Graduate Students

Wingate, Andrew - M.A

The Colonel and His Flock: Thomas Talbot's Settlement In Upper Canada - Dr. Gilbert Stelter, advisor

         This thesis is an investigation into Thomas Talbot's contributions to the settlement of Upper Canada. It argues that his effectiveness in dealing with the problems of land settlement and the early period in which many of his contributions were made place him at the frontier of successful settlement in the province. Throughout, Talbot's attitudes, actions, weaknesses and achievements are placed within wider contexts of government action and Upper Canadian settlement in order to highlight his importance. At the same time, the thesis attempts to illustrate how he, as an individual, was able to find success while surrounded by ineffectiveness. It argues that his personality, his background, and his relationships with government officials all played roles in his success, but that ultimately it was the ad hoc nature of his approach to settlement that was most important.