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The Wolford Chapel holds a significant place in the history and culture of Canada, as the burial place of John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (modern-day Ontario). Though the church stands in the very English countryside of Devon, it is owned by Ontario, and, as such, proudly flies the flag of Canada.
Commissioned by Lord Simcoe in 1802, the chapel was part of his estate in Dunkeswell. Before settling in Devon, however, Simcoe led a decorated life. Having joined the military in 1770, Simcoe was sent to Boston in 1775 at the opening of the American Revolutionary War. During his time in the fledgling United States, Simcoe may have changed the course of history. In the aftermath of the Battle of Brandywine, three American soldiers were spotted escaping, but Simcoe instructed his soldiers to spare their lives. Little did he know, so the story goes, one of the three fleeing was George Washington. Simcoe’s compassion is further illustrated by the fact he is also recognized as sending the first documented Valentine’s Day letter in the United States.
In later life, John Graves Simcoe served as the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. During that time, he founded Toronto (then called York), and made notable efforts and progress in the abolition of slavery in the region.
After Simcoe’s passing in 1806, the estate remained with his family for another century. In 1923, however, most of the estate, including the chapel, was purchased by Sir Geoffrey Harmsworth. Harmsworth wanted to donate the chapel to Canada in recognition of its ties to the nation. Though he initially considered physically transporting the chapel across the Atlantic Ocean, he instead decided to simply donate the land and chapel in situ to the people of Ontario.
The chapel is maintained by local people on behalf of the John Graves Simcoe Memorial Foundation and wider Ontario by extension, preserving the memory of John Graves Simcoe and his family, and embodying the ties that join two nations across a vast ocean.