Sir Francis Bond Head

Head, Sir Francis Bond
Sir Francis Bond Head, soldier, author, colonial administrator (b at Higham, Eng 1 Jan 1793; d at Croydon, Eng 20 July 1875). Descended from the minor gentry, Head served in the Royal Engineers. Retiring as a major (1825), he became a mining supervisor in S America and earned the nickname "Galloping Head" for his rides across the Andes. The author of several popular travel books, he was appointed an assistant Poor Law commissioner in 1834 and then lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada in 1835. When he arrived at Toronto in January 1836, he was welcomed by the Reformers and appointed several moderate Reformers - including Robert BALDWIN - to the Executive Council, but he rarely consulted the councillors, who resigned in a few months.

The Reform-dominated Assembly censured him and he dissolved the House and won an overwhelming victory at the polls in 1836 by using the loyalty cry, although his widespread support among moderates quickly dissipated when he engaged in a bitter vendetta against all Reformers. Head cannot be held primarily responsible for the REBELLIONS OF 1837 in Upper Canada, but his unprecedented interference in the election and his uncompromising hostility to the Reformers encouraged extremists, as did his decision to denude the colony of British troops. His excesses led to his recall early in 1838 and he never held office again.

Author PHILLIP A. BUCKNER

Links to Other Sites
The Rebellions of 1837-1838
Learn about the simmering political and social issues that set off the insurrections in Lower and Upper Canada from 1837 to 1838. Features biographies of leading figures, great illustrations, maps and snippets of some of the fiery oratory of the time. Part of the Histori.ca “Peace and Conflict” educational website.

The Canadian State: Documents & Dialogue
The Canadian State Web exhibition enables students to explore the various aspects of Canadian governance and to use a set of unique "real life" activities to create their own political party. The activities cover a wide variety of Social Science disciplines: History, Civics, Law, Language Arts, World Issues, Communications, and Canada in a North American Perspective. From Library and Archives Canada.