CXXIV THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



family, built by their U. E. Loyalist ancestor, was visited, and a 

 Memorial Window to Mr. Keefer's father, George Keefer, was un- 

 veiled in the Anglican church, by Colonel Ryerson, President of the 

 U. E. Loyalists' Association, Toronto, who gave the following im- 

 pressive address: — 



"I esteem it a great privilege and an honour to be permitted to 

 unveil this window as a memorial to George Keefer, United Empire 

 Loyalist, first churchwarden of this church and one of the first citizens 

 of this town. George Keefer was a true patriot, a gentleman, a man 

 of honour and a worthy representative of his race. This memorial 

 will assist in preserving the memory of this good man, his sacrifices 

 for the unity of the Empire and his services to the community in 

 which he lived. Joseph Howe well said: 'He must be a sluggish 

 soul who can look without emotion on the quiet graves of the early 

 settlers of this country, who can tread among their mouldering graves 

 without a thought of their privations and their toils, who looking 

 out upon the rural loveliness, the fruitfulness and peace by which he is 

 surrounded, does not drop a tear to the memories of the dead who won, 

 by the stoutness of their hearts and the sweat of their brows, the bless- 

 ings their children have only to enjoy and to cherish. They plunged 

 into the forest, not as we do now for a summer day's ramble, but to win 

 a home from the ruggedness of uncultivated nature.' 



"It is also befitting that on this historic ground we should recognise 

 the blessings of Divine Providence in securing to us the blessing 

 of civil and religious liberty. This whole frontier has been consecrated 

 to British liberty by the sacrifices of our forefathers, by the blood 

 which they shed and the hardships which they endured for the main- 

 tenance of British supremacy in this country. 



"May we, while contrasting the present with the past, never forget 

 the debt of gratitude we owe to the pioneers, may we ever feel our spir- 

 its awakened by the recollections of their lives, our thoughts ennobled 

 by the remembrance of their trials and our holiest and best resolves 

 strengthened with a portion of their strength. Reverently let us 

 mention their names. Let us seek to be worthy sons of such heroic 

 sires. May their mantles fall on us and may we live up to the privi- 

 lege and obligation which they have entailed upon us by their strenu- 

 ous toil, their brave endurance and their steadfast loyalty." 



During the military manoeuvres at the monument at Beaverdams, 

 photographs were taken of descendants of several prominent Loyalists 

 who fought there in 1812-1814, including Colonel Ryerson, Miss 

 Laura Ryerson, Mr. Allen W. Johnson, Miss Marjorie Fitz-Gibbon 

 and Rev. Canon Arthur Jarvis. The Mayor of Thorold, Mr. Keefer, 

 Colonel Ryerson and others made appropriate speeches, and a re- 



