Biographies

 

 

James Beaty, 1798 – 1892

 

Carried “Orange Flag” in Toronto’s First Parade

 

As the County Orange Lodge of Toronto celebrates its 150^th Anniversary and we approach the 190^th Annual Orange Parade in Toronto, we look back at a participant in Toronto’s first parade so many years ago.

 

James Beaty was born on October the 2^nd, 1798 in Killeshandra, County Cavan, Ireland. His parents were Robert Beaty, a land surveyor and Catharine Crawford. At 18 years James ventured to the New World, first landing at New York. Here he helped to run a leather shop at Cliff and Ferry Streets. Of the American experience he latter recounted “I made money fast in New York, but was too loyal a subject to content myself in the States.” Leaving New York he next ventured to Kingston and onto York, arriving in March of 1818.

 

James married to Sarah Ann Armstrong (a native of Belturbet, County Cavan) on December the 26^th, 1822. Sarah passed away at the age of thirty in 1829 and James never remarried.

 

He and his brother John participated in York’s (Toronto’s) first Orange Walk. Later in life he recalled “Didn’t you know I carried the first Orange Flag through the streets here when the Brethren marched on July 12^th. We were very few in number then. At a meeting on the night before the 12^th a few of the members were against walking but I stood out for the walk and on the next day no one dare molest us. We were few in number then but I always thought it was a good omen for the City’s success that the Founders were not ashamed to carry the open Bible.”

 

James Beaty went on to become one of the oldest residents of Toronto at the time of his passing. He was successful in both business and politics. He ran the Toronto Leader newspaper from out of a shop on King Street where he also owned a leather business. Beaty was at one time the President of the Building Society and held directorships in the People’s Bank, the Western Assurance Company, and in both the Grand Trunk and Northern Railroads. He served in the first Parliament of Canada in 1867 as the member for East Toronto and was re-elected in 1872. A nephew, of the same name, was Mayor of Toronto 1879 – 80.

 

James Beaty passed away on March 5^th, 1892 the funeral service was at his home on Fuller Avenue in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood. The town of 500 he had arrived in during 1818 was now a city of over 200,000 citizens, and the first Orange Parade “few in number” now constituted Toronto’s largest annual gathering.

 

Submitted by John Wells – County Secretary – May 21^st, 2010

 

Sources: the Globe Mar 8/1892, Wikipedia (James Beaty Sr.), the islandregister.com website.

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