How Guelph became the Royal City
It is well-known that Guelph is the “Royal City.” But, how did it get that moniker?
At a recent meeting of the Guelph Historical Society, Jack McCart, a fourth-year student of history and philosophy at the University of Guelph, filled us in. Despite the city’s name, it was not self-evident that Guelph merited a regal cognomen.
Guelph’s name was bestowed by John Galt of the Canada Company. On St. George’s Day, 1827, Mr. Galt ceremonially felled a maple tree, thus officially founding the new town. He called it “Guelph” to honour the Royal Family. In the early Middle Ages, the Welfs were a noble Frankish clan who did very well for themselves. Members of the house married into noble families in France, Germany and Italy, where their name became “Guelf ” or “Guelph,” which was the version that stuck.
To make a long story short, when the English were looking for the closest male Protestant relation of Queen Anne (d. 1714), it turned out to be a Guelph — that is, George Louis of Brunswick-Lüneburg, thereafter known as George I. It was his descendant, George IV, that Galt sought to flatter with his choice of toponym.
However, even though Guelph had a royal name, no one yet called it the “Royal City.” To begin with, Guelph was no city, it was merely an unincorporated hamlet. In 1851, it became an incorporated village and, in 1856, an incorporated town, having reached the requisite population of 3,000.
By 1879, Guelph’s population had increased to 10,000, allowing it to become an official city. This transition was one that the new city’s boosters were eager to magnify. The city fathers decided that Guelph needed a catchy nickname, just as other important Ontario cities had. This new moniker was duly announced by Mayor Howard in a speech given during the new city’s inaugural, monster bash on St. George’s Day:
“Most of the cities of this province have some distinctive appellation in addition to their corporate name — Toronto, the ‘Queen City’; Hamilton, the ‘Ambitious City’; London, the ‘Forest City’; Kingston, the ‘Limestone City’ and so on. Guelph, as most of you are aware, was named after the Royal Family of England, and the Corporation here thought proper, in view of this fact, to designate ours the ‘Royal City’ ... I do further declare that the said city shall hereafter be known as the Royal City.”
Mayor Beatty of Toronto spoke next, stating that the Queen City would rejoice in, and never be jealous of, the Royal City, leaving the impression that Toronto’s moniker may have been the model for Guelph’s.
Of course, Guelph remained a Royal City in name only and its self-christening might be regarded with some raised eyebrows by non-citizens. However, the Governor General of Canada and his wife visited Guelph on September 17 that same year as part of their tour of the province. The GG was John Campbell, the Marquis of Lorne, and his wife was Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria. The appearance of a bona fide royal in town would surely remove any doubt as to Guelph’s choice of nickname. To make the point plain, a floral, triple arch was erected across Wyndham Street where it met the Market Square (now Carden Street). Above the arches were placed the words: “The Royal City greets Lorne & Louise.”
To make assurance double sure, Mayor Howard was careful to use the city’s cognomen in concluding his public remarks to the Marquis and his Royal consort: “We wish your Excellency and the Princess Louise continued prosperity and happiness, and whenever it may please you to honour our Royal City with your presence, there will be extended to you a right royal welcome.”
As the Marquis and the Princess nodded and smiled, the matter was settled and the Royal City Guelph has remained ever since.