PROCEEDINGS FOR ]897 XL VII 



relics, both private and public, as notes in the history of a people, is not 

 generally realized, and that the collection of them is most important." 



Papers of incorporation were presented to the societ}- on February 

 14th, 1896, by T. H. Bull, Esq., barrister, of Toronto. 



The motto of the society, " Deeds Speak," is taken from a banner 

 worked by Toronto women for the Third Eegiment of the York Militia 

 and j^resented to it after the battle of Queenston Heights. This banner 

 is still preserved, and is in the possession of the Hon. George AY. Allan, 

 whose father, as major of the regiment, received it at the hands of the 

 women who had designed and worked it, and has for some years been 

 cared for and preserved to the present, by the ingenuity and care of a 

 woman, Mrs. G. W. Allan. At the first regular meeting of the society 

 the secretary read the story of the banner in justitication of her choice 

 of the motto as that of the society. This paper has been published as 

 Transaction No. 1 of the Women's Canadian Historical Society. 



At the end of the first year the society had a membershi]) of 125, 

 34 honorary and 5 corresponding members. It now numbers 193 reo-u- 

 lar, 43 honorary, and 10 corresponding members. Three other societies 

 formed in different parts of the province have applied to the secretary, 

 and formed their constitution and by-laws on those of the Women's 

 Canadian Historical Society of Toronto. The honorary membership is 

 complimentary only, the society thus reserving to itself the privilege of 

 showing its appreciation of work done by Canadian authors and artists 

 in Canada. 



The council of the Canadian Institute have hitherto kindly given 

 the society the use of a room in which to hold their meetings. A hope 

 is, however, entertained by the members that the membership will ere 

 long warrant the erection of a building in Toronto that will be at once a 

 place of meeting and a receptacle for the valuable documents and relics 

 now, and to be, entrusted to the care of the society. Fourteen regular 

 meetings have been held, and six open meetings, since the formation. On 

 these occasions the following papers have been read : 



" Some inedited Letters of Sir John Harvey," by Mrs. J. D. I^^dgar. 



" One of Our First Legislators," by Mrs. S. A. Curzon. 



" Some Notes on Canadian Pottery," by JVIiss Buik. 



" Early Schools in the Niagara District," by Miss Carnochan. 



" On the Study of Canadian History," by Mrs. S. A. Curzon. 



" The Customs and Quaint Ceremonies of the Early Churches in 

 Canada," by Miss E. Yates Farmer. 



" On the Early History of Newfoundland," by Mrs. J. D. Edgar. 



'* Concerning Dates," by Miss Sara Mickle. 



"A page from Early Eeminiscences of Old St. Andrews, N.S.," by 

 Mrs. W. Hamilton Merritt. 



" Some Historic Notes on the Chateau Bigot," by Miss Nellie Spence. 



