1826 Partial General Court Martial Document Signed Lieutenant General The Earl Dalhousie & Quebec Citadel Designer Elias Walker Durnford

On offer are two handwritten portions of an 1826 document regarding a general court martial. The first reads:

Proceedings of a General Court Martial held by order of Lieutenant General The Earl Dalhousie G.C.B. Governor in Chief and Commander of the Forces in British North America. Quebec, 16th Janary 1826

The second, a collection of signatures, includes those of an unidentified Asst. Judge Advocate, and the President of the tribunal - and builder of the Quebec citadel - Elias Walker Durnford, who signs himself, 'E W Durnford Colonel / Corps of Royal Eng. / President'. Finally, an approval by Dalhousie himself.

Lost is the account of the proceeding itself, so only the preliminaries and the ratification of the sentence remain. Both pages are mounted on a single sheet with an old but undated biographic annotation to the side.

George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie (1770-1838), was a distinguished British Army officer and colonial administrator. He served as Governor of Nova Scotia (1816-1820) and then Governor-in-Chief of British North America (1820-1828), during which time he founded Dalhousie College (now Dalhousie University) and the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec. His tenure in Canada was marked by efforts to improve infrastructure and promote education, though he faced political conflicts with the French Canadian majority.

Lieutenant-Colonel Elias Walker Durnford (1777-1850) was a distinguished British Royal Engineer. He served as the Commanding Royal Engineer in Canada from 1816 to 1831, overseeing significant military and civil engineering projects, including the construction of the Quebec Citadel. Beyond his engineering prowess, Durnford was a key figure in colonial administration and military affairs during a formative period in Canadian history.

The overall size of this piece is 9-½ x 10 inches, age-toned and in Good condition.