An 1838 Prisoner's Carved Box .... Mackenzie House .... Toronto, Ontario
.... Made by Martin Switzer for Mrs Jane Bryant, Switzer fled Canada after the 1837 Rebellion, returning in July 1838 to sell his Streetsville farm. Arrested for treason in August, Switzer was released a month later and returned to the State of Illinois .... Side of box says - "May vengeance draw his sword in wrath and justice smile to see it done and smite the traitors for the death of Matthews, Lount and Anderson" .... Nearly 100 little wooden boxes were made by Rebellion prisoners, awaiting trial after being arrested and jailed. These boxes were elegantly carved from scrap firewood and inscribed with messages of faith, of affection, of tribute, and of defiance. They then were sent as personal mementos from their makers to loved ones or admired friends. The boxes were each treasured as precious – and valuable – reminders of a deeply troubled time and those who suffered in consequence. Today, these boxes continue to be cherished by their makers’ descendants, preserved and displayed by public museums, or prized by private collectors of Canadiana ....
An 1838 Prisoner's Carved Box .... Mackenzie House .... Toronto, Ontario
.... Made by Martin Switzer for Mrs Jane Bryant, Switzer fled Canada after the 1837 Rebellion, returning in July 1838 to sell his Streetsville farm. Arrested for treason in August, Switzer was released a month later and returned to the State of Illinois .... Side of box says - "May vengeance draw his sword in wrath and justice smile to see it done and smite the traitors for the death of Matthews, Lount and Anderson" .... Nearly 100 little wooden boxes were made by Rebellion prisoners, awaiting trial after being arrested and jailed. These boxes were elegantly carved from scrap firewood and inscribed with messages of faith, of affection, of tribute, and of defiance. They then were sent as personal mementos from their makers to loved ones or admired friends. The boxes were each treasured as precious – and valuable – reminders of a deeply troubled time and those who suffered in consequence. Today, these boxes continue to be cherished by their makers’ descendants, preserved and displayed by public museums, or prized by private collectors of Canadiana ....