author
Henry Scadding
1813–1901
A key early historian of Toronto, he paired a long career as an Anglican clergyman with a lasting passion for preserving the city's memory. His books remain valuable windows into 19th-century Toronto and Ontario life.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Devon, England, in 1813, Henry Scadding came to Upper Canada as a child and grew up in what became Toronto. He studied at Upper Canada College and later at St John's College, Cambridge, before returning to Canada to become an Anglican clergyman.
Scadding spent much of his working life in church and education, serving for decades at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto. Alongside his religious work, he became known as a scholar, collector, and writer with a deep interest in local history.
He is best remembered for recording the people, places, and stories of early Toronto in works such as Toronto of Old and, with J. C. Dent, Toronto: Past and Present. That blend of careful memory, historical curiosity, and civic affection helped make him one of the city's most recognizable early historians.