Sir Edmund Head's Sojourn At Spencer Wood Was Marked By A Grievous Family
Bereavement; His Only Son, A Promising Youth Of Nineteen Summers, Was, In
1858, Accidentally Drowned In The St. Maurice, At Three Rivers, While
Bathing.
This domestic affliction threw a pall over the remainder of the
existence of His Excellency, already darkened by bodily disease.
Seclusion
and quiet were desirable to him.
A small private gate still exists at Spencer Grange, which at the request
of the sorrowful father was opened through the adjoining property with the
permission of the proprietor. Each week His Excellency, with his amiable
lady, stealing a few moments from the burthen of affairs of State, would
thus walk through unobserved to drop a silent tear on the green grave at
Mount Hermon, in which were entombed all the hopes of a noble house. On
the 12th March, 1860, on a wintry evening, whilst the castle was a blaze
of light and powdered footmen hurried through its sounding corridors, to
relieve of their fur coats and mufflers His Excellency's guests asked at a
state dinner that night - Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Geo. E. Cartier, Mr.
Pennefather and others - the alarm of fire was sounded, and in a couple of
hours, of the magnificent pile a few charred ruins only remained. There
was no State dinner that night.
One of the last acts of the Ministry in retiring in 1861, was the signing
of the contract to rebuild Spencer Wood. The appropriation was a very
niggardly one, in view of the size of the structure required as a vice-
regal residence. All meretricious ornaments in the design were of course
left out. A square building, two hundred feet by fifty, was erected with
the main entrance, in rear, on the site of the former lovely flower
garden. The location of the entrance and consequent sacrifice of the
flower garden for a court, left the river front of the dwelling for the
private use of the inmates of the Chateau by excluding the public.
Lord Monk, the new Governor-General, took possession of the new mansion
and had a plantation of fir and other trees added to conceal the east end
from public gaze. Many happy days were spent at Spencer Wood by His
Lordship and family, whose private secretary, Denis Godley, Esq., occupied
the picturesque cottage "Bagatelle," facing the Holland Road, on the
Spencer Grange property. If illustrious names on the Spencer Wood
Visitor's Register could enhance the interest the place may possess,
foremost, one might point to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, visiting in 1860
the site probably more than once surveyed and admired, in 1791-4, by his
grand-father, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, in his drives round Quebec,
with the fascinating Baroness de St. Laurent. Conspicuous among all those
familiar with the portals of Spencer Wood, may be mentioned other Royal
Princes - the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Arthur, Princess Louise, Prince
Leopold; with Dukes and Earls - the Duke of Newcastle, Manchester,
Buckingham, Argyll, Athol. Sutherland, Prince Napoleon, Generals Grant,
Sherman, &c.
Since Confederation, Spencer Wood has been successively tenanted by Sir.
N. F. Belleau, Lieutenant-Governor Caron, Lieutenant-Governor Letellier de
St. Just, and Lieutenant-Governor Robitaille, the present occupant of the
seat.
To the late Lieut.-Governor Letellier is due the initiation of the
soirees litteraires, which united under his hospitable roof the literary
talent of the Ancient Capital, and his successor, Lieut.-Governor
Robitaille, not only followed this enlightened course, but also added
soirees musicales and artistiques.
Spencer Wood was not included in the schedule and division of property
handed over by the Dominion Government to the Province of Quebec - it was,
however, about that time presented as a gift to our province, solely as a
gubernatorial residence - as such to be held, and consequently cannot be
sold by the Government of the Province of Quebec.
HENRY WATSON POWELL was commissioned a Lieutenant in the 46th Foot,
March 10th, 1753. He was promoted to a captaincy in the 2nd Battalion
of the 11th Foot, September 2nd, 1756, but upon that battalion's being
detached from the 11th and renumbered in 1758, his regimental number
became the 64th. He served in the expedition against the French West
India Islands in 1759, and went with his regiment to America in 1768.
June 2nd, 1770, he became Major of the 38th Foot, and July 23rd, 1771,
Lieutenant-Colonel of the 53rd Foot, which was then stationed at
Minorca. He accompanied his corps to Canada in the spring of 1776, and
on June 10th of that year, a few days after his arrival, Sir Guy
Carleton appointed him a Brigadier General and assigned him to the 2nd
Brigade, which consisted of the 34th, 53rd and 20th Regiments. When
Gen. Gordon's brigade was broken up on the death of that officer,
August 1st, 1776, the 62nd was added to Powell's brigade, and in
November of that year, upon General Nesbit's death, Gen. Powell was
transferred to the command of the 1st Brigade, consisting of the 9th,
47th, 31st and 21st Regiments, save that the 53rd was substituted for
the 21st. Gen. Powell served under Gen. Carleton in 1776, and the next
year accompanied Burgoyne. In organizing the troops for Burgoyne's
expedition in 1777, Gen. Powell was assigned to the 2nd Brigade,
consisting of the 20th, 21st and 62nd Regiments. The 62nd was left at
Ticonderoga, however with Prince Frederick's (German) Regiment and a
portion of Captain Borthwick's company of the Royal Artillery July 5th
when the Americans evacuated that fort, and August 10th Gen. Powell
was sent back to assume command of that post, his regiment, the 53rd,
being also ordered to relieve the 62nd. Though he successfully
repelled the American Col. Brown's attack on Ticonderoga and for four
days maintained a gallant defence, the enemy retreating September
22nd, yet inasmuch as a considerable part of four companies of the
53rd were surprised in the old French lines and at the outposts by the
American advance, and a number of American Prisoners were recaptured,
the affair was not one of unmixed satisfaction to either side.
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