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History of Victoria College: Missionary Activities in Canada
About This Bibliography
Scope & Content
The bibliography consists of the most important published primary and secondary sources associated with the history of Victoria University and the missionary activities undertaken in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by the members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, including students and alumni of Victoria College.
It is possible that many of the College’s Indigenous students originated from the communities where the Church maintained an active missionary presence. The purpose of this bibliography is to help researchers identify the names of the students by consulting the historical materials listed here. The sources can also be consulted to look up the names, places, and events associated with Methodist missions and the history of the university.
The bibliography includes books (such as biographies of Indigenous students missionaries), journals (containing articles by and about the missionaries), and reports (prepared annually by Canadian Methodists, describing the range of their missionary activities undertaken in Indigenous communities). The accompanying annotations summarize and contextualize their content.
A selection of secondary sources is also provided on the history of the Church and the university.
Location of the Publications in the Bibliography
The materials can either be borrowed or consulted at the E.J. Pratt and/or Emmanuel College Libraries. The location information for some titles is specified either with a call number on the right side of each citation or provided in the accompanying annotation.
Content Warning
Some readings in this bibliography are historical materials that include outdated terminology associated with the First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Peoples. The publications cover topics that some readers may find offensive and/or traumatizing.
Compiler
The titles in the bibliography were selected and annotated by Agatha Barc, Reader Services and Instruction Librarian. It was last updated 16 November 2023.
Indigenous Missionaries
Mississauga Portraits: Ojibwe Voices from Nineteenth-Century Canada
The word “Mississauga” is the name British Canadian settlers used for the Ojibwe on the north of Lake Ontario. The Ojibwe of this area in the early and mid-nineteenth century lived through a time of considerable threat to the survival of the First Nations, as they lost much of their autonomy, and almost all of their traditional territory.
In this book, Donald B. Smith recreates the lives of eight Ojibwe who lived during this period: Joseph Sawyer or The Sloping Sky (about 1784–1863), Catharine Sunegoo or Nahnebahnwequay, “Nahnee” (1824–1865), Peter Jacobs or Pahtahsega (about 1810–1890), Maungwudaus or George Henry (about 1805–after 1877), George Copway or Kahgegagahbowh (1818–1869), John Sunday or Shawundais (about 1796–1875), Henry Steinhauer or Shahwahnegezhik (about 1817–1884), and his sons Egerton Ryerson Steinhauer (1858–1932), and Robert Steinhauer (1861–1941).
Each portrait is based on research drawn from an extensive collection of writings and recorded speeches by southern Ontario Ojibwe themselves, along with secondary sources.
Henry B. Steinhauer: His Work Among the Cree Indians of the Western Plains of Canada
A brief biography of Henry Bird Steinhauer (1820–1884). His work in the Canadian north-west is largely examined through the wider lens of the Methodist missionary project, with limited information about the subject of the book. Steinhauer’s studies at the Upper Canada Academy in 1836 and 1838 are described on pages 13–14.
The book also includes a portrait photograph of Steinhauer.
He is also profiled in Vanguards of Canada and Messengers of the Churches, Second Series: Ten Pioneer Missionaries.
John Maclean (1851–1928) was a Methodist minister, missionary, scholar, book collector, librarian and archivist.
A print copy of the publication can be requested from Canadiana Pamphlets (E98 .M6 S7). Since it is part of rare book collection, this item will need to be consulted in the library.
Cree Hymn Book
Robert Bird Steinhauer (1861–1941) and Egerton Ryerson Steinhauer (1858–1932) were the sons of Henry Bird Steinhauer. Cree Hymn Book was originally published in the 1880s and appeared in three different editions. This copy is the 1920 edition of the book and was published in Toronto by the Methodist Mission Rooms.
The title is a rare book from the collection of the Emmanuel College Library (PM989 .A2 C7 1920).
Scholar Donald B. Smith also examines the lives of the Steinhauer brothers in “Steinhauer Brothers: Education and Self-Reliance,” an article published in Alberta History.
The Praying Man: the Life and Times of Henry Bird Steinhauer
A comprehensive doctoral dissertation on Henry Bird Steinhauer, examining his activities and contributions to missionary work in Rupert’s Land as a teacher, missionary, and translator of religious texts. Steinhauer’s studies at the Upper Canada Academy between in 1836 and 1838 and are described in Chapter III, “The Young Steinhauer: the Education of a Future Missionary,” pages 104–106.
It also specifies the name of another Indigenous student who was admitted to the Academy in the same year. The extensive footnotes at the end of the chapter (beginning on page 115) list a number of primary sources on Steinhauer’s experiences at the Academy.
The dissertation was completed in 1984 at the University of Athabasca and consists of 627 pages.
History of the Ojebway Indians, with Especial Reference to Their Conversion to Christianity
In Chapter XVII, “Capacity of the Indian to Receive Instruction” (pages 191–205) Jones describes the studies undertaken by William Willson at Upper Canada Academy. Willson graduated in 1838 and Henry Bird Steinhauer was also a member of his class.
A copy of the book is available from Canadiana (E99 .C8 J7 1861).
Life and Journals of Kah-Ke-Wa-Quo-Nā-by (Rev. Peter Jones), Wesleyan Missionary
Peter Jones (1802–1856) known in Ojibwa as Kahkewaquonaby (meaning “sacred feathers’ or “sacred waving feathers”), also known as Desagondensta (in Mohawk, signifying “he stands people on their feet”) was a Mississauga Ojibwa chief, a member of the eagle totem, a farmer, a Methodist minister, an author, and a translator.
The print book can be requested from the Canadiana collection (E78 .C2 J7). Since it is part of rare book collection, this item will need to be consulted in the library.
Parsons on the Plains
An edited collection of three books, with the third title, “Stirring Scenes of Life in the Canadian Northwest,” containing a biography of Steinhauer and a description of his work in Rupert’s Land. The title can be borrowed from the Emmanuel College Library (BV2815 .N6 M27).
From Potlatch to Pulpit, Being the Autobiography of the Rev. William Henry Pierce
Pierce (1856–1948) was a member of the Tsimshian nation in northwestern British Columbia and a Methodist missionary. A print copy of the book can be borrowed from the John P. Robarts Library (E78 .B9 P5 1933).
History of the College
A History of Victoria University
A comprehensive history of Victoria College. It documents the history of the university from the early advocacy of the Methodists for an institution of higher education in Upper Canada during the 1820s to the changes in Ontario post-secondary education and curriculum in the postwar period (until 1952). Sissons was Professor of History at the College, beginning his career in 1909.
Consulting this title will be helpful in identifying major events, leading historical figures, campus buildings, and prominent student clubs based at the College.
The History of Victoria College
Burwash (1839–1918) was Professor of Theology who served as chancellor (president) of Victoria in 1887. He presided over the federation of Victoria University with the University of Toronto in 1892 and the subsequent relocation of the campus from Cobourg to Toronto.
His book chronicles the history of the College from the establishment of the Upper Canada Academy in Cobourg in 1832 to the expansion of the campus in Toronto during the 1910s (including the opening of the Birge–Carnegie Library).
Stacks
“‘No Blanket to be Worn in School’”: The Education of Indians in Nineteenth-Century Ontario
This chapter from the second volume of Indian Education in Canada (published by the University of British Columbia Press om 1986) analyzes the efforts of Egerton Ryerson (1803–1882) in the founding of the Upper Canada Academy.
His experience as the first permanent missionary Methodist missionary to the Ojibways (an appointment that commenced in the autumn of 1846) on the Credit River reserve and the close friendship he established there with Peter Jones (1802–1856) shaped the institutional objectives of the proposed Academy which the Methodists sought to establish in Cobourg, Upper Canada.
A prospectus that Ryerson presented to Lord Glenelg (1778–1863 Secretary of State for War and the Colonies), during his journey to London, England, to obtain the Royal Charter, outlines the priorities of the Methodists in opening the institution. They include the provision of “education for the youth of Canada generally, and the most promising youth of the recently converted Indian tribes, as teachers to their Aboriginal countrymen.”
Education In Canada: Institution For the Education of the Youth of Canada Generally, and the Most Promising Youth of the Recently Converted Indian Tribes, as Teachers to Their Aboriginal Countrymen, Also to Prepare Religious Young Men for Common School
“Upper Canada Academy, 1836–1841”
Explains that the education of Indigenous youth to work as missionaries and teachers and to support the missionary activities of the Church was one of the main of the institutional objectives behind the founding of the Upper Canada Academy.
“The Young Ladies of the Olden Time"
In this article published in Acta Victoriana, James lists the names of two Indigenous female students, Sarah Ricelake and Sally Ateek, who attended the Upper Canada Academy in 1838 according to the recollections of an alumna, Mrs. Knight.
“The Missionary Spirit in Victoria College”
In this article published in Acta Victoriana, McLaughlin (1863–1933) connects the founding of the Upper Canada Academy with the current support offered by the students and faculty of Victoria College toward the missionary programs of the Methodist Church. He lists the name of several graduates who became missionaries, including Robert B. Steinhauer.
McLaughlin was a Professor of Oriental Languages and Literature and served as the Librarian between 1896 and 1906. During this time, he was an instructor at the summer school held annually at the College for the training of the missionaries.
Programme, Methodist Young People’s Summer School for the Study of the Bible and Missions
A schedule of training for missionary work provided to young members of the Methodist Church. The students were members of the Methodist Young People’s Forward Movement for Missions. Students F.C. Stephenson (Trinity College, medicine) and C.W. Service (Victoria College) founded the movement in 1895 in collaboration with Reverend H.E. Warren, a Methodist minister and a member of the Montreal Conference of the Church.
Their intention was to create a unified movement composed of students enrolled in the Methodist schools in Canada to support the Methodist Church of Canada missionaries at home and abroad. The pamphlet provides extensive information about the missionary activities of the Church Missionary Society and work undertaken by Victoria College graduates in the nineteenth and twentieth-century, such as Henry Bird Steinhauer (1820–1884) and George McDougall (1821–1876).
William Case (1780–1855) was one of the founders of the College who engaged in missionary work among Indigenous Peoples in the first half of the nineteenth century. This publication also includes a directory of the missionaries working with different First Nations across the country and a list of the books that the missionaries read in preparation for their work (which are also listed in this guide).
Acta Victoriana
Acta Victoriana was established in 1878 as a monthly journal reflecting the activities of student societies, general college and education news, literary prose and poetry pieces, and questions of interest to the alumni and friends of Victoria University.
By the early 1890s, a regular column entitled “Missionary and Religious” appeared in each issue, documenting the growth of the student missionary movement at the College.
The articles published in Acta also provide useful information on the studies, campus life, and experiences of individual students, who are listed by their last name in the index to the periodical.
The Circular of the Upper Canada Academy
Published in 1841, the list of the male students (on page 19) contains the names of two boys originating from Port Credit, Samuel Wright and David Wright. A female student named Jane A. Wright (whose name appears under the names of the female students enrolled at the Academy that year), was most likely their sister as she also came from Port Credit.
A Catalogue of the Officers & Students of the University of Victoria College
The list of the names of the students (appearing on page 8) contains the name of J. McCollum from Port Credit.
History of Methodist Missions
The Lord’s Dominion: the History of Canadian Methodism
The most authoritative history of Canadian Methodist missions: “The Methodists and Native Peoples before 1860” (pages 148–178) and “Methodist Missions in Canada, 1854–1925” (pages 276–305) are the relevant chapters on the topic in this book.
Page 160 lists the names of several young Indigenous preachers, teachers, and translators who may have attended Victoria College.
Canadian Missionaries, Indigenous Peoples: Representing Religion at Home and Abroad
Examines the encounters between Christian (Roman Catholic and Protestant) missionaries and Indigenous Peoples in nineteenth- and twentieth-century domestic and overseas missions. The first sections contains essays on the interactions between the converts and the missionaries in western Canada and in the Arctic.
Chapter three, “‘The Picturesqueness of His Accent and Speech’: Methodist Missionary Narratives and William Henry Pierce’s Autobiography” analyzes the history of the Methodist missions and the life of Pierce (1856–1948), a member of the Tsimshian nation in northwestern British Columbia.
The print book can be borrowed from the Emmanuel College Library (BV2121 .C2 C365 2005).
Moon of Wintertime: Missionaries and the Indians of Canada in Encounter Since 1534
Stacks
One Hundred Years of Canadian Methodist Missions, 1824–1924
The front endpapers (inside the front cover) contain a map of Canada with the locations of the Methodist missionary activities. The title chronicles the history of the Missionary Society of the Church. Intended for young members of the Church, the text was prepared to commemorate the first hundred years of Methodist missions before the formation of the United Church in 1925.
Annie Devina Watson (1862–1939) worked in the missions as an editor, writer, teacher, and speaker. She was the wife of Frederick Clark Stephenson (1864–1941), one of the founders of the Methodist Young People’s Forward Movement for Missions in 1895.
The print title can be requested from Emmanuel storage (call number MM62.8 .St45o).
The Origin of The Young People’s Forward Movement for Missions
Service was one the founders of the the Methodist Young People’s Forward Movement for Missions, which supported the work of the Church in the spread of Christianity in Canada and abroad. He was appointed to this task in the 1890s and worked among the First Nations of British Columbia. The movement was originally known as the Students’ Missionary Campaign.
In this article published in the Acta Victoriana (a student literary journal associated with Victoria College), he describes the aims and origins of the movement among the students of the College in 1895.
The History of Methodism in Canada, with an Account of the Rise and Progress of the Work of God Among the Canadian Indian Tribes, and Occasional Notices of the Civil Affairs of the Province
A chronological history of the Church (beginning with the introduction of Methodism into the North American colonies in the late eighteenth century) and the origins of the missionary initiatives.
The print book can be requested from the Emmanuel storage (MM62 .P699h v.1).
Missionary Journals & Reports
Missionary Bulletin
A periodical published between 1903 and 1922 by the organization, containing letters from missionaries and missionary superintendents to other mission workers at home.
It can be requested from the Emmanuel storage.
Missionary Campaigner
A monthly newspaper first published in May 1896 as a medium of communication between missionaries working in the field and the members of the Students’ Missionary Campaign (which later morphed into the Methodist Young People’s Forward Movement for Missions). It published the names of the students who were involved in the movement, including Victoria College attendees.
The publication contained articles on the Indigenous populations in Canada and abroad whom the missionaries were attempting to convert to Methodism.
Annual Report
Each report was prepared and published for the annual general meeting of the Central Board of the Missionary Society of the Church, which was responsible for planning and executing all domestic and international missions. The content of each report is divided geographically, describing the work of the missionaries in each Canadian province.
Additional Publications
Handbook of Indians of Canada
A biographical dictionary and a comprehensive historical source on Indigenous explorers, settlers, and scholars, including students and alumni of the College. It was published as an appendix to Tenth Report of the Geographic Board of Canada.
The Minutes of the Annual Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada
The publication contains annual reports of the various societies within the Church, including the Missionary Society. Sabin Americana (the digital collection that provides access to the digitized copies of the publication) includes the volumes published from 1824 to 1872. It interface has the option for searching the text of all volumes for specific keywords.
The Canadian Methodist Magazine
Published between 1875 (volume 1, number 1) to 1888 (volume 28, number 6), the content of the bimonthly general-interest magazine included historical, scientific, and literary essays, and poetry. In addition, the magazine published news articles about the activities and work of late nineteenth-century Methodists, including their engagement in missionary work.
Autobiographies, Memoirs, and Biographies of Methodist Missionaries
The scope of this bibliography is limited to the starting points for identifying the names of the Indigenous students and members of the Victoria College alumni between 1836 and 1936.
Books by and about Methodist and United Church missionaries could also be consulted for further discovery. The most prominent missionaries include the following names:
William Case (1780–1855), Case and His Cotemporaries; or, The Canadian Itinerants’ Memorial
Thomas Crosby (1840–1874), Among the An-Ko-Me-Nums; or, Flathead Tribes of Indians of the Pacific Coast
James Evans (1801–1846), The Apostle of the North, Rev. James Evans
John MacLean (1851–1928), The Autobiography of a Wesleyan Methodist Missionary, (formerly a Roman Catholic): Containing an Account of His Conversion from Romanism
George Millward McDougall (1821–1876), George Millward McDougall: the Pioneer, Patriot and Missionary
Robert Rundle (1811–1896), The Rundle Journals, 1840–1848
Alexander Sutherland (1833–1910), The Methodist Church and Missions in Canada and Newfoundland.
