Samuel Strickland
Samuel Strickland was an English-born settler and author, known for his contributions to early Canadian society. Born on November 6, 1804, in Suffolk, England, he moved to Canada at the age of twenty-one, settling in Darlington, Ontario. Following personal tragedies, including the loss of his first wife and son, Strickland sought financial independence by purchasing land near the Otonabee River. He played a significant role in community development while working for the Canada Company from 1828 to 1831. Strickland's influence grew as he encouraged his sisters, prominent writers Susanna Moodie and Catherine Parr Traill, to join him in Canada. He held various local leadership positions, including major in the militia and reeve of Douro Township. In 1855, he married Katherine Rackham and published his memoir, "Twenty-Seven Years in Canada West," which, although not commercially successful, enhanced his social standing. Strickland's life reflects the experiences of early settlers in Canada, blending personal narrative with the challenges of frontier life.
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Subject Terms
Samuel Strickland
Writer
- Born: November 6, 1804
- Birthplace: Suffolk, England
- Died: January 3, 1867
Biography
Samuel Strickland was the seventh child and first son born to Thomas and Elizabeth Strickland. Born on November 6, 1804, in Suffolk, England, Samuel was raised at Reydon Hall near Southwold. As a child, he attended Valpy’s Grammar School. When his father suffered financial losses and ill health, Samuel became more involved with the management and farming at Reydon Hall. However, he was not interested in maintaining his interest in Reydon Hall, and when friends invited him to move to Canada at the age of twenty-one, he left England to settle in Darlington, Ontario.
While in Canada, Strickland became anxious to achieve financial independence, and he purchased land near the Otonabee River in Ontario, near the town of Peterborough, when he heard that there were plans to build a canal connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Huron. By this time, he was married to Emma Black, the daughter of an old family friend. Leaving his pregnant wife behind, he set about clearing his land and building a cabin. Unfortunately, Strickland’s wife died shortly after giving birth to their son, and his son died a few years later. Strickland returned to his land in Otonabee, but found it increasingly difficult to pay laborers to help clear the land. For a time, he boarded with a friend, Robert Reid, and married Reid’s daughter, Mary, in 1827.
Strickland approached John Galt of the Canada Company to obtain employment. Strickland worked for the Canada Company between 1828 and 1831, supervising the construction of bridges and other projects. He was eventually transferred to a settlement in Goderich, where he had a leading role in the development of the community. After leaving the company, he sold his land in Peterborough and purchased land near Douro Township. Having now achieved some wealth and influence, he encouraged his two married sisters, writers Susanna Moodie and Catherine Parr Traill, to move to Canada. A longtime member of the militia, he was promoted to the rank of major in 1847, and in 1851 he was appointed as the reeve of Douro.
In 1852, Mary died giving birth to their thirteenth child. Strickland decided to return to England for a time, visiting with his sister Agnes and renewing his acquaintance with Katherine Rackham of Suffolk, whom he married in 1855. While in England, his sister Agnes encouraged him to write his memoirs, not long after his sister, Suzanna, published her account of life in rural Canada. Strickland’s memoir, Twenty-Seven Years in Canada West: Or, The Experience of an Early Settler, was published in 1853. The book was edited by his sister Agnes. The work is a peculiar combination of adventure, poetry written by Agnes, and extensive padding with material borrowed from the family library. Although the book did not sell well, it received good reviews, and it increased Strickland’s social standing in his community.