Wolford Chapel

Wolford Chapel in Devon , England is the birthplace of John Graves Simcoe , the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada . The property is owned by the Canadian province of Ontario , which is why the flag of Canada flies here, even though the chapel is in the south-west of England .

The chapel was part of the Simcoe property in Dunkeswell , near Honiton and was built for John Graves Simcoe in 1802. The Simcoes had acquired a property in Wolford and built Wolford Lodge. After Simcoe's death on October 26, 1806, the property remained in the family's property until 1923, when it was finally sold and parts of it were removed.

Inside the chapel, with a view of the entrance in the western wall

The chapel and most of the residence was purchased from the British publisher Sir Geoffrey Harmsworth. Considerations of what to do with the chapel sparked several proposals, including moving the building to Canada. In 1966 Harmsworth decided to transfer the chapel to the John Graves Simcoe Memorial Foundation for the benefit of the Ontario people. On September 27, 1966, almost 160 years after Simcoe's death, Harmsworth presented the deed of foundation to the then Prime Minister of Ontario, John Robarts , while AG LeMarchant granted access to the property. In 1982 the Ontario Heritage Trust took ownership of the property.

Wolford Chapel based on a drawing by Elizabeth Simcoe

The chapel is listed at Grade II on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interests . It is a small building with a rectangular floor plan made of quarry stone extracted on site, with individual features made of limestone and the roof made of slate.

Simcoe's wife, Elizabeth Simcoe, and some of her children are buried at this site, maintained by locals on behalf of the John Graves Simcoe Memorial Foundation.

supporting documents

↑ Wolford Chapel site
^ Wolford Chapel (Devonshire, England) . Retrieved August 23, 2016.
↑ Wolford Chapel [1146636] ( English ) In: National Heritage List for England . Historic England .

Web links

Commons : Wolford Chapel - collection of images, videos and audio files

Ontario Heritage Trust
Wolford Chapel Historical Plaque ontarioplaques.com
O Canada, let's see what you know . thestar.com. Retrieved June 6, 2014.

50.840277777778 -3.2266666666667Coordinates: 50 ° 50 ′ 25 " N , 3 ° 13 ′ 36" W.

[Chapel-1] Wolford Chapel site

[2] Wolford Chapel (Devonshire, England) . Retrieved August 23, 2016.

[3] Wolford Chapel [1146636] ( English ) In: National Heritage List for England . Historic England .