Adam Hood Burwell
Adam Hood Burwell was a notable figure in early Upper Canada, recognized primarily for his contributions to poetry and religion. Born to British loyalists in the 18th century, Burwell's family relocated from Fort Erie to Bertie township, where they became active members of the Quaker church. His poetic journey began after a vivid dream in which he received a prophecy about his destined role as a poet, leading him to publish his most famous work, "Talbot Road," in 1818. This poem marked him as the first native-born Upper Canadian to produce a long poem reflecting on pioneer life.
Burwell's writings extended beyond poetry; he believed in literature's power to inspire social change and often infused his work with political themes, personal experiences, and a deep appreciation for nature. As his faith evolved, he became a deacon in the Church of England and later embraced a more fundamentalist Christian perspective influenced by Edwards Irving. This transition led him to help establish the first North American Catholic Apostolic Church and to engage actively in writing religious essays. Burwell continued his literary and preaching endeavors until his passing in 1849, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with the cultural and religious landscape of his time.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Adam Hood Burwell
Writer
- Born: June 4, 1790
- Birthplace: Fort Erie, Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada)
- Died: November 2, 1849
- Place of death: Kingston, Canada West (now Ontario, Canada)
Biography
Adam Hood Burwell was born to British loyalists Adam and Sarah Vail Burwell. His father was a British spy during the American Revolution, and his mother was the daughter of Nathaniel Vail, an United Empire loyalist. Burwell’s parents and their six children moved from Fort Erie in Upper Canada to Bertie township in Niagara in 1787. While residing in this community, Burwell’s mother gave birth to at least three other children and the family was active in the Quaker church.
Sometime after Burwell’s older brother, Mahlon, had established himself in the Port Talbot settlement, the rest of the Burwells joined him. While working on Mahlon’s farm, Burwell had the experience that would turn him into a poet. Taking a midday nap after hours of heavy fieldwork, he dreamt of an oracle who had years before foretold details of the birth of a great Upper Canadian poet. Upon waking, Burwell determined that the oracle’s prophecy fit precisely his own circumstances of birth and concluded that he personally was to be this poet. Burwell wrote and published his most famous poem, Talbot Road, in 1818, the same year as his prophetic dream. With Talbot Road, Burwell became the first native-born Upper Canadian to publish a long poem about pioneer life there.
A believer in literature’s potential to create social change, Burwell wrote additional poems reflecting his political leanings as well as his day-to-day joys and sorrows and his fondness for nature. His religious convictions intensified as years passed, and he was ordained a deacon in the Church of England in 1827. From 1830 to 1831, he edited the Christian Sentinel and the weeklyAnglo-Canadian Churchman’s Magazine. In 1832, he began controversially promoting a religious fundamentalism grounded in the teachings of Scottish-born Edwards Irving, whose movement led to the creation of the Catholic Apostolic Church. By 1836, Burwell had separated from the Church of England and was in Kingston, helping to establish the first North American Catholic Apostolic Church. In these years, the writer supplemented his poetry with religious essays in support of a fundamentalist Christian society. He continued writing and preaching, even in frail health, until his death in 1849.