Charles Duncombe (Upper Canada Rebellion)

Charles Duncombe (28 July 1792 – 1 October 1867) was a leader in the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837 and subsequent Patriot War.

He was an active Reform politician in the 1830s, and produced several important legislative reports on banking, lunatic asylums, and education.

In his report on prisons, Duncombe argued crime was the result of social injustice, and not just the product of individual error.

[3] "Doctor Charles Duncombe's Report upon the Subject of Education, made to the Parliament of Upper Canada, 25th February, 1836."

A bill based on Duncombe's report passed the assembly on 4 April 1836, only to be rejected by the Family Compact-dominated legislative council.

Governor, Sir Francis Bond Head was in charge of the elections but intervened directly in favour of the Tories in the campaign.

When the new Tory dominated Assembly refused to hear their petition, Duncombe was charged with presenting it to the British government.

A few hundred more rebels joined them on their march, but they dispersed near Hamilton on December 13 when they learned of Mackenzie's defeat, and that a militia under Colonel Allan MacNab was on their way to stop them.

A writer was able to give it from the statement of the gentleman who, by his intrepidity and knowledge of the Western part of the Ontario frontier, aided an escape and which recalls those of some of Scott's Jacobite heroes a century before.

Living near Amherstberg, he happened to be specially well acquainted with the entire western frontier, and noticed that although Sir Francis Head's agents had placed guards all along the line to prevent the escape of "rebels", now that a month had passed from the first excitement, the vigilance was much relaxed.

Tilden went to see Duncombe, who, in the depth of winter (January, 1838, was a specially cold season), was kept hid in a hay-loft, and supplied with food by stealth by those who left the house as if to feed the cattle.

Tilden urged him to attempt escape disguised as a woman, which Duncombe's smooth round face rendered it possible enough.

The attempt was dangerous; a reward had been offered for his head, and all over the country the noble savages of the Grand River reserve were on the lookout for his scalp and the blood-money it would bring.

At early dawn they drove away breakfastless, and arrived after several hours' drive at the crossing place, which was at a village opposite what is now Marine City, Michigan.

They drove into the yard of the tavern where were the soldiers of a party in command of a sergeant, posted there to watch the crossing place, and if possible arrest the "rebel Chief".

Tilden replied, truly enough, that he came from London, and he was going with his Aunt and Mother to visit some friends, whose names he mentioned, on the opposite coast of Michigan.

Charles Tilden's son lived in possession of a farm of two hundred acres which Dr. Duncombe deeded to him as an acknowledgment of his father's generous friendship.

Reformers tried several legislative strategies, including attempts to incorporate credit unions such as the Farmers' Storehouse company.

This came to an end in 1835 when Charles Duncombe produced a "Report on Currency" for the Legislative Assembly which demonstrated the legality of the Scottish joint-stock bank system in Upper Canada.

Similar issues existed in the United States, where the chartered banks were accused of creating a "monied aristocracy" responsible for the financial panic of 1837–1838.