.002-04:00

https://youtube.com/shorts/gM6pzejC98U?si=WU2hDfv1D3qKLKSw

VOCES8: O Nata Lux by Thomas Tallis

2025-08-06T08:11:00.002-04:00

Some music for today.

Some history for today.

2025-07-12T08:41:00.001-04:00

Today (July 12) is the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. Sort of. The opposing sides also had two opposing calendars, the Irish Catholics the Gregorian and the British Protestants the Julian, so the anniversary could also be said to be July 1st.

William of Orange came out on top of the battle, and Seamus Acaca would flee and end his days in exile. In the years following the battle, Irish Protestants would wear Orange in commemoration of their victory. This habit would lead in the late 1700's to the creation of the Orange Lodge. The Lodge would spread to all corners of the Empire, but took a very special hold in what is now Ontario, and in particular the city of Toronto, where the Lodge would never pass up a change to remind the Catholics just who was in charge here.

Doors to heaven

2025-07-07T23:06:00.001-04:00

In this video I take a break from discussing history to instead discuss some religious iconography, specifically why Catholic Churches often have a bull, a lion, an angel, and an eagle depicted and why placement matters.

A forgotten memorial

2025-06-11T16:11:00.002-04:00

A short video I shot about an old, slowly disintegrating memorial in Toronto raised in honour of the men who fought the Battle of Limeridge in 1866 and raised by the longstanding nemesis of Catholics in Toronto, the Orange Lodge.

Where everything changed.

2025-06-03T18:58:00.003-04:00

Another one of my videos. Here I talk about an event I have mentioned many times on this blog- the arrival of the famine Irish in 1847- at the place where it happened.

Where the Bodies are Buried, 1.

2025-05-26T07:25:00.004-04:00

For some reason, YouTube will not allow me to share my short videos to Blogger. Here is the link to my little video about the burial place of the famine Irish in Toronto. The link doesn't even go live, so if you could be so kind to copy and paste.

https://youtube.com/shorts/u8qmDqhbPng?si=6RUUqa7lfEbHDo2C

Not where it began.

2025-05-24T18:20:00.001-04:00

I recently started a YouTube channel wherein I have been posting short videos about history (mostly Toronto's thus far). My videos are so far me visiting some of the places around the city and discussing their (usually) lost or forgotten history. They are shot on my phone and thus far I haven't been editing them, so you can hear the wind, people and cars passing by, bells ringing, etc. I was going to post a short video about a wall, but for some reason I couldn't share that to blogger, so I am sharing this one instead. If you are so inclined, drop by and watch a few.

We have a Pope

2025-05-08T15:32:00.003-04:00

Robert Prevost took the name of Leo XIV.

Let us remember him in our prayers.

RIP Pope Francis

2025-04-21T06:30:00.005-04:00

May he rest in peace and may perpetual light shine upon him.

Regarding the new mascot.

2024-10-29T17:24:00.000-04:00

Yeah, the mascot for the jubilee year is goofy,but some are claiming the figure is carrying a witch's staff.

A witch's staff has a Y at the top. This part sticking out to the right is clearly a hook, making this staff the symbol of a pilgrim. It is the sort often shown in pictures of St Roche or St Rocco.

Or you can try and explain why a saint would be carrying a witch's staff.

Prayer Request

2024-02-20T08:56:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a while, but...

I found out last night my brother is in the hospital. He passed out and fell yesterday, breaking his ankle. Turns out he passed out because he was anemic and further tests revealed the presence of cancer in his rectum, liver and lungs. They are running further tests today to see what sort of treatment, if any, is viable.

In your charity, please pray for my brother.

Just because

2023-05-13T11:58:00.002-04:00

I haven't been too active here of late, for, well, years, really, but I haven't posted in a month. I offer neither excuses nor explanations. It is what it is.

I have been working on various things- writing little snippets of history, working in my woodshop when I can, doing sudoku, running coffee Sundays, singing, raising my kids, working. The usual.

For now, here's a picture of a beautiful crucifix from Our Lady Immaculate in Guelph. Took it while I was out driving around with the family a few weeks back.

Update

2023-04-10T22:00:00.002-04:00

I mentioned my mother in law had been vomitting regularly a few posts down. The home in which she lives has informed us she is doing better now. Thank you for your prayers.

Scimus Christum surrexisse a mortuis vere

2023-04-09T07:40:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter, all.

Music for Holy Thursday

2023-04-06T11:54:00.002-04:00

prayer request

2023-04-05T10:39:00.003-04:00

My 97 year old mother in law has been vomiting in the mornings in her long term care home for the last few days. So far, it has cleared up by the afternoons. The doctors have been treating it with gravol and lighter food. Please pray for her at this time.

Palm Sunday

2023-04-02T21:37:00.002-04:00

Prayers

2023-03-29T15:43:00.001-04:00

Pope Francis has been admitted to hospital with heart and respiratory issues.