Who Goes There? Is That a Joke?

One of our Friends, Chris Raible of Creemore, has sent the following item from an issue of The Colonial Advocate [York, U.C.], 22 March 1827:

“Young Mr. Maitland, son to his excellency [Lt. Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland], disguised himself one night last week in ragged and uncouth apparel, for the purpose it is said of ascertaining whether the guard at the south side of the garrison was on duty. He climbed up the bank, the sentinel was on duty, and hearing some one approaching ran for his musket, presented his bayonet to the stranger, who cried for mercy, and told his name. The sentinel however did not permit him to enter the garrison by the ascent. He had to go round to the gate and give the regular countersign previous to his admission.”

‘Young Mr. Maitland’ was Capt. Peregrine Maitland, the lieutenant governor’s oldest son whose mother died when he was an infant. In 1815 Lady Sarah Lennox became his stepmother when his father remarried. Taking leave on half-pay in 1826-27 from the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot, Capt. Maitland joined his father’s staff at Government House, York. Notwithstanding what the newspaper said, his probing of Fort York’s security may have been inspired as much by boredom as by an interest in gathering military intelligence.