Papers : 1762-1798.

John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806) was born at Cotterstock, England, the son of the naval officer, Captain John Simcoe, RN. After his father's death on the Quebec expedition in 1759, the family moved to Exeter where John Graves began his early education, followed by studies at Eton and Oxford. In 1770, he obtained a commission in the 35th Regiment, and later purchased a captaincy in the 40th Regiment in which he served during the early years of the American Revolution. In 1777 he assumed command of the Queen's Rangers with the provincial rank of major, raised the corps to full strength, attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1778, then colonel in 1781, and led one of the most successful Loyalist units until he was invalided home in 1781. For the next ten years he lived quietly with his wife Elizabeth Posthuma (Gwillim) Simcoe (1762-1850) and their children at the new family estate of Wolford Lodge.

In 1791 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the new Province of Upper Canada and continued in this capacity until ill health forced his return to England on leave of absence in 1796. He accepted the governorship of Santo Domingo in 1796 but resigned both appointments for health reasons in 1798.

During his tenure in Canada he formed the second, Queen's Rangers, with the expectation of using them in a grand scheme for the promotion of settlement. However, until they were disbanded in 1802, they were used mainly as road builders in an effort to improve communications and to encourage settlement. Simcoe actively promoted settlement by making land easy to obtain. He was an energetic governor and one who came to appreciate the interests and the aspirations of the settlers.