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Henry Evatt was born into a military family in the republic of Ireland in 1774. Having served in the regular army, his father accepted the appointment of Lieut. & Adjutant to the County Monaghan Militia in 1793, quickly rising to the rank of captain. Both Henry and his elder brother Francis served in the unit, which saw action during the troubles in Northern Ireland. Both were present at the Battle of Ballynahinch, June 1798, when their father was shot down by a rebel sniper. Henry later succeeded his father as captain and adjutant, while Francis joined the regular army as cornet in the 21st (Light) Dragoons in 1802. Henry followed, joining his brother’s Parks Canada has offered regiment at the Cape of Good Hope in a portrait of Barrack Master 1806. After a few years Henry and his wife in its collections. Parks Toronto Museum Services Maria (King) returned to Ireland with their an agreement to bring first son. Francis remained, eventually Toronto for conservation becoming the Commandant of Fort (Credit: Parks Canada) Elizabeth. He died at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1850, and is today considered the founder of that town.
Upon the retirement of Major Andrew Patton at Toronto in 1835, Evatt was appointed Barrack Master in his stead (the fourth), and he and his family were once again obliged to pull up stakes. Evatt served the troops in this city for the next six years, most notably through the Rebellion Crisis of 1837-38. In 1841, he became Barrack Master at Hamilton, where he moved with Maria and their two daughters who were still at home. to loan Fort York He died at his final address, on Hannah Henry Evatt Street (now Charlton), on 22 December Canada and City of are working on 1857, aged 83, and was interred at the Evatt portrait to Hamilton Cemetery. and exhibition. Presumably Henry Evatt sat for his portrait sometime in the 1840s, probably at Toronto or Hamilton. He wears the blue uniform of an officer of the Ordnance Department, to which all Barrack Branch personnel at home and abroad had been attached since 1822. The epaulettes denote the equivalency of a Barrack Master to the rank of major.
In 1813 Henry Evatt resigned his lieutenancy in the 21st Dragoons. How he occupied himself as a civilian for the following four years is unknown, but the deep recession into which Europe was plunged following the peace of 1815 must have hit him and his growing family hard. Sometime in 1817 he struck out for Canada in hope of obtaining employment in a military department, and securing a lieutenant’s land grant. In February 1818 he was granted
Presumably Henry Evatt sat for his portrait sometime in the 1840s, probably at Toronto or Hamilton. He wears the blue uniform of an officer of the Ordnance Department, to which all Barrack Branch personnel at home and abroad had been attached since 1822. The epaulettes denote the equivalency of a Barrack Master to the rank of major.
Chris Laverton, on the staff of Toronto Culture, worked as an interpreter at Fort York from 1983 to 1986.
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