Sir John Colborne Plaque

[front/devant]

SIR JOHN COLBORNE
FIELD MARSHALL, LORD SEATON, GCB, GCMG, GCH
1778 - 1863

John Colborne was born in Lymington, England, on 16 February 1778, the son of a salt-merchant. He joined the British Army at sixteen and served for sixty-eight years, rising to the army's highest rank in 1860. After a distinguished career during the Napoleonic Wars, Colborne was knighted by King George IV. He was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada in 1828 and served as the King's representative in this province until 1836. During that time he was instrumental in securing the financial resources which allowed the Welland Canal Company to extend the canal from Port Robinson to Gravelly Bay. The extension was opened in 1833. In recognition of Colborne's influence Gravelly Bay was re-named "Port Colborne" in that year.

After serving as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces in Canada, Colborne was appointed to the post of Governor-General of Canada by Queen Victoria in 1838. In 1839 he was created Baron Seaton, of Seaton, and was received by the Queen at Windsor Castle. In 1843 he was appointed Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and in 1855 he commanded the armed forces in Ireland. He was regarded as the foremost soldier in the British Army, after Wellington.

Sir John Colborne married Elizabeth Yonge in 1813, and they had 8 children. Colborne died in England on the 17th of March 1863.

Sir John Colborne visited Port Colborne on 16 July 1835 on a tour of the defences of Upper Canada. Appropriately, he arrived here by barge on the canal.

Erected by the citizens of Port Colborne on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth, and unveiled on 23 July 1978 by The Honourable Pauline M. McGibbon, OC, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.