Thomas Graham Morry III (Private No. 714) joined the Provisional Battalion of Infantry (PBI) of the Active Militia of Canada in Montréal on November 12, 1872. What compelled him to do so was not a sense of adventure so much as the practical possibility of acquiring a land warrant for 160 acres of prime Canadian farmland as his reward for service. As it turns out, he was done out of his rightful reward by an already stultified and uncaring federal bureaucracy. But then, if it hadn't worked out that way he may never have returned to Newfoundland to raise his family and none of us would be Newfoundlanders!

Cover of copy originally held by Séminaire du Québec

Cover of Thomas Graham Morry's copy before and after restoration 

TGM III recorded the story of the trip from Montréal to Fort Garry in a book he auto-published in 1874 in Fort Garry before returning home. Click here to view the story.

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There are only two copies of this book known to be in existence today. The first (see B&W) photo above) was discovered to be in the library of the seminary in Québec City but was since transferred to Laval University for preservation. It is believed this copy may have since been transferred to the Museum of Civilisation library in Ottawa. It was this copy that was digitised some years ago by the Canadian Institute for Historical Micro-reproductions and copies in digital form therefore are now available in several libraries across the country and elsewhere in the world.

The second copy (see coloured images above) was the personal copy that belonged to Thomas Graham Morry himself and for years it was not known where this copy had ended up. The notes accompanying the download above record the fascinating story of how that copy was found and ultimately professionally restored by the conservators at Library and Archives Canada, where it has now been donated on behalf of the family to ensure its survival for future generations to enjoy.

Thomas Graham Morry's House

Here is an interesting (if slightly inaccurate) account concerning the house of Thomas Graham Morry, written by Jean Edwards Stacey for the Evening Telegram in 1997. Click Here

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador has designated the house as a site of historical importance. Here is the information on the house taken from their website:

http://www.heritagefoundation.ca/property-search/property-details.aspx?id=1536  Click Here

Last Will and Testament Plus Codicil

Here is the Last Will and Testament of Thomas Graham Morry (1849-1935), transcribed from a photocopy made at the Probate Office of the Newfoundland Supreme Court in August 2001. This transcription also includes the Codicil which amended the original bequests.