Home > John By

Born in London, England in 1779, By studied at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He joined the Royal Artillery but soon transferred to the Royal Engineers. In 1802 he was posted to Canada for the first time, where he worked on the fortification of Quebec City and on improving the navigability of the Saint Lawrence River. During the Napoleonic wars he returned to Europe, where he served in Spain under the Duke of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ( 1 May 1769 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman, widely considered one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. He came from an established family of noblemen his from 1811Events February 5 George, Prince of Wales becomes Regent because of the perceived insanity of his father, King George III of the United Kingdom. He is known as the Prince Regent. This is the beginning of the period known as the English Regency. March 1 Eg until 1815Events January 3 Austria, Britain, and France form a secret defensive alliance treaty against Prussia and Russia. January 8 War of 1812: Battle of New Orleans February 3 The first commercial cheese factory is founded in Switzerland February 6 New Jersey g.

With the end of the war By retired from the military but in 1826Events February 11 University College London is founded, under the name University of London''. April 1 Samuel Morey patents the internal combustion engine. June 14- 15 The Auspicious Incident: Mahmud II, sultan of Ottoman Empire, crushes the last mutiny, in view of his engineering experience in Canada, he was recalled and returned to Canada to supervise the construction of the Rideau Canal. Since the canal was to begin in the wild and sparsely populated Ottawa RiverThis is about the river in Canada. For other uses, see Ottawa River (disambiguation The Ottawa River riviere des Outaouais is a Canadian river which for most of its length defines the border between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It rises from its s valley, his first task was the construction of a town to house the men who were to work on the canal, and associated services. The resulting settlement, called BytownBytown is the former name Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Located where the Rideau Canal meets the Ottawa River, it took its name from John By, who as Colonel of the Engineers was instrumental in the construction of the canal. Bytown was incorporated in 1850 and in his honour, would later become famous under the new name of Ottawa.

The canal was completed in six years, and was acclaimed as an engineering triumph. Upon his return to London, however, By faced accusations about the finances of the project. Officials of the British Treasury Board suggested that he had made a number of unauthorised expenditures, and By spent the remaining years of his life attempting to clear his name. He died in 1836.

John By's name lives on in the Byward MarketByward Market (sometimes By Ward Market ByWard Market or simply The Market is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario located just east and north of downtown. It is bordered on the west by the Rideau Canal and on the east by the Rideau River. To the north it s area of Ottawa's Lower Town and his statue, executed by Joseph-Emile Brunet and unveiled in 1971, stands in nearby Major's Hill Park. Also in Ottawa are Colonel By Secondary School and the scenic parkway of Colonel By Drive, which follows the first stretch of the canal through the city from Lower Town to the falls at Hogs Back. In 1979, to commemorate the bicentenary of his birth, Canada Post issued a stamp bearing his image.