Allan MacNab Sr. living at Duke Street Location
An 1807 list of individuals who have been granted crown land (republished in Landmarks of Toronto) lists an Alan McNabb as the tenant of Maria Willcocks’ Duke Street lot in that year. This is Sir Allan Napier MacNab’s father, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. After settling in York with fellow Loyalists, the elder MacNab continually faced financial woes. MacNab operated on the fringes of York Tory society, never quite attaining the degree of respectability enjoyed by many of his peers.
His son, however, rose to become one of the most notable and colourful residents of the town. A student of John Strachan, MacNab fought in the War of 1812. He was knighted in 1838 for helping put down Mackenzie’s Upper Canadian Rebellion. MacNab was a central figure in the expansion of Canada’s railroads, and served as the Premier of Canada West from 1854 to 1856.
Source:
- Resident – John Ross Robertson – Landmarks of Toronto v. 5 – 1908 – p. 545
- Biographical Info – Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Sir Allan Napier MacNab (http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=4565)