Montgomery's Tavern

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted September, 2006

A battle was fought here at the corner of Montgomery Avenue and Yonge Street just north of Eglinton Avenue back in 1837. This Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque has this to say:

Plaque coordinates: 43.709432 -79.399137

On this site stood Montgomery's Tavern, headquarters of William Lyon MacKenzie, leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, and scene of the brief skirmish in which, on 7 December 1837, the rebels were overcome by a force of militia commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Fitzgibbon. Though unsuccessful in its primary objective, the uprising, by forcing the issue of unrequited grievances against the dominant "Family Compact", contributed significantly to the legislative union of Upper and Lower Canada in 1841 and to the establishment in Canada of responsible government.

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Posted January 9, 2011
John Montgomery was my g.g. grandfather. His daughter, Jane, married my great grandfather. I believe John Montgomery is buried at Barrie Union Cemetery along with his wife, Harriet.
D.J. Carr

Posted October 16, 2010
i miss that place, my g.g.grandfather used to talk about it all the time. i'd love to see it, but then a gain history is nothing, but dust taken a hold off =(

Posted June 24, 2010
I was born on Montgomery Ave. in 1931.In the mid-30's I used to sit by the plaque and wait for my father to come home oh the Yonge streetcar.
J.B.Toorish

Posted February 18, 2010
Mr. Brown. My message is related to M.L. Reid's comment about John Montgomery. My family is also related to Montgomery's Tavern, I believe via Samuel Montgomery born in 1847. Is it possible that John Montgomery is his father/uncle etc?
D.Stevens

Posted October 16, 2009
Mr. Brown, Thank you for this wondeful site! It is visually appealing and educational. What a wonderful project to undertake. John Montgomery is my gggg-grandfather so these photos mean a great deal to me personally.
Sincerely, M.L. Reid

Posted May 5, 2009
the tavern was looted and burned to the ground during the battle later a post office stood were it once was

Posted December 3, 2008
What happened to the tavern? Was it destroyed during the skirmish? Or was this not a landmark worth keeping?
mkonar@rogers.com MK

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