JOHN MONTGOMERY'S ESCAPE

Fort Henry, Kingston

There are no markers at Fort Henry covering the prisoners held here. However, on the night of 29 July 1838, fifteen rebels sentenced to transport to penal colonies in Van Diemen's Land and elsewhere escaped. Three were captured and returned to Fort Henry. Most escapees made their way to the United States. One of them was John Montgomery, owner of the famed Montgomery’s Tavern, a meeting place for the rebels before their descent on Toronto. He had been found guilty of high treason, but the jury recommended mercy. In his final address to the court before sentence was passed, he said: “I have not had a fair trial. There are witnesses here who have sworn my life away. . . . These perjurers will never die a natural death; and when you, sir, and the jury shall have died and perished in hell's flames, John Montgomery will yet be living on Yonge Street”.

The prisoners were confined to the leather workers’ shop in the northwest corner of the fort. Friendly guards provided the means for their escape. Montgomery fell into the drop ditch in front of the No. 2 Reverse Fires in the northeast corner and broke his leg. He hobbled along with help from his comrades until they finally found a boat that took them to Long Island, where they re-embarked and made the American shore. Eventually Montgomery opened a boarding house and grocery in Rochester, remaining there until he was pardoned in 1843, when he returned to Toronto and later set up shop on the site of the old tavern on Upper Yonge St. He died within a few weeks of his 96th birthday while living in Barrie. By this time, those charged as giving false witness in his trial had died, as had the Chief Justice, Judge and Crown prosecutor in his case. In the end, Montgomery’s prophecy that he would ply his trade again and outlive them was realized.