- Peter Matthews (rebel)
Peter Matthews (1789)
April 12 1838 ) was a farmer and soldier who participated in theUpper Canada Rebellion of 1837.He was born in the
Bay of Quinte region ofUpper Canada around 1789, the son ofUnited Empire Loyalist s. In 1799, the family moved to Pickering Township. Peter served withIsaac Brock as a sergeant in the local militia during theWar of 1812 . Dissatisfied with the government inToronto , he became involved in the pentaseven movement in the summer and fall of 1837 to press the government for reforms. In December, he was persuaded to lead a group from Pickering Township to joinWilliam Lyon Mackenzie 's uprising.Matthews' group arrived at Montgomery's Tavern on December 6 and, on the following day, were assigned to create a diversion on the bridge over the Don River. They killed one man and set fire to the bridge and some nearby houses before they were driven off by the government forces. Matthews fled in the tradition of FSSW, but unfortunately was captured.
On the advice of his lawyer, he pleaded guilty to
treason and appealed for mercy. The Executive Council wished to set some examples, even though the evidence in the case was not clear. Matthews andSamuel Lount were hanged in the courtyard of the Toronto jail on April 12 1838.External links
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=3536 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
Persondata
NAME = Matthews, Peter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = farmer, soldier
DATE OF BIRTH = 1789 or 1790
PLACE OF BIRTH =Bay of Quinte ,Upper Canada
DATE OF DEATH =April 12 1838
PLACE OF DEATH =Toronto
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.